Progress

Field Trip Response

After visiting the galleries I have a greater understand of what work and complications come with owning and maintaining a gallery. It was interesting to see how gallery owns prepare for different exhibits. For example moving walls, making 3D models and lighting change. It was interesting to see the different shapes, wall colors and layout of galleries. The display in each room was different in each gallery- giving all a unique specific to the artist and his or her work. Sculptures were handled very differently than painting or photographs. The gallery owns are extremely knowledgeable and understand how displaying art certain ways can enhance the experience significantly and do so with each exhibit. The different styles gave me a new perspective and expanded my ideas of how I would one day like to display my work. Suddenly producing art is more than just making something pretty - it is creating an experience using all the senses rather than just visual stimulation. 

"Boston Art Scene"

After reading the articles posted about how many Boston galleries are closing due to rent cost and the loss of clients due to internet shopping and the economic recession I immediately felt that this would be extremely detrimental to the art world. Without the personal experience of art I believe that one cannot truly understand nor appreciate it properly. Galleries are free, accessible and show the art that is being created in that community. They are places for those who are truly interested in art to see the future of the art world as well provide more space for showing emerging artists. I personally believe buying art of the internet is for those who do not really understand art, never mind lazy. It saddens me that that is even a factor in why galleries may be closing. As for the economic recession, it also upsetting - although somewhat reasonable - that art is one of the first things people cut down on. Hopefully this is a temporary movement and galleries will not become "extinct" due to the fact they are a place for communities, learning environment and allow artists and gallery owns to appreciate art as well as making a living. 

Alternative Exhibition Format Response

From looking at the Alternative Exhibition Format slideshow I seemed to enjoy examining the pieces that expanded beyond the canvas or platform. Cai Guo-Quiang uses entire rooms and 3D objects with his work - although his pieces are made up of so many different components he arranges them so they are clearly one combined piece of artwork. I love how Christian Boltanski uses 2D images but adds wire and specific lighting (suspended lightblubs etc.) to add a sculpture element to his work. His pieces ultimately feel more interactive, striking and unique. Barry McGee combines the two artists styles by taking numerous 2D images and arranges them in a way that flows across the gallery similar to the wolves Guo-Quiang used - allowing the 2D images to be more like sculptures like Christian Boltanski. The concept of using the space in the gallery to enhance your work really appeals to me. 

Gallery

Over the course of the term I have been intently working on my painting of the women exhaling various objects. I would like to include this piece in the gallery during our senior studio show. The only materials I have used have been sharpies and printer paper for sketching, oil paints, medium, and canvas. The painting is a two panel piece - each panel is 8"x12".

Weekly Reflection

Over the past two weeks I have accomplished several elements of my painting. First, I decided to take a break from working on the first panel - it felt like I was painting over most of what I had done and making no progress. I then began to paint the second panel - deciding on the colors for the background was initially challenging. I could not decide whether to have the trasition slowly fade into darker tones or to have an immediate but logical transition into deep reds, purples, and blues. I chose the "immediate transition". I have started to make the connection between the two canvas - continuing the cloud etc. I have also began to create some of the figures/images on the darker panel. I want to the sky to turn from bright, happy, colorful and simple to dark, abstract and supernatural. I have a wale swimming through the sky, along with a leopard climbing out of the clouds. The sky ultimately turns from stars to geometric shapes with help from the waves of the ocean turning into square waves, then squares then little dots. I have repeated the use of tiny dots throughout the painting. I think it gives it a "magical" quality. To me, it looks like fairydust or sprinkles which just scream magical and fantastic - which I'm truly going for. In the next week I want to completely finish the first panel and leave it forever, and work on making the second as detailed as the first. Hopefully I will finish the entire painting sometime next week and be able to start another piece for the show. I would like to make a portrait - something realistic to show some range from my abstract - 2D painting.

Art and Fear

"If you think good work is somehow synonymous with perfect work, you are headed for big trouble"

I find myself trying to make my first try, my only. I would love to be able to be happy with every inch of my paintings and the first attempt of whatever I am trying to accomplish - but I have found that is never going to happen. My work will never be perfect, I will always be able to tell when I messed up or how something "could have" looked. Accepting this can only allow me to step outside of my comfort zone, experiment and enjoy rather than perfect my art. 

"The problems arise when we confuse others' priorities with our own. We carry real and imagined critics with us constantly - veritable babble of voices.."

Relating to the first quote, I believe an artist (or all individuals) are their worst critic. I can tell someone every single thing that is wrong with my art. What is interesting to see when displaying art is what others pick up on - what you love and they hate, what you hate and they love. It is interesting to see if the self-conscious voices in your head help you or prevent you from reaching your potential. 

"For the artist, the issue of acceptance begins as one simple, haunting question: When your work is counted, will it be counted as art?"

The fear of what is and is not creative is a major part of my creating art. I am constantly worried that something I might find interesting will turn out cliche. I cannot fully put into words why I feel this, but this quote seem to help me understand that may be a risk of creating art for other's enjoyment.  

Critique Handbook

A critique is a very important part of the process of creating art. Often times when one is intensely thinking or working on a piece they lose track of their goals or how it may be interpreted by others. Due to the size of our class, I believe that one giant critique could be difficult to accomplish successfully. I find that the most helpful comments come from casual conversations. I believe that in our class we should have small groups of the same people meet once a week and every two weeks or at the end of a project we all meet as a group to see the collection of work. I believe that smaller groups would create a comfortable environment where people will give their honest opinion and be able to ask questions without the artist feeling pressured. I get the most out of a critique when the person who is speaking is 100% honest. When I critique others I am as honest as I wish them to be. I believe people should give advice as they wish to receive it. I feel I can contribute by doing this, saying what I am thinking without reservations but purely to improve the work, not tear it apart. 

Process

First Painting

Scratching

Scratching is finding inspiration from the things that surround you. One might find this inspiration in the sounds of a city, the colors of a garden or the movements of an animal. Twyla suggests we find inspiration from all aspects of our lives - there lies some potential in everything we do. I find my inspiration in images I find striking or subjects I find interesting - to "scratch" I collect these images to reference later. The larger collection, the more intricate ideas I create.

Brainstorming

Artists at work

How do artists develop spaces and methods for making their most authentic as a part of a daily artistic practice?

I believe that a major part of being an artist is figuring out what works for you. This concept relates not only to what type of art you create but how you create it. Knowing what types of techniques you use in your work, the way you accomplish those techniques the best and how you work more efficiently - organization wise will allow you to make the best work possible. Each artist has their own way of creating art - some being with inspiration boards, others with sketches and so on. The artist's studio reflects their work process and even gives insight to how the artist's brain functions. 

The Artist's Studio

What types of things do you see in more than one artist's space?

In several of the artists' spaces I noticed towels, glass palates, tables, coffee mugs, gloves, glass jars or containers of some sort, cluttered areas, reference books, music and white walls.

Why do you think these things appear in so many different artists' studios?

Most of the items that appeared in the different studios are related to the process of creating the art - glass palates, tables, jars to keep brushes or paint, and towels to clean up. The items I found interesting in the studios were music, reference books and white walls. The music is probably there to keep the artist motivated and maybe even inspired as they work in their studio. The reference books provide inspiration as well. I find when I am working on a piece it is important to have the ideas that inspired my work to be around me and keep me going in the right direction. It is also interesting to see where the artist gathers their inspiration - with different collages or marked up books. The white walls allow the artists to admire and critique their art in their own studio. The lack of color on the walls makes it easier to concentrate on the piece and minimizes distractions.