Small Study in Fabric-Mary Buchanan

Mark Making, Organic Processes and Fiber

India Flint

Alice Anne - Artist Statement 2

Alice Anne Ellis – Artist Statement

I am interested in exploring the spectrum of meaning found in writing, particularly handwriting.

At one end of the spectrum, people read and write with fluency and comprehension in a common language. Towards the other end, a small child "copies" an adult's writing with a scribble, with no understanding of the shape or meaning of the letters, yet insists that it is "writing." In between are many shades of understanding and meaning. Unlike the child, an illiterate adult knows what letters are, but can't read. I recognize some words in Spanish, and I am familiar with all the letters, but I can't read Spanish. Sometimes, even among people who write in the same language, communication is clouded by obscure handwriting.

The purpose of writing is also varied. Usually, it's used to convey complex communication. Sometimes it's used as a mark of ownership, like the paint daubed on a sheep's fleece by a farmer. Sometimes the act of writing was used as a punishment, as when the school boy was told to write 100 "lines" in the hope that the boring task would act as a deterrent, and the content ("I must always follow school rules and must always reply to my teacher in a respectful manner") would sink into his brain.

What is writing but marks? The marks themselves have rhythms and connotations. "O" is like the shape a mouth makes when a person says "O." "W" looks like the waves in water. A paragraph has its own texture. We may only become aware of that texture when the meaning of the words is obscured. Obfuscation of one lens brightens another.

Studio-MLMattax Blog

There isn’t much on there yet, but I have it started!

http://studio-mlmattax.blogspot.com/

MLMattax

Mary Buchanan-Revised Statement

Using icon as content and formalist qualities to convey mood I venture to comment on being and feeling human. Nonspecific overlapping silhouettes are a frame of reference for greater  detail. Unfastened earrings, walkers, and symbolic crosses suggest human aid and vulnerability. Softer color, yielding materials and restorative stitching create an atmosphere of emotion and uncertainty. Being both very real and at the same time completely vulnerable defines the opposing nature of our reality.

Studio Notes / Crit!

We will have a comprehensive critique on Wednesday, April 25 at 4:30 pm at Artspace. 


Plan to bring:


*media experiments
*relevant research sketches for this course this semester
*all larger work completed for this course this semester
*artist statement to post with your work / read aloud
*tape/sticky back for hanging work on wall and/or push pins, if necessary for hanging (we 
      hope to minimize damage to gallery walls as a new show opens on Friday)


*food and drink to share, if you wish


Please comment on this post to confirm your participation, ask questions, make suggestions, etc. I am very psyched to see everyone's work!

Muses in a Grid

This needs to be toned down a bit. My husband said it looked like an album cover......! However, I have enjoyed the freewheeling license.

Hedgehogs & foxes

24"x38" is the size...I am considering with the way the image below the hedgehog resembles an instrument, I am going to add text to reference the subject matter in a more compelling way...

-Andrew

Infiltration by Katherine Cox

Megan,

I am thinking about your root systems and although your work is very different I thought you may be interested in this.

Mary B.

Try Me_Chiharu Shiota

I was drawn to the pieces of Chiharu Shiota at try me because of the imagery in the work.  I have been struggling with a sculptural idea based off of an knit sweater made for a young girl.  Shiota’s work captured the fragility of the garment in non-obtrusive manner, which is an issue I have with my sculptural work.  When researching the artist I found an installation work from the same time period which also deals with the same imagery; again l enjoyed how she used the space to enhance the work, but did not sacrifice the delicate nature of the subject.  The work also reminded me of the work of Anselm Kiefer, who has also been a great influence on my sculptural work.    

The first image from Try Me is “Untitled” by way of Amie.

The second image also from Try call “Untitled_Childrens dress” by way of Amie.

