Visiting Artist Lecture: Sanford Biggers 3-11-10

Sanford Biggers

Sanford Biggers was a member of the VCU faculty (sculpture department) whose work appears in the form of sculpture, graphic design, installations, video, music, and performance art. He is a voice for African American culture through pop culture, hip-hop, and dance that is often combined with his personal experiences through Buddhism. His work explores racial and cultural relations throughout history and how they continue to affect society today.

Mandala of the Bodhisattva II was the one piece he showed during his lecture that I found interesting. He collaborated with other artists to build a 16x16 hand cut linoleum floor to be used in a dance competition. The design was inspired by the mandala and synchronized dancing. A mandala (meaning 'essence' or 'completion') is a diagram that has spiritual significance in Buddhism. The project continues to be displayed in museums with the very first dance scuff marks still visible. Conditions of opening up the dance floor to audiences in museums follows Mandala of the Bodhisattva II wherever it is installed.

Mandala of the Bodhisattva II, 2000

An example of a mandala

Unlike the other recent artist lectures I have attended, I found Bigger's lecture somewhat disappointing. I feel he jumped around between projects quickly and had little explanation for some. It left me feeling disconnected.

Idea Post/Visiting Artist Lecture: Hank Willis Thomas 2-16-10

Hank Willis Thomas

Willis Thompson describes his work as an examination of "off whiteness or pitch blackness" inspired predominantly by the murder of his cousin and advertising. He views "logos as our (Western Culture) generation's hieroglyphs" responsible for the documentation of our unfolding history of consumerism, language, and class as well as segregation and racism's permeation into our product dependency. His work uses the "language of advertising to talk about things advertising could never talk about."

With the death of his cousin, Willis Thompson produced "Winter in America" as a commentary on Western Culture's desensitization to violence starting in childhood. He became intrigued by the power objects have over people in similar ways to his cousin's murder. People were "getting killed over air jordans, triple down coats, gold chains, [etc]. Their lives are being equated to these objects."

Hank Willis Thompson continues to be inspired by his cousin, mother (also a photographer), and advertising. "We see so many ads in a day." He urges audiences to think critically about the images put in front of them by advertising companies and the power they may have over our culture.

Priceless, 2004
Absolute Power, 2003

Songha and Gun, 2005
Still from Winter in America

Then & Now T-Shirt, 2004

http://hankwillisthomas.com/

Visiting Artist Lecture: Paul Pfeiffer 2-15-10

Paul Pfeiffer

Mr. Pfeiffer (as apposed to some, but not all visiting artist at VCU) had a lot of great ideas that he was verbally able to communicate. It sounds weird when I put it that way, but sometimes I feel the visiting artists only talk about their existing work and tend to avoid discussing the ideas behind them.

"Art making is not just about making art objects. Art has a psychological central to it."

Pfeiffer described an abstract concept understood only through feelings that is hard to put into words or actions. There is an unseen code that is understood through art- sort of like subliminal feeling. "When you've made something (successful), you can feel it." This feeling is often shared with the viewer. Pfeiffer attributes some success of this 'code' to the amount of information included within artwork. A piece is just as much about what it include as it is about what is not included. He relates this amount of information to a scientific bell curve with the x axis describing the amount of information included and the y axis being the audience's interest level. There is a peak of interest in the middle of the graph that tapers off as more information is added. Too much or too little information leads to less interest. Behavioral studies (such as the bell curve) can lead artists to understand their viewers in a new light.

Pfeiffer works within several media. He is primarily a video artist, but also creates photographs and sculptures. Most of his projects would not fit into one medium, but blur the line between one, two, or all three. Paul enjoys the quality of still images because there is neither a beginning or an end. The viewer determines the length of time he/she spends with the piece. This idea is stretched into his video art. He uses loops, constant surveillance feed, and videos of such great time length they would be impossible to watch (ie: three months) to let his audience determine their interaction.

The works which I responded to most in his lecture were his extra-long videos, "Empire" and "Orpheus Descending." The amount of time put into such projects (recorded in real time of 2-3 months) blows my mind, especially when compared to the amount of reaction they got from audiences. Neither of these projects were ever displayed with an explanation or introduction. Some viewers (if you can call people passing by viewers) never realized their ongoing art exposure.

I'm glad the sculpture department brought Paul Pfeiffer to VCU. Departments should bring in more multimedia artists!


Installation of "Orpheus Descending" 2001
http://www.rochester.edu/in_visible_culture/Issue4-IVC/orpheus3.html


Still from "Empire" 2004


Still from "Live Evil" 2002

Idea Post/Visiting Artist Lecture: Alec Soth 1-27-09

Alec Soth

Alec Soth is a photographer with not only an amazing sense of humor, but a strong dedication and yearning that drive the creation of his work. He began his lecture with a film of Lee Freelander's traveling photography. The short film was light and playful and showed the joys of creating work on the road. This idea of being able to move freely throughout the country driven by nothing but pure desire with no constraints or requirements is THE driving force behind a vast majority of Soth's work.

