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Infinity Mirrored Room 2008 by Yayoi Kusama |
Review Chapter One and the notes you took from our Concept Mapping project. Consider how ideas from the chapter and mapping project might connect to specific images in the text. For example: is
The Gates, Project for Central Park, New York City influenced by developments in science and engineering, a concept listed on our map? As a comment to this post, write a 200 word reflection on a topic that interests you.
The topic of your writing must relate to our class discussions so far, but is otherwise up to you. You may write about an artist or idea from the chapter or, of course, the artwork of Janet Echelman. This assignment must be posted on this blog by Tuesday, September 20 at 9:30am. Post your reflection by "clicking" on the comments link below this post.
Janet Echelman: Artist of Voluptuous Volumetric Forms
ReplyDeleteA voluptuous volumetric form brings to mind a shape that has height, depth and width, is billowing and soft, and is full of color. I believe that Janet Echelman’s sculptures exemplify this description of form.
Janet Echelman is innovative and able to respond to the unexpected. For instance, when Janet’s paints did not arrive for her project in India, she decided to use what was there. While walking on the beach one evening, Janet observed fishermen gathering their nets and that is when the concept of creating a form without mass occurred to her. Three years later, Wide Hips, the first of her big net forms, was hoisted into the air and Janet discovered that “what was unseen (the winds) became visible” as they swept around and through the netting making the sculpture look like it was dancing.
Today Janet has become more skilled at using industrial materials in her sculptures by working with experts in the field of architecture as well as science and engineering. Special software has been developed to help Janet design the volumetric forms that hang seductively between buildings, and from huge steel rings in open spaces, and steel armatures, and concrete rafters in cities around the world.
Her sculptures flourish in the context of the cities in which they are exhibited. I believe that Janet Echelman’s goal is to bring joy to the viewer, to give the viewer the experience of being inside her sculpture, and to give the viewer the opportunity to “share the rediscovery of wonder.”
---Jacque Gayle-Norberg
Art is a complex world. There are many forms and types whether it is from cultures and just ones perception. Everyone sees art in his or her own way. One piece can look completely different from one person to the next. When viewing art it is always wise to put yourself into the artist’s shoes and look at any piece with an open mind.
ReplyDeleteFor instance, look at Jasper John’s ‘Three Flag” is a representation of three flags stacked on top of each other, creating a depth and shows the patriotism of a country. Jasper perceives the flag as something to be proud of, it comes out at you, the red strips and white stars seeming to shine with a vintage tint, even as it becomes smaller.
Another tribute to America painting is Faith Ringgold’s God Bless America, making nationalism come off as witty. The piece is an oil canvas and was painted during a time when the white prejudice against Blacks was enforced as illegal. No matter the time, it still shows the red and white and the pride of the country.
Even something simple as using flags can be defined as art. The arrangement, the colors and the ay it is presented. It is all up for determination as to what it can mean.
-Elizabeth Webb
"Appreciating art is never just a question of accepting visual stimuli, but of intelligently contemplating why and how works of art come to be made and have meaning."
ReplyDeleteArt is all around us, some of us notice it and some of us don't. Some of us are able to create astonishing artwork, and some of us are just better looking at it. "The Gates Project" by Christo and Jeanne-Claude, sets a great example on how people view art differently. Some Americans saw it as "a work of pure joy"' others like the Japanese saw it as a commentary on the refusal of an international agreement Japan had with the United States. In other words, they weren't big fans of it.
In order to fully appreciate a piece of artwork, there are many questions you have to ask yourself while observing it. What was the author thinking? What is he/she trying to tell me? How is it supposed to make me feel? What are my emotions towards it? What is the main purpose of this piece? You should always put yourself in he/she's shoes, never stick to your one opinion. Know that art can be viewed from all sides, look at it from different perspectives and take a look at others points of views.
Art can be described as life's moments captured in one spot. Its amazing how one piece of art can make you look at life completely different? How fishnets can turn into giant sculptures floating in the air and they can give out that sense of freedom, and life blowing in the wind. Art causes us to use our imagination, and dig deeper into every aspect of what we come across day by day. Art is life's hidden secret; a way of enjoying and seeing the true beauty in not just people, but nature and the world all around us.
