Category: Visual Arts

REVIEW: DETROIT INSTITUTE OF ARTS

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DIA

As I expected, today’s trip to the Detroit Institute of Arts was phenomenal!  It’s such a beautiful building, filled with an extremely diverse collection of art ranging from medieval times to modern and contemporary exhibits.

My favorite non-artsy room was definitely Kresge Court (which deserves to be its own exhibit because I was tempted to spend all my time there).

Aside from Kresge Court, however, I got to see some of the most amazing art.  Take, for example, my favorite painting, called Interior of Saint Peter’s, Rome by Giovanni Panini.  I was incredibly excited to return.  It was wonderful to see again, and to show my friend!

Part of Panini’s “Interior of Saint Peter’s, Rome”

Aside from that painting, I saw enough of Panini’s work at the DIA to officially declare him as my favorite artist.  Some of the other works by Panini present at the DIA include View of the Roman Forum (pictured below) and View of the Colosseum (1735).  Panini’s work and mastery of depth is really astounding.

“View of the Roman Forum” (1735)

After Panini, we moved onto some other incredible paintings.  In no order, here are some of the works that I enjoyed:

“Culebra Cut” by Jonas Lie (1913)
“Indian Summer” by Jervis McEntee (1860-1)

There was also one particularly humorous work of art ingeniously titled “Bread With Egg” by Jeff Koons (tempera over hydrocal).  It was nothing more than a glass case containing three differently-colored egg yolks atop three croissants.  My friend and I especially liked that one.

We also managed to pose beside some of the artworks, which inspired a couple conversations with other museum-goers.  The image below this was perfected thanks to a passing couple who instructed me on how to hold my head:

I was really excited to be returning to the DIA.  Even though I have been there a few times now, I got to see a few new areas of the museum (like Kresge Court and “Bread With Egg”) and revisit my old favorite: Panini.

PREVIEW: DETROIT INSTITUTE OF ARTS

kebishop Leave a comment

Even though I’ve been to the DIA a few times now, I’m always excited when there’s an opportunity for me to return.  My favorite painting that I’ve seen so far is called Interior of Saint Peter’s, Rome by Giovanni Panini because of its color scheme and depth.

There are also new exhibits that I’m excited for.  These exhibits are namely Fifty Years of Collecting: Detroit Institute of Arts’ Friends of Prints, Drawings and Photographs Anniversary Exhibition and a drop-in printmaking session.  As someone who’s particularly interested in photography, the former exhibit sounds intriguing.  As for the latter, I studied at Interlochen Summer Arts Camp awhile back and did some printmaking – I’d like to see if I’ve improved!

I’ll be at the DIA from 1-6pm tomorrow thanks to the Markley Residence Hall Council!  Can’t wait!

REVIEW: RC Student Juried Art Show

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The RC Student Juried Art Show features several student artists and will run until the end of the semester. Three artists included in the exhibition that I’d like to feature are Casey Jong, Heather Barnell, and Samantha Marks. Their contributions to the exhibition include pen-and-ink pieces, pottery, and sculpture pieces, respectively. The other exhibited artists worked with mediums such as painting, photography, and intaglio printmaking.

Jong’s pen-and-ink pieces, Piece 1 and Piece 2, hang side-by-side on the wall. The former piece features a female figure with a melancholic facial expression sitting on a chair next to a small end-table that supports a vase of flowers. She rests her face on her hand and stares into the abyss. The curve of her head resembles the curve of the end-table. Piece 2 features another female figure. She stands alongside a coat-rack and she raises her arms as well as secures her feet in first-position. The curves of her arms resemble the curves of the nearby coat-rack. Jong in Piece 1 and in Piece 2 combines female figures with everyday objects such as end-tables and a coat-racks. The pieces exemplify these combinations of figures and objects in visually-interesting ways.

Barnell’s Untitled consists of an engraved rectangle of clay. The artist engraved the words “Once a kid” and “Always a kid” on adjacent sides of the four-sided piece alongside childlike silhouettes. The other sides of the rectangular piece feature more adultlike silhouettes without the additions of words. The greyish, goldish, and purplish tones of the piece itself were visually-appealing. Untitled, however, was insufficiently lit as well as insufficiently positioned. The viewer struggles to read the engraved words of the darkly-colored piece. Additionally, the piece sits on its table at hip-level rather than at eye-level. The piece, however, still entices and interests the viewer regardless of the fact that viewing the piece at eye-level in a well-lit area would’ve been more ideal.

Finally, Marks’ life-size piece, Say Yes to the Debt, consists of tape, paper, and printed money. The artist sculpted these materials into the shape of a wedding dress. The title of the piece echoes the title of the well-known reality television series (Say Yes to the Dress). Wedding dresses sometimes cost thousands of dollars and the sculpture reduces the dress to its monetary value. The sculpture signifies conspicuous consumption because dress may indicate wealth. Certainly, the wearer of Say Yes to the Debt would conspicuously display his or her wealth. Ultimately, Say Yes to the Debt attracts viewers because of its life-like size as well as because of its surrealistic nature.

