Beautiful Beasts:Through the history of art

Beautiful Beasts

At the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, As I put myself in a Curator's shoes I wanted to pick something that grabbed my attention. I was most impressed by the artworks and objects representing animals because I love any breed of animals, from domestic to wild ones. What interests me about these beautiful beasts, is that they have not only artistic value but have symbolic meaning as well. The oldest object in my exhibit is in the year before Christ and the newest ones are after Christ was born. Examples of the types of objects included in the exhibits are vases, to human size sculptures, and even masks in the shape of animals. As I was looking at these artworks it made me realize that animals had a lot of meaning and symbolized many things in history compared to today, where we usually use them for pets or to devour them!

"Terracotta vase in the form of a Bulls head" (c.a 1450-1400 B.C)

"Bronze statuette of a horse" (Hellenistic Art:Third Century B.C) (Late 2nd-1st century B.C)

"Marble statue of a Lion" (Greek Art:Fifth Century B.C)

"Marble leg of a table with a table’s head" (Greek and Roman Study Collection:Fifth Millenium B.C.-A.D)    1st-2nd Century A.D

"Bronze Cock" (South Italian Art) Date: Ca. 3rd-1st century B.C (South Italian Art: Fourth-First B.C)

"Bird Mask" Date:19th-20th Century (Not in exhibit)

"Mask:Antelope" (walu) (Main Africa gallery)

"PixCell-Deer #24" (Japanese Art) Date:2011 (Japanese Art)

"Lizard" Emmanuel Fremiet by Emile Muller CA. 1887 (European Decorative Arts and Sculpture)

"Mummy of Cat" Date: CA. 400 B.C.-100 A.D (Arts under the Ptol

emies 2)

Field Trip #5: Performance Art at the Whitney Museum

Visiting the Whitney Museum of American Art’s exhibit “Rituals of Rented Island”, I got to see “happenings” from history that made a big impact during the time it was created and until today. As it only exists in documentation today, the artworks displayed in the museum were able to give me an idea on the reasons why they were made, which could have possibly came from political, social, and cultural references.

One of the artworks that caught my eye was Jack Smith’s Collage named Untitled and was created in 1977. This was an interesting collage to me because of the pictures that were cut up and were put to over lap each other. Pictures that Jack Smith added to the collage were symbols of the Nazi sign, this refers back to Hitler and the Holocaust. There is also a picture of a money bill near it. I believe Jack Smith wanted to reveal the corruption that went on during these times with greed, money, and simply hatred. I might have not attended the original happening and been around the time where many Jewish people were getting killed. But it didn’t change my understanding of the piece because the knowledge I have based on the Holocaust.

Another happening I chose was “Baby Ikki, 1978 and 2012” by Michael Smith. This was a very interesting documentation as it showed a video of Michael Smith dressed up in toddler attire, wearing a oversized diaper, undersized sunglasses, and drinking from a baby bottle. As he was dressed as this, he crawled around the sidewalks and streets of NYC. As I watched the video, below it there were clothes similar to the toddler attire Michael Smith was wearing that day. This gave me a better perspective of Michael Smith’s absurd personality. I believe Michael’s intentions were to show people that it’s okay to be carefree and weird. Not to care about what other people think. Expressing your creative thoughts by going to a whole other level and creating this persona. He might also wanted to get away from any problems he or the world was dealing with at the time and nothing is a better way than causing a scene in the middle of traffic and making strangers laugh.

The last happening I chose was “Kipper Kids” where performance photographs and video excerpts were shown. These two men would throw paint on each other naked with distorted faces insides a ring filled with balloons. These men went above and beyond to be creative and I believe they did this to distract themselves and other people from political issues that were going on around that time. Attending the original event, I would be able to take in the problems that were going on around that time and their performance and be able to separate one from the other and just think optomisticly of my surroundings.

Artist: Jack Smith
Title: “Untitled 1977”

Medium: Collage

Year: 1977

Artist: Michael Smith

Title: "Baby Ikki 1978 and 2012"

Medium: Changing station, baby bottle, sunglasses, video, color sound, 4:17mins.

Year: 1978-2012

Artist: Kipper Kids

Title: “Kipper Kids”

Medium: Performance, photographs, and video excerpts

Year: 1972-2002

LES Galleries Reaction

Traveling to the Lower East Side was interesting to see some of the artworks that have been made by less known artists. In these exhibits I felt that they had the same type of setting, like the "White Cube" spaces in Chelsea, though these exhibits were more welcoming to the ones in Chelsea. I believe that the location of these exhibits and how they are scattered around the LES influence the artworks displayed because of the small and closed areas. Not only did it effect the artworks but they way you viewed the art works, because the environment in the LES is very hipster. Unlike Chelsea it's more clean and it looks organized, so you go into the exhibits with that state of mind. The exhibits that I chose was the Shin Gallery, Bosi Contemporary, and the Untitled. All of these were more abstract compared to the ones in Chelsea. Some artworks were very plain but still caught your eyes. I think that they do cater to the same type of collectors because even though these artworks are very abstract and rare, they are very artistic and send out aesthetic emotions like the ones in Chelsea. The only concern is that these artworks aren't made by famous artists but by regular artist and that can affect the collector's opinion and perspective. 

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