Artist Lecture (05-04-10): Ted Noten

Todays lecture was another great one by an artist from Holland, named Ted Noten. I wouldn't necessarily say that his work is only jewelry & sculptural but also a bit of performance, but I will get into that later. He called the lecture Once a bricklayer, Always a bricklayer and began by describing the town where he grew up which was a brick-making town. As a kid working in the factories, he discovered he liked to work with his hands which spawned his career. He said, "Discover what you liked as a kid - that will be the closest to happiness [you get] as an artist." His early work began with the pieces constructed out of the Mercedes-Benz cars, which in Europe he described as a symbol of hard work and accomplishment. He would remove bits of the cars and mold pieces out of them so people could "wear their car."

However, the Mercedes company did not purchase the piece so Noten went to art school where the idea of "concept" was forced and Noten willingly accepted. He said, "When you make a move with your hand, you have to explain [that move] to your teacher," a frustrating I think every art student encounters.

A couple of his pieces really struck me. First, his early work where he would fashion rings that had a purpose/function based on one's profession. I, of course, want the photographer ring which is a band and a square with a cube sized cut out in the center so the artist can walk around framing pieces. Noten said he moved on from this series because it only related to certain groups and he was interested in the many subcultures within subcultures. To make his art more interactive (and a performance) his project Chew Your Own Brooch where the art buyer would chew their gum, send it to him and he would cast it, creating one of a kind jewelry (unfortunately, I could not find any of the final pieces online). He is also known for the "gun bags" which I included below.

My favorite project he showed went back to the rings, however he created them by first crafting these magnificent sculptures. The project is called Haunted by 36 Women. He moved away from his methodology because he said "artists tend to fall into a successful formula" and he felt it was too early in his career to do that. With these pieces, he finds things (online or on the street), composes them and then does something extraordinary -- he used a 3D scanner to create the image into smaller scale replicas which is how his jewelry is sold.

The Muse

American Photo submission

I chose to enter this series because I think it speaks without an explanation, whereas my current project is still being figured out and needs more explanation (ie its documentation v. presentation).

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Idea Entry: In the News (04-07-10)

I am currently researching local news involved and interested in the tree removals. I feel like if I discuss this project more with people, I will not be so uninformed as to whether or not this is actually a problem. Regardless of what information I receive, its something I still want to illustrate in my project...I just don't want to be saying "Richmond removes all these trees! They are evil!" when that's not the case.

Information/Organizations
1. Richmond Tree Stewards: http://treestewards.rrpfoundation.org/index.html

2. I want to photograph this tree upon its removal, due to all the fuss around it being removed. Read the article here: Out-of-control Elm splits fan, council

3. Going down Cary Street just before Harrison Street, there were trees (that looked healthy) littered with signs marking their removal. I found this article which highlights the plans for (expensive) restoration and that their removal was due to human failure to prune them properly. New Trees to be Planted on West Cary

4. Though its an older article (two years old), it highlights a variety of viewpoints. Trees are beneficial economically v. we need take care of them so removal isn't necessary. Two Richmond Residents...

Quotes
From New Trees...
"'We want to plant the right tree in the right place,' said DPW Director Dexter White. 'We want to enhance the appearance of West Cary Street, but at the same time make certain the trees we put in will not come in contact with the power lines.'"

From Two Richmond Residents...
"'There needs to be a plan for preserving our green infrastructure instead of cutting it down one tree at a time,' Kuhn said. Some residents have long contended that the city is too quick to cut valuable trees after marking them as hazards. Kuhn is stepping into the battle for the first time."

Artist Entry: Olafur Eliasson

Olafur Eliasson is an artist from Copenhagen, Denmark whose work is primarily sculptural. However, it seems that each year there is one type of project he installs - and that project is what caught my attention. The pieces are a series of various natural geological/ecological structures/occurrences. Perhaps it is just my geology class that is turning me into an even bigger environmental nerd but regardless, its fascinating to see how these places in nature exist in a similar fashion, yet are so different and individual.

His presentation is something to be admired (and to take into consideration as to how I decide to present my piece). Viewing his work has certainly put some fire under my bum to dive back into my work (after my brief hiatus).

Another thing I admire about all his work is its dependance and existence based off of its contained environment, which becomes fairly evident upon looking at his work. In 1996, he installed a series of images depicting waterfalls. Then, in 2008 he installed waterfalls in New York City locations. Not only do the who pieces reflect on each other in subject matter but also their purpose. They bring the natural into a space where its often forgotten and certainly not seen. Its a reminder of what else is there and its power.

I could go on and speak about each one of his pieces, discussing why they are so important and profound but I won't. I think I've found (one of) my new favorite artists! Below I have included the various series that I discussed above, as well as a few installation pieces.

All images are (c) to Olafur Eliasson & were found via Google Image search.

Idea Blog (3-31-10): Expansion

I am a little worried about my project. I like it just fine, but I am beginning to worry that after seeing a couple images, the audience will be like, "Okay, cool..." and move on. With the amount of time I spend on one image, I want the audience to care, you know? So I am thinking about testing out a couple more images of "dead environments" while I continue to shoot the trees. I think it'll either point me in a good direction or make me feel more confident in my work. The Anderson Gallery didn't accept the piece and while I (honestly) do not care because showing in galleries isn't really my goal, it made me wonder if perhaps the curator didn't get it. Do I need to set up my photographs in a certain way? or can they stand on their own?

Whenever I drive to school, I park about half way between my house and class. Along the way, I always see this little environment. It used to be a metal pipe that led up to who knows what...but now there are little sprouts of grass coming out. It makes me smile for some reason...I think because my project is portraying the vulnerability of nature to man but that little ecosystem shows nature "stickin' it to the man."

I need to photograph...I've been so busy with extracurriculars and failing geology (HOW IRONIC!) that I've started to loose focus on photo. But on the bright-side, my magazine won 2nd place for Best Student Magazine out of 5 states!

Google image for "little ecosystems" which is almost EXACTLY what I was talking about.

(source)

Also, "Plants are taking over" -- a Tumblr blog that I follow.

(artist Pete Dungey)

Artist Entry: Patrick O'Hare

Patrick O'Hare is an admirable photographer who's imagery focuses around disturbed landscapes. The land is in a state of upset primarily due to human interference. He has three series displayed on his website which are Slipstream, Learning to Vanish, and The Silence Between Stations. In all three, I can see similarities between our concepts however he has somehow managed to capture it in multiple images in various locations which vary in subjects...all the while, maintaining the concept. I admire this because I feel like if I veer off too much from my methodology then my concept will be lost. I think that O'Hare is an excellent example of successfully doing so.

Furthermore, in a statement about his series Slipstream, O'Hare uses the word impermanence, which is one word that was in my statement/defined last week. In regards to his work, I think it fits more so than it does with mine. Anyway, in his book featuring Slipstream, he says:

"Slipstream is a personal exploration of ravaged landscape glossed over and sealed by perpetual development and at the same time, more vulnerable than ever to man made and natural upheavals. It Visually lays open a culture of impermanence, architecture of the fleeting and the sense of a rootless world that could easily be swept away. [...] The physical effects of these forces can be seen on most any street, highway, or mall. Our lives are played out against these backdrops as well as quiet hope and desperation. But it is here also, in the everyday, where mystery still resides and the ruins of our civilization still haunt us. My goal is to photograph the silent truths of an uncertain age: those places on the edge of a frayed world."