2.Blog Posts: Outside or Chaco Canyon, Your Art21 Presentation and Artwork, a post about the two guest artists next week:

2.Blog Posts: Outside or Chaco Canyon, Your Art21 Presentation and Artwork, a post about the two guest artists next week:

I missed the Thursday artist because I was at the SLC airport with my brother.

I loved Jethro’s class! We learned all about his tally marks that he was working on over the past couple years. I also enjoyed his deer or elk pieces. The layering process that he constructed was inspiring and gave me some great ideas for my next project.

I also loved his presentation about his post modern mini art gallery that he moved and set up around his school. His students love this idea and each get to present their own gallery space once a year or semester. He executed his mini gallery space by delegating the work to his students, they must market their show, plan the space and arrange times to meet in the gallery. It was such a great idea for students to show their work because their level of commitment to their work goes way up!

Color Theory

My Abstract Expressionism paintings and my skin color paintings.

We did a study on our skin and color relativity. Our conversation in our classroom was on race. We explored the concept of "black and white" by painting a section of our hands onto paper. I am Caucasian and come from Swedish ancestry and found that I am much more pink, orange and red than simply "white".

Color Theory: Post your abstract expressionist paintings and skin color paintings to your blog, carefully crop and curate, your images.  Then talk about abstraction, modernism, and color theory.

These paintings were created on newsprint by using water, ink and white paint. My utensils included bristle brushes, long sticks, ink pen and small brushes. We explored the sensation of moving water around the print and combining bright white paint with jet black ink. I didn't worry about the composition of my work or the mixing of paint. The only thing I thought about was the feeling of how the medium moved on the paper.

How might a modernist view these images?

A modernist would think these paintings fit perfectly with their mindset. These paintings were inspired by Pollock's chaotic style. He found that the journey of art making was more important that the artwork itself. He changed the way that art was made. Since I painted and scratched these paintings on my table instead of a stand up easel, I changed the direction of my painting technique!

A postmodern artist might also like my paintings because they seem to rebel against traditional ways of creating art. I used sticks and ink mixed with paint to create a radical painting instead of using traditional colors and brushes. The main ideas of Post modernism are defined by a distrust and skeptical view of traditional culture, art, philosophy and history.

Ask 3 questions about your images that you might pose to your students:

1. How can I replicate this chaotic style in my artwork?

2. Why did the artist choose to use sticks instead of traditional brushes?

3.What other kinds of paintings are created through radical means?

Heroes and Heroines presentation

I created a self portrait piece of my face in her style and line quality. I wrote down words that I think describe me and give me confidence.

Art Criticism

Ishel Brimhall October 13, 2016

Writing about artwork:

I chose the Minerva Teichert exhibition at the Museum of Art on BYU campus.

1. Write a Haiku poem about an artwork in a museum or art gallery.

Journey of the Jaredites across Asia

By Minerva Teichert

The Jaredites trekked

through sweat, dust and light searching

For the promised land

2.  Write a 2 sentence interpretation about an artwork in a museum.

Treachery of Amalickiah

By Minerva Teichert

This colorful and powerful scene depicts Amalickiah’s lies about the Lamanite King’s death. The beautiful bright pink cloak instantly drew me in and focused my attention on the Queen’s vulnerability as well as her strength.

3. Write a vivid half page description of an artwork in a museum or gallery.

Flight

By Minerva Teichert

This painting instantly struck me as interesting because of the bright teal color creating a vignette around the figures. I was so attracted to this painting because of the canvas color showing through. I am in a painting class right now and we are experimenting with exposing the canvas color through the brushstrokes. I think that Minerva brought parts of the canvas color through to the foreground of the painting because she wanted to give the painting more depth. The bright blue color contrasted with the muted shades on the family and camels creates a deeper image. This painting does not exhibit many colors. The palette is very small consisting of tan, beige, navy blue and gray. The bright blue color that surrounds the family is set as the focal point for the image.

This particular painting depicts Lehi and his family fleeing Jerusalem because of God’s command. The family is not unified in the decision to leave Jerusalem. Some like Lehi and Nephi are looking forward into the future while their brothers Laman and Lemuel are wistfully looking back at their home. The mother Sariah is strategically placed in the center of the family camel pack, symbolizing the unifying love of a mother for her family.

