Magritte at the MoMA

One artwork I chose at the Magritte exhibition was "Les Amants" (The Lovers) that was painted in 1928. I believe this painting was very creative in the reason of how and why it was painted. It depicts the reality and fantasy at the same time. Magritte painted a couple kissing but what was so odd about it was the cloth over there heads. The reason she painted these cloths was to cover there identities, the painting's information states, "it corresponds to a larger Surrealist interest in masks, disguises, and what lies beyond or beneath visible surfaces." It also talks about the painting relating to thriller stories that Margitte's friend Paul Nouge send to her and encouraged her to paint. The piece depicts reality through the couple kissing and the fantasy is the cloth draped over there heads as if they are suffocating. The idea of kissing is a romantic scene but what about the people that are under those cloths? What is there background, is their personalities as grateful as the kiss? You can't always judge a person, or in this case people but their cover. 

Rene Magritte
 Les Amants 
Oil on canvas 
1928

Field Trip #3 "Design in our Lives"

Going to MoMA again, I was really able to analyze the various design exhibits. These design galleries had many objects that were made by artist for the real world utility. Another word for it is called Ergonomics, where you can use the artworks for every day life. Some were better than others in terms of their functionality. 

Two works that I chose that had "high functionality" was the "Basic House" made in 1999. This "Basic House" is used as an inflatable home for homeless people that can be transportable and easy to fold or unfold. "Azua's Basic House is made of extra-light material, folds like a handkerchief and when deployed uses hot air from grilles in city sidewalks to remain inflated and heated." Not only is it a transportable home but is also able to get warm inside, when temperatures are cold outside. Homeless people can live inside these flexible houses without a problem. Another work that I chose was the "Earthquake Proof Table", the tables that are used for elementary school today have a slight difference to this artwork. This table was made for Earthquakes and “collapse scenarios” they can be used for shelter and protection during an earthquake. Also, when these tables are lined up together they can make a tunnel in order move safely to an exit or to rescue teams. This table can be used for every day activities in a classroom and it is so light two children can pick it up and move it. Both of these objects are very useful for people that really need it. Such as people that or homeless or a city that has frequent earthquakes.

Two works that I thought were “low functionality” was the "Table with Wheels". I came to this conclusion because the table was made out of glass and for it to be a moving table, I thought it was too dangerous and not meant to be used as much in every day life. Glass can be easily broken and as it slips fast because of its wheels, it could potentially hurt someone. Another low functionality I chose was "The Three-Legged Side Chair". I believe this can’t be used for the real world because there are people in the world that come in all different shapes and sizes and for a heavy person to sit on that chair it doesn’t seem like a safe idea. A regular four-legged chair is more likely to be able to hold a heavy person than a three-legged chair, so it would also be dangerous. Both these objects are creative artworks but are not meant to be used for the real world simply because they can be harmful in some occasions. An object does not have to have a high functionality in order for it to be a good design because of the creativity put into it. 


Martin Ruiz De Azua
"Basic House" 
Extra-Light Material 
1999

do Bruno & Arthur Brutter 
"EPT: Earthquake Proof Table"
Steel and birch plywood 
2010


Gae Aulenti 
"Table with Wheels"
Glass, metal, and rubber
1980

Charles Eames & Ray Eames
"Three-legged Side chair"
Stained molded plywood, metal rod, rubber shockmounts, and rubber glides 
1944

Illustrate a Story (Project 3)

When hearing the stories, most of them had a melancholy mood to them, I wanted a story that resembled something funny, cool, and unusual. I came across Dawn and Don Bruke, a couple that decided to start a sanctuary for rats. The sanctuary that is, is their own home. They decided to do this because of rats being used today for lab reasons, that are mistreated or simply not wanted. It started of with Dawn being disgusted with rats but later on bought one after spending time with her neighbor's rats. This one rat then led on to bringing more and more into their home. I found this to be very cool and interesting and I myself am an animal lover. Someone being disgusted by a animal and ending up having millions of that creature in their home! I love seeing other people help out with animals that are mistreated and unloved. When creating a college that represented this story, I tried to make a college that represented the rat's perspective. To them, Dawn and Don's home is paradise to them because they are in a habitat where they are loved and they can run around in. There's even a pool in the fancy home and one of the rats are even dressed, all of them look happy to be there.

