EVENT 4: HAMMER MUSEUM

  Going to the Hammer Museum has been enjoyable to view the various free exhibitions but the museum is always enjoyable as well. Honore Daumier's satyrical representations of political, and other pronounced figures are the most intriguing of all the works for me. I always had the desire to draw and create my own cartoons but never fully pursued that goal. Viewing work of this nature inspires me and it is cool to see how this work has influenced illustrations of today.


Daumier's piece bellow demonstrates a beautiful interpretation of satire in the rendition of Mr. Jacot-Lefaive's bust sculpture. The comedic value of this piece demonstrates how even during the 19th century, political joking was just as natural. Furthermore, it relates to the current era in the illustrative works of computer animation, resembling exactly, the overdoing of facial proportions and physical stature. I have great admiration for this piece and it shows how all the work that has entertained my childhood has been influence by creations hundreds of years prior.


  The influence Daumier's work has had on the current era of cartoons is indescribable, from the humanistic representation of a mouse- Walt Disney's Mickey Mouse, to Pixar's Brave, demonstrates the advanced characteristics of illustrations. His exaggeration of features also reflects that of more elaborate works like The Incredibles or Dreamwork's Megamind. They often add to character traits and super powers.


Sources:

Daumier, Honore. "Mr. Jacot-Lefaive." Sculpture. 1833. Web. 14 Dec. 2013.

"Megamind Photograph." Dreamworks. Web. 14 Dec. 2013.

EVENT 3: JAMES WELLING

  Channeling the practice of Moholy-Nagy and Man Ray, the monograph executed by James Welling has lifted their technique to impressive heights. Testing the boundaries of light within his work and incorporating a number of new skills I can only guess at; Welling turns what was once a negative of white objects on a black surface, into contrasting color blends with direction and body.


  Layering to create work that incorporates more than just one subject, he gives the eye multiple points for dissection. An inkjet print titled 04 is quite exciting as the photo reaches over four feet in height, embodying rich teal, forrest green and greyed blues. The neon glow against the blunted black push against each other ambiguously challenging each other in the foreground. I see signs of de Kooning's Painting of 1948 in this respect. I have always enjoyed the novelty of massive photos.


  His other works, characterized by floral subjects remind me of Hawaiian t-shirts. In 021R a comfort is coupled with the warmth of tie dye silhouettes. Sharp, crisp lines separate the plants from immaculate white backgrounds, while soft black tones give an added depth to the reds and yellows. I admire the process within these works, testing the qualities of light and color more so than his simple scenic shots with colored filters.


Sources:

Welling, James. "021R" Chromogenic print. 46x37 in. 2011. Hammer.ucla.edu. Web. 11 Dec. 2013.

Welling, James. "04" Inkjet print. 50x40 in. 2008. Hammer.ucla.edu. Web. 11 Dec. 2013.

Hammer Museum. James Welling: Monograph. Exhibition. 10899 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, Ca 90024. 11 Dec. 2013.

EVENT 2: FORREST BESS

  Forrest Bess was greatly interested in the concept of the Tree of Life and how it may be further understood with respect to the individual human. This went in hand with his desire for eternal life and the possibility of one body containing both sex organs for self-perpetuation. Some of the ideas spoken about were definitely foreign concepts to me and it was new to see how he related his devotion to understanding the human body and its genitalia. When I first arrived I did not anticipate this to be one of the driving forces behind his work but after listening to Dr. Eric Vilain, I viewed the work with a better understood perspective.

  His work relates very much to that of the surrealists during the early 1920's. Dr. Vilain discussed how Bess made sure to record any imagery, vision or dream he experienced so that he may revert back to his notes at a later date and recreate his subconscious. The work he created looks similar to that of microorganisms, chromosomes or DNA. The title Bodies of Little Dead Children stirs controversial emotions within the viewer and causes the reevaluation of what he means by dead. I believe he addresses the child on a cellular level before they are born, respectively. This may also relate to the scale of which he primarily worked on, as he appeared to be more comfortable painting on smaller canvases. The work bellow is roughly 6x7 inches yet reminds me of Joan Miró.

