Performance Art at the Whitney Museum

For our fifth field trip, we visited the Rituals of Rented Island exhibition at the Whitney museum. Many of the temporal arts displayed here reflected events that occurred between 1970's through the 1980's in Manhattan. In my opinion, many of the pieces give off a strange energy as if there was a lot of negative emotion behind the art. Many of the pieces seemed to be inspired by dark times.  


The first piece I selected was titled “Passing Through” by Sylvia Palacios Whitman completed in 1941. The piece is a pair of giant paper hands that the artist wears over her real hands and moves as if she is walking. Her giant hands move up and down creating this weird robotic movement. In an interview with the artist, she mentioned that the hands were like an extension of herself. In my opinion it seemed that she was interested in the exaggerated hands to bring attention towards her as an artist or as a person, maybe she felt she was unnoticeable without the big hands and that her message was not getting across to others.   


The second piece I had selected was the “The Original Lou and Walter Story” by Jill Kroesen completed in 1978. This piece was another video of the artist sitting in the center of a bunch of pyramids. She begins to tell a story about a town that is controlled by a sheriff and all the women from that town live in the outskirts by themselves. The story seems to be a metaphor for women’s rights until she begins talking about her death. At that point, the story gets strange and seems to lose any connection to other references.
 

The third piece I had selected from the exhibit was titled "Claim" by the artist Vito Acconci, completed in the year 1971. The piece was a sixty-minute video recording that displayed the artist with a blindfold guarding a basement with two metal pipes and a crowbar. The recording was also shown through another television in front of the entrance of the door  as a warning to potential visitors. Throughout the video, the artist repeats to himself “I’m alone in the basement. I want to stay alone in the basement.” making him appear extremely hostile and mentally unstable. In an interview with the artist, he discussed how he used the repetition as a form of hypnosis to keep himself going, because he did not like what he was doing. He also said he needed the blindfold to help him view anyone coming in as abstractions in his mind, because he knew he could not do such a thing to anyone while being aware. He also stated he created this piece to “claim” the basement as his own in the face of society.

Finally, I think all of the pieces from this exhibition were completed during difficult times. They seem to send out a message without directly saying what it is. It is like the artists wanted the viewer to put the pieces together and figure out what was their inspiration. During the interview video with Vito Acconci, he mentioned some people said his piece was a response to the events of the Vietnam war. He said his inspiration did not come from the war, which was occurring at the time even though that is what it appeared to be. This further proves my understanding that all these works of art never truly specify if the events of their time period truly affected their art work. 


Sylvia Palacios Whitman                                        Jill Kroesen
"Passing Through"                                      "The Original Lou and Walter Story"
Acrylic on paper                                                   Unknown medium 
1941                                                                        1978


Vito Acconci
"Claim"
pipes, crowbar, blindfold
1971

LES Galleries Reaction

For the fourth class field trip, we visited the Lower East Side Galleries and took a look at some of the work of up and coming artists. We visited the Bosi contemporary gallery, Untitled gallery and the McKenzie fine arts gallery among a few others. In comparison to the Chelsea galleries we visited a few weeks ago, the LES galleries were smaller in size and seemed to display more photographs and sculptures than paintings. The Bosi gallery had specific pieces displayed on televisions and projectors as well as framed pictures and it only had two paintings. The McKenzie fine arts gallery out the few that we visited was the only one that specifically displayed paintings, it was the most similar to the galleries in Chelsea. The Untitled gallery mainly displayed sculptures and also had two paintings that hung from the ceiling, one in the entrance of the gallery and one in the main display area. I noticed in the LES galleries that there was much less works of art in terms of quantity. It seemed as if the designers of the LES galleries wanted the viewers to take more time observing each individual piece. One thing both sets of galleries did have in common, was the use of the same white walls to display the art. It seems that the white walls help bring out the colors and the design of the art work to grab the viewers attention. The Chelsea galleries all seemed to be themed, and mainly displayed paintings of specific known artists. The LES galleries may have been displaying the work of one artist but the art was not limited to only paintings. Overall the galleries on either side of lower Manhattan had some similarities and some differences. They both seemed to cater to different people, the LES galleries had a newer, bolder approach in the art and photographs that were displayed in comparison to the highly themed paintings displayed in the Chelsea galleries. Being able to visit the galleries has definitely expanded my thoughts and understanding of how art is sold and how artists make a profit.    

