Week 3 Blog Entry

This week we studied several different artists of various styles and mediums. I found the video somewhat boring at first but each artist had unique ideals and I got something out of each piece that I didn’t expect to. The first artist in the video, Bruce Nauman, was my least favorite, but even his stairway art was interesting, and I like the idea of a functional object becoming unusable and having to figure out how to make it functional..that speaks to the tasks of everyday life. I found that very relatable.

I loved Kerry James Marshall’s pieces, especially how dramatic his darkness of figures is; it makes a bold statement and also stands out in the image more so than a lighter shade of brown would. A simple shade difference creates a completely different image with a bolder context. I was very intrigued by his love of greeting cards and how inspirational he found them, because I love to make greeting cards for friends and family which are usually collages of photos of us, mixed with text and drawings that I put on a big board or make a huge construction paper card. I love how Marshall’s family members got together and shared their cards he made them, and it’s sentimental and moving that they all saved his cards because when they reflect on them you can see the pride and appreciation they have for him and his artwork. I love that when I make birthday cards and Christmas cards for my family they cherish them and save them to reflect on later. I find it much more fulfilling to create cards for my loved ones rather than get store-bought cards that are impersonal. Here are a few examples of some cards I made my family recently.





Marshall’s pieces are more than meets the eye in almost every piece I’ve seen, such as his murals of the presidents where their figures are severely distorted and little black dots on flowers are actually the faces of African-Americans. It is interesting to learn what images or ideas inspire artists, and how each person can retain something different than another person seeing the same image or feeling the same emotions.

At first I didn’t really like the hands pieces by Louise Bourgeois, but I also didn’t really understand their meaning. Watching the video and seeing her interact with the sculptures and explain what they meant to her and how they were to be interpreted really changed my mind about them. I could see from her conviction and constant touching of the hands that they were very personal for her and very intimate. When I first saw them on the stones they looked like detached body pieces that were kind of disconnected and dead, like the black stone. But when I saw them through her eyes, they were very emotional and personal, like the touch of a familiar hand or the interaction between family. I like the contrast of the smooth black stone on top of grey rugged blocks of stone, showing the elegance of the hand compared to the rough stone and the textural differences between the two materials. I like that the sculptures were made from her own hands, and how accurate the molds were to her actual hands. It made me want to make plaster molds of people, which I always thought was strange as art.

The other image that I enjoyed in the video was Maya Lin’s architectural piece called the three stages of water, particularly the ice skating rink which was made to look like the night sky with lit stars that you skated over. It is beautiful to look at from above, and I’m sure fun to skate on. I would love to go there and visit the site where she created this piece.
Another artist who I was intrigued by was Jules Lion, for several reasons. I studied daguerreotypes in my photography classes and also in other art history classes, and found them interesting as historical photography and as art. Strangely, in my other classes I didn’t learn that Jules Lion is considered the first African-American photographer. I was also interested in his work because there is so little known about him, the mystery is intriguing. I want to learn more about his artwork and his life.

This week I found so much material to reflect on so it was hard to choose only two artists or readings to interpret. The book reading was long for this week but it kept my interest because there was so much historical context that helped me understand the context of the art discussed in the chapters. I was surprised how intricate and meaningful the quilt work pieces were by Harriet Powers and Aunt Ellen and Aunt Margaret. For women who were considered illiterate slaves, these pieces of art speak volumes about their intellect and talent, as well as knowledge of history and an eloquent way to portray this knowledge. The fact that patchwork quilts were used to display secret codes for directions through the Underground Railroad is very clever.

Also in the textbook reading I found the furniture pieces by Peter Day and Dutreuil Barjon to be exquisitely crafted. I was surprised that these pieces were appealing to me because I don’t usually care much about furniture or architecture in these styles, as artistic works. The carving and design of these household items is very pleasing to the eye and they have stood the test of time because they are still pieces that could be found in houses today. My grandmother had some similar secretaries in her house, made with the same pair of facing s-scrolls design, but in a lighter wood stain.

This whole week I learned about artists I had not previously been aware of, and I enjoyed reading and reflecting on their works. I intend to go to the MOMA to view Kerry James Marshall’s murals in person. I was excited to learn that his pieces were currently on display, so I hope I catch the exhibit.