We visited the Try-me Gallery in Richmond a while ago (April 7, and I'm just writing about it now oops!) Honestly I wasn't too keen on the location but that also might be a general disdain for Main St. The inside of it was super neat though. It was super cool to see so much contemporary art presented in such a small area! The idea that the Try-me is an "urban restoration project" is also super radical. The historical location is very awesome as well! Richmond it the epitome of Virginia history, and to preserve an old soda bottling company is both very commendable and very aesthetically pleasing in terms of the architectural layout of the space- that is, very open. Although the lack of security guards worries me (and no, that one sculpture does not count), I'm surprised that the Try-me Gallery is as unbothered by criminals as it is. I wish I could recall of the insurance stuff on the paintings (but honestly, I know it's important but so boring!), but it seems like they have everything on lockdown. I also wasn't too keen on not having any labels on the works. Conceptually that was really cool, but I feel like our tour guide/art connoisseur lacked all of the information. But, I don't think I'd be able to remember every singly art tidbit either, so it's understandable … I just wasn't a fan. But overall, the concept of a private collection presented as a gallery is super cool, and I'm really glad we got to visit because seeing the one lizard-wearing-roller-skates-and-smoking-on-a-dance-floor sculpture was possibly the most monumental moment of my life. (For real, I think that lizard made me believe in God).
Here's the Try-me Gallery website link! (it's super duper cool stuff!) www.try-me.org
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Here's the link to her website!
www.pieshake.com And her biography on the VCUarts page! arts.vcu.edu/photofilm/people/sasha/ Sasha Waters Freyer, our lecturer for quarter three, is a documenter of sorts. She also creates personal short films (which I honestly find more intriguing than her documentary work) where she combines found footage with contemporary footage. These experimental shorts delve into the concepts of memory, motherhood, and the cultural and political legacies of the 20th century. Her works with 16mm film provide a rustic look, and its these that she juxtaposes the contemporary footage with. Her recent awards and honors include a 2019-20 VMFA Artist Fellowship, a Special Jury Prize for Gary Winogrand: All Things are Photographable, and a Fellowship Residency at the MacDowell Colony. Some of my comments on the lecture, and Freyer in general:
(Hover over the photographs to see the titles!) Here's a link to my favorite video by Freyer! vimeo.com/27319361 Unfortunately, I was unable to view this quarters Lunchtime Lecture … but I was able to view it online! Hurray! Initially, without viewing, I already knew this topic would be interesting (that with talking about governmental censorship and controversial issues this year). When I was little, I considered myself a pundit of comics- in reality I only really knew Wonder Woman and The Archies, but still. I thought this lecture would be interesting, considering the high amounts of violence in our media these days, and the lashings they can receive. Rather, I was surprised to find that the Comics Code Authority was more detested because of its low, G-ratings. Kind of ironic if you ask me. Do I consider these imposed strict standards censorship? To some extent, yes. There is an important point to be made about the content that is normally presented to children and teens. But, this is why content warnings exist. Overall, the CCA seems like a breach of the "American Standard"- free speech, that is- and I think the outright censorship of comics is wrong (even if the content is graphic, I do think that is to be expected). So, I am glad that the CCA eventually died out, because then 5-year-old Renny wouldn't have experienced Wonder Woman being a total badass (excuse the language) and beating the bad guys up. There is some empowerment and virtue found in the more adult side of comics … but it's up to the readers to decide if it's suitable for them, not some organization. So, again, this lecture was very informative. I got something totally different than what I expected, and some nostalgia as well. It's always a pleasure to have Kirk come to our school, and hopefully he can come and speak about comics again soon (because, I do love me a good ole, violent comic).
