Dan Webb

Dan Webb, a Cornish alumni, carves highly realistic wooden sculptures. Webb starts from large pieces of wood and appears to have a clear idea of what it is that he is going to create before he begins to carve. Each sculpture is unpainted with the exception of two pieces which have a varnish over top of them giving them a shine while still showcasing the intricacies of the wood. Each piece seems to be addressing the dichotomy of time and fleeting moments that we all experience. Nostalgia also appears to run through some of his work. The first piece that is seen when entering his solo exhibit at the Bellevue Art Museum is a vintage school desk with gobs of gum (actual gum) stuck to underside of the desk. When viewing Webb's work it is impossible not to notice the supreme amount of detail and skill that is required to complete it. Webb explains that his inspiration comes from his personal life and his style of carving comes from traditional American wood carving (which is how he explained his use of chain carvings).

The piece that I was most drawn to was Sleeper which is carved, unpainted fir. It is encased in glass and on a pedestal. Its dimensions are 11x 28 x22 in. It is delicately carved to such detail that the only implication that it is not actually a pillow is the fact that it is clearly wood and it is among other sculptures of carved wood. If this piece were to be lying on a bed, I might believe that it was a pillow with a wood pattern pillowcase. When asked about his inspiration, he spoke of the moment just after his son got up from bed and the imprint of his head remained on the pillow for only a few brief moments before the pillow reshaped itself. He spoke of wanting to capture that moment and other similar fleeting moments. It’s as if he didn't think it was fair that moments like that didn't last longer. So, he decided to make that moment last forever through his art. What is also interesting about this piece is the fact that pillows are soft and lightweight by nature, and wood is the complete opposite as far as material. To transform wood in such a way as to capture the essence of a pillow by accurately shaping it to generate the illusion of weightlessness is a feat. Interestingly enough it is the only piece that I desperately wanted to touch out of all the pieces because everything about it defied what I know of the world and of wood and pillows. 

Pablo Helguera

Pablo Helguera's work is heavily time based, experimental and socially driven. In the first project that he describes, Vita Vel Regula (Rules of life), Helguera created a game that is to last nearly 100 years. He collected 50 participants who were of various ages younger than him (the purpose being that they would likely outlive him). The first 25 participants were people that were close to him in his personal life and the last 25 would be volunteers. Each participant would be given 16 envelopes labeled with specific opening dates and instructions with the first envelope to be opened on March 1st, 2013 and the last envelope to be opened on November 23rd, 2097. Also included among the envelopes is one that is to be opened in the inevitable event of his passing. Because of its lengthy duration, Helguera identifies this piece as his last work of art, even though he will be continuing to create work after the commencement of this game. 

Helguera makes it clear that even though he is in artist, he sees himself standing on the edges of it. More than any medium or “way of making art” he is deeply interested in people and relationships. He is interested in the narratives we create and contrasting world views. Through his work, Helguera not only wants to understand human connections and relationships and how/why they happen, but he also wants to make them happen on a deeper level. He is fascinated by the idea of a shared experience and how it connects people. He focuses on this idea and similar ones throughout most of his lecture.

It seems that his fascination with people and societal norms may stem from his background as an educator. He seems to have a clear understanding of how people learn and how they develop attachments and his work seems to be asking questions to people to see if he can reveal the same truths to them. A good example of this would be his project, The Seven Bridges of Konigsberg where he generated his own set of tarot cards. As somewhat of a social experiment, he would sit people down and given them their tarot reading with cards that he essentially made up. By telling these people that the card was significant to a particular part of their life, the people made an inevitable attachment to that image.

In the final project that Helguera described, he gave a brief description of the story that inspired it which is called Wakefield by Nathanial Hawthorne. In this project he explored the idea of seeing the world without ourselves in it. He was inspired to create this piece because of the feeling of loss as an artist when he had a child. He assumed that he would not be an artist anymore and that he would be a father instead. By creating this piece, with his daughter in his arms, he explored his own beliefs about the world and its social constructs. He wanted to think about what decisions we make or don’t make in order to stay within the art world or outside of it.

Helguera is a rather unconventional artist and in my opinion, what I would call a hipster artist. I imagine that he wouldn’t like to identify himself as an artist, just a man who is doing what he is called to do. In many ways I don’t think he could be argued with as his work doesn’t fall within the realm that most people identify as art.

