POST #9 Abstract Expressionism

Abstract expressionism was a movement that became relevant during the mid-1940's. Painters such as Jackson Pollock used action painting to create large abstract works of splatter paint on giant canvas'. The emotion behind such works gave excitement to the American art scene by the way the colors and movements in creating the pieces were used. Ideally, America is known as the "land of the free" and I would like to think that abstract expressionism helped mold this idea of freedom through art by allowing artists to break the mold of shape and color. In certain pieces, Jackson Pollock tried to portray violence. I believe he was trying to show how violent Americans can be at times. He showed passion and energy. For example, in his piece "Lavender Mist" (1950) the tiny black striations help produce a dark tone to the overall piece that in my opinion shows American hypocrisy. It also is dusted with pink highlights that represent so called "american freedom".

Jackson Pollock, Number 1, 1950 (Lavender Mist),1950, National Gallery of Art, Ailsa Mellon Bruce Fund, 1976.37.1

POST #10 MUSEUM PAPER

Gutai: Splendid Playground at Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum

We as humans are constantly asking ourselves: Who am I? Art is a language which helps us answer this question of identity. Art opens up a dialogue not only with others but with ourselves. It answers questions on individual identity, cultural identity, and of the era in which the art was produced in. The Japanese avant garde Gutai movement is a great example of Art acting as a language. Founded in 1954, the Gutai group sought to break down barriers between art, the public, and everyday life (Tiampo). Of the many works of art produced in the Gutai period, Motonaga Sadamasa’s “Work (Water)” (1956), invites us into a conversation of identity. Displayed now at The Guggenheim for the Gutai: Splendid Playground exhibit, Sadamasa’s installation features polyethylene tubes filled with colored water that cascade in the rotunda. The tubes and water are reflective of the natural light that spills in from the Guggenheim’s skylight. I believe Sadamasa uses water as a medium because it is formless. The installation hangs perfectly in the space, as opposed to being on the wall or floor, because it allows for the eye to travel upward, giving viewers a sense of imagination and freedom. The bright colors are playful and entice the viewer’s creativity. Themes of independence and imagination correlate to the piece being created in post-war Japan. Having been freed from totalitarian rule, Japanese Gutai artists challenged viewers to think for themselves.

Also on display at the Guggenheim is Atsuko Tanaka’s “Electric Dress” (1956) which offers us insight on the artist’s individual identity as a female. The dress is a bright and bulging display made up of lights of different shapes and colors. The dress flickers and illuminates like neon signs. Electric cords intertwine with each other, reminiscent of roots from a tree or veins in the human body. It is a contradiction that draws the viewer’s attention with bright lights but also hides the form. The shapelessness of the piece challenges viewers on the traditional role of a female. Overall the piece is a statement on the artist as a woman living in a consumer revolution of the modern world (Stone).

Many Gutai artist dealt with the cultural identity, offering a new take on Japanese calligraphy (Tiampo). Akira Kanayama’s “Ashiato” (1956) was a piece in which the artist imprinted his footprints with black ink onto a long white cloth, reminiscent of a scroll. When it was installed in a park in 1956, the artist added a dynamic approach by hanging the cloth onto trees, changing the linear path of the footprints. Instead of using a brush, the artist uses his own feet, breaking the barrier between art and artist.

Saburo Murakami’s “Passing Through” (1956) portrays the violent historical identity that is essential in Gutai art. Originally performed in 1956, Murakami bursts through twenty-one paper screens, collapsing at its conclusion. The artist was inspired by his two year old son, who after receiving punishment, burst through a traditional Japanese paper screen (“Gutai”). Through this forceful act, the artist converses with the audience, explaining the violence of World War II. His collapse at the end is a metaphor for the exhaustion and pain caused by war.

The Gutai movement was important in breaking down ideas of art. By challenging mediums, sound, and space, Gutai artists helped give a new definition to art. Art can be whatever you make it, but it is overall a language. Art helps us communicate with the artist, cultures, and history.

1. Atsuko Tanaka

“Electric Dress”

Enamel paint on light bulbs, electric cords, and control console

1956 (Reconstructed 1986)

2. Akira Kanayama

“Ashiato”

Paint on plastic sheets

1956

3. Saburo Murakami’s

“Passing Through”

Performance, 42 Kraft paper

October 11-17, 1956

Works Cited

"Gutai." Gutai: Painting with Time and Space. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Apr. 2013. <http://www.nipponlugano.ch/en/gutai/index.html>.

Stone, Katie. "The Brooklyn Rail." Electrifying Art: Atsuko Tanaka. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Apr. 2013. <http://www.brooklynrail.org/2004/10/artseen/electrifying-art-atsuko-tanaka-1954>.

Tiampo, Ming. "Gutai: Splendid Playground." Gutai: Splendid Playground. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Apr. 2013.

<http://www.guggenheim.org/new-york/exhibitions/on-view/gutai-splendid-playground>.

BLOG POST #8- BASQUIAT

Jean-Michel Basquiat was an influential artist who bridged cultural gaps and brought a new meaning to Puertorican and African art.

Jean-Michel Basquiat

"The Nile"

Arylic and oil

 Paintstick on canvas

1983

Jean-Michel Basquiat

"Dos Cabezas"

Acrylic and crayon on canvas

1982

Jean-Michel Basquiat

"Untitled (scull)"

Acrylic and crayon on canvas

1981