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Amy

Stories to be Shared

In the screening of Art:21 this week, the featured artists have stories to share with the world. Although the stories are represented in very different ways, they are all connected by conveying a meaningful message. Kara Walker uses traditional silhouettes to tell stories from the past. Her stories depict the evils and horrors of slavery and create controversy among many people. Kiki Smith uses a variety of mediums including bronze, wax, textiles and printmaking. She takes a mythological approach in her work using witches, animals, dolls and many other fictional creatures. Do-Ho Suh expressed stories from his own life and culture throughout his work using themes of homesickness, military conflict, conformity and many others. Trenton Doyle Hancock creates drawings, installations and paintings using allegory as his main component. All of these artists use their lives and experiences to create stories in their art works.
The artist I found the most interesting was Kara Walker. I feel like her work was demonstrated in such an interesting and effective way. I like the fact that people are effected by her work, whether thats in a positive or negative way. Her stories are brutal but at the same time they are truthful and real. My favorite art piece she has created is called, "Darkytown Rebellion." In this piece Kara Walker uses projectors to cast shadows of colored light onto the walls, floor, and the ceiling. In my opinion, the most interesting part about this piece is that the viewers shadows are cast. There are also black paper silhouettes placed on the walls to create a historical story about the realism of slavery. The figures are thrown together to give you a feeling of horror and fantasy. What makes this particular project important to me is the viewers reaction. I like the fact that this piece stirs up controversy and that some people think these images are too violent or wrong. I disagree and feel that this art work is important and it gives people an understanding of the experiences and hardships of the African culture. Kara Walker is an artist I have learned from and I respect. She takes risks by telling stories that are controversial and life changing and she does it in a new and inventive way.


Word-Word


The two words I chose for the word-word assignment was "Bike" and "Taco." Both of these words are random, having nothing to do with one another and they force your mind to think of ways they may relate. I can picture a person riding a bike and eating a taco. I can also see a taco riding a bike or a bike that looks like a taco. Either way, these words come together to create a funny and interesting image.


Image-Image


The two images I chose for the image-image assignment are rocks and a single feather. These two images are different in almost every way. Rocks are heavy and hard while a feather is light and soft. I feel that these images contrast so differently that they work together in an interesting way. They represent the parallels in everyday life.


Image-Word


For the image-word assignment I chose to use a picture of an old, worn out pair of shoes and the word, "Sole." The word, "sole" plays on the image of the old shoes in a literal and figurative way. The sole is apart of the actual shoe. However, you can also look further into the image and realize that a pair of shoes can be a representation of ones actual "soul." I think that the image and the word tie together to create a meaning beyond what is first interpreted.

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