What is art to you now? Have your views changed, if so why?

From my art class I learned that art is the visual expression of an idea, a thought or experience that can be expressed with skills and where the artist uses a material to present it. Now I know that art is more than anything that can attract me. I learned that art can be expressed in many ways and that artists create or express it in different manners; they use their feelings or their bodies to let us know of important situations in the world, society, culture or in their personal life.

Of course, my views about art have changed dramatically because in the beginning of the course I had no idea how to recognize art. However, Professor Provisero taught me to focus on how the piece makes y emotions feel.Thus, to have rational thought of the piece, for example, to scann the piece, putting attention to surrounded areas, looking for details that could tell me something interesting. Finally, to have a balance, how I feel and what do I think about the piece, the aesthetic and the meaning. These are the things I've learned about art.


The professor always kept me motivated by watching the Art21 videos, pushing us to visit art museums, art galleries and looking for research to post in my blog. All this has opened my mind and now I appreciate the work of the artist. Furthermore, I have learned that art is among us, I just have to go to a museum, gallery exhibition, art street and look for what artists are creating. Thank you professor for the sublime way of teaching that art is passion, its sensibility is a personal universe, and that it is life! I will continue learning about art and using my blog.

My Presentation: Ursula von Rydingsvard

Early Life:
-Born in Deensen, Germany in 1942
-Grew up in refugee camps with Polish citizens in Germany.
-1950-her parents and seven children came to the U.S.

Entering the Arts:
-1973-She studied sculpture at Columbia University
-Graduating with a MFA in 1975.
-The same year she held her first solo show in New York.

Galleries:
-By 1997, the Nelson Atkins Museum of Art organized on exposition of her outdoor sculpture. It was also exposed at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park and in England.
-Her distinctive sculptures can be found in permanent collection at more than 30 museums.
-Some of these galleries are: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Whitney Museum of Art, Walker Art Center, Nelson Atkins Museum of Art, Storm Kim Art Center and Detroit Institute of Art.

Her style:
-During her college years, the minimalist ruled in the art field and she broke that rule by changing the form of express the art.
-One example: When Ursula was a camp refugee, she remembers living the rustic barracks made of wood so well that she still feels it through her blood. For this reason she uses wood in her sculptures as a medium to create.

Ecology Art:
-Ecology explores the relationship of nature and culture. Including the submission of wilderness to modernization.
-This work was installed in collaboration of Inigo Monglano-Ovalle, Robert Adams and Mark Dion.
-The wood is glued layer by layer until forming the organic form of the sculpture.
-It can be found  in New York, N.Y.; Los Angeles, California; Chicago, Illinois; Rochester, Minnesota; Seattle, Washington; King County, Washington; Astonia, Oregon; Cape Disappointment, Washington; Beach Lake, PA; and Williams town, Massachusetts.

"Skip to my Lou" ,1997

                                                                       3' x 67' x 69'

"Ellegantka:

"Splayed"

"Collar with Dots"

"Floating Staircases"

"For Paul"

"Iggy's Pride"

"Luba"

"Ocean Floor"

"Ocean Floors"

 

Art student: Massiel Mafes

I got the chance to do an interview with art student Massiel Mafes. I agree with her statements about her art being "witty". Not only is it witty it looks contemporary to me. Mostly I enjoyed how she emphasized the  body shapes and eye colors. Her art has a lot of character, which gives it a realistic look. They are almost seamless. I hope to see more of her art because it's something I've never seen before.

What is art to you?

1. To me, everything that surrounds us is a form of art one way or another. From building structures to the cars we use for transportation, everything is an art in its unique way. 

Why did you chose to study art? 

2. Ever since I was a little girl, I have always had a passion for art. Also, my 2nd grade teacher, Mrs. Bodie, was an artist and I wanted to be just like her at the time. I still have the paintbrush she gave to me. 

When did you begin to work on your art?

3. It takes years and a lot of practice to actually understand what you're doing in terms of painting, drawing, & ceramics. I began to develop my skills as a young artist since I was 13. 

What school of arts do you go to?

4. Miami International University of Art & Design 

What artists from the past or present have influenced you?

5. I have always had a love for Pablo Picasso, Philip Guston, Salvador Dali, Hans Hofmann & Dana Schutz to name a few. 

What do you want to do when you graduate and when will you graduate? 

6. I want to pursue an MFA. I graduate Fall of 2014. 

What do you think about today's art world?

7. The art world is constantly evolving into new things.

How would you define your art?

8. My work varies. It can either be very witty or it can be extremely odd whenever I want it to be. 

Have you had some exposition of your art? 

9. Yes, in Wynwood last year. 

What kind of medium do you use? 

10. Acrylic on wooden panels/canvas 

What is the biggest dream you want to achieve for you and your art? 

11. If I could have my work in several galleries and museums, I would feel extremely accomplished. Creating art is something I have always wanted to do. 

What advice would you give to someone younger than you looking to go into the arts?

12. Keep doing what you love no matter what people say and definitely practice your craft. 

What is your view point of the artist that commercializes his/her art? ex: Britto

13. Well, Britto is a great businessman that's for sure. Not a lot of people can make a living off of their work.

What is the message your trying to reflect to the world?

14. With my work, I aim to capture the viewers attention and let them reflect on what they think it means to them in a personal way.

