May 3, 2013 by Jake

Studio Visit: Contemporary Artist Lydia Bodnar-Balahutrak

Where has that life gone, and what has become of all that awful torment and torture? Will it really be that no one will answer for everything that happened; that it will all be forgotten without any words to commemorate it; that the grass will grow over it? – Vasily Grossman

It wasn’t long after sitting down with contemporary artist Lydia Bodnar-Balahutrak that these words were dictated from an enormous archive of gathered texts and images. As she read aloud, I heard the voice of an entire people: generations and ethnicities; citizens deemed dissidents; subjects to the toppled, yet lingering aura of the Soviet Union.

“Scrubland” – Collage, acrylic, & charcoal; 64″ x 92″

One could extrapolate many things from Lydia’s work, but the most pertinent for me is the importance of discourse. Though you might not know it from afar, many of her paintings begin as extensive collages consisting primarily of articles, headlines, and photographs clipped out from various newspapers. Arranged in a sort of self-perpetuating dialogue, these excerpts usually center on a specific theme whether it’s the Arab Spring or – more prominently – the current political climate in Ukraine. It takes anywhere from several weeks to many months to gather and arrange the clippings. It may be even longer before she begins to paint over them – more or less obscuring the collage in its entirety.

Collage in Progress

“Hearts a Bustin” – Collage, oil paint, & wax on canvas; 50.5″ x 65″

Visually, her work is akin to a fascinating hide-and-seek that oscillates between found text and rendered imagery. Yet conceptually, it is not so light hearted. Her collaged paintings investigate the written word, as well as the general nature of disseminated information. To what extent does diction broadcast hidden agendas? Conversely, what happens when rhetoric fails to conceal truth? Who decides what is circulated as opposed to what is suppressed? It is with these questions in mind that Lydia’s work challenges the viewer to assess what is actually revealed in the dubious guise of context.

So wanting to catch a glimpse behind the scenes, I visited Lydia in her studio in Houston, TX to discuss her work, her influences, and what she’s up to next:

April 29, 2013 by Jake

Artist Profile – Vija Celmins

Photograph by Sidney B. Felsen 2002

Vija Celmins started attending art classes at the age of 16. Having been born in Latvia just before the Second World War, her formative years were spent mostly as a refugee. Her family first fled from Soviet occupation in 1940 and then emigrated to the United States following many years spent in wartime Germany. Finally ending up in Indianapolis, Celmins gravitated towards the art scene in New York where she delved into the budding abstract expressionism movement (examples of which aren’t pictured).

“Untitled #13,” 1996. Charcoal on paper

“Untitled (Web 2)” 2001
Mezzotint

Noting the energy behind her nascent painting style, art critic Harold Rosenberg referred to her work as action painting, defining it as “a defiant cry of individual agency that floated free from any social endorsements.” However Celmins was not always well received by critics. Interestingly enough, feminist painters criticized her alleged indifference to the women’s rights movement that was in full force at the time, asserting that her work dealt in no way with contributing to public debates. Unfortunately for Celmins, they were right. Rather, her work dealt with what she believed was a timeless endorsement of the feminine sensibility.

March 18, 2013 by Jake

Studio Visit: Sharron Parker

The general consensus is that feltmaking originated close to 5,000 years ago. What’s amazing about this process in particular is that it is common to cultures across the globe. Yet no matter who you focus on, felted garments and vessels were amongst the first art objects ever made by our ancestors. Felting played a major role as the predominant process by which ancient peoples crafted utilitarian and ceremonial wares. Of course part of this stems from the availability of wool, but it’s reasonable to argue that feltmakers enjoy the endless possibilities and applications of the material. One can make virtually anything through felting; whether it’s a pair of slippers or a yurt. There are even many unexpected applications for the material used to this day – the most obvious of which is the collection of 2,500+ felt components used in making a single piano.

“Reverie Opal” handfelted artwork by Sharron Parker – her studio is all about texture

Naturally, I learned all of this after conducting a studio visit with felt artist Sharron Parker, whose idiosyncratic approach to feltmaking allows her to channel and refine these practices. As she explains in her artist statement: “I use the ancient technique of feltmaking not to capture what I’ve seen directly, but to create something new.” For Parker, this entails an interesting fluctuation between abstract and surprisingly representational artworks that stem from natural textures, organic patterns, and memory.

Studio space and work table

Inspiration slab

March 4, 2013 by Jake

Margaux Crump’s “Strange Chemistry” Exhibition

The Ninth – handwoven golden thread, calf vellum, water, wood, graphite, & salt

It was a busy “First Friday” in downtown Raleigh, NC when I first had the pleasure of viewing an exhibition by emerging contemporary artist Margaux Crump. Entitled “Strange Chemistry,” the show investigates the potentiality of birth, decay, and desire – especially concerning how humans respond to these changes within and around them. Fittingly, much of her interest lies in human perception; how exactly do our senses mediate experience? It’s a compelling question that was partially answered on opening night.

