Anish Kapoor

Cloud Gate (2004), Millennium Park, Chicago

Celebrated for his gigantic, stainless steel Cloud Gate sculpture in Chicago’s Millennium Park, Anish Kapoor is changing the cultural environment with his public works. 

1.Research Kapoor's work in order to discuss whether it is conceptual art or not. Explain your answer, using a definition of conceptual art.
 

The definition of conceptual art is "Art that is intended to convey an idea or concept to the perceiver and need not involve the creation or appreciation of a traditional art object such as a painting or sculpture." (www.thefreedictionary.com, 2009). Based on this definition, I feel that Kapoor's work can be considered as conceptual art because it doesn't involve the creation or appreciation of traditional art. On the other hand, however, it is hard to interpret what idea or concept Kapoor is trying to convey in a number of his works.

2. Research 3 quite different works by Kapoor from countries outside New Zealand to discuss the ideas behind the work. Include images of each work on your blog.

Tall Tree and the Eye - Tall Tree and the Eye is a fifteen metre tall, steel structure, that is made from seventy six shiny balls. Kapoor's idea behind this sculpture draws inspiration from German poet, Rainer Maria Rilk, in that it is "a kind of eye, that is reflecting images endlessly." (Kapoor, 2009)

Cloud Gate - Cloud Gate is a massive bean shaped sculpture that has been built out of 168 stainless steel plates that have been welded together. Kapoor has used a theme that he uses in a number of his works which is creating a good photo opportunity for tourists by using highly reflective surfaces. He has aimed to "evoke immateriality, and the spiritual."

Ascension - In Ascension, Kapoor has created a "tangible, rising column" of smoke, a usually immaterial substance. Once again, Kapoor seems to have worked with the idea of spirituality.

3.Discuss the large scale 'site specific' work that has been installed on a private site in New Zealand.

4. Where is the Kapoor's work in New Zealand? What are its form and materials? What are the ideas behind the work?

Kapoor was commissioned to create this work for Allan Gibbs' farm. It is made up of a "vast, PVC membrane, stretched between two giant, steel ellipses." The work is related to Kapoor's previous works at the BALTIC and the Tate Modern's Turbine Hall, but due to being in an uninclosed space, experiencing the work is much more "sensual."
5. Comment on which work by Kapoor is your favourite, and explain why. Are you personally attracted more by the ideas or the aesthetics of the work?

My favourite work of Kapoor's is Cloud Gate because of it's massive scale. I really like how its surface is so flawlessly smooth and gives such a clear reflection, while distorting the image at the same time. Cloud Gate's position combined with smoothness makes the work almost looks liquid. Personally I am more attracted to the aesthetics of Kapoor's work. 
Youtube has some excellent footage on Kapoor-take a look at Anish Kapoor at the Royal Academy.

www.royalacademy.org.uk › 
http://www.robgarrettcfa.com/thefarm.htm
http://www.billslater.com/cloudgate/ 

Dismemberment of Jeanne d’Arc- 

Old Municipal Market Building Brighton

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/conceptual+art

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cloud_Gate#Relevant_Kapoor_themes

http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2009/sep/20/anish-kapoor-sculpture-royal-academy

http://www.robgarrettcfa.com/thefarm.htm

http://www.lissongallery.com/#/artists/anish-kapoor/

Pluralism and the Treaty of Waitangi

In teaching week 5 you will discuss pluralism and the Treaty of Waitangi in your tutorials.
Use this discussion, the notes in your ALVC book and the internet to respond to the following
questions;

1. Define the term 'pluralism' using APA referencing.


"Pluralism in art refers to the nature of artforms and artists as diverse. The cultural context of art is all encompassing in its respect for the art of the world's cultures. Inclusion of individuals of differing ethnicities, genders, ideologies, abilities, ages, religions, economic status and educational levels is valued. Pluralism honors differences within and between equitable groups while seeing their commonalities." (Caldwell, Drake, 2000, para. 1)


http://www.design.iastate.edu/NAB/about/thinkingskills/cultural_context/pluralism.html


2. How would you describe New Zealand's current dominant culture?


In my opinion, New Zealand currently has a predominantly European culture, but being such an ethnically diverse country, there are a number of elements from other cultures such as Maori, Chinese and Pacific Islander mixed in.


