DARK ELEGY

THE DEADLINE FOR POSTING TO THIS BLOG FOR THIS MARKING PERIOD WAS FRIDAY, 11/6 AT 6pm. NO NEW ENTRIES MAY BE SUBMITTED.

THE FIRST BLOG ENTRY OF THE NEXT MARKING PERIOD WILL BE DUE ON FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 20th.








*** PLEASE NOTE THAT THE INFORMATION ABOUT THIS SCULPTURE IS OF A SENSITIVE NATURE – DEALING WITH LIFE, DEATH AND LOSS. IF YOU FEEL YOU CANNOT READ OR WORK WITH THESE TOPICS FOR WHATEVER REASON, PLEASE TALK TO MS. BELTON AND WE’LL FIND ANOTHER TOPIC FOR YOU. ***


READ THE INFORMATION BELOW ABOUT SUSE LOWENSTEIN. RESPOND TO TWO PROMPTS BY FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 6th AT 6:00 PM.


YOUR RESPONSES MUST BE AT LEAST 5 SENTENCES LONG TO RECEIVE FULL CREDIT.


PLEASE REMEMBER TO PUT YOUR NAME IN YOUR RESPONSE!





Dark Elegy: Love and Loss Transformed into Sculpture - by Suse Lowenstein


“When on Dec. 21, 1988, my firstborn son, Alexander, age 21, was brutally murdered aboard Pan Am 103 in the stormy night skies over the Scottish village of Lockerbie, my own life, my husband Peter’s and our younger son Lucas' fundamentally changed. I was 44 years old, and it was at this point that my most meaningful life's work began. I was a sculptor for many years, but this began a whole new phase in my creative life.

The first weeks and month after Alexander's death were as awful as any experience in life can possibly be. The realization that he was murdered, then the horrific circumstances of his death itself, the absolute finality of never being with him again, was truly more then any parent should ever live through. I remember sleeping a lot because in sleep Alex was not dead. But waking up was painful; the realization of what happened would creep back into my conscience. I am a recovering alcoholic, and I would have loved nothing better then to drink myself to death, but just the contemplation of such action would bring back the memory of how proud Alex was of my sobriety. I felt that I could not let him down, even though he was dead.

What I did instead was go to my studio every day to sculpt the way I felt: myself at the moment of receiving that awful, awful phone call, myself raging, begging, screaming. Somehow I felt that the work kept me close to the tragedy. It forced me to embrace and work with what had happened.

This was how my monumental work called "Dark Elegy" started. Initially I portrayed myself -- not only at that moment of hearing the heartbreaking news, but also in other positions of grief, rage and hopelessness. Soon other mothers and widows asked to participate; each one having lost loved ones on this fateful flight. There are now 76 larger-than-life-size pieces in this sculpture, each portraying a mother or a wife at the very moment when she first heard the awful news of the death of her loved one by a terrorist act.

The work took 15 years to complete, and my hope is that it will stand as a reminder of how fragile we are, how easily we can loose those we love the most. The sculpture also stands as a reminder of what hate leaves in its wake, and my hope is that people will be more accepting of one another's differences and learn to love a little more. My dream is to donate "Dark Elegy" to the public. I would love to find a place to which all people from all nations have access. It needs no language. It has no borders and is non-political. This sculpture is understood by all who view it.”

from http://www.womensvoicesforchange.org/2006/11/dark_elegy_a_mo.html


PROMPT #1:

• Go to Suse Lowenstein’s website: http://www.darkelegy103.com/ and look at “Dark Elegy”.
• Imagine working on a sculpture for 15 years - is there anything that you feel passionately about that would hold your interest for 15 years?
• Part of the healing process for Lowenstein was to create sculpture - think about your own life - would you put your grief out in public via a very personal sculpture or would you create a private sculpture?
• Explain your thinking.
  

PROMPT#2:

• How does the color on Lowenstein’s sculptures enhance the meaning of her sculpture?
• How would the meaning be changed if the sculptures were painted bright, glossy pink and white?
• How would the meaning be affected if her sculptures were painted realistic colors?
• If this were your sculpture, how would you color your figures?
• Explain your thinking.
  

