Muybride Artist Statement

The Visualizer

            The Visualizer is a piece that not only engages you visually, but also aurally. The Visualizer is made out of a wooden board with nails hammered at 56 points that make up seven octagons within each other. A stop-action film was created from photographs of different colored rubber bands moving around the points to the beat of the song Hubble by Actress, which is also played in the film. This piece tries to touch base on the notion of what a sound would look like and the kinetic properties this experience would have.   

Bahia Shehab

Street-artist Bahia Shehab states that, "graffiti is like flowers. They are beautiful, but they don't live long." The government constantly tries to cover up Shehab's and other artists' graffiti work, so it's a good thing she has plenty of paint to replace them. 

Shehab's pieces are about recording events and keeping memories alive. People have a tendency to forget things, and Shehab doesn't want people to forget the atrocities her and other people have gone through. Her works are also about facilitating change. She believes that dreamers are the ones who can change society, so Shehab tries to make her art influence as many people to become dreamers as possible. Shehab is also interested in the written language, especially Arabic calligraphy. This interest in language has evolved into a piece where she created 1,000 symbols that protest unjust governmental actions. 

Her pieces range from cartoon like to semi-realistic and mostly depicts her symbols and people. The colors she uses are also unrealistic and are sometimes used conservatively and other times liberally. 

Shehab's artworks are really about getting an idea out. She claims that, " you cannot resist ideas. They can travel into any mind." And through these ideas she hopes to influence change in society and people.

Information provided by:

ArtBabble. Indianapolis Museum of Art, n.d. Web. 30 Apr. 2014.

Dick Bruna

Dick Bruna is the creator of Miffy, an adorable white rabbit that has captured the hearts of children everywhere. 

The medium Bruna uses to depict his cute characters is paint. 

Bruna is all about children. This is evident in the way he paints. He notices how direct children are and is the reason why he usually has his characters looking at the viewer. Bruna is also very conscientious about detail in his work. He'll spend a considerable amount of time to make sure his pieces are to his perfection. 

Bruna's paintings are very simple and flat. His art is influenced a lot by artists such as Mondriaan, Rietveld, and Henri Matisse, so he tries to simplify his works as much as possible. He states that he tries to "reduce things as much as I could, leaving only the bare essentials." Bruna also uses colors very conservatively and uses thick, black contour lines to depict his characters (which are mainly animals). 

At first, Bruna made a living at making covers for books. In fact, he made over 2,000 of them. His calling, however, was making children's books. Even at his ripe old age, he's still doing what he loves.

Information provided by:

ArtBabble. Indianapolis Museum of Art, n.d. Web. 30 Apr. 2014.

Maya Hayuk

Maya Hayuk feels that painting is a "deep meditation of a kind," which is probably why she does it so often. 

The medium Hayuk mainly works with is paint. 

Many things influence the outcome of Hayuk's works. Everything that's around her finds its way into her paintings. One can see influences of pop culture and different painting techniques in her pieces as well. Even where she's at physically with a painting affects the execution. It's also very important to Hayuk that her works are accessible and easy to look at, whether you're inside or outside of the gallery. 

Hayuk's pieces are very colorful and bright. Her works are almost like looking through a kaleidoscope although there are no kaleidoscopes present. Her non-representative paintings are these large-scale murals which are comprised of both organic and geometric shapes. 

Hayuk explains how she really enjoys making gestures and how she created those gestures from nothing by listening to what her art wanted her to do.

Information provided by:

ArtBabble. Indianapolis Museum of Art, n.d. Web. 30 Apr. 2014.

Chris Johanson

When it comes to public sculpture, it doesn't matter to Chris Johanson what the sculpture is about or if he even likes it. He thinks all public sculptures are great. 

Johanson makes some public sculptures, but he dabbles in paint as well. 

To Johanson, anything can be considered a sculpture. So structures like ATMs and billboards are seen as sculptures by Johanson. With this mindset, it's a "breath of fresh air" when he sees sculptures (like public sculptures) that aren't trying to sell him something, which is why he makes his public sculptures. Johanson's works are also about evoking questions in his viewers. He wants his pieces to make people question life and what they're doing with it and about death as well. 

