mandab97-blog

[mandab97-blog]

Hi! I remember using pixlr all the time, with a mouse-pad and nothing else. I honestly don’t know how I survived and created anything good (in my eyes) before I bought my drawing tablet! I also thought it was Tabaimos work was interesting because we got to see things from a different culture, though I also would have been confused had the work not been explained. Tacita Dean film work i really amazing to me! 

Week 15

Your reflections on the reading

Digital art is a very difficult type of art to master. I have dabbled with digital art in school, mainly with photoshop and it was difficult to navigate if the user does not know how to use the program. I remember when I was a kid I would go on the painting app on the computer and doodle. It is amazing how much digital art has advanced since the mediocre painting apps. It is incredible how many colors are available to choose from. Honestly, where can I get ahold of all these colors. There are so many types of digital art, such as virtual reality and 3D. I am not a very artistic person, I love photography but with the subjects that I prefer it is more of a snap a picture and hope for the best situation.

Your reflections on the videos/media

It is always fun looking at how people live in different parts of the world. I love looking at different cultures and furthering my understanding of the world so it was really interesting hearing her reasoning behind her art. That being said, I do not think I would have understood the art very well if she had not been talking throughout the video. I love how her art is so large and all-encompassing. The work overruns the room and brings all the attention to it. I am honestly not sure if the walls are curved or if Tabaimo is really just that phenomenal with digital art. It was interesting looking at the restroom clip and looking at the differences between the public restrooms that we know and the ones portrayed in the video. While that did fascinate me, the subject of the clip and the abortion showcased sickened me. I am all for pro-choice, and it is interesting to see how problems that plague us also plague people across the world.  

Connections/comparisons you find between the two

There is the obvious connection of digital art. The curve of the walls gave a somewhat 3D feel with Tabaimo’s work. Tabaimo’s work was quite different from Dinosaurs from the reading because she does not incorporate actual footage into her artwork. Her art seems to go beyond what is typically done with digital art, she uses all the tools and resources available to her to create her artwork. It seems that people typically do not consider digital art to be art but it is obvious that Tabaimo works extremely hard on her artwork and that digital is a type of art.

Connections to another artist’s work from the “Relevant Artists” section of the course content

I chose Tacita Dean as my relevant artist for this week. Dean was born in the United Kingdom in 1965. She has published a few books throughout the years. Dean’s work is all her own. She primarily focuses on film but does dabble with other mediums. Her film work really manages to capture what can evade photography and other mediums. Dean really focuses on the meaning behind the film and how it affects the individuals seeing it.

[mandab97-blog]

I remember that tree situation lol! And yes that is mine ^-^

Week 16 - Closing

Your reflections     on the readings

The reading on Marina Abramovic was interesting this week! Simple layout with statements about an artist’s life and what it should and shouldn’t be. I like that some points repeated themselves to make an impact and emphasis its point. I think all the lists are important to keep in mind for artists and are sometimes easy to forget.

The Ten Rules for Students and Teachers article was also a good read. The rules may be confusing at first, or at least they were for me, but after some thought they make a lot of sense and are incredibly important. Some of these rules are really inspirational as well and I find myself wanted to frame it and hang it in my room! For example, I think Rule Six is my favorite and important to keep in mind; “Nothing is a mistake. There’s no win and no fail, there’s only make.”

Your overall     experience in the course—please get more specific than “I liked     it,” or “it changed how I look at art,“—tell me why.

When signing up for this class, I thought I would like it but at the same time I wasn’t sure what to expect. I was pleasantly surprised by how in depth the class is and by how many questions it raises that I had never thought about. I think many people, including me especially before this class, simply take art at face value and determine if they like it or not. I have learned the importance of understanding the background and the various meanings behind artwork.

How art has been     a part of your life prior to this class, and how you anticipate it will     play a part in the future. (I’m not just looking for feel-good responses     here; I’d love to know, honestly, how much or how little this     course will impact your future engagement with the art world).

In my elementary and middle school years I loved art, in fact, it’s one of the few classes I actually remember from that early in my life. I was always at my happiest in an art room, and that carried through to high school. I took almost all the art classes I could take, including digital camera, photoshop, drawing and design, drawing, clay, etc.

I think this class will always come back to me in the future. I have learned about so many new mediums and found that there is so much more to art than what I originally believed. Now when I see art, I try to imagine what the artist might have meant and I take a lot more time than I used to in order to understand the work fully. Even at the art museum I went to this semester, I found myself actually reading about the works and putting in more effort to understand it. I don’t think I would have done the same in the past. Since I am not planning on going into anything directly related to art, I am honestly not sure how much the course will continually affect me. However, I think I will find myself considering what I learned in relation to art that I see and make quite a bit.

 And though I don’t think I will be working in anything directly related to art, I do now that it will always be a big part of my life and that I will always come back to it. This class has shown me the many different ways to express myself and to not worry about if other people love or hate it on sight. 

[mandab97-blog]

It’s a good idea to get the “10 Rules for Students and Teachers” printed off and hung up in your work space! I have actually been working on a painting where I am going to add tons of quotes as a background so I am thinking maybe I will add Rule Six to that. This class has also been an eye opener for me and has also expanding my view on what art is and what it can be. Similar to you, before this class I had not realized just how important it is to keep an open mind while looking at art and to be ready to listen and accept the artists message. 

Hope you have a good rest of the semester and a good time in New York City! 

Week 16 - Final Post

Blog - Week 16

Can one really be in love with rules?  I am seriously going to copy/cut/paste the “10 Rules for Students and Teachers” by Sister Corita Kent and hang it in my “work” space in my house. Every single rule was like hitting the nail on the head.  I have to say that Rule Six (6) is my favorite, “Nothing is a mistake. There’s no win and no fail, there’s only make”.  I wish I would have known about these rules when my children were still at home, as this would have perfect for them to read every day before heading off to school, sporting events, and their jobs.  Think I will send them a copy as well.