Lust Lost – wood, iPod, gathered moth wings, & UVB light

Full Circle - iron oxide & gold rods detail

Full Circle – paper covered ball moss, iron oxide & gold rods detai

There is a powerful experiential quality about Crump’s work. Her sculptures in particular are characterized by her calculated use of materials that range from gathered plant & animal remains to ultraviolet light. As she explains in her statement, “Though I am concerned with the visual possibilities of new media, the persistent change of organic substances in my work is driven by conceptual considerations. I’m not interested in depicting an idea, but rather conveying it directly through authentic objects. In doing so, I am able to investigate, draw out, and juxtapose their innate cultural associations.” In keeping with her interest in phenomenology, her reliance on natural and transient material (such as harvested teasels, ball moss plants, and handmade paper) not only reflects, but also embodies what she views as the fleeting nature of human existence.

February 12, 2013 by Jake

The Ironically Organic Installations of Tara Donovan

Untitled [Plastic Cups] (image courtesy of Ace Gallery)

Tara Donovan is a contemporary artist who is best known for her large scale, site-specific installations. Despite relying almost exclusively on mass-produced materials such as plastic cups or wooden pencils, her work is surprisingly biological in appearance. After all, the forms in Donovan’s installations are directly influenced by patterns of growth found in nature.

(image courtesy of Ace Gallery)

Colony Detail (image courtesy of Ace Gallery)

Iteration is an important aspect of her work. Aside from miscellaneous structural components (i.e. glue and whatnot), Donovan creates each installation using a single material that is modified or repeated countless times to determine the final form. The process is a sensitive one wherein the monotony of the materials reveals a surprising spectrum of hues, volume, and presence that would otherwise go unnoticed. Imagining Donovan construct her installations brings to mind a slow, methodical process wherein one can’t help but fall into a rhythm of counting physical motions and their object counterparts. The mass and repetition of Donovan’s works also brings a focus to the importance of numbers, which arguably connects back to patterns found in nature like the Fibonacci sequence.

December 31, 2012 by Jake

The Most Popular Post of 2012: Invoking Pygmalion – Yasuaki Onishi’s “Reverse Volume” Installations

Reverse of Volume, 2009; 593 x 360 x 2000 cm; Glue, plastic sheet; Aomori Contemporary Art Centre, Aomori, Japan

Of the existing accounts of Yasuaki Onishi‘s portfolio, few have investigated his work beyond commending the artists’ ability to manipulate space. However, there is a strong link which runs throughout his entire body of work – namely the interaction between the ideas and implications surrounding kinetics.

Formally, Onishi’s work not only manipulates, but depends on movement in order to convey the meaning behind each piece. In the two-dimensional realm, his long-exposure photography in his Shaved & Rolled series softens otherwise violent and immediate jolts of fire. Similarly in his sculptural installations, Onishi’s works rise and fall – respiring as if to possess their own sentience.

“Reverse of Volume” RG, 2012; Commission, Rice University Art Gallery, Houston, Texas; Photo: Nash Baker

Yet while elements of movement are prominent throughout his portfolio, the most striking example of Onishi’s interest in motion lies in his Reverse Volume series. In relying solely on plastic sheeting, string, and black glue, the artist crafts monumental installations of imposing presence from materials which lack any substantial mass of their own. Although appearing firm, the mountainous incarnations gently bulge, crumple, and collapse in the natural drafts within the exhibition space. Thus breaking from the use of fans in his other works, the oscillation in Reverse Volume is calculated but not provoked.

Reverse of Volume, 2009; 593 x 360 x 2000 cm; Glue, plastic sheet; Aomori Contemporary Art Centre, Aomori, Japan

As a viewer, one is left to ponder Onishi’s paradox of mass and anti-mass. How does he reconcile the tacit respiration and ghost-like drifting of his installation? What does it mean to allow the slightest breeze to coerce a formation reminiscent of looming mountainscapes? A possible reading hinges on interpreting the piece as a fundamentally kinetic presence. Because of the choice in materials, the installation can not physically (or conceivably) remain static. Rather, it is manipulated by the surrounding atmosphere, just as a seaside cliff crumbles into the assailing waves below. In creating such formidable structures from delicate materials, the artist suggests that there is no such thing as the immovable. The precarious and impressionable existence of Onishi’s installation in the exhibition space characterizes our world as a whole. Playing on the inherently ephemeral nature of installation art, Reverse Volume symbolizes inevitable change in our environment. It reminds us that what we hold as permanent amounts to nothing more than a cursory moment between growth and siege – a humbling notion still fresh in the minds of his audience following the natural disaster last year in Fukushima Prefecture.

If you are interested (and reasonably local), his work will open to the public on the 13th of April in the Rice University Installation Gallery in Houston and will be up until the 24th of June. Onishi will give a gallery talk at 6:00P on opening night with a volley at noon on the 14th. Admission is free so there’s no reason to miss out. Also, check out the gallery below for some high resolution images courtesy of the curator.

