Dongdaemun History and Culture Park, designed by Zaha Hadid

The picture speaks a thousand times the amount of words than the article that goes along with it.

Briefly going over the topic of the article, September and October both mark months of design festivals scattered all around Europe. Cities such as London, Amsterdam, Brussels, and Helsinki all host design fairs that introduce fresh ideas, bring back renowned designers, and host a series of exhibition that pertain to the theme of the fair (i.e. Dutch Design Double Program’s theme this year is “Redesign the World”)

Design, whether it be architectural design or graphic design, has always struck me as an art different than art which is literally painted on a canvas. The phrase “eye for design” really comes in handy when trying to separate the two arts. It’s based on how you organize; where certain objects are placed, the colors you choose, the techniques you use to portray your purpose in this piece. I have experimented with image editing software such as Photoshop for two years, and it’s taught me the importance of structure. Arranging each layer, setting a focal point for the piece using techniques such as a lighting source, making the text compliment the subject instead of overriding it, etc.

Culture Park (see picture above) is in its first phase of design, which is designed by architecture Zaha Hadid. The unique shaping and lighting of this work in progress already has me excited for what the final outcome will look like.

Structure and organization is something that I like to have in my life, so art such as graphic design or architecture is something I tend to lean towards. But how about everyone else? Do you see design as an art that requires structure? Do you prefer to see a certain amount of organization in the pieces that you view?

A photograph is sort of imprisoned reality, with its own light and shade, its own contours and depth. A dead moment preserved in amber. A paralyzed universe. Shadows of our world can be captured in photographic images, but Gerhard Richter’s ongoing series, Overpainted Photographs exposes and rectifies precisely what these images try so hard to hide: their literal and figurative two-dimensionality.

The photos themselves, like so many others, probably remind you of those that you yourself have taken; family vacations, pets, places, pots and vases… flat machine-documented slices of space and time. Richter’s paint slapped and slopped across the surfaces of these pictures takes these mundane little windows into the lives and eyes of others, and morphs them into studies of the beautiful destruction of the true-to-sight world.

Beautiful for the way these small abstract paintings seem anything but random as they both negate and enhance the images they obscure, with Richter’s colors and textures often finding energy and poetry in  the various scenes that the photos alone may have missed, as in the below Corvatsch. (If I did this HTML thing right there should be some text when you mouse-over pictures. Nope.)

Beautiful too for the way Richter’s overpainting reveals the hidden surface of photographs, like a fourth spatial dimension to the photograph’s attempt at a fully 3D scene. The paint also gives a sense of movement to the stillness of the images. Even the smallness of the works, standard 10 x 15 cm prints, contributes by lending a little sentiment-evoking fragility to each piece.

All in all, I think Gerhard Richter has produced some top-notch art here.
For more info see http://www.gerhard-richter.com/

– Alexa Lempel

Yesterday, I made my way into New York City to see Big Bambú: You Can’t, You Don’t, and You Won’t Stop. The exhibit is on display in The Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Roof Garden of The Metropolitan Museum of Art from April 27 to October 31. Its creators, Mike and Doug Starn, are twin brothers from New Jersey. They collaborate with rock climbers and other artists to continually construct the bamboo sculpture. To assemble, the team utilizes approximately 5,000 pieces of the plant that can measure up to 30 or 40 feet long. Each portion is held together by a piece of nylon rope, altogether measuring 50 miles. The structure’s foundation and walkways are all built in a wavelike shape that intends to accentuate the aesthetics of architecture. The constant rebirth of the art near the natural setting of Central Park gives the sculpture a living quality. The entire evolution will be available for viewing at the conclusion of the event.

Since I arrived before tickets were being sold, I explored my surroundings. The weather was cool but comfortable, so musicians were out performing under Central Park bridges while artists encouraged tourists to buy their works in the street. I moved on to observe other art in the Met, intending to excite myself for the final grand display that awaited me. There were rooms holding statues from ancient Greece and Rome, and others housing artifacts from Oceania. An exhibit of modern art was even showing a few works of Henri Matisse, such as “Laurette in a Green Robe, Black Background” and “The Young Sailor II.”

