Creation:The Space Between:Consumption

This is not a chair

2011-11-25T19:54:00.000-05:00

Many artists play with this notion of what is "real," this piece by Joseph Kosuth is an excellent example of this exploration...the study of symbol and meaning and how it is stretched and adjusted for the artist's purposes...when someone says, "think of a chair," what comes to mind? Can you only see the chair in the image? Or an ornate, Queen Ann chair...maybe a bean bag chair...Joseph's chair exists in three-dimensions, two-dimensions and in a conceptual definition...the same chair, but is it? I would say definitely not, and to its extreme, it is never the same chair, as long as time moves forward...you are manipulated and put through some conceptual paces here...forced to confront the "reality" of our symbolic world - thoughts, words, and images stand in for individual concepts of the material world...why does he pursue this line of inquisition? What can he gain from this line of questioning? And most importantly, how should the viewer handle this dilemma?

Not so naive

2011-10-26T04:37:00.000-04:00

I am certainly enamoured by butterflies and their potential for conceptual play...this work has an obsessive quality which I am drawn too, but a balance of one main character and many subordinate characters...sometimes Tony Fitzpatrick's work becomes a bit formulaic...but, I think there's a strong evolution that counter's the similarities...my favorite works are the baseball card series he did earlier in his career...the other elements that resonate with me are the commercial suggestions and the everyday images from the past and present...it fits nicely with the Chicago, Harry Who, imagist style...

The patterns are beautiful in the butterfly, balanced and unique...the strong, central image creates focus and allows the other floating forms to remain fixed in the picture plane...Tony's work mimics, naive artwork, or Art Brut, but you cannot run from formal training...it digs into your brain and soul and will not let go...

Ode to Klee

2011-10-25T05:45:00.000-04:00

A playful and simple work by Cole Morgan...I like the contrast of open space to the intimacy of the small areas of detail...some of his work looks at fruit and the grid...this piece struck me visually because of its texture and the incidental mark making...the surface is aged and worn and I am always drawn to the presence of time...as if the work has secrets and has experienced things I will never know.

That is what I enjoy most about walking an art museum, the cracks and aged surface of Gothic and Renaissance art, what that world must have been like and the imagery of that period embodying its place in history...this work has that sense, manufactured and manipulated, but built on the Klee's, Twombly's and Da Vinci's...when the world is minimal, any contrast is heightened and visible for all to see...warts and all.

Stop Heart Ache

2011-10-19T05:44:00.000-04:00

The combination of unconnected things...by placing items next to one another it visually confirms, "guilty by association." Images relate to each other in harmony or disharmony by proximity...

2011-10-13T07:49:00.000-04:00

Repetition of objects, the lamp and the figure becoming the lamp...using color to tie areas of the picture plane together, foreground objects and ambiguous open background space...flattened space...

Odd couch fellows

2011-10-09T05:35:00.000-04:00

The gentle open hand draped over the back of the couch is a visual invitation to a raised modern figure...both hands are passively connected, the other hand fixed on the wall...fingers pointing stiffly down...the angles of the arms connect these two different people...Sarah Small, does an excellent job visually connecting the unrelated...this photograph is a great example of these explorations...

A neutral backdrop is the perfect environment for a pale, peach female form...costumed in red heals, referencing her skin, nipples and lips...The yellow and black dressed male figure is balanced by the larger neutral, reclining pink female and the silver arm forms fixed on the wall pushing the eye toward the right...the angles are imaginative and interesting...colors are simple and skillfully selected...

Dorian Gray

2011-10-07T22:37:00.000-04:00

Ivan Albright has a unique way of painting. dirty surfaces, layered and dense with information but balanced by large defined shapes that break up the patterning...the implied texture is visually appealing and luxurious...this is based on the story of Dorian Gray, a man who didn't want to get old, made a wish to stay the same age, yet his portrait would age in real time...a perfect conceptual collaboration with the style of Ivan...he could push his method of painting in the context of a portrait...he also did an extensive series of self-portraits, getting older and older...a chronology of the physical man...

The style has a rhythm to it, with intense colors and lurid hues...the figure is centrally located, to pull all of our visual focus into it...the horror of what he is becoming, unable to die, just breaking down in front of our eyes...there is also a conceptual space created when you know the story, a relationship between the physical man, trapped in the same time staring at the visual man he is becoming...what emotional reactions must be happening? In this piece, we are Dorian, watching the future unfold right in front of our eyes...the inevitable, the always present, holding hands with life, creating an ever-increasing shadow over our existence in the physical world...

Pretty things?

2011-09-22T05:53:00.000-04:00

Layering of objects and images...repetition of stars, butterflies and hearts...pretty things covering something sinister....

2011-09-17T05:20:00.000-04:00

For a while I was taking images at a beautiful cemetery in Memphis, TN...Elmwood Cemetery...I saw these wooden structures on wheels they would place over the chairs in front of a newly buried individual, to protect the family from rain....I drew it over and over and even made stencils to repeat the image...it looked very odd in the context of this 19th Century cemetery....

2011-09-15T06:41:00.000-04:00

Reorganizing and rearranging a face to resemble something recognizable....stripped background with nude floating in his head, as if in a thought bubble...squared...

2011-09-13T06:03:00.000-04:00

Dandelions in different stages...I really enjoy dandelions from many perspectives, they are considered weeds, but smell beautiful...they cannot be controlled, will not stay in one place, behave or do what they are supposed to do...runs parallel to human patterns, which I find amusing!

Smile

2011-09-09T05:08:00.000-04:00

Here is a black and white drawing with markers and found objects of color...getting out some frustration! I went back into it with liquid paper to redefine some white areas and covered some areas with tape to resist the mark making...this piece is a more drawing than collage...

Skeletal remains

2011-09-08T05:08:00.000-04:00

Exploring associations between black, white, red, skeletons and letters...variations on a theme, repetitions with changes in scale and context...

Amsterdam Reliquaries

2011-09-02T05:33:00.000-04:00

A drawing from one of my favorite Van Gogh pieces, only at the museum in Amsterdam and some play on a series of reliquaries that I worked on many moons ago….the image in the lower right is of a gold reliquary I saw in an Amsterdam museum...

Amsterdam Sketches

2011-08-31T06:29:00.001-04:00

These artifacts are from a trip to Amsterdam to visit my cousins and enjoy the sights...There are pictures of my cousins when they were little and living in the states...the trip was a bridge between the past and the future...all the fond memories placed in a new context...in a strange land...repeating forms in different ways, photograph, ink stamps, map, memory...lists....

Studios Magazine

2011-03-09T05:11:00.001-05:00

Nice little piece on my studio...it has been revealed before, my studio comes in all forms and has been placed prominently in a one-person exhibition. The significance is its place in the creative process and links nicely to the end "products" artists make...thank you Studios Magazine!

2011-03-03T06:46:00.002-05:00

The decorative elements of my thank you cards and the cropped head image is combined to create a visually interesting and slightly disturbing image...I work to draw the viewer in and keep them engaged through contrasting color and conceptual challenges...

