Blog Post #10

My ideas about art and artists have changed drastically since taking this course. I took hands-on art classes all throughout high school. However, I only had two different teachers, so my experiences were limited. When I was given a specific assignment, often I was allowed very little creative input, and I had trouble completing it because of my lack of motivation. I wasn't interested in making something that every other person in the class was also making. We were judged on how well we followed the cookie-cutter instructions for the assignments. In my head, there was a certain way to use a given medium to make art, and I've since learned that is completely untrue. This held me back and made me less interested in art as a whole. This course helped me to take a step back and focus more on the people and their intentions behind the art. My favorite trip was to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It has art from every century, region, and medium and it's so gigantic that every visit is a new experience. I never would have imagined that handmade furniture would be on display in a museum, and this excited me even more because of my love for Interior Design. I made a list of the free days and times of every museum and gallery and I plan on visiting them all before I leave at the end of September. On my drive to Wisconsin, I'm stopping at the Mütter Museum in Philadelphia and will possibly add more museum stops if time allows. I was never presented art in a way that inspired me before this course. I think the split time between lectures and trips is a great way for students to learn the material. I loved every trip we had, and I've learned invaluable things that I will keep with me as I continue my journey of creative expression.

Blog Post #9

My monument proposal is dedicated to Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières, a humanitarian foundation which recruits nurses, surgeons, physicians, midwives, pharmacists, lab technicians and health administrators from all over the world to work in areas that need the most attention for outbreaks, disease, malnutrition, mental health issues and natural disasters. The care they provide is free and available to anyone in need. There are more 30,000 workers in the field on any given day. MSF has conducted more than 8.3 million consultations, 78,000 surgical procedures and delivered over 185,000 babies in approximately 70 countries since 1971. Once MSF has provided relief and the area has improved, the locals are able to take over operations. 88 cents of every donated dollar goes directly toward the services. The monument will take the shape of a large, square tent: 8 feet tall and 8 feet wide. One side is open, and there is a roof symbolizing security. On the inside, there is a life-size scene: a bed with a patient who is looking up at a doctor checking his heart with a stethoscope, two facing chairs: one for therapist and another for patient, a first aid kit with medicine and vaccines, and stacked boxes of therapeutic food. There is a world map that takes up the entire wall that is straight ahead of the opening. There are red dots on every country they have helped. Above the map, there is an engraved quote from the president of MSF in 1999, Dr. James Orbinski, when he was accepting the Nobel Peace Prize. "Humanitarian action is more than simple generosity, simple charity. It aims to build spaces of normalcy in the midst of what is abnormal." Every part will be made of concrete, except for the grass floor. I chose this style for my monument because I want it to represent what MSF is all about: selfless professionals helping their fellow mankind. The location would be in the middle of Times Square, which generates half a million people in a given day. This is important because it would be reached by a massive audience, drawing more attention and monetary donations to this wonderful cause. This foundation views the entire world as a community. All of humanity should be treated with love and respect.

Blog Post #8

What is the topic? Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF)
Why did you pick this? Health professionals are volunteering to work in the field for very little money, providing free relief to people in impoverished areas.
What do you want people to know about it? MSF is a humanitarian foundation which recruits nurses, surgeons, physicians, midwives, pharmacists, lab technicians and administrators from all over the world to work in the areas that need the most attention for outbreaks, disease, malnutrition, mental health issues and natural disasters. Once MSF has provided relief and the area has improved, the locals are able to take over operations. The care they provide is free and available to anyone in need. 88 cents of every donated dollar goes directly toward the services. There are more 30,000 workers in the field on any given day. MSF has conducted more than 8.3 million consultations, 78,000 surgical procedures and delivered over 185,000 babies in approximately 70 countries since 1971. This foundation views the entire world as a community. All of humanity is important.
What would make a good monument/artwork to communicate your ideas on that cause/idea? My idea for a monument is a walk-through structure accessible from all four sides. In the middle, there is a statue of a doctor with a stethoscope. The roof represents the security that the doctors provide.
What would it look like? What would it be made of? Structured building. 10 feet tall, made of smooth concrete
Where would it be? In the heart of Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States
Who is it for? Everyone