Marina Abramovicc’s “An artist’s life Manifesto” was interesting to read.  We can all apply these lessons to our own lives, as we are all artists in one way or another.  There is a lot of truth within this manifesto, from keeping the friends that make you happy around to not telling lies to planning your own funeral. I know this is off the topic, but as a single parent, I have planned my funeral down to the last detail so that my children would not have to deal with anything but my death.

My overall experience in the class has been a real eye opener for me.   Having to post to blog each week was a great learning tool for me, as I enjoyed reading all the posts.  Having the opportunity to pick a relevant artist each week, instead of just assigning one, really helped to expand my knowledge of other artists out there that I probably would have never discovered.  Learning about all the mediums under each category was sometimes a bit overwhelming, but I am glad to have the chance to learn more, and you were there to guide us and give encouragement (otherwise known as feedback) along with way.

I once thought that art was all about paintings, sculptures, drawings and theater – now I have to add in performance art, photography, digital art, film making, sound art and visual art.  I have also learned that I need to keep an open mind when looking at all the various “pieces” of art that I come across.  We all need to keep our eyes open, ears ready to listen, and our minds ready to accept whatever message the artist is trying to convey.  

I can’t wait to take all this new knowledge of art with me when I take my next trip back to New York City and hit up a few museums or galleries to see what has transpired since my last visit.  I have added a few names to my list of authors I would like to see more of  like, Jeff Koons, Liza Lou, Swoon, Tara Donovan, and Spencer Finch will most diffidently come to mind when I visit the 9/11 Memorial Museum once again.

Thanks to all my classmates for a fun semester of learning. I enjoyed reading all your posts and re-posts of our assignments!

[mandab97-blog]

No need to thank me, I enjoyed reading what you and the others had to say as well! 

Week 16 - Closing

Your reflections     on the readings

The reading on Marina Abramovic was interesting this week! Simple layout with statements about an artist’s life and what it should and shouldn’t be. I like that some points repeated themselves to make an impact and emphasis its point. I think all the lists are important to keep in mind for artists and are sometimes easy to forget.

The Ten Rules for Students and Teachers article was also a good read. The rules may be confusing at first, or at least they were for me, but after some thought they make a lot of sense and are incredibly important. Some of these rules are really inspirational as well and I find myself wanted to frame it and hang it in my room! For example, I think Rule Six is my favorite and important to keep in mind; “Nothing is a mistake. There’s no win and no fail, there’s only make.”

Your overall     experience in the course—please get more specific than “I liked     it,” or “it changed how I look at art,“—tell me why.

When signing up for this class, I thought I would like it but at the same time I wasn’t sure what to expect. I was pleasantly surprised by how in depth the class is and by how many questions it raises that I had never thought about. I think many people, including me especially before this class, simply take art at face value and determine if they like it or not. I have learned the importance of understanding the background and the various meanings behind artwork.

How art has been     a part of your life prior to this class, and how you anticipate it will     play a part in the future. (I’m not just looking for feel-good responses     here; I’d love to know, honestly, how much or how little this     course will impact your future engagement with the art world).

In my elementary and middle school years I loved art, in fact, it’s one of the few classes I actually remember from that early in my life. I was always at my happiest in an art room, and that carried through to high school. I took almost all the art classes I could take, including digital camera, photoshop, drawing and design, drawing, clay, etc.

I think this class will always come back to me in the future. I have learned about so many new mediums and found that there is so much more to art than what I originally believed. Now when I see art, I try to imagine what the artist might have meant and I take a lot more time than I used to in order to understand the work fully. Even at the art museum I went to this semester, I found myself actually reading about the works and putting in more effort to understand it. I don’t think I would have done the same in the past. Since I am not planning on going into anything directly related to art, I am honestly not sure how much the course will continually affect me. However, I think I will find myself considering what I learned in relation to art that I see and make quite a bit.

 And though I don’t think I will be working in anything directly related to art, I do now that it will always be a big part of my life and that I will always come back to it. This class has shown me the many different ways to express myself and to not worry about if other people love or hate it on sight. 

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[mandab97-blog]

Week 16 - Closing

Your reflections     on the readings

The reading on Marina Abramovic was interesting this week! Simple layout with statements about an artist’s life and what it should and shouldn’t be. I like that some points repeated themselves to make an impact and emphasis its point. I think all the lists are important to keep in mind for artists and are sometimes easy to forget.

The Ten Rules for Students and Teachers article was also a good read. The rules may be confusing at first, or at least they were for me, but after some thought they make a lot of sense and are incredibly important. Some of these rules are really inspirational as well and I find myself wanted to frame it and hang it in my room! For example, I think Rule Six is my favorite and important to keep in mind; “Nothing is a mistake. There’s no win and no fail, there’s only make.”

Your overall     experience in the course—please get more specific than "I liked     it," or "it changed how I look at art,"—tell me why.

When signing up for this class, I thought I would like it but at the same time I wasn’t sure what to expect. I was pleasantly surprised by how in depth the class is and by how many questions it raises that I had never thought about. I think many people, including me especially before this class, simply take art at face value and determine if they like it or not. I have learned the importance of understanding the background and the various meanings behind artwork.

How art has been     a part of your life prior to this class, and how you anticipate it will     play a part in the future. (I'm not just looking for feel-good responses     here; I'd love to know, honestly, how much or how little this     course will impact your future engagement with the art world).

In my elementary and middle school years I loved art, in fact, it’s one of the few classes I actually remember from that early in my life. I was always at my happiest in an art room, and that carried through to high school. I took almost all the art classes I could take, including digital camera, photoshop, drawing and design, drawing, clay, etc.

