tendersketch-studios

[tendersketch-studios]

final post; conclusion

What did you learn about the process of organizing an exhibition of works by various artists? I learned that I needed to express why I chose these pieces because the audience may not have the same perspective as I do. They all need to be following the theme I chose so you can understand as well.

What about this process came naturally and what was challenging? Throughout, I had to explain as if I was curating an actual event and kept questioning myself through my friend's eyes. 'why did you choose this?' 'did it come across as i hoped to?'. This was the difficult part because I couldn't just say 'I feel it in my soul, do you?' because some of the pieces are abstract and many people think that abstract works are random but it all comes from the realm of the personal mind. The idea of 'tender' always remained in my head and I really wanted to express that feeling to fictitious viewers. The easy part was picking the pieces, the challenging part was describing why I chose it. Discuss the discoveries that you made regarding the process of connecting work by artists with individual experiences to a common theme. I went into a rabbit hole of finding new artists and it was great to see so many artists from different time periods like Schiele and Calame representing the same thing to me. Seeing the human experience through art was therapeutic to me because I felt as if I am not alone in my mental struggles. Along with the beautiful pieces that were made showed me that there is hope, it is all about perspective.

[tendersketch-studios]

post 12; Yoshitomo Nara

Untitled (Girl with gun) from the series Time of My Life 1992–2000 Pen and ink and wash on card 4 1/8 x 2 7/8"

i chose this piece because it feels violent, naive, and cold. as if Nara was reading the morning paper, spilled coffee on the card, and got lost in a day dream and turned the ruined card to an art piece. from the audience perspective, i would think that the artist isn't in a peaceful state of mind to be drawing this. but the whole point of tender is to recognize that healing process.

[tendersketch-studios]

post 11; Franz Ackermann

Untitled (Mental Map: Peak Season) 2003 pencil, synthetic polymer paint, ink, and felt-tip pen on paper 27 1/2 x 39 1/2"

mental maps expressing stress, dark thoughts, worries, and hardships yet beautifully depicted. Ackermann depicts the thoughts through lines and forms but highlights the main thought with bright yellows and reds. Ackermann may be going through a problem and is trying to depict that through abstract forms. subjects like this are very personal and the artist may feel vulnerable while drawing this. there is care in choosing color to represent that feeling. the yellow is trapped within the gray form, as if he is blocked from truly healing from the pain. tender is the sensitive moment trying to heal from suffering.

[tendersketch-studios]

post 10; Paul Sietsema

"Taxi Drawing" 2003 Cut-and-pasted paper, cut-and-pasted printed paper, and cut-and-pasted colored paper with gouache, pencil, felt-tip pen, watercolor, and masking tape on paper 28 x 50"

Sietsema writes within the piece, "FORMS IN THE REALM OF THE MIND" in the brain-like form. this means that this assemblage was meant for the audience to capture a feeling. Sietsema approached this piece by finding himself first, exploring, and maybe feeling some doubt in how this piece will turn out. but the overall composition spoke to me perfectly. i felt as if this is what 'mapping out your thoughts' may look like. loud bright colors and thoughts contradict the dark corners of the mind. Sietsema explores the personal realm of the mind, where we see healing can be expressed from dark forms blossoming into vibrant thoughts.

[tendersketch-studios]

post 9; Ingrid Calame

"#61 Working Drawing" 2000 colored pencil on synthetic polymer sheet 90 1/2 x 90 1/2"

abstract pieces represent tender better than anything else, it's the soft disarray of lines that describe the idea. bursts of passion but toned down by the color choice.

[tendersketch-studios]

post 8; Takashi Murakami

“727” 1996 acrylic on canvas mounted on board, three panels 9' 10" x 14' 9"

color choice is a big factor into why i chose this piece. i observed this painting for a while to get my head around it and what it might mean. to me, the colors represented something cold but comforting and the little monster was the guardian of that coldness. this is what my worries and anxieties look like haha

[tendersketch-studios]

post 7; Eduardo Berliner

“Untitled from the series Aesop (Esopo)" 2013

ink on paper 22 7/16 x 30 1/8”

i chose this piece because it brings me back to the simpler days. "(tenderness) composes the everyday mental breaks from the personal realm and is expressed through softness and simplicity. it reminded me of the movie/book, Where the Wild Things Are. a magical place of childhood imagination, a soft part of life.

[tendersketch-studios]

post 6; Egon Schiele

“Standing Male Nude with Arm Raised, Back View” 1910 watercolor and charcoal on paper 17 5/8 x 12 3/8"

Schiele is well known for creating pieces raw in nature. he would often do self portraits so I believe this could be one of them. this piece feels both sensitive and seductive; the essence of tender. there is a sort of pain, maybe sickness that the subject is going through but it's use of warm hues contradict that. it feels lonely when it's painted with no supporting background. this exaggerated, gentle figure is standing in oblivion with only his colors to express his feelings.

[tendersketch-studios]

post 5; Kerstin Brätsch

“Unstable Talismanic Rendering 27” 2014  ink and solvent on paper 109 1/2 x 72”

when i first saw this piece, i was immediately drawn to the vibe that this gives off. i love the abstractness of the beauty in the color shades/tones relates to the idea of tenderness. in a smaller perspective, the daily challenges may make us feel distraught but the life we lead creates a beautiful story. this feels very troubled and unstable but insues comfort with the calming colors.

[tendersketch-studios]

post 4; Toyin Ojih Odutola

"The Raven" 2016 charcoal, pastel, and pencil on paper 74 1/4 x 42”

this is a quiet piece, it's stillness creates a melancholic aura around the subject. he is contrasted by the use of flat but bright colors. it makes me wonder, what is he pondering in this moment? i feel as if we are watching him receive bad news, perhaps of death (because of the title). the way this piece is drawn feels nostalgic and gentle.

[tendersketch-studios]

post 3; Joe Brainard

"Prepatory Drawing for In Memory of My Feelings" 1967 acrylic ink on two sheets of acetate 13 7/8 x 10 15/16" the simplicity of the subjects display a confusing and personal visualization of the artist's feelings. it's tenderness is seen through the scattered thoughts of saltine crackers, humans on a beach, and a volcano erupting. as an audience, we are trying to connect to how he feels but it just can't be explained yet. why are these depictions behind the vulnerable figure? his body and saltine crackers contradict the violent volcano. i see this as a juxtaposition of the smallness of humans to mother nature. In reality, we have no power in defeating natural forces, but maybe this male figure is displaying hope in himself. the feet are clearly layered over the dark and hot ash yet he's relaxed.

lastly, the style of contour line perfectly depicts simplicity but bursts of passion.

[tendersketch-studios]

post 2; about

tender is the idea of the raw essence of loneliness, anxieties and the beauty that arises. it composes the everyday mental breaks from the personal realm and is expressed through softness and simplicity. it is a feeling of stagnancy but bursts of passion are just in the distance. having tender feelings stems from a pain that is in the process of healing. as if a bruise is tender to the touch; in turn, our minds and souls are tender after daily stress. it is, in essence, a hope to find oneself at peace again.

[tendersketch-studios]

post 1; welcome

welcome to the 'tender' exhibition of the TENDERSKETCH-STUDIOS gallery curated by Amerie Davis.

you could be in a million other places in the world right now, but you're here, thank you.

artists featured in tender

Ingrid Calame, Egon Schiele, Franz Ackermann, Yoyin Ojih Odutola, Paul Sietsema, Kerstin Brätsch, Joe Brainard, Yoshitomo Nara, Eduardo Berliner, and Takashi Murakami.