Process Journal

Making the art exhibit was fun.  I was a little overwhelmed with the gravity of the process at first, but like just about everything I've done for this class so far, after I just sat down & jumped into it, I had a lot of fun.  It was time consuming & at times hard to find all the information for a certain piece I wanted to use, but so much fun to search out new artists that I had never been exposed to prior to this project.  It also gave me the opportunity to look more into styles of art I had never had a chance to explore before.  I chose Lowbrow art/Pop-surrealism, because it's such a neat style, & includes all the odd types of art that don't really fit into any of the other "classic" genera's.  Once I got started it was great.  I did run into some problems with certain images I wanted to use, & the artists had blocked their websites from images being copied from them, due to other people profiting from their stuff, which was totally understandable, but put me in the position of having to leave pieces out of my exhibit that I really wanted to include.  But with a lot of searching & some advice on a few good artists from my ex who was an art major, I discovered new artists & had a lot of fun making this exhibit.  

Video review

Displaying Modern Art: The Tate Approach 

Key Concepts

• Henry Tate; Millbank London; opened in 1898
• Million people in 47 days; 4 mill. by end of 1st year.
• Most popular museum of modern art in the world.
• Ignores women artists of the 20th century.
• Alfred Hedgbar Jr.: 1st director.
• white walls, flexible lighting, categorized to particular rooms/by particular artist.
• chronological sequence suggests art developed primarily in response to other works of art.
• expanded to include changes in gender, race, class.
• 4 sections organized by theme: landscape/matter/environment; nude/action/body; history/memory/society; still life/object/real life.
•  contrast/rebellion against period norms.
• maximization of space.
• thematic categorization.
• expanding audience to view modern art is difficult due to unfamiliarity of modern art.

Relate to art exhibit project:

Yes; showed how to categorize artworks by theme.

Opinion:

Good info/advice on organizing artworks by theme/type/style/time period/category.

The Lowdown on Lowbrow: West Coast Pop Art 

Key concepts:

• Lowbrow: art that can't be categorized as anything else.
• reactionary to highbrow culture.
• actual definition of "lowbrow:" uncultivated; lacking in taste.
• Robert Williams: 1979; coined the term with a book he wrote.
• "pop surrealism."
• All inclusive.
• roots in pin-up; car culture; cartoons.
• history in folk art; tattoo; scrimshaw; car painting.
• post WWII period/the atomic age: important to pop art; B Movies; surf movies; post-war paranoia/propaganda McCarthyism; submersion in product development.
• early 80's: "ground zero."
• concept art, paintings, sculptures.
• categories made by critics.
• broadcast = flyers, CD/record covers.
• Metallica, Offspring, Skinny Puppy album covers all examples.
• controversial, graphic.  

Relate to art exhibit project:

This style of art is actually the type I chose to represent with my exhibit project after visiting the Burchfield Penny Gallery with another class & seeing the Spain exhibit. He was more underground during his time period of the 50's, but his stuff is definitely Pop Art.

Opinion:

Loved this film, gave me great info/leads for artists that I'd never heard of before, as well as museums that have collections of Pop Art that I can look into for this project.

Bones of Contention: Native American Archaeology:

Key Concepts:

• Native Americans want the bones of their ancestors being stored in museums back.
• Anthropologists studying; archaeologists digging them up.
• Indian burial grounds = sacred sites.
• Iowa; 1976; 1st state in U.S. that passed law against excavating these sites.
• Museum exhibits from the time of the 1st settlers called into question.
• 1990: Native American Graves Protection & Repatriation Act; bones have to go back to tribes.
• problems figuring out where they go; very time consuming; caused conflicts/strain.
• conflict of scientific theories/facts vs. N.A. cultural beliefs.
• traditions/values/history passed down through elders.
• many common views of N.A. turned out to be stereotypes after scientific research.
• N.Y. = National Museum of the American Indian

Relate to art exhibit project:

No, has nothing to do with my style/theme/style of art.

Opinion:

Interesting film about Native American struggles, found the film touching, yet didn't really add depth to my project.

