Intro to my day in the Windy city!

October 14th was a beautiful day in Chicago, a beautiful day for artistic exploration that is! I spent the entire day with my friend Ryan and we managed t do so much while we were there!We were both determined to get the most out of our Chicago experience so we set out to do just that.

We started our day at the Art Institute, we managed to explore most of the museum but the highlights there for me were Chagall’s American Windows and a sculpture by Picasso that was showcased right next to his planning sketch. From there we explored Millennium Park, checking out Cloud Gate, the Crown Fountain, three hamster ball like modern sculptures, and the Millennium Park fountain. We then walked over to the Chicago Cultural center. We made friends with the elderly man at the information desk and he gave us multiple maps and gallery guides to help us navigate the rest of the city. We saw a bunch of art pieces in what turned out to be the senior center. Our interest in photographing the works found there did not go over well to say the least. The woman working the desk there exclaimed “This is the senior center!”needless to say we then moved on to the three Michigan Avenue galleries in the center. We saw the exhibits, ArtFox: Walls, Terrence Hannum: Amidst our Throng, and Antonia Contro: Ex Libris. Walls was a series of photographs focusing on walls from all different areas of the world. Instead of presenting them as just walls he photographed them in a wain which they appeared to have a story and a history. My favorite gallery was, Amidst Our Throng, the oil paintings were breath taking. Their ambiguity added to the feeling of being in a crowd and becoming absorbed in the sounds of the musical culture. The gallery Ex Libris was particularly interesting, my favorite piece was a large book with blank and elongated pages. Its enormous pages of nothingness caused the viewer to question how uch knowledge can actually be obtained from books.

After these three galleries we went to see the  26 foot tall Marilyn Monroe statue located on the magnificent mile. I really wanted to see this piece because of how much controversy it has caused in the city. Many argue that it is bringing out the worst in people or that it is an eye sore, but i personally feel that it recreated Monroe’s larger than life personality.

From there we made our way to the Museum of Modern Art Chicago, where I loved absolutely everything. My favorite part was seeing an Andy Warhol painting up close and personal. I have always loved Warhol and have always really wanted to see one of his works in person.My favorite exhibits were on the fourth floor. I was especially drawn to a holographic image of an Asian girl surrounded by a bunch of bubbles, and a room filled with portraits of the deceased that were illuminated by tiny lights. After the MOCAC we ventured to the Catherine Edelman gallery. The main exhibition while we were there was a series of photographs from Kelli Connell titled Double Life. The photos are of the same model interacting with another version of herself as if they are in a relationship. They tell a sort of love story, and I love the exploration of identity here. It is so raw that its almost tangible and made for some very interesting pieces.

Finally we visited two galleries in the pop up art loop. One of these galleries was Catastrophe- work by Sarah and Joseph Belknap, and another that showcased the work of Richard Shipps, whom we met at the gallery, and of Cleveland Dean. I will discuss both of these artists in more detail in a separate post. Our final mission of the day was a wild goose chase to find Utrecht! the address on the trip itinerary led us to the wrong building, the stores original location, and then a security guard at the building gave us the new address. We then trekked back to Utrecht where I bought my brother an awesome book on shoe art, accompanied by the new Stained by sharpie markers, and myself a set of faber castell artist pens that are to die for!

Overall the day spent in Chicago was one to remember, it was definitely busy but was also fun and full of inspiration.

Chicago inspired sketches :)

I drew this dress based off the picture I took of a building that had a slit in the top of it. The design mimics the top of the building at the top of the dress, as well as the cutouts on the side. The color scheme was inspired by the colors of the building mixing with the background of the blue chicago sky. I wanted to capture in the dress the structure of the architecture as well as the sharp lines but still add a soft feminine touch to the gown design. Although the building appears strong and hard, the cutout in the top as well as the windows at the top being transluscent compared to the rest of the structure, create a sense of vulnerability in strength, and I wanted this to show through in my design.

 

I did this sketch while laying on my back on a bench in the MOCAC. It is the worm's eye view of the main stairs in the building and I have the same picture only in photogrph form as well. I sketched this because of the great detail, as well as for the abstraction. Looking at this drawing you cannot tell that it is a staircase and I was really taken with the idea of distorting objects from their original state. I also really loved the design the stairs form here, It reminded me of an escher sketch .

