brittany on originality.

i know a lot of us have trouble coming up with ideas that we feel (& we feel our professors will feel...) are original. so i wanted to share this site Blaine shared with me that made me feel a whole hell of a lot better...

who wore it better.

Constantin Brâncuși Sleeping Muse  ::  Roy Lichtenstein Sleeping Muse

Jeff Wall  A Sudden Gust of Wind :: Katsushika Hokusai Travellers Caught in a Sudden Breeze at Ejiri

a lot of them are directly commenting on the other piece (like the two above) while some appear to be nothing more than coincidence.

a few years ago while in New Orleans we visited the studio of a guy named Steve Martin. he showed us these figurative wire sculptures he had displayed. then a time later, came to find out that Alexander Calder had basically already done that exact same thing years ago. & i decided that i no longer liked Steve Martin. it was all way too derivative of Calder, (& also Picasso in his other work) right? but in reality like Mr. Dickey always says "art is not made in a vacuum". everyones work is influenced by the past, some artists are just a lot more upfront about it.

i also made a playlist of covers i like that surely nobody will ever watch.

covers.

(also. the Real Estate video is a clip from a film called Submarine i recently watched, enjoyed & recommend.)

Here are some videos. BAM!

I remember when Kanye was just a cool guy making music. I still love him though his ego has grown tremendously. I ran across some of his older videos & decided to post the ones that have illustration & typography.

Then there's this fancy video that's also informative (If you're curious about what it means)

And lastly this!

Okay, that's the end. 

- Desi

brittany about bauhaus

so we just talked about Bauhaus a bit in 20th century this week. It's something i was a bit familiar with after a presentation i did in my literature class (not entirely sure how i got away w/ that topic but anyways...) it was such an influential school & so many great things came of it, things that are still so present & relevant today. I found this cute little video to sum things up for anyone unfamiliar.

 

the following pieces are just a couple random ones i saw on my tumblr & wanted to share by Josef Albers & Paul Klee respectively. (both of whom taught at Bauhaus)
Josef Albers is someone i think i personally could benefit from reading up on. I never really thought his work was "exciting" so i never really sought it out but looking at it now it feels much more important & special than i initially realized. 

Albers also went on to teach at Black Mountain College which has always seemed to me this like... mythological playground for talented people.

Albers teaching at Black Mountain College

anyway! all that to say... so many notable artists attended school at Bauhaus & at Black Mountain College & so many have studied together at places like Yale (where Albers ALSO taught). I just find it endlessly fascinating the connections you can draw between successful artists from way back whether it be through their muses (like Joanna Hiffernan w/ Whistler & Courbet), locations (like Provence), educational institutions or through personal relationships (the list goes on).

i think the whole synthesis thing has been a bit of an abrupt challenge for some of us (myself included), trying to figure out what our voice is especially as we're exploring all these different disciplines, but we're lucky to be in a place where we're able to get so much one-on-one feedback from professors & i think these two schools provide a very good, healthy example of how interacting with not only your teachers but your peers can create an environment that just... swirls with artistic energy. like, i know some of us were iffy last semester (again, myself included) about these collaborative projects the newbies are being allowed to execute but i think the faculty may be onto something in getting us to bounce ideas off one another & have a hand in something that's kind of bigger than ourselves. ...if that makes any sense but i also think there has to be a certain amount of freedom in it & willingness and energy on our part to learn & share knowledge, and feed off one another to create things.
okay. end rant. sorry.

here's a little playlist i made of a few related videos

i knew anybody scrolling the blog probably won't watch
unless they care enough to click this link.

extras

Also "MichaelBlackwoodProd" has like some REALLY good clips of artists in the flesh.

Steven tries something a little different.

Ok, so I ran across a couple of videos this week. It has nothing to do with Legos or music. One is a guy who paints in 3D. The other is a dance routine.


