Inside/Outside Redo

This is probably my favorite work I've done so far. It was really nice being able to draw from direct observation for as long as needed. I think I make my best work under these conditions.

Emily Rooney

Upon walking into Emily Rooney's gallery, the first thing I noticed was how peaceful everything seemed. Much of her work was displayed on the ground. I think that placing her work on the ground made everything more relaxed. She had also arranged a sculptural piece in a half circle on the floor. Circles are also shapes that I find relaxed and organic. There were also stones and incense incorporated into her piece. Incense immediately take me to a very peaceful place because I used to burn them at home when I was relaxing in my room. I felt that what she had created was grasping at something peaceful and organic, though it was composed of man-made elements. For instance, a particular household object, a broom, was incorporated subtly enough for me not to recognize it upon first glance but obvious enough that it wasn't being hidden. Many of the regular objects she incorporated in her work were altered in some way, like the burnt vinyls. When first viewing the burnt vinyls, I had not realized what they were. At first, all I saw was a very interesting bowl-like sculpture. Thats what I find so subtle about Emily's work. Much of her work had been made from recognizable objects, you just don't realize it at first. I noticed that many of the objects in the room were either black or burnt. This was very interesting to me but I could not find a meaning for it.

In the second room stood what looked like some sort of tile, tabletop with a rough tub in the center. This tub resembled stone or dirt or something carved from organic material, though the structure itself was very polished and man-made looking. it was the only standing object in the room. It gave me the same kind of peaceful feel as the previous objects, but with an inorganic touch. Everything appeared to want to remind you in some way that it was not as natural as it seemed.

In the third room played a large video on the wall. It featured people dancing and singing, but in slow motion. the dancers appeared very flashy and posed. Because the audio played in slow motion, the voices became distorted and eerie. It was very dramatic. The song was very solemn and you could not make out the words. It was hard to understand what was going on, but it felt to me as if I was watching a memory. Something about the slow motion clips had me relating it to some sort of dream sequence. It seemed that whoever's memory this was, was remembering these times and sad that they could not return to them. Thats as much as I could get from what I was viewing. 

Five Foot Drawing

This project was definitely a learning experience for me. Firstly, I got the chance to study Matisse. I found his use of pattern and color inspiring. I'm glad I took the chance to take a closer look at his work because I can definitely say I appreciate it more than I had previous to this assignment. Although I could have definitely used more pattern in my own drawing, I enjoyed creating work with Matisse as a reference. My biggest struggle with this assignment was working with one of my friends as a model. It really made me appreciate the payed models we have in drawing class. First, I had to find times in which we'd both be available to work on the drawing. Then, even though I told her to get in the most comfortable position for her, she could only sit for about twenty minutes at a time and complained incessantly. It was also very difficult to get her to stay in the same position. From this experience, the most valuable thing I probably learned was to be dependent only on myself when it comes to my assignments. I had to do a lot of the drawing without a model and it was very frustrating but I made things work the best that I could. Defiantly a learning experience...

Black Drawings

First black and white drawing

Black drawing redo

The Evil Eye and MGMT...oh, and the PMA again

Somehow when I visited the PMA the first time, I ended up blogging about a general room instead of a specific piece... whoops. So when I went back for my second visit and tried to choose a piece from the same gallery, I realized that no individual piece in the room spoke to me strongly. It was the way that the pieces communicated with each other and filled the space together that had drawn me to The Alice Jones Eshleman and William Thomas Vogt Gallery in the first place. No painting stood apart in a way that encouraged me to write about it individually. And so, I set off into the rest of the museum in search of inspiration. Eventually, I came across Enrico Donati's sculpture, The Evil Eye, Done in 1947. 