His method of traveling from photograph to photograph is also unique. Soth makes connections between subject matter through intellectual development. He takes a sheep's portrait and then relates that sheep to the study of dreams and sleep (counting sheep as you sleep), so he makes a portrait of a patient hooked up to a polysomnograph (a machine used during sleep to aid in detecting sleep disorders and research).


"Joshua, Angola State Prison, Louisiana" 2002


"Bonnie (with a photograph of an angel), Port Gibson, Mississippi" 2000

Because of his image development method, Soth's concept also changes throughout the birth of a series. For example, his series "Niagara" first began as an exploration of love and an interest in why people often travel to the Niagara Falls for wedding ceremonies or honeymoons. Later, he found his project evolving into the sexual exploration and "distrust of new passion."


"Two Towels" 2004


"Impala" 2005


"I can't go on like this" 2005

Soth describes his developed photo method as "photographing democratically" inspired by William Eggleston. Hearing him speak of his connections below the surface and simply photographing whatever he wants was inspiring. Trusting instinct (instead of planning) can lead to works of art.

http://www.alecsoth.com/

Visiting Artist Lecture: Ayumi Horie 1-28-09

Ayumi Horie

Ayumi Horie is a potter/ceramic artist whose work combines duality, comfort and narrative. As a Japanese-American, Ayumi assimilates her racial duality to her pottery by blending materials, relationships, and illusions of comfort. She also relates the height of her work (generally short) stems from the Japanese belief that the human soul is located closer to the center of gravity (stomach region) than the heart. Her shorter vessels speak to comfort and control.

Horie's creation of mugs, bowls, etc also differs greatly in that she throws dry and instead of traditionally shaping the clay (throwing/pulling it upward), she carves pieces out of clay or porcelain.

Often, she incorporates animals by carving through slip or adding decals. She explained that it is easy to relate to animals as they are frequently anthropomorphized in cultures throughout the world. She often thinks of her ceramic pieces as paper in which she uses drawings and glaze to create relationships of a didactic, narrative, or comforting nature.

Summing up her lecture, Horie explained the importance of creating objects for touch in a world that is "going digital." As a potter, she has the power to communicate with people in a manner that will never die. People will always need to eat and she has the capability to provide the vessel through which people fulfill their survival.




http://www.ayumihorie.com/

Informal Craft Dept Artist Lecture: Ashely Lyon 1-25-10

Ashley Lyon

My interest in material studies and the love of working with my hands led me to investigate and eventually establish a craft minor here at VCU. The line between my craft and photography work often becomes blurred, and the two run together. Thus, a majority of artists and research I accumulate fall outside of the photographic field and the visiting artists I choose to attend are brought to VCU by the craft department.

The major difference between photo/film and craft visiting artist's lecture topics is concept vs technique. Photography/film artists speak (almost entirely) about the conceptual side of their work while visiting craft artists base a majority of their lecture on techniques and materials. Critiques within each department follow in a similar manner, which is always eye-opening for me.

Today I not only listened to Ashely Lyon speak briefly about her ceramic and sculptural work, but I participated in an hour and a half long hand building demo. Demonstrating techniques, tools, and the importance of 'looking' rather than perceiving were a few of the topics she touched on, but the most significant thought I walked away with today was the amazingly individual relationship our human hands have with the texture and characteristics of clay. Clay is one of the most forgiving materials an artist can work with. It may even be the most human. When clay is wet, it gives off the same sheen as our very skin- a texture or finishing that many artists strive to maintain within their ceramic work, but will never be able to successfully preserve.

Lyon continued to reiterate the importance of taking time to look at and study the object you are modeling. Recreating objects from memory or perceptions is almost always unsuccessful when attempting to be realistic. "You should spend almost more time looking at your object than you do recreating it," she says.

An excerpt from her artist statement:

You look you trust you doubt you trust you look again. I view art as a circular pursuit of knowledge. Above all, I want my work to be honest. This aim is complex in a culture where truth can be extracted from both the sincere and corrupt... Realism is not an experiment in the reiteration of a hand, foot or head; realism is to locate the sensation of being human.

ashleylyon.com

Visiting Artist Lecture: Shay Church 11-20-09

Today I went to see Shay Church speak at the weekly Friday craft artist lecture. He is a new teacher to VCU and I will be taking an advanced hand building class from him next semester. He has assisted several well known artists (even out of the country), attended residencies, and has gone to grad school and traveled out of the country following his inspirations and work.

