Sunday, December 6, 2009

Quotes: Mark Greenberg



"Life is a series of thousands of tiny miracles" -Mark Greenberg

*This quote is so beautiful, because it is so true in life and art.  I paired it with a beautiful photo from the Dancing Mountain Flickr Group, whose collection of photographs- which range from fun snapshots to truly fine art- are a great example of the thousands of tiny miracles of life.

Friday, November 27, 2009

Refugees at the Walters



Hello and happy post-Thanksgiving, everyone!  I'm sure you are all still digesting your turkey, like I am.  Recently, I have been lucky enough to work with and teach refugees at The Walters.  In years past, The Walters has worked with Baltimore City Community College's Refugee Youth Program (RYP), an after-school program for refugee youth at various Baltimore schools that helps them with learning English, homework, and generally fitting in.  In addition to RYP, The Walters also worked with the HOPE program, another after-school refugee program through the International Rescue Committee (IRC).



I taught children from both groups, and had a WONDERFUL time!  They are so joyous and eager to learn, despite all they have gone through in their young lives, and their enthusiasm is infectious.  They are also a challenge for me as a teacher, as they have some behavior/social custom issues as well as low English levels.  Working with them is a great opportunity for me to grow as a teacher.  I usually work with preschoolers, and to work with the refugees I had to learn techniques and skills for teaching second language learners, which is totally new for me.  I think I did well when I put them into practice with my students, and I hope I was able to help them learn new words in English and have fun with art!



These pictures are all from the HOPE visit.  The RYP students have been in this country, as well as coming to The Walters, for several years now and have fairly good English levels.  However this was the first year at The Walters for the HOPE students, and many of them had very, very low English levels as well.  They were so excited to be at the museum, though, and were super well-behaved.  I was teaching a younger group with some of the lowest English levels overall.  They didn't say much and I'm not sure whether I really got through to them or not.  We looked at the Heroes exhibition and talked about monsters.  Afterwards, we went downstairs and made our own collaged monsters.  They really got into the studio project and did a great job with their monsters!  We colored coloring sheets and took pictures afterward, and whenever someone would finish a coloring sheet they'd bring it to me and I would point at the different colors and have them repeat the names of the colors after me.  They loved taking pictures, and all in all I think they had a great visit.  I can't wait to work with the Refugees again, I learn just as much from them as I hope they do from me, and it feels like I'm doing something helpful and good for these refugees as they try to make a home for themselves here in America.





Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Highway to Nowhere


Art Action and Civic Engagement
Yesterday, my fellow Master's candidates and I met with MACA alum Ashley Milburn ('07) to talk about his on-going work with the 'Highway to Nowhere'. The project is centered on the "multi-mile stretch of Route 40 between Martin Luther King Jr. , Boulevard and the West Baltimore MARC station that dead-ends in the middle of the city". Ashley is currently working with community residents to transform the space into the East Coast's largest mural space that would employ thousands of artists and city-residents and revitalize the community of W. Baltimore potentially drawing tourists from around the globe.

The History of the Highway
"Before its completion in 1979, the highway displaced thousands of residents and more than 700 homes, schools, hospitals and small businesses, disrupting life in the black community [of W. Baltimore]. The original plan called for the highway to connect with Interstate 70. Instead, it simply cuts off after about a mile and quite literally goes nowhere."
http://www.soros.org/initiatives/baltimore/focus_areas/community_fellowship/case_studies/milburn_2007

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Spotlight: Tamar Mogendorff



Hello!!! I'm back!!!  I know you're all as excited as I am, and I have to say first and foremost that I am sorry to have been gone for so long!  I have been such a slacker blog-wise, but only because I have been such a workaholic otherwise.  I am happy to report that I am enjoying my new job at Whole Foods very much, and am feeling pretty settled in at this point.

