Defining "Artist"

Is Damien Hirst a true artist? I’ve been having this debate ever since the Gagosian Gallery chose to exhibit his dot paintings at all of their locations.

Diamond encrusted skull? Embalmed shark? I think his art capitalizes today’s obsession with the shocking and vulgar, anything loud and ostentatious is considered progressive and so is the artist.

What a waste of bling

If anything, I view him as a businessman, no different from any other entrepreneur in other industries. With a slew of assistants, he produces these dot paintings that are as common as any commodity or manufactured product. I have no problem with an artist trying to make a living but I do have an issue with someone who leverages his name as a brand and takes advantage of an unregulated market.

Courtesy of New York Times, one of the bajillion dot paintings worldwide

He’s smart and opportunistic, I’ll give him that, but to call him an artist? Businessman is more apt. 

Cindy Sherman

I recently discovered an artist, Cindy Sherman, whose work was so jarring that she instantly became one of my favorites. I only discovered her this year while she was exhibiting at the MoMA. Vowed to return to better comprehend her work but regrettably, the exhibit ended a couple of weeks ago.

Cindy Sherman acts as both model and photographer for her photographs. She not only recreates and caricatures typecasts but she also explores the grotesque, fantasy, and mythological through her work. Her Society Portraits and Clowns series were my favorites. She embodies the mannerisms, dress, and insecurities of each society archetype in every Society Portrait.  Using the typically humorous clowns, Sherman explores isolation, despair, sadism, and cruelty. 

There’s been debate as to which portraits or photographs best embody Cindy Sherman. Personal accounts depict her as unassuming, which I think makes her that much more intriguing. A larger than life personality would divert attention away from her provocative work.

Hellooo Liza Minnelli

I bought the accompanying book to her retrospective and I am intent on finishing it!

A Nearby Oasis

I have a confession to make. I know I called myself an “NYC girl” in a previous post, but I live in Hoboken so technically I’m a Jersey girl. We Hobokenites just like to associate ourselves more with NYC, 15 minute PATH ride away? Close enough. The other week, I ventured beyond the Hoboken boundaries into Jersey City to visit the Mana Contemporary Gallery.

Housed by a warehouse, the gallery appears unassuming, unimposing. Enter and take the large freight elevator to the 6th floor, doors opening to this expansive, blindingly white, almost clinical room. As explained to me by one of the founders, this floor provides the space for public viewings of private collections.

Crisp and clean, further underscoring the displayed art

The 4^th floor is my favorite, a floor of artists’ studios. Visitors have the rare opportunity to view projects in progress and interact with the artists. I had the chance to speak with Yigal Ozeri about his process. With a team of 10 assistants, he transforms blank hand stretched canvases into monumental photorealistic works.

Barely noticeable brushstrokes

The gallery is planning a sculpture garden à la MoMA and turning a floor into a dance studio, effectively transcending and encompassing different art forms in one location. Having only opened a year ago, Mana Contemporary is still trying to carve out its identity. I’m happy to have visited it in its fledging form and can’t wait to see what else is in store.

The Perfect Balance

While I was in Chicago, I had the chance to view an up and coming artist’s first solo show. His name is Willy Chyr and he is one of the few selected artists to have his work featured on a Beck’s bottle (limited time offer, go and purchase!).

My boyfriend Charles roomed with Willy in college so he had the privilege of witnessing the buddings of an aspiring artist. Willy’s work explores scientific concepts, theorems, and microscopic organisms through computer generation and balloons.

One of the grandiose installations

I had the pleasure of meeting him briefly before exploring his show. Energetic, charismatic, I would liken him to an excitable rocket scientist; he seemed like he was always on the brink of a new idea. That energy translated very clearly in his work.

By the time we got to the gallery, some of the balloons had started to deflate, but that’s part of the show. The pieces are to be left up until fully deflated, to emphasize the temporal, ephemeral nature of his work.

A young artist who found the perfect balance between his scientific and artistic pursuits. Lovely meeting you Willy. 

A Weekend Away

I’m an NYC girl at heart, but I think Chicago definitely gives New York a run for its money. SO CLEAN, like a less corrupt, less dark, more architecturally interesting Gotham City. Oh and no Batman boo.

Beautiful buildings and above ground subway stations! It was very inspiring to just walk around the streets, admiring everything. Also ate my way through the weekend, deep dish pizza, hot dogs, burgers, milkshakes, you name it. I was very thankful for how the city is so sprawling, negated some of that caloric intake with walking I hope.

Park oasis in the midst of a metropolis

Outdoor amphitheater

Really enjoyed the tour of the Robie House and refreshed my knowledge of Frank Lloyd Wright. Entrances are hidden away, prominent horizontal lines, his circle in a square signature, I like observing what I studied in reality, a confirmation that my classes were worthwhile haha. I especially enjoyed experiencing FLW’s implementation of “compression and release”. Walking from the cold and low ceilinged entranceway into the airy and spacious living/dining room was almost theatrical.

Inviting wanderers to explore the rest of the house...

It was a lovely weekend trip, left enough to see and do for a future trip.  

Museum Wanderings

I love art museums. Surrounded by beautiful things, quiet, informative, mazes of countless rooms, I consider art museums havens. Time and obligations melt away and I’m surrounded by only the most stirring works. I especially love going alone. Experiences and reactions to the art deeply personal, uninfluenced, and wholly my own. I always leave starry eyed and inspired. 

My annual membership to the MoMA was probably the best purchase I've ever made. Product discounts, exclusive exhibit previews, special lectures? SCORE.

I'm Talkin Bout Chi-town

This past weekend, I went to Chicago. Before I left, I drew up a list of all the places I wanted to visit and coincidentally enough, they all happened to be restaurants. What can I say? I LOVE TO EAT. Deep dish pizza, hot dogs, Italian beef, my belly was ready for Chicago. I seriously considered adopting some competitive eating techniques (e.g. eating tons of iceberg lettuce to stretch my stomach) for preparation? Thought that might’ve been a wee too much?

I was equally excited about the architecture. While my experience with architectural styles has been limited, I am a huge admirer of Frank Lloyd Wright and the Prairie Style. Clean, crisp, and incorporated seamlessly into surroundings. Falling Water is out in Pennsylvania but I had the opportunity to see the Robie House. It’s located directly across from the University of Chicago’s business school and the school’s style is modeled after the Robie House, creating this powerful stylistic dual between the two buildings.

Robie House

Booth School of Business

Love exploring unfamiliar cities.

"Untitled"

I don’t want to define what this blog will be about yet. I rarely focus on one thing for an extended amount of time (which probably explains why I can never finish books and end up reading Wiki articles on the endings). This will merely serve as a collection of my thoughts, interests, indulgences, whatever comes buzzing along and captures my attention.

I hope this blog captures your attention and entertains you, even if only for a fleeting moment. More to come. J