Quiz Make Up

The first thing that I found very interesting was when El Anatsui said, “I do not provide installation instructions for my works of art as a matter of principle.” This seems to say a lot about the flexibility of his mind as the way he envisioned the piece put together may be completely different from the way it is constructed as his client’s site. The ceramic arts of work seemed to have a deep meaning for him as they were all done at a time when Ghana's economy “was at its lowest point” as El Anatsui described it. The fact that these destructive pieces give rise to hope and new possibilities seems paradoxical, but at the same time a unique perspective to the suffering of the people of Ghana.

Probably, one of the most powerful pieces I have seen on this website is El Anatsui’s bottle cap artwork. At a first glance the piece looks very colorful and appealing to the eye. However, as he starts to describe the significance of the bottle caps and that they are from liquor bottles and how liquor relates to Africa, the piece really comes alive. Essentially, the Europeans brought liquor to Africa and traded it for slaves where the slaves were then transported to the Americas to harvest more sugar cane and produce more liquor. After, that realization and looking at the tiny metal hooks that linked all of the bottle caps together it was easy to see how small links between people and objects could have a significant effect on history. The one piece I didn’t find that interesting by itself was the one which represented the river made of ceramic bricks, but as a metaphor for the constant change and for El’s work it seemed very appropriate. 

Quiz Make Up

The episode “Change” was very representative of the artist Catherine Opie and her work. Catherine as an artist seemed to have gone through her own transformation of what she thought was important to represent in her photographs. She described herself as a street photographer in the beginning of her career which transformed to more aesthetic landscapes in the mid to late part of her career. Now, it seems that she is returning back to her street artist roots and trying to connect more with the community and other people.

The first set of photographs of different people with tattoos and strange clothing was very interesting because seemed to record the non-mainstream population representing themselves to the world. However, I enjoyed the photographs she was commissioned for by the hospital because it seemed to represent the passage of time and different states of the same location. For example, she took a series of photographs at Lake Erie at different times of the day and under different lighting conditions such as sunrises and sunsets. It seemed appropriate for a hospital setting to show the changing states on a lake as if it represents the natural cycle of life. The one thing I didn’t like about her work was how she was upset that the birds were flying in her photograph. I understand she was trying to make a consistent image, but it seemed unnatural for an artist photographing a landscape to react this way. Finally, I also liked how she was taking pictures of local shopkeepers in her neighborhood which again seems like her attempt to create a historical record of our time.

Cultural Values, Beliefs, Fashion and Interior Designer reflected through Art

The underlying theme connecting all the works of art I chose is that they all represent the values of the culture from which the artist came. In other words, all of the works of art observed have a strong connection to the culture which created them. All of these works of art were not before or ahead of their time, but of their time. Looking at the art from different time periods is a small snapshot into the psyche of the culture that created it and what this culture valued.

 

The first artwork by John Henry Butler, “Sofa” seems to reflect our own time and values through the industrial revolution of high quality products. Art was no longer art in the traditional sense because some art became products and products became art. I think before the industrial revolution most art was created for the sake of the art itself as will be illustrated with the other two artworks chosen. John Henry Butler was probably originally just trying to create a high quality product and because of his detailed craftsmanship our culture has turned his creation into a work of art.
 

The second artwork chosen, “Marble Capital and Finial in the form of a sphinx”, has much more spiritual and even religious significance than “Sofa”. First, of all this artwork was estimated to be created around 530 B.C. which was a time when mankind explained many different natural phenomenon through the gods. I think this work of art simply reflects a long and rich mythological culture which is even very beautiful.
 

The last artwork, “Mask Dagak”, created by the Kanak peoples relates strongly to the “Marble Capital and Finial in the form of a sphinx” artwork because they both hold religious and spiritual significance. The “Mask Dagak” wood sculpture is very interesting because it was created around the same time as the “Sofa” artwork, but reflects more of the mythological ideas of the the “Marble Capital and Finial in the form of a sphinx”. This is probably due to the fact that the Kanak peoples were very isolated from the rest of the Western world and were still very tribal and in touch with nature and their historical values passed on through the generations.