-Cecilia Hernandez
Javier Lopez
ReplyDeleteARTS 1301-4001
Professor Willburn
September 18, 2011
As one studies and begins to understand art, one can see that it comes in different forms, shapes, and sizes. Art can be described as a difference in perspective, or an expression of someone else’s reality. For example, Janet Echelman’s vision started with ancient styles of weaving and later evolved into something more modern and complex; as her perspective changed.
Echelman is a modern artist, creating a visual record in such an innovative style, using engineering and architectural techniques. Janet Echelman uses fibers that are strong enough to sustain hurricane winds. The fibers that Echelman is currently using to create her art did not exist when she first began her artistic journey. This shows us that art is constantly adjusting to the innovation of technology, science, and engineering.
Janet Echelman is constantly pushing the limits of her imagination, a true inspiration to modern artists. The way she displays her art is unlike anything the world has ever seen. People can agree that when asked what art is, most people would think of paintings, buildings, statues, simple things. When shown what Janet Echelman does and how she expresses her artistic voice, it shocks and awes everyone. Echelman is truly influencing how we interpret art in our day and age; using not only the materials we know, but also pushing her artistic boundaries, using science, engineering and technology to expand her canvas.
Innovation and evolution of the arts is how art survives and lives throughout the ages. As the pyramids slowly erode and the current artistic styles become the past, there must be more artists like Janet Echelman that are constantly finding ways to outlast humanity.
The different styles of art influenced by history and culture are what make art more interesting to learn about. I believe understanding art is through cultures, beliefs, and many other characteristics that might relate to a particular artist.
ReplyDeleteAn artist tries to help us understand about the visual world through art more clearly. The difference in art and different cultures are what distinguish art differently depending on who we are. In other words, based on our own culture and beliefs, we might understand and see a certain art piece differently than others perspectives of it.
For example, an artist Jasper Johns, created a United States art painting called the “Three Flags” that created a visual record of art history. The “Three Flags” symbolizes a patriotic icon for our country. Jasper’s work of art gave viewers to see the painting beyond its surface and basically to question their idea of America.
The issue for most of us understanding an art piece, we do not look at paintings carefully as we should. Therefore, we do not usually see things as accurately as we think. With that said, artists try to help us seeing the world by creating new ways for us to see and think about the world around us.
-Dina Odeh
Seeing is Believing
ReplyDeleteMany people may say that seeing is believing, but in actuality it is the opposite. It is natural to look at something and have the opposite idea of what the artist was intending. Life experience affects our perception of the things we see and feel.
As a proud U.S. military member, I feel patriotism when looking at the flag. It symbolizes more than just our nation’s flag to me. Faith Ringgold’s God Bless America was difficult to process at first. The date of this piece is very important in understanding it. 1964 was a time of struggle for the nation. The oppression of a people in a nation is depicted clearly. The nation I am so proud to be a part of was a prejudice one as well. This one painting gives us an opportunity to feel what was felt during that era. She looks as though she loves the nation that holds her down.
Basic physiology of light entering the retina and processing colors in the brain is the initial process of looking, but to really see something for what it is one needs to look past their own beliefs and emotions. It is only then that we can openly analyze art.
-Carrie Wright
It is impossible to describe the world of art in one word. Art comes from every country and from every country it is different. Art has and will always be created in new and innovative ways. Whether it is from religious, cultural, or personal beliefs. Art can rage from the smallest material of today to the tallest skyscraper in the world. As for Janet Echelman making sculptures that add to the beauty of buildings and landscapes makes the art of sculpting extremely impressive. Janet's sculptures are made up of nets that moves and reacts to the changing of the weather. Instead of using hard solid materials, Janet wanted her sculptures to come to life and move freely according to the conditions of the weather. This is what makes Janet Echelman an innovator, she makes art so that people can see the world in a different way, she brings beauty and life to the still buildings and roads of the world. With the verity of different color nets Janet Echelman's sculptures are views to admire. Her art work is not just a random thing. It has true meaning. for instance, Janet's sculpture named "1.26" was inspired from the Chile earthquake that shortened the day by 1.26 microseconds. Janet Echleman made a sculpture that resembles change witch happened to everyone.
