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"An artist is somebody who produces things that people don't need to have."
-Andy Warhol
I am not one to refute the most notable Andy Warhol, but I cannot help that this point of view--as true as it may be--sends shivers up my spine.
What do you think?
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When you walk through the Smithsonian’s several art museums, you admire the countless works of art that have been ever-so-carefully handled and displayed. From John Singer Sargent to Japanese ceramics, the art collections of the Smithsonian are impressively vast—spanning centuries as well as cultures. But what you don’t immediately see while seeing the art is the conservation process.
Haven’t you ever wondered how specialists examine, clean, and preserve art? The Smithsonian is committed to doing just that—preserving art for future generations to enjoy.
The Lunder Conservation Center, located in the American Art Museum, is the first of its kind to operate a fully functional art conservation center that is also open to the public! That’s right! You have free access to the behind-the-scenes work done by Smithsonian conservation specialists! Learn how the experts are discussing the contentious topic of the preservation of time-based works of art, and also how to preserve and care for your own pieces at home!
Stop by this special conservation clinic workshop!
Lunder Conservation Clinic
American Art Museum
Free, but by appointment only
1st Wednesday of every month
9:00 to 11:00 AM
For more details, email DWRCLunder@si.edu and specify “CLINIC” in the subject line
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It's a typical summer in the DC-Metro area: hot, sticky, humid, and gross. I guess there are some people who think this is the best weather ever, but I don't know anyone like that. Personally, unless I have something specific to go shoot or plans with friends, I have very little desire to leave my apartment. I try to stay motivated by thinking about how to push my work into different areas or trying a new process I've been thinking about, and try to make it to as many exhibits and art shows that I can.
We're lucky to live in an area with so galleries and museums, so take advantage of their air conditioning and see some art! Right now, the National Gallery of Art has on exhibit nearly 80 photographs by American poet Allen Ginsberg. Beat Memories: The Photographs of Allen Ginsburg explores the Beat poet's photographic history beginning in the 1950's and includes portraits of Jack Kerouac and William S. Burroughs. The exhibit runs through September 16, 2010.
Next, head over to The Hirshorn Museum and Sculpture Garden for Guido van der Werve and Hiroshi Sugimoto, which highlights the interplay between cinema and photography in this collection of quiet and serene photographs and time-lapse photography.
The National Portrait Gallery is offering a glimpse into the evolution of the area surrounding the gallery in a collection of photographs from the past 160 years. Glimpse of the Past: A Neighborhood Evolves runs through September 2011 (so you've got next summer covered, too!).
Which shows have you seen this summer? Have recommendations for must-see exhibits? Please let us know in the comments!
—Angela
Photo by Angela Kleis
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Comics: a new take on contemporary art and literature.
Starting with its humble beginnings as comical pop culture imagery, comics have emerged to challenge traditional notions of high art. Let’s refer to these types of comics as graphic novels, shall we? Such a credible variation of art deserves a more credible name, don’t you think?
There are several modern graphic novels that stand out as prime examples of individualistic, skilled, and creative works of art. Three that I choose to highlight are:
1. Maus, by Art Spiegelman
2. Persepolis, by Marjane Satrapi
(And my personal favorite…)
3. City of Glass, by Paul Auster
Look to these examples for inspiration on developing your own graphic style! How would you want your own graphic novel to look? Dynamic line hatching and depth like Maus? High contrast and simplified shapes like Persepolis? Or perhaps a varied approach with lights, darks, and textures like City of Glass?
Which style suits you?
Maus, by Art Spiegelman
Persepolis, by Marjane Satrapi
City of Glass, by Paul Auster
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“I hate to paint portraits! I hope never to paint another portrait in my life. Portraiture may be all right for a man in his youth, but after forty I believe that manual dexterity deserts one, and, besides, the color-sense is less acute. Youth can better stand the exactions of a personal kind that are inseparable from portraiture. I have had enough of it.”
—John Singer Sargent
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While reading through some of the Smithsonian’s superb blogs, I came across an interesting post that just had to be highlighted. Smithsonian Journeys, a branch of the Smithsonian that specializes in educational travel programs, can send you all over the world in chase of memorable adventures and culturally enriching encounters. Their “Journeys Blog” recently posted on the famed Italian Renaissance artist, Michelangelo.
