Fred Smith's Concrete Park Workshop

One thing that makes the John Michael Kohler Arts Center such a great place to work with is that they are constantly providing programming that not only serves the community but connects the people in the community with the art they conserve. As an intern on the exhibitions team, I had the opportunity to help out with a workshop at Fred Smith's Concrete Park in Phillips, Wisconsin. It was absolutely amazing and I think it was a massively successful workshop!

RGB

Hi Everyone! I'm back from Mexico and full of inspiration for how I'm going to make Tracing Perspectives better. Before I start the re-haul, I want to feature an installation called RGB by a design group called Carnovsky which is made up of two Francesco Rugi and Silvia Quintanilla- an artist/designer duo based in Milan.

From their website:

RGB

Color est e pluribus unus

RGB is a work about the exploration of the “surface’s deepness”.

RGB designs create surfaces that mutate and interact with different chromatic stimulus.

Carnovsky's RGB is an ongoing project that experiments with the interaction between printed and light colours. The resulting images are unexpected and disorienting. The colors mix up, the lines and shapes entwine becoming oneiric and not completely clear. Through a colored filter (a light or a transparent material) it is possible to see clearly the layers in which the image is composed. The filter's colors are red, green and blue, each one of them serves to reveal one of the three layers.

RGB’s technique consists in the overlapping of three different images, each one in a primary color. The resulting images from this three level’s superimposition are unexpected and disorienting. The colors mix up, the lines and shapes entwine becoming oneiric and not completely clear. Through a colored filter (a light or a transparent material) it is possible to see clearly the layers in which the image is composed. The filter’s colors are red, green and blue, each one of them serves to reveal one of the three levels.

Don't you want to just stand in there and soak it all in?

I also really love that they went with the encyclopedic drawings. 

Here are some more pictures:

Those pictures are all of the same room, with a different color light to highlight a certain layer. SO COOL. 

Can I have this on a wall in my house PLEASE?

This work of art makes me feel like the blogger at The Jealous Curator because I'm SO JEALOUS of this idea. It's amazing. 

I hope you all enjoyed. and thank you Katie B. for showing me this! 

Artist Spotlight - Bradley Hart

You may have noticed from some of my past posts that I really enjoy when people use everyday, ordinary things to create amazing art. Like Jessica Drenk and her pencil sculptures or Rob Mulholland's mirror sculptures. Well Bradley Hart is another artist who uses a unique medium for this works... Can you guess what it is? 

Art & Science - Barbican's Rain Room

Seriously guys, I don't know how many of you are usually standing when reading Tracing Perspectives, but take a seat. 

This art is going to KNOCK YOUR SOCKS OFF. 

This installation is called The Rain Room at Barbican's Centre in London.

Known for their distinctive approach to digital-based contemporary art, Random International’’s experimental artworks come alive through audience interaction. Their largest and most ambitious installation yet, Rain Room is a 100 square metre field of falling water for visitors to walk through and experience how it might feel to control the rain. On entering The Curve the visitor hears the sound of water and feels moisture in the air before discovering the thousands of falling droplets that respond to their presence and movement. Did you read that? The thousands of falling droplets that respond to their presences and movement. 

Isn't that amazing!

Installation - Felice Varini

Isn't it interesting how something looks so out of place in one spot...

Artist Spotlight - Georgina Vinsun

Georgina Vinsun's ethereal abstract landscape-esque paintings remind me a lot of many of my favorite artists, combining some of the most precious parts of impressionism, modern art and contemporary art to stir emotions in even the most disengaged viewers. Using color and expert composition, Vinsun's paintings are unassuming masterpieces. More after the jump!

Artist Spotlight - Happy Red Fish

There's a lot of techniques that can be applied to photography to make it unique or interesting, but I'd have to say that adding embroidery is one of my favorites! "Happy red fish" is a creative studio operated by the artist and designer Hagar Vardimon-van Heummen based in Amsterdam,The Netherlands. More after the jump!

Artist Spotlight - Clint Fulkerson

There's a lot to be said about social media. Lately I've been hearing a lot about how our constant avenues of communication are actually separating us as a culture. Rather than striking up a conversation with a stranger or observing our surroundings while waiting, we're texting people or checking our email. Although I've been trying to put my phone on probation (it hasn't been going very well) by not taking it out every second that I'm bored; I have made at least one totally amazing connection through instagram: Clint Fulkerson. 

