Thoughts on Jay Fielding at Andrea Meislin

The first glance at the first picture on the wall in the gallery is unlike all the others in most respects. It appears surreal, the eye of a child occupying the bottom of the photograph. The child's gaze wanders off to something above him. The catch, as one finds out after reading the gallery placard, is that the child is blind. The soft lighting and the blurred backgound beg for the viewer to look inward and conceptualize that empty gaze. The child appears healathy and aware. We must remember that without sight the other senses are heightened and stronger. It is interesting that the nature of art, the aspect of art, relies so heavily on what the subject, this boy is neglected. This picture is unlike the others in that the others create and approach that confronts the viewer with the horrific and strange appearances and expressions of the other children. It is obvious that these children are unusual. In #692, the child appears with a disturbing face and eyes. The girl looks shocked or tensed with fear. The foreground is blurred as if asking the question, "Is she aware of what's there?" One of the more endearing shoes captures two little girls whispering and giggling ( as little girls do). The only thing that betrays their condition is their blank white gaze.

Mitchell-Innes Nash Showing Enoc Perez

Perez's collection of paintings have the element of technical expertise with their simplicity of colors and suggestive yet clear, outlined content usually centered in the canvas. The texture of the canvases bleeds through with colorful thin lines that look like they have been woven down into the work. The many stripes of color are more pronounced in the shadow in the paintings. The paintings are alike in that though they hover between a two-dimensionality and the three-dimensionality, they still retain depth. The Teatro Poplar looks like a circular parking garage. This is not stark realism though the content of the works look real. They are more suggestive, with a unique palette to each painting. As with Juegan Teller, Perez has made art of another's efforts. He has used someone else's conception, in this case architecture, and made it his through composition,perspective, and color. Some of the paintings have an unfinished look to them, others look like corporate commissioned pieces. The smallest painting was perhaps the most interesting. It depicts a modular home that one wants to continually comment on its shape. Modular, geometric, cubic, simple, minimal all come to mind.

On Chapter 6 Stimulis for Seven Days in the Art World

-An appealing and interesting note in this chapter is the clean and sterile environment in which Murakami's art is made. The lab-like appearance and restricted process of each piece is atypical to the infamous paint-spattered jeans and commonly worn flannel shirt in most studios.

-On old school versus new school,Murakami may know relatively little on modern computer art programs, however, his know how and insight still give him the upper hand in criticizing and overseeing changes in the work of his employees.

-Murakumi has a sophisticated, talented, and well run-system of workers under him that rival the efficiency of Renaissance workshops in days of old.

-The comparison between Murakami's work with Louis Vuitton main steam design or paintings for the high fashion line reminds me of the relationship between Salvador Dali's perfume bottle design and his independent high end art that lies apart yet in league from the commercial art.

-I liked this thought: "Murakami had taken over the Biennale, almost like a virus. He couldn't have planned it, but you see his work flowing through the global art and fashion marketplacee. It was as if he'd injected dye into the system."

Lehman Maupin Gallery : Juegen Teller

The sizes of Teller's photographs were interesting in this show; the washed out colors and grainy focus were not. The flash Teller used abuses the color, which makes them faded, and distracts from the body of work. This effect appears unintentional until the last frame in the gallery, Napoleon crowning Josephine before the Pope. There is an enigma behind this piece; why did the artist obviously appropriate another master's work? The evidence of the more recent artist, Teller, is the reflection of the flash in the painting. The models occupying the rest of the pictures appear boring and unprofessional; they look dull and disinterested. They lack the strategic pose and prowess of ancient Greek studies of anatomy through sculpture that surround them in the museum. The relation of the two-dimensional photography does not quite meet the satisfaction of the high art of Grecian three-dimensional sculptures.

Seven Days in the Art World: Topics in Chapter 2

- I appreciate how Asher's presence is felt by his silence.

- It is interesting to think that even Graduate students have shaky nerves when presenting their work.

- I like the informal atmospheric aspects of the critique, dogs present and people knitting.

- The question "What is Art?" is a truly terrifying and sadistic question.

- The character of Baldesseri is very interesting and offers welcoming insight.

Justin Hall: On Mediun and Absence of Color

(These next few lines have been selected from a longer interview with the artist.)

Regina: How do you think the media paint affects a work as opposed to drawing?

Justin: At first I didn't see the difference. Now I do. I'm still experimenting. It's a good way to draw in the viewer so that they can come to different conclusions.

Regina: How do you think color compares to black and white?

Justin: Color is not everything, but it is a lot. If the work is in black and white there would be so many things that you wouldn't get. There are so many details. In a a lot of words, color defines the emotion and if you are going to work in black and white that's definitely harder to do that. You have to think a little more graphically to get things through.

Alex Bag

In what was for me a lengthy video commentary, I adored the scene of Bjork's television explanation. Alex was seemingly paying attention to everything and absorbing nothing.It is like she is watching t.v. and her senses are thoroughly overwhelmed.I think most students, art and otherwise, can relate to having at least one similar experience, though not to the humorous lecture given by Bjork.