MOCA Art Talks: Robert Rauschenberg

Since we talked about Rauschenberg in class this morning, this has been on my mind.

If you haven't been to see the incredible exhibition of Rauschenberg Combines at MOCA, you must make the time. The show continues through September 4. I will definitely be going at least one more time. I wish I would be able to go to the art talk tomorrow night, but alas I will be giving a lecture on Romanesque architecture.

MOCA Art Talks Presented by Gallery C
Paul Schimmel , MOCA chief curator,
discusses Robert Rauschenberg: Combines
Thursday, July 27 at 6:30pm
MOCA Grand Avenue, Ahmanson Auditorium

The most complete survey of these unique works ever mounted, this exhibition features more than 70 key Combines created between 1954–1964, an exceptionally productive period in Robert Rauschenberg’s career. From the early 1950s on, Rauschenberg broke down traditional boundaries between painting and sculpture and forged new ground in a multitude of media to invent an artistic expression uniquely his own.

Inflatable Artwork Kills Two

This is horrible and sad news. Dreamspace, an 8,400-square-foot "air sculpture" by artist Maurice Agis, which viewers could walk on and through, had toured England for 10 years without incident. Sunday things went terribly wrong and resulted in the death of two women and the injury of 12 others.

The Guardian:

The giant inflatable artwork that tore away from its moorings may have been turned into a deathtrap as hot air inside the structure caused it to lift off, killing two women, witnesses said.

Horrified survivors described yesterday how people tumbled from the inflatable as it reared 150ft into the air, leaving a mother of two and a grandmother dead.

Scores of families saw one of the women fall 30ft on to a concrete path while the Dreamspace labyrinth of coloured pods and tunnels was swept across a park, before collapsing close to a packed paddling pool and playground.

Even too hot for art today.

Each weekend I try to view a few art exhibitions at local museums or galleries. Today the plan was to join my class for a tour of the Norton Simon Museum of Art and then to go to the Ontario Emporia Arts Walk.

We had a good gathering at the museum. Nearly everyone brought a friend or family member. I always enjoy visiting an art museum with my students. It's a completely different experience than showing them reproductions projected on a screen in a classroom.


After I finished the tour I walked out to the sculpture garden with the plan to have some lunch, but instead found myself gasping for air. It was 105 degrees and absolutely no breeze. I immediately returned to the safety of the air-conditioned museum.

It was suppose to be even hotter in Ontario. Although I love art, I could not see risking my health walking the streets in this weather. I can't imagine many people ventured out either. If anyone did go to the Arts Walk, please let me know how it turned out. I'll be sitting here at home with a cold beverage awaiting your comments :)

Ontario Emporia Arts District

The Ontario Emporia Arts District is hosting their next Arts Walk tomorrow, Saturday, July 22 from 1:00 to 8:00 PM. There promises to be a large selection of artist studios and galleries participating in the event. Start your walk at 211 W. Emporia, Ontario, CA 91762.

Need another reason to go?
Former Chaffey artist, Gabe Gonzales, has informed me that he will be "selling his babies" at the event.

More Damage to Public Art in Los Angeles

Los Angeles Times:

Within the past few days, two more downtown murals, Frank Romero's "Going to the Olympics" and Willie Herrón's "Luchas del Mundo" (Struggles of the World) were partly covered with mud-colored paint, an apparent error by a Caltrans work crew cleaning up graffiti.

Frank Romero, Going to the Olympics, 1984

Willie Herrón, Luchas del Mundo, 1984

Leaving Aztlán

ETHNICITY and ARTISTIC PRODUCTION EXAMINED IN
LEAVING AZTLÁN

The Wignall Museum at Chaffey College is pleased to present Leaving Aztlán, an exhibition of contemporary art that challenges stereotypes of Chicana/o and Latina/o art by moving beyond culturally specific terms.

Guest curated by Kaytie Johnson, Leaving Aztlán abandons the notion of Chicana/o and Latina/o art as having a singular style. Instead, artists in the exhibition utilize diverse artistic practices, forms and strategies. Their work acknowledges the visual legacy of previous generations without being limited to a cultural vantage point. New concerns and directions arise as the artists explore formal and conceptual sensibilities of personal significance.

Leaving Aztlán opens to the public on Monday, August 28 and runs through October 7, 2006. The opening reception is Tuesday, September 12 from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. A Curator’s introductions and artists talk with Javier Carmona, Alex Donis, Christina Fernandez and Shizu Saldamando will be held prior to the reception on Tuesday, September 12 from 6:00-7:00 p.m. Admission and events are free and open to the public.

