Negative Space

          Negative space is one of those systems that always seem to attract me. It is defined as unused parts or spaces of an artwork. On the contrary, negative space is beautifully articulated space left empty in order to create an image in the shadows of paintings and other artwork. Negative space began many years ago, with the Renaissance period with artists using the vanishing points to make people look at certain parts of an art piece. The Romans used it well with the V shapes in their sculptures of the human body. However, today maybe with the help of psychology and ink blot tests, the artists seem to be using negative space in a bold and broad manner. I particularly love the fact that these pieces are like 2 pieces of a puzzle that you can examine separately, and then put together in your mind. I discovered the artist Tang Yau Houng while researching negative space and his art makes my brain smile. For example, the lost in memory piece of the Asian woman in red is beautiful until you see the pipe at the end and then you wonder is she simply smoke coming from the pipe. The Erotic Literature one is also fun because it can look like a mannequin, or a nude body, or a writing instrument, or even a beak. The world of negative space is so full of possibilities. 

Allan McColum

          Allan’s art is unbelievably large, extensive, and at first overwhelming. If I was simply shown a room full of frames stencils on a table I would think it was not art. Just as if I had seen simply a bunch of cookie cutters and wood carvings put together I would simply think it is junk lying around. However, having him explain his motive in the video makes an abundant difference. With his framed stencils he essentially tried to show what a room of the billions of the unique people in the world would look like. Meanwhile, he still somehow has some sense of unity within the piece. His Shapes from Maine piece is inspiring for many reasons. Firstly, it is amazing that he was able to contact and incorporate works from people in the same state who have never met each other so well. Also, the fact that he allowed these people to create these stencils themselves with his guidance, and having it come together so beautifully. He stated that he wanted his art to tell a story. His Maine piece tells a story of the people and how they have managed to take something as insignificant as cookie cutters and creates extraordinary shapes. He may never be able to represent the billions of people in the world but his great art will speak volumes about people and their capabilities. 

Kimsooja

          Kimsooja is very different from some of the other artists on the same Art 21 documentary because of how different her cultures is and how much it shapes her view of art and systems. She believes that her art is transcendent, which makes me think of the art being alive. Like the human life there is not end or beginning to artworks, they exist as time and space exist, unless they deteriorate. Back in Korea she lived in a low class lifestyle, which I feel made her humble, and because of my past has allowed me to relate to her better. Her first artistic move was scratching into frost, and I feel that shows from the beginning her art was broad and diverse. It was not boxed into the realm that is drawing, and painting. Aside from using video art, and Korean bundles as sculptures, she creates other pieces as well. She created a piece where Buddhist lotus flowers are perfectly placed in the high ceiling of a building, and 3 different religious chants are played simultaneously. I feel that this evokes a sense of Zen and calming throughout the building and anyone who goes into it. I heard a little bit of the music and it is the type of music that could calm even on a bad day. 

My life in Red and Black

          Color seems to be one of the most important systems that people relate to in art. My favorite colors are red and black. Red is radiant, exciting, and delicious. Yet, red can also be morbid, such as blood. Black is sleek, comforting, permanent, and beautiful. Yet, it can also signify darkness, and death. I am an upbeat and radiant person, but I do tend to have a dark sense of humor, which is why I decided to find out what else my favorite colors said about me. According to my research people who like red tend to be ambitious, have a passion and enthusiasm for life, are not afraid to pursue their dreams, hard workers, and dreamers. However, I am not egotistical, impatient, or an attention seeker as the article claims. Black personalities on the other hand tend to be serious, confident, strong, emotionally contained, and introverted. I feel that these personalities also exemplify me as a person. Overall, I feel that knowing how much color influences our lives, our likes, our dislikes, and our appeal to certain paintings has explained a lot. For Example, I enjoy Black and white photography sometimes more than colored photography. I have also worn red to almost every monumental event in my life, such as my prom. My Father’s biggest fear is that I’ll wear red to my own wedding. 

http://psychologia.co/personality-color-black/
http://psychologia.co/personality-color-red/

John Baldessari

          I feel that John Baldessari embodies conceptual art. This is shown through the black and white picture with colored shapes and silhouette. As well as, the pictures that he combines with words. He believes that art is a form of communication, and teaches his students to look at the space in between certain parts of art pieces. He also practices that in certain art pieces where he deliberately leaves certain spaces in between his art so that the human mind can essentially connect the dots. I also find it interesting that his parents’ religious beliefs influenced his life and his art. He has many black and white pictures that are pictured in the shape of a cross.

