S+ART

Be a part of the 2012 Folklife Festival

       

Demonstration of Peace Corps mud cloths, Photo from 2011 Smithsonian Folklife Festival. Themes in 2011 Festival included: Colombia, Peace Corps, and Rhythm and Blues.

 

Celebrating 46 years, the annual Smithsonian Folklife Festival is bringing traditional performances, live music, authentic cuisine, crafts, story tellers and more from various communities and cultures to the National Mall (beginning on Wednesday, June 27- Sunday, July 1 and Wednesday, July 4 - Monday, July 8).  

What is this festival, you ask?

The Smithsonian Folklife Festival is a national and international exhibition of living cultural heritage, treasured and celebrated annually on the National Mall, taking place for two weeks every summer. Nearly every festival has drawn more than one million visitors. One great perk of the festival, is the free admission! The festival is typically organized into three focuses, featuring a nation, region, state, or theme. This year’s programs include three diverse ranges of cultural experiences:

Citified: Arts and Creativity East of the Anacostia River:

Presented in partnership with the Smithsonian's Anacostia Community Museum, the program celebrates the art and creativity of schools, churches, community organizations, business and other residential and local venues of the neighborhoods in Anacostia. Identity is expressed through an eclectic range of arts and cultural activities, such as African dancing and drumming, storytellers, hip-hop dancing, comedians, demonstrations of tattoo art and much more!

 

AIDS Memorial Quilt on the National Mall

 

Creativity and Crisis: Unfolding the AIDS Memorial Quilt:

This year marks the 25^th anniversary of The AIDS Memorial Quilt and 30 years of life with AIDS. This year’s program features the unfolding of the 47,000 hand-sewn panels of the AIDS Memorial Quilt, craft demonstrations, dance and musical performances, interactive discussions, and other activities that bring together individual and communities to remember loved ones. The quilt will be on display on the National Mall and at more than 40 other locations from July 21-25.

Campus and Community:

This year’s Folklife Festival celebrates the 150^th anniversary of the founding of land-grant universities and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which partners with communities putting research into action in the areas of agriculture and food, health care, sustainable living, and education. The events featured include hands-on activities, demonstrations, and discussions.

For more general info on the festival and to learn about past festivals go to:

http://www.festival.si.edu/visitor/general.aspx

http://dc.about.com/od/specialevents/a/FolklifeFest.htm

Enjoy!

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 ~Margaret McClung

Photo of the Day

Aerial I, Production still from Shadow Sites II, Jananne al-Ani (Iraq, b. 1966), 2011, Single-channel digital video, Courtesy of the artist

Coming soon in August 2012, Shadow Sites: Recent Work by Jananne al-Ani at the Sackler Gallery. Al-Ani presents a new body of video works, inspired by archival archaeological and aerial photographs of the Middle Eastern landscape. Mark it on your calendars!

 

Bigger and Bolder than Ever

 
 Barbara Kruger, Untitled (No), from the Untitled Portfolio, 1985, photo-offset lithograph and serigraph on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase.

 

  

Barbara Kruger, Untitled (Longer), from the Untitled Portfolio, 1985, photo-offset lithograph and serigraph on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase.

 

Barbara Kruger, Untitled (Heard) from the Untitled Portfolio, 1985, photo-offset lithograph and serigraph on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase.

 

For those of you familiar with artist Barbara Kruger, you may already know the powerful effect of the large scale, bold language and conflicting messages consistent in her works. The past exhibit, Multiplicity at The Smithsonian American Art Museum featured Kruger’s piece Untitled, (We will no longer be seen and not heard) among other contemporary prints. In this work, Kruger took the text “We will no longer be seen and not heard” and composes 9 individual prints which come together as one visually stimulating piece. Kruger creates an unavoidable, overwhelming presence in her works by enlarging images and text as well as addressing broader issues of democracy, gender, power and belief.

If you missed Kruger’s piece in the Multiplicity exhibit, have no fear, for another loud, large and provoking installation of hers will soon be on display at The Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden. Coming to the museum in summer 2012, Barbara Kruger: Belief + Doubt will take over the entire space of the Hirshorn’s lower level lobby. Literally, the entire space. This site-specific installation will cover the walls, floors, escalator sides and bookstore, using text printed white vinyl letters against fields of black and red. So, there’s no escaping the mass messages of this work. The title of the installation, “Belief + Doubt” came from Kruger’s interest of introducing thoughts of doubt to the public. These doubts come in form of big bold open-ended questions like “WHO IS BEYOND THE LAW? WHO IS FREE TO CHOOSE? WHO SPEAKS? WHO IS SILENT?” Kruger is exploring several themes that affect a whole range of viewers, from the individual, the museum, and representatively, the country. Kruger is blatantly suggesting that these questions should not be ignored and from the looks of the new installation, it seems that Kruger has successfully captured our attention.   