The 3^rd image is from Chiharu Shiota’s website ( http://www.chiharu-shiota.com/index.html  )

The last image is a sketch I’ve been working on for the sculptural piece mentioned before.  I found this particular piece of clothing when cleaning out old boxes after my mother’s death.  I asked her mother about the piece and she did not recognize it so I figured it had to belong to my dad’s sister and it just happened to get mixed in with my mother’s things.  Upon asking my aunt about it we realized we did not know the origins of the garment, but we both felt too sentimental about the object to get rid of it.  It was still sentimental to us even though the sentiment had been lost.  I wanted to juxtapose this idea of “lost sentiment” with the feeling I had when I broke my mother Frankoma tea pitcher, which I would classify as a “sentimental lose” since I could very easily buy another tea pitcher off of ebay that look exactly like hers, but when I did to this it actally made me feel even worse about the broken object and caused me to miss my mother’s fresh brewed tea.

-MLMattax

Try Me_Jorge Mayet

When looking at the work of Jorge Mayet at Try Me I was moved by the silent world that was create.  Along with the image that was featured in gallery and a selected image from http://o-ze.com/jorge-mayet/ , I have also included 2 image from a series of experiments I have been working on which also deal with the idea of silence and solitude.

The first image from Try Me is “Untitled (Las 3 Islas)”.

The second image is from Jorge Mayet series “The art of trees”

The last two image are of my own experiments.

-MLMattax

Media Studies-Mary T. Buchanan

Mary Buchanan Blog Link

I have modified my statement within this blog. I will continue to adjust the text as my work evolves. I have posted several images created during this course but it is necessary to scroll down and click "see older posts" to view them all.

Oil Stick on Canvas, 28" x 31", Mary Buchanan

I would appreciate some feedback on this. I have a some board and thought I would make a few more with slightly different subject matter.

Studio Notes

Reminder : Aggie Zed and John Morgan will be presenting an exhibition and artist talk / slide lecture on their work at Westminster Canterbury this Thursday. Please RSVP today, Wednesday, if you plan to attend! So far, Mary is the only name I know to add to the list at the gatehouse.

Read your artist statements aloud. Ask someone whose voice you'll really listen to to read it aloud to you. What do you hear? Can you follow it easily? Does it flow well AND communicate your intentions with clarity? If not, continue to revise!

I am available to meet anyone who needs a critical eye / help with blogger at the Lamplighter tomorrow at 5pm. If you plan to attend Aggie / John's lecture and would like to bring work to get feedback on afterwards, that's fine, too.

In the meantime, it is essential to:
*spell check your posts before you post them
*to sign your posts and comments!

Stay tuned for more info here on our final crit location!

Bizarre market

I visited the murals painted on the floodwall 

this past weekend during the Bizarre Market.  

It was quite a busy event and showed a 

diverse age range of attendees.

                                                                       -Andrew 

Andrew / Fox & Hedgehog

Here is the mixed-media panel that I just finished working on...I thought about using more repetition even though I took the focus off of making the forms on the outer edge fit together perfectly and focused more on creating transparency between layers...I also considered slightly altering the form of the bottom part of the large paper with the hedgehog image.  The vessel which the hedgehog sits on has a whimsical almost mysterious appearance due to the embellishments i added to adjoining mediums and original overall structure I had created with the lines.  I also added much texture to the black and white images around the edge to make them feel more influenced by elements experienced outdoors or 'in clouds'.  I welcome any and all thoughts and criticisms about the work.

-Andrew 

Materials Study

Triumvirate

Vinylhaven

"Snowshoes" by Alexandra Lakin

I appreciate that the figure was developed only as much as needed to create a sense of character.

This is being posted in reference to ideas about how much is enough.  Mary

Jennifer Lavonian- Animated Clip

Buffalo Milk Yogurt

I recently read about this work in Bomb magazine. Lavonian's art deals with the gentrification of our culture. I was just in a Whole Foods grocery store today which is why I chose to post this particular video. William Kentridge has been mentioned in this class and is referenced on the side bar on this blog.  I prefer Kentridge's drawing and think that his work has greater impact albeit his subject matter is much more serious.