Side Effects Documentation

Side Effects

Rachael Larkin and Leah Merriam

Do the images we see around us play a role in how we see ourselves? Are toxic images inescapable or do we have the power to control how these images effect us? In western culture we are bombarded with the concept of perfection and the idea that it is attainable with hard work and sacrifice. The impossibility of perfection has flooded our subconscious and is destroying our perception of self. The line between reality and constructed reality is blurring, but we can be vigilant in preserving our minds by ingesting material that utilizes areas of the brain that require more of us. It is not until we take a step back and look in the mirror that we realize how distorted things have and will continue to become without moderation and awareness.

Independent Project: research and writing

“The word "tabloid" itself has several definitions. In 1884 it was trademarked as a name for compressed drugs. The connotation of "tabloid" was soon applied to other small items and to the "compressed" journalism that condensed stories into a simplified, easily-absorbed format.These papers were commonly identified with boisterous, brief news content, an abundance of pictures, some fiction, and often they blatantly appealed to the human interest in crime, sex, and disaster. One definition of tabloid from Webster's College Dictionary describes it as luridly or vulgarly sensational. Tabloid journalism employs sensationalism as a device to capture readers' attention. Sensationalism is the use of material intended to produce a startling or scandalous effect, especially one pertaining to the senses.”

What are the things that we ingest that truly make us who we are? How can we take control of our minds and what we become? How in control are we? Are these messages inescapable while living an average life? Or will those who want avoid these messages have to go into hiding?

How much of what we read becomes a part of us? In our culture we are bombarded with images of imaginary beauty. We are told that we aren’t good enough unless we have whatever it is that is being sold. The idea of perfection has flooded our subconscious and is destroying our perception of reality.

As the highly trainable species that we are, we should remember that the images and ideas that we see have a profound effect on who we become. We learn with our senses and as we walk through this world, we begin to believe the things we see; because we are believing them more than we are even able to admit.

As the line between reality and constructed reality blur, we should be vigilant in preserving our minds. It is not until we take a step back and look in the mirror that we realize how distorted things have and will become.

With incredible privilege comes an incredible responsibility. We live in a culture whose habits revolve around waste and indulgence. As we pollute our world, the media is polluting each and every one of our minds.

We can fight back by feeding our minds with knowledge, education and information that requires our attention and the depths of our brain that cannot be developed without the concentration required to learn new things and grow.

When we neglect our minds, we allow our brains to deteriorate. When we buy into the ideology being sold by the media, we are contributing the never ending cycle of self deprecation, envy, objectification and violence. Tabloids and beauty magazines in particular, infect us and stunt our emotional and spiritual growth; throwing us into a robotic cycle of being concerned with people we will never meet and ideal body types that are created on a computer screen. Set fire to these ideas.

What does success look like?

-The stacks translate as human figures because of their height and the fact that they are placed in the front of a mirror the same ways that we all are every day.

-The contrast between the two stacks is clear and powerful
-The mirrors emphasize the contrast because they are back to back

-The ultimate goal is to make the viewer consider the images they ingest and how they affect their self-image and how they see the world. Many people are numb to how these things affect them and by seeing these stacks in such a contrasted way, they will have no choice but to consider which side they fall on and why.

Independent Project: research cont'd

Content from HERE

Negative effects of tabloids

A tabloid is often a weekly or semi-weekly alternative newspaper that focuses on local interest stories and entertainment, sometimes distributed free of charge, or a newspaper that tends to emphasize sensational crime stories, gossip columns repeating scandalous innuendos about the personal lives of celebrities and sport stars, and other so-called "junk food news".

The word "tabloid" itself has several definitions. In 1884 it was trademarked as a name for compressed drugs. The connotation of "tabloid" was soon applied to other small items and to the "compressed" journalism that condensed stories into a simplified, easily-absorbed format.These papers were commonly identified with boisterous, brief news content, an abundance of pictures, some fiction, and often they blatantly appealed to the human interest in crime, sex, and disaster. One definition of tabloid from Webster's College Dictionary describes it as luridly or vulgarly sensational. Tabloid journalism employs sensationalism as a device to capture readers' attention. Sensationalism is the use of material intended to produce a startling or scandalous effect, especially one pertaining to the senses.