  In respect to Miró, he too was known for recording his thoughts just before he went to sleep because he felt the imagery that actively worked through his subconscious were most intriguing. Similar to Bess' and his simplicity on the canvas, Miró was fascinated with the relationship between small objects in large space. His work envelops the viewer through its contrast of mural sized paintings with palm-sized subjects that the viewer must observe from less than a foot away. Blue iii stands roughly 9x11 feet.

Sources:

Miró, Joan. "Blue iii" Painting. Oil on Canvas. 270x355 cm. 1961. Web. 9 Dec. 2013.

Bess, Forrest. "Bodies of Little Dead Children" Painting. Oil on Cavas. 6x7 5/8 in. 1949. The Menil Collection, Houston. Web. 9 Dec. 2013.

Dr. Vilain, Eric. Flash Talk. Hammer Museum, Los Angeles Ca. USA. 21 Nov. 2013. 

EVENT 1: LACMA

  Visiting Lacma was an enjoyable experience because a number of the exhibits contained work I found highly intriguing. In respect to the field of science the work may be related due to the approach carried out by the artists, concerning their technique, materials and execution. Each artist perfected their own practice so they may create with the greatest outcome.

  This Portrait of Pieter Tjarck by Frans Hals had me very much engaged, roughly 34x27 inches (frame excluded), because of the incredible precision. I was most intrigued by his technique with the brush, his understanding of how to mix oil paint and turpentine to reach a consistency that manipulates the brush strokes to mimic the texture of a particular surface was incredible to me. This mixing of materials shows his understanding of how to produce a paint that will sit on the canvas with such ease that it shows no unwanted texture; furthermore, an approach that definitely illuminates scientific understanding of concepts, even simple ones, leads to great outcomes. I admired how, what appears to be effortless painting, produced a picture that rivals a photograph. 

  Michael Heizer's Levitated Mass shows a beautiful understanding of the relationship between art and science. Using nature's own creation, Heizer plays with the emotions of the viewer by allowing them to venture beneath an object with such mass that would otherwise be experienced from the side or above. The granite behemoth weighs 340 tons and hovers 15 feet above the tunnel's lowest point. This piece attempts to span art history through its marriage of prehistoric size, modern engineering and interactive characteristics.

Sources:

Heizer, Michael. "Levitated Mass" Granite. First Sketch 1969. Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA). 5905 Wilshire Blvd Los Angeles, CA USA 90036. 28 Oct. 2013.

Hals, Frans. "Portrait of Pieter Tjarck" Oil on Canvas. 33 9/16 x 27 1/5 inches. ca 1635-1638. Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA). 5905 Wilshire Blvd Los Angeles, CA USA 90036. 28 Oct. 2013.

WEEK 9: SPACE + ART

  Copernicus' heliocentric theory was first kept private due to his fear for neglect from others. He understood the severity of publicly challenging the church's understanding of geocentrism and because of this he refrained from publishing his studies for quite some time. His interest in the orientation of the planets was a catalyst for the massive number of singularities that developed soon after. The universe being one of the largest unknown subjects today has overflowed into areas other than science like that of the arts.

  The Tusi-couple is a mathematic model in which one circle revolves within another. The larger circle has a diameter twice that of the smaller. The relationship between these two circles shows a beautiful balance depicted, and sheds light on the artistic characteristics within math and science.

  As artists attempt to depict the beauty of the universe within their work, doors open to endless possibilities as no rendition of the universe, like that of the subconscious, can definitively be disproven. Powers of Ten blog discusses relationships within the universe between organisms and objects alike, showing the interrelatedness between everything, like the diagram above. This can relate to the work of artist Richard Clar who attempts to show the relation of beauty within science and art.

  Works like these lead to greater interest in space and art as they attract the attention of a younger generation through the creation of video games and films that show the undeniable attractiveness of the universe. This fuels a greater desire to learn about space and what occupies it.



Resources:

"Spiril Galaxy NGC 3982" NASA, ESA & Hubble Heritage Team. Universetoday.com. Web. 11 Dec. 2013.

Clar, Richard. "Space Flight Dolphin" Sculpture. Nitinol. Web. 1 Dec. 2013.

"Tusi-couple" Model. Wikipedia The Free Encyclopedia. Web. 1 Dec. 2013.

