Response and Reflect Class 9 (September 25th): Sarah Emerson at the Atlanta Contemporary Art Center

For Thursday’s class, we went to the Atlanta Contemporary Art Center (http://thecontemporary.org/) to talk with Sarah Emerson (http://www.sarahemerson.com/). At the Contemporary, we saw Exquisite Exhibit: Parlour Games from the Studio Artist Program, an exhibition of collaborative works by artists who are either currently part of the Contemporary’s Studio Artist Program (including Ms. Emerson) or have been part of it in the past (http://thecontemporary.org/exhibitions/exquisite-exhibit-parlour-games-from-the-studio-artist-program/). Seeing an exhibition that involved the work of so many artists was helpful in thinking about the exhibition that I am planning for the collection/curation project, since my exhibition is likely to involve a variety of types of work from different artists and architects. We also saw Ms. Emerson’s studio. She talked about how her work involves breaking apart the landscape, including removing the horizon line, and putting it back together visually. She became interested in landscapes as a subject because she moved around a lot as a child and was always searching for a connection to any particular place. I asked Ms. Emerson about how having a studio at the Contemporary is similar to or different from other studio environments she has worked in before. She explained that it is nice to be connected with the institution, since many opportunities like Exquisite Exhibit come as a result of that. She likes that she is able to be around other artists, while also being able to have privacy and control of her personal space. She also enjoys having room to create large works. However, she also said that there are ways to innovate and make work in any type of studio environment. I also asked Ms. Emerson to explain more about the rhinestones that I noticed as I looked at her work. She explained that the rhinestones were included to give an “artificial pop” to the otherwise natural landscape. They also catch the light and draw the viewer’s eye to certain areas. In her most recent works, Ms. Emerson is trying to accomplish this with color, rather than with the rhinestones.

Sarah Emerson, Sweet Heebeegeebees. Acrylic and rhinestones on canvas, 36 x 36 inches.
image source: http://www.sarahemerson.com/
            This is the painting on which I first noticed the rhinestones that I asked Ms. Emerson about. They can be seen on the tower of stones at the left of the canvas.

Seeing the collaborative exhibition and hearing Ms. Emerson talk about the importance of connecting with other artists reminds me of other fieldtrips, where we have discussed the importance of connecting to others in the arts community. In Donna’s questions about The Art Life, she points out the statement by Douglas Gordon that “Art is only an excuse for a conversation.”[1] This reminds me of the exhibition of collaborative works at the Contemporary because the artists in the exhibition seem to enter a dialogue through their art. Working together involves the give-and-take of conversation. Ideas discovered during the process of collaboration might continue to be influential after the end of the project. Thus, Gordon means that art is a method of making connections and sharing ideas that often continue into the future.

[1]Douglas Gordon quoted in Stuart Horodner, ed., The Art Life: On Creativity and Career (Atlanta, GA : New York,NY: Atlanta Contemporary Art Center ; Distributed by D.A.P./Distributed Art Publishers, 2012), 115.

Response and Reflect Class 8 (September 23rd): Project Check-Ins

We spent class Tuesday checking in about the visual analysis project and the collection and curation project. For my paper on Kӓthe Kollwitz, I am currently revising the visual analysis section, with an eye towards scale and proportion. I am also doing research for the project. So far, I have found it interesting to look at other self-portraits by Kollwitz[1], since my paper and presentation are about a self-portrait. Comparing self-portraits provides important context because I can use similarities in characteristics like texture and value to understand how Kollwitz’s work evolved over time. I have also found some themes that frequently occur in Kollwitz’s work. These include peace and social injustice.[2] It will be important to mention themes like these in my presentation, since these would not likely be obvious to the audience in a self-portrait. One of the concerns that I presented in class was about how to make comparisons in my presentation, since the only work my audience will be able to see is the work that my presentation is on. The professors explained that I can still make comparisons by providing information about and a brief description of the other work. We also discussed that each student will likely have a different approach to the assignment, since each work is different. Yet, we can still make connections between our presentations in order to provide a more cohesive and engaging experience for our audience. For example, since I am likely to present first, I plan on explaining what an etching is. Then, Xinyao (https://xinyaoart260.wordpress.com/) might choose to explain how the process by which her artist created a photo-etching is similar or different.

