"Abstract Art's New World, Forged for All" by Michael Kimmelman, 2005

Richard Serra, The Matter of Time, 2005

A review of Richard Serra's permanent installation in the Guggenheim, this article looks at the installation as evidence of a major turning point in the artist's career.  Kimmelman believes that this work "rejuvenates and pushes abstraction to a fresh level."  He contrasts this with a somewhat more negative view of Serra's work back in the late 80s when his sculptures were perceived to be "menacing," especially "Tilted Arc."    

Richard Serra, Tilted Arc, 1981

He believes Serra has grown as an artist and this growth has helped people realize the fun, almost playground-like quality to his work.  All of his works are focused on the individual experience of people walking in and around his sculptures, the time it takes them, what memories each person creates of the work, and an element of the surprise/unexpected as one travels through his organic forms, wondering what will be around the next corner.  The installation in the Guggenheim really makes use of the particular space in which it is housed, creating different feelings of openness and closure, forcing people to movie in a certain direction here while subtly prodding them in another there.  What is important is not the overall work but the experience of navigating the work.    

"Ladies Wild: How not dumb is Gaga?" by Sasha Frere-Jones

Frere-Jones begins the article by discussing the endurance of pop music.  He observes that there is not one path in pop music to follow in order to be successful or remembered, citing Bob Dylan, the Beatles, Bob Marley, and Prince.  Some stars who only existed for a time as one-hit wonders are brought back into the scene again years later, through references and homages by current artists, so much so that no one knows how much of an impact any singer/group will continue to have in the future.  

 
Lady Gaga certainly fits into the ridiculous, anything goes attitude of successful pop music and has been very smart about planning her continued domination of the genre.  She has talent but also has an eye for important collaborators, both of which helped to make her album, "The Fame," the success that it is.  Her songs bring a new life to old staples of dance/disco music.  Frere-Jones ends the article by observing that Lady Gaga seems to appreciate the odd craziness of the one-hit wonder artists but wonders whether she will be able to keep this up for a more extended career: "Germanotta knows that the one-hit wonders are weirder and cooler than the well-paid musicians who stretch their careers over seven years on the stage and twenty more behind it.  Can she have it both ways?" (63).           

"Fancy Footwork: 'Black Swan' and 'Love and Other Drugs'" by David Denby

Denby begins his review by looking at the movie Black Swan.  He emphasizes heartily that he believes most of the movie is overdone and is too obsessed with tension and horror movie-esque mutilation that has been all too present in Arronofsky's other movies, "The Wrestler" and "Requiem for a Dream."  Arronofsky is stuck on artists' destruction of themselves and their bodies in order to achieve art.  Though Denby sees a lot of the movie as "ridiculous," he acknowledges that the scenes of dancing are often quite graceful and beautiful. 

       

In his look at Love and Other Drugs, Denby seems to see Hathaway as the standout of the movie in that her acting takes a cliche role to a realistic level.  He thinks that the sex scenes in the movie are honest and intimate, and that Hathaway and Gyllenhaal really work as a couple--delivering something that he hasn't seen in many movies. 

"Anytime, Anywhere: Kanye West's Relentless Enthusiasms" by Sasha Frere-Jones

This article is a review of Kanye West's album, "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy" as well as a reflection on the artist himself.  It begins with an observation of all the different Kanye Wests that have been seen this year, from his personality on Twitter to subdued interviews on the internet, to the couple awkward public outbursts about Taylor Swift and George W. Bush (from a few years ago).  His newest album is seen as just another facet to this artist's conflicting public image.  Frere-Jones is of the opinion that West has very good, but particular (and somewhat odd) taste in music and collaborators.  The author sees West not as another obnoxious ego-obsessed rapper, but one with enthusiasm and a drive to work that is admirable.  West's album spans quite a bit of musical territory, with collaboration by Justin Vernon (Bon Iver) in a more subtle, brooding track, to the more sprawling, crazy "Runaway," the track that Frere-Jones feels best embodies the album's "restless hunger and ambition" (95).  By the end of the piece, Frere-Jones appreciates that West sometimes blurs the line between what is "acceptable" and "normal" and what is not.  It makes his art and his persona all the more interesting.   