John Henry Belter

“Sofa”
1850-60
American Decorative Arts

Greek Attica

“Marble Capital and Finial in the form of a sphinx”
Ca. 530 BC
Greek and Roman Art

Kanak peoples
“Mask Dagak”
Mid to late 19^th century
Arts of Africa, Oceania and the Americas

Ptolemaic Dynasty (Egyptian people)
"God's Wife Tagerem"
300-250 B.C.
Egyptian Art

Duncan Phyfe
"Work Table"
1810-20
American Wing

Severin Roesen
"Still Life: Fruit"
1855
American Paintings and Sculpture

Louis Comfort Tiffany
"Necklace with Pendant"
1910
American Decorative Arts

Frederick Wellington Ruckstull
"Evening"
1887
American Paintings and Sculpture

Janet Scudder
"Frog Fountain"
1901
American Paintings and Sculpture

Roman
"Marble Head from a Herm"
1st to 2nd century A.D.
Greek and Roman Art

Greek
"Marble Statue of a Woman"
Late 4th Century B.C.
Greek and Roman Art

Roman
"Marble statue of the so-called Apollo Lykeios"
131-160 A.D.
Greek and Roman Art

Roman
"Marble sarcophagus lid with reclining couple"
ca 220 A.D.
Greek and Roman Art

Greek (Hellenistic)
"Gold strap necklace with seedlike pendants"
ca. 330–300 B.C.
Greek and Roman Art

Greek
"Fragment of a Gold Wreath"
ca. 320–300 B.C.
Greek and Roman Art

Quiz Make Up

I watched the Balance video from the Art21 website and really enjoyed Rackstraw Downes art work because he made a very honest effort to depict his paintings as close to the reality he saw as possible.  Rackstraw seemed to be attracted to certain locations for different reasons which he doesn’t always explicitly say, but after he chooses a location the original reason why he chose it fades away and depicting the site he chose as accurately as possible becomes his main motivation.  I liked most of his paintings, but the only one which I didn’t like was the painting he made of the power plant.  Most people might think that he chose the power plant location for political or social reasons which may be true to an extent, but he really just liked the unique location for his painting.  I just think that the power plant location has some many other ramifications as a painting and he is missing the major political and social undertones.  However, he is an extremely talented artist because looking at his paintings almost transports you to that location at that specific moment or moments.  While some might say that one can do the same thing that he is doing with a high resolution digital camera and taking a photograph they could be missing something that the photograph can’t capture.  Ultimately, in art the medium or what the message is conveyed through makes a difference and paintings of the real world have a very unique texture and personality.

Chelsea Galleries Reaction

I find Rachel Harrison’s work to be very abstract and lacking any real substance.  Of all of her pieces I looked at I couldn’t understand what the underlying theme could have been or maybe it doesn’t exist at all.  In terms of abstract art, I prefer works of art which represent something more significant and more important than just the art itself.  However, I do appreciate art which represents something beautiful, but abstract art should represent something more because I usually don’t find it to be beautiful.  I don’t think her art work such as “The Help” is a good investment because I don’t see how this artist will become so popular to the extent to increase this artwork’s value in the future.  Again, I would not want to display the artist’s artwork at all.

I really did like Ernesto Neto’s work because I found it very unique and beautiful.  I suppose I still would consider it as a form abstract art, but it makes me think of a whole new magical and imaginary world.  I think some of his large pieces such as “The Island Bird” put me in an almost daydreaming like state because of the material used to construct them and their unique texture.  I think his artwork would be a good investment because of their intricacy and beauty, but I do have one concern.  The only concern that I would have before investing in Ernesto’s work is: how easily can his artwork be maintained and is there any risk of it falling apart because of the delicate material which it is made of?   I would like to display “The Island Bird” artwork as long there were not any significant risks to it being damaged where it was displayed.

Rachel Harrison

"The Help"
2012

Rachel Harrison
"Lazy Hardware"
2012

Ernesto Neto

"The Island Bird"
2012

Ernesto Neto

"Sorry, I Don’t Know Exacly Where to Go"
2012

Sculpture Center Reaction

             The history of the Sculpture center is unique and the fact that it used to be a trolley repair shop has implications to the artwork housed there as well.  Trolley cars are an obsolete technology so the fact that this site was chosen as a platform to display art could have a deeper significance depending on the art work displayed.  The art work of Bill Bollinger seemed to be chosen as a centerpiece of the center because his art was a good fit for the space. 