: Reverse of Volume, 2009; 593 x 360 x 2000 cm; Glue, plastic sheet; Aomori Contemporary Art Centre, Aomori, Japan

: Reverse of Volume, 2012; 320 x 823 x 1074 cm; Glue, plastic sheet; The Marlin and Regina Miller Gallery, Kutztown, Pennsylvania

: Reverse of Volume, 2009; 593 x 360 x 2000 cm; Glue, plastic sheet; Aomori Contemporary Art Centre, Aomori, Japan

: Reverse of Volume, 2009; 593 x 360 x 2000 cm; Glue, plastic sheet; Aomori Contemporary Art Centre, Aomori, Japan

: Reverse of Volume, 2012; 320 x 823 x 1074 cm; Glue, plastic sheet; The Marlin and Regina Miller Gallery, Kutztown, Pennsylvania

: Reverse of Volume, 2009; 593 x 360 x 2000 cm; Glue, plastic sheet; Aomori Contemporary Art Centre, Aomori, Japan

: "Reverse of Volume" RG, 2012; Commission, Rice University Art Gallery, Houston, Texas; Photo: Nash Baker

: "Reverse of Volume" RG, 2012; Commission, Rice University Art Gallery, Houston, Texas; Photo: Nash Baker

: "Reverse of Volume" RG, 2012; Commission, Rice University Art Gallery, Houston, Texas; Photo: Nash Baker

December 20, 2012 by Jake

A Study in Materials – The Sculptural Installations of Wolfgang Laib

German artist Wolfgang Laib finds inspiration in the quiet, meditative beauty of natural materials. His sculptural installations rely almost exclusively on organic matter (ranging from pure pollen to marble) that the artist collects himself. In doing so, Laib investigates the unbridled essence of these natural forms in an effort to appeal to our collective instinct as beings instead of citizens.

Milkstones & Rice; details unknown

Installing pollen on gallery floor

Laib’s practice is greatly informed by his experiences throughout the Far East. There are strong undertones of ritual throughout his work, whether in harvesting materials by hand or meditatively installing his artworks. In a sense, Laib is interested in the boundaries between inside and outside space. Perhaps intuited from the architectural traditions of Korea and Japan, this isolation of natural materials within an interior setting encourages the viewer to contemplate the essence of our surroundings. In that capacity, his work functions similarly to a Zen garden, wherein it is necessary to ponder the relationships between various symbolic components in order to reveal the overarching harmony of the outside world.

Ziggurat, 1999 Beeswax, wood

Mirroring the interior/exterior conundrum, there is a tension between organic and geometric elements throughout Laib’s work. His staircases and pathways obviously allude to human civilization (technology, architecture, &c), but they are crafted using choice natural materials that undermine linear precision. Does this contrast suggest we are at odds with nature or that it is an inseparable aspect of human existence? Furthermore, is the natural world a lone entity or a complex amalgamation of competing elements that miraculously find symbiosis and equilibrium? It’s impossible to say. But Laib’s juxtapositions of texture, color, and other qualia nonetheless inspire this sort of reflective thought in his viewer.

Marmordreieck (milkstone & rice)

Much of Laib’s conceptual backing focuses on creating pieces that are universal and intuitive. In other words, by using natural materials that are common throughout the world, Laib intends for his work to transcend cultural relevance and communicate directly to any potential viewer despite social, political, or individual identity. In so far as he is successful, his pieces are actually aimed at humanity as a whole. Yet this begs the question posed by anthropologist Franz Boas,who asserted that one is unable to completely separate from his or her cultural context. Considering Laib’s conceptual underpinnings, is there a fundamental shared human intuition, or are we bound by subconscious social constructs?

Piles of pure pollen

Unfortunately there is no answer to any of these questions – just fodder for good discussion and asymptotic inferences. So instead of rushing into an existential inquisition, be sure to check out some images of Wolfgang Laib’s work in the gallery below. He does not have a website, but there is a wonderful book entitled Wolfgang Laib: A Retrospective in circulation if you would like to learn more about his process.

: Ziggurat, 1999 Beeswax, wood

: Marmordreieck (milkstone & rice)

: Laib installing a pollen piece on the gallery floor

: Milkstone, 2001.  Marble and milk

: Die fünf unbesteigbaren Berge, 1984. Hazelnut pollen,

: Indoor/Outdoor Pollen installation in Paris

: Installing pollen on gallery floor

: Milkstones & Rice; details unknown

: Piles of pure pollen

December 14, 2012 by Jake

A Focused Glimpse Into Gerhard Richter’s Studio

Many of the creative people I know maintain a collection of inspiration images. Normally on Fridays I post images from my own archive, but today I wanted to do something a little different. Last night while watching Gerhard Richter Painting, I was excited to see that the filmmaker had included a brief discussion on the inspiration wall in Richter’s studio. Often times, I think that what influences makers is just as interesting as their final products, so I thought I’d showcase a still from the documentary.

