On this blog, we will explore several major aesthetic theories from realism to postmodernism and engage in a dialogue about the very nature of art. Key contemporary artists will be explored in depth as each theory is unpacked and examined.
Each response should be between 150-250 words in length. These are due on the date listed at the top of each entry,
Friday, November 18, 2011
Reflect on how each of the three artists from Wednesday's presentations use specific materials to express their conceptual ideas. Due Monday November 21st.
Honestly Cai Guo-Qiang's use of both gunpowder and "stuffed" animals is overly interesting because it characterizes his seeming love for contradictions and various kinds of dualist natures. The stuffed animals present a flowing beautiful nature whilst grouped together, but also show individual pain when alone. Overall he's an interesting artist that I will keep looking into periodically.
Josiah Mcelheny's glass pieces are meant to represent the instabilities of the the idea of Utopia. His pieces are all very modernist in design and form, and when placed in large groupings make some fascinating designs. His other pieces which look like a "miniture big bang" seriously use mirrors well to convey both expansion and compression.
I don't have too many things in my notes about Kara Walker, but overall she uses silhouettes in a cartoony way to contrast the sensitive subjects of racism and the south.
I love love loved Cai Guo-Qiang. His work was all about explosiveness in everything and even though all of his works didn't deal with gun powder, they still all had to do with organized chaos. Because all of the pieces were using gun powder it became an accessory. He used the car crash by manufacturing chaos he again proved organization in chaos as well.
Josiah McElheny used actual reflective glass to show reflection in his work. He wanted people to reflect upon themselves and life so he used mirrors and cleverly put them together in installations.
Kara Walker used black silhouettes to make charicatures of racism in history. It is interesting how she simplified these figures while at the same time showing so much through these simple forms. I loved when she used the projector because her pieces looked like old racist Disney cartoons like "Song of the South" which proved her point I thought.
I thought that all three artists that were presented to us on Monday where very interesting in terms of their concepts and the way they used the materials and mediums to express their ideas. Cai Guo-Qiang used various materials and techniques in order to show violence in our times. His main focus was gun powder which I thought was very unique and I did not know or thought that someone would use that. Although he "drew" the objects he wanted to portray and shaped them with color, when he light the gun powder, the shapes got distorted and abstract and reflected violence. Josiah McElheny used glass which is also an interesting choice. His focus was utopia and was also interested in the beginning of times. Most of the times he created objects that derived from his memory and placed them next to each other to create a whole. He also created objects of his own imagination that he got inspiration from his observations in order to deoict the big bang which I thought was a very successful depiction. I think that glass got his message of utopia out in good way as it creates very different feelings from any other material. Finally, Kara Walker was focused on social issues such as racism, sexism and power struggles. She used the black figures, like shades in order to depict that and this way created this mystery but also very clear images of figures and landscapes interacting in order to get it across. She created these narratives that had no beginning and no end in big white rooms and let the viewer use his imagination as to create the narrative and find out the issues she was trying to get out there.
I found Cai Guo-Qiang’s work to be incredibly fascinating. His use of gunpowder to create art is something that I’ve never heard of anyone doing. I enjoyed how he compared the process of making his gunpowder drawings to making love, explaining the similarities between the two and that both are long processes with a final goal. He uses a theme of explosive chaos within his pieces. He is also brilliant at recreating animals and positioning them in uncomfortable positions, in which the viewer is forced to walk in and around the piece. In the video he said that art is about what you don’t say, and I understand it as him wanting his viewer to come up with their own ideas about each piece on a personal level. Josiah McElheny primarily uses blown glass as his art. His pieces that he makes comes from a previous source- they are a memory of another object. He concentrates on the idea of a utopian perfection. I enjoyed many of his pieces, especially the forms that resemble designs of Christian Dior and his reflective pieces. Kara Walker was focused on social issues such as racism, sexism and power struggles. Her work consisted of her using large black cut out silhouettes of figures from a historical time and setting. She creates narratives that have no distinct beginning or ending, and are often in circular rooms, using projections that not only serve as a background, but in turn force the viewer to become one with the narrative and become another silhouette.
Cai Guo-Qiang grew up during the Cultural revolution which I see as feeding his fascination with destruction. His use of gunpowder to create his art demonstrates his concept of beauty through destruction. His use of realistic three dimensional sculptures of animals with objects stuck in them communicates his concept of the aesthetic of pain. This work shocks the viewer, making them uncomfortable, and causes them to think. Josiah McElheny use of glass connotes many concepts. When the glass is reflective, it engages the viewer. This engagement makes them literally reflect on themselves. All of McElheny's pieces bring in the concept of fagility and memory due to the medium and his references to actual objects. Kara Walker use of silhouettes automatically brings the viewer's associations to an older period of time. Walker uses the silhouette to effectively comment on race, sex, and power. Her work brings a commentary on progress despite the fact that her figures reference the past. Her work makes the viewer analyze whether or the a fore mentioned issues are still relevant.