I think this class will always come back to me in the future. I have learned about so many new mediums and found that there is so much more to art than what I originally believed. Now when I see art, I try to imagine what the artist might have meant and I take a lot more time than I used to in order to understand the work fully. Even at the art museum I went to this semester, I found myself actually reading about the works and putting in more effort to understand it. I don’t think I would have done the same in the past. Since I am not planning on going into anything directly related to art, I am honestly not sure how much the course will continually affect me. However, I think I will find myself considering what I learned in relation to art that I see and make quite a bit.

 And though I don’t think I will be working in anything directly related to art, I do now that it will always be a big part of my life and that I will always come back to it. This class has shown me the many different ways to express myself and to not worry about if other people love or hate it on sight. 

[mandab97-blog]

Week 15 - Digital Art

o   Your reflections on the reading

Our reading this week was about digital art. I really enjoyed reading this chapter because I find digital art to be very interesting. There are so many different ways to create art digitally, for example virtual reality, 3D art, etc. I love to draw and mostly use a tablet hooked up to my computer and Photoshop for art. The endless possibilities and the access to colors and brushes etc. makes digital art really fun and convenient which seems to be what appeals to many people, including me. Convenient as digital art might be, it still takes months for some artists to finish their work, especially if they’re professionals or if the art is for movies. The time it takes seems to be worth the end product though. 

Your reflections on the  videos/media

I think this week’s video on the artist Tabaimo was, again, interesting. I liked how she incorporated such deep meaning into her works. I will say though that her works reminded me a lot of the videos we watched for Week 7 (Photography and Film). Her works drive home her point but also makes me uncomfortable and a little uneasy in the meantime. I believe she intended these works to create those types of feelings into the viewer, and I can appreciate that. However, I did not even want to watch the video over again or even finish honestly because much of it was just so… strange. I wouldn’t have understood most of the meanings behind her works had she not been explaining them, so I would have just been turned off because all I understood was the feeling. Particularly the restroom piece where the woman seemingly has an abortion, but, through her nose? It is interesting, however, to see these issues from a culturally different point of view. Her work definitely makes an impact on the viewer. Now that I am thinking about that abortion scene, I’m wondering if the reason the baby came out through her nose was to show that, to the person, the abortion was nothing eventful. More like a mundane thing like blowing her nose. The thought and details she puts into her work is amazing.

Connections/comparisons

Like with other weeks, there is the main connection of digital art because that is the topic being covered. However, I think there are several connections between Tabaimo’s work and the reading. The reading explains how there are endless possibilities when it comes to digital art and how it is continually evolving. Tabaimo seems to utilize as much of her resources as possible to create her works. It really struck me how unique Tabaimo’s art is compared to many other works of digital art that I have seen. I don’t usually see too many artists that create little “movies” that are all the artwork like she does. I’m not quite sure how to explain it, but Tabaimo manages to make her works stand out from many other artists. Many people don’t understand digital art and still believe that it isn’t truly “art,” but I think anyone viewing Tabaimo’s work would not even question its validity as “art.”

Some of Tabaimo’s works even seem to be 3D, similar to 3D movies, where her art spreads out from their “box,” like with the walls in the beginning or the moths in the bathroom.

Connections to another artist's work

I chose Rick Silva for this week’s relevant artist. I liked a lot of his works, but I was drawn to works that he and a few other artists created called SIGNALS. It focuses on “Immersive audio-visual renderings of seascape environments.”(X )The 2D works for SIGNALS are fantastic and the videos were captivating. My favorite was Signals Interstitials and Signals 4. The audio in Signals 4 combined with the video that sort of explores the ocean bottom was fun to watch. I loved how the waves and lighting changed fluidly around the square of moving colors throughout Signals Interstitials. 

Check them out for yourselves!

[mandab97-blog]

Hi! I had similar initial thoughts about sound being an art form, and like you the article helped me understand a little better. For me I think the video helped more though because I could get a sense of the atmosphere and a better understanding of how the sound is used. I enjoyed reading what you thought about the video on Hawkinson, I never thought of his one work being similar to an IV but now that you point it out it makes a lot of sense! I’m glad to know I wasn’t the only one who thought the sounds in his work Uberorgan wasn’t very soothing or appealing. I definitely agree that it is awesome though. I also did Haroon Mirza and thought his work in “the National Apavillion of Then and Now” was awesome.

Week 14

This week’s content was about Sound. My first reaction to reading the topic for this week was a little bit confused. How could sound be art? After reading Robert Worby’s article I got a better understanding of this.

I like how he stated that sounds are definitely not things and that when sound is gone there is nothing left but a memory. He said sound moves through the air and leaves nothing behind. This is very true. Once you listen to it you won’t ever be able to listen to that same exact sound again.  I agree with him when he says we focus more on what produced the sound rather than the sound itself. When I think of sound art I think of music. I consider music to be art because someone had to compose the music. It was interesting to read about how John Cage had such an impact on sound art. I thought it was interesting that at his first performance the pianist shut the lid on the piano and there was no sound coming from the piano but you heard the crowd. He incorporated the listeners into his work.

This week’s video was about Tim Hawkinson.  I think his work is interesting, but seems complicated to me. I like how he uses everyday materials to make his artwork. His piece that dealt with the sound of rain drops reminded me of an IV. He made the drops have a rhythm and there was a valve that helped with this. This reminded me of the way an IV works because of how you can set it to the amount of drops to come out. I thought the sound of the rain drops was relaxing. The sculpture he made to incorporate audio that was the size of a football field was awesome. It was called Uberorgan. The fact that he had sound incorporated through all of that was mind blowing. I thought that the sound was something that I personally wouldn’t want to listen to, but it was still interesting. The sound just didn’t seem soothing to me. I think that the meaning and why Tim does this work is because of his passion for music. He has had a passion for music his whole life. I thought that Tim’s work was different than the reading because Tim decided to incorporate sculpture and sound together.