Jacopino del Conte, Michelangelo Buonarroti, 16th c.
How much do we know about Michelangelo, anyway? With a reputation as fascinating as his treasured works, “M” should be remembered as more than an artist. He was also a man—a man with faults, a man with quirks. Although he may have reinvented the standard of renaissance art with works such as his Pietà, David, and the Sistine Chapel, Michelangelo’s personal life strikes just as much interest in me as do his masterpieces. Can you blame me? Read this excerpt from Journeys Blog:
1. Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni was born March 6, 1475.
2. The family business was small-scale banking, a trade that had been passed down for generations. But his father struggled to keep the business successful, and took government positions to supplement the family income. Because of this break in tradition, Michelangelo was free to explore other career opportunities.
3. At the age of 17, Michelangelo worked as Bertoldo di Giovanni’s apprentice, as did fellow contemporary Pietro Torrigiano. It was Pietro who punched Michelangelo, resulting in a broken nose that is clearly reflective of every portrait of Michelangelo.
4. When Michelangelo was commissioned to paint the Sistine Chapel ceiling, the original idea was to paint the 12 Apostles against a starry sky. But the artist insisted on a more complex theme, and when it was finally completed it included 300 figures highlighting stories from the Book of Genesis.
5. Although many of Michelangelo’s most notable works were created earlier in his life—Pietà, for example, was carved when he was 24 years old—he lived a surprisingly long life and passed away at the age of 88.
Michelangelo, the Renaissance god, seems surprisingly human in this light, don’t you think?
*Special thanks to Journeys Blog for such an interesting blog post!
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Have you ever wondered where to take your family for a little culturally enriching and educational fun? Perhaps that doesn’t seem so enticing to children…“educational” is certainly a scary word sometimes! But take my word for it. This family event will leave them—and you—excited and curious for more! The event that I am speaking of is called ExplorAsia: A Drop-In Art Adventure for Families at the Smithsonian’s Freer and Sackler Galleries. Use the beautifully detailed and precious Japanese screens on view in Gallery 5 as a means to transport you and your family back to the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries in Japan. Enter the cultural traditions of samurai life, farming, and everything in between. This fun and engaging program will educate on the ways of life for people in the city or in the countryside. Activities include acting out the scenes depicted, writing family poems based off of the importance of family in Japanese culture, feeling and learning about artists’ tools and materials, and the way those tools and materials construct a traditional screen. Dates: Monday, July 26, 2010, 2—4 PM Monday, August 2, 2010, 2—4 PM Tuesday, August 9, 2010, 2—4 PM Location: Freer Gallery of Art Gallery 5: Japanese Screens Jefferson Drive at 12th Street Washington, DC All ages welcome! For more info on the Freer’s collection of Japanese screens, click HERE.
The program starts any time between 2 and 4 PM and ends when you decide!
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When I get bored, which is pretty often, I like to try different things. A few years ago, I learned about Polaroid emulsion transfers and really wanted to give it a try, but didn't have a camera that shot the correct film (peel-apart). Despite all the ideas I had, with Polaroid going out of business and the film no longer available, I gave up....until recently. With the realization that the peel-apart film is still available, and is relatively inexpensive, plus a $12 camera find, I started my current project, but it hasn't exactly been a smooth one.
As you know, instant film is still very much alive and has a lot of potential. Artists are using this medium in ways I wasn't even aware were possible and the results are amazing. I wish I knew more about the chemistry and how this film is made, but I don't. Instead, I know that soaking a dry, developed photo in hot water for a few minutes loosens the adhesive that holds the emulsion to the paper backing, which can then be peeled off and the emulsion transferred to another matrix. Of course, there's a little more involved, so I've prepared a protocol, which you may adapt to fit your own conditions.
It's important to remember that this process is basically destroying the photo and if anything goes wrong, it's gone forever. So, immortalize the photo by scanning it, first, just in case.
