Springfield High School Sculpture Blog

REFLECTION

2012-01-16T08:41:00.000-05:00

READ THE INFORMATION BELOW - AND RESPOND TO TWO OF THE FOLLOWING PROMPTS BY FRIDAY, JANUARY 20th AT 6:00 PM.

MAKE SURE YOUR NAME IS IN YOUR RESPONSE.

PLEASE MAKE SURE THAT YOUR RESPONSES ARE EACH AT LEAST 5 SENTENCES LONG AND ANSWER ALL THE BULLET-POINT QUESTIONS TO RECEIVE FULL CREDIT!

REMEMBER - THIS IS A HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT – CHECK YOUR SPELLING AND GRAMMAR AND CAPITALIZE!!

PROMPT #1

Go back over the blog postings from this Marking Period.
Look at the artists and their sculpture.
Choose one artist who you appreciate most.
Discuss what you appreciate most about this artist's work.
If you could change on thing about one piece of this sculptor's work, what would you change? Be very specific.
If you could own one piece of this artist's sculpture, what piece would you choose? Explain your thinking.

PROMPT #2

Think back over the sculpture all the students in the class created this Semester.
Describe the piece of sculpture that you liked most - describe size, color, shapes, lines, pattern, texture and areas of contrast on this piece of artwork.
Discuss what you appreciate most about this sculpture.
If you could change one thing on this piece of sculpture, what change would you suggest to your classmate/the artist?

PROMPT #3

Think about the pieces of sculpture that YOU have created this Semester.
Create titles for each piece of sculpture.
Explain why you have chosen these titles for each piece of sculpture. Be very specific!
Remember to write a MINIMUM of 5 sentences!!

PROMPT #4

Think about the pieces of sculpture that you have created this Semester.
Which piece did you think was the most successful? What did you like best about this piece? Be very, very specific!
Which piece did you think was least successful? What would you like to improve on this piece of sculpture?
If you could create one more piece of sculpture in this class, what would you create?
Describe what this piece would look like in great detail.

JOSEPH CARNEVALE

2012-01-08T18:39:00.000-05:00

READ THE INFORMATION BELOW ABOUT GEORGE JOSEPH CARNEVALE - AND RESPOND TO TWO OF THE FOLLOWING PROMPTS BY FRIDAY, JANUARY 13th AT 6:00 PM.

MAKE SURE YOUR NAME IS IN YOUR RESPONSE.

PLEASE MAKE SURE THAT YOUR RESPONSES ARE EACH AT LEAST 5 SENTENCES LONG AND ANSWER ALL THE BULLET-POINT QUESTIONS TO RECEIVE FULL CREDIT!

REMEMBER - THIS IS A HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT - DO NOT USE TEXT LANGUAGE: CAPITALIZE, USE PUNCTUATION AND CHECK YOUR SPELLING!!

Guerrilla artist creates a Web sensation, alas popularity means growing legitimacy.

By David Zucchino , Los Angeles Times

RALEIGH, N.C. - "Barrel Monster," a fearsome 12-foot-tall creature made from orange traffic barrels, became an Internet sensation when it briefly appeared along a street here last spring.

Art lovers around the world rose up in outrage after its creator, Joseph Carnevale, a North Carolina State University history major and aspiring photographer, was busted by police in June.

His crime? Stealing the materials for his art from a road construction site.

"Barrel Monster" spoofs popped up on Web sites and Facebook pages. Fans posted spirited defenses of Carnevale's work, many saying, "Art is not a crime." Local prosecutors were bombarded with letters begging them to drop the larceny charges. But justice was done, and Carnevale must complete 50 hours of community service as part of a plea deal to erase the charges.

Meanwhile, he has created a successor to "Barrel Monster" - a towering dinosaur made from barrels donated by the company he stole from in the first place. Although he says he appreciates the company's gesture, Carnevale, 22, considers himself a guerrilla artist. A sanctioned piece does not provide the same thrill, not to mention street cred, as sneaking around at night to put up underground art.

"But hey," he said, shrugging as tourists posed for photos with his dinosaur at a recent city-sponsored arts festival, "I'm just trying to stay out of trouble."

