The Denver Art Museum has so much to offer

The Native American culture is one of tradition, respect, and livelihood. Both of the pieces of artwork that I saw at the Denver Art Museum somehow evoke one of those ideals. The traditional work that was chosen is by Charles Marion Russell. Buffalo Hunt was created in 1897 by this prolific American artist using oil paint on canvas (Fig. 1). Russell began making buffalo hunt scenes when he was just beginning his career as an artist, about ten years before he made this painting. By 1897, he was implementing stylistic and technical improvements. In his early buffalo hunt paintings he specifically used simple profiles of buffaloes, here Russell shows the forefront buffalo head-on to more successfully encapsulate dramatic movement. Russell’s art portrayed what his colleagues felt were the real truths about western life. He also experienced some of it first hand as he spent almost a decade working on a night wrangler with various cattle operations, and he associated with cowboys as well as Northern Plains Indians. His early works received praise from his peers and from the community for their veracity and energy. His later paintings portrayed a time before his own. A time when the land and its people were unspoiled and unaffected by the advance of Anglo civilization. These themes from the Old West resonated with westerners as well as with the nation as a whole.

                                                           

 The latter contemporary work was painted by John Nieto, another American born artist. Crow Medicine Man was produced around 1990 using acrylic paint on canvas (Fig.2). Nieto concentrates on themes that go beyond mere representation of an idea or subject. He employs powerful primary colors, laying them down in chunky strokes to add facets and character to the piece. In everything he does he uses sensitivity and respect for his subject. He focuses on capturing his distinctive vision of the subjects he paints. He strives to break out of the ordinary. The bold imagery is the essence of his art through which he tries to evoke a reaction from those viewing the work. His art is a melding of his ideals and his technical ingenuity, an intense representation of his heritage and liveliness. He uses what he knows, for example his heritage, and expresses it through his eyes. His ancestors are deeply rooted in New Mexico which is known to be rich in Native American culture. He uses the cultural ideas he knows and consumes the viewer’s eyes with the electric colors and strong confident lines. This aspect makes his work instantaneously recognizable.

                                                          

One aspect that transfers between the two pieces is the subject matter and the reliability of the portrayal of the subjects. Although Nieto uses stronger colors that are not traditional, the feel of the piece still brings a sense of pride and reverence. Some may read it as disrespecting the Native American people but in reality he is simply showing another perspective. He does not efface the figure but instead enhances its power. Although the idea still comes through with Nieto’s piece, Russell’s piece is more realistic to what a buffalo hunting scene would look like. He lived in a time where he experienced the cowboy lifestyle. He worked during the day observing what the cowboys did and at night he would sketch what he saw. Being a historian he studied Native Americans as well as put himself in the presence of the Blood Indians of Alberta, Canada. He used the experiences he had there in many of his works to come. While Russell conveys the realistic life of Native Americans, Nieto brings an edge and unlikely look to singular pieces of Indian culture such as medicine men, wolves, chiefs, and bears. He still includes important aspects but seems to be on the opposite spectrum from Russell. Both pieces of artwork play a significant role within Native American culture. Although they look like they come from extremely different styles, they are both trying to convey the way they perceive life among a culture that they have experienced. In the end they both successfully portray an interesting view of Indian culture.

She did what to My Little Pony?

Something that would be a huge deal to any art student would be to have their work featured someplace reputable. Simply to have the opportunity to have something that you put so much time and effort into displayed for others to see is an absolute honor. Mari Kasurinen, an art student from Finland was recently shown on MTV’s website. And why exactly is she being publicized?

 MY LITTLE PONY.

Truthfully as a child, I thought My Little Pony was dumb. But taking something completely iconic in its own right and throwing the features of other American icons onto it is ingenious. Kasurinen has produced over 40 different renditions of symbols of pure Americana such as Batman, a storm trooper from Star Wars, Elvis, and Lady Gaga. Not only can you buy the ones on her website but you can also email her and talk about a specific idea you may have for a commissioned work. She takes a modern quirky take on figures that have made their way into our minds and sometimes our hearts. There have been many artists that do this, such as Andy Warhol’s take on Marilyn Monroe, Elvis, Elizabeth Taylor and most recently Michael Jackson. Capturing someone else in a form of art is one of the greatest ways to express an era in history. This may seem like a stretch but I think that increasingly movie stars, movie characters and musicians help to shape major trends of our country whether we like it or not. Kasurinen takes a modern look at this principle.