We also gave updates about the collection and curation project. I shared the ideas that I talked about in the most recent update on my inspiration post (https://hplankart260.wordpress.com/2014/08/30/the-idea-bank/). Katherine and Donna suggested some other artists to consider, such as Bill Viola and Lyonel Feininger. We also discussed that it is important to have an argument for the exhibition. I think it will take more reading and research before I will be able to determine what this is. I also anticipate that I may re-evaluate and discard the rigid format of pairing modern depictions with maquettes of the actual buildings. Moving beyond this format would allow me to include a wider variety of works that relate to cathedrals without literally depicting one specific building.

During this class, it was helpful to hear others discuss their projects and receive feedback. This was especially helpful for the gallery talks, as I was able to begin to understand how an audience member might experience our talks. The process of these check-ins involved discussion and feedback with the entire class community. This reminds me of one of the important themes from our field trips: the importance to success of connecting and communicating with others. Discussing problems and ideas introduces new perspectives and experiences.

On Thursday, we will be visiting artist Sarah Emerson (http://www.sarahemerson.com/) at the Atlanta Contemporary Art Center (http://thecontemporary.org/). I am especially excited to visit her studio, since I am taking a studio art class this semester (https://hannahplankart244fa2014.wordpress.com/). Some of the questions that I might ask on the field trip include:

• How often do you interact with other artists who have studios at the Atlanta Contemporary Art Center? How does such interaction impact your work?
• Do you document or reflect on your process? How?
• How do you engage with the Atlanta art community? How does such engagement impact your work?

[1] Käthe Kollwitz, Käthe Kollwitz, 2. Aufl., Welt Der Kunst (Berlin: Henschelverag Kunst und Gesellachaft, 1980), 16.

[2] Mina C. Klein, Käthe Kollwitz, Life in Art (New York: Schocken Books, 1975), 1-9.

Response and Reflect Class 7 (September 18th): The Carlos Museum

For Thursday’s class, we went on a field trip to the Michael C. Carlos Museum at Emory University (http://www.carlos.emory.edu/). We spoke with Amanda Hellman, Curator of African Art. She showed us both a gallery that is undergoing an exhibition transition, which was closed to the public, and the gallery of African Art. Many of the items she discussed, such as the importance of having wall text that encourages close looking, were helpful things to think about when planning an exhibition, like the one for the collection and curation project. This discussion about wall text reminded me of one of Donna’s questions to consider about The Art Life: “What is the function of a work’s title?” Judy Linn’s statement that “Words and pictures by nature don’t agree,” interested me as I thought about this question.[1] Images and text may be able to communicate similar ideas, but they each have their own unique nuances. Thus, I think that both in the case of wall text and titles the function of words should be to encourage deeper looking, not to provide a substitute for looking.

Dr. Hellman also provided a sample checklist and floor plan. Other considerations include color scheme and how one interacts with architectural space when designing an exhibit. For example, her plans for the future of the Carlos’s African Art gallery included blocking the keyholes in the wall in order to create more wall space and minimize natural light, which can be damaging. Space will be an important consideration in my collection and curation project, since my exhibition involves works of architecture. Dr. Hellman also explained that her role as curator involves acquisition and collection management, donor cultivation, and exhibition design. It was interesting to note that only about five percent of the collection is on view at a time. Pondering this fact led me to ask about the museum’s storage and collections management systems. Dr. Hellman explained that while some works are stored on-site, many are stored at a nearby off-site facility. The Carlos Museum staff members who go to the off-site storage facility have undergone a TSA certification that allows the facility to pack crates that will not have to be reopened for inspection. This allows the art to remain in a more consistent climate with less risk of damage. The Carlos Museum uses a computer system to maintain information about items in the collection. This is linked to an online image database, which can increase opportunities of scholarship and bring attention to the museum’s collection when certain images are made public. I found this discussion of collection storage and management especially interesting because I like organizational systems and details. For this reason, I think it would be interesting to learn more about what it is like to be a museum registrar.