All three artists use rather unique and unusual materials in their art. Their work could become kind of gimmicky as a result, relying too heavily on the unusual quality of their material, but instead they use it to strengthen their concepts and create visually arresting images. Cao Guo-Qiang uses gunpowder in a variety of ways in his work and he is the first artist I have ever heard of that does such a thing. It's completely fascinating. His artworks are full of metaphors, symbols, narrative and traditions, all coming together and creating a rich piece of art. His choice in materials are also very thoughtful and reflects his view of the current social climate of the times. Josiah McElheny uses glass, something I think that is usually considered more crafty than high art, to explore the world of art. His pieces seem to comment on different art movements and theories and his choice of using something not normally seen in the high art world is a really great means of exploring these concepts. Kara Walker uses black paper cutouts to create her large scale installation pieces. In utilizing black paper cutouts as her material, she harkens back to the old fashion silhouettes that people use to cut out, reflecting the individual in a different but still highly personal manner. There seems to be this conflict between the personal and the anonymous in her work, along with the specific and the general. She is using simplified forms to depict racial stereotypes but at the same time placing them in a sweeping narrative. The black paper has a simplicity to it that belies all the weight that is metaphorically behind her work.
Cai Guo-Qiang, Josiah McElheny, and Kara Walker all cherish their own materials . Whether its gunpowder, glass, or stencils/silhouettes, the object is what makes each of these artists unique and worthy of discussion and admiration. They have used the material to become standout in their niche.
Cai Guo-Qiang comments on his youth and nature with the repetition of gunpowder and 'stuffed' "taxidermy" looking animals.
Josiah McElheny uses glass to actually comment on the craft and the idea of 'utopia.' He is able to create mock unrealistic narratives and places with the material.
Kara Walker uses the black sticker stencils to create a narrative about her culture and background of African American slavery in the united states and the many historical stories which surround the heritage.
Kara Walker uses black silhouettes to comment on issues facing black people. The black paper and use of silhouettes make the overall piece appear idealized and romanticized. Only once the viewer looks closer can they see the violence or pain within the narrative. The material allows her to address big issues without needing to attach a face to them. Josiah McElheny uses glass to create a utopian world, a world too perfect for us to actually be able to inhabit. Once he started using reflective material, he forced the viewer to see themselves in an ideal world but also separate from it. He comments on our obsession with self image through the reflective surface. Also, Mcelheny uses the material to emphasize that the ideal world must stay as an idea. Cai Guo-qiang uses gunpowder to comment on the universal issues facing society today. He looks at the positive and negative connotations of the material. For example the joy of fireworks and the destruction of its use in war. He plays on the viewers fear of the material to create beautiful drawings. He also makes fake stuffed animals to talk about the state of humanity. He impales them with objects confiscated at airports or uses them as a symbol of society and our imminent self destruction.
I found Cai Guo-Qiang’s use of gunpowder to be so unique and expressive, and very illustrative of the concepts of destruction and pain he wishes to convey in his work. His idea of “the aesthetics of pain” is also present in his extraordinarily realistic, large-scale sculptures of animals. Suspended from the ceiling or covered in arrows, his representations of animals in the throes of death speak to the fear of death within us all. Josiah McElhenny was one of my favorite artists to learn more about because of the fascinating process he uses to create his work, and also due to the sheer aesthetic beauty of the end product. His work references previous artistic movements, as well as the concept of reflectivity and mirrors. Kara Walker’s work is politically charged and racially motivated, and presents challenging concepts in a fairytale, child-like setting. Her work is highly influenced by the pre and post civil war south, as well as novels like Gone With the Wind. Its unique to see an artist who uses such a simple aesthetic in such complex, creative, and meaningful ways.
Cai Guo-Qiang uses gun powder to express his ideas on different social issues, usually dealing with anti-violence theme. The gun powder represents the duality of destruction and celebration that can coexist in the same object. His fireworks series, although aesthetically pleasing, convey a sense of destruction and violence. He is interested in the theme of duality, which keeps recurring in his works such as his stuff animal series, the car bombing series, and the airplane series.
Kara Walker uses black paper to comment on different issues revolves around black slaves. Her silhouette is very illusive since from a distance they look like a scene from a children book but up close they are horrific scenes of black slaves being tortured or punish by their white master. The material really enhances the message in her work. None of her character has a facial detail, which shows the lack of identity of black slaves.