4. Write 5 questions about an artwork in a museum or gallery.

1. Why is that man on the right looking up into the sky or to heaven?
2. How did Minerva create such a soft glowing light in her painting?
3. Why are most of the people kneeling?
4. Who is the boy in the left hand corner?
5. Who is the person being baptized and is he important or noteworthy figure in scripture stories?

Gallery stroll at the UMOCA

my time spent during a gallery stroll at the UMOCA.


       I walked through the UMOCA and I couldn't believe I had never been before. It was such a fun museum. I loved spending time there. At first I didn't feel very intrigued by the pieces but as I spent more time pondering the exhibits I became more impressed. I chose a particular section to spend some time in and it was the Sehnsucht exhibit by Cara Krebs. Sitting in the center of the space were seven crystallized jello bundt cakes, displayed on silver bakery displays. Their iridescent blue-green color drew me in, as well as the curiosity of knowing if they are real jello (they are not, sorry to disappoint). Moving around the room the viewer is introduced to large mixed media pieces mounted straight onto the wall. They are each in the shape of a ‘blob,’ or something that an alien would design. At first glance, they are reminiscent of a drop of water resting on a table. Everything inside the drop is enlarged, unrecognizable and well, watery. Each of the watery scenes feel as if the viewer has swimming goggles on and is dipping their face into a river to get a good look at what’s lurking under the surface.

The final piece that was my absolute favorite was located at the back of the space, down another short hallway. We find that this piece is the source of the quiet clicking sound heard throughout the exhibit. The room is lit up by a soft yellow light. The light plays along the wall as if the viewed is under water. In the middle of the space there is a small air pouch resting on a white platform. The scene inside of the pouch is of a cave. The point of view is looking out through the cave at what looks like a jungle bungalow. This water theme sparks a connection to the other glass molds in the front room. As the viewer looks up they find a transparent container holding water with lights shining through it. These create the light movements that we see on the walls and floor. With closer inspection we find an animated stick rolling back and forth repeatedly on the platform of water. The stick moves back and forth controlled by a lever that we cannot see. This creates an ethereal feeling that the stick is alive and moving on its own. The stick creates a calming clinking sound that is what we hear echoing throughout the exhibition. The entire exhibit feels very tranquil and calm.

There were many subtle elements that led me into a slightly skewed reality. The paradoxical worlds flitter between each other with unrecognizable scenes and instantly familiar objects. I read that the artist, Cara Krebs intentionally created these paradoxes to lead the viewer into a subtle fantasy state. The juxtaposition is a little jarring but not entirely uncomfortable. Being submerged underwater is calming, at least for most people. When we are underwater things seem to run in slow motion, which can feel a bit alien. I really liked it though. It made me want to go swim in an ocean somewhere. I felt very reflective. She included this quote in her exhibit description: “Sehnsucht: “the inconsolable longing in the human heart for we know not what; a yearning for a far, familiar, non-earthly land one can identify as one’s home.” The transitional flow of Sehnsucht was smooth and effortless. Each piece contributed its own individual narrative to the work as a whole. Krebs’ work in the entire show was successfully aligned with her artistic intentions.  The exhibition was not just a display of objects and paintings, it was an out of body and mind experience that swept me up into a tranquil state.  

video here

an interview with the artist!

CLICK HERE

three philosophers

Cornel Ronald West is a philosopher, author and social activist. In 1980 he was the first African American to graduate from Princeton with a Ph.D. in philosophy. He focuses on race, class and gender issues. 

      “You can't lead the people if you don't love the people. You can't save the people if you don't serve the people.” 
He wrote a book called, Prophetic Thought in Postmodern Times. 
In it he writes, "I remain suspicious of the term poster modernism for two basic reasons. First, because the precursors term modern itself has not simply been used to devalue the cultures of oppressed and exploited peoples, but also has failed to deeply illumine the internal complexities....Second, the sheer facticity of black people in the United States historically embodies and enacts the postmodern themes of degraded otherness and subaltern marginality." 