You may want to watch this one larger. Here's the link: http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=painting%203d%20fish&sm=3

This one is a dance routine done with light. Now imagine how awesome a dance routine has to be to catch my attention. I can only provide the link. You will have to log in to Facebook to watch it, as I can find no other way to link it, and I cannot find it on Youtube.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=724612390907002

Here's a screenshot...

Enjoy.

Enjoy! from Amber

Whew, I haven't posted anything in forever. Y'all are doing a great job! I've totally been slacking though. Well, here's my contribution for this week. I've been wanting to post it for a while now, but I just kept forgetting. Before you watch it, be warned that it could be offensive to some. It's a fantastically clever French commercial that promotes safe sex practices. It's just as funny now as it was when I first found it years ago. The animation is hilarious! Just watch....

twilley has to do an installation.

i figure anyone in 20th century like me could probably use some inspiration for their installation & i really loved the idea of this piece so i thought i'd share.

“In 2003 a building housing the Massachusetts Mental Health Center (MMHC) was slated for demolition to make way for updated facilities. The closure was a time for reflection & remembrance as the MMHC had been in operation for over 9 decades and had touched countless thousands of patients and employees alike, & the pending demolition presented a unique problem. How does one memorialize a building impossibly rich with a history of both hope & sadness, and do it in a way that reflects not only the past but also the future? And could this memorial be open to the public, not as a speech, or series of informational plaques, but as an experience worthy of they building’s unique story?
To answer that question artist Anna Schuleit was commissioned to do the impossible. After an initial tour of the facility she was struck not with what she saw but with what she didn’t see: the presence of life & color. While historically a place of healing, the drab interior, worn hallways, & dull paint needed a respectful infusion of hope. With a limited budget & only three months of planning Schuleit & an enormous team of volunteers executed a massive public art installation called Bloom. The concept was simple but absolutely immense in scale. Nearly 28,000 potted flowers would fill almost every square foot of the MMHC including corridors, stairwells, offices & even a swimming pool, all of it brought to life with a sea of blooms. The public was then invited for a limited 4-day viewing as a time for needed reflection & rebirth.”

here's a video of the progression of the project if you are interested, but it is lengthy.
Bloom by Anna Schuleit
if not i recommend at least this link to more photographs & an interview with the artist.
Colossal Interview.

twilley loves jazz & gingers.

so this is Out Getting Ribs by a kid named Archy (how fitting) Marshall, also known as King Krule. the first time i heard this song, it gave me chills. i love his voice. also the name must be a Basquiat reference which of course catches my attention. anyway he's been getting pretty popular lately & i wanted to share. & here is Portrait in Black & Blue, another song of his that cemented his awesomeness in my mind.

also speaking of Basquiat, thanks to Bobby i recently watched the movie about him (in which non other than David Bowie plays Warhol) & of course, it was so interesting to get a look into the life of an artist, especially one of young fame who struggled with so many things. here's a clip of the real Basquiat. (sorry the quality only like 2 pixels)

Warhol & Basquiat from the shoot.

& because now i'm feeling a little jazzy.
here is one of my favorite pieces of jazz. ENJOY!

Catching Up! (Malory)

Hey Everybody! 

I've only posted once before so I'm going to post a lot of stuff to catch up :) Sorry for the randomness in advance...This is just a compilation of things I think are interesting.

This is a EXCELLENT! (for those of you in figure drawing, *note it only has one exclamation mark) artist/ playlist... Hope you enjoy it as much as I do! :)
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k3pltmw6cmI&list=PL3189322E103D4F70#aid=P-BJlh2V0EQ

This is a good one, specifically.

