S+ART

Over, Under, Next: Experiments in Mixed Media, 1913-Present

          One of art’s ongoing assets is its ability to adapt; from social and economic reactions to those regarding aesthetics or ethical values.  Art’s evolution is both natural and necessary.  One such evolutionary leap is the incorporation of non-traditional media into the material vocabulary of fine art.  Whereas fine art once seemed restricted to material choices like stone, paint, ceramics, ink or pencil on paper, bronze, etc.; we now realize the expressive possibilities of discarded clothes, tallow, neon lights, butterfly wings, old radio broadcasts… even living snails.   Manufactured objects (re-discovered and vocal in their new contexts as works of art) alongside installations, assemblages, immersive sonic and film pieces inform our extensive modern lexicon of artistic potential in the Hirshhorn’s exhibition Over, Under, Next: Experiments in Mixed Media, 1913-Present.

Joseph Cornell, Medici Princess, 1952, paint, wood, photomechanical reproductions, glass, paper, string, cork, metal, plastic, and feather in glass-faced wood box. © The Joseph and Robert Cornell Memorial Foundation/Licensed by VAGA, New York, NY. From the Hirshhorn’s collection.

Edward Kienholz and Nancy Reddin Kienholz, Blue Duck Chair, galvanized sheet metal, wood, paint, resin, fresnel lens, mechanical reproduction, porcelain pn steel, brass, leather, and electric light, Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC

          The pieces in this exhibition are from the Hirshhorn’s permanent collection and offer an illuminating variety of material-based adventures that traverse subject matter and popular movements from the art world over the last century.  The broader commentary this exhibit seems to make regards the potential for material-specific expression in visual arts.  A collection of assemblages by Joseph Cornell illustrate the possibilities that found objects have in suggesting narrative content, as well as the allure of intimate specimen-like inquest in display and scale.  That presence of scale, with no reduction in narrative or involvement, is elaborated upon in Blue Duck Chair by Edward Kienholz and Nancy Reddin Kienholz, offering a suggestive surrealistic relationship of material and compositional decisions.  Memory of My Youth in the Mountains by Joseph Beuys poses some unique questions on material (albeit, from my perspective, mainly curatorial); composed from tallow, oil, wax, wood, metal and a carpenter’s rule, this piece calls attention to descriptive components based on the nature of the materials themselves.  This is to say, the materials have significance due to what they are, and not only because of their aesthetic or workable considerations.

Joseph Beuys, Memory of My Youth in the Mountains, wax, wood, metal, oil, and carpenter's rule, Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC

         Such queries into material choices and what implications can be made by media impart a curious subliminal layer to this exhibition.  Simply put, the inclusion of materials like these into our lexicon of art resources expands the vocabulary and potential dialogue of artistic expression.  Although this exhibit surveys the past century of material exploration, it respectfully represents the initial thrust of the continuing inventive material potential in art’s evolution.

This exhibition runs through September 8, 2013.  For more information, please visit: http://www.hirshhorn.si.edu/collection/home

-Bill Bridges

Jennie C. Jones: Higher Resonance

 

               The installation Higher Resonance by Jennie C. Jones at the Hirshhorn museum is a well-grouped, well-functioning installation which offers multiple experiences that respond to the pulse of the museum’s visitors.  Entering the space I was greeted by two wedge-shaped forms on my right; they were low in stature, made from laminated wood, partially covered in coarse dark felt with a neon yellow accent casting a reflection from one’s low corner toward their plinth.  The central space is flanked on two sides by rectilinear compositions partially covered with grey felt, which bear highlights of the afore-mentioned neon yellow, this time in noticeable paint-like medium (which doesn’t detract from the luminescence it casts on the museum’s white walls). 

               The soundscape for this installation consists of a pre-recorded soundtrack which Jones has constructed from re-appropriated excerpts of recordings, in addition to the Hirshhorn museum’s acoustic ambiance (which drifts in from the halls and fluctuates in clarity and volume as visitors enter and exit… some quietly, others not so much).  It turns out that the recorded portion is tempo-shifted and instrument-isolated samples Jones has chosen from experimental music compositions.  Selections from Alice Coltrane, Olly Wilson, Alvin Singleton and other African-American musicians over the past forty years contribute to this soundtrack. Expanding this sonic dialogue is the Hirshhorn’s alarm for patrons approaching too near to sculptures, which calls to mind the timbre of a high-pitched brass or woodwind note.  The material and compositional economy of the visual pieces effectively contrasted with the sonic elements, but not constantly- when the silent spaces of the recording correspond with a lull in the museum’s din, a quietude descended within which the visual pieces seemed omnipresent (perhaps to spite the afore-mentioned cacophony?).