Read more after the jump!

Artist Spotlight - Mr. Bingo - Hate Mail *Bonus! Jill Wignall*

Apparently drunken tweets are good for something. What started as a whim inspired by boredom (The first person who replies to this tweet I will send an offensive post card to.) turned into a new project when the tweet got 50 responses within a minute. What is it, you ask? Mr. Bingo sends you Hate Mail!

More after the jump!

2013 BFA Senior Exhibition - Un/Controlled Outcomes

In addition to being an intern, student, barista, and sane(ish) person this semester; I also am participating in the Cardinal Stritch University Bachelor of Fine Arts Senior Exhibition! (CSU BFA Senior Exhibition)

More pictures and info after the jump!

Happy Birthday Odilon Redon!

Odilon Redon is one of my favorite artists! He would have been 173 today. 

"My drawings inspire, and are not to be defined. They place us, as does music, in the ambiguous realm of the undetermined."

More pictures after the jump!

Artist Spotlight - Thomas Lamadieu - Sky Art

Thomas Lamadieu, also known as Roots Art, is a French artist who re-imagines the patches of sky within the confines of buildings that create the space.

Read more after the jump!

Artist Spotlight - Keng Lye - Alive Without Breath

For those of us lucky enough to have functional eyes (or glasses, like me), we sure rely on them a lot. (At least, I know I do) I mean, if we didn't, there's wouldn't be the whole "I'll believe it when I see it" saying. Now check out that turtle above. As realistic as that seems, it's not real. It's actually a three-dimensional painting in resin. Inspired by japanese artist Riusuke Fukahori, Keng Lye creates these paintings with layers of resin and layers of paint. That picture above is actually when the work was in progress. Here's the finished piece:

This series of three dimensional paintings is called "Alive Without Breath." By layering epoxy resin and acrylic paint, the animals (usually fish) are painted meticulously, layer by layer, the sandwiched slices revealing slightly more about each creature, similar to the function of a 3D printer. I love that this rides the line between painting and sculpture. Check out some pictures of the process below!

In progress

Artist Spotlight - Alison Moritsugu

As I was going through boxes at my internship, I found a gallery handout for Alison Moritsugu and I instantly wanted to do a post on her. This was the installation that had me so enamored:

I nearly exploded with excitement! My friend Sam and I have had several conversations about landscape painting. You can be a great artist and a skilled painter or drawer, but landscapes often run the risk of being repetitive and boring. Alison Mortisugu has totally rocked the landscape here. What makes this landscape so much more than a lighthouse or barn? 

The fragmented "canvas" (by the way, doing this on tree cookies? love, love, love) is awesome. This fragmentation of the picture allows the viewer to "fill in the blanks" creating a more visually stimulating experience. I love that the tree branches twist and turn through the piece. 

I don't know if you can tell, but the pieces of wood extend out to different lengths, creating more of a space for those who are seeing this in real life. 

Doesn't this picture just make you want to walk around the installation, looking at it from every angle? (That's how it makes me feel!)

This picture above is part of her log series, a sort of extension from her landscape series. This is what she has to say about it: “There is also a kitschy tradition of painting on log slices, which I like, I think that these works subvert painting and turn it into something else.” She had previously been painting on wood panels and had been looking for a way to make her paintings more of an object. She saw a wood pile and a lightbulb lit up! Something else that I enjoy about her landscape and her log series is that although they are a beautiful piece of art collectively, they are also small pieces of art individually. 

Wai Hookahe, 2007

Mixed media, 38" x 46½" x 46½" deep

If you're wondering a little bit about her... Alison Moritsugu was born and raised in Hawaii and left the islands after high school. After graduating from Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, she earned a Master of Fine Arts from the School of Visual Arts in New York. On return visits to Hawaii, she noticed the drastic changes to the local landscape. She not only has done the fragmented lanscapes but she created amazing wallpaper that features flowers and plants native to Hawaii. 