PROMPT#3:

• “Dark Elegy” is made of sculptures that are all women in varying stages of grief. Other people, fathers/brothers/uncles/husbands, lost loved ones in this tragedy – do you expect to see male figures grieving in this sculpture?
• If you were a father who lost a child in this tragedy (or a husband who lost a wife), how would you feel when you looked at this sculpture? Would you feel included or excluded?
• Should a memorial have to include all people who may be mourning or who were affected by the loss?
• How personal should a public memorial be?
  

PROMPT #4:

• “Dark Elegy” is made of plaster or resin strips and will eventually be cast in bronze when a suitable site has been chosen.
• Where would you permanently place this sculpture?
• Explain your thinking behind the proposed placement.
• Because the sculpture depicts nude female figures, are there areas that may not be suitable for this sculpture? Explain your thinking.
• Because of the subject matter – a terrorist attack and subsequent loss of life – are there areas where this sculpture should or should not be placed?
  

PROMPT #5:

• If you were going to ask Suse Lowenstein 3 questions - what would you ask her?
• Why do you want to know the answers to these questions?
• How would you respond if these questions were put to you and you were the sculptor?
  

PROMPT #6: 5 POINTS EXTRA CREDIT

• Read the update at http://www.darkelegy103.com/action.html
• Look at the sculpture, "Dark Elegy"
• Imagine you are the member of the National Park Service that has to make the final decision about whether "Dark Elegy" meets the criteria for a "commemorative work". Read the criteria and the arguments on both sides.
• What decision would you make?
• Explain your thinking.
  

TITLES

RESPOND TO TWO OF FOUR OF THE FOLLOWING PROMPTS BY FRIDAY, OCTOBER 30th AT 6:00 PM.

MAKE SURE YOUR RESPONSES ARE EACH AT LEAST 5 SENTENCES LONG TO RECEIVE FULL CREDIT!!


PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU WRITE YOUR NAME IN YOUR RESPONSE!!!


"What's in a name? That which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet."

Shakespeare Romeo and Juliet, II, ii, 1-2


The right title makes a difference as to how a work is seen and understood. Not only are titles a bridge to the viewer, they are also part of the art.

There are several kinds of titles. For example:

• Sentimental (example: Love of My Life)
• Numerical ( #3)
• Factual (Still Life with Apples and Oranges)
• Mysterious (The Rotating Sentiment)

Consider the implications of titling your sculpture and how they might add or subtract from your purposes. Titles serve to confirm what's seen but also to add knowledge, insight, and a glimpse into the author's mind-set. On the other hand, art titling is often used to obfuscate or evoke irony.

Abstract art can present titling challenges. The formal values of the work itself may be mentioned--e.g., Red on Blue.

Titling can also give viewers a clue that might help them on a voyage of imagination and discovery--e.g., Talisman. Sometimes, in this direction, you don't want to say too much. Brevity is enigmatic.

Adapted from: http://www.painterskeys.com/clickbacks/painting-title.asp


PROMPT #1

• Choose a piece of artwork from the sculptures on the right.
• Create five new possible titles for the sculptures.
• Explain why you chose each new title.

PROMPT #2

• Think about your current stone sculpture and why you chose to carve this particular animal.
• Briefly describe your sculpture.
• Create two possible titles for your sculpture.
• Explain why you chose each title.
  

PROMPT #3

• Go online and look up a sculptor whose work you enjoy.
• Paste the link to the artist’s website into your response.
• Describe one piece of artwork (be very specific) by this artist and tell us the title.
• Would you change the title if you were the artist? Why or why not?

PROMPT #4

• Go to: http://arf.noemata.net/pa/titlegen/ - Random Titles – it is a free service on the internet. It simply generates titles which can be used to title a piece of artwork or serve as inspiration for a piece of artwork.
• Click on the title generator.
• Choose a title that intrigues you.
• Describe a piece of sculpture that you could make if you were to begin with this title.
• Describe the materials, size, colors, textures and subject matter you would use in your artwork.
  

JANIS MARS WUNDERLICH

READ THE INFORMATION BELOW ABOUT JANIS MARS WUNDERLICH.


