Limits - Spring 2025 @marcos-gonzalez - Tumblr Blog

Final Index

13. QCQ #3: The Gravity of Levity

14. Contradictory Structures: Research

15. Contradictory Structures: Final

16. QCQ #4: X Marks the Spot

17. Lost Statements: Research

18. Lost Statements: Final

19. Self-Directed Manifesto: Final

Lost Statements - Final

Title: World Tour

Dimensions: 11 x 17 paper

Materials: 11 x 17 paper, mold silicone rubber, plaster, acrylic, tape

Statement of Intent:

For my final idea, I decided to go back to where I started and that is making casts of coins using plaster. This time, I gathered coins from my collection that I've had throughout my childhood and made two molds, each containing 8 coins each. After making those molds, I used plaster, then painted them using acrylic in relation to their original color. Even though I had ups and downs while making this, I'm happy with how some of them turned out and for the main idea, which is tied with the theme of collection and childhood.

Self-Directed Manifesto: Final

Title: Cuban Style

Dimensions: 2.5 inch x 1.25 inch

Materials: clay, plaster, acrylic

Statement of Intent:

For my self directed idea, I created a cast using clay of dominoes that I usually use to play with according to their size. After casting the dominoes, I tried to replicate its color palette to look exactly or close to the original. Ever since I can remember, I always used to play dominoes with my family and I still do to this day, you could say is my favorite hobby. I feel like this cast made with plaster perfectly resembles the original one to a tea and it truly captures the essence of dominoes and the Cuban style, per the title.

Lost Statements - Research

For my idea, I will use 16 coins from different countries that I’ve collected throughout the years to make my mold out of. After I’ve made my mold, I will then use plaster to do the cast with. The coins will then be painted close to their real color and placed on a printed map of the world, which includes those countries without their names. I will tape or pin each of them to their respective countries. This shows the relation I have with these coins, along with my desired use of material and processes, which is using plaster to make casts.

QCQ# 4 - X Marks the Spot

Quote

“The ‘X’ is not just a mark—it’s a rupture. Krauss shows us how the grid, once seen as neutral, becomes a site of conflict between surface and meaning, presence and absence, intention and accident.”

2. Comment

I chose this quote because it represents Rosalind Krauss’ interest in how modernist forms like the grid carry deeper ideological and psychological tensions. It captures the idea that modernist structures are not purely formal, they are loaded. The grid becomes a space where what’s shown and what’s hidden are at odds. The artist’s intention might clash with what the viewer perceives, and what appears accidentally might be deeply deliberate. This quote relates to me because my intentions might sometimes clash with the viewer at first glance, but after further inspection and meaningful explanation it shows the true nature of the sculptural figure being observed.

3. Question

In what ways does the notion of the 'X' as a rupture complicate our understanding of visual structure, and how might this tension between order and disruption reflect broader themes in modern and postmodern art?

4 Images

Contradictory Structures - Final

Title: Bon Appetit

Dimensions:

Materials: 4ft of rebar, wood glue, wood shavings, fork, bowl

Statement of Intent:

For my idea, I cut 4ft of rebar into small 1” inch pieces and then used those pieces to make a resemblance to mac and cheese. To achieve this, I placed them in a ceramic bowl, used half a bottle of wood glue as the cheese, and then used a little bit of wood shavings to add another texture to the piece. I then presented it on a pedestal, placed a fork in the middle so that it can stay in place and called it “Bon Appetit”. My idea ties with the theme of the QCQ which is humor, which I typically don't use but in this occasion I wanted to make something different from what I'm used to. It complements the idea of contradictory, making a food item out of materials that are not suitable to consume.

Contradictory Structures - Research

For my first idea, I’m thinking of using various pieces of rebar, cut them into 2ft pieces, and then bend each piece into a circular shape until it meets the desired 14-inch width. I will then weld each piece together to form a pizza-like shape, around 14 inches big. Using bolts as the pepperonis and nails as the cheese, I will glue them using epoxy glue and mix everything into one singular shape. I will then present it on a table with a knife and fork and call it “Pizza Time”.

For my second idea, I will cut 4ft of rebar into small 1” inch pieces and then use those pieces to make a resemblance to mac and cheese. To achieve this, I will place them in a ceramic bowl, use half a bottle of wood glue as the cheese, and then use a little bit of wood shavings to add another texture to the piece. I will then present it on a pedestal, place a fork in the middle so that it can stay in place and call it “Bon Appetit”.

QCQ#3 - The Gravity of Levity - Humour as Conceptual Critique

Quote

“In the lightness of laughter lies a heavy truth — humour disarms the obvious, distills the absurd, and exposes the structures we forget to question."

2. Comment

I chose this quote because it sets up the central idea of The Gravity of Levity—that something as seemingly weightless as humour can carry profound intellectual weight. It nods to the idea that laughter isn’t just entertainment; it’s a vehicle for critique. Altogether, the quote captures how humour isn’t just levity — it’s a tool for thinking, questioning, and, ultimately, reimagining. This quote relates to me because I often think of ideas as serious but since reading this article, I concluded that humour is for everyone, and that sometimes it is better to find the funny side of things that the hardships of it.

3. Question

How can humour, often dismissed as mere entertainment, function as a serious tool for revealing hidden assumptions and criticizing dominant cultural or ideological structures?

4. Images

Radical Theory and Practice - Self-Directed Practice - Penniless

Title: Penniless

Dimensions: 10 x 10 inch

Materials: Pennies, clay, plywood

Statement of Intent:

For my self-directed practice, I decided to go back to coins and tried to recreate a giant penny made of pennies, with the number 25 standing out in the middle, like an optical illusion. The number 25 suggests the year we are in and is special to me because I graduate in 2025, so I thought it seemed fitting for the occasion. For the middle pennies, I used more warned out ones so they could stand out from the rest and then I used approximately 100 pennies to make up for the rest of the structure.