The tabloids attempt to captivate or persuade the masses with their colors and headlines about wonderful, amazing, and even shocking stories. Persuasion is a deliberate attempt by one individual or a group of individuals to modify the attitude, beliefs, or behaviors of another individual or group individuals through the transmission of some message. These stories are not confined to newsprint. Although many tabloids come in the form of a newspaper or a magazine, today we have tabloid television and even Internet tabloids.

The political world is very much affected by this form of press. If someone had a choice of a story which highlighted Clintons foreign policy or a story which outlined the Presidents sexual escapades, which one do you think that they would choose? We all know that scandals draw a lot more attention than almost any form of media by playing on the public appetite for controversy.
Celebrity news is a staple of the tabloids, and sources for this information are everywhere. Each tabloid writer maintains an army of sources, including security guards, hair stylists, personal drivers and even police officers who will call the writer whenever they have new information on a celebrity. These informants are paid various amounts for their information, depending on the quality of the news and which celebrity it involves. Information about a minor TV actor might be worth a few hundred dollars, while a major scoop about Madonna or Britney Spears could be worth thousands.

Independent Project: Research/Initial sketches

A Description and Interpretation of the work of Katinka Bock

Katinka Bock works primarily with raw, earth based materials such as clay, wood, rock and various metals. Her work is usually used in conjunction with the previously existing structure around the pieces. She even seems to sometimes not build a piece until she knows the space it will be in. Her work is simple in concept, and she does not allow her own words speak much to any interpretation of the work. She only speaks to the process, materials and context of the work. For many of the pieces, the clay ones especially, Katinka relied on the effect that time and the environment might have on the materials. For some of the pieces, their ultimate state was one that could not be predicted because the weather could not be predicted. 

One piece particularly of note is the slab of flat, rectangular clay that was placed on the stairs outside of on of her shows. This slab of clay was victim to various weather elements and because of that, was cracked, dried up and had thoroughly departed its original shape. Once this piece had been affected to Katinka’s liking, she then took the slab, broke it up and recast it in the kiln. This generated multiple pieces of discolored and oddly shaped bits. That was the final stage for the piece. It is with this piece that it obvious that at any point in the process, the piece can be experience as a finished piece in its own way. 

Katinka often references the force of gravity in her work. As an element that every artist is subject to whether they acknowledge it or not, gravity has a powerful and unavoidable effect. This is particularly obvious in Katinka’s piece where she folds up wet clay and drops it from a point relatively high off of the ground. However that shape is transformed by the collision with the ground and the effect of gravity, is how it remains. She casts those forms and accepts them as they are. One of the pieces relied entirely on the effects of the environment in order to be complete, with almost no input from the artist aside from the concept and the idea. For this sculpture she folded a wet piece of clay that was roughly the length of a standard car lane, and placed it across a high traffic lane and allowed cars to drive over it. After that, she saw the piece of be complete. So she cast it, and called it done.

Whether it is her intention or not, Katinka’s work speaks to a certain simplicity and the ability to relinquish control. Though she does not seem to collaborate with other artists all that often, she seems to find supreme joy in collaborating with the ultimate artist: mother nature. She spoke many times to the desire to have her work be as simple as possible and the moment it became too complicated, she was no longer interested. It seems as if she is having a delicate and simple conversation with her materials. She seems to be asking them what they are comfortable with and what their limits are. Her joy may come from the ultimate knowledge that the materials will do whatever they want to do and that she is simply monitoring their progress. As if she is the grand instructor/parent/professor. 

A Description of Allyson Vieira’s Work

Allyson Viera’s work has strong reference to the history/future of sculpture, and the relationship between the artist and the materials they choose. In her lecture, she spoke quite a bit on her inspirations and what she had in mind for the viewer when creating her sculptures and drawings. The first sculpture she discussed, Cody, is from a marbleized mixture of plaster and cement. It mimics a shape similar to that of 1/4 segment of pyramid. Allyson described the piece to mimic the quarry of a mountain. It is situated to fit easily into the corner of a large room. The largest bit of plaster and cement is assumed to be the “piece”, but the rectangular bits of material that are carved out of the largest mass, also remain in the room and are arranged with some sense of order along the adjacent wall. The material is raw and has only been altered by the Allyson and the tools she used. Indentations and evidence of the alterations to the material are obvious and appear to be intentionally left visible. The plaster has a layering to it that is made more apparent in the material that has been removed from the largest mass. The shape that Vieira has chosen to carve out of the large mass is a vertical rectangle, and according to Vieira is in reference to the history of sculpture and how incredibly relevant the reference to the human form is in that. 