                                         

The modified My Little Pony is not all that Kasurinen has to offer as an artist. She also has completed lithographs, screen prints, etchings, and oil paintings. The way that she can render a human face is amazing. Not only does she capture what the person looks like but also the emotion that they may be feeling seems to jump out to the viewer. There is one etching in particular called The Veteran. It shows a young boy with a rifle slung over his shoulder. In the background is multiple markings on the wall. I’m not completely sure what these are meant to represent but to me I assumed it may be the number of people he’s had to kill, or number of times he gone to fight. It also isn’t clear where he is from or if he is to be representative of a war going on that has children as their soldiers but it definitely evokes a heavy hearted feeling. You begin to feel remorse for this poor little boy that is dealing with things well beyond his years. I believe that to be a successful artist you have the ability to bring the piece to life. Give it emotions that have a way of tugging on the heart strings of the viewer. Obviously not all art has such a strong message as this but in anyway, I think being a success is making people think, and making people talk no matter what emotion causes that.

                                                              

“It’s not about knowing all the gimmicks and photo tricks. If you haven’t got the eye, no program will give it to you” -David Carson

When most think of rule-breakers, a negative connotation follows along with it. Modern artists were about to learn what it feels like to squirm at the brink of the Postmodern revolution. One major contributor to the onset of mass hysteria among artists preceding the postmodern transformation is David Carson. There are many characteristics that were particularly offsetting for those who had spent so many years developing a system. Carson is unorthodox and completely revolutionary in his designs and style.  

             Carson found a whole new way to communicate without sentences and structure but rather with his creativity of graphic design. The letters and images created shapes and interactions that told a story beyond what words could express. His work was so impressive to his colleagues that he was not even required to have his work reviewed or edited by his superiors before it went to print. This complete artistic freedom was worth the shoddy wages he was receiving and he took full advantage of this rare chance to experiment. He has often asked how to define “good work”. In his mind if you were to have no limitations whatsoever on a particular piece, monetarily or otherwise, would you still have come up with this layout? If the answer is no, you should probably reevaluate what you’ve done.

Exposure from Ray Gun magazine caused his career to take off. Leading Corporations such as Pepsi Cola, Nike, and Microsoft wanted their ads and commercials to have that signature Carson touch. He was suddenly known by all audiences as a new-aged communicator and creative mastermind. Some of the ads were hardly legible in ways but they conveyed the message that the client wanted in a more profound way than ever before. Carson claimed that legibility and communication were not one in the same, and even some of the most legible work could be conveying the wrong message. Conversely, his work showed the emotions and truly humanistic reactions that he felt when exposed to the article, news story, or work of art in question. In a similar way, it evoked feelings from the audience that matched his interpretation and connected the artist and witness in a way that no simple literature could have accomplished.

                                

With an eye for mixing the spacing and sizes of texts and photos in an unfamiliar way, none of Carson’s work could be matched by other aspiring graphic designers. David Carson made sure that everyone knew it too. He demanded that his name be incorporated into every piece he created, and sometimes it was the most eye-catching portion of the entire ad! He did spread the wealth a little though and began doing low-cost student workshops to help others to grasp this unique style of graphic design. However, all along he believed that his approach could not be taught, but instead was a personal investigation of one’s own response to a given situation.

Between 2000 and 2004, Carson opened his very own art studio in South Carolina and also became the creative director at Gibbes Museum in the same town. He continues to work at this museum and develop his growing body of work within his studio. On top of that, he still creates magnificent designs for magazines, produces state of the art advertisements, and directs commercials for those companies lucky enough to work with him. Carson even did some work during the 2008 presidential election to convey his thoughts and feelings about the candidates to his readers.

                                                         

Overall, David Carson’s work has not only inspired artists all over the world, but has also created an entirely new way of communicating a message to an audience. By using a variety of mediums in an unconventional yet ingenious fashion, Carson broke all the rules of traditional modernism. David Carson showed the world how expressive typography and graphic design can become when derived from true emotion, and his mark on the world of art could never be forgotten.

“Some people become cops because they want to make the world a better place. Some people become vandals because they want to make the world a better looking place.”

How many people crave recognition without actually receiving it personally?