ReplyDelete-Carl Dean
Chapter 1 wants the reader to be able to understand art in a variety of ways. The reader should see art through different perspectives not just their own. Art can be inspired by many different things such as Janet’s by fish net, Yayoi Kusma by a table cloth, and Renzo Piano by the Kanak culture. Art can demonstrate an emotion, a feeling, history, a religion, a culture, and much more. Janet’s “1.26” sculpture is an example of history; she was capable of representing the 2010 earthquake that hit Chile, and caused the day to shorten by 1.26 microseconds.
ReplyDeleteThis chapter also wants the reader to look closer into visual art such as, the “Three Flags” by Jasper Johns. Most people know that the U.S. flag has 13 stripes, 50 stars, and its red, white and blue. However, would they be able to tell you how many short stripes it has? What color the first stripe is or the last? How many rows of stars there are? In other words people can tell you the basic concept of art, but cannot really go into detail because they just merely glance at the art work. They don’t take the time to observe and retrieve its details. Another piece of work that might not be seen to its full extent is Janet Echelman’s “She Changes.” People may just view the sculpture but not realize that just beneath them are shadow drawings. These shadow drawings are supposed to highlight the “wind choreography.”
The next time the reader looks at a piece of artwork whether it’s a painting, a sculpture, or etc. they shouldn’t just stare it in a basic form. They should observe an artwork’s surroundings and see if anything else is demonstrated or put next to it for a reason. They should look into the detail, view beyond its surface, and see much more than what’s really there.
-Jessica West
Art is so broad and abundant in our surroundings and culture. The question “What constitutes a work of art?” cannot be answered in a quick summary. However, instead of trying to define something so vast, we can look at individual works of art and at least try to define the message or the mindset of the artist.
ReplyDeleteThe boundary pushing three dimensional artist, Janet Echelman, has made her statement with what she has brought to the world of art. Janet has pushed the boundaries of three dimensional art by making enormous works that seem to defy physics with their presence. Her work from her inspiration of Bali fishermen can be seen in many cities throughout the world. Each of these pieces of work are personalized for the area she has chosen for them, giving an entire new feeling of aesthetic appreciation to cityscapes, boardwalks, courtyards, and many other areas. With art on such a large scale, Echelman turns the entire area surrounding one of her structures into the art piece, thus completely enhancing an entire area into a form of art.
With art on such a scale, there leaves room for many forms of interpretation on any single piece of work. Leaving a response open to personal discussion can very well be an intended task from the artist, as the questions that arise could be the feelings the artist intended to convey.
-Joshua Rowe
Isaias Zapata
ReplyDeleteART 1301-4001
Art is expressed in many way ranging from the way the artist feels at the time he is working on their piece or they can lead the individual to look at it in a way that they would never see it. Art expression should be looked at with an open mind so that the individual is viewing in a way that they would not normally consider. Art evolves with ones culture and with the time in which they created their art piece. Artists are influenced by many things that come to include the culture in which they reside, their mood at the moment, or past experiences. Culture plays a huge role in as shown in past art pieces done that are geared towards religion. When one goes off the influence of religion they portray a scenario or individual that has significance in their religious beliefs, this is seen in “Jahangir in Darbar”. The mood of the artist stems from the situation they are in when they create their art piece. Certain artists use dark feelings for their paintings while others use are as a way to express their to portray happiness. These mood paintings range from Zeana Romanovna’s “Love Affair With A Forest” to Carole Spandau’s “Hockey On De Bullion”. Past experiences lead individuals to look at certain scenarios differently than one who has yet to experience that situation. The art expression can range from the death of a loved one to the birth of a first child. Art expression is the way that the artist intended the individual to see their piece. One should view the piece with an open mind so they can see what the artist intended to portray.