If you look within the design of the wallpaper, you can see the silhouettes of plants and animals. But she employs imagery as social commentary, picturing plant life that has driven out native forms in vivid colors, while the extinct and endangered plants and birds are seen as white contours. Here is a detail of that: 

In 1999, she created a piece for the John Michael Kohler Arts Center. I was 9 then and I remember it, but barely. I wish I could see her again, I guess I'll have to keep my eyes peeled for her next show near me! 

Internship Update - Week 10?

I haven't done an internship update in a while, so I figured I'd get you up to speed on what I've been up to! 

Things have really picked up for me as an intern. I'm helping out with the Arts/Industry program now, so I'm transcribing interviews with artists in residence. There have been nearly 400 artists, so I have my work cut out for me! It's been really awesome listening to what the artists have gleaned from the program and how things they did in the residency made an impact on the rest of the career. One of the artists talked about how before she worked in the factory, she almost always worked on the pottery wheel exclusively and that the factory really opened her eyes to mold making and expanded her knowledge base in pottery. It's really fascinating hearing so many points of view on the same program. It's all in the same place with relatively the same structure, yet every artist has a completely unique experience. Those experiences really come out in the interviews and I like being able to share in those memories.

Another thing I've been doing is helping install exhibitions. The first exhibition install that I observed was Kate McDowell. She created these toads during her residency with Arts/Industry and the install process was pretty intense. The toads were really fragile and had to be attached so that no one could just pick one up and walk off with it. It was a really interesting process to watch.

Photo courtesy of John Michael Kohler Arts Center, Sheboygan. Artist: Kate MacDowell

With Lauren Fensterstock's exhibit, I was able to take a more active role and help with placing grass as part of her installation Celebration of Formal Effects, Whether Natural or Artificial. It was a really amazing experience to be able to work closely with an established artist. I'm also preparing for my senior seminar gallery show with my peers, so it's been an eyeopening experience to witness what happens in the gallery during an install of an exhibit. 

John Michael Kohler Arts Center is in the process of installing a series of new exhibitions under the name Uncommon Ground, which has a lot to do with ecological art. If you've been following the blog at all, you know that's my thing! One of the exhibits in this theme is John Grade's Capacitor, which is such an amazing idea, I'm going to save it for it's very own post. I've been helping install that and it's been a crazy, complicated process but it's definitely going to be worth it! 

Here's a sneak peek of what we're dealing with. I've been posting stuff on my instagram page pretty often so if you want to check it out, my name is _jenny_bee_. 

What's John Grade got going on? Guess you'll have to wait and see!

Other than helping install and transcribing interviews, I've been doing research on objects in folk art like memory jugs and smoking stands. 

I've been pretty busy here, but it's so great. I'm learning a lot and having fun!

Adventures in Art - Picasso and Chicago

In 1913, the Chicago Institute of Art was the first museum in the country to exhibit the work of Pablo Picasso. 100 years later, there's a spectacular exhibition at the institute featuring such diverse and significant works from the museum's own collection and from collections throughout the city, Picasso and Chicago not only charts the full gamut of Picasso's artistic career but also chronicles the growth of Chicago as a place for modern art and the storied moments of overlap that have contributed to the vibrant interest in Picasso from 1913 to today. 

One of my favorite parts of this exhibit was the video they made about the research they did on the paintings. If you've ever done research on Picasso's blue period, you have no doubt stumbled on this piece:

The Old Guitarist is one of Picasso's more well known pieces (Unless you're George Bush... his favorite is the "The Party So Fun They Invited a Horse.") During the research film, they showed how you could see the paintings underneath The Old Guitarist. You can actually see some of the outlines of the former paintings in the piece if you look at it under the right light.

There were so many pieces that I had never seen before! Picasso not only did the paintings we're familiar with, but also illustrated books. One of my favorite things that he did was interpretations of paintings from the great masters.

Can you tell which paintings this is?

Manet's Le Déjeuner sur l'herbe!









If you're near the midwest/Chicagoland before May 12th, I suggest you give it a go! It's an excellent exhibit for sure covering not only the things that people think of when Picasso is brought up, but also gems not usually seen.

