“LES Galleries Reaction”

       After having visited many different galleries in the Lower East Side, I would like to compare three of the ones I liked the most to the galleries I attended in Chelsea. As I began thinking about it, I realized it wouldn’t be easy comparing the Lower East Side galleries to Chelsea galleries, since both locations represent a wide variety of amazing artworks. Although both areas have a lot of similarities, LES galleries offer a wider variety of modern style “edgy” artworks than the ones in Chelsea. Most of Chelsea's galleries represent old cultures which are opposite to what you can find in LES galleries. Displaying such modern art, LES attracts a different, younger crowd of contemporary art lovers. There I found some galleries which contained provocative, and maybe some would say very challenging, works of art. I also found galleries like Tatyana Murray’s, (“In the Woods”) that contains amazing artworks you won’t find in Chelsea. I don't think I've ever seen boxes with images that are illuminated by LED which give them a ghostly effect. I was amazed by this exhibition. I was also quite impressed by the work at the “Strange Loop” and “Untitled” galleries. These galleries seemed to match my personality with such precision, that they instantaneously engaged my attention. All of them were influenced by pop culture and/or contain some elements found in pop culture, which makes them different from what is shown in Chelsea. I wouldn't say that they cater to the same type of art collectors, but I think that Chelsea's collectors would definitely find interest in the LES galleries seeing as how some of them do have similar artworks. Here, just like in Chelsea, they can find a wide selection of visual art consisting of prints, paintings, sculptures, photography, video, etc. The level of their interest may vary because of the contemporary subject or provoking context they would find in some of LES's artworks. The surrounding area definitely affected the way I viewed and built my opinion on the artworks I found there. I find it more interesting to walk around and learn about artworks and the artists who created them, in small galleries that look like shops or book stores as opposed to big, officially looking galleries like in Chelsea.

Galleries:

1. "Strange Loop Gallery" 
2. "UNTITLED" Gallery
3. Tatyana Murray "In the Woods" 

“Public Art Reaction”

Public art is a gift to all of us from amazing talented artists who doesn't mind to share it for free. The greatest thing about public art is that it's accessible to all. New York is filled with beautiful artworks that you cannot just pass by. One of my favorite works of art in a public places is the “LOVE” sculpture on 6^th ave in Manhattan. I remember the first time I saw it I instantly “fell in love with it”.

The idea of this public artwork is very simple and deep at the same time. I think that Robert Indiana, the American artists who created this beautiful masterpiece just wanted to remind people that love is very powerful. I think that he also wanted to say that we can make each other happier by spreading free love and positive warming emotions that we experience when we love. Love can be different and what I like about this particular artwork is that it always reminds me of love being the key to everything! “LOVE” sculpture perfectly interacts with it's surroundings, especially in the center of Manhattan. The territory it's placed on has a plenty of space so people can even take group pictures with the giant sculpture. Every time I'm in that area I see people smiling and taking photographs with“LOVE”. Just a thought of how powerful this sculpture is in a sense of emotions it evokes in people makes it very unique and effective. I find this artwork to be a benefit to it's surroundings since I always looked at Manhattan as at business area that mostly has skyscrapers. This particular artwork brings only positive energy to that area and makes it even more popular and attractive to tourists and passers by. The “LOVE” sculpture could fit anywhere in the city. You can't go wrong with this artwork, it would benefit any area of New York by making people smile and enjoying taking pictures with it. We don't need more words to understand what this public artwork is about, each of us can find his own connection with it. We all need some free love in such a tough and sometimes even cold big city like New York and I would be honored to thank Robert Indiana personally for sharing such an amazing artwork with us.

Artist: Robert Indiana

Title: "LOVE" (Sculpture)

Medium: COR-TEN steel

Year: c 1970

“Chelsea Galleries Reaction”

Sometimes we look at a work of art and realize that we definitely want to have it in our apartment or house. For example when I'm walking through a museum and see a painting that I like I can even imagine it hanging in my living room or in a hallway of my house. This is when I decide that this particular artwork has a value, worth my investment and has to be in my artwork collection.

This time I would like talk about four different art works that I picked from Chelsea Galleries and look at them as if I were an art collector. The first two items I would like to talk about have their own interesting and unique style, and that's why they immediately caught my attention.

