Judy Chicago
One of Judy Chicago’s main concentration ideas is feminism, as shown through The Dinner Party and the Birth Project. In The Dinner Party, Chicago uses various forms of needle-working (a typical activity for women back in the day) to create a storyboard of sorts. “And She Gathered All before Her And She made for them A Sign to See And lo They saw a Vision From this day forth Like to like in All things And then all that divided them merged And then Everywhere was Eden Once again”. What I found extremely interesting was, in the line “ . . . And then all that divided them merged . . . “, the words are separated from each other, except for ‘them merged’, which are in a little bubble together. This subtle detail really emphasizes what Chicago is trying to convey, and that, when males and females are treated equally, everything will be as it is supposed to be.
- Thread of Life (Florida State University Museum of Fine Arts)
- Judy Chicago. http://www.judychicago.com/
Jackie Ferrara
Jackie Ferrara’s work is geometrically concise as well as visually appeasing, and I perceived that factor as an underlying theme of unity and precision. According to Ferrara, “I am part of a group of artists committed to affecting the look of our surroundings. We are addressing the issues of what public art means and what it should provide.” (Ferrara, May 26, 1989) Although I did not find Ferrara’s projects overly thought provoking, I did enjoy some of her works. Hamm Plaza is made up of materials such as water, steel, trees, and granite, which this inspiring, as such materials are durable in outside weather (which will helpful as I redo the 500 building courtyard). I do like how Ferrara varies her patterns in her works - it makes them unpredictable.
- Jackie Ferrara Sculpture A Retrospective (The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art Sarasota, Florida)
- Jackie Ferrara. http://www.jackieferrara.com/
Faith Ringgold
Since Faith Ringgold was an African-American woman living in a white-dominated world, she had the ability to express her ideas without fear of being criticized. She did not consider herself part of the mainstream artists of the time, and this lead her to convey her art in new, different ways. Her most popular art piece, Tar Beach, is made up of fabrics and silkscreen on silk, and while her use of materials is intriguing, the way she writes on her work to tell a story some of the time is different. Since this is the case, I do not find myself really thinking about what the artist meant when studying her works, but rather finds myself enjoying a story supported by imagination and wishes. Yes, her work does have a deeper meaning of the unfairness that African-Americans experienced, but it is conveyed in such a manner that is respectable and innocent, which makes the viewer sympathize with the artist/author.
- Thread of Life (Florida State University Museum of Fine Arts)
- Tar Beach (Faith Ringgold)
My trip over the summer to the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art allowed me to view the work of Miles White, a costume designer for the Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey Circus. His designs were beautiful and interesting, such as the costume in which he turned an elephant into the Alps. He often coordinated with Max Weldy, who fabricated his designs into existence. I also observed the work of Emily Noelle Lambert, and while her work did not make me think, I found it extremely cool how, when her works are done being exhibited, she takes them apart and uses the pieces to create something new.
I also visited the Water Street Studios while in Illinois, and was astounded by some of the artwork that I saw while there. Lisa Goesling’s artwork consisted of scratchboards, and the extreme details each of them contained contributed to the amazing beauty that they conveyed. I loved how intricate each of Goesling’s pieces were, but was not so impressed by the work of Dave Wensel. His montages were in response to Goesling’s art, but I found them not visually appeasing or attractive - they looked messy and, excuse me, disgusting. I also admired the work of Victoria Belz, who is a flamework glass artist. I looked at some of the jewelry she has made out of glass, and was interested in what caused her to think of such an idea, as I have not even considered making a necklace out of shaped glass.
The portfolio I viewed on the College Board was interesting, although I did not understand what concentration idea the artist was trying to convey. The proportions of everything was visually appealing, and I appreciated that greatly. I enjoyed the use of different materials to create a variety of completed works, such as the mirror. I have been intrigued by the use of mirrors, reflections, and projections before, and that singular project fostered that desire. I also liked how some of the artwork were like mini worlds, because it is interesting to see how other people think about architecture, shapes, and the use of color.
