Art Appreciation

[shaferbailey-blog]

Week 15 - Sound

 Before reading this week’s material I thought sound was pretty straightforward but after the first paragraph of An Introduction to Sound Art I was blown away!  It never really hit me what a unique thing sound is.  I mean, it is something we cannot see and it couldn’t be saved for the longest time but it is around us all the time.  My favorite composition in this article was John Cage’s 4’33”.  In this piece there were three movements but the performer was silent for all four minutes and 33 seconds of each movement.  The sounds of the audience members filled the auditorium, they becoming the performers.  I think the meaning of this piece was to show how different things are in silence and show that silence isn’t a bad thing.  Cage was probably trying to get audience members to connect more to themselves in all the silence.

One Square Inch of Silence was very interesting to learn about.  After reading the snippet about the project I watched a video (below) that told more about the project.  It shocked me that there are less than a dozen “quiet places” in the lower 48 remaining.  I may be wrong, but I feel as if there are still others that have not been recorded yet, although that number has probably gone down from the time the video was published in 2010. The article/video made me start thinking about the last time I had been in what I consider silence and nothing came to me.  Even when my family hiked at Effigy Mounds, a national park in Iowa that I consider to be very natural and quiet, I recalled that there were still sounds of the closeby highway.  As I went to visit my cousins over Thanksgiving break I found myself listening to see if there was silence, but there usually wasn’t.  It is important to preserve these silent places, but also very challenging.   How can humans try to prevent cities from growing around nature reserves and planes from flying over them?  It is a challenging question that we currently don’t have an answer to.  I think the meaning of this project is to bring awareness to noise pollution along with all kinds of pollution and to inspire people to be a little kinder to the environment.

The two pieces by Tim Hawkinson in this week’s video both piqued my interest.  Both pieces were very abstract, but also unique and unlike anything I had ever seen before.  Of the two I have to say Drip was my favorite.  I love the sound of rain!  Due to my poor mechanical skills, I didn’t really understand the mechanics behind the dripping.  The way that Hawkinson rolled up the plastic was a very simple but creative idea.  To me, the plastic looks like it has been wrung out and has been left to finish drip-drying.  I think that was Tim’s plan when making this piece.  The buckets seem to be preserving water and helping to save the environment (the One Square Inch of Silence got me thinking about conservation).  The dripping sounds make me think if one small droplet can make that much of an impact (noise), then how is my usage of a lot more water affecting others that don’t have water and the environment?  Although not the author’s intention, Drip really did make me think about conserving our water.

Haroon Mirza’s installation art has recently become famous from his unique usage of interplay and friction between sound and light waves and electric currents.  One of my favorite pieces of Mirza’s was The National Apavillion of Then and Now.  In this installation viewers go into an “echoless” chamber that has a circle of light that gets brighter when a droning noise in the installation gets louder.  When the droning noise goes away viewers are left in complete darkness.  I think the meaning of this piece is to show how talking and making noise can change something while staying silent can make things worse.

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     Bailey, I did not think of One Square Inch of Silence in the way you did. Instead, I thought of it as a self-discovery piece as well as a conservation piece. From a scientific standpoint, it is a conservation piece. From an artistic standpoint, I believe it is meant to not only bring awareness to noise pollution, but to make us slowdown from our busy life-styles and rediscover who we are and what we stand for. Noise pollution, I believe will be a hard thing to stop and will only do so if we too slow down.

[mpalmer21-blog1]

Week 15 - Sound Art

     Sound art is a very confusing concept at times. Art typically involves what we consider, “stuff,” meaning what we consider to have mass or substance, taking up space. When you think about sound, however, it is not “stuff” at all. Sound is defined as a process of particles, objects, air, or in some cases, liquid moving. “Stuff can be held or sustained by the human hand, sound cannot; it is gone in a fraction of a second, with all that is left behind, a memory.

     As stated in Robert Worby’s article, an introduction to sound art, “We find ourselves more concerned with things than with sounds.” Stating this shows that the human mind doesn’t necessarily remember the sound, but it remembers the object that made the sound. In this way, we do not remember the feeling of the sound (the pitch, the duration, etc.), we only remember the general attributes of the sound. When we can only remember the general details of the sound, we do not give the sound itself the credit it deserves. Different objects make a different form of sound at different time, and, we cannot remember the impact the sound makes on us and our lives. Technology, however, has given us the ability to preserve the sound in a lasting form, on CDs, computer files, zip-drives, and so much more. ”Sound has no legs to stand on,” John Cage stated in Worby’s article, but we are giving sound “legs” to stand on through technological innovation. This has also produced sound art, which is changing the world forever.

     The featured artist this week, Tim Hawkinson, is an artist that uses everyday objects to create mechanical works of art that are accented by sound that the mechanical works create. The sound fills entire spaces and contains differing pitches and tones, which I find hard to create using machines. Many of Hawkinson’s works make you feel small, a result from the loud resonating sound, and the objects physically present in the art.

     One Square Inch of Silence once of the quietest places on Earth. Attached below is a recording of the location. It allows me, and most people can relate, to discover who I truly am, and what I truly believe, sending my soul to a peaceful place that I cannot fully explain. The recording makes many people anxious, as it did my sister, because it makes one slow down and actually listen, getting rid of the hustle in our lives for a few minutes at a time. I am an introvert, and the discovering of this work of art has allowed me to recharge and cleanse my soul, as it would do for so many. Those that truly listen find a meaning, a meaning to figure out who you truly are and go back to the basics. Those who hear, but do not listen, will not find any meaning at all in this work.

     The relevant artist I have chosen to focus on this week is Amenta Abioto. She is a songwriter, songstress, and actress whose music is very soulful and mystical. Attached below are two of her works, “There is Something” and “The Man Eye.” Both of these works caught my attention.

     “There is Something” is a song that the phrase “there is something” is repeated over and over. At first I found this annoying, but saw Abioto had a point. Something, or a thing is defined as “an object.” You cannot hear the work unless there is a thing present. In this case, both you and sound waves are present for you to hear the work, as well as other unnamed objects. The work is trying to say that there is always an object around, whether it be just you or another thing, the world is never empty, and neither are you. It wants you to find a purpose in life.