Skull Reliquaries

2011-01-15T12:13:00.003-05:00

These decorative works have more of a commercial appeal, I have always been interested in skulls and their representation....the materials are plastic box form with painted wood interior and model skull to scale painted....the gold swirls break up the space behind and move the eye into the center, reinforcing the skull...these pieces are painterly but really embody the "object." The skull does move and sway with interaction, the scale is small and intimate, 3 x 5
inches...it can fit in tiny spaces and creates a beautiful shadow on the wall!

Underwear/Underneath...

2010-12-31T09:07:00.003-05:00

The underwear has become more of a focus, a vehicle for the exploration of the notions of intimacy and the hidden...what exists underneath the surface, mining for something precious and sustaining, sharing our dirty laundry....cloth is also an interesting surface to explore, the texture, shape and its limits...what has to be done in order to make the surface "usable" and available for art making...

MIA Art Fair will feature a new piece from this series, the work will be less sculptural/object oriented and more a flat surface for viewing...more images and ideas will be forthcoming!

Day of the Dead Icons

2010-11-08T06:07:00.003-05:00

Inspired by the Day of the Dead celebration and art, these works combine that genre with the iconographic world of orthodox Christianity. Where the worlds intersect this pieces reside. I have always been mesmerized by the decorative and death, how to create beauty out of the unknown...a central figure, the common man...featured and an icon, hero...the tooth references both dream death imagery and the reliquary which were elaborate containers to hold the bones of saints...these were featured at the Day of the Dead celebration this past weekend at For Art Sake in Hollywood Florida.

My Little Monsters

2010-10-13T14:10:00.003-04:00

These ideas came about while working on my new book, not sure if they will ever manifest themselves into a children's book, but they were challenging to create! Here is an acrylic painting of one of "my little monsters," much in the style of contemporary west coast art scene....This piece will be in an exhibition entitled "Smal World, Small Works 2010" at the Chico Art Center - Chico, California - November-December 2010!

Dark As the Darkest Night

2010-09-22T06:15:00.003-04:00

This piece is the culmination of a series of small steps documenting memories from my past...Sifting through the thoughts and attempting to find visual representations of those moments...the image above is a top view of the work and I have also inlcuded via the title link, a video that documents the installation with commentary...

Another kind of invasion

2010-08-23T17:33:00.003-04:00

From specificity to general....this Madrid, Spain installation work invades the city space and produce a unique combination of technology and nature...the bird forms reside in an industrial form...they adapt and grow on the scaffolding...instead of just having these birds sitting and separate from the space they are integrated through the lights housed in their nests...the yellow is caution and also draws attention to the works themselves...

A beautiful way to take something temporary and make the transition decorative and complete...why wait for the construction process to be over before beauty can come alive...create interest and beauty in the process of change...Have these ideas co-exist...living and breathing in an ever changing landscape...aged and dieing...born and growing...

Controlling a dream

2010-08-06T05:58:00.000-04:00

Several years ago an amazing event occurred...while being pulled into a cave, running away from those dark thoughts in my subconscience, my dream was interrupted...the anxiety and stress of what was yet to come seemed to slip away in favor of my need to see other things in my dream landscape. I have yet to speak to anyone who has completely controlled a dream, from the inside out, but I am sure there are more...the move Inception brought this back to life for me...In my dream, the interior of the cave had these amazing cave paintings and my conscious had to see what my subconscious had created...

As I broke away from the flow of the dream, I walked over to the wall and began to visually document it's surface and the images. Human face drawings, severed at the neck, floated along the rock wall...I did manage to do several drawings from the experience...I also woke up feeling incredible, like I could take on the world!

Contrasts and Juxapositions

2010-07-10T10:30:00.004-04:00

Playing with cast teeth I explore the macabre in a decorative context...I truly enjoy this juxtaposition...attracting the viewer with something seemingly beautiful, drawing in them in with not only the shininess but also the scale...these works literally need to be seen in close proximity...forcing the viewer to confront concepts and meaning they may not be ready to address...teeth are dream imagery for death...they have personal meaning for me in this context, but they also take on a possible universal meaning for my guest...loss...pain...breaking down of sustenance...class...culture...and human evolved existence...

The form is beautiful and clever...functional...with a distinct top...the business of the tooth, above the surface of the gum...visible and clean...Below the surface is the root...the protected, messy part of the form...twisted, jagged, rough in texture...this contrast is visually compelling and at the same time, horrifying in its possibilities.

NEW Children's Book!!!

2010-06-25T06:04:00.007-04:00

Details on my new children's book...the book is an exploration of coping with fear that children can use to deal with those feelings...the idea came from several years of reading to my son and daughter and watching them struggle with normal developmental issues...a unique book that is also fun and interactive! To purchase the book - it is listed at Etsy and on my blog... www.animalsgetscaredtoojustlikeyou.blogspot.com ...also feel free to email me if you have questions... jalzoartist@gmail.com.

Southernisms Part 2

2010-06-19T09:02:00.004-04:00

An image of my Uncle Bill who was a coal miner in the southeastern most corner of Kentucky...many of my relatives have worked the mines...it's a hard existence and a thankless job...many have died from black lung because of horrible conditions and inadequate safety precautions...many individuals taken advantage of because of their economic situation...would this be happening if they were wealthy???

Southernisms

2010-06-02T06:26:00.004-04:00

Exploring the past...the loss and the turmoil...the joy and the pain...sifting through the memories and those things profound...the symbols of that history are teeth and coal....names and underwear...music and light...the out-house...arranging these symbols in an installation to capture the essence of my past...show the emotion of the time and embody my mood at the time...

My Third Eye

2010-05-29T09:42:00.002-04:00

I wanted the tops of the heads and space behind the ear to all line up and freat this horizon line...as if the faces were mountains...a bright and cheery landscape upon first glance, but as you delve deeper into the image you see something else is happening...a sequence of time as you move from left to right...following in the western tradition of reading...scanning the document for meaning...an idenfication, an exorcism and the repair, brought back from the brink of death...it is a documentary, based on the truth but utilizing the beauty of watercolor and the sensation of organic flowing lines...My Third Eye is explored.......

So easy and so difficult

2010-05-04T05:15:00.000-04:00

The simple breaking of the curved plane over the lip by the figure...it is so easy but visually, still feels like the first time I have seen it....the paired shadow carrying the viewer into the bottom of the picture plane and the balance between the large light tan area and the blue sky with the line of orange, a complementary color, cutting right through the horizontal orientation....

I ask again, how much tan will it take to balance the blue? In this piece by Aaron Farely, it's just the right amount! The figure is well placed, off to the left and not in the "dead zone" at the center of the picture plane...a moment in time, kinetically set up, with the main element dropping down conceptually but fixed visually to the lip of the pipe, and ground at the bottom edge inside the shadow.

