Quiz Make Up #2

Art 21 Video Clip - Cindy Sherman

Cindy Sherman was an artist I had difficulty understanding. Her work was a major display at the MoMa.  Many people seemed mesmerized by her photographs and oversized portraits. Walking through her exhibit, did not impress me. The moment her name came up in the Art 21 series, I had to click and learn more.  

 It was interesting to learn that even as a young child, Cindy Sherman loved photographs and circled herself in every single one. Upon graduating from college, she decided to experience this all over again. Fascinated by photography and dressing up, she began to take many pictures of herself. I can artistically recognize is that Cindy Sherman can take on the role of anyone and literally transform herself. In my opinion she combines art, photography and theater.

Many, including myself, have criticized her work. The feeling many have is that she is ridiculing others, particularly women. Some of her portraits are a bit “over the top” to say the very least. However, she makes it clear that she was simply experimenting and her intention was not to poke fun at anyone. This made me respect Cindy Sherman. I saw a humbleness to her personality.

While she is not my favorite artist, I do like her still photography. She makes mention that they can symbolize something entirely different to everyone looking at them. For our final project, I included two pieces from that collection because they inspired emotion. It is artistic how she can communicate in one photograph emotions that can be interpreted in so many different ways…for that alone I can now admire her work.

Quiz Make Up #1

Art 21 Video Clip - Doris Salcedo

Thanks to my art class and upon visiting the MoMa, I had the pleasure of seeing the art work of Doris Salcedo. It made me extremely proud to see the work of a Latina artist on display. Of course as her name came up in Art 21, I was intrigued to learn more about her. Doris Salcedo speaks is such an eloquent and poetic manner that it moves you. She’s a storyteller whom you believe to have experienced the art pieces she puts together, yet has not. Her empathy is evident through her collaborative effort with her team of architects.

Watching the video, I remember walking through her display at the MoMa without realizing how precise, tedious and time consuming each piece was. Doris’s attention to detail is a symbol of her compassion to the victims she subtly brings to life. Every single work piece is accurate and precise. It is impacting how she can portray numerous emotions without the use of a single word.

All works discussed in the video were interesting and real. Doris Salcedo brings back the sadness of individual victims of violence, violence in third world countries, for example La Violencia (The Violence) in the 1980’s in Colombia. The piece she remade on the tragedy which occurred at the Palace of Justice was breathtaking. In one of her art works, she spent three years using hair as thread on a needle to sew through wood; this was a representation of the waste of lives during a massacre in Colombia.

After seeing the video, I walk away with a wonderful impression of this amazing woman. I look forward to seeing her art work throughout various venues. Doris Salcedo is an exemplary role model and true inspiration.

"Illustrate a Story"

Listening to this story immediately made my eyes fill with tears. My grandfather came to my mind immediately. The kind words with which Priya Morganstein and Bharani Jaroff describe their father in the interview are exactly the ones anyone in our family would use for Luis Alberto Flores, my “Abuelito” (grandpa).  My grandfather was a kind, hard-working, role model, loving husband, father, grandfather and great grandfather.  His family was his biggest treasure and he always pushed for us to be together regardless of distance. He overemphasized family and when he saw us together his eyes glowed. This year will be 10 years since his passing and not one day goes by that we don’t remember him. The digital image is a collage of our family together like always. And as the family keeps growing, we keep adding to the tree. The image has a message in Spanish which reads:

To have lived giving love is extraordinary, but even more so is to have lived and passed away remaining unforgettable. For all the footprints you left behind…We love you!

 

Field Trip #5

Chelsea Galleries Reaction

            Visiting the various galleries in Chelsea was interesting to say the very least. As an art collector, my worry was if I did not sell these pieces could I actually live with them? Again the question of good art vs. bad art came up time and time again in my mind. In some galleries, those faces of admiration and appreciation appeared and I was tempted to ask what they saw that my eyes couldn’t. After visiting five galleries and speaking with a few people it was suggested to take a look at the Acquavella Gallery. This gallery catered more to my taste of paintings.

            The Lehmann Maupin Gallery was displaying the art work of Gilbert & George. The installation arrangement was done very well, but what was being represented quickly turned me away. Oddly, the room had a cold feel to it as well. There were printed posters covering every single wall and the first thought that came to mind was violence. The words that jumped off the posters turned out to be the title of each work. Some titles were “Death”, “Arrested” and “Man Dies” and “Playboy” just to name a few.

            As I turned to learn about the artists and exhibit, in huge lettering were the names of every single poster. The exhibit was entitled “London Picture”. They were all mystery and drama inspired. Gilbert & George were portraying London’s moods and that of a quotidian contemporary society. These posters all represented the daily urban life in London. These issues take place worldwide, yet in my opinion they could have transmitted the message differently; perhaps via a video montage. I dreaded the thought of not selling these posters and having them sit in a storage unit.