Museum Essay #3

The first work I chose is an installation by Nadim Abbas, one bunker from a set of three. It is a virtual quarantined environment for isolating hazardous people. The artist created these bunkers as a metaphor for biological warfare and the Ebola epidemic. It is a literal blockage of airborne pathogens, but the comfort of a physical touch is not possible. There is an iRobot policing the bunker, ensuring that the space outside is clean. The inside of this particular bunker looks very white, representing cleanliness. The framed art is in the shape of a circle, like the world, which might upset the person in the bunker because they would constantly be reminded of everything they are missing. There are two sets of rubber gloves bolted to the clear glass, one from the outside to touch inside, and the other protruding from the inside to touch outside. The screen is divided into two parts, separating the gloves, and is reminiscent of glass shower panes. The only living thing in the space is a small plant, probably meant to comfort the person with a familiar object. The toilet paper is unsettling because there is no designated area to use the restroom. The cup could be the answer, or it might be to signify the absence of water. This lack of physical touch is a glimpse of what it would be like for someone with a hazardous disease: trapped in a small space and fearing for their life, with people watching them through the glass like an animal at the zoo. The militarized technology of the iRobot, along with the domestic space, creates a "dystopian fusion" of self-protection and comfort.

The second work I chose is a wearable device called an Oculus Rift. The software, Phantom, was created by Daniel Steegman Mangrané in partnership with ScanLAB in London. It is a virtual environment of the heart of the Mata Atlântica rainforest in southern Brazil. The virtual world was created by capturing the area of the rainforest using 3D laser-scanning software. The user puts the mask on their face from above, and the simulation advances you in the direction you decide to walk. The artist takes inspiration from Brazilian anthropologist Eduardo Viveiros de Castro's idea of "perspectivism," the indigenous assumption that all things are human and the actual existence of something is based on perspective. With this philosophy, there are no fixed objects, and the Phantom is meant to capture the dynamic relationships between objects in the rainforest: trees, grass and dirt. This software was created to demonstrate that art is not entirely fixed, but is instead based on experience. The technology is in the beginning stages for this device, but the applications are endless. Medical, deep sea diving and astronaut training, flight and roller coaster simulation, exploration without having to travel (virtual tourism), and recreational sports. It could also be used to view 3D artwork made to be seen in a digital space. The work is using the new technology of virtual reality as its form.

Blog Post #7

Blog Post #5/6

Title: Bowling Trophy

Artist: Unknown

Date: 1987-88

Geography/Culture: Italy to Upstate New York

Medium: Marble, plastic, sheet metal

Dimensions: H: 10" x Width: 5" x Depth: 2 1/2"

Classification: Plastic Sculpture

Source: Cardboard box outside my building

This is a plastic bowling trophy dating back to 1987. Mid City Lanes located in Kingston, New York, was opened in 1960, and has been permanently closed since Mid-2014. The object was kept as memorabilia to celebrate a victorious day for a bowler in the Arch Bowling League. I chose this object because it represents an accomplishment someone held on to for 27 years. The cardboard box I found this in, along with several other bowling trophies, was meant to be taken by a garbage truck, never to be seen again. I took the smallest trophy because I didn't want to inconvenience the owner if he were to change his mind. This trophy holds value to me because it will always remind me of my life in New York after I move across the country. In John Cotton Dana's The Gloom of the Museum, he states, "What has already given distinction to their owners in France, Italy, England and Germany is seen at once to be peculiarly well-suited to give a like distinction here. Hence the products of our own people are definitely held in no esteem as honorific possessions." On the back side of the marble, there is a green sticker that says "Fine Marble Base Made in Italy." I noticed the sticker when I first found the object, but didn't give it much thought at the time. After reading selections from Dana's article, it occurred to me that ordinary objects are still created in other countries because their origins are thought to be superior to America.

Museum Essay #2

Greek, Eastern Mediterranean
Core-formed glass. H: 2 1/2"
Late 6th-5th century B.C.E.
This is a tiny, 3D glass vessel. The entire piece is dark blue with sections of yellow. Starting from the top, there is an opening outlined in yellow. As you go down the neck, there are two yellow handles on both sides. There is a spherical base in the middle with three, yellow, horizontal lines at the widest point. These lines suggest calmness. The vessel tapers to about 1/4" wide and is painted yellow. The colors present, blue and yellow, are both primary and complementary. The positive space is the vessel and negative being the openings in the handles, the inside, and all the space around it. If you were to touch this, it would be mostly smooth with flecks of paint on the base.

