Marla

This is a perfect example of how royaly the media screws up everything. They latch onto a story and manipulated it to best get a viewers attention then milk it for everything its worth. It is disgusting. I hate what the media has become. It used to be a great way to learn about things but now it has evolved into a money machine that spews out gossip and filth. They took an innocent girl who liked to painted and with their experts and pessimists made her into a fraud. The family thought that this would be good publicity to further their daughter's prosperity. But they should have known that this was going to happen. This ALWAYS happens. A + B = C. Story + media = bullshit. They had no proof aside from an expert and film that didn't prove anything. They gave no difinitive proof that Marla didn't paint those painting. But on the other hand there was no proof that Marla painted them in the first place. So it is up to people to believe what they want to believe. As for me, I think she painted them. Call it blind faith or whatever.

Christo and Jean-Claude

I always find it interesting when artists use fabric in their art or in this case make fabric the primary focus of the art. It's very rare to find artists who can think of art in such a large scale. Or have the dedication to pursue it tirelessly for so many years. They waited patiently until someone accepted their proposal. They could have easily, adapted the plan for the piece to fit in another city. But they were hellbent on doing it only in that one special place. Also, Christo cmmented that if it had been only one arch, it would not have been art. It was the scale of the project that made it art. From an aerial view that may have been true but it would still have been stunning on a smaller scale. The reaction of the people was almost comical. They were so uptight and opposed to this even though it was only up for 16 days. They complained that they came to the park for quiet and to enjoy the trees even though the arches didn't hinder either of those. The massive funds that went into this did seem like a waste considering how the showing was so brief and they will never be used again. The fund probably could have been put to better use but it wasn't our funds to allocate. Plus, though it was brief, it wouldn't have been the same in the eyes of the artist if they didn't get to use the materials or scale they wanted. They've waited this long to do it, they might aswell do it right. I found it interesting that they didn't want to see the arches individually because the artists thought it would alter the idea of the art.

Matthew Barney / Drawing Restraint 9

Matthew Barney. Drawing Restraint 9. This film was weird. I didn't really get what was going on but I got the feeling that wasn't really the point. The point was not about what was happening but the meaning of what was happening. For me, it was about the subtlety of human interaction. A lot of this film was about the nuances of symbolism. Each scene, though not always directly related to the scene before or after, it did comprise a very slow paced story. Again, not based on narrative or plot but rather on much more subtle symbols. My favorite part(if I could really call it that) was the Construction Dance sequence. You think there is something going on as the movie progresses or you try to figure out if the two are connected but at the end they were not connected at all. You watch the movie in a sort of suspended state of mind, hung up on each scene trying to figure out if there is a point or something you missed from the last scene that will be revealed in this scene. It was frustrating trying to be thinking logically or literally in this movie. It would almost have been better to just think of it not as a coherent film and more as a series of short snipettes of visual information. It was like reading a story that wasn't a story that had a purpose or point and meandered all about without any real breaks or pauses in rhythm but just kept flowing. Overall, weird.

Andy Goldsworthy

I find it interesting how Andy Goldsworthy take nature as it is and turns it into art. He spends a lot of time and energy making these sculptures not totally sure of whether or not he will be able to complete the sculpture. But regardless he pursues it with a laid-back intensity. Some of his pieces are permanent sculptures that will stand up for a long time, while other sculptures are less permanent fleeting beauties. While he is making his sculptures he becomes in tune with his natural media and comes to understand it better as he progresses. I found it interesting when he was on the plane and he said that he feels disjointed when he travels and feels like he is suspended and rootless. I have traveled many places and that feeling is always so draining and I find it hard to reconnect with my art or find the energy to do art. While I was watching the video, I thought that this art would make nature activists very happy that he was creating art using nature and doing it so well to boot.

Lackadaisy

Reviewing Class Blog

Favs:

Janine Antoni. Her idea was very interesting and innovative. She took a lofty notion of walking on the horizon and turned it into performance art.

Ann Hamilton. She used an interesting media and installation techniques. I do think what she said about her art was a little bit of a stretch.

Kara Walker. Her use of silhouettes is very striking. Though I did find this comment from the video interesting: "I don't think I've ever seen a more sick & twisted artist than Kara Walker. She fantasizes about being a slave. Getting raped by Slave Masters. Killing Slave masters, killing the children that are the result of the rape. On & On. Her art is extreme and unhealthy. How can anyone live with this imagery in their homes? If an Artist is going to examine this subject matter, they should do so from a position of strength and come out victorious. Kara constantly emerges as the victim."

Cai Guo-Qiang. His art creates a very emotional response.

Construction Dance. I didn't really get it but I liked the visual and suspensful aspect of the video.

Chris Burden. I liked how this wasn't about making art but rather living in the experience.

Not so favs:

Jessica Stockholder. The only interesting thing about her piece was the interesting intermingling of color. Other than that, there is nothing that inspires or creates any thoughts.

Kiki Smith. Her fixation on death or rather dead animals is bizarre.

Stop motion animation using post it notes.