Yet, perhaps my favorite part is his art that combines photos and words. When you read the words and then look at the photos it all comes together like secret message meant just for you and him to interpret. His Ear and nose piece is also appealing. The fact that he has flowers sticking out of the noses is so ironic that it almost makes me giggle. The ear couch looks grand, and appealing, but also uncomfortable. One moment I wonder what it would be like to sit on something like that, the next moment I’m shaking off the feeling in fear of being uncomfortable. 

Julie Mehretu

          Julie is a very interesting and intelligent artist who uses systems very well. I was invited into her world in Dublin during the Art: 21 Power video. Her use of systems centers on swirls, overlapping shapes, and using positive vs negative space. She layers her paintings with shapes and swirls sometimes only 2 or 3 times. Other times, it may be 5 layers or more. The layers elevate her paintings, and create a good first impression. Yet, it also makes you want to study it longer, and the more you study it the more you discover in the underlying images. I also found it interesting that for one of her paintings she began with traces of google map pictures from New York, and Tokyo. These 2 places have such great architecture to build upon that I can only imagine what the painting looked like. Lastly, I was intrigued by the fact that and her partner are both artist who live together and create art together. Her and her partner both spoke about how often their paintings and projects seeped into each other, and evolved together. I feel that her art is beautiful, particularly the one she is painting at the end of the documentary. It gives me a feeling of hope.   

The Power of Art: Caravaggio

Caravaggio’s story is appealing to me. I like stories about broken, fragile people; I think that makes them all the more interesting. Maybe I relate to them, maybe they shock me, either way Caravaggio’s story was one of those stories. I enjoy the fact that he was a rebel. He began his artistic journey by not drawing and never drawing. He painted what he saw and only what he saw. He even went as far as using the public as his models instead of actual models. Caravaggio was not a great man that one should aspire to be. He was actually irresponsible with his money, he got into many fights, and he even killed a man. Yet, he understood drama and the cruelty of the human nature. This is shown with his John the Baptiste painting in which he signs his name using John the Baptiste’s painted blood, and has a girl holding a bowl for his head to fall into. His last painting of David and Goliath is like reading into his life. I think that when he painted it he was reflecting on his life and realizing how much of a monster he had been. Gladly, he was able to say his last words before his death. 

Rembrandt

The Power of Art: Rembrandt

After having watched the power of art piece on Rembrandt I have a greater understand for his art. Knowing his life story makes him more human instead of simply an artist. Many times artist are only championed by their art, it becomes who they are. I also found many other aspects of the video to be riveting. Firstly, it is the fact that Rembrandt did not like to paint pretty portraits; he painted people as they were. He felt that they should be represented as flesh and bones, because that is what they are. He did not spare them of their droopy eyelids, beauty marks, or wrinkles. This is admirable because as we age nobody can actually escape the imperfections that come with aging. However, what is most surprising is that he changes that technique when it came to saskia. He always painted her beautiful and covered with flowers. Even as she died, his portrait of her was drenched in jewels. I think that he loved her most of all. Without her his life began to spiral, and troubles began to surface including filing for bankruptcy. Instead the paintings found at his home after his death are amazingly painted but with ugly features. 

Is Fashion not Art?

            The Unit 1 Lecture asked the question, what is art? Then, proceeded to give define art and its many influences. It ranged from fine art, to abstract, and to obscure art, yet Fashion or Clothing was not mentioned. It was mentioned as aesthetic or self-expression but not categorized as Art. Is Fashion not an art form?

