collection #3

I recently took a weekend trip to NYC for a Yankees game. We stayed in Rockefeller Center, so I did a bit of research and learned some interesting things about the place. There are 19 buildings throughout the center and occupies 22 acres in midtown Manhattan. Rockefeller Center got its start in 1928, when John D. Rockefeller, Jr., leased the space from Columbia University. While he had originally planned to build the complex with the help of the Metropolitan Opera, Rockefeller was forced to finance the project himself after the stock market crash of 1929. At the time of construction, the complex was the largest private building project of modern times.
Rockefeller was committed to making the center contemporary and innovated by incorporating artworks and attractions.
Prometheus is said to be the best known sculpture in Rockefeller Center and the most photographed sculpture in all of NYC.
The red granite wall behind the statue has a quotation from Aeschylus, "Prometheus, teacher in every art, brought the fire to earth that hath proven to mortals a means to mighty ends." In Greek mythology, Prometheus stole fire from Zeus and gave it to mankind. Zeus was so mad he not only took fire back from humans, but also took "means of life." Had Prometheus not provoked Zeus's wrath, "you would easily do work enough in a day to supply you for a full year even without working." Prometheus has become a general symbol for socialism and communism.



During the summer he looks over an outdoor cafe, that is transformed into a skating rink in the wintertime.
I found the story behind this figure pretty remarkable. Why is this bustling area in the center of the busiest city in the country scattered with Greek mythological figures? The theme of these figures is enlightenment and godly knowledge.
I came across a website called The Vigilant Citizen that aims to go beyond the face value of symbols found in pop culture to reveal their esoteric meaning.
 http://vigilantcitizen.com/sinistersites/sinister-sites-rockefeller-center/

Collection #2

My second piece in my digital collection is called iris, by a 25 year old graphic designer/freelance illustrator from france named Florian Nicolle.

In his bio he describes his style as free and spontaneous, but his technical anatomy drawing skill is amazing. I also like the way he used print as shadowing, it really adds character to the girl.

so much to share

Although its been a bit since ive last blogged, ive been randomly gathering little things here and there to share.
This first print reminds me of the display at Buffalo Art Studio by Megan Greene.

 I found this on etsy by a shop owner called Black Baroque from "new england by the sea." http://www.etsy.com/shop/BlackBaroque?ref=seller_info  She has a bunch of similar pieces using antique pages dating 1883-1890 from lovely old books, full of interest and character. What i find most interesting is that she spends "enormous amounts of time" sifting through the pages to represent the subject of the photo in the print.


The next fun piece I came across reminds me of last Friday's Scary Art History class. I cant figure out exactly who the artist is, but its from http://www.juxtapoz.com/, an online magazine about graffiti and tattoo art.

Its confusing. Its obviously creepy, the rabbits look angry and evil, snatching and pulling at ears. But theyre beautiful rabbits, and perfectly painted. The eyes are all different glistening colors, it begins to become nice to look at. And also a nice easter reference.

I have a few more but im going to save them to use as some collection pieces.

somebody that i used to know

I had to share this video. The song on its own is really good. The instruments and the tune are interesting and simple but the things theyre saying are so intense. Its a neat contrast and kind of touching. I love the video just as much. It looks like theyre part of a painted landscape that theyre not happy about, and are beginning to break out.

some more art talk

ive been paying a lot more attention to artwork and if I like it, dont like it, and why. I like art that gives me something to think about, something I can make sense of. I aso like mixed materials, flashy colors, and crazy ideas.

I came across an Australian artist named Kirra Jamison that I thought was fun. Its from a set of 12 other prints blocked together called Love Me Two Times. To me it looks like two little girls playing in the snow with tons of flowers. That may not be at all what it is, but I like it.

Another artist that I think is wonderful is Bethany Krull.When  Prof. Greenan mentioned her gallery opening this past Friday at Indigo Art in her last blog I was so happy to see it. Beth and I went to high school together, probably had art classes together. We see each other from time to time in town, and shes an incredibly happy person :) Her latest collection is called Dominance and Affection and its really great.

"In today’s increasingly nature-deprived society, our most intimate connection tends to be with plants and animals that we ourselves have drastically altered through the process of domestication. We have turned wild animals into companions, genetically sculpting them into sweeter, cuter, less dangerous versions of themselves. We shower our pets with love at the same time we cage and contain them and it is this affection contradicting complete control that I am interested in illustrating in my work. For no amount of love lavished upon these creatures will erase the fact that the success of the relationship lies in our complete domination over all aspects of their existence." -Beth Krull
Ive always had a dog. My cocker spaniel Lulu is the first dog Ive ever had that wasnt my parents. And I admit it- I adore her. Shes a very happy dog and mostly well behaved, because I trained her to be. But if my little dog was born in a wolf pack in the forest, she would be a wild animal.

This peice called Surogate is adorable and heartbreaking. At first you see a cute little chameleon but upon closer inspection you notice he has a harness on and is chained to the tree.

The detail is beautiful and leaves me feeling bad for the little guy.
Beth does most of her work in porcelain and incorporates other materials, paper, wire, polymer clay.

This final peice is called In Servitude 5. It is part of a collection od beetles carrying bowls. The bowls are strapped to them and judging by the title, they didnt strap them there by themselves.

It was hard to pick just a few of the peices in her Dominance and Affection series. If you want to check out the rest of it its here http://bethanykrull.com/home.html

burchfield penney

Our recent trip to the Burchfield Penney gallery was an enlightening one. Ive been to this gallery many times, most recently over the summer. But this trip was extra interesting with Docent Coordinator Mary Kozub giving us a walkthrough and commentary. Sometimes I look at a piece and have absolutely no idea what the artist was thinking. But with a little guided thought it all starts to make more sense.
For example, I never noticed how well Burchfield conveys climate, but with his bold colors and painting style, you start to feel how hazy and heavy the weather must be in that moment. This adds a whole new level to WHY I like his works.

I liked his later works much more than the earlier. He seemed to grow into a personalized style as he matured as an artist. This piece called July Sunlight Pouring Down was my favorite work on display. Not only does it look like the sun is pouring down, but the way he pulls the paint down the canvas makes it feel like its so steamy that the paint is washing away.

The second artist we talked about, Jackie Felix, was also very interesting. I do not often think about the oppression of women in those times, mainly because I have never lived through anything like that. In fact I have always been encouraged to do what makes me happy and to be all I can be. So to imagine what that it must have been like to be "inferior" and controlled is eye opening. I'd like to believe that I would have been the type of woman to fight this, probably similarly to Felix through art. Some of her pieces were so emotional, just splashing paint and layering huge brushstrokes to release her anger. The larger pieces told a woman's story throughout history, sometimes a few stories at once. I admired her courage to "pull aside the curtain" in her artwork and highlight the differences in appearances and reality.

Collection #1

I knew right away that my first collection entry would be Philip Burke. Although the name is not familiar, his work has been in Time, The New Yorker, Vogue, and Rolling Stone. Best known for his caricature type portraits, Burke comically and magically expresses the demeanor of some of history's most famous faces. I'm most drawn to his bright colors and simple, confident brush strokes. As a bonus, he was born in buffalo NY! I bought a 30x20' print of Jerry Garcia by Burke a few years ago at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Its in the middle of the house and I look at it almost everyday.

I always wondered why the artist painted two faces. But after looking at it awhile, he starts to look like he's swinging his head back and forth, bobbing up and down, and really rocking out.
I love the complete color, this artist is definately not afraid of overkill, in fact seems to embrace it. The shading of red on his face and the scales of purple and blue, work just the same as shades of gray.