Mary

Woodward / Revised Artist statement

Artist's Statement

Communication is key...communication is a key...what one speaks of, another may not understand or interpret similarly...what are the factors that make up our life...my artwork is very much about creating dialogue between the artwork and viewer about interpretation; how they personally respond to an idea that I present to them...how does that dialogue build up or break down based on content and presentation of the particular content, and how is that information altered by a viewers' own experiences?...my current work focuses on repetition with images taking the form of tessellations...while the shapes I create are very exact, the images that repeat themselves are free of perfection...I feel as though people formulate images in their head that over time change drastically or slight depending on different circumstances...sometimes things we do may even stick in our head for reasons we don't fully recognize or comprehend...Putting the pieces together and working with the given shape allows me to use that form to display content in a manner which allows the viewer to repeatedly engage with and experience every subtle nuance.

-Andrew Woodward 

Working on this - Alice Anne

This is what I'm working on at the moment, following the ideas about writing as marks. I can't resist the thought of putting in some foil, but I promise it will be very tiny!

Alice Anne

work in progress / Alice Anne

 

     The one on the left is finished I think. I worked on it some more and it has another layer of writing on drafter's vellum. I would like to give this a shiny finish, reminiscent of Japanese lacquer. What do you think? I was thinking of gloss acrylic varnish.

     The one on the right is an attempt to capture a heavy, windy snow storm in the woods. I wanted the paint and the shapes to do all the work by themselves, without subtleties to look real. But I think I may have ended up with an uneasy mixture of adherence to the medium (the "branches" are the cutouts from the negative shapes – with white behind – in the background) and realism. Maybe I can rescue it somehow?

Alice Anne

Studio Notes

There is much to see and do on the art front these days - the 1708 Auction Catch 22,  the G80 street art fair, The Senior and MFA shows at VCU and of course, most of all, the close of another MIS semester. Today is good time to post a revised artist statement and images of the current stage of affairs with your work.

If you are in need a face time please email me or comment here to make an appt - it can be arranged this afternoon after 4:30 at Lamplighter. It has it has a spacious covered porch and free wifi and is located on Addison, close the the expressway.

I look forward to seeing your work here or there. AO

RVA G40

More art than we can handle - but here it is - enjoy!

Meet the artists, photograph the murals, post on the blog - let us know what you think of street art and especially the mural you choose to document. This is not a requirement - but how could we miss this?

Summer Registration has begun!

visit  http://www.community.vcu.edu/programs/gradart/   

click on Summer Schedule of Classes" in the left hand column.

There are some locations listed as TBA (To Be Announced).  

Please check back on the website when looking for updates to 

TBA information.  We will post in formation as quickly as we receive it. 

As a reminder, there are 3 ways to pre-register: 

1.  Submit  the on-line form at  http://www.community.vcu.edu/programs/gradart/preregister.html   
2. Print and fax the form to 804.828.2756  (form available at the above website, click on:  "Download preregistration form [PDF]") 
3. Print and mail the form to VCU Off Campus Arts  P. O. Box 843062  Richmond, VA  23284-3062   
      
* If  you need to change a pre-registration that you've already submitted, please contact 

Eleanor Sharp in this office atesharp@vcu.edu, or via phone at 804-828-8831. 

Mark your calendars

Greetings everyone,

You are cordially invited to attend an Artist Lecture and Reception  at Westminster Canterbury Richmond on Thursday, April 19 at 7:00 PM, featuring John Morgan and Aggie Zed, our current H. Scott November Gallery exhibit, curated by Sally Bowring. John and Aggie will each present a slide lecture followed by a reception in the H. Scott November Gallery.  If you plan to come , RSVP via the comment link below. All guests to Westminster Canterbury enter at the Main Entrance at the Gatehouse and will receive a visitor pass before being  directed to Visitor Parking.

for more information:

Westminster Canterbury Richmond | Leslie Messersmith | IL Recreation Coordinator

P: 804.264-6268 | 1600 Westbrook Ave. Richmond, VA 23227

www.wcrichmond.org

Mixed Media Collage by Mark Feingold

Mark Feingold

Artist's Statements

Formatting an Artist’s Statement?