Surely, fashion is not fine art and cannot be done in acrylics but clothing, cloths and the ways that they are used is in fact an art form. My mother is a seamstress, and I watched her day in and day out take a description or a photo and put it into fabricated magic in only 2 days. Clothing speaks to an era and the people who made that era thrive. One cannot speak of the Victorian era and not think of women in corsets and extravagant dresses. Just as one cannot think of the vintage fords and Rosie the Riveter without thinking of polka dot bandanas and high wasted pants. With 3D painting many painted works of art are even being reproduced as paintings on pants and clothes. If you ask me what is Art? One of the first things on my long list would be Clothing.  

http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2003/jul/13/art.artsfeatures1

The Art of Tattooing

Tattooing can be dated back to the times of tribes and kings. Tattoos at one point signified allegiance or was a means of identification. Over the years it has become more mainstream and readily used. However, many people do not recognize tattooing as an art. I personally think that tattooing is one of the most important kinds of art. Tattooing allows people to have beautiful pieces drawn specifically for their body as a permanent representation of their aesthetic. Tattoo artists often have to have fine painting skills, drawing skills, and sketching skills to create a masterpiece on someone’s body. Yet unlike other artists, their work of art dies with the person. All that remains is a picture of what was. A tattoo artist cannot have his art sold around the world after his death like Michelangelo. Yet, the advantage of a tattoo artist is moving art. As the person travels and moves around he is representing the artist and showcasing his work to billions of people. Having had a friend who sat 6 hours for a tattoo of a dragon to be pierced into her body I feel that people who get tattoos and tattoo artists should not be seen as rebels or misbehaved outlaws, they are simply art lovers like any of us. 

Naked or Nude? 

      In the ways of seeing John Berger states ““To be naked is to be oneself.
To be nude is to be seen naked by others and yet not recognized for oneself.” After having read that piece by Berger I fully understand his point of view and think it speaks with great validity. Being naked is in a sense barbaric. Someone simply going to take a shower or sleeping naked is just a naked body. Naked bodies are all around us, whether it is our kids running around naked, or being around a loved one who is comfortable enough to be naked around us. However, Nude is often related to art. In a nude photograph or painting, it a still shot of a person who is naked. The body is in a sense being used as a subject of art to reveal an emotion, to relate the viewer, and/or to being notice to something. The difference between naked and nude is to me as apparent as the different between an artist and an artiste. For example, if we walk into a person’s home for the first time and were to see a naked woman sitting in the living room we would feel awkward or feel that it is inappropriate. Yet, many sculptures or paintings out on the streets of Italy or in living rooms are of naked bodies and we don’t find that nudity to be inappropriate because we see it as a piece of art that represents more than just a simple naked body.  

Painting Fraud

Among the many videos in Unit one of Art Appreciation, I had the pleasure of watching a video of a master forger. While watching the video I was aware of the fact that the artist himself was recreating the art as homage to the artists. Based on his pay he assumed that the art was simply sold as a reproduction. However, it is the dealers who sold the art as the real thing and knew of it that actually are to pay consequence in this matter. Perhaps the other shocking part is how much people were taken aback by this. In my opinion I would only spend $4 million on a piece of paintings that I deemed worthy of the price. Yet these collectors do not care whether or not the painting was beautiful enough for the price, they only care about rather or not it is the original created by a certain artist. I feel that these people spent their money on a piece of art they looked at and deemed worthy of the price in the same sense that one spends $200 on a suit that they see at a store and deem worthy of that price. While it is wrong that these criminals created this act of fraudulence, it is just as wrong that since these artists have died their works have become immortal and priceless. Yet it is no longer about the art it is now only about the price tag, and how much it is worth, or how famous the art is. A Mona Lisa should be regarded with the same respect as a similar modern painting if it withholds the same beautiful technique. 

Feminist Art

Feminist Art emerged in the 1960s and 1970s by women who felt that they wanted to express themselves outside of society’s ideas of what is feminine and what is not. The Guerrilla Girls were one of the first groups of women to create feministic art and since then it has evolved and create a lot of notice. Having touched based on feminist art in art class; I decided to study the archives they have online of this art.