Finally, I was welcomed into a group of 15 people and we were off to hike through a magnificent maze of bamboo. The structure was enormous; according to the Starn brothers, it stands 50 feet high, 50 feet wide, and 100 feet long. I overheard mothers instructing their young children to not look down, but honestly, that was the best part. The interior walkways are about 20 to 40 feet above the Met’s Roof Garden, which offers an incredible view of Central Park and the rest of the surrounding city. Walking up so high on uneven grounds gave the impression of being on a wooden roller-coaster.

Our group was fortunate enough to even meet the Starn brothers! This made the artistic experience even more dynamic and interactive. The men had gentle faces, and seemed very down-to-earth. We had so many questions to ask, but they had to be on their way. Climbing over the structure’s pathways closed off to the public, they met with their team to relax, listen to classic rock, and discuss future plans.

I highly recommend you to attend this once-in-a-lifetime experience, if you haven’t done so already! To find out more about the exhibit and how to attend, click here.

One ground-view of the monument.

“This show has a lot to do with failure and potential, accident and intention, and time at its most minute and most infinite. It’s about how powerful a single simple gesture can be.”
–Dan Colen

A new exhibit at the Gagosian Gallery explores the role of chance in art. Artist Dan Colen uses unconventional methods to create his artwork, and uses simple materials such as confetti, chewing gum, grass, and bike ramps. I found this really interesting because it shows how simple, everyday materials can be used to create beautiful pieces of art. For example, one of Colen’s pieces is a canvas covered with different pieces of chewing gum. This made me think of the other posts on this blog that question whether certain paintings should actually be considered art. Although Colen’s pieces may not be as complex as a piece by Da Vinci or Van Gogh, they are still aesthetically pleasing. If the observer enjoys looking at a piece and it stimulates thought, then there is no question of its status as art.

Dan Colen’s artwork will be shown at the Gagosian Gallery through October 16.

One of Colen's pieces, made by dragging grass across a canvas

Asia Society has recently opened an exhibition displaying Yoshitomo Nara’s “Nobody’s Fool” and many of his early works, which is the first time contemporary art has taken over this museum. Yoshitomo Nara’s artwork has been exhibiting all around the world ever since the 1980’s, including Japan, Europe, and the United States.

Click here for an overview of “Nobody’s Fool”.

Yoshitomo Nara is an extremely unique artist because first of all, all of his artworks are of cartoon-ish animals (mainly dogs) and children who first appear to be “cute and cuddly” until weapons are seen in these characters’ hands sometimes along with various face expressions, from what seems to be heavy eyelids as a result from tiredness or undiluted hate. There are many different interpretations to the messages Nara wants to convey through his art. Some critics suggest that Nara is illustrating the childhood emotions and memories and their persistence through life, while it may be just the fact that innocent children are placed in a world full of violence. His artwork may also be a stem from his lonely childhood and love for rock music as many of his artworks have obvious connections to songs such as The Ramones’ “Blitzkrieg Bop”. Whatever the message is, he has attracted an audience because Nara has even earned himself a cult to follow him.

Yoshitomo Nara's "The Girl With the Knife in Her Hand"

Although Nara’s artwork may seem somewhat infantile, its message is much more powerful and stunning.

There is even an Iphone app that allows you to see an overview of Yoshitomo Nara’s “Nobody’s Fool” exhibition! Click here.

Find the NY Times article here.

It’s safe to say that Henry Darger was a hermit. He was a notoriously reclusive artist who is famous for a 15,145 paged (single-spaced, mind you) manuscript titled The Story of the Vivian Girls, in What is Known as the Realms of the Unreal, of the Glandeco-Angelinnian War Storm, Caused by the Child Slave Rebellion, which was discovered after his death. On top of that, he created several hundred drawings and watercolor paintings to accompany the story. Darger’s ability to sustain creativity with his isolated lifestyle is quite perplexing. Often times, environment has a great influence on inspiration and art. However, Darger channeled a changing environment with the walls of his room, which is displayed in the exhibition, “The Private Collection of Henry Darger.”Hundreds of artwork was applied to his one room bedroom apartment by a string, tack, or glue. He hung self-made collages that focused mainly on young girls and his Catholic faith.