Tim Hawkinson Uberorgan

The relevant artist I chose to research about was Haroon Mirza. He was born in 1977 in London. He is best known for his sculptural installations that generate audio. He has his MA from Chelsea College of Art and Design and an MA in Design, Critical Practice from the University of London. He won international acclaim for installations that test the interplay and friction between sound, light waves, and electric current. He creates kinetic sculptures, performances, and immersive installations. The National Apavillion of Then and Now is one of his creations. It is an anechoic chamber with a circle of light that grows brighter in response to increasing drone and goes completely dark when there is silence. He combines furniture, electronics, and found or original video footage into his work. He explores the shifts and overlap among states of noise, sound, and music. In his installation Regaining a Degree of Control a turn table spins a radio that picks up interference from a light bulb, while a strobe oscillates to a rhythmic music loop. I think that Haroon is an artist that takes time with his work and likes to explore the different sounds before he commits to them. I also think that Haroon has a passion for music and this is his calling to create sound.

[mandab97-blog]

Week 14 - Sound

Your reflections on the reading

This week’s reading was interesting and contained, again, a lot of information that I never knew or thought of. I never thought to think of sound being considered art so this week is really challenging my view of what art can be. I am still not sure if I really consider sound to be ‘art,’ but I think I can understand why others do consider it an art. I liked that the article mentioned that we are constantly hearing sounds but most of the time we do not listen, or consciously notice it. I also liked that it was pointed out that we usually focus more on the objects that make sound rather than the sound itself. I was also surprised by John Cage’s piece 4’33, which incorporated the audience into the performance by focusing on all the sounds present.

Your reflection  on the videos/media

I thought the video for this week about Tim Hawkinson was neat. I thought it was interesting how he incorporates sculptures into his work. His larger scale piece, Uberorgan, was amazing because it was so huge and made equally ‘large’ sounds. The sounds reminded me of whales. I will say though that I really didn’t enjoy any of the sounds made. The “rain drops” were amazing because of how he created them but the continuous sound was just plain irritating for me. Same with Uberorgan, amazingly crafted and unique, but I can only listen to so much of that sound before I just can’t stand it any longer.

Also, I’m one of those types of people that are just incredibly irritated and angered by certain noises so it might mostly just be me that is affected by them in this way. I can hardly stand the sound of chewing, even when someone’s being as quiet as possible, and sometimes have to even leave the room because it makes me so irritated. Same with other small noises, especially if it is quiet and it’s the most prominent noise I can hear. I share a room with my sister and she usually wakes up much before me to do her makeup. I become so incredibly frustrated and angry just by the small short noises of her picking up and setting down her various make up brushes and tools. Even I’m surprised by how angry I get but I can’t help it, even if I know it’s irrational. I usually either put on white noise and fall back asleep or listen to actual music to wake up. So it’s interesting that a lot of noises we simply hear and don’t acknowledge, and there’s others that we can’t NOT acknowledge.

Connections/comparisons you find between the two

There’s the obvious connection of sound being the main point of both the article and the video. They both show examples of how sound can be used in art. One difference I noticed is that Hawkinson uses sculptures to make sound or go along with sounds while the article focused on ways that were strictly sound, like in John Cage’s 4’33.

Connections to another artist's work

For my relevant artist this week, I chose Haroon Mirza. He does sculptures, installations, and performances. I thought one of his works, the National Apavillion of Then and Now was amazing. It’s a circle of light that gets bright as the noise increases and goes completely dark when the noise stops. I think it’s awesome how that works and it gives me a better understanding of how sound can be art.

[mandab97-blog]

Week 13 - Social Practice

Your reflections on the reading

One of our readings this week was about a man - Jeriah Hildwine – who made a Facebook status asking his friends to explain relationship aesthetics/social practice. I thought the comments he got in response to the question were hilarious, but they also show the many ways people view social practice. Most of them were playful comments that didn’t take themselves or the topic very seriously. A couple of people knew more about the subject and explained it with that experience in mind. This comment was my one of my favorites: “some young art student goes to a party where everyone is having a good time, and starts yelling, “look at us, we’re all art!” and of course makes the party less good, and ruins the art.” I just thought this was funny because it has a bit of truth to it. It’s also basically how I imagined social practice would be, because it would make me pretty uncomfortable – though that doesn’t take much – and I feel like it would just make things awkward. However, that seems to be the point most of the time.

I wasn’t quite sure what relational aesthetics meant so I was glad to read the second reading for the week, which went on to explain that it basically means that the participants/spectators and the artist reenact everyday social relationships that refer to global interactions. I think it’s really clever how these artists manage to set these social relationships and events going on in the world on more personal level. Participants and spectators may not even realize the “bigger picture,” but they still feel what artist is trying to convey.

Your reflections on the     videos/media

The video on Tania Bruguera was interesting to watch and I thought she brought up a lot of good points. At first I wasn’t sure how ‘social practice’ would work and be considered ‘art.’ So it was surprising to see her take on these displays of political and social aspects/issues. I understand how social “shows” or acts can be considered art a lot more now. Especially with the police riding horses giving orders to people in the exhibit. I can just imagine how uncomfortable and wary I would feel if I were there, so I would say she got her point and feelings across. I was also surprised but interested in her work “displacement.” I like her idea of giving and taking and keeping promises. I was surprised when I found out she was actually in the costume and walked into the street to portray coming after what was promised and also how promises were/are broken. Her encounter with the policeman was interesting, and I’m glad he chose to allow her and her message to continue.

Connections/comparisons

Both of the articles and Tania Bruguera explained and displayed relationship aesthetics and social practice. The articles were more about defining what this art form means while the video showed what it meant. Like I was talking about with the second reading, Bruguera brings aspects from a bigger social issue or idea and makes it personal. She also does the reverse, she drew from her own experiences as an immigrant and incorporated it into her exhibit with the mounted policeman. It’s a global issue but it’s an issue that she lives and understands, so she used the mounted policeman to draw out some of those same feelings from the spectators.