Several festival visitors recognized him, shouting, "Hey, Barrel Man!"

Carnevale created the 14-foot-tall dinosaur after festival organizers asked him to contribute a work of art. Some of his community-service hours were spent helping set up and tear down exhibits.

His fame has spread. Time magazine named Carnevale one of its "Top Ten Guerrilla Artists" of the year, up there with a legendary New York subway graffiti tagger and Palestinians who have painted Israel's security wall.

Steve Hussey, president of the construction company that donated $700 worth of barrels, dropped by to have a look.

The dinosaur has a 20-foot-long tail and huge teeth Carnevale sliced from a barrel with a box cutter.

Hussey called Carnevale after his arrest to tell him that he found his work "cool."

Besides, Hussey added, "those barrels he took cost us exactly $346, and we got tens of thousands of dollars in free publicity. I'd have to say it worked out pretty well." So well, in fact, that Hussey has asked Carnevale to resurrect "Barrel Monster" at his company's headquarters in Climax. Hussey said he recently retrieved the pieces from the Raleigh Police Department evidence room, where they had been sitting, smeared with black fingerprint powder.

Carnevale said he would be happy to help rebuild the monster for Hussey. But at the moment, he has other projects: His condo is a work in progress, plastered with his colorful murals and photos. "The homeowners association is being difficult," he said.

From: http://www.philly.com/inquirer/world_us/20091018_Guerrilla_artist_creates_a_Web_sensation__alas.htm

PROMPT #1

Hamlin Associates, the construction company whose barrels were turned into a monster, doesn't want to press charges. "We've had a fair amount of vandalism, but never anyone turn it into art," Company President Steven Hussey said. "I actually thought it was pretty neat." Hussey said the value of the publicity his company has received is well above the $365 cost of the traffic barrels that Carnevale used. "It's been positive publicity for us," he said. "If we'd known he'd do that good of a work, we'd have given him the barrels."
Would having the barrels donated in the first place have negated the “guerilla” aspect of this sculpture?
What would you have done if you were a guerilla artist, you were caught and now people were donating items for your sculpture? Would it take the fun and the meaning out of how you create your sculpture?
Explain your thinking.

PROMPT #2

If you were the Raleigh District Attorney, would you have charged Carnevale with a crime even if the company whose barrels he mutilated refuses to press charges?
What if the Raleigh District Attorney did not press charges and another “guerilla artist” copied his actions and took barrels from the roadside, creating an unsafe driving situation. Imagine your cousin drove off the road and was killed because the traffic barrels were taken for a piece of guerilla sculpture. Who would be ultimately responsible?
Explain your thinking.

PROMPT #3

Time Magazine called Joseph Carnevale one of the top 10 guerilla artists of the year – “Guerilla art, also referred to as "street art", is a method of art making where the artist leaves anonymous art pieces in public places. It is often an installation in an unauthorized location. It is a way for an artist to express their views and opinions to a large audience in an anonymous way. In contrast to popular belief, guerilla art does not have to be done with spray paint. Other popular forms include videos and projections. There is no one motivation for making guerilla art. However, popular reasons include statement making, the sharing of ideas, the desire to send out good karma, and plain fun. Many times guerilla art is used to make a political statement….” http://guerilla-art.wikidot.com/what-is-guerilla-art

· Carnevale, 22, considers himself a guerrilla artist. A sanctioned piece does not provide the same thrill, not to mention street cred, as sneaking around at night to put up underground art. However, Carnevale actually has companies donating barrels to him with which they want him to create sculptures that will bring attention to their businesses.

· Now that Carnevale has become “famous” – do you think he can still be called a guerilla artist?

· Why or why not? Explain your thinking.

PROMPT #4

Traffic barrels are so common they are often called “state trees” – we see them everyday.
If you were going to create a piece of sculpture out of objects you see everyday, what would you create?
What materials would you choose?
Describe your sculpture’s : Size, shape, textures, colors in detail.

