First project: Small World [Drawing based on a photograph] leading lines to the centre
Small World is the first project in the two years of Visual Arts course, which aims to examine the environment surrounding the school in a creative manner. I took photographs around the school as the first step, and selected ten below. I learned eight main techniques in taking photos in class, so I annotated the photos with those techniques. Through this experience, I realized that the same landscape could be seen in completely different way through different aspects.
-silhouette (street lamp) -close up
repetition of the pillars & lamps
1.
leading lines the rule of third (‘YP’)
framing → nature (trees), city (building), the Seine (bridge, boat)
I chose this photo as the one I would use for my drawing since I found it interesting how the leading lines and the perspective attract the viewer’s eyes. [Drawing in process]
1. I started with filling a white paper with graphite and making white space by erasing it.
diagonal line by border of sky and building
2. Then, I started to draw the dark part by adding graphite or using pencil. The outlines were too dark and unnaturally stood out, so I blurred the lines.
angle of view
angle of branches and ↗ (on sign) seems the same
an effect of blank space (I imagined the scaffolding pole will stretch to the sky.)
framing (net)
coherence in color (train, bridge, river)
Link repetition (trees)
leading line (railway)
Michael Kenna 2008 Hokkaido, Japan (https://www.irasteh m ann.com/artists/37michael-kenna/series/ other-works/613/)
Eight techniques I learned; -framing -angle of view -leading lines -selective focus -close up -repetition -rule of third -silhouette
3. After finishing the basic shape, I moved on to the details such as fallen leaves on the road, cars, and the road signs. The shadow of the trees worked well to make the drawing realistic.
the effect of the perspective is strong, but this is too close to the original photo
Small World [ceramic sculpture]
plan ②
This design does not really show length of the road (does not look like an ‘endless road’)
I started with looking at some ceramic pieces which use hand and an object on it
plan ③
In this page, I started to plan for a ceramic sculpture using a part of the body. I got an inspiration from my drawing on the previous page, and tried to use the leading line to represent the seemingly endless daily life.
plan ① I simplified my drawing, and developed the idea I got on the previous double page, using hands to express the leading lines and perspective. plan ② I had another idea that people make stories everyday and these stories become a book which narrates their life. Therefore, I used successive books to show each page of the book, and perspective. plan ③
plan ①
I looked at a person running on the endless road. This implies the idea that people have a daily life that looks like it is endless.
I wanted to show the leading lines using the shape of hands. I also wanted to convey the powerful energy of hands to create something, so I thought about putting a ball on the palm. However, the link from my drawing now became weak because of the ball.
More ideas for the ceramic piece and the piece in progress In this page, I decided to further develop ’plan 5’, since it has the strongest link with my drawing, and also shows a new concept of ‘hand as a part of body with the energy for creation’, which will be explored in the artist investigation of Rodin in the next few screens. [Refining the design] I made a change on the ‘plan 5’. In particular, I changed what I put on the hands from flowers to leaves, because I could not find flower petals that I could use for casting between fall to winter, and it did not seem feasible to make the ceramic petals by myself. [positive impact through this change] -the leaves can show the link with the trees in my drawing
plan ④ Dahlia
Bigger flower might add more energetic air to the piece
[Kate Macdowell] “Soliphilia” 2/2010 http://www.katem acdowell.com/soli philia.html
plan ⑤ I got interested in the idea of Kate Macdowell in which a tangled stem, leaves and wrinkles on the palm indicate vital energy. Therefore, I combined stems with the flower showing the spreading shape and the perspective in order to express the power of the hands in creation and the vital energy.
[work in process] ▶ I made a cast to make realistic petals efficiently. Some of the petals had clear veins and others did not, and the size varied as well. I decided to put the smaller petals on the end of the finger so the perspective was highlighted. ▶cast pieces of clay
◀then, I formed the hands being careful about detail; nails, lines of the palm, and ball of the thumb. After finishing making the hands, I carefully smoothed the surface and stuck the stem and the petals on the palm.
A comparison of hand sculptures by Bruce Nauman and Auguste Rodin Introduction
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I chose two works as main subjects for comparison ● “Hand Circle” by Bruce Nauman (this work is untitled, but it is called Hand Circle, so it will be referred as this in this essay) ● “The Hand of God” by Auguste Rodin These two works have hands as their subject, and they represent force or infinite capability of hands. In addition, my sculpture shows the hands’ ability to lead and create as well. Similarities and differences between the artworks will be discussed in detail from some aspects in each section.