Digging for round dirt

2010-04-21T05:28:00.000-04:00

A modern day low relief, the work by Louise Nevelson concentrates on surface, texture and formal qualities. The absence of color focuses on what she feels really matters, the arrangement of space and world of visual language. The way the elements react to one another on a physical and visual level make for interesting conversation....

Contrast of long linear shapes in the background against the repetitive oval forms creates motion. The eye flows from the large circular form on the left, back across to the right following the half circular marks made by the loops. She plays with our sensibilities but using similar but not the same elements. The viewer has to dig into the details to really discover the meaning...

A mouthful

2010-03-27T13:06:00.003-04:00

Some much can be said through line and symbol...changing direction and creating patterns that demarcate areas in a space...the figure in the forefront with its densely populated circles...visually pushing the image forward through activity...all areas connected by thick dark marks...the open white figure on the left creates a visual rest stop in this Keith Haring piece...

The angularity of the figures and their pose suggest an aggressor and a submissive...what does the "X" mean on each testicle? And how what is their relationship? The figure on the left is expelling varied organic lines, black flames out at the surrendering white figure...the horizon is cut low and also uses dots to describe the space...the wall or background utilizes long horizontal lines to exhibit space, but these marks also provide an active space to energize the overall composition...balanced activity, positive and negative spaces...

Order out of chaos

2010-03-23T06:14:00.000-04:00

A texture novel...a search for meaning in a dimensional surface, moving through the subtle rhythms, tints and tones of a vast open landscape....This book by Anselm Kiefer represents one of an entire library of lead books...these mammoth, coffee table size texts are purely visual and in perfect harmony and parallel with his paintings...

I love these objects individually and in context to the whole...everything Kiefer does is monumental...and the contrast of the scale to the subtlety and conservative palette create visual and conceptual beauty...harmony where harmony doesn't exist...order out of chaos...

Peter Too

2010-03-18T14:28:00.002-04:00

Peter Beard's journals are powerful statements of a land that is in the process of radical change...I have talked about his work before, but I love his sketchbooks/journals so much....They have texture and vivid imagery...strong visual relationships and do an excellent job of documenting his time in Africa...

This piece is a good representation of his journals...dimensional and tattered...defining age...parts of the day are attached to the large pages...incorporating his on photographs and trial attempts...these pages show his creative process...seeing them in person is the only way to really appreciate the work...but I guess I would have to say that of all art!

Dark blue hue

2010-03-04T05:50:00.000-05:00

The motion and frenetic activity...balanced by large, monochromatic forms....the injection of color and contrast add energy to this painting by Italian artist, Sandro Chia....Repetition of the figurative element, large and close to the viewer on the right side of the picture plane and smaller, off into space just left of the middle...

The small figure glowing and isolated, floating in the middle of a sea of marks, active and warm colors balanced by dark areas and shapes in blue...the contrast and scale variations exhibits visual movement and engages the viewer....the large table, blue vase and dark background on the right hand side of the picture plane.

Intricacy and light

2010-02-23T05:01:00.000-05:00

The beautiful lines created by the nude on the floor...the contrast of the linear line work in the floor birds meeting the soft organic flesh and shadow...this amazing work by one of my favorite painters, Lucian Freud, provides simplicity in form and arrangement...the color work is muted but rich and meaty...seeing his works in person, you get a true sense of the visceral qualities in his painterly style...

Behind the figure lies intricate folds, movement and values...in the tradition of the Renaissance, an artist was trained in observation by confronting drapery and gowns...Lucien shows great prowess in his articulating of the cloth...a balancing act between the bottom, dark, plank area of the picture plane and the fleshy, organic, flowing light area at the top...

Contrasting spaces

2010-02-16T16:31:00.000-05:00

A defining of color and patterns...rectilinear structures and references that are eventually re-referenced...the repetition of the patterns the green cross-hatching in the wall, image on the wall and the floor...the large scale figure is the central image in this environment...Lego man riding on a naturalistic, to scale horse...

The works of Tomokazu Matsuyama, merge the decorative with the whimsical...the playful and the trendy....this mixed media sculptural installation utilizes many of the same kinds of ideas and imagery as in his two-dimensional works. Black and white add areas of contrast, in the Lego-like man and in the striped, flat panels...a nice contrast to the greens and tieing in nicely with the white walls...another device of extremes to carry the eye around the space.

Chance and purpose

2010-02-05T05:22:00.000-05:00

Loose, open and atmospheric environments from Kevin Taylor...Animals and humans merged together in the narrative...these characters personify the human experience, the darker sides of our existence...Kevin sets up these scenarios in a provocative and challenging visual way...with the fox dropping in from the top of the picture plane...hovering over a mystical glowing ball...

Death has been controlled and shrouded with a red cape...the bear man has taken control...a horned skull...fallen friend...found acquaintance...lost stranger...the placement and characters come together in an nondescript scene...found together by chance or purpose?

I like squares!

2010-01-26T05:39:00.001-05:00

Squares, squares and more squares...grid patterns of color and images...tight composition with several re-references and a balance between the long rectilinear image on the right and the square of child like drawings and notes on the left...areas of related color on the left with blue, red, white and yellow tie the two sides together...

This painting by Tad Lauritzen Wright looks at the contrast of random patterns of abstraction against representational imagery...I like the edges created by one drawing next to another, one color next to another and a series of lines next to an open space...these implied areas are set up in the grid…simple and childlike.

Wood cut party

2010-01-20T06:14:00.004-05:00

The amazing things Mike Houston can do with wood cuts...the details and rhythms of the objects...defining intimate spaces with intense line and cut...the ideas and imagery are not traditional, they cover contemporary ideas, social identity, indulgence and characters...the black in the work move the eye around and act as a respite for all the visual activity...

The women's dress and heels in the lower left...the arms, legs and fingers acting like arrows to move you over to the lower right, black dress and then up the pants to the top of the beer bong (never thought that word would enter this blog!), across the hair of the man and women, down to the man's shirt and back again to the lower left...visual association creating cohesion and unity...

Beauty and the beasts

2010-01-14T05:46:00.004-05:00

Long horizontal narratives, exploring ideas of man verses nature...these collaged images by Josh Dorman are subtle and layered...many of his works incorporate maps and contemporary collage materials...but the context is often ancient, aged and worn...setting up a juxtaposition between those elements we recognize and a time that feels foreign.

This uneasiness plays on the viewers emotions and sets up the imagery nicely....this piece explores the mass exodus of birds and animals from an every encroaching environment dominated by machines and man...scale is important in this work, extending the horizontal picture plane, pushing space back through tiny elements, gradually getting larger as they move forward into the space.

Pig Tattoo Taxidermy

2010-01-11T05:54:00.001-05:00

Okay, these are some tough works to wrap your mind around...which is the main reason I decided to write about the work of Wim Delvoye, a Belgium artist...These were tattooed, live pigs that became art...the emotional relationship between a live animal and the owner...a decision to kill this animal for its skin or stuff the animal for its value...

