C+P Blog

New Weather

2009-11-09T08:44:00.000-08:00

Today I had the opportunity to see the current exhibition at the USF CAM, entitled New Weather and featuring works by Diana Al-Hadid, Iva Gueorguieva, and Robyn O'Neil. I really enjoyed this show, particularly the works by Robyn O'Neil. Her works are predominantly large scale graphite on paper drawings and I was really intrigued by her technique of layering and working such a common medium to achieve such unusual effects. Even her small pieces are visually intriguing and emotionally evocative. There is very delicate line and eraser work involved that must be seen in person to fully appreciate.

Diana Al-Hadid's sculptures took me a little longer to respond to. Her sculpture Edge of Critical Density at first looked to me like it was comprised of the sausage casings my father uses during the holidays (if you're unaware, sausage casings are made from pig intestines). Upon further inspection I began to see other forms take shape until it looked more like a swirling ballgown. I liked it much better after that.

Iva Gueorguieva's huge abstract paintings are quite beautiful. I reacted to them less emotionally than the works by the other artists but I think I spent the most time examinging them. Looking at her pieces brought up a question that I've asked myself numberous times before: when I am seeing an object or idea in an abstract piece, does it say more about my own psychology or the artist's? My instructor, Ms. Baron-Robbins, buffered this with an example from her own experience. In an abstract piece, she used what she perceived as fingers. However, many viewers responded to these figures as phallic symbols, to the point of her frustration. She reassured me, though, that much of what I was seeing in Ms. Gueorguieva's work was actually what was intended.

Project 3

2009-11-09T08:21:00.000-08:00

I changed my mind about my final project and I am taking it in a completely different direction. I decided to go with something a little less literal, focusing more on the mood of a song rather than the lyrical content. I chose a song by the artist Helios, the track "Coast Off" but really the whole album Eingya has become a huge part of my process. It's interesting how an album that I've been familiar with for a few years has suddenly become entirely new when approached in different states of mind and situations.

I've also been exploring artists that use soft materials in their works. One I like in particular is E.V. Day. This is her Whitney Biennial piece, entitled Bombshell:

I find the way Ms. Day shreds pieces and reconstructs them as a different form of themselves really fascinating. She's doing a series for the New York Opera House that uses old costumes:

After I had sort of conceived of this idea for my project, I found an abstract landscape painter named Steve Slimm. A few of his paintings use the color palate I was considering exactly:

Just in case you're curious (and you should be!), here's a few more of my favorite tracks from the album Eingya by Helios:

Random Inspiration (Clara Bow)

2009-10-31T17:45:00.000-07:00

Pulled out my old costume standby, the 1920's flapper dress. As Tim Gunn would say (WHO IS GOING TO BE SPEAKING AT USF ON THE 4TH, OMG!), "With a dress like this, styling is everything!" So, I looked up some silver screen starlets for makeup tips.

I went with Clara. I just. love. her.

Random Inspiration (Melissa Moss)

2009-10-30T12:27:00.000-07:00

While at the Julie West show in Hollywood, FL, I came across a couple prints by Melissa Moss. We were on our way out the door and I didn't get to stop and examine them closely so I wrote her name down to look her up later. I'm so glad I did! Moss is an Asheville, NC based artist who has studied color psychology and utilizes this theory in her awesome work.

too happy
Acrylic on wood

the party's over
Acrylic on wood

ebb
Acrylic and gouache on wood

I ADORE that last one! I want a large print of that and I think it will probably factor heavily into my inspiration for the mural I'm doing on a friend's wall.

1 Song, 3 Pieces

2009-10-29T15:30:00.000-07:00

For the 3rd major project, the song I will be using is by my favorite cello-rock band, Rasputina. For the initial song => inspiration part of the project, I decided to use another of their songs to get into the right mindset.

AntiqueHighHeelRedDollShoes is the first and from there I also considered the song Gingerbread Coffin. Both of these songs use imagery relating to dolls. I understand why people often find dolls creepy or unsettling but I think that is what I like about them.

I like the dramatic lighting on this one.

Gift Wrapped Doll #37
James Rosenquist
Oil on canvas
1997

I'm a big fan of buying handmade and I love sites like Etsy and ArtFire. This handmade doll reminds me of drawings of medieval plague doctors which are both frightening and fascinating.