Still of Gerhard Richter’s inspiration board taken from the documentary “Gerhard Richter Paints” by flim-maker Corinna Belz

I was amazed to see that there wasn’t much there; just an incredibly curated collection of disparate images and ideas. What do you think? Is it what you’d expect?

If you haven’t already, I highly recommend watching Gerhard Richter Painting. It can be a bit drawn out, but that quality in and of itself offers a nice insight into his process.

December 5, 2012 by Jake

Revealing Common Ground – Motoi Yamamoto’s “Labyrinth” Installations

Installing “Forest of Beyond” 2011

Contemporary artist Motoi Yamamoto began working with salt predominantly after losing his 24 year-old sister to brain cancer in the mid 90’s. Since that initial period, his work has straddled a consistent balance between emotive and conceptual impulses. In particular, his ‘labyrinth’ series (which predominantly consists of intricate floor-level salt drawings) attests to the dual nature of his work as a whole.

Labyrinth in Cologne, Germany 2010

On one hand, this series is as an outlet for Yamamoto’s grief. Relying on a sort of meditative despondence, he painstakingly determines uniform lines of salt on the gallery floor. Though the patterns are elaborately aligned, they nonetheless develop their own paths independent of the artist’s intentions. This sort of growth, change, and resolution mirrors the unpredictable waves of emotion that we all experience. In this sense, Yamamoto’s work hinges on empathy.

Yet if one were to fledge a holistic interpretation of his portfolio, it is necessary to investigate his conceptual backing as well. Many of these ideas stem from the artist’s exclusive use of harvested sea salt for his labyrinth installations. This seemingly minimal choice in material might actually be rather complex in that it speaks to the cyclical and overlapping nature of existence. Salt is inextricably linked to death rites in Japanese culture, but it is also an essential mineral that sustains all life on earth in one way or another. In other words, it is the common link that links every being throughout time and space. It is in this capacity that Yamamoto is able to co-exist with his sister despite her untimely death.

Communal Deinstallation in Cologne 2010

Returning Salt to the Sea at Ono Beach, Japan 2012 (photo courtesy of Junshi Nakamichi)

Perhaps these implications play out in the flesh as each installation is created, appreciated, and destroyed. Though Yamamoto strains salt from the ocean and constructs each labyrinth himself, the installations are incredibly communal. When the exhibition closes, Yamamoto invites the viewers to help him dismantle the installation and return the salt to the sea. By encouraging his audience to interact directly with the artwork in this manner, he creates a situation wherein the living, the deceased, and the unborn correspond in an immediate interrelationship – namely the juncture between life stages, life cycles, and lifetimes.

If you would like to learn more about Yamamoto and his work, be sure to visit his website where you have access to his artist statement as well as his different bodies of work. In the meantime, check out images cataloguing different manifestations of his labyrinth series in the gallery below.

: Installing A Labyrinth in Cologne, Germany 2010 (image courtesy of Stefan Worring)

: Installation at the Fondation Espace Ecureuil 2011

: Labyrinth Box 2007

: Labyrinth in Cologne, Germany 2010

: "Floating Garden" Installation 2012 in Los Angeles, California

: Installing in Cologne, Germany 2010 (image courtesy of Stephan Worring)

: Returning Salt to the Sea at Ono Beach, Japan 2012 (photo courtesy of Junshi Nakamichi)

: Communal Deinstallation in Cologne 2010

: Installing "Forest of Beyond" 2011

November 26, 2012 by Jake

Introducing “Hanji Unfurled” – The First English-Language Book on Korean Papermaking

The art of papermaking is virtually omnipresent throughout both Eastern and Western cultures, yet many of these traditions remain relatively unknown. So in an effort to combat the steady decline of these time-honored crafts, artist Aimee Lee has devoted herself to understanding and sharing the traditional paper arts of Korea. Recently, this research culminated in a 208 page hardback book that chronicles the importance and processes behind these persevering Korean crafts. Entitled Hanji Unfurled: One Journey into Korean Papermaking, the book is strewn with intimate interviews with Korean paper artists, explanations of their given art forms, and Lee’s personal anecdotes from these interactions abroad.

Sample book of dyed hanji

It’s important to note that the book is not just about papermaking. Rather it catalogues the variety of paper arts throughout Korea – including paper weaving, paper felting, natural dyeing, calligraphy, &c. Drawing on her experiences throughout her yearlong Fulbright Fellowship, Lee grants the reader direct access to the different creative values, personalities, and spaces of Korean paper artists from bustling city-centers to remote island outposts.

Mr. Shin forming a sheet of hanji in his studio

Though Hanji Unfurled is by nature a reference book, it is an extremely engaging, hands-on experience. As an artist, Lee partakes in each different paper craft, which makes for both evocative and insightful descriptions. For that reason in particular, this book is suited to those who are curious, creative, or both.