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Nauman is one of the artists influenced by the movement. In fact, Nauman often uses the body as subject of his works. Particularly, he has created a lot of works related to hands such as “Fifteen Pairs of Hands” and “Hand Circle” created in 1996 (The Broad).“Fifteen Pairs of Hands” is 15 sets of hands with different gestures (arts observer). The gestures, the greatest feature of these two works, seem to have emotional implication, and using a part of body is antithetical to impersonality. Therefore, his body sculptures including “Hand Circle” are definitely the part of Post- Minimalism. Analysis of function and purpose
Picture 1. Bruce Nauman, Untitled (“Hand Circle”), 1996, Bronze, silver solder and copper, 12.7 x 67.31 x 63.5 cm (The Broad) Picture 4,5 Bruce Nauman,“ Fifteen Pairs of Hands”, 1996, white bronze with painted bases (arts observer)
Picture 2, 3 Auguste Rodin, “The Hand of God”,1898, marble, 94 x 82.5 x 54.9 cm (Museé Rodin)
Context and cultural significance Bruce Nauman ● An American artist who was born in 1941, and he emerged as an artist in the 1960s. ● In the late 1960s, after Minimalism, Post-Minimalism including Body Art, Performance Art, Process Art came out. Some artists created conventional artworks with a strong material presence and others expressed in an emotional expressive way because they reacted against the impersonality of Minimalism (the art story).
Picture 8 Eadweard Muybridge, “Animal Locomotion”, 1887 (Bowman structure)
Auguste Rodin ● An French artist (1840-1917) (the art story). He is known as an artist of Symbolism which is a movement that emerged in France in the 1980s. The feature of this movement is the mystical, romantic and expressive depiction or the use of symbolic design. ● Rodin often used hands as a subject of his work. For example, there are “Main 20” (Bowman sculpture), “The Cathedral” (Musée Rodin) besides “The Hand of God” (Rodin Museum). ● Rodin was interested by hands as subjects from the beginning of his career. However, it is assured that Rodin came to use hands as a subject being affected by Eadweard Muybridge’s photographic studies on hands in motion. In fact, he had a copy of Muybridge’s publications in 1887 (Bowman sculpture). Picture 6 August Rodin, “Main 20”, between 1890 and 1908, highlights 2 2/16" (5.4 cm) (Bowman structure)
Picture 7 August Rodin, “The Cathedral”, 1908, Bronze with a dark green patina, with light green and brown. Pierre, 64x29.5x31.8cm (Bowman structure)
“Hand Circle” ● This work is composed of five pairs of detached hands. Each index finger of the right hand passes through the ring made by a thumb and first finger of each left hand. ● The hand sculptures have a great reality and it makes me feel the human body temperature. → a warm impression ● This work is abstract and its meaning can be ambiguous, there is no title. One possible interpretation is sign language. It is not certain if such a sign exists, but it is said that this gesture could have sexual meaning (the broad). If you think so, you can explain the shape expresses the circle of life from generation to generation. “The Hand of God” ● This work represent a moment when the God created the world as you can imagine by its title. In other world, this scene comes from the Old Testament. →a religious theme
-A man and a woman in the hand → Adam and Eve -The rock → the Earth ●
This hand is absolutely God’s hand and it makes me feel quiet, but I also associate Rodin’s hand. This is because God’s hand that creates everything emerges from marble as well, and it is Rodin who carved it. In either case, the hand is described as an object that has the power to create. Moreover, Rodin believed his God-given talent came from God’s hands, and this belief became his hand sculptures symbolizing God as creator (Bowman sculpture).
” Hand Circle”
“ The Hand of God”
In both sculptures, hands play a role as an object that creates great presence such as life and the Earth.
This work has no title and is so ambiguous.
The meaning of motif in this work is clearer because it is based on a well-known story
-cultural significance Evaluation of the material significance and process
Materials
“Hand Circle”
Similarity
“Hand of God”
Phosphorus-pat inated bronze with wire (The Broad)
None
Marble (Musée Rodin)
-metal -stone (There is also “The Hand of God” made from bronze in other museum.)
“The Hand of God” ● In this work, the hand is bigger than its normal size, and it shows God’s dignity or greatness. The factor that shows God’s sacredness is not only the size, but also the color, clear white. ● This work consists of a smooth part and a part like raw marble. The smooth part, Adam, Eve, and the hand, is characterized by the expression of muscle and its dynamic air which emphasizes the contrast of organic matter and dead matter. ● This work is placed on a base so the part of the rock seems to connect to the ground.
“ The Hand of God”
“ Hand Circle” -The hand in this work has a realistic size -This work float in the air -Reddish brown
Both works have the effects to draw the attention of the audience.
-The hand in this work has as unusual size as a hand with God’s dignity. -This work is placed on a base -Clear white
the effect of materials and techniques
-Blood vessel, wrinkle, lines on the palm, nails were expressed in detail -There are marks of cast
-formal qualities The hands of my sculpture have the size of real hands likewise “Hand Circle.” Therefore, audiences would associate their hands with these works and guess the meaning of the works concerns themselves.
Analysis of formal qualities “Hand Circle” ● This work literary has a circle shape with repeating hands. I think this shape not only includes the meaning, but makes the audience feel relaxed because the circle shape is said to have an effect of making people feel relieved psychologically. ● This work is stringed by wire so that the audience can see it from any angle. In other word, it seems to float in the air, getting attention to only itself, and emphasizing the work’s meaning. ● The size of the work is 12.7 x 67.31 x 63.5 cm (The Broad). Each hand is about 20 cm long or more, which is approximately the same size with real hand.
I used the hands as a symbol. This is characteristic of Symbolism which Rodin was part of. In addition, my sculpture have an implication, expressive, so it has a common feature with Post-Minimalism which Nauman is part of.