One of Judy Chicago’s main concentration ideas is feminism, as shown through The Dinner Party and the Birth Project. In The Dinner Party, Chicago uses various forms of needle-working (a typical activity for women back in the day) to create a storyboard of sorts. “And She Gathered All before Her And She made for them A Sign to See And lo They saw a Vision From this day forth Like to like in All things And then all that divided them merged And then Everywhere was Eden Once again”. What I found extremely interesting was, in the line “ . . . And then all that divided them merged . . . “, the words are separated from each other, except for ‘them merged’, which are in a little bubble together. This subtle detail really emphasizes what Chicago is trying to convey, and that, when males and females are treated equally, everything will be as it is supposed to be.
- Thread of Life (Florida State University Museum of Fine Arts)
- Judy Chicago. http://www.judychicago.com/
Jackie Ferrara
Jackie Ferrara’s work is geometrically concise as well as visually appeasing, and I perceived that factor as an underlying theme of unity and precision. According to Ferrara, “I am part of a group of artists committed to affecting the look of our surroundings. We are addressing the issues of what public art means and what it should provide.” (Ferrara, May 26, 1989) Although I did not find Ferrara’s projects overly thought provoking, I did enjoy some of her works. Hamm Plaza is made up of materials such as water, steel, trees, and granite, which this inspiring, as such materials are durable in outside weather (which will helpful as I redo the 500 building courtyard). I do like how Ferrara varies her patterns in her works - it makes them unpredictable.
- Jackie Ferrara Sculpture A Retrospective (The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art Sarasota, Florida)
- Jackie Ferrara. http://www.jackieferrara.com/
Faith Ringgold
Since Faith Ringgold was an African-American woman living in a white-dominated world, she had the ability to express her ideas without fear of being criticized. She did not consider herself part of the mainstream artists of the time, and this lead her to convey her art in new, different ways. Her most popular art piece, Tar Beach, is made up of fabrics and silkscreen on silk, and while her use of materials is intriguing, the way she writes on her work to tell a story some of the time is different. Since this is the case, I do not find myself really thinking about what the artist meant when studying her works, but rather finds myself enjoying a story supported by imagination and wishes. Yes, her work does have a deeper meaning of the unfairness that African-Americans experienced, but it is conveyed in such a manner that is respectable and innocent, which makes the viewer sympathize with the artist/author.
- Thread of Life (Florida State University Museum of Fine Arts)
- Tar Beach (Faith Ringgold)
My trip over the summer to the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art allowed me to view the work of Miles White, a costume designer for the Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey Circus. His designs were beautiful and interesting, such as the costume in which he turned an elephant into the Alps. He often coordinated with Max Weldy, who fabricated his designs into existence. I also observed the work of Emily Noelle Lambert, and while her work did not make me think, I found it extremely cool how, when her works are done being exhibited, she takes them apart and uses the pieces to create something new.
I also visited the Water Street Studios while in Illinois, and was astounded by some of the artwork that I saw while there. Lisa Goesling’s artwork consisted of scratchboards, and the extreme details each of them contained contributed to the amazing beauty that they conveyed. I loved how intricate each of Goesling’s pieces were, but was not so impressed by the work of Dave Wensel. His montages were in response to Goesling’s art, but I found them not visually appeasing or attractive - they looked messy and, excuse me, disgusting. I also admired the work of Victoria Belz, who is a flamework glass artist. I looked at some of the jewelry she has made out of glass, and was interested in what caused her to think of such an idea, as I have not even considered making a necklace out of shaped glass.
The portfolio I viewed on the College Board was interesting, although I did not understand what concentration idea the artist was trying to convey. The proportions of everything was visually appealing, and I appreciated that greatly. I enjoyed the use of different materials to create a variety of completed works, such as the mirror. I have been intrigued by the use of mirrors, reflections, and projections before, and that singular project fostered that desire. I also liked how some of the artwork were like mini worlds, because it is interesting to see how other people think about architecture, shapes, and the use of color.