Connections to another artist's work

For this week, I chose Rirkrit Tiravanija as my relevant artist. It was a little difficult making sense of what I could find since it is hard for me to understand or grasp the full meaning of a social practice/act without seeing it in action. From what I could gather, I was surprised but also really happy and curious about it. A lot of the social practice works I hear or watch seem to depict more serious or uncomfortable topics, which is all okay and those topics are important, but Tiravanija’s work seems different from those. I read that he would make food for the people at the gallery and at one he had instructions on how to make the Thai food. He also uses traditional object making, teaches, and does public and private performances. I love that his work seems to just be very welcoming and inclusive and teaches people new things. It’s refreshing. 

[mandab97-blog]

Hi! I was also pretty surprised by how much history impacts and relates to performance art. I suppose it makes sense because during tense/controversial point in history people feel the want and need to create something powerful that gets people talking. I agree that the meaning being Janine Antoni’s work is crucial to understanding and fully appreciating what she’s trying to convey. I enjoyed reading what you learned and what you think about Carolee Schneeman, it’s interesting to learn how these artists come up with their ideas and what leads up to the work. I get what you say about her work being a bit excessive, and I agree for the most part. It seems to be a common theme with many performance works. 

Week 12

This week I read about performance art. I do not know much about performance art, but I learned a little more about it after reading the content for this week. From reading the first article, I was shocked on how much history has impacted performance art. One thing I was not shocked about was how paintings and sculptures kind of went away for a little bit to introduce performance art. I figured this was why performance art came about. I think that people got bored with just looking at art and actually wanted to see art live. My favorite part of the reading for this week was learning about Janine Antoni’s work in performance art. I was so interested to see what this was all about. I had to go watch the video when I was reading. The video almost looks unreal because her walking on the horizon is so accurate. It is truly amazing. The meaning behind this piece made me like the art even more. I am confused as to why Bree Newsome removing the confederate flag is considered to be art at all. In my opinion, it is more of a social act. I don’t really consider this action to be art.

The video for this week was about Janine Antoni. I was already interested in this artist when reading her interview. I think the rope she made to use in her art was something that meant a lot to her. She knows exactly where every piece came from within her rope. This truly represents her whole life so far. I also liked her piece 2038. It was quite interesting. You never really think about it, but we do drink from the cow so her piece makes sense to me, why not let the cow drink from her? I love animals and this is why I liked this piece.  I thought it was a little weird how she made herself out of soap and out of chocolate and then used it/ate it. I think the meaning behind her artwork is to appreciate life and the obstacles that come with it. I also think that she really likes to incorporate herself into her work. This way her artwork connects to her life more.

Janine Antoni 2038.

I decided to research about Carolee Schneeman for this week’s post. She was born October 12, 1939 in Pennsylvania. She is an American visual artist known for her discourses on the body, sexuality, and gender. She received her B.A. from Bard College and a masters of fine arts from the University of Illinois. When she was younger her friends said she was a mad pantheist because of her relationship and respect of nature. Her earliest connections with art and sexuality started when she was between four and five. Her family was supportive of her naturalness and freeness of her body. Her father was a physician who had to deal with the body in different states of health. This is why he supported her. When she was in college at Bard she began to realize the difference between male and female perceptions of each other’s bodies while serving as a nude model for her boyfriend’s portraits and while painting nude self-portraits. She started out painting and then became interested to show her passion through performance art. I think the meaning behind her art is to be comfortable with your body. I think her artwork is a little excessive. I think she could prove her point in a different way. Below is a picture of Carolee Schneeman’s performance artwork.

[mandab97-blog]

Week 12

Your reflections on the reading

This week was interesting, I did not know much about performance art before this week’s material. I just thought performance art would be mostly dancing and activities like that. So I was surprised that it could include body art, action, happenings, endurance, and ritual. Reading about endurance performance art, I was reminded of a performance that I had read about quite a while ago. It was an endurance performance for Lush trying to show how terrible animal testing is. The performance artist, Jacqueline Traide, was hauled on a leash into a Lush shop window and represented an animal test subject for the cosmetics industry for 10 hours. She endured several animal tests, including forced feeding, eye-irritancy tests, and two (saline) injections, though she didn’t feel an “actual” pain. I remember it being shocking and receiving a lot of criticism, but I think this performance was extremely important and brought this issue to everyone’s immediate attention. Traide was also able to communicate with them and tell them if she needed to stop at any time. While reading the material, I was also a little surprised by how much history plays a role in performance art, like how it “thrives in moments of social strife and political unrest.” I found it interesting how much it borrows from traditional and already existing media to create something new and to try new things. I knew performance art would take and use ideas from other types of art, but I didn’t know they could use so much – like with Janine Antoni -and still be considered performance art.

Reflections on the videos/media

I thought the video about Janine Antoni was interesting to watch. This may be a little harsh, but I didn’t really understand the point at times and thought they were a bit weird. For example, the cow series was weird to me but I understand and can appreciate the idea that we are not as different from other animals (cows, specifically) as many people seem to think. I wasn’t sure why exactly she wanted the viewer to feel that she and the cow were hollow and empty. Again however, I can appreciate the sentiment overall and it was cool to see her line of thinking and what spurred on her ideas for the pieces. I especially liked how she created the rope to represent her entire life and incorporated that into her works.

Connections/comparisons    

I did not expect performance art to be so subtle at times. I was a little surprised by how varied and connected to other types of art performance art can be. For example, her pieces with the cow and the soap bust of herself seemed to focus more on the end product while the meaning was more so in the process. Simply looking at the end product, it would be hard to realize that it was performance art. From the reading, it seems that plenty of other performance works are more subtle as well. For example, with some actions and body arts. Body art especially, because more of the focus is on the end result. And then there are the more obvious types of performance art, like with the Lush animal testing performance and Janine Antoni walking on the tight rope over the horizon.