     “The Man Eye” is not very easy to understand and gives a sense of loneliness and confusion. It talks about a person and someone else stating “you and I” then becoming an almost rumbling unrecognizable string of words. You can sense the pain and pleading in her voice. It’s meant to show emotion.

Sources:

https://art21.org/watch/art-in-the-twenty-first-century/s2/tim-hawkinson-in-time-segment/

http://amentaabioto.com/bio/

[vogtc-blog]

Week #13

This week, learning about social practice wasn’t my favorite. It’s an art medium that focuses on social engagement, inviting collaboration with individuals, communities. Even though it wasn’t my favorite to learn about I think the concept of it is intriguing.

This week’s video on Tania Bruguera was probably my least favorite video. For me it didn’t catch my attention like other ones in the past. I do though like that she explores the relationship between art, activism, and social change I think that those things are very important in today’s world. I do like how she says at the end of the video that “Art is not for the museums it’s for the street and for people’s life.

Harrell Fletcher is an American Social Practice and relational aesthetics artist. One of my favorite projects he has done is called The Best Things in Museums Are the Windows. I didn’t understand this at all when I first read it, but after learning about it and seeing that he said, “The idea that you go to a museum and look at the paintings- which is great- but then you look out the windows and see how you can apply what you’ve learned in the museum to the world outside”. I really like that and feel that, that should happen with more than just art. Vanessa Beecroft is an Italian Performance artist, Photographer, and Painter. I love this piece by her. You can tell by her face that she loves those two babies. To me in a way she kind of looks like an angel that is protecting them, and looking out for them.

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Caitlyn, personally I find relational aesthetics sort of interesting. I had never heard of it before this class, and really liked learning about it. I like how the viewer is able to interact with the art, and gets to “feel” the art personally. It may be difficult for a viewer to connect with a painting or sculpture’ they are easily able to connect with relational aesthetic pieces. Comparing Fletcher’s work to Beecroft’s work, I find Fletcher easier to understand. You can find a meaning for yourself from Beecroft’s work. Both artists caught my attention this week as well.

[mpalmer21-blog1]

Week 13 - Social Practice

     The readings this week introduced me to a topic I didn’t even know was a part of art. Relational Aesthetics is best defined as stated in “An Introduction to Relational Aesthetics and Social Practice,” written by Jeriah Hildwine, “The composition of moments and actions that shed light on a concept. You should be able to talk about this work like one might a painting or a composed photo, composition, movement, content. There should be a broad exposure to multiple practices. There should be a range of politically overt and implicit politic.” Relational aesthetics explores the relationship between humans and their social interactions, contrary to other areas that explore independent or private space.

     In the article “Relational Aesthetics: The Art of Sociability” that we read this week, two pieces were touched upon, one being Victoria Bradbury’s work Blue Boar, 2009 (below). This work reflected the viewer’s face as the head of the boar. This symbolized beheading, which referred back to Bradbury’s grandmother who was wrongfully accused during the Salem Witch Trials. It was meant for the viewer to be put in her family’s shoes. I believe this work also helps to put the viewer within a different position and makes them look at both themselves and the world in a different light. This work represents change and aims toward open mindedness.

     The featured artist this week, Tania Bruguera, is an artist who explores the relationship between activism, social change, and art. In one of her works, Tatlin’s Whisper #5 (Below), mounted police as part of an active exhibit where they are telling viewers what to do and where to go. This represents pressure and societal expectation. Police are one of the authorities that were encounter on a regular, if not a day to day basis. We are expected to follow their orders. This work also can show suppression, with the viewers being forced to do something they may or may not want to do. This work is a part of Immigrant Movement, and it represents how many immigrants feel when they first come here. They feel overwhelmed, just as the viewers do at times, and also feel a certain level of suppression.

    The relevant artist I decided to touch upon this week is Vanessa Beecroft. She is an Italian contemporary performance artist who works in the United States. In many cases Beecroft uses professional models for her works. Beecroft’s first exhibition was in 1993. Many of her works are or are related to relational aesthetics. Her works show human interaction with each other and with their social surroundings. Many call attention upon issues within the human race.

     Attached below is a work created by Vanessa Beecroft entitled, VB84. While watching this work, I found a sense of intrigue and calmness. The sounds of breathing calm the body and mind. The stillness of the models also causes the same feeling. The video shows the models in still poses, then shifts, at times, to a statue with the same pose. It is showing the simplicity of the human female body. This work is recreating the statues in human poses, showing the social stillness, and sereneness of the statues, hence relational aesthetics.  

Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vanessa_Beecroft

https://art21.org/watch/art-in-the-twenty-first-century/s7/tania-bruguera-in-legacy-segment/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u49cjqsUP-o

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7L1s_GWn3o

[shaferbailey-blog]

Blog Post - Week 12

Performance is not something that I think of when art comes to mind but after looking at this week’s material I have a deeper appreciation for it.  I like the fact that performers are able to portray many emotions and tell a story.  Originally I thought acting was the only type of performance art.  Boy was I wrong!  Although many performances have a meaning, some are also just for fun.  A fun performance that comes to my mind street performer painted all one color as they stand as still as a statue.  After looking at the reading, I found out this is a type of body art.  

The performance that caught my eye most in the first reading was the One Year Performance.  For this performance, two artists, Linda Montano and Tehching Hsieh, were bound together with an eight foot rope.  They were to exist in the same space, but not touch, for a year.  To me, the meaning of this piece was to show how closely we work with those around us.

The video this week about Janine Antoni and her art brought me mixed emotions.  Whenever she started talking about a new piece I looked at it and thought, well that’s really weird, why would anyone ever do that, what’s the point of that?  But after Antoni explained herself I found myself appreciating her work more and even liking it.  One of my favorite pieces of her’s in the video Moor.  Moor was one of my favorite pieces because it has so much history behind it.  The rope contains a little piece of many of Janine’s friends and family members.  I think the little strands of fabric represent all the people in Antoni’s life.  Together they represent all the people that make Janine who she is today.  Additionally, without Antoni explaining this piece, I wouldn’t understand the meaning of it.  That is where the performance ties into this piece in the way I am viewing it.  Just imagining this personalized to my life makes it even more meaningful.

