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.