Peru, Wari culture

Camelid hair, cotton

H: 4 7/8" x W: 6 7/8"7th-9th century

On this side of the 3D, four-cornered hat, there is a diamond shape touching the top and bottom. Inside the diamond are twelve squares surrounding the edges. They are broken up into two groups that share colors diagonally. On the top right and bottom left, the squares are outlined in brown with yellow insides and a dot of red in the middle. The second group, top left and bottom right, are outlined in red with light blue insides and a dot of dark blue in the middle. Two of these squares, closest to the left side, are outlined in brown. Surrounding the squares diagonally are sections of purple, green, white, yellow and red. In the center, there is a smaller diamond outlined in red containing light and dark blues in a checkerboard pattern. To the left of the larger diamond, there is an area with a green background. There are six bordering squares containing light and dark blues, red, yellow, brown and white. On the right, the background is dark blue and contains another six squares in the same pattern. The same colors are used in different areas to make up the squares. At the top, there is a dark blue frame with a yellow square directly in the center. All four corners are built up with red, horn-like shapes. The most apparent colors, red, yellow and blue are primary. There are diagonal, horizontal and vertical lines which imply action and eye movement, calmness and assertive all at once. If this were touched, it would be coarse.

Paris, France
Maker: François Pirmet | Goldsmith: Antoine-Modeste Fournera
Hunting Sword of Prince Camillo Borghese
Silver-gilt, steel, leather, mother-of-pearl
H: 27" x W: 4 5/8" (cross guard)
1809-13

Starting from the bottom of this silver, black and white, 3D sword is the tip of the case. It is silver with a flat bottom. Directly above is a black band with equally spaced, silver stars. The next section has etchings of a deer head with antlers, plant life, and unidentifiable filigree designs. A majority of the case is encased in black leather. There is another silver section with more similar designs near the handle. On the cross guard, there are two dogs with closed mouths on both sides. At the top, the grip appears white from the pearl and has an assertive, vertical line in the middle. There is one more final area of silver etchings at the top that contains a deer in mid jump. The texture of the 
leather would be rough, and the silver etchings would be bumpy.

Thebes, Upper Egypt

Wood and paint

H: 9 1/16" x W: 7 3/16"

ca. 924–889 B.C.E.

The bottom third of this tombstone-shaped slab has three bands of white, separated by blue lines. There are black hieroglyphics inside each section extending to both sides. There is a red line above the top section. The top two-thirds has a yellow background. There is a blue, representational person with black hair and red bands around the legs stretching around the edges of the top section. Directly underneath, there are green, outstretched wings. There are sections of blue on both sides of the top half with red rectangular shapes on the edges. In the center of the wings, there is a circle of red. There are white bars of more hieroglyphs under the wings, partially hidden. There are four more people standing in a line underneath the symbols, facing the middle. They are separated in groups of two by a skinny, green table that has a single flower on top of it. To the left of the first person are two towers of red, green and blue squares. The one on the right is touching the ground, unlike the left that abruptly ends in the air. There is a blue, semi-circle sitting on top of the two. The first two people have green skin and red dresses. The first has long, black hair and is touching the second person. The second has a tall, white hat and is holding some sort of staff. The third also has red clothing; a halter top and a red skirt with a section of green on the left. Instead of a head, this person has a blue, bird-like animal on the shoulders and is also touching the second person. The third person has black hair and is wearing a white dress with six vertical lines and one horizontal near the bottom. This person is holding hands with the third, has something red in their left hand, and a green onion-shaped object is on the top of the head. The prominent colors, red, yellow and blue, are primary. The texture would probably be rough.

Southern Germany
Carved, gilded and painted pinewood, gilt-bronze
H: 33" x W: 52 1/2" x D: 22 1/4"
ca. 1740-50

On the top of this table, there is a slab of light brown marble. The entire piece is white with gold, baroque-style detailing. The front features two white drawers, which are protruding out more in the middle than on the sides. They are outlined in gold and feature matching gold filigree detailing. Both drawers have decorative keyholes in the middle, and one handle on each side. Below the drawers is a piece of gold, cut-out detail which dips down in the middle and follows the shape of the drawers. The legs are white, and matching, with more gold detailing. At the top of the legs, there is a dip in the wood. They come back out, at some points not touching the table. The legs meet the table again, and continue to taper downward. Near the floor, the legs curl up. Underneath, there is a small, cylinder-shaped piece that keeps the table stabilized. This piece of furniture would feel smooth on the top and white areas, and bumpy on the details.

