Rebecca Carlton

 

Rebecca Carlton's work was different than what I thought it would be. When I first saw the image of her "Are We Listening?" installation, I thought the shadows on the ground would have as much to do with the concept as the actual physical installation. It made me think of languages we are losing. The shadows looked like faded, fuzzy memories of languages that hang above them. I was a little surprised when she didn't mention the shadows. I also thought there were a few things that were a big part of the installation and what is stands for, that were not considered. I wonder what she did for languages that stretch across multiple countries? How did she decide which country to put on the bird along with the language if there were multiple countries encapsulating the language? 

Overall though I was more impressed and excited than disappointed. "Are We Listening?" is my favorite and I'm excited to see what that looks like finished. I was also very intrigued by the process in making "Sonoran Circumvolution" with the light coming through the metal installations in the desert. 

Something else that I really liked about her talk was the way she approaches art with her audience. The little social exercise we did at the beginning was great. She also said that she thinks "it's important to know how something is made." This is a refreshing contrast to some artists that keep their process a complete secret on purpose. Carlton's viewpoint is a lot more accessible for everyone and it makes people more excited about being artists and talking about art.  

Bill Viola

 

Bill Viola is a very emotion based creator. He designs his installations to immerse the viewer into a process. the visuals on screen are often with water and people. Water plashing onto people. People coming out of and diving into water. Viola is concentrated on the unconscious. His work is meant to raise the unconscious out and onto the spotlight. Rising through a body of water is representational of finding a new way of looking at things. This experience is meant to provide a space for contemplation. What was under the surface for you? How does this make you feel? When you imagine a memory or emotion of yours as the subject coming out of the water is there a revelation there? 

For many people this may not be very solidified. The "thing" that comes up from the unconscious might not be a full thought. It may be just a feeling or a word or a color. This is something found within all of Viola's work. Each installation of humans going through an experience. Having water in each project is a way to make the art wide. The broaden the experience for the viewer. 

I feel a sense of longing when looking at The Raft. At the end when everyone helps each other up, I feel a longing for a similar human connection.

I feel a sense of sadness when looking at The Messenger. The recycling of a person coming up and back down seems to end once the person has sunk all the way down. The looping ends when the person perhaps drowns. 

I feel a sense of freeness when looking at The Crossing. I can only imagine being the one under the water droplets and then an intense shower relentlessly falling on me. Joy, like Summer joy. 

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Mock-up

For this mock-up I first sought out to find some spots on campus that I thought would be a good place for my installation. I wanted to find a spot that people would walk by. Something easily accessible and possibly in a place that would encourage people to stop for a moment and mess with the installation. I though Wriston would be the best place because it has a couple nooks but it also has students who hang out a little bit. Finding a spot where students and faculty would be passing by and standing around to talk seems like a good place. The 1st and 3rd picture seem like the most space for an installation. I could find a pretty large table and set it all up there. 

This is a quick drawing of what it would look like from the top and the side. I want to loosely paint on card board with glued attached to it. Then put up a sign that directs the participant to move the tiles around in any way they want. I am also still considering another 3D element like little toys or small shapes.

Final Project Proposal

 

This is here so we have a poster-child. I will talk about it later

My final project will have something to do with maps. There are two different directions that I want to take it and I am deciding between the two. 

I thought having an interactive map somewhere on campus. Something pretty accessible that wont be in the way all the time. I think a challenge here would be getting people to actually interact with it. Finding interest and meaning in the way they organize the map will be up to me but there's that. Maps are composition and I want to see what compositions people come up with on their own. Perhaps a Settlers of Catan board in a common space. That would be pretty simple. I would also have to make sure no one put my installation away.

The other idea is where I create a large scale map on my own with any material I want. It might be interesting to find things around that no one wants, however, I don't know how I would fuse it to the map. I will have to make sure it is an installation and not just a drawing. Any advice on that end would be very helpful. 

These first two images have been online Catan boards that were either games or just me messing around with composition.

These are a couple of my paintings from home that I often think of as maps. I've been wondering how I could incorporate this art style into my installation. Again, it cant be a painting. So translating it to installation is hard.

These are all maps from Pinterest that I love a lot. Especially the last one with its borders. Fantasy maps are all about composition I feel. So this is the place I go for shape relational inspiration. 

Artist inspirations: 

Works by Willem DeKooning (also maps in general)

Some later paintings of his. (later meaning after the 50s)