Daniel Arsham

Daniel Arsham

Title: Draped Figure 

Year: 2011

Dimensions: 8' x 8' x 48'' 

Arsham using fiberglass, paint, fabric, and shoes has created this unique installation. It gives the saying "the man in the wall" a whole new meaning. There literally is a man coming out of the wall. The beautiful sculpture that is seen in this piece is so beautiful. Arsham has created a way to make it so the wall looks like fabric rather than the hard surface they really are. He has made it so the walls look like they are a soft full of life object. He has used a white hue to blend in with the walls around it. The black legs that are underneath the wall/fabric creates a fascinating contrast that they add a thrill of adventure to the viewer. Arsham has created a way to make it so the walls really seem alive. This simple installation that is much taller than the average human has draped over him the white wall that outlines his arms being crossed over his chest. The eye can easily find the human form that is beneath the coverings. Arsham has allowed the natural light to fill in the shadows for him. I love how this figure blends in with the wall and I would love to see how he installed this piece. I have a personal feeling to go and take the rest of the white wall off of the figure and see what the person under it looks like. There are so many ways that this piece could be looked at. It could be a shadowed figure draped in innocence. Or it could also be looked at as that person who watches from the shadows. I personally want one of Arsham's pieces installed in my house.     

 

Michael Samuels

Michael Samuels 

Title: Postmortem  

Year: 2010                                                           

 

Michael Samuels is known for his unique style of taking modernist furniture and taking it apart. Later reassembling it and adding UV light in it creating a mixed media, installation, sculpture. That has a feel of rebellion against things that are typically seen everywhere in our society. The bondage that is used to hold together all of the wood pieces together, can be used to hold down heavy objects. The bright orange of the tie downs that are being used makes the piece seem to be even more about the tie downs than the piece. The bright primary orange color takes away the masterpiece that has been crated behind them. But the light that radiates from within it being a complimentary color to the orange, creates a  balance that removes the dresser and makes this piece all about the orange to blue contrast. 

I feel that  in this piece the dresser's restrains prevent a user from being able to open any of the drawers. The function of this dresser has been changed into a  something that is pondered about. The center drawer has been completely removed creating a negative space where air and light can fill the hole that has been provided. The middle of the dresser, instead of being even with the rest of it, has been cut out and angled perpendicularly with the rest of the the dresser. This creates the feeling of this dresser is alive and is trying to escape the bonds of modernism. 

    

Artist: Cal Lane
Title: Shovel
Year: 2012
Dimensions: 143.5 x 20.3 cm

 Lane takes an old metal shovel and cuts a lace-like pattern into it creating a beautiful femininity quality to this masculine object. The open spaces that are crated by the cutting gives the shovel an airy feeling. This shovels function has been changed by Lane. She has made it into more of a decorative piece, than a shovel that can be used outside to dig with.

 Lane created her own narrative for this old shovel and gave it a different meaning. To keep this shovel dark in hue gives it more of a darker meaning to me. More of a feeling of death. Roses, usually seen in movies as things that are usually presented at funerals, are really emphasized on this shovel as well. Shovels are used to create holes in the ground to place the dead in our area. So, to me the dark hue, shovel, and rose represents death. I feel that if this factory made shovel would have been any other color it would have changed the meaning to me. But if it would have been changed in color its meaning would clearly be lost as well. I love the amazing interlay that Lane did on these shovels. Making every cut count. As well as creating an image that is not only beautiful but haunting as well.  

Artest: Atelier Ted Noten 

Title: Seven Necessities- Glasses for a Woman on the Warpath

Year: 2012 

Dimensions: 17 x 15 x 6 cm 

Noten created a collection of 7 necessities for women. This piece referred to as Glasses for a Woman on the Warpath are made out of 14K gold. They are stylishly crafted into a beautiful pair of glasses. There is even a quirky perfectly arched eyebrow to fit the wearers unique personality. They have inside one of the arms is a compartment housing an crystal ice pick. There are several other unique features within these glasses. Noten wanted to try and show how strong women really are. He wanted to come up with a way to really shine a light on women being stronger than men. To me he seemed to make the glasses white to depict innocence. He then added the little dangerous compartments to include how on the inside women are actually more violent than they may seem. Noten, to me is saying in this piece, women may look simple and kind on the outside but look closer and you might get hurt! Adding the eyebrow is my favorite part. It is attached by a small strand of gold  that has they eyebrow raised in a seductive type way. There could also be a flip side to these glasses. Noten could be going with the thought that women are actually weak and need to be protected. Which could be why he added the ice pick. 