Another performance I enjoyed was Touch which Antoni performed in her home country, the Bahamas.  As stated in the “Touch and Moor” article, Janine practiced for about an hour every day and after about a week, she wasn’t more balanced, she was just better at not overcompensating.  Antoni said she was learning the bottom of her feet in a way she never had before along with other body parts.  In that article, Janine also said that she thought the meaning of Touch was to show how every time she took a step her foot touched the horizon.  To her, the horizon is a place that you can’t go, but it does signify where she wants to go.  Her view is very similar to my view on this piece.  The rope slacking under the weight of her foot and touching the horizon tries to prove that anything is possible, even if it seems impossible.  This performance of Antoni’s is an action performance, which we read about in the first reading.

Personally, I don’t really think of Bree Newsome’s climb and temporary removal of the Confederate flag as a type of performance art, even though it probably can be categorized as one.  To me, performance art must be very well planned out and I kind of think Bree’s “performance” was more of a spur of the moment thing.  Should every time a person does something be considered a performance?  If I were to go outside now and plant an American flag in the ground, would that be a performance?  These were the questions that were going through my mind when I read the article and to me these answers are both no’s.

The artist I found most relevant to this week was Francis Alys who is a performance artist that works out of Mexico.  My favorite performance of his was Watercolor.  In this performance, Alys simply takes water from the Black Sea and pours it into the Red Sea.  I think this goes to show even though we think two things are very different, when you put a little of one into a lot of the other, they aren’t that different.

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Bailey, this week I also had my eyes opened as to what performance art really is. I didn’t think it consists of all it does until the text and media this week. As for Newsome’s performance art of taking down the confederate flag, saying it isn’t necessarily art because it was probably a spur of the moment thing, is not a justified statement. You could say “I want to draw a picture,” sit down and draw it, and would consider it a piece of art. That is spur of the moment, isn’t it? So, would it be any different?

[mpalmer21-blog1]

Week 12 - Performance

     Performance art consists of more than what I originally thought it did. Before reading the text and watching the media for the week, I thought that performance art was when an artist is in front of a crowd, such as a musical performance, dance, or drama. The text opened my eyes this week and made me realize that there is much more to performance art than just being on stay.

     Performance art had five main original subcategories that many works could also be classified as. Action is one of the earliest and creates suspense, often relating the artist to the work itself. Body art positions the artist within the work or the artist’s body is used as a canvas or media. Happenings are influenced by Dada and are often characterized by improvisation. Endurance tests the capabilities of the human body, often being near the line of torture and abuse. Ritual art begins to make the work have a sacred meaning or background.

     Bree Newsome is an African American contemporary performance artist (shown below) who is known for her activism for equal rights. Her works can be controversial. One of the most controversial is her removal of the confederate flag. She voiced her opinion and took down the flag, then was arrested for it. It is her right to voice what she believes in and she got arrested because what she did was illegal, however, removal of the confederate flag, in my opinion is not right. The flag is part of our history and reminds us of all the lives that were lost. We need to remember so history doesn’t repeat itself.

     Our featured artist this week, Janine Antoni, is a performance artist whose work often closely resembles that of sculpture. Her work “Touch and Moor” was interesting to learn about. It is amazing that, although she may have wanted to anyway, Antoni learned to tightrope for this piece or one of similar design. When you think about it, tight roping represents our everyday life. Different events happen that throw everything out of balance, and we make adjustments to stay upright and keep moving. When we fall, as many tight ropers do, we get right back up again and try again. It is a balancing act where we have to make constant adjustments, and if that adjustment isn’t just right we fall back and have to try again.

     One of Antoni’s pieces that really caught my attention, is Lick and Lather, shown below. I believe that she is trying to convey to us that the more we are used, and abused, the less we are recognized. We have to stay out of situations that will make us unrecognizable otherwise we will end up like the sculptures did, unable to be recognized.

     The relevant artist I decided to touch on this week is Adrian Piper. She is an American performance and concept artist known for her works that provoke controversy over race, gender, class, and identity. She uses many medias and often features herself within her works. Both of her parents are of mixed racial background; therefore, she confronts many topics many wouldn’t consider.

     Attached below is Piper’s work, I am the Locus #1. I find this work intriguing because the word locus is defined as a particular point, position, or place. The work is stating that the person is the point of consciousness. Consciousness can be described as having knowledge or awareness of something. This leads me to believe that the person knows something that nobody else does, and no one know it. Consciousness can also be worried or painfully aware of something. This could mean that he is worried for someone else. He seems to be lost in thought so either of these could be the case.

Sources:

https://art21.org/watch/art-in-the-twenty-first-century/s2/janine-antoni-in-loss-desire-segment/

http://www.artnews.com/2013/02/21/chocolate-self-portraits-by-janine-antoni-and-dieter-rot/

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Adrian-Piper

http://theconversation.com/bree-newsomes-superwoman-style-confederate-flag-pole-climb-was-an-artistic-statement-44050

Performance Art  - the Art Story

[bigmayne92-blog]

Blogpost Week 11

Architecture is the art and science of constructing buildings and other physical structures. The artist we learn about in this week’s presentation is Maya Lin. Lin is an American designer and artist who is known for her work in sculpture and land art. In Identity, we quickly see that Lin is very involved in her work. In her case, her “assignment” is a little different because she is required to do certain things with her piece because it is property of the city. Not only does Lin design the piece, she also is brought on as an architect because of her piece’s relations to the surrounding buildings. I love the “pool” that she created because when frozen, it turns into an ice skating circle in which members of the community use as such - as we were able to see.

Frank Owen Gehry, is a Canadian-born American architect, residing in Los Angeles. A number of his buildings, including his private residence, have become world-renowned attractions. From Gehry’s Fish Lamp piece, I can tell why his work has become so notable. His simple “fish lamps” turned out to be quite elegant and an un-ordinary - yet extraordinary - piece to have in a home. I Like the fish lamps and in my opinion, they are elegant and lovely.

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     Jay, I also chose Frank Gehry this week as my relevant artist. Contrary to you, it wasn’t the elegance of his work that was interesting to me; it was the intricate designs of his structures. You can’t just look at a building he designed and say, “I see everything there is to see.” You have to walk around the building, observing it at different angles to really appreciate it. Most of his structures contain different design elements and art principles, which make the structure seem like a big puzzle and you have to figure out where everything is.