"Design in Our Lives"

For our third field trip we were tasked with selecting four works of art with different levels of functionality from the architecture and design section of the Museum of Modern Art. For the first two pieces I selected were highly functional, the video game titled "Portal", and "Suited for subversion". The two low functionality pieces I selected where titled "Honey comb vase" and "Table with wheels". These pieces are all very different from each other but they are all still part of design. 

Firstly the video game "Portal" is a first person platforming video game that tasks the player to complete each section using the portal device given to continue navigating through the levels. The video game "Portal" has a high functionality because it is an extremely entertaining game while constantly challenging the player to think critically and further understand the games physics and forward momentum. While it may not serve a purpose other then entertainment, the level designs of the game are well crafted and make the player feel accomplished when they have completed the current objective. The piece "Suited for subversion" is a inflatable vest that was designed for protesters who could possibly be attacked if the protest becomes a riot. The vest inflates giving the person a sort of shield. It also contains a mini head camera to record every action that is happening as well as a small speaker in the front, and a heart sensor. If your heart rate increases while wearing the vest, the speaker will let out a heartbeat that will get increasing louder to remind the police forces that they are not fighting an enemy but a person with a heart. 

For the first low functional piece is titled "Honey comb vase". This vase is made completely out of bees wax, and although it is interesting to look at, it cannot actually be used for anything. If someone would try to display something in the vase such as a bouquet of flowers for example, the vase would definitely just topple over to the side. As a suggestion to improve this design, I would say the artist could use more support in the vase so that it won't cave in on itself when it stands. Another suggestion would be to possible try using another medium, maybe glass, or some kind of metal. This way the next design would actually have some more support and can still be functional. 

Lastly, the "Table on Wheels" is a glass table that sits on industrial wheels, like that of a flat. The wheels look quite sturdy and strong, like they were designed to hold or transport lots of weight. But the glass on top makes it look delicate and you realize that this cannot be used for heavy lifting. If this piece could be used for something as it is, it could possibly be used to display light weight objects that the user wants to push around. The piece cannot be used for much else because of its medium being glass it could shatter and hurt others if its used for carrying lots of weight. As a suggestion, I would recommend that this object not be used for any activity except observation. If the user would like it to become more functional, I would suggest using another material other then glass to hold the objects as well as adding a handle so the user could maneuver the table or cart more efficiently. 

Overall, an object does not need to have high functionality to have a good design. The examples above have great some great designs but not all of them are highly functional. Some designs in my opinion are just better for visual display and not for actual use. The glass table and the honeycomb vase are just some examples of interesting design that are not functional. Art and design are two separate things but in some cases they can come together when a fully functional object is very creatively designed and has an artistic aesthetic. 

Gae Aulenti                                                                             Valve (USA. est. 1996)

"Table with Wheels" (model 2652)                                             "Portal"

Glass, metal and rubber                                                           video game software

year: 1980                                                                              year: 2005-2007

Tomas Gabzdil Libertiny                                                          Ralph Borland

"Honey comb vase "made by bees"                                         "Suited for Subversion"

Beeswax                                                                    Nylon reinforced PVC, padding speaker and pulse radar

year: 2006                                                                            year: 2002

"Magritte: The Mystery of the Ordinary,"

For this extra credit assignment I selected Magritte's painting titled "la reproduction interdite" (Not to be reproduced). This piece is considered a portrait even though the subject's face is not depicted. In the painting you can see a man looking at a mirror and the mirror shows a reflection of the back of his head, while the book in the bottom right corner is properly reflected. This defies reality in my mind because naturally I expected the mirror to show the man's face and not the back of his head. At first glance you understand the image, but then it forces you look again and reality sets in as you realize the mirror is not reflecting a face the way it would in real life. I believe this new perspective shows how we as humans are so dependent and sure about the small details in the world around us, that when we encounter a work of art that is different from our accepted understanding, it makes us question our reality. 