The color photograph "Perchten" from Yossi Milo Gallery's series “Wilder Mann” is a very fascinating piece of art. The reason why I would love to have it in my art collection is the idea and style of this artwork. A full-length portrait of a person wearing an animal skin makes this artwork very powerful. The massive figure of a beast or something that looks more like half animal and half human, reminds me of a character from some fantasy movie that I loved to watch when I was a child. Charles Fréger's work is definitely a good investment because of it's unique style and the interesting story behind it that you can create in your own imagination.

The second artwork that I chose for my art collection is "Persian Miniature"painting of a Romanian artist Adrian Ghenie from Pace Gallery. I fell in love with it's complex and abstract style which makes this artwork look even more realistic. The first time I saw it, it looked like a print work to me with an effect of layered, spilled paint. The way it was painted and the colors that were used on it made it look very pleasant to the eye. I would definitely hang this painting in my house right above the fireplace. It's a good investment in artwork that will make your room look cozy and comfortable.

The last two artworks unfortunately will never be able to get in my art collection since they evoked some unpleasant emotions the first time I saw them. They are simply don't worth me making any investments in because I couldn't find anything about them that I like.

Zhang Xiaogang's exhibition attracted my attention but it left me feeling a little unpleasant inside. The real size

sculpture of a baby painted in red made me think of a dead infant that was mummified. I doubt that I'll ever be able to understand the idea of this sculpture. The emotions I felt after seeing it wouldn't let me invest any money in it or keep it in my art collection.

I had the same reaction when I saw a sculpture “Cupid” by Richard Hughes in Anton Kern Gallery. I 'm not even sure if I can call it a sculpture since it looks like a little piece that was left from an original artwork. I would never buy this work of art. If I were to get it as a gift I would keep in my basement because It doesn't evoke any aesthetic emotions that real art is suppose to evoke within a viewer.

1. Yossi Milo Gallery

Charles Fréger

"Perchten,Werfen,Austria"

2010-2011

2. Pace Gallery

Adrian Ghenie

"Persian Miniature"

2013

3. Pace Gallery

Zhang Xiaogang
"Baby #1"
2013

4. Anton Kern Gallery

Richard Hughes

“Cupid”

2013

My first hand made Quilling Heart

Lib 110 Project. Imitation

         Pablo Picasso is one of my favorite artists. It was very hard to pick a certain work of art to paint an imitation of because there are too many that I like. Finally I decided to stop on two of his artworks that inspired me in some way and led me to draw my painting. Picasso's works like "Self Portrait" and "Woman in a Hat with Pompoms and a Printed Blouse”, helped me create the image in my head and gave me an idea for my own artwork.

          My painting has a similar style and elements from these two particular works of art because I used similar lines, shapes and colors to create my imitation. From those two paintings I borrowed the style of drawing eyes, nose, ears and lips. I also mixed bright and warm colors together and made some parts of the face bigger or smaller.

         I tried to focus more on the painting of the woman instead because bright colors and abstract style immediately attracted my attention. This is the way I saw the imitation of that painting in my head. I decided to add a little bit of imagination to my artwork to make it more unique. I think It didn't change the point of imitation

“Illustrate a Story” "Project 3”

Every girl is dreaming of the true love. Time is changing and if many years ago real feelings, friendship and strong relationships were valued, nowadays it's a little different. People are trying to stay away from drama and obligations. It also happens because people are afraid to get hurt. Most relationships fall apart in our time, but there are still beautiful love stories out there that I was able to discover today.
While listening to the story of MaryAnn and Jim Fletcher could feel how strong their feelings are. I found this story very touching and unique. Both met when they were in first grade. They were in relationships for a long time after that and nine years later they decided to go their separate ways.
My favorite part of the story was when twenty two years later they met again. At this time they realized that they are just meant to be together and that they always loved each other through the years, even when they were not together. I call it a true love. This is one of the sweetest stories I've ever heard.
In my illustration I painted their love story from the very beginning of the relationship to the very end. It's a sequence of events that happened to them. On the top left I painted both of them as kids from the first time they met and continue counter clockwise. I then drew their relationships when they were teenagers. Then there was a break up that hurt them both and made them go their own ways. The next picture is of MaryAnn receiving a text message from Jim Fletcher twenty two years later. Then I painted them meeting each other after so many years and the last picture shows that they are together and love each other as they always did.
You can see the heart on the top of my painting. It represents a real big love. It started when they were little and on the right side of the heart they are grown ups and are living happily ever after.

http://storycorps.org/listen/jim-fletcher-and-his-wife-maryann/

 

“Design in Our Lives” (Field Trip 3)

              “Ergonomics is the science of making things comfy”.* It can be used in anything including design. Let's talk about design as a practical application of art work. In this blog I would like to discuss four items I found at the Museum of Modern Art and analyze these items by categorizing them as “high functionality” and “low functionality”.