On another blog post related note, for the second (or third?) time now I am going to alter my posting schedule.  In the beginning, I was so psyched and energized about this blog, and had very lofty goals and ambitions for it.  I set my sights very high in terms of what I would be able to do, mainly the amount of time I would be able to devote to posting.  While I am still very psyched and energized about blogging here on The Art Caravan, and very devoted to bringing you all awesome art and art history posts, I am forced to admit that even my scaled-back goal of one post a day every weekday has become very difficult, given that I am working 7+ hour days 6-7 days a week.  I do not want writing this blog to become a burden, a source of stress, or an obligation for me- and that is what will happen if I keep trying to meet overly ambitious goals!  It is no fun to have to scale back- it is always better to start with modest posting goals and then increase the amount you post over time.  However, my schedule has worked in the opposite direction- I have gone from having too much free time to too little!

Soooo....my point is that from now on I will have no posting goal.  I will post when I can, whenever I can, and will always post enthusiastic and exciting posts that will make you forget I am not posting more!  However, that being said, I will always make an effort to post as much as I possibly can. :)



Now, moving on...to artist Tamar Mogendorff!  I "discovered" Tamar's work on artist Lena Corwin's blog.  It is so precious!  Everything she does is like a magical little dream, sweet and childlike but also mature and intricate.  Her wondrous creations make me smile.  On her website, this quote is posted from Milk Book (Hors-serie Deco | October 2008):
"Using thousand and thousand of fabrics and threads to create her ideas in her Brooklyn workshop, Tamar Mogendorff's world is populated with swans, bears and mushrooms carefully made by her fairy fingers.  The originality of her creations is in the choice and assembly of the fabrics from gaudy to the precious, the subtle or solid."






I just can't get over how lovely and special all her pieces are.  They are like little treasures, worthy of being coveted and held on to.  Some artists just speak to you, just make you so happy (and sort of jealous at the same time- I would love to make work like Tamar's!), and I like her work more than many other artists' work that I've seen lately.  She makes me feel inspired to learn to sew, and do cool things with fabric.



You can check out Tamar's work on her website, www.tmogy.com

Monday, November 9, 2009

Be back soon!

Hi everyone!  I'm sorry that I have TOTALLY SLACKED on posts for the last couple of days.  I just started at Whole Foods and I am trying to adjust.  I am working ALL THE TIME! But adjust I will and I will soon be back with all my normal posts.  :) ~Sarah

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Art Goods: Elisa Shere Jewelry



Hello, everyone!  Today was my first day at WHOLE FOODS!  It was very exciting and fun and I'm a little pooped out/overloaded with information.  So today I am bringing you a (small) post on the jewelry of Elisa Shere.  Elisa Shere is a jewelry maker/metalsmith here in Baltimore who makes "Eco-silver jewelry with a rustic urban feel."  I do consider jewelry making an art, and you may have noticed that lately I have been posting what I am now calling "Art Goods"- basically art pieces that are functional or more retail-y, like plates or necklaces or what-have you.....and Elisa Shere's gorgeous, minimalist, recycled, and all-around awesome jewelry is a great of example of art that doesn't have to hang on a wall in your home or at a gallery.



I own a ring exactly like the one above, which I bought at Baltimore's massive yearly arts festival, Artscape, this year. I walked up to her booth, looked down at this ring, and swooned immediately.  I don't often buy jewelry, and I am quite particular about what I like, but still I was on a tight budget and really couldn't afford it.  So, I walked on and tried to find something else I liked that was a bit...cheaper.  A block down the street, I realized it was no use, called my bank to double-check, and walked right back and bought it.  And I am so glad I did, as I absolutely LOVE my ring and have never regretted the purchase (even if I had to eat PB&J's for a couple of nights)!  I feel that anyone who picks up an Elisa Shere piece probably feels the same way- you walk around all day feeling like what you are wearing is truly a piece of art and not just another ring or necklace or whatever.  Hopefully I can pick up a few more of her pieces in time, and have my own little Elisa Shere collection!  (P.S. Sorry if this post wasn't very exciting for the male readers out there....but maybe it's a good little gift idea for those special ladies in your life?)  ~Sarah



Check out Elisa's work at her Etsy shop, Elisasherejewelry.etsy.com, and visit her at her blog, Elisashere.blogspot.com!