RESPOND TO TWO OF THE FOLLOWING PROMPTS BY FRIDAY, OCTOBER 23rd AT 6:00 PM.

MAKE SURE YOUR RESPONSES ARE EACH AT LEAST 5 SENTENCES LONG TO RECEIVE FULL CREDIT!!

MAKE SURE YOUR NAME IS IN YOUR RESPONSES!!


http://www.janismarswunderlich.com/


ARTIST’S STATEMENT:

“My imagery captures the exhaustion and exhilaration of life as both a creative artist and busy parent. My children inspire me with both their imaginative minds and animal-like energy. As I nurture and care for them, they continually feed my thoughts with their “fairytale-like” quirkiness.

But parenting is physically and emotionally demanding! The cleaning, cooking, chores, and laundry never end. The tantrums, messy diapers, and adolescent “sassiness” are emotionally draining. The babies are always clinging to me, hanging onto my arms and legs. Sometimes I look like a playground! But I love it!

My recent work explores the idea of “accessorizing” with children. Sometimes I feel as though my wardrobe consists of kids from head to toe. Instead of “artsy” or fancy accessories and jewelry, I have children hanging from my ears, neck, and arms! In a sense, the mother figure seems hidden or lost behind all the clingy creatures. But in reality, she is strengthened, clothed, and made beautiful by them. They give her layers, textures, identity.

Children’s literature is a big influence in my work, from Peter Rabbit and Curious George to the Wild Things and Grimm Fairy Tales... (My kids LOVE stories!). Mother Goose has especially influenced me in recent works. I love the bizarre poetry about men who go to sea in a bowl, cows jumping over the moon, or dishes running away with spoons! These stories, much like my sculptures, are filled with animalistic creatures who provoke the mind to look beyond reality into the realm of the imagination.

I feel a natural connection to the animal kingdom, (mostly because my children often behave like naughty little animals!) but also because of the inherent nurturing and protective instincts that I possess as a mother. My imagery often has animalistic qualities, making my sculptures reference humanity in all its diversities.

I am amazed at how my parental experiences—the good and frustrating—fuel my imagination. I view my sculptural works much like journal entries that document my personal journeys. I often create work laden with complex dualities, showing both the suffering and joys of life.
My sculptures are handbuilt using thin, slab-like coils of clay. The glaze surfaces are built up by multifiring layers of underglaze, slips, and overglaze.

Motherhood fills my mind and life with such incredible images and experiences. The challenge for me is to keep my sanity and sense of humor as I balance my time between all the fun and craziness of parenthood and art-making. It’s been an amazing journey so far!”

From http://www.ceramicstoday.com/potw/wunderlich.htm



PROMPT #1

• Read Janis Mars Wunderlich’s artist statement and look at her artwork.
• Choose one piece of Wunderlich’s artwork and describe how the artwork reflects her views.
• Be VERY specific - minimum of 5 sentences, please!!

PROMPT #2

• Janis Mars Wunderlich creates artwork that is directly influenced by relationships and events in her life and the lives of her children. Think about your own life in all of its complexity. If you were to create a series of sculptures that somehow reflected some or all of the facets of your life:
• What would be the predominant subject matter?
• Would your sculptures be realistic or abstract?
• What type of textures would you use?
• What types of colors would you use?
• What materials would you use?

PROMPT #3

• Imagine that you were one of Janis Mars Wunderlich’s children – how would you feel about your mother using you and all of your childhood exploits as subject matter for her artwork?
• Would you have any objections?
• Why or why not?

PROMPT #4

• Janis Mars Wunderlich uses texture and color to communicate meaning in her sculptures.
• She uses colors that are traditionally used for children – pinks, light blues and light yellows predominate. However, when you look at her artwork, it is definitely not “cute” or “childlike”
• Using one of her pieces of sculpture, explain how she uses color to communicate the juxtaposition (look it up if you don’t know the definition of juxtaposition!) of her life as an artist and a mother.
  

JOHN BRICKLES

READ THE ARTICLE BELOW ABOUT JOHN BRICKELS AND RESPOND TO TWO OF THE FOLLOWING PROMPTS BY FRIDAY, OCTOBER 16th AT 6:00 PM.

