Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Application for Show #2: Glow


Yesterday I applied for another show. Glow, an annual show hosted by Annmarie Garden is located in Solomons, Maryland. Their sculpture park and arts center is a branch of the Smithsonian Institution.

The call for entry invites artists working with the medium or subject of light. From their adventirsement, it sounds very similar to the InLight show in Richmond. They are looking for a variety of works including "neon, fiber optics, LED, luminous substances, light graffiti, projects and other electrical or digital manifestations." Luckily for me, they are also accepting two dimensional works dedicated to experimenting with light.

A CD with my match images along with the paper application was sent of yesterday!
Wish me luck!

Sunday, September 27, 2009

Artist Research: Tara Donovan

I bumped into Jeff this week at a visiting artist event. I briefly gave him an update on my work and was told to check out Tara Donovan. I was delighted to see that she is a Virginia Commonwealth Alumni.

Donovan has a long list of accomplishments, including several prestigious awards. Among these are the MacArthur "genius" award as well as the Calder Prize in 2005. Her work has been shown at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Donovan constructs natural forms from everyday items such as buttons, Styrofoam cups, paper plates, fishing wire and drinking straws. Transforming these materials into organic forms, Donovan convinces the viewer that these sculptures are natural gems plucked from the environment. Clouds and algae seem to be a few of the organic shapes that have been meticulously crafted. Donovan applies a consistent technique, layering and piling these common goods to assure a seamless piece--the viewer is unaware of the materials used until close examination. These sculptural landscapes invite us to be aware of our surroundings and our use of the everyday objects.










Sunday, September 20, 2009

Artist Research: Helen Nodding

Free People, a clothing line hosts a blog which explores and celebrates art culture. I check their blog quite frequently, and I went back through their postings to find Helen Nodding.

Helen Nodding, also known as Lady Bird, is based in London England. She creates miniature utopian worlds in urban settings. Nodding's work incorporates many natural elements. From her bug bridges to her moss graffiti, Nodding explores how nature can overcome the urban landscape.

In her series, "Nature Reserve," Nodding builds majestic residences for insects. This project was inspired by her childhood activities of building small gardens in tupperware housing collected ladybirds. She refers to these as "Insect architecture," which includes a house on stilts for ants and other humble dwellings for the small creatures. All of these are temporary pieces,
made completely by natural materials which last only a few days.

The work that I am most attracted to is "Secret Worlds." Nodding constructs minuscule villages in unnoticed spaces. I enjoy this concept because it's amazing to think how much we overlook our environment. Exploring seems to be a foreign concept, or a rarity for those who work. This not only applies to the working class, but even children are hard to engage in the fantastical aspects of the great outdoors. Nodding's work is a sound reminder to maintain imagination and wonder.




To see more of Helen Nodding's work. clicky.


Sunday, September 6, 2009

Artist Research: Todd Weaver

Through various recommendation links on the blog of one of my favorite photographers, Amanda Friedman, I found Todd Weaver. His website only displays his photography portfolio and a comment area, so I did some research through Google to find out more. I found an interview at Quphoto which is a web domain building website. At one point, Weaver was the featured photographer of the month.

Todd Weaver tried his hand at photography after working in LA as a lighting tech and electrician on music video/commercial sets. He has succeed in creating a beautifully crafted portfolio which shows beautifully lit scenes of single frame narratives. Weaver discusses his work in the interview saying, "I think my style is a mixture of that photo journalistic or captured moments angle, along with with a loosely directed narrative that often evokes a sense of voyeurism." He works to ensure a sense of mystery in his photographs.

I was delighted to find an entire section of his portfolio titled, " At Play." This showed adults having fun and kicking back. Many of these were taken at the beach while a few seem to be documented from a park kick ball game. In every photo, the subjects seem to be at ease and completely comfortable around the camera. I enjoy the documentary style in this series, the models' actions read as genuine and real.

Here are some examples of his work. Weaver clearly states at the top of his website that all of his images have been copyrighted. I had to use the Grab tool on my computer to take some on screen shots. I'm emailing Weaver to make sure he won't mind me doing this for our online class room purpose. If they disappear, well, then, you know why.






If you want to check out more of Todd Weaver's work...


Application for Show #1: Student Art Space

This past Friday I applied for the Student Art Space in the Commons building at VCU. This space is sponsored by the Anderson Gallery giving students an outlet display their work. I entered in my "Food Fight vs. Food Love" series. Hope it gets in!

Friday, September 4, 2009

By this point you should have three entries posted on your personal blog. Make sure to review the guidelines I sent out over Bb/email this afternoon.