Here's the link to the actual lecture! www.facebook.com/maggiewalkerart/videos/568480883577660/ Although I didn't find this lecture very interesting- it felt kind of like a review of Art II subjects- I am very intrigued by Japanese aesthetics so I thought it was a very good topic. The focus on comparing modern/western Japanese aesthetics to more traditional Japanese aesthetics I particularly liked. Seeing how attitudes to more pragmatic and natural art have shifted to a more mechanical and rigid aesthetic is kind of sad. So in some ways I do agree with Tanizaki's opinions (an author who explored the art of Japanese traditional aesthetics). Out of the three principle aesthetics we explored I actually didn't know about Yugen. Yugen being mysterious, and adopted from more Buddhist traditions. I knew about Wabi and Sabi, but this was something new. I also enjoyed how Ms. Adams (the lecturer) used actual Japanese works from the VMFA. It made the entire presentation more interpersonal and relatable, especially for someone who frequents the VMFA like me. I would say the best part of this presentation was analyzing Tanizaki's views towards traditional and modern aesthetics, and the worst part would be knowing the majority of the information already! But, again, I did learn some new things, so I would consider this presentation a major success
I had the wonderful pleasure of being apart of the first beta-tested class to tour the Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA). The whole museum was a great experience, and I really loved the political stances that some pieces took on and how the museum as a whole caused a whole ordeal of reflection and pondering. We started the tour with a little warmup exercise using watercolor pencils and brushes, describing the area/architecture around us to a partner and seeing how accurately they could draw it. My drawing wasn't all too accurate, but it was a fun activity. Next we had about 15 minutes to independently draw/paint whatever area of the building that we'd like. I decided to stay inside and explore the contours and curves of the ceiling, which I found quite compelling. These activities helped elevate the architecture of the ICA to a more recognized artistic level, rather than just a building. Then, we began our tour around the museum, exploring the exhibition called Declaration. I particularly enjoyed this part of the museum, as it was the area that I got the chance to discover in the most depth. It exhibited very controversial and taboo topics, such as contemporary attitude towards women or the Ku Klux Klan. And although all of these topics are very heavy in content and emotion, the jovial way that they we're presented made it hard for me to make the connection that some of these works had an inherently negative connotation. This is incredibly skillful! I'm astounded that whilst looking at KKK cloaks the first thought in my mind was "happy" or "funny" not "terrible". It's kind of disturbing but it also makes you ponder about what you're seeing and how you choose to see it. We then explored the rest of the museum, featuring works about GWAR, the mending of society, and popular civil riots. I think out of all the pieces, my favorite was a four panel piece of embroidery depicting women's rights and women's independence and strength. It showed things/events like Sailer Moon "Gangster" cosplay or performances by the feminist band Pussy Riot. The lighthearted take that it had made these events seem mundane, or almost cute, which in itself could be demeaning (but I think one could argue that it doesn't, I don't think that's the intention for this piece, it just looked like something you would see at Grandma's house). In conclusion, the things I took away from this experience were the use of political ideas and trends to heavily influence art and perceiving of art. The museum also included multiple works that showcased a multitude of bright, contrasting colors, and that's something that I'd really like to start incorporating into my work. The use of new, or even strange mediums, is also something I would like to experiment in (although with research beforehand so I'm not completely lost).
Unfortunately I did not take any photos of this said excursion, so I leave you with the ICA logo and the link to the official website: icavcu.org During Spring Break I had the pleasure to go on an art related school trip to New York City for three days. While there we went to the Highline and Chelsea Market, The Metropolitan Museum of Art (The Met), The Guggenheim, and The Museum of Modern Art (The MoMA). While there we also went to see the Broadway musical Kinky Boots, which was so amazing but I won't get into that. On the first day we went to a bunch of galleries in the Meat Packing district and walked the Highline. Out of the multiple mini galleries, my favorites were Robert Mapplethorpe and Jeff Koons. I myself enjoy art with controversial aspects behind it (but couldn't you argue that that's the case for most pieces of art? I don't know … ), so maybe that's why I was drawn to Mapplethorpe's work. Also seeing Koon's pieces in real life was so awesome! They look much different in person, and while I knew the extent of their size, it doesn't truly hit you until they're right in front of you. The Highline was enjoyable, albeit rainy and cold. We didn't get to see a lot of art there due to the rain, but the view it provided of the city was fantastic. The next day we visited The Met and The Guggenheim. At The Met we had the lovely pleasure of a guided tour which, while didn't show us a whole lot, allowed us to converse about the art in a way that we hadn't/wouldn't. Then we, meaning my group, went to the Japanese and French exhibits. I didn't find those as nearly as interesting as the Van