Margaret Kilgallen

In a world filled with computer generated images, Margaret Kilgallen had found a love for anything that was handmade. As a matter of fact, all of Kilgallen's works are handmade through printmaking and the use of paint. 

Handmade signs were a definite influence to Kilgallen and her works. Even though she suspected that the business owners that owned these signs would rather have a lit up, electronic sign, Kilgallen found these signs beautiful and tried to emulate that kind of aesthetic in her pieces. Also, Kilgallen's interest in folk art (especially American and Indian folk art) had an affect on the appearance of her works. 

Kilgallen's pieces are very simple and flat. There's no depth or shadows and she uses a limited range of colors. The subject matter Kilgallen chose were mostly people. Her characters are cartoon-like in style and not very realistic. Line is integral in Kilgallen's pieces for this element was strongly used to define her characters. The lines she employed are very fluid and organic, making her characters seem more alive than as stiff, rigid drawings. 

Kilgallen tried her hardest to maker her lines as perfect and straight as she could. No matter how long she tried to perfect them, though, they were never truly straight. Even if they appeared that way form a distance, you could instantly see the imperfections once you got up close. However, Kilgallen believed that those imperfections was what made her pieces beautiful.

Information provided by:

"Margaret Kilgallen." Art21. PBS, n.d. Web. 8 Mar. 2014.

Barry McGee

You may know Barry McGee by another name (his tag name to be more specific), Twist. McGee has been doing graffiti art for a very long time and is a big part of his works. Some of the media he uses are acrylic and spray-paint, and pretty much anything you can find on the street such as empty liquor bottles, tagged signs, spray-paint cans, scrap wood, metal, and wrenches. 

A lot of McGee's pieces have to do with urban culture. He believes graffiti (which many perceive as vandalism and destructive) is "closer to the truth" than the billboards (which many believe are acceptable) that bombard you with advertisements with subliminal messages everyday. McGee also likes the reputation he gets form doing graffiti art and finds this art form as an integral way to communicate. 

The subject matter that dominates McGee's pieces are these highly stylized characters. These characters are mostly men with dark circles under their eyes with blah expressions. McGee also does these large-scale paintings on walls for art galleries. His pieces are mostly black and white and can be found anywhere (even on trains) in San Francisco since graffiti is what McGee mainly does. 

McGee not only creates two-dimensional works, but also constructs three-dimensional sculptural forms. McGee frequently works with items that are thrown away and no longer wanted. After he's through with them, though, he makes them a treasured and wanted item again in a process that's reminiscent of a second chance.

Information provided by:

"Barry McGee." Art21. PBS, n.d. Web. 8 Mar. 2014.

Allan McCollum

It may appear as though Allan McCollum's pieces are part of an invasion, but global conquest is not on their agenda. Through the use of metal and wood, McCollum is able to make his many pieced projects. 

McCollum is captivated with the idea of everyone having their own object. Although he knows this is an impossible task, this does not stop McCollum from trying. What also drives McCollum's works is whether or not it would tell an interesting story. 

The pieces McCollum facilitates have a quality of mass production to them. He makes thousands of objects that you can only tell are different (and only slightly at that) when seen up close. So even though his objects are not quite the same, repetition still plays a big part in McCollum's art in the way he displays the objects and the materials he uses to create them. The shape McCollum's works take are dominantly organic and non-representative in nature. They actually look like those inkblots psychologists use. 

Before, it would take McCollum a long time to come up with different shapes for his objects. Now with the help of computers, he is able to choose from a variety of parts to mix-match in literally billions of different shape combinations in a matter of seconds. So maybe his idea of an object for everyone isn't so far-fetched after all.

Information provided by:

"Allan McCollum." Art21. PBS, n.d. Web. 1 Mar. 2014.

Josiah McElheny

When looking at Josiah McElheny's art, it can feel like you've been transported to some futuristic utopia. McElheny achieves this effect through his use of glass. 

All of McElheny's glass objects are based off of things that already exist. However, he puts his own spin on it that makes the piece uniquely his. McElheny also tries to make his work balanced yet elegant at the same time. 