Michel Foucault was a French philosopher, postmodernist and historian. He also worked as a social theorist and literary critic. He studied how power and knowledge interact and are used in social institutions. He was a bit of a pessimist and his work was sometimes described as dark. He wrote a lot about the individual understanding how they are being manipulated and dominated by society. He believed that people should all strive to build social communities that do not hinder or dominate others. 

"What strikes me is the fact that in our society, art has become something which is only related to objects, and not to individuals, or to life."

Bell Hooks

Gloria Jean Watkins. Watkins is an author,feminist and social activist. Her work explores the complexities of race and gender. She describes an interesting trait in societies that is to produce systems of oppression. 

"I will not have my life narrowed down. I will not bow down to somebody else's whim or to someone else's ignorance."

"When we drop fear, we can draw nearer to people, we can draw nearer to the earth, we can draw nearer to all the heavenly creatures that surround us."

This quote, to me, is reminiscent of the theory of 'oneness'.  If we strive to rid ourselves of all fear and self doubt, we can reach a higher level of life. We can connect more deeply with fellow individuals and with the earth around us. 

What is the difference between art and design?

What is the difference between art and design?

As we walked through the BYU art student exhibits, it struck me how much design is intertwined with our art. I truly don't think that design and art are pitted against each other in the world of art. They are supplemental to each other. By using design in our art we utilize composition and balance. The elements of design can be interchangeable with the elements of art. The principles and elements of design make our art what it is. Rules are always meant to be broken but with the help of design, we can create wonderful pieces or art that inspire.

Modernist Painting by Clement Greenberg

Modernist Painting by Clement Greenberg

From wikipedia we learn that Modernism is "a philosophical movement that, along with cultural trends and changes, arose from wide-scale and far-reaching transformations in Western society in the late 19th and early 20th centuries."  So what does that mean? Modernism can be classified as a movement that set out to modify traditional beliefs and rules.

 In this article we read about the definition of modernism through Clement Greenberg's perspective. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this article. My favorite line from it: "Modernism includes almost the whole of what is truly alive in our culture." So in a nutshell this article touches on the definition of modernism and according to Greenberg it is, "using the characteristic methods of a discipline to criticize the discipline itself." He talks about how many believe modernism to be a rebellion against the Roman catholic church or a breakaway from traditional ideals. But he doesn't see it that way. He talks about how he believes modernism isn't a rebellion or liberation from 'classical art'. It is simply a self awakening process. 

Aesthetic Autobiography

positivity positivity positivity

SO in my adult life I have only spent one winter in an area where snow and cold is constant. It was in 2014; I was in school, on a dance team and lived with my best friends! Also it was a super mild winter(blessed!!!) This most recent 2016 winter was only my second experience in the cold and lucky me it was a brutally cold one.

Growing up we always lived near a beach (east coast I miss you) and never got to fully experience sledding, skiing, snowboarding or actual real ice skating. And like I was totally fine with it. But like, yeah sometimes I wished I could be a cute ski bum just like Mary-Kate and Ashley in their Olympic road trip movie. Look how perfectly mis-matched they are, I love it (p.s. I braided my hair just like that and wore uber shiny lip gloss for basically all of 8th grade, thank you twins). 

But in reality I will always choose sunshine over snow. I've never really had good training on how to cope during the cold months. Because of that, this winter was really bad for me. I'm recently married, living an hour from all my friends/family, I shut myself in, felt awful, and basically hibernated until I could see the sun again. Basically, I had S.A.D.=Seasonal Affective Disorder. I had all the symptoms:

• Feel sad, grumpy, moody, or anxious.
• Lose interest in your usual activities.
• Sleep more but still feel tired.
• Have trouble concentrating

It was awful and I didn't realize that I was suffering so badly until I basically broke down in March. There is so much that I can get into but that would take five years. The sadness I felt over those months was so bad that it really started effecting my relationships with friends and family, which was NOT okay with me. So I signed up for dance classes, wrote letters, painted more, did a little bit of retail therapy(wow it seriously boosted my happiness when I bought some happy springtime clothes)(side note: maybe I need to wear more color in the winter...) So anyway, I am feeling so totally happy today and I felt like I needed to get this written down. I'm documenting this so I can remember how affected I am by the lack of sunlight in my life. I want to remember how awful I felt so I can take action to never have to feel that way ever again in the coming winters. I mean, unless we end up in Southern California or something haha 

best sunset of my whole entire week no lie

Mike and I haven't put on our backpacks since PANAMA like four months ago. We are going on a backpacking trip this weekend-tonight actually!-so we decided to break them out and get used to the weight before we head out. We filled our packs with random heavy stuff from our apartment like shoes, books, my Polaroid and even mike's 10lb weight haha. 