Choosing to make art on an animal that is used as food, complicates for some, the idea of cruelty and making something beautiful but accomplishing this in a painful/cruel way...a unique concept and a challenging work, even for the most open of art connoisseurs...pushing the lines of acceptable forms of creation

Decoration stand

2010-01-07T05:19:00.003-05:00

I really like the works where the figure becomes mutilated by decoration, as if the human form splits and color explodes from the waste...I want to see little or no remnants of the individual...these figurative/organic works use the leg shapes as stands for the mountain of objects and materials.

Faceless and ambiguous in structure, these pieces are visually interesting through contrasting color, texture and scale...some are delicate, some are cleaner in presentation with more similar objects adorning the armature...these beautiful works by Chicago artist, Nick Cave hit the visual and emotional sweet spot!

Animal subtleties

2010-01-06T05:53:00.003-05:00

Traditional context in the Renaissance and Audubon tradition...the long, extended background space...low horizon line...a defining of a region to give clues into the central figures background and class...The exploration of animals in a scientific way, detailed and illustrated to articulate its visual genus, species and phylum.

The work of Walton Ford plays in these traditions but something darker is also present...the noble qualities are pushed aside for the more aggressive...the disharmony between species and the dominance of the turkey to the weaker, bird...taking advantage of its scale and weight...this relationship is subtle and represents only a small portion of the picture plane...this is purposeful and calculated.

Densely put

2010-01-05T04:22:00.001-05:00

More and more intense patterns...they follow a landscape format and create areas of visual rest utilizing repetition of forms and large swaths of color...the amazing details in the collage work, each element carrying its own individual identity but connected through a conceptual and visual relationship.

The idea of proximity and human manipulation plays out in these works by Simmons & Burke...I once read, "we must take a closer look at works by artists who have invested their entire life exploring ideas." I think about this when I see stretched conceptual relationships. The "whys" of the work, there must be reasons for these choices, experience has taken over to create something unique and full of possibilities.

Soft and light

2010-01-04T04:55:00.001-05:00

Unique combinations of repetitive forms and relationships, the work by Bruce Conner...soft and layered, using shadow and objects to carry the eye around the picture plane and provide contrast to the white ground...objective and recognizable imagery combined with monochromatic shapes and texture tie this beautiful collage piece together.

The Christ and crucifix are separated and pulled apart...Jesus balancing on the wire...segmented, narrow, long rectangle on the top and large vertical rectangle on the bottom create individual segments of interest...these areas have their own dynamic, but are interesting in total...the artist breaks the picture plane with texture and fabric...flowing down the sides and softening the hard edges of the picture plane.

Winged Arch

2009-12-18T06:03:00.001-05:00

Of course, this runs right in line with my obsession on butterflies and reliquaries...nice work by Damian Hurst...who at times I think is too trendy, this work is subtle and beautiful...lost in the patterns and decorative qualities, this work has a rhythm...it breaths and beats like a body...the eye moves around the picture plane in an even way...this is because of the symmetry in the design...the balance and centrality create calm in the viewer.

The context is stained glass and cathedral, the pinched oval and arch...a perfect union of the present and the past...I had a chance to see other works like this at Art Basel, Miami...they were just as powerful up close. The sense of organization and arrangement is meticulous and profound...creative and expressive...any amazing work of art.

Organic Rhythms

2009-12-17T05:02:00.000-05:00

Organic cut paper work and drawing provide an organic feel that is rich and decorative...the line work is expressive and mimics the flow of the paper...The blacks, whites and grays carry the eye around the picture plane...interest occurs in the value variation, mark making and small spots of color...yellow and orange...in the context of the very neutral palette, these areas of color provide a nice visual surprise.

The format is also slightly unusual, it is an extended rectangle, not in the golden proportions but pushed out beyond, more in the context of a landscape...the layers provide a low relief space, encased in a shallow, but three-dimensional space...these works allow for movement when picked up...and show a level of visual and literal fragility...delicate and beautiful works by Judy Pfaff.

Commercially charged

2009-12-16T06:03:00.006-05:00

The illusion of a commercial object in a traditional medium, paint and wood, layered with another contemporary issue...this contained commodity context provides an obsessive look into our desires for things...complete with an aged and dirty box.

The central image, sonic boy, is in a cool color scheme, contrasting the warm box color...a focal point nicely blended into the box context...the scale of these pieces are slightly smaller, creating intimacy and forcing the viewer to come into Dan Douke's world...beautifully painted and creatively combined...these pieces move one commercial context into another.

I see inside you

2009-12-15T05:27:00.003-05:00

Building on traditional glass forms, this work by Washington DC artist Tim Tate, moves the medium in alternative directions...a play on interior verses exterior...contained and precious this piece utilizes color (black/yellow) and moving video to move the viewer from the outside to the inside. There is a sense of confinement as a participant, you feel like you go inside the jar and reside there for the experience...depending on how engrossed we are in the video, it can provide a virtual claustrophobic experience.

Like the ship in the bottle, we wonder, how did this all happen? The video portion can happen with sound or without...the scaled down electronic components are visually in the background to the simple bluish, translucent moving images...he has a mastery of material and builds on formal and historical relationships to create a world that is simple and new.

When animals attack

2009-12-14T05:58:00.003-05:00

Something primitive is being explored, an open mouth and showing teeth...aggressive actions occurring all over the picture plane...a shallow space is explored in this piece by Aaron Johnson...A blue backdrop moves the eye around the piece...pinks, greens, oranges and reds combine in high chroma with intensity, alluding to Asian tattooing...

Strong complimentary color scheme and large scale of the hippopotamus' open mouth is the central image, a focal point, moving the eye up and to the right across the tiger and around the head to the left and down to the left and over to the bottom right...The vibrations of the active figures, leaving the viewer with a sense of unease and intensity.

The air between

2009-12-11T05:48:00.003-05:00

I first saw works by Jacob Hashimoto a couple of years ago at Art Basel, Miami...I was enthralled by his precision in execution and the overall decorative qualities of these multiple circles, pentagons and octagons...this layering of paper covering light wood armatures...it reminded me of thousands of floating kites, gently hovering above the earth....

The way they combine is visually interesting and complex, because of the relationships set up by their proximity...like the works of Seurat, dots of pigment separately convey one idea visually, but put a green dot next to a red and see the vibration...optically, colors together react in our brain, attempting to unify...this work is about shallow space, relationships between tint, tone and hues and organization...a symphony of expression...most beautiful...

The effects of imagination

2009-12-10T04:53:00.001-05:00

Angularity and moving lines make this photograph by Julie Blackmon a very interesting image...the eye moving across all the angles, along the floor, up the back of the chair and over to the off kilter portrait down the window to the radiator, on to the cushions and back again.

The boy and his reaction to his environment adds a interesting conceptual dimension to the image...reinforcing the scattered nature of the room...hyper and out of control, the image and the emotion of the photograph...these are the remains of his efforts, how children change their environment when they are in their imagination.

