installation art

A. What is installation art?

Instillation art is art in which a space is presented as a work of art that can be entered, explored, experienced. & reflected upon.

B. What materials are used installation art?

Any materials can be used in installation art.  It can be anything from a picture, to a video, to something the artist created.

C. Why make installation art? 

The purpose of installation art is to create controversy & challenge people's perception of what is considered art, & to grab that audience's attention & make them part of the artwork.

D. Which artist/installation did I find most interesting?

I really likes Jem Finer's "Longflare," which was shown in the video.  It is located in the Millennium Dome in Trinity Boy Warf, inside a lighthouse. It is a piece of ever evolving music which will play constantly until the next millennium, and is shows the true essence of time over a thousand years.  The location was specifically chosen, & a lot of thought went into what kind of music that was to be played here.  Its purpose is to bring people's imagination into play, & each person gets something different out of it.  I loved this concept.  I found it to be a really interesting concept.

A. From the material reviewed, is there a inspiration piece that I feel a connection with?

I really enjoyed Christo & Jeanne-Claude's "The Gates," which was depicted in the textbook. They set up 7,503 saffron-colored rectangular gateways along 23 miles of footpaths in a park.  It only remained in place for 16 days, but it attracted 4 million visitors from all over the world.  I found it inspirational.  The entire thing.  The way they described the unfurling of the flags, the color, the fact it drew so many people from all over the world.

B. What theme do I want to explore in my installation? 

In my installation I'm going to explore The Human Experience.

C. What materials will I use?

I will use items from my home.  Things that are important to me at this point in my life. 

D. Where will this installation be located and why?

It will be located in my house because it is partially already a permanent installation piece in my home already, with just a few changes.

  

My installation is called "Work in Progress."  I used my art materials as actual art.  I did this because I have been painting a lot more often recently, & found the creation of this piece to represent me & my feelings.  I feel that I am an unfinished "work in progress," & am still trying to figure out a lot of things in my life.  Like this painting I started, I have some idea of what my outcome in life will be, but that knowledge is never certain.  There is also a couple of blank canvas's in the top right of the 1st picture, which represent my belief that every day is like a blank canvas, like a chance to start over & start new.

video review

Through the eyes of the Sculptor

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

• Limestone~ sedimentary rock formed at the bottom of oceans/seas.
• Easiest to cut with chainsaw.
• Restoration mainly on small parts of sculpture (feet, hands, etc.), very rarely is entire piece replaced.
• Mold of old stone faces on bridge restoration to make new blocks.
• Restoration is good training for young carvers/sculptors.
• Sculptors can work with a variety of mediums including clay, bronze, limestone, & marble.
• Bridges~ attachments that keep sculpture stable to avoid breakage during shipping/transportation.  reinforces uncarved marble pieces where ever marble hangs in the air, removed after instillation, then carving is finished.
• Sculptors will have many different sculptures in different stages to keep ideas fresh.
• May do in several mediums such as clay, plaster, & then marble for the finished product.  

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

The textbook's definition of carving was right on point with the description from the movie; sculptor begins with a block of material & cuts, chips, & gouges away until the form of the sculpture emerges.

3. What is your opinion of the films? How do they add depth to understanding of the topics?

The film showed the process involved with sculpting step by step, giving me information I had previously not known.  I found the process of harvesting the marble historically & today interesting.

Glass & Ceramics

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

• The applications of glass are limitless.
• Made from sand.
• Not a true solid; is a vicious liquid which solidifies when cooled.
• Mixture is 60-75% sand, rest is made up of fluxes like soda, potash, limestone, or oyster shells, to improve fusion.
• In the creation of stained glass, the oldest & most commonly used technique is the lead technique.
• Old stained glass told stories or taught lessons through pictures.
• Ceramics is one of the oldest art forms.
• Clay is the most often used base & is usually crystalline rock.
•  Crystalline structure gives it it's strength.

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

After watching the processes in the video I agree with the book that glass blowing is the most fascinating material.  The steps in the processes in the video definitely went in tandem with the book's description.

3. What is your opinion of the films? How do they add depth to understanding of the topics?

The glass blowing process is familiar to me because I have friends that do it, but it's always so amazing to see.  I also liked seeing the different items made from each different process of glass blowing.  I have always loved stained glass, so seeing the process was really cool, & very in depth.  The technique used for the mas production of dinner plates was kind neat to see too.

  Installation Art

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

• Definition of installation art: artwork that defines/takes over a space.
• 3 dimensional artworks with things in or around them that force interaction with the artwork.
• Site-Specific Art: works on a grand scale.
• When artists use video as installation art they demand precision in how it is presented.
• Performance art grabs the audience's attention 7 makes them part of the artwork.
• Some installation art can take weeks to build.
• Its purpose is to challenge people's perception of what actually constitutes art & to create controversy.    

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

The book related to the video on installation art because it stated another purpose of it; to create art without making an object that can be sold or owned.  I liked this description.