The pursuit of reality in hand
-Muscle, nails, and lines on the palm were expressed in detail -The rock is expressed without processing or by scratching
This piece has more smooth surface without wrinkle and it focus to express muscle. Connecting to own art-making practice -function and purpose The hand is a part of body used in the two works, and two artists show the power of hands to create, connect, and lead things in common. This is also my concept for my sculpture. In my drawing rightward, the road seems to run infinitely due to the white line in the middle of the road and the edge of the road. This feeling made me associate passage from past to future, or creation of daily life and story. Therefore, I designed my sculpture from this idea with hands that people use whenever they create something. The overlapped hands and leaves on it show the idea.
-material and techniques As with two artworks, I expressed wrinkle of finger, the line on the palm, and nails in detail. I casted the leaves so that reality come out through leaf vein as well. These techniques also make audiences evoke a sense of affinity. Works cited “Bruce Nauman Overview and Analysis.” The Art Story, www.theartstory.org/artist-nauman-bruce.htm. “Bruce Nauman.” The Broad, www.thebroad.org/art/bruce-nauman. “Bruce Nauman 'Fifteen Pairs of Hands': Meaningful Gestures Up for Interpretation.” Arts Observer, 2 May 2014, www.artsobserver.com/2012/01/09/fifteen-pairs-of-hands-by-bruce-nauman-meaningful-ge stures-up-for-interpretation/. “Auguste Rodin Overview and Analysis.” The Art Story, www.theartstory.org/artist-rodin-auguste.htm. “Main 20 (Hand 20), Petit Modèle.” Bowman Sculpture - Sculptures by Gustinus Ambrosi, www.bowmansculpture.com/artist/rodin/813e/main-20-hand-20-petit-modele. “The Hand of God.” The Walking Man | Rodin Museum, www.musee-rodin.fr/en/collections/sculptures/hand-god. Museum, Rodin. “Collections Object : The Hand of God.” Rodin Museum, www.rodinmuseum.org/collections/permanent/103446.html. Nauman, Bruce. “Untitled (Hand Circle).” The Virgin and Child ('The Bridgewater Madonna'), National Galleries of Scotland, www.nationalgalleries.org/art-and-artists/76001/untitled-hand-circle.
Project:
For this project ‘shock of reality’, I came up with the idea of temporary beauty. Very beautiful events and objects often last for only a few moments and disappear instantly. I thought of happiness when we see them and sadness after their disappearance could be “shock of reality.”
Shock of reality—visual brainstorming of the ideas
Next, I found some symbols of transience; the motion of water, sunset/sunris e, fireworks, cherry blossoms, dandelions, soap bubble
↓ A detail of my piece, “a moment of spring”
At the same time, I started making a drypoint print with some subjects who represent symbols of transience (a cherry blossom and the water ripple). I realized that the drypoint print gives an additional charm to my design by creating a slightly different quality of print each time.
Idea 2
Development of ideas based on “Pick ‘n’ Mix project” we selected three pieces of paper, and each paper gave us the instructions we would have to follow. My selection was: 1. Your outcome must incorporate decorative pattern as a strong feature 2. You must create two sculptures that should be presented together as a ‘relationship’ 3. You may use only three colors of your choice
I got the instructions to make a sculpture, so I considered which symbolistic subject from my previous slide worked well to convert into a sculpture design.
Sunset / sunrise (Idea 1) I thought I could express the sunset and sunrise with a circle. In addition, sculptures of a sunset and a sunrise, or a sunset and the night sky could represent a relationship. I also found a traditional Japanese pattern, and came up with an idea of a book-shaped base where each page represents a day. However, I noticed that those ideas didn’t show my theme very well, and the optical difference between the sunset and the sunrise was too unclear to depict them as two distinguished things.
Idea 1
Idea 3
Cherry blossoms (Idea 2, 3) I looked at how temporary the span of time for a cherry blossom to bloom was. Idea 2 was suited for this concept as it shows how cherry blossoms bloom and die, but idea 3 was unsuitable.
More ideas for the pieces of “transience” and testing with materials
Observation of cherry blossom
I chose the subjects of sunset / sunrise and cherry blossoms tol use in the final piece. However, I decided to look at the latter in my work because the former had some weak points as a subject to convey my theme as I mentioned on the previous slide. Then, I finally made a decision to explore idea 4 as my work. Idea 4
▲I assumed that the petals of cherry blossom are pink, but I realized they were white. I am going to draw the pink line on the petals.
Idea 5
Photo: (https://blogs.yahoo.co.jp/osusiburuberi/2 5594072.html) Photo: (http://www.co ara.or.jp/~shuy a/kenkyu/hana nusubito/hana nusubito.htm) ▲ work in progress The flowers are fixed temporarily with a piece of clay to balance the petals.
I did not decide what material I was going to use to make leaves, but I chose wire and tissue paper to fill in the wire-made frame. This was because my first priority was to express the fragility of cherry blossoms.
