Tuesday 4 December 2012

Sunday 30 September 2012

Artist Documentation Program

http://adp.menil.org/
This link is a fantastic resource for hearing first-hand accounts of the artist's intentions and use of materials.  After creating a log-in, you can watch interviews conducted "to gain a better understanding of their materials, working techniques, and intent for conservation of their works. All interviews are conducted by conservators in a museum or studio setting".
I haven't watched them all, but so far my favorite interviews are with artists:
Tim Hawkinson 
John Currin
Jasper Johns
Dario Robleto
http://adp.menil.org/

Saatchi Gallery Online

Saatchi gallery is currently featuring an initiative called 100 Curators 100 Days. Check back daily to see exciting, contemporary art from around the globe.  http://www.saatchionline.com/100curators

Here's a sample, from the MANY that caught my eye:

no title  Drawing by Ana Vujovic


VIC The Lurcher

Sculpture by Gaynor Ostinelli

A Silver Lining

assemblage/collage by Charles Wilkin

Haircut 1 (with Andrew Tamlyn)

assemblage/collage  by Erin Case

Friday 14 September 2012

Pereda - art and mischievousness

Odds are that you've heard me promote the Art21.org series before, because there is such a range of great stuff on their website, videos and blog. I particularly enjoyed this energetic, positive, 9 minute video about the artist Alejandro Almanza Pereda. Check out this amusing slice-o-life on what it is like to be an artist in New York City.
http://www.alejandroalmanzapereda.com/index.php?/selected-works/just-give-me-a-place-to-stand/
More information on the following images can be found at alejandroalmanzapereda.com
If I understood correctly, this image (above) was created with one 9B pencil.

Thank you Art21 for being such a rich art resource!!

Tuesday 11 September 2012

When our objects own us. . . and the "life" they contain.

Artist Mark Fox started with simple drawings and the idea of clutter to create his Dust installation. The work considers the current human situation, as it relates to our many possessions. On the Rice Gallery link below, there is a video of Fox explaining his purpose and process - good insight for how you might discuss your own work.



In his 2010 exhibition, he investigated text, creating word wallpaper.  The below images are from his gallery site.

http://www.larissagoldston.com/exhibitions/foxuntitled/index.aspx



Wednesday 5 September 2012

Inspirational documentary of Basquiat


The film called Radient Child by Tamra Davis is an inspiring documentary of Jean-Michel Basquiat, with actual footage from an exciting period of the NYC art scene. The movie begins with rare footage of a friend interviewing Basquiat just two years before he died. http://youtu.be/wuZZ3gY2_9I

Here is the webpage for the documentary http://www.jean-michelbasquiattheradiantchild.com/
The film is worth a watch particularly because of the way it provides a glimpse into the artistic process, even if you don't care for Basquiat's urban, expressive, bold style. Basquiat is an excellent artist to look at for ideas on how to naturally inform your artwork through your own interests (to fulfill the historical/cultural assessment criteria).
Jean-Michel Basquiat in his studio, 1985. Photograph © Lizzie Himmel
For more information see the official Basquiat website http://basquiat.com/

Tuesday 4 September 2012

Presenting your research in the IWB

Below are examples of workbook pages that creatively present research. Notice how in the examples below the titles and backgrounds are artistic. This should never be pointless decoration, but rather a compliment to the style of the work you are presenting.*(see "warning" below)

A quote relating to the style of work or directly from the artist, is a great way to introduce us to the concepts.

Plenty of images and your own study of the work make for a visually diverse page.
 
A timeline is a great way to concisely provide a context for the artist and their work. A timeline allows you to reference what else was going on in the world, without taking up valuable writing space used for your analysis.
Last but not least, when completing research pages, your sources should always be thoroughly referenced, both for information and images. Citing your source is part of the requirement, but you must also provide a "credit line" for any visuals used. A credit line contains at least: the artist name, title of work, scale, year completed and medium. If the entire page is on one artist, you can leave off the artist's name. *A word of warning, some students become very involved with backgrounds and spend far too much time making "pretty" pages. If you find that you really enjoy spending time on backgrounds, perhaps consider using that motivation to create an abstract, color-field paintng on canvas instead. That way you get to enjoy the same process but it counts as a final!

Monday 3 September 2012

Word inspired painting

The adventure begins with a randomly assigned word.
 
At least one IWB page shows evidence of planning through researching the word (synonym, antonyms and definition) as well as compositional sketches and brainstorming different directions the concept might take.
 
At least one IWB page shows resources gathered and media experiments to reference while you complete this painting (your own photos and media studies). 
 

Monday 27 August 2012

Photos to inspire textures and composition

By tracing sections of your photographs, you can experiment with form, line and composition until you find a personalized solution. Here is a workbook page full of exciting thumbnail sketches.
Often the tracing no longer resembles the original object. The photographs are just a starting place and one photo could give you multiple ideas, depending on what you choose to trace and which direction you turn the photo.
IWB page of Alex (used without permission, sorry Alex!)

Tuesday 22 May 2012

IB Diploma Program - Drawing Exam Examples

 Please click on the images to view texture & detail.

Grade 12 - Eric exam 2012

Grade 12 - Ingrid 2012 exam

Grade 12 - Sarah exam 2011

Grade 12 - Victoria exam 2012

Grade 12 - Daniela exam 2012

Ingrid 2011 exam

Barbora 2012 exam


Thursday 17 May 2012

 
Dear Art Students, 
As you embark on the task of concisely explaining the links and motivation behind your work, please watch the inspiring video from the Tate Modern about Ai Weiwei's 2010 exhibition Sunflower Seeds.  After viewing, please consider the cultural, political, personal and historical links he makes. Write these down or create a mind map in your sketchbook. Then begin to outline your own thoughts pertaining to your own creative processes (first written, then orally).  Your ongoing challenge is to ensure you have the research, resources and links to support your ideas so that during your presentation, you are sure to include the most relevant, thoughtful information. Disclaimer: No copyright infringement intended. This video is being used for educational purposes only.
Finally, please Click here to see a visitor's impression of the resulting sunflower seed exhibition in the Tate's Unilever Serier in the Turbine Hall (before they roped it off, forbidding public interaction with the space).
Thank you!
MzM