Be sure to check out the video trailer for the book above, as well as some book images in the gallery below. Similarly, if you are interested in getting (or giving) a copy of Hanji Unfurled, you can do so by clicking here. You can also find out more about Aimee Lee by visiting her artist website. There you can see works from her portfolio and learn more about her efforts to promote Korean papermaking in the United States (including her role in opening the first North American hanji center at the Morgan Conservatory in Cleveland Ohio).

: Mr. & Mrs. Na hand-dyeing

: Sample book of dyed hanji

: Mr. Na's Jiseung (Paper Weaving)

: Hanji Unfurled Cover Image

: Variety of hanji dipped into the same vat of sappan wood dye

: Mr. Shin forming a sheet of hanji in his studio

November 8, 2012 by Jake

Jeff Talman – The Art of Sound

Whereas most artists seek out visual stimulation, Jeff Talman looks rather to a completely difference sense altogether. His work hinges on the beauty of sound – specifically the esoteric frequencies that we encounter everyday but are nonetheless are apt to tune out.

Recording the sound of snow

For lack of a better term, his pieces fall into a new-ish category of “sound installation.” Here, the artist fills a given space with noise rather than materials. Specifically concerning Talman’s work, these installations have no bounds in terms of where they occur or what they contain. In fact, he has exhibited his work everywhere from the dense forests to the sidewalks of Köln. Of course depending on the piece, the juxtaposition between the captured sounds and the exhibition space can prompt a phenomenal sensory experience.

Talman installing equipment to capture the echoes of almost indistinct wave sounds from a nearby shore

The most profound aspect of his work however is the diversity of sounds he collects and reproduces. Talman uses super sensitive sound equipment to record the subtle wisps of breeze between trees, the crash of distant waves as they reverberate through a grand modern hall, or even the sound of silence in European cathedrals. He is perhaps best known for a recent installation in the Bavarian forest wherein Talman collaborated with astrophysicist Daniel Huber to reproduce the sound of burning stars. But regardless which installation one considers, Talman inevitably confronts his audience with an aural world often left unnoticed or unexplored.

Partly because his installations are impermanent by nature, it would be extremely rewarding to experience these transient and transformative exhibitions. Until then, you can learn more about both his process by visiting his website. You can also see a vast array of his two-dimensional work – all of which of course center around varying ideas of sound.

November 1, 2012 by Jake

And I’m Off To Get An iPad

Great news for the art world! Rice Gallery (the only university art museum in the United States that caters exclusively to installation work) just released an app for the iPad that catalogues each site-specific exhibition commissioned by the school since 1995. In other words, it’s an all access key to the works of world-renowned artists like El Anatsui, Tara Donovan, and many others.

Archives Screen Shot (image courtesy of Rice Gallery)

The app is a great resource for viewers around the world who don’t otherwise have access to the space in Houston, TX. It allows one to scroll through high-resolution photo galleries and videos covering the installation process, artist interviews, and intimate details of the final exhibition. The content is organized either chronologically or by artist, so it is easy to hone in on your favorites.

Photo Gallery Screen Shot (image courtesy of Rice Gallery)

You can find out more information about this app by visiting the Rice Gallery website or by checking it out on iTunes. The kicker is that it is free, so there’s really no excuse to pass it up!

October 17, 2012 by Jake

A Gratuitously Existential Approach to Beautiful Art – Noriko Ambe’s “Linear Action Projects”

Though she works in a variety of different media, visual artist Noriko Ambe is particularly known for her series of topographical paper cuttings. These pieces – which range from books to sculptures – are made by incising and layering individual sheets of paper one at a time. Each work seems to grow organically, but the underlying process is a grueling exercise in both patience and dedication.

Piece of A Flat Globe – 2008 (Image courtesy of the artist)

Flat Globe Installation (Image courtesy of the artist)

All of Ambe’s Linear Action Projects are cut by hand, leaving subtle imperfections throughout each piece. These idiosyncrasies are important in that they represent the “nuances of human emotion, habit, or biorhythm” that the artist investigates through her work.

Lands of Emptiness [Detail] 2003 (Image courtesy of the artist)

Yet the aspect I enjoy most about this series is the shared realization that her creative process is equally as important as the final product. In essence, each piece embodies elements of what Ambe calls “physical and emotional geography”. By cutting out layers of paper, the artist removes an object’s mass, but simultaneously defines its shape. This relationship between addition and subtraction reveals a deeper meaning in her work: the negative space in each piece is Ambe and vice versa. Evoking Jung’s concept of the empty-self, the artist posits that the surgeon and the incision are manifestations of a single, paradoxical existence.

All philosophy/art theory aside, Ambe can certainly produce some beautiful work. Be sure to scroll through the images below for a tailored look at her Linear Action Projects. You can see more of this series (as well as other works) by visiting her website. In the meantime, feel free to share your thoughts, comments, or existential crises.

