#galleryreport

[hopedaley-blog]

Helen Mayer Harrison and Newton Harrison’s show The Harrisons, at Various Small Fires gallery

Most of these works were hung on the wall with even lighting from the fixed gallery ceiling lights. The exceptions were the stand with the large book on it to flip through in the corner, the pentagon compost box with dirt and a shovel in the center of the main room, and the video piece playing in a different room separated by a black curtain. The pieces were spaced evenly, a little too evenly to where it got monotonous and made the work less interesting to me. I liked the dark room to sit in and view the outdated 90′s video piece. I also liked that you just picked up a piece of paper with the images of the works and their information - there was nothing indicated on the wall. I am interested in the environment this creates for the viewer, to not have any info of the specific works on the wall. I will be thinking of alternative ways of what the work info sheet can look like and be with the show rather than simply a sheet of printer paper. I am interested in the interaction between the sculpture on the ground and the works hung on the wall - I will explore that in my own body of work. 

[hopedaley-blog]

Theaster Gates, But To Be A Poor Race, Regen Projects 

[laurenleilani]

Gallery Report: Louise Bourgeois “The Red Sky”

Today I went to Hauser & Wirth and saw the Mark Bradford and Louise Bourgeois exhibitions. I had never seen either of their art and was deeply moved by both. 

Bourgeois’ work was inspiring because this specific body of work was created in her last 6 years of life. It was interesting see these representations of a person as they are nearing death. The work is raw, powerful, and compelling. The size, the inclusion of words and images, the embroidered signatures, the materials (gauze, paper, thread) all felt like invitations. I have been interested in textiles but hadn’t thought of drawing on them. I also love words and write short phrases in my journal often that remind me of Bourgeois’ phrases that I could include in my work in the future. 

[laurenleilani]

Gallery Report

Norton Simon - 2/24/18 - Rembrandt Etchings

Last Saturday I visited the Norton Simon with my aunt. It was delightful to see Rembrandt’s etchings with my aunt because she is an artist and printmaking professor. She was giddy to peer through the magnifying glass and discover the intricate marks of a master. Her contagious excitement encouraged my interest in the etchings. I loved looking at the tiny, detailed works. There was so much to see in such a little space. I paid particular attention to the direction of his lines and noticed that at times he used orderly parallel lines to convey form and other times he used chaotic scribbles. It is helpful to study his use of line and consider how I can incorporate the direction and quality of lines into the brush strokes of a painting. Rembrandt often describes with background and its figures with loose almost abstract forms that merely suggest objects. In painting I want to grow more skilled at balancing fully rendered forms with abstracted moments.

[amandadelaplane-blog]

This also was a gallery. no.3

Well, this was a gallery I was able to go to. And this exhibition I believe was enough to put it on the map! 

But, why is taking time to go out into the world and look at art so hard? Well, because we are so busy making and thinking in our own little bubble, but oh well. I have hight goals to visit a lot more galleries and museums before I graduate!

This week in the Earl and Virginia Green Gallery on campus I had the privilege to witness and engross myself in the work of Jedidiah Angkasa and Sean Leone. It has been amazing to watch their process and now see finished amazing work on display for the whole world to see in the gallery. It was completely different seeing someone’s work who I had been (slightly) invested in before an actual exhibit was a really neat experience for me much less them.

The layout and how they fit so much work was part of what I want to take from their show. Since last week when we landed on show partners and have a solid date for our own shows, the logistics of the gallery space, how the work exists, lives in there and in with other’s work and in the limited space we have, yet wanting to create as much work as I can, having an open feeling, a full feeling, yet not a bad overwhelming feeling. It was nice seeing the gallery filled full with just paintings on the wall, though I wont have any paintings on the wall, it was the feeling that I enjoyed. Seeing how they transformed the space into a space of beauty and contemplation, insight and ideas, emotions and color, was inspiring. 

This was the first time with thoughts on my show I saw the gallery so open. As I want to have floor pieces in mine it was really nice to see the space and how it works with the walls filled with paintings as well. The positioning of the two L walls was ingenious as well, and will definitely take into consideration that layout when talking with my own show partners a little down the road. Visualizing potential in this space my pottery, Wesleigh’s and Kaila’s paintings was really exciting. This spurs me on in my work!