[mpalmer21-blog1]

Week 11 - Architecture

     The text this week was not as interesting to read. Architects have a hard job considering their relation to the viewer and process that their art goes through to be created. Being that the architect cannot build the work by themselves, they need a crew to do it for them, it is difficult, if you think about it, for their design to actually be created.

     I find the process of architecture and the behind the scenes before the building or structure can be created most interesting. A consumer is needed to buy the structure from the architect. I would find it difficult if I were and architect to actually design my own work because you have to meet the demands and design of the consumer. The codes that exist that one has to follow when designing and building a structure are quite particular and detailed. Contractors build the designed work, not the architect, which makes the architect have a more hands-off approach. The most interesting aspect of this is that most architects do not know the contractors building their work on a personal level. I would find this a difficult position to be in if my work were not being correctly built.

     The featured artist Maya Lin, was very interesting to watch this week. Lin is both an architect and artist that became widely recognized in the United States at the age of twenty-one. She designed the Vietnam Veteran’s Memorial that is located in Washington D.C. Pictured above is the design that she submitted into the contest of which the winner’s design would become the Vietnam memorial. Her design is pictured above, and the memorial is shown below. Lin did not want to be an architect at first, however, after she designed the memorial, many regarded her as an architect; therefore, she is both an architect and an artist.

     Shown below is one of my favorites of Maya Lin’s works. Not only is her skating rink, which is a part of the park she designed in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Not only did she make this a modern practical location, transforming the park, she made the park breathtakingly beautiful. She combines natural elements with man-made elements in a unique way.

     I think she made the skating rink as a place to relax. Many times, people star gaze to spend time with family and meditate to get away from their day to day activities and the stress that comes as well. Skating in the dark among the lights that resemble the stars. When you look at the work, you feel relaxed, and skating is a relaxing activity.

     The relevant artist I chose to touch on this week is Frank Gehry. Gehry is a Canadian American architect who became known for his work on music venues. He created a foundation, Frank O. Gehry and Associates in 1962, and later created Gehry Partners in 2002. Gehry’s works are linked to postmodernism and holds high regard world-wide.

     The Weisman Art Museum (shown below), designed by Frank Gehry, is one of my favorite works when looking through a variety of them. I like how the work changes direction and shape so often, and isn’t just a normal building. The receded shapes invite you to intimately explore and accept the building. You can’t just look at the building and say “Look, there’s a window.” You have to study the structure to fully understand and appreciate it. The metallic coating of the building makes it even more inviting, reflecting light, creating a positive atmosphere. You have to study the building to actually appreciate it.

Sources:

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Frank-Gehry

https://www.biography.com/people/maya-lin-37259?_escaped_fragment_=

https://art21.org/watch/art-in-the-twenty-first-century/s1/maya-lin-in-identity-segment/

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Craft Media

Craft media has been around for centuries.  It was out of practical use when it first started.  The development of technology has really taken a toll on the craft artist because machines can make it faster and cheaper. William Morris was a social reformer and argued that mass production was “crushing the creative soul of the worker” and that “the industrial revolution was dehumanizing for the working class”.  But hand crafted work came at a price which only the wealth could afford.  At the same time art nouveau was evolving.  With the idea of creating “astatically pleasing objects” with a “Victorian appeal”.  

“Hindola” Bikaner Palace 

There are many different mediums of craft media.  They include clay, metal, wood, glass, and fibers.  Clay is also referred to as ceramics.  Which was mostly used for functional purposes.  It has been used since ancient times.  There are many methods to form clay.  Some of the methods have been used for centuries.  They include pinching, slab building, could building and wheel throwing.  Precious metals are handcrafted into ornamental objects.  Because of their beauty and luster.  Precious metals tend to be malleable which makes them easier to work with.  Other metals can be forged into works of art.  Forged in Fire is a great show if you want to see that kind of craftsmanship.  Wood has also been used for centuries.  It can be carved and manipulated into many different functional things like boats and bowls.  Glass is also a fantastic medium to watch being made.  Especially glass blowing.  Look it up on YouTube.  It is mesmerizing.  I love watching marbles being made.  Lastly, fibers are also a craft form.  Tapestry and quilting are the most recognized fiber mediums.  

Crystal Palace, To Breath- A Mirror Woman- Kimsooja 

Our artist of the week was interesting.  I love how she uses her culture in her art work.  She shows her “family history of nomadic life” well in her works.  I think that the Crystal Palace was my favorite piece by her.  I love how she did not alter the inside besides installing a mirrored floor.  She let the building speak for itself and used the light to bring the totality of the space together.  The breathing was interesting.  It seemed a bit labored.  I think a deep meditative breathing would have been more relaxing.  It creates this transcendence almost.  It would defiantly be a place to experience.  Also her work in the Belgium train station would be a place to experience.  I love how she respected the traditions by playing the meditation music to create an experience for the travelers.  My kids fall asleep to meditation music every night.  There is just something that brings inner piece to me when I’m falling asleep to it as well.  One thing I liked about Kimsooja herself is that she is always a work in progress.  A piece is never really done.  She sees people a needles weaving in an out of the fabric of life.  She defiantly has higher perspective on energies and human behavior.  

Kimsooja- Zone of Zero 

As for the relevant artist I choose Beth Cavener Stichter.  She uses metal, wood and clay for her pieces.  She has a interesting prospective on human and animal instincts and nature.  I love how she portrays those aspects in her work.              This is the quote on her website “There are primitive animal instincts lurking in our own depths, waiting for the chance to slide past a conscious moment”. I love it!  

Sentimental- Beth Cavener Stichter                                                                                       

Sources:

http://www.followtheblackrabbit.com/

[mpalmer21-blog1]

Michelle, I too loved Kimsooja’s work in the Crystal Palace. Many of her works seem to combine either different religions and/or meditation music. I find something about this relaxing as well. Another type of music I think is relaxing is Native American Indian music. Something about the subtleness of the music just seems to help calm the soul and sets the mind free. I find Beth Cavener’s work interesting and very lifelike especially considering they are made of wood and metal and are not real animals. Great post!