Monday, November 2, 2009

Quotes: Paula Rego

"Every change is a form of liberation.  My mother used to say a change is always good even if it's for the worse."
-Paula Rego



Personally, I don't think a change for the worse is always better than no change at all, but I think it's important to always be moving forward...and I love Paula Rego's work! :) ~Sarah



Thursday, October 29, 2009

Jonah Lehrer on Art & Metacognition



Jonah Lehrer, pictured above, is a (hot!) Neuroscientist and author.  His most recent book is titled, "How We Decide," all about the science behind even our most mundane decisions.  He recently gave a lecture at the Walters Art Museum called, "From Marshmallows to Metacognition: The Science of Decisions" in promotion of "How We Decide".  It was a great lecture, and I throughly recommend checking out the book- I know I will be doing so soon!  Given that he was lecturing at an art museum, he had to link his ideas to the arts at some point, and given that I am an artist and art educator, this was one of the more interesting parts of his lecture for me (albeit also one of the shortest parts of his lecture.  Honestly, though, the rest was just as interesting).



One of the things Lehrer talks about is something called "metacognition," or as he put it, "thinking about thinking".  Lehrer said that when kids look at art, for example Rembrandt, they are practicing metacognition- thinking about thinking- and therefore learning more about the human condition as well as about the practice of metacognition.  Looking at art inspires us to ask questions like those I ask my preschoolers when we look at art together: "What do you see?", "Why do you think he feels that way?", etc.  This, according to Lehrer, is just one of the many ways we practice metacognition, and learning to practice metacognition is an extremely important tool of success for everyone.  The ability to be aware of our own thoughts, and their implications, and thereby control them- as well as understand ourselves, our place in the world, and those around us better- can be (and is) one of the main factors in whether an individual succeeds or fails in life.  It is fascinating and very validating neuroscience that supports the arts enormously.  I really hope Lehrer talks about the relation of art and metacognition in his book....I will find out soon enough....!  No matter what, remember to go out there and look at art and practice metacognition- it's scientifically good for your brain!

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Exhibitions: Heroes at the Walters Art Museum



Next time you get a chance, if you live here in Baltimore, stop by the Walters Art Museum and check out their newest exhibition, "Heroes: Mortals and Myths in Ancient Greece," which opened two weeks ago.  The exhibition showcases Greek artworks (mostly vases) from the Walters' collection as well as several other contributing museums, arranged around the theme of Heroes such as Herakles, Athena, Odysseus, and Helen.  The show explores not only Heroes, but Hero worship and modern-day Heroes, as well as various monsters and challenges Heroes faced, like the Cyclops above.  There are many fun interactive spots located throughout the gallery, my favorite being the "Personality Quiz" that tells you which Ancient Greek Hero you are most like (The first time I took it, I got Helen, which means I am "Beautiful and Enchanting" or something along those lines.  Then I took it a second time, changing the answers to questions where two answers both sort of fit, and got Athena, "Creative and Smart").  You then can take a pin with a symbol that represents your Hero and a card that explains your Heroes' traits, and follow that Hero around the show by locating your Hero's symbol on the labels of all the pieces where your Hero is shown or discussed.  All in all, it is a fun, creative show that manages to take something that can be kind of boring sometimes (Greek pottery) and make it easy to understand and, in many cases, fascinating!



"Heroes: Mortals and Myths in Ancient Greece" will be on display at the Walters Art Museum, located at 600 N. Charles St. in Baltimore, Maryland, through January 3, 2010.

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Art Goods: Anthropologie + Nathalie Lete


Good morning!  Today I can't resist sharing the Nathalie Lete collection from Anthropologie.  I was in the Georgetown Anthropologie last week, and saw these plates and swooned.  Were I not a poor college graduate, I would have bought several and decorated my wall with them.  I still might give in and do so....

