Reception

igloo.JPG

detail

Made in Nunavut is a work that includes unique settings on three different levels.  Materials used include joint compound, cardboard, artificial trees, easter grass, and paint.  The implied functions of some of these materials interest me and I have tried to use them in a non-conventional manner.  During the construction of the piece, formal concerns resulted in the three junctures, which were attempts at breaking up the prominence of the vertical rod.

Collection

This work is comprised of five objects that have been cast in resin.  Some of the objects were found and a couple were created.  The kind of objects range from natural to manufactured.  When each thing is separated from others and placed in its own permanent space, they become almost sacred.  However, when they get grouped together they lose some of their significance and they contribute to an odd collection.

-If I continue to edit this work I am going to try out placing numerous objects in each block.  This too, along with them being grouped together, may make them lose some of their individual character.

Treehugger

Treehugger2

This piece is installed in a tree about ten feet off the ground.  It consists of two curved pieces of wood that wrap around the circumference of the tree.  Each piece of wood was drilled through numerous times to allow space for strands of hair to be put through.  The wood was painted a light aqua color that blends in with the tree but the white hair highlights the object.

The piece takes into consideration the well being of the tree by not physically attaching itself to it; the pieces of wood are attached tightly to each other which help it stay in place.  Surround wildlife was taken into consideration during the planning.  Hair is one of the materials birds or squirrels may use in their nests and the object may be used as a gathering site.

-I am curious to see whether this piece will take on this function or not.  Treehugger is not harming the tree so the piece will stay in the tree.  I will continue to observe it.   Since it’s installation at least one piece of hair is no longer in the piece.

strata rock

Strata Rock is inspired by minimalist sculpture and color. The piece consists of a narrow pedastal approximately four and a half feet tall with only three vertical sides. The missing one leaves the hollow space visible and a chunk of plaster is resting inside. On top of the pedastal lies a mound made of joint compound that is attached to the wood. Color is evident in the piece however subtle hues were used to allow focus to remain on the physical object.

Natural objects are suggested in the piece but the materials used are normally a part of construction/industrial work. Their use may suggest an artificiality of sorts, in a time when it is common to see natural settings that have been manufactured by people.

While researching Nancy Holt for a presentation I came across this conversation between Holt and Robert Smithson. The film was made in 1969. Holt plays the role of a intellectual conceptual artist from New York and Smithson plays a mellow Californian artist focusing on nature and instinct.

This was interesting to watch because it establishes a rivalry between the art scene on the two coasts. I was previously unaware of such a thing existing in our country. The film acts as evidence of this time in the nation’s art history. It also allows one to see the limitations of each approach to art theory and making. Today, I think we have a mixture of these two styles. Art will always contain feelings because of the subjectivity of its creator but it should be grounded in concept as well.

Here is a link to the video:

http://www.ubu.com/film/smithson_east.html

Joshua Allen Harries makes these inflatable animals out of plastic shopping bags. Then in the streets of New York City he ties them to grates that subways ride under. When the subway train comes through air is pushed out and the bags inflate. For a short time the animal is so full of life and then it deflates so rapidly.

Please enable Javascript and Flash to view this Flash video.

www.metalmorphosis.tv

Go to the link to see a live feed of a moving sculpture he made for the front of a business area in North Carolina. The sculpture resembles a human head and is split into seven horizontal sections. Each one moves independent of the other and so there are points where a face is distinguishable and others where it is more abstract. It’s fun to watch people enter/exit the building and take the time to stop and look at it. Little do they know that they are being watched at that very second…

Since January I have listed five sculptors that I am particularly interested in. Each one is important to me for different reasons but there are some commonalities between them as well. Marjetica Potrc and Ernesto Neto both draw the viewer in through tangible experiences, pushing art beyond its visual boundaries. The other artists I have listed strike me for other reasons: their imagery and the materials they chose and their inventiveness with them.

In my efforts to nail down art’s purpose I have come up somewhat empty-handed. I think artist’s create for the simple joy of making and seeing what other people do. But when a piece of art has a certain purpose attached to it or incorporates the viewer more than just visual interaction, it gains a certain respect from me. It makes the piece come alive, often in a more tangible fashion. In the case of Marjetica’s Urban Farm piece, its function attributes ideas such as usefulness and practicality. It breaks down pre-conceived notions of what art is and allows the viewer to experience the work in a new light.

Another thing that struck me about these artists is the materials they use and the manner in which they work with them. I love finding out what something is made of. When I don’t know what one of the materials used is it adds to my interest in the piece because I can’t fully comprehend how it was made. Each artist seems to grow comfortable with a certain set of items to work with and then push their limits. In Lauren Clay’s work she often uses thick paper which she cuts herself. The shape is often repetitive but what amazes me is the precision of each piece. She also paints her objects with easter egg colored hues which I find pleasing and comforting.

My interest in these artists’ stems from the fact that they address issues in their work that I like to explore in my own. I have never made something that had a function but still look to Potrc and Neto as inspiration. I think images can be quite powerful as well and Kiki Smith has a skill for bring imagery into her sculptures. Lauren Clay makes these small colorful spaces and drawings of proposals for Utopian communities. I also like to create spaces because of the privacy associated with them and the infinite amount of interactions that could take place in them. Lastly, I am interested in David Altmejd because he creates these objects that really do seem like they’re alive. They have this great vitality but ironically there are often images of death and decay present in them simultaneously.

Artist’s website: http://www.doublefluff.com/

(drawing)

Go to her website for better images of both sculptures and drawings.

rat-house-1.JPG

rat-house.JPG

I feel what I need to do to get going is to set some limitations for myself. I think I’d like to continue working with small to medium scale objects because so far I’ve enjoyed working with the micro side to things. I feel an intimate connection to my work when it is smaller.

I see myself going further with my rat house project for now but I’d like to get going on something new too. As far as the rat house goes I’ve taken some points from critique into consideration and I want to do a design on the house floor or find a good material for a rug. I also want to invent some personality for the rats by making the house look more lived in (scratches on floor/walls, feces stains, and possibly portraits on the walls of the house’s inhabitants). To break the square format the piece exists as presently, I will build a tunnel that extends from the rear of the house to the wall behind it. I think this could spark a new relationship between the object and it’s surroundings.