Josiah McElheny’s works cover a wide variety of subjects including history, vanity, cosmology, and Utopia. His decision to use glass helps to emphasize his message about Utopia, a perfect world that human can never achieve. This is clearly shown in his work with the glass tower, it is a perfect and ideal palace and yet human cannot live in it. The reflective quality of his work also comments on human’s narcissistic behavior and our constant needs to reflect upon ourselves.
Cai Guo-Qiang choice to use gunpowder as his medium is quite unique. It really seems to parallel the idea violence and chaos in society that he is trying to draw attention to while still creating art that is aesthetically pleasing. I really enjoyed Josiah McElheny’s work. At first I thought that I would not be interested in his art, but the more he talked about it the more amazing I found it to be! I found that his choice of glass as a material to create an unattainable utopia worked well. The illusions that he could create using the glass as a reflective surface added to this sense of an imaginary, dream like delicateness. Kara Walker’s use of the old art of silhouette creates an imaginary world that harks back to the old south, yet the ideas that she brings forth from these images are timeless subjects within human nature.
All three artists discussed on Wednesday materialized their concepts through incredibly unique meathods. Their emphasis on experimentation and thinking beyond the typical realms of art (ie: traditional sculpture, ceramics, or paintings).
Cai Guo-Qiang's artistic prowess exists among many different outlets; he sculpts, he creates great outdoor installations, and draws with explosives. His work has been strongly influenced by recent political upheavels, paranoia, and the overall concept of terrorism. I think it is really suiting that this would materialize itself through explosions and fire, as it mimics the unpredictability of the state of the world and plays into the iconography of car bombs. His sculptures, meanwhile, depict struggle and the inevitability of human failure.
Josiah McElheny's use of glass and mirrors expresses his obsession with the preconcieved notions of the future, utopia, and an incredible astronomical science that borderlines science-fiction. I think that through his glass sculptures, he explores these concepts by creating a mini cityscape of unnatural, reflective surfaces.
Kara Walker, lastly, deals a lot with racism, and her experience as a "black woman" in a "white world." She explores these experiences through black silhouettes typically on plain white walls. The figures in her work are exaggerated and play into the stereotypes that surround African Americans. Her work usually takes place in a somewhat circular formation, as her experiences of struggle, racism, and romanticism has no begining and no end.
Honestly Cai Guo-Qiang's use of both gunpowder and "stuffed" animals is overly interesting because it characterizes his seeming love for contradictions and various kinds of dualist natures. The stuffed animals present a flowing beautiful nature whilst grouped together, but also show individual pain when alone. Overall he's an interesting artist that I will keep looking into periodically.
ReplyDeleteJosiah Mcelheny's glass pieces are meant to represent the instabilities of the the idea of Utopia. His pieces are all very modernist in design and form, and when placed in large groupings make some fascinating designs. His other pieces which look like a "miniture big bang" seriously use mirrors well to convey both expansion and compression.
I don't have too many things in my notes about Kara Walker, but overall she uses silhouettes in a cartoony way to contrast the sensitive subjects of racism and the south.
I love love loved Cai Guo-Qiang. His work was all about explosiveness in everything and even though all of his works didn't deal with gun powder, they still all had to do with organized chaos. Because all of the pieces were using gun powder it became an accessory. He used the car crash by manufacturing chaos he again proved organization in chaos as well.
ReplyDeleteJosiah McElheny used actual reflective glass to show reflection in his work. He wanted people to reflect upon themselves and life so he used mirrors and cleverly put them together in installations.
Kara Walker used black silhouettes to make charicatures of racism in history. It is interesting how she simplified these figures while at the same time showing so much through these simple forms. I loved when she used the projector because her pieces looked like old racist Disney cartoons like "Song of the South" which proved her point I thought.
I thought that all three artists that were presented to us on Monday where very interesting in terms of their concepts and the way they used the materials and mediums to express their ideas.
ReplyDeleteCai Guo-Qiang used various materials and techniques in order to show violence in our times. His main focus was gun powder which I thought was very unique and I did not know or thought that someone would use that. Although he "drew" the objects he wanted to portray and shaped them with color, when he light the gun powder, the shapes got distorted and abstract and reflected violence.
Josiah McElheny used glass which is also an interesting choice. His focus was utopia and was also interested in the beginning of times. Most of the times he created objects that derived from his memory and placed them next to each other to create a whole. He also created objects of his own imagination that he got inspiration from his observations in order to deoict the big bang which I thought was a very successful depiction. I think that glass got his message of utopia out in good way as it creates very different feelings from any other material.
