Title: Student art exhibition
Date and Time: April 11, 2023 at 7:00pm
Location: Samek in the ELC
Type of Event: Art Exhibit
ArtsXpose 3 – Mia Ranello
Title of Event: Figure drawing session
Date and Time: April 20, 2023, 7:30pm
Location: Drawing Studio in Holmes Hall
Type of Event: Live Model Drawing Session
Talisman sketches & reference photos – Mia Ranello
Contemporary Sculpture Assignment – Mia Ranello
Weiwei said he enjoys putting work and craftsmanship into useless objects. And if people doubt his work, he responds saying he’s allowed to do what he does, because he’s an artist. He’s not pretentious in his self reassurance, he’s just confident in defending his work. The pieces of his that I find most remarkable are these wooden polyhedra made using no nails. He says it took his carpenters a year to figure out how to make them.
Artists seem to prefer defying expectations. Louise Bourgeois does so with pieces installed next to a skyscraper. She created small and discreet sculptures that do not rival the building’s stature which makes them very sensitive and personal in comparison. They are also very delicate which puts them at risk of vandalism, but she puts them in the open outdoor space as an experimental leap of faith.
Maya Lin was to become a zoologist before she fell into the art world. She has always been an environmental activist, and shares those beliefs now in her work. I like that she uses mapping technology to create some of her pieces; it seems pretty unique. Her pieces are made by a machine and then “hand-worn.”
ArtsXpose 2 – Mia Ranello
ArtsXpose 1 – Mia Ranello
Talismans 3 & 4 – Mia Ranello
Talismans writing – Mia Ranello
Some things I want are love and good health and fortune for me and my family. I want to avoid people who drain me of my energy or doubt me. But most of all, I want to feel fulfilled, which I think can encompass everything I’ve ever wanted or thought I needed. I yearn to feel complete which instead of involving happiness, involves contentment and acceptance. I just want to be the most at peace as I possibly can be in such a tumultuous world. Obstacles that I am aware of include racism, sexism, prejudice, bias, self-deprecation, and self-esteem issues. I wish to highlight the more introspective obstacles that I put myself through. I also want to include some sort of reminder about staying present and moving on from hang-ups which I tend to overthink. These aspects can be represented by some cultural elements, like a Chinese dragon (for strength and health) or Chinese knots and locks (for prosperity and protection of the self). Certain elements can also be represented by flames or plants to represent regrowth and renewal. Self reflection and enlightenment can also be represented by locks and keys, and completeness could be represented by sets of organs, or Chinese infinity knots.
Keywords:
- Completeness
- Contentment
- Prosperity
- Health
- Introspection
- Enlightenment
- Peace
- Strength/confidence
- Presence
- a litte defiance
Mia Ranello – Project 1
I have chosen to work with a ceramic Pillsbury Doughboy sponge holder. The Pillsbury Doughboy as a mascot can represent commercialism, innocence, or the facade of a character meant to serve marketing purposes. Any personal ties we feel to him as consumers are a bunch of lies! My object can carry insidious undertones if looked at from the perspective that he’s trying to sell you a product. His innocent exterior can be considered manipulative and beguiling–it’s hard to think of anything deeper than the joy of seeing his cuteness.
For some reason my mind goes to the bread aspect of the character/brand. In a way, the Pillsbury Doughboy (or any brand mascot) can be iconized as Jesus is. If made of dough, he can be conceived like Jesus and then be eaten like Jesus (or like bread). But his misleading nature can emphasize the danger of worship and ulterior motives pushed by institutions. I want to stay away from endorsement of religion (not that my ideas would) and move more towards a comedic front.
Mia Ranello, Joy
Immediate Response
When I first saw Joy by David Altmejd, I felt confused due to the disorienting composition. My next immediate thought was that the subject looks a bit like Thom Yorke from Radiohead, at least in the eye area. I keep getting drawn to his eyes, but the nature of the piece causes my own to dart around to all three sets. It feels impossible to really get a look at his face. I was also caught by the bunny nose. It feels a bit silly and makes me smile, but my dominant reactions are confusion and curiosity. I just want to know what is making this guy so happy.
Objective Description
On top of three layered, offset concrete platforms sits a thin, short pole with a large bust on top. The bust is colored bright orange in the clavicle area, and the neck and head are a light pinkish beige skin color. The mouth and nose are a light bubblegum pink, and look to be shaped like the snout of a bunny. The subject’s facial features are duplicated and copied at a 45 degree angle up and to the right so that the face is arranged in a diagonal–with 6 eyes, 3 noses, and 3 mouths in total–similar to the concrete layers at the base. The subject appears to be smiling.
Technical Decisions
The piece sits on a thin pole, so Altmejd probably had to do some finessing to make sure the bust was well balanced. It looks to be made out of concrete and possibly stone with some clay overtop. The clay was then painted over with particular colors to give it its “lifelike” appearance. The glass eyes inlaid also contribute to this goal. Even appearing human, it feels a bit uncanny. The haphazard way the clay was added on makes the figure appear damaged or worn more like a mannequin would be than a human. The illusion aspect blurs the features and dampens my understanding of the piece, but the representation of a man with a bunny nose is not lost. Altmejd could be testing the boundaries of abstraction through his presentation and material choices. All aspects suggest a transformation. His work captures this movement in one moment of time.
The Work in the World
The work is similar to classic busts that one might see of presidents or important historical figures. But while busts are normally seen as stately and solidly represented figures, Altmejd’s bust is far from that. It sits on the edge of absurdity with its repeating features and animal aspects. It is completely modernized, through shape and color. The bright orange is specifically alternative and eye-catching, but it still feels familiar and loose, most referential to the orange robe worn by monks. Even though the subject appears worn down, it still feels like Altmejd’s bust is honoring. If not honoring the man, it honors a concept.
The Story it Tells
Altmejd’s hand moves towards paradox as he builds a deconstructed bust of a monk-like figure. While appearing worn, the subject is not being destroyed, he is being reformed. The transformation from man to bunny represents ascension, but defies traditional ideas of this concept. While the subject’s calm smile is an important indicator that he is at peace, the central indicator of this ascension (other than the orange robe) is that when the eyes are duplicated and layered in an offset way, all pairs of eyes are given a third eye in the middle. The concept of a third eye suggests the subject is wise beyond human comprehension, hence, why it is no longer only man. Altmejd’s work represents a state of transitional being: existing and not, being old and new, and being human and non-human all at once.