Birdman from woods
Ree Gurova for Lime in Moloko
Polymer clay and fabric
2009

My friend Brigitte is the artist behind a line of custom dolls called Zombuki. I really like her pieces.

Eulalia Dia Zombuki
Brigitte Coovert
2009

Mini Project #2

2009-10-28T08:34:00.001-07:00

I was surprised how effectively some of the other students in the class were able to convey the meaning of their chosen pieces/artists. I tried to guess who the artist might be during the performance and I guessed right on Katie's John Cage performance and Lauren's Mark Ryden performance. I was curious to learn more about Taryn's artist, Subodh Gupta, because I thought his kitchenware mushroom cloud sculpture was really fascinating. I was also interested in Caitlin's artist, Robyn O'Neil, and her methods.

As for my own performance, I think it would have gone much better if my glasses hadn't fallen apart because that was just upsetting to me. If I had more time, I would have tried to memorize the part that I read or rehearsed reading it a few more times so get the pacing right. I also think I could have been clearer about the connection between my performance and Suzanne Lacy's work. Overall, I was happy with my performance.

Julie West at Pink Ghost gallery in Hollywood, FL

2009-10-25T20:25:00.001-07:00

Road tripped with a good friend over to Hollywood, FL, to meet Julie West at her solo show in Pink Ghost's gallery. She does beautiful work. Her colors are well chosen, her shapes and spaces are gentle while remaining definite. It's impressive that a lot of her work which requires a lot of geometrically correct shapes is hand done in acrylic and then mounted on brocade fabrics. It's really quite impressive. And it's all just so creepy-cute! I picked up some cool swag, a signed "chubby" book by the artist and a cool blind box Dunny so I'm happy. Plus I got to spend a lot of time with my friend Brigitte whom I had not seen in ages and who is now making a living as a working artist which is so inspirational I can't even begin to express. I'll post some of Ms. West's stuff later but for now it is goodnight.

Update!
Here are some of West's paintings:

West signed a postcard of this in my chubby book, under the bats with a text bubble coming from the girl. Awesome!

Want

2009-10-15T22:46:00.000-07:00

think-make-think
Clifton Burt

I'm not usually into text art but this one has the right elements. The haiku used, by John Maeda, is inspiring but not cheesy, and the road sign font is engaging without being totally abrasive or illegible, which is usually the case with text art.

In any case, I want a print of this in my face at all times. I think that would be good for me.

Project #2 Proposals

2009-10-04T12:22:00.000-07:00

For our second project, on "range", I have a few ideas that I have been considering and might possibly need feedback on.

The first idea I had was to do a single image several times with different media. This could be a still-life or a portrait/self portrait, and would probably include graphite, chalks and charcoal, oil pastel, and possibly paint(?). I have also considered repeating an image several times with the intention of abstracting it to a greater degree each time.

My second idea was to do a series of expressionist portraits of a single person in oil pastel and depict a range of facial expressions. This may also be self portraits.

My third idea was a figure study in which the subject would begin fully clothed and remove one article of clothing for each successive drawing. If I thought I could handle it I might even include a drawing of the human body's muscular structure and then skeleton to add as further steps after the final nude. I don't know if I have the patience or skill to complete a project like this, however.

Random Inspiration (And Keep Smiling)

2009-09-28T20:38:00.000-07:00

This song came on my mp3 player as I drove home from school one night. There was tons of heat lightning over the bay and it looked pretty amazing. The song, by Rachel's, is called "And Keep Smiling" (which is a really great title) and I like it quite a bit.

(X-posted to Burnt Pages)

Under the Stairs

2009-09-27T15:33:00.000-07:00

The concept of this project - to take everyday objects and use them in a different way - is one I was previously familiar with. I've participated in class projects like this before and they usually go one of two ways; they flow smoothly and turn out well, or they become forced and the final product suffers for it.

I feel that this project may have gone the second direction. After being given our materials (800 Q-Tips! What'll I do?!) the class discussed briefly how we should handle the collaborative part of it. We almost immediately went to something representational, which is normal. I think, though, that because we may have felt rushed to figure out what we were supposed to do, we went with something that was easy and not very interesting.

This is to say nothing of my personal struggle with my materials. A good deal of time, effort, and even some money (I had to buy tons of glue!) went into my particular part of the piece and I was still unable to accomplish anything that I found satisfactory.