Johanson himself describes his art as very simple. There's no tricks up his sleeves, he means what he depicts. Johanson doesn't restrict himself to a particular style either. He creates both non-representative and representative pieces. The subject matter Johanson depicts are people and you can find geometric shapes throughout his works as well. 

Johanson wants his art to communicate to people the bittersweet quality of life. However, just because life is bittersweet, Johanson states that that doesn't mean life isn't fun. 

Information provided by:

ArtBabble. Indianapolis Museum of Art, n.d. Web. 30 Apr. 2014. 

Matthew Szosz

According to Matthew Szosz, becoming a glass artist was actually an accident. Szosz was originally trained as a furniture designer, and so had no formal instruction in glass making. This has led him to teach himself in his own unique way how to make his glass sculptures. 

Szosz's works are really about the work process itself. He likes experimenting with the glass medium since the material unfolds in unpredictable and unexpected ways. Through his exploration of glass, Szosz learns different techniques that inform him on the direction he's going with his work, why he's going in that direction, and what his next artistic direction will be. 

Szosz's pieces are non-representative in nature and employs the use of many different colors. His works also have a translucent quality to them due to the medium he uses. Szosz's pieces take on a variety of convex and concave shapes as well. 

Szosz believes that an era is closing and a new cycle is beginning when it comes to glass art. In this new cycle, glass art is more integral to the art and craft world and its techniques more complicated and sophisticated. 

Information provided by:

ArtBabble. Indianapolis Museum of Art, n.d. Web. 30 Apr. 2014.

Gu Wenda

Gu Wenda believes that artists should be diplomats and aid in making peace around the world. To do this, Wenda uses human hair and Elmer's Glue to make his pieces. 

Wenda explains how is art is about transcendence. For example, he took something (hair) that he considers to be waste from the body and what pretty much everyone else thinks is gross if it's not attached to someone's head and made beautiful, intricate works of art with it. Wenda's works are also very cultural. He states that instead of physically depicting the different races that make up our world, he collects them in his art. It is his hope that his pieces unify not only races, but people as a whole. 

To make his works, Wenda first thins out Elmer's Glue until it's a workable consistency. He places the glue on top of a sheet of plastic afterwards. Wenda then arranges the hair (which he collects himself from various people) based off of a pattern he places underneath the plastic sheet. Once dry, he peels off the glue and hair concoction and attaches it to rope. The end result are these translucent, rectangular sheets of swirling and intersecting lines that reach towering heights. Text also plays a major role in Wenda's works. They mimic the look of different languages, but on closer examination, they're just gibberish. This represents the misunderstandings that can happen during a cultural exchange and how these misunderstandings are actually a creation of another culture.

ArtBabble. Indianapolis Museum of Art, n.d. Web. 23 Apr. 2014. 

Mark di Suvero

When Mark di Suvero was eight years old, Suvero was told that he read too many books and was subsequently taught how to work with his hands. Looking back now, Suvero realizes that day changed his life as he is now a sculptor because of it. 

At first, Suvero made his sculptures out of wood. However, he felt this medium was too limiting and switched over to using steel. Suvero believes you can do many things with steel that you can't do with other materials, which is why he mostly makes his sculptures out of steel today. Suvero's pieces are also very much influenced by bridges to the point of emulation. What he really likes about them is their literal and figural connotations of connecting two things together. His works are also just about the joy of working with steel and receiving that joy by creating works of art with it. 

Suvero's non-representative pieces are elementally constructed of directional lines and geometric shapes. His monochromatic works are also huge in size. 

Even though Suvero's art results in these very big pieces, they are dwarfed in comparison to the Golden Gate Bridge that sometimes serves as their backdrop. It is Suvero's hope, however, that his audience will just turn their backs for a little bit and see his works for what they truly are.

Information provided by:

ArtBabble. Indianapolis Museum of Art, n.d. Web. 23 Apr. 2014.

William Allan

William Allan is a well rounded artist who not only paints but sculpts as well. So the media Allan uses varies quite a bit, from acrylics, water colors, and graphite, to wooden boxes and everyday objects. 

Allan states how his works are about the "phenomenon of us". He tries to portray in his pieces the way the world is and how people interact in this world. Allan's art is also about telling the stories objects have to tell. He felt that painting was not adequate to bring these stories to life and felt that the objects themselves could better tell it. This has resulted in his box projects where he'll set up a little scene in a wooden box. 