Finally, Kara Walker was focused on social issues such as racism, sexism and power struggles. She used the black figures, like shades in order to depict that and this way created this mystery but also very clear images of figures and landscapes interacting in order to get it across. She created these narratives that had no beginning and no end in big white rooms and let the viewer use his imagination as to create the narrative and find out the issues she was trying to get out there.
I found Cai Guo-Qiang’s work to be incredibly fascinating. His use of gunpowder to create art is something that I’ve never heard of anyone doing. I enjoyed how he compared the process of making his gunpowder drawings to making love, explaining the similarities between the two and that both are long processes with a final goal. He uses a theme of explosive chaos within his pieces. He is also brilliant at recreating animals and positioning them in uncomfortable positions, in which the viewer is forced to walk in and around the piece. In the video he said that art is about what you don’t say, and I understand it as him wanting his viewer to come up with their own ideas about each piece on a personal level.
ReplyDeleteJosiah McElheny primarily uses blown glass as his art. His pieces that he makes comes from a previous source- they are a memory of another object. He concentrates on the idea of a utopian perfection. I enjoyed many of his pieces, especially the forms that resemble designs of Christian Dior and his reflective pieces.
Kara Walker was focused on social issues such as racism, sexism and power struggles. Her work consisted of her using large black cut out silhouettes of figures from a historical time and setting. She creates narratives that have no distinct beginning or ending, and are often in circular rooms, using projections that not only serve as a background, but in turn force the viewer to become one with the narrative and become another silhouette.
Cai Guo-Qiang grew up during the Cultural revolution which I see as feeding his fascination with destruction. His use of gunpowder to create his art demonstrates his concept of beauty through destruction. His use of realistic three dimensional sculptures of animals with objects stuck in them communicates his concept of the aesthetic of pain. This work shocks the viewer, making them uncomfortable, and causes them to think.
ReplyDeleteJosiah McElheny use of glass connotes many concepts. When the glass is reflective, it engages the viewer. This engagement makes them literally reflect on themselves. All of McElheny's pieces bring in the concept of fagility and memory due to the medium and his references to actual objects.
Kara Walker use of silhouettes automatically brings the viewer's associations to an older period of time. Walker uses the silhouette to effectively comment on race, sex, and power. Her work brings a commentary on progress despite the fact that her figures reference the past. Her work makes the viewer analyze whether or the a fore mentioned issues are still relevant.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteAll three artists use rather unique and unusual materials in their art. Their work could become kind of gimmicky as a result, relying too heavily on the unusual quality of their material, but instead they use it to strengthen their concepts and create visually arresting images. Cao Guo-Qiang uses gunpowder in a variety of ways in his work and he is the first artist I have ever heard of that does such a thing. It's completely fascinating. His artworks are full of metaphors, symbols, narrative and traditions, all coming together and creating a rich piece of art. His choice in materials are also very thoughtful and reflects his view of the current social climate of the times. Josiah McElheny uses glass, something I think that is usually considered more crafty than high art, to explore the world of art. His pieces seem to comment on different art movements and theories and his choice of using something not normally seen in the high art world is a really great means of exploring these concepts. Kara Walker uses black paper cutouts to create her large scale installation pieces. In utilizing black paper cutouts as her material, she harkens back to the old fashion silhouettes that people use to cut out, reflecting the individual in a different but still highly personal manner. There seems to be this conflict between the personal and the anonymous in her work, along with the specific and the general. She is using simplified forms to depict racial stereotypes but at the same time placing them in a sweeping narrative. The black paper has a simplicity to it that belies all the weight that is metaphorically behind her work.
ReplyDeleteCai Guo-Qiang, Josiah McElheny, and Kara Walker all cherish their own materials . Whether its gunpowder, glass, or stencils/silhouettes, the object is what makes each of these artists unique and worthy of discussion and admiration. They have used the material to become standout in their niche.
ReplyDeleteCai Guo-Qiang comments on his youth and nature with the repetition of gunpowder and 'stuffed' "taxidermy" looking animals.
Josiah McElheny uses glass to actually comment on the craft and the idea of 'utopia.' He is able to create mock unrealistic narratives and places with the material.
Kara Walker uses the black sticker stencils to create a narrative about her culture and background of African American slavery in the united states and the many historical stories which surround the heritage.
Kara Walker uses black silhouettes to comment on issues facing black people. The black paper and use of silhouettes make the overall piece appear idealized and romanticized. Only once the viewer looks closer can they see the violence or pain within the narrative. The material allows her to address big issues without needing to attach a face to them.