3. What is your opinion of the films? How do they add depth to understanding of the topics?

I found the video interesting.  It showed that art can be defined in many different terms, & that it is the role of the artist to be a communicator of different roles & ideas.

Blog Reviews

1. Hyperlink the Blogs you reviewed into your Blog

http://brittanydouglas2.blogspot.com

http://Graz01.blogspot.com

2. When looking at Project #1: (Elements and Principles), did you agree with the element or principle the artist listed with the images? Did you see other elements and principles in the images?

I enjoyed seeing other student's take on the elements & principles.  It was interesting to see what they used & what was going through their minds when making their slideshows.  I agreed with their representations of each element & principle, as well as seeing other people's creativity.

3. When looking at Project #2: Where there any images in the Peer Blogs the same as your own? If yes, what were they? Where the reasons the image was selected the same or different as your own?

In Brittney's blog I found that she was also interested in learning more about one of the same pictures I had an interest in learning more about.  It was Untitled (Rage) by Glenn Lingon.  She also found it interesting that the entire thing was actually words, & was able to decipher the 1st line, which I wasn't able to do. 

4. Where there any images that your Peers selected that pique your interest now? If yes, what are they and what is your connection with them? What would you want to know about them?

In Graziella's blog she used a small sculpture that I had seen during my visit to the Albright-Knox.  It was by Ken Price, & was called "Sea of Sin."  The title really does catch my attention, as it did Graziella's & has me wondering what was going through the artist's mind while naming it. 

5. What do you think about  the process of reading your peers reflection? Do you find this to be a valuable in your learning?

It was pretty cool to read other student's blogs & see their slideshows.  It gave me an alternate perspective on the projects we have done thus far, & gave me the opportunity to see other works of art the may not have grabbed my attention at the time, but did interest others.  It shows that in order to come to the same conclusion, people may take totally different routes.  That's what makes us each so unique as a species. 

6. Check your Blog and read comments posted by your Peers. Do you find their comments helpful?

So far I have no comments, but will edit this posting if & when I do get them.  I'm sure they will be helpful & insightful.

Edit: Yes the comments were helpful.  It made me happy to get someone else's point of view on something I worked so hard on, & to hear their thoughts on my work.

My visit to Albright-Knox

I went to Albright-Knox Art Gallery for this assignment.  I found so many art works I absolutely loved & took about a million pictures, but chose the following to answer the questions.

A.) One art work that made an impact & impression on me was this one by Sonja Braas.



It is titled "The Quiet of Dissolution: FireStorm."  (2008)  I think it made an impact on me due to all the controversy surrounding the end of the Mayan calendar & all the crazy stuff that's supposed to happen in a few months.  This particular piece is a photograph of the city of Los Angeles, with a strategically lit maquette in the background.

The next artwork that made an impact & impression on me was this one, "Maquette" by Sol Le Witt. (2005-2006)



It's the one we learned about from a video from a past assignment, & it was SO neat to see it in person!  It is titled "Wall Drawing #1268: Staricase."  The entire thing was done with graphite pencils, & you really can't appreciate the magnitude of it til you actually see it up close.  It really is impressive, in size as well technique.

B.)  The artworks that I felt a connection with are this one by Kai Althoff.  It is untitled. (2008)



I really connected to this metal birdcage, with the lion in it, because I am very interested in astrology, & I happen to be a Leo.  I really loved this particular piece.

I also connected with this piece by Lawrence Weiner. (1969)



I just thought it was such a powerful statement, & lately I've been feeling a little "marred" myself, so I was able to relate to this one.

C.)  One artist I would like to learn a little more about is Glenn Ligon.  I posted 2 shots of his untitled artwork to shot the entire piece, & then a close up to show the detail. (2002)

     

There is actually text in this painting from Baldwin's "Stranger in the Village," which was an essay written in 1953.  I couldn't make out what it said, so my curiosity being what it is, I plan on looking in to the essay & finding out a little more about the inspiration for this painting.

Another artist I would like to know more about is Jason Middlebrook, & his work titled "Maggots on a Steak." (2008)

I have no idea why this beautiful painting is titled "Maggots on a Steak," but trust me, it's enough to make me want to find out more about this artist.  The cool thing about this piece is that the top half is acrylic paint, & the bottom is ink & pencil.  I really liked the use of multiple materials.

I had a blast at the gallery. Havn't been there since I was in grammer school & it was such a good way to spend a Satruday afternoon with one of my friends.