            Visiting the Greene Naftali Gallery gave me some tranquility. Rachel Harrison’s exhibit “The Help” contained beautiful art pieces with vibrant color. The drawings all portrayed her passion and the sculptures were set up along the middle making you feel like a part of the exhibit. While they still were not my absolute personal favorite, I was able to identify a market in which to sell them. Recreating the ambiance of the curator would be part of the challenge. The sketching in “Untitled, 2012” and “Untitled, 2011” were impressive to say the least. The artist used styrofoam in just about every sculpture; “Hokotoho, 2012” almost looked like a silhouette.

            The job of an art collector is certainly not easy and involves a lot of patience and attention to detail. Once a client base is organized, then one can begin to purchase specific pieces. Nonetheless, the field trip was fun and made you appreciate a day in the life of an art collector.

Viewed at the Lehmann Maupin Gallery

Gilbert & George

"London Picture"

2011

Viewed at the Green Naftali Gallery

Rachel Harrison

"The Help"

Specifically referenced:

"Hojotoho" 2012

"Untitled" 2011

"Untitled" 2012

Rachel Harrison

Project #5 You're the Curator! & Field Trip #6 Reaction

            Welcome to my online exhibit entitled “Emotion through Art in the Collection of the MoMa”.  It was important that the theme be warm, welcoming and an eye opener to various sections of the MoMa. My goal is that after viewers see this online exhibit, they will pursue to visit the various sections from which the art was selected from. The MoMa can certainly be overwhelming; however via this online exhibit you will have an opportunity to see various works from the Painting & Sculpture, Photography, Film, Prints & Illustrated Books and Drawings all a part of the MoMa’s permanent collection.

Pablo Picasso, "Les Demoiselles d'Avignon", 1907, Painting & Sculpture

Cindy Sherman, "Untitled Film Still #2", 1977, Photography

Andrew Wyeth, "Christina's World", 1948, Painting & Sculpture

David Fincher, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button", 2008, Film

David Wark Griffith, "Her Awakening", 1911, Film

Frank Borzage, "Lazybones", 1925, Film

Kathe Kollwitz, "Mother with a Child in her Arms", 1916, Prints & Illustrated Books

Abraham Rattner, "Mother and Child", 1938, Painting & Sculpture

Julia Margaret Cameron, "Venus Chiding Cupid & Removing His Wings", 1872, Photography

David Cronenberg, "A History of Violence", 2005, Film

Sue Coe, "Doctor Giving Massage to a Patient with Aids", 1993, Prints & Illustrated Books

David Alfaro Siqueiros, "The Sob", 1939, Painting & Sculpture

Hernan Bas, "The Start of the Rain", 2004, Drawings

Sam Salisbury, "Untitled (Companion #3)", 2003, Drawings

Cindy Sherman, "Untitled Film Still #32", 1979, Photography

            The organization of this exhibit was key and not an easy task. I paired art from different sections of the MoMa which were similar in emotion yet different in artistic style. I was able to include art work which depicted strength, self-esteem, relationships, affection, bonding, hurt and sorrow. The artists selected range in cultural background.  The year of completion span from the 1800’s to the present. Therefore, materials used also varied from oil on canvas, to black and white, color photography and sketching to name a few. Various forms of emotion are represented.

             There are three specific art pieces which are particularly dear to me. They are “Lazybones”, “Mother with a Child in her Arms” and “Mother and Child”. Here are three opportunities to portray emotion through art from the collections of the MoMa. The three pieces come from the Film, Prints & Illustrated Books and Painting & Sculpture. Each one shows the beauty and strength in the bond between a child and parent. They are from different years in the 1900’s, yet the warm emotion is present in all three making the concept the same. They share an immense feeling of happiness without the use of words. The only difference is the material used to create them. As a curator, it was exciting to bring all three works together for viewers.

As I am about to have my first baby girl this July, the three pieces captured my heart and soul. It overjoyed me to find the image with the father and baby girl, as it was very uncommon in my search. I hope you enjoy this online mini tour and visit the MoMa soon. Perhaps you too can find pieces of art in different sections which share similarities.

Field Trip 4

Sculpture Center Reaction

            It is amazing how one can live somewhere their entire life and not necessarily know what their surrounding neighborhoods have to offer. Hence the case of the Sculpture Center, I had never even heard of the street name. The inside is definitely unique in terms of the layout. The first floor has a very high ceiling yet the lower level makes one feel like the walls and ceiling are closing in. In all honesty, I was even a bit spooked while downstairs, plus I was alone.

            Bill Bollinger’s exhibit took time to analyze, understand and appreciate. My mind kept sorting what it saw as good art versus bad art. However, as I learned more about the artist my appreciation grew. First of all location was a key element. The exhibit would not have had the same effect say at the MoMa in NYC. The Sculpture Center was the perfect place to showcase Bollinger’s work. The materials used by Bollinger were industrial and one might even think the materials had been lying around the establishment for Bollinger to simply pick up and utilize.