DUMPSTER DIVERS

2011-12-26T15:38:00.002-05:00

READ THE INFORMATION BELOW ABOUT THE DUMPSTER DIVERS - AND RESPOND TO TWO OF THE FOLLOWING PROMPTS BY FRIDAY, JANUARY 6th AT 6:00 PM.

MAKE SURE YOUR NAME IS IN YOUR RESPONSE.

PLEASE MAKE SURE THAT YOUR RESPONSES ARE EACH AT LEAST 5 SENTENCES LONG AND ANSWER ALL THE BULLET-POINT QUESTIONS TO RECEIVE FULL CREDIT!

REMEMBER - THIS IS A HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT - DO NOT USE TEXT LANGUAGE: CAPITALIZE, USE PUNCTUATION AND CHECK YOUR SPELLING!!

DUMPSTER DIVERS

Saving Philadelphia: The Art of the Dumpster Divers by a.d. amorosi

“From their roots in fellow homeboy Leo Sewell's "Junk Sculptures" to their exposure with organizations as far-ranging as the Please Take Museum and the collections of Ripley's Believe It or Not museums, Philly's Dumpster Divers have had a formidable ride since their 1992 inception.

Artists/designers/trashmen Len Davidson and Neil Benson, along with the likes of often-controversial sculptor Sewell, mosaicist Isaiah Zagar, metallurgist George Bilyk, archivist Jenna Dohrmann and more than 30 other locals, have taken "Dumpster diving" beyond the anarchist, sociopolitical rhetoric of radical nonconsumption into the pragmatic act of creation. "Our cause is salvage and resurrection of the quality of city and suburban life," Davidson has said about turning broken plates, appliances, fashion items and old signs into new signifiers. Take that, Julian Schnabel.

So, there is, surely, the necessity of life's recycling involved within each artist's assemblage. But from Ellen Sall's tea-time creations to Eva Preston's winsome Afro-tapestries to the fantasmagorical designs wrought (literally) by Warren Muller, one sees individual inventiveness as mother, with garbage as the stepdad of found-object art.

For this exhibit of the DD collective and its 12-year history, an array of disarray based upon Philly's "broken relics" will be on display, with the artists themselves present on Thursdays through Sundays to discuss the pearl-diving behind their aesthetic gems.”

From: http://citypaper.net/articles/2004-01-15/artpicks3.shtml

For more information on the Dumpster Divers go to:

PROMPT #1

So far we’ve looked at sculptors who use a variety of materials – metal, stone, wood, plaster, clay.
After being introduced to a group of artists who literally use trash and found objects to create artwork, what are your thoughts?
Does looking at the work of the Dumpster Divers make you look at trash day in your neighborhood differently?
If you were going to create a series of sculptures (at least 7 sculptures) from objects someone else threw away, what do you think you would choose to use?
Explain your choices.

PROMPT #2

Go to the websites of the Dumpster Divers – contrast and compare their work.

Gretchen Altabef Harry Anderson Ellen Benson
I. George Bilyk
Valerie Black
Alden Cole
Carol Cole
Len Davidson
Gwendolyn Fryer
Cdavid Hall-Cottrill
Linda Lou Horn
John Jonik - Site 1
John Jonik - Site 2 Ann Keech
Diane Keller
Smokie Kittner
Vance Lehmkuhl
Leslie Matthews
Susan Moloney
Kathryn Pannepacker
Eva Preston
Ellen Sall
Leo Sewell
Joel Spivak
Jim Ulrich
Burnell Yow!
Isaiah Zagar

Which artist’s work do you appreciate most?
What do you like most about this artist’s work?
Which artist’s work do you appreciate least?
What don’t you like about this artist’s work?

PROMPT #3

Imagine that you had to create a self-portrait of objects you found.
What do you think you could use for your self-portrait? What objects do you regularly see discarded on the side of the road or in the trash?
Describe your self-portrait.
Would you view your self-portrait as a piece of art or a would you try to make it a functional object or both?
Explain your reasoning.

PROMPT #4

Imagine that you are interviewing one of the Dumpster Divers for a news program.
What questions would you want to ask the artist?
Create 5 questions for the interview. Think about what you think the viewers would be interested in knowing about the artist’s life and artistic process.

