Article Summary
I wanted to find an article that relates to my upcomming ceramics project. Unfortunately web results regarding “architectural ceramics” were plagued with links referring to the purchase of ceramic tiles and roofing equipment. I did, however, find one interesting article during my search. The publication showcased a house in China, made completely out of ceramic material. The home itself is a melting pot of natural material. Its construction involves 400,000,000 pieces of porcelain, antique ceramic, natural crystal formations, and marble carvings. The house had the look of a giant clay sculpture. It had elements of large braided coils, massive spheres, and forms. I also found it interesting that even pieces formed on the wheel were encorporated into the design. It wasn’t so much the text of the article that I found to be useful. The images of the home are what fascinated me the most. Knowing that ceramics can be applied to such an architectural realm of creation motivates me to try new techniques and methods of construction for my upcoming project.
Article Website: www.luxurylaunches.com/other_stuff/ceramic_house_in_china_worth_us65_million.php
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Tara MacMurray
In response to the article from E-Flux i am glad to of found out that they are having such a unique gallery space, that is not usually done. This collection is from Spanish and international artists from around the world, and does not follow a specific theme. Here the gallery has set up their space to reflect a baroque style much like they would of had to depict the great salons. Its more of a warehouse space designed to let the viewers walk about and find their own path. I find that having such a diverse collection would keep the viewer looking more. In this i mean they are not so quick to leave. I know that i have been to galleries where the work is dry dull and just all the same but i feel as if i would be more intrigued to walk about this space than a normal gallery space.
Name: Alison Boliek
Artist: Kehinde Wiley
In the December 2006 issue of Vanity Fair, “The Art Issue”, the works of eight young artists amid the New York art scene were discussed. I enjoyed reading about each of them, but the work of Kehinde Wiley really caught my eye. He became known for his paintings of young African-American men. His approach to portraiture is anything but traditional. His works reflect an urban hip-hop culture and capitalism. They evoke a sense of power and opulence, and are very confrontational as the figure is nearly always looking directly at the viewer. Wiley lets his models pose however they like. They mostly wear sweatshirts or sports jerseys and backward baseball caps. The naturalistic masculine figures are placed atop backgrounds of flat patterns. These backgrounds often use French rococo influence and are commonly floral. The contrast of the three dimensionality of the figure in the foreground with the flatness of the background cause the figures to really pop. However, in some of his works, Wiley chooses to continue the patterns overtop parts of the figure to hold it back in space. His use of vivid colors aids to the incredible energy each of his works exudes. Kehinde Wiley is definitely an artist to check out.
Additional websites referenced:
http://www.artnet.com/awc/kehinde-wiley.html
http://www.sfai.edu/People/Person.aspx?id=944&navID=6§ionID=2&typeID=1
While researching for our Natural/Artificial project, I came across an article called, Is Every "Natural"?, by Ernest Partridge of University of California, Riverside. The article contains a wide variety of information which really helped me to investigate many different issues for my project. The article included a discussion of the psychological aspects of human behavior and the effects they have on global warming. It is suggested that if humans are part of nature, they cannot harm nature. For some reason, I always thought of something natural to be something good until i read this article. But now, I have realized that if people are natural, and people commit immoral acts, to be natural is not always a positive characteristic. In summary, the article made me realize that my preconceived ideas of natural being good and artificial being bad are not valid. The article made me understand the possibility that everything really is natural, good or bad, and artificial simply does not exist.
Article website:
http://gadfly.igc.org/eds/envt/natural.htm
Artist: Kehinde Wiley
In the December 2006 issue of Vanity Fair, “The Art Issue”, the works of eight young artists amid the New York art scene were discussed. I enjoyed reading about each of them, but the work of Kehinde Wiley really caught my eye. He became known for his paintings of young African-American men. His approach to portraiture is anything but traditional. His works reflect an urban hip-hop culture and capitalism. They evoke a sense of power and opulence, and are very confrontational as the figure is nearly always looking directly at the viewer. Wiley lets his models pose however they like. They mostly wear sweatshirts or sports jerseys and backward baseball caps. The naturalistic masculine figures are placed atop backgrounds of flat patterns. These backgrounds often use French rococo influence and are commonly floral. The contrast of the three dimensionality of the figure in the foreground with the flatness of the background cause the figures to really pop. However, in some of his works, Wiley chooses to continue the patterns overtop parts of the figure to hold it back in space. His use of vivid colors aids to the incredible energy each of his works exudes. Kehinde Wiley is definitely an artist to check out.