We wanted to hike the 'Living Room' hike by the Utah Natural History Museum but we couldn't find it....well Mike thought that he knew where to go but he hadn't hiked it for like 6 years so we just kind of ran around. We ended up hiking straight up the side of a mountain only to find the path that led up to the actual Living room hike. 

The view was so spectacular. I love watching sunsets, they change so quickly yet seem so slow. It really reminds me to pause and admire the beauty of this amazing earth! This sunset was especially spectacular because of the hot pink hue that reflected off of the lake in the distance. 

Just GORGEOUS!

In Awe of Nature

click here to view: In Awe of Nature

This video encompasses the experiences I've had in nature over the past year. These shots include some of the most wild jungles, pristine beaches and vibrant colored rocks. I have recorded some important experiences concerning specific shots. They are listed in chronological order according to the video.


San Blas Islands, PANAMA: Walking across the white sand, speckled with dirt and bits of coconuts. We were in the middle of the Caribbean on these tiny islands, it felt like we were on another planet because of the feeling of isolation. We sat in the sand and watched the clouds roll across the horizon. We could see tropical storms way off in the distance, raining down on another cluster of islands. It was so secluded and so beautiful. The islands were some of the most rugged beauty I had ever experienced.

Tayrona National Park, COLOMBIA: I snapped this shot of the mountainous scene while my husband and I were trekking through the jungle to find our beach where we were to camp in hammocks for the night. It was a hot, blistering trek but we didn't care because of the overwhelmingly wild nature surrounding us.

Draper, UTAH: I captured these clouds engulfing the mountain while driving home from work. I was in awe of how I was watching the water cycle in motion in real time! I was also reminded and humbled that I live so close to these majestic mountains. So close that I can even climb them anytime I want!

St. George, UTAH: Driving through the red rocks on our way to St. George, I was mesmerized by the colors in each mountain range. The reds were so vibrant and the blues so calming. It made a perfect color palette.

Salt Lake City, UTAH: The cherry blossoms at the State Capitol building were finally opening up to the springtime sun. These tiny flowers lifted my spirits and gave me a burst of hope for the future days. The long presence of winter had effected my mood and clouded my optimism. I went through major amounts of change during the snowy months of 2016. I came to realize that I truly gain so much energy, enthusiasm and joy from the sun. I am like a flower, without the sun I wilt and die. But with it I can bring joy to those around me.

Tayrona National Park, COLOMBIA: This sunset time lapse was shot at our lodge where we camped in hammocks for the night. We sat in our hammocks for about 2 hours just watching the sun dip slowly beneath the horizon. The colors danced and melted along the mountains, the palm trees swayed as if they were drunk and the waves crashed ceaselessly on the shore. I was crying as I looked over this view. I had never seen any sunset more touching than this one.

San Blas Islands, PANAMA: These tropical fish were part of an unforgettable experience. It was my turn to do the dishes from our group dinner on our little sailing boat. We were parked next to a gorgeous set of islands and the sun was starting to set. I began scrubbing the pots and pans when suddenly I found 3 or 4 neon yellow fish swimming around my feet. They were eating the scraps of food I had scrubbed off into the water. These 4 fish turned into 7 which attracted about 20 more. They danced and flitted about, fighting over the food scraps. It was such a surreal experience: me doing the dishes, something I do every single day being a college student in Provo, but now I am in the middle of the Caribbean, surrounded by more dishes and tropical fish. I felt so in shock that I was able to be in that situation, off the coast of Panama, doing the dishes with the fishes.

