Wonder Women :: Art & Technology

I wasn't in class on Tuesday, so my reflection will most likely differ from the context in which everyone else reflected.

My experience with stress is probably like any other college student who's trying to juggle school, work and having a life. This time in the semester is one of the most stressful times with school winding down. I will admit to getting stressed out easily. This is something I'd like to change about myself, because I think that stress about important things is intensified when I stress about the little things.

I think that people, including myself, don't take enough time to just sit and relax in a calming area. I know I don't, because I don't feel like I have the time and I know that if I were to do this on a daily basis (even for only 10min or so) I would spend the time worrying about all of the things I have to do. I think this is a result of being born and raised in a very high-paced society. Everyone is always in a rush, and I think that this pushes me to stress out more. I worry about not getting things done in time. I've even had nightmares about a project not getting done, or being late to a class.

This entry may make me sound crazy, but ironically I'm not bothered by being stressed. There's always that chunk of time where I'm worried and upset, but once I get past that, I'm very productive. And for me, nothing beats the feeling one feels when they're finished with a big project.

Posted by matth120 at 03:18 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Choose one of the 6 artists presenting their MFA thesis work in the [ ] scapes exhibition in the Nash Gallery.

Write a 2 page description of this work.

The artists include:

Carlos DeGroot
Caroline Kent
R. Justin Stewart
Gail Heidel
Tim Roby
Christopher baker

April 2 - 24, 2008

Posted by Diane Willow at 10:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

My first impression of the River to Infinity--The Vanishing Points installation was , "This is the most unique installation I've ever seen." I haven't visited too many art museums in my life time, but the Andrea Stanislav was the most interesting installation of art I have come across. There were so many different elements to the installation that it was hard to focus in on just one element at a time. The reflecting river is what I was initially drawn to, along with the metallic silvery finish on everything. Then, I heard the noise...explosions! The first time I heard the pillars exploding I jumped a little. I remember looking at the firery red explosion and thinking that it had to have been digitally created; there was no way a real explosion could look that "movie perfect."
Then, I was told there was still another section of the installation that I had not even explored yet. When you walk into the second room, there is a haunting image of a little girl's face; she does not look happy that you are entering into her space. The two blue sparly images on the wall with "2012" on one and "2070 (?)" on the other brought back a memory of my childhood. I can't remember the exact object, but I had something that exact same color. The horses' bodies with missing heads captured my interest for a long time. This room was a much quieter space, with the only noises being the revolving horses on pedestals and the faint roar of the explosions from the other room. This part of the installation was much easier to focus on because there wasn't as much moving action or sound as the previous room.
I didn't have a chance to explore another area of the museum, although I was really interested in the photography section, but I did get the rare opportunity to meet the artist herself! Her explanation into every detail of the installation really made the art and message come together for me. Her detailed account of why each element was placed in its location helped me to understand the time transition of the installation. The most interesting comment she made was about the explosion. She explained they had a pyrotechnic set up the pillars with CoffeMate as the fuel to be ignited. Who knew that a coffee creamer could provide such a brilliantly beautiful explosion? Having the artist there to explain the long process (almost 8 years) of putting her idea into an installation made River to Infinity--The Vanishing Points made the installation far more meaningful to me. It was also a great experience to learn the process of bringing an idea to a beautiful reality.
If I were to explain this installation to my family, I'd put most of the focus on the duality of the objects and also how time plays such an important role. The contrast between the dark black walls and the extreme brightness of the rhinestone bedecked horses truly transforms the space. Also, the fact that the horses' heads were in the first room while their bodies were in the second room of the installation showed the transition from one time element to another. I'd also explain how your location in the space made a difference in the experience. Unless you were standing on the rocks going over the mirrored river, you wouldn't be able to hear the music playing over the speaker directly above. Also, you don't realize the horses heads are behind the pillars unless you cross over the river and explore that space. I'd explain to them how powerful the explosions from teh video were and that it varied from a very large and loud noise to silence. Stanislav said this installation signified destruction from war, and her point is exemplified in the broken pillars and missing horses heads.

Posted by fjest003 at 05:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Charles Biederman (America, 1906-2004)
PAPIER COLLE, NewYork, 1936
Collage, Graphite, Ink, Colored Pencil, and watercolor on carboard
Bidederman Archive, Weisman Art Mueseum
Gift of Charles J. Bierderman

The subject was hard to understand. I couldn’t think about what is the purpose of the artist. However, I saw a stamp in the subject, and felt nostalgia. It looked like a letter that couldn’t send to home. Because I am an international student, I felt that way.

George Morrison (American, 1919-2000)
Noname, 1977
Lithograph on paper
Museum Purchase

This subject completely did not make sense to me. It looked like just scribbling.
However, I felt something “nature” and “inartificial”. It didn’t have feeling of urban.
To me, it looked like a expression of freedom and nature.

Posted by yoonx080 at 03:37 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)