Ghi Bahk

Seon Ghi Bahk's suspended charcoal columns explore the relationship between nature, civilization, and decay.

Charcoal Decay

When it comes to creating artworks, I believe its all relationship based. I am constantly thinking about how one material relates to another or how my subject matter relates to what's in my head, etc. I think Bahk is very successful here in visualizing the relationships between nature, civilization and decay. The use of natural material as well as the careful placement of each piece, unifies the installation.

Floto+Warner

"Artistic duo Floto+Warner photograph water-based liquids mid-air at a shutter speed of 1/3,200th of a second." -Saatchi Art

Floto + Warner

This piece struck me simply by the photographers' capturing such a dynamic split second in time. I am mindful of movement in my own work, especially when I am applying paint or other materials to a surface. I would very much like to work with photography or even video in the future.

"Lantern Series"

"Richard Eastwood’s “Lantern Series” pairs fire with water, placing biodegradable, light-filled orbs in the context of a river landscape." -Saatchi Art

Lantern Series

In this day in age, we all need to be mindful of the resources we are using, even in art making. I admire Eastwood for creating such a delicate play between two natural elements, but also making sure to not harmfully impact either element with his work.

Crystal Wagner

"Crystal Wagner makes colorful installations from cut paper and chicken wire. We love "Deluge," seen here." -Saatchi Art

Crystal Wagner

I chose to include this artwork because installations have always fascinated me. For the most part I work small scale, but the impact artists achieve with overpowering installations, are breathtaking.

Berndnaut Smildes

"Berndnaut Smildes uses water, light, and air to create real clouds in interior spaces, capturing their momentary existence with a photograph." -Saatchi Art

clouds

This work is not necessarily related to my own art, I just think it's momentary existence is beautiful and untouchable by a lot of other artworks. 

Miniature Museums

Miniature Museums

This exhibition features 100 miniature gallery rooms within the museum. The curator invited more than 100 Belgian artists to feature their work in these rooms that represent artistic movements from the 20th and 21st centuries. I initially attracted to this article simply because it dealt with work on such a small scale. I myself am fascinated with intimacy and drawing the viewer in with scale so I would be greatly interested to be able to see how this exhibit turns out.

Miniature Olfactory Lab , Peter de Cupere, 2011, 1000 x 650 x 600 mm.

More Information: http://artdaily.com/news/72827/Exhibition-at-Kunsthal-Rotterdam-features-a-hundred-miniature-museum-rooms-#.VBYzo0tSxuY[/url]
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Ruby Spray Painting

Ruby Spray Painting

Ruby's exhibition is an exploration of multiple mediums and more specifically working with surface texture and applications. His concepts deal with violence and pressures in society, autobiography and art history. I admire Ruby taking on such a wide variety of materials and subjects and wish I could be at the show to see how it all comes together. I myself find my surface treatments to be similar to his, especially when it comes to how I apply paint. I normally work very abstracted or non-representational, and I admire the quality he is able to achieve in the painting below.

Sterling Ruby, SP288, 2014. Spray paint on synthetic canvas, 243.8 x 213.4 x 5.1 cm. Photo by Robert Wedemeyer. Courtesy Sterling Ruby Studio and Gagosian Gallery. 

More Information: http://artdaily.com/news/72820/Exhibition-of-new-spray-paintings-by-Los-Angeles-based-artist-Sterling-Ruby-opens-at-Gagosian-Hong-Kong#.VBYzMktSxuY[/url]
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"Sterling Ruby’s “Unhabitat 1” sits starkly against the Bredene beach landscape. See his work, among others, at the Taipei Biennial, opening this weekend." -Saatchi Art

Sterling Ruby

9/11 Seedlings

9/11 Seedlings

This article states that on today, Sunday September 14th, the Nation September 11th Memorial & Museum will give away three tree seedlings. The seedlings are from a pear tree that was recovered from the aftermath of the World Trade Centers site and have been nurtured ever since. The seedlings are then given each year to towns in the United States that have suffered hardship and need a reminder that you can always recover.