Limits: Midterm Index

1. Manifesto: Research

2. Manifesto: Final

3. Artist Presentation: Research

4. Manifesto Room: Collective/Subjective

5. Manifesto Public: Research

6. Manifesto Public: Final

7. QCQ #1: One Place After Another

8. Museum Visit

9.QCQ #2: Das Sockelproblem

10. Kitchen Pedestal Sink Manifesto: Research

11. Kitchen Pedestal Sink Manifesto: Final

12. Radical Theory and Practice - Self-Directed Practice: Final

Kitchen Pedestal Sink Manifesto: Final

Title: Life Achievements

Dimensions: 2ft x 1ft (podium 1), 1ft x 1ft 20 inch (podium 2), 1ft x 1ft 16 inch (podium 3)

Materials: 3 2 x 4" plywood, wood glue, acrylic, nails

Statement of Intent:

For my pedestal problem, I made 3 different podiums, each at a different height and size level, like those at the Olympics, and then placed a trophy in each of them, ranking them from best to worst. I later painted each of them, one bronze, another silver, and the third gold. They each represent a place (1, 2 and 3) and represent the worst years to my best years (bronze elementary, silver high school and gold middle school). In relation to the Olympics, these trophies represent what I have achieved throughout the years and what I consider to be my favorite to my least favorite.

Kitchen Pedestal Sink Manifesto-Research

For my pedestal problem idea, I will create 3 different podiums, like those at the Olympics, and then place a trophy on top of each. The trophies represent my achievements throughout my school years, ranking them from best to worst. I will paint them each using acrylic paint, representing bronze, silver and gold, like those at the Olympics.

For this idea, I will make a 2nd version of my previous ideas, but instead of placing them in the room as a podium, I will hang them on the wall, like a display case where one usually puts their trophies in.

QCQ # 2 – Das Sockelproblem

Quote

“The Sockelproblem reveals that no artwork exists in isolation—its pedestal is not just a base, but a silent force that shapes perception, context, and meaning.”

2. Comment

I chose this quote because it encapsulates the central idea of Das Sockelproblem—the notion that a pedestal is not merely passive support but an integral part of an artwork’s meaning and presentation. By emphasizing that "no artwork exists in isolation," the quote highlights how context, framing, and display influence perception. The phrase "a silent force" underscores the often overlooked yet powerful role of the pedestal in shaping how we engage with art.

This quote relates to me because I often think of pedestals to elevate another object, give it meaning and exposure where otherwise it wouldn’t get the attention and recognition it deserves.

3. Question

How does the pedestal influence the way we interpret and engage with an artwork, and can its presence alter the meaning of the piece itself?

4. Image

Artist Presentation - Tom Friedman

Limits - Museum Visit – ICA Miami

From my visit to the ICA Museum, one piece I liked was Tower (1993) by Sol Lewitt. The concrete structures are important examples of LeWitt’s approach to Minimalism and composition, and an expression of the artist’s engagement with urbanism and intervention with public space. Rising over twenty feet high, Tower (Frankfurt), (1990) and Tower (Lodz) (1993) greet visitors at the entry. What I liked the most about Sol Lewitt’s piece is the minimalistic base and geometric design, creating order and complexity, reinforcing Lewitt’s approach to art. The way the tower interacts with light and shadow throughout the day also enhances its dynamic presence, making it feel both rigidly structured and ever-changing.

Alexander Calder, One White, Four Blacks (Un blanc, quatre noirs), 1967. Painted steel, 99 x 84 x 84 in. Courtesy the Collection of Irma and Norman Braman. Photo credit: Phillip Karp.

From my visit to the ICA Museum, one piece I disliked compared to others was Alexander Calder, One White, Four Blacks. Calder gained recognition beginning in the 1930s for his innovative mobile sculptures, which are distinguished by their suspended and balanced elements that move in response to natural air currents. While I feel like its balance and movement are mesmerizing, the color contrast feels somewhat stark and lacks the vibrancy often associated with Calder’s work. His signature use of bold primary colors adds an energetic dynamism to many of his mobiles, and the absence of that here makes the piece feel slightly more restrained or subdued.

Manifesto Public: Final

Title: Untitled

Dimensions:

Materials: Plaster, acrylic, exacto knife

Manifesto: “Plaster is the silent storyteller of our environment, embodying our history and innovation with every surface around us”

Statement of Intent:

For my idea, I made a plaster cast of a clock, then used an exacto knife and acrylic to make it look as realistic as possible. Afterwards, I placed the item on my balcony and made a 2-hour video documenting the process of decomposition, applying sodium hydroxide and boiling water to see the effects it will take on it, then I reduced the size to a 1 to 3 minute video, showing the process of time and space in relation to the clock.

Manifesto Public: Research

Manifesto: “Plaster is the silent storyteller of our environment, embodying our history and innovation with every surface around us”

For my idea, I’m planning to make a plaster cast of a clock, then use an exacto knife and acrylic to make it look as realistic as possible. Afterwards, I will make an hour or 2-hour video documenting the process of decomposition, then reduce the size from 1 to 3 minutes.

Manifesto: “Wood is the foundation of our surroundings, filling every city and country with its material and history”

For my idea, I’m planning to make a clock out of wood, then use the proper tools to carve out the numbers and clock legs to make it look as realistic as possible. I will then use different types of acids or liquids so it can stain or disintegrate the wood over time. I will document the process in a 1 hour or 2-hour video, reduced to a 1-to-3-minute video.

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Limits - Spring 2025