While reading about Postmodernism I came across a mural that was intresting and great. I really did like this mural and connected with it as well. The mural is Judith F. Baca's The Division of the Barrios, reminds me of the stories that some of my elder relatives would tell me about immigrant struggles and about trying to understand the American culture. Hope you find intrest in this mural as well!!!
God Bless
Alba Delgadillo- Paramo (Art-5)
The Seed Project is a global environmental installation where people from all over the world are planting seeds. Seed Planters will be encoraged to create Flickr accounts and network with each other. The goals is for the network to expand, creating the world's largest art collective.
Seed Project Instructions
Land art or earth art is a form of art which uses items from the natural environment, such as rocks, sticks, soil and plants. Particularly large works are sometimes known as earthworks.
Land art came to prominence in the late 1960s and 1970s. The works frequently exist in the open and are left to change and erode under natural conditions. Many of the first works were ephemeral in nature and now only exist as photographic documents.
While reading about art I came across the art form called Pop art. I found this type of art intresting and kind of cool, especially the work by Roy Lichtenstein. I never knew that comic book pictures were considered art. His work shows great expression and simplicity. In his work called Oh, Jeff ... I love you, too ... but he uses the style of heavy black lines, outlines, and simple primary colors. I believe that pop art is a type of art that will still be intresting for many years to come.
God Bless
Alba Delgadillo- Paramo (art- 5)
Philanthropist Eli Broad and his wife have purchased a monumental sculpture from Richard Serra for the new Broad Contemporary Art Museum, which will open in February 2008 as part of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. The sculpture entitled Band (2006) is currently exhibited in the Museum of Modern Art's Serra retrospective, which opened on June 3. Band is among Serra's most elaborate works, with alternating interior and exterior spaces, created by ten steel plates standing nearly thirteen feet high and weighing a total of 183 tons.
Today while reading about Modernism (Art), it really made me think of what artists were trying to portray at this time. Especially with all the abstract art, such as Jackson Pollock's Autumn Rhythm (Number 30). This painting made no sense to me at all, until I took the time to really think and look at it in a different way. With the help of my art professor, I realized Pollock's painting could be trying to portray something simple as just paint and color!
God Bless
Alba Delgadillo-Paramo (Art- 5)
We were discussing Édouard Manet's A Bar at the Folies-Bergère in class last week and I forgot to mention that it is in Los Angeles this summer on view at the Getty Center through September 9. You won't want to miss this opportunity to see it in person.
French painter Édouard Manet presented A Bar at the Folies-Bergère at the 1882 Paris Salon exhibition just one year before his death. The painting is the culmination of his interest in scenes of urban leisure and spectacle, a subject that he had developed in dialogue with Impressionism over the previous decade. On loan from the Courtauld Institute of Art Gallery in London, the painting is a masterpiece that has perplexed and inspired artists and scholars since it was painted over 100 years ago.
Édouard Manet, A Bar at the Folies-Bergère, 1882For the first time in over half a century Philip Johnson's iconic Glass House opened to the public on June 23. But, if you don't already have a ticket to tour the 56-foot-by-32-foot open glass and steel structure, you'll have to wait. All tickets are sold out for 2007. The Mies van der Rohe inspired house was completed in 1949 in New Canaan, Connecticut.
The Glass House opening is the result of two generous gestures. Philip Johnson, who died in 2005 at age 98, bequeathed his 47-acre estate (including the Glass House, Brick House, Painting Gallery, Sculpture Gallery and Da Monsta) to the National Trust for Historic Preservation, while his longtime partner, art collector and curator David Whitney, who died in 2006, left a behest to support programming and ongoing preservation at the site.
"Good or bad, small or big, this is the purest time that I ever had in my life to do architecture. Everything else is tainted with the three problems: clients, function, and money. Here I had none of the three." - Philip Johnson, on the Glass House
View Slideshow
UPDATE: July 1, Saving our remarkable modernist buildings
This article came up when I was checking my mail the other day. If you go to the link, there is a slideshow of pictures that you can look at.
Fri Jun 22, CAIRO - "Archaeologists have discovered the 3,000-year-old mummy of a high priest to the god Amun in the southern city of Luxor, antiquities supremo Zahi Hawass told the official MENA news agency on Saturday. The 18th Dynasty mummy of Sennefer was unearthed in a tomb in the Valley of the Kings -- one of the most famous archaeological sites in the world -- by a team from Britain's Cambridge University."The mummy was found in tomb 99 in the Valley of the Kings on the west bank of Luxor," Hawass said.
A high priest was considered to be the most important man after the king, performing duties, religious rituals and offerings on his behalf.Other mummies were found during the excavation, including one with a brain tumour, a foetus, a female mummy wrapped in plaster and others which appeared to have suffered from arthritis, Hawass said.
The Valley of the Kings was used as a burial site for royalty and nobles to the west of present day Luxor, some 450 miles south of Cairo."
To read the rest of this article and see the pictures from the slideshow, go to this website.