Installation view of Directions: Jennie C. Jones: Higher Resonance at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Washington DC, 2013. Photo: Cathy Carver

               Assuming one enters from the right side of the installation as I did, exiting will afford the sight of three screen print compositions, which have staunch vertical linear qualities.  They possess a rhythm which I couldn’t help but feel carried over from the previous experience and helped to sublimate my transition back into a more typical version of reality.

               Further exploration of Jones’s work exposes inclinations rooted in identity, history and a concept steeped in active listening. The latter, perhaps, being why the installation acquires dynamic differences throughout the daily breaths of the museum’s crowd.  Furthermore, the works she displays are artifacts of the physical detritus which comes from music-making and recording (instrument cables, acoustic tiles, cassette cases, etc.).  These material choices carry metaphorical contexts regarding what and whom audiences deem acceptable in the worlds of art and music. The two of which, in Higher Resonance, are intrinsically linked.

               This exhibit runs through October 27, 2013.  For further information, please visit: http://www.hirshhorn.si.edu/collection/home/#collection=directions-jennie-c-jones

-Bill Bridges

 

Hand Held: Gerhard Pulverer’s Japanese Illustrated Books

Mass production has the potential to incite all sorts of prospects, challenges and developments in a society or culture; Kyoto Japan around the early 17^th century was no different.  The combination of woodblock printing and book binding ushered in the potential for effective manufacturing, distribution and convenience of printed information.  Combined with an idle literate warrior class (after all, it was a peaceful period) there became a demand for narrative, humorous and informative enrichment.  These circumstances led towards booms in publishing, artisanship and communication which survive in the collection of Dr. Gerhard Pulverer, currently on display in the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery.

Upon entering the exhibit, one is greeted by historical accounts of these events, in addition to the positive impact this technology and demand had on the developing city of Edo- whose name marks this period of Japanese history (1615-1868).  Poetry, illustration, narrative and erotica bore increased appeal and request, and were met with reprinted volumes of high quality and quantity.

    Hosoda Eishi, Onna sanju-rokkasen, 1801, woodblock printed; ink and color on paper,

Freer Gallery of Art Study Collection

 

Changes in audience, artistry and arrangement arose during this period.  No longer intended solely for the audience of the Kyoto imperial court, artisans offered simplified and illustrated versions of court literature, which broadened its appeal.  Foremost among such artisans in this exhibit is Katsushika Hokusai, who experienced great notoriety as an author and illustrator for poetry in this transformative period.

Katsushika Hokusai, Ehon Sumidagawa ryōgan ichiran, vol 2, 1805, woodblock printed; ink and color on paper; paper covers,

Freer Gallery of Art Study Collection

This collection of artistic heritage also illustrates the influence of Chinese on Japanese culture through informing and instructing painting styles, ceramics and metal working techniques; in addition to exemplifying Japanese craftsmanship in print making, book binding and paper making.  The quality of this collection resonates with the variety and vibrancy of the prints themselves, some of which seem like they could have been made yesterday, rather than over 200 years ago. 

This exhibit runs until August 11, 2013.  For further information, please see the Freer/Sackler Museums’ website:

http://www.asia.si.edu/exhibitions/current/hand-held.asp

-Bill Bridges

 

Roads of Arabia Dazzles at the Sackler

Funerary mask, Thaj, Tell al-Zayer, Saudi Arabia, 1st century CE, Gold. H x W: 17.5 x 13 cm. National Museum, Riyadh.

Few archaeological discoveries in recent years have so radically transformed the understanding of a region as have the objects on view in the Sackler Gallery’s exhibition Roads of Arabia. Mysterious stone steles, monumental human statues, haunting gold masks and finely forged bronze figures testify to Arabia’s largely unknown and remarkable history before the rise of Islam in the seventh century CE.

The exhibition’s earliest objects are anthropomorphic steles, or vertical slabs of stone used for commemorative purposes. They are among the earliest known objects from the Arabian Peninsula. Neolithic bladelets, arrowheads, bifaces, and scrapers testify to the technology that was in use even thousands of years ago.

This is just a glimpse into the wealth of fascinating and revealing artifacts on display at roads of Arabia. Come unearth the rest!

-Jen Schiller

The Sculptural Vase

A Smithsonian Associates Studio Arts Course

A student finishes the interior of her vase. Photograph by Jen Schiller.