[mpalmer21-blog1]

Week 10 - Craft

      The texts this week really opened my eyes to the specialness and controversy of craft media. I never really paid much attention or thought towards craft and the difficulty and physicality of the works. One piece that really caught my eye this week is Paula Winokur’s work White Butte (above), found on page 357 in the book. Winokur spent many months on this piece, having a patience I never would have found if I were to make this piece. 200 pounds of clay were thrown for this piece, and Winokur meticulously threw the clay creating the vision she had in the beginning. She earns my respect, a respect I have not given to clay artworks before now. 

    The article we read this week about the Renwick Gallery in Washington D.C. (shown above) was very interesting. I am disappointed that the gallery has taken a more modern approach. If I were to have visited the gallery, judging by the images shown, would have been confused too because the pieces by different artists are very different from each other and there is not a common theme throughout. Comparing Tara Donovan’s piece, Untitled (above), and Gabriel Dawe’s piece, Plexus A1 (below), I was unable to find a common theme linking them. 

      The featured artist this week, Kimsooja, is an artist who creates installations, videos, performances, and sculptures. The main works the Art21 video covers are Kimsooja’s Needle Woman videos. It is interesting to watch them, seeing how many people walk on the streets in Korea at a given time. The stillness of the camera and Kimsooja enable you to focus on the surroundings of her seeing the other peoples’ reactions of the Needle Woman standing in the middle of the sidewalk. I believe Kimsooja’s intention of this work was to make people notice the little things, and slow down for a moment, taking a break from our busy lifestyles to enjoy our surroundings. It also shows how much you can miss if you don’t slow down

    On another note, Kimsooja’s work Centre Pompidou Metz (above), was a transcending work of an already amazing space, enhancing the sunlight that enters the space. The mirrors placed on the floor reflected the sunlight creating rainbows of light all around the space.  The rooms look so pretty, creating an awe-inspiring feeling within the viewer. This work also intends for the viewer to slow down and enjoy their surroundings, and see the beauty of our surroundings. The sunlight is transformed into a visual element, that of a rainbow, that many are breath taken by.

    The relevant artist I decided to touch upon this week is Piper Shepard, an artist who uses cloth to create filigree patterned arterial structures. Her works are often intricate and very detailed, causing the viewer to study them, looking for hidden objects and patterns within the piece. Shepard holds a BFA in Fiber from the University of the Arts, Philadelphia. She has worked with other artists to create join works. Attached below is one created by Shepard and a student studying fiber.

     Attached above is one of my favorite works created by Piper Shepard. I love how the word majestic is spelled with elegance within the piece. It takes skill to write with precision within fabric as Shepard did. Roses are found within this piece. They symbolize both bad days and good sweet days. Thorns hurt you when your finger touches them, however, the rose itself smells sweet. The same goes for days, some are bad, some are good. Majestic is a word that explains life as well. Life sometimes flows quietly, others it is loud and boisterous. The word majestic encompasses both of these.

Sources:

http://www.kimsooja.com/biography.html

https://hyperallergic.com/265022/wondering-about-the-future-of-the-smithsonians-craft-museum/

https://art21.org/watch/art-in-the-twenty-first-century/s5/kimsooja-in-systems-segment/

http://www.pipershepard.com/about

[maddywaters-blog1]

Week 9 - Installation

This week, we learned about installation. I think that installation is a lot like architecture. Installation can be almost anything, but is usually large enough for use to enter our whole bodies in the pieces. One particularly interesting art piece I read about in the readings was about James Turrell, a man who has spent 39 years hollowing out the inside of an extinct volcano that is called The Rodin Crater. Turrell uses light like no one else, and it is both hard to explain and even understand. I think it is very cool how he uses light to show different parts of the volcano. Looking at pictures it makes me feel like I’m looking at the planet Mars and a colonization.

In the video, Do Ho Suh talks about how he wanted to carry his house with him, like a snail, which leads to him talking about how made a house out of fabric. He can literally put his house in a suitcase and move it to a totally different place. It sounds amazing, but to me, it also sounds overrated. In my opinion, that just sounds like a more efficient tent. My family moves our tent from outside to inside in the fall, and then put it back outside in the summer the next year. People have been doing this for forever, one example being nomadic farmers and Native Americans. The only thing that I found very interesting was the dedication he had in making it look more like a tent, and less like a house. This was one of his art pieces that I didn’t like as another.

However, I feel differently about one of his other pieces, which I have seen many times before. One thing that really stuck out when he was talking was when he was talking about the meaning. He said that they don’t have a particular meaning, that it’s all up to the viewer. In my opinion, I think that it is saying that many people are supporting you and holding you up, and that if you don’t ever pay attention then you will never notice them.

One of the biggest similarities I found between the readings and the video was probably the vast majority of differences. Installation seems to be anything and everything, and it has very few limits. Installation has gotten very popular recently, and reading about this material has made me realize that so many more things are art than I realize.

The relevant artists that I chose to write about this week are Christo and Jeanne Claude. One of their pieces, which we have read about earlier this year, is called the Running Fence. The Running Fence was made of 2,152,780 square feet of heavy woven nylon fibers. After 14 days they took it down and all materials were given to ranchers. I think that this would be beautiful to look at, as well as drive next to down a road, like it was made for particularly. On the other hand, I also think that it was a huge waste. I think that there should be a point where art goes a little too far, and where it becomes terrible for the environment. Although they did give the material to the ranchers on which the materials were on, I still think that it was a bit too much of a waste. Others may think differently but that is just my opinion.

Sources:

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/164311086375518127/

http://www.atlasobscura.com/places/roden-crater

http://calitreview.com/8512/running-fence-christo-and-jeanne-claudes-masterpiece-revisited-at-the-smithsonian-american-art-museum/

[mpalmer21-blog1]

     Maddy, I too find that installations tend to have little, if no boundary, when it comes to the works that are found in this category. I found Do Ho Suh’s work with all of the people holding up a piece of glass that you can stand on to mean something different than you did; I think it means that everyone has a part in the world, not just one person. The Claudes’ work that you mentioned, The Running Fence, also seems to be a waste of materials to me as well, they could have been used for something beneficial.