Yesterday I had a conversation with Denise Johnson about a possible Chaffey Art Organization sponsored lecture on issues relating to the representation of women in advertising as well as how some ads and films present women as volatile bodies that are in constant need of some kind of product to control them. This lecture would be held in conjunction with an exhibition on the third wave of feminism being curated by Ms. Johnson at the Wignall Museum/Gallery this fall.
Coincidentally, this morning I came across this Brazilian ad campain for itambé fit light yogurt. In the ads, classic movie scenes are redone with more full-figured women replacing Sharon Stone in Basic Instinct, Marilyn Monroe in The Seven Year Itch, and Mena Suvari in American Beauty. But the tagline beneath the images reads, "Forget about it. Men's preference will never change. Fit light yogurt."
I believe this is a poignant example of how today the idea of the "feminine" and how it is portrayed in visual culture is still greatly influenced and defined by a patriarchal perspective. Rather than me expounding further on this issue, what are your thoughts?
Ancient Romans Preferred Fast Food
Found this article about a discovery in Pompeii suggesting that the Romans ate 'fast food' just as much as we do.
June 18, 2007 — Just as a U.S. Presidential state dinner does not reflect how most Americans eat and socialize, researchers think the formal, decadent image of wining and dining in ancient Rome mostly just applied to the elite.
According to archaeologist Penelope Allison of the University of Leicester, the of the population consumed food "on the run."
Allison excavated an entire neighborhood block in Pompeii, a city frozen in time after the eruption of volcano Mount Vesuvius in 79 A.D.
Historians often extend findings from Pompeii to other parts of Italy, particularly Rome, given the city's proximity to the Roman Empire's center. "In many parts of the western world today, a popular belief exists that family members should sit down and dine together and, if they don't, this may represent a breakdown of the family structure, but that idea did not originate in ancient Rome," she told Discovery News.
Her claims are based both on what she did not find during the excavation, and what she did.
Allison noticed an unusual lack of tableware and formal dining or kitchen areas within the Pompeii homes. Instead she found isolated plates here and there, such as in sleeping quarters.
The 2006-2007 Associated Students of Chaffey College (ASCC) for their class gift purchased an artwork for the lobby of the new Ralph M. Lewis Center at the Fontana campus. The gift was dedicated in honor of Dr. Marie Kane's years as Superintendent/President of the college.
The students selected an accomplished artists with a Texas connection, Carmen Lomas Garza. She was born in Kingsville, Texas in 1948. She also received her Bachelor of Science from the Texas Arts and Industry University in Kingsville. In 1972 she earned her Master of Education at the Juarez-Lincoln/Antioch Graduate School in Austin, Texas and her Master of Art in 1981 from San Francisco State University in California.
Her work Tito’s Gig on the Moon was chosen. The artist’s statement about this painting, “When my favorite musician, the mambo king Tito Puente, died several years ago there was much information about his life and his music in the news media. I learned that he wanted to be the first musician to play on the moon. I gave him his wish in this painting by putting (floating) him on the moon with a full orchestra. The music flowing out of the instruments becomes the designs on the clothing of the dancers who are all floating. That is how I feel when dancing with my husband to Tito's music.”
To quote Susan Stewart, Director of Student Activities, on the dedication of the work to Dr. Kane, "Ms. Garza provided a perfect canvas to honor your vision, your realized goals for campus expansion, your heritage, your love of the Latin culture and a reminder to dream and reach for the stars."
Today, with the assistance of Dennis at the Fontana campus, I was able to install the work. Here are a few photos taken by Catherine Maldonado (posing with the artwork in the last photo).
George Michael eyes Hirst skull
Pop star George Michael is considering a £50 million offer for Damien Hirst's diamond-encrusted skull.
Covered in 8,601 diamonds, the work - entitled For the Love Of God - is the world's most expensive piece of contemporary art.
The singer and his partner Kenny Goss were given a private viewing of Hirst's work last week.
Michael's spokesman said: "Michael and Kenny took in a private viewing of the diamond-encrusted skull. They looked at the piece as a possible addition to their collection."
I really hope this is not the future of evaluating "greatness" in the art world. I don't think we need a version of American Idol for the visually inclined. I am not sure a stopwatch should actually play an equal role with inspiration and talent in the creation of art. Can you see it? "Sadly, at today's Art Battle, Michelangelo's career was cut short when he could not paint the Sistine Chapel in two hours."
Art Battles is a live-art competition where artists create work side- by-side in front of a live audience. For six years Art Battles have been a platform for talented artists to showcase their skills in and around NYC in a most unique setting and under tremendous pressure to perform. There's no time to sleep on your ideas, no chance to mull the nuance of each brush stroke. No, with Art Battles, time is as much of the essence as is inspiration and talent.
In May 2007, MTV hosted Art Battles live on the picturesque MTV outdoor deck overlooking Times Square. That evening, 12 artists vied for a chance to have their art displayed in Times Square for public judging. ...
You decide who has the illiest painting skills and whom deserves the title of the 1st MTV Art Battle.
Decapitated Man Found in Peru Tomb With Ceramic "Replacement" Head
A headless skeleton found in a Peruvian tomb is adding new wrinkles to the debate over human sacrifice in the ancient Andes.
The decapitated body was found in the Nasca region, named for the ancient civilization that thrived in southern Peru from A.D. 1 to 750.