Idea 6
Decisions about the detail of the cherry blossom piece Dimension and layout on the base
I kept taking photos of cherry blossom even after finishing the piece to get more inspiration from it. The contrast of night sky and cherry blossoms (the second one) attracted me the most. I got interested in subjects portrayed on a dark background, and drawing that with black paper and pastel. At this stage, I had already decided the rough design of my work, and did some experiments to settle the design of petals and arrangement of them in detail to complete this work. I also added a Japanese traditional pattern to the background to show a contradiction between the flower sculptures showing the fate of death and the background showing a wish for calm eternal life. Togyu Okumura is a Japanese artist, and his work on the left-hand side has a different concept of cherry blossoms which I have explained on the slide..
Transformation of nature Research and analysis of Aurora by Anselm Kiefer
Analysis of function and purpose ●
Introduction I have selected “Aurora” by Anselm Kiefer for this analysis. This artwork was chosen because the concept in it have some common points with my own work. Aurora discuss the theme of a moment when nature transforms and when decay and life mingle, while my theme is also include transformation of flowers from their blossoming to die. I was planning to arrange cherry blossoms in different degree of blossoming or die and just put fallen petals from the dead flowers. However, I decided to contaminate the surface of the fallen leaves after I had found this artwork. This is because contrast of beautiful flowers and black part of canvas, and defaced flowers emphasize the impression of strong transformation of nature. Cultural significance ●
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This work was created between 2015 and 2017. (The place where it was made did not seem to be mentioned in any websites, but Kiefer has lived mainly in Paris and in Alcácer do Sal, Portugal since 2008.) It was displayed at his exhibition in New York, “Transition from Cool to Warm.” “What interests me is the transformation, not the monument. I don't construct ruins, but I feel ruins are moments when things show themselves. A ruin is not a catastrophe. It is the moment when things can start again.” Kiefer said on the occasion of holding this exhibition (Zoë Lescaze).
(1)
(2) ●
● Photo 1 (Zoë Lescaze) :Anselm Kiefer, Aurora, 2015-2017, Oil, emulsion, acrylic, shellac, and sediment of an electrolysis on canvas, 280 × 380 × 9 cm
The title of the exhibition and his words show: the theme of this work include more positive message which could be appearance of hope beyond the dark although Kiefer is known for addressing the theme of dark past of German or German guilt
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What stands out the most in this work: the contrast of (1) a dark part (2) beautiful flowers with soft-blue background. the dark part could be interpreted as dark sky and as a symbol of decay, dismay or sadness. → gave me a disturbing sense by combination with the light colors which make me feel happy. the blue background could be seen as light sky and as a symbol of prosperity, hope or happiness This inseparable existence of hope or prosperity and decay or dismay could be a hidden context of this abstracted work whilst the main subject is transformation of nature showing inevitable life and death. However, I believe Kiefer aimed to find a hope in the fact since he says that a ruin is the moment when things can start again. This message may include his view towards German past he often take up as a theme. I think Kiefer who has been explored a dark past and history also feel strong hope beyond them and wanted to convey the hope.
The art movement Kiefer belongs to is Neo-Expressionism. This is a resurrected movement by many artists represented by Georg Baselitz between the end of 1970s and the beginning of 1990s, and Its original expressionism movement caught on at the begging of the 20th century (THE ART STORY). The characteristic of the Neo-Expressionism artists was to be sensuous, expressive, and powerful unlike other movements in the same age boundaries such as Minimalism and Conceptualism. The artists who influences Kiefer were also ones of the movement, Georg Baselitz and Jörg Immendorf. Bright colors and big size of Aurora indicates that he is an Neo-Expressionism artist as well.
my work in progress Analysis of formal qualities ●
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The scale of this work is 280 × 380 × 9 cm (WART), and this largeness communicates vastness of the theme of this work. What makes a focal point is the contrast of two opposite tonal parts as I mentioned in the previous section. -A dark color is placed in the middle of the work and attract audience’s eye at first. -Then, the flowers and blue sky with soft and light tone lead their attention.
Connection to own art-making practice formal qualities
Kiefer expressed disturbing decay by the contrast of light color and encroaching dark color from the edges of the work. I express emptiness of inevitable transformation of nature from birth to die by arranging flowers, each of them come from different degree of blooming, but I got inspiration to contaminate fallen petals from the kiefer’s work.
Function and purpose
I am trying to deliver transitory briefness of life, people’s desire to live calmly as long as possible, and the emptiness of these two antinomic matters as Kiefer tried to convey inseparable existence of hope or prosperity and decay or dismay.
material and technique
Kiefer used many materials, but I use one of them, acrylic paint. Moreover, as he provided the work with a realistic sensation by multi-layered application, I also make realistic flowers in 3D.
These two contrasting factors emphasize themselves each other so that the contrast make people feel disturbed. ●
A border of the dark part and light part is blurred, and the former is drawn as if it is encroaching the other part from the edges and especially from upper edge. As a result, people feel a transformation is occurring now.
Sources
Material significance ● ●
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The painting was drawn with oil, emulsion, acrylic, and shellac (Ann Dingli). The most unique and characteristic technique used in this work was to layer materials many times on the canvas. Kiefer is famous for using this technique, and it provide the work with an appearance of depth and realistic sensation for transformation of nature. In addition, it took two years for Kiefer to finish this work from 2015 to 2017 (Ann Dingli). I think it is because the work scale is big, but also it took time to layer the materials.