Want to see more? Check out past exhibits of Kruger’s:

http://americanart.si.edu/exhibitions/online/multiplicity

http://whitney.org/WhitneyOnSite/Kruger

http://spruethmagers.net/exhibitions/248@@overview

http://www.moca.org/pc/viewArtWork.php?id=35

http://hammer.ucla.edu/newsblogs/?tag=barbara-kruger

Enjoy! 

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~Margaret McClung

From One Artist to Another: Tips for your Website

                  
 

Once you’ve decided on your hosting site, the exciting part of customizing your site begins! There really is no right/wrong starting point, as long as you have a pretty clear idea of how you want to organize your site, then everything else will follow suit. However, there are some key ingredients to making a cohesive, easy to navigate site, so your viewers, potential clients, or employers won’t feel lost in cyber space. 

Start with the basic pages on your site.

Your Home page makes the first impression on your viewer. Viewers will be expected to see your art work here, so include one nice high resolution image of a single work. I have seen many artists’ sites that include self portraits or pictures of themselves. Either way you want to include something, the choice is yours. This is, after all a visual arts page.

The next one, which should come to you with ease, is your Artist Bio/Statement:

Simply, introduce yourself. Since this site is a reflection of your art and thought process as an artist, let your personality seep through. After thoroughly searching one artist’s site after the other, I have observed that the more engaging sites are from artists that not only impress me with their talents but also keep their bio’s and statements interesting and captivating. I don’t mean stretch the truth about what you studied in school, exhibit history or work experience, but somehow make it sound not as formal as you would in an interview. Secondly, your Artist Statement should always be included somewhere on your site, whether it’s on the home page or a separate page.

Where’s the art work?

 Now, you need to focus most of your time on formatting, organizing and uploading the digitalized images of your works. Sometimes your site will crash or temporarily freeze, but when the site has decided to cooperate and be user friendly, your pictures should be easy to find and of great quality. It’s the smallest details and little quirks that can really affect the overall quality of your site.

So, to avoid confusion:

Make sure viewers are able to enlarge the size of the smaller icons. You think this wouldn’t be a problem, but I have come across a couple of sites that only include tiny icons of the works, so go big! Also, it’s not a bad idea to incorporate a slideshow with your works, so your viewers can really gain a sense of your style and progression.

Itemize your works! Even, if you have a large quantity of portraits but maybe only a couple of landscapes, still keep them separate. It gets too confusing going through sites and seeing all different subjects mixed up. Each area of focus is unique so honor this by creating individual pages.

Lastly, you want to always include a contact page. This is a given, especially for those commercial artists out there. Most hosting sites will already have this formatted for you, with a comment box and optional facebook/twitter addition. On this page, you can discuss further your pricing info and whether you welcome commissions or not.

 Remember, Every last detail counts!

Check out some of the featured artists websites listed on these hosting sites for inspiration:

mosaicglobe.com

artspan.com (which also separates artists by medium)

mesart.com

 artsearch

Please give us feedback/ leave your comments!

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 ~Margaret McClung

Redscale Technique

Player, photo by Jennifer Wade

 

Another film technique-turned-filter is redscale, in which color (C-41) film is exposed backwards through the base of the film, not the emulsion. 

 

Color film consists of layers of light-sensitive emulsion applied to an acetate or polyester base, with each layer corresponding to a wavelength of visible light - blue, green, and red.  The blue layer, which has the shortest wavelength of the three (380–450 nm), is exposed first, followed by green (495–570 nm), and then red (620–750 nm).  Between the blue and green layers is a yellow filter, which removes the blue light to which all of the layers are sensitive (it's an aspect of silver-based emulsion). 

 

No Trespassing, photo by Jennifer Wade

 

When the film is placed in the camera and exposed "correctly", the red emulsion layer is the last to be hit by light.  When the film is wound backwards in a canister so that it is upside down when loaded in the camera, the red layer is the first to be exposed, followed by the green layer.  The yellow filter prevents the passage of the blue light, which leaves the blue layer unexposed and left out of the resulting image.  This causes a red-heavy color-shift that ranges from maroon to orange and yellow, depending on the film brand and type.  Blue is still visible in the image since the other emulsion layers are also slightly-sensitive to blue light.

 

Redscale is available commercially or may be made by rewinding a roll of color film backwards into a new canister.  When using the redscale technique, overexpose each shot by one or two stops for correct exposure and to achieve the color-effect that you desire. 

 

 

Faregates, photo by Jennifer Wade

 

 

 

Bike and Football, photo by Jennifer Wade

 

All photographs were taken by Jennifer Wade using redscale film.

