In our endeavor to study art from prehistory all the way to today's creations, my art history class took a trip to see the 21st century wing of the VMFA. We looked for comparisons, as well as areas of growth and development that we could distinguish from the art pieces we had seen up to that point.
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As I sit here at a swim meet, I thought I'd look a little into art that incorporates water and uses water to enhance its message. James deClaire Taylor builds underwater sculpture that allows for interaction with the local ecosystem, while not contaminating the environment. The ephemeral quality of his art draws people to it, and they can also be witness to the magical relationship between the natural and the artificial.
Throwback to the D.C. field trip! With my recent venturing into the world of intaglio prints, I kept thinking back to the inside look we got of the Prints and Drawings wing of the National Gallery back in December. I took several photos of the prints kept in the back room, and I thought I'd do a little rundown of what I found to be beautiful, informative, and valuable when I made my own etching. In addition, I took some inspiration from my main man Goya, whose etchings simply amaze me.
"The central dilemma: How is it possible to stand free of the despised values, systems, and structures while at the same time remaining sufficiently engaged to make a difference to them? How does one create and set in motion a series of tactics and subversions, how does one organize a series of gestures that create a subjectivity that is neither passive nor obedient?" - Daniel Joseph Martinez
In the last paragraph of Talking Politics 2008, Martinez poses these questions to spur thinking on the premise of political action through art. His highlighted piece at the bottom of the page drew me in, specifically through its name: "It's just a little headache, it's just a little bruise/redemption of the flesh/The politics of the future as urgent as the blue sky." The piece itself, when I looked for a closer and clearer image, was mentally disturbing and almost difficult to look at. This-I think- is a hallmark and one of the most vital characteristics of politically motivated art. The importance of the inherent aestheticism of artwork is discussed at length through this article's round-table discussion. Adel Abidin remarked that "Art is based on aesthetics and you can never ignore that", while the artist Enrique Chagoya states that "...strong aesthetics make stronger political content and make the work more engaging, but that aspect may render it fragile because it very easily becomes a commodity." I find myself resonating a great deal with the statement made by Chagoya, that aesthetics are integral to art, but too heavy a reliance on them create a superficiality to the work that takes away what is meant to be the deeper meaning. A roughness, a rawness to pieces of art, ones that even disturb the viewer, are more powerful in conveying meaning than the aesthetically pleasing works. An adherence to societal standards of beauty would be comforting to a viewer, and this sense of comfort does not foster a sense of questioning and uncertainty, and therefore is not the goal of this type of art. I've been a tad bit enamored with the idea of woodworking as of late (although my technique could use dome refining). I found this Japanese artist on a website that detailed the process through which he creates his unique pieces; often featuring motifs like skeletons, figures, and faces.
I love the whispering beauty of these pieces, and the way they make the audience think about the inner workings of what they could mean. Check out his process: http://www.boredpanda.com/surreal-wood-sculpture-process-photos-yoshitoshi-kanemaki/
http://www.abakanowicz.art.pl/index.php.html
Hey there Weebly! It's been a while, huh?
Well as a quick update, I'll let you know what's going on in my art as of right now. I spent a good long while trying to figure out how I would create some kind of loom to make my weaving or tapestry, and after quite a bit of investigation, trial and error, and watching YouTube videos, I built my own out of a canvas frame! I am now creating what is called the heading, which is something of a border for the actual image that will make up my weaving. I'm planning on using some reddish and neutral colors to make a woven figure drawing, and I'm trying to decide how many nature elements I ought to use in the image. Wish me luck, Weebly! I will have images for you soon :) Of course, [younger Russians] understand this art through the prism of repression, but they look at the artists and their esthetics with fresh eyes. Propanganda casts a wide net that catches not one, but many types of art intended to persuade. One of the most powerful methods of persuasion is through remembrance, or nostalgia. These potent themes can reach far back into the mind and draw memories and emotions from ages past.
Both Russia's Socialist Realism and the ISIS reappropriation of an artist's photographs are taking advantage of nostalgia to gain traction in the public realm. While Socialist Realism uses it to garner financial support and additional audience, ISIS uses nostalgia as a satirical tool, making a mockery of American remembrance to gain members for their own malicious cause. VIDEO IS DONE!!!
It's been a rollercoaster; broken cameras, crashing computers, and sub-par mud, but we finally made it. s/o to my partner in crime Alex Norman, and to the lovely mud models Elle Rosenbaum, Slaw, Andrea Medina, and Patrick Canteros!!! You guys are wonderful :) |