3. Before 1840, what was New Zealand's dominant culture?


Originally, New Zealand was only inhabited by Maoris, so they were the dominant culture. As soon as the Europeans made contact with the Maoris, dominance started to shift towards the Europeans until a treaty needed to be signed in order to prevent war between the two groups of people.


http://history-nz.org/colonisation.html
http://history-nz.org/maori.html
http://www.writework.com/essay/three-forms-maori-and-pakeha-interaction-before-1840


4. How does the Treaty of Waitangi relate to us all as artists and designers workingin New Zealand?


I think that the Treaty of Waitangi relates to artists and designers today in that there are still underlying feelings about who "owns" what. For example, some may feel that artists and designers should not be allowed to use Maori inspired designs because they are not part of their culture.


5. How can globalization be seen as having a negative effect on regional diversity in New Zealand in particular?


A negative effect can be seen because big corporations are using elements of traditional Maori culture to sell their products. People may see this as a negative, because these companies often don't think to research the importance behind these aspects of Maori culture they are using and end up using them in the wrong context, or in such a way that could be insulting to the Maori people.


6. Shane Cotton's paintings are said to examine the cultural landscape. Research Cotton's work 'Welcome'(2004) and 'Forked Tongue' (2011) to analyze what he is saying about colonialization and the Treaty of Waitangi. 


In Cotton's work Welcome, he has used images of native New Zealand birds, and "upoko tuhituhi" or “marked heads.” The use of images of ancestral Maori faces, and these native birds shows that cotton is saying that even today, Maori culture before colonialization, and the Treaty of Waitangi are still important.

 

'Welcome' (2004) Shane Cotton 

http://www.printsandprintmaking.gov.au/catalogues/work/52293/shane-cotton-welcome.aspx

  

  

        

 

'Forked Tongue'(2011) Shane Cotton

http://www.nbr.co.nz/article/shane-cotton-paintings-examine-cultural-landscape-126412

7. Tony Albert's installation 'Sorry' (2008) reflect the effects of colonization on the aboriginal people of Australia. Research the work and comment on what Albert is communicating through his work, and what he is referring to. Describe the materials that Albert uses on this installation and say what he hopes his work can achieve. Define the term 'kitsch'. 

By using the word "Sorry," Albert is referring to Kevin Rudd's apology to the aboriginal people. He is communicating his feelings that the word sorry is "just a word," and that Rudd's apology was quite hollow. Albert has used Vinyl letters that spell out the word 'sorry' in block capitals, and a collection of "aboriginalia" which is aborigine styled memorabilia. Albert says that he hopes his work can 'give these silenced objects a voice,' meaning that he hopes to give the aborigine people a voice.

8. Explain how the work of both artists relates to pluralism.

Both these artists' works refer to their culture. Albert especially, in that he has used products that specifically use pluralism i.e. aboriginalia.

                                       Tony Albert | Australia b.1981 | Girramay people | Sorry 2008 |
                                               Found kitsch objects applied  to vinyl letters | 99 objects :    
                                               200 x 510 x 10cm (installed) | The James C Sourris Collection.
                                               Purchased 2008 with funds from James C Sourris through the 
                                               Queensland Art Gallery Foundation | Collection: Queensland Art Gallery
                              

www.youtube.com/watch?v=6afMy0rlqq8

http://qag.qld.gov.au/collection/indigenous_australian_art/tony_albert

http://www.design.iastate.edu/NAB/about/thinkingskills/cultural_context/pluralism.html

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/arts/curios-of-the-contemporary/story-e6frg8n6-1111119151528

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6afMy0rlqq8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Drb9RbW3Tw

http://www.news.com.au/national/pm-moves-to-heal-the-nation/story-e6frfkw9-1111115539560

Week 4 - Kehinde Wiley

3. Kehinde Wiley Count Potocki, 2008 oil on canvas, 274.3 x 274.3cm

4. Kehinde Wiley Support Army and Look after People, 2007 oil on canvas, 258.4 x 227.3cm

Kahinde Wiley is a Gay American based painter born in Los Angeles, who has an international reputation. Wiley lives and practices between Beijing and Brooklyn.


This weeks ALVC class focuses on the Postmodern theme "INTERTEXTUALITY", re-read Extract 1 The death of the author on page 39 of your ALVC books and respond to the oil paintings of Kehinde Wiley. 

1. Find a clear definition of Intertextuality and quote it accurately on your blog using the APA referencing system. Use your own words to explain the definition more thoroughly. 

'Relating to or deriving meaning from the interdependent ways in which texts stand in relation to each other' (American Heritage Dictionary.(2009)). This definition is referring to when something that pre-exists is referenced in another piece of work, an example of this is the majority of the cutscenes in the Family Guy t.v. show.