I recently liked this page on facebook, and they are always posting great artwork! I would recommend it!
http://weirdtalesmagazine.com/


In my search for inspiration I came across this website.  Very inspiring! There's alot of artists listed on the website. I have included a link to one artist I found that inspired me personally.
http://www.brooklynstreetart.com/theblog/#.Uwgg5pLVCSp

http://www.flickr.com/photos/btoy/with/8656683513/

For the procrastinator: I found this book a long time ago and just recently looked through all the 'bookmarks' in my computer... And figured it would be appropriate to show here since probably someone out there hasn't started their process book.. http://shop.coolmaterial.com/products/to-do-notebooks-2pk 

While I may regret posting this video... I'm just curious if there's anyone out there that thinks it's crazy that this is a thing.  I saw this clip on Tosh.0 (I think) and was left questioning life. Hahah.  Anyways I also (re)found it in my 'bookmarks' the other day. That's when I noticed to the side where related videos are located, there is actually 15 minute video (which is even more odd in a weird sexual way.. I don't even know.)  And THEN I realized not only was there a 15 minute long video of that clip... but there is like A LOT of people who partake in this style of dance (?) I'm just posting the small clip, research if you feel the need. :P

ANYWAYS.. the other day I signed up for study abroad info in the caf and received an e-mail about this volunteer work in Thailand! http://www.art-relief.blogspot.com/ Very cool and inspiring message about art and its power. Considering it, if I win the lottery!

On a Completely different note I will end this blog post with this ridiculously cute pig  http://hellogiggles.com/piglet-uses-a-tiny-wheelchair-made-from-knex

 ,this picture:

Check out that cat...lol.

and a 20 minute long movie that is so great I can't even not post it.. Be inspired.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wI1NIYQHyVM

Hope yall liked everything :)

Kacey Mann
I thought this was cool!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ovvk7T8QUIU

Free Design Work

So, I ran across this thing this morning and thought it was hilarious. It's an exchange between a designer and a client who doesn't pay. In case it turns out too small, here's the link:
http://www.tickld.com/x/i-wish-i-worked-with-this-manhes-hilarious

Also, I was listening to my favorite song while I posted this and ran across a video for it made by a fan. It seems like a lot of effort for a hobby, but he obviously has talent. Again, here's the link for the bigger video on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MYLGfPRmeNE

Just for good measure, here's a few more Eddie Izzard lego bits...

CAKE OR DEATH: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZVjKlBCvhg

DO YOU HAVE A FLAG? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hYeFcSq7Mxg

ROMANS, CARTHAGINIANS AND ELEPHANTS: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=smN4_9PwZOw

- Steven Kendrick

Funny for a Monday - Rebecca

Epic Rap Battles of History 

Bob Ross vs Pablo Picasso 

twilley made a playlist.

i intended on posting this playlist with the girls post but i forgot.

it's just a bunch of awesome ladies, musicians & artists i could think of to share.

skip around, whatever, enjoy!

twilley's playlist.

*i'm not crazy about the milk thing Alexa Meade is doing but i still thought it was an okay video to share. i read an article about her in Nylon magazine years ago & thought the idea behind her work was very interesting, the idea of collapsing a three dimensional space to look like a 2-D plane. here, is an example...

she paints directly onto her subjects skin & then she photographs them & their surroundings resulting in an image that would appear to simply be a photograph of a 2-dimensional painting. also... the end of the Elinor Carucci video is just her talking about paper so you might wanna skip that but she is just someone i came across on tumblr & i thought her photographs were pretty beautifully done.

I can't think of a title... so yeah...

Tim Hawkins is a really guy, so I think you guys would enjoy this. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pANlbQniR1w

Yeah.

This is still relatively confusing. I've been wanting to post stuff, but I wasn't sure how. UNTIL NOW :)  (and hopefully I'll be less confused next time...a big hopefully)

Anyway here are some things that I found interesting.

 

I found this funny because it mimics those serious [insert addiction] posters.

Grover copying a Old Spice Commercial. 

A serious topic that has a happy ending. The imagery in this is what made me watch the whole thing. I honestly hate the "arms of an angel" animal abuse commercials. And then there are stars who help promote such campaigns (either because they care or they are paid). This however seems stronger simply because its all images.  

Last one guys :) 

I don't think I can take this... I'm just throwing that out there. 