ReplyDeleteJosiah McElheny uses glass to create a utopian world, a world too perfect for us to actually be able to inhabit. Once he started using reflective material, he forced the viewer to see themselves in an ideal world but also separate from it. He comments on our obsession with self image through the reflective surface. Also, Mcelheny uses the material to emphasize that the ideal world must stay as an idea.
Cai Guo-qiang uses gunpowder to comment on the universal issues facing society today. He looks at the positive and negative connotations of the material. For example the joy of fireworks and the destruction of its use in war. He plays on the viewers fear of the material to create beautiful drawings. He also makes fake stuffed animals to talk about the state of humanity. He impales them with objects confiscated at airports or uses them as a symbol of society and our imminent self destruction.
I found Cai Guo-Qiang’s use of gunpowder to be so unique and expressive, and very illustrative of the concepts of destruction and pain he wishes to convey in his work. His idea of “the aesthetics of pain” is also present in his extraordinarily realistic, large-scale sculptures of animals. Suspended from the ceiling or covered in arrows, his representations of animals in the throes of death speak to the fear of death within us all.
ReplyDeleteJosiah McElhenny was one of my favorite artists to learn more about because of the fascinating process he uses to create his work, and also due to the sheer aesthetic beauty of the end product. His work references previous artistic movements, as well as the concept of reflectivity and mirrors.
Kara Walker’s work is politically charged and racially motivated, and presents challenging concepts in a fairytale, child-like setting. Her work is highly influenced by the pre and post civil war south, as well as novels like Gone With the Wind. Its unique to see an artist who uses such a simple aesthetic in such complex, creative, and meaningful ways.
Cai Guo-Qiang uses gun powder to express his ideas on different social issues, usually dealing with anti-violence theme. The gun powder represents the duality of destruction and celebration that can coexist in the same object. His fireworks series, although aesthetically pleasing, convey a sense of destruction and violence. He is interested in the theme of duality, which keeps recurring in his works such as his stuff animal series, the car bombing series, and the airplane series.
ReplyDeleteKara Walker uses black paper to comment on different issues revolves around black slaves. Her silhouette is very illusive since from a distance they look like a scene from a children book but up close they are horrific scenes of black slaves being tortured or punish by their white master. The material really enhances the message in her work. None of her character has a facial detail, which shows the lack of identity of black slaves.
Josiah McElheny’s works cover a wide variety of subjects including history, vanity, cosmology, and Utopia. His decision to use glass helps to emphasize his message about Utopia, a perfect world that human can never achieve. This is clearly shown in his work with the glass tower, it is a perfect and ideal palace and yet human cannot live in it. The reflective quality of his work also comments on human’s narcissistic behavior and our constant needs to reflect upon ourselves.
Cai Guo-Qiang choice to use gunpowder as his medium is quite unique. It really seems to parallel the idea violence and chaos in society that he is trying to draw attention to while still creating art that is aesthetically pleasing.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed Josiah McElheny’s work. At first I thought that I would not be interested in his art, but the more he talked about it the more amazing I found it to be! I found that his choice of glass as a material to create an unattainable utopia worked well. The illusions that he could create using the glass as a reflective surface added to this sense of an imaginary, dream like delicateness.
Kara Walker’s use of the old art of silhouette creates an imaginary world that harks back to the old south, yet the ideas that she brings forth from these images are timeless subjects within human nature.
All three artists discussed on Wednesday materialized their concepts through incredibly unique meathods. Their emphasis on experimentation and thinking beyond the typical realms of art (ie: traditional sculpture, ceramics, or paintings).
ReplyDeleteCai Guo-Qiang's artistic prowess exists among many different outlets; he sculpts, he creates great outdoor installations, and draws with explosives. His work has been strongly influenced by recent political upheavels, paranoia, and the overall concept of terrorism. I think it is really suiting that this would materialize itself through explosions and fire, as it mimics the unpredictability of the state of the world and plays into the iconography of car bombs. His sculptures, meanwhile, depict struggle and the inevitability of human failure.
Josiah McElheny's use of glass and mirrors expresses his obsession with the preconcieved notions of the future, utopia, and an incredible astronomical science that borderlines science-fiction. I think that through his glass sculptures, he explores these concepts by creating a mini cityscape of unnatural, reflective surfaces.
Kara Walker, lastly, deals a lot with racism, and her experience as a "black woman" in a "white world." She explores these experiences through black silhouettes typically on plain white walls. The figures in her work are exaggerated and play into the stereotypes that surround African Americans. Her work usually takes place in a somewhat circular formation, as her experiences of struggle, racism, and romanticism has no begining and no end.