Connections to another artist's work 

I chose Yoko Ono as my relevant artist this week. One of the readings for this week mentioned her and how she took the open-endedness of the meaning of “action” in performance art to a new level. She had the audience create a map and then told them to walk around the street according to the map. I thought this related well because she is stretching what performance art, and art in general, can be. It is subtly art, yet it is obvious to those that are aware of what all performance art includes. It was interesting reading about one of her more known works, Cut Piece, in which she laid out scissors for people to come up and cut pieces off her clothing one by one. It interesting to see how each artist uses their body in some way or another.

[mandab97-blog]

Hi! I also thought this chapter was especially interesting, and you make a great point about the Taipei 101 I hadn’t even thought about that but I agree! I have also heard about the “Big Bend” recently, it is stunning but when I first saw that picture I had the same feelings as you did with the Taipei 101! An elevator that goes horizontally, in curves, and in loops? Amazing, but I would be absolutely terrified. I think it would be such a weird feeling. I have never heard of the Shard until now but I am definitely adding that to my bucket list as well, because wow!  

Week 11 - Architecture

For me, this chapter on architecture has been the most interesting chapter we have read this far. The time and planning it must take for an architect to create such structures is mind blowing.  Not only do they have to keep the client happy but zoning committees, keeping track of building codes, planning committees and then they just hand off their designs to a contractor and construction crew to make it all come to fruition.  Not sure I could let my vision/creation go – just like that.

I have always thought that the lines in columns were for decorative purposes.  Now I know that those lines actually have a purpose, and that is to conduct rainwater downward.   There is my something new I learned today.

As beautiful as the Taipei 101 is, I would never want to be inside that sucker when a natural disaster would decided to strike.  Yikes!  That building is tall and just by looking at it I can feel my stomach turn at the thought of how much that building would sway (even with that massive pendulum to help out).

I have to say that my favorite piece of architecture is St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City. It really is a spectacular piece and I really never get tired of visiting it.   However, as I was scrolling through the internet an interesting tidbit regarding buildings in New York City appeared. According to www.dailymail.co.uk, the “Big Bend” has been designed around zoning laws and requirement and is “described as the ‘longest building in the world’, the project’s concept drawings reveal a skyscraper reaching an apex then curving back down, featuring an elevator system that can travel in curves, horizontally and in loops”.  I can’t wait to see if this piece really comes to life. It will certainly change the Manhattan skyline.

The Artist 21 piece on Maya Lin was interesting to watch.   She makes me want to grab my ice skates and head to Grand Rapids to skate among the stars.  I did find it surprising that she considers herself an artist and not an architect; although most of her designs/concepts are really in architectural form. Congratulations to Maya Lin of creation and completion of the Vietnam Wall!

My relevant artist for this week is Renzo Piano.  After looking at his structures I realized that he “created” The Shard, which is on my bucket list to see when I finally ever get to London.  According to www.the-shard.com the concept of this impressive building

           “was conceived as a building with multiple uses: a vertical city where people could live,    work and relax. It comprises world-class offices, award-wining restaurants, the 5-star  Shangri-La Hotel, exclusive residences and the UK’s highest viewing gallery, The View                    from The Shard, offering 360-degree views. Well-connected and comprehensively              serviced by central London’s transport infrastructure, facilities and amenities, The Shard   is a timeless reminder of the power of imagination to inspire change”.

The Shard has everything you need at your fingertips and really would have no reason to ever leave the building.  It is a visually stunning structure to look at as well, plus all the added extra touches makes this one spectacular building!

[mandab97-blog]

Week 11

Your reflections on the reading

Honestly, I wasn’t too excited to read this chapter about architecture. It’s just a part of art that I am not drawn too and that I don’t think about very often. However, once I started reading through the chapter and seeing all the featured works I actually really enjoyed it and I’m not really sure why I thought I wouldn’t enjoy it. I like this description from the book, “The architect is an artist, but also a social servant.” I think that explains architecture very well, because they are artists but they also have to cater to the wants and needs of their clients, complete extensive training, and remember regulations among other responsibilities. I loved many of the featured works in the chapter, but I think the Performing Arts Centre for Abu Dhabi created by Zaha Hadid is my favorite. I was a little stunned by it even, because it is so different from what we usually see and it is just so aesthetically pleasing. I love the leaf like glass areas, the entrance, and blue is my favorite color so that’s a plus.

o   Your reflections on the videos/media

I thought the video on Maya Lin was interesting. It was interesting to see how vastly different her styles are but also how they sometimes combine. She creates sculptures and does architecture and while she doesn’t actively mix the two in her works sometimes it just works out that way. I particularly enjoyed seeing the ice skating rink she created in a park that was just sort of dead and that no one really used or enjoyed. I also really liked h ow she incorporated the lights in it to make stars. I have never been ice skating because there are not a lot of options around where I live. There is one building in a park in our town that used to be an ice skating rink but I don’t think it’s been used in years. I don’t remember it ever being open or used for anything actually, which is a shame because if that’s the case then it’s just taking up space. I think it would be amazing if someone were to come by and create something like Maya Lin did.

Connections/comparisons

Well there is the obvious connection between the reading and the Maya Lin’s work, which is the fact that Maya Lin is an architect and has architecture projects that she works on. With the ice skating rink, she was taking the people that would be using it and the general public into consideration, which relates to the idea that an architect is an artist as well as a “social servant.” She has to take multiple factors, like its use, the public and regulations, into consideration.

 Connections to another artist's work

For this week I chose to research Zaha Hadid, the same woman I mentioned earlier who made the Performing Arts Centre. I really love her work! I think she has more of what I would call a futuristic style and I just love all of it because they’re so different from what we usually see while still being incredibly beautiful.