I think these items are in the Metropolitan Museum of Art because they are extraordinary versions of ordinary objects. They tell a story of humanity spanning through time and regions. These artworks are a celebration of mankind and our creative endeavors.

Museum Essay #1

From Kehinde Wiley's exhibition, I chose an 96" by 72" oil painting on linen titled Princess Victoire of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha (2012). It is a realistic, representational figure. It is 2D because it's flat and meant to be viewed from one side.  It has a black, ornate frame which creates a contrast with the abundant, green leaves. In the middle, there is an African-American woman with her back turned and she has her dark brown hair contained in a giant bun. She is wearing a dark blue gown with long, sheer sleeves and a narrow cape that touches the ground. It has a thick, gold band around the torso. There are a lot of assertive, vertical lines from the folds in her dress. She is placed on top of a wall of avocado-colored leaves that have shadows, making them appear to have depth. There are bright pink, red, blue and yellow flowers peeking out of the leaves. There appears to be a "light" near the woman's right side, illuminating her dress and making it appear green near the top. Most of the shapes present are organic, although there are some circles in the centers of the flowers. If you could touch this painting, it would be smooth. I chose Chitra Ganesh's mixed media wall mural titled Eyes of Time (2014). It is an installation that is taking up space for a specific period of time. In the background, starting from the top and going down, there are three equal bars consisting of blue, yellow and red that fade into each other. Directly in the center, there is a giant, purple figure outlined in a darker purple with three outstretched arms on each side of the body, three muscular legs and three breasts with matching red and yellow plastic pieces. Instead of having a head, the figure has the gold clock at Grand Central on her shoulders. It comes out of the wall about 1/4". There is long, black hair with strands of bright red braided down to the feet. By the left foot, there are cursive words created from the hair. Starting from the bottom limb on the left side of the body, the hand is open and holding a brown, 3D eyeball. The middle arm is broken into robotic shapes and has blue, red and clear gemstones. The hand is pointing with the index finger. The pinky is also out and it has a sharp claw. The top arm is grasping a shiny sickle and it has a single drop of blood falling from the tip. On the right side of the body, the bottom hand is closed and holding a piece of thin, red string which extends to another part of the mural. On this arm, there is a mouth with teeth located near the body. There is an arm coming out of the mouth that has stitches and is slightly bent at the elbow. On the wrist, there are six black, glittery bracelets. The hand has only the index and middle finger extended. The top arm is adorned with a dark grey cuff on the wrist. The hand is gesturing in an upwards motion. For a skirt, the figure has ten plastic amputated arms dangling down in shades of blue, green and tan. They vary in length and feature bright, red paint and shiny, red gemstones where they were cut. The figure has her far right foot resting on a circular, futuristic mechanism. It was painted with dark red and outlined in a light blue color. The texture on this mural would vary in different areas: fuzzy on the cuff, hard on gemstones, lumpy on the hair, smooth on background and plastic arms. The figurative work I chose from Kehinde Wiley's exhibition stood out to me because the woman almost has her back completely turned. By her feet, the plant life is wrapped around her, making it look like she is being pulled in toward the leaves. I enjoy this artwork because I think it looks like she is being enticed by a mysterious forest. On Chitra Ganesh's wall mural, the clock without hands means without time, there is no urgency or constraint. The figure looks very powerful, wise and might be skilled at many different things.

Blog Post #4

I found this figure in the collection area of the Cooper Hewitt website. The museum is unsure of the artist, but it was received in 1901. It is a dark brown, cast bronze sculpture. It can be viewed and touched from all sides, making it 3D. He is 6 7/8 inches tall, 2 3/8 inches wide, and 4 5/16 inches from front to back. This is a representational object because the subject matter is clear. It is a realistic depiction of a short man with small bits of hair on both sides of his head and a long, curly beard. He is only wearing a flowing shirt. He has a large belly and muscular calves. The entire figure is very dark with lighter brown areas around the belly button, top of the head and nipples. He is situated on a peanut butter-colored rectangular block and there is most of a scalloped circle between his legs. The block has a slight marbling effect with tan bits swirled throughout, featuring a tiny, gold, circular drop located on the very front. The positive space is the object and negative being everything else. If this was touched, it would be mostly smooth, with rough areas in the beard, hair and folds in the shirt. My selection does not apply to Berger's passage because he says to "notice the violence" while looking at a photograph of a naked man. The figure is looking down and looks carefree, making it more apparent he is not an object. He looks very open by his pose and lack of clothing. I would imagine the artist did not add genitalia because they didn't think it was essential. There are other features shown indicating a more masculine identity. I believe the tag wrapped around his left leg was done by the museum to illustrate details about the piece.

