Wing Jianwei’s sculpture and painting exhibition was very interesting to me. I like the four connecting paintings with the yellow lines on the corners because it was a very creative way of expressing the different perspectives within that one group. Jianwei could have easily just painted the scene in one canvas, but he decided to repeat some parts of the scene and continue on like this until the last canvas. I also found it interesting that we didn’t know the background of the painting; we weren’t told exactly what was happening in the scene which made the piece more interesting to me.
I also liked the cell painting because of his technique of using the paint to make 3-D textures and thus making it more interesting. It was also cool to hear that his choice of colors like yellow and gray were used because he wanted his exhibit to be a place for quiet and contemplation.
After the tour, some of us when to the highest floor and swirled our way to the lobby while looking at the other art. There was actually a moving piece on the highest floor, where different pieces would start moving at different times, all within the 7 minutes of the presentation. It was all about light, since once the performance started, a light would turn on and we would get to see how the different pieces and the light worked together to create not only art in the piece but also on the wall.
The group Zero was also very interesting to me since they made such abstract art that a lot of people didn’t understand at that time, and that some don’t even understand now. I personally liked learning that one of the members of Zero actually walked into the original exhibit in the 1900’s and smoked cigarettes. The smoke was lifted up and created different images, but would soon disappear
Un Danse des Bouffons was an incredibly surprising short film. Considering that it was our first time going to a gallery, watching such a confusing yet beautiful film as way beyond what I expected even after watching a bit of it prior to going.
It was only what I can explain as a very strange expression of creativity. It was even stranger considering that we went in to watch the film while it was ending. Since we came in at the end, what we saw was a lot more surprising since we had not gotten used to the style of the film. It made an even bigger impression on us since not only did we come in at the end, but also it was naked people something that we are not used to seeing in public, especially in a class.
Although many people voiced their negative opinions and said that it made them feel uncomfortable, I found it beautiful. The music made it a lot more mysterious, but I liked that about it. It seemed very dark to me, but at the same time it represented renewal, or rebirth (literally). The incorporation of dancing also made sense when realizing that Un Danse des Bouffons means the jester’s dance. We see paralleled by the fact that one of the main guys is made up to look like a jester. Although the nudity made people feel uncomfortable, I saw it as art. Are bodies do not always have to represent sex; they can also simply represent the body, which is in itself art.
I do admit that it was confusing considering that there was no narration and a lot happening, but at the same time it had elegance.
After reading about Tom Smith and hearing his interviews where he talked about how he grew up and how he got introduced into the art world, it was so surreal actually seeing him and getting to hear his thought process when making these pieces. The way he uses colors to make certain things pop and his use of other materials on canvas, like the wood chips and cut up paper, makes his works so much more amazing.
The first thing that I found interesting was that although all of the pieces were exhibited together, they had been created up to three years ago. It goes to show just how much work goes into making art. Just because you have “finished” it at that point doesn’t mean the piece is really done and ready to be shown to the public.
I think one very important thing that I learned about during this trip was that a lot of big name artists actually have a bunch of assistants that do a lot of the work alongside them. The artists teach their disciplines how to use their techniques and after seeing if they have achieve it, the artists will actually allow them to paint in their style. I found this a bit unfair just because when I thought of paintings, I always thought it was only one person since it is usually credited to one person. When we think of the Sistine Chapel, we only think of Michelangelo, not all his assistants that were perhaps doing just as much work as he was.
This has taught me to appreciate art a lot more, especially Tom since he created all those pieces without the help of assistants. It was also interesting to learn that the people working in the gallery, like the receptionist, all have backgrounds in art. They are simply doing their jobs in order to break into the art world.
I had just been in airplanes and airports for 30+ hours, coming back from my vacation. I was groggy, sleepy, and needed a shower. Needless to say, I was not in the mood to look around and notice art around me. But then, standing in the line in the International Arrivals hall at JFK Airport, I looked up and saw what looked like a gigantic sketch across the top of the wall. I was stunned. It was so intricate. I immediately recognized it as a drawing of Manhattan. After all, how can I not, having been born and bred in this city?
Then I read the information besides the “sketch.” (It seems so silly to call it that because “sketch” makes it seem like it was done in a hurry. But I know this sketch took WORK. The grueling kind.) A man named Stephen Wiltshire drew it after a 20-minute ride on a helicopter. That’s it. After just TWENTY minutes on a helicopter, he was able to draw this entire sketch. No kidding, I immediately pointed this out to my family—who gave me the look of death because they were as tired as I was. It was just amazing to me. Twenty minute ride and the result was THIS?
I have done some research on Wiltshire and he is actually famous because he can draw from memory! (No kidding, right?). Wiltshire was born in London, England and had autism. He didn’t learn how to speak fully until the age of nine, but rather communicated by way of art. (Sounds pretty amazing, I know.) After he developed his skills and graduated from City and Guilds London Art School in 1998, he began to draw more and more. His “from memory” drawings include the NYC one (which, by the way, is a nineteen-foot-long drawing of 305 square miles of New York City) and a detailed drawing of four square miles of London after a single helicopter ride above that city. He has also drawn Rome, Hong Kong, Frankfurt, Madrid, Dubai, and Jerusalem.