Their work each lends to my thoughts and work in its refined sophistication. I believe that word fits here. Each piece claimed its space, its attention, yet added to the whole exhibition as one piece. They worked together, contrasted, informed and stood on their own each. I am finding the words, as I am figuring out the words for my own art and my goals of emotions, this helped with some feelings in finding what I want. (very vague but things will come together and be revealed soon.)

[briannaeng-blog]

gallery report

Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego and Timken Museum of Art

A few weeks ago I was in San Diego with Brianna. The two of us tried to visit as many museums as we could in the small time frame we had. Although we saw a wide range of artwork, both contemporary and historical, there were not many works that related explicitly to my own practice. That is, at least in terms of formal quality/painting. So, I thought I would just discuss the work I enjoyed. 

The Museum of Contemporary Art in San Diego had many fascinating works that related to culture and how we have interacted with that changing culture over time. I was moved the depictions of identity and found myself caring deeply for how I interacted with these cultures in the future. 

There was also this snake which was huge and scary. I do not really have a lot to say about it but I think you should know...

Across the street there was another outlet of the museum with a small room surrounded by windows looking out to the street. On a table in the middle were coloring books of famous artwork. I honestly do not know for sure if this was an art piece or not but it felt like it. If the goal was to create a familiar space that encouraged people to sit and interact with other while making art, it succeeded.

Lastly, we visited the Timken Museum of Art. We almost passed by this museum until we saw a banner advertising a Monet painting. We ran inside. I have always loved the way Monet handles painting scenes that involve water. From a distance the water looks smooth and coherent, but up close you can see the brush strokes and surprising colors that make up the majority of his paintings. You could revisit the painting over and over and still see something different every time. His work has always been an influence to my practice. (Also sorry we were not allowed to take pictures of the painting so you will just have to trust me. Instead um, here is a picture of a crazy plant which was close the Timken building.) 

I don’t know.

[abbyran]

“Double America 2” 2014 Glenn Ligon Neon and paint 48 x 145 x 3 in I went to the Broad for the first time in my life, but it felt so familiar. I know and learned about almost all of the artworks and artists there. Even though there are artworks I never learned anything about, they are so famous that I see photos of them on social media all the time. I really wished that there is a wall didactic for this piece so that I could write more and know more about it. I have always interested with neon light works, and in fact I have been trying to find an industry where will allow me to experiment with industrial light work. At first I was wondering what kind of neon light this is - that the top surface is black and everything else is just simply neon light tube. Then I realized that it is just black paint that covered the surface. I then immediately fell in love with this trickiness. I am not sure about the conceptual meaning behind this artwork, but I guess there is something political and social. I love the way the light turns on and off - sometimes only the top America lights, sometimes both of them light, and sometimes they are off together. In my art practice, I always drive for delicacy and cleanness, however, the wires that are coming through and out of the artwork are messy but organized in a wired way. I really like this artwork and I hope I could have take a picture with it but I was kind of embarrassing to ask a random person to take it for me.

[abbyran]

I went to the Institute of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles. This work is titled “No Space Hidden (Shelter)” by Abigail Deville. This work is combined with sculptures and installations, which is something I should love. Yet, I don’t think I like the materiality. But simultaneously, the techniques she uses in her work and the scale of her work are fascinating to me. First of all, I have always wanting to create huge sculptures and installations but I have never had a chance or place to do. Therefore I am really glad that I could experience within these large-scale sculptures and installations in order to feel what my work would be like in a scale like this. Secondly, Abigail Deville uses the technique of repeating one material over and over again. In my works, I also like to limit myself in the choice of material with multiple of it in a repeating pattern. I have always loved this idea and technique from the very beginning in my art practice; all my artists of influence have that same aesthetic view. Nevertheless, I don’t appreciate her choices of materiality. They are found objects, and very organic. My art is more geometric, structured, and clean. Even though my materials are cheaper, I still look for high fashion in all of my art while Deville’s art is more junky and dirty. All in all, Abigail Deville’s work inspires and encourages me to go wild and crazy in expanding my art in the field.