Zoë Lescaze. ARTNEWS. ARTNEWS. 7 Dec. 2017. Web. 11 Mar. 2019 THE ART STORY. THE ART STORY. 2019. Web. 11 Mar. 2019 Ann Dingli. think i like it. 7 Jul. 2017. Web. 15 Mar. 2019 WART. Wall Street International. 12 May. 2017. Web. 16 Mar. 2019 *all the photos were taken by Georges Poncet
I kept in my mind to take pictures as much as possible during these holidays, and noticed I was attracted to how something looks different in every moment as I had looked at temporary beauty as a subject last year.
Not only about nature like my previous works (cherry blossoms, sunset...)? -people’s mind (belief / memory / impression / values) is also easy to change depending on the situation / position / case...
My photos
This could be a different and new approach for the concept of “transience”
“Forest of Resonating Lamps” teamLab, 2016
-The lamps are designed to react to a person standing near by them -once a lamp lights, other ones next to it also start to be litt →it continuously changes its impression
ting? Ligh g in Mov tor o by m d? in or w
Could be linked with my concept of the transience of people‘s mind...
My photo The lamps reminded me of a (paper-made) lantern I made a few years ago Drawn with a pen
Tracing paper
Masking tape overlapped making different tinges of color The light come through the tape → “transience” image? Can this be used for the idea of mobile?
-A mobile is a type of kinetic sculpture which consists of some weighted objects. -The sculpture keeps changing its shape and the balance of color / form with the flow of air
◁photos were taken by me. Here are more photos from the official website http://borderless.teamlab.art/jp/ ew/forest-of-resonating-lamps-f ire/ ↓ http://kojima-shouten.jp/pa ss_the_baton.html
-These works are Japanese traditional lamps made in a historic shop in Kyoto -The case is made of thin paper so the light comes through the paper in a unique way → will the color look different from different angles if I paint them??
A work for “ruban”
A work for “PASS THE BATON KYOTO GION”
Brainstorming of the ideas (light, mobile, transience of the nature...) As it was the start of a new semester and a new year, I brainstormed some ideas I was interested in, artists I wanted to refer to, and sketched some of the ideas looking through photos I took during summer vacation. I am still interested in the theme I looked at last year, transient beauty or subjects related to it such as light, and the sky. However, applying the theme of transience and change to portray people’s thoughts and emotions and using a mobile could show the transience in more abstract way than my previous works.
Developing ideas for a photo collage I feel that the transience of natural phenomenon is beautiful since it circulates and repeats but that in a city it is sad. For example, people forget what was there once a building has been rebuilt. Old fashion is quickly replaced by new fashion. To plan a design of a photo collage, I started with searching David Hockney, a British artist who often creates a photo collage
*all the editing was done with PIcsArt
http://www.getty.edu/art/collection/objects/105374/david-hockney-pearblossom -hwy-11-18th-april-1986-2-british-april-11-18-1986/
Some improvements still need to be done to complete this work: -adding more photos of sky as Hockney’s work uses smaller pieces of sky -adding a crop of a photo of crowds to show people who live in fastpaced lives without noticing how the city is changing rapidly
Then, I came up with the idea that Hockney’s theory about perspective could be applied to use strange perspective and blank space in my collage to emphasize an important subject, buildings which keep growing and being destroyed.
therefore, I cut a part of a free image of high buildings and pasted it on the space
transience of an ever-changi ng city
＋②＋③
”Pearblossom Hwy., 11-18th April 1986, #1”, David Hockney, 1986, chromogènes print, 119.1 x 162.9 cm”
Unrealistic perspective in this work comes from his belief about perspective: “Most photographers think that the rules of perspective are built into the very nature of photography, that it is not possible to change it at all. For me, it was a long process realizing that this does not have to be the case.” The image of the work and the quote are from:
transient beauty in nature
After learning about the methods of David Hockney (combining small pieces of the same photo together to highlight the subject), I found two photos (②and③) that I took from the same position, and applied his style.
Free image from https://www.te xtures.com/do wnload/landsc apecity0080/1 12667
＋①
Photo ① was added to the collage since I realized it was also taken from the same position as other two photos However, I realized that the building in the middle of the collage could not be vertical, and there was unnatural space among the edges of the combined photos..
Investigation of wire sculpture by Alexander Calder Introduction I have chosen Alexander Calder to investigate because my themes are influenced by his concept of unfixed, ever-changing nature. In addition, delicate structure and use of wire in his works are also linked to my works. Background information: -An American sculptor (1898-1976) who later settled in France -Had parents who were both sculptors -Known as an inventor of the mobile, a type of Kinetic sculpture which is suspended in the air and consists of some objects balanced by precise weighing. Kinetic art is an artstyle that explores the movement and creates an effect with it. Kinetic means movement. Some artists express time by the movement, some show the nature of vision, and the intention varies.