I relate to this article with my art because I want to use my work to bring awareness to important issues. And along with the seedlings the memorial distributes they are always partnering with a company to create a book about The Tree. I have no personal connection to 9/11 as far as knowing individuals that were present in New York during that time, but I want my work to effectively communicate with those struggling from issues that I do have a personal connection to.

"In this powerful installation by Spencer Finch at the 9/11 Memorial Museum entitled "Trying to Remember the Color of the Sky on that September Morning," each of the 2,983 blue squares represents a casualty from the 1993 and 2001 World Trade Center attacks."-Saatchi Art

Spencer Finch

Dorothy Cross

Dorothy Cross Exhibition

In this exhibition Cross is exploring the relationships between humans and the natural world. She works with everything from cast paper to found objects that eventually focus on humans materialism and how that in turn impacts the natural world. Cross' work for this show mainly interested me conceptually. I admire how she is taking an issue that is affecting all nations worldwide currently and drawing attention to it through her art. Sometimes issues get ignored when they are discussed through the news, but when viewed in person, people are able to take them in more.

Dorothy Cross, Paper Mountain, 2014. Cast paper (9 elements), wooden table, 105 x 92 x 62 cm., 41.3 x 36.2 x 24.4 in. All images courtesy of the artist and Kerlin Gallery, Dublin.

More Information: http://artdaily.com/news/72717/Exhibition-of-new-work-by-Irish-artist-Dorothy-Cross-opens-at-Kerlin-Gallery-in-Dublin#.VBC7-0tSxuZ[/url]
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WWI Poster Display

WWI Posters

This article stood out to me because it addresses a very delicate time in the world that most people today did not experience. This exhibition gives you insight into what nations across the world endures. And once again this is an exhibition dealing with social and political issues which has been driving the majority of my own work recently.

Edward Penfield (1866-1925), Will You Help the Women of France? Save Wheat. They Are Struggling against Starvation, and Trying to Feed Not Only Themselves and Children, But Their Husbands and Sons Who Are Fighting in the Trenches., 1918. Color lithograph. New York: Printed by W. F. Powers Company. Washington, D.C.: Published by the U. S. Food Administration. Boston Athenaeum. Gift of Bartlett H. Hayes, 1985.

More Information: http://artdaily.com/news/72736/-Over-Here--World-War-I-Posters-from-Around-the-World--opens-at-the-Boston-Athen-aelig-um#.VBC8KUtSxuY[/url]
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I Have A Name

I Have A Name

The "I Have A Name Project" is something I have been following for awhile now. It brings awareness to the issues of homelessness in America through social media, being active on the streets with the homeless, and also through occasional art shows. They mainly deal with those in the Arizona are, but they still gain a great deal of press nationwide. Specifically the art shows they curate to gain donations and awareness are what interest me the most. I'd like to continue working with artwork that is driven from social issues and further use them to draw attention to the issues. I also think I would really enjoy partnering with a non-profit or even starting one sometime in the future. 

usatoday opinions

This article from USA Today is one I just recently stumbled upon but relates to what has been driving my work recently. I want the artwork I do about social issues to begin conversations among the viewers, like the use of social media does in this article. 

Rupert Pfab and Sebastian Brandl Gallery

Rupert Pfab and Sebastian Brandl

The show Dehors/Dedans immediately grabbed my attention by the photograph used.

Franz Burkhardt, Dehors Dedans installation view. Photo: Courtesy Galerie Rupert Pfab, Duesseldorf.

More Information: http://artdaily.com/news/72692/Rupert-Pfab-and-Sebastian-Brandl-open-new-gallery-with-exhibition-of-works-by-Franz-Burkhardt#.VA3fRktSxuY[/url]
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A feeling of nostalgia hit me, like it will for most viewers, and I felt a connection between the installation and what I attempt to achieve in some of my own work. Fanz Burkhardt, the artist behind Dehors/ Dedans, has completely revamped the gallery space by using inspiration from old salons. While I haven't drawn inspiration from that specifically, I have used color and mark-making to achieve that sense of nostalgia for viewers, and that sense of place. 