Shower of Fresco in Miami: De la Cruz Museum Art Gallery.

Visiting De la Cruz Museum Art Gallery, to my delight I found a interesting display of contemporary art. In the main entrance of the place I could appreciate work by Starling Ruby, who is a German American artist. His work is a giant 18 foot monument called "Stalagmite". The work was made with materials like foam, urethane, wood and sprays of bright colors, like yellow and red (he also used black to highlight the colors).The theme is prison. Personally I didn't like the piece, for me it's like a giant person with a small head that makes the person look like their trapped in his/her own world. In addition, it only has one leg, using a heavy and big shoe, so it can not move.

"Stalagmite"

In the same hall of the ground floor, there was contemporary art by Mark Bradford, which is considered large-scale painting. He uses many materials found on the streets, everything containing papers. His work is a reflex of languages, personal, social and nature. In many of his works he uses maps, colors like yellow, blue and black. For me, it is  abstract, difficult to describe. Looks like sometimes images of people walking through windows or ruins but suddenly it all disappears.

In the third floor I got to appreciate Gabriel Orozco's art.  He is a Mexican artist with a wall of a collection of photos and paintings.

The game room is decorated with bamboo leaves and rubber balls hanging over the game table, giving it an idea of free movement. The "Ping Pond Table" is unique. The artist made it bigger because it is for four players, the curious part is that he changed the net for a pond in the center and added some lily pads. This adds the element of nature. In the video of my art class I didn't like the table because I didn't see the difference from a regular table, but when I saw it in the Museum I liked it a lot. The piece has been in exhibition in some important museums. Reina Sophia is one of them.

Opposite elements do art: Richard Tuttle and Francis Bacon

According to the video, Richard Tuttle's talent is reinforced by his incredible respect for nature, his personal spirituality and great sensibility. He is a person who really enjoys nature surrounding him. I could perceive it by his gaze getting lost in the horizon, breathing the fresh air of  the mountains. For him it is a pleasure just contemplating the sky. Finding a meaning in every thing he touches. Finally, in each piece of art, he reflects his sensibility as an artist. When he arranges the materials used in a particular manner, simple objects become beautiful pieces of art. I could see how he feels the art, from his toes and it is like if he is performing a ballet piece. His art is exquisite, with an elegance and question less that reflects his balanced personality.

"Light on Water" (2003)

Francis Bacon was a deeply emotional artist, totally irreverent and extraordinarily talented. First of all, I could observe sadness in his eyes, even though he expressed and acted in the opposite way. Probably he feels rejected by his father because he was homosexual. Thus, he showed a rebellious and haughty attitude when he was attending the press. I think that was a mechanism of defense he had so as to avoid being questioned. He doesn't  respected  established rules by family, society or religion. He lived in eccentric scenes of addiction.I could appreciate the masculinity, representation of the Vatican and self portraits among his work. Because his attraction to his same sex, he liked to portray handsome men with sculpted bodies. They were a part of his inspiration, and he distorted their faces on the painting. I think that was a way to release  the idea of loving another man, or showing that they were in constant fights, or probably he didn't wanted to hear the opinion of his lover. In his relationships a kind of love and hate were the constant. He used to abuse emotionally of his partners, yet his relationship were long. In the same way he did with his partners, he did the same portraying the pope with an ugly face, probably wanted to say that the Vatican's rules were false or that he didn't likes the norms established by the Vatican. In addition, a characteristic of his self portraits was lipstick. In my opinion, he portrayed himself like a man but really inside he felt like a woman. As you can see, Francis Bacon was a talented artist, whose life was filled of scandals, excess and unbalanced personality, but possessed a wonderful creativity.

"The Suffering Body" 1952

"The State of Francis Bacon" 1985

"Study for a Portrait of Van Gogh" 1957

Both artist were very creative in their own manner, totally opposed their view points with respect to life and the way in which they lived their life.

Creativity is huge: Janine Antoni

The creativity of one artist is unlimited, and each time I see a new one I discover something new, and Janine Anthony is not the exception. Her body and nature inspire her creativity. I was surprised to see that she used her long hair as a medium. She skillfully uses her hair as a big paintbrush, which leaves long lines in different forms on the paintings. Furthermore,  her self portrait feeding the cow, for me, is a clear call to society to take care of our resources, including the nature that give us life. She implicates that animals need us because together we cohabit the same place. I could say it is a way of gratitude towards animals. I like the way she emphasizes the current problems we face in the planet.

Cow that looked like it was nursing, uncategorized

                                                                          "Loving care" 1993

5IVE in one: "The Cremaster" by Matthew Barney

In the film "The Cremaster", I understand there are five stories in progress at the same time. The Artist, Matthew Barney, is the principal character of the movie. He, in a jugglery way, jumps with difficulty doing acrobatic movements that go up and down through the balconies to represent the correspondent story on the correspondent floor on the movie. There is an atmosphere of mystery in the plot. A band playing rock, aesthetic dancers, whose steps are super synchronized, masonic symbols, and a man with a barrel and a shovel. All this gives mystery and is just a  preview of the never to be forgotten film.

I understand the contents of the movie has conflict, mythology and love. For example, biological changes of the woman's legs when veins start to form and then the woman becomes an exotic animal. The production, the vision, the innovation and the representation of the actors make extraordinary creativity. I think this is a good movie that I want to see entirely.