2. Research Wiley's work and write a paragraph that analyzes how we might make sense of his work. Identify intertextuality in Wiley's work. 

Wiley creates his work with a combination of traditional and contemporary style. The focus of his work is 'young, urban black men,' which he combines with 'juxtaposing stylistic references.' These stylistic references are made up of a combination of period styles such as 'French Rococo, Islamic Architecture and West African textile design to urban hip-hop.' Intertextuality can be seen in Wiley's work in the referencing of these period styles, and in the subject matter of his work. For example, in the red painting of the youth carrying a banner is likely to reference gangs in african american culture, due to the fact that the subject is almost completely dressed in red clothing on a red background, suggesting that he is affilliated with 'Bloods' which is a street gang that originated in the lower-class areas of Los Angeles.

3. Wiley's work relates to next weeks Postmodern theme "PLURALISM" . Read page 46 and discuss how the work relates to this theme.

Wiley's work relates to the concept of pluralism in the sense that he clashes two different socio-economic levels. He paints African american subjects, which at there time were almost all part of a lower class, but the way he paints them is in a style that royalty and other members of the high society would have been painted in the Renaissance.

4. Comment on how Wiley's work raises questions around social/cultural hierarchies , colonisation, globalisation, stereotypes and the politics which govern a western worldview. 

By painting images of young, black men from lower-class backgrounds as if they were aristocratic, he raises his view that everyone in the world has the same potential, no matter what their background or race is. This high class position has more often than not been filled by white people, and is still somewhat stereotypically considered how it is, Wiley is also removing this thought that people often have.
5. Add some reflective comments of your own, which may add more information that
you have read during your research.

I like Wiley's work because I find the style he uses quite interesting. I especially like his painting of the man wearing red, because the viewpoint that the man has been painted from makes him look intimidating, but also very powerful and wealthy, which is what Wiley set out to achieve.

http://www.cretique.com/archives/4012

http://www.deitch.com/artists/sub.php?artistId=11

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/intertextual

http://www.artnet.com/awc/kehinde-wiley.html

Week 3- Hussein Chalayan

Chalayan is an artist and designer, working in film, dress and installation art. Research Chalayan’s work, and then consider these questions in some thoughtful reflective writing.

1. Chalayan’s works in clothing, like Afterwords (2000) and Burka (1996) , are often challenging to both the viewer and the wearer. What are your personal responses to these works? Are Afterwords and Burka fashion, or are they art? What is the difference?

Not all clothing is fashion, so what makes fashion fashion?

My personal response to the first work, Burka, is that I don't like it. I don't like it because I feel that Chalayan's use of the burka represents the oppression over woman that the muslim religion supports. I like Afterwords, because I find the composition of the work quite interesting and edgy. I like how the almost primitive look that the bottom half of the dress has juxtaposes the sophisticated styling of the upper half.

In my opinion, Burka is art, because Chayalan is trying to make a statement, and that Afterwords is fashion, because although that too has a statement being made, it has also been designed to be aesthetically pleasing, which is a quality I believe is crucial for fashion to have.

Hussein Chalayan, Burka, 1996

                                                                 Hussein Chalayan, Afterwords, 2000

2. Chalayan has strong links to industry. Pieces like The Level Tunnel (2006) and Repose(2006) are made in collaboration with, and paid for by, commercial business; in these cases, a vodka company and a crystal manufacturer. How does this impact on the nature of Chalayan’s work? Does the meaning of art change when it is used to sell products? Is it still art?

Some people may view Chalayan as a sellout for collaborating with corporations, however I feel that it has just given his work a different angle. The meaning of the work does change when it is used to sell products, because rather than being there purely for visual impact or to make a statement, it is also persuading consumers to purchase the product. I believe that his work is still art even in this context. another example of an artist doing this is Annie Leibovitz, a lot of her photography is purely shot for the purpose of advertising products, but it still has value as art, such as her photograph of Kieth Richards taken for Louis Vuitton.

3. Chalayan’s film Absent Presence screened at the 2005 Venice Biennale. It features the process of caring for worn clothes, and retrieving and analysing the traces of the wearer, in the form of DNA. This work has been influenced by many different art movements; can you think of some, and in what ways they might have inspired Chalayan’s approach? 

