The installation was a huge success. We were all able to pull the weight and have a finished product. I was honestly surprised by how cohesive the piece looked. The yarns draped beautifully across the wall without looking like a craft project. This was definitely a learning experience for each of us. Because so much of this had to be completed out of class time, we had to figure out time management fast.

It was rewarding to see all the people who came out to see the work. The different installations in the gallery brought variety to the environment. Working collaboratively is a daunting task and I very much dislike it. This one worked out for the better.

Wide view of Inner-Twined installation

The installation project for us is going well. We were somewhat confused at the beginning because we had never created an installation out of nothing before. As we developed the idea of personal space the pieces fell into place to get started. We chose to work on sheets of Mylar paper because of their versatility. We are making the base drawing out of litho crayons and then adding fiber materials for texture. Some of the images will be realistic while others will be abstract. Mine will be abstract with objects floating in space rather than having a solid floor. Once we finish our individual pieces, they will be combined by attaching yarns. Where on the drawings they will be connected is still in discussion.

For the cardboard assignments I created two icosahedrons. This is my favorite geometric shape because of its simplicity. To make it I made an equilateral triangle and traced it onto sheets of cardboard. I used regular masking tape to assemble them. I see a lot of potential for this construction later in the class. These can be easily painted and assembled into something really interesting. Many more shapes can obviously be made with the equilateral triangles. If I were to paint them a glossy white they could be mantle decorations. I could also make a mold of them and cast beeswax into them, creating candles. I think the most over the top design would be making soap bars out of this pointy sphere.

Brittany and I collaborated on the installation assignment. We decided to to use yarn as the material. Our location was behind Rowe on some strangely shaped roots. We strung bright orange yarn across the roots in a geometric pattern. It was very reminescent of the cats cradle game. There was little to no concept behind the work; it was designed with aesthetics. Passer byes seemed very interested and admired the angular lines contrasting the natural environment. The piece survived 50mph winds from a storm a few days later. However it did deteriorate and was ultimately taken down. The installation was a success with the public.

Madoka is a Japanese artist living in Osaka. Her main subject matter is people in manga styled paintings. The people don’t appear to be anyone in particular but rather just tropes of manga characters. The heads and eyes are massive in comparison to the rest of her body. What makes her style so unique is how solid her color is. It looks like a digital drawing printed on canvas. In order to get the crispness of lines she masks off areas, working one color at a time. She will then peel off the tape and tape off a new section. The labor of love produces wonderfully graphic paintings. She updates her YouTube channel with current projects and shows you her process.

She exhibits her work a couple times a year around Japan. Most shows seem to take place in Osaka and Tokyo. She sells original pieces, books, prints, and some novelty products on her website.

Her Official Website

Her Blog

YouTube Channel

Jenny Saville is a talented painter born in Cambridge, England 1970. She likes to focus on the human form and all of its flaws. Her pieces glorify the body in its strangeness and variety. Her painting titled, “Plan” is a great example of her style of subject matter. She touched on the idea of liposuction and the reasons behind it. She enjoyed seeing the marks (like surgery marks) as a map. The lines draw over the topography of the skin giving it geography in a sense. The head of the figure is also hers. She inserted herself to be involved in this idea of self-examination; she is part of the work. “Plan” is a very intimate painting taking the idea of female beauty standards and standing them on their head. The idea of abundance and a mature physique is not recognized in mainstream media. She depicts large women sensually and in power of themselves.

I enjoy the social critique of the majority of her work. There is a long and introspective thought process when you see her work. Something you have been told is sinful and gluttonous is now natural and desirable.

Gagosian.com

Wikipedia Article

Oneonta.edu

John Sargent was an exceptional portrait painter born in Florence, Italy. He became the center of controversy when he exhibited his piece Madame X in the Paris Salon. He painted Madame Pierre Gautreau in a very revealing dress (for the time). He did paint other scantily dressed women but Madame X gained the most attention. Because of such criticism, he failed to make an established living as a painter in France. He relocated to England to gain a new, unbiased audience. His work quickly became popular and he became the country’s leading portrait painter. He eventually sold Madame X to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. In his older years he experimented with different styles such as impressionism and landscapes (with no figures). Though he created a wide body of work he is still known as one of the worlds best portrait painters.

http://www.metmuseum.org/collection/the-collection-online/search/12127

http://www.johnsingersargent.org/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portrait_of_Madame_X