Artist Spotlight - Lauren Fensterstock

At my internship, I get a unique (and totally awesome) opportunity assisting artists with their installations. Lauren Fensterstock is one of those artists! I was even able to ask her a couple questions while we were working. Before I get to those, I'll give you a little peek at what she's done in other institutions.

Yes, that's paper.

Yes, it's hand-curled and formed.

Yes, it's amazing.

For the John Michael Kohler Arts Center, Lauren Fensterstock did her largest installation ever! It's called "Celebration of Formal Effects, Whether Natural or Artificial" and in it, she's created three separate gardens using ornately quilled, cut, and sculpted black paper. As beautiful as those pictures above are, it's nothing like being there in person, especially when I feel like I've been stuck inside for ages because of the Wisconsin winter. 

Fensterstock has been inspired by victorian art practices (like quilling) and more importantly, nature. She gardens at her home in Maine, and through her garden discovered a connections between natural and fabricated in her garden. She set out to create a "wild, overgrown" garden. When done, her garden looked "natural" yet did not have any plants that were native to Maine. 

In her art, this natural-yet-not look is also employed. The ribbons of paper look like they fit right in with the curling petals and quilled leaves. 

I was only able to get a couple pictures of the one at JMKAC, so here's one of those...

Here's a picture from the arts center for a less instagrammy view of the exhibition currently on view.

jmkac.org

It's on view through August 18th at JMKAC, so check it out!

Amy Wilson Faville - Carts

One of the great strengths of good art is the power of perspective. You may look at something every day, pass it by and not give it a second thought. Amy Wilson Faville's Carts takes the beauty of mixed media and brings new light and a new perspective to the national crisis of the homeless. 

Wagon Train - 2007

These carts are based on the actual shopping carts of the homeless in San Francisco’s Mission District. 

Fixie - 2009

You can see more of her series "Carts" here.

Magic Carpet Ride - 2007

In an interview, Faville discusses how she lets her surroundings inspire her work. She moved from San Francisco to Oakland last year and started a different but similar project:

 "Since moving to Oakland a year ago, I've been photographing the things that people dump on the sidewalk. I'm interested in the narratives suggested by the contents of these piles (a teddy bear, a bolt of fabric, a suitcase, a seemingly new Ikea couch), and in the tableaux created by heaps of discarded belongings in the midst of a street, which I see as a metaphor for economic and societal collapse. I use these photos as references for paintings (oil on canvas). Translating the images into paintings allows me to make them more beautiful and seductive, enticing the viewer into looking at (and thinking about) something they might ordinarily turn away from. "

Caravan - 2007

 She also said that through these projects, she hopes to turn images of squalor into images of splendor. I think these are awesome. I also like how she changes the mood of each piece with the background tone. 

Museum of Wisconsin Art - West Bend

When my aunt and uncle suggested I come with them to meet the director of the West Bend art museum and a tour of their new building, I agreed, but admittedly wasn't expecting much. 

I was pleasantly surprised by a great museum, with a rich collection of Wisconsin art and a gorgeous new building by Jim Shields, who also designed the Discovery Center in downtown Milwaukee, along the lake. 

I was also able to sneak some pictures! 

These are blown glass sculptures made by Doug and Renee Sigwarth from Sigwarth Glass. They're a husband and wife team and they work out of River Falls, Wisconsin. It took them about a year to complete these sculptures. If you're interested in the making of these massive sculptures, there's an album of pictures on the MWA facebook. Here's one of the pictures, if you're so inclined:

I love seeing behind the scenes shots like these! It's always fun to see how they put these giant sculptures together. It looks like it took a pretty long time. It kind of makes my arms hurt just looking at it.

Below is a shot of a few paintings that are being prepared to hang. 

They're still moving everything in, so I got a once in a lifetime chance to witness a museum moving. As you can see, the artworks are all wrapped individually and then safely stacked. Luckily, the new Museum of Wisconsin Art is only about 3 miles from the old one, so they didn't have to travel far.

The picture below is a bunch of Richard Lorenz paintings. He was a fairly prominent wisconsin artist. I haven't had too much of a chance to research him, but from what I got to see; he does beautiful landscapes and some portraits too. 

Hope you enjoyed these quick snapshots! The new museum officially opens in April!