Vieira continues the exploration of the vertical rectangle in much of her later works. One in particular is a sculpture in a smaller room that is a grid of 8x4 vertical pillars. Each pillar is reminiscent of the rectangles that were carved out of the pyramid-like form in Cody. The pillars are made of plaster and cement, but also finished on the outside with dry-wall. Similar to cody, all of the evidence of how these pillars were made is implicit upon viewing them. Every pillar was sawed to particular and identical dimensions. The only differences in each pillar were dependent on how the material reacted to the alterations made by the artist and the tools. None of the pillars are altered in color from the natural state of the material, the only exception being rust that rubbed off from the saw used to cut them. 

Allyson further explores the history of sculpture with the use of vertical form, but begins to explore vertical form as a means to provide stability. In her continued use of vertical rectangular sculpture, she eventually explores how these forms provide stability and balance. 

Her drawings are where she references what the future of material might look like and the role they may play in sculpture/construction. Without any controversial intentions, she references the possibility that our trash may be recycled into the earth and used by whatever/whoever occupies it in thousands or even millions of years. She does this by using disposable coffee cups as reference to construct a pyramid shape; implying the inevitability of coffee cups making their way into the earth to be used again in new ways. Of all the drawings, she brought the coffee cup drawing to life in sculpture form. As an outdoor installation, the sculpture underwent the wear and tear from all four seasons; collecting snow and leaves and being altered and heated from the warmth of the sun. This sculpture also occupied the corner of a quarry, which also referenced the sculpture she previously made, Cody.

Cinematic Space Inspiration

For my cinematic space project, my inspiration is love and what it feels like to be in the chaos of the first few months of finding it. Primarily focused on the various emotions and mental states that come along with that kind of vulnerability. I want to capture the good and the "bad", but somehow capture the fact that no matter what, it is all good. 

As far as the presentation of this idea, I still have a lot of thoughts rattling in my head, but I am imagining a video presentation with multiple images dissolving on top of each other slowly, with the sound of fireplace embers slowly burning as the audio. I want it to feel like a dream, a bit disorienting, but also warm. I am still on the fence as far as whether it will be in black and white or not. I have a lot of images in my mind and I tried to capture some of them this weekend in these images I took of my best friend who I'm using as my muse. After looking at all of the footage I came up with, I've realized that I might be a bit ambitious with this idea, but I'm excited about it and I'm going to move forward.

Seattle Butoh

What can you take away from this work shop to assist you in the current project?

I hope that during the walk through for our garments that we can all be as liberated as we were in that room. I think that even more so than the content and the instructions we were given, that there was a sense of togetherness and comradery that we needed as a class. The content was interesting and it actually reminds me of some of the images and concepts that Casey presented a few weeks ago. There was so much information and so much power that was held in the movement as objects that were being used while we all acted out her instructions. It quickly became very clear that the message she wanted us to convey could not have been conveyed without incredibly exaggerated movements and emotions. I am excited to see how we all present our garments as we will have a personal connection with the message. I plan to try and remember the confidence I had that night and approach this performance with abandon, honesty and confidence.

The Henry, Garments, Swimsuit

Choose on garment and describe it, reviewing its historic context. What speculations can you make as to how this garment may continue to influence culture?