            The “Wire Piece” was quite impressive. The detail Bollinger created by curving the wire was unique. While he could have made the installation much higher due to the height of the ceiling, it then would have taken the viewers attention away from the detail. Bollinger made this work site-specific by placing the installation at eye level, in the middle of the room with enough room to walk on either side and still see the curve made in the wire.

            The “Rope Piece” placed strategically on the corner of the wall was perfect. While the materials included simple rope, clamps eyebolts and turnbuckle, the illusion of shadow created by Bollinger was what made it amazing. Again he had to take into consideration where light in his space came from. Next to this installation, Bollinger strategically placed the “Droplight” piece. The incandescent bulb pointing towards the “Rope Piece” added to the effect of shadow.

 Last, but not least the piece “Untitled” wheelbarrow from afar one didn’t know if they were part of the exhibit. Once again, filling the wheelbarrows to the top prevented them from moving. The rust made it appear as if they were empty. Two other things noticed were that the art drawings were purposely put on a separate wall to highlight them and at the same time not take away from the installations on the right. Also the exhibit on the main floor could not have been placed in the lower level. All installations would have looked wedged into a small space and taken away from Bollinger’s concept of mass.

Bill Bollinger

“Wire Piece”, 1970

Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein-Vaduz

Bill Bollinger

“Rope Piece” (VW), 1967 (2011)

Reconstruction

Bill Bollinger

“Droplight”, 1969

Kunstmuseum-St. Gallen

Bill Bollinger

“Untitled”, 1970 (2002)

Wheelbarrows, water

Kunstmuseum-St. Gallen

Reconstruction

Field Trip 2

MoMa PS 1: The Good, the Bad and the Misunderstood

            I had never visited the MoMa PS 1 in Long Island City, Queens and it was quite an experience. This institution portrays the art work of younger and living artists. You were able to see how much credit and respect is given to these artists by simply walking the hallways and in small talk with the staff. They would ask you what your thoughts were, if you took a photograph indeed very warm and welcoming.

The museum made me look at art through a different lens. This was my very first time at this museum and I did not know what to expect. My first stop was at the “Frances Stark: My Best Thing” exhibit. Art is a big umbrella under which paintings, sculptures, performing, theater, film and much more falls into. The exhibit was a color video on a soap opera which ran for about 90 minutes and was broken into episodes. The video had adult language and content which as an adult was fine, however I did not feel there was a point to the video. After episode 4 I left the exhibit and did not like it at all. The idea by the artist was to show online relationships and almost like a “darker” side to online chatting. Up to that part, I was onboard with her, but then it became a bit raunchy and lost my appreciation. If could have fast forwarded to the last two episodes I would have just to see where this was going. Many people left after episode two and what I did notice was the moment people would stand up to leave was during a scene with vulgarity or a sexual reference; almost as if embarrassed to be seen watching the video. I felt funny staying until the fourth episode and mind you, we are in 2012. This exhibit was definitely the bad for me.

Next I visited “Janet Cardiff; The Forty Part Motet” exhibit. This was a rework of “Spem in Allium” by Thomas Tallis from the year 1573. As I turned into the room, I was simply taken back. Perhaps because it was a rainy Friday afternoon or the amount of light that entered the room truly enhanced this exhibit making it breathtaking. The room had forty speakers in eight groups of five perfectly spaced out with a few small benches to sit in the center. The artist spaced everything out with perfection in mind. The music was so beautiful and when I first walked by I thought some speakers were not working, yet they all were. You felt there was a connection of voices within the speakers, almost like listening to a choir. Being in the room gave you such peace, needless to say this was art at its best and I loved it.

The last exhibit which left me with a unique impression was “Darren Bader: Images”. I must say that reading Darren Bader’s introduction made me feel as if I had met him personally; it was very humble and honest. I walked into his first exhibit knowing I would run out because of my severe allergy to cats, yet his message was very nice. The exhibit was set up to look like a small living room with a couch in the middle and two cats walking around. The artist was given permission to bring in three cats at a time and have them be open to adoption. The first three were all adopted and now the new batch of three was left with two. I had no idea how many cats and dogs were euthanized by the city and it was very sad. His next exhibit is where my confusion began. There was an iguana in the middle of the room, a croissant on the floor and an old pizza in an oven. There wasn’t any explanation anywhere of what this was and everyone walked out with the same expression. I wish I could have asked the artist what this meant; I am almost tempted to email him.

All in all, my first blog of good art vs. bad art came into mind and my feelings towards art are the same.  I am happy to be visiting different museums and exhibits and hope to continue doing so.

Frances Stark: My Best Thing
American, b. 1967
Video (color sound) 99:17 2011

Janet Cardiff: The Forty Part Motet 2001

Darren Bader: Images (I didn't see any specific titles)