The plates are the result of a collaboration between the Parisian artist Nathalie Lete and the popular women's clothing and home goods store Anthropologie.  I wish all plates could be this cute and whimsical!  They are certainly day-brighteners, and I'm so happy that stores like Anthropologie make the effort to partner with artists to create original and creative pieces of functional art.  They're fairly affordable, and are a good way to make art a part of your daily life without investing in, say, an expensive painting.  I am a huge fan of art in all sects and on all things, because art is not just what you find in museums, it is a way of life! ~Sarah

Monday, October 26, 2009

Quotes: Damien Hirst

"Painting is so poetic, while sculpture is more logical and scientific and makes you worry about gravity."
-Damien Hirst


Damien Hirst's "The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living", 1992

This sculpture by Hirst is one of his most famous, and consists of a real tiger shark in formaldehyde in a glass case.  It is meant to represent life and death in an immediate, visceral way.  A shark can take your life, it is huge and scary, and at the same time it sits in front of you in its case, dead and decaying.  The piece is on display in the Metropolitan Museum of Art until 2010.

What is Community Art?

Hello Everyone!

As Sarah mentioned in a previous post, my name is Holly Crawford-Seay and I am a Practicing Community Artist (PCA) living in Baltimore.

What is Community Art?

Community Art is a "public art practice with roots in social justice and popular and informal teaching methods. In the art world, community art signifies a particular art-making practice, emphasizing community involvement and collaboration (e.g. a mural). Community art is most often art for social change and involves some empowerment of the community members who come together to create artwork/s with artists." [Wikipedia]

What do you do?

As a graduate student in the Master's of Arts in Community Arts Program at MICA and an AmeriCorps/Community Art Corps (CAC) member, I co-facilitate an after-school art program twice a week at the Baltimore American Indian Center in Upper Fell's Point/Southeast Baltimore. My co-facilitator is Open Society Institute (OSI) fellow, Ashley Minner (MACA '07).

I do my best to design projects for and with my students to help facilitate their artistic voice and make an impact on the Native American community and non-Native community living in Baltimore.

When I am not facilitating, I make art utilizing text to begin discussions on the value of expression and hope in a community we call Baltimore. (Since I am currently working on my thesis, this description will (hopefully) become less vague!)

How did you become a PCA?
I became a PCA almost by accident. In the the summer of 2007, I interned in the Education Department of The Walters Art Museum (WAM). I was not working directly with young people at that time, but I became interested in museum education and museum-based community outreach. My overall vision is to use art as a transformative vehicle to unite human beings regardless of race, age, color or creed in a shared public space.

As a guest writer, I will make weekly posts related to the community arts spectrum. I am so happy that Sarah has asked for my input and anticipate a greater understanding and interest in the field of Community Art.

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Slight Hiatus

Hello!  Today was a crazy day, mainly because I worked all day and then came home and cleaned my house.  I put in the extra cleaning effort after such a long day because my parents are visiting me starting tomorrow!  Yay! So, I am going on a slight blogging hiatus in order to spend time with them.  I will be back with the normal posts starting on Monday, and until then, check out Guest Blogger Holly Crawford-Seay's first post this Friday!  I'm sorry it was a weak week (hehe), and hope you all have a wonderful weekend! ~Sarah

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Spotlight: Eleanor Farley


Hello!  It's Tuesday night, and I'm super tired, but I'm trying to keep up with my schedule and write a new post every weekday!  Therefore, I bring you a Spotlight on the work of my friend Eleanor Farley.  Eleanor is currently a senior at the Maryland Institute College of Art.  The image above is of a brand-new piece of hers, in her studio.  Eleanor and I talked last year about her work for a blog I had to write for my Contemporary Art class.  Eleanor told me that her work is about "personalization of mass produced objects, making a home, what we need v.s. what we think we need, and inside/outside."

And these concepts are what I got from her work just by looking at it- the idea of building a home, the idea of home and how can you mass produce a home when the notion of home is such a weighted, nostalgic, complicated, symbolic thing- how can you really define "home," what things make up or consist of "home"- you can define "house" as a building where people live, but the notion of "home" is an altogether different thing.  What's great about Eleanor's work is that "home" is not one thing or one phrase or even a phrase at all, but a litany of experiences, memories, tender moments, "domestic affections," structures and material culture, which culminate over time and take on this word "home" which resides in a very special place in our heart, whether we are conflicted about our home or not.