"Criticizing Art" Chapter 4: pg. 87-96

William Wegman, Red Toy, 2006

This is the first section of the chapter on interpreting art where the focus is on William Wegman's photographs.  The section begins with the question: because Wegman's art is so accessible, is it still necessary to interpret it?  His work is enjoyed both by the public (including children as well as adults) and the art world.  Some biographical information on Wegman is provided and excerpts from critic interpretations of his various works are shown in this section.  The consensus is that Wegman's work is witty and humorous--often commenting on other art and issues in art (as well as the fashion industry and advertising).  Critics see his work as somewhat mysterious, in that his photographs of his dogs have a sense of the "other" about them.  Another theme visible in his work is that of dog and master.  Many critics saw a psychological undertone in these photographs.  This section shows that though Wegman's work is enjoyed by a variety of people, there is still plenty to analyze and interpret and that no one interpretation will ever be the "right" one.      

Clifton Peacock: Visiting Artist 3/3/11

Clifton Peacock, Untitled

I was almost unable to go to this talk because of a science exam but everything ended up working out which was great.  In seeing the small images on the signs for Clifton's talk, I was not sure what to think--whether I'd like his work or not.  Although some of it was not my thing, I was drawn to his later, more narrative work.  One thing that also struck me about his paintings was how sculptural they were.  The forms/figures really had a lot of weight.  I also quite enjoyed his use of color in many of his pieces.  The earlier paintings had a sort of otherworldly quality to them with the neon colors that he used (I'm assuming that wasn't just the projector's distortion--unfortunately I cannot seem to find any of his older work online to picture here.  I think the one above and below are from the last decade).  

During his talk, he really seemed to see painting as a somewhat experimental process, that he would often embrace "mistakes" or things he did not expect to happen.  Also another thing I remember him mentioning was that students have asked him when do you know when you're "done" with a painting.  His response was, "What do you want to get out of it (the painting)?"  I thought this was very insightful because I have often wondered about being "finished" with a work and how different artists decide when something is finished.  I often decide that I am finished with something when I don't feel like working on it anymore, but there are also many times where it just feels right to leave the piece alone and consider myself done.  

I think one of my favorite paintings of Clifton's was the one he did of his dog, where the dog is quite small and in almost the middle of the painting, surrounded by a huge space.  The atmosphere in this work is just gorgeous and I liked his composition of such a tiny figure in such an enveloping space.  Overall, I enjoyed the talk--he seems like a really interesting person with a lot of ideas about art.  My only complaint was that it was a little hard to follow at times because he jumped around so much when talking.  I feel like I should have taken some notes about all that he said so I could remember it better!      

Clifton Peacock, Woman with Boar

ArtBreak with Trisha Coates 3/2/11

Trisha Coates, Sprouting Garlic Tea Set

I love Trisha's work--I had actually seen some of her pieces on display at the Community Church in Durham a few years ago and so I was quite excited to see them in the current show at the Museum of Art.  I love the whimsical quality of her pieces and their organic beauty and playfulness.  I had always wondered what the thought process was behind her work and so it was fascinating to hear her speak.  

Trisha Coates, Petite Pepper Teapot

Trisha is inspired by the Chinese tea ceremony and the traditional yixing teapots.  These sorts of pots were made to be more rustic, through use of materials like clay, and would also often resemble a food or plant (though a lot less obviously than hers).  She began her talk with a quote from a poem and said that she often reads poetry and is inspired by a certain line in a poem, many times borrowing lines as titles of pieces.  In her work, she celebrates everyday activities, like cutting vegetables, that can be moments of quiet reflection, contemplation, and realization.  Through her work she emphasizes her observation of the importance of these seemingly mundane moments.  Her appreciation of food and the preparation/eating of a meal as a social occasion are also ideas that factor into her work.  She said that she is fascinated by the idea of "we are what we eat," and the food we eat becoming a part of us, just as we become the food.  Each of her pieces will hold and pour water, but she says their purpose is not to be used as a teapot.      

Trisha Coates, Lemongrass Bundle on Rice Teapot

I really like the appreciation of the everyday and mundane in her work.  I think it is always interesting to bring people's attention to things they normally would not think twice about.  Each of her pieces has so much character--they make me want to cook!