 

Over the millennia, ceramic vases have served various purposes, depending on the culture. Some cultures used them only for utilitarian purposes, others for religious rites; and others as objects of beauty. For example, the Greek, Syrian, and Turkish cultures adapted their architectural traditions into vases. From the heads of gods to fully carved figures, these vases reflected a departure from the traditional ceramic vases decorated with painted brushwork decoration. In The Sculptural Vase, an 8-session course, students have the opportunity to create their own unique ceramic vase.

Sculptural Vase docent works on her project. Photograph by Jen Schiller.

I sat in on Tuesday’s session with Instructor Alfredo Ratinoff. He kicked off the class by bringing out color samples students had made the previous week. Color samples display how finish coats, layering, and the glazing process react to the kiln’s heat, allowing students to get a preview before committing to their entire project. For instance, Cobalt will appear dry blue by itself but becomes vivid blue with a top coat.  “The objective is to look at the variations you get with different materials,” says Ratinoff.

This student's vase will double as a garlic holder. Photograph by Jen Schiller.

"If you don't have samples, you don't have a good piece," he says. “Certain colors change drastically in temperatures of 2200 degrees. Samples remove the guesswork.” He also points out that the real kiln (a 12-hour process) gives a better glaze than the test kiln (2 hours) used for color samples. He compares the different outcomes to microwaving versus slow simmering a meal: The result is a much richer, more vibrant color.

 

-Jen Schiller

Directions: Antonio Rovaldi

The Opening Day. 2009. Digital video, looped. Courtesy artist and monitor gallery, Rome.

 

Italian multimedia artist Antonio Rovaldi lives and works in Milan, where frequent long distance walks and bike rides provide an open air studio for him to contemplate landscapes, space and distance. These elements are key to his drawings, sculpture, photography, performance, and video art.

Rovaldi uses two projectors for his video installation The Opening Day (2009), a looped performance of a pitcher taking aim at mass-produced ceramics.  The intangible arc of a fastball creates suspense, while surround sound and opposing screens submerge the audience in the action. The pitcher is dressed in full uniform and appears as focused as if he were on first base at a high stakes game. The viewer feels as if they are simultaneously a participant in the middle of the action and an invisible bystander on the sideline.

The pitcher reacts to either hitting or missing the ceramics, displaying a victorious open armed gesture when toppling a giant dog figure. Displayed as classical still life, the ceramics represent the traditional hierarchy of "high art" which has been shattered by moving-image work that was once considered to be outside the realm of fine art.

-Jen Schiller

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Dark Matters: Muek’s Big Man

Australian born sculptor Ron Muek’s style is described as hyperrealist, and that is no exaggeration.

Close-up of Untitled (Big Man). 2000. Pigmented polyester resin on fiberglass. Ron Mueck (Australian, b. Melbourne). Photograph by Jen Schiller.

His early work included model making and puppeteering for children’s television and films, notably the film Labyrinth. Mueck moved on to establish his own company in London, making photo-realistic props and animatronics for the advertising industry. Although highly detailed, these props were usually designed to be photographed from one specific angle hiding the mess of construction seen from the other side. Mueck increasingly wanted to produce realistic sculptures which looked perfect from all angles.

Untitled (Big Man). 2000. Pigmented polyester resin on fiberglass. Ron Mueck (Australian, b. Melbourne). Photograph by Jen Schiller.

In 1996 Mueck transitioned to fine art. His sculptures faithfully reproduce the minute detail of the human body but play with scale to produce disconcertingly jarring visual images. Currently on display at the Hirshhorn is Untitled (Big Man) – a giant, hairless, naked man crouched in the fetal position in the corner of the gallery. The piece is undeniably the most noticeable in the room, causing visitors to stop in their tracks and revel in the hyperrealism of every detail, from the translucent flesh to the cracked toenails. The artist uses pigmented polyester resin on fiberglass to achieve a realism that is grotesque and unsettling and purposefully so. As part of the show Dark Matters, Big Man relates to the solitude, threat, and emptiness of darkness. We naturally fear darkness as we fear loneliness, rejection, and violence. Big Man possesses all of these unnerving elements. His humanoid appearance, intimidating size, and dejected posture conjure up mixed feelings of empathy and fear; the viewer cannot help but ponder his or her own perceptions of beauty and acceptance.  

 

-Jen Schiller

 

A Re-Introduction to Watercolor

Instructor Daniels (Right) discusses student work. Photograph by Jen Schiller.