The RC Student Juried Art Show runs until December 17th. Additionally, the Residential College Art Gallery is open M-F 10am until 5pm. Catch the exhibition while you can!

PREVIEW: RC Student Juried Art Show

karafk

The opening reception for the RC Student Juried Art Show will take place tomorrow afternoon. The show will run until the end of the semester if you’re unable to make its opening reception. Additionally, the show does not appear to have any kind of theme.

I’m excited to view student work, which might seem less polished than the work of professional artists. Students are learning rather than perfecting their crafts. It’s exciting to witness and I’m interested in acquainting myself with the work of my fellow students.

The Residential College Art Gallery is open Monday through Friday 10am until 5pm.

REVIEW: A Northern Refuge: Cherish, Protect at the Work Gallery

karafk
VanVoorhis's "Tamarack Lake."
Cathy VanVoorhis’s “Tamarack Lake”

I attended the opening reception for A Northern Refuge: Cherish, Protect at the Work Gallery this past Friday evening. Stamps lecturer Cathy VanVoorhis curated the exhibition and also contributed several paintings to the exhibition. Other contributing artists included the painter, Nora Venturelli, and the photographer, Lisa Steichmann.

A moderate amount of people attended the opening reception. A Northern Refuge: Cherish, Protect spotlights the natural environment. The natural environment has been a source of inspiration for artists for centuries and the exhibition highlights its ongoing utility to contemporary artists. Several of the pieces were old-school and impressionistic paintings rather than more contemporary installation or mixed-media pieces.

The following is an excerpt from Venturelli’s artist statement: “I find an overwhelming, therapeutic tranquility while painting outdoors, and a spontaneity that does not happen in the studio. The rush of the breeze, the heat of the sun, the sounds of the fields. It all adds freshness and vivacity to my work. I am usually drawn to long vistas, wide-open spaces. I’m attracted to subtle changes in textures and color, the overlapping and layering of planes.” The piece included in the exhibition was a sepia-toned and slightly melancholic landscape painting. Click here to visit Venturelli’s website.

Steichmann’s photographs were scattered between the paintings. The photographs were also shadowy and slightly melancholic. The photographs were the most contemporary and visually-surprising pieces of the selection. Click here to visit Steichmann’s website. 

Here is an excerpt from VanVoorhis’s artist statement: “For me, a landscape painting is a portrait of a specific place with the plants and terrain of that location. All of the species together create a community of interdependence, with a life of its own.” She continues with the following couple of sentences: “There is great satisfaction for me in using the time-honored materials and craft of oil painting. I’m glad to get away from electricity and technology for a while, to simpler processes that feel very direct and immediate.” VanVoorhis’s pieces exhibited artistic talent yet were visually-predictable. The piece, Tamarack Lake, is displayed prominently. Click here to visit VanVoorhis’s website. 

The exhibition will end on Thursday, November 12.

REVIEW: Julian Schnabel (Stamps Speaker Series)

karafk
"The Patients and the Doctors" (1978) by Schnabel
“The Patients and the Doctors” (1978) by Schnabel

Artist Julian Schnabel spoke on Thursday evening at the Michigan Theater. Industrialist Peter Brant joined Schnabel onstage and the multi-millionaire duo discussed the Julian Schnabel exhibition on display from early July until mid-September of this year before formally answering questions from the numerous members of the audience.

The audience was unsurprisingly enormous. The organ music ended before someone introduced the speakers. Schnabel and Brant walked onstage and the audience burst out clapping. Audience members seemed excitable and were presumably star-struck. Schnabel wore sunglasses and a comfortable-looking jumpsuit. The audience silenced as Schnabel repeatedly asked the management to dim the stage lights. The majority of the event took place in darkness as we viewed the prepared slideshow presentation.

The event was surprisingly interactive. Audience members randomly shouted out their comments, questions, and clarification requests; they posed such comments, questions, and requests without microphones and, consequently, the speakers often misheard them. At the end of the event people lined up in front of microphones in order to pose questions to the speakers in a more formal manner. Schnabel seemed simultaneously up-front and self-righteous in his interactions with audience members. Sometimes his answers would be either “I don’t know that” or “you should know that;” other times the artist refused to answer questions and insisted that his interrogators “figure it out.”

Artists require financial benefactors in order to achieve financial success. Much of Schnabel’s success stems from his personal connections as well as from his artistic talent. Schnabel debuted his career with painted-over plate fragments such as “The Patients and The Doctors” pictured above. Multiple layers and textures often add visual complexity to his work. Interestingly, Schnabel makes films in addition to painting; during the event, however, he admitted that he prefers painting to filmmaking. Painter, sculptor, and filmmaker Julian Schnabel is unafraid to experiment with a wide range of mediums and techniques. Most artists can draw inspiration from his artistic flexibility and his unabashed nature insofar as self-doubt and narrow-mindedness harm creativity.

Click here for Schnabel’s website.