: Cutting Books in Tokyo Series - 2003 (Image courtesy of the artist)

: Cracking - 2006 (Image courtesy of the artist)

: A Piece of A Flat Globe [Detail] - 2008 (Image courtesy of the artist)

: Piece of A Flat Globe - 2008 (Image courtesy of the artist)

: Lands of Emptiness [Detail] 2003 (Image courtesy of the artist)

: Flat Globe Installation (Image courtesy of the artist)

July 31, 2012 by Jake

The Paper Jewelry of Janna Syvänoja

On the off chance there is a word to sum up the jewelry by Finnish artist Janna Syvänoja, it would be ‘organic.’ The major component in her work is paper – namely clippings from discarded phonebooks and newspapers. In meticulously curving each piece of paper around a steel wire, Syvänoja evokes a delicate and elegant fluidity through her forms – as if they are arrested in mid-motion.

Texture plays a major role in her paper jewelry, both in a visual and a tactile sense. Printed words and letters are rendered illegible, reducing their meaning to tiny moments of color and tone. They instead create a unique quill-like pattern throughout each piece.

The process behind each work is an open one. In adding each layer one by one, the artist allows for each piece to grow in its own direction. The patterning on the surface of her works is not predetermined. Rather it is created by a combination of happenstance and the will of her materials.

Click on the thumbnails in the gallery below for more images of her work. Syvänoja doesn’t seem to have her own website, but you can find more information about her and her process online.

July 2, 2012 by Jake

Art as Product – A Survey

For romantics like myself, it can be difficult to see an upside to the commercialization of art. But I’m trying something new (namely a brief bout of optimism) and have found that the relationship between art and product is tacitly flattering. The fact of the matter is that we as humans appreciate art, but very seldom have the means to acquire it. Instead, we constantly surround ourselves with images of our favorite pieces, whether they are in calendars or storefronts. With that in mind, here is a small collection of some of the best, the worst, and the most surprising moments of art in consumer culture.

1) Dada Pillow

This pillow is screen printed by Draga Obradovic in her studio in Como, Italy. The text was derived from Dadaist sound poems which were spoken, sung, and recorded during the mid 20^th Century.

2) Louise Bourgeois Tea Towel

In collaboration with Third Drawer Down, Louise Bourgeois printed a limited set of tea towels which are available at the MOCA store. Of the series, the untitled ‘tools’ cloth is a particularly threatening choice of imagery for such an unassuming kitchen item.

3) Yves Saint Laurent – Mondrian Dress

This YSL dress debuted in 1965 to celebrate (or perhaps appropriate) Mondrian’s legacy in the De Stijl movement of the early and mid 20^th century.

4) Jeff Koons for Kiehl’s

The most concrete example of art commodification lies in the process by which Jeff Koons creates his sculptures. To be technical, his pieces are made in a literal factory in SoHo where up to 30 assistants are conscripted to build his work for him. With this in mind, it was hardly surprising when Kiehl’s announced a partnership with Koons to design the bottles for it’s “Crème de Corps” collection.

5) USPS Abstract Expressionist Stamps

Just incase you were tired of Lady Liberty, USPS launched a series of 10 stamps which feature works from prominent American Abstract Expressionists.

6) Masterpiece Gallery Skateboard Decks

Last but not least, Masterpiece Gallery released a series of over 180 skateboards which feature prominent artworks dating back to Raphael’s “St. George and the Dragon” (c. 1505). Vermeer’s “Lacemaker” (c. 1670) is a definite favorite, but other decks featuring works by Hokusai, Cassatt, and Renoir are close seconds.

“Le Moulin de la Galette” (1876) – Renoir

May 23, 2012 by Jake

Often Overlooked – León Ferrari

Those who are familiar with artist León Ferrari tend to know him based on the injustices he has endured throughout his career – whether it be political censorship or simple the fact that he (along with many other Latin American artists) was long overlooked in favor of modernist painters from America and Europe. Yet the status of many South American artists in the art market has greatly improved throughout the last decade. Acting on the relatively recent praise of MOMA and The Tate, investors and art collectors are scrambling to acquire pieces from the now 92-year old artist’s portfolio before he is unable to produce any more work.

[Untitled] 1977; Ink on paper; 24″ x 16 1/4″

But all art exploitation speculation aside, Ferrari’s work has become synonymous with social criticism and political protest. Yet while most are content to talk about conceptual backing in art, it seems few step back to simply appreciate the sensory qualities of the works at hand. Ferrari is an artist who requires both sorts of appreciation from his viewers. It is imperative to discuss and debate the meaning behind his work, but it is equally as important to enjoy his execution.

Of all the aesthetic qualities throughout Ferrari’s portfolio, his relationship with line is particularly striking. There is a great diversity throughout his line-based drawings and prints. The pieces are all unified by approach, but differ in terms of character.