Active seeing and Open Interpretation of Art
ReplyDeleteWhen you look at a piece of art there are many words, emotions, and thoughts that rush to the mind the instant the eye catches glimpses of the piece. In the chapter towards the end it explains to the reader about “Active seeing”, which I felt should be at the beginning. This is because it is so important and crucial. Art is meant to be seen and coveted by the eyes upon it. To see is internally to understand what we are seeing and going through the mental process. In return of reading the chapter I learned that there are three processes to “seeing”; reception, extraction, and inference.
When you actively see something prior you already come into the situation with feelings. This is due to upbringing, customs, prejudices, and personal beliefs. For example with the Jasper Johns work of Three Flags, gives us an opportunity to look upon the familiar image of the American flag more closely. This piece was created in a time when the nation was infatuated with patriotism drawn from the anti-communist hearings of 1954. Many people felt the flag was less grand as it got smaller; this in a sense challenges the typical view of America. I believe this was a crucial topic to discuss do to the fact that the artist wants the viewer to be open to the piece and willing to accept it for what it is or is perceived to be.
-Alexandrea Albert
Art 1301-4001
ReplyDeleteKim.Gossett
I believe that art come's from the beauty within a persons heart and soul. Like the book say's about Active Seeing where everything you see is filtered, through a long history etc. Some people understand art and some don't, which in that case means you have to take a step back, and actually look at the picture an ask questions! Look beyond what's sitting in front of you, and try to put yourself in the artist shoes and get a true understanding and meaning! Also by going to Art Museum's I think they are good for your brain, it helps your mind wonder and journey to another place kind of like day dreaming almost. Like in Yayoi Kusama's painting "You Who Are Getting Obliterated in the Dancing Swarm of Fireflies 2005, it almost make's me think, their trying to run or escape and it's kind of a safe haven they can go to and be free. Even Janet Elchelman, I loved her 26 aerial sculpture, which suspends from the roof of the seven story Denver Art Museum above downtown. The sculpture to me reminds me of almost a breeze on a nice relaxing island vacation, no worries, and just care free. It also blows my mind how artist stubble across there materials for there art sculptures or work in general. Really gives me a open mind now, when I see art work or random thing's like trash or fish net!
Janet Echelman has captured my admiration and has made me become interested in her artwork. Although it may seem unorthodox what she creates, it has no doubt changed the way some of us look at art sculptures. As a mathematics and engineering enthusiast, I have taken a particular interest in the way she constructs and designs her artwork. She has taken a technological approach and has made her work stand out all around the world. She has worked with engineers to construct hi-tech artwork using the most sophisticated methods and as a result it has placed her in a league of her own when it comes to innovative ideas in art.
ReplyDeleteJanet Echelman has represented past world events such as the earthquake in Chile and transform it into a piece of art. She took simple facts from the catastrophe, such as the .00000126 seconds the length of the day was shortened, and derived a symbolic and extravagant piece of art from it. Janet Echelman has absolutely represented every aspect of technology, innovation, culture, inspiration, and determination in her artwork designs. She has truly made engineering and mathematics come alive in her art works. Janet Echelman has made me look at art differently and question the significance behind every art design.
-Ampelio Mendez
ART 1301-4001
Professor Willburn
The role of the artist to help us see the world in a new and innovative way is depicted in Andy Warhol's "Race Riot" and Faith Ringgold's "God Bless America." Both works of the these comtemporary artists reflect the historical Civil Rights Movement in the 1960's.
ReplyDeleteBoth artists use red, white and blue (American flag) in their art work.
Although the artists use different mediums for their art work, one a painting the other a photograph, they both ilicit the same feeling. Both help you realize the violence, bigotry, and inequality toward the African-American during that era. Ms. Ringgold's art is her response from the denial of voting rights for the African-Americans. Mr. Warhol's art is his response to the violence against the civil right marchers.
