Spring Semester 2010
5/10/2010
Josef Albers
Objectives-
bold color
basic shapes
use of space
A friend recently directed me to the site of Joseph Albers. I was immediately intrigued by his work for his use of space and shape is highly regarded. As a German artist, his work is described as abstract and powerful. It seems simple at first yet as you look closer you can truly see how the color, texture and shapes blend together. The piece that especially stood out to me was Homage to the Square done in 1965. It was very simplistic yet detailed, a technique I have always admired.
4/20/2010
Tim Burton-
Objectives:
to bring his movie ideas into art
to show animated drawings
motion art
When I was browsing online I noticed a like leading to an advertisement of Tim Burtons exhibition at MoMA. Being a fan of Tim Burtons work, I was captivated. While clicking through the pictures I could see how his ideas from his animated films flowed through his pieces, staying true to his ideas. What was the most interesting to me was how varied his media was. He has everything on display from collages, to pencil sketches, to paintings, to polaroids.
3/15/2010
Steve Kaufman
-incorporates impressionism
-simplistic
-distinct lines
I recently went to a show in Rehoboth beach showcasing Steve Kaufman. His work has always been one of my favorites as he takes famous art pieces and objects and turns them into something with a whole new style. He reminds me a lot of Andy Warhol. His work is based off of Warhol in fact, and is often compared with the famous artist. Looking at his collection of work many things stand out. His modernism is apparent with bring colors and distinct figures, yet he always stays true to his own unique style. The other thing that impressed me was the scale of his work. Some of his paintings take up an entire wall while others take up less than a square foot of space.
2/10/2010
1st connection
Takashi Murakami
Objectives-
use of color
animation
space
simple design
Takashi Murakami’s work really captivated me when I stumbled upon it. At first I thought of it as just amine, not recognizing the fine detail that really goes into it. His pieces emphasize color, and as I looked through archives of his work it was one of the things that stayed consistent. His work is very imaginative and cartoon like, yet what also drew me to it was how realistic parts of it can be. In between his fields of flowers one may find a realistic face, or figure; for not all of his work is cartoon. His work also has a uniform amount of space, he uses space as a design element to emphasize his simple yet powerful pieces.
Fall Semester 2009
Community Connection #4
Arshile Gorky
abstract Impressionism
intricate planning
works off of other artists pieces
Over break I was in need of an inspiration boost for our current art project. I traveled down into Philadelphia and visited the art museum. Much to my surprise Arshile Gorky was being shown, one of my favorite artists. What I really liked about the exhibit was how they showed his different phases of art styles, whether it be realism, or abstract inspired by Picasso. Another characteristic of the show that I admired was how you could see many of his organizational sketches next to his finished pieces. It was inspiring to see how he planned out his works and how it molded his pieces along the way. Many of his organizational sketches however, I found more aesthetically pleasing than his finished pieces.
Community Connection #3
Andrew Criss 12/5/2009
Objectives:
- paint what everyone sees
- point out what people fail to see in daily images
- paint in themes
Andrew Criss is a local artist in Rehoboth Beach. My family personally knows him and his works has always impressed us. I went to a show of his a few weeks ago and was astounded once again by his talent. His paintings may seem boring to some, for he has a very traditional style, yet his mechanics and use of blending colors never let me down. He seamlessly blends his paints together to make his almost buttery texture on the canvas. What also impresses me about his work is how he always points out things we fail to see in daily life. He will paint a simple intersection but pay special attention to something as little as a street sign or trash can, giving us all a glimpse into what he sees as an artist. Criss also does all of his paintings in series, going form theme to theme allowing him to truly explore his current thoughts. His themes have ranged from specific states, to his current theme dog portraits.
Community Connection #2
Marti Marino 10/19/2009
Objectives:
-texture to enhance pottery
-turns basic forms into modern art
-always 3-D
Marti Marino was showing at the Phillip Morton Gallery over the past month. His work stood out to me simply because I have never seen anything like it. He uses basic ceramic pottery to create memorizing sculptures of a modern design. Often his work is colorless, allowing the true color of the clay to show in his work. At other times however, he uses subtle colors to enhance the shape and design of some of his sculpture characters.
He attended the Corcoran School of Art and Design and was challenged to go beyond what was considered normal. Some may think his work is too character related, nevertheless it is becoming more and more well known as his ideas become even more bizarre.
Community Connection #1
Michelle Green 9/17/2009
Objectives:
-paints what people forget to look at
-very detailed
-soft overall effect
-oil paints on canvas
Over the past weekend, I visited a small gallery near Rehoboth Beach, DE. Showing there was a local artist named Michelle Green. Michelle Green is a very unique artist in the fact that she concentrates on traditional landscapes in a realistic way. In her statement she proclaims, “I like to paint what people forget to look at”. This statement really stood out to me. In our fast changing world, we often forget to look at the wonders of nature amongst the skyscrapers of technology. Green makes all of her observers take a step back and remember what is really important in the world, nature and family.
Her style is unique as well. It is slightly fuzzy with mixed widths of brushes, yet very defined. The observer can clearly see every blade of grass presented, but the softness of the oils contrasts to the hard details. She focuses all of her paintings in Delaware as a local artist. I believe she truly captures the essence of how beautiful a small state like Delaware can truly be. Often her paintings take place off of highways or farms, bringing all of her art slightly closer to home.