MAKE SURE YOUR RESPONSES ARE AT LEAST 5 SENTENCES LONG TO RECEIVE FULL CREDIT!!!



PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU WRITE YOUR NAME IN YOUR RESPONSE!!!




AN INTERVEIW FROM CERAMICS MONTHLY WITH JOHN BRICKELS - http://www.brickels.com/


"I started making ceramic sculpture because I believed I had a marketable artistic vision that would provide me with a living. I wanted to spend my days making decisions centered on three- dimensional design and making the type of sculpture I would be excited to see if I walked into a gallery. I chose clay as a medium because it is plastic, elemental and, at least for me, nostalgic.

I am able to contribute significantly to the family budget. If I was single I could support myself, but with sacrifices. Health insurance would be a luxury item. My wife has taught high school ceramics and photography for 30 years. Her steady income smooths out the ups and downs of my income. It’s feast or famine, weeks without a sale or hitting the lottery. I spend the majority of my time sculpting. I know I should spend more time promoting the process, but seeing my ideas grow in front of me has such a pull that everything else gets shoved aside. The journey to the final product is the most compelling.

Architecture, automobiles, machines and nostalgia all inform my work. Most things that show entropy inspire me. Old factories, barns and houses that show the effects of time and weather are inspirational because they evoke different emotions in me that I pass on to the sculptures.I gather images from the internet and libraries. I’ll drive around Vermont taking photos of dilapidated barns. When in New Jersey visiting in-laws, I’ll take the bus into New York City to capture urban images. To recharge, I change subject matter. Enough barns, let’s make steampunk robots! I’ll look at different art genres. I’ll watch documentaries of famous artists to catch their moment of epiphany.

I celebrate media specificity, in fact I’ve been exploiting a single technique, bisque, and a single clay body, Laguna #100, for the past 20 years. I can change the subject of my sculptures and the public still recognizes my work because I’ve been using the same brown stoneware for years. I never treat the surface of my sculptures; the form will be stronger because I’m not depending on glaze or color.

My buyers seem to be affluent, educated “baby boomer” professionals and small business owners. They purchase through galleries in Vermont, the occasional “fine craft” show, “word of mouth” and through my website. At the local level, I ascribe to the marketing principle of “top-of-mind awareness.” I exploit opportunities to be in the public eye as much as possible. I enter juried shows that garner press coverage. I always send a press release with a cd of professionally made images to area newspapers. I demo and lecture in local galleries, universities and colleges. Much to the shock of my artist friends, I demo for ten straight days at a local agricultural fair every summer. At least 200,000 people come through the front gates. Successful retailing boils down to how many people walk through the front door.

I also supplement my income by doing a week long residency in the classroom once a year. The compensation is excellent. However, getting prepared and recovering from the experience eats up at least a week of studio time. Nationally, I’ll drive thousands of miles to exhibit at the National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts (NCECA) conference and several colleges and universities.The advantage of marketing locally the way I do is that it costs nothing. Driving out of state to exhibit at NCECA [National Council on Education in the Ceramic Arts] or a college can get expensive but is usually worth it because of the ceramic-educated audience these shows reach. Exhibiting at NCECA has always resulted in invitations to show my work at more colleges and galleries.

I do not pursue grants and public commissions because of the “hoops” one has to jump through. The process is very time consuming and often you are at the whim of a fickle board that has one member who doesn’t “get it.” I didn’t anticipate how addicting praise would become, nor did I anticipate how thick-skinned you have to become.

Artists soon find that no matter how amazing you think your art is, it has absolutely no value for a majority of people. Rejection comes in many different ways. I have done craft shows without selling a single sculpture while listening to my neighbors remote credit card processor churn all day long. I’ve arrived at a juried show to see my work displayed on the floor because they didn’t want it to “get in the way of the art” hanging on the walls. Ouch. The most difficult decision is deciding to carry on despite long periods of slow sales. One’s wallet and psyche take a hit when you’re not being validated by sales. And then, pow, you sell a large work and your pulled right back into the dream of being compensated for all of your wonderful ideas and skills.

