I thought this was a really good contrast for Tomek Setwoski. Both artists focus on people and settings, but by using different colors and figures, they evoke very different feelings. I really like his use of line - distinct, but not harsh. I want to use the same type of line in my own work.
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Setowski works in Magical Realism, which is a movement that displays something that can only be described as fantasy as real portraits or landscapes. I really like how he uses distinct shapes and colors, but varies hues, shades, and tints to distinguish between the foreground and background.
“If there is such a thing as public art, what then is private art?”
“Undistinguished work warrants critical drubbing; strong work is a catalyst for dialogue.” Work that is “normal”, that goes with the flow sparks no controversy among the public. Strong work, however, such as Richard Serra’s “Tilted Arc”, can draw dissenters. While protests and controversy may be inconvenient, such disputes are a result of a stimulated conversation, one with the different opinions that we, as Americans in a democracy, admire. Public art can be used to teach and increase understanding. William Cole, a curator, had one of his pieces deemed offensive by a group who demanded that it be removed. When questioned whether the group would have found it less offensive if it was in a gallery or a museum, the spokesperson replied that he doesn’t frequent galleries or museums, so he would never have seen it. This brings up the important question: do artists have a responsibility to put there work in a place that maximizes viewership, and therefore maximizes conversation and understanding? Do we, as a society, have that responsibility? “Please let me enjoy a park as a park and not a vehicle for promoting someone else’s version of ‘beauty’.” Thomas Starr argues that private art should be kept private and public spaces should be kept public. There should be imposing of another person’s definition of beauty on the public. He also states that the public does not have to be “enlightened” by controversial art. “Their value was immeasurable.” Rachel Cooke argues that public art is an invaluable piece of living in a city or a town. She states that public art is so important because it is “just there”. There is no need to choose whether to see it; it simply becomes part of the landscape as much as a building or a statue is part of the locale. He is a postwar American artist and helped develop Abstract Expressionism. He has a very strong eye for color and composition, which are two aspects that I am currently working on in my own work. I like that his works vary from very sharp, clean-cut edges to hazier, rough brushstrokes.
While I don't enjoy his compositions, I do think Kenneth Noland has a really strong hold over color. His works employ a series of hues in a pattern that bring them together. I need to work on this sense of continuity and 'finished-ness".
"The pairing of the two artist's works allows you to see something new in Munch's work" - Curator John RavenalEdvard munchMunch was a late 19th and early 20th century Norwegian artist who inspired the Expressionist movement. He experimented throughout his life and his work involved multiple symbols. Jasper johnsJasper Johns was a mid 20th century American artist who changed his work after being inspired by Edvard Munch. "He moved away from abstract painting towards a more open expression of love, sex, loss, and death." Johns started working in more objective, recognizable forms in order to convey more clear representations to his audience. It is incredibly effective to put these two artists side by side. By putting Johns's work next to Munch's we can see how Munch influenced Johns and what Johns saw in Munch.
This quarter, I read an article regarding social practice art, which is art that “focuses on social engagement” and “collaboration” with others. The article outlines the work of several prominent artists who take part in this movement such as Thomas Hirschhorn, Pablo Helguera, and Caledonia Curry. While these people were all interested in different fields, they all decided to work within the realm of participatory art that brings their communities into the process of making art.
One such work that I was really drawn to was the “Public Engagement” initiative at the Hammer Museum in Los Angeles. It invited artists and other members of the community to connect with visitors in unique ways, providing experiences that would not be available elsewhere. This act sparked others to do the same such as New York’s MOMA. I really like the idea of thinking outside the box and pushing the limits of what constitutes as art that is involved in this movement. Social practice art removes us from the traditional way in which we walk through museums and look at art from the designated distance. This movement allows the community to get involved in the process of making art and the presentation. My one question is how can we make social practice art more accessible and widespread? This quarter, I visited the Lewis Focus Gallery at the VMFA which had an exhibit of female abstract expressionists. Since I generally work in the abstract, I felt that look at work by professionals would help me improve my mark and message. This exhibit was put together in response to the idea that "'action painting' was the domain of men" such as Jackson Pollock and Willem de Kooning. Although these men's work is notable, this exhibition focuses on the work of women. If there is one thing that I have learned from these paintings, it's that less can be more. I've been focusing and spending too much time on getting the background just right rather than diving into the foreground of my work. And when I do, I make try to make things more complicated than they need to be. I need to focus more on color, mark, and composition. These artists have created beautiful works of art with a lot of depth but also with simplicity. I would really like to know if they named their paintings before or after they began working because some of the titles just click while others, I could never relate to.
Mary Scurlock is a local painter and mixed media artist. Her art is whimsical and light in mark, which contrasts to my own mark. I want to be able to incorporate different types of mark, and I believe that studying her paintings will help me do so. She describes her work as a reference to a "collective stream of consciousness", but she is still able to create finished art that communicates her emotions to her viewer. With practice, I hope to be able to do the same thing for my viewer.
Carlo Battaglia was an Italian contemporary artist who was influenced by Rothko. In 1970, he exhibited his series, Maree (tides) in the 35th Venice Biennale. This theme would become prominent in the work he made throughout his life. I really like how his color schemes are different from what we would expect, but does not distort our perception of the landscape. Also, his mark is unique and effective, and I want to incorporate it into my own work.
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AuthorI am a junior taking Art IV at Maggie Walker High School. Archives
March 2017
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