One has a deeper perspective of Darger’s mysterious life through his “art collection.” The colleges are cut or ripped with purpose, each with a specific story, contrasting with the epic nature of the watercolor pieces. He must have stored hundreds of tales in his mind. It brings up this question,- if a recluse can have creativity despite a limited environment, do our surroundings really effect us? In turn, what is the determining factor for the differences in identical twins if not the environment? “The Private Collection of Henry Darger” is available at the American Folk Art Museum until October 24.

Source

Making art out of nature is nothing new, but it never ceases to be breath-taking. I read an article featuring an exhibit at Storm King Art Center–one of the world’s greatest sculpture parks. Storm King Art Center is located in the Hudson Valley about an hour north of New York City. It features collections of sculptures from as far back as 1945 to present day set in 500 acres of hills, fields, and woodlands.

The article focuses on a specific work called “Storm King Wavefield” by Maya Lin. Maya Lin’s works present new ways of looking at the environment. This particular exhibition consists of a series of grass-covered mounds meant to represent waves, and the way in which you approach the exhibition affects the way that you will perceive the art.  Recently, a New York Times photographer named Librado Romero took the time to check out Storm King Wavefield and captured some pretty incredible shots. It’s cool to think of art being literally sculpted from nature–something which is and was and always will be.

Here are Romero’s pictures.

I think that it’s really cool to see art in its natural form, something that doesn’t seem to have required much altering.  Maya Lin really “brings the sea to land” with her exhibition, which is something unique and creative.  What makes this exhibition really something special is the fact that it looks completely different in different light and seasons.  The sculpture was made, but the art is always changing.  It will never look exactly the same, which I found really interesting.  And this can be applied to every art form.  Live music will never be performed exactly the way it was in previous concerts.  A picture will look different depending on the person viewing it.  Dancers do not move in the exact same way at each and every performance.  Art is forever changing.

Here is the article.

Growing up in New York City is not something that I have personally experienced, but now it is something I can learn about through photographed documents of the lives of others. Starting in January, a dozen teens became a part of a program called Expanding the Walls at the Studio Museum in Harlem. They were given professional cameras and asked to document their lives growing up in New York City. This program ran for seven months and allowed teens from Harlem and other underserved neighborhoods to work with curators and educators from the museum.

The teenagers in this program were all encouraged to photograph the things that are most important to them, and after two months, the results already varied widely based on the different struggles these teens have faced growing up. Photographer James Van Der Zee had many photographs depicting Harlem in the 20th century and the teens used him as their study model so that they could “show their subjects with the same dignity and class as he did and to photograph them in their natural settings”.

The Studio Museum in Harlem located on West 125th Street, across from the Harlem State Office Building is open Wednesday through Sunday. I think it would be interesting to go and see the different types of photographs depicting the lifestyles and hardships these teens had to face growing up in New York City.
click here to see the article!

click here to see some pictures

Here’s something that might make you want to stop.

Beware

I went to the Guggenheim’s exhibition, “Haunted: Contemporary Photography/Video/Performance”, a few months back and was immediately intrigued by the artwork. The exhibition, which features works by sixty artists, focuses not on supernatural beings, but rather on the “engaging themes of appropriation, documentation, history, the archive, nostalgia, trauma and the uncanny,” according to art critic, Walter Robinson.

That doesn’t mean it isn’t a bit scary. As I walked up the spiraling ramps of the Guggenheim, I was rather disturbed by some pieces, especially “Nail Biter” by artist Anthony Goicolea. I saw people entering and leaving a dark room with disgusted faces and that naturally, made me want to go in. Believe it or not, I think I was the only person who stayed long enough to see the whole thing during the time I was there.

If you like this video, you should also check out articles about the other pieces because unfortunately, the show closes today. Be aware, however, that some of the work is rather disturbing. There is an reoccurring theme of death that you will see throughout.