Dr. Hellman also talked about engaging a changing audience. This is a different process for a relatively small, academic museum, than it is for large museums like the High that put on attention-getting, crowd-pleasing exhibitions. She mentioned that all seventh-graders who attend Atlanta Public Schools visit the Carlos Museum. This is important because it is an opportunity to cultivate life-long viewers who return to the museum in the future. I asked Dr. Hellman to explain what sorts of things the museum does to specifically engage this age group. She explained that the museum provides activities to help students digest the exhibition after they view it. For example, after seeing the Romare Bearden exhibition, students made a craft relating to what they had just seen. This discussion, as well as later mentions of the importance of connecting with other institutions, reminded me of last week’s trip to Art Papers. It is becoming clear that connecting with communities is an important factor in the health of an arts organization. Museums can provide more variety in their exhibitions by receiving works on loan. Curators like Dr. Hellman can contact or even collaborate with other curators who have expertise in different fields. Similarly, Art Papers works with other organizations in the community to present programs. Arts organizations thrive when they interact.

[1] Judy Linn quoted in Stuart Horodner, ed., The Art Life: On Creativity and Career (Atlanta, GA : New York,NY: Atlanta Contemporary Art Center ; Distributed by D.A.P./Distributed Art Publishers, 2012), 97.

Response and Reflect Class 6 (September 16): Public Speaking

During Tuesday’s class, Nastacia Pereira, from the Center for Writing and Speaking, came to give a presentation about public speaking. She discussed the idea of presentations as a process, which I found meaningful because it reminded me of this process log: a record of evolving scholastic pursuits. She also stated that it is important to have a strong introduction and thesis statement. Another important part of the presentation is transitions, which are especially key in our case because we will not have power points or other similar cues to signal new points. For the same reason, it is important to have strong organization in the presentation. We filled out a worksheet that involved putting statements into an outline as a means of practicing this. It is also important to make sure that the presentation is relevant to the audience and to avoid the use of jargon. Nastacia emphasized this point by showing a TED talk (http://www.ted.com/talks/melissa_marshall_talk_nerdy_to_me?language=en#t-197685) about how to give science presentations that are meaningful for a general audience. After Nastacia’s presentation, we discussed some presentation concerns specific to art history. It is important to consider how we interact with the work we are presenting (i.e. pointing to specific details) and the particular space we are in. Presenting without notes is a good idea because it makes it easier to engage with the audience. One way of establishing such a connection is describing the work before going into the analysis. Just as the library session with Casey Long reviewed the skills necessary to collect the research for the project, this class reviewed the skills necessary to this research and our own ideas with others.

Discussing these gallery talks reminds me of one of the projects I did at my internship with the Davidson College Art Galleries and Permanent Collection (http://davidsoncollegeartgalleries.org/) this summer. I gave gallery talks about Jean d’Aire from Auguste Rodin’s Burghers of Calais and Anthony Owen’s Steamroller to six groups of twelve second graders. It was especially important to use clear and straightforward language, not jargon, to talk about the works in a ways that allowed young students to understand them. It was also important to make the talk relevant to the way a seven or eight year-old would understand and perceive the world. For example, instead of dwelling on war and death when discussing Jean d’Aire, I instead focused on the theme of bravery. In Tuesday’s class, we discussed the importance of rehearsing the talk, as it improves with practice. This also reminds me of my experience at my internship because I felt much more confident giving my talks to the last groups of students than the first ones. The skills we are learning by completing the visual analysis/gallery talk assignment are important ones for a variety of career options within the field of art and art history. Professors, curators, and artists, among others, need to be able to explain works of art in ways that are engaging, relevant, and understandable for a variety of audiences.

Auguste Rodin, Burghers of Calais, Jean d’Aire, 1886 – 87. Bronze, 80 1/2 x 26 3/8 x 24 3/4 in.
image source: http://www.davidsoncollegeartgalleries.org/auguste-rodin-jean-daire-1840-1917/

Anthony Owen, Steamroller, 1992. Embossing and enamel on paper.

In class on Tuesday, we also reflected on the field trip to Art Papers. We discussed the highlights of the visit. One of these was the importance of writing as a way of communicating about art, even if this is not the preference or strength of some artists themselves. We also reflected on how the eclectic experiences of the staff at Art Papers fit together to prepare them for their careers. The most important thing is to gain experience, without worrying about the particular details of where it will take you. In addition, we discussed the importance of connecting with community, which non-profit arts organizations can accomplish via programming and individuals can accomplish via networking. Networking is an important part of our field trips, as we are meeting with a variety of art professionals. Therefore, it is important to ask questions and make comments during the visits as a way of appearing engaged and memorable. The professors recommended that we prepare questions ahead of time before this Thursday’s field trip to the Carlos Museum. These are the questions that I have prepared for Amanda Hellman, Curator of African Art:

How do you approach laying out an exhibition, especially when you have a wide variety of works, such as ones from different cultures or time periods?