Being that many of my views coincide with feminism and what feministic women stand for, I found these articles to be fascinating and witty. They allow us to reverse gender roles and let the world get a glimpse of the female mind. They also allow these women to bring awareness to some of the things that women are facing that we are otherwise unaware of. Barbara Kruger for example, has an untitled 1986 piece that covers a whole room speaks to the truth of stereotyping in our society. Frida Kahlo’s the broken Column speaks to what she must have felt having to live a life with a broken body due to her accident. I feel that feministic art is a great form of art that could be empowering based on your aesthetic and your views of feminism. 

http://www.arthistoryarchive.com/arthistory/feminist/20thcentury_feministartists.html

http://www.arthistoryarchive.com/arthistory/feminist/

Why our Emotion towards art is Important

            We each have our artistic aesthetics and it drives our passion. This aesthetic determines what colors and what art we are attracted to. Yet aside from aesthetic I feel that many times it is emotion that governs what art we consider truly artistic and what art we think is garbage. Our taste in art and definitely music tends to be based on our personality traits. Cognitive psychologists have found that if we do not have any attraction for an art piece we may recognize it as art but we may not see as reflecting “our taste” in art.  

            For example, extroverted people would be most likely to gravitate towards art with lots of bright colors. While, introverted people might be more into pastels and darker shades. People who grew up near beaches tend to have art with beaches and coasts on them. While people from historic cities like Boston would most likely have art of old cars and vintage things in their homes. An adventurous person might have art of different places in different countries, while someone else might have a poster of Marilyn Monroe to signify beauty. Meanwhile, many artists and musicians tend to have a music note or instrument tattoo. Whether it is abstract art, pop art, tattoos, or paintings we need to feel something to make the art interesting or significant to whom we are. I personally tend to sway from genre to genre with art but the art above I think are some of the things that caught my eyes. What pieces of Art do you relate most to?

http://www.iep.utm.edu/art-emot/

Haitian Art

Haitian Art

Haiti is known as the poorest country in the Caribbean and is often only known by the devastation of the earthquake or for rumors of voodoo. However, Haiti is much more than that. Haitians as a people are extremely resilient people who have survived great trials and tribulations. On January 1, 1804, Haiti, located in the West Indies, made history by being the first Black Country to gain its independence from France.

Haitians are extremely proud of their history and have a vibrant colorful view on life despite what it may look like from the outside looking in. Because of this Haitian art is made to resemble this beautiful group of people and what they stand for. For example, many buses in America are yellow or filled with advertisements, while in Haiti new buses are painted by hand by artists in vibrant colors with phrases in French or English. And buildings such as schools and shops are painted by hand by artists in vibrant colors, sometimes the owner’s face is painted onto the building. Traditional oil and acrylic paintings are also often painted by artists and sold in outside tents and markets.

In my opinion I feel that art is better represented and has a higher importance in Haiti. Many of these artists make a living painting buildings, buses, cars, and selling their art. Their art is meant to show beautiful people and beautiful places. I feel that Haitian artists take the art from the canvas and use it to make a beautiful country. Instead of paying money at an auction to see art many people just step outside their homes and buy the art at a reasonable price or see it all around them. They essentially do what graffiti artists do but with paint and in a larger scale.

Orlan: Carnal Art

            Orlan is a French artist known for her unconventional art of sex and surgery. She is not afraid to put her own body and self in danger in the name of what she deems as art. I was able to view her Carnal Art documentary on YouTube. Being that this was in French and I am quite fluent I was able to listen to some of the other artists and critic’s thoughts on her art and surgery documentary as well as the stories she herself told outside of the subtitles. 

I found it captivating that she chose to tell stories while getting her surgery.My favorite story was one that she told of a king who was bored with all his new wives until one was actually being carved for his entertainment. I think it speaks to the fact that she herself was doing this to be noticed. One artist also commented on the fact that Orlan was a continuation of Van Gogh cutting off his ear. Yet she sees it differently she sees him cutting off his ear as a reflection of his despair and weakness. While she herself was a strong woman who used her body and skin as a work of art.

I personally do not in any way condone Orlan’s art but I do understand that she has done it in a way to not only shock others but to open up the world’s view of how narcissistic our society is. How can we as a society applaud Lady Gaga and pay for lip injections to look like the models in the magazines, but refuse to accept Orlan’s documentary for the art that it? 

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=no_66MGu0Oo