Here’s an article about the show.

I noticed that many people have been commenting on the question of what art is. I also have enjoyed the pieces on photography. I feel like our blog is becoming more cohesive and interesting. This is the first time I’ve ever participated in blogs of any kind and I love how this becomes an open forum.

I personally have always had an obsession with photojournalism and how it affects world perception. For me, the New York Times Lens Blog is a beautiful mix of artistic photographs that also have political meaning. I feel like each picture tells a compelling story and has more emotional depth than just reading an article about a foreign country.

I also thought it would be interesting to hear what you guys think. Would you classify this as art or something else?

One of the most fascinating aspects of art is the ability of an artist to take find beauty in the mundanity of everyday life. That is exactly what photographer Lee Friedlander does in his new book “America by Car,” which will be on view at the Whitney Museum of American Art through November 28th.

Driving is one of the most commonplace activities in our daily routine. In particular, driving through the five boroughs of New York City, we see incredible views all the time from bridges and highways that are so normal to us that we rarely take the time to appreciate what we see through our windshields.

Over the last fifteen years, Friedlander has taken black-and-white, square-format photographs all from the inside of cars that he rented during his road trips around the country. He captures magnificent pictures of the countryside, as well as photos of regular intersections, which are all buffered by a steering wheel, dashboard, car radio, or side-view mirrors. The presence of the visual impediments in the form of the interior of a car creates a unique sense of realism in each photograph. Additionally, the black-and-white composition gives regular houses, ice cream shops, factories, and other common sights a classic feel that transforms your perception of otherwise uninteresting roadside landscapes.

Having driven up and down I-95 from South Florida to Manhattan several times, I have spent an enormous amount of time behind the wheel of a car on highway roads, and I can personally relate to Friedlander’s photographs. In December, when my family once again drives down the east coast, I will have a much different perspective on the scenery around me from the interior of our car.

Click here to read The New York Times article

Slideshow from Lee Friedlander: America by Car

– David Rand

Have you ever considered that the cracks in the sidewalk could become pieces of art? Well that’s exactly what artist Ingrid Calame turns them into. She transforms things that no one would “think twice about” into pop art by tracing various grooves, cracks, spills and other markings onto Mylar paper and transferring them onto an aluminum sheet, suitable for painting. To her, these markings represent the life that has moved across these pavements for years, creating their histories. Ingrid has the talent of turning simple things into intricate, detailed, abstract images simply by noticing the unnoticed. As she says, “I love those treasures of nothingness.” And treasures are what they truly become.

Her artwork will be available for viewing Sept 10 through Oct 9 at the James Cohan Gallery. The exhibit is titled “Ingrid Calame: Swing Shift”. Check out the article
Her Artwork

Art from the Arcelor Mittal Steel Shipping Building One, No. 233

What makes something “Art”?

Dictionary.com defines art as “the quality, production, expression, or realm, according to aesthetic principles, of what is beautiful, appealing, or of more than ordinary significance.” Well now that that’s settled and clarified, let me ask you another question. What makes art “good” or “bad”? What is deemed beautiful or aesthetically pleasing to one person may not be viewed in a similar manner by another. Just because a piece doesn’t fit in the societal mold of “fine art” does not strip it of its artiness. I have recently come across an article which focuses on some interesting people who enjoy what has been classified as “Bad Art” or “Found Art”. These people focus on the “of more than ordinary importance” aspect of art. They enjoy art which strikes an emotional chord, whatever that chord may be. Whether it be in a picture of a mermaid/unicorn hugging Bigfoot, a couple of U.F.O.’s, or suicidal clowns. They value the “passion of the amateur” over the craft of the technician. They rummage through trash heaps, flea markets, yard sales, and sometimes eBay for these artistic”treasures.” They do however have a small list of criteria for what can be considered “Bad Art”. The most important of which is that it has to have been created seriously and honestly. Therefore if someone were to set out to make something hideous on purpose it would not fit the genre. There is even a “Museum of Bad Art” or the “MOBA” as it has come to be known. It’s cheap, it’s anonymous, it’s odd, and it’s clumsy, but no matter how oxymoronic it may seem these pieces of “bad art” are art nonetheless.
click this

the MOBA website click this…uh or not

For years, the fashion world was clandestine. The public knew of the latest trends and about the runways that introduced the emerging ideas, but knew nothing regarding the work and details in-between. However, in alliance with the Internet, the secrets are out.

