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.