Voguish

Maria Thereza Alves

2020-04-18T13:43:00.001-07:00

With the ongoing pandemic, I was not able to travel and visit Michigan State University's Broad Art Museum in person, but looking online at their website as well as the individual sites of many artists involved in the current showing, "Never Spoken Again: Rogue Stories of Science and Collections," has provided me with a much better understanding of the exhibition, its purpose, and the artists involved. It is a traveling exhibition focused in on the creation of modern collections and what sustains them, while attempting to portray the depth of knowledge and history behind them. Bringing in artists from all different countries and different cultures who are able to examine these ideas through their own artistic lens enables such a collection to be so successful. Although it was a group effort, one particular individual stood out among the other artists as I began to dig a little deeper into my research.

Maria Thereza Alves is a Brazilian artist and activist, best known for her investigation of European botany in relation to indigenous peoples and land, most notably, her ongoing installation series, Seeds of Change, where her continued investigation of over 20 years has honed in on the idea of imported seeds in and across the European borders. Her work is driven by query of originality and nativity, where her ongoing efforts continue to answer the questions of "at what moment does a seed become native?" and "through what historical and political means does this become possible?"

Through her research and investigation, Alves has put out some amazing work. She has not limited herself in terms of style or medium, her work ranging all the way from drawing and sculpture to installation and photography and even further into the realm of audio and video. It is so interesting scrolling through pages of her unique works, each with their own captivating ability to capture the true essence of nature and history and historical angst in and of themselves.

Her artwork is a metaphor: the seeds representative of us as people, as colonies and civilizations. Through trying circumstances, through war and repression, through drought and dearth of sunshine, we survive. We even begin to thrive. Just as the seeds, we adapt and we grow to fit our surroundings and the environment around us. We come out of our shell and with the resources necessary and fit, blossom into a beautiful flower, and then begin to flourish and multiply. Yet, there are dark times as well, where the plants fade and turn gray, times in our history where desperation and desire turn to destruction, where populations are swept and little is left to remain. These ideas and more are quite prevalent throughout Alves' works. She has been recognized for her political and artistic efforts, earning the Vera List Prize in 2017.

Alves is able to not only portray beauty through visual appeal, but through intellectual idealism. Her work is not just that of an artist, but one of a scientist, a historian, and an activist as well.

For more information on Alves, her art, and her own life, visit her page or take a look at this video.

Seeds of Change: New York, 2017

A Botany of Colonization at the Vera List Center

Unrejected Wild Flora, 2013-14

The Flood, 2017

Through the Fields and into the Woods, 2007

Alves Collection, 1972

http://michelrein.com/en/artistes/expositions/34/Maria+Thereza+Alves
https://broadmuseum.msu.edu/exhibitions/never-spoken-again
http://www.mariatherezaalves.org/index.php
https://bombmagazine.org/articles/the-freedom-to-develop-what-is-necessary-maria-thereza-alves-interviewed/
http://www.mariatherezaalves.org/works/unrejected-wild-flora?c=47
http://www.mariatherezaalves.org/works/the-flood/?c=24
https://www.artsy.net/artwork/maria-thereza-alves-through-the-fields-and-into-the-woods-1
https://www.absolutearts.com/painting/oil/maria-teresa-fernandes-alves-collection-1158427549.html
https://curatorsintl.org/exhibitions/never-spoken-again

George Condo

2020-04-01T15:23:00.001-07:00

The world of abstract is a place where you can go to explore, a place where you can take the ordinary and turn it into something extraordinary. It is a place where rules no longer apply. As an artist, you are free. You get to decide what you want to portray and how you want to portray it. You can mix and match and find a style of your own. And that is where the beauty and unique talent of each individual artist lies.

George Condo is just one of the many artists who really excels in this realm. He describes his own style as, "psychological cubism." He takes a so-called "ordinary" image and transforms it through his use of color and structure.

Condo was born in 1957 in Concord, New Hampshire. Later, he attended the University of Massachusetts where he went to study art history and music theory. He ended up joining a band where he met Jean-Michel Basquiat, a very influential American artist in the 80s, prompting him to further his future and a career in the visual arts.

Condo's work ranges from drawings to paintings to prints and even to sculptures. What really makes his pieces stand out, though, is his unique structure. Like many other abstract artists, Condo plays with different shapes and colors to transform his images into something entirely new. A face may no longer resemble a standard face, but it has all the elements to make up a face, it may just be a little construed. And to me, that is just another representation of our lives. It shows how we are all unique, we may even have flaws, but through our differences, we are beautiful. Abstract art has a way of capturing this reality so perfectly. So often we judge art as we judge others. People are not perfect and neither is art, so why try to portray it as so? Abstract art embraces the differences. It embraces the uniqueness that makes it stand apart.

