Tigsart

Cornell AAP: my criticism being criticized 

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Ugliness Is Underrated: In Defense of Ugly Paintings

If you, too, want to appreciate ugliness, the first thing you have to do is stop assuming that it is the inverse of beauty.

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Life as Art

There is no definition of what art is and anyone has to power to call themselves an artist or say something is art. This leads to the idea of art being my than an aesthetic and more of a way to study the living.

Tahir Hemphill analyzes data about rap music and makes it visual art. Here art is observation, criticism and discovery. This was interesting to me because that is what usually the view of the art does. He made the viewer become art on its own.

Because are has lost its definition, it feels like the most popular artists are the ones that are able to make the newest or most creative definition for art. It feels like art is no longer about the aesthetic and only the creativity and engagement.

This makes me question a lot of my own work. Art is very much about beauty for me but just because that is how I see art doesn’t mean that is how everyone else sees it.

For me personally, art is studying the living and their strife for beauty. How people want to surround themselves by beautiful things. What people find beautiful can be anything. But art for me will anyways be a form of creating beauty.

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Is graffiti vandalism?

A lot of what people graffiti is considered Public Property. So if our taxes pay for it I don’t see why we can’t decorate it. Once it is on Private Property we can call it vandalism. 

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Graffiti

It is interesting to watch a documentary about graffiti that was made in the 80’s because it is so different now. In “Style Wars”, graffiti is made by young boys who mostly start off by putting there initials around. A lot of the people interviewed for the documentary do not like it and see it as an urgent issue for the police to follow.

Now graffiti is a whole art form of it’s own that is praised. It is mostly called Street Art now which makes it sound more sophisticated. We even have famous graffiti artists like Banksy and Invader who’s work is recognized throughout large cities. I think the reason the graffiti culture has changed so much however is because it has become harder to do it with modern technology and surveillance. Not everyone can do graffiti and most people who do it are being asked to do it by whom ever owns the property. Of course you will still find older graffiti forms in tunnels and alleyways but it is not what it used to be.

What used to just be a can of spray paint is now paint, tiling and collage. I personally think graffiti is a great way to show your art to the world. My way of doing it is through stickers. I order stickers with my art on them and I will always carry them with me that way I can put one down where ever I see fit and it is super quick so no one notices. For example, I have stickers on lamp posts, scaffolding, mail boxes, chair lifts, corners of buildings, ect.

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narrow distances — Candor Arts

BY KA-MAN TSE PUBLISHED BY CANDOR ARTS ISBN: 978-0-9968161-6-8

Everything about this book is a work of art from the photographs in it, to the quotes and even the cover. Every page and every detail on every page has intention and meaning. 

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Ka-man Tse

Ka-man Tse is a Photographer from Hong Kong who focuses on family and queerness in her work. She redefines photography as “creation” rather then something you “take”. When making her photos she wants it to feel like everyone participating is giving to the art rather than her taking or using their presence for a photo.

Ka-man Tse brings meaning into her work in very subtle ways. For example, in one of her photographs she is holding an old photo of her mother at her mother’s brother’s wedding. In the photo she has her aunt and her aunt’s husband I believe, each with a hand on the photo. The hand she has holding the photo has her wedding ring on it as a subtle way to incorporate queerness, however is it too subtle? If a meaningful detail to a piece of work is too subtle, the viewer might not catch onto it but does that matter? It leads to the question of who the art is for: the viewer or the artist. I wonder who Ka-man Tse is making her work for if she is even making it for anyone specific.

I would like to talk about my favorite piece from Ka-man Tse. It is the last page of her new book “Narrow Distances”. The photograph is of two people on a port by the water laying on top of each other. The photograph not only stunning but it is able to convey feelings of comfort and love to the viewer which I think is a perfect way to end a book that covers topics of family and relationships.

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Nicholas Galanin

Nicholas Galanin is an artist from Sitka Alaska who’s art is mostly based from his relationship with his Native American culture. His art reflects the history of how the United States has treated indigenous people. Art is a huge part of most Native American tribes, especially on the west coat, allowing Galanin to easily pull parts from the art culture and use it in his own work. For example, some of his art includes animal hides or wooden carved faces in reference to the artistic aspect of the native culture.

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Columbus Day

When looking at the map (https://native-land.ca/) of the native land that the United States claimed for themselves, it is clear to see that we stole pretty much the whole country. 

In John Oliver’s video on Columbus Day, he raises the question: why is Columbus Day “still a thing?” He brings up many valid points as to why the holiday is irrelevant. For example, there is nothing we do to celebrate it except close schools, businesses and post offices for a day. Most importantly he highlights all of the horrible things that Columbus did that the United States doesn’t talk about as much. Like how he slaughtered millions of people and also how he claims he “discovered” America even though people were already living there. When taking the time to think about it, there really is no reason to celebrate Columbus day, so why do we still do it?  

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Paris is Burning - Identity as art

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Words on Identity

What makes up someones identity? Is it born of out the people you surround yourself with? or your culture? Or is it something that you have buried in you under layers of the influences you take in?

What about being yourself is so terrifying to most people? Why do people change how they act depending on who they are with? Does the way someone acts around certain people speak to their identity? Does knowing ones identity even matter?

All of these questions are ideas that someone might think about when the topic of identity comes around. As a child, you have very little life experience making you the most yourself you will ever be. After growing up and learning and making mistakes and new relationships and discovering new things, this person is almost completely altered. 