      

       The first and my favorite item I want to talk about is called “Mine Kafon Wind-PoweredDeminer”. It was created by Massoud Hassani in 2011. I would like to give you a quick background story about the artist himself, so we could understand where his idea came from.

         “Hassani grew up in Qasaba, Kabul. At the time he was 5 there were several wars going on. His brother Mahmud and I him played every day on the fields surrounded with

 the highest mountains in their neighborhood. When they were young they learned how to make their own toys. One of his favorites was a small rolling object that was

wind-powered. They used it to race against the other kids on the fields around our

neighborhood. There was always a strong wind waving towards the mountains. While they

were racing against each other, their toys rolled too fast and too far. Mostly they landed in

areas where they couldn’t be retrieved because of landmines. Many friends of Hassani

were injured or killed by landmines. Almost 20 years later, he went back to Qasaba and

made those toys again. That was his graduation project for the Design Academy

Eindhoven (2011).

         The reason why I think that the Wind Powered Deminer has high functionality is

because it can be very useful if you put it into a mine field. It will go around where the wind blows it and it will detonates mines, so people don't have to go out there and risk their lives. Mine Kafon Wind Powered Deminer doesn't even need a motor (which is not good for the pollution), it moves through being blown by the wind. It can be successfully used in dangerous war zones located close to villages and places where civilians are. Another good side of this artwork is that it's pretty easy to make because the material Hassani used to create it is very cheap and simple.

       The next artwork I'll be discussing is an Earthquake Proof Table. From my perspective it has high functionality. First of all because just like the item I was talking about before, it saves people's lives. 
Earthquakes can occur anywhere in the
earth and I think that this Earthquake Proof Table should be used as a regular table just in case of any unpredictable nature disaster that can destroy building and harm people. It also made out of the lightweight material, so even two children can pick it up and move it on their own. It went through vertical impact tests and and it was proved that it can handle 1 ton. This table can definitely be used for most everyday classroom activities or at homes and offices, that's why I put it under category of high functional designed artworks.

                                                                                  
       And the two last items I would like to analyze, I consider as to be low functionality, from my point of view. 
The first one is a “Very round Chair” which is made out of steel. It caught my attention because of the way it looks and the way it was made, but the way it was designed makes it less possible to be used in our everyday life. The chair was made so you can't even sit on it. It can be used only as a decoration at home or in the office,but nothing more than that.

         The final artwork that I decided to put under the category of low functionality is called “Basic House” by Martin Ruiz de Azua. I have to admit that I liked the idea and the concept of his artwork, but I don't think it can be used as a homeless shelter as stated in the description. There are two

reasons why it has a low functionality and the first one is the size. The original size of it is pretty big, which means that in a big city, you doubtfully can use it on a street. Another big and as I think the main reason it can't be used by homeless people is the fact that it can attract too much of attention, which can lead to robbing, bothering, attacking. Homeless people are trying to hide in places where they won't be bothered and with this shelter it's impossible not to attract unwanted attention. “Basic House” is a very interesting idea, but unfortunately I can't put it under the category of high functionality.

           At the end I would like to say that it's ok If you would disagree with me. My opinion is very subjective and maybe from your perspective the items I selected as “low functional design” could be approved as “high functional”. There's no right or wrong because even “low functional” design can still be practical. 

*Sources of information:
http://ergonomics.about.com/od/ergonomicbasics/a/ergo101.htm  

1.  Massoud Hassani
Mine Kafon wind-powered deminer, 2011.
Bamboo and biodegradable plastics.
87 x 87 x 87" (221 x 221 x 221 cm). 

2.  Ido Bruno, 1963; Arthur Brutter, 1982.

EPT - Earthquake Proof Table,2010

Steel and birch plywood

 28 3/8 x 47 1/4 x 23 5/8" (72 x 120 x 60 cm)

  

 3.  Louise Campbell, 1970

Veryround Chair, 2006

Made out of steel.

4.    Martin Ruiz de Azua,1965 

“Basic House”, 1999.

Polyester.