Bill Bollinger used industrial materials to express his messages which all have one strong theme in common.  The common theme is that we as a society create these materials to help achieve specific goals and meet certain ends, but what if our creations transform into something beyond what we originally intended and beyond our control.  This seems to be the message of the “Cyclone Fence” because what if what we create transforms itself into a destructive force such as a cyclone and has a power and life of its own.  An example of the “Cyclone Fence” in our world today might be global warming.  Our globalized economy is basically driven by fossil fuels, but there is a large ecological cost to pay to keep this possibly shortsighted model running.  

                The “Waterpipe” art work seems to hint a something more organic such as an imitation of life through industrial materials.  The piece makes me think of a ribcage which is something human, organic and alive.  Maybe Bill could have another general message that the networks we build through water pipes or other industrial materials mimic biology to a certain degree.  While this is definitely true with computers, circuit boards and the internet that there is a certain bio-mimicry happening, Bill could be pointing to a more primitive or non-electrical form of this idea.

                Bill Bollinger’s work fits perfectly into the Sculpture center space because there is an industrial tone to it which his art work is able to turn upside in a way.  If, the art work was housed in MoMA it would not have such a powerful effect because he is essentially attempting to undermine the Industrial age.  In other words, he seems to want to say something like, “Hey are there any negatives here?”  He needs the viewers of the art work to be in a malleable mind state by luring them into this industrial setting and then presenting them with a new perspective of this object they are familiar with, but which he makes unfamiliar. 

Bill Bollinger

“Untitled”

1970

Bill Bollinger

“Waterpipe”

1970

Bill Bollinger

“Cyclone Fence”

1970

Quiz Make Up

Iñigo Manglano-Ovalle is a very interesting artist because he thinks of art as occurring in the mind of the consumer of the art.  He is less interested with the object and more concerned with creating a platform or dialogue between himself as his audience to debate the issues his art represents.  He seems to have a strong connection with the current state of our Western culture and its reliance on technology. For example, he has one piece which is a Kevlar umbrella which he developed with the help of designers of military aircrafts.  He speaks about an umbrella having ‘complex curves, parabolic equations and being very much like a flower’ which is my favorite line of the video.

What I like about this artist is that he understands what his message is and communicates it subtly through his work.  He doesn’t explicitly say what his position is, but it is there for the viewer to discover.  Many other artists on this site have only a vague idea of what their art represents and they create their art more organically and with less thought.  While this may be the whole point of their art I feel it is inferior to works of art which are well thought out and has specific messages to be discovered.

He also collaborates with other specialists and artists to create broader artistic horizons which he could not reach by himself.  Another example would be Random Sky which is a computer simulated representation of weather patterns.  The art work seems to convey that some things in our world, no matter how much we try, are out of our power to control.

Design in Our Lives

                Functional objects can be defined as anything that can be used one-time or repetitively to achieve some goal.  Non-functional objects cannot be used physically in the traditional sense, but can fulfill other types of needs besides utility.  Sculptures are perfect examples of low functional objects because they cannot be used for anything, but they might serve another human need of seeking atheistic objects in a hostile and uncertain world.

                The two functional objects I chose can be used repeatedly and both would be found in someone’s home were the “Tuttuno” and “Floor Tiles”.  The “Tuttuno” was essentially a piece of furniture which had a bed, shelves, storage space and an elevated area to socialize.  This piece was highly functional in the sense that it tried to accomplish many needs in one place by limiting the space actually used.  In cities like Tokyo and New York City where the apartments can be very small this type of unit would be very attractive.  IKEA can be viewed as the ergonomic furniture company because it also has similar types of furniture pieces by creating maximum utility in minimum space.

                The other functional exhibit I chose, “Floor Tiles”, has some very simple household or outdoor uses.  For example, people may install floor tiles in their home because it is more hygienic and easier to clean than other alternatives such as carpeting.  However, wood and tile floors are very similar and someone might choose tiles for a low functional reason because they think it looks better.

