Jack Hodge
April 9th
Art 106
Internet Research Project
Artists I liked.
Monica Höll
"Crazy Drawing Room" - Ink on Walls, "Everything is Possible" - Ink on Paper
Her work attempts to create familiar stories, and then suddenly shift to abstract imagery to confuse and delight the viewer. Personally, I like how vivid and thoughtful the work is. Almost comic book like.
Ann-Marie James
"Bernini and Other Studies; Plate V and VI" and - biro, acrylic and Pantone Tria pigment ink on found book page.
Ann-Marie's work really stood out to me. I love how the work leaves the borders of the piece, and transcends the art world and enters the real one. I also like the modern interpretation on classical themes.
Ann-Marie's work really stood out to me. I love how the work leaves the borders of the piece, and transcends the art world and enters the real one. I also like the modern interpretation on classical themes.
Jessica Nissen
"Cowboy Red Scarf" - Ink on Paper, "Vasquez Legs" - Ink on Paper
"Cowboy Red Scarf" - Ink on Paper, "Vasquez Legs" - Ink on Paper
These drawings by Ms. Nissen really interested me, as they are her interpretations of popular Rorschach test cards. They provide an insight into her psyche, as well as a playful picture of a fantasy world.
IC-98 (Patrik Söderlund & Visa
Suonpää)
"Theses on the Body Politic (Colony and Riket)" - Pencil on Paper, Digital Animation
I love these isolated glimpses into a mysterious and alluring world provided by IC-98. Letting the artists speak for themselves, "The drawings can be characterized as narrative constructs, blueprints of the possible or scripts for action. They don’t close on themselves but act as condensations of diverse fluxes, both linguistic and affective – they open up to point something out or to bring something together, like collages".
I love these isolated glimpses into a mysterious and alluring world provided by IC-98. Letting the artists speak for themselves, "The drawings can be characterized as narrative constructs, blueprints of the possible or scripts for action. They don’t close on themselves but act as condensations of diverse fluxes, both linguistic and affective – they open up to point something out or to bring something together, like collages".
Joy Drury Cox
"Every State I Ever Set Foot In" and "The Old Man and the Sea"- Ink on Mylar
Of all the new styles of art this project helped me discover, the most surprising to me was constructivism. I really enjoy the simplicity, and graphic rigor the pieces embody. They are clean, understated and refined.
Reflection on my favorites.
Looking at the pieces I selected as a whole, a few things become quite clear. First, I tend to prefer monochromatic pieces to those with lots of color. Simple is best I guess. Secondly, I really seem to enjoy pieces that combine classical themes with modern overtones. This is especially clear in the pieces by James, Nissen, and IC-98. I also really connect with pieces that take complex themes and simplify them to their most essential form, as is evident especially in the pieces by Cox and Höll. Subtle touches of color serve as focal points and clues to the meaning of the piece. For example, the red of the cowboys scarf, or the light blue highlights on the figures of the angels. I have always preferred more modern art, yet I appreciate when artists draw inspiration from classical sources. Art is extremely subjective, but I hope you can appreciate these artists as much as I did.
Looking at the pieces I selected as a whole, a few things become quite clear. First, I tend to prefer monochromatic pieces to those with lots of color. Simple is best I guess. Secondly, I really seem to enjoy pieces that combine classical themes with modern overtones. This is especially clear in the pieces by James, Nissen, and IC-98. I also really connect with pieces that take complex themes and simplify them to their most essential form, as is evident especially in the pieces by Cox and Höll. Subtle touches of color serve as focal points and clues to the meaning of the piece. For example, the red of the cowboys scarf, or the light blue highlights on the figures of the angels. I have always preferred more modern art, yet I appreciate when artists draw inspiration from classical sources. Art is extremely subjective, but I hope you can appreciate these artists as much as I did.
Art I Did Not Understand or Appreciate
Mikhail Gubin
"Convoluted Thinking" - Mixed Media on Paper
Similar to graphic pieces I really enjoyed, yet overly complex and convoluted for me to appreciate. I understand the message the artist is attempting to communicate, I just don't enjoy the piece aesthetically.
Lille LoCurto and Bill Outcault
"telamon[2]" - pigment print
This body of work is also very geometric, yet it demonstrates an aspect of art I don't find pleasing, extreme abstraction. The artists used a 3D scanner to capture an image of the human body, and then printed it in 2D. The resulting image is interesting, but not my cup of tea.
"telamon[2]" - pigment print
This body of work is also very geometric, yet it demonstrates an aspect of art I don't find pleasing, extreme abstraction. The artists used a 3D scanner to capture an image of the human body, and then printed it in 2D. The resulting image is interesting, but not my cup of tea.
Anne Allen
"LHND #1" - Pencil on Paper
"LHND #1" - Pencil on Paper
While I tend to enjoy pieces that are more minimalistic, this piece is too minimal and abstract for me. The piece is question is an abstracted Dollie.