An Acquiring Mind: Philippe de Montebello & The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Key Concepts:

• 1963- curatorial assistant.
• 1977 - curator.
• born in France, educated at Harvard, background in European painting.
• collection nearly doubled during his time as director.
• 84,000 works of art acquired.
• 31 years as director, 8th longest.
• would rather not represent a particular artist/ style/movement/civilization if he couldn't get an "outstanding" work to do so.
• Didn't want to simply "fill in the gaps."
• museums are always growing/changing collections, never finished/complete.
• respects objects in collections even if he personally doesn't like them.
• The way history is presented changes history.
• evaluates ever piece.
• justification of acquisition of piece can rely on the eye of the beholder/intuition.
• conservators decide how to display artworks for maximization of piece.
• Restoration = no room for error.
• sometimes although damaged, a piece works best without restoration/simply as it is, with no restoration.
• aesthetics important in placement of pieces.
• houses only Egyptian temple in Western Hemisphere.
• growing collections cannot be just placed anywhere/in any room; must create right atmosphere to house them.
• need different room designs to house the many different collections/to display collections the right/best way.
• varied aspects of collecting & conserving are culminated in exhibitions.
• must consider all ways to present artworks.
• every exhibit need something to throw it off a bit to make it distinctive.

Relate to art exhibit project:

Shows all the thought that should go into putting together an exhibition.

Opinions:

Definitely gave new understanding & depth to the concepts & work that go into putting together an exhibit, & a better idea of how to present my own in my exhibit.

Gallery visit #2

Questions about the exhibit:

1.  The title of the exhibit was "The Emancipation Approximation."

2.  The theme of the exhibit was the antebellum American South.  The artist, Kara Walker, uses a silhouette format to force viewers to engage with historical, yet still relevant, racist portrayals of African Americans. The title is a play on words referencing Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation, & the images that allude to the atrocities of slavery, are coupled with Greek mythological references.  

Questions about the physical space:

1.  The lighting used for this exhibit were lights in a recessed part of the ceiling, placed approximately every 3 & 1/2 feet.

2.  The color used on the walls was all white.

3.  There were no other materials used in the interior architecture of the space.

4.  The movement of the viewer through the gallery space was first down a hallway, where all the pictures hung on the left side of the wall only.  In this section, all the prints were white background, with black figures.  

The viewer then proceeds around a corner into another portion of the hallway.

Here, the pictures hang on both sides of the hallway, but are all reversed in their color scheme; black background, with white figures.  

Questions about the artwork:

1.  The artworks were organized, hanging at eye-level, well lit, evenly spaced along the walls.  Some of the images on the prints even flowed into the one hung next to them as you can see in the next 2 pictures.

2.  The artworks were all similar in their color schemes.  Only black & white were used for all the prints.

 Some of them had a white background with white figures.

Some had a black background with white figures.

3.  The artworks were each different in their content.  Although the theme of them all was the same, each picture was completely different.

4.  The artworks were all framed in plain black frame that looked like basic black poster frames.

5.  Each individual artwork was not separately identified or labeled.  They were all in the Contemporary Collection, & viewed as a complete set.

6.  The artworks were hung approximately a foot & 1/2 apart on the wall along the hallway.

Analyze 3 artworks:

The artist for all of these works is Kara Walker.  They are not separately titled, but are all part of Walker's collection titled "The Emancipation Approximation."  They are dated from 2000, are approximately 2 & 1/2 feet in width by 3 & 1/2 feet in height.  They are all screen prints on paper.  The source of all 3 pictures is The Albright-Knox Gallery. 

Visually, the picture shows what appears to be 2 men facing one another, covered in bird poop from a tiny white bird in the upper left of the picture.  

Emphasis, subordination, & scale are all used in the drastic size difference between the men & the almost unnoticed bird in the corner.  Color is utilized in such a way that even though the bird is so small, since it, & its poop are the contrasting white against an otherwise black background, it is still a noticeable element in the picture, even though it was the last thing I saws.  Once it was noticed the entire picture made more sense, & the bird becomes a major part of the picture.

I think the metaphor I got from this is that even a little thing can cause a lot of shit.

If I had to interpret this picture, based on the collection in its entirety, I might think that the white bird pooping all over the 2 black men might be representative of whites pooping all over African Americans in our countries history.

Visually, this picture shows 2 black figures walking across a white background, one a grown man crying, & one a young boy who is talking to the older man.  There are small black clouds in the sky.

Motion is portrayed in this picture by the stance of the 2 figures, & the position of their legs.  Again color is used, this time making the 2 figures the main focus of the picture.

I did not find any metaphors from this picture.

My interpretation of this picture is that the little boy may have brought the older gentleman some bad news & that is why he is crying, & that they are going together to whatever it was that so upset the man.