                The low functional exhibits I chose were “Stars and Doves” and “Welding Helmet”.  “Stars and Doves” is a sculpture and always should be considered low functional in normal circumstances because it can perform no real action.  However, under extreme conditions such as a robbery in your home maybe that same low functional sculpture can turn into a high functional object at that specific moment in time, if you use it has a weapon to protect yourself.   The “Welding Helmet” is only useful for a specific task which is welding metal, but it has no real use outside of this activity under normal circumstances.

                In conclusion, whether an object has a low or high functionality depends on how integrated it can become in our daily lives to help us achieve certain goals and / or needs.  However, low functionality does not mean any functionality because there could always be extreme conditions which could make the lowest functioning object highly functional.  Finally, some works of art themselves can be highly functional in our minds psychologically because it can help us heal emotionally and spiritually, but perform no real function in the physical world.

Carol Bimbi, Gianni Ferrara & Nilo Giocchini

“Tuttuno”

Plywood covered with plastic laminate

1971

Antoni Gaudi

“Floor Tiles”

Ceramic

1971

Antoni Gaudi

“Stars and Doves”

Plaster

1926

Eugene Walters

“Welding Helmet”

Fiberglass and plastic

1980

Illustrate a Story

     A.P. Tureaud Jr.'s story was very inspiring because he was the first African American student in Louisiana State University in 1953 which was before the Civil Rights movement started.  A.P. was very excited to start his university studies, but when he actually arrived there he realized that he was not welcome by both the students and the faculty.  He was the victim of racial prejudice which took on many forms of humiliation and harassment.  For example, the other students laughed at him in the bathroom when he was taking a shower and made loud noises at night so he wouldn't be able to sleep. Some of the Professors ignored him in class and others went so far as to refer to him as a "nigger".  A.P. made a 'friend' with a tiger because all the people in the University rejected or judged him based on the color of his skin.  A.P. felt that this tiger didn't deserve to be in prison, but in some ways they were very similar.
     The pivotal point in the story was one A.P. met a local African American truck driver.  The truck driver asked A.P. what his name is and when A.P. responded with his name the man was very pleased.  The truck driver told A.P. that he has to meet someone which was the truck driver's son.  The truck driver wanted his son to know that it was true that an African American was actually attending the University.  After, the truck driver's son saw that an African American was in the University, A.P.'s life took on a whole new meaning and significance.  It was not only about his own suffering anymore, but it was about being a role model for African Americans in the community and showing them that it is possible to attend and graduate the University.  This is what my picture tries to illustrate which the triumph and pain of a young African American male joining a community where he was not welcome, but representing a community that he depended on his success as a model for their own chance at achievement.

Art:21 Power Reaction

          Cai-Guo Qiang’s car bomb exhibit relates to the idea of power in many different ways.  In his exhibit, he showed a sequence of cars starting on the ground then flipping through the air and then ending back on the ground without any damage.  The car bomb exhibit was inspired by the attempted car bomb in Times Square, New York City.  The work seems to express that in our post 9/11 world the fear of acts of terrorism have a strong power over our daily lives.  This fear has changed our airports, government agencies and even the people of the United States and other countries, which suffered from acts of terrorism.  His sunken ship exhibit was very interesting as he showed the power and beauty that destructive acts could have on an object.   The ship was not destroyed, but transformed into another state that was still beautiful and natural.  

       My favorite part was the end of the series when the two police officers were talking and one officer said to another, “If, you could hold on to your best moments in life as long as you wanted then let them go that would make all the difference”.  I think the point was that time keeps pulling us forward whether we like it or not and this is something which we have no power to control or change.

Listen | StoryCorps | Page 5

Listen | StoryCorps | Page 5

“MoMA PS1: The Good, the Bad, and the Misunderstood”

“Family Portrait” 

”Golden Ghost (The Future Belongs to Ghost)” 

        When I went to the MoMa PS1 museum with my professor and classmates, it was a nice experience. The museum itself is a very lively place and we can discover different and surprising artwork there.

