McKenna Shae

https://youtu.be/77AJRePzQHo

Time and Motion 

There are multiple forms of time in art. There is actual time, implied time, and recorded time. Actual time is the duration of a real-time event as measured by a clock. Andy Goldsworthy’s Ice Pyramids in the Arctic Circle, Laurie Anderson's violin performances, Vito Acconci’s Following Piece, and Chirs Burden’s Five-Day Locker Piece are all examples of actual time represented in art. These artists made statements through the transience of actual time whether that’s from a musical performance, to a week or month long experience. Implied time is an illusion of time. LucasFilms storyboard for the Return of the Jedi, the Academy Award winning animated short film by Chris Wedge, Bunny, artists such as Duane Michals and photographer Gregory Crewdson and all examples of implied time being used in art. They have their audience thinking that time has passed meanwhile the duration of the project is relatively short and momentary. Lastly, recorded time is the duration, tempo, scope and sequence captured and preserved in media such as film, video, computer-based technologies, paint and ink. Sally Mann's Immediate Family, Henri Cartier-Bresson’s photography, William Wegman and Bill Viola’s film art are all examples of recorded time. These artists all preserve an aspect of motion in their work. This motion may be actual, implied through an illusion of movement and the passage of time like Louise Bourgeois’ Arch of Hysteria and Eadweard Muybridge’s Woman Walking Down the Stairs, or recorded by capturing movement through lens-based media. These artists present motion through shape and frames.

Projection: Vanishing and Becoming

Sean Cubitt writes about the dilemma of the origins of art. Pliny’s story says that art began with a silhouette, that of a lover departing to sea. He says that a maiden of Corinth traced the outline of his profile to encapsulate his essence for the duration of his absence. In contrast, supposedly, the Buddhists story says that art began with a reflection, that of the Buddhas in a clear and limpid pool. They say that Buddha was too enlightened and bright to be able to see and paint, thus his reflection would be a better image for the artist to reference for the painting. Personally, I see that each story resembles the concept of projection. The lovers' silhouettes were projected and the reflection of Buddha was projected concluding that the origin of art lies here.

According to the article, projection is the medium of perspective in all forms whether that be psychologically or physically through the arts. This is discussed through the analysis of Melanie Klein, Plato, Maxim Gorky, Panofsky, David Hall, and a series of creators as such to define the multi-functionality of projection as a device for perspective. All in all projection is a highly complex tool for creation.

Video Art: Examples

Pipilotti Rist 

Bill Viola 

For this project, I made a series of GIFs from an episode of Avatar the Last Airbender. Each GIF goes through the stages that Aang (the main character) experiences to open his chakras. I specifically wanted to use these selections to continue the theme in canvas, thus, the GIF’s all capture a moment of opening through the 7 chakras. 

A GIF (Graphical Interchange Format) is basically a series of graphics that continuously repeat. These small animations have a convoluted history that began near the year 1997. In 2003 MySpace was created and began a huge platform for them. Originally GIFs weren’t made to be artistic, but eventually were given meaning and value by collectors that recognized there was money in digital art sales. Due to this new interest, GIFs became a form of influential expression instead of solely being represented as “internet trash”. Glitter Graphic Generators helped fashion the graphic loops by adding the ability to decorate them with stamps such as glitter or sparkles which became a popular trend in the matter. A good example of an iconic animated GIF is the Cory Arcangel‘s Super Mario Clouds.

McKenna Rivas. The Motions. 2022. Printed Paper Collage. 

Rusty Patched Bumble Bee 

Red Wolf 

Mountain Gorilla 

Tapanuli Orangutan

African Elephant 

Black Rhino 

Hawksbill Turtle 

North Atlantic Right Whale 

Sundra Tiger 

The 5280’s “Mixed Media Artists Share The Secrets of Collage,” was an inspiring article. Reading about people, Colorado natives like me, going to the schools I’ve thought of going to and/or are attending currently, was touching. Tya Alisa Anthony had a great supply list for collaging including necessary materials and an incentive to develop a new playlist solely for creating. Mario Zoot aptly answers the prompt stating that collaging helps him transfer the energy that moves from an original artifact to his finished compositions. I really like his ideology here, manipulating discarded objects instead of letting their potential go to waste.Kelly Duffield starts paintings based on the compositional principles of collaging which I believe is brilliant and something I’ve taken a liking to personally. All in all, the consensus between these artists was to “collect collect collect!”