Master and servant

2009-12-09T04:37:00.001-05:00

Natural mythology...narrative and reality meet in an odd sadistic world...animals take on human characteristics, cruelty and dominance the genus and species are all combined and recombined, the most appealing visual and textural components have been genetically extracted, connected and contained into these museum quality sculptures.

They feel so real, Enrique Gomez de Molina has done an amazing job not only assembling seamless animal forms but he adds to the narrative by chaining another pet/servant insect to its wrist...the posture and attitude is not of a caged animal but of a dominant, free range master, controlling with purpose its slave. These forms act as metaphors, carrying the great burdens of our human existence.

Circular textures

2009-12-08T06:20:00.002-05:00

Found objects, recombined in a decorative way, referring back to Baroque and Gothic imagery...I am always attracted to decorative....maybe we are like birds looking for sparkly bobbles to bring to our nest...we are visually seduced by the colors, textures and sheen...this piece by Alfonso Ossorio utilizes repetition in color and shape to move the eye around the picture plane.

Artists visually calm the eye in this sea of activity through strong symmetry and larger areas of monochromatic color usage...they eye needs areas to relax otherwise it becomes overwhelming...it negates the beauty and decorative qualities and just confuses the mind. The circular forms are repeated and carry the eye over the circular picture plane.

Taking a stand

2009-12-03T13:17:00.002-05:00

Another nice image/poster by Shepard Fairey...the pixil-ated surface is commercial in nature because of digital imagery and reproduction, what separates these images, in my mind are the simple details...elements that move slightly away from the glitz...the off white backdrop, instead of the clean and sterile white margins...the loss of visual information, it is not necessary to complete the image in a glossy way (in line with Warhol's silk screen portraits) and the over spray and looseness of the exterior line quality...these visual suggestions tie back to street art.

He does a good job of making the noncommercial, commercial which I feel many creative individuals miss, DON'T compromise on the work to be more commercially viable, but utilize the marketing and commercial tools to take what you do and get it out there...it's a numbers game, if you want to be successful you have to knock on more doors and get your images out there...in this way Mr. Fairey is dominant in the market place.

Tranformation of a snap shot

2009-12-02T05:21:00.000-05:00

In honor of my meeting with Shephard last night, I wanted to explore some of the reasons I enjoy his work...we talked briefly about the case pending with the Associated Press over this image and I have been thinking about the case for a while...art, as a discipline, generally does not prescribe to this notion of complete and utter ownership of an image...we realize it may be possible that nothing new has been created for a very long time and we re-present similar images and ideas over and over, but in a slight and subtle new way, incorporating the modern individual and her or his own experiences...nothing is entirely unique but everything is infinitely new...new to the artist and new to A viewer...this digestion process changes the parts and makes a new whole...

I won't get into the legalities of the situation but let's just look at what this image did the the AP image could not do...the structure may be similar, but with the color, divided background, the simplification of shape and line...these significant changes transformed a likeness into work of art that moved, empowered, motivated and changed our country. The other point I would like to make is that the AP had every opportunity and still does to sell the "original" likeness, yet no one wants to buy it, why? They are a big company with deeper pockets, more opportunity to market and sell this image, yet is still remains meaningless to most people. Is that what's really relevant here? It's a different image, it is a work of art and not just a snap shot...

Sad and conflicted

2009-11-27T06:03:00.000-05:00

The figure is engulfed by line work, the "Weeping Nude" by Munch utilizes the visual medium to convey the idea...the darkness around the face combined with the fleshy, light areas on the arm and back counter balance the strong line created on the right hand side of the picture plane between the red and green.

The figure becomes the bridge that connects these visually opposite areas...the use of green in the figure further ties the picture plane together...all is in balance, but these visual devices embody the sorrow of the moment...we are voyeurs into a life, a sad and in conflict existence.

Image and title

2009-11-26T06:05:00.000-05:00

A strong commentary on relationships and personal, emotional tragedy...this piece by Edvard Munch entitled, "Vampire," attempts to conceptually close the space between image and title. It looks like a fairly normal embrace, the male figure is buried in the breast of the woman in a submissive pose and she appears to be kissing his neck, or is she sucking him emotionally dry?

There is always a darkness to Munch's work, an eerie, unexplained quality...an ambiguous, but active background....mark making, concentric line work around the figures, touches of color, but used visually to move the eye around, creating a sense of unity...without the title, would this be just an embrace?

In the moment

2009-11-25T06:07:00.000-05:00

Enough said! The most famous and popularized Munch painting...he did several versions of the piece in different mediums...a very unique approach to an unsettling emotion at the time...a triangular compositions, moving from the main "screaming" figure, up the right and across the sky to the two figures on the left hand side and back down to the figure.

The line work and waves of paint/emotion carries the viewer around visually like directional arrows on a highway...a strong complimentary color scheme, blue and orange, balanced with brown/neutrals...creating visual vibration, parallel to those feelings during a scream.

Love and loss

2009-11-24T05:06:00.000-05:00

This piece by Edvard Munch entitled, Separation II, is a beautiful exploration of longing and loss. The female form is facing away, looking out over the landscape her hair is merging with the striated background...blowing away in the dark environment.

The male form is contemplating the past, eyes closed and head tilted away from her...a dream of what was and what could have been...the decorative, rectilinear shape at the bottom of the picture plane tieing in with the reddish orange organic shapes below and to the left of his face...her hair is draped over his shoulder, part of him but separate.

Exploring Angst

2009-11-23T05:56:00.007-05:00

Confronted by the darkness and angst, a series of exploration in Anxiety by Edvard Munch...the faces are expressionless but the organization of the individuals is random, asymmetrical, lost and standing waiting...suspended in time and water...

Contrast of color, strong complimentary color scheme...flowing and vibrating line work...capturing the dark and lucid moment in time...organic construction...I have also included the simplified print version to see how the composition is re-organized to fit the context, color and material concerns...Munch does an amazing job capturing the emotion of a point in time.

Religious contemplation

2009-11-20T05:19:00.001-05:00

Madonna and child by Hans Memling, the Madonna is looking away from her son and the interaction...contemplating what she know is inevitable, the sacrifice...the baby in these religious works all look more man like than baby like...stylized, alluding to those Gothic religious icons but more naturalistic and realistic.

These works almost always have feet and feet of fabric, showing the artists' expertise on folds...these kinds of works play with interior verses exterior space, showing an extended landscape...Hans Memling's female faces contain a lot of emotion, they speak to the complexity of the situation.

Ample digestion

2009-11-19T07:11:00.000-05:00

Pen and ink drawing by Massimo Guerrera...the triumvirate meeting of the minds in a triangular format and the repetition of the head form...looking left, looking right, looking down and an additional head-like form sitting precariously at the top of the picture plane...the activity at the left, the saucer, crumbs and cup push the eye over into the asymmetrical composition and up into the wall...back into the tallest, standing figure and around the three heads again...