"A video installation telling a story based on identity, geography, genetics, biology and anthropology. The film questions whether the extent to which identities can adapt to new environments." Just from reading this synopsis of Chayalan's film Absent Presence, I think that it has drawn influence from modernism - which was a very science oriented movement - in that it covers themes such as genetics and biology.

by m

Hussein Chalayan, still from Absent Presence, 2005 (motion picture)

4. Many of Chalayan’s pieces are physically designed and constructed by someone else; for example, sculptor Lone Sigurdsson made some works from Chalayan’s Echoform (1999) andBefore Minus Now (2000) fashion ranges. In fashion design this is standard practice, but in art it remains unexpected. Work by artists such as Jackson Pollock hold their value in the fact that he personally made the painting. Contrastingly, Andy Warhol’s pop art was largely produced in a New York collective called The Factory, and many of his silk-screened works were produced by assistants. Contemporarily, Damien Hirst doesn’t personally build his vitrines or preserve the sharks himself. So when and why is it important that the artist personally made the piece?

I feel that it really depends on what type of art it is. For example, if a painter is asked to paint a highly detailed portrait to the exact specifications they had in their mind, they wouldn't be considered the artist because a large part of the portrait would involving specific skills. On the other hand, artists like Andy Warhol and Damien Hirst have work which involve very unique ideas and creativity that make them special, so even though people like them get other people to create and sometimes even design their work, they are still the ones with the original idea and no one else would think of an artwork like that. Another interesting point is that there are artists like Jackson Pollock, who could have gotten others to splash paint onto a canvas in an almost random  fashion, but he painted his own works, and used a very unique style to do so, even when others try and imitate his style, they never achieve the exact same style as Pollock.

http://www.husseinchalayan.com/#/home/
http://www.designboom.com/eng/interview/chalayan.html 
http://www.husseinchalayan.com/blog/ 

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0768786/
http://designmuseum.org/design/hussein-chalayan
http://www.husseinchalayan.com/blog/?tag=evolution
http://www.interviewmagazine.com/blogs/art/2010-04-23/hussein-chalayan-beyond-limitations/

Post-Modernism, Ai Weiwei and Banksy

 Post-Modernism

This week's ALVC tutorial covers Post-Modernism. Use the ALVC texts and definitions from the internet to define the term and answer the following questions;

1. Define Post-Modernism using 8-10 bullet points that include short quotes.

2. Use a quote by Witcombe (2000) to define the Post-Modern artist.

3. Use the grid on pages 42 and 43 to summarize the list of the features of Post-
Modernity.

4. Use this summary to answer the next two questions.

5. Research Chinese artist Ai Weiwei's 'Han Dynasty Urn with Coca-Cola logo'(1994)
in order to say what features of the work are Post-Modern.

'Han Dynasty Urn with Coca-Cola logo'(1994), Ai Weiwei

 

Ai Weiwei dropping a Han Dynast Urn.

6. Research British artist Banksy's street art, and analyze the following two works by the artist
to discuss how each work can be defined at Post-Modern.(Use your list from point 6.)

'Flower Riot', Banksy

Los Angeles (2008), Banksy

http://theworldsbestever.com/2008/02/new_banksy_pieces_surface_in_l.php

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2009/03/11/how-china-conquered-the-art-world.html

 1.  -  "A rejection of the sovereign autonomous individual with an emphasis upon anarchic collective, anonymous experience" (http://elab.eserver.org/hfl0242.html, paragraph 5)
- The concept of postmodernism has no "definite terms, boundaries, or absolute truths" (http://www.allaboutphilosophy.org/postmodernism.htm, paragraph 1).
- Postmodernists don't think about things in terms of strictly right and wrong, They believe that everyone is entitled to their own opinion.
- "Postmodernism claims to be the successor to the 17th century enlightenment" (http://www.allaboutphilosophy.org/postmodernism.htm, Para. 6).
- The term is used in philosophy, literature, social sciences, and architechture.
- Postmodernism is has associations with the concept of relativism, which is the idea that "anything goes"
- the term is made up of the root words 'post', which is latin for 'after', and 'modernism' which refers to the modern period. Postmodernism's literal meaning is "after now".
- The concept rejects the idea of a grand narrative.

http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/postmodernism/#2
http://www.allaboutphilosophy.org/postmodernism.htm
http://elab.eserver.org/hfl0242.html
ALVC book, Pg. 21/22

2. "To the dismay of progressive intellectuals, the ideology of modernism has also become the means by which the values and worldview of the West have been promoted and imposed around the world either through imperial colonialism and economic globalization, or through the ‘conditionalities’ attached to loans granted by the International Monetary Fund, and policies serving Western interests that are forced on developing countries by the World Bank."


http://arthistoryresources.net/modernism/modpostmod.html


3. Postmodernity had a big impact on art and design. Hyperreality is a common feature in postmodern images. Hyperreality seems to be seen as "more powerful" than the original. another aspect of postmodernity is the end of the high class being dominant. For example, popular culture is making its way into the art world, and is being just as accepted as "high class" art.