A lot of McElheny's pieces are reflective due to the fact that he almost exclusively works with glass. His glass objects usually take on the shape of vases, bottles, or organic non-representative forms. Sometimes he alters the glass, making the surface look like chrome, which gives the objects he makes the appearance of belonging to some time in the distant future. McElheny also experiments with placing reflective objects on reflective surfaces, resulting in a very visually interesting effect. Some of these reflective pieces also connote to how individuals in today's society over reflect on themselves. 

In the end, what McElheny tries to do is have his art seduce people. Seduce not in a romantic sense, but to lure the viewer to take a closer look.

Information provided by:

"Josiah McElheny." Art21. PBS, n.d. Web. 1 Mar. 2014.

Kerry James Marshall

 

When it comes to the principles of design, Kerry James Marshall goes straight to their origins for guidance. Marshall incorporates what he learns in his works through paint, markers, ink, and wood.

 

 

Art history's influence can be seen throughout Marshall's pieces. Since artists have stepped away from age-old techniques, Marshall tries to infuse them in his works, hoping to achieve a kind of newness since these techniques have often been neglected in the current world of art. Not only does art history find its way in Marshall's works, but also African American history through the scenes and characters he depicts.

The colors Marshall uses play a big part in his art. Whenever he paints a character, Marshall most often chooses to paint them completely black. One reason he does this is because he believes the outcome is really beautiful. Another reason is because he wants to make black a symbol of power again. Marshall's pieces also have a narrative quality to them. This is especially so with the comic book he created about African sculptures that come to life as superheroes.

The many works Marshall has created all seem to be communicating something different from one another. One thing, though, that he equally hopes for his works to accomplish is a meaningful reaction from his audience.

 

 

Information provided by:

 

"Kerry James Marshall." Art21. PBS, n.d. 1 Mar. 2014.



Robert Mangold

 

Robert Mangold not only likes to create art, but to also create visual problems for his audience. Mangold does this through using paint, graphite, and his own unique canvases.

 

 

Mangold really enjoys making his works in ways that mess with viewers' preconceptions about paintings. He does this by making circular canvases with a hole in the middle. The middle of the painting is where people generally think the action will take place. However, since the middle is gone in Mangold's pieces, viewers can experience discord in what they see and what they previously thought a painting should be. Nature also seems to work its way into Mangold's pieces. Although he claims that his works are about culture and not nature, Mangold does admit that certain scenes from nature somehow infiltrate his work.

Line, shape, and color are the elements that dominate most of Mangold's pieces. His art is geometric in nature, consisting almost entirely of circles. Within these circles are lines that crisscross, making new shapes as they intersect, and lines that accentuate the roundness of the canvas. Mangold's works are mainly monochromatic, adding to the simplicity of his simple yet complexly-shaped pieces.

A big part of Mangold's art is the "idea of what's missing." Perhaps, though, if you were to take a closer look at Mangold's pieces, you'll realize that there's nothing missing at all.

 

 

Information provided by:

 

"Robert Mangold." Art21. PBS, n.d. Web. 1 Mar. 2014.



Glenn Ligon

 

A lot of Glenn Ligon's works border between art and literature. Whether one sees it as one or the other depends on the viewer.

In order to make his pieces, Ligon employs the use of oil crayons, letter stencils, silkscreen, neon, paint, and coal dust.
 

 

As a young child, Ligon garnered a deep love of books, which has obviously seeped into the majority of his works. Ligon often incorporates quotes from books he has read directly into his pieces through smudging oil crayons over letter stencils. His works are also influenced by historical people and movements.

Text is a major components in Ligon's pieces. In fact, the majority (if not all) of his works have words in them. Ligon also frequently uses repetition in his art. When he finds a quote he likes, Ligon will repeat that quote over and over again until the whole canvas is filled up. The way Ligon executes his pieces can be seen as pretty messy. Sometimes so much so that the words he is trying to depict become unreadable. This messiness, however, is often intentional, as when he tries to make himself paint or draw like a child.

Language is integral to Ligon's art, communicating not just the quotes that are displayed, but the messages behind them as well.

 

Information provided by:

 

"Glenn Ligon." Art21. PBS, n.d. Web. 1 Mar. 2014.