Leaving Aztlán comes to the Wignall after successful showings at the Center for Visual Art, Denver, CO; LIMN Gallery, San Francisco, CA and ARENA 1, Santa Monica, CA. This exhibition features an updated checklist that includes works by artists Jesse Amado, Connie Arismendi, Javier Carmona, Alex Donis, Christina Fernandez, Carlos Frésquez, Diana Guerrero-Machiá, Salomon Huerta, Chuck Ramirez, Shizu Saldamando, and Rubén Ortiz Torres. Guest curator Kaytie Johnson is Director and Curator of the University Galleries, Museums and Collections at DePauw University, Indiana.


The Wignall Museum is located on the Rancho Cucamonga campus of Chaffey College at 5885 Haven Avenue, Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91737-3002. The Wignall is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturdays from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. Closed Sundays and holidays. Admission is free. Parking is available in the North Parking Lot. Parking permits can be purchased via vending machine for $2. Parking is free during museum receptions and special events.

Sue Coe, War Street, 2000, etching 9.5" x 12.5"

Such a simple concept beautifully executed.

I've never heard of Bravia before, but I think I want whatever they are selling now.

The commercial "is by Danish director Nicolai Fuglsig, and the song 'Heartbeats' was originally written by Swedish The Knife and sung by the brilliant Jenny Wilson. Here covered by -also Swedish despite the name- José González. 250.000 bouncy balls were used."

This is a full version of the commercial. From my understanding, a shorter version was shown in most markets. Now sit back, relax and enjoy the colorful, bouncing balls.

Jordan Statue

In 1993, the chairman of the Chicago Bulls was Jerry Reinsdorf; he instructed the team's vice president (Steve Schanwald) to conduct a search to find a sculptor who can create a tribute to the greatest player in NBA history. Sculpted by Omri and Julie Rotblatt-Amrany of Highland Park, Illinois, the Jordan statue was placed in front of the United Center in Chicago where the Bulls played their games beginning in August, 1994.

Schanwald sought to "create an illusion of flight" and a design that would show a realistic view of Jordan and his unique skill. The statue, unveiled before a national television audience by Larry King, Mr. Reinsdorf and Jordan himself, in a November 1, 1994 ceremony at which Michael Jordan's famous #23 was retired, sits on a 5-foot high black granite base inscribed with Mr. Jordan's basketball achievements, and the words, "The best there ever was. The best there ever will be." The statue measures 17 feet from top to bottom and weighs 2,000 pounds.

The statue was cast in bronze using the "lost wax" method at Art Casting of Illinois. For 4 months working 16 hours a day, 7 days a week, the Amrany's finished the sculptor of Michael Jordan. The airborne Jordan is attached to the base at just one point-the knee.

The Chicago Bulls are selling up to 123 limited edition reproductions of the statue. These maquettes have also been sculpted by Omri and Julie Rotblatt Amrany, and feature the inscribed signatures not only of the artists, but by Mr. Jordan himself. Each measures 28 inches high, is cast in bronze and sits on a black granite base. The cost is $10,000 each, and all the net proceeds will help to partially offset costs associated with the construction of the James Jordan Boys and Girls club.

- The United Center

I personally admire this statue because it depicts one of Jordan's signature dunks. The creators of the sculptor were able to make the statue more realistic because of the pose which he is in. I believe Jordan was the best basketball player in NBA history and his accomplishments on the court deserve all the recognition they receive.

Add Some Art To Your Saturday Nights

click to enlarge image

Golconda Fort

Last Summer I had visited India on vacation and I visited a fort near Hyderabad, India known as the Golconda Fort. During my visit there, I took a short tour and I was able to learn about all of the architecture as well as the art produced during the times when this fort was built. The main language in Hyderabad is called Telugu and the word Golconda originates from this language. The word "Golla" means Shepherd and "konda" means a hill.

The exact date of the construction is unknown but it is estimated to be between 1100 and 1300. A shepherd boy went to the location of the fort (before it was built) and saw an idol there. He came back to the ruler of the Kakatiya dynasty and the king had a fort built at the site of the idol. After the fort was built, it was taken over by several other dynasties. The Qutub Shahi kings expanded the fort and used it to protect themselves.

The fort has many different mechanisms for protection. One that amazed me the most was a type of telephone. At the bottom most part of the fort is a dome. When a person clapped or made a loud noise in this area, the sound traveled all the way up to the top of the fort (about .6 miles away) and this was a type of warning signal. Also, the fort is equipped with draw-bridges, stables, and living quarters and other necessities for the king. Centuries after the fort was built, some of the kings used it as a prison. A man named Ramadas was imprisoned at the fort for using the royal money to renovate a temple.