[mandab97-blog]

Hi! Your bowl actually isn’t too bad, especially for 8th grade! I took a clay class in high school and, while the pottery wheels were fun, once we actually needed to start creating more series works I just couldn’t do it haha. I also loved the section on glass and I was instantly drawn to Chihuly’s work (Though honestly the story surrounding the piece featured in the book makes me a little uneasy giving him too much praise). I also thought it was interesting to watch that part of the video on Kimsooja. I’ll admit I’m not sure how i feel about the soundsuits..I feel more nuetral towards them I suppose I don’t like or dislike them, they’re neat to say the least haha. I can definitely appreciate the sentiment though! 

Week 10 - Craft

I thought I would share with you all, my attempt with the craft of clay.  This picture will give you proof that I was totally correct in not taking up art as either a hobby or profession.  This “bowl” was created in my 8th grade art class formed on the potter’s wheel, then then “O’s” were created by pressing a spoon into it and then a knife created the “+” sign.  My parents have kept this piece and I have no idea why, other than one of their children made it.  I still can laugh at this piece today.

This chapter on craft proves that art is all around us in our daily lives.  I have a few friends that when I walk into their bathrooms I feel like I’m at a museum because of all the fancy fixtures and handles on the cabinets!  

I never realized that there are several traditional methods of hand-building in ceramics, as I am only familiar with wheel-throwing. Metal seems to have many items in which to use to create fabulous pieces and I learned about malleability and ductility.   Woods seems to be the item most commonly found in our daily lives from the furniture we sit and eat on, the cabinets in our kitchen, picture frames and even a cedar chest that will hold our special treasurers.   My favorite section would be on glass.   I am in love with Dale Chihuly, No 2 Sea Form Series!  There should be no surprise now, since you all know that I love the color pink.  If you have not done so, Google Dale Chihuly and sea forms and look at his work – it’s incredible!  Although my favorite glass piece to own would be a real honest to God antique Tiffany lamp.  Oh to dream the dream!  Fibers were an interesting section to read and learn about as quilts was the extent of my knowledge in that area.  There is a lot of stuff to learn in regards to the art world.

After watching the video on Kimsooja, I have to say the Crystal Palace in Madrid looks “breath” taking!  I would like to go there and just sit in total peace and quiet and take a moment to enjoy that beautiful structure.  You could all most feel the serenity from just watching the video and listening to Kimsooja breathing.  I do have to say that I am not a big fan of her acting as an unmoving axis on the horizon. I was surprised to see so many people just moving around her and bumping into her.  If that was me – I would be sacred to be jostled around like a pinball inside a pinball machine.

I have chosen Nick Cave for my relevant artist for this week’s blog posting.  Mr. Cave is an American fabric sculptor, dancer, and performance artist but is best known for his soundsuits that are made from everyday items.  According to www.art21.org, “Soundsuits serve as an alien second skin that obscures race, gender, and class, allowing viewers to look without bias towards the wearer’s identity”.  I scrolled through all the images of soundsuits I could find on the internet and was totally amazed by some of his creations.  His vision and creativity are really outstanding, but not sure a soundsuit would be something that I would have to have.

[mandab97-blog]

Week 10

Your reflections     

As with other weeks, this week’s chapter was interesting. Unlike previous weeks, I am more familiar with crafts, but I still learned some things and saw some interesting pieces. Crafts do seem to be more flexible and varied than I first thought. Particularly with the glass and fiber being used in crafts. I enjoyed reading and looking at all the work in those sections. I especially liked Dale Chihuly’s glass work “No. 2 Sea Form Series” as it is very interesting to look at and very colorful, although, and after reading about Chihuly himself I am not as enthused about it. The segment about Chihuly after he made the Sea Form artwork was wild from start to finish. First he sued two people, even one who had worked with him, for producing work that was similar to his. Then he hurt his shoulder so he had many people working under him produce his sketches. So that was just fun to read and learn the story that surrounds the work. I also liked Drew Hubatsek’s piece “Manzano Trono,” though I’m not sure how to explain exactly why I like it. I think he made it feel natural, with the branches and the soft curves.

I couldn’t find the exact picture that was used in the book so here is another piece by Chihuly of the same style: 

o    Reflections on the videos/media and connections

Aaron McIntosh had a lot to say in his article so it was a bit hard to follow, but interesting nonetheless. I was surprised that he connected crafts evolving and becoming more mainstream to LGBTQ people as that seems really… stretched or out of place. Though I think I do see his point, since both crafts and sexual/gender identities are becoming more accepted, acknowledged, and flexible. It just threw me off for a minute because of how different those two subjects are.

McIntosh’s article relates to the reading in one obvious way, that way being that he talks about the museum utilizing craft media and crafts becoming more mainstream than in the past. He also emphasizes and shows how varied crafts can be.

The video on Kimsooja was also a bit hard to follow, but I think I understood some things. She seems to be very proud and confident in herself and her artwork, and she also incorporates a lot of her life and Korean background into her work. I think she challenges what craft art can be, as it’s all very different from what seems to be the norm. Her work relates to craft, though I think that would be easy to miss because she stretches what craft can be so much. She’s definitely changed what I think craft work is and includes. Honestly, I think her work could also relate to installation since a lot of it is site specific. So that makes me think that there’s definitely a blurred line between installation and craft. Perhaps it could be both instead of either or?

Connections to another artist's work

I chose Heather Mccalla as my relevant artist this week, and I was honestly pleasantly surprised when I found her website. Her work relates because much of it is crafts. She creates a ton of different art such as; Lath and plaster, altered furniture, piles and stacks, tunnels, furniture, sketches and drawings, and ceramics. She also makes rockets! Which I found especially amazing! And her ceramics are so smooth looking yet some have so much texture, they make me want to touch them. I love the style so much. Her piles and stacks and altered furniture pieces are all very interesting to look at as well.