Additional websites referenced:
http://www.artnet.com/awc/kehinde-wiley.html
http://www.sfai.edu/People/Person.aspx?id=944&navID=6§ionID=2&typeID=1
While researching for our Natural/Artificial project, I came across an article called, Is Every "Natural"?, by Ernest Partridge of University of California, Riverside. The article contains a wide variety of information which really helped me to investigate many different issues for my project. The article included a discussion of the psychological aspects of human behavior and the effects they have on global warming. It is suggested that if humans are part of nature, they cannot harm nature. For some reason, I always thought of something natural to be something good until i read this article. But now, I have realized that if people are natural, and people commit immoral acts, to be natural is not always a positive characteristic. In summary, the article made me realize that my preconceived ideas of natural being good and artificial being bad are not valid. The article made me understand the possibility that everything really is natural, good or bad, and artificial simply does not exist.
Article website:
http://gadfly.igc.org/eds/envt/natural.htm
"Papermilk?"
Catherine Hendrickson
Art390 MW 12:30-3:15
Blog Posting Number 1
I attempted to put the actual photo of the art above but if that didn't work, here is the link: http://www.dusi.nl/images/test%20white%20artwork.jpg
I expected to spend a while online trying to find something really cool to talk about but was blown away when I found this less than a minute into my search. I think it was aesthetically pleasing to me and I have always had a love for black and white photos of any kind. I believe it is a very feminine piece of work because it has elements that resemble floral and pearl necklaces and also the artwork has an overall smooth and curvy nature with seems to make the piece "softer" to the eyes. My first though when looking at the piece was that it was in fact paper formed into an intricate design but almost immediately my mind saw milk being poured from higher up. If I look really hard at it though, it looks almost like computer graphics so I'm still not completely certain what it is but I like the mystery about it- I'd honestly rather NOT know what it is. I thought this piece was just amazing! If you quint your eyes at it and walk a little further away from the screen it realy looks more like a liquid but I also think it's cool how when you really examine the piece close up, there is an immense level of detail and intricateness.
My 1st project for the class is related to masks. I thought it was a good topic for natural vs. artificial because people wear natural masks (to hide their true feelings for example) as well as artificial masks (for parties etc..). I absolutley love trance music and all types related such as ambient music and one of my favorite artists in Shpongle who is primarily ambient. The symbol of this Artists work is a mask (kind of how Godsmack's symbol is a tribal sun). I believe that dance can be related to artificial vs. natural because while dance is a very natural thing is many aspects, it can also show a somewhat artificial side of people. Dancing allows us to express ourselves in ways we normally would not, or could not. I doubt, for example, that a CEO of a big company is going to openly admit he likes to dance at trance parties, so this CEO might portray aspects of being artificial UNTIL he can dance and act his natural way. That might be a little out there, but I like to think deeply and abstractly most of the time. Sooo anyway, I found an article online about masks and what they represent to other cultures and countries. The article had a lot in it about masks worn for dancing and this provided a bit of inspiration for my piece. So to sum it up for anyone who I confused- Masks can be real or fake (party masks or masks we wear to hide our emotions, like a smile when we are sad for example). Dancing can also be artificial and natural, or can serve as a natural outlet for someone who acts artificial.. kind of... Shpongle is a musical group that of course promotes dancing AND they use a mask to symbolize who they are. This is why I'm making the Shpongle mask for my first project. There is so much more in the mask article I found that lends itself to my inspiration but I strongly recommend reading it yourself and see what you can get out of it.
Here is the link:
ohoh.essortment.com/africamasks_rnqe.htm
And here is a link to the spongle mask if this picture I'm posting doesnt work: http://fusionanomaly.net/areyoushpongled.jpg
Art390 MW 12:30-3:15
Blog Posting Number 1
I attempted to put the actual photo of the art above but if that didn't work, here is the link: http://www.dusi.nl/images/test%20white%20artwork.jpg
I expected to spend a while online trying to find something really cool to talk about but was blown away when I found this less than a minute into my search. I think it was aesthetically pleasing to me and I have always had a love for black and white photos of any kind. I believe it is a very feminine piece of work because it has elements that resemble floral and pearl necklaces and also the artwork has an overall smooth and curvy nature with seems to make the piece "softer" to the eyes. My first though when looking at the piece was that it was in fact paper formed into an intricate design but almost immediately my mind saw milk being poured from higher up. If I look really hard at it though, it looks almost like computer graphics so I'm still not completely certain what it is but I like the mystery about it- I'd honestly rather NOT know what it is. I thought this piece was just amazing! If you quint your eyes at it and walk a little further away from the screen it realy looks more like a liquid but I also think it's cool how when you really examine the piece close up, there is an immense level of detail and intricateness.