You can check out more of Eleanor's work on her blog, egfarley.blogspot.com!

Monday, October 19, 2009

Quotes: Andre Gide


"Art begins with resistance- at the point where resistance is overcome.  No human masterpiece has ever been created without great labor."
-Andre Gide



(I had never heard of Andre Gide before, but he looks like he means business!)

Thursday, October 15, 2009

New Guest Blogger: Introducing Holly Crawford-Seay!


Today I want to introduce you all to The Art Caravan's first-ever Guest Blogger, my good friend Holly Crawford-Seay.  Holly works with me at The Walter's Art Museum as an Education Assistant, and is currently studying towards her Masters of Art in Community Art.  Like me, she is a lover of the arts, kids, and teaching.  I have brought Holly on to write a post a week on Art Education & fun art projects for all.  Once she and I have worked out the technological kinks, you will start seeing her posts, and I for one am super excited to see what she has to share! Thanks and welcome, Holly! ~Sarah

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Spotlight: Kali Ciesemier


Good Wednesday, everybody!  It's a grey day in Baltimore, but as I went for a little run and had some coffee, I am all awake and happy.  As I don't have the post schedule nailed down quite yet, I figured I would post a Spotlight today, because I feel like I haven't posted one in awhile!

Today's Spotlight is on local Baltimore artist and illustrator Kali Ciesemier.  Kali is a friend and former roommate of mine, and I love her illustrations- they always make me happy, especially the above illustration of cakes!  Kali is primarily a freelance illustrator, but she is also currently teaching illustration at MICA, where she graduated from in 2008.  Kali puts a lot of heart & soul into her work, and it shows!  When I was living with her, she was always working- she really cares about what she does and is extremely talented.  I think my favorite two things about Kali's work are her colors- usually a limited color palette, but full of nuance and great shades- and her subjects, always playful and smart.  Even with the various jobs she gets- she has illustrated for Air Tran's GO! Magazine, Baltimore Magazine, Pagepath Technologies, Los Angeles Confidential Magazine, Time Out NY Magazine, and many others- her style is always recognizable and her work is always wonderful!

(Illustration for Time Out NY Magazine)

(Illustration for "Vs." Exhibition at The Wind-Up Space)

To check out more of Kali's work, you can go to her website, www.ciesemier.com or check out her blog at Kalidraws.blogspot.com!

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Openings: King Me


On Saturday night, October 10, King Me opened at Open Space, the new gallery and music venue in Remington.  King Me, the second show to date produced by Open Space, presents the work of the collaborative group DUOX, composed of recent MICA grads Dan Wickerham and Malcolm Lomax.  The show will run through most of October.

This was my first visit to the space, and I felt it was well done.  Concrete floors, white walls, well-placed track lighting and garage doors equals a simple, clean, and good-sized gallery space into which you can pack plenty of people.  And it was already pretty full by 8:30pm, an hour and a half after the opening had begun.  A diverse crowd was sipping from tiny Starbucks cups of free liquor-infused punch (for those 21 and up, of course) and a bunch of chicken wings had just arrived.  Dan and Malcolm were mingling with their guests, both in snazzy get-ups, and when a close friend showed up from New York, surprising them both, there was lots of screaming and excited yelling.

As for the work itself, I have to say that I really don't know what to say.  Do I get it? Not really.  Do I have to get it? I don't know?  I often feel like the biggest complaint about postmodern art is that it seems to make no sense- the meaning is elusive and you often stand there just trying to make sense of it all.  Plastic bags filled with magazine cut-outs and drawings, videos containing sexual acts, a MICA custodial shirt with a painted 40 oz beer bottle sitting on top of it, metallic plastic lids and straws on slabs of plaster, phone books nailed to the ceiling, an aluminum foiled duck, a board with red bricks, red lights, and black belts on it.  A clear Hollister bag with a gold football in it tacked to the wall, a massive collage with black pretzels drawn on it.