SHOWstudio is a website that combines fashion with film. Highlighting the artistic aspects of the business, the organization aspires to positively change the way we see fashion. Lofty designers and photographers collaborate with writers, filmmakers, and well-known cultural icons. These artists conduct interviews with fellow aesthetic-experimentalists, and broadcast catwalk shows and model shoots live. Their mission? To generate the most vivid and innovated image of fashion through art – moving, still, or verbal.

Artists of any kind – musicians, designers, writers – will certainly find this tool resourceful as a source of inspiration.  There are many videos and portraits available for a global audience to view. One of the site’s recent projects is titled “The Fashion Body,” which glorifies each part of the human body with a distinctive video.

Another development – Eniko – is an interactive film combining fashion, graphics and music.

Before I encountered this website, I always noted the shallow characteristics of fashion before noticing the artistic qualities. My new-found awareness has changed that opinion, and I hope others who have shared a comparable view experience a similar transformation.

A still from "The Fashion Body"

– Alexandra Nicoletti

Steve McGhee is a Canadian “professional designer,” who specializes in creating surreal digital art featuring chaos. Most of his works involve worst case scenarios in urban settings as a result of the monstrous manifestation of nature, or as we coin the term, natural disasters. The idea behind each of his works are not disturbing however, but rather the realistic quality present.

"The Big Swallow" by Steve McGhee

Steve McGhee once aspired to become a fireman, until his teachers took note of his artistic abilities. He then attended the H. B. Beal Secondary School in London, Ontario, Canada to study the arts as a high school student. He attended Sheridan College afterwards for animation, and George Brown College for graphic design.

Steve McGhee’s “The Big Swallow,” as pictured above, won first place honors in 2009 for the Photoshop User, World Wide Photoshop Competition. His piece, “Last Flight Home” won Best Digital Art of the Active Webdezign Annual Design Awards in 2010 (pictured below).

"Last Flight Home" by Steve McGhee

An artist McGhee admires is Mathieu Beaulieu, whose pieces involve 2D animation and illustration, such as this advertisement for Télé-Québec:

Ciné-Cadeau ’08 – Promotional ad from Mathieu Beaulieu on Vimeo.

Although both artistic styles differ, it is good to know that there will be a constant demand for digital art regarding different designs.

Source

by Clarissa Baquiran

Upon reading the title of this article, I thought that one of New York City’s hotels was going to be transformed into an art gallery.  As I began reading, I realized that I was wrong, but there is something more interesting going on.  Apparently, a lot of hotels are now into getting artwork up on their walls to give the hotel more of a personal touch for their customers.  This use of artwork displayed throughout the hotel is supposed to give the hotel its own identity and make it stand out from other hotels, rather than just make it look pretty.

This article focuses on the hotel called The James in Soho.  This hotel has hired a young artist, Matthew Jensen, to personally pick out artwork to decorate the hotel.  Jensen met Brad Wilson, the chief operating officer, at his own exhibit.  Wilson liked Jensen’s work and decided to hire him for the job of choosing artwork to decorate The James.  Jensen has decided to use pieces from an assortment of New York-based landscape artists on each floor.  This is a great opportunity for Jensen and it also gives him an opportunity to expose some other striving artists.

I personally feel that if a hotel is clean, safe, comfortable, and aesthetically pleasing then it is a good pick.  I don’t think the use of all this artwork would really influence my decision on what hotel to stay in.  If one hotel had modern art and one had abstract art, my decision wouldn’t really sway; but, maybe there are many people out there who prefer to see a particular art display in their hotel.  If so, then The James and other hotels out there are making some good investments.
click here to see the article!