When I saw the fort, I had mixed emotions. On the one hand, I was amazed to see this grand scale fort with elaborate sculptures and architecture. And I was also sad to see the way the fort was being maintained. For example, the city of Hyderabad was trying its best to make this a tourist attraction but there is graffiti on the ancient walls and bats have infested the darkest caves. But overall, I learned a lot from my trip.

International Plagiarism

My students know that I have zero tolerance for plagiarism. There is no legitimate excuse for taking the words, work or ideas of another person and passing them off as your own. If someone's work supports or inspires your own, then you simply need to give the original writer, artist or thinker credit for their work.

Recently a perfect and somewhat hard to believe example of plagiarism surfaced in the art world. I say "hard to believe" because it is bewildering that the artist doing the copying thought he would actually go undetected. It is similar to the confusion I feel each time I uncover plagiarism in a student's paper. You know that they know better (the rules and laws of academic honesty have been clearly explained), but they still try it anyway.

In this case reported by the BBC, a leading Japanese artist, Yoshihiko Wada, was discovered to have been copying the paintings of Italian artist Alberto Sughi. Wada even received a prestigious award for his painting from the Japanese Ministry of Culture before the many examples of plagiarism were discovered. Wada claimed that he and Sughi had worked "in collaboration", but in reality Wada had only visited the Italian artist's "studio five times and photographed his work from different angles."

Sughi seems to be very pragmatic about the events and stated in an article on absolutearts.com:

Recently I have had proposals to take part in major exhibitions in Japan – I, however, would prefer to exhibit my work when this scandal has died down. My painting, I hope, deserves cultural attention, and not merely curiosity spawned by a scandal of this magnitude.

First the MoMA, Now the Met

The Metropolitan Museum of Art (Met) is raising its recommended admission price for adults to $20 from $15, making it one of the most expensive museums to visit in the world.

Now I was a little surprised by the $20 admission price at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), but the price increase did coincide with its new renovation and expansion. The MoMA also has a narrow historical focus that does not appeal to a large portion of the public.

This is in stark contrast to the Met. The historical depth of the Met collection attracts a much broader interest and plays an important role in exposing the general public to the visual arts. This sharp hike in price may make a visit to the art museum too expensive for many. I wonder if the potential loss in visitors will be justified by the increase in admission price.

Although, a museum spokesman did stress that "the fee was suggested, not obligatory." I'm not sure how clearly or directly this information is provided to museum visitors. I must admit that I have always paid the full price at the Met and was not aware that I could have paid less, as it seems many do not. Back when I was a poor student this information would have been very useful.

Star Trek Crop Circles

Tom Pearcy used satellite technology to help him design a 32-acre maze dedicated to Star Trek on his farm near York in northern England to celebrate 40 years since the airing of the first episode of the show.

More on Ed Ruscha Monument

A month ago I commented on Kent Twitchell's giant downtown mural of Ed Ruscha being painted over. The details about who was behind this travesty have been slow coming. Today Los Angeles Downtown News reported on plans for an upcoming lawsuit. It doesn't look like anybody is going to step up and take responsibility for this one on their own.

Attorneys representing muralist Kent Twitchell are planning to file suit this week against a "nongovernmental entity" and a claim with a governmental department involved in the destruction of the "Ed Ruscha Monument" in Downtown, said Les Weinstein, an attorney with Pasadena-based firm Sheldon & Mak. Because the federal government owns the building at 1031 S. Hill St., where the mural had resided for 19 years before workers painted it over June 2, figuring out whom to call to account has been complicated, Weinstein said. The YWCA of Greater Los Angeles operated a Job Corps program inside the edifice, and despite repeated requests by Los Angeles Downtown News, neither government nor YWCA officials would reveal who gave the green light to paint over the six-story tall artwork that took nine years to complete. "You don't normally sue the government in federal district court, you've got to go to a court in Washington [D.C.]. And you've got to go through a claims procedure first," Weinstein said. "And we're still getting stiff-armed by the Department of Labor on who actually owns the building."

Dancers in Blue by Edgar Degas (circa 1895)

I found this piece of art by the French artist Edgar Degas (1834 - 1917) very interesting. I like his choice of colors. The blue dresses contrast well against the orange and gold background. This makes the young ballet dancer's dresses very visible. The mood of the dancers looks professional. The hands and the legs are choreographed to indicate that they are dancing in perfect harmony! This gives one the feeling that you are there in the theatre watching them.

Edgar Degas lived during the Impressionist Age where the main thrust was to depict the lives of normal people in their natural settings. Edgar's main theme was ballet dancers.

TRASH!

Something significant to the internet happened this week and something very interesting happened in NY as well.

First Amanda Congdon of Rocketboom left Rocketboom this week to come here of all places to find her place in the sun. I am certain she will be successful and if you do not know who she is yet, you will soon.