These sculptured glasses are very beautiful and pleasing to my eyes. These glasses are lens-less so whoever put them on could have their prescription placed inside of them. These glasses are an ingenious idea and should be marketed as a self-defense item.     

 Artist: Neil Dawson
 Title: Chalice
 Created in: 2001
 Dimensions: 18 meters high in a cone shape with the base at 2 meters and the top tapering out to 8.5 meters.

Chalice, is a free standing 3D steel sculpture that has been placed in the center of a public square. Welded inside of the hexagonal shapes that are seen as the skin of the structure, are leaves native to the area. The inside of the statue is hollowed out. On the inside of the cone shape is a flood light that turns on at night and fills the cone with light. At the base of the cone, the leaves are so dense that they overlap each other creating no gaps. Higher up the leaves become spaced out and the viewer is able to see through the structure. It can also be seen that at the top of the steel structure the leaves become more detailed and independent within their hexagonal boxes. The silver steel and simplicity of the shapes makes this piece pleasing to the eye. The leaves bring to this piece a feel of nature. The geometric figures and the leaves create harmony and an explainable beauty.
The way that the leaves are either flowing up or down looks like they are in a tornado. Typically, on TV you see tornados in a cone type shape. Which could be what Dawson is trying to do, combine different elements of nature to create an appreciation of different elements of nature. Wind, leaves, honey cone shape hexagonal boxes, with the sun within it. This piece could be influenced by the different season. The size of it creates a bigger than life feel. This is a huge sculpture that disappears into the sky. Where Dawson has the light within the steel structure vs. outside of it enhances the meaning of light within. Chalice is a chalice to nature. It is Dawson's offering to nature and to the place he grew up.       
       

 Artist: Marianne Vitale
 Piece: Outhouse
 Year: 2012
 Dimensions: 97 x 57 x 79 in
 Outhouse is made out of old pieces of lumber that Marianne found. She then nailed them together creating an old fashion one holler! From the title Outhouse, the viewer believes that this is the outside of an outhouse. An outhouse that has been left to the elements for several years. But this piece may not really be an outhouse at all. To make up an outhouse it has to have a place for a person to relieve themselves. Typically an outhouse has a hole cut into the floor that leads into a dirt pit that is easy to cover up when full. This outhouse is on cement and it would be very difficult to dig a hole into it. This outhouse is constructed out of old pieces of wood that a person would find around an old farm. The "Z" is a shape that is seen very often on farms because it is a good support system. This 3D wood structure does not let the viewer see into it. The door to the front is closed! So, this outhouse might not be an outhouse at all. The viewer just has to trust that the artist is telling them the truth! That this is in fact an outhouse.
Typically, an outhouse is seen outsize but for some reason Marianne has placed this outhouse inside. This changes its meaning for me. Now this outhouse once regarded as disgusting is now the center of attraction in this room! It is the sole object! The white walls that engulf this outhouse make the brown wood look that much more aged and darker in value. The outhouse is set in this room as if it is a piece of furniture that is meant to be admired.... This can also be thought of as a sculpture that is admired. This outhouse could then be thought in a crude way,as a place that sculptures are made! Vitale could be poking fun of something people do every day! Which is poop! This piece could possibly be about the special old fashion sculpture rooms that people used every day once!! POOP!

