Sunday, April 19, 2009
Dia: Beacon
The trip to Dia: Beacon was definitely a memorable one for me. The museum was not only at a great location, but was also structured in a very effective way. I really enjoyed the large number of windows within the building, which emphasized the great amount of space and minimalist atmosphere of the rooms in which the artwork was displayed. This trip defintiely gave me a greater appreciation of Conceptual Art. The fact that I could actually get up close to the work and really examine it from different angles really affected the way I felt about each piece.
Three artists' work I especially gained a greater interest in is that of Sol LeWitt, John Chamberlain, Robert Smithson, and Richard Serra. Sol LeWitt's "Drawing Series..." really had me fascinated. I thought it was interesting how he commissioned artists to draw different patterns of lines on the walls of the gallery with such great precision. I just loved how the drawings served as a sort of wallpaper, depicting different values by using varying directions of the same thickness of lines. I also enjoyed how the lines were placed in a series of blocks. Just as I thought how these lines would have been really intriguing if they had been done in color, I discovered the next room that was rendered in colored pencil. I also enjoyed the other wall drawings that portrayed other fascinating, precisely-drawn line patterns.
I really enjoyed John Chamberlain's manipulation of car parts. It amazed me how he was able to band and paint the metal parts into intricate, aesthetic sculptures. I had no idea that car parts could be made into such interesting compositions and interventions. I also really enjoyed his use of color and the glossiness of it. Although Chamberlain's work interested me quite a bit, I would have to say that Robert Smithson's work was my favorite. His use of mirrors and natural materials, such as dirt or gravel were most intriguing. He seemed to have arranged the mirrors in such a way that it really captured the viewer's attention. My favorite of his pieces at the museum was "Atlantic." This piece really captured my attention. The glass could be seen as delicate and fragile, for it was arranged in a certain way, in upright postions, which resembled ice crystals. However, it could also be seen as dangerous and harmful, for broken glass is often seen as a treacherous interevention. It was not only interesting to think about, but was a visually fascinating piece as well.
In conclusion, I really enjoyed the trip to Dia: Beacon. I would definitely go back with a friend or family member to show just how interesting the artwork is. Although I was initially skeptical of the visit, it ended with satisfaction and enlightenment. After seeing it in person, I now have a greater appreciation for Conceptual Art, as well as some newly-favored Conceptual works and artists.
Three artists' work I especially gained a greater interest in is that of Sol LeWitt, John Chamberlain, Robert Smithson, and Richard Serra. Sol LeWitt's "Drawing Series..." really had me fascinated. I thought it was interesting how he commissioned artists to draw different patterns of lines on the walls of the gallery with such great precision. I just loved how the drawings served as a sort of wallpaper, depicting different values by using varying directions of the same thickness of lines. I also enjoyed how the lines were placed in a series of blocks. Just as I thought how these lines would have been really intriguing if they had been done in color, I discovered the next room that was rendered in colored pencil. I also enjoyed the other wall drawings that portrayed other fascinating, precisely-drawn line patterns.
I really enjoyed John Chamberlain's manipulation of car parts. It amazed me how he was able to band and paint the metal parts into intricate, aesthetic sculptures. I had no idea that car parts could be made into such interesting compositions and interventions. I also really enjoyed his use of color and the glossiness of it. Although Chamberlain's work interested me quite a bit, I would have to say that Robert Smithson's work was my favorite. His use of mirrors and natural materials, such as dirt or gravel were most intriguing. He seemed to have arranged the mirrors in such a way that it really captured the viewer's attention. My favorite of his pieces at the museum was "Atlantic." This piece really captured my attention. The glass could be seen as delicate and fragile, for it was arranged in a certain way, in upright postions, which resembled ice crystals. However, it could also be seen as dangerous and harmful, for broken glass is often seen as a treacherous interevention. It was not only interesting to think about, but was a visually fascinating piece as well.
In conclusion, I really enjoyed the trip to Dia: Beacon. I would definitely go back with a friend or family member to show just how interesting the artwork is. Although I was initially skeptical of the visit, it ended with satisfaction and enlightenment. After seeing it in person, I now have a greater appreciation for Conceptual Art, as well as some newly-favored Conceptual works and artists.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Poem Visualization: Book
Do Not Stand At My Grave and Weep
Do not stand at my grave and weep,
I am not there, I do not sleep.
I am a thousand winds that blow.
I am the diamond glint on snow.
I am the sunlight on ripened grain.
I am the gentle autumn rain.
When you wake in the morning hush,
I am the swift, uplifting rush
Of quiet birds in circling flight.
I am the soft starlight at night.
Do not stand at my grave and weep.
I am not there, I do not sleep.
Do not stand at my grave and cry.
I am not there, I did not die!
Mary Frye (1932)
http://www.poetseers.org/contemporary_poets/mary
I chose this poem because it sheds a more uplifting light on the death of a loved one. Instead of sending a depressing message about how she will never be with her loved one again, the author tells that person not to grieve over her death. She illustrates how she will always be with her loved one very visually throughout the poem. It can also be seen as a very spiritual poem, for although the author has passed on, her spirit lives on in nature. I really love all of the visuals the poet uses throughout the poem. As I read the poem, I am able to visualize exactly what the poet is trying to say as she describes how her spirit has lived on.
What I decided to do for my book is to create it in the shape of a tombstone, for the poem is about death and mourning, or lack there of. Another reason I wanted to use a tombstone is because it contrasts the uplifting mood of the poem. I want to bind the bottom of the pages together with a type of vine that is weaved in and out. For the cover, i want to make the text look like an engraving, like that of a tombstone, with the title of the poem, etc. I want to emphasize and enlarge certain words throughout the poem, such as the words that are significant to the images, or such as the word "not" in the final line, "I am not there, I did not die!" I also want to use images of a weeping eye, blowing wind, glistening snow, and other imagery that is discussed in the poem.
Do not stand at my grave and weep,
I am not there, I do not sleep.
I am a thousand winds that blow.
I am the diamond glint on snow.
I am the sunlight on ripened grain.
I am the gentle autumn rain.
When you wake in the morning hush,
I am the swift, uplifting rush
Of quiet birds in circling flight.
I am the soft starlight at night.
Do not stand at my grave and weep.
I am not there, I do not sleep.
Do not stand at my grave and cry.
I am not there, I did not die!
Mary Frye (1932)
http://www.poetseers.org/contemporary_poets/mary
I chose this poem because it sheds a more uplifting light on the death of a loved one. Instead of sending a depressing message about how she will never be with her loved one again, the author tells that person not to grieve over her death. She illustrates how she will always be with her loved one very visually throughout the poem. It can also be seen as a very spiritual poem, for although the author has passed on, her spirit lives on in nature. I really love all of the visuals the poet uses throughout the poem. As I read the poem, I am able to visualize exactly what the poet is trying to say as she describes how her spirit has lived on.
What I decided to do for my book is to create it in the shape of a tombstone, for the poem is about death and mourning, or lack there of. Another reason I wanted to use a tombstone is because it contrasts the uplifting mood of the poem. I want to bind the bottom of the pages together with a type of vine that is weaved in and out. For the cover, i want to make the text look like an engraving, like that of a tombstone, with the title of the poem, etc. I want to emphasize and enlarge certain words throughout the poem, such as the words that are significant to the images, or such as the word "not" in the final line, "I am not there, I did not die!" I also want to use images of a weeping eye, blowing wind, glistening snow, and other imagery that is discussed in the poem.
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