To maintain my health, I spend a half-hour every morning on an elliptical machine, sometimes watching those documentaries of famous artists. I’m fortunate to have health insurance through my wife, in contrast to an artist friend, who has a $5000 deductible policy for catastrophic health care. I sweep and wet mop every day in the studio to cut down on dust.

Ideally, I would like to see Marketing for Fine Art 101 offered at colleges, universities and even at arts high schools. NCECA should offer marketing and promotion workshops. My advice to others who are just starting is to organize your studio. Don’t be a slob. A sloppy studio will have a negative effect on your work. Wet mop every day. It will save your lungs and you’ll feel great walking into a clean studio in the morning. Develop your technical skills. Have a plan. Have a goal. Pester experienced and successful artists around you for their accumulated knowledge.

It is mainly an intuitive journey but find your “voice.” What would you want to see when you walk into a gallery? What would really energize you? What would animate you, make your jaw drop?"

from Ceramics Monthly http://www.ceramicartsdaily.org/magazines/Ceramics%20Monthly/jan09sculptorslifefeature.aspx



PROMPT #1

• Go to John Brickel's website and choose your favorite sculpture.


• Describe the sculpture in terms of its:


• Size


• Shape


• Color


• Texture


• Visual movement (how your eyes travel across the sculpture - what do you look at first and why? What do you look at second? Third?)


• Areas of contrast (contrast is the difference between two things - such as large/small, dark/light, smooth/rough)

PROMPT #2

• Brickels is very forthcoming in the Ceramics Monthly article - he discusses why he creates his sculpture, why he choose his clay, how he takes care of himself financially, mentally and physically.


• Brickels describes a life that is simultaneously stressful and fulfilling.


• The life of a professional artist is not for everyone - how would you respond to such a life?


• Do you think you could deal with the uncertainty of not knowing when or if your artwork will sell?


• Brickels has a large following - and they purchase his artwork - yet his work is still rejected and he still has stretches when his work doesn't sell....how would you deal with this type of rejection and stress? Would it embolden you and push you to work harder or would it discourage you?


• If you could ask John Brickels one question, what would it be?

PROMPT #3

• Brickels' sculpture has gone through several phases - he has focused on buildings, cars and now robots.


• Which theme appeals to you - buildings, cars, robots?


• What is your thinking?


• If you had the funds to purchase 3 of Brickels' sculptures, which ones would you purchase?


• Why would you make these choices?

PROMPT #4

• Brickels says, "What would you want to see when you walk into a gallery? What would really energize you? What would animate you, make your jaw drop?"


• What do YOU want to see when you walk into a gallery? What subject matter? What would it be made of?


• If you could create any type of artwork - sculpture, painting, drawing, ANYTHING... what would you create?


• Describe it in detail!
  

ANDY GOLDSWORTHY

READ THE INFORMATION BELOW ABOUT ANDY GOLDSWORTHY AND RESPOND TO TWO OF THE FOLLOWING PROMPTS BY FRIDAY, OCTOBER 9th AT 6:00 PM.

MAKE SURE YOUR RESPONSES ARE AT LEAST 5 SENTENCES LONG TO RECEIVE FULL CREDIT!!!

PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU WRITE YOUR NAME IN YOUR RESPONSE!!!


"Andy Goldsworthy (born 1956) is a British sculptor, photographer and environmentalist living in Scotland who produces site-specific sculpture and land art situated in natural and urban settings. His art involves the use of natural and found objects, to create both temporary and permanent sculptures which draw out the character of their environment.


From the age of 13 he worked on farms as a labourer. He has likened the repetitive quality of farm tasks to the routine of making sculpture: "A lot of my work is like picking potatoes; you have to get into the rhythm of it."


The materials used in Goldsworthy's art often include brightly-coloured flowers, icicles, leaves, mud, pinecones, snow, stone, twigs, and thorns. He has been quoted as saying, "I think it's incredibly brave to be working flowers and leaves and petals. But I have to: I can't edit the materials I work with. My remit is to work with nature as a whole."

