I began by just painting the background first. Then, I added the figure. From there I darkened areas I felt needed to be darkened and made more specific marks.
This spring break, I went to New York City with the art program! I had never really been before so the whole experience was incredible. On the first day we went to a few small galleries that resembled those on Main Street that we go to on walking field trips. I wasn’t expecting some huge-name artist to have their work in these galleries, however we eventually stumbled upon an entire Jeff Koons exhibit! It was amazing being able to see his paintings in real life because they’re so detailed and precise and it’s hard to realize that when looking at images of his work. That evening we saw a different kind of art - the broadway musical Kinky Boots! This show honestly took my breath away. The performers were insanely talented and watching the set change and morph into whatever setting they needed was so cool. It was nice being able to experience performing arts on this trip a lot because we don’t have as much access to that kind of talent in Richmond. In the next few days, we went to The Met, the Guggenheim, and MoMA. I saw SO much art. I tried to get through as much as the museums as possible but I still did not see everything. The Met was incredible because it was just a massive and more complex version of the smaller art museums i’ve been to in Virginia and even Philadelphia. MoMa had my favorite work, because I recognized a lot more of the artists. There were many recent pieces there alongside ultimate classics by Picasso and Van Gogh. Seeing so much art in such little time was almost exhausting, however I tried to pay attention to the methods and styles that the artists used to create their work. I was very inspired by the video work I saw and I hope to get more into that media in the future.
In NYC, I went to an exhibit by William Eggleston called “Los Alamos”. Eggleston was a pioneer of modern color photography. It was an exhibit featuring photographs from the southern midwest United States in the 70s and 80s. The images depicted everyday scenes, such as people eating lunch, getting gas, or flying on airplanes. The photographs captured the essential aspects of American life. Each time I looked at a piece, I could tell that they were distinctly depicting Americans and American culture. The color of the images and the simplicity of the subject matter is really what drew me in. The simple compositions with the everyday subject matter was so endearing and created an entire mood for the show. I think I relate to Eggleston a lot because I pay close attention to the color and composition of simple, commonly ignored things in life. My work is definitely not as good as his, but I am incredibly inspired by the way he can capture these simplicities beautifully. I hope to take more photographs like him in the future, but I also hope to take this inspiration and use it to influence my paintings as well.
When I was in Philadelphia touring a college, I stumbled across this interesting light fixture in the window of a large building. It looked like a pile of lightbulbs, glass, and wires arranged in the most beautiful, tangled-up way. Later that trip, my dad found an article about the man behind work - Warren Muller. Muller obtains his materials by walking down allies, yards, sidewalks, or receiving them from his clients. He makes anything from table lamps to complex chandeliers, and he co-owns an interior design company. He also incorporates iconography of myths and fairytales in his pieces. The motion he gets from juxtaposing random objects is beautiful. There’s something so nostalgic about using found objects and he really emphasizes a feeling of warmth with his work. I’m proud of him for making a living creating art that also has other practical use. I’m excited to live in his city next year and see where else I can find his work.
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AuthorGrace Barron Archives
June 2018
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