 Banksy is an anonymous graffiti artist hailing from England. Not only does he not live for the credit or fame of his work, he also doesn’t believe in copyright. Shocking? Not really. Although some of his work has been sold for thousands of dollars, which is never his impetus behind creating.

  Most of his work takes a satirical look at politics, ethics and the culture we live in today. The piece may also include a message which usually has to do with anti-war or anti-capitalist subjects. His ideas are often heard by people all around the world. The language barrier is broken. The way that he portrays a subject is so simple that even children can understand the meaning to a certain extent. His art is meant to be seen, by all. He is very against any sort of elitist regulations when it comes to things like art. He is well known for breaking into the famous Louvre and hanging up his own interpretation of the famous Mona Lisa will a big yellow smiley face. Most serious art collectors would scoff at the idea while those with a more open mindset of art will take this as it is. And those elitist art “enthusiasts” didn’t just scoff, they deemed his work to be nothing more than vandalism. What’s Banksy’s take on this? “Writing graffiti is about the most honest way you can be an artist. It takes no money to do it, you don’t need an education to understand it and there’s no admission fee.” Clearly he thinks it’s the best thing since sliced bread.

 What’s your take on his work? Vandalism or art?

 I think what he does is intensely creative. Although he takes some risks that I wouldn’t be caught dead doing, he definitely has a way of getting a message out to the world.

  

This is on the wall that seperates Palestinian neighborhoods from Israeli neighborhoods.

 

What a bunch of GARBAGE!

Who wants to rummage through trash? I sure don’t.

 German artist  HA Shult decided to take trash to a new arena in 1996. There have been many successful attempts to reuse trash and make it into something that can be used again, for example Target sells a pencil bag made of things like Capri Sun pouches. Shult took crushed cans, computer parts and anything else he saw fit to create Trash People. It took him many helpers and 6 months to finish the thousand figures. They aren’t necessarily made to evoke a specific feeling or conversation, they’re simply meant to get people talking about how much trash we really produce per day, how it affects our world, etc. and to inspire people to make changes. And what is a better way to get people talking than taking them all over the world? I don’t know either. These figures have traveled to major cities such as Paris, Beijing, Moscow and Cologne, at the pyramids of Gizeh, on the Great Wall of China, on the Matterhorn and in the salt deposits of Gorleben. Is that not insane?!? Their trips are supported by the maker of the adhesive that was used to unearth this gang of garbage, Henkel. Not only is this a good thing to support because of how many people have seen and talked about them but also its good advertising for Henkel. Not a bad idea on their part. The pictures of the group in these major cities is breathtaking. In particular the picture of the thousand on the Great Wall of China is amazing. 

Check it out, yo

The trash people definitely have a way of getting people to talk. What kind of reaction do they push out of you?

Metaphorically speaking of course

Metaphorical art most of the time needs to be viewed with a grain of salt. Meaning that sometimes you should put aside any need to completely pick something apart and simply take it for what it is and enjoy it.

Vladimir Kush is one of the most talented surrealist artists I have seen. He rivals Salvador Dali in my opinion. The realistic nature that he brings to into his paintings are breathtaking. And not only that he brings a fresh perspective on subjects such as love, the last supper, or something as simple as the sun rising.

The piece that I was first introduced to by him was “Metaphorical Journey”. This painting is enormous and has so much going on in it without it being crowded. One thing that amazes me about Kush is the finite details that he can get in such a huge piece. The care and consideration that he gives to every part of the painting is evident.

It always makes me smile to see one of his works because for some reason it makes me feel like a young kid again, and that makes me happy.

Metaphorical Journey by Vladimir Kush

Of course he worked for Disney

Eyvind Earle had an amazing life. He began creating art at the ripe age of ten. His first show of his own was when he was fourteen. FOURTEEN! Can you imagine being so good at what you do that there are people coming from far away to see what you’ve done in a show that is solely dedicated to your work?! I surely can’t. When he was twenty-one he took a bicycle trip across America and along the way painted 42 watercolor paintings. Now, I know you may be thinking watercolors are something that school children use. True. But this man took this medium to another level. The way he could manipulate the watercolor is somewhat shocking. Earle could do no wrong when it came to painting. His use of color and layer are so tedious that it makes my brain hurt just thinking about how meticulous you’d have to be to achieve something close to what he has done.