ear

face

Artist: Julianne Swartz
Title: Close
Year: 2010
Dimensions: ranging from 43.2 x 40.6 cm to 52.1 x 40.6 cm

tiny hand

Close, is a collection of images that are a close up of a finger with a water drop coming off of it. Each image is a photo that

two arms

 is mounted and framed in white washed wood under a UV-Pexiglas. These photos are typically set in warm colors. Which gives off a feeling of spring right after it rains. Swartz has been able to capture an upside down image within the water droplet. Such as the top left image is which is titled ear has a very little image of an ear. This is the same way in every one of Swartz's pieces are in Close. I find the background being blurry as pleasing to the eye. It makes what is found within the water drop that much more interesting. The out of focus background forces the eye to look deeper within the water droplet to try and get a seance of what we are missing out on that is fuzzy. Standing back the viewer only sees a tip of a finger with a water on it. There really isn't anything impressive about that. It isn't until you get closer and really focus do you see the whole picture. To me, I feel like the artist is asking you to come closer.She is welcoming you to come into her world. I feel at peace when I look at her images. I can't help looking at how she wants the viewer to see her world.

blue sky

dark sunset

I find it particularly interesting how Swartz does not put any of the water drops in the center of the frame they are more to the sides. Which is important when it comes to photography and films. It makes the images more settling. Swartz has placed each water drop in an atmosphere that has a pleasing scene. The viewer only gets a limited view of the area. Which creates a hunger for wanting to see more but not to much. It is not made clear why a finger is seen within the images. But I feel that it has been added in, as a way to say that our world is helpless to the human hands. That without us caring our world will fall. Much like the water drop will eventually fall from the finger. The water droplet has been used to say our world is delicate and we need to take care of it.

Artist: Steve Lambert
Title: Tell the Truth 
Year: 2012
Dimensions: 76.2 x 149.9 x 18.4 cm

In Tell the Truth, Lambert has put light on something that our society has forgotten how to do it seems. Not only our society but our politicians as well. Lambert has created huge aluminum, neon sign that has lights spelling out "Tell the Truth". Individually each word flashes once and then the light moves to the next word. the fact that this sign is in the warm colors of red, white, and blue gives it a political feel. Like it is telling our leaders to tell the truth. Putting the words in front these primary colors and then have the words flashing forces the eyes to read them. Something that is specific to neon signs is that they are bright and the light can be seen from miles away.

The neon sign was a huge thing for earlier generations. They evoked excitement and were pleasing to the youthful generations eyes. Anything in lights becomes that much more important. So putting these words in lights makes them that much more important. To me the color choice is very significant to what the piece is saying and who it is meant for. Everyone should learn the importance to telling the truth but this sign makes it all that much more important.    

Artist: Bhakti Baxter
Title: Imploded Ball Barf (scooby doo)
Date: 2011
Dimensions: 72.4 x 23.5 x 27.3 cm

In Imploded Ball Barf Baxter took a ball and painted it white while cutting it in half and placing it onto a wood box that is painted green. In this piece there is a mixture of concrete, epoxy, and enamel. In addition to the objects already stated earlier. The white ball contains the cartoon figures of Scooby Doo and his life long friend Shaggy. The ball has been placed onto a ribbon egg blue box. The box has colors that have babbled down the sides. The white ball has colors barfing out of it as the title has stated. Bubbling up out of the is an explosion of colors.

To me this piece being non transparent and in its 3D form looks like an old school water fountain. None of the colors that are running down the sides are reflected in the 2D cartoon images shown within the ball. The white pigment that has been used on the ball creates an innocent feel to it. Only breaking the ball has made it more about broken innocence. The two notches placed on either half of the white ball look as nipples so this piece could very easily be about a girl losing her virginity. The classic cartoon show Scooby Doo is about unveiling monsters and figuring out mysteries. This could also be related to the loss of innocence. The child who was full of mystery is now broken and transformed.The different colors in this piece such as the blacks and other muddy colors to me makes me feel like the young person was broken against their will. The person then became dirty and incomplete.  