Church works primarily in ceramics, but has also included wood, metal, and drawings/paintings. Within ceramics Church has two very distinct styles of working. He is always inspired by nature, migration, and the intricate web of life that connects every living organism to another. He expresses this relationship through his ceramic sculptures, such as "Elk" (the third photo below). Other sculptures include animals or elements of nature morphing into each other. [Unfortunately his website doesn't allow image downloading, so check them OUT!]

The second style that Church implements is more unique when considering the material he works with (clay- often personally gathered). He has found a niche for himself creating large scale replicas of animals on wooden sculptural skeletons. The clay is never fired, but pressed on the skeleton by himself and even gallery viewers. In this sense it is a performance piece that is then left to dry, crack, and even crumble. He has installed his "Grey Whale" at several locations and has a permanent installation in a boiler room in an abandoned factory (images below).

I'm very excited to be experiencing a new media in such depth next semester with a teacher who seems to have a lot of the same influences and ideas I do.

"I believe in the natural cycles of the earth. Within these patterns of life and death is where I can find truth. While cities grow, wars rage, and industry climbs, nature's heart continues to pound. Migratory paths remain, rivers continue to run downstream, wolves hunt, and insects are hatched. My artwork is an attempt to create a meaningful connection between the natural world and myself. Often this connection seems fleeting. It is based on observation and the physical act of working with material such as clay and wood. This physical relationship also allows me to explore my spiritual, emotional and psychological concerns for the human experience."
-Shay Church




http://shaychurch.com/index.php

Visiting Artist Lecture: Shimon Attie 11-11-09

I really do enjoy artist lectures here at VCU. I wish they could all be in a nice theater like the one in the student commons where technology worked amazingly and artist were entertaining, informative, and eye opening. Today, Shimon Attie was all of these things.

I wonder where Attie originally found his interest for history- particularly the history of people or, should I say, the people's history. Maybe he took some really great philosophy and social classes in high school or college. Either way, he uses a variety of mediums to reclaim the world's and people's buried histories through usually very hands on processes. I appreciate his means of gathering information and ultimately his photographic material: directly from the source. Whether his information is gathered from archives, interviews, or physically using history as a prop, he accurately merges the past with the present. His works are often emotional for those involved or who can relate and is not short of breathtaking for the rest of us. Also, his lighting is expressive and strong, bending to the needs of each project (you can see his photography background here).

Below is a clip from a documentary on his making of The Attraction of Onlookers.

Visiting Artist Lecture: Fred Fenster 10-22-09

Fred Fenster is a metal worker who primarily uses pewter and sometimes other ferrous metals to make artistic household containers. He makes teapots, cups, salt/pepper shakers, etc and he does it in NO TIME! When he showed a slide of one of his teapots and said, "I did this in about two days" I was floored. Of course he has way more experience in metal working than me AND pewter is much softer than the non-ferrous metals we are using in the beginning jewelry class.

He was extremely interesting to listen to as he lectured mostly on technique. He explained how he made almost every piece. Ex: "I fused a cone to a cylinder and dropped a cup in for the shape... I used a scratcher to weaken these points so they collapse under pressure..." He also explained the different between soldering and fusing. Fusing one end of a sheet of pewter to another followed by a little hammering results in a seamless mixture of of pewter and THUS a hollow form is made!

Fenster also engaged us with his "heavy rim theory." His theory (which he instilled throughout the lecture) brings attention to the edges of a piece and frames the rest of your detail.

I was especially intrigued to learn about the properties of pewter. Unlike the metals we use in the beginning jewelry class, pewter has a melting point of 465 degrees. The metals we use have a melting point near 1200. Because of this low melting point, the torch used to fuse pewter is much smaller. Pewter is also a poor conductor of heat so you could be holding one side of your piece WHILE you are fusing the other side and not have to worry about getting burned. It is much more malleable than copper, brass, or silver. On the downside, pewter is a contaminant to other non-ferrous metals. The smallest fleck of pewter powder on your amazingly crafted copper or brass piece can eat a hole right through the metal when heated. The lower melting temperature causes a chain of chemical reactions that will continue to happen whenever heated unless the pewter is cut, filed, or scratched out!

Fred Fenster is conducting a two day pewter workshop at VCU today and tomorrow.

Visiting Artist Lecture: Brian Ulrich 10-14-09

I enjoyed how much Brian Ulrich's work really got my brain ticking. Here it is 3 hours later and I'm still thinking about his work. I can relate with his scientific approach to document while creating art. I particularly connected with his Ghost Box and Dead Mall series because they were particularly beautiful landscapes and (so far) fairly free of inhabitants. I also believe this series is stronger than both the Retail and Thrift chapters because these two really bolster each other and are not as conceptually strong without the other. The Dark Store, Ghost Box, and Dead Mall chapter speaks to the panic concerning our economy and doesn't rely on either other chapter to strengthen its concept.