SUSE LOWENSTEIN AND DARK ELEGY

2011-12-18T08:25:00.000-05:00

*** 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 AND HER SCULPTURE: DARK ELEGY - AND RESPOND TO TWO OF THE FOLLOWING PROMPTS BY FRIDAY, DECEMBER 23rd AT 6:00 PM.

MAKE SURE YOUR NAME IS IN YOUR RESPONSE.

PLEASE MAKE SURE THAT YOUR RESPONSES ARE EACH AT LEAST 5 SENTENCES LONG AND ANSWER ALL THE BULLET-POINT QUESTIONS TO RECEIVE FULL CREDIT!

REMEMBER - THIS IS A HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT - DO NOT USE TEXT LANGUAGE: CAPITALIZE, USE PUNCTUATION AND CHECK YOUR SPELLING!!

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://womensvoicesforchange.org/dark-elegy-love-and-loss-transformed-into-sculpture.htm

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.
Continue thinking about creating art as a healing act – what other types of trauma do you think could be “healed” by the creation of sculpture?

PROMPT #2:

What are your first thoughts/feelings upon seeing Lowenstein’s sculpture?
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?

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?
Explain your thinking.

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 is made of nude female figures, are there areas that may not be suitable for this sculpture?
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 4 questions - what would you ask her?
Why do you want to know the answers to these questions?

PROMPT #6: 5 POINTS EXTRA CREDIT

Read the update at http://www.darkelegy103.com/action.html and 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.

GEORGE DRAGOMIR TURIA

2011-12-10T22:48:00.000-05:00

READ THE INFORMATION BELOW ABOUT GEORGE DRAGOMIR TURIA - AND RESPOND TO TWO OF THE FOLLOWING PROMPTS BY FRIDAY, DECEMBER 16th AT 6:00 PM.

MAKE SURE YOUR NAME IS IN YOUR RESPONSE.

PLEASE MAKE SURE THAT YOUR RESPONSES ARE EACH AT LEAST 5 SENTENCES LONG AND ANSWER ALL THE BULLET-POINT QUESTIONS TO RECEIVE FULL CREDIT!

REMEMBER - THIS IS A HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT - DO NOT USE TEXT LANGUAGE: CAPITALIZE, USE PUNCTUATION AND CHECK YOUR SPELLING!!

GEORGE DRAGOMIR TURIA

George Dragomir Turia was born and trained as an artist in Romania and he currently resides in Toronto. His artistic efforts strive to express the subtle relationship between material and spiritual through art. After working for years 3-dimensionally with clay, he felt challenged to take his vision of the dual nature of the human being and express it paint on canvas and wood. Below is his artistic statement:

My work is informed by a concern with memory and identity. It explores the difficulty to integrate fundamental human experiences, such as birth, death, separation, loss of a child or parent, as well as the social and political challenges of the epoch we inhabit: totalitarianism, which I experienced first hand in pre-1989 Romania, and - an immigrant myself - dislocation. I combine autobiography and sociopolitical commentary in an effort to show that art can offer the critical humanist perspective necessary to this historical moment, to reveal how the fragility of one individual is mirrored by the fragility of another, beyond cultural or social boundaries. Experience is refined to its most powerful effects, which become visual metaphors for meaning, inscribed onto the synthetically and symbolically represented human figure.

I use stoneware and metal, suggestive of the fragile balance between transformation and stability that is so important to my artistic message. The versatility of ceramics enables me to create both rough and subtly textured surfaces that embody the fragility and nuance of human emotion. The metal defines enclosure and provides links, it is both repressive and stabilizing.

The ceramics is handbuilt and high-fired, or multiply glazed and successively low-fired. Firing the metal together with the stoneware allows me to obtain the desired finishes through natural means, in accordance with my artistic philosophy, and to create a coherent aesthetics for each piece.

Adapted from http://turia.ca/

PROMPT #1

Read George Dragomir Turia’s artistic statement (above) and look at his artwork to the right.
Choose one piece of Turia’s artwork and describe how the artwork reflects his views.
If you had to write a statement about your artwork, what would you say?

