Spewage 2

Judy Pfaff - It isn't hard to make abstract paintings. HOwever, being about to turn an absract painting into a 3d sculpture, thats a whole different story. Its interesting how she was first a painter then sorta switched into welding. She said the thought process had to change for longer projects. The idea can't be more important than the work and that a project can go on for many months without stop. She said sculptures were like a sequence of moments which is true even if you look back at ancient sculptures. THey took the most important part of a story and made it solid, tangible. The materials she uses, she cant be very hands on even though art is usually a very hands on profession. BUt she mentions that instead of working through the hand she works through the tool like an extension of herself.

Mark Dion - THat man is a pack rat. I thought i was bad, I aint got nothing on him. He doesnt care about medium as long as it conveys a sense of history or science. At one point he was painted dead rats with tar so he could hang them from a tree. He correlated the tar with the symbolism of torture from medieval times. I find it interesting that someone so 'left brained' could make unique art like he does. ITs not even that he makes most of it but that he gathers and compiles it to make his installations. HIs little vivarium/tree house thing made me think of this--nature as nature outside of nature.

Jenny Holzer - THe idea of her art does not appeal to me. Random strands of text parading around a building did not sound interesting. HOwever, the application of light and color mixed with surface and glass is just stunning. THe light is the art not so much the text. THe text is a byproduct. Also, she has very little actual input beside the idea. She does no make the lights, or the text, or anything except the idea.

Cai Guo-Qiang - Gunpower as an artistic medium. And the amount of detail hat he could get from it was amazing. His scroll unfolded was like a long storyboard but without any break in pattern or rhythm. THe tiger and the wolf sculptures ellicited an emotional response. I felt pain for the animals even though i knew they werent real. the look of pain is painful.

Oliver Hering - HIs art is very interesting. NOt many people use textile as art. He was expressing himself in a very restrained sort of way. It wasnt about the concept it was emotional response. It was the process not the media or the subject. He had a difficult time speaking so he had to convey through visual means to get his point across. HIs work was very playful and fantastical.