The garments that were presented to us at the Henry were all interesting and beautiful but the one that stood out the most to me was the swimsuit. As a feminist (are you sick of hearing this from me yet?), I found this to be fascinating. Obviously, I am not unaware of how fully clothed and restricted women were expected to be, and how far we have come from that, but I wasn't aware that swimsuits were ever so heavy that some women would drown from the weight of them. I found this garment to be significant and tragic as a stage in the history of women. There was nothing about the swimsuit that looked like it belonged on a woman's body. It was completely unshapely and drab, leaving everything to the imagination. Not that I am an advocate of "itsy-bitsy" bikinis, but it is ridiculous that men could wear skin tight suits, while women were forced to fight for their lives in a web of thick fabric from head to toe. Sadly, this isn't even a far cry from what women in India and Iran have to wear as a swimsuit today. There are so many different ways to discuss the swimsuit and how it links to the treatment and objectification of women then vs now. I think women have been convinced that the shrinking of the swimsuit over the years is a representation of progress for women. As if it is a granting of their freedom and social acceptance. However, I personally think that it is a result of the rapid and progressing blind and shameless objectification of women. Women today see their sexual freedom as power, but I think there is a fine line between sexual freedom and self-objectification. Obviously, I am not saying that women should go back to wearing these burlap and unshapely swimsuits, but I do think that there is some value in covering up more than we do today. The media has been capitalizing on women being objectified by themselves and by men, and very few women realize that they are contributing. The swimsuit is a cultural icon and the shape and appearance of them will always relate back to the treatment of women during that time. Hopefully, there will come a day when what a woman wears does not define her.

Casey Curran

What can you take away from this talk to assist you in developing your project?

I think this was one of the most thought-provoking talks that we have had thus far. As we all piled into the room, there was an image on projected on the screen of a black man dressed in a revealing butler suit with a contraption on his head which was forcing his mouth open. So, naturally I was disturbed and that was the start of the questions I had piling up in my head. As Casey went through the images and spoke about the role he played in the creation of the objects used in the performances, it seemed to be hard for everyone in the room to only focus on the sculptural elements of the objects and not their ultimate meanings. The images of the performances were so suggestive and powerful that by the end of Casey's talk almost everyone had the same questions of "why, why, why?" It is difficult to stomach some of the content as it touches on the most controversial concepts of humanity: war, oppression, poverty, wealth, class structure, racism, sexism, rape and sodomy (to name a few). It seemed as if there was no issue that wasn't touched on, and it also didn't seem like it was always done tastefully, or with a purpose. And while Casey essentially deflected every question regarding the actual meaning of anything, I found relief in his likening the material to that of an Opera. Because when viewing an Opera, we don't often know what words are specifically said generally due to a language barrier, but the message is always clear, often bringing tears to the eyes of the viewers. It is the director's prerogative to send whatever message he wants to send, and in any way he wants to send it. He can't control whether someone will watch and understand everything he is trying to say, and I don't think he expects to. It sort of seems like a "take it or leave it" situation.

That all being said, for the garment/prosthesis project, we won't exactly have the opportunity to convey our meaning with words, so our piece has to reflect what we want to say without that. It has to be conveyed through the piece itself and how we perform with it. Also, Casey's attention to detail with his pieces was incredibly inspiring to me. His skill in his craft is evident and I found it incredibly impressive how visually cohesive everything was throughout all of the material he presented. There were so many different materials used, and not one of them seemed out of place. Not only will this presentation be something that inspires me for the final project, but I will refer back to it often as inspiration throughout my career.

Peer Review

I met with Noah and Ailaina, who both gave me some great feedback. Theysaid that they were interested in seeing which medium I would focus on more in the future. As someone who isn't absolutely positive where I want to take my career, it was nice to hear that they are seeing more of my confidence coming through in painting; as that is where I am enjoying my work the most. They mentioned that I may need to spend more time than others might have to on their work just because of my personal goal to achieve hyper-realism in my art. I definitely agree with that feedback since I do find myself not only enjoying the meditation-like experience of detail work, but I also find myself eager to see the end result, and rushing through the final parts that can often end up being the most important parts. As a result of the peer review, I really realize that as an artist I am going to need to push through inspiration-lulls and feel out how to best manage my time.

Dawn Cerny

What role does research play in her work?

If personal experience can be considered research, I think that Dawn's work is chalk full of it. Her wide range of experiences and influences are evident in her work. The things that she did growing up (listening to the bible on tape, jigsaw puzzles) have acted as their own research.