Many of Condo's works display images of individuals, couples or groups of people. Yet, they are no ordinary pictures. Some of his images are black and white, while others are brought to life with an array of different vibrant colors. Geometry and shapes are another key component in many of his pictures. Through his use of harsh angles and soft curving lines, he is able to really bring about an emotion. The picture, although not a very realistic looking one, sets a scene and tells its own story. Each viewer's interpretation of this story may be different, but that is just one more element of Condo's work that is so beautiful. Some of his works often display a child-like nature. Condo uses many "cartoonistic" elements in his portraits as well. Many of his works remind me of old television shows or movies with the way the faces are drawn. Louisiana Channel even refers to Condo's style as "Picasso meets Looney Tunes." He has such a wide range of abstract abilities, all very intriguing in their own way.

Take a look at the artist actually at work on video!

Compression IV, 2011

Double Heads on Red, 2014

Batman and Bunny, 2005

Antipodal Cartoon, 1996

Here are some sources I used with lots more information on George Condo and his art!

https://www.simonleegallery.com/artists/george-condo/

http://www.artnet.com/artists/george-condo/3

https://www.christies.com/features/George-Condo-the-latest-hero-of-American-painting-9358-1.aspx

https://www.artsy.net/article/artsy-editorial-george-condos-journey-warhol-assistant-kanye-muse-art-market-dominance

https://www.thebroad.org/art/george-condo/double-heads-red

https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2014/feb/10/george-condo

https://www.xavierhufkens.com/artists/george-condo

Wolfgang Tillmans

2020-03-18T06:18:00.003-07:00

Photography may not be the first thing one thinks of when the word "art" is mentioned, but every photographer, just like any artist, is able to capture the true beauty behind any scene. Through different angles, aspects, perspectives, and the entire editorial process, a photographer can take a single moment in time and transform it using their own creative techniques and abilities.

German photographer, Wolfgang Tillmans, emerged into the world of art in the early 90's, known first for the casual snapshots of his friends and surroundings, capturing the essence of different youth scenes and night clubs as well as further depictions of LGBTQ culture and interaction. His work has since expanded tremendously, now featuring many still works, landscapes, portraits, and abstracts. His unique style has captured the attention of all different kinds of people from all around the world.

Tillmans' scandalous appeal has turned the heads of many, spiking interest, intrigue, and curiosity with the abundance of erotic nude or partially nude photos throughout his collections. His images definitely pose an interesting perspective, one that is not often displayed, but it is very much real and I respect that. His use of real people in real circumstances gives his work an element of comfort and relatability, especially among the LGBTQ population, but among others as well. Each element of every photo has a specific and unique purpose, from the choice of clothing and background scenery down to the the exact placement and camera angle of the photo. His ability to make a staged scene feel so real and so familiar is what makes his work stand apart.

It is said that many artist's have their own set style or focus that is prevalent throughout their work, sort of like their trademark. Tillmans is unique in the way that he has not allowed his work to be limited to one specific area. The tremendous amount of diversity displayed throughout his collections has allowed for the admiration and appeal of a much broader audience. His ability to capture the simplicity and elegance of a still life picture of an array of everyday fruits and vegetables compared to the vast beauty portrayed by a setting sun reflecting off the never ending waves of the ocean to his pictures depicting intimate relationships and love scenes shows just how deep and how wide his talent stretches. He is able to capture the reality of life, its beauty and its genuinity.

Tillmans is able to connect his own experiences with those of the outside world through his bold art. He is able to captivate his viewer with an image that seems so very ordinary. But it is because of the ordinary nature of his photos that viewers become so intrigued. He gives us something that the rest of the world has taken away: a sense of reality. Our minds have become accustomed to the filtered images the media and other outlets feed us every single day. Tillmans gives us a refreshing glimpse of life, real life. When asked about his work, he identified his purpose behind the camera saying, "I take pictures, in order to see the world." And this is Tillmans' trademark. He is real and raw and his pictures are able to exhibit that in the truest terms.