[mpalmer21-blog1]

Week Nine

     The readings this week showed me just how controversial art can be. The viewer, artist, and funder/purchaser can all have different opinions and viewpoints on a piece. Serra’s piece, Tilted Arc (shown above) was interpreted by the public as aggressive and as a ‘graffiti catcher.’ Some people disliked it and others didn’t mind its presence or enjoyed its presence. Two petitions were gathered with 1,300 signatures to have the sculpture torn down. Tilted Arc was meant to be permanent and never be removed; it was not made to be moved somewhere else. Serra disliked when the installation was taken down.

     Installation art is found everywhere, and at times seem to not have a meaning. Viewers have to search and figure out what the art means to them. Many installation arts are passed by every day, and not many stop to enjoy them because they have become part of our environment. Installation arts are found everywhere, including in museums, galleries, parks, city streets, and many more.

     The video on featured artist this week, Do Ho Suh, was very interesting to view. Do Ho Suh is a Korean Artist who moved in 1991 from South Korea to the United States. His works are influenced by both Western and Eastern cultures. At first Suh focused mainly on houses. The most interesting thing from the video is how his artwork resembles his life back in Korea. The sculptures with people holding up more people or another object was interesting because of how he explained it. He had them in a stance like they were holding the world above their heads, while standing right next to each other (photo above). Do Ho Suh explained this choice for the sculpture saying that the stance is to help balance and support the weight of the rest of the sculpture. He also explained that the figures are side by side because in Korea the streets are so crowded you can barely move and sometimes people even fall.

     One artwork by Do Ho Suh that I find interesting is the moveable house like structures (above) he creates to help his homesickness. These structures do not have any specific names and can be folded and transported in a suitcase wherever Suh goes. I think they are a neat idea and some of them are very detailed. I also believe that Suh is trying to convey the message that the world is not on just one person’s shoulders, nothing is on just one person’s shoulders, many people share different tasks and we as a whole support the world, our decisions and actions affect the world together.

     The relevant artist I decided to touch upon this week is Karla Black. She is a Scottish artist, and her works are mainly focused on large-scale, site specific works. She uses many materials including traditional art materials and everyday items. Looking at Black’s works, you almost never feel sad or dreary because she uses bright colors.

      Attached above is Black’s work Involucri Trasparenti. I love the color and sparkle of this installation. It is made of a plastic sheet or shower curtain of some sort. I believe this work shows that not everything is what you at first assume. When I first looked at this work, I thought it was a sculpture; I then looked closer and realized that it is a sheet of plastic covered with paint and glitter.

     Both Do Ho Suh and Karla Black create installations comparable to those featured in the reading. Blacks works are meant, in most, but not all, cases, to be permanent. Both create different installations of common everyday objects. Do Ho Suh’s works are in most cases not meant to be permanent, however there are a few exceptions. Both artists’ works cannot be put in a specific category indefinitely, meaning that they are installations.

Sources:

http://www.artspace.com/karla_black

http://www.mmoca.org/exhibitions/exhibits/do-ho-suh

http://www.artspace.com/do_ho_suh

https://art21.org/watch/art-in-the-twenty-first-century/s2/do-ho-suh-in-stories-segment/

[macaulipirillo-blog]

Week Eight- Sculpture

So, this weeks Artist of the week, Kara Walker was interesting to learn about. I certainly wasn’t expecting to see a sculpture being made from a sugar paste. They used corn syrup, sugar, and water and like the guy says in the video is that this is like the ingredients one would use to make caramel, that’s crazy to me! The sculptures melt in the sun giving the sculptures a weeping appearance. I think the idea of this is super awesome. I would love to be able to see one of these in person.

For my relevant artists, this week I chose Damien Hirst. Damien Hirst is a British artist known highly for his work of dead animal displays and spin-art paintings. One of his most famous pieces is A Mother and Child Divided. It is four glass tanks total, two of the tanks contains half of a cow each and the other two contain half of a calf each preserved in formaldehyde solution. The cows are literally split in half and spaced far enough apart so that you can see the insides of these cows. I find this both super cool and interesting and slightly disturbing. I wonder how Hirst went about cutting them in half and to do this? I also find the name of the piece kind of ironic and funny. When I first seen it I just assumed oh a cow and a calf, the calf divided from it’s mother makes sense. But then I realized the cows are literally divided in half so it fits both ways.

Reading about sculpture this week I learned that there are four traditional ways of creating sculpture which include, carving hard materials, modeling soft materials, casting molten materials that will harden, and assembling materials that can be joined. Carving is the most common type of sculpting that I hear about. This entails a larger piece of working materials such as stone, ivory, or wood and you diminish this down and cut pieces off to make some kind of sculpture.

Casting was one that I hadn’t heard of before. In casting, easily shapeable materials are used to create a negative mold which a molten material like plastic or bronze is poured over then allowed to harden. I would think that using this process would make it hard to produce very fine details as pouring the molten material on I would think you would lose the definition. But in the Alter of the Hand or the Perseus with the Head of Medusa you can see perfect definition in these. The Perseus with the head of Medusa is really a quite fascinating piece. You can see all the muscle from of Perseus and with the head of Medusa in his hand you know this sculpture has a great significance of power that belongs to it

.

Earthworks is a different kind of art where the artist use the earth’s surface itself as their medium. It is an ancient form of art in which the earth is sculpted into mounds, spirals, and mazes. The Spiral Jetty was something new to me that I hadn’t heard of. Despite that it only lasted for two years due to the rising water of the lakes, it’s fascinating to me how they could make this out in the middle of the lakes strong and sturdy enough to even last that long.

[mpalmer21-blog1]

     Macauli, I too find different types of sculptures to look easier than others. I loved reading your insight about Damien Hirst. His cow and calf divided is interesting both in the sense of the calf and cow being divided in half themselves and apart visually. I believe this was meant to be an educational piece. Many people find them being physically cut in half disturbing, but I am a farm kid and do not find this so. Educationally this piece can teach you the parts of a cow and gives a visualization of what a cow truly is.

[mpalmer21-blog1]

Week Eight - Sculpture

     This week’s reads and medias were about sculpture. I have never been very fond of sculpture, often overlooking their true meaning and acting as if they have always been there, and it no different than the hill on the horizon which doesn’t have any significant meaning. This week’s reading opened my eyes that sculpture does have a meaning and most of the time you must figure out the meaning for yourself. Above Alice is Aycock’s work Tree of Life Fantasy which was figure 10.1 in the reading.