  

-Angela

Bay Area Artists: Diebenkorn's Expression

           
Richard Diebenkorn, Man and Woman in a Large Room, 1957, Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, Gift of the Joseph H. Hirshhorn Foundation, 1966.

 

Not that I have a particular favorite among the Bay Area Figurative Artists, but I do think the vast range of works by Richard Diebenkorn are worth discussing. Diebenkorn, like many artists of the time, went back and forth between subjects, from figure painting in the mid 1950s to abstraction paintings of landscapes in 1967. Throughout his career, Diebenkorn always stayed true to his belief of rendering representational forms and traditional values like beauty, harmony and order. Diebenkorn often cited Henri Matisse as inspiration, mimicking his lush color, use of pattern, window panes, and interest in the contrast of indoor with outdoor light.

In his figurative works, Diebenkorn liked to paint figures in an austere setting, with defined geometric shapes and flat compositions. Similar in style to Bay Area Artists, Elmer Bischoff and David Park, Diebenkorn carried on this new approach to figurative painting. Then, Diebenkorn switched his focus to landscapes, where the same elements of design were utilized but expanded. He painted in flat plains of color, drawing interest in horizontal-vertical grids, architecture and nature.

 

“I want a painting to be difficult to do. The more obstacles, obstructions, problems, the better” ~ Richard Diebenkorn

 

 

Richard Diebenkorn, Ocean Park #111, 1978, Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, Museum purchase, 1979.

 

 

Richard Diebenkorn, Ocean Park, No. 6, 1968, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Arthur J. Levin in memory of his beloved wife Edith.

 

Diebenkorn dedicated much of his career to painting these abstract expressionist landscapes. After he moved to Ocean Park, Southern California in 1966, he began his large series, “Ocean Park”. This series spanned two decades of the artist’s life, and included 145 paintings and 500 works on paper. “Ocean Park” illustrates the connection between place and painting, but for Diebenkorn it was more about discovering a new geometry and palette in his work, thus giving the faintest real- world references.

I hope you have the chance to see at least one of Diebenkorn’s paintings. When viewed up close, you can make out the activity of the brush, translucency and texture of the paint. You really gain a sense of Diebenkorn’s energy and passion for painting. Here are some Museums to look into:

For those of you that may have the opportunity to venture to the west coast, the Orange County Museum of Art currently presents, Richard Diebenkorn: The Ocean Park Series (through May 27, 2012). The show features approx. 80 works, consisting of paintings, prints, drawings, and collages. Good news! The traveling exhibit will make its way to The Corcoran Gallery of Art , here in DC on June 30- Sept 23, 2012.  Mark it on your calendars!

You can also visit the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden to see some of Diebenkorn’s works in the museums’ permanent collection. Explore the collections online:

SAAM- http://americanart.si.edu/collections/search/

 HMSG- http://www.hirshhorn.si.edu/collection/home/#collection=collection-search

Are you a fan of Diebenkorn’s works or would like to learn more? Please let us know by leaving your comments!

 

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 ~Margaret McClung

Can't Get Enought of Ai Weiwei

 

Fragments, Ai Weiwei (China, b. 1957) 2005,  Iron wood (tieli), tables, chairs, parts of beams and pillars from dismantled temples of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911),  Courtesy of the Sigg Collection

 

Several works by prolific Chinese artist Ai Weiwei are filling up space inside and outside of Smithsonian museums. As I mentioned in a previous post, Weiwei’s outdoor sculpture, Circle of Animals/Zodiac Heads is currently situated around the fountain in the central plaza of the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden. In addition to this piece, two more exhibits of Weiwei’s works will be presented. On view at the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery is Ai Weiwei’s “Fragments” and another exhibit coming in October is “Ai Weiwei: According to What?” which will  be on view at the Hirshhorn Museum.  

On view in the U.S. for the first time, “Fragments”,  part of the Sackler Gallery’s contemporary series, “Perspectives” explores the role of past tradition in the middle of the fast pace reality of modern day China. Just as it appears, “Fragments”, is constructed of disassembled pieces of iron wood pillars and beams, but what you wouldn’t know from first glance is that the pieces of wood have been salvaged from several dismantled Qing dynasty temples. Weiwei created this large-scale, chaotic complex with the intention to bridge the relationship of the ancient past with the present. In the literal sense, Weiwei successfully accomplishes this by using ancient artifacts in his contemporary structure. Another aspect is Weiwei’s deliberate positioning of poles, which illustrates the borders of the map of china. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to capture this, since the map of China is revealed from an aerial view.