------- Des

Something to think about-Rebecca

Is the web browser replacing the art gallery?
For the past 200 years, the gallery has been the home of new and cutting-edge art, a place where the art community can come together and share new ideas. But in this episode, we ask: is the web browser replacing the gallery as the best place to view amazing, cutting-edge art?!? In the era of the internet, you can view remarkable art from the comfort of your laptop. Accessible to virtually everyone, web art does away with the physical limitations of the gallery and makes impossibly cool art a part of our daily lives! 

from Patti

Okay - here goes nothing.  I found this site that someone had sent me. I thought it was cool. Could be an idea for 20th Century Art History Installation. 

http://www.viralnova.com/beach-art/

For all of us who grew up in the 50's to 80's  welcome to my youth -

http://vimeo.com/52231459

twilley digs a little jay-z.

so... it's been brought to my attention that this song is a lot more about status than art appreciation but i can forgive that because i like it anyway & i think that this video is great & includes a lot of cameos by contemporary creative minds (including a few cast members from GIRLS! :)

 

the idea for the video was inspired by performance artist Marina Abramovic who is kind of one of my favorites... she's limitless in her ideas, & commits herself fully to her work which i totally admire. she's also a little funny to me...

twilley was a spice girls fan.

after last week's media assignment & starting to think about things that are inextricable when it comes to who we are & the content of the art we end up making... one of, i think, the most obvious factors for many of us in the class is being a girl! & trying to make it as an artist. (my apologies to anyone this post alienates *coughstevecough*).
it's not something i planned but i feel fortunate to be in an environment where i'm surrounded by so many talented young women (& fellas) where our viewpoints are embraced & encouraged in finding our voices as artists regardless of gender & how much or how little that plays an active role in the work that we make. I also found an interesting point in that it is up to each of us to tell our own stories because nobody else can & besides, what else do we truly know?
So speaking of girls, one of my favorite shows is HBO's GIRLS despite the controversy over it's lack of diversity & regardless of how true that is lol i kind of adore Lena Duhnam & admire her success...

Kacey Mann 

Coffee painting of Audrey Hepburn! I just thought this quick video was amazing!!! I want to do something like this for fun!!  These videos made me go YAY!!!/ watercolor

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VOfePvzW1ts

These videos made me go YAY!!!/ watercolor

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2oR_l5Aw1ns

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1aS8LgglLsk 

from Patti

Okay - this may be a first and a last blog - Just lost everything I just wrote.  %#!!!#.  I am too old and too set in  my ways.  I am on the down slope of life - so I only read and watch what interests me.  Just remember - what goes around comes around so some things you see as new - I've seen before - maybe just under a different name or venue.  It is good to explore and wonder and make life choices and ponder....you never stop learning, however, I've found my moral compass and values and at this stage ...my feet are planted.  My one suggestions - if you are going to watch anything - try PBS.  They have good theatre - Masterpiece Classics like Downton Abby and the Mid-wife.  Excellent musical programs - enjoy the classical and symphonies.  The art 21 series are excellent.  And Sesame Street is good for a simple no brainer - who doesn't like Big Bird!  And read the Bible it has all the drama, vengeance, vice, forgiveness, poetry, musicality and it knows man.  For even though the material values, products, sites, etc. have changed....man has not changed from the beginning.  We still are consumed by the seven deadly sins....that we tend to repeat over and over.   Everyone is still looking for a loop-hole.  You all are young - go explore - find yourselves - but keep your moral compass with you at all times.  Keep an even keel - and you'll fair well.

Crossdressing comedians reimagined in Legos, and meat flowing through a tube.

If you are reading this, two things are true:

1. I figured out how to post here.

2. I didn't screw it up.

I've never used a blog. Never really had a need for one. Seemed about as useful as learning to crochet. For this first post (or attempt at a post,) I will just share a couple of my favorite videos ever, and see how it goes.

The first is simply one of Eddie Izzard's comedy skits, brought to life with Legos. It also happens to be one of the funniest things I've ever seen. The second is the video for "Sober," by Tool. It's an older song, but the imagery in the video is my favorite of all time.