Visually, this picture is as bit shocking, but again, based on the content of the collection in its entirety, not the worst, by far.  There are 2 black angels in the upper right corner of the picture.  The background is white.  The center of the picture shows a well dressed man sitting on the back of a crouching woman, about to receive oral sex from another woman crouching in front of him.

Again color is used in the stark black & white only content of the picture.  The angels in the corner are subordinate figures of the pictures, & the trio in the front are with out a doubt the dominant figures, placing the emphasis on them.

The symbolism of this picture says that during the time of slavery, African American women were used as more than just slaves.

I would interpret this picture, based on the subject matter of the entire series, as being 2 slave women, one being used as a seat, & the other being used for sexual gratification, possible by their master.  

    

video review

Andy Warhol: Images of an Image

1. Explain why you selected each of the TWO videos you choose from the selection listed above.

I selected this video because I always found Andy Warhol fascinating, both as a person & as an artist.  I was hoping this video would give me more of an insight to both of those things.

2. For each video list/discuss the key concepts you learned.

Process of silk screening:

• original image must 1st be enlarged several times. 
• contrast can be heightened or turned down at will resulting in a large, half-toned sheet.
• sheet originally made of silk, but now is synthetic material of either fine or coarse mesh depending on desired effect.
• screen is stretched across frame & treated with a light-sensitive material.  
• sheet is then laid on a screen & exposed to strong light.
• Rinsed with water; black exposed parts dissolve leaving weave visible, white parts harden, filling in weave to form a flat surface; image on screen is a negative 1.
• once dry, put on paper/canvas that will hold final image.
• ink is pressed firmly on with a rubber blade/squeegee. this forces ink through uncovered parts of the screen creating a positive image.
• screen can be used any number of times.

Warhol: 

• fascinated/obsessed with idea of celebrity/famous people.
• published a magazine.
• did portraits for celebrities.
• wanted to use silk screen as a way to destroy relief & contours.
• silk screen used to put artists hand at a distance & eliminate artist's presence entirely.

 3. How do the videos relate to the readings in the text?

The video related to the text in increasing my knowledge & understanding of what I had read in the book about the silk screening process.  It also made me look at him in a different light because I read in the text his art was considered "Pop Art," & I have never even considered him to fall into that category.  But after reading about it & then watching the video with this new information, I put it all together very well.

4. What is your opinion of the films? How do they add depth to understanding of the readings and art concepts?

 This film was really interesting because I had no idea that most of Warhol's early work was mainly adds cut out of magazines & papers that he turned into art.  It definitely added depth & understanding to the text in the explanation & visual aspect of the process of silk screening.

Isamu Noguchi: The Sculpture of Spaces

1. Explain why you selected each of the TWO videos you choose from the selection listed above.

I honestly chose this video because while I was checking out all the videos before choosing any & clicked on this 1, I saw the awesome sculpture that you see before you hit play on the video & thought it looked like something I really wanted to learn more about.

  

2. For each video list/discuss the key concepts you learned.

• 1933 ~ vision of "earth as a sculpture."
• use of water on sculpture to create new approach.
• 1949 ~ traveled the world for 2 years, ended up in Japan, which influenced his art after this point due to his vision that Japanese stone gardens had aspects of sculptural instinct.
• "Humanizing of space/sculpture."
• difficult childhood.
• age 13 ~ came to U.S.; Indians, known as Sam Gilmore.
• Guggenheim fellowship in Paris.
• returned to U.S. ~ N.Y. 
• Poverty influenced his art.
• experience colored greatly by the theater.
• discovered the character of a place & how differences, not sameness create interest.
• scale of sculpture should be the scale of man.
• nature completes composition that cannot be duplicated by an artist.
• took sculpture to a whole new dimension/realm.
• was doing in the 1920's/30's what people are just starting to see as landscape/instillation art today.

3. How do the videos relate to the readings in the text?

This video relates to the text's section on landscape art & shows how completely, amazingly beautiful & meaningful it really is.

4. What is your opinion of the films? How do they add depth to understanding of the readings and art concepts?

I really enjoyed this film.  It was incredible to see Noguchi's visions come to life, & it gave a deeper understanding of the intense process of Land Art.

Mask

1. Upload the three (3) inspiration images to your Blog (or link to your Photobucket account). Explain why you selected the inspiration pieces. 