 Artist: David Smith
 Title: Song of the Landscape
 Year: 1950
  Dimensions: 48.3 x 81.3 x 49.5 cm

Song of the Landscape is an abstract expressionist sculpture made out of bronze and iron. This sculpture is very loosely welded together with lots of negative space found throughout it. The wires have been shaped to look like the outer body of a fish that is swimming up to the surface. I am not sure if the artist intended for this piece to look like a fish. On the far right of the sculpture where the found objects such as boxes and cones are placed. The mouth is open and has several holes drilled into it making it so the wire can be easily attached. This part then flows down and is connected to several other thin wires which are twisted and arched among each other. This piece creates many different emotions. The very complex structure of this sculpture creates an agitated feeling. The back, towards the tail appears to look like a spine. This sculpture has been created to be non representational. Only i feel that it has been created to represent different elements of nature. This piece is meant to be displayed outside. So, depending upon where it is displayed will affect the meaning of this piece. The natural colors that are found within this sculpture reflects on colors found in nature. When looking at this sculpture I think about what this piece would look during different season. How will it look when it gets an outer skin of spider webs? When rain freezes what will the ice sickles look like coming off? I want to return this piece back to nature!      

Artist: Robert Gober
Title: Untitled leg
Year: 1989-1990
Dimensions: 28.9 x 19.7 x 50.8 cm
Untitled Leg by    Robert Gober is made out of bee's wax,  human hair, wood, leather, and cotton. This 3D, realistic sculpture is of a leg coming out of the wall. The leg is fashioned in an older style with leather shoes (that have some miles on them) to the tan perfectly pressed, tan, rolled up pant leg. 
This leg is so realistic and life like that it is almost as if a man is really stuck in the wall. After taking a close up view of the leg and comparing it to my own. I had to take a personal moment and shave my own legs. The messy arrange of leg hairs that this person had made my skimpy amount of leg hairs look that much worse. I think this has to do with not liking hair. This instillation makes the viewer get a closer look at something that is seen in most peoples every day life. This leg is laid out as if it is there to be dissected or judged. 

  Artist: Jana Sterbak
  Art work: Chair Apollinaire
  Made in 1996

Jana Sterbak created Chair Apollinaire, out of steak which is threaded onto a polyester chair. The dimensions of the chair are 110x117x147 cm. This piece was meant to include the viewer in many different ways. Not only is it something that would make any normal person sick at the sight of it, but as the meat starts to decay it attacks the viewers noses with the repulsive smell. In Chair Apollinaire, Sterkbak is displaying decay. We see decay everywhere such as chairs slowly falling apart and books falling off their spines, both of which are slow processes of decay. In the way that Sterkbak has attached fresh meat to the chair, the viewer can see the meat decay and smell it as well at a faster pace.
A chair is a form of relaxation and comfort. Meat is typically looked at as a food source. When the tummy is full the body is comforted and full. By combining the two Sterbak has made it so the viewer has to think about what they consider as comfort. She has changed the meaning of these two objects. This is not a chair you would want to sit in! And it clearly is not meat that you want to stick a knife in and start chewing away.
What I find is interesting is that as the meat dries up and ages the prized marbling that butchers price a good steak for disappears. The value of meat is changed.  

Artist: Sol Lewitt
Artwork: Incomplete Open Cubes
Materials: Painted aluminum

Incomplete Open Cubes by Sol Lewitt is a collection of different incomplete cubes which are approximately 3'6" in height as well as its width. Each cube in this collection has different segments missing from it. But to be able to see that you have to take a double glance at it due to the fact that the minds eye fills in all of the missing pieces. This very simple sculpture has been created to manipulate the eye. The space that has been left open on the sides of the cube create a unique form. A form, that when focused on seems to shift and play with the brain. It becomes hard to distinguish if the right angle is coming towards you are receding. This 3D figure creates an awkward feeling. Even the area around the figure seems to be altered creating shadows onto areas behind it that aren't there. The white hue that has been applied to the aluminum cube figure creates the feeling of the cube being clean. Which creates two different feelings. White, typically meaning something is innocent or clean is completely ignored. This cube is incomplete and not something that I would assimilate to either. Lewitt's unique mockery of cubes is very interesting. The reason to why he created Incomplete Open Cubes is because he wanted to know what incomplete cubes would look like. So, he formed many different ways that a cube could be incomplete.