Mixing Media

Chris Ofili. The Holy Virgin Mary. 2015

Layering

Ah Xian. China, China – Bust 73. 2002. 

Porcelain in matte-silver finish carved relief with flower and butterfly design.

Mixing Codes 

Michael Ray Charles. Every World Is A Head, Every Head Is A World. 

Hand-printed lithograph, aquatint and collage on paper.

Recontextualizing

Fred Wilson. The Mete of the Muse. 2006.

Facing the Abject 

Louise Bourgeois. Cell (Hands and Mirror). 1995. 

Confronting the Gaze 

Tracey Emin. Kate Moss 2000. 2006.

Polymer gravure etching, signed, titled, dated and inscribed 'AP' in pencil.

Using Narratives

Eric Fischl. Vanity. 1984.Oil on canvas. 274.3 x 243.8 cm.

Creating Metaphors 

Do Ho Suh. Cause and Effect. 2008.

Acrylic and stainless steel and aluminum frame. 941 x 1089 x 340 cm. 

Constructing Identities

Mary Jane Bigler. Diva. 1975.

Watercolor and collage on paper. 30.25 x 22 in.

Irony Parody, and Dissonance

Escaping the Confines of Museums

Christo and Jeanne-Claude. The London Mastaba, Serpentine Lake. 2018.

Collapsing Boundaries Between “High” and “Low”

Jeff Koons. Balloon Rabbit. 

Mirror-Polished stainless steel. 121 x 143 x 45 inches.

Rejecting Originality 

Sherrie Levine. Avant Garde and Kitsch. 2002. 

Cast Crystal: 7 × 2 × 1 ¾ inches. Cast Bronze: 7 ½ × 2 ½ × 2 inches. 

Courtesy Paula Cooper Gallery, New York.

Jouissanse

Flora Yukhnovich. Capriccio. 2019. 

Oil on linen. 150 x 245 cm 59 1/8 x 96 1/2 in.  

Working Collaboratively

Anna Lee Long to collagist John Evans. 2010. Mail art. 

Appropriating

Richard Prince. Photography by Robert McKeever. Courtesy Gagosian Gallery.

Simulating 

Jean Baudrillard. Saint Clément. 1987. 

Courtesy of Chateau Shatto, Los Angeles.

Hybridizing

Ai WeiWei: Never Sorry, documented and directed by Alison Klayman is a powerful film discussing governmental censorship and the fight against a communist society. Ai Wie Wei is a passionate activist supporting democracy and protesting the morals of the Chinese government through the platform of creation. His determination and dedication to his values is what keeps his movement going despite the psychological and physical restraints that his government has imposed upon him.

Art has the ability to speak volumes, and Ai WeiWei’s projects are stellar examples of this. Regardless of the unfair conditions he is subjected to by his own country, he continues to make statements through his contemporary work creating art as displays of a sour distaste for the governments actions or lack thereof. The political propaganda from the Chinese party during the Olympics subsequent to the his designing of “Bird’s Nest” where the event was staged, and the failed structure of a school building during the Sichuan earthquake that was responsible for thousands of deaths the same year, triggered a lot of Ai WeiWei’s rage. From these events, in 2009 Ai WeiWei made a poignant installation called “Remembering,” which is an ensemble of 9,000 backpacks organized to read, “She Lived Happily for 7 Years.”

Although temporarily, Ai WeiWei moved to the United States and lived in New York for about a decade. During this time he learned about the influence and potential of social media. He says, “Never Retreat, Retweet,” an enlightening statement to encourage the use of our American rights, our freedom of speech, to speak up about injustice and infringement upon our civil rights.