What are some of the challenges and rewards that are unique to working with African Art?

What conservation issues are specific to or frequently occur in African art?

Response and Reflect Class 5 (September 11): Field Trip to Art Papers

For Thursday’s class, we went on a field trip to the office of Art Papers (http://www.artpapers.org/), where we talked with Saskia Benjamin, the Executive Director, and Victoria Camblin, the Editor and Artistic Director. We learned about the organization, including both the magazine and programming such as Art Papers Live, Art Papers Learn, and the current exhibition at Ponce City Market. It was especially interesting to hear about the artist projects that are commissioned for each issue of the magazine because this challenges me to think about media differently, since the projects are “page-specific.” The relationship between text and image was also mentioned. This reminded me of our discussion about the elements and principles of design because Nell explained that the elements and principles of design, such as line, also apply to text. During that class period we discussed how the word “Hello,” written in two different fonts, conveys two different meanings, one informal and outgoing, another more serious. Nell explained “Serifs are like manners.” The way text is printed conveys tone.

from Nell Ruby and Anne Beidler’s presentation on the Elements and Principles of Design, 4 September 2014

Discussing the various programs of Art Papers and how they work together as one cohesive organization reminded me of a line from The Art Life. Roger Hilton says of his life and work: “It is all one process.”[1] This sentiment can be applied to the programming at Art Papers because the different types of programming (magazine, lectures, exhibitions, etc) are combined to form one cohesive organization that impacts the local and global art community. Various types of people, such as writers, artists, and those in charge of finances and circulation, are unified as a part of this process.

Both Ms. Benjamin and Ms. Camblin commented on the importance to their career paths of having a variety of internship and work experiences. They also emphasized that there is no one clear path to achieve specific career goals. During discussion, Leah Owenby, who came along for the field trip, pointed out that flexibility, openness, and building community connections were important to both Ms. Benjamin’s and Ms. Camblin’s career journeys. Interns also play an important role in small non-profits like Art Papers. I think I might enjoy interning at Art Papers because I enjoy art and have taken a course in contemporary art, which the journal focuses on. I enjoyed interning with a news website this summer (see links to articles that include my photography at http://hannahplank.pressfolios.com/). Interning at Art Papers would be a way to combine these interests.

[1] Roger Hilton quoted in Stuart Horodner, ed., The Art Life: On Creativity and Career (Atlanta, GA : New York,NY: Atlanta Contemporary Art Center ; Distributed by D.A.P./Distributed Art Publishers, 2012), 65.

Response and Reflection for Class 4 (September 9): Research Methods

Today our class was held in the library so that we could meet with Casey Long, the research librarian, to discuss research methods. I’ve attended sessions like this before, so this was a great review of what research tools are available. Casey gave us tips and strategies for conducting research in art history, with our visual analysis project in mind. For this project, I am writing and presenting about Kathe Kollwitz’s Self-Portrait. We used the LibGuide for our Art 260 class (http://libguides.agnesscott.edu/Art260) as the starting place for our research. We then looked for general information about our artists for the visual analysis project in Oxford Art Online. Next, we used Sophia to search the McCain Library catalog by author, subject, and keyword. After that, we used WorldCat to look for books that are available at other institutions for us to order via interlibrary loan. We also used the database Art and Architecture Complete to look for journal articles. In addition, we spent time talking about how to identify credible scholarly sources, such as looking for works that are published by a university press or major museum. We also discussed Chicago style citations. During the session, I was able to locate lots of sources for my project and save them in Zotero (https://www.zotero.org/), a program that stores information about sources. With this research skills session and the session on the elements and principles of design that we had last time, we have now reviewed the necessary skills for writing the visual analysis paper. The research skills we reviewed today are applicable to a variety of courses, both beyond this class and beyond art history. They will also be crucial for the senior seminar, which I hope to prepare for in this course.