"A$AP Rocky", 2018

Displayed at Galerie Buchholz

https://www.artnet.com/WebServices/images/ll1484877llgM4FCfDrCWvaHBOAD/wolfgang-tillmans-a$ap-rocky.jpg

"May", 2008

Displayed at Galerie Buchholz

https://www.artnet.com/WebServices/images/ll1420701llgM4FCfDrCWvaHBOAD/wolfgang-tillmans-may.jpg

Supermarket, 1990

https://www.christies.com/img/LotImages/2005/CSK/2005_CSK_05815_0166_000().jpg

"Frank Ocean, Berlin 2", 2015

On display at Galerie Buchholz

https://www.artnet.com/WebServices/images/ll1442400llgM4FCfDrCWvaHBOAD/wolfgang-tillmans-frank-ocean,-berlin-2.jpg

Resources and more info on Wolfgang Tillmans:

http://www.artnet.com/artists/wolfgang-tillmans/?period=2010to2019

https://www.davidzwirner.com/artists/wolfgang-tillmans

Includes interesting videos:

https://tillmans.co.uk/

Jenny Holzer

2020-02-26T12:12:00.000-08:00

Art is created to tell a story, to evoke an emotion, to bring about a point of view and leave some room for reflection. Jenny Holzer takes this quite literally through her work, incorporating words, phrases, and sentences into many of her pieces. In doing so, she is able to reveal the true portrayal behind her artwork, leaving little room for viewers' interpretation. Holzer's platform allows for some pretty hard and divisive topics to be brought forth and further expanded upon through discussion and debate. Her stance on the issues is quite clear as it is literally stated in words. Through her bold transparency, Holzer has gained much recognition and respect, most notably for her Truisms series. The series included nearly three hundred phrases of modern cliches, displayed on building walls and in telephone booths, allowing for her works and the messages they came with to be distributed to the public at large. As her projects grew, so did her platform. She eventually took her ideas to the big stage, revealing some of her greatest pieces in Times Square, New York.

Holzer discloses the reasoning behind her masterpieces, explaining, "I used language because I wanted to offer content that people -- not necessarily art people -- could understand." Every artist has a purpose and Holzer looked to make an impact on the greater population. Her use of words, usually very much short, concise, and to the point, were able to impress her viewers in ways that traditional art may not have.

In a world of art so consumed by the abstract, Holzer ran in the complete opposite direction, presenting the public with real, raw words. The unique and audacious nature of her work grasped the attention of the masses, not just art fanatics. Her work, if anything at all, brought rise to many modern issues. Jenny Holzer is indeed an artist, but I would argue her stance as a political activist and reformist as well.

Holzer has worked with a variety of mediums, including LED displays, large scale projections, posters and even t-shirts. Her works are displayed at the Art Institute of Chicago, the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., The Museum of Modern Art in New York, and the Peggy Guggenheim Collection in Venice. For a further look into Holzer's work, take a look at her page.

Vigil, 2019

Truisms: UNEX sign, 1983

You Are My Own, 2002

Truth Before Power (portfolio of 4), 2004

Abigail Reynolds

2020-02-12T11:12:00.002-08:00

Connecting the old and the new; reminiscing and restructuring: an idea that artist, Abigail Reynolds, has portrayed throughout her many creations. Growing up in and around Cornwall, England, Reynolds has used the scenic areas of the rural landscape for much of her inspiration. Pictures that are very much beautiful in and of themselves, she has made new. Using variations of similar pictures from different vintage newspapers, magazines, encyclopedias, and atlases, Reynolds is able to bridge the gap between the forgotten and the future.
Reynolds' 3-D structure and design has brought her artwork to a whole new dimension. Many of her collages are made unique with her intricate use of origami and paper folding techniques to create a multi-dimensional surface.
Reynolds has created an art that is practical, yet intriguing. Her style is one that fascinates a multitude of people. The 'rustic' image that each of her pieces portrays gives it a very functional use as so many homeowners and designers are looking to incorporate such elements within their space.
But Reynolds' work goes far beyond its captivating rustic design. Each of her pieces is able to tell its own story, bringing viewers back in time, to another place, another moment in history. Her artwork is unique in the fact that almost anyone is able to connect to it in some way. Many contemporary artists provide the world with pieces that only they are able to fully comprehend, where the meaning behind the art is left up to each individual's interpretation. This is part of what makes modern art so appealing, but it can also lead to a bit of confusion or misled understanding. Reynolds' work is different. By using moments in history and connections to the present, viewers are able to see the story through a similar lens. Reynolds' creations bring history back to life, molding the past and present into one.
Reynolds' work is not yet widely known, but is up for display at the Department for International Trade in London, the Yale University Art Gallery, the New York Public Library, and other private locations.

Desert Seeds - 2015

BBC 1951, 1936 - 2010

On display at the Department for International Trade, King Charles Street in London, UK.

Trafalgar Square 1964, 1960, 1981 - 2010

On display at the Department for International Trade, King Charles Street in London, UK.

Hall of Justice - 2012

On display at Yale University Art Gallery in New Haven, Connecticut, USA.

Collider - 2011
Displayed at Ambuch & Rice in Los Angelos, California, USA.

For more of Reynolds' work, take a peak at Abigail Reynolds' Site.