Piet Mondrian, ”Composition with Yellow, Blue and Red”, 1937–42, Oil paint on canvas, 917 x 882 x 63 mm (frame)
Alexander Calder, Untitled, 1937, steel, 2280 x 2030 x 2600 mm
Mobile and stabile Being “shocked” by paintings of Piet Mondrian, he began to create abstract wire sculptures. He used a motor to move sculptures at first, but predominantly let them be moved by air currents. This style of sculpture was named “mobile” by one of his friend artist, Marcel Duchamp. On the other hand, his stable sculptures fixed to the ground was named “stabile” by contemporary artist Jean Arp.
Calder’s interest After his graduation from Stevens Institute of Technology with an engineering degree, he had several different types of job and encountered the circus through a job illustrating. He was attracted to the movement of the circus, and created his first work, Cirque Calder which represents what he observed at the Ringling Bros. Circus. This made him aware of the enjoyment of making wire sculptures, and he started his career as an artist. Alexander Calder, ”Antennae with Red and Blue Dots”, 1953, Aluminium and steel wire, 1111 x 1283 x 1283 mm
Alexander Calder, “Cirque Calder”, 1926–31, multi medium, 137.2 × 239.4 × 239.4 cm
Alexander Calder, “Mobile sur deux plans”, 1962, Aluminum sheet and painted steel wires, 200 x 120 x 110 cm
Formal qualities This is an abstract suspended wire sculpture (mobile). The scale is relatively big, so the audience can feel the movement of the sculpture clearly. The use of only vivid and contrasting color, yellow, red, black and white show the universal and fundamental subject of this work such as nature and the universe. Moreover, shadows of this piece are cast on the white background and show another movement. The shape of each object is approximately identical triangle but the size seems to be smaller for the object on the edge of the branch. This makes this piece look like the branch of a tree waving in the breeze.
Function and Purpose Throughout his life as a sculptor, he kept creating a whole range of mobiles, outdoor sculptures, and also paintings. He never spoke about his intention behind them except a poem-like text which he sent to Abstraction-Création group magazine, because he believed that artists’ theories should not be broadcast to the public. However, from the text, his intention can be interpreted as the expression of movement and interaction among all elements of the universe. Moreover, he sees the unexpectable interaction in life events as well. “Spaces, volumes...Nothing at all of this is fixed...Each element able to move...to come and go in its relationship with the other elements in its universe. It must not be just a fleeting “moment” but a physical bond between the varying events in life. Not extractions / But abstractions / Abstractions that are like nothing in life except in their manner of reacting.”
Impact on/ comparison with my own work
Impact
Difference
Formal qualities
Material and techniques
Function and purpose
Abstract expression, contrasting color, shadow on the wall
Use of wire, smooth surface, suspended sculpture
Concept of elements of universe which are never fixed, link this to life
Variety in size of the objects, smaller scale
3D parts, use of tissue paper and fishing line
Also include the beauty of ephemeral; nature is beautiful since it keeps changing
I also had an idea of applying the concept of ‘movement’ to show our consciousness, especially people’s opinions, beliefs, memory and etc. which interact with each other and keep changing. This idea was developed from the influence of Calder’s similar idea, the interaction between events in life.
⇧my design of mobile from my art journal
▷photos of parts of my piece in progress
Bibliography Tate. “Who is Alexander Calder?”. Web. 22 Sep. 2019 Tate. “Composition with Yellow, Blue and Red”. Web. 22 Sep. 2019 Tate. “Antennae with Red and Blue Dots”. Web. 22 Sep. 2019 Tate. “Alexander Calder, Untitled, 1937”. Web. 22 Sep. 2019 CALDER FOUNDATION. “Biography”. Web. 22 Sep. 2019 Centre Pompidou, “MOBILE SUR DEUX PLANS”. Web. 5 Oct. 2019
⇧wire parts made for my piece
http://www.artnet.com/artists/alexander-c alder/oscar-a-X6qcIx7H_Tj_USSh1NET UA2
Concept: I am still looking at the theme of transient beauty I focused on last year, but it’s developing into beauty created by the interaction between ever-changing elements of nature. These ideas were influenced by Calder
http://www.artnet.com/artists/alexa nder-calder/oscar-a-X6qcIx7H_Tj_ USSh1NETUA2
Mobile While finishing the photo collage, I started to plan a design for my next piece, a mobile. My teacher pointed out that my sketch in the brainstorming page was too complicated, so I drew several designs referring to a range of mobiles made by Calder and making sure the structure was not too complicated. I came up with the idea drawn in the upper middle of this page at the beginning, but I realized it could not use some pieces of wire sculpture I had already made, so the rest of the ideas were all designed considering the shape and number of wire sculptures I had already prepared.