For example, the violent and frenzied scratching in his “Escritura” 1976 starkly contrasts his untitled drawing of the same year (both pictured below). The latter piece evokes a sense of music, both in it’s overall resemblance to score sheets and the fluid, dance-like swaying of the line.

“Escritura” 1976; Ink on paper; 18 1/4″ x 13″

[Untitled] 1976; Ink on paper; 19 3/4″ x 113 1/2″

Conversely, the following untitled piece from 1963 not only recalls both pictographic and hieroglyphic scripts, but also investigates a synthesis of the two.

[Untitled] 1963; Ink on paper; 18 3/4″ x 12 1/4″

His scribbles on polystyrene evoke a Cy Twombly-esque energy, only to be revisited on the surface of a three-dimensional plexiglass cube in 1999.

[Untitled] (date unknown); Graphite on Polystyrene; 19 1/4″ x 13″

“Prism” 1999; Ink on Plexi; 23 5/8″ x 7 7/8″ x 7 7/8″

Though it is merely a small facet of an overall artistic ability, the variety by which Ferrari employs line offers a sound insight into his approach. As his better known, politically-charged pieces demonstrate, there are always different perspectives on a given idea or issue; even those as mundane as line.

May 8, 2012 by Jake

Follow Up: Yasuaki Onishi at Rice Gallery

“Reverse of Volume” RG, 2012; Commission, Rice University Art Gallery, Houston, Texas; Photo: Nash Baker

A while back, I wrote about Yasuaki Onishi‘s upcoming “Reverse of Volume” installation at Rice Gallery in Houston. Having attended the opening, I had the pleasure of speaking both with Onishi as well as the curator who were both thrilled at the final product. As with most installation work, this piece was a site specific work that took advantage of the high ceilings – thus offering the first opportunity for the viewer to step underneath the work to experience the piece from below. Suffice it to say that the show has generated a great deal of hype around town. Here are some images and a short video documenting the installation at Rice Gallery. Be sure to go and check it out in person before it comes down on the 24th of June.

Yasuaki Onishi: reverse of volume (RG) from Mark & Angela Walley on Vimeo.

: "Reverse of Volume" RG, 2012; Commission, Rice University Art Gallery, Houston, Texas; Photo: Nash Baker

: "Reverse of Volume" RG, 2012; Commission, Rice University Art Gallery, Houston, Texas; Photo: Nash Baker

: "Reverse of Volume" RG, 2012; Commission, Rice University Art Gallery, Houston, Texas; Photo: Nash Baker

: "Reverse of Volume" RG, 2012; Commission, Rice University Art Gallery, Houston, Texas; Photo: Nash Baker

: Onishi adding the final touches

: "Reverse of Volume" RG, 2012; Commission, Rice University Art Gallery, Houston, Texas; Photo: Nash Baker

May 7, 2012 by Jake

Liliana Porter’s “Trabajo Forzado” Installation Series

Instances of humor in contemporary art are as sporadic as they are fleeting. That said, it was a refreshing happenstance to stumble across some recent photographs by Liliana Porter.

Overall, her work tends to be playful. Porter incorporates strong element of interaction and theatre into her pieces, which help to develop a relationship between the viewer and her work. Yet in her “Trabajo Forzado” (Forced Labor) series, she graduates from mischievous abandon to rely rather on a somewhat derisive sense of humor to connect with her audience.

“Man with Axe” 2011; Photograph; (dimensions unknown)

The “Trabajo Forzado” photographs capture the plights of tiny, nameless workers who are tasked with the most ridiculous and insurmountable of chores. They are commanded to drive in gargantuan nails with tiny hammers, deconstruct the ledge on which they are supported, and sweep a perpetual trail of dirt which stretches into the distance. While on the one hand her prints may draw attention to the injustices that many laborers face throughout the world, the obvious sense of dread and impossibility within those images appeals to a common schadenfreude amongst the viewers. Faced with such hopeless assignments, the absurdity depicted throughout this series is nothing short of laughable.

“Nail” 2008; Metal figurine on wooden base and nail on wall; 2 x 3.5 x 4

But this tacitly malevolent humor offers something of a life lesson. In varying capacities, we are all laborers who must stare into the rictus of life’s unassailable challenges. Assuming the viewer is the least bit self-aware, these images may very well embody an ever-beneficial dose of humility. Much of life is mundane and insurmountable. Yet as Porter’s work reminds us, perhaps humor is a gift by which to abate the pangs of such (forced) labor.

Feel free to scroll through the gallery to take a look at a few images of her “Trabajo Forzado” series. You can also see more images on her website through the link above, or you can click here.