I brought two sketchbooks to Chicago! one was my larger skethbook that I use for my creative proccess, and the other was my sketchbook for the sketchbook project. I really wanted to have one sketch in my sketchbook project that was inspired by this trip, so at the end of the day while on the bus home as well as while waiting for the bus, I came up with this drawing. My sketchbook theme is "writing on the wall" so all of my sketches so far have been in ink and have had writing integrated into them. It was an extremely windy day in Chicago and all I could think about all day was how I wished I had long, luscious, moviestar hair that would blow beautifully in the wind. I do not so I incorporated this into my sketch. I was also qite inspired by the attention to detail in the works of both Lari Pittman and Richard Shipps and i anted to interpret this detail in my own style, which is why I added such intricate details to the hair and the sweater. The writing Windy City Whimsy was inspired by the mood of the day, it was constantly fun and I felt as if I was moving along in a whimsicla dream the entire day, This writing is where I got the title for this blog!

Impact of Venue on Viewing: Context

While on the trip we visited multiple museums, galleries, and public works of art. For me the venue really did impact my interpretation of the work as well as my ability engage with the pieces. At the Art Institute I felt as if I was restricted. As if , if I didn’t like a piece or if I did not agree with the message that was being sent in it, I was supposed to keep my opinion quiet. I also really hated that if you got too close to an art piece a loud noise was made and then everyone in the museum stares at you, I was not a fan of the judging there either. When I wondered aloud to my friend who the artist of the piece was, an old woman working at the service desk told me his name and then rolled her eyes. The work being at the Art Institute of Chicago though does legitimize the work. The majority of the works there are from acclaimed artist’s anyways, but the fact that their piece had made it to a museum with as great of a reputation as the Art Institute is an accomplishment that adds to their significance. The venue gave context to a lot of the works because of their historical nature, it was also helpful that many of the exhibits had explanations and gave extensive backgrounds on why the work was made as well as the person who made it. The attitudes of the attendants as well as the very stark ,pristine nature of the building however, put me in a closed off mind set. I was no longer open to what the works had to offer me I was more focused on the way I was treated. The opposite could be said of the Museum of Modern Art Chicago though. We were greeted by  a very friendly woman and the coat check was free! The body of work was incredible, and the fact that the museum attendants actually knew background information on the majority of the pieces made it such a relaxed atmosphere. I didn’t have to read descriptions of the work I could engage openly in conversations with people who appreciated the works as much as I did. I also felt as if I was free to speak my mind there. If I was interested in an artwork I could step up close to it and inspect it. I could look at it from different angles, and experience the work in my own way. The venue again legitimized the work, but I feel as if the pieces on display there established both the context of the piece and its legitimacy from themselves and their ideas, not the venue. It was easier for me to relate to the pieces here because they were modern and dealt with issues of my generation. However, I did question whether or not a few of the pieces there were actually art, like a stack of blue pillows in a corner. I felt the most relaxed and at ease when viewing both the works in galleries and the outdoor installation pieces. This was due mostly to the idea of space in both. In the outdoor setting I was able to view the works from up close as well as from afar, and being outside made me feel more free with y opinions of the works, The galleries were small and very homey, because of their small size you could truly connect with each piece in the gallery and if you were lucky enough to meet one of the artists, their explanations of their works added context and meaning to the works. It was also nice that with the outdoor works were interactive, you could play in the crown fountain, and see your own reflection as well as the reflection of the world around you. The public works really integrated the viewer as a part of the works. The venues of both the gallery and the public works do legitimize the works in a sense, the fact that the works are considered appealing enough to be on display for the entire city makes them legitimate and the fact that the pop up galleries are aimed to get the names of new and extraordinary artists out into the world adds legitimacy to them.