My 1st project for the class is related to masks. I thought it was a good topic for natural vs. artificial because people wear natural masks (to hide their true feelings for example) as well as artificial masks (for parties etc..). I absolutley love trance music and all types related such as ambient music and one of my favorite artists in Shpongle who is primarily ambient. The symbol of this Artists work is a mask (kind of how Godsmack's symbol is a tribal sun). I believe that dance can be related to artificial vs. natural because while dance is a very natural thing is many aspects, it can also show a somewhat artificial side of people. Dancing allows us to express ourselves in ways we normally would not, or could not. I doubt, for example, that a CEO of a big company is going to openly admit he likes to dance at trance parties, so this CEO might portray aspects of being artificial UNTIL he can dance and act his natural way. That might be a little out there, but I like to think deeply and abstractly most of the time. Sooo anyway, I found an article online about masks and what they represent to other cultures and countries. The article had a lot in it about masks worn for dancing and this provided a bit of inspiration for my piece. So to sum it up for anyone who I confused- Masks can be real or fake (party masks or masks we wear to hide our emotions, like a smile when we are sad for example). Dancing can also be artificial and natural, or can serve as a natural outlet for someone who acts artificial.. kind of... Shpongle is a musical group that of course promotes dancing AND they use a mask to symbolize who they are. This is why I'm making the Shpongle mask for my first project. There is so much more in the mask article I found that lends itself to my inspiration but I strongly recommend reading it yourself and see what you can get out of it.
Here is the link:
ohoh.essortment.com/africamasks_rnqe.htm
And here is a link to the spongle mask if this picture I'm posting doesnt work: http://fusionanomaly.net/areyoushpongled.jpg
For the first project, I researched an artist who used thrown vessels as a type of “building block” for his work. Brad Schwieger’s work stands out from other ceramicists who utilize this technique due to his ability to completely transform the object from its original appearance. Schwieger’s process includes the construction of forms on the wheel, and then the subsequent destruction (cutting, pulling, twisting, etc.) and then reassembling the pieces. Upon completing a piece, it is nearly impossible to tell that it started out as a thrown object. The aspects of a thrown object, most notably the symmetry and the roundness, are not necessarily found in the finished piece. In addition to being attracted to his process, I find that his finished pieces heavily relate to the topic we are dealing with (natural vs. synthetic). Aesthetically, his pieces make references to both nature and the man made (especially architecture).
http://www.claylink.com/schwieger2006.html
(includes Artist Statement and works from the exhibition)
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Art in the Vatican
Rebecca Demers
Vatican Museums
In August 2006, I had gone to Europe, and was able to see some of the most famed and beautiful pieces of art in the world. I spent an entire day in the Vatican Museums--if you ever have a chance go! Everything there is stunning! Yet, even after spending hours there,I felt like I was only able to see very limited portions of the museums. I did however get to see some of the works I had only ever seen in books, and that was beyond amazing! Some pieces include: The Sistine Chapel (which sadly you can no longer take pictures in, and you get yelled at, in Italian, to shut up while in there--haha) and The Pietà (inside St. Peter's Basilica--which is a work of art itself!) by Michelangelo, the painting "The Entombment" by Caravaggio, Works by Raphael (Sanzio)--although I cannot recall exactly which ones I saw, I am pretty sure I did at least see "The School of Athens", The Gallery of Maps by Ignazio Danti (I think he was a priest), and the sculpture "Laocoön and His Sons" by three sculptors --Agesander, Athenodoros, and Polydorus (I knew the name of the sculpture, but not who it was by, so thanks wikipedia!). It was incredible! but as I did a tour of the grounds of the Vatican, and later the other cities in Italy, I began to realize that it was not just the works in the museums that was art. The buildings we passed, the Tuscan landscape, the Basilicas, and even the Italian language itself was all art. I was constantly surrounded by new ways of thinking, and the old architecture, and all the music. Italy itself is a museum! It blew me away. And the actual art, was among the best in the world! While I was not actually allowed to touch any of the artwork in the Vatican, I got closer to some pieces than I ever dreamed I would! The Pietà, although encased in glass (because some crazy man tried to attack it with a hammer in the 1970s), was the piece that stood out the most for me. To be able to carve something so beautiful, and so intricate from a giant block of marble escapes me completely. I have tried to carve things out of a block of plaster and I usually managed to mess up anything decent i had made. He must have had the patience of a saint! It also intrigues me because it is the only work that Michelangelo ever signed. While it is a phenomenal piece, why did he sign that one specifically? It got me thinking more than any other piece I had seen in the museum. I'm not saying that the other works weren't as magnificent, because they definitely were, just that the Pieta intrigued me most. Its funny, the trip I had gone on for a vacation turned out to be quite a learning experience too!
