Human basic needs, survival and endurance

[BuddingScholar]

Can you guys help me compile a list of contemporary artists who work(ed) around ideas of human basic needs (shelter, food, clothing, etc), survival and endurance please?

 

Thanks!

[ArtHistoryandMuseum]

Tracey Emin?

[ArtHistoryandMuseum]

Judy Chicago?

[crossedfingerscrossedeyes]

Andrea Zittel

[poliscar]

Check out http://mitpress.mit.edu/books/living-form

[BuddingScholar]

Thank you guys!!!

[accordingtowhat]

In a sense, Janine Antoni — specifically Lick and Lather comes to mind

[EloiseGC]

Some of Kiki Smith's nudes miiiight be applicable, particularly those that deal with bodily fluids.

[Mississippi Snow]

Christian Boltanski for sure, particularly his work for Monumenta. Carsten Holler, Petrit Halilaj, Sarah Sze -- in a more ecological sense. I think Rirkrit Tiravanija has done a lot of installation work in these areas. God, this is such a broad area in Contemporary art. I think in a lot of ways you could count Rachel Whiteread's work in the categories given. These are just the artists off the top of my head; I will get you a longer list once I really think about it. 

Is there an area of the world or region that you might be most interested?

Edited June 15, 2013 by Mississippi Snow

[BuddingScholar]

Christian Boltanski for sure, particularly his work for Monumenta. Carsten Holler, Petrit Halilaj, Sarah Sze -- in a more ecological sense. I think Rirkrit Tiravanija has done a lot of installation work in these areas. God, this is such a broad area in Contemporary art. I think in a lot of ways you could count Rachel Whiteread's work in the categories given. These are just the artists off the top of my head; I will get you a longer list once I really think about it. 

Is there an area of the world or region that you might be most interested?

 

Not really @Mississippi Snow... anywhere in the world is fine.  Would it help if I told you that we are looking for stuff that speaks more or less about "living above the poverty line"?

 

You've already helped a lot... thanks bunches!

[Mississippi Snow]

Well, I would discount a lot of those artists I listed then, with the exception being Christian Boltanski. "Above the poverty line" is quite vast, but I assume just above. 

Seeing that you have Brazilian in your username, I'd guess you already have Vik Muniz -- his documentary Wasteland is exactly what you'd be asking about. I'd also possibly suggest Richard Mosse's new series "Infra" that's being shown at the Ireland pavilion of this year's Biennale. It's about the lives and means of fighters and impoverished in the DRC. 

 

I'd also suggest looking into who the artist was that did the "poor city" at this year's Art Basel. It received a lot of controversy for allowing rich people to play poor and go "slumming." I think Francis Alys might also be applicable to this with his projects like When Faith Moves Mountains and his dOCUMENTA work Reel/Unreel, each incorporating the poor in neighborhoods to change or do something to their environment. 

If I remember correctly Olafur Eliasson was also designing some light that would help poor in Africa better live. 

I also can't believe I almost forgot Subodh Gupta, India, who is basically everything you're looking for rolled into one. 

Ya, maybe that'll help.