Uconlineprogram. "8 Space intro 1280x720" Online Videoclip. Youtube. Youtube, 29 Jul. 2013. Web. 1 Dec. 2013.

CarlSaganPortal. "Carl Sagan - Pale Blue Dot" Online Videoclip. Youtube. Youtube, 24, Mar. 2013. Web. 1 Dec. 2013.

WEEK 8: NANOTECHNOLOGY & ART

  First introduced by Richard Feynman during his talk "There's Plenty of Room at the Bottom," at an American Physical Society meeting, the concept of nanotechnology addressed the possibility of creating mechanics on an atomic scale. This took place at Caltech on December 29, 1959. Feynman suggested that building technology on such a small scale has limitless possibilities due to the amount of space provided, respectively.

  In relation to the field of art, nanotechnology can be seen through the incorporation of minerals/metals within paints or sculpture to create unique effects. This is because on the nano scale, many materials behave differently. When incorporated into glass, gold and silver nano particles catch the light in different ways and make the light passing through a different color. To take this a step further with silver, if incorporated into glass cups, a darker liquid will cause the cup to glow a bluish hue and give the glass an opaque appearance. 

  Lotus leaves have the ability to reject water from seeping into the surface, a quality known as hydrophobia. This property which works as a water deterrent helps the leaves sit on top of the water as lily pads. Furthermore, companies have created nanotechnologies that also have this ability and have applied it to clothing. Clothing can go beyond water repellent to having ketchup slide clean of the surface too. Fashion possibilities extend far beyond keeping clothes clean.

Sources:

Admin. "Invest in Nanotechnology" Article. Investingreeenenergy.com. 21 Oct. 2011. Web. 24 Nov. 2013.

"The Science of Stained Glass" PowerPoint. University of Wisconsin-Madison. Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC). NISE Network. Web. 24 Nov. 2013.

Uconlineprogram. "Nanotech Jim Pt3" Online Video Clip. Youtube. Youtube, 21 May. 2012. Web. 24 Nov. 2013.

"Nanotechnology" Blog. Nano--technology.blogspot.com. Web. 24 Nov. 2013.

"Richard Feynman (1918-1988)" Article. Atomicarchive.com. AJ Media and Software 1988-2013. Web. 24 Nov. 2013.

Week 7: Neuroscience + Art

  The relationship between the body and the mind attracts great curiosity within modern culture. Everyone wishes to know how they may better their health and lifestyle through strengthening their understanding of how this partnership functions. The mind receives great attention because of the great amount of information there is to still learn. Magnetic Resonance Imaging, (MRI), serves as one tool that artists of today draw inspiration from due to the incredible imagery and colorful representation.


  Giovanni Frazzetto and Suzanne Anker's work titled Neuroculture states the importance of the brain's mechanics in relation to the personality of an individual. They continue to explain how it is due to these factors that the brain is the most important organ within the human body. This is contrary to historical belief within many religions that may address the heart as the centerpiece of personality because of its placement within the body and its role in maintaining life. This controversy influenced by the importance of an organ within the body seems to have a great impact on artistic work as artists attempt to depict this vitality in their own work. Greg Dunn finds inspiration in neurons, the cells of the brain.

  Through his use of the Asian sumi-e style of painting Dunn creates lively images of neuroscience artwork. This technique uses the calligraphic approach with ink and brush that allows for aesthetically pleasing, finite lines that encroach upon the paper. His works show the marvelous balance between science and art.

 

 

Sources:

 

Dunn, Greg. "Hippocampus III" Painting, Ink on Paper. Web. 17 Nov. 2013.

Dunn, Greg. "Gold Cortex" Painting, In on Paper. Web. 17 Nov. 2013.

Migravent. "Migraines and Meniere's Disease: A Match Made in Hades" Article. Migravent.com. 31 Jan. 2012. Web. 17 Nov. 2013.

Fazzetto, Giovanni and Anker. "Neuroculture" Article. Science and Society. Macmillan Publishers Limited. 2009. Web. 17 Nov. 2013.

Uconlineprogram. "Neuroscience-pt1.mov" Online Video Clip. Youtube. Youtube, 17 May. 2012. Web. 17 Nov. 2013.