People tell me who I am when I tell them that I am a white girl from a financially comfortable family. When it comes down to it, the person who really knows the most about what has shaped the little crazy blonde child over the years is me. So do the facts about me and how I was raised determine my identity or do I? And does it even matter how people view my identity or does it only matter how I view my identity. 

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Privilege

After having done some research on White Privilege this week, there were a few ideas that stuck out to me that I thought were really important:

One video I watched of John Amaechi brought up a really great point about privilege. Amaechi described it as “more of the absence of inconvenience, the absence of impediment or challenge, and as such when you have it you really don’t notice it.” Privilege has a lot to do with luck and chance; things we have no control over. It is not about feeling guilt for having it but understanding the responsibility privilege comes with of being actively aware of it. 

What does it mean to be actively aware of your privilege? This is a question I have been asking myself a lot the past few months as topics of oppression have become more popular in the media. I have no reliability when answering this but after taking the time to research and lean about privilege, I have gotten a better understanding of what this means. I believe that in order to be actively aware of your privilege you much be accepting of the fact as a way to not let your privilege effect your role in society. Another way to phrase it would be to not let your privilege become a bias; don’t let it shape your character. 

Privilege is something that has been known to separate and divide people into groups in the past but also currently. By becoming actively aware of your privilege, I believe you are working towards a society built on equality and justice, not just politically but socially.

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Jessi Reaves

Do these piece make you want to engage with them; do you want to sit on them? Is the answer the that question the statement she is making in her art?

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Jessi Reaves

In the crazy industry of art and furniture making, Jessi Reaves has reach new levels in both. As a New York City based artist, Reaves has found new ways to use less popular materials to create sculptures of furniture or furniture for sculpture. 

After hearing her lecture about her practice, there was one thing in particular that really stuck with me. It was the conversation of whether the furniture she creates is meant to be used. Reaves describes the relationship between the person and her furniture as though the piece its self is enough as a sculpture. When asked about the topic she said: “I mean, I think that the objects have a pretty generous amount of information in them, and I don't. I just don't think it's necessary, I think. Knowing you can sit recognizing it as it as a chair is as important as sitting” then she continued on the topic, “With issues of conservation and people asking me, like, what if what if this becomes to a point where you can't sit in it, like, can it be shown, is it the same work and for me you don't. You don't have to sit in it to experience the work...” 

This absolutely boggled me. If the furniture is not meant to be sat in then why make it? Is there a specific statement she is trying to make by using furniture? Her work is visually fascinating as well as creativity made as far as materials and structure goes, but is it meant to be more then aesthetics? 

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The first image is Paul Vanouse’s DNA Fingerprint pieces and the second image is his piece titles “Labor”.

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Paul Vanouse

Paul Vanouse is an artist who uses the research he does on DNA and skin pigmentation genes to create art. He does this by using a DNA fingerprint which places dots on a screen. The location of the dot on the screen depends on the gene. By sampling DNA from his family and extracting certain genes, he is able to control the location of the dots making it so he can create an image on the fingerprint. This is a super cool way of literally using pigmentation genes to create a visible image or message. 

For another science related project, Vanouse studied human oder. In he research he found that people do not have oder in their sweat. It is in fact the bacteria on our skin that causes the gross smells. Vanouse decided to start growing these bacterias and was able to recreate their smells. He was able to make a statement about labor and different types of labor by producing certain combinations of the bacterias as a way to recreate the smell of someone in a white collar job verse a blue collar job. 

For the visual display, Vanouse displayed these bacterias in a large, round, glass pot with pipes and wire coming out the bottom. I am assuming the wires and such were making the pot and the solution in it livable for the bacterias. On the walls of the space he had prints that he made of peoples sweaty tee shirts. He did this by putting loose charcoal on the shirts allowing the preexisting sweat to submerge the charcoal into the paper. 

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Programmed: Rules, Codes and Choreographies in Art, 1965-2018

“The exhibition links two strands of artistic exploration: the first examines the program as instructions, rules, and algorithms with a focus on conceptual art practices and their emphasis on ideas as the driving force behind the art; the second strand engages with the use of instructions and algorithms to manipulate the TV program, its apparatus, and signals or image sequences.” - The Whitney Museum

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In order to be a Princess

When I was little, I wanted to be a princess when I grew up, duh. At such a young age, that meant I would have to marry a prince and have birds dress me in the morning. As I got older I decided I wanted to be a movie star instead. At the time it felt like a more realistic goal than being a princess. There was just one issue, I did not look the part. I did not have flawless skin and I did not have the body of someone who eats just a few leaves for every meal. To me, that was more of a set back than having little to no talent when it comes to acting. Once I was towards the end of my middle school career, I thought I would be rich and famous by being an “influencer”. But how could I influence anyone if I didn’t look like a bikini model with a perfect tan and a sick ass? More importantly how would that get me a hot, rich boyfriend?

The media young girls are surrounded by makes them think that the only thing that can make them happy is a man and that no man will want them unless they look like a Disney princess. Growing up I looked up to Aurora and Bell, both of whom are saved by men in their story. I looked up to Blake Lively and Mila Kunis, both of whom have perfect husbands. With these role models, looking gorgeous becomes a personality trait in our society - a personality trait that you must have if you ever want to get married. Most women are raised believing that one day they will get married as though it is something every woman must do. This only puts pressure on women to be physically beautiful and leads to women settling for men that weigh them down or just don’t treat them properly.

Only recently have I decided that getting married is not a priority of mine. What the media doesn’t tell young girls is that you can be a princess without a prince and without looking like a barbie.