         The artwork that was, in my point of view, a good work of art was “Family Portrait” (2006), by Henry Taylor. He painted his large family in a portrait and that showed me a lot about himself, like his social and emotional beliefs.  Family is a very important part of my life, when he choose to paint his own family I felt more of a connection with this artist. The child in the center of the painting showed me the importance of children in Henry's life, and at the same time this child could have been him.

         The artwork that I thought was bad was “Xenosphere”, by Lourraine O’Grady.  It is the type of art that depressed me.  However, I believe that other people can appreciate this type of art work. The art work was displayed on the three TVs and the movements portrayed that the artist was having a sexual relation with a chicken(animal), one woman and with vegetables and fruits. When I saw that, I felt like the woman was an object in the man's hands. I did not like how this art work produced these feelings in myself.

        

         The artwork I could not understand very well and why the artist put something there on the floor was ”Golden Ghost (The Future Belongs to Ghost)”  by Surasi Kusolwong. The artwork from Kusolwong produced the feeling that she made a nice and comfortable place for the kids and adults to have fun. This work of art had a lot of puffy things with color on the floor and it was a little confusing to me what it meant, but it was fun to look at people enjoy walking on the top of it. 

        In conclusion, my visit to the museum helped me find three different types of artwork I liked, I did not like and the one I did not fully understand.The artwork that I considered to be good, was the artist that created an artwork to show the connection with his family which I can appreciate. The artwork I misunderstood, but it was still interesting to look at and enjoy was the one with people walking on the puffs of colored things. The artwork I did not like and really made me feel like women were objects and I couldn't understood the sexual relationships between him and animals and fruits.

“Narrative Digital Collage”

“Art and Identity: The Museum of Modern Art”

"Figurengruppe"

"Frozen Assets"

"Nature-City"

             When I went to MoMa it was a good experience for me. I had been there two months ago, but I feel that every time we visit MoMa, we always discover many new and amazing works of art.

       The first artwork that made an impression on me was in the Sculpture Garden installation, “Figurengruppe/Group of Figures,” by Katharina Fritsch, which seems to be a cultural mix of art works and styles.  It was of nine sculptures that represent the human religions and the mythology.  The size and the color choose by Fritsch, gave me a strong feeling of reality that these sculptures were almost alive.

  

         The second artwork that I choose was “Frozen Assets” (1931-1932), by Diego Rivera. He showed us a historical moment in New York, the Great Depression in this painting. It is a clear, realistic and dramatic art, which tells us without words, all the social, economic and political problems in New York at this historical moment. 

       The need for humans to have a better life in the future was showed in the third artwork that I choose “Nature-City” by the team leaders, Amale Andraos and Danwoodi Workac .  There have been many architectural exhibits at MoMa, which I really enjoy because of my engineering major.  When I entered the exhibit room, I felt as if I entered into the room of ideas. So many ideas were all around me like how to make more designs that are efficient, how to construct designs with lower environmental imprints and how to use water in the architecture process. These ideas will probably become more mainstream as resources continue to decline and the population continues to grow exponentially.  Creating more of a balance between humanity and nature is very beautiful, but at the same time, it may be necessary for survival in the future.

     In conclusion, I enjoyed many different art exhibits at MoMa, but the architectural pieces made a lasting impression on me.  I think because I have developed a strong passion for math and engineering and see the process of building things as an art in itself.

Brazilian Carnival!!!

Bad Art

This work from Chris Burden doesn't stimulate my imagination when I look at it.  It reminds me of one day I put potato chips on a napkin which is a very ordinary thought.  However, because art is very subjective it could have deep meaning to the artist and other people observing it..

Good Art

This picture shows a cupcake that my mother gave to me in Brazil which have some Christmas designs and a small flag.  The time spent, design, flavor and effort put into baking this cupcake to be so beautiful is art for me.  Therefore, good art can come in many forms such as a cupcake or the churches of medieval Europe.  In other words, "beauty is in the eye of the beholder".

The fascinating world of Art..

Hello everyone,

When I knew that one of my core classes was Introduction to Art, I was surprised because my major is Civil Engineering.  Imagine a lot of math, physics and chemistry...  However, with only a few classes I learned a lot through the Professor's videos and my trip to MoMa.  Setting up my blog account was a great learning experience also...

The beauty in the body movement...Capoeira, Brazilian Art!!