↓ some pieces of wire sculptures I made before designing the actual work
From the previous page, I chose one idea which was relatively simple because the simple structure allowed the viewer to see the movement of the different parts clearly, and thus, emphasizes the concept of interaction between the elements of the universe. Then, I refined the idea on this page: cut out the cube object from the design, because a sphere would be able to symbolize natural elements compared to a cube which looks artificial. The first design after this process is on the left hand side, but I made some changes to it as well: -I was going to color the spheres with soft and abstract colors at first, but I changed the plan and used vivid and primary colors after investigating Alexander Calder -Also, I was planning to use a thick piece of wire to hang spheres, but decided to use a wooden stick because the attempt to straighten the wire with a drill was unsuccessful at this time
translucency ✔
Translucency
translucency
translucency ✔
translucency ✖
-testing with material to decide what I would use for the parts of the mobile -translucency of the material was my priority to show the theme of transience, so I checked if the paper let light through by holding it over the light -No.1 and 2 were good, but the layered paper on the edge reduced the transparency→this needed to be improved
I changed the arrangement of the parts from the initial plan considering the balance of the weight of each piece. This might be changed again later.
-with a motor? -use masking tape that I didn’t use for the first one? -the idea I gave up on the previous page?
-light coming through leaves -looks different at every moment as the leaves wave and breeze blows
A part of the concept in the last piece, unfixed interaction between elements of nature (light, breeze, leaves)
Mobile II For the next piece, I decided to make another mobile. This time, it will be a more stable one (called “stabile” by Calder) and would use a motor to make a movement. I wanted the audience to look up at my piece, and feel how the impression of the piece keeps changing with the interaction between light and leaves with different colors or textures. So, the piece would need to be relatively big, and high when it is exhibited on a base.
translucency
1. Printing on a plastic paper 2. Tissue paper colored with pastels 3. Tissue paper colored with oil ink
I tested 2 and 3 on this page. Both have translucency, but method 2 can express smooth gradation and thin paper tends not to be broken. 1 and the initial idea will also be tested on the next double page ✔ Translucency
Short life, quickly disappear
Thin, delicate, fragile, smooth material/texture rather than concrete one
Motor
Additionally, unlike the last mobile, I’m going to use more soft and abstract colors to make the piece dreamy and delicate. The atmosphere would convey the theme of transience.
Translucent water, fire
soft / light / pale color rather than vivid / clear / bold color
Transience
Change Time passing, moment
light changing
Unfixed, movement
with the air, wind Seasons & color
With power
Kinetic Art
I also brainstormed the word “transience” to clarify and explore the concept in my pieces. -I needed to investigate more about kinetic art and artists.
Color change of leaves in different seasons can be expressed in the stabile with colored tissue paper
Testing with materials for the mobile II & ideas for the next piece
translucent
In this page, the rest of the experiencing with materials for the second mobile is recorded. Additionally, I started planning for the next piece referring to some artwork by Christian Boltanski, who explores the idea of time passing, transience of memory, and the fragility of existence which is linked to the theme that I have been looking at.
He showed his exploration of passing time and the fragility of existence with the light bulbs as one of them goes out each day. He showed the fragility of life and existence by piling up the metal boxes which could collapse anytime.
↓ piece in progress
▶A detail of the piece with a light string in it
◀my photo Christian Boltanski, “Reserve: The Dead Swiss”, 1991, metal goes, black and white photographs
Idea: people look for the sun (or light) anytime Night in the day, and the interaction between our minds and the momentary sunset scene of nature certainly creates a feeling which will never repeat in our lives e.g. daytime you might be encouraged by a beautiful sunrise to make a decision. This transience of the moment makes me want to take photos of the sunrise landscape
◀A detail of the mobile
[one important change on the design for the mobile II] I was originally planning to move the branches of wire with a motor covered with a cone-shaped pole, but I decided to hang the branches with a string, since the initial plan was too hard to achieve and the last plan highlighted the delicate quality of the work more by allowing it to move by the air.
◀my photo Christian Boltanski, “Twilight”, 2015, light bubbles, lamp sockets and black electric labels”
brainstorming; some initial designs
Final design: -Fill two sides of each box with translucent images (since all the sides with different images are too distracting ) -place the string lights inside the boxes to add more fragile impression
Artist investigation: The passing time in Christian Boltanski’s Installation work Introduction
I have decided to investigate Christian Boltanski’s installation work, which explore the passing time, that is life and death, memory and forgetting. It is linked to the main theme in my work, transience and fragility of existence. His use of multimedia material in installation, in which the audience can walk through and be immersed in the world of the work, has influenced my idea for the next piece to show the concept more effectively in the form of installation.
Context
Christian Boltanski, born in 1944 in Paris, is a contemporary conceptual artist best known for his installation work with photograph and reconstituted objects such as pieces of clothing, metal boxes, and light bulbs. The objects with collective memory evoke vivid emotion by stimulating the audience to remember their personal memory related to the objects, and they project absent subject of the work into the viewer’s mind. Fragility of childhood is one of the ‘absent subject‘ he often shows in his installation. For example, “Monument collège d’Hulst” was made when he realized that he recognized nothing more than faces in a photograph of his class, and was shocked by the fact that the period was dead. The piece is his homage for the ‘dead‘, and that is why the photos are printed in black and white. This idea that human memory is transient and easily disappear by forgetting is one of his central theme which interpret forgetfulness as a death of existence. Use of items of anonymous owners is an another characteristic in his work, and the representative work is “Personnes” which laid out countless number of the deceased‘s clothes on the floor. No one is there, but the existence of the clothes emphasize that they certainly existed and how individuals are ignored in the mass. The objects work as a bridge between the artist’s message and the audience. In addition, spending his childhood in the post-war era would have been involved to shape his fundamental idea of the fragility of human existence and memory.