Mary mentioned this point in a comment. I am wondering what is the best format for an artist’s statement? I’ve seen different formats and suggested formulae. Is it better to say “I” or write it in the 3^rd person? It feels a bit silly writing in the 3^rd person, but I suppose it allows you to say factual things (like the “association with the V&A” below) without sounding boastful.

Artist's Statement by Sue Lawty (this is off the textile art web site)

     The work is rooted in an emotional, spiritual and physical engagement with the land, drawing on direct experiences of remote, raw and edgy landscape.
     Constructed pieces and drawings in two and three dimensions are abstract and minimal. They explore repetition and interval; investigating territories of expression in raphia, hemp, linen, lead, tiny stones or shadow.
     Lawty says of her work… 'I seek an understated restraint, balance, tension, rhythm. I seek to produce work that is essentially still'.
     An ongoing association with the Victoria and Albert Museum, London and an enduring interest in links between art and science, led to Lawty devising the World Beach Project. Open to anyone, anywhere, this global project is hosted by V&A Online. It celebrates the human desire to make pattern and speaks of time, place, geology and the base instinct of touch.

Fiber Artists of interest

Links to a site about art using textiles:

I was looking for some information about Leslie Millar (talk at Page Bond this week). Haven’t found any yet but, through ANOTHER Lesley Millar, I accidentally found this web site. Thought you  might be interested, Mary, if you haven’t come across it.

http://www.transitionandinfluence.com/

http://www.transitionandinfluence.com/gallery/home.html

Alice Anne

Page Bond Gallery: Artist Talk Prior To Opening Reception

SPECIAL ARTIST TALK PRIOR TO THE OPENING RECEPTION: NATIVE PLANTS OF VIRGINIA, BY ARTIST LESLIE MILLAR

ARTIST TALK
FRIDAY, APRIL 6
6:30 PM

OPENING RECEPTION
FOR THE ARTISTS
7 TO 9PM

Leslie Millar, Clock - Red Trillium,
(From The Virginia Flower Collection), 2012,
Encaustic on wood,
4 1/4 x 3 3/4 x 1 inches

PAGE BOND GALLERY
1625 WEST MAIN STREET
RICHMOND VIRGINIA 23220
P 804 359 3633

WWW.PAGEBONDGALLERY.COM
TUESDAY TO SATURDAY
11 TO 5PM
AND BY APPOINTMENT

invitation to attend CATCH 22 preview this Thursday, April 5th!

Greetings, everyone.
This post is an invitation and a reminder! Please note everyone is invited to attend this free preview of Catch 22 on thursday from 5-8pm. If you would like to meet at 5pm to show me your latest work please let me know in advance as it would be a good opportunity to review your progress - as well as preview the exhibition described below.

If you haven't already posted the draft of your artist statement and post on the Collector's Circle at Catch 22 please do so - as well as read and comment on each other's artist statements. Your feedback is critical to the process.

When you acknowledge your receipt of this message in the comment section below please let us know if you plan to attend the preview on Thursday and if you would like to schedule a 5pm feedback session at Lift.

SPECIAL PREVIEW INVITATION                                                                                                                    Please join 1708 Gallery this Thursday, April 5th from 5 to 8 p.m. for a preview of the artwork featured in CATCH 22, our upcoming annual art auction!    Bring a friend, enjoy a glass of wine and make notes about your favorite pieces.    CATCH 22, on Saturday, April 14th, promises to be an exciting auction and a great party! Get your tickets now before the event sells out!  Admission for CATCH 22 is $100 per person and can be purchased at our website or by calling 804.643.1708. Sponsorship opportunities are also available.       www.1708gallery.org info@1708gallery.org Follow us on:

1708 Gallery | 319 W. Broad Street | Richmond | VA | 23222