http://storycorps.org/listen/dawn-and-don-burke/

Chelsea Galleries Field Trip 5

The trip to Chelsea in Manhattan was a fun experience because we got to analyze different pieces of artwork physically and emotionally. One of the galleries that stood out to me the most was the Tanya Bonakdar Gallery. This gallery had very creative artwork, and if I was to choose a painter to buy from it would be Phil Collins. The pieces of artwork that stood out the most were the two mini vans that had a home inside it called, This Unfortunate thing between us and the recording studios. I found these artworks to be creative because you could actually walk into the car and the studio. This is a good investment because when you think of artwork, you only think about the aesthetic emotion to it when you see it on a wall. But when you get to touch it and walk into it as well, it's a whole different level. If I bought his artworks, I would display it, so I could myself could go into the artist's work. 
Another gallery that I got to see was the Paula Cooper Gallery. Two pieces of artwork I choose from this one was a painting from Sol Lewitt named Complex Form and a artwork named Painted Wood. This pieces were the least that stood out to me because I didn't get an emotion when I saw them and I didn't really understand their meaning. I like artworks that are colorful and give me a good mood instead of leaving me confused and indecisive. This isn't a good investment because I believe there are better artworks that people would prefer to buy. 

Tanya Bonakdar Gallery 
Phill COLLINS
This Unfortunate Thing Between Us
2011
Two channel video installation presented in caravans, color, sound

Phill COLLINS
my heart's in my hand, and my hand is pierced, and my hand's in the bag, and the bag is shut, and my heart is caught 
2013

Paula Cooper Gallery
Sol Lewitt
Complex Form
1987

Sol Lewitt
12 X 12 X 1 TO 2 X 2 X 6
1990

Field Trip #1

 Going to MoMA for the first time really made me see art from a different perspective. From observing art through the computer, it's not the same as being right in front of it. In person you can see the texture of the artwork and the thoughts put into it. It's as if you are having a conversation with the artist him or her self through their artwork. We were given the task to find three pieces of artwork that fit into the categories of personal, cultural, and historical. 

The first artwork I chose was Max Ernst's painting named, Two Children Are Threatened by a Nightingale. I chose this painting as personal because there is a reason why this artist made this artwork. In the painting I noticed a landscape with a guy standing on a roof trying to grab a knob closed by the old fashioned frame and a girl running with a knife. As I read the description in MoMA, I found out Ernst gave two autobiographical references for the Nightingale. Which is, that his sister passed away in 1897 and his experiences on hallucinations. He brought his very own personal experiences and tried to show them through his artwork.

An artwork I chose to represent cultural, is a photograph by Phillp-Lorca diCorcia named Roy: "In his twenties." This photograph has a young man posing with his shirt off. He shows his muscular body and this reminds me of todays cultural in the United States. When I first saw the picture it reminded me of a Hollister model, modeling for the clothing line outside of the store in SoHo. The nationality and ethnicity of this man is a caucasian American. People today see an average american model with a tall and fit structure. 

The last artwork I chose was a photograph by Walker Evans that represented historical terms. The photograph is in black and white and shows a resturaunt or diner. Compared to the modern day today, the setting and style of clothing was very different. In the description it stated that Evans captured the image during a decade in which experienced transformation. Which means that it was during a time where the culture it self was changing in American culture. 

In conclusion, I believe every artist has a mind set in what category they want to achieve when creating their artwork. Either it's something personal, culture, or historical. This 3 categories make a big impact on the final piece of artwork because it gives it more meaning. 

Work Cited:

Max Ernst 

"Two Children Are Threatened by a Nightingale"

Oil on wood with painted wood elements and frame 

1924

Philip-Lorca diCorcia

Roy;"in his twenties"; Los Angeles, California

Chromogenic color print 

1990-92

Walker Evans 

American Photographs

1938