Contemporary Art
The Contemporary Art, which Boltanski is a part of, mainly explores the ideas of consumerism, politis, and identity, which are all seen in Boltanski’s work. Yet, in the early Contemporary period (estimated as 1960s), artists which would include Boltanski took over the ideas from Modern art such as individualism and converted them into mixed-media compositions, that is also seen in his work.
Christian Boltanski, “Personnes for Monumenta 2010”, at the Grand Palais
Christian Boltanski, “Monument collège d’Hulst”, 1986, Lamp sockets, light bulbs and electric cables ( my photo at the Centre Pompidou)
Impact on my own work Analysis of one artwork Function and purpose In many other work, he uses similar techniques used in this piece. Vague images on very fine veils are often chosen to evoke the unavoidable changes or disappearance brought on by time, and black and white images are used to express people/objects lost and forgotten in the past. Christian Boltanski, “The Eyes”, 2011, Veil, metal wires, light bulbs, and fans, variable dimensions ( photo by Claire Delfino)
My photo at the Centre Pompidou
Formal qualities The representational piece is characterized by its unique material, large scale prints of only upper half of anonymous faces, and the arrangement of the work. The see-through veils project the impression of fragility and transience, and they sway in the fanned air as the audience pass through the work. The prints with black and white evoke nostalgic and sad feeling as if the people in the photos are deceased. At the same time, the large scale prints and the composition attract the viewer’s attention to the eyes, which seem to be appealing their existence to them. The audience is surrounded by the veils, so they would feel the soul of people in the photos intensely. Light bulbs hang among the space, and they give impression of ‘life’ while the faces look like something already lost and forgotten. The light may depict the soul of the people, or might be a symbol of the artist’s intention to claim their existence to the world.
Suppose the artist intended the same effect in this piece, it could convey how fragile the existence of people is in terms of both life and memory, and he wants people to feel the transience, value each moment they spend and each person they are involved with. He does not always mention who the people in the work are or whether they are deceased. He believes that fictions combined with truth have greater power than truth, as he once said “You can tell the truth more truthfully than with the truth itself.” (artnet)
I have been working on various forms of pieces which explore the theme of transience and its beauty, and looking at delicate and fragile texture. As I saw the use of translucent material effectively highlighting the artist's idea of fragility of life and memory in the chosen work, I decided to use translucent-paper printed images, that I used for a part of my previous work, as a main material in my next piece. However, my piece will consist of more small parts rather than one big piece like the veil in the chosen work since it is not feasible to print a large scale translucent image.
⇧ A sample of the translucent image
Sources
⇧ design for the next piece (from my art journal )
“CHRISTIAN BOLTANSKI Monument, 1985.” CARRE D’ART, Web. 18 Jan. 2020 www.easybib.com/style. “Christian Boltanski.” Artnet, Web. 18 Jan. 2020 www.artnet.com/artists/christian-boltanski/. “Christian Boltanski - Marian Goodman Gallery.” Marian Goodman, Web. 18 Jan. 2020 www.mariangoodman.com/artists/christian-boltanski/. “Christian Boltanski.” Fondation Louis Vuitton, Web. 18 Jan. 2020 www.fondationlouisvuitton.fr/en/the-collection/artists/christian -boltanski.html.
[Experimenting with colors]
The idea of installation artwork, folded screen and the work in progress Towards the end of the course, I started to build a plan for an installation artwork. I came up with the idea of using Japanese traditional folded screens (‘Byobu”), as the audience can walk and enjoy the piece from different angles. Hermione Carline, a British artist who explores her way of observing architecture and natural world, influenced my design. The layers of semi-opaque and translucent colors create dimensions and thereby are suitable for expressing light and shadow in the nature and ‘the air’. I started with simulating distribution of colors digitally, making sure that each panel depicts the atmosphere of the season by its color composition. Overlapped repeating colors with translucency abstractly show the sunlight and its reflection in nature (e.g. light filtering through the tree), but I also designed a line of light passing across the four screens to emphasize the idea of light interacting with nature.
pastel on paper: I liked the texture, but the layered colors cannot be clearly seen
I did not like the trace of a brush on the paint, but found out that using a roller after painting with the brush solved the problem.
Acrylic on paper: the paper will get wrinkled with water in the acrylic
Watercolor on special (water-shedding like) paper: inappropriate combination
The brown was too strong compared to the other screens
I think I successfully completed painting as I had planned initially. I made some changes on the color composition of second and third screens, but these changes did not destroy the overall impression of the work.
In the process of painting, I found it difficult to adjust the impression of the color so that it is not intense and does not destroy the soft and delicate quality, but clearly show the atmosphere of each season.
Watercolor on paper: Too blurred? Hard to control the amount of water not to make the paper wrinkled...
Acrylic on the special paper: you can see the layers of color clearly, and it’s not blurred. Translucency of the paper✔
I decided to make the piece with this combination of materials, and I also confirmed that the paper has a high translucency with light behind it, which powerfully shows the delicate and momentary scene of nature