The websites I referenced:
http://mv.vatican.va/3_EN/pages/CSN/CSN_Storia.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michelangelo%27s_Piet%C3%A0
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laoco%C3%B6n_and_his_Sons
For the Natural/Artificial project, I am doing intelligence. My original idea was to have a brain being thrown through a computer. That was probably the most literal way to show the concept. I had originally found articles on Artificial Intelligence. Instead, after talking to Lauren, we came up with a better idea that may require a little more thought from the viewer, and hopefully make the brain more memorable (haha!). Originally, I had given little thought to the display, and currently I am debating about having the brain on top of an open head. I might even make it removable. We'll see about that. Instead of having the brain going through a computer, we decided to put the computer in the brain. My idea in progress is to have a brain with wires and computer chips/parts in very specific areas of the brain. the brain is also going to be severed, to illustrate the internal goings on better. The article I found, is not exactly an article. It explains brain functions and structures. This is pretty important to my project, and it is also something I know little about. It also has pictures and links to important phrases and ideas, and has really helped me to grasp the brain a little bit better. While I was debating about messing up memory (which, thanks to the website I know is in Cerebrum, in the temporal lobe), however, I may do something that involves motor functions, or even involuntary actions like breathing. The website I found has taught me much more about the brain, and will hopefully help keep me inspired, and my brain working for this project.
the website: http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/bb/kinser/Structure1.html
Vatican Museums
In August 2006, I had gone to Europe, and was able to see some of the most famed and beautiful pieces of art in the world. I spent an entire day in the Vatican Museums--if you ever have a chance go! Everything there is stunning! Yet, even after spending hours there,I felt like I was only able to see very limited portions of the museums. I did however get to see some of the works I had only ever seen in books, and that was beyond amazing! Some pieces include: The Sistine Chapel (which sadly you can no longer take pictures in, and you get yelled at, in Italian, to shut up while in there--haha) and The Pietà (inside St. Peter's Basilica--which is a work of art itself!) by Michelangelo, the painting "The Entombment" by Caravaggio, Works by Raphael (Sanzio)--although I cannot recall exactly which ones I saw, I am pretty sure I did at least see "The School of Athens", The Gallery of Maps by Ignazio Danti (I think he was a priest), and the sculpture "Laocoön and His Sons" by three sculptors --Agesander, Athenodoros, and Polydorus (I knew the name of the sculpture, but not who it was by, so thanks wikipedia!). It was incredible! but as I did a tour of the grounds of the Vatican, and later the other cities in Italy, I began to realize that it was not just the works in the museums that was art. The buildings we passed, the Tuscan landscape, the Basilicas, and even the Italian language itself was all art. I was constantly surrounded by new ways of thinking, and the old architecture, and all the music. Italy itself is a museum! It blew me away. And the actual art, was among the best in the world! While I was not actually allowed to touch any of the artwork in the Vatican, I got closer to some pieces than I ever dreamed I would! The Pietà, although encased in glass (because some crazy man tried to attack it with a hammer in the 1970s), was the piece that stood out the most for me. To be able to carve something so beautiful, and so intricate from a giant block of marble escapes me completely. I have tried to carve things out of a block of plaster and I usually managed to mess up anything decent i had made. He must have had the patience of a saint! It also intrigues me because it is the only work that Michelangelo ever signed. While it is a phenomenal piece, why did he sign that one specifically? It got me thinking more than any other piece I had seen in the museum. I'm not saying that the other works weren't as magnificent, because they definitely were, just that the Pieta intrigued me most. Its funny, the trip I had gone on for a vacation turned out to be quite a learning experience too!
The websites I referenced:
http://mv.vatican.va/3_EN/pages/CSN/CSN_Storia.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michelangelo%27s_Piet%C3%A0
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laoco%C3%B6n_and_his_Sons
For the Natural/Artificial project, I am doing intelligence. My original idea was to have a brain being thrown through a computer. That was probably the most literal way to show the concept. I had originally found articles on Artificial Intelligence. Instead, after talking to Lauren, we came up with a better idea that may require a little more thought from the viewer, and hopefully make the brain more memorable (haha!). Originally, I had given little thought to the display, and currently I am debating about having the brain on top of an open head. I might even make it removable. We'll see about that. Instead of having the brain going through a computer, we decided to put the computer in the brain. My idea in progress is to have a brain with wires and computer chips/parts in very specific areas of the brain. the brain is also going to be severed, to illustrate the internal goings on better. The article I found, is not exactly an article. It explains brain functions and structures. This is pretty important to my project, and it is also something I know little about. It also has pictures and links to important phrases and ideas, and has really helped me to grasp the brain a little bit better. While I was debating about messing up memory (which, thanks to the website I know is in Cerebrum, in the temporal lobe), however, I may do something that involves motor functions, or even involuntary actions like breathing. The website I found has taught me much more about the brain, and will hopefully help keep me inspired, and my brain working for this project.
the website: http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/bb/kinser/Structure1.html
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