They could be talking about materialization, commercialization, symbols and sex, maybe they just love metallics and random materials.  I'm not saying I get it, so I don't really know.  Rob Brulinski reviewed the show for Gutter Daily at Guttermagazine.com, and he wrote that the work, "Attempts to repackage a set of motifs: black pretzels, leisure, work and labor, vacations, journals, morning preparation, transparent Casper, work clothes, sweet and salty sex, image as sculpture, masks, soaps, snacks as lunches, beards, bugs, and hot showers."

Personally I think it's mainly about sex and found materials.  But I really, really don't know.  Regardless, I think it's worth seeing, a good use of the space and interesting at the least.  If you don't get very mild postmodern art, then I have a feeling you really won't get this very extreme postmodern art.  It is quite far from a simple oil painting of a pretty landscape.  But art isn't about getting it, as I have said before.  It's about visual imagery, creativity, and expression- and I believe everyone should expose themselves to as much of it as possible! So, check out King Me at Open Space throughout October, and continue to check out Open Space in the future, as it is already off to a good start- and I am sure there is more good to come!





Open Space is located at 2720 Sisson Street Baltimore MD behind the alligator mural.

Quotes: Helen Frankenthaler

"The landscapes were in my arms as I did it."
-Helen Frankenthaler on "Mountains and Sea"



*I am going to start including images with every quote I post- much more fun! ~Sarah

A Note on Posts

When I first started writing The Art Caravan,  I said that I would post a Spotlight and a Quote everyday, Monday thru Friday, as well as posts in other categories periodically throughout the week.  However, saying I could and would do that was biting off more than I could chew!  I think that many posts a day, or a week, is my dream- is what I want to do, and what I would do if this blog was my full-time job and not something I do when I come home from working all day.  Obviously, I have not been able to post a Spotlight or Quote everyday, in fact I have not even been able to make a post everyday.  I apologize for not living up to my original claims, and am now revising them to say that my goal is to post at least once a day Monday thru Friday, designating certain days for certain types of posts, i.e. Monday's post will be Spotlight, Tuesday's Quotes, and so on.  I am also bringing in a guest blogger to write a post a week- but more on that later! :) Thank you for reading everything I have been writing so far, and leaving your comments.  I truly appreciate it!  ~Sarah

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

The Mystery of Picasso



The clip above is from the movie "The Mystery of Picasso," a film by 

Henri-Georges Clouzot. Produced in 1956, it is a documentary that shows 
Picasso himself, painting. Picasso made 20 new artworks just for the film, 
and we watch them be created before our eyes, step-by-step. The artworks 
were made using inks that bleed through the paper, so we are watching in 
real time from behind the canvas, as Picasso reveals "the mystery of creativity."  
By contract, most of the paintings were destroyed when the film was finished.  
The French government declared it a national treasure in 1984. I highly 
recommend it, especially for anyone interested in seeing what truly happens
when an artist- in this case, a master- makes work.


P.S. Obviously, I'm having some formatting issues with the text in this post. I think 
it has something to do with the video, but I can't seem to fix it myself. So, I apologize for
the difficult read, and if anyone has any advice on how to fix this issue, please let me 
know! ~Sarah

Quotes: Eckhart Tolle

"All true artists, whether they know it or not, create from a place of no-mind, from inner stillness."
-Eckhart Tolle

One of the most well-known and best spiritualists out there, Eckhart Tolle is the author of "The Power of Now" and numerous other books.  The ideas in his books are wonderful and profound, and at least for me, often difficult to truly understand and practice.  He writes about being in the present, being in the now, and how this can bring about happiness and love, as well as inner peace.  These concepts relate very much to art and the process of making art.  Art is very therapeutic for many people, and this is probably because of it's ability to pull you into the present and wipe your mind of all worries while you are engaged in the physical and mental work of the visual process.  As Tolle says, you create from a place of "no-mind", which can be very soothing!  Art comes from the subconscious, from the spiritual side of our minds.  If ever you need to get in touch with yourself, your grace, your unconscious (as cheesy as it all may sound)- or if you even just need to calm down a bit- pick up a pencil and a piece of paper and just draw.  Even if you don't consider yourself an artist, the practice of making art can broaden your understanding of yourself as well as art in general. ~Sarah