Photo before transfer
Materials:
Peel-apart (packfilm) instant film (black and white or color)
Camera that shoots peel-apart film (Polaroid 440, for example)
Something interesting to photo
Two developing trays
Thermometer (not really necessary, but helpful)
Boiling water
Cold water (room temperature)
Matrix to transfer the emulsion to (watercolor paper, for example)
Small brush or sponge
Heavy books
Developing tongs
Paper towels
Procedure:
1. Take a photo or two or three and let dry for at least 24 hours.
2. Prepare the transfer paper to the desired size
3. Set out the trays onto clean kitchen counter or other stable, clean,
waterproof surface
4. Add cold water (room temperature) to the second tray
5. Boil water and add to the first tray
6. Immediately insert the first photo into the water and let sit for 2-4 minutes
or until the surface begins to bubble up
7. Transfer the photo to the cold water and start to work the emulsion up
from an edge of the paper
8. Once the emulsion begins to lift off, gently use both hands to peel the
emulsion off of the paper.
9. Spread out the emulsion and let sit in the water while you take the paper
backing out of the water.
10. Use your fingers or a small brush or sponge to pick up the loosened
adhesive and transfer to the watercolor paper; spread it around where the
photo will be placed. (This step is tricky because the adhesive is clear but feels
a little slimy)
11. Pick up the emulsion and use your hands to spread it out flat onto the
paper where the adhesive was applied. Use your fingers to remove the
bubbles from underneath, as they will prevent adherence and cause peeling.
12. Once you are happy with the emulsion placement, add another image if
you'd like, repeating the steps above.
13. Use a paper towel to gently blot excess water from the emulsion and
watercolor paper. This will help prevent excessive curling and warping as it
dries.
14. Once the paper is dry, cover the image with a paper towel or another piece
of watercolor paper and flatten using heavy books
15. Once try and flattened, check the emulsion for signs of curling or lifting. If
this happens and you aren't happy with the results, a clear, colorless adhesive
may be used in those areas.
Final artwork, Transfer I
This is the first one I ever did. As you can see, the adhesive had not completely loosened and the emulsion tore when removed from the backing. When left in the hot water long enough, it can be peeled off intact.
Once you have a better understanding of the process and integral steps involved, try tweaking the steps to fit your own ideas. Although I'm still working out the kinks, I am happy with the results, so far, and look forward to creating more using this process. Then, create a one-of-a-kind piece of art!
If this is a process with which you are familiar, leave any suggestions or comments below!
-Angela
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“Ori”=Folding; “Kami”=Paper
Seems simple, doesn’t it?
Think again. The art of origami is complex, mathematical, and technically ingenious. It’s amazing that with a little imagination and strategic folding, a piece of paper can become a beautiful work of art.
Traditionally, origami dates back to the 17th century as a Japanese art form. Most often, a square piece of paper is used, but nonconventional shapes are popular as well. Akira Yoshizawa is known as the father of the modern art of origami. In the early 1900s, he created many works with new techniques like wet folding and the Yoshizawa-Randlett diagramming system.
Origami figures may look extremely complex, which—to some extent—they are, but they are merely a combination of simple folding techniques. These basic folds are called valley and mountain folds, pleats, reverse folds, squash folds, and sinks.
Origami artists have reached a new level of craft and visibility today, such as Robert Lang. Lang has been creating origami art for over 40 years, and is highly regarded as one of the world's leading origami artists. His over 500 works combine intense mathematic precision with Eastern values of line and beauty. You can view his work HERE.
Robert Lang has also been featured in Smithsonian magazine in June of 2007. Click HERE for the article.
For a fun activity I recommend trying a little origami for yourself! Watch these Smithsonian videos from Asian Pacific American Heritage Month Family Day on how to make a paper butterfly, a bull, and more!
Visit the Smithsonian’s Sackler Gallery to make origami flowers on your own as part of the event, ImaginAsia: A Cornucopia of Flowers! (Sublevel 2)
Wednesday, July 21 @ 2 PM
Thursday, July 22 @2 PM
Saturday, July 24 @ 2 PM
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“The fact that people break down and cry when confronted with my pictures shows that I can communicate those basic human emotions…the people who weep before my pictures are having the same religious experience I had when painting them. And if you say you are moved only by their color relationships then you miss the point.”
—Mark Rothko
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