I found this piece very compelling. It was unlike anything else I had seen in the museum and doesn't even seem to fit well with the pieces in the room it's in. I almost felt guilty for liking it so much because it reminds me of some sort of carnival trick or tacky voodoo object. I almost have a hard time grasping what sets this piece apart to me. It's a beautiful, unfocused looking eye, lazily gazing past the viewer. The piece itself is mostly gold and coppery colors. These colors definitely played a part in attracting me to this piece. The gold helps create that mystical quality that this piece possesses. What’s really compelling about this piece is the circular mirrors set behind it that reveal a monkeys face. This monkey stares at you from all angles, with a pair of vibrant and frantic orange/yellow eyes. It's a little unsettling having those eyes looking at you all the time, but thats part of why I found this sculpture so interesting. Copper wires emerge from the bottom of the piece like veins. There is something mystical and bewitching about The Evil Eye. If you view it from the side however, revealing the front and back of the piece at once, the magic is somewhat lost. But those eyes still see you.  I also find eyes to be very powerful. Our eyes are what we use to see the world. They directly connect to how we perceive and understand things. There is also so much emotion that can be expressed just through one’s eyes. After spending some time with this piece, I realized that it reminded me of another image I had seen. On the cover of the special edition Congratulations album by MGMT, is a picture of a chunk of a face, including one eye, laying in the sand.

 This image is taken from the music video for the song Congratulations. I think MGMT has the same mystic type of qualities that attracted me to The Evil Eye. They were my favorite band for a while. I often felt that they were trying to convey some kind of secret, or lesson about life and reality through their music. I think The Evil Eye makes me feel the same way. I actually hadn't realized my attraction to eyes so much until analyzing this piece, but they are reoccurring theme in my own art and other art that I'm interested in. There’s just something very knowing and truthful about them, almost as if you can look into a person through their eyes. I hope I'm not starting to sound too crazy right now, that’s just how I view them.

Pinks, Peaches, and the PMA

When I went to the the PMA recently, the room that I felt most inclined to write about was The Alice Jones Eshleman and William Thomas Vogt Gallery. Every room in the Museum is worth writing about, but there was something very comforting in the colors that occupied this room. It featured fresh and warm paintings of sunny days and serene young women by artists Morisot, Renior, and Cassatt. Each one was framed in gold. On the far end of the room sat a sculpture by Renior, appropriately named The Large Washerwoman. This large, black sculpture created an interesting contrast to the warm colors of the surrounding paintings. The room is full of rosy pinks, peaches, and bright greens, and blues. Walking through that room was like walking into spring. The subject matter, consisting of tranquil young girls, reclining young women and bathers, does much to contribute to this vibe. Being a busy art student in the cold and harsh atmosphere of the city, maybe that’s what attracted me so much to this room. I envied the girls in those paintings. Their world was forever bright and carefree. My life must have been that carefree at some point. Probably when I was very young. I have a faint memory of glowing green grass, a blooming flower garden, and miniature sundresses. It’ll be spring again soon, but it is doubtful my springs and summers will ever be as carefree as they were in those times. I admire Renoir’s pieces in particular. His style is so soft, smooth, and blended. Morisot’s brush strokes are less subtle but still flow in a way that doesn’t subtract from the paintings calming nature. The women in his paintings are fair and dainty. There is no dramatic backstory to these portraits. They are charming paintings, and together they create a very peaceful room. If only life were as simple as they are portrayed in these pieces. 

What is Art?

"The point is, that every piece of art changes your whole perception of the rest of the world for the rest of your life. And it's not a joke! And if it doesn't, then it's not art, it's a commodity."

- Lawrence Weiner


I understand where Lawrence is coming from but I think his view may be a bit narrow. Wouldn't it be nice if we could really narrow down whats art and what isn't? I'm sure many people would love to say that Marcel Duchamp's, Fountain is not art. At the same time others would call it ingenious. That's my point. Art is experienced differently by all who view it. A piece of art that one person disregards may have a  strong, meaningful connection to the next. Out of the people who have seen Fountain I'm sure many thought it was a joke. To others however, It may have changed the way they look at regular objects, especially in relation to art, for the rest of their lives. Art impacts each individual person in a different way and I believe that it is an exceptional piece of art that stays with you for life.