His longest ever drawing? A drawing of Tokyo on a 32.8-foot-long (10.0 m) canvas within seven days following a helicopter ride over the city.
Show me someone who thinks this isn’t amazing, and I’ll…you know.
These drawings—because they’re so long—are very small and I don’t want you to strain your eyes, so here you can find a gallery of Wiltshire’s works.
On my way home from school I walk down 3rd Ave and I pass the same gallery every day: Décor Gallery & Framing. After passing it now for an entire semester I finally decided to walk in. I immediately realized that this gallery is absolutely nothing like any gallery we visited this year. When we entered David Zwirner’s galleries Prof. Eversley needed to remind us that we were in a market place. I remember being so careful not to touch the walls in the Rox gallery when we saw Tom Smith’s work.
I did not need anyone to remind me that this small gallery was a market place. While the work was unique, eye catching and current just like the other galleries we visited, everything seemed to be priced significantly lower. Some paintings were hanging and some were on the floor. This gallery was for shoppers. And although I was not looking to buy, I still enjoyed walking around and trying to find my favorite pieces.
Walking into this type of gallery reminded me of our trip to the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Guggenheim. The Met is elevated. You need to climb so many intimidating steps before you get to go inside. It felt exclusive. Contrastingly, the Guggenheim was welcoming—in fact there are no steps, its centered on a ramp. My favorite part of the Guggenheim was the way the floor matched a sidewalk. It was for every day people to come and enjoy art, just like the gallery on 3rd Ave.
Today I was browsing through the list of sports websites I usually keep track of when I noticed this link to a shoe blog. This blog actually had pictures of existing shoes that were redesigned through the inspiration of different superheroes. The designer for these conceptual shoes was Patso Dimitrov. He took some of the best selling basketball shoes made by Nike and came up with designs that were inspired by superheroes such as Ironman and Batman. I took an immediate interest in the designs, despite not really having any prior interest in shoe design in the past. Perhaps the connection that these shoes had to other fields made me more interested in them.
Upon looking up more of Patso’s conceptual designs, I found out that he also came up with other concept shoes in the past. His previous shoe designs were inspired by some of the rap albums that has been released over the years. What made his shoes stand out so much was the use of colors and motifs related to whatever thing he was inspired by. Despite not being a sneakerhead, I definitely look forward to any future designs by Patso and would love to own some pairs of sneaker with designs on them.
Here is two of the links from which I found his concept shoe designs.d
http://hoopeduponline.com/2014/03/25/nba-signature-shoes-x-rap-albums/
https://www.behance.net/gallery/21860331/NBA-Signature-Shoes-x-Superheroes
As I entered the 6 train on my way home early last week, I was struck by an image on the wall of the train. I began to read the poem, and it definitely hit home for me. Coming from a not-so-busy town in Brooklyn, as a child, I’ve always been amazed at how everyday millions of people wake up early and commute to the city for school and work. This poem made me think about just how remarkable it is to now be a part of it. I took notice to the metaphor the poet used by describing herself as “an alarm clock.” This phrase as well as the poem as a whole does a really good job at depicting the daily morning routine of so many people!
I recently discovered Fabian Oefner, and was amazed by his use of color. He uses normal physical properties with different liquids to create art that is seemingly random, but also very deliberate. For example, Oefner uses Ferrofluid and its magnetic properties to develop incredible art. I found an interest in his art first, and then was even more intrigued by it after finding out what went behind it.
Ferrofluid is peculiar metal. It’s magnetic (due to iron particles in it) and the particles in the solution rearrange when placed under a magnetic field. Water colors are then added to the liquid, and these images are hence formed. Ferrofluid is hydrophobic, and therefore doesn’t mix with the water it is placed with. These photos are only about the size of a thumbnail, but yet are so clear and crisp; how could they not catch your eye?
The photos remind me of brains sometimes, and cells in others when I realize that they are very small images blown up into something larger.
Oefner uses bright, distinct color to bring life and amazing detail in images and in video. He created a magnificent show with the Ferrari California T to outline it’s sleek look. He also created a commercial for the LG OLEG TV, using his bright colors to create a positive image for the system.
The link for the Ferrari commercial can be found here
Overall, it was Oefner’s use of color that stuck out to me. He uses unique styles that create a natural look, but also artificial at the same time by using the colors that he does.
Those interested in reading more about Fabian Oefner can visit his website here
This Sunday, on my way up to Central Park, I came across a painting that was right in the middle of the sidewalk. As a pedestrian, you just could not miss it! Instead of being overwhelmingly confused at its complexities as I probably would have in the past, I stopped to try and have a greater understanding for the work. If you were to take a quick glance, the work looks like a lot of busy colors, shapes, and black outlining lines. But when I took a closer look, the painting seemed like a microcosm for Manhattan with the implicit depiction of buildings all around. The array of colors, shapes, and designs all show how bustling and busy the city environment is.
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