When The Da Vinci Code came out a few years ago, there was a huge buzz surrounding it. I thought it died down, until I found this article in the New York Times describing a new way to look at one of Da Vinci’s most famous paintings (and also a big part of the movie), The Last Supper. Peter Greenaway, a filmmaker, uses cutting-edge technology to bring Da Vinci’s masterpiece to art. Projectors, computers and speakers allow Greenaway to tell the entire story of the painting, with some aspects appearing three-dimensional, and other parts actually moving. I think this is a brilliant idea, because I feel like this would attract a younger audience, maybe even an audience that isn’t really interested in art. Combining a classic masterpiece with the newest technology is like creating an entirely different work of art, one that can cross the different generational gaps, and appeal to the most experienced critic, as well as the most amateur observer.

Da Vinci's "The Last Supper"

Link to Article

For my first blog entry, I have chosen to explore a bit about Charles Deas, a painter that can be categorized as being “forgotten” in today’s artistic world. I, myself, had never heard of Deas before I came across an article in the Times with the captivating title, “Artist’s Work, Out of Attics, Goes to Walls of a Museum.” As it turns out, Deas was quite the up-and-coming artist for about a decade in the 1800’s, known in New York for his works portraying the Native Americans and Europeans living together on the Western frontier. However, when he was institutionalized at 29 for insanity, both he and his paintings were pushed aside and no longer frequently recognized.

However, the story doesn’t end there. Recently, an Art History Professor from Amherst has made it her job to seek out his paintings and has already begun showing the 39 she’s found in an exhibit at the Denver Art Museum. What I found equally as interesting as finding the paintings was the unlikely nature of the places these rare valuables were found: in a cabin in Nova Scotia, in a crate under someone’s bed and in a quiet library in St. Louis. This very much proves the fact that the most beautiful and precious of things can be found in the most remote and even surprising places, as long as we are willing to look for them.

Take a look below at Deas’ vivid depiction of a Native American and how lucky we are to have re-discovered his paintings.

Click here for the article.

I’m sure everyone is aware of the current situation with our economy, things aren’t exactly doing so well right now. During these tough times, people cut down in spending on the unnecessary stuff. Although a lot of works of art are beautiful, they serve no actual purpose in aiding our survival (unless you are the artist selling the art to make a living, which is a totally different case). In an article that I found titled “Can Art Be ‘Priceless’ in Rocky Times?” I read that a painting by Picasso was sold at $106.5 million dollars at Christie’s this month as the most expensive painting EVER sold in an auction. A sculpture by Giacometti called “Walking Man I” was sold in February for $104.3 million dollars. Maybe it’s the fact that I will most likely never make so much money that I would be able to purchase a painting for over $100 million dollars, but to me, just being able to appreciate the art in places like a museum or maybe even a picture on the internet or a book is enough. Art is not my favorite thing in the world, but I could appreciate and understand its beauty. The painting by Picasso for example is one that I would spend my time looking at and learning about, but I just can’t see myself ever spending that much money on anything. Anyone else have a different opinion on the topic?

-Sandra Lau

Here a link to the article, it includes a picture of both the sculpture and the painting.

Although the blog post left earlier by Sandra, or rather, Prof. Smaldone, regarding Matisse was quite brief and most certainly not the epitome of what a true blog post should be, I figured I would expand on this example and add my own two cents about the work of Matisse. Currently there is an exhibition on display at the MoMA surrounding Matisse and a time period known as “pivotal” to his career as an artist. The exhibition, called “Matisse: Radical Invention 1913-1917,” focuses on the pieces created during this time period which are rather abstract, lack in-depth detail and are seemingly unrelated to one another. One of the paintings which Matisse himself referred to as central in his life as an artist was “The Moroccans” which was created in 1916. In this painting, Matisse reflects on his journey to the country, representing the contrast of sunlight and shade by the darkness and light. Although the painting seems abstract and nonspecific, it is one filled with nostalgia. This painting also reflects the art movement of the time, Cubism, popular among the works of Picasso, however what makes the work of Matisse unique is his use of a rich palette of color. The Exhibition