"God Bless America" is a very clever and bold painting. The combination of bigotry and patriotism is achieved with blue eyes, white hand, black bars, racial depiction of hair, a single large star, and the red/white stripes of the American flag.
"Rice Riot" is more subtle when seeing the picture initially. Using one photograph in black and white, blue and red one sees more than just a violent picture. The black and white is a standard medium for photographs but could represent just the violence without effect. The blue background is contradicting as blue symbolizes peace, tranquility. Dr. Martin Luther King's peaceful approach to change could be represented here. And of course the red signifies violence, hatred and bigotry.
Both artists use an historical event to create art that gives new and innovative way to view the violence, bigotry and unrest during the 1960's Civil Rights Movement.
-Abigail Henson
When thinking about the world of art and everything that art has done over the years the thoughts are endless. I don’t think that some works of art could ever be explained, or understood by everyone seeing the piece. When looking through chapter 1 the piece of work that stood out the most to me was definitely the Karaori Kimono by Kane Kwei. Obviously I was fist drawn to it because it was a beautiful piece of clothing that at first glance seems like something you would dress up for on a nice occasion. But the more I read into this piece it shows me that this Kimono was dealing with aesthetic beauty rather than being a functional piece of clothing. The piece was only produced to portray to the viewer a sense of beauty. Normal Kimonos were made for a person to wear, this particular Kimono was actually never meant to be worn. It was created only for its visual beauty, so that the viewer could get some kind of pleasure by just looking and understanding its beauty and meaning.
ReplyDeleteAt first glance, I just saw a piece of clothing, but as I dug deeper I began to see this piece beyond its outer surface. I cleared my mind of what I knew about clothing and pieces like this in the past and went back to look at the piece again with a new mindset and open interpretation. The artist wanted the viewer to see the Kimono as an art form not just a shirt/dress on your back. It wasn’t just something to wear during the day, it was something that was to portray beauty and to me that means so much more. Most times when looking at an art piece a viewer sometimes doesn’t understand what exactly the artist was trying to portray, and sometimes the viewer never will. I know that after some time of putting myself in the artist shoes I feel as if I understand where the artist was coming from in this piece. Peoples perception are different and something I understand some people may never get but I do know that this Kimono was meant to portray beauty, and I believe it did just that.
-Parker Page
Art is an amazing thing to have in this world. Individuals with an open mind that can percieve things in many different ways are the ones that can make Art out of what they see. The person seeing the work of art has the freedom of deciding what he/she wants to make out of it without necessarily having to agree with the creator.
ReplyDeleteOne of the works of art that caught my attention in the chapter was "God Bless America" by Faith Ringgold. This oil on canvas painting has so many different meanings to it but the artist made it in a time when the civil laws were not at its finest point. A person without the knowledge of what happened during the civil war era would not make out as to why the flag has the image of the woman touching his badge looking in at the locked up individual, but would rather see a woman being patriotic to it's nation. There is no right or wrong when it comes to art. The individual can broaden his/her horizons as much as he/she wants in order to make peace with any work of art that they come across.
-Edwin Camacho
In the book, A world of Art, Henry Sayre states “Artist gives form to the immaterial hidden truths or universal truths, spiritual forces, personal feelings”. This is shown in many art forms, but one example is that of Picasso, and his treatment of women in, Les Demoiselles d’ Avignon. He demonstrates his personal feelings toward the opposite sex through the incorporation of African masks and sharp lines in the painting. The women in his painting are both masculine and feminine. They are also nude and somewhat posed. One cannot be exactly sure of the perspective that Picasso has of women based on this piece alone, but it is known that he was inspired by a museum that he went to where he saw a collection of African masks. The way he used his experiences to inspire him with the masks leads one to believe that he had possibly been inspired with women as well. Since it has also been speculated that the women in this painting are prostitutes the mask could be a representation of the fact that a women may not be portraying who she actually is when she is a prostitute, almost like a two faced women. In this painting one can see several different positions that Picasso has portrayed about women. Knowing what inspired him helps us to see more clearly his position on the opposite sex.