The Day in Photos

This is my first photo of the day! when the bus dropped us offat the Art Institute of Chicago righ outside of Millennium Park, I figured I should document where the day began. The juxtaposition of the sharp lines of the architecture of the city and the more organic nature of the foilage really drew me to this particular frame. All over Chicago nature and architecture unify the landscape

 

When I took this photo I honestly did not intend for it to be on a slant! I really just wanted to get a nice shot of Art Institute for this blog. Looking at it now though I am so glad it turned out the way it did. The multiple angles add depth and perspective and also place the building into its industrial, modern context.

 

I was really drawn to these train tracks, I can't really put my finger on why exactly, however it was interesting that they were literally right next to the Art Institute. I also love that the two trains captured are travelling in opposite directions, it creates a sort of tension and adds incsite into the movement of the city

This is just another shot of the city, here i loved the combination of the old and new style of architecture.

This photo was taken at the Art Institute in the ancient Egyptian collection. I took the photo not for the actual art work but for the expression of the woman vieiwng this piece. The way her mouth is contorted and eyes truly gazing at the piece made me wonder what she was thinking and how her opinion would compare to my own.

This is a photo of me posing with Alexander Calder's sculpture titled Flamingo at the Art Institute. I loved that you really have no idea what the piece is supposed to be until you read the title. Then you step back from it and realize that he is emulating the long shapes of the flamingo's legs and at the same time turning it into a piece of art that at first sight is non-representational.

This photo is of Chagall's "America Windows," my first reaction to these was simply the word BREATHTAKING! I loved everything about this piece, especially how the blue lights seem to dance on the museum floor. It is more than just a stained glass window, it really immerses the viewer in the work, for me it created a kind of dream like state.

This sculpture was a work on display in the ancient Greece section of the Art Institute. What impressed me about this was the fact that it is so well preserved for being so old. It also represented (to me) the fact that a work of art's meaning can evolve through time, when the statue was first made it exhaulted a war hero, and was meant as a symbol of glory, and now we look at it with its nose crumbled and decaying, as a symbol of ancient times.

This photo was also taken at the Art Institute but was in the jewlery of the renaissance exhibit. I chose this photo because it turned out so well, the white light of the refections in the glass only intensify the glorious symbol of the crown itself.

I shot this photo in Millenium Park, where there are three huge, modern looking hamster balls as installation pieces. Personally, I wanted to climb inside one of the structures, however I failed to do so because the rent a cop on a segway was right next to them when I visited, and I didn't feel like being reprimanded. The focus here is on the white structure, but I alos liked the background's contrast of nature and oden sculpture.

 

This is the Crown fountain in Millennium Park, there are two columns but if you try and get a shot of both, you can't see the faces. The faces move as if they are spitting at each other. I waited to take this photo until the face pictured reappeared. To me it was the best depiction of emotion, I loved the moustache and the bags under his eyes. The serenity of his face as he's spitting is almost as if he's blowing gently so the spit that it usually perceived as vulgar and harsh is gentle and calm.

This is Cloud Gate in Millennium Park, but up close. Most of the photos I've seen of this structure, you see the entire orb like structure, but what really spoke to me about the structure was it's intense distortion and reflection of the surrounding world. It literally forces viewers to see themselves and their surroundings in a different way.

I included this shot of the landscape because I felt like the perspective of the buildings and the scale of the cars and people really captured the immensity of the city.

I took this shot because of the architecture of the building. I found it highly intriguing that the roof has a cut out in it. It inspired a couture dress design that is very sculptural but also slightly revelaing, like the cutout in the top of the building

I adore this stage in Millennium Park, the architecture appears so vulnerable, but the materials force it to exude an essence of strength. I also enjoy the fact that such a tough material like metal can create such movement.

I found this fountain in Millenium Park. I know it breaks photography law to have the focus be the center of the frame, however, here I feel as if it acts as a focal point that draws the eys to the shadows, the glass like texture of the water, and the beautifully etched wall behind the fountain.

The famous Tiffany style architecture in the Chicago Cultural Center. I was awed by the intricacy of the tiling on the ceiling and the walls. I found the fact that the most intricate and detailed tile patterns were found on the ceiling. Causing people to have to look up in order to truly appreciate it.

Me with Marilyn! A 26-foot tall statue of Marilyn Monroe has been erected on Chicago's magnificent Mile. The enormity of this statue signifies the fact that Monroe was a larger than life American film icon. The size also contributes to its kitschy controversy.