Further, in New York there is a show called "Trash" and all the particulars are in the link above or here.

Today it is just way too hot to do much more than read and cogitate, so cogitate it is.

Thinking about the concept of a show called Trash, using trash (more appropriately discarded items) to make art, converts these items from 'trash' to art and brings to my mind the question of whether something can truly be called ‘trash.’ It is ironic to call a show Trash which reuses items to make art and thus renders the items not trash at all. Maybe it is a New Jersey thing. In my mind, for an item to fall into the realm of trash (a totally unusable item) would require that it be extremely small or incredibly large.

All things that can be taken into the hands of humans can be used as art. Most things have been made into art. Mud on the ground 35,000 years ago was made into functional items and almost as immediately were decorated with art. The urine of an artist was used to make art and everything in between.

While I am not normally a pack-rat, I have been know to save things for projects that I see myself completing in the future. However the next time I am about to throw away a bad cd, a wrapper from a candy bar or some ubiquitous graphic from a fast-food store I might pause.. to think if I can use it for art. By the way, the one I really liked was the dryer lint.

If you would like to participate (and I would like you to) Please bring 1 or 2 or 3, 4, 5 linings of lint from your dryer to Chaffey at the VSS benches on 7-13 (next Thursday) between noon and 1pm. Further please put your artist signature on a scrap of paper (discarded item would be best) for inclusion for the piece. If you cant make it during that time there will be a white plastic trash bag in the VSS faculty office for you to drop off starting tomorrow (7-6-06).

Upon completion will can donate this to Professor Machado for his office or possibly the VSS-208 or wherever (his choice).


Clay Bottiglia
Chaffey '05
Pitzer '07

POP ART

Pop Art is an art movement and style that first started in England in the 1950s. It made its way to the United States during the 1960s. Pop Art focuses on familiar images of the popular culture such as billboards, comic strips, magazine advertisements, and supermarket products. This particular piece was created in 1963 by Roy Lichtenstein. It is titled "WHAAM." If I am not mistaken it currently can be seen at the Tate Gallery in London.

Out-of-Place-Piece

Earlier today, I visited a friend who happens to be a Librarian at a local college. As she was giving me a tour of the office, we came across an unusual object near the art department. The best I can describe it with my limited technical art jargon is a modern but almost futuristic chair. It reminded me of something one would sit in upon entering a new high tech roller coaster, minus the seat belt.

What was particularly fascinating about this space-like chair wasn't so much the chair itself, although very cool, but where it was located - - outside of an art exhibition and in an office space near desks and cubicles. Seeing it placed there by itself and away from any artistic setting or near other art pieces had me curious.

Who made it? When was it created? Why the selected shapes, textures and colors? Why was it isolated? Where did it belong? Is it functional? What was the story behind it? These were all the questions that I wanted answered but no information was given and no one there to give it.

Viewing this piece unexpectedly had me thinking. First, I must start to appreciate the museum plaques that are posted next to the artwork in an exhibit because until now, I didn't realize how valuable that information can be. Also, the abandoned office setting surrounding this piece caused me to understand the benefits of having a set venue, or museum. It's amazing how much color, lighting, and surrounding exhibits can impact the presence of art. Can you imagine if all pieces had to be viewed in an office with white walls and bright lights? Finally, I was surprised at how interested I was in knowing the history behind art - not simply admiring the visual aspects. Had I not taken an art history class, I probably would not have given the out-of- place-piece a second look.

I took some pics but decided not to post them because I didn't have permission from the artist, although I think you would think they were hella-cool : )

Alma Lavenson

Photographs done by the photographer named Alma Lavenson are on display at The Huntington Library in San Marino which is right next to Pasadena. Lavenson's photography, that is on display, is from the early half of the Twentieth century. Lavenson was included in a famed exhibition of photographs done in 1932 at the M.H. de Young Memorial Museum in San Francisco. She was invited to participate in that show by Ansel Adams, the photographer that photographed a famous picture taken in Yosemite entitled "Monolith, The Face of Half Dome, Yosemite National Park, California, 1927." Her work is not as widely known as Adams but now more people can discover her photographs at the Huntington Library from June 10- October 15, 2006.

A Curators Eye: The Visual Legacy of Robert A. Sobieszek

There is an exhibition of photographs of the late curator Robert A. Sobieszek at LACMA. Sobieszek passed away a year ago. He was the photography curator at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art for fifteen years. The current exhibition shows works of photography that he helped the museum acquire during his tenure at LACMA. The exhibition is entitled "A Curators Eye: The Visual Legacy of Robert A. Sobieszek." The photographs will be on display at LACMA in Los Angeles from May 11 - August 20, 2006.