Albright Knox - Visit #1

A.) Which artworks make an impact or impression on me? Why?

The artworks that I felt made the biggest impact on me, first was a piece called Untitled #1373 (Ms. Redstockings: Noted to women sculptors in 100 years), by Petah Coyne, 1998-2012. It's overall shape it like a house or a giant wedding cake.  It is a beautiful mess of decidedly delicate and feminine trinkets (flowers, candles, pastels) that appear to have all melted together, except the parts of the art that are closer to the viewer. Those items are still jumbles together but they don't appear melted. this gives me the feeling or impression that those feminine, delicate things age over time. Possibly like a woman's looks or figure. As an aging woman the piece really had an impact on me. It was also a very unexpected medium for me to be moved by.

The second most impact full art was a 14 minute video of a hill or mountain called, Silent color video, by Roden Crater, 2009. It was projected on a giant screen (floor to ceiling) in a big empty room. The emptiness of the room was emphasized by the fact that I was the only person in the exhibit at the time. Over the course of 14 minutes and 34 seconds the image appeared ever so suddenly to change. It may have been through the seasons, and at one point from day to night, but the source of light never moved as the sun would if it was a progression. I think that is why it made such a impression on me. I could not assess the direction or meaning of the change.

B.) Which artworks do I feel a connection with? Why?

The artwork that I felt connected to were Horse Fair, Oil on canvas painting, by Rosa Bonheur, 1855, and After Leslie Left, Oil on canvas, by Janet Fish, 1983-1984. I felt connected with Horse Fair for several reasons. I was drawn to it because i have an affection for the equine, and I could feel the energy of it, the giant horses swirling around. Also the horses where huge in the painting, giant draft horses. Lastly, I read the the blurb written about Rosa and it said that she used to have to dress up like a man to get into barns and slaughter houses to study the movements of the animals she wanted to paint. After reading that it was hard not to admire and connect with her.

I connected with After Leslie Left, before I read it's title, which is admittedly clever, but it puts a spin on the piece that I did not connect with. I connected with it because I felt like it made the chaos beautiful. The artists painted a pile of clutter that seemed to have a theme of women house work and made it look pretty and almost exciting to me. However, after learning the title, it seems like maybe it is a man looking at a pile of woman's work that will not be done because presumably the chores are Leslie's, and she has left.

C.) Which artworks would I like to know more about? Why?

The artwork that I would like tt know more about are Free to Play, Four-channel HD video with custom software, AP 1 from an eddition of 3 and 2 APs, by Taboe Robak, 2014, and Still Life #20, Mixed Media, by Tom Wesselmann, 1962. Both of these pieces are odd to me. First, Free to Play looks like an over sized slot machine screen, and I was entertained by trying to figure out the mathematical matrix or pattern that the images were set to. When I read that it ran for 60 minutes, I decided against trying to figure it out. I would like to know if there is any rhyme or reason to it, or if it is just a stream of random transitions over the course of an hour. Also if it isn't random, how did he decide when to make the screen change? Is it a calculated decision?

Lastly, I am curious what the artist's point is in Still Life #20. I like the piece. I liked looking at it. It was like being transported to 1962, but I think because I did not connect with it I was unable to find a meaning of it. Also, I wonder if the light int eh work is the same everywhere it is displayed? Is it an intentional brightness, wattage, color, or is it not an important constant of the art?