Instructor David Daniels of the Smithsonian Associates' Introduction to Watercolor class proves art is a never ending learning process. His mastery of watercolor allows students to gain new insight from each class section and build upon their knowledge. Daniels started the class with a review of student work from the previous week, making suggestions and commentary. Students approached their assignments differently; some displayed skill in photorealistic reproductions of their original photographs while others transformed landscapes into abstract, surreal interpretations.

Student Jonathon Paul creates photorealism with watercolor. Photograph by Jen Schiller.

 

 I never fail to learn something when I sit in on one of Daniels’ studio sessions. For instance, he advises students to steer clear of fugitive, or non-lightfast, hues. Students may find that these pigments disappear from their paintings in anywhere from 50-70 years thanks to UV damage. How can one circumvent this dilemma? By using glass or varnish with UV protection (however these can get expensive). The cheaper alternative: avoid red or pink, the most common victims.

 

Another tricky thing about watercolor is value, and that’s not how much your painting is worth – it’s the amount of light or dark in a particular pigment. Understanding value can improve the intensity and composition of your paintings. How can you affect value? To lighten a pigment you add water (allowing more light to pass through), and to darken it you can add a neutral tint, a compliment, or black. Color theory holds that neutral color contains no color, so adding more of it takes away the white paper’s ability to shine through, hence, darkening value.

 

-Jen Schiller

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Black Box: DEMOCRACIA

A video installation at the Hirshhorn

A Traceur performs stunts in a graveyard in Ser y Durar (2011), part of Black Box: DEMOCRACIA.

 

Ser y durar (To Be and to Last) is a 2011 video installation by DEMOCRACIA, Spanish duo Pablo España and Iván López. In the film a team of local traceurs (practitioners of the street sport parkour) perform stunts in a graveyard while wearing uniforms emblazoned with emblems that refer to the working class, internationalism, anarchy, secret societies, and revolution. The establishing shot is a still frame in which a posse of men bypass the camera, walking into the distance along a road under the broken shadows of trees. They travel like a hungry wolf pack on a mission to kill. Foreboding music and passing headlights suggest resistance—the men seem separate from the cars, the stationary camera, and the stable conventions of society.

 

Close-ups of the men’s uniforms at first provide little detail: the red costumes, sweatpants and masks that obscure their faces could be part of a sports team or a band of criminals. The use of a Tri-screen disorients the audience, sometimes working as one panoramic view and at other times displaying three separate shots, forcing the viewer to actively scan the room. Set on a gravesite, the men display incredible acts of strength and acrobatics; their stunts bring them literally and spiritually close to death. The acrobats are at once militant and acrobatic, with the strength of gymnasts and the wild fury of rebels. Their vitality, motion, bright red dress, and booming drumbeat provide a counterpoint to the bleak, gray stillness of their surroundings. A brick wall close-up reveals cracks and holes that perhaps house dangerous creatures, just as the brick wall of the government is cracked and the holes are the threat of revolutionaries like these men who seem to defy gravity and treat the stone surfaces as a springboard.

As the title implies, amid death the men continue to "be" and against cement opposition they assure their mission will "last." The final shot captures a tomb that reads "don't mourn my death. Instead go forward, on top of my tomb." This is what the traceurs do literally, promising a vengeance of the deceased through a mission of anarchy. 

-Jen Schiller

 

Sustaining & Creating at the Smithsonian

Holding His Own. Fiberglass resin. Dylan Guest. Photograph by Jen Schiller.

Sustaining/Creating features 15 emerging artists with disabilities, presenting work on the theme of sustainability. The exhibit features a wide spectrum of interpretations on sustainability, from the environmental to the cultural, from inward-looking to outward action, and from the individual to the masses.

Culminating in an exhibit at the Smithsonian Institution and a cash award totaling $60,000 sponsored by the Volkswagen Group of America, Sustaining/Creating validates young disabled artists at a critical time when they are deciding whether or not to pursue art as a career.  

Among the 15 artists is Naima Kazmi, 21, who describes her work as palpable, two-dimensional extensions of herself. Born in Pakistan and now residing in New York, she credits art as the sustenance that assists in her experience with bipolar disorder. The water lily that appears in her work is “…analogous to [her] being: it grows out of swamps, out of darkness, and grows beautifully.”

Dylan Guest, 18, is the $20,000 grand prize winner of this year’s juried exhibition. His fiberglass resin piece entitled Holding His Own features a row of figures leaning head-to-head against one lone counter-figure. Guest states this represents “the nature of each individual’s relationship to everyone else… the balance of each of us balanced by the rest of us. We all help to sustain one another.”

-Jen Schiller