I had a difficult time during her presentation because some of her work hit pretty close to home for me having been in the Marine Corps for five years, and having deployed to Iraq twice. It is something that I am working on, but I have a hard time believing that anyone has a right to touch on such a delicate subject without having first hand experience. I am sure that there is an element of fear involved for Dawn, since it is so personal for her with her brother deployed, but it didn't sit well with me. From that perspective, I found the lack of research evident. I don't think it made her work ineffective, but I it definitely seemed more personal than she ever said it was. Honestly, I'm still wrestling with the emotions I got from her work.

Pilchuck Visiting Artists

Erin Dickson 

Erin's work is monumental, architectural and full of movement. She originally studied to be an architect and it absolutely shows in her work. For the piece I have pictured, she stated that she would have to adjust the height of it depending on the height of the ceiling in the room it was displayed. The mere fact that she even considered letting the piece be affected by the surrounding architecture makes her background evident. Erin's work has a meticulousness to it that helps to generate the movement of it. Without that attention to detail, the lines and shapes of her work would not be as effectively fluid. It is clear that she is dedicated to precision and pushing her own limits of understanding, which pushes the limits of the viewers understanding as well. She seems to be taking calculated risks and her understanding of space and how it affects us is evident. The piece pictured here looks as if it would feel like a presence in any room - like it has a life to it, with an almost human element. I can imagine that it'd dominate the mood in the room, the same way an iconic and widely admired person might.

Ruth Tomlinson and Kelly Sheridan

Ruth Tomlinson presented her practice in the form of a love story; quite a beautiful love story at that. It had all of the elements of a love story, including the difficult parts. Her art form seemed to be high performance and experimental mixed media. Her love for Montana and its richness in life is woven throughout her work. It seemed as if her ideas were simply a result of her love for her environment. A result created out of a desire to connect and become one with the world. 

Kelly Sheridan presented her practice in the form of a story as well, but it was more so the story of her young adult life, which she clearly sees as her most formed years. Her glory days appear to never be far from the forefront of her mind. I imagine that living among the rich and famous and living among the general population are two incredibly different experiences. One that seems to be most obvious from Kellys work is that the world of stardom is must more difficult to comprehend, giving it an element of mystery that continues to inspire her. Her work seems to be primarily driven by nostalgia.

Both artists seem to find inspiration in a world they are no longer a part of at all, or at least as much as they would like to be. Ruth does have the luxury of going back to Montana for a certain part of the year, but the longing for it bleeds through the months during which she is away. Kelly seems to have a deep sentimental regard for the time she spent as a hair stylist, a world she can re-enter through her art. I found the artists to have more differences than similarities. In my opinion, I feel as if Ruth’s work has more continuity to it. There is nothing that I’ve seen of her work that seems drastically different than anything else. However, with Kelly, she seems to have such a broad span of influence and a wide range of skill sets, giving her work less continuity. I actually relate to Kelly quite a bit because I often feel as if I am pulling from some incredibly unusual circumstances that I’ve lived through by such a young age. Both artists work was inspiring and it urges me to remember the vast differences that I will have among my peers throughout my career.

Sanctum

Sanctum is video based work that interacts with its viewers. It is displayed at the Henry Museum and is positioned to face outward, to the walkway just in front of the museum. At first glance it looks as if it is playing a loop of previously recorded footage, but it quickly becomes obviously that each screen is a live feed, being transmitted from various locations on campus. A couple of the cameras are positioned directly in front of the piece and are meant to generate participation. If a person stands close enough, the installation, it will collect information about the viewer and determine what demographic they belong to based off previously collected data. In turn, Facebook posts from other people within that same demographic will appear on the screen. 

Initially, I found this installation to be slightly uninteresting, but it has actually become more interesting the more I think about it. In this day and age, the large majority of people have become numb and/or unaware of how many different systems are in place to track, categorize and monitor all of us. Facebook is an interesting example because this is a tracking and archiving system that most of us readily participate in without a second thought. However, in the context of Sanctum, we are forced to be aware of exactly how much social media has infiltrated our everyday lives. As you stand in front of Sanctum, the interaction is fun at first. You are able to see all the other locations that are being filmed as it determines what demographic you belong to, but once it begins displaying the posts of others, it is a rather uneasy feeling. When looking at your own profile, personal information is assumed, but to be filmed without permission, and then categorized so easily is a little terrifying. Knowing that the images are not archived is a slightly comforting, but it is still an interesting experiment into the world of surveillance and monitoring.