St. George, UTAH: This shot was taken in between rock climbing sessions at Chuckwalla. It was such an interesting experience, watching humans climb up literal walls and rocks of the earth. It was very humbling doing the actual climbing as well. It was as if I was breaking the rules with Mother Nature, hooking into her sides and gripping tiny holes just to get to the top. But on the other hand, it was as if I became closer to her because of this challenge. After I made it to the top, I looked out over the rocks and mountains, seeing the same view in a whole new way. A mixture of triumph and gratitude swept over me.

Valle de Cocora, COLOMBIA: This unreal view was set in the Valley of Wax palms in Salento Colombia. "Cocora" was the name of a Quimbayan princess, daughter of the local chief Acaime, and means "star of water". This special valley is part of the Los Nevados National Natural Park. This is the only place in the world that you can find these giant palms. We hiked through here with friends and when we could finally see through the mist, we all became silent. It was such a mystical experience, seeing these massive trees tower over us and the mountains! 

Cabo, MEXICO: Mike and I were lucky enough to have a place to stay in Mexico for our honeymoon. We were sleepy, sweaty from the August heat, and so relaxed on this boat ride we took around the famous arch. These rugged rocks were treacherous and imposing and yet complimented the soft sand and quiet waves in a peculiar way. This boat ride and the crashing waves in the following shot both carry wonderful emotions: happiness to be married to my sweetheart, joyful gasps from seeing the sun set against the ocean, contentment from a belly full of fish tacos, and excitement for the future adventures to come.

To end on:

Amazon Jungle, ECUADOR: This night is definitely the most intense experience I have ever had in nature. It was so magical and peaceful. The sun had set but there was still light reflecting against the river. The sunset was a simple purple and pink but it reflected against the palm trees and made it seem as if we were on another planet. Then during our night hike, the world seemed even more alien. Since the river water was so high it was an actual fact that we were swimming amongst the tree tops. We drove in our boat in between the tree tops like we were flying. It was so unreal. When I think back to it my hands shake and I get goosebumps. It was the closest I have felt to space, heaven and nothingness or 'nirvana'. I think my favorite moment was when the light faded, the misty night clouds opened up and millions of tiny stars glittered across the entire sky! That evening was just so incredible I was speechless for the rest of the night. It was truly magic.

Washington D.C. memory with Mimi

Ok I'm in the process of organizing my photos that are all jumbled in my Google drive. I've got some hilarious 2011 sepia toned treasures on there that maybe I'll share someday...... Anyway so I found all these photos from a super quick D.C. trip and I wanted to put words to this memory before I forget. 

So way back in August 2014 I visited my family and we took a trip up to D.C. to visit our Temple. It was super quick like we were there for 48 hours I think-but so memorable. I had just met Mike like a month before and was still in a twitterpated state of mind. That's why I'm so smiley in all these pics. Lol actually maybe it's because I was so tan.

 ANYWAYS so we stayed at our cousin's and I can't remember why JJ and my parents were busy but anyway there was an afternoon where I grabbed Mimi and we explored the city together, just us girls!

 D.C. has always felt really familiar because of all of our trips up here growing up. But we have never actually been to any other museum/place of interest besides the National Gallery & Smithsonian because we're all ART FREAKS. So my lil' sis and I parallel parked like a boss so we could go to the Zoo! 

It was way fun walking around in the jungle with Mimi. We had our brother's nice camera so we snapped a ton of photos while we strolled by the tigers. 

My sweet parents posing for yet another Temple shot. We probably have like 35480283742983 of these same shots. It would be fun to find them all and collage dem pics. *writing to do list item now*

 

These next shots were taken the same day as our Temple visit, but for some reason AGAIN Mimi and I were alone and took off together to see the Washington Monument & Lincoln Memorial. We ran around all hyper because we were alone again, just us girls! Mimi was practicing her photography and so being the entertainer and complete HAM that I am, I gladly was her model. 

I had so much fun with Mimi on both days when it was just us. We bonded and got to know each other on a whole new level because like she's all grown up now and going through things I went through right at her age. And we're also cognitively aware enough to ask for advice and share things. Ugh, that weekend was just so perfect! I can't wait to see her again and have more girl time memories!

HAHAHAHA I'm so annoying it's not even hilarious.