Title of Event: Humberto Saenz from UT San Antonio Art Portfolio Show
Date & Time of Event: Thursday April 21st
Location of Event: Virtual/Art Barn
Type of event: Artist Talk
Title of Event: Humberto Saenz from UT San Antonio Art Portfolio Show
Date & Time of Event: Thursday April 21st
Location of Event: Virtual/Art Barn
Type of event: Artist Talk
Title of Event: Student Art Exhibition
Date & Time of Event: Thursday April 14th
Location of Event: Samek Art Gallery
Type of event: Art Show/Gallery
First I watched one of Andrea Zittel’s interviews where Wagon Station was highlighted. Wagon station is a residency that is the intersection of both privacy and collaboration for artists. The designs intentionally highlight the environment. From this interview, I wanted to look at themes within my work of creating a subversive space but at a much smaller scale. Then, I watched Mary Reid Kelley speak on the play You Make Me Illiad Play. This looked into the history of women during the First World War. This looked at the traumas that women have faced, and the lack of opportunities they have been presented with across history. From here I watched two interviews with Jeff Koon where he discussed themes such as sense of self, potential, and interaction among other themes. One of the most interesting themes discussed was that Koons believes that objects themselves are valueless until a value is given by the viewer. The most interesting takeaway from Koon’s interviews was the emphasis on viewer experience and the interaction between art and the viewer. This is something I want people to experience when they look at my own work within my third project.
For my borrowed strategy, I utilized a piece from Anthony James’s Portal Icosahedrons series. I intend to borrow the use of a geometric form, the intention towards the “infinite”, as well as the use of mirrors.
Anthony James, Portal Icosahedrons, 2011.
For my question/problem I chose the paradoxical quote “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself”. I chose this quote because it is saying the only thing that holds us back in life is our fear. This hesitation and retaliation can keep us from achieving great things. I think that this is not only inspirational in its historical context but something to take into consideration in life in general. Contextually, this was said by President Franklin D. Roosevelt during the start of his presidency regarding the great depression and moving forward as a society. One person that this can relate to is yours;f. If you’re holding yourself back because of your fears then you could potentially miss out on something and never reach your full potential. One other thing this can relate to is anxiety. This is a heightened iteration of the previous idea. A third thing could be a place you associate yourself with fear (such as a high school, or a location that was previously associated with feelings of fear and anguish). More conceptual objects/things are small spaces (feelings of confinement), mirrors (confrontation to fear and how it can hold one back), portrait (source of the fear), brain (more literal source of the fear), something scary (monster/demon), other people (fear of someone), facial expressions (to show fear itself).
First, I watched Wolfgang Laib’s interview, where the artist used materials I would have never thought to use (pollen, beeswax, rice, and milk-stone). Themes within the works included life, process, and beauty. Laib’s work, as a whole related to the artist’s experiences. After this, I looked at Iñigo Manglano’s interview, where the main focus of the work was based on architecture. Pieces shown ranged from full-scale sculpture to more immersive pieces. Out of these works, I enjoyed the show that was accompanied by a massively large scale jack with a missile end as well as an umbrella. These complex pieces and processes shown to scale up these objects were also really intriguing. I then looked at Ursula Von Rydingsvard’s interviews regarding Ona, the massive bronze scale piece. I enjoyed this piece because the process of melting and painting the bronze was discussed. Lastly, I looked at Pepon Osorio’s interview. Works highlighted looked at themes such as contradiction, displacement, renewal, and stories. I enjoyed these works because items were intentionally placed yet appeared to be chaotic. These pieces offered an interesting perspective on how to construct works. Overall, all artists’ works were very captivating and expanded my knowledge of Contemporary sculpture.
Part 1:
For my shrine, I want to focus on the topic of mental health. This phenomenon/theme is important to me because there is often a stigma around mental health. People tend to think that poor mental health is a reflection of weakness. This misconception often prevents people from seeking help. In my own life, I have made conscious efforts to improve my mental health. Beyond that, I have seen how prioritizing mental health has helped so many other people in my life. I hope that in creating a shrine centered around mental health I can demonstrate and convey its importance within my life, and others. I also hope that I can encourage others to start to recognize and destigmatize the negative attitudes around mental health. There are three ways I can look at mental health for this project. The first is to focus on things that can impact mental health. The second is to focus on ways to improve mental health. The third is mental health as a whole, as a breadth of feelings/emotions. I hope that through the use of intentional icons I can emphasize to my audience, and myself, that mental health can and should always be a priority. I want people to see how important focusing on my mental health has been in my life as well.
Part 3:
I intend to use this piece as a strategy to borrow as it depicts emotion in a simple and indirect form through the use of portraiture.
Title of Event: Shark Tank by Natalie Ring
Date & Time of Event: Thursday February 11th
Location of Event: Holmes Hall
Type of event: Senior Art Show/Reception
Title of Event: Honey From The Stone by Lya Finston
Date & Time of Event: Friday January 28th 5-8pm
Location of Event: Holmes Hall
Type of event: Artist Show/Reception