Response and Reflection for Class 3 (September 4)

            On Thursday, Nell and Anne came to class to discuss the elements and principles of design. They used a powerpoint presentation that I had seen before in several courses, so this class session provided a helpful and thorough review. We discussed each of the elements and many of the principles, including words and phrases that are helpful when talking about each element and principle. We also practiced applying them by considering various works of art and architecture. The elements of design are a finite set of components that include line, shape, form, value, texture, color, and space. The principles of design are ways of employing the elements. They include balance, rhythm, proportion, and scale. The goal of the elements and principles of design are used to achieve unity within works of art and architecture. When discussing unity, we used the example of Christo and Jeanne Claude’s Running Fence, Sonoma and Marin Counties, California, which uses a long, light, undulating line to unify the natural landscape. While discussing this work, Nell mentioned that the ability of the artists to work in cooperation with the landowners, rather than making demands of them, was necessary for the success of this project. This reminds me of the ideas about community I discussed in my reflection from last class (https://hplankart260.wordpress.com/2014/09/03/response-and-reflection-for-class-2-september-2nd/). A cooperative, creative community leads to better art.

Christo and Jeanne-Claude, Running Fence, Sonoma and Marin Counties, California, 1972-1976.
image source: http://www.christojeanneclaude.net/projects/running-fence#.VAtLL0jbZ7c

            The elements and principles of design will be useful for many assignments in this course. They will be essential for the visual analysis paper and presentation. They will also be important for the collection/curation project because I will need to understand both the works themselves and how they interact with each other in a particular space. I found one example that we discussed in class especially relevant in terms of my collection/curation project. When discussing line, we compared Frank Lloyd Wright’s Robie House to Mies Van der Rohe and Philip Johnson’s Seagram Building. The Robie House has horizontal lines that help it blend in with the natural prairie landscape, while the Seagram Building has vertical lines that make it seem tall and imposing. I found this comparison especially significant because it gave me practice with applying the elements and principles of design to works of architecture, which I will need to do for my collection/curation project.

Frank Lloyd Wright, Robie House, Chicago, 1908-1910.
image source: http://www.flwright.org/visit/robiehouse

 

Mies Van der Rohe with Philip Johnson, Seagram Building, New York, 1954-1958.
image source: http://www.archdaily.com/59412/seagram-building-mies-van-der-rohe/

Response and Reflection for Class 2 (September 2nd)

In class, we discussed the instructions for the collection/curation project. We approached this similarly to the way we discussed the syllabus and the process log assignment, asking questions about areas in which we needed further clarification.

            After class, I talked with Katherine and Donna about my ideas for the collection/curation project. We decided that the cathedrals idea would be most fruitful. I think it will be an interesting and enjoyable project. Currently, my goal in conducting research is to narrow down my topic within this field. Meeting with my professors was very helpful in narrowing down my topic ideas and figuring out what to do as I move forward. This reminds me of Stuart Horodner’s idea that a creative life is one that is engaged in a creative community. He reveals this idea by stating “artists have always relied on their predecessors and peers for inspiration and confirmation.”[1] This idea is also manifest in the organization of The Art Life, in which voices of artists, writers, musicians, and others contribute to one conversation.

            The process log is also a way of engaging in such a community because it creates another sphere for class members, as well as others, to interact with each other. Reading about others’ processes allows one to discover new approaches and promotes reflection about one’s own process. The process log also provides a means of documentation. One of Donna’s questions to consider about The Art Life was about useful advice from the first chapter of the book. As I develop my process log, I find Kiki Smith’s advice particularly meaningful. She explains, “I think the thing about making things is that you have proof. You have some proof every day that something has been accomplished, that something’s different. If you can make something as that proof it has a lot of power.”[2] As a person who appreciates organization and clarity, this appeals to me because my process log can serve as a record from which I can look back and clearly see what I have done.

            While I am not very familiar with Smith’s work, I find it interesting that she makes sculptural pieces, such as Women with Sheep (Three Women, Three Sheep), out of bronze. The horizontality and close proximity to the ground of the figures in this work gives a sense of heaviness and, thus, permanence. This permanence reflects her statement about proof and power because a record should be sturdy in order to be long-lasting.

Kiki Smith, Women with Sheep (Three Women, Three Sheep), 2009. Bronze.
image source: http://www.pacegallery.com/artists/442/kiki-smith

            As the course continues, I am excited to engage in a creative community and develop this record of that process.

[1] Stuart Horodner, ed., The Art Life: On Creativity and Career (Atlanta, GA : New York,NY: Atlanta Contemporary Art Center ; Distributed by D.A.P./Distributed Art Publishers, 2012), 9.

[2] Kiki Smith quoted in Ibid., 19.