MSU grant

msu recipients

This article grabbed my attention because it incorporates social issues, performance, and a collaboration between not only the artists but the artists and the viewers. The issue of sustainability might not be one that I am connected with directly or have any experience working with in the past, but the way in which the exhibit is put together is something that I hope to work towards in the future. I have been working a great deal with social issues lately, especially the issue of homelessness, and have brainstormed how to create a piece that might be more interactive with the audience and therefore more performance based. I think that using performance is a great way to start dialogue about the purpose of the artworks and keep viewers from just being viewers.

Also after attending the Suggestive Structures opening reception last week, I have begun to see how important collaborating with other artists can be. I normally tend to work alone but in the case of the MSU show, the teamwork of all of these individuals will be extremely beneficial to the show. With the incorporation of social issues into artwork, involving as many people as possible is vital.

Flatbread Society, Baking tools, farmers almanacs + Flatbread Studies 1-10, 2013. Courtesy the artist.

More Information: http://artdaily.com/news/72691/First-recipients-of-Broad-MSU-s-residency-explore-intersection-of-art--food-production--and-social-issues#.VA3fCEtSxuY[/url]
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Red Bull Curates

http://artsucks.com/event/red-bull-curates-canvas-wrapped-coolers/

This show stood out to me because I am very interested in the incorporation of street art into the fine arts world. Our society is constantly changing its views on what is considered normal or acceptable and I love that the freedom of street art is becoming accessible in all parts of the art world. While I wouldn't consider my personal style to be that of street art, I find that I definitely utilize aspects of that style in quite a bit of my work. And I think that Red Bull as a company always finds the most intriguing events to sponsor so I love that a big name corporation like themselves is helping to spread art to all kinds of communities,  not just the elite who look for stiff oil paintings to decorate their homes. What also grabs my attention about this show is the material they are given to paint on, a cooler. I think it's important as an artist to venture out and discover nontraditional mediums and materials to use, especially ones that incorporate recycled materials.

Cope2′s painted Red Bull cooler.

Asheville

http://toallmydearfriends.com

After a recent spontaneous trip to Asheville, I discovered this amazing street band called "To All My Dear Friends". I find that while music doesn't typically influence the concept of my work, it does influence the way in which i work and carry out a concept. I normally have to have some type of music on while i am working and the first time I noticed that it influenced the way I worked was while taking a community art course. The teacher always played the same Enya CD and ever since then I have listened to similar music while I work. I can listen to other genres but there is definitely a difference in my focus and attention span. 

Indian Elephant Exhibition

Indian Elephant Exhibition

I recently subscribed to Art Daily, and while it's near impossible to read every article they send out daily, I try to catch the ones that interest me. This article immediately stood out to me because social issues are a huge part of what inspire my work, especially recently. And they not only inspire my artwork but also my way of life. I'm a huge believer in volunteer work, and have worked very closely with multiple shelters for several years now. I find it immensely commendable that Alpana Ahuja took it upon herself to create a series of works that not only will benefit elephant conservation but also incorporate one of the rescue elephants into the works. I also admire how Ahuja planned out the exhibit so that it is shown during the festival in India that celebrates an elephant head Hindu god.

An Indian visitor looks at paintings incorporating footprints of an elephant by Singapore based artist Alpana Ahuja at the "Ganapati to Gajah" art exhibition in New Delhi on August 28, 2014. A series of paintings by an Indian elephant have gone on sale at an upmarket gallery in New Delhi to raise money to protect the endangered animal. Artist Alpana Ahuja used baskets of bananas and other treats to lure Phoolkali, an elephant who was rescued from her abusive owners, to create her masterpieces -- giant footprints in bright hues. AFP PHOTO/ SAJJAD HUSSAIN.

More Information: http://artdaily.com/news/72460/Indian-elephant-gets-her-own-art-exhibition-to-raise-money-to-protect-the-endangered-animal#.VA3lKUtSxua[/url]
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Keith Crown

"The droplet of color running down the paper, the gathering of water and color in the valleys of warps; these are the natural, unforeseeable incidents of watercolor painting misjudged by some to be crude craftsmanship. To erase them would be to kill the signs of adventure, to kill the painting." -Keith Crown

From the "Content of Watercolor" by Ed Reep

This quote is relevant to my work because I almost always utilize the unplanned mistakes that occur while creating a work. I don't think there are any mistakes when creating. They are all lessons.