                                    

After this, Earle joined the Disney studios and was an assitant background painter. He is well known for the settings on the movies “Peter Pan”, “Lady and the Tramp” and “Sleeping Beauty”, among others.

I first came upon his work when I went to the Walnut Street Gallery located in Old Town Fort Collins. I love going to this gallery because I have become aware of so many other amazing artists that have changed the way I look at art. On entering the gallery I immediately was captivated by the bright colors and amazing landscapes. In 1974 he bagan making these limited edition serigraphs. As I said above, his attention to detail is intense. The only way to truly appreciate his work, I believe, would be to see it in person. After viewing all the work the gallery had up I found myself drawn back to one particular serigraph entitled “Waves of Golden fire” which I loved. I wish I could have purchased it but it was around $2,500. You can see a portion of this serigraph at the top of my blog page. I hope you take advantage of the links within this post because they will take you to great places. And I encourage you to visit Earle’s website and view the rest of his works. He not only did serigraphs and watercolors but also drawing, oil paintings, scratchboard and sculptures. I promise you it is well worth your time.

Isn’t chalk just for hopscotch?

German born artist Edgar Müller has taken something that most associate with children and made it something extraordinary. Chalk art. I know using chalk takes me back to when I was younger play hopscotch and taking turns with friends lying on the driveway outlining each other. Who had any idea that something substantial and captivating could be derived from chalk?

Müller first got interested in street art when he was 16 on his way to school, when he ran into an international competition of street painters. When he was 25 he decided that this was something that he wanted to devote his full attention to. He traveled across Europe making money with his street art and also by teaching workshops at schools. It blows my mind that in his teens he found something that he wanted to pursue. It seems like, at least in my own personal life, that finding the thing that you feel destined to do doesn’t quite come as easily as just walking to school. But without his walk to school, we would be missing out on his talent.

 The point of his art is not simply to wow people who pass by, even though that is the main emotion that they evoke. He wanted to create something that got the viewer involved by bringing something into their world that they can literally react to. It changes their environment and by interacting with the piece, the viewer changes the painting’s meaning. I think that what he does is amazing. He has taken a lot of his inspiration from Kurt Wenner and Julian Beever, also 3-D illusion painters, and created his own style. I look forward to seeing his work evolve over the following years.

 

Oh and one last thing, he is completely self-taught. Yah.

            

Give a man nature and he makes…

If someone were to throw you outside and say, “I want you to make me something interesting, something beautiful, something that takes skill, but all you can use is things you find in nature.” What in the world would you do?

Andy Goldsworthy takes environmental and land art to a level that I never knew existed. This man is amazing! He only uses things he find in nature such as leaves, icicles, rocks, mud, snow, twigs, and thorns. Along with this he doesn’t bring any manmade tools with him, he’ll use sharp stones to break or form the medium he working with. Instead of choosing what he uses like any other artist may choose to paint with acrylics that day, Goldsworthy works with what the seasons give him. If it begins to snow, he’s going to work with snow.

What he does is so new and refreshing that it gives you a larger appreciation for the world around us. I don’t think many people look outside and think, “hmm, i wonder what I can make out of those pinecones that will really knock the neighbors socks off.” I’m particularly thankful for artists like Andy Goldsworthy for opening my eyes to something spectacular.

Because I believe sometimes pictures don’t suffice, below is a compilation of Goldsworthy doing what he does best from the documentary Rivers and Tides.

 

Is this really art?

How many times have you seen something in a museum and thought, “I could do that! Why did that person get so much money for that?” This is something that I used to be guilty of thinking. Once you transcend this thinking, a great appreciation for all creative endeavors will well up in you and soon enough you will feel like a dork talking about how beautiful the line quality in a drawing is.

One particular piece of work that I felt was ridiculous for getting so much attention is The Fountain by Marcel Duchamp. Being part of the Dada movement was all about straying away from reason and logic. The artists that were a part of this thought that reason and logic were responsible for World War I and were striving to stray away from a disaster such as that. 

The Fountain was a “ready-made” piece, which simply means it was something that could be found and presented however the artist wanted. Duchamp took a urinal and placed it on its back so as to give it a new purpose and thought instead of clearly being a urinal. This piece was trying to force people out of their comfort zones, and try to see the world in a different light. Whether they succeeded or not is up for debate.