Art and Identity: The museum of modern art

In art there are many ways to capture different elements of life. In the museum of modern art we were given the opportunity to view many of these brilliant works or art.  They ranged from paintings, photographs, sculptures and others each capturing something unique and interesting. They each told a story. Some of the stories they told were about the artist themselves, the artist's cultural background as well as historical events that inspired the artist. 

The first work of art I had selected was by the artist Max Beckmann. His piece titled "Self-Portrait with a Cigarette"was an Oil on canvas painting completed in the year 1923. The painting reflects his individual identity by depicting himself in a suit as a strong businessman while still showing part of a clown dress that completely contradicts the original focus of the image. This artist in particular is known for painting himself as a clown, and in this image he attempted to alter his appearance to seem more serious. This image shows the personality of the artist with the idea that he doesn't like to come across as a serious man but more of a joker or clown at heart.

The second work of art I selected was created by the artist Felix Gonzalez-Torres. His minimalism installation piece titled "Untitled" (Supreme Majority) was made up of seven paper parts all shaped like spikes at different sizes. It was completed in the year 1991. The artist was inspired to create this piece because he was struggling with AIDs around the same time period there was a huge spread of the HIV virus which was a dark time in our recent history.

The final piece I selected was titled "Babel Blocks"  (2007 -12). It was created by Constantin Boym
and Laurene Leon Boym of Boym Partners Inc. This piece is a small collection of wooden action figures that represented New York's religious and cultural diversity. This piece shows that New York has a little  of every culture or religious background and that every culture is accepted here.

Lastly, each of the previously mentioned pieces of art were each significant in their own way. They reflect how the art related to them personally, historically, and culturally. The museum had so many works of art it was difficult to choose which ones to write about, but there was still a lot left to see. This was a great trip and I would like to visit again just to take more time to see all the art I missed. 

Illustrate a story

This collage is a small representation of the hardships of the Vietnam war. This is retelling the story of someone who witnessed a fellow soldier get shot and killed by an enemy sniper. He stood with him during his last moments and tried to support him as much as possible. It was a nightmare for him to see the gruesome results of war, and he will never forget the terrible memories of all who lost their lives in battle. RIP to all the fallen soldiers who have given their lives for their country, and may their families find peace for their loss.

Chelsea Galleries Reaction

In the Chelsea art galleries we came across many different works of art for sale. In my opinion some of the artists works were very odd, interesting, and some were flat out disturbing.  Out of all the galleries we visited I found myself interested in very few pieces. One of the pieces that stood out to me was a charcoal drawing in the Andrew Edlin Gallery by the artist Brian Adam Douglas. I found his piece titled "No More Pouring Boiling Water onto Ants" quite humorous. It is a drawing a giant rock falling on top of a house.  Its cartoon style made me laugh and I thought it would be a great piece to have at home, a picture that would make me smile when I walked in. Another piece I also thought was very interesting to look at was also by the same artist, his piece titled "The Wasteland". It is a painting of a man and his son looking out to sea and staring at a ferris wheel in the water. The piece is very gloomy and strange to look at but still interesting enough to start a conversation. I think that if I could afford them, I would have definitely bought them both. In terms of an investment standpoint I felt that the painting "The Wasteland" would be the piece that I would hold onto in storage and waited for the right time to sell it later, but the first piece I would definitely keep for myself and display at home. As for the pieces I disliked the most, they were in the David Zwirner gallery. The two pieces I did not like at all were done by the artist Raymond Pettibon. The first piece I chose was called "No title (I mean alarmed)". It is a painting of a small fire with a white background. The second painting I selected from the same artist was called "No title (complicated further by...)" it is a painting of a baby fetus inside of a wine bottle. Although I do not fully understand the artist's idea or message behind these images, I felt they were both disturbing in their own way. In my opinion they were both visually annoying to look at and it made me question the artists inspiration in a negative way. Honestly I would not consider buying either of these works of art as an investment option because I felt that they may not appeal to most people. I think his art will interest a very small group of individuals with specific taste. 

Brian Adam Douglas                                                                  Brian Adam Douglas

"No More Pouring Boiling Water onto Ants"                            "The Wasteland" 

2013                                                                                            2013

Raymond Pettibon                                                                      Raymond Pettibon

"No title (I Mean Alarmed)"                                                  "No title (Complicated Further by...)" 

2013                                                                                            2013