For his sculpture, Goldsworthy often uses only his bare hands, teeth, and found tools to prepare and arrange the materials; however, for his permanent sculptures like "Roof", "Stone River" and "Three Cairns", "Moonlit Path" and "Chalk Stones" he has also employed the use of machine tools. Photography plays a crucial role in his art due to its often ephemeral and transient state. According to Goldsworthy, "Each work grows, stays, decays – integral parts of a cycle which the photograph shows at its heights, marking the moment when the work is most alive. There is an intensity about a work at its peak that I hope is expressed in the image. Process and decay are implicit.”

adapted from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andy_Goldsworthy



PROMPT #1

• Read the information about Andy Goldsworthy (to the right) and look at his artwork.


• Choose one piece of Goldsworthy’s artwork and describe how the artwork reflects his views.


• Remember - please respond with a minimum of 5 sentences!

PROMPT #2

• Describe one piece of Andy Goldsworthy’s sculpture in exquisite detail. Describe each of the following:


• Size


• Colors


• Shapes


• Lines


• Patterns


• Textures


• Areas of Contrast
  

PROMPT #3

• Imagine that you were going to create a sculpture inspired by how Andy Goldsworthy creates his sculptures.


• What kind of sculpture would you create?


• Where would it be located – in an urban or rural setting?


• What materials would you use?


• Describe your sculpture in as much detail as possible.
  

PROMPT #4

• Andy Goldsworthy’s sculptures all decay – they inevitably fall apart…even the sculptures made of stone shift and fall because he does not use glue or reinforcing elements. All of his sculptures are created with items he finds in the area he is building the sculpture.


• After Goldsworthy creates a sculpture he takes a photograph of his artwork. Occasionally he creates a video of his process and the final product – Goldsworthy then sells the photographs and videos.


• Which is the artwork – the actual sculpture that he creates and is decays over time or the photograph/video of the sculpture?


• Is one more valuable than the other?


• Which would you like to own – the actual sculpture or the photograph?


• Why?
  

BETH CAVENER STICHTER

READ THE INFORMATION BELOW ABOUT TOM OTTERNESS AND RESPOND TO TWO OF THE PROMPTS BY FRIDAY, OCTOBER 2nd AT 6:00 PM.


MAKE SURE YOUR RESPONSES ARE EACH AT LEAST 5 SENTENCES LONG TO RECEIVE FULL CREDIT!!!



PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU WRITE YOUR NAME IN YOUR RESPONSE!!!



Beth Cavener Stichter is a contemporary American sculptor who works primarily in clay - although her sculptures often have additional materials incorporated into them.

Below is Beth Cavener Stichter's artist statement:

“There are primitive animal instincts lurking in our own depths, waiting for the chance to slide past a conscious moment. The sculptures I create focus on human psychology, stripped of context and rationalization, and articulated through animal and human forms. On the surface, these figures are simply feral and domestic individuals suspended in a moment of tension. Beneath the surface they embody the impacts of aggression, territorial desires, isolation, and pack mentality.

Both human and animal interactions show patterns of intricate, subliminal gestures that betray intent and motivation. The things we leave unsaid are far more important than the words we speak out-loud to one another. I have learned to read meaning in the subtler signs; a look, the way one holds one's hands, the tightening of muscles in the shoulders, the incline of the head, the rhythm of a walk, and the slightest unconscious gestures. I rely on animal body language in my work as a metaphor for these underlying patterns, transforming the animal subjects into human psychological portraits.

I want to pry at those uncomfortable, awkward edges between animal and human. The figures are feral and uneasy, expressing frustration for the human tendency towards cruelty and lack of understanding. Entangled in their own internal and external struggles, the figures are engaged with the subjects of fear, apathy, violence and powerlessness.

Something conscious and knowing is captured in their gestures and expressions. An invitation and a rebuke.”


from http://www.followtheblackrabbit.com/


PROMPT #1

• Read Beth Cavener Stichter’s artistic statement (above) and look at her artwork.


• Choose one piece of Cavener Stichter’s artwork and describe how the artwork reflects her views.

PROMPT #2

• Read Cavener Stichter’s artistic statement (above) and look at her artwork.


• Choose 5 pieces of her artwork and give new titles to her artwork based on what you see and what you have read.