Known for producing "Nasca lines" in the earth that depict giant figures, the culture is also noted among archaeologists for practicing human sacrifice and displaying modified human heads called trophy heads.
But experts have been divided over whether the heads were taken from enemies in war or from locals offered up for ritual sacrifice.
In 2004 Christina Conlee, an archaeologist at Texas State University, found a rare headless skeleton in a tomb sitting cross-legged with a ceramic "head jar" placed to the left of the body (see enlarged photo).
The age and condition of both the body and the jar, which is painted with two inverted human faces, suggests that the victim was killed in a rite of ancestral worship, Conlee said.
"This research is important because it provides new information on human sacrifice in the ancient Andes and in particular on decapitation and trophy heads," she said.
more...
Ancient Tomb Found in Mexico Reveals Mass Child Sacrifice
The skeletons of two dozen children killed in an ancient mass sacrifice have been found in a tomb at a construction site in Mexico.
The find reveals new details about the ancient Toltec civilization and adds to an ongoing debate over ritualistic killing in historic Mesoamerica.
Construction crews unearthed the burial chamber this spring near the town of Tula, the ancient Toltec capital, 50 miles (80 kilometers) north of Mexico City (see Mexico map).
The chamber contained 24 skeletons of children believed to have been sacrificed between A.D. 950 and 1150, according to Luis Gamboa, an archaeologist at Mexico's National Institute of Anthropology and History.
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more...
I don't know how I missed this in April. I guess sometimes we just get too wrapped up in our own lives. This morning when I opened the new issue of Art in America I found that Sol LeWitt had lost his six-year battle with cancer and died on April 8th at the age of 78. Lucy Lippard wrote a very nice memorial for the magazine touching on her nearly 50 years of memories of knowing LeWitt, his art, and his many important contributions to the history of late 20th century art.
Mr. LeWitt you will always be in our minds.
Currently at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), you will find a retrospective of works by Dan Flavin. The show displays a variety of Flavin's work spanning his career of over thirty years. Even in Flavin's very earlier work, he reveals his knowledge and awareness of the medium and how it translates in a space and to the viewer. He effectively uses space, irony, and historical references to create an experience, which surpasses sculpture and many of the mediums it encompasses. I personally found the site-specific installation renditions most memorable. They possess the ability to completely tease your perspective of the space and how your eyes adjust to the florescent light. Check out the green gates "untitled (to you, Heiner, with admiration and affection). I also enjoyed Flavin's piece "untitled (to Henry Matisse)" displaying bands of color, which represent the mediums primary colors. He indirectly touches on the idea of his medium holding the same principles and formulas as paint (or any colored medium) and the florescent light's ability to become endless while still holding its time permitting temperance. Overall, Flavin's knack for the bulb, light, space and knowledge translates as nothing short of ingenuity.
And if you don't go and see this show you will be shamed for all eternity! Just kidding. But seriously, LACMA has once again hit a home run with curating quite an experience. I recommend visiting at night in order to fully view the illumination of the lights in the darkness that is Los Angeles. Also Thursdays after 6pm are free for all and sometimes feature lectures with artists. Check out the LACMA calendar for more info. Thanks for reading and tell me what you think of the show. Retrospective runs from May 13 to August 12, 2007.
-Jodie Cavalier
I was curious to find out about the Tiryns Palace that is not in the 3rd ed. of the art history book for class. Since we looked at the Palace of Minos at Knossos floor plan in class, I thought it would be interesting to compare the two palaces. I found a website that shows Tiryns floor plan, or just type in Tiryns Palace to search others. This website had an interesting argument about a 500 year gap between fires and building dates regarding the upper part of town and the megaron or throne room. In comparing the Minos Palace with Tiryns Palace there are many differences to the foor plans. Tiryns was fortified with walls, not as many rooms, and more courtyards or open spaces. Tiryns appears to look less confusing in design than Minos' Palace. To see a photo of what the ruins look like today visit his website. Enjoy!
The grand opening events for the new Museum of Latin American Art (MoLAA) in Long Beach start on June 9.
MoLAA's mission is to educate the public about contemporary Latin American fine art (by artists who have lived and worked in Latin America since WWII) through the presentation of a significant permanent collection, dynamic exhibitions and related cultural and educational programs.
Important works in MoLAA's permanent collection include works by leading Mexican artists David Alfaro Siquieros, Rufino Tamayo, Arnold Belkin, Jose Luis Cuevas and Latin American artists Joaquín Torres Garcia (Uruguay), Roberto Sabastian Matta (Chile), Edgar Negret (Colombia), Antonio Sequi (Argentina).
A couple of weeks ago a Master of Visual Arts student, Chandra Mohan, at the Maharaja Sayajirao University in Baroda, India was assaulted and then arrested because his artwork was deemed "obscene". According to Sayajiganj police "he has been accused of hurting the religious sentiments of Christians and Hindus in the district." The dean of Fine Arts, Professor Shivaji Panikker, was also suspended.
I have been watching this story with concern. This type of censorship of artistic freedoms is disturbing to see in the world's largest democracy. This blog has a good selection of links for more information.
