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Pretty much my whole school years far has been dedicated to working in chalk pastels and pastel pencils. While I have definitely enjoyed exploring them, Ive decided that moving forward I'll be testing other media. Despite this I think I will most likely stay on the path of portraits.
Josh Bowe's painting is about the "universal human experience, the distillation of the base elements that bind us together." His portraits attempt to convey aspects of both the subjects' and the viewers own personality. About twelve months ago Bowe switched from acrylic to oil. HIs process is oriented around the idea that to complete a painting is an investigation, and the struggle of reconciliation and the opposing forces of representation and abstraction. He paints faces that he feel "best portray the journeys we all take along the road of life; faces that capture both the decisions we make and the decisions forced upon us by circumstance." I simply love his use of color and mark to make a figurative and expressive portrait. This is something I hope to explore in the future.
Katharine Asher is a figurative artist, focusing on fashion and beauty. Asher utilizes mixed media to create her pieces, notably water color, ink wash, and pen. Her works always revolve around the depiction of a basic figure or portion of a figure. Her style is very loose and effortless, which is impressive considering how purposeful each mark is. The reason I was drawn to Asher's work was how she not only expertly uses the negative space of a piece but incorporates it, giving it a vital role in the finished product. The other reason I enjoyed these so much is that I've been working on my home project the past couple of weeks constructing a dress of recyclable materials.
 In the article “Public art is powerful, glorious and uplifting – it deserves to be saved” by Rachel Cooke, she discusses the distinct modern elements of public art and how it is both affects and is affected by the public climate and opinion. One of the most intense debates on public art currently is something we discussed briefly in class. That is the discrepancy of temporary versus permanent applications of art. I personally think that temporary art is much more fluid and able to be altered and changed with evolving ideas and views. It is also a way of expressing more radical views without it being too controversial in longevity. However very impactful or beneficial pieces make it a shame that they are unable to stay for longer. Permanent art can also be viewed more harshly, as it is much more difficult to alter once it is established.
“Public art is going through a difficult and sad time. So much of it is neglected and quite a lot has already disappeared, spirited away by developers or melted down and sold for scrap.” In this quote Cooke investigates the current state of public art in society. This brings up this arts relevance in society today, and the purpose of its implication. One thing that stood out to me was the question of how it is decided what an “art city” is. Does it have anything to do with the wealth of the area? Most likely, in my opinion, the cities most likely to be considered “art cities” would be ones that are not relatively, but greatly cared about by its inhabitants causing them to want to improve its beauty and its worth. Right now is a rough time for public art because people are so often offered and so often vocal about the negatives when regarding a public piece. Because of this increase in social zest it is harder to appeal to all people. This can also be a reason that art is more prevalent. With such high tensions between political and social groups there are many statements to be made. The second article, “Art in Public Spaces,” shows the responses of people to public art applications. This was very interesting to me because it showed more personalized and relatable views from all sides of the spectrum. I really enjoyed the ideas that it brought up about its influence on children who don’t even really understand its purpose, meaning, or even the artists creating the work. To me this art is important as it creates a more beautiful environment for youths and encourages creativity and curiosity. |
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