ReplyDelete-Ashley Torres
Michelangelo once said, “ A man paints with his brains, not his hands”. When I first started this class and actually read the first chapter, I started as one of the skeptics Professor Willburn mentioned in class, “Just because a canvas is painted blue, does not mean its not art work.” I am a science major and the first thoughts that pop into my brain about any singular object are functionality or what I can do with it physically. I always tell people that I have a forte in biology and explain to them that I like it better than chemistry because most everything in biology is tangible. I can see biology, I can see a dissection, I can see organ systems and blood and understand, but I explain that chemistry and I do not belong, chemistry is something I have a picture in my head, and my brain can not visualize electron clouds and tiny atoms I can not see. Then I came to discussion last class. I started to see where my science-rounded brain could enjoy art even if it was a blue canvas. We started analyzing artwork and talking about different art. We talked about Janet Echleman and about art and its functionality. What drew me particularly to Janet Echleman was her use of fishing nets. Fishing nets are very functional and normally would not be something I would associate to art right away. Also I grew up with these big beautiful fishnets because my dad brought several back from India when our family made a trip to our homeland. I watched as a child as my dad used them to catch several fish at once and going fishing with my dad is one of my fondest memories of childhood. So I started to see that art and functionality could go hand in hand. The fishnets my dad used when I was a kid fascinated me because they weren’t the fishing lines the other fisherman at the lake used. And now as an adult I am once again mesmerized by the fishnets being used a big beautiful artwork around the world. Seeing the elegance in the artwork of Janet Echleman made me understand art a little better and opened my mind to a broader spectrum of thought. So I guess I can no longer say I am a skeptic of a blue canvas, but rather next time I see it I may actually stop to take a look.
ReplyDelete-Betsy Thomas
A version of A World of Art is preception; to precieve that we can trust our eyes to give accurate information about the world.
ReplyDeleteIn a article Her Secret is Patience by Janet Echelman is a 145-ft-tall aerial sculpture.The sculpture is suspended above a 2-city Block Civic Space Park which is fixed in place but is in constant motion.The 3 dimensional layered form is created by hand-craftmanship and also machine loomed knotting.
Echelman;s work defines the art space by attracting viewers to look toward the sky and focus on this celestial object.In the daytime, the sculpture flies high above the heads in the sky creating what the artist calls "shadow drawings" that she say are inspired by her from her first site visit. And at nightime, the illimination of the color changes gradually through the seasons.
The artist was inspired by the region's distinctive monsoon cloud formations and the shadows they cast, in addition to forms found in the desert flora and local fossil records. The sculpture is designed to withstand 90-mile/ hour winds. The materials used for this sculputure is painted galvanized steel and cables set of high-tenacity polyester braided twine netting, with computerized programming. The budject for this scupture was $2.5 million. It was awarded the Award for Excellence to M3 Enginerring in 2008.
-Jacqueline Jones
Art 1301
jjtjws@yahoo.com
Andy’s Warhol’s Race Riot is an example of the artist role of helping the audience of seeing the world in new or innovative ways. It also makes a visual record of the people, places, and events of their time and place. I must admit it was nothing pleasurable about this picture. As I looked at this picture, I could see what was happening at that time without reading the title. This painting took a psychological impact on me. Looking at the white or clear picture gave me a clear vision of what was happening. The hue of the blue made me sad. As I looked at the two red colors of the picture, I became angry. My feelings became angry and intensified. I could feel the pain, fear, tension and struggle of my people. I could see the brutal treatment that was given. I realized it was that period of time around 1963. I was about eleven years old. This picture created a new vision in my mind; this picture is true today.
ReplyDeleteIt still represents the racism and struggles that goes on in this country. It is a universal truth. Like my people in that picture I must be brave, work hard, determined and persevere. The events came alive that happened then, and the same events of injustice and racism is still happening today in it’s quietness. Yes in the colors, white, blue and red, The United States of America; Any Warhol’s Race Riot is very much alive and well. This chapter, A World of Art has help me to see the visual picture and open the eye of my soul. Helen Trimble