Christmas: A New Iconography?
In a previous article we discussed the introduction of the Christmas tree in Europe. It slowly made its entrance into our homes, evoking a new-found culture of Christmas decorations; the largeness of which we cannot possibly explain. Nowadays the craze begins as early as late September, when you can be sure to find your favourite warehouses and bookstores decorated from floor to ceiling with garlands in reds, greens, golds and silvers. When you can be sure you are drinking your everyday hot beverage of preference out of a Christmas themed cardboard cup. When even dogs begin to appear in knitted sweaters of a seemingly Nordic pattern, although the temperature refuses to drop.
However, as we all seem to adapt to aesthetics different from our own liking during the last three months of every year, one could argue this has not resulted in a complete loss of taste. On the contrary; the holiday seems to have caused some great manifestations.
Historical Collectibles
As for decorations: let us turn our attention to the United States of America. In 1981, the White House Historical Association first released a so-called White House Christmas Ornament, ‘Angel in Flight’, depicting a copper weather vane, inspired by the ones commonly found atop of historic American buildings, such as Independence Hall. This initiated not only a tradition of hanging the Association’s ornament on the official ‘Blue Room’ Christmas tree, but also the production of a newly designed ornament each holiday season.
The earlier produced ornaments, made out of high quality copper with a patina finish, are rare collectibles valued by many. All of the ornaments produced since 1981, including gold plated copies of the original two, can still be purchased today and many Americans lovingly associate them with their own cultural heritage.
A Tree With A Message
Another interesting take on Christmas trees can be found in London’s Tate Britain. Ever since 1988, the gallery has commissioned a leading contemporary artist to design a decorative Christmas tree as a temporary installation to be put in their Rotunda. The first tree was made by Bill Woodrow and featured an ecological view of the world through decoration with cardboard sculptures of maps and a giant globe. Artists who delivered a tree at the Tate’s doorstep through the years include Cornelia Parker and Julian Opie. The first adorned her tree with dried fruit, hinting at both a winter store of energy and the potential ingredients of Christmas pudding in 1995, and the latter went ‘pop’ with a toy-like Christmas Forest in 1996. The ‘millennial’ tree, designed by Catherine Yass was completely undecorated, only to be bisected by a laser beam of blue neon, whereas in 2003 Mark Wallinger gained attention with a rosary-decorated tree. Instead of a fir, he chose an aspen – the material of the cross on which Christ was crucified. This year Tate Britain has chosen to celebrate the start of the festive season by hanging a tree upside down from its ceiling. The work was created by artist Shirazeh Houshiary and focuses on the tree’s natural qualities - such as texture, colour, smell and shape – while also highlighting its roots in gold leaf. "I would like us to contemplate that the pine tree is one of the oldest species and recognize the roots are the source of its continued stability, nourishment and longevity," said the Iranian artist.
Belgian Abstraction
Not everybody is able to appreciate this different take on Christmas. When the city of Brussels decided to replace its traditional Christmas tree from the Ardennes in the historic Grand Place with ‘something new’, a piece of abstract modern art, officials had no idea of the turmoil this would cause! The work was assembled out of giant steel-framed boxes stacked into something resembling a tree. At night, the boxes would light up to the sound of pulsating music whereas by day, visitors were able to climb up the structure to a wooden viewing platform. The installation ‘Xmas 3’ unexpectedly resulted into a division of the city, ethnic tensions because of a supposed erasing of Christianity, and an online petition and debate about the place of art in public space. Should the holidays therefore better be left alone by artists? To quote a spokesman for the Mayor of Brussels: “If we can create a debate about the place of modern art in our city, that’s good.”
For more curated art also have a look at Gallerease!
Main Image: The Brussels Christmas 'Tree', Xmas3, 2012.