Click to add title

Creating My Logo

Questions 1 & 2:
I liked this project.  At first I was at a complete loss as to what to use, & how to design it. But the more I thought about it, I developed a picture in my mind of how I wanted it to be.  I am by nature a peaceful person, so I used a peace sign, & did it in my favorite color, purple.  I incorporated the letter 'M' in to the center of the peace sign to represent my name, & did that in a darker shade of purple so it would stand out.  Then in each separate section of it I drew things that represent different parts of me.  The stained glass section represents the various, diverse categories of my life, such as; being a mom, a daughter, sister, sister-in-law, aunt, cousin, niece, friend, student, & so on.  I tried to represent my eclectic personality through the multicolored, uniquely different parts of the stained glass.  Moving clock-wise around the peace sign, there's a picture of grass, sunflowers (my favorite), a blue sky, & birds. This represents my love of nature & the outdoors.  The next section has music notes, which represents my love of music. & the last section is my sad, heart-shaped crying cloud.  I'm still getting over the recent loss of a loved one, & the recent end of my engagement.  The stars represent the many nights I've spent awake contemplating life, & trying to heal.  I used colored pencils for the whole design, except for the stars.  They were a last minute addition, & yellow colored pencil wouldn't come through over the dark blue pencil, so I added them in with yellow paint at the end.
Question #3:
The most important information I learned from this project is that getting started is the hardest part.  I had a general idea of what I wanted to incorporate in to the design, but no idea how to get started.  But I found that once I sat down & started getting my ideas down on paper, it just flowed after that.
Question #4:
The PowerPoint gave me insight into my drawings & their deeper meaning.  I already had my ideas in my head, but reading about the representation of them, & seeing how accurate some of it really was, was interesting.  The video on graphic design showed me that it is important to have a logo that can work on all formats, like plastic, ceramic mugs, etc.  It also showed me the importance of using a strong design to capture the essence of what the logo is representing.  I also found it interesting that most of the large design companies for logos still start off the process of designing something with just a pen & paper.  

Value Scale & Subtractive Color Theory Color Wheel

I really enjoyed the process of creating the color wheel & the value scale.  This class is a lot of somewhat time consuming work, but I'm finding myself enjoying the projects immensely.  They give me the opportunity to do things that I normally don't have time to try.  I got some really cool art supplies this week, & know that I will continue to experiment with them even after I have completed this course.  I found the process of creating the color wheel a bit more fun than the value scale, due to the medium of using paints.   It was fun to mix the paints to create new colors on my little paint pallet.  The value scale was interesting though, too.  I used charcoal pencils for this process.  The most important personal discovery in the creation of these studies was that I love doing this.  The most important over-all discovery that it is somewhat difficult to make a value scale.  I found the slight differences in the shades sort of difficult to put on to paper.  One important thing I learned from the video on value scales was to use a piece of paper to cover each block when it was completed, but since I used charcoal pencils instead of graphite as was used in the video, it didn't work as well & was still somewhat smudgy.  The most important thing I learned from the color wheel video is that we were all taught the wrong primary colors when we were young.  I found both the videos interesting & used the techniques they showed in the creation of my projects.

Blog on videos about color

Questions and Topics for Your Blog Posting:

1. Describe Color and it's effects on emotions. Use the appropriate vocabulary of color in your posting.

None of the visual elements of art give us as much pleasure as color.  Color theory, properties, & harmonies, as well as light & pigment, are all factors in art.  Color has also been liked to affects on a wide range of psychological & physiological responses in people.    

2. What is a theoretical aspect of color that most intrigues/fascinates you? Why?

 Red is often used in restaurants because it has been shown in tests to increase appetite, therefore stimulating customers to eat more.  But in Van Gogh's painting of a cafe interior, he used the combination of red & green, which we often associate with Christmas, as a representation of going mad.  He thought the clash of colors was unnatural, & invoked terrible feelings.  Blue can be said to have a calming effect because it is a "cool" color.  But blue can also be linked to sadness, royalty, or have religious connotations.  So each color evokes a different response based on each person's individual responses to that color or associations with the color.  I find this interesting because 1 person may find the color red, for example, terror-inducing due to some past experience with the color involved, whereas another person can look at the same thing, & see beauty. 

3. In the Color video, what made the biggest impact on you in regards to color and it's effects on emotions?

The Color video didn't really have any 1 thing in regards to color & its effects on emotions that really stood out to me.  I did find it interesting that the Scottish painter, June Redform was very unhappy with the 1st painting she did at her home.  She said something like "I hate the colors." & complained about how the blue stood out in her eyes so strongly.  I kind of liked the 1st painting, & thought the blue looked good.  I also liked the historical explanation of the making of the pigments for paints.  Burnt sienna & raw umber were made literally from the local earth, & were extremely cheap to make, whereas Carmine red was imported from Turkey & made of crushed beetles, & ultra marine was the most expensive & made in Afghanistan. 

4. In the Feelings video, what made the biggest impact on you in regards to color and it's effects on emotions? 

In the Feelings video the part that most interested me was how historically most art was about religion & royalty.  These 2 topics depicted all emotions; from happy, to sad; from emotional anguish to physical pain. But as time progressed through the Enlightenment era, not only was color used to show & cause emotions in artistic expression, but new techniques of darkness, space, light, or stance were used to heighten these emotions even more so.  This time period also marked when art stopped being just about religion & royalty, & became about everyday humanity as well.  It was beginning to be shown that not only does religion & royalty have emotions that were "art-worthy," but everyday regular people did as well.