3D Blackberry, Nancy

I have a friend who is majoring in 3D Animation at FIT and about a year ago he began to post some of his work on facebook. It may be just because he is my friend but his artwork always "stood out" to me. As you see this is a 3D picture of a blackberry. For some reason I always paid more attention to this image more than any of his other images. I think it is because we live in such a technological society and the 3D blackberry in the image is almost like a symbol of how we are dependent on our cell phones. About a month ago I went on a two week study tour with my tropical biology class to Costa Rica. I remember one of the professors that traveled with us said he was going to be so happy to get away from technology for a week. By the end of the trip he was using the laptop more than anyone else! I feel that cell phone usage and technology is so essential in our lives now that people use it to create sample artwork, like my friend in this picture.
But don't get me wrong, I feel like I can't live without technology either!

beauty then the beast. Hillary

This week in class we discussed basis of beauty in the contemporary art world. We looked at art pieces from various artists such as Marcel Duchamp, Andy Warhol, Damien Hirst, Jackson Pollock, and Dash Snow. Each of these artist's work supports the notion that conceptual and abject art reigns over traditional beauty.

Art has evolved from being a technical and vocational craft in the 16th century to being an undefinable craft. According to famous art critic and graphic designer, Milton Glaser, art can be defined as anything that evokes attentiveness. It is known that art is needed to define a culture and generation. With this said it can be understood that not all art is necessarily beautiful depending on what events happened in that era or the artist's life.

Art can be used to depict politics, or tormenting events, or simply the reality of everyday lonely life. This statement is supported by Dash Snow's blunt and revealing polaroids. After viewing Snow's photographs it can be said that grim and grit have replaced pretty models; reality over radiance. Beauty is no longer about symmetry or perfection, but it is whatever portrays the brutality of the world. The need to create a lasting social impact has changed the image of beauty from excellence to actuality. It has become necessary for art to acknowledge the bad side, shake us up, and open our eyes to deepen our engagement about what the world amounts to today.

Aberration #8. Hillary

After reading the online article titled What Makes Good Art by Margaret Livesey, I began to realize that just because a work of art may seem daunting, confusing, or bizarre upon initial interpretation that not all first impressions can withstand the presence of a thoughtful reconsideration.

During my research for contemporary art pieces I came upon the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago website. While searching through the current exhibitions I found the elements of photography, particularly photographs by Adam Ekberg. The photography titled Aberration #8 intrigued me and puzzled me at the same time. I was instantly drawn the bright blue and green color of the sun’s reflection. However, I could not place the setting of the photograph. My initial thought was that the photograph was taken under the sea looking up at the sky with seaweed infesting the water. Upon second glance I quickly realized the camera was facing up towards the sky with leaves from trees surrounding.

This photograph can seem too minimalistic, therefore baffling and possibly point-less. For the typical person using a camera, a photograph is meant to document a specific place or event or person, not an image that can evoke emotions or memories. After viewing the photograph numerous times I began to see the image as a symbolism for hope, instead of just a bright ring of blue light. The angle of the camera pointing optimistically at the bright and obviously sunny sky evoked memories of summer and feelings of relaxation. The work of art turned from frustrating to pleasing all due to reconsideration.

Adam Ekberg based this portfolio of aberrations off of lens-based phenomenon, such as the reflection of sunlight. Ekberg states that his images juxtapose banality with the phenomenal. This is shown through the ordinary and simple nature scene countered balanced with the bight ring of sunlight from camera shutter exposure.

Windswept

Monica Gaspo
Intro to Visual Arts
Windswept

Linzi Lynn grew up with a passion for theater. She went to theatrical school because her parents thought her way for finding drama in everyday life would make her a great performer. However, she found that her true passion was to correlate her love for theater and drama and reflect that through painting people and animals. She discovered this later in life after she was married and had a family. Her studies in theater taught her how to express and search for emotion in the outside world. Lynn is able to express drama in both deep and dark art work, and vivid and bright art work. She finds inspiration through other artists, her travel experiences and the people that she meets. Her way of expressing emotion through color makes is easy for her viewers to take away their own individual thoughts about the works.



Windswept is a limited edition canvas painting that has been on sale since 2008. Linzi Lynn is known for capturing emotions through vivid colors and distinct lines. This painting stood out to me for many reasons including the way in which the woman’s hair is blowing forward, and the extreme colors. I feel as though the artist is trying to express this woman as care free and emotional. This painting reminded me of the quote, “letting your hair down”. The woman looks as if she is letting go of her emotions that are shown through the colors in her hair. I also am observing that the woman’s skin is more muted colors than in her hair. I feel this was done on purpose to express specific emotions that the painter is trying to express. After taking in my first impression of this painting I feel as if there is a deeper meaning than just the expression of emotion. I feel as if she is trying to express movement and motion of the emotion. It feels as if the emotions are blowing off the woman. Her expression on her face seems serine and content, as if she was able to realize why things have happened to her.
Linzi Lynn’s paintings are all original and dramatic. They are meant to form emotion through color and lines. This is different from other artist, which contains many objects in their paintings because Lynn usually uses only one object full of color and drama. Her paintings are modern and contemporary and are focused on feeling and passion. Lynn’s way of using both her talents, painting and theater, makes it possible for her to create paintings that express a certain emotion at a specific moment in time. She cycles through inspiration sometimes being dark and exaggerated, and currently being vibrant and extremely expressive.