If there is one thing I learned from this project, it is that good art really does flow from an internal place. I feel that there is a progression to the process of creating something and that process usually starts with a feeling or an idea, then gradually becomes more tangible as options are explored, materials are chosen, and work is completed. Perhaps this is just my own process and trying to work out of that order is difficult for me personally.

I honestly feel that with just a little more time for conception and execution, everyone, myself included, could have come up with something really fascinating. As it was, I thought the final product was charming but uninspired.

C+P Assignment 03 - Bourgeois and Leris Readings

2009-09-09T08:57:00.000-07:00

Bourgeois
1. The benefit of confrontation is that often one can release the pressure and anziety of a situation into artistic expression and this can be used as a way of coping with stressful or painful experiences. Also, when viewing a confrontational piece by an artist, another person who man not have a developed coping mechanism may find solace through viewing.

2. Schwartzman feels that people do not understand Bourgeois' work because they are confounded by its lack of clear definition, because she uses her materials in unorthodox ways, and because her psychological insight is frightening or uncomfortable to them.

3. I like art that conveys strong emotion and I wish I saw more of it. I think the photographs of Lauren Greenfield dealing with young women with eating disorders have affected me emotionally.

4. Bourgeois risks revealing very personal aspects of herself and being judged on and because of them. I think it is owrth it to her as an artist to take these risks because that is how she deals with her experiences. I feel that I would be able to take a great number of risks as an artist.

Leris
1. Leris means that it was very important to his siblings and himself to keep their stories private because they might lose some of their specialness if others knew about them.

2. The ill-defined space Leris would walk by was the area between the buildings by the racecourse at Auteuil. I have memories of turning into the neighborhood I grew up in and even though we still have a few blocks to go to get to our house, I felt like I was home. I don't feel the same way about this place now since I have not lived there in a very long time.

3. The words "empty hall" signified a specific place for Leris as it was a name he and his brothers had given to a place they visited. The echoing of their voices against the stone give the words a more audibly descriptive scene.

4. I think Bourgeois and Leris would agree that self-reflection and confrontation are worth it. I agree with them. The results are that often art is produced that may speak to us emotionally and sometimes it will only have an affect on the artist themselves.

C+P Assignment 02

2009-09-07T23:17:00.000-07:00

For my first project for Concepts and Practices, I will be creating an object that represents an aspect of my relationship with my family. I have chosen to create a terrarium. Throughout my life, much of my interaction with my family has involved the natural world. We have explored numerous forests and jungles together, and my parents have been avid gardeners for as long as I can remember. I feel that they instilled in me an appreciation for nature that I have carried into my adult life.

The first artist whose work shares a common element with my project is Paula Hayes.

Hayes' terrariums were very inspirational to me when I first started to build terrariums of my own. The organic shapes of her vessels enclosing small, bright plants of numerous varieties from myriad terrains remind us to consider the quieter pieces of the world we may overlook every day. This is part of why I enjoy terrariums as art. While at first glance they may seem like nothing much, on further viewing it is actually quite easy to lose oneself in the intricacies of an ecosystem in miniature.

Another artist that I feel relates to my project is Thomas Doyle.

Doyle makes dioramas, often encased in glass, that are able to evoke strong emotional reaction. While the feelings one gets from Doyle's work are often sinister or foreboding, and my intention is to express nearly the opposite of these emotions, I think it is important for me to explore why Doyle's pieces draw such reactions so that I might better understand how to elicit the desired reaction in my own pieces.

The third artist whose work I found relative to my project is Andrea Zittel.

Much of Zittel's work revolves around compacting large spaces into small spaces, and exploring the ideas of isolation and understanding the physical space one occupies. This is similar to the intention of terrariums, and I find her work conceptually appealing.

(X-posted at Burnt Pages)

C+P Assignment 01

2009-09-07T14:16:00.000-07:00

This past week I had the opportunity to view some of the artwork of Anthony Grajirena on display in the Green Room gallery of the Dunedin Brewery. Grajirena's strong suit seems to be creating pieces that are visually simple yet emotionally evocative, and he manages through his illustrations to blend playfulness with a more subtle implication of solemn reflection, perhaps a feeling of being out of place or even a feeling of loneliness. Two of Grajirena's pieces in particular stood out to me:

(X-posted at Burnt Pages)