Enjoy.

Death Star Canteen

Tool - "Sober"

You know what? That was so easy I think I will throw in another video. As I typed the title, I was reminded of the song "Imagine" by John Lennon. Of course, I prefer the version by A Perfect Circle. They added an ominous feel to it. 

(*The singer in A Perfect Circle is the same guy from Tool: Maynard James Keenan. He is also in the band "Puscifer." Busy guy...)

"Imagine" - A Perfect Circle

On Bed Rest

As I am sick in bed with a terrible sinus infection I was watching youtube videos and came across this really cool one.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_jfS2rybDOg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uJq3FgLvhPc



This is one of my favorites:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n2GvZHvJ90o

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZTUV54VHuE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_4B3rbjAaw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BYwjRsNFW6M

I love how this artist mixes art, music, and dance!!! LOVE It

From Christina

Malory! :)

I really love to travel, so in my hunt to find a cool place to visit, I came across this website.  I'm posting an article specific to art.  However this website has a lot of neat articles and places in the world you would of never thought existed!

http://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/art-saved-in-world-war-2

On a totally different note.  I found this artist who uses shattered glass to create art! And so I googled deeper to find this art exhibition that's all about glass art. Below are two more links that show that exhibition.

http://www.thisiscolossal.com/2013/02/shattered-glass-animals-by-marta-klonowska/

http://www.glasstress.org/home

http://www.modernism.ro/2011/11/14/glastress-2011-a-world-of-glass-at-the-venice-biennale/

Hope everyone enjoys looking through the links! :)

This is Amber! :D

Since the subject of music has been introduced by Twilley, I'd like to share a musical work of art that is a continual source of inspiration for me. I find it to be oddly tragic and uplifting at the same time. It's funny how music can change how you feel. This song is from the movie Cloud Atlas, which I highly recommend.

Hope you enjoy!

Brittany Twilley digs Emily Kai Bock.

& you might too.
After looking up the music video professor Alex brought up in class on Wednesday, Arcade Fire's Afterlife, it's awesomeness made perfect sense when I realized it was directed by none other than Emily Kai Bock.  this is her. & her camera.
There are clips of some of her other big projects in the video above, including her videos for Grimes' Visions & Majical Cloudz' Childhood's End (from one of my favorite albums of 2013).
Here's a personal favorite...

TIL NEXT TIME...

Brittany Twilley says Hello

so i'll be the nerd to start this page off & post a few things...

A big part of this whole seminar class is kind of based around the idea of teaching us to engage in conversation about art & actively explore what's going on within our world. Unfortunately, I've noticed it's not always so easy to strike conversation with peers around the topic of art (especially contemporary art) unless it's in direct relation with some in class assignment. So in thinking about what to post today I wanted to relate art to music, something present in nearly all of our daily lives & something I personally enjoy probably just as much as I enjoy visual art (too bad I wasn't born musically inclined).

Since Warhol & the Velvet Underground (probably even before), visual artists have been developing a pretty notable relationship with music.

take a look at some of these album covers...

Lady Gaga's ARTPOP | Jeff Koons

Sonic Youth's Daydream Nation | Gerhard Richter

Katy Perry's Teenage Dream | Will Cotton

the Velvet Underground's the Velvet Underground & Nico | Andy Warhol

the Rolling Stones' Sticky Fingers | Andy Warhol

Talking Head's Speaking in Tongues | Robert Rauschenberg

Patti Smith's Horses | Robert Mapplethorpe

Grizzly Bear's Shields (& B Sides cover too) | Richard Diebenkorn

Glasser's Ring | Tauba Auerbach

There are plenty other examples but the point, is that we see fine art in more places than we maybe even realize. I encourage you guys to check out some of the music & especially artists above if you haven't!

This last one, Glasser's Ring, brings me to one of my favorite contemporary artists, Tauba Auerbach, who's relationship with musician Cameron Mesirow went beyond this album cover. Check out their collaboration...