William Cordova

In looking for artists other artists that are working in a similar esthetic of my boom box piece entitled “Self Help” I found the work of William Cordova. I think it is crucial for me to examine his work because he is using dated materials and technologies to make contemporary work. In reading about his work I feel that what I’ve been trying to achieve lately and had not been able to quite articulate verbally, is well stated in Vitamin 3-D. William Cordova reclaims and re-contextualizes every day objects to create mixed-media installations, using an assortment of unwanted or outdated materials such as old books, vinyl records, discarded speakers and bootlegged VHS tapes as the foundation of his work. His unassuming sculptures and installations function on multiple planes, employing symbolic system of personal and cultural signifiers to impart historical significance to the work. Cordova reveals the histories of forgotten people and the memories of left-behind objects imbued with the reality of lived experience.

Though the work may mean something specific in terms of personal memory or association with objects in Cordova’s sculptures, his work speaks of the complexity of the transmission of ideas and offers a multiplicity of interpretations. Odd juxtapositions of materials and motifs create new meaning as each viewer brings his or her experience to the work.

I am also interested in Cordova’s video work, specifically “this one’s 4U (p’anosotros) 2007-8, which is a documentary on the murdered rapper Tupac Shakur dubbed with the soundtrack of a Spanish film about the 16^th-century Incan leader for whom he was named, Tupa Amaru. (For leading his people into rebellion, Amaru was executed by the Spanish). I find this an interesting connection into the historical context that is layered within current pop-culture. I think this is appealing and I’m sure a lot of connections could be made with many forms of current pop culture and historical references.

Adajania, Nancy, and Anne Ellegood. Vitamin 3-D: New Perspectives in Sculpture and Installation. London: Phaidon, 2009. Print.

King, Sarah S. "William Cordova." Art In America 23 Feb. 2010. Art In America. 23 Feb. 2010. Web.