Nichole van Beek
"Extra Gay Fish Tank"- Acrylic on Canvas
The piece gets points in my book for the name. Very unusual and made me laugh. However, this piece just doesn't appeal to me. The composition and color palate remind me of backgrounds for 90's motivational posters, or ironic t-shirts. Overly complex, yet at the same time, doest say anything to me.
"Extra Gay Fish Tank"- Acrylic on Canvas
The piece gets points in my book for the name. Very unusual and made me laugh. However, this piece just doesn't appeal to me. The composition and color palate remind me of backgrounds for 90's motivational posters, or ironic t-shirts. Overly complex, yet at the same time, doest say anything to me.
Amy Stacey Curtis
"1 Inch" - Graphite on Paper
This is a perfect example of when constructivist minimalism is underwhelming. The artist asked strangers to try and draw a 1x1 inch box without using a ruler, and then she combined these estimations to form the final piece.
"1 Inch" - Graphite on Paper
This is a perfect example of when constructivist minimalism is underwhelming. The artist asked strangers to try and draw a 1x1 inch box without using a ruler, and then she combined these estimations to form the final piece.
Reflection on These Selections
I understand that all of these works of art have merit, but they did not speak to me. The final three are in the "Meditative" school of art, a style I have only recently discovered. While it does present intellectual challenge, meditative art does not appeal to me at all. It seems that pieces that are overly complex or too simplified don't appeal to me. Additionally, as I suspect is common, art that is extremely abstract does not catch my eye. Perhaps as my tastes develop and evolve, I will be able to appreciate these works as much as the pieces I selected as my favorites, but today is not that day.
I understand that all of these works of art have merit, but they did not speak to me. The final three are in the "Meditative" school of art, a style I have only recently discovered. While it does present intellectual challenge, meditative art does not appeal to me at all. It seems that pieces that are overly complex or too simplified don't appeal to me. Additionally, as I suspect is common, art that is extremely abstract does not catch my eye. Perhaps as my tastes develop and evolve, I will be able to appreciate these works as much as the pieces I selected as my favorites, but today is not that day.
Favorite Artist
Ann-Marie James
Ann-Marie James
(Bernini and Other Studies; Plate IX, VII, VII), Her Head Was Confined In a Treetop
(Top to Bottom, Left to Right) - Graphite, Oil and Acrylic on Canvas
Of all of the artists I discovered, James was my favorite as she perfectly combined classical influxes from the statues of Bernini, with modern graffiti influences. James states that she enjoys taking classical pieces like these, evaluating their form and purpose, and transforming them with modern media to alter their meaning, without totally destroying their purpose. To put it a different way, I think James is taking a sentence in English and translating it into a different language. The meaning of the sentence is the same, yet the form is different. That is the playfulness and the meaning of her art.
Another important aspect of a piece of art to me, is the "could I live with it" factor. I am sure we have all seen pieces of art that upon first glance really catch our attention, however it is difficult trying to imagine living with it, and being able to appreciate the piece every day. I think art should be enjoyed, and someday I hope to be able to collect it. I want art that overtime I see it, brings me joy and evokes a feeling of curiosity and appreciation. These pieces from James do that for me.
Finally, the color palate James used in these paintings really captures my attention. I love how the drawings of the Bernini sculptures are in graphite, while her "modifications" are in cool neutral tones of grey and purple. The final piece is abstracted more than the others, but reminds me of wood prints from Hokusai. Complex, abstract, yet still intellectually and atheistically pleasing to me.
(Top to Bottom, Left to Right) - Graphite, Oil and Acrylic on Canvas
Of all of the artists I discovered, James was my favorite as she perfectly combined classical influxes from the statues of Bernini, with modern graffiti influences. James states that she enjoys taking classical pieces like these, evaluating their form and purpose, and transforming them with modern media to alter their meaning, without totally destroying their purpose. To put it a different way, I think James is taking a sentence in English and translating it into a different language. The meaning of the sentence is the same, yet the form is different. That is the playfulness and the meaning of her art.
Another important aspect of a piece of art to me, is the "could I live with it" factor. I am sure we have all seen pieces of art that upon first glance really catch our attention, however it is difficult trying to imagine living with it, and being able to appreciate the piece every day. I think art should be enjoyed, and someday I hope to be able to collect it. I want art that overtime I see it, brings me joy and evokes a feeling of curiosity and appreciation. These pieces from James do that for me.
Finally, the color palate James used in these paintings really captures my attention. I love how the drawings of the Bernini sculptures are in graphite, while her "modifications" are in cool neutral tones of grey and purple. The final piece is abstracted more than the others, but reminds me of wood prints from Hokusai. Complex, abstract, yet still intellectually and atheistically pleasing to me.
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