Gogh's. I thoroughly enjoy Van Gogh's use of thick impasto and his systematic use of color. It really strikes me as brilliance and I hope to employ some of his techniques into my later works. Of course, my favorite museum was the Guggenheim- the only museum that we had the chance to fully tour. At The Guggenheim we walked the exhibit done by Danh Vo. It was cool to see such intense use of appropriated items in a way that was inherently individual. Maybe with the sculptural unit coming up I could incorporate some of Vo's aesthetics. I also found the photographs displayed in this exhibit to be very enthralling. We also got to see some of Josef Alber's work from when he was in Mexico. It was stunning to see how he interpreted the different ruins and locations of Mexico in basic color and geometric forms. Although, as expected, my favorite artist was Kandinsky. His work that I saw was simply breathtaking. The landscapes showcased by him showed a similar use of color akin to Van Gogh, which, again, I would love to utilize in my work. I spent quite a lot of time drawing in front of the Kandinsky's. The last day was spent at the MoMA, which I have come to significantly like more than I used to- due to my now more profound love for Abstract Expressionism. At the MoMA, there was an exhibit by a woman named Adrian Piper. I wasn't completely in love with her work, but the ideas and issues behind it were good enough to create somewhat of a connection with her work. I did love looking at the evolution of Abstract Expressionism, some of the really thick expressive marks were amazing. Again, I think the main takeaways of this trip in relation to my art were mark and color. A thicker, more expressive mark and more arbitrary, bright colors seems like a step in the direction I would like to continue. Over my winter break, I had the pleasure to travel to California, where we stayed in San Francisco for a few days. One of these days was dedicated to going to The de Young Museum of Fine Arts. The Museum itself had a focus on American art (both North and South). We went to an exhibit that had pieces from the ancient city of Teotihuacan, Mexico. It was quite interesting just in the sheer size of some of the sculptural pieces. It was also interesting to see how other cultures developed a sense of non-realistic art far earlier than Europeans. A funnier aspect of this exhibition was the fact that it took my parents going through half of the show to realize that they had been to these pyramid sites before! Although my parents and I did not tour the whole museum, we did get to look at the American art, African art, and art of the Americas. I quite enjoyed the American art due to the broad spectrum of styles and movements that was showcased. The African art had a focus on conservation of prior materials for artistic purposes, which was really cool. There was a whole section on quilts and the meanings behind them, and there was also a whole area for "branch-art" which was really awesome. The only thing I regret not doing is going to the Legion of Honor museum to see the Klimt & Rodin exhibit. One thing that I can take away from this trip is the incorporation of "alien" or recycled materials into art, which is a really cool concept in itself. (I've already done some stuff with pressed flowers, but I'm thinking that I can get even more weird with the materials I use.) This excursion also gave me ideas for more sculptural pieces, as there was a lot of those. Nothing using porcelain or glass; but some of the more clay and wood oriented pieces. Over the summer I had the great opportunity to travel to New York City with my mother. The primary focus of our trip was to see a musical, but we also managed to visit three museums of art while we were there; the Guggenheim, the Met, and the MoMA. Personally, my favorite was the Guggenheim, but that could possibly be because of the amount of Kandinsky's works it contained. The Guggenheim exposed me to a lot of modern art that I'd never seen, and my mother, being an artist, was able to give me a couple of synopses of the artists and the art. The only downside of this museum was having to walk approximately 45 minutes there and back. I hope to incorporate some of the more abstract styles that I saw into my art, the surrealism as well, it was all very cool. We visited the Met next, and while I was more interested in the medieval armor and weaponry than anything else, there was an amazing fashion exhibit that simply blew my mind (Rei Kawakubo, Comme des Garçons). It was avant-garde, the kind of fashion I prefer, and each set of clothing had contrasting themes. The set up of all the clothing and the coloring of the room also highly improved the exhibit as a whole. There were also giant gates, which I deemed the "Gates of Hell", and I'm 100% positive that's not what they were, but this memory just struck me as funny and somewhat important. Finally, we went to the MoMA, which was my least favorite out of the three museums. There was one exhibit that absolutely pissed me off to no end, for no logical reason, it was an exhibit of an artist's photography and live performance art. I quite enjoyed seeing the Russian expressionist painters, but maybe I just enjoy Russian art in general. This museum had a lot of art that just seemed irrelevant to me, but again that's my personal opinion (and I may have not had the proper context to understand these specific pieces). Seeing these three museums really expanded my view of modern and contemporary art, in particular, and although I didn't like some of the art, again, I have very strong opinions, I feel as if I gained a significant amount of knowledge. (Also the musical I saw was fantastic, I thought I would mention.) |
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