Subtle line work and mark making set this drawing apart, stippling or splatter work adds to the movement of the piece, helping to guide the eye around the picture plane..the mouths lapping visual information in and digesting it out through the top of their heads like a blow hole on a whale...a smorgasbord of visual delights!

My safe place

2009-11-18T05:16:00.005-05:00

Something a little different...this is a studio installation I did for a show summer 2008...it was a very liberating experience to replicate my studio environment for viewers...it is an intimate space that I live in and create, surrounded by the congestion of beautiful and challenging images...I want to be constantly confronted by creative works.

There are some days when I am out of gas or blocked and I go to my studio and just stare at the wall, it motivates me and pushes me to be better...I have to be work harder because I want more creatively...this piece is also about organization, the relationship between artists and their works next to one another...how they connect and visually react to the viewer and the world around us...

Parallel leanings

2009-11-17T05:21:00.003-05:00

Beautiful altarpiece by Flemish artist Rogier van der Weyden...Flemish artists were ahead of their time...the Italians were known for the high art of the Renaissance, but ten to twenty years prior, the Dutch were creating masterpieces of realism injected with great emotion...

This piece formally refers to the parallel emotional plight between Jesus and Mary, both in the same basic leaning pose...arms almost touching...Jesus traditionally splits the canvas in symmetry...he is the focus and lord God as prescribed by the donor...the gaze of those attending are very important in religious works, they act like visual lasers, forcing the viewer around the picture plane, we want to see what each character sees in the narrative.

Bright white light

2009-11-16T04:55:00.001-05:00

I really enjoy when artist push the limits on asymmetry and balance, teetering close to the edge of visual destruction! This photograph by Kate Peets certainly plays in that arena...So much of the piece is monochromatic and fading, loosing the boundaries between foreground and background, figure and open space...

The dark space between the lips and the eyes balance all of the creamy flesh and wall, the expression and pose add a conceptual depth that moves the piece beyond the formal...I can't help but wonder if the pupils have been digitally enhanced, they seem too square for the pose and position, regardless, artists are liars and proud of it! "Art is the lie that makes us realize the truth."

Her stillness

2009-11-13T05:16:00.001-05:00

Beautiful striations juxtaposed against the smooth texture of a nude female form...the light swept motion of the water to the right of the figure and the shape created by the lightest lights against the darkest darks...in combination with the glance to the right, how much activity and form must be on the left to counter that extreme value contrast?

In this photograph by Sally Mann we see the weight required to move the eye over and reconcile the asymmetry to put all in visual balance...the figures legs and torso are off from the center with the dark left side visually forcing the eye away from the lower right corner, to the hands, up the left side, around the head and back again...but what is most seductive, those gentle wisps of value, liquid and out of focus moving all around the stillness of her.

The organic possibility

2009-11-12T05:41:00.006-05:00

The kinetic possibility of this image by P. Pott Scarsons...visually the potential of this falling tree limb, the parts and referencing whole trees in the bottom...the figure in the lower right, moving away from the approaching organic shape...but there is something beautiful about the bright sun and the black, sharp edged tree.

Balance between the open white and gray sky against the black topscape at the bottom of the picture plane...the angle of the falling tree, pushing the eye to the right and connecting to that running figure, contrasting visually, the tops of the trees that are straight up and countered by the lightest shape in the sky...moving and balanced asymmetry.

Cloudy with a chance of evil

2009-11-10T06:28:00.001-05:00

Those artists that choose to utilize the frame as part of the piece should take a formal lesson from this work by Jeremy Fish...Beyond the conceptual connection between the head with the open mouth showing us a vignette inside, those billowy, cloud shapes in the hair around the mouth tie in nicely with those same cloud forms in the foreground of the painting.

I also really like the visual of an animal, in a very direct way, using garbage as a tool...implying a level of competence and evolution...they may not be the intention, but the piece allows for a significant amount of the reading into it...these stylized, monochromatic, painted images play in harmony with the frame, the contrast comes in the concept, calm, serene and at the same time sinister and dark.

Electrified environment

2009-11-09T04:50:00.001-05:00

Disorienting work by Scott Anderson, this piece plays on our natural instinct to upright elements...especially the human form...segmented into different zones, lines and shapes cross and flow through the sections to tie the zones together....

The piece moves quickly due to the strong vertical lines contrasting against the large human figure horizontal and other shapes in space...the feeling is of a futuristic landscape, an environment that has yet to be defined...we as the viewer attempt to conclude an outcome, with minimal clues...there are other figures in the space at a smaller scale, leading the eye back into this world, they are key in extending the environment and visually making us feel that there is more to see behind the central figure.

Hiroshige, flowing in swirls

2009-11-06T04:49:00.000-05:00

Another amazing piece by printmaker Hiroshige...the lines created by the concentric circles, the flow of the water and white caps...a formal exercise in creating line work that is interesting by contrasting sizes and shapes...the spaces between the white caps vary, creating interest and the scale of the white caps in the swirl...larger and in higher concentration than the rest of the picture plane...the unique shape and line work make it a point of interest.

The rectangular picture plane is broken into zones, top zone is sky with finger like shapes, the white clouds mimic the shape of the white wave tops...carrying the viewer into zone two, the rock break, jutting up into the sky at their highest point and gradually scaling down into the ocean...the final zone, whirlpool references elements of color and line in the other two zones, creating a tight and cohesive, complete piece of beauty.

Hiroshige verses Van Gogh

2009-11-05T04:47:00.000-05:00

There is an amazing collection of Japanese copies at the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam...This is a good example of one of Van Gogh's copies of a Hiroshige print...Color is a little off, but I found the prints the perfect combination of the Japanese simplicity with the thick and meaty painting style of Van Gogh.

The centralized, tree image breaks the front picture plane and is not only prominent in scale, it is also dominant in value and scope. It breaks the picture plane up into unique, separate windows...showing us a visual narrative in the spaces between branches, flowers and tree trunk. A beautiful composition, flowing and organic.

Hiroshige, the cold days

2009-11-04T05:05:00.001-05:00

Capturing the essence of a winter...another beautiful and subtle print of Hiroshige...a process of articulating in pure value with only hints of color and neutrals...in these works, the signature stamp becomes part of the image, it must be balanced in order to have a complete image...the red at the top, in the obi of the woman carrying the bag and in the left corner, carrying the eye around.

The central blue figure, is secondary to the overall landscape...the human beings are only ornamentation to the grand qualities of the natural space...this fact is consistent in several Japanese prints...mythology and the cultural narrative are also visually articulated by specific artists.

Hiroshige, another day's close

2009-11-03T05:05:00.001-05:00

The blue lines at the top and the bottom visually pinch the work and force the viewer in the middle of the picture plane...the orange glow of the horizon line happens at the one-third mark toward the bottom...strong vertical lines run the eye up the picture plane in the form of flower stems.

Green is the glue, running through the entire picture plane, tieing it all together visually...coming up from out of the surface and growing up outside the picture plane, the flowers, stems and leaves set the picture in place...enjoying the subtle atmosphere, being present in this exact moment between day and night.