This photo was taken from the steps of the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, it is the building that stands directly across from the museum, and I was drawn to it again for the unique architecture (seems to be a growing trend). I love that the design is constructed of entirely squares and rectangles as well as the fact that glass is the main medium. The differnt shades of glass add depth and the placement across from the modern art museum caused it to really stand as an art piece as well as a functional building.

Dan Flavin's piece Untitled ( for you, leo, in long respect and affection) 3, is at the MOCAC I found it interesting because it is placed in the corner rather than flat on a wall as you would typically see in a museum. The way that it hangs allows the reflections to showcase the full range of color in the light soectrum, forcing the room to become a part of the art work.

This is a photo of a sculpture constructed by Leonor Antunes. I was drawn to this piece because I love art that makes the viewer a part of the piece, I was really involved with this piece becauseit was fun to move my face and y form into and out of the frame. And the square wood next to the cloud like structure creates a frame for the viewer. Causing one to question the idea of self.

The stairs in the MOCAC may have been one of the highlights of the whole trip for me. I seriously want these exact stairs and lights in my future home. They are an art piece in themselves and fit the venue of the MOCAC incredibly well. These stairs exude simple elegance.

I took this photo lying o my back on a bench located on the lowest level of the MOCAC, It is a worm's eye view of the staircase pictured immediately before. I was focused on the shapes and abstract view when I took this photo. I love that the skylight above the stairs mirrors the shape the stairs form from this angle.

A sculpture in the MOCAC. I am not sure of the artist or the title but I was so interested in this piece that I just had to include it anyways. In real life the sculpture moves and tilts, tyhe exhibit was focused on kinetics and the mechanical look of the work really contributed to this theme well. The mustard color on the wall behind the pieces really made them pop.

The stunning view of Lake Michigan from the upper most level of the MOCAC

This wooden structure is the first thing you see as enter the MOCAC, the fact that it appears unfinished is what drew me to it initially. It seems as if it were left exposed perfectly though, as if the architect of the building intended for the museum to be a piece of art work in itself.

Almost all of my pictures so far have been architecture and city scape based. However, I deviated from that pattern with this shot. The sculpture in this photo is made entirely of wood. I enjoyed how raw and organic the hors appears in the park setting. It has a sort of camoflauge and in turn it seems as if it's supposed to be there.

The flag of Chicago un this shot appears so majestic in the lighting heren the reflections in the building to the right of the frame demonstrate the beauty of the city in the dusk as well as draw the eye back to the flag.

The trip to where Utrecht used to be located turend out to be worthwhile! The ceiling of the building where the store used to be was majestic! It took me back to Tiffany style architecture of the Cultural Center.

A water tower appears to glow in the afternoon sun. I included this photo on my blog because I think it turned out to be an interesting photograph.

Cleveland Dean's work titled Can't Hide, is an amazing piece, if you look closely the word yourself spans the canvas in block letters, the fact that it blends in adds to the theme because it appears to be hiding, contradictiry to the title of Can't Hide. My favorite part of this work was the fact that the paint was so reflective that the viewer can see a distirted reflection in the work, again adding to the idea and theme of identity.

This was the last picture I took for the day, and it is simply the night sky view of thye first photo in this post! I felt it provided a nice closure for this post.

 

 

Three Artists that are new to me

Lari Pittman

Work by Lari Pittman at the MOCAC

detail of the above photo

Pittman does not appear to have his own personal website, but below is a link to an Art 21 video interview with him regarding teaching and his artwork, and another link that provides a full biography and synopsis of his artwork:

blog.art21.org/2008/12/18/lari-pittman-teaching/

www.pbs.org/art21/artists/lari-pittman

Pittman is an American artist, born in Los Angeles in 1952. He currently works out of L.A and is a professor of fine arts at the University of California Los Angeles. According to Wayne Kestenbaum, author of “The Brute Force of high Tea” in regards to Pittman’s work ” I, as a viewer, am hooked; conversely, interpretation tries (and fails) to pinion the artist, who has in a preemptive strike, harpooned the medium of narrative painting itself […]” and I am in complete agreement with him. When I saw the work pictured hanging on the wall of the MOCAC it “had me at hello.” I have always really loved the art of collage and his painting really mirrors that style of art. I also really enjoy intricate detail work, so when I saw Pittman’s work I felt it was totally mys style. the bright colors against the dull help to tell his narratives and and the tiny details make his works constantly interesting to look at. I really appreciate artwork that appears fresh and new, even when it is drawing on the stories of the past, as Pittman’s typically do. The intricacy and organized chaos inspired me to begin incorporating this kind of detail into my own works. I singled out Pittman because his work truly inspired me,and made me want to become a better artist.

