Small written assignment (Answering questions)- Museum paper

Museum Paper (San Antonio Museum of Art)

1. The first work I found was the Stacking Chest (traditionally known as a Nong). The object is two identical chests stacked on top of each other, both usually on top of a stand the keep the bottom of the chests from touching the ground. The Nong was created in Korea around the late 18th century; traditionally owned by royal families and aristocrats during the Joseon and Choson dynasties. Korean chest makers crafted the Nong chests to focus on nature, to accentuate the woods natural hues and body to bring a sort of sophistication into the home. The chests were used to house clothing, priceless valuables, and important documents but were displayed very garishly in the homes as a ‘representative’ statement piece for the rich until the end of the 19th century. The second work I chose was the Mizusashi (A lidded container) created in 1948 by Sakiyama Takayuki. Takayuki crafted the Mizu from stoneware (a type of pottery clay); the container is used during Temae (Japanese tea room ceremonies) by the host to hold fresh cold water. The earliest use of these containers are dated back to the 16th century where the original Temae (Tea ceremony) began, the first ceramic tools to be used originated in China and were handed down for generations ending up in Japan. It is said that “many of the Japanese-made ceramics used in these ceremonies are unglazed stonewares first intended as utilitarian vessels for farmers.”, not even used for the Temae like the aristocrats and rulers in China. It wasn’t until the 17th century when the Japanese reinvented the firing process of their stoneware and the Mizusashi became an aesthetic artwork for tea practitioners to use in Temae. The element of texture is equally important in both pieces. The chest itself has added brass fittings that create actual texture on top of the shaven smooth wood, whereas, on the Mizusashi, its texture comes from the stoneware itself. In the firing process, the crackled surface without a glaze in between each curved line is different from the smooth glazed portions on top of the curved lines, both creating two different textures in each piece. The use of line in both pieces is also important because in each piece it creates a sense of structure, the lines in the chest are very geometric and architectural, where the lines in the Mizusashi are more organic and fluid which both help give a sense of form and depth to the pieces.

4. The two-dimensional painting I chose was Pennsylvania Avenue by Collin C. Cooper. In this oil-based painting, he uses an aerial one-point perspective to create a birds-eye view of Pennsylvania Avenue. Cooper does render a handful of illusions to create three-dimensional space; the use of one-point linear perspective being the main focus, where the White House is the vanishing point, all of the objects fall in between the two parallel lines that create the street, receding back towards to the White House (vanishing point). Cooper utilizes foreshortening, where all of the buildings and objects in the foreground or closest to the viewer are proportionally larger than the buildings and objects in the background, and Cooper also uses overlapping, wherein between the foreground and the background the buildings in the front overlap backward towards the vanishing point, rendering the viewer to perceive as though they are looking farther in the distance. The three-dimensional piece I chose was If I Was Standing Alone I Wouldn’t Stand It at All by Kevin Beasley. In this sculpture, he uses two-dimensional objects to create form via negative space. Beasley took house dresses, kaftans, t-shirts, and durags: covered them in resin and manipulated them layer by layer to create the form(s). The negative space in the piece defines the boundaries of the objects around it (positive space) and brings balance to the piece; the outlined portions of the piece bring sustenance to the objects themselves and create an even more intense form. The sculpture is very menacing, as the viewer looks up at the towering ‘figure(s)’ it gives a sense of uncertainty, the ghostly forms seem to pop out from all angles. As the viewer observes, their eyes are drawn to interact with the negative space of the hollowed-out portions of the piece, and this is where we find ourselves seeing the “ghostly”/Dementoresque forms appear as it seems from the ground itself or from another place and time.

7. Texture plays a key role in Dandelion: a sculpture made of copper with gilt & patinated bronze. The texture of the sculpture is actual and was created by putting the multiple thin copper rods onto a singular rod in a blooming shape and puncturing them into a center orb/pod to create a pokey spherical mass. In my eyes when I think of a Dandelion, I see this small, soft, fragile, flower that brings good luck and good morrow. The texture of a dandelion, as I expressed is a soft and gentle sort of fuzzy, but this piece is completely the opposite. The texture looks like it would be hard, spiky, even pokey, it creates a sense of stability, something we don’t necessarily think of when we imagine a dandelion. I find that so entertaining because the contrast from soft to hard, gentle to rough, and fuzzy to spikey really defines what art actually is. The way we represent objects in our own images that challenge others ideas of the exact same image is what art is all about and what really attracts people to a specific art piece. The fact that it challenges our preconceived notions of what a dandelion should feel like, it is engaging the viewer in not only self-reflection but allowing them to bring their own experiences into the artwork. Another artwork that texture plays a big role in is the Armadillo sculpture made of silver. The texture is actual and was created by molding and sculpting the silver with a clay-like tool to create a shell-like bumpy surface. So, unlike the Dandelion where the texture is the complete opposite of the actual object, in the Armadillo the texture comes very close to what an actual armadillo looks like it would feel like. This was one of the biggest reasons why I picked this sculpture because I thought it was really interesting how it looked so real. The longer you look at this piece the more you see, the detailing of every inch, every bump, line, and indentation which enhances the texture. This makes you want to reach out and feel every ridge and fold of the object. This is one of the most inviting things you can do to your piece: when you make people want to touch, feel, and actually see you work; that’s what makes good art, the interest texture builds are one the most important aspects because without it, art would be streamlined and not as fun.