1st Year MFA "You Are Here I Am" Show Review

A Terrible Realization, by Max Cemeno placed in the center of the main gallery commands the viewer's gaze.  The subject matter is strongly political and referential to the P-40 Warhawk fighter planes.  The P-40s were a deadly warcraft during the American attack of the Japanese during Pearl Harbor.  

Cemeno is possibly commenting on the powerful affect of American power and war by putting the nostalgic American aviator logo on the sculpture of a shark.  His choice to put the man made logo on a shark, and not a plane is particularly interesting, and possibly suggests our need to establish our power not just overseas but in the seas, essentially everywhere.  His work is reminiscent of Jeff Koons iconic sculptures and Damien Hirst's shark and animal sculptures (below). 

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Jim Brittingham’s luminescent Untitled installation is an urban explosion of candy wrappers. The lighting is extremely important here, due to the transparent nature of his film, and it is very successful here. The vibrant color palette is reminiscent to the bright, almost neon, colors and graffiti elements are similar to pop artists such as Basquiat. I like how he uses everyday materials to take art from the streets and make it look like high art. 

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In his three painting series entitled, The Best of Both Worlds, I, Hugh, Seven of Nine, Chris Camperchioli has a great use of high contrast color, and form to construct a space, particularly in his choice of where to form hard and soft edges.  I think it is interesting how includes familiar textures, like wood, seen on the far left, because it creates a context for the viewer.  The familiar texture, and use of edges, are referential of collage and seem like inspirations pieced together. His work is reminiscent of abstract expression painters such as Robert Motherwell, and Clyfford Still. 

Studio Journal

Studio Journal: General Motors | Thank You (We All Fall Down)

Recently, my friend Jeffrey showed me this video in reference to my thesis proposal on the fall of GM. I like the unexpected link of falling images, especially the use of the boxer and cartoons. I think this might be interesting to incorporate in my paintings.

Studio Journal

For my lips series, I am looking at Maryiln Minter's photographs (shown below) of gritty but glamorous red lips, and I am interested in trying to play with the idea of message transmission through art by attempting to communicate verbally through a non-verbal medium. Essentially the viewer has to "read my lips".

I am currently working with a fleshy color pallete, starting with the lips, then pushing it further to experiment with a landscape painted as skin (upper right).  I am looking at Turner's expressive landscapes (first bottom) mixed with similar color found early Alex Katz's works (second bottom).

Thesis Journal

Recently, I have been interested in car culture in my painting.  Kristin Baker compellingly depicts the sublimity of NASCAR racing.  I am intrigued by her subject matter, and the way she loosely yet graphically handles the paint.  Her work recalls of abstract expressionism's bold gestures, meets movement and speed of the futurists.  Baker captures pictorial drama in the colorful space she creates, magnifying the danger and sensationalism of popular entertainment.  

Images of Interest

"WLCM BCK" Show at Mason Gross Galleries

Mason Gross Galleries current exhibition, "WLCM BCK" exhibits the work of second year MFA graduate students, and Rutgers facility.  The exhibition use of organizing the space into three sections, often with like media next to each other, and systematic spacing of the work (60" to center) creates an airy and cohesive environment. Although airy and cohesive, I felt the lighting could be a little softer due to the intensity of the white walls. Here are some works I found compelling:

Raphael Montanez Ortiz's "THE DARK SIDE OF LIBERITY" uses a computer generated painting and collage 96" x 48" to comment on illegal immigration to America.  The Statue of Liberty, "that once with arm held high lit the way to liberty no longer signals the way," depicted with her torch down is uninviting. The bottom of the statue shows the plight of illegal immigrants to the "Land of the Free."  I was captivated by the unusual poster-like quality to this image, with it's commanding scale.  His message comes out of an ongoing debate in America about the treatment of illegal immigrants. The Statue with an arm once held high to our ancestors is now down turned to future immigrants with the same hopes our ancestors once had.  His point of view is supported by imagery and text.  Though well written and thought provoking, I thought the text was not needed to support his claim due to the strength of his imagery.
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In the same room is, Caetylnn Booth's 2010 Oil on linen on wood panel, entitled "Checkpoint." Although similar color pallets, I think it was a smart move to place them on different walls due to their different mediums.  In Caetylnn Booth's piece, she uses a night time pallet to experiment with light. It is extremely interesting how she sets up her 16" x 48" composition to abstract the space.  At first I thought her oil painting was a complex view looking outside an airplane.  I was later informed that it is the shadows of a gated fence. I like how in certain areas she thickly applies oil paint to suggest the importance of the medium.
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Featured to the next room on the right is Betsy VanLangen's 2010 Digital Photograph entitled "Paige." I liked how this photograph was placed in the other room by Shane Whilden's Newgrey Digital print, because both works are similar scale and digital prints. "Paige" is a vibrant  frontal portrait of a woman with face paint.  I am really interested in the large scale, 30" x 40", high contrast and the intensity of the blue eyes. I think scale really plays an important role in emphasizing the intimacy and confrontation of this image.
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In the back dark room is Toby MacLennan's 2010 video entitled, "BITTING INTO A PIECE OF THE DAY."  Her video features the human figure in dreamlike settings. In part of the video a male is wrapping himself to objects in the room, slowing becoming more involved with his surroundings, much like a snow ball gaining momentum. I thought the black and white juxtaposed with color footage was extremely unusual, but at the same time I felt reminiscent of this piece. The use of black and white video with the whimsical quality of the figures reminded me of William Kentridge's video work. 

Overall, I think the organization of the space, often with like media by each other, and systematic spacing of the work created an airy and cohesive environment. For our BFA 2010 show, 60" to center is an effective spacing system. I like the white walls, but it might be nice to dim the lights and have the wall with the title another color.  The work of the "WLCM BCK" show was strong and makes me excited to see what's to come.

Interview with graphic designer Brianna DeVita!

Kristen Pastore: So Brianna, you are a design major?

Brianna DeVita: Yeah, I initially got into graphic design in High School. I took a lot of photo editing classes and took CAB which got me into computers. Plus I was kind of worried with just drawing, and where I can go with it. I thought graphic design you can do so much. So I thought i would go into that and see where it puts me.

KP: Graphic Design is a pretty big field. Where can you see yourself after graduation?

BD: Ideally, I would do advertising. I am not sure quite yet, because advertising too is pretty broad. I'm hoping to go into logos, identities, and branding.

KP: I saw your business card, it was really good. What could you see yourself doing for thesis?

BD: I originally thought of this concept with energy. I like the whole thing where it can not be destroyed or created. It is always existing and can only be displaced somewhere. Last year from my junior review, my teachers Gerry and Neil said I use a lot of textures and patterns in my work. They said it would be something interesting to incorporate in my thesis.  I was thinking of connecting a textural pattern with energy. Maybe creating energy with a pattern, but I am not sure what I am actually going to be making yet.

KP: Yeah, I think that would be really cool because even if you use type as image you can explore a lot, especially with texture. 

BD:  It is funny how I use a lot of textures and in my work because a lot of my favorite graphic designers are super simple. Polly Scher has a lot of typography stuff that she uses as image.  Soul Bass, it is very minimal, but you don't need anything else. I have a tendency to overwork things, and over think things that's probably why I do so many patterns. I would like to achieve that simplicity, but maybe it's just not going to happen. (laughs)

KP: I also notice you use a lot of figures in your work.

BD:  I love drawing from life also. That was the first thing I would draw when I was younger, I would draw people.  I thought it was so fascinating with all the details. I am all about the detail.  I can sit there and make sure I have every eyelash right and every curve of the face right, to be like I can actually make it look like them.  I can sit there and make sure I have all the details. A lot of my work is black and white with minimal color.

KP: Do you think you are going to work in series for your thesis?

BD: I would like to do a series of different patterns, because I feel like one would not get the essence of what I feel like I want to do. I would like to do a series but not some crazy twenty piece thing, maybe four or five.

KP: I think that's a good number. (laughs) Have you thought about printing on different kind of materials?

BD: I was thinking about using plastic see through and printing on top of it, and doing something with layers. As one layer it everything together, but each one has a separate identity within the one thing. Which went back to energy fields, there is so many energy fields but they cohesively live together, but they are separate at the same time. 

KP:Where do you find inspiration?

BD: I try to write down things that associated with what I am designing for.  For those neon posters, what are all the qualities of that element? I can't just show a neon light.  I kept on brainstorming that way and when i see all the words, and then I will go online and look at the pictures.  Usually a certain picture will remind me of something totally different, then I will get an idea from there.