Hiroshige No. 1

2009-11-02T05:42:00.003-05:00

A beautiful print by Japanese printmaker Hiroshige...the white tops of the waves, swaying back and forth, becoming more intense and wild as they meet the foreground...contrasting the subtle and calm background...The marks of the dark blue rolling up the waves and articulating the shape of the wave...

The visual style of the print is built off of the seen, but abstracted in memory, naturalistic in approach but injected with emotion, to grab the viewer at the deepest level...the duality of the talon like wave and the tree limbs bookend the picture plane...pushing to the eye into the asymmetrical background, we want to see Mt. Fuji, but are view is impeded, unable to fully realize is majesty.

Armed in Gold

2009-10-30T05:39:00.000-04:00

A really unique example of a reliquary, where the part of the Saint's body is created in gold and then stored...early conceptual abstraction, fusing two different ideas, visually, in the name of the greater conceptual good...

The arm bone is stored inside the arm and can be viewed through the lattice patterning...a beautiful piece, the hand is interestingly covered in jewels, not patterned but asymmetrical, reinforcing the abstract stance...the base functions not only as a visual ground, but a house of God, with it's most important relic rising out.

Golden BEAUTY

2009-10-29T05:51:00.000-04:00

Another beautiful reliquary...the gilded structure and the miniaturized context, alluding to something big and ritualistic...I can't help but wonder, which I have many times before, will we ever as a society, get behind something some magnificent and culturally relevant.

Have those things that cost so much and made such a mark on our creative consciousness been eliminated from our visual vernacular...I hope not, but I am loosing hope...

Quiet reliquary

2009-10-28T05:50:00.002-04:00

A nice, simple zen like example of a reliquary by Novie Trump...this work in clay explores a focused look at a spiritual subject matter...the context is textured with expressive marks surrounding the recess where the scroll and egg form lie.

Neutral grays and tans dominate the piece, providing a timeless backdrop to conceptual contemplations...the shape references, reliquaries, monstrances and the familiar arch form in so many religious icons, but because of the abstraction, it whispers significance and doesn't have to beat you over the head with it's presence. I appreciate the tone of the piece and its effective use of minimal, visual expression.

Interesting cast of characters

2009-10-27T06:30:00.001-04:00

Nice collage based environment by Alexis Mackenzie, built off of a natural context, this work moves us visually and conceptually into a unique world of unexplored relationships, the organic, the mythological, the unreasonable and the absurd...

The symbols are clean and graphical in representation...the overall appearance and consistency in how each image is rendered allows us to visually group the individual elements and consider the piece a whole...the space between the images is also considered and interesting, playing with negative space in a simplistic way.

These boxes contain many things!

2009-10-26T05:37:00.000-04:00

I have been fascinated for a long time by these beautiful objects...Japanese Inro first caught my eye in the Field Museum of Chicago...there was a show of several of these objects. Decorative objects have always intrigued me, they formally are sound, using the language of sculpture to convey ideas and carry, in this case, a narrative message...discussing historical details, or mythical beasts...the parts are meant to "fit" together, both literally and metaphorically...each part referencing the story existing in the body of the form.

In my own work, I think about the notion of function, the idea of participating with art is very exciting and on some level, insidious...tieing parts of society closer through touching and feeling art...I believe the separation, artists and galleries sometimes promote, only alienates the public from those creative instincts...it makes the "non-artist" feel they could never do those kinds of works, thus negating an essential and vital part of their inner being.

Four legs on the floor

2009-10-23T04:57:00.000-04:00

Leg to leg , back to back...those things focused on are obsessively sexual...the mirror is another opportunity to see the reflection of that obsession...layered intensity...visually, the placement of the feet and legs are angled and asymmetrical, contrasting the organic, voluptuous nature of the individual body segments.

We connect the parts to make a whole individual, continually trying to reconcile the un-balanced and a figure that is incomplete...The introduction of some clothing elements moves the abstract into form into reality, further blurring the line between visual worlds...there is also something dark in Hans Bellmer's work, the environment and forms are aged and not commercial.

Dress in figures

2009-10-22T05:15:00.000-04:00

More flowing lines and concentrated areas of line work, focusing the eye around the picture plane...the female form is explored again in segments...wood planks add an element of contrast, geometric lines moving back in space, running under the organic line work.

Varied texture and movement carries the viewer around the space...grounded by the active line work in the lower section of the drawing, this activity is count-balanced by the open white areas in the upper half of the rectangle...The line work is sensual, the dress follows her form and moves beyond the illustrative to the beautiful.

Negative masculine influence

2009-10-21T04:54:00.001-04:00

A bent and broken female form, damaged...fallen and integrated into the contrasting geometry of a chair...the human parts are a departure from the illustrative, they move beyond into the visual world. Hans Bellmer makes an effort to enhance the form for expressive purposes..

This piece pushes the contrasting elements, those flowing organic female components are now combined with man made parts...a possible commentary on the imposition of the masculine and how it negatively influences the way this women could function in the plastic world.

Dark openings

2009-10-20T04:59:00.001-04:00

A strange sexual world Hans Bellmer explores in his drawings...an amazing drafts person, he pushes the limits of the obscene, seducing the viewer with beautiful drawings and dark, hidden subject matters...

Similar to the doll like female forms, the drawing is made up of parts, unified in an unusual and provocative way, the composition is asymmetrical and flows organically from the foreground to the background, between the three eyes...at first glance it seems that the female face's eye is damaged, looking at it again, the viewer notices something more explicit...possibly playing off of the idea that eyes are the windows to the soul, the opening becomes a window to something pleasurable and uncontrollable.

Her face was like a doll's

2009-10-19T04:52:00.001-04:00

An exploration of the female form and those things flowing and organic...the work of Hans Bellmer is unique and influential to many contemporary artists...the photographer, Cindy Sherman as an example...the doll like forms have an odd feel to them, an search for something sexual and explicit..the parts are incomplete and partially dressed, amplifying the feeling of the indecent.

His works have minimal color, focusing on the relationship between the organic shape and its contrast to the hard surface of the ground...the neck is incidental, the head is fallen and bent into her chest, a mask, a surface, a lost soul...the limbs do not combine naturally, they lay on top of one another or they crowd, tightly, providing a visual sense of claustrophobia.

Repetiition and repose

2009-10-16T05:32:00.003-04:00

It's all in the placement...Philip Pearlstein has made his life work an exploration on the figure, but the environment is what really matters in his work...often the central form seems secondary to the activity in the background...a balance between the monochromatic female form and the intense color and pattern of the rugs, wallpaper and props.

Also essential is the cropping of the figure, there is a feeling of incompleteness, the head cut right above the mouth...the face removed from consideration so we concentrate on the figure as object...in this work there is also the repetition of the leg in the drawing, mirrored in pose to the more complete painted central character.

Nature verses Wo(man)

2009-10-15T04:53:00.001-04:00

Amy Stein takes on the issue of environment and the human population encroaching on animal territory...this piece is a great dialogue between wo(man) and bear...standing very still...eye to eye...