• Explain why you have chosen to title the pieces with your chosen title.
  

PROMPT #3

• Cavener Stichter’s artwork is highly symbolic; later in the semester you will be required to create a symbolic sculpture.


• Think about the things that interest, intrigue, enrage, or baffle you…..think about things that are important to you on a level that is not superficial – what are your thoughts and feelings about personal and global issues? Topics that you may want to explore include (but are absolutely not limited to): life, death, religion, spirituality, relationships, love, divorce, fear, courage, the relationship of humans to nature, global warming, money, wealth, poverty, racial relations, stress, anxiety, cell phones/IM communications, etc. You may want to explore personal issues; for example, you may have had something happen to you, your family or your friends that has been a defining moment in your life.


• Write about what you may want to explore in your sculpture.
  

PROMPT #4

• Look at Cavener Stichter's artwork.


• Without the reading the artist's statement, are you able to understand the meaning she is trying to convey with her artwork.


• How does reading the artist's statement change your understanding of the artwork?


• Do you think it is necessary for an artist to explain their artwork?


• Do you find that the artist's statement enhances your understanding of the artwork or distracts you from creating your own meaning/understanding of the work?
  

TOM OTTERNESS

READ THE INFORMATION BELOW ABOUT TOM OTTERNESS AND RESPOND TO TWO OF THE PROMPTS BY FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 25th AT 6:00 PM.

MAKE SURE YOUR RESPONSES ARE AT LEAST 5 SENTENCES LONG TO RECEIVE FULL CREDIT!!!

PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU WRITE YOUR NAME IN YOUR RESPONSE!!!


TOM OTTERNESS http://www.tomotterness.net/

Tom Otterness is an American sculptor (born 1952) whose works adorn parks in New York City and other cities around the world. He is best known for his series of sculptures, “Life Underground” – several sculptures located in the New York City Subway system.

“Life Underground” features bronze sculptures emerging from the floors and playing along the ceiling in the NY Subway stations. This series of sculptures is one of the most popular pieces of subway art in the subway system. Otterness makes his original pieces of art out of clay and then has them cast in bronze. Otterness’ sculptures are predominately figurative and the forms in his sculptures mostly consist of spheres and cylinders. His work has been described as “cartoonish.”

The sculptures depict huge pennies, fat figures in business suits with moneybag heads, helmeted workers holding giant tools, a police officer standing menacingly over a sleeping homeless woman. The main theme of his work seems to be the “little man’s struggle against the Capitalist machine in a difficult and strange city.”


Adapted from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Otterness and http://www.nycsubway.org/perl/artwork_show?21



PROMPT #1

• Read the information about Tom Otterness and his “Life Underground” sculptures and look at the images of his artwork.


• Are you able to understand the meaning of his sculptures without the written information about his artwork?


• How “obvious” are the meanings in Otterness’ sculpture?


• Explain the meaning in two of Otterness' sculptures.

PROMPT#2

• Otterness creates only public art; this means that all of his artwork is designed especially for a specific site where the public can see it. Other artists create artwork that is meant to be displayed in a gallery and/or in a private home or space – they creates artwork and then try to sell it. Tom Otterness must create a proposal for each series of sculptures and it must be approved by the owners of the space in which it is installed; often the public pays for the sculptures – as in the case of “Life Underground” in NYC’s subway stations. Otterness creates sketches of his artwork and perhaps models, the proposal for installation, sketches and models are approved, and then he is paid by a city, a business or an organization to create and install his sculptures.


• If you were to create a series of sculptures, as an artist, which route would you prefer to take?


• Would you create your artwork free of others’ opinions/regulations and sell it to individuals or would you create artwork for public spaces which has more restrictions on the subject matter, materials and installation but may be seen by more people?


• What are your reasons for making this choice?
  

PROMPT #3

• Why do you think Otterness’ sculptures are so popular?


• Compare Otterness’ sculptures to Beth Cavener Stichter’s sculptures - she is also a very popular sculptor (http://www.followtheblackrabbit.com/).


• Which series of sculptures appeal to you most?


• Why? Be very specific and talk about meaning, color and texture.