What is art to you now, have your views changed if so why?

My views of art have changed completely. Before I took this class, Art was boring, confusing, and overwhelming at times. I was discouraged because I felt I never understood the meaning or purpose of the art work. Now, I understand some artists create an art piece that's open for interpretations, or to show the process of creating an art piece, and sometimes its just as simple as creating something for the fun of it. I didn't understand the purpose of art in general at the beginning, now I understand some artists use art to communicate with the world. I feel like I have a brand new set of eyes and an open mind when it comes to art, appreciate it for what it is instead of making it more complicated then it needs to be. I definitely gained a lot of respect for artists who have the courage to make themselves vulnerable to this judgmental world and pursue a career in something they enjoy and love with the uncertainty of money and success. Learning about these artist's pasts and how they incorporate their past into their art work is interesting and gives more value to the art work. In every art piece the artist creates, they're sharing a piece of them with the world and I think that's admirable and brave. Reading about art all day does no justice for art, going out there and experiencing it for myself really helped me connect and grow an interest in art that I never thought I would have.

Richard Tuttle & Francis Bacon

Richard Tuttle Letters,1966

Shape is sculpture, but Richard Tuttle broke those boundaries. He felt in order to have good art, you can't consider the viewers. In my opinion, Tuttle is an outstanding artist because he started out in a conventional way with easel paintings and grew to find his personal style of art to communicate with the world. Many people argued that Tuttle's work wasn't "Art" because it seemed too simple and intermediate. He uses smaller, easily manipulative entities to create something beautiful and makes it seem effortless. This artist suggests your art is your unique way of communicating with the world, who's to tell you what you can or can't say. He invented his own language. While viewing this artist's work you must take the time to analyze it then have an open mind which is fun and for me less pressure. Just take the art for what it is and interpret it how you want to.

Francis Bacon This artist is an aggressive, emotionally driven alcoholic. He was influenced by anything, it didn't matter to him. Bacon was promiscuous and comfortable with his sexuality,in fact his lovers would influence and motivate his work. Most of the paintings of his lovers wouldn't include a name unless the guy meant a great deal to him such as George. Beauty moves him, male beauty. After traumatic events, he would lock himself up in a studio and paint to distract himself from the heartbreak. Bacon's boyfriends were usually bad news, some were abusive, married, or a narcissist. He was notorious for destroying art pieces that didn't satisfy him. He revealed his deep emotions through his art. "An artist is who you are and what you do all the time."- Francis Bacon Francis BaconTRIPTYCH–AUGUST 1972(Image below)

These two artists are talented and unique, they differ in a few ways. For instance, Tuttle felt in order to have good art you can't consider the viewer's feelings about the art work, on the other hand, Bacon would destroy his painting if he felt it wasn't good enough. Bacon would paint large, abstract art pieces, while Tuttle worked with small entities. Bacon shared his depiction of reality; however, Tuttle manipulated objects and left the interpretations open-ended. Tuttle was sober and open-minded when creating his work; unfortunately, Bacon was drunk for the majority of the time. Bacon's art works would include his past, while Tuttle's art work suggests the idea of nothingness. These artists are both extraordinary in their unique way.

Wynwood Art walk on July 14th

Claudio Souza Pinto Pinto uses oil on linen for his paintings and a strong color contrast, which emphasizes the joy and the fantasy messing with people's feelings. Pinto views life in a more entertaining outlook such as a play or show and he expresses that view in a poetic language to connect with the audience. "I paint the clothes of the human being because society only gives value to appearances. I transform daily situations with a surrealist filter creating fantastic and humorous images."- Claudio Souza Pinto

Claudio Souza Pinto

Fred Love I love this art piece simply because I'm obsessed with mermaids. The mermaid depicted in the image is out of the water and can see her reflection in her fin. I haven't seen any artists include mermaids in their art work and I think they're gorgeous, mystical creatures. I find it peculiar that the mermaid ins't in water, possibly the artist is implying they can thrive without water temporarily.

This performance was the most interesting part of the Art walk. The actors were intriguing and talented to the point that you felt like you were watching a movie; although, the actors had limited props. What props you see in the image above is basically what they were working with. They were staying in character while being rained on for over an hour< I felt the intensity the entire time I watched the performance. The performance's setting takes place in the 1700's, this story is about two young men on a journey.

My Visit to the De La Cruz Collection

Glenn Ligon Masquerade,2006 Silkscreen and coal dust on canvas Glenn Ligon uses the colors black and white to represent opposing races, the artist is expressing his interest in black history inspired by his personal experiences when the white race openly discriminated against the black race and it was accepted. The only two colors used in this art piece is black and white because his whole life he has lived in a society where the black constantly battled for their rights to be considered equal to the white man. This artist uses this piece to incorporate articles and pictures of successful, honorable black people such as Barack Obama to illustrate the progress and success of the black race despite the past. In addition, the artist uses literature from James Baldwin,a black novelist, who is also a successful, brilliant black man. This piece is beautiful and easy to understand the concept.

Gabriel Orozco Ping Pond Table, 1998

Gabriel Orozco Four Bicycles(There is Always One Direction),1994 Bicycles

Nate Lowman 30 Million Dollar Smile,2011 Alkyd on linen This art piece is unique and amazing because when you're close up to the airbrushed photograph you see black dots that are symmetrical to each other, yet some are a a little bolder than other dots. When you stand further from the art piece you can see that the details made the world of a difference and you clearly see an image of Julia Roberts."In the news, the unique is captured and proliferated; in his work, the proliferate is captured and made unique..."