KP: What got you interested in science and the elements? What about the elements intrigues you?

BD: The element thing was just an assignment, but the energy thing is the science part of it. It is more or less an religious factor, that I didn't want to go into. I feel like our energy is not going to be destroyed, so when we die what happens to that energy.  I'm not a huge religious person but I feel like our interpretations of Heaven and where are souls go is a little different then what it is.  It could be different energy fields that we exist in.

KP: I like that. It's the scientific approach to something so unscientific, religion.  They are usually dueling, and you are actually saying that they are more similar then we think.

BD: I researched human energy and the different levels of the colors. Then, I started to get into energy waves, and it was so complicated. I was thinking of using clear layers playing up the idea that we are all existing together.

KP: I think it would be interesting to further explore this idea of layering of type and materials for your thesis.

Water Zimmerli Museum Sep 01, 2010 - Jan 02, 2011 Review

The Zimmerli’s Water Exhibition addressed the theme of water as not only an essential resource, but a potent metaphor surrounding our lives.  This theme was expressed through the selection of  historical and contemporary  works involving water as a central message, and through curatorial choices, such as the importance of lighting, placement, and painting the walls blue. The curator expresses the importance of lighting for practical and poetic reasons. For example lighting is extremely important for preservation, 19th century drawings  need low lighting levels due to the delicate nature of the coloration of the paper. Lighting is also very important in conveying the artist’s message.  The overhead lighting of Maya Lin’s Pin River is essential to the message because the light creates a river with the pins’ cast shadows.  If the lighting was any other way this meaning would be lost.

The curatorial vision for this exhibition is to create an experimental journey that opens up a series of questions.  The intention of the curator is to provoke the viewer to look for links and echoes across the various pieces, both new and old.  This way,  art history becomes a living experience, just not something to relate to a moment in time. This is extremely interesting, because many of the artists did not make their art for the intention of displaying it in the Water show, but had ideas of water when producing their work.  For example, Xiao Chen intended for people to view and read the Chinese Scrolls in order to express the importance of water,  but probably did not imagine that his work would be in the context of a Water exhibition at the Zimmerli Gallery. 

Some examples of strong pairings are the pieces by Maya Lin. In the right corner wall of the gallery (back and front) you get two views of Maya Lin’s work. I like how the curator put the works by the same artist close to each other because it allows the viewer to find commonalities across the body of work, and helps the viewer mentally organize the visual information.  I think the spacing is good here because both works are in similar proximity but did not overwhelm or distract the viewer. 

The four works from the show I selected to curate are Edward Ruscha’s Sea of Desire 1983, Geoffrey Hendricks’ Sky boots, Tuesday 1992 and his Sky on Sky 1965 Acrylic on canvas and rope, and Alex Katz’s The Swimmer 1974.

Geoffrey Hendricks Sky on Sky 1965

Geoffrey Hendricks Sky Boots, Tuesday 1992

I chose to pick both Hendricks’ pieces because they really complement each other and really package the sky as a material object (one as canvas with rope, and the other a pair of shoes).  I like how both Hendricks’ pieces involve the message of transformation of water. In his Sky on Sky,  Hendricks transforms the sky into a package with rope. Similarly, in his Sky Boots he carries over this transformation into a pair of shoes. I would place these side by side to signal that they are by the same artist and to emphasize their message.

Edward Ruscha Sea of Desire 1983

 I chose Edward Ruscha’s Sea of Desire because I thought his use of image with text is very compelling.  I like how the print is dramatic with the space of the text and image, yet still somehow maintains a sense of humor. I would place this in between Hendricks’ shoes and Katz’s swimmer since it is smaller, 22-1/2 x 30 in., and it would maintain a sense of balance.

Alex Katz The Swimmer 1974

In The Swimmer 1974, I like Alex Katz’s use of monotone and the relationship between the body and water.   Since the image has a strong direction with the profile of a face, I would place it all the way to the right looking inward, instead of all the way to the left where it would be left looking at a corner and feel cramped. 28 1/8 x 36 in.

Overall, I like the relationship between these works signifying the close symbiosis of water and man. The placement of these works would emphasize the importance of water as it pertains to its functionality and expression in everyday life.