     The text explains it “combines steps that no one could walk on with structures from ancient Indian observatories, DNA helixes, amphitheaters by the early twentieth-century architect Walter Gropius, a roller-coaster to heaven, and a medieval and Renaissance pictures of an entrance to Paradise through a swirling hole in the sky.” To me, this sculpture shows that many aspects of the world combine to make the world. It unites all events and eras that have happened, and since it is white it resembles purity.

     Kara Walker became known for her silhouette works with themes of African American racial identity. She creates sculptures, collages, drawings, watercolors, and silhouette works often reflecting on slavery. If needed, Walker does research before or during a project to help bring out the full potential of the work. An example of this is her project called A Subtlety or the Marvelous Sugar Baby in which she created sculptures out of molasses and other types of sugar, including a sphinx, which is shown above. A Subtlety was the first sculpture project she ever completed.

     Through these works of art, I believe that Walker was trying to convey change. The sculptures were melting as people viewed them because the sugar was softening, unable to hold its original shape any longer. Many of the sculptures reflected upon slavery and portrayed African Americans working on plantations. The melting of the sugar symbolizes that eventually slavery will end and a dramatic change will take place, however it will take a very long time, as it takes a long time for sugar to melt.

     This week my relevant artist is Tara Donovan. Donovan creates sculptures from common, everyday use materials such as Styrofoam cups, pencils, paper plates, and scotch tape. Her works are often reminiscent of organic or molecular structures. Donovan was the recipient of the MacArthur “Genius Grant” in 2008.

     Attached above is a Styrofoam cup structure created by Tara Donovan. I chose this work because it gives the illusion of a giant oddly formed cloud looming above your head. It is amazing that the sculpture is made completely out of Styrofoam cups and tape. Donovan uses the cups in an effective manner, creating different depths within her work, showing cloud as it might look in the sky up close.

     The reading and both my relevant artist and the featured artist this week connected through the art media sculpture. Both Walker and Donovan create sculptures, which is what the text was about, but in different manners with different intentions. Donovan wants to create works out of objects originally not thought of as art, and create something unique and interesting with them. Walker wants to spread a message about racism and inequality between whites and African Americans, making people aware about slavery.

Sources:

https://www.artsy.net/artist/kara-walker

https://www.artsy.net/artist/tara-donovan

https://art21.org/watch/extended-play/kara-walker-a-subtlety-or-the-marvelous-sugar-baby-short/

[maddywaters-blog1]

Week 7- Photography/Film making

This week’s reading was on Photography and Filmmaking. When I first started reading this week’s content I didn’t think it would be quite as interesting as it was; photos have never really interested me. One photo that really stuck out at me is Migrant Mother by Dorothy Lange. 

In the reading it talked about how she was a 32-year-old who had seven children and was camped on the edge of a pea field where the crop had frozen and failed. The tires had just been sold off of their car so that they could buy food. As I read this I was brought into reality of how bad the Great Depression was. Once she has sold the tires, how will she provide for her family? Just by looking in the mother’s eyes you can feel her sad, worried, and lost look. That is why I love this photo so much… It really brings to light the Great Depression and peoples’ struggles. 

One of this week’s videos was called “Hot Beach Babe Aims to Please”. I wasn’t sure about the title when I opened the link, but I soon realized what the message was trying to say. Many people are lured by misleading titles, fake news, and inappropriate content online, which people make to gain views and get a hold of private information. I feel that this piece was a very good way to bring to light click-baiting and to not just click anything that pops up on your page. 

I think that Julia Pott’s heartbreaking video “Belly” is an unusual or unthought-of way of representing maturing and that loss of childhood innocence. Oscar is an example of that coming-of- age stage where he has to leave something very meaningful to him behind. Alex, Oscar’s older brother, tries to put Oscar in his place by telling him he can’t go swimming with him, only to find himself in trouble and in need of Oscar’s help. Oscar’s friend goes along with Oscar to help save Alex, but in order to gain the maturing experience Oscar experiences loss, too. Many parts in the short film make my spine crawl, but the message she was trying to get across dawned on me on probably the third or fourth time watching the video.

The short film that stuck out to me the most, however, was Thunder Road. In Thunder Road, the main character, Officer Arnaud goes up to give his eulogy for his mother and ends with dancing, a boombox, and Bruce Springsteen. I haven’t decided if I see it as a comedy or a pitiable display of cringe-worthy grief. What I am sure of, however, is that it is probably the best short film I have ever seen. Most short films don’t contain such good acting, or use different feels in the same video, which is laughter or remorse, depending on the way you look at it. 

 A connection I found between the reading and the videos was probably Headspring, a Flying Pigeon Interfering, and Thunder Road. Sometimes things don’t turn out the way we want them to. In Headspring, a Flying Pigeon, the man intends to do a film of a headspring, but as he starts a pigeon runs in his way, making the film imperfect, but real. In Thunder Road, the main character Officer Arnaud dances to his mother’s favorite song, and though his intentions were good, it was not appropriate for a funeral and turns the video into a cringe-worthy comedy film. 

This week’s relevant artist that I chose to write about was Sally Mann. Sally Mann is an American photographer who is best known for her black and white photographs, usually of her own children. One of her photographs that really stuck out at me is called The New Mothers. In the image, it shows one girl holding a cigarette in one hand and a baby doll stroller in the other, and another girl holding a baby with one arm and her other hand on her hips. I think that this image is referencing to how society rushes children in growing up.

One connection I found between this image and the book was Migrant Mother, as mentioned above. In my opinion, both images are showing children being pressured by society to mature instead of being kids. They have totally different backgrounds, but in the end they are being asked the same thing, which is to grow up all too soon.

Sources:

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/roadshow/stories/articles/2014/4/14/migrant-mother- dorothea-lange/

https://learningarchitecture.wordpress.com/2010/11/13/a-flying- pigeon-interfering/

http://www.animationmagazine.net/events/sundance-to-distribute-new-shorts-collection/

https://www.artsy.net/artwork/sally-mann-the-new-mothers

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/2016-sundance-film-festival-short-904099

[mpalmer21-blog1]

Maddy, I too really enjoyed this week’s short film, Thunder Road. I was greatly touched by the film in which Jimmy gives a heartbreaking, but realistic, eulogy. It is interesting that he confessed so many wrongs he has committed against his mother in front of so many people. Belly, by Julia Pott, displays an array of lessons and emotions. I found the short film well-directed. My relevant artist this week was also Sally Mann. Mann’s photos really touched me, and I think that black and white add to the works, enabling the eye to focus on the object shown.