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2. I chose these 3 masks because they gave me inspiration & ideas on how I wanted my mask to look.  I really loved the colors of the 1st mask & used a similar style for mine.  The 2nd mask represents a youthful spirit, & I've always felt to be a youthful spirit myself, so I chose this 1 for inspiration.  The last mask actually had an idea I was already planning to use in my mask, with all the colorful, hair-like things standing out all over its head.

3. Upload images of your sketches and finished piece.

4. Explain how you used the Elements and Principles in your finished mask.

I used color to make certain areas of the mask pop & to draw your attention to them.  I also used different materials Like colored pencil, pipe cleaners, & shiny stickers to create texture.  I had these left over from a project I did with my son so it worked out well.

5. Share your opinion of your finished mask and what you thought about creating the mask.

I think my mask is pretty cool.  I used a skull shape because I felt I was appropriate for this time of year, being so close to Halloween.  I have to admit I wasn't very excited about this project at first, but as I was sketching & actually making the mask, I found myself enjoying seeing my sketch become a reality. 

Module 11 Video Review

Matisse & Picasso 

I chose this video because I know of, & like Picasso's work, but I don't know very much about Matisse, & was hoping to learn more from the video.

Key Concepts
Matisse:

• Father figure.
• Believed painting & drawing were the same thing, drawing just had less materials.
• Was unaware of talent for 1st 20 yrs. of his life; when discovered, caused scandal with his family.
• Organized.
• Traveled frequently.
• 1930: went to NYC, won Carnegie Prize.
• Had his female models present.
• Wanted strong women to take care of him, work with him, assist him.
• Would work during the day & rub out paintings at night.
• Fascination with opposites between him & Picasso.
• Attracted to things that seemed foreign to him.
• Died Nov. 3rd, 1954

Picasso:

• "Eternal Adolescent."
• Artistic talent encouraged by family.
• Impulsive.
• 1912: invented 1st collage.
•  Incorporated unique materials into paintings.
• Cubism.
• Classical Style.
• Rarely traveled, didn't drive, rarely left studio.
• Inspirations in everyday things.
• Would use a model once, then paint them many times after.
• Started with an idea that would turn into something else.
• Painted over works.
• Borrowed lines from Matisse.
• Was a Communist.
• Did not attend Matisse's funeral.

The video's relate to the text due to Picasso's use of the cubism style, & the Classical style.
I found this video to have added depth & understanding to the readings because it really gave depth to a relationship between 2 of the master painters of their time, of which I was totally unaware.  It told of the progression of styles of Matisse & Picasso, & how they used each other's art as a study of what to make that was exactly the opposite.  They were rivals, friends, exchanged odd gifts, & had a mutual respect for each other.  This was a very cool, interesting, informative video.

A Sunday on Le Grand Jatte, 1884 (Seurat)

I chose this video because this is a very famous painting, & I was curious to learn more about Seurat's technique.

Key Concepts 

• Pointillism.
• 70 square feet, 2 meters by 3 meters.
• Took 2 yrs. to complete.
• At 1 stage, entire thing was repainted.
• The closer one looks, that more mysterious it becomes.
• Things, space, proportions of people, don't make sense.
• Has inspired endless caricatures.
• Contains 48 people, 8 boats, 3 dogs, & 1 monkey.
• Open-ended, multiple interpretations of mysterious content.
• Seurat: 24 when started painting, loner, secretive,Classical training, focus on drawing, extraordinary technique unique to him at this time.
• Went to La Grande Jette everyday for 6 months, painted several pictures, multiple different "characters" before final piece.
• Jette ~ (French) A shallow bowl or basin.  Island was a place for environments/classes to mix, to relax or hang out. Area well known, for prostitution.
• Light = always active, dynamic element in what & how we see things.
• Incomplete blending of colors creates texture, animated grain.
• Possibly part of a pair - Bathers painting by Seurat done in same area as La Grande Jette, shows same ferry boat, same size. Contrast of classes: Bathers = lower class. La Grande Jette = middle/upper class.

The video relates to the readings in the text because it talked about the Classical period & influence it had of Seurat & his training, as well as the technique of pointillism.
This video adds depth & understanding to the readings because it really shows how huge this picture actually is in the art world.  It was bought for $20,000, & then $400,000 was offered to get  it back.  The 1st & last time it was ever lent out, to the Museum of Modern Art it was valued as being worth over a million dollars, & there was a fire at the Museum it was lent to. (Hence it being the LAST time it was ever lent out!) I found it extraordinary there is so much hub-bub over this painting that there is actually a topiary replica in Ohio.