The balanced composition between the blues of the pool and bathing suite in contrast to the large black form of the standing bear...the fence separating the two, provides visual separation...the kinetic potential of the bears power to break through and attack...a western stand off, strong visual verticals contrast horizontals in the fence, house and diving board.

Not THE wooden arc

2009-10-14T05:03:00.001-04:00

Wooden masterpieces inspired by movies and contemporary culture...this Arc of the covenant is done by Mike Rea...a copy of the original Arc from the popular, Indiana Jones movie is brought to life.

Humor and whimsy play a large role in the works, pushing what we think that can be done through wood as a material...some of his works are large scale, others are incredibly detailed...in this work the pattern and the repetitive elements create a visually stimulating piece...we take in the full context, the smoke and lights enhance the drama of the out of place, wood media.

Love you, lips

2009-10-13T05:06:00.001-04:00

I really love jewelry by Salvador Dali, this Ruby Lips brooch is a great example of an innovative piece in its time of creation...formally, the flow of the lips, asymmetrical with blood red in rubies...teeth of pearls, not lined up, not natural, but visually better than the "norm."

The way the gems are set, the gold prong settings move they eye all around...a decadent exploration of a simple image...before Damien Hirst created his diamond encrusted skull, Dali created several pieces of beauty and challenging design.

Designed upside down

2009-10-12T05:05:00.000-04:00

The way Lennard Schuurmans using space here is very appealing visually...it has a narrative feel, elements, representational and decorative/abstract are combined to create the foreground...the background is open and stained with marks...this unusual landscape plays with objective, understood forms - animals, plywood and nails, turning these ideas metaphorically and literally upside down to trick us visually.

The piece stretches our imagination of landscape...we are easily deceived because we have been trained to believe what we see as fact...artists can play with us, most are immature and naive to what visual language really means...but you cannot blame the student for what the teacher cannot explain...the design is colorful and has movement and contrast...the flowing of the water up into the picture plane, the cracks in the ground and the rolling of the pink amoeba...well crafted formally.

Balanced values

2009-10-09T05:03:00.000-04:00

Balance and asymmetry...breaking the centrality of religious works...how much space on the right is necessary to counter-balance the activity and figure on the left? And that sharp contrast edge created by the dark jacket against the white wall...how much gray is needed to counter that weight/volume?

Mapplethorpe shows us how much in the amazing portrait, not only a visually appealing piece, but an image that captures Andy Warhol as a artist and man of extremes...the obsession with fame and attention juxtaposed next to his social awkwardness...needing something so badly, but unable to see it fully realized.

Relective organism

2009-10-08T05:02:00.000-04:00

The mirrored surface of the Cloud Gate by Anish Kapoor, is neither black nor white, but absorbs, distorts and reflects the world around it...this piece is really impressive in scale and conceptualization...I am originally from Chicago and have gone back to see it again and again...I cannot get enough of its flowing shape.

The original form was to show the welds in a grid like form, later, it was thought that grinding and buffing out the lines would be more impressive...this was most definitely the case in my opinion! It remove the internal contrast between surface geometry and an external organic shape...The surface now takes on the geometries of the buildings and skyscrapers of the Magnificent Mile...A clean and simple design that is truly a masterpiece.

Silhouettes in tension

2009-10-07T05:47:00.003-04:00

Kara Walker does not mix words...bringing the past into the present, the pain of a reality that seems so far away...but was only right around the last corner...She uses the physical space in such a interesting way...the negative space around the silhouettes is unique and reinforces the tension between the slave owner and the enslaved.

This installation is a unique view into her works...the way the door breaks up the hay cart, being carried by a women with child, the abuse...things are out of kilter...the house in the upper right, off kilter and the hobo falling from the sky...it is not only the arrangement, but how the figures flow across the wall in a lyrical way.

Simply books

2009-10-06T05:24:00.000-04:00

Contrasting values and rhythmical linear forms running vertical and horizontal...dark, striated organic shapes floating over the geometries...the variations of sizes in the smaller vertical forms also create contrast and interest...

The large organic dark shape is the central focus, visually we are grouping the three similar shapes and finally combining with the upper right hand corner that follows the lines of the top of the book-like forms, merging and flowing off of the picture plane...a great piece by Frank Magnotta.

Twice inked

2009-10-05T04:57:00.000-04:00

The decorative qualities...the contemporary feel...breaking the circular plane ever so slightly...framed by concentric black lines...the balance between the two faces and all the lines, text and small shapes wrapped around legs, arms, thighs and chests...

Mike Giant's well drawn, clean forms flow around the circular shape, like a record spinning around a turntable, his work hearkens back to a different time, they often cry for that time...his drawings would make great woodcuts, such beautiful line quality.

The odd in three

2009-10-02T05:04:00.001-04:00

Split into three sections, Tom Long explores the relationship between three distinct spaces...how will these separate elements/environments fit together? This is the exploration that the artist is looking to achieve...A natural, mountain scene sandwiched between two geometric, decorative forms...not only in contrast but also in color, cool blues and pattern make up the totemic, vertical tower on the top of the mountain and the blue optical, horizontal shape grounding the mountain, visually.

This theme carries on in other works, he plays with the format to create an odd whole out of familiar parts...they are graphically executed, realistic interplay between tight patterns and modeled landscapes...a modern take on eastern influences.

The pretty vessel

2009-10-01T04:39:00.000-04:00

The Reliquary has been great influence on my object making...the context is used and amended through out my career...There is something macabre about the idea of bones and body parts being housed in an elaborate container...they also feed nicely into my obsession with decorative arts...the skill needed to make these are amazing...they are certainly beautiful pieces of jewelry...so the context becomes a vehicle to create familiarity and comfort...the jeweled surfaces and decorative elements draw the viewer in and the details hold them in place...I like to take it to a deeper level and enhance the overall work by changes in the form and concept...moving the pretty into areas more sinister, building on the macabre true nature of these vessels...the viewer is paralyzed by the containers sparkle and forced to deal with what is really inside...the house is burning, but we are too enthralled by the pretty flames to leave...

Standing at the altered

2009-09-30T05:14:00.002-04:00

This Isenheim alterpiece by Mathhais Grunewald is one of the most moving Alters ever seen...Jesus is so damaged and beaten, with thorns in the flesh and blood streaming from open sores...this was the first of its kind, to really show the brutality of the crucifixion...originally placed in a hospice environment for the terminally ill...the piece was meant to inspire those with no hope and to illustrate the agony Jesus went through...The front shows the donors on the left and right with the center focused on the crucifixion...the bottom panel is static and is not effected by the interior verses exterior relationship...

The interior explores the glory of the resurrection and the birth of Jesus...they are full of light and glory...the difference between interior and exterior is profound in this example, taking the story of Jesus to its conceptual end...this piece is the perfect union of concept, form and materials to create a highly spiritual and visual piece to contemplate...