Allan's art is representative in that you can tell what he's trying to depict in his paintings and what the objects are in his boxes. However, they are arranged and portrayed in a kind of surrealist way that makes the piece somewhat unrecognizable. This is so with a painting of his of the sky with a random pair of shoes and string lights floating in the middle of the piece. Allan actually chooses the sky for his subject matter in many of his pieces, but he also depicts people too. 

Because of his wide range of artistic skills, Allan is able to communicate an idea through the best possible media.

Information provided by:

ArtBabble. Indianapolis Museum of Art, n.d. Web. 23 Apr. 2014.

Hung Liu

Hung Liu is an artist who takes something and recreates it into something new. 

The medium Liu mostly uses for her art is paint. 

The majority of Liu's paintings are based off of these old, historical photographs. She gets her pictures from a variety of sources, such as from people she knows or pictures she just happens to find. From these old photographs she creates new paintings with her own added twist to them. Liu will render the photo accurately but will take into account what they might have been thinking at the time as well. This results in added elements that were not part of the original photograph, such as birds and flowers. 

The subject matter Liu depicts a lot of are people since the photographs she uses mostly portrays people. Liu also likes to paint animals and flowers. Her representative paintings have a drippy quality to them as well since she lets her paint drip quite a bit in her pieces. She also uses a good range of colors in her works, but they're toned down. This gives her paintings an aged look to them. 

Although Liu now lives in the United States, she does not forget her Chinese roots and includes traditional Chinese imagery in her paintings.

Information provided by:

ArtBabble. Indianapolis Museum of Art, n.d. Web. 23 Apr. 2014.

Squeak Carnwath

Squeak Carnwath never really knows exactly what she's going to do with a piece, but she's perfectly fine with that. With no game plan in mind, Carnwath feels she can take any route with her oil paintings since she can always paint over something she doesn't like. 

Oil paint to Carnwath is like a body for her paintings. She'll add layers upon layers of paint to her works and these layers serve as a kind of skin for her art. Her works are also about the wear and tear a body goes through as time passes and it ages. There's no specific meaning to Carnwath's pieces either. She leaves it up to the viewers to interpret what they see and listen to what the painting is trying to tell them individually. 

Carnwath's works have a collage-like feel to them, although they are anything but. Carnwath solely uses oil paints, so everything you see in one of her pieces is actually paint. Many things are depicted in her paintings, such as geometric shapes, organic shapes, and representative images. She also uses text in her works (also done in oil paint) more because she likes the way handwriting looks than what the handwriting is stating. 

Creating art is very cathartic to Carnwath. She believes that through art, you can discover who you are and what your place is in the universe.

Information provided by:

ArtBabble. Indianapolis Museum of Art, n.d. Web. 23 Apr. 2014. 

Costco

I went to Costco and looked at their Optical display, which is also sponsored by Costco. The display was 3' x 6'' and was made out of materials such as glass, steel, plastic, wood, and faux  leather. The context for this display is commercial in nature.

In a glass case are a number of eyeglasses on racks. The eyeglasses come in different styles and are made in different materials. The display is set up in a fairly close symmetrical composition. My first impression was how reflective and modern the display looked. To be more precise, 15 glasses are displayed on clear holders in a vitrine. The glasses are separated into three groups which rest upon a square mirror. The glasses are comprised of different styles, colors, and materials. The display is arranged in a symmetric like composition. The words I would use to characterize what I saw in the display is geometric, shiny, reflective, and clean. The objects are artifacts and the viewer is looking down at the display. 

The overall meaning conveyed by what I see is commercialism. Elements that are found in this display are color, line, and shape. Being a store, the curator's choices were probably based on financial information. One question that is posed is whether or not you can afford these glasses. The context and funding definitely influences the meaning. The intended audience is people who wear and need glasses. I think the installation is effective.

Idaho Historical Museum

I went to The Story of Idaho Exhibit at the Idaho Historical Museum which was sponsored by the state of Idaho. The display I looked at in particular was 3' x 2' and made out of wood, plastic, and stone. The context for the display is educational in purpose.