: "Woman with Broom" 2005; Metal figurine on wooden shelf and dust; 10.5 x 44.5 x 6

: "Weaver" 2005; Metal figurine sitting on wooden cube plus red fabric on wooden shelf; 10.5 x 43.5 x 12 (height variable)

: "Nail" 2008; Metal figurine on wooden base and nail on wall; 2 x 3.5 x 4

: "Nail" 2008; Metal figurine on wooden base and nail on wall; 2 x 3.5 x 4

: "Orange Vest" 2009; Metal figurine on wooden shelf

: "Man with Axe" 2011; Photograph; (dimensions unknown)

March 29, 2012 by Jake

Do-Ho Suh – “Home Within Home” Sculpture

Do-Ho Suh, “Home Within Home”; 2009-2011; photo sensitive resin; 86.14 x 95.69 x 101.12 inches

The allure of architecture lies not only in the pragmatic need for commercial or living space. Rather, it is a process indelibly intertwined with the unique needs and tastes of each user. On the most fundamental of levels, architecture is an expression of both individual and collective identity. It allows for us to live and work in a particular manner, while simultaneously defining how we interact with (and within) the space.

This association between architecture and selfhood underlies much of Do-Ho Suh’s work. However, with strong ties to two disparate cultures, the artist’s investigation of identity becomes much more involved. Constantly travelling between South Korea and the United States, Suh conflates his dual identity through his “Home Within Home” sculpture, wherein he combines architectural details of his family home in Seoul with those of his residence in Rhode Island.

Do-Ho Suh, “Home Within Home”; 2009-2011; photo sensitive resin; 86.14 x 95.69 x 101.12 inches

Standing before the piece, the viewer is confronted by a beautiful, but ultimately sterile structure. There are no traces of adornment or individuality within the space. Though this absence of character may serve as an invitation to the viewer to project his or her own experiences onto the work, it is plausible that the restraint behind “Home Within Home” offers more than an interactive game of dollhouse. Rather, drawing on architecture’s indelible link to individuality, Suh’s sculpture is metaphorical construct of conflicting identities.

This striking combination of distinct selfhoods begs the question as to whether such a fusion is compatible, grotesque, or both. While there is a harmony within the piece, the merger is nonetheless charged with a certain baggage. In order to form a single entity, both homes underwent a process of modification, distortion, and amputation. In that sense, “Home Within Home” embodies a Frankenstein of mangled cultures, which subsequently spirals into paradox. The structure can not exist outside of its antecedents, and thus is created by the perverted union of inherently combative identities. It is a chimera of oneness, simultaneously symbolizing a malformed binary of two cultures and an incomplete entity of selfhood. Yet this self-contradiction is not unique to the dual citizen. None of us can exist independently of our experiences, our heritage, nor our culture. Playing off of this commonality, Suh highlights the asymptotic, false-sense of oneness in which many of us indulge. Our inability to exist impervious to our unique backgrounds is the very insufficiency that prevents us from embodying a complete being. Depending on one’s perspective, perhaps this knowledge of our inherent shortcoming is liberating— a permission slip to meld past and future influences without fear of imperfection. For others, “Home Within Home” may offer a poignant realization of futility – an idea which is as illuminating as it is depressing.

Check out the gallery and feel free to throw your thoughts into the mix via the “leave a reply” link below.

: Do-Ho Suh, "Home Within Home"; 2009-2011; photo sensitive resin; 86.14 x 95.69 x 101.12 inches

: Do-Ho Suh, "Home Within Home"; 2009-2011; photo sensitive resin; 86.14 x 95.69 x 101.12 inches

: Do-Ho Suh, "Home Within Home"; 2009-2011; photo sensitive resin; 86.14 x 95.69 x 101.12 inches

: Do-Ho Suh, "Home Within Home"; 2009-2011; photo sensitive resin; 86.14 x 95.69 x 101.12 inches

March 16, 2012 by Procured

Invoking Pygmalion – Yasuaki Onishi “Reverse Volume” Installations

Reverse of Volume, 2009; 593 x 360 x 2000 cm; Glue, plastic sheet; Aomori Contemporary Art Centre, Aomori, Japan

: Reverse of Volume, 2009; 593 x 360 x 2000 cm; Glue, plastic sheet; Aomori Contemporary Art Centre, Aomori, Japan

: Reverse of Volume, 2012; 320 x 823 x 1074 cm; Glue, plastic sheet; The Marlin and Regina Miller Gallery, Kutztown, Pennsylvania

: Reverse of Volume, 2009; 593 x 360 x 2000 cm; Glue, plastic sheet; Aomori Contemporary Art Centre, Aomori, Japan

: Reverse of Volume, 2009; 593 x 360 x 2000 cm; Glue, plastic sheet; Aomori Contemporary Art Centre, Aomori, Japan

: Reverse of Volume, 2012; 320 x 823 x 1074 cm; Glue, plastic sheet; The Marlin and Regina Miller Gallery, Kutztown, Pennsylvania

: Reverse of Volume, 2009; 593 x 360 x 2000 cm; Glue, plastic sheet; Aomori Contemporary Art Centre, Aomori, Japan