Below is another link regarding Pittman, specifically his works at the Regens project:

www.contemporaryartdaily.com/2010/10/lari-pittman-at-regen-projects/

Cleveland Dean

Artist’s webpage: clevelanddean.com/#1

Other links :

www.artslant.com/global/artists/show/29031-cleveland-dean

oururbantimes.com/arts/meet-chicagos-jackson-pollock-cleveland-dean

https://www.facebook.com/pages/cleveland-dean/4972154627

www.examiner.com/museum-in-chicago/cleveland-dean-i-know-myself-better-now

Cleveland Dean is a self taught artist, who, born and raised in Chicago has made a name for himself there. He works in many different mediums, but the majority of his work are paintings and installation pieces. I saw his work at one of the pop up art galleries in Chicago and what really struck me was the raw emotion behind each of his thirty exhibited pieces. Dean has said that “every work I create is a new high… I zone out, letting out my emotions, one minute I’ll be laughing, the next crying… It is a release and in this way I see it as therapy.” This is clearly evident in his work and I think the majority of the reason his work spoke to me so much is because I use art as my form of therapy. If I am happy when I sketch, it shows, if I am nit, it shows. His work really connected with me due to this similarity. His use of color and abstract impressionist style also drew me to his work. The bright colors mix and flow together, they appear dream like but also highly volatile, a combination I found to be interesting as well as moving. In researching the artist I found that my favorite works by dean were his black and white stencils of forms and faces. They are beautifully simple but also extremely intricate, and the contrast between the black and white adds so much emphasis and style to his pieces. It seems as if his own character is showing through in the work. I have always wanted to experiment with negative space drawing and the work of Cleveland Dean, only peaked my interest more.

Richard Shipps

Artist’s web page: www.richardshipps.com

Other Links:

www.artprize.org/artists/public-profile/4164

www.artslant.com/global/artists/show/64085-richard-shipps

rhizome.org/profiles/richardshipps/

Artist Interview:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=RMdE2BTWQqs

Shipps is an artist originally from Michigan who is now Chicago based. His intricate cut paper designs explore the basic principles of design, particularly positive and negative space, shadow, and contrast. Throughout his career he has been involved in many different types of art, predominantly film direction as well as illustration, however in 2000 he quit the film business in order to focus on his personal art works. The intricacy of Shipps work in the pop up gallery is what originally drew me to his work. In my color and design class we had been doing cut paper designs, and looking at how little and perfect each of the cuts in his work were, made me think, “Wow, this artist really puts a lot of time and effort into his work.” After looking around the gallery for a few minutes, something amazing happened! An older man casually walked in and sat down at a work bench in the back of the gallery, my friend Ryan and I went to investigate. It was Richard Shipps! He was working on a piece that was almost finished, but he said it was taking longer than what he had originally expected. He explained to us that when he first drew out the design he anticipated it would take him 6 to 8 hours to complete the final product, but so far it had take around 12. He then showed us other works of his that were not yet finished and talked with us excitedly about that his large installation piece at Grand Rapid’s Art Prize. He also told us that he has to order the paper for his larger works directly from the supplier. What I enjoyed most about meeting Mr.Shipps was being able to see his process in action. We watched as he made tiny, meticulous cuts with an X-acto blade and then bent the paper between his fingers. I loved being able to see the amount of work that goes into one of Shipps’ pieces first hand, and it caused me to appreciate them even more than I had originally. Talking with Shipps was also useful because he answered any questions we had about his work open and willingly, and it is not very often that one gets to have this kind of clarification about a work from the artist himself.