I saw a lot of different arrowheads made out of various stones. They were separated by what kind of arrowheads they were, how old they were, and where they were found. My first impression of the display was that it looked interesting. To be more exact about the display, 72 triangularly cut stones are displayed and separated into various sections. Red and black text label certain groups of these stones. The words I would use to characterize what I have seen in the display are old, sharp, dull, shiny, earthy, and elemental. The objects are artifacts and the viewer has the same point of view as the artist, which is just looking straight at it. 

The overall meaning being conveyed is when and where these specific arrowheads came from. Some elements that are used are shape, size, color, and texture. Politics may have influenced the choices the curator made with this display. A question that is somewhat posed is what are the specific reasons for regional differences in arrowheads. The context does influence the meaning of the display. The intended audience are museum goers. I don't think the installation is effective. The labeling used is jumbled and confusing.

Boise Art Museum

I went to the Modern and Contemporary Ceramics exhibit at the Boise Art Museum which was sponsored by Kay Hardy and Gregory Kaslo. The piece in particular I looked at was created by Richard Shaw in 2005, is 1.5' x 10'' , and made out of glazed porcelain with overglaze decals. The context for display is really just to display the ceramic medium.

The piece is like a house of cards stacked on top of a book, stacked on top of a sideways cigarette or cigar box with a China cup inside. All of this is on top of a cigarette or cigar lid. My first impression was one of whimsy due to the playful colors, house of cards, and the teacup. To be more specific about the piece, 19 blue cards are stacked like a house of cards on a blue book titled, "Ring of Fate", which is stacked on a sideways yellow cigarette or cigar box with a white and blue China teacup inside. All of this is stacked on a yellow cigarette or cigar lid. The words I would use to characterize what I see in this display are colorful, playful, curious, and hidden. The piece is displayed in a vitrine and is part of a collection of other ceramic works. It is also labeled with information about the piece. The objects are simulated and the piece can be seen from all around. 

I think the overall meaning being conveyed is fun. Some elements found in this piece are color, line, and shape. I think some of the choices the curator made had to with financial information rather than factual information. A question that is not posed is what the piece is truly about. I think the context does influence the meaning. I think the intended audience is people who go to art museums and people who really like ceramics. I think the installation is effective.

Anne Frank Human Rights Memorial

There's many things to look at at the Anne Frank Human Rights Memorial. There are plaques strewn about the space and there are panoramic walls as well. A street also runs through the memorial and there are benches for you to sit on. The memorial is comprised of three sections with a statue of Anne Frank residing in one of them. Podiums are also found at this memorial as well as a water feature. 

When it comes to representation, this memorial utilizes quite a few different forms. Sculpture is displayed at the Anne Frank Human Rights Memorial as the statue of Anne Frank. There's also audio components as well as text used throughout the memorial. Photographs are another kind of representation used in this space. 

Some visual elements that dominate the memorial are repetition, shape, size, and balance. 

This memorial is site-specific in that it was constructed in the area it resides in because of its ease of access. The people who made this memorial wanted it to be easy to see. 

The Idaho Human Rights Education Center designed and created this memorial and many, many people funded the memorial. 

The text/word elements of the memorial functioned as a way to give information to the viewers. 

I think the intended meaning and function of the memorial is to educate. They're trying to "inspire to contemplate the moral implications of our civic responsibilities." 

I think the memorial is pretty successful. The facts they provide are interesting enough to make you stay awhile and learn something.

Georg Baselitz

At first, Georg Baselitz got into art just to "get the girls," but he has now become quite the renowned artist. 

The medium Baselitz uses is mostly paint. 

Since the beginning, Baselitz's works were about being a rebel. He wants to do things that haven't been done before and have his art stand out from the rest. His artwork is also very much influenced by the artist Edvard Munch. Both artists have the shared meaning of psychological brokenness in their art and has led Baselitz to do pieces about deformity as well. 

Baselitz's art can be described as very painterly and appear very similar to Munch's works. He also employs a lot of different colors in his surreal paintings. Baselitz is known for us upside down paintings and mostly depicts people in his works as well. 

Baselitz believes that, "the most intact world is the world of art. Nothing is better or more interesting to me than paintings." He lives out this statement by continually making his paintings that captivate his audience. 

Information provided by:

ArtBabble. Indianapolis Museum of Art, n.d. Web. 16 Apr. 2014.