Spotlight: Molly Colleen O'Connell


Hello! I have been a little under the weather (flu shot side effects?), and am in the process of trying to get a job at the Mt. Washington Whole Foods.  Busy, busy, busy!  So today I bring you a Spotlight on the work of Molly Colleen O'Connell, whose work I own in my personal collection.  Molly is one of my favorite artists.  She graduated a year ahead of me from MICA with a Printmaking degree, and is a member of the comic book collective Closed Caption Comics.  She also is one of the organizers of the new art gallery and music venue Open Space in Remington.

I am a fan of her print work as well as her comic books, which she prints and binds herself.  Molly draws and prints images of intricate other worlds that she creates.  In these worlds, she tells the stories of the creatures that inhabit them, and the various things they do and adventures they go on.  Sometimes the narrative is strong and easy to follow, and other times the story is hard to follow but the pictures are all you need anyway.  Her creatures and her line-heavy, incredibly creative drawings are enchanting and unreal.  I particularly love (and hope to purchase one day) a print of a little girl milking (?) a huge moose (?).  Sometimes it's hard to tell what's actually happening, but that's what I enjoy about Molly's work: She is asking your to use your imagination, to enter her amazingly imaginative world, and see where it takes you.



Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Quotes: Mark Rothko

"I'm not an abstractionist.  I'm not interested in the relationship of color or form or anything else.  I'm interested only in expressing basic human emotions: tragedy, ecstasy, doom, and so on."
-Mark Rothko

Lines & Shapes



The image above is of some of the books made by Lines & Shapes.  Lines & Shapes is primarily a book publishing artist collective curated by artists/designers Lena Corwin and Maria Vettese.  I first came across Lena Corwin on, once again, Design*Sponge, where I liked her work enough to start clicking on a bunch of links, which eventually led me to the Lines & Shapes website.  I really love all the artists featured in the books they produce, and had so much fun & felt so inspired browsing through them online this morning that I felt compelled to write a post so that you all could have fun & be inspired too! I feel like there is a trend in certain realms of contemporary art right now that mixes and merges design with fine art and diy products that results in a very homegrown minimalist, graphic, and sweet art.  Much of this art is about life and about incorporating art into functional objects and daily living, and includes the realms of home, garden, and kitchen.  I. love. it.

Spotlight: Alice Neel


Hello and Happy Tuesday! It is intermittently sunny and quite chilly here in Baltimore, and I am enjoying the energy that I get from this sort of weather.  For today's Spotlight, I thought I'd go with the painter Alice Neel.  Alice Neel's paintings are super-fun.  Born in 1900 near Philadelphia, she doesn't fit in any one painting category and her style is all her own.  According to her website, she "Was one of the great American painters of the twentieth century" and was also "A pioneer among women artists."  I would agree with both statements.  Neel primarily painted figures, but she also painted landscapes and still life.

How to describe her style?  I am struggling to put it into words.  Her paintings are loose, direct, full of expression and emotion.  They are not particular about traditional elements like proportion, or likeness; yet they are still proportionate and almost certainly look very much like the people they portray.  Neel was never shy about outlines or color application- notice the darker line surrounding most shapes that acts like a pencil drawing, or the way you can obviously tell where one color ends and one begins and how that color was applied.  These things are what make her paintings so great, though- they are straightforward and honest, colorful and fun, full of emotion and integrity.  I love that it seems like she didn't really care what other people thought, or about how you're "supposed" to paint, and instead just painted what she saw how she like to paint it.  I also enjoy how she used the white of the canvas, always letting a little bit show through, giving her paintings a slightly unfinished feel that further emphasized the loose, direct quality of them.  Easily one of my all-time favorites!  To learn more about Alice Neel, visit aliceneel.com.