[mpalmer21-blog1]

Week Seven

     The reading this week was the most relatable to myself. I love the art of photography and what it enables me to create. My favorite type of photography is digital photography. I love that this enables me to edit my work if I don’t like something. When editing my images, I tend to use the cropping tool the most. I love how through a lens; an object looks different than you notice with just your sight. You notice different details about the object, often finer details. Film photography is now considered out of date by most people. This is an older method of photography. The benefit of film is that if kept in correct conditions the exact image can last forever. If the computer your images are on crashes there is a high risk of the images being lost. Film media was also covered this week. The most amazing thing about film is the images we receive via television. I find it fascinating that our brains translate individual electric signals into one single image. Film has developed probably in what is one of the fastest ways possible for art medias to develop. Film was invented in 1896 and television was invented in 1927. When you think about it, they weren’t invented that many years ago. TV started as a black and white poor quality image and now is high definition with high resolution and color images. Film has developed, having better special effects and having colored images instead of black and white images.

http://nobudge.com/main/thunder-road

     Of the three videos this week, Thunder Road by Jim Cummings (link above), connected to me most. Many of us, when we lose a friend of loved one, feel we have not done enough, and remember all they have done for us. Today, I lost one of the most caring, influential individuals in my life. I feel with the main character Jimmy at this point. Jimmy begins to dwell on his mistakes, apologizing profusely. I believe he is sitting in back because he feels guilty and doesn’t believe he has the right to sit up front with everyone else.

      The relevant artist I decided to touch on this week is Sally Mann. Mann first gained attention through her works featuring landscapes and historical architecture. Mann’s photographic works also consist of images of her children, often nude, that were, and still are, controversial. Mann uses large-format cameras that sometimes have damaged lenses, which she uses to add character to her works. (I used website https://www.artsy.net/artist/sally-mann for this information.)

     Shown above is one of Mann’s works titled Black Eye. This work was created in 1991. I believe this work is trying to convey the innocence of a child. The girl is quiet, trying to be inconspicuous, after she was mistreated by someone or something. She doesn’t really know what happened and has been harmed emotionally. This event will impact the rest of her life. Mann is trying to convey that your actions can have a positive or negative effect on someone, if that damage is visible or if it is not. 

     Below is a link to another of Julia Pott’s films titled My First Crush. This video uses cartoon characters to illustrate different outcomes that can happen when someone has their first crush. Some outcomes are happy and some disappointing. Many people can relate to this video.

[shaferbailey-blog]

Week 6 - Blog Post

 This weeks readings opened my eyes once again.  I never realized how many different kinds of printmaking there are and how different they can all look!  Some of the prints in this week’s reading looked more like paintings than prints.  It was interesting for me to read about the history of printmaking, it went from a way to transmit Buddhist scriptures to a beautiful form of art.  Although prints and engravings are very beautiful, I think graphic design is taking over artist’s focus nowadays.  There are more readily available jobs in graphic design.  Don’t get me wrong, graphic designs can be very beautiful as well.  In general, I think printmaking can have more meaning and takes more time than graphic designs.  One graphic design I was very impressed with was image 7.11 on page 275 in the book.  I wasn’t able to find an image for it but I think is very beautiful and never would have guessed it was made by graphic design!  Going back to the prints, I really enjoyed the prints that originated in Eastern Asia.  They usually depicted nature and were very calming for me to look at.  Great Wave off Kanagawa by Hokusai (pictured below) stood out to me.  I think the meaning of this piece is to depict things important to Japanese such as Mount Fuji in the background and the ocean.   

This weeks video was interesting for me to watch.  Before this class I would have thought, wow, that doesn’t look right, I don’t like it and move on.  Now, even though at first glance John Baldessari’s work wasn’t my favorite, I watched the video, learned, and now can appreciate it and even like it.  The work of John’s I liked best were ones with text on them.  It seems to me John was being a little sarcastic with these pieces.  To him, the things on Tips For Artists Who Want To Sell aren’t true, which is why I think it was made to be sarcastic.  I also liked his piece, I Will Not Make Any More Boring Art.  This is ironic to me because this seems like boring art, just black and white with cursive.  These pieces made me laugh, which is unusual for me.  The art with a picture and a color silhouette over it wasn’t my favorite.  It seemed like anyone could do this and put it in a museum and it wasn’t really art.  But that was the point, to prove that it could be art.  

There was a lot in common between this week’s readings and video.  A lot of John Baldessari’s work included graphic design.  John’s piece, One Face (Three Versions) reminded me a lot of Andy Warhol’s A Set of Six Self-portraits.  I think John was inspired from Andy’s work even though A Set of Six Self-portraits was made by printmaking and One Face (Three Versions) was made by graphic design.

After mentioning him earlier, I thought Andy Warhol would be a good artist to discuss this week.  I really like Warhol’s use of bright colors, they make me feel happy!  While being interviewed, Andy stated he never really used “realistic” colors and he never really knew if the colors were right until the print was finished.  Although most colors in Warhol’s paintings are very different, they also compliment each other.  I’m sure that is no coincidence!  To make his prints, Andy used silk screening.  He picked a photo, blew it up, transferred it in glue onto silk, and then rolled ink across it so the ink goes through the silk but not the glue.  This is how he got the same image, slightly differently each time or in a different color.  I once was able to print a t-shirt using this method, little did I know Andy Warhol did the same thing!  One of Andy’s most famous prints is of Marilyn Monroe.  He made this print around the time she died.  I think this piece was made to commemorate her and also show what a bright person she was while she lived, even though she committed suicide.

[mpalmer21-blog1]

     Bailey, I too liked the printmaking more than graphic design. I believe that printmaking shows more talent to an artist, rather than just graphic design. I always say anyone can be an artist, however, I believe to have your artwork displayed in a museum, you must be serious and have a gift. I also covered Warhol as my relevant artist. I found his work intriguing and also found it made me feel happy inside, I really like how he captured a realistic side of the subject rather than just being abstract.