PROMPT #2

Read Turia’s artistic statement (above) and look at his artwork.
Choose 5 pieces of his artwork and give new titles to his artwork based on what you see and what you have read.
Explain why you have chosen each of these titles.

PROMPT #3

Turia works in both painting/drawing and clay. His artwork has evolved over the years.
Look at both his paintings/drawings (http://turia.ca/painting.html) and his ceramic sculpture (http://turia.ca/ceramic.html).
Compare and contrast his work.
What are the similarities between the two media he uses?
What are the differences?
Which do you prefer and why?

PROMPT #4

Look at Turia’s artwork and compare it with the artwork of Suzy Birstein (http://www.suzybirstein.com/sculpture.html ).
Both artists are interested in the symbolic use of color and using the human form/face to convey their thoughts about the human condition. As Birstein says on her website, she hopes to, “reveal and provoke the essence of their character and spirit.”
Turia strives to do the same thing; with radically different results.
How has each artist used color to “reveal and provoke the essence” of the figures they have sculpted?
How does the artist’s choice of colors help to convey what the artist is trying to communicate to the viewer?

LINSAY FEUER

2011-12-05T07:23:00.004-05:00

READ THE INFORMATION BELOW ABOUT LINDSAY FEUER - AND RESPOND TO TWO OF THE FOLLOWING PROMPTS BY FRIDAY, DECEMBER 9TH AT 6:00 PM.

MAKE SURE YOUR NAME IS IN YOUR RESPONSE.

PLEASE MAKE SURE THAT YOUR RESPONSES ARE EACH AT LEAST 5 SENTENCES LONG AND ANSWER ALL THE BULLET-POINT QUESTIONS TO RECEIVE FULL CREDIT!

REMEMBER - THIS IS A HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT - DO NOT USE TEXT LANGUAGE: CAPITALIZE, USE PUNCTUATION AND CHECK YOUR SPELLING!!

Lindsay Feuer: Artist Statement

Suspended in the realm between reality and fantasy, my sculptures explore the organic process of growth, replication, and locomotion.

Deliberately ambiguous combinations of biological imagery reflect the perfect integration of form and function found in the natural world. Through an intuitive process, I allow these elements to respond to one another, creating “hybrid” forms with movement and fluidity.

Porcelain is an ideal medium for my work because its white luminescence showcases rich surfaces and curvilinear components.

The strength and responsiveness of this clay also enables me to achieve whimsical and delicate sculptural elements.

Hidden building techniques allow my sculptures to exist in a space of seamless illusion where they appear “born” rather than “made.” Inspired by the mysteries of nature, pieces deliver an animated and fantastical view of our biological surroundings. I invite my audience to draw upon their experience and imagination, and to discover a unique reality for each piece.

PROMPT #1

· Choose three of Feuer’s pieces and describe them in detail. (Describe the size, shape, texture, form).

· For each of the pieces you described, name two forms in nature that relate to each piece.

· Why were you drawn to these pieces?

PROMPT #2

· Feuer says she uses hidden building techniques to create a seamless illusion of her pieces being “born” rather than “made.”

· What does she mean by this?

· Does this idea translate in her work?

· What are some hidden building techniques?

PROMPT #3

· Texture is an integral part of Feuer’s work. The pieces she creates would not be the same without these details.

· How could you use details such as textures, “hidden” building techniques, and repetition of form to uplift the quality of your work?

· Choose a piece you are currently working on or a ceramic piece from your past that you could uplift using some of these details.

.

.

.

.
.

ROBERT ARNESON

2011-11-28T07:14:00.002-05:00

READ THE INFORMATION BELOW ABOUT ROBERT ARENSON - AND RESPOND TO TWO OF THE FOLLOWING PROMPTS BY FRIDAY, DECEMBER 2nd AT 6:00 PM.

MAKE SURE YOUR NAME IS IN YOUR RESPONSE.

PLEASE MAKE SURE THAT YOUR RESPONSES ARE EACH AT LEAST 5 SENTENCES LONG AND ANSWER ALL THE BULLET-POINT QUESTIONS TO RECEIVE FULL CREDIT!