I appreciated the process and the evolution of picture/camera quality that evolved with every chapter of his work. He examines first the outer layer and works inward to finally explore the inhabitants of every environment. I also felt like he took an overkill topic (our economy, consumerism, etc) and made it new and thought provoking. It was great that he cited websites as one of his main vehicles of research. The internet has changed every aspect of our lives, and he taps into our need to connect with society through widespread similarities and the concern of paranoia- particularly in our economy.

I thought of a question after the lecture that I would have really liked to ask. How does the dwindling economy effect children today? I particularly remember visiting a mall near my grandparents house in Staunton, Va when I was a kid (we must be talking elementary school and maybe even before). The mall was always SO empty, especially compared the our busy malls up in Northern Virginia. On a level I understood that the age group and income level of people living in Staunton compared to Nova was not the same. It was never something I verbally acknowledged or even asked my parents about. Now I find myself wondering why. I never would have thought it was part of what is happening now. Even the malls in Northern Virginia have empty stores now. Working at Ritz Camera, I too have experience three store closings within the last year alone. This issue has been on my mind a lot more lately and Ulrich's presentation leaves me asking more questions. Do children today know what is happening? Is it something parents don't want to explain for fear of spreading their stress or worries to their children? Are kids asking questions? DO WE REALLY HAVE THAT MUCH TO WORRY ABOUT OR IS THIS ALL BEING BLOWN OUT OF PROPORTION?! At first I thought most of the worry was created by the media, but after a firsthand experience I'm not sure what to believe.

Ulrich's work:

Can you believe this Target has at least 33 checkout lanes?!

I actually came across this image at some point during my hyperlinking research over the past two weeks. Now I recognize it!

Visiting Artist Lecture: Penelope Umbrico 10-05-09

Penelope Umbrico has a specific work process I very much admire. She has a concise reason for every action and decision she makes within her artistic process and each project or study logically connects to the next. I can most strongly connect with her works based on consumer home improvement magazine and website images. She explores the connections between consumer and image through the examination of objects in idealistically photographed rooms such as books, mirrors, windows, pillows, etc.

Her observation of the reflection in mirrors showed objects that replaced the viewers as if they were in the room. The reflections (such as curtains, flowers, and plants) are all objects the viewer would expect to see in the room and projects themselves onto. Have you never seen a photo in a home improvement magazine and not pictured yourself in it?


Building off her mirror work, she turns to windows as another gateway in which the viewer can move into and even beyond the magazine photos. The windows act as an idealistic escape which is attainable only through the room. This promotes a desire to own the room or be in the room OR buy the products in the room. Her strongest work stems from this examination of consumerism.



Other objects within the rooms have specific projects dedicated solely to them. Open books invite the viewer into the inhabitants personal life. Black and white photographs represent the classic representation of happy family memories. Books turned backwards on shelves degrade the writings of their historical worth and reference technology as the new sole tool for research and language. Beautifully organized shelves and armoires give the viewer a sense of longing for cleanliness and order.

Her other works speak more towards images being shared between people on the internet. She examines reflections in internet posted photos and the similarities of mass photographed objects.

Visiting Artist Lecture: Spencer Finch 9-24-09

I think Spencer Finch did a great job lecturing (and entertaining) yesterday in the student commons theater. I was truly inspired by the amount of research he puts into every piece. He is obviously a reader of mythology and history and takes a great interest in their figures. I could tell that simply reading about these influential people or characters just wasn't enough. It is his passion to incorporate them into every day of his life whether through his artwork, research, discussion, or travel.

All of his work was heavily color based (some quite literal and others conceptual), and I am much appreciative of someone who has found so many different ways to express his interest in a unifying subject matter throughout his art career. I found myself particularly drawn to Poke in The Eye. The idea of poking yourself in the eye and seeing an individually defining mark or pattern is something I have thought of before, but never imagined someone emulating in their artwork. I assumed a scientific explanation and left it at that. Finch has found another way to explain the effect and express something that could never be photographed or seen by anyone other than himself.


I was also fascinated by his series of colors based on the contents of a French hotel room at different times of the day. He blends the line between an artistic and scientific study of color. I wasn't so much drawn to the visuals of this project, but the concept. The below image is another project based on the same idea, but is a study of sunlight on his studio wall.


He approaches much of his work in a scientific manner (much like his admired historical figures) and literally experiments with his materials to achieve certain light waves. His consistent use of a colorimeter excited me, especially after learning about them in digital printing class last year. I personally think artwork based heavily on scientific fact or research is captivating, mostly because I enjoy a concept that is grounded in the rational or absolute (cold, hard evidence). More emotional, faith, or personal based concepts are harder for me to project myself into and my interest is left fleeting.