5. Ai Weiwei is is a Chinese artist and activist. Earlier this year, Weiwei was arrested for no apparent reason. The arrest is thought to be part of the communist party's "crackdown on intellectuals" in china. Ai Weiwei is a postmodernist, and he shows his views through his work. The Han Dynasty urn with Coca-Cola logo is postmodern in that it is a traditional chinese artifact, that has been branded with a western corporation's logo. This represents Colonialism, and economic globalization.


http://www.artinfo.com/news/story/37395/ai-weiwei-arrested-in-beijing-prompting-international-outcry/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ai_Weiwei#2011_arrest
http://arthistoryresources.net/modernism/modpostmod.html


6. Banksy is a Bristol based street artist. His actual identity is unknown by the general public. His work often contains quite strong political messages. The image of the person throwing a bouquet of flowers as if it were a molotov cocktail is post modern because banksy has used irony, and attention to play of surfaces.The image is ironic, because the person is tossing a bouquet of flowers, which is a very non-violent thing, instead of a molotov cocktail, which is a weapon, and is what it looks like the person should be throwing. and Banksy uses attention to play of surfaces, because he uses stencil work on whatever background he can find, as opposed to painting full scenes.


ALVC book, pg. 42/43

WEEK 1- Nathalie Djurberg's 'Claymations'.

Nathalie Djurberg's 'Claymations'. 

Swedish artist Nathalie Djurberg's intricately constructed claymation films are both terrifyingly
disturbing and artlessly sweet.

The new works created for the Venice Biennale explore a surrealistic Garden of Eden in which all that is natural goes awry.

She exposes the innate fear of what is not understood and confronts viewers with the complexity of emotions.

Nathalie Djurberg was awarded the silver lion for a promising young artist at the Venice
Art Biennale 09.

(http://www.designboom.com/weblog/cat/10/view/6886/nathalie-djurberg)

Research Djurberg's work in order to answer the following questions;

1. What do you understand by the word 'claymation'?

2. What is meant by the term 'surrealistic Garden of Eden'? and 'all that is natural goes awry'?

3. What are the 'complexity of emotions' that Djurberg confronts us with?

4. How does Djurberg play with the ideas of children's stories, and innocence in some of her work?

5. There is a current fascination by some designers with turning the innocent and sweet into something disturbing. Why do you think this has come about?

6. In your opinion, why do you think Djurberg's work is so interesting that it was chosen for the Venice Biennale?

7. Add some of your own personal comments on her work.

'Experiment' (2009) Venice Biennale

1. My understanding of the word "claymation" is that it is stop-motion animation - which is a style of animation that involves taking photographs of an object, and in between each photograph the object is moved slightly - that involves the use of clay, e.g. Wallace and Gromit.

2. The Definition of "surrealistic" is "Having an oddly dreamlike or unreal quality" (thefreedictionary.com). This means that Djurberg's work has been influenced  by non-lifelike ideas, for example increasing the scale of one thing in relation to the scale something else to make it feel less realistic. 'Garden of Eden' refers to the biblical paradise where the first man and woman; Adam and Eve, lived before eating the forbidden fruit and being forced to leave by God. From the above definitions, my understanding of the term 'surrealistic garden of eden" is that Djurberg set out to recreate the Garden of Eden in a more dream-like way as opposed to following the traditional description of the biblical paradise.

The definition of the word 'awry' is "Away from the correct course; amiss" (thefreedictionary.com). The term "all that is natural goes awry" implies that  the garden of eden has something not how it is supposed to be.

3. After watching an excerpt of Djurberg's work, I noticed that she confronts us with a huge range of intense emotions. There are strong elements of anger and destruction portrayed in Djurberg's work. Through her work she shows very twisted perceptions that are mirroring reality through a strong surrealist feel.


4. Through the use of Claymation, she harnesses our youthful association with the style. These associations can be seen in animations such as Wallace and Gromit and Chicken Run. Djurberg takes these innocent ideals and transforms them into disturbed nightmares.


5. I think that this trend has arisen because it is edgy, and has strong shock value as it explores very personal themes and emotions. The juxtaposition of these two themes creates very strong confrontation as they are polar opposites and this creates interest and personal connection for the viewers.


