The week of installation slowly progressed from confusing to exciting. On Monday, we came in thinking that the yarn installation would be much more clear cut and simple than we had anticipated. I think we were all a little frustrated, since we were not exactly sure what we had gotten ourselves into. Personally, I was frustrated since I thought working with yarn would be much easier, and I couldn’t even make  a simple braid in under 30 minutes.

However, by the end of the day, our I think we worked really well together by expressing our opinions with the group, and eliminating and providing our ideas. By Wednesday, we had a much more clear cut idea with incorporating the hoop, and from there, it was simply installing and attaching the strings to the ceilings, walls, and hoops. Ultimately, I was incredibly impressed with how our group meshed and what the installation grew to be. I really loved how the concept were captured and that each group member played their part.

This week, I was finally able to work on my lithography drawing.The concept of the show is making portraits of ourselves in our most private living spaces- the places where we can feel most like ourselves. I started with the image of me lying in my bed, the place that I can feel completely comfortable.

My favorite thing about this medium is the lack of control of the lithography crayon mixed with water. I figured it would be best to accept the drips and let it take over the drawing to some extent. The next issue I had to tackle was incorporating the yarn. I was hesitant to begin with the fear of it ruining the look of the piece. I also needed to find a way to tie the yarn into the concept, so Hollis suggested I go with a dreamy feel. I began weaving the yarn into the vellum so that it would look as if colorful dreams were coming from my head. I really liked how it started to turn out.

The first week, our group decided to focus all of our energy on the yarn portion of our project, since we didn’t have the drafting vellum yet. We allotted each person 3 feet by 5 feet of vellum and took a trip to the gallery to see whose piece could go where.

My main goal for that day was to figure out how to do stitch my yarn into the vellum. I have no prior experience with fibers so it took me several tries to get the hang of it. At the beginning I was having issues with the vellum tearing or crinkling up when I poked the needle through, but after a while I got a little better at it. Heather taught me how to do the running stitch, so that is what I stuck with. Even though the trial piece is not much to look at, I was still proud of myself for hanging in there and forcing myself to learn something new and not give up.

My visit to the McColl Center was definitely a different experience than I expected it to be. This was my first visit there so I was excited to see the venue, which was beautiful on the inside and out. However, I was not a fan of how crowded it was. Once my husband and I fought through the crowd and found our way up the stair, it seemed to get much less crowded. This was where I really enjoyed looking at the different styles of art.

I really enjoyed the artist who did woodwork and created really interesting portraits. I also enjoyed being able to see Hollis’ work in person. One of the things I appreciated most was the amount of detail that went into each drawing. I think my favorite piece was the large grid of small drawings documenting natural disasters. I really love intensely detailed pen work, and these drawings definitely satisfied my need for cross-hatching.

Oh, and on a side note, the food was delicious, which is always a plus for me.

By: Morgan Goodrum and Javier Collado

For our installation project, we got our inspiration from the tv show, Dexter. In the show, the main character is a blood splatter analyst who is able to figure out the trajectory of the blood, therefore determining where the victim was hit. We decided that we wanted to create a murder scene where we imagine someone had been stabbed in the Rowe courtyard.

Unfortunately, our less than ideal materials did not lend itself well to out desired concept. The string kept on getting loose under the electrical tape, and the electrical tape did not want to stick to the dirty brick. However, we worked with what we had and attempted to create interesting organic shapes with the tape, while contrasting the bright yellow lines of the yarn. I think if we had more prepared with better materials and more time, the installation could have turned out great, but overall, we weren’t pleased with the end result.

Edgar Mueller is German born artist who specializes in the art of street painting. Growing up, he got inspiration from urban art around him walking to school. Eventually, he earned the coveted title of “master street painter”. He now travels the world transforming streets and holding workshops.

Mueller showcases his talent with these ultra-realistic depictions of landscapes on different streets all around the world. He is able to completely transform a space with the simple swipe of chalk. His expert use of perspective causes the viewer to feel unexplainable and almost laughable fear. Even viewing these artworks on a computer makes my heart skip a beat. Take a look at a few of his sidewalk transformations.

However, with a few steps to the left or to the right, the art transforms completely. The beauty and mastery of Mueller is his ability to create these masterpieces from one perspective.

Imagine walking down the street and seeing this!

http://www.metanamorph.com/

Blu is an Italian street artist, who currently lives in Bologna, Italy. He is best known for his large scale murals usually in urban and industrial areas. These massive artworks are often in response to political and socialistic controversies. One of his most famous works is culminated in the silent film, “Muto”. It took months to film, and was completed throughout the streets of Buenos Aires, Argentina. This film has garnered much attention, resulting in millions of views online, and several awards.

The beauty of his work is the ability to transform a common space into something that tells a story. It forces people to stop and look at something, that otherwise would have been less than ordinary and boring. The sheer scale of his murals is enough to make viewers stop and stare. When he chooses to begin a mural, he completely changes the space around it.

http://www.streetartbio.com/#!blu/c91a

Charlotte Mann is a British artist who is known for her intricate wall drawings. She was born in 1977 in London, where she eventually became a fashion designer and stylist. This is where her drawing installations began to take form, as she combined these elaborate drawings with her fashion shows.

Each drawing is completed exclusively in black marker. The images she creates begin to take form as the delicate pen begins to cover up the blank white wall. She is able to give the illusion of space with her pen work, even though there is really only a wall there. Her use of line weight makes each artwork have its own sense of space.

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Paul Cadmus was an American born artist known for his highly erotic and photo realistic depictions of men. Cadmus was first recognized because of his painting “The Fleet’s In!”- a controversial depiction of the American Navy. The painting was filled with highly sexualized depictions of sailors and women and homosexual undertones. The scandal generated a great amount of publicity for Cadmus. He continued to create paintings without the fear of offending the public. His 1935 painting, “Coney Island” was included in a show at the Whitney Museum of American Art, and generated the same amount of buzz. The Coney Island residents threatened to sue if it was not removed.

His later work includes intensely detailed sketches of lounging men. The use of crosshatching allows the figures to leap off of the page, and his incredible knowledge and accuracy of the human anatomy leaves the viewer to almost believe the drawing is alive. Here are some examples:

http://www.notablebiographies.com/supp/Supplement-Ca-Fi/Cadmus-Paul.html

http://www.artnet.com/artists/paul-cadmus/

http://www.dcmooregallery.com/artists/paul-cadmus#9