 

 
Detail, Fragments, Ai Weiwei (China, b. 1957) 2005, Iron wood (tieli), tables, chairs, parts of beams and pillars from dismantled temples of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), Courtesy of the Sigg Collection, Installations view at the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, 2012, Photo: Hutomo Wicaksono

 

Don’t pass up the chance to see this larger than life sculpture for yourself. Opened to the public till April 7, 2013 “Fragments” is on view on the first floor of The Sackler and cannot be missed! Soon, we will be presented with the opportunity to view all three exhibits of Weiwei’s simultaneously. I believe that this will be a very valuable experience. As viewers we can make similar connections between his different installations, while gaining new knowledge. I hope you are looking forward to seeing all three shows as much as I am!

In relation to Ai Weiwei’s exhibits, the Smithsonian Residents Program will feature the seminar, The Artist as Dissident: China's Ai Weiwei on Thursday, June 7 at 6:45pm.

Enjoy!

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~Margaret McClung

Cross-Processing

       
         Fuji Velvia,  ISO 100, cross-processed as C-41, Photo by Angela Kleis

 

I always like to keep a few rolls of color film, both negative and positive, in the refrigerator, just in case.  One thing I sometimes like to do when I shoot slides, particularly with certain cameras, is to have them cross-processed as negatives. 

 

Cross-processing, or X-pro, is a technique that involves processing (developing) one type of film in the wrong chemicals, most commonly developing E6 slide (positive) film in C-41 chemicals meant for color negative film.  Switching up the chemistry in this way results in color shifts with higher contrast and saturation, which are even more off-set by the presence of any light leaks in the image.  The results are unpredictable and vary based on the film brand and film type, as well as the camera used, the subject, and the exposure conditions.  Bright colors outdoors on sunny days have produced the most interesting results for me.  

 

 

 Fuji Velvia, ISO 100, cross-processed as C-41, Photo by Angela Kleis

  

 

Fuji Provia, ISO 400, cross-processed as C-41, Photo by Angela Kleis

 

The reverse can also be applied to color negative film processed in E6 chemicals, which generally yields flat, muddy images with little contrast resulting from the orange-colored base of color negative film.  Over-exposing the film by one to two stops and then pushing the film another one to two stops during processing can help to overcome the fog and increase contrast, if you're feeling experimental.  Be sure to explain your needs to the processing lab and be prepared to pay extra for both pushing and cross-processing. 

 

Next time you have an extra roll of color slide film and feel experimental, consider brighter, more colorful subjects and ask the lab to cross-process.  The service usually cost a few dollars more and the results are fun, unexpected, and a bit of a surprise - just like film, itself.

 

-Angela

Quote of the Day

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:NGC_Maman.JPG

 

"My childhood has never lost its magic, it has never lost its mystery, and it has never lost its drama. All my work in the past 50 years, all my subjects, have found their inspiration in my childhood."  

 ~ Louise Bourgeois

Bay Area Artists: Capturing the Figure

      
David Park, Woman with Red Mouth, 1954-55, Oil on Canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Bequest of Edith S. and Arthur J. Levin.

From past and present art movements, it is more common than not to see friendships develop among artists seeking a similar concentration and challenge in their art. One tightly bound circle of friends emerged in San Francisco, CA in the 1950’s. Sparked by leader David Park , artists Elmer Bischoff, Richard Diebenkorn, Nathan Oliveira, Paul Wonner, Joan Brown  and Theophilus Brown came to be recognized through their art as the Bay Area Figurative artists.

The Bay Area Artists sprung up during a time when the art scene in New York City was on the rise and the Abstract Expressionist style was being embraced by many recognizable painters such as Jackson Pollock and Willem de Kooning. These San Francisco based artists separated themselves apart from the east coast by joining forces and manipulating the idea of Abstract Expressionism with shallow pictorial space, candid brushwork, and a different figurative style.

Leader of the pack, David Park, christened the Bay Area Figurative Art movement in a 1951 exhibit with his painting, "Kids on Bikes", which was awarded a prize and admired for it’s exaggerated texture and success in capturing the child’s apathetic expression. Later in his career, Park was recognized for his portraits of anonymous figures, as seen above in his painting, Woman with Red Mouth. Following in Parks footsteps was Elmer Bischoff, the next artist to place great emphasis on gestural brushstrokes and contrasts of dark and light in his rendering of the figure. Bischoff commented on his work, that he “wanted to create a world and to create people in that world who are more timeless”.

  

Elmer Bischoff, Two Bathers, 1960, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of S.C. Johnson & Son, Inc.

 As you may have already detected, I am a huge fan of the Bay Area artists, specifically of Bischoff’s work.  His painting, Two Bathers, which is currently on view at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, is vividly expressive with a dominating cool vs. warm color palette and thick clusters of brushstrokes. Bischoff, like the other artists of this movement wanted to keep landscapes and figures referential but distinctly expressive and unproven with the suggestion of movement, color and space.

Tune in next time, for another Bay Area Art blog on the rendering of landscapes.

Feeling inspired? Let us know by leaving your comments!



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~Margaret McClung