Thomas Houseago Giant Baby,2010 Tuf-cal,hemp,iron rebar,graphite,oil,crayon Thomas Houseago's sculpture captured my attention immediately because it seemed unfinished due to the imperfections. The artist didn't cover any indications of the process such as the sketches of the shape of the baby's head, the inside of the sculpture was exposed, and the wood and glue holding the sculpture in place was visible. The artist's purpose of the sculpture is to document the process of his art work and to express to the audience that the process is just as important to the art work as the predetermined result.

Sterling Ruby Monument Stalagmite/CDC SHIV,2010 PVC pipe,foam,urethane,wood,spray paint and Formica

Alaina Nuehring

What do you define as Art?

 I don’t think I am able to adequately summarize the complexity and diversity of what is considered art. It’s like trying to fit the ocean in a cup. But with that in mind, I would say that art is an exploration of a problem or idea that relies on sensory objectives, often visual, to ignite a response from the viewer.

What influenced you to become an artist?

 I always had a good sensibility towards art and design, but furthermore, I was intrigued by the idea that I could have my ideas and work broadcasted to a larger audience and having the ability to make a statement in the world and influence the viewer’s experience, emotions, opinions, and beliefs through visual means.

Who inspired you to become an artist?

 I don’t there is one specific person or moment that strongly influenced me to be an artist. Being an artist was something I always wanted to do and never considered any alternative option, though, I have met several people that have further strengthened my desire to become an art through their own passion and ideas about art.

What influences your art?

 I am influenced by other artists such as Cecily Brown, Alex Kanevsky, de Kooning, Gorky, Cy Twombly, Edwige Fouvry, Anna Schuleit, Denyse Thomasos, and Basquiat. I am very interested in the expressionist styles of these artists. I am also interested in relating themes of science and psychology into my work. I am not a connoisseur of these subjects, but I am fascinated with the science behind our perception of time and the brain’s tendency to reconstruct memory. I listened to a great podcast from RadioLab about memory. The link is – http://www.radiolab.org/2007/jun/07/ 

What environment do you feel most comfortable working in?

 I am most productive while I’m by myself in my studio where I listen to loud music in my headphones and am not distracted by other tasks from the outside world.

Does anyone in your family have an artistic background and/or talent?

 My mom studied Graphic Design and Printmaking in college, but I would say that she pursues art primarily as a hobby than professionally.

At what age did you begin painting?

 I have been drawing for as long as I can remember but I don’t think I touched oil paint until I was in my junior year of high school. Even then, my exposure to paint was minimal. It wasn’t until my junior year in college that I seriously pursued painting and considered myself a painter.

I see that you attended Rhode Island School of Design, how did being around artists of that caliber affect you and your art?

 It has affected me tremendously! I think being in an environment surrounded by creative and talented people is essential for the growth of an artist. Back in high school, I was known as the art kid. It was a great ego boost, but it didn’t challenge me very much intellectually. When I came to RISD, I became surrounded by people who were equally as talented, if not more, than me. It was quite intimidating towards the beginning of that experience, but I realized that being in that type of rigorous and creative environment with the guidance and support of the faculty and my colleagues had allow me to push my art to levels that were more technically and intellectually concrete and considered. I must also add that this type of experience is not limited to art school. If an artist can immerse himself into an environment that is challenging and inspiring, great work will naturally emerge.

What's integral to your art work?

 I tend to use similar themes in all of my work – an exploration of fragmentation, deterioration, reconstruction, introspection, and chaos. Visually, these themes are embedded in the treatment of the figure. I consider most, if not all, of my work to be figurative, whether the figure is outwardly discernable or not.

How has your practice changed overtime?

 Within the last year, my work has shifted from being representational to being primarily abstract. My previous work focused heavily of a specific series of autobiographical narratives. I was struggling quite a bit during that series. The struggles I encountered emerged from my wanting to tell a specific story, but I found that mode of painting wasn’t quite successful. I wanted to say something that was too complex for a straightforward narrative. At this point, I became interested in reinventing these narratives, shifting focus from the details of the narratives to more of my personal emotions and interpretations of events and daily life. I think the shift to working more abstract has allowing me to work more freely as a greater part of my attention while painting goes towards formal elements such as color, texture, and brushstroke.

What artist has influenced your work the most?

 There have been several artists that directly influence my work over the last few years, but the artist that is influencing me at the present moment is Cecily Brown. I feel like I am addressing a similar set of issues and ideas that she is exploring in her work regarding the interplay of the figure and abstraction. I recently watched a talk online where she describes some of ideas about painting and abstraction. Here is the link – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZm6jS3rkBE

Is there a specific message you're trying to convey to your audience?

 I always struggle with this idea. At the moment, I would say that I do not have any deliberate message that my audience will take away after looking at my work. While I do refer to specific ideas and imagery while producing my work, I think about my finished work acting as an exploration and collaboration in which the viewer can project his or her own meaning and emotion on to.

Jessica Stockholder
Sam Ran Over Sand or Sand Ran Over Sam2004
Installation at Rice University Art Gallery, Houston, Texas

 Jessica Stockholder

Growing Rock Candy Mountain Grasses in Canned Sand 

1992

Stockholder uses everyday items to create beautiful sculptures and transform large,empty spaces by combining paint, sculptures, and installation art.