 

Title: Bunny Plunking
Artist: Megan Sterling
Bunny Plunking is a mixed medium of graphite and watercolor. It is approximately 15x19" in size. The red in the umbrella and shovel catches the viewers eye first. But the implied line pulls the eye into the art work. The eye then looks deeper into the image. It sees the almost life like sculpted drapery shown on the woman's dress. Going down to the shovel and moving over to what appears to be a dead bunny.
The dead bunny could possibly be why the shovel is red. Megan takes light of death. The light background with the bright red creates a settling almost pleasant feeling, in a place where there should be a feeling of sadness and disgust.
Megan Sterling was an art student who got her BA at Boise State and later on went to the Art Institute of Chicago.    
 

Brice Brown Q04, 2009

Artist: Brice Brown
Piece: Q04, 2009
Brown has created a sculpture of what appears to be a very battered crown. The crown is made out of aluminum and is approximately 29 inches in height and has a width of about 52 inches. The crown has been given the appearance of an object that was something once sacred but now in ruins. This could mean that a nation was defeated and left in the dust. The very fact that this sculpture has been placed on the ground for viewing creates a bigger idea that it is rubble. Aluminum is not a very strong metal as it is, it is very easily formed and changed. This sculpture being made out of aluminum creates a feeling of weakness. Half of the crown is missing from the sculpture and a very large hole is shown in a side of it. At the top there are 12 prongs at the top that are still attached. Some of them have been broken down with time. What is interesting is that with time this "aged" crown has managed to keep its perfect circles that are found at the top of the sculpture and again at the bottom.
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Marsha Pels

Artist: Marsha Pels
Art work: To Breathe, To Walk
In the piece by Marsha Pels called To Breathe, To Walk, we see a two section sculpture made from painted cast bronze and iron, flame-worked Pyrex glass, and several found object. The size of this piece is about 68 inches high, 62 inches wide, and 18 inches thick. At a distance this art piece looks to be the outline of an invisible human with a single objects appearing around the head, which have been formed to represent the humans head, neck, and shoulders. This object around the head has lots of negative space creating, up close, a nonrepresentational form. It is not until the viewer stands back and views the piece from a distance that the nonrepresentational wires that have been connected together actually create a form that many people can recognize as a set of lungs. Towards the bottom of the sculpture we see a pair of knee high boots. The boots are bronze in color and give off the feeling of being well warn. While the straps on the outside of the boots appear to be holding the boots in place. Preventing them from being able to move at all. As if this invisible person is being held in one spot. The colors found  within this piece are very warm and are reflected through out this two piece sculpture!
        This piece has many points of view. When it is viewed up close it is nonrepresentational and slightly disorganized. When viewed from afar we see the lungs, the outlined figure, and the travel boots as one. The minds eye creates the outline of the human. It fills in the gap that the artist has created between the boots and the lungs with a human form. The elements surrounding this figure are what creates the figure. The flow of the wire to create veins and arteries are what makes this piece flow and breathe! While the boots hold the figure captive.

Bunt Bull Shanghai

The Bund Bull of Shanghai aka Charging Bull
Was installed in late April of 2010 and was unveiled in May 15, 2010. Created by Antuo Di Modica, it is a 5000 pound piece of installment. The height of it is approximately 8 feet high and the length is about 10 feet long. This bull has been sculpted in a way that makes it look as if it is ready to charge a person at any moment. The mere presence of this bull is intimidating. Every muscle has been sculpted to look like an idealized bull. The scale of this bull has been sculpted to be so large to give it a larger than life feeling. The hue of it can mean a multitude of things. Red is one of China's colors. It is also a color of intimidation. But the intensity of the red is what is the most catching. The red is the color of blood. Just something I thought was interesting. Being in China it could possibly represent the blood of the people that has been put into making China what it is. The outer layer of the statue is smooth to the touch. The surface even though glossy is not a reflective surface. To create depth the artist has added highlights in different areas. The form of this structure is very bull like. In every way there is no mistaking this bull for anything other than a cow. The composition and  balance has been created by the horns and the tail. It equals the bull out. The slope of the bulls back is perpendicular with its tail.