[mandab97-blog]

Hi! I also really liked the rain room and wonder how exactly it works, and I agree that it would almost definitely help with stress and have a calming effect. I enjoyed reading about your thoughts about the video on Do Ho Suh. I also got the feelings that he was a bit homesick and I thought that, along with the safety aspect, the fabric sculpture of his home helped him cope with that homesickness. I also enjoyed reading what you wrote about Karla Black, and I really like her piece that you included! I love all the light and colors she uses. 

Week 9

This week I read about installation art. When I started reading this week’s content I was quite confused. At first I thought installation art was just sculpture. Once I kept reading it started to make more sense. An installation piece must be site specific and have been designed to fit a certain space. Installation pieces seem to have a variety of categories. Installation art would definitely be tricky and take a lot of thought for the artist. The virtual reality aspect of installation art caught my eye right away and then I went on to view more pieces of this type of installation on google. This would be awesome to view in person. I especially liked the rain room on the second part of the reading. I think it would be interesting to hear from the artist on how exactly they created this. I think that the rain room would help with stress and to calm people down.

The Rain Room

This week’s video was about Do Ho Suh. I like the way he incorporates his Korea life into his art work. He seems to be very passionate about where he is from. From watching the video I feel as if he is sad and homesick. The meaning behind him making his fabric sculpture of his home is safeness. He travels a lot and he seems to get homesick and this art is a perfect way to keep him from missing home. I think the rest of his pieces such as the people holding up the sculpture, the outfits they wore for school, and the sculpture that related to his military life all share a similar meaning. Do Ho Suh likes to express his cultural life in his artwork. Although I do not think he enjoyed all of the things about living in Korea, he still expresses this in his artwork. I think this video compares to the readings in the fact that they are installations but Do Ho Suh does not seem to talk much about the perception of space within his artwork.

The relevant artist I chose to research about was Karla Black. She was born in 1972 in Scotland. She received her B.F.A. in sculpture in 1999 from the Glasgow School of Art. She then received her M.F.A in 2004. She creates abstract sculptures using everyday materials. Some of these materials include powder, soaps, gels, and pastes, plaster, chalk, paint, and paper. She carefully arranges them on the floor or suspended from the ceiling. These sculptures are usually made on site and include specific evidence of the process of her creation. You can see this through fingerprints and dust. I like Karla’s work because it includes many pastel colors which I love. I think that the meaning behind her artwork is to just light up the room and to make someone’s day brighter. All of her pieces seem to be in rooms with a ton of light and windows. I think that Karla’s work compares mostly to Spencer Finch’s work. I think that he has the same outlook on his artwork. He uses a lot of bright colors to brighten up the windows and light in a room.

Karla Black “Pleaser”

[mandab97-blog]

Week 9

Reflections on the reading

In all honesty the readings this week were a bit tough to get through for me. Combine spring break and all this new information, it was confusing. That being said, once I started focusing on it more and going through all the content it got easier and I – as always – learned quite a lot. I never really knew, or at least thought about, how many different ways there are to make installation artwork. The second link with the various works of installation was the most interesting to me. I was a little surprised yet fascinated by Imran Qureshi’s work And how many rains must fall before the stains are washed clean. At first I thought it just looked like blood splatters and I thought that it was a bit odd but I thought it could mean something like, “when will the stains of past wrongdoings be washed away,” which I think is at least a little clever. I really shouldn’t still be surprised by how much work goes into these artworks, but I was. I thought the artist simply splattered paint, and didn’t realize how Qureshi highlighted, defined, and edited the whole piece. Continuing with the reading, it was then revealed to me that the work is supposed to display the dialogue between life and death and violence and beauty. The work holds much more meaning to me now that I know the red splotches represent flowers as well as blood.

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I also enjoyed reading about the Rain Room, where people can walk through the rainfall and not get wet. It’s amazing to me how this room is even possible. It said it was accomplished using special cameras and sensors to track and detect visitors. That makes sense, but I think it would be fun to find out how exactly these cameras and sensors work to make this happen. I was also pleasantly surprised to read that the piece uses filtered and recycled water. I really want to visit this Rain Room sometime if it is still possible. I’ve seen others go to it in videos and it seems amazing and well worth the wait to get in!

o   Reflection on the videos/media

This week’s video was about Do Ho Suh, and was also very interesting to me. I especially enjoyed watching the part about his piece with all the tiny figures holding up the people above them. Do Ho Suh mentioned that he was not trying to make any statement, and that it was up to the viewer to decide what they thought about it. I like that he took this standpoint on it, even though I would have liked to hear what he had to say. I like that he left the work up to interpretation because there are various meanings that a person could take from it. For example, the people could simply be slaves dedicating their lives to support others. It could also mean that everyone works together to accomplish goals and to keep the world running smoothly. It could mean that people need to support each other, and that often times many people need to work together to support one person. Those are simply off the top of my head!

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Connections/comparisons

Do Ho Suh and Imran Qureshi’s work relates to each other because they both created an interactive piece of art that’s meaning is left to interpretation. They are interactive because with both, the viewer is encouraged to walk through and examine the work. They also have various meanings that could be taken from it. The Rain Room is also similar in this way. Visitors are encouraged to enter and move about freely in the room. Though there doesn’t seem to be as many hidden or surprising meanings to this piece, there does seem to be a large range of feelings and thoughts that people experience when interacting with the piece. The use of filtered and recycled water could cause the visitors to think about the impact we have on our environment. Combine that and the feeling of the water emotionally responding to the person, I would think that it would be an effective way to make the visitors think about and care about the environment. I also think this piece would provide a happy and comforting feeling to the visitor.

Connections to another artist's     work

I chose Nancy Holt as my relevant artist this week. Her sun tunnels located in Utah seem amazing and is also something I would love to see if ever given the chance! Again, her work could possibly have a few different meanings and is meant to be interacted with and enjoyed by visitors. The concrete tubes act as viewfinders like a camera to create an amazing site when the sun sets. She even says that these tunnels and the images they create “bring the vast space of the desert back to human scale.” (Quote)

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