Blog Post #3

Title: Decaying Infrastructure | Location: 54th Street, between 37th Avenue and Northern Boulevard in Woodside

I found this accidental art in my neighborhood. It's made up of concrete and various colors of paint residue from over the years. Starting from the top, there is a corner of white sky. The rest of the image is concrete: a diagonal bar, the first main section with internal metal bars for support, the second section with larger chunks of gravel for strength, then the sidewalk. There's a light purple band which takes up about fifty percent of the wall. There is a crack from the top of the bar to the bottom of the wall, which abruptly ends where it meets the sidewalk. Inside the crack, there are bits of red, green, blue, and yellow paint. There is also dark green moss living right above the purple. The texture is rough because it is composed of large rocks. It is flaky at the colored band due to lack of maintenance. Lines are present in every direction and they break up the concrete into many different sections. If you focus on the deepest cracks, there is a giant plus sign. There is a pattern located near the top, which consists of horizontal lines. Brown is a color abundantly found in nature, and the purple caught me off guard because it is not. Purple is a color of sophistication and I thought it was ironic that it was used to cover up graffiti. I thought this was a perfect example of what happens to things when no one is giving attention to them.

Blog Post #2

I found this artwork, titled Unstable Talismanic Rendering 27 (2015) by German artist Kerstin Brätsch in the MoMA online collection. It was created with ink and solvent on paper. It is a 2D image; flat and made to be shown from one point of view. There would not be much texture if this was touched. The artist chose a marbling technique which produces mostly organic shapes. Analogous shades of dark blues, greens and purples make up the eye-catching focal point in the center. Pale blue and orange complementary lines are trailing outward from the middle. There is a momentary interruption in most of the lines consisting of circular shapes resting inside one another, located on their corresponding colored lines. The lines continue to reach the edges of the canvas. Brätsch's use of combing warm and cool colors show her apparent knowledge of color theory, which is demonstrated in this piece that flows harmoniously. There appears to be a well maintained balance of positive and negative space within the image, allowing the viewer's eyes to gaze about the image freely. The organic shape in the middle reminds me of a precious mineral. The smaller circular objects located around the focal point almost resemble cut tree rounds. I also think of the process of an embryo splitting in two, situated near the top. The radiating lines could be compared to veins, and the darker mass in the middle could also be seen as a cancer growing within healthy tissue. When I look at this artwork, I can't help but think of the duality of life.

*I saw this image in person while walking through the MoMA. It is gigantic and now I have a deeper appreciation.

Blog Post #1

I took this photo today while taking a leisurely walk in my neighborhood. It is located on 61st Street near Roosevelt Avenue in Woodside, one block away from the 7 line in Queens. This gigantic mural is a 2D painting on a brick wall, underneath of the Long Island Rail Road. It's about 14 feet high and 50 feet wide. It is hard to miss because it goes from the ground to the ceiling and extends a couple feet out of the bridge on both ends. It's aspect ratio lends to the overall grandness of the piece, mirroring how one would interpret a skyline view. There is an American flag that is panted in a rolling wave, as if it is blowing in the wind, wrapping itself around the Twin Towers that stand about 12 feet tall. The color palette is patriotic; red, white and blue, with shades of gray for the buildings. The sky looks bright and the buildings are standing with pride in the middle of the piece. There are names printed on the red stripes, belonging to people who tragically passed in the events of 9/11. This mural was created as a memorial; a place for human purpose. It was also made to record and commemorate an infamous day in history that changed the world forever. The Twin Towers are a symbol of our nation's perseverance. I think its location under the LIRR was chosen by the artist because the train is a vein to the city reminding commuters of the magnificent view they once saw before it was erased from the skyline.

Introduction

Hello! My name is Brittney Needham (seriously). I turned 21 on February 28th, making me a Pisces. I was born in southern Mississippi and moved around the country throughout my adolescence, finally settling in Virginia after my dad retired from the Army. I moved to Queens about a year and a half ago after meeting my best friend. I'm passionate about Interior Design, making to-do lists, crafting with anything I can get my hands on and not cutting my hair. My favorite food is chicken.