6. I think that her work was chosen because it is so disturbing that it envelopes the audience into this nightmarish world that she has created.


References:


http://www.thefreedictionary.com/Garden+of+Eden
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/Awry

Week 8-Industrialisation, Modernism and architecture.

Guggenheim Museum, Bilbao (1997) Frank Gehry

Eiffel Tower (1889) Gustave Eiffel

The Eiffel Tower and the Guggenheim Museum, Bilbao have both been described as significant

architectural constructions of their time. The Eiffel Tower has been described as;

 'a symbol of technological prowess' (www.tour- eiffel.com/)

and the Guggenheim museum has been 'hailed as the most important structure of its time'

( www. guggenheim.org/bilbao )

Research both architectural structures in order to comment on;

-the importance of the design and construction

The Eiffel Tower was Built in 1889 by engineer, Gustave Eiffel. Its design is important because of the scale of the build at the time. The tower is three hundred metres tall, which at the time of being built, made it the tallest man-made structure in the world. It was originally intended to stand for twenty years, however after this twenty years, it was used for scientific experiments that Gustave Eiffel encouraged, for example, the first radio transmissions. At first, the public disliked the tower, but now it is France's icon, and one of the most famous building in the world.

The design of the Guggenheim Museum is important because it was designed with the intention of it being "to the same quality as its contents, with an equal importance to the artworks it would house." This means that the museum was to be a work of art in itself, as opposed to simply a building that contained artworks. due to Bilbao being a port town, the Guggenheim "is intended to resemble a ship. Its brilliantly reflective titanium panels resemble fish scales." these are traits often found in the museum's designer, Frank Gehry's work. again typical to Gehry's work, the museum is "uniquely a product of the period's technology." It was designed with the use of Computer Aided Three Dimensional Interactive Application, a digital design software. 

-significance of the materials

Puddling Iron was used to construct the Eiffel tower. Puddling iron is a type of wrought iron, and was a precursor to steel. Gustave Eiffel decided that Puddling iron was the most appropriate material to build the tower out of in terms of its affordability, it's flexibility and its strength. it needed to be very strong because it was such a large project.

The Guggenheim in Bilbao was built using a steel frame and a combination of glass, sinuous stone, and titanium. The titanium is only half a millimetre thick, and is unique, having been designed using a state-of-the-art digital design program. The more irregularly shaped exhibition spaces in the museum have been built using concrete, with "curved and twisted" walls.

-significance of the designer

Gustave Eiffel was an engineer who founded a company that specialised in "structural metal work." The company's biggest achievement was the construction of the Eiffel tower. Eiffel's Favorite area of practice was bridge building, however he was renowned for his other structural work too.

Frank Gehry is the principal of the architechture firm Frank O. Gehry and associates. Gehry has won a number of awards for his designs. His designs are often quite eye catching, and unique. It was for this reason, that he was employed to design the Guggenheim in Bilbao. It was intended to be just as special and unique as the artwork it contained, so Gehry's style of design fitted this criteria quite well.

-function of each

The Eiffel tower was as the main attraction at the 1889 word fair, the date that celebrated the 100th anniversary of the French revolution. The tower was originally intended to stand for 20 years, however Gustave Eiffel encouraged scientific experiments to be carried out on it, which meant it stayed standing. Today it stands as a tourist attraction, and is used for some radio and tv transmissions

The Bilbao Guggenheim was built to contain artworks for the general public to view. Today its purpose remains the same.

Compare the two architectural structures, by noting their similarities and differences.

Similarities
Both Structures have had to have the materials used in construction to achieve the curves that the designers wanted to achieve. Even though both were built with quite different intentions, today they are both tourist attractions.


Differences
The designers of each structure came from very different backgrounds, Eiffel was an engineer who specialized in structural work with metal, and Gehry was an architect. This meant that the final appearance of each building was very different. The Eiffel tower looking very mathematical and planned out, and the Guggenheim is a lot more stylized, and almost looks like its design was improvised as the structure was built.

References:

http://www.tour-eiffel.com/everything-about-the-tower/themed-files/69#02
http://architect.architecture.sk/frank-owen-gehry-architect/frank-owen-gehry-architect.php
http://www.tour-eiffel.com/everything-about-the-tower/gustave-eiffel
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_materials_were_used_to_build_the_Guggenheim_museum_Bilbao
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guggenheim_Museum_Bilbao
https://engineering.purdue.edu/MSE/AboutUs/GotMaterials/Buildings/patel.html