Post 5 - Art on My Mind | Rocco

Art on My Mind by Bell Hooks | Carrie Mae Weems Interview

"[Carrie Mae Weems]: Right. For the most part, there have been only white critics who've been talking about the work. And they talk about the works of black artists, in general, in ways that centralize race, seeing only this facet... [Bell Hooks]: Yes, the individuals are black, but the issues raised are about sexuality in general, the politics of desire- intimacy and domination" (Hooks 78).

     This conversation between Carrie Mae Weems and Bell Hooks has multiple implications when it comes to both the creation and viewing of creative mediums. When it comes to topics of identity, it becomes very easy to only see what is on the surface and undermine all other messages that are being said by a piece; this is an idea that applies to other fields like writing and film, or interactive mediums like video games. 

    The example set in the interview is that of Carrie Mae Weems' The Kitchen, in which some fail to look past racial identity, missing a more central point of her work: the idea of the gaze, sexuality, and vulnerability. This is something that is important to acknowledge in media, as while identity is an incredible part of who we are and the projects we both create and view, it is important not to let it block the deeper meanings behind the work. Just because I, a Filipino American man, make something, does not mean the message has to come from the fact that I am a Filipino American. 

    It is important to celebrate who a person is, but it is also important to make sure it does not completely wipe away every other aspect of what makes them who they are. As such, the same idea should also be applied to art. 

"You know, we have to make art work for us within the context of our own individual belief systems. I've often thought about this. How do you do this with photography? How do you describe complex experiences in a photograph? What are the sights of it? What should it have to look like? What does it have to challenge? To whom is it challenging? You know, who's it for? All chose kinds of questions are constantly shifting for me. The moment' that I think chat I have it locked down is the moment in which it flips; you can't talk about the pros without talking about the cons" (Hooks 86).

    I believe in the importance of acknowledging where art comes from on an individual level, and how that affects both its creation and its perception. When making a piece, the person creating the work inevitably takes from their own thoughts and experiences. Two people making paintings related to inner emotions of sadness would come up with products that are inherently their own, both with stylistic choices and the motivations that made the work the way it is. Two people creating a graphic design poster for the same event would use their own knowledge and preferences to design the same concept in different ways. When viewing art, one would draw from their own perception as they respond and react, relating their own thoughts to the message being relayed by the original artist.

Go to an Art Exhibition | Visiting Chelsea (NYC)

    I had the pleasure of going to Chelsea in New York city with two of my close friends in the university, one of whom being Ai'Jhana in our studio research course. 

    We ended up viewing a total of five exhibitions in Chelsea:

1. Na Kim: Memory Palace (Nicola Vassell Gallery) 
2. Marc Dennis: I'm Happy You're Here (Harper's Gallery Chelsea)
3. Norman Bluhm (Miles McEnery Gallery) 
4. Bo Bartlett (Miles McEnery Gallery)
5. Laura Owens (Matthew Marks Gallery)
   

Standing next to Na Kim's Untitled: 30

Ai'Jhana standing next to Na Kim's Untitled: 29, Untitled: 34, and Untitled: 35

     

    Overall I had a pretty captivating time exploring the galleries in the Chelsea area and had the pleasure of seeing multiple types of art. Na Kim's surrealist body paintings, Marc Dennis' high level of detail in a multitude of worlds, Norman Bluhm's colorful abstractions, Bo Bartlett's evocation of nostalgia, and Laura Owens' decorated walls all offered unique experiences. Many of these pieces saw different interpretations and emotions, something that I have previously stated as an interest of mine in my own subjective work. Meanwhile, the sheer scale and number of works is something that I've come to appreciate more and more, with Laura Owens' work sparking inspiration when it comes to layering in my more graphic design focused works. 

    I was most blown away by Marc Dennis' Wait For It, with each bubble containing its own world, acting as pieces of a foreground deeply contrasted with an extremely dark background. This composition reminded me of tenebrism from the Renaissance era, feeling like a modern usage of the technique. There was an intense level of detail on the painting, with its size almost feeling otherworldly to an artist who struggles with 11x17 canvases. 

Wait For It, Marc Dennis, Oil on Linen, 59.5x59.5in, 2024

 

    I'm really thankful for Ai'Jhana and Mia taking the time to show me around and go to New York City with me on short notice. I would have been a lot more lost without Ai'Jhana's planning, and it was overall a really good time.

Ai'Jhana's digital camera took a lot of great pictures too.