REMEMBER - THIS IS A HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT - DO NOT USE TEXT LANGUAGE: CAPITALIZE, USE PUNCTUATION AND CHECK YOUR SPELLING!!

A Tribute to Robert Carston Arneson

1930-1992

Born in Benicia, California in 1930, Robert Arneson was encouraged by his father to draw. He became a proficient draftsman early in life and drew cartoons for a local newspaper as a teenager. After Arneson studied art education at the California College of Arts and Crafts in Oakland he taught in a local high school, where he became interested in ceramics. He went on to receive an MFA from Mills College in 1958. Arneson became head of the ceramics department at the University of California at Davis in 1962 and became a full professor of art in 1973.

Arneson was greatly influenced by the expressionist work of fellow Californian Peter Voulkos, who had studied Pablo Picasso's works in clay. This influence stimulated Arneson to be more adventurous and to break through previously established sculptural boundaries. Arneson rejected the idea that ceramic artists produce only utilitarian or decorative items. He began creating non-functional clay pieces, contradicting the more formal traditions previously associated with this medium. He created a number of self-portraits using photographs, mirrors, and drawings; each one seemed to reveal a new identity. Although by definition self-referential, the ironic and humorous self-portraits were used as vehicles to present universal concepts and feelings. Arneson was part of the dynamic group of irreverent California Pop artists whose work has come to be known as "Funk Art." After the artist became ill with liver cancer in the early 1980s, his work became progressively more somber in tone. Arneson's own confrontation with death made him aware of society's flirtation with mass destruction.

In 1981, Mr. Arneson -- who loved to outrage and amuse people and to ``reveal the human condition'' -- was involved in the biggest furor of his career when he created a ceramic bust of Moscone, which was to be the artistic centerpiece of the then-new Moscone Convention Center.

HIS OWN IMAGE

Often Mr. Arneson used his own face as the subject of his art.

Barbara Gibbs, director of the Crocker Art Museum in Sacramento, said that, “…by primarily using his own image as the subject of his work, he was able to express a frustration with the human condition in behalf of all of us.”

“He felt that human beings don't seem to make much progress on Earth. His was a protest born out of love,'' Gibbs added.

With the passage of time, Mr. Arneson built a reputation that was international in scope. In recent times, some of his medium- size bronze busts have sold to museums and private collectors for between $60,000 and $65,000.

Although plagued since 1974 with cancer, friends said Mr. Arneson worked actively until very recently. In 1991, he did a painting entitled ``Wimp Dip'' which showed a cringing George Bush doused with crude oil.

In the past few months, Mr. Arneson was working on a series of bronze eggheads, some of them upside down. When his friend di Rosa remarked to Mr. Arneson that the figures were upside down, di Rosa said Mr. Arneson replied: ``That's the world. Isn't it upside down?'' Two of those egghead sculptures are now at UC Davis.

VISION OF DEATH

Two decades before he died, Mr. Arneson wrote about what he wanted to happen when his end came. He said he wanted his body glazed, fired up to 2,000 degrees, “…and when it's cool, roll me over and shake out my ashes. . . . Make a glaze and color it bright.''

Look at Robert Arneson’s website to view more of his work.

Adapted from http://www.verisimilitudo.com/arneson/

PROMPT #1

· Robert Arneson has created many works using himself as the subject.

· Go to Arneson’s website and look at his self- portraits.

· Choose one of the self-portraits and describe it. (Size, shape, texture, color, materials)

· What message or meaning do you think Arneson is trying to convey through this particular piece of artwork?

PROMPT # 2

· If you were to create a sculptural self-portrait, but couldn’t use any of your physical features in the sculpture, how might you do it? Describe your self-portrait sculpture (size, shapes, textures, colors, materials).

· What are some things about you that make you unique?

· How would someone know this is your self-portrait if your physical features are not depicted?

· What are some things that define an individual other than how they look?

PROMPT # 3

In 1963, Arneson began evolving a style that came to be known as funk art, the most dynamic force in the California art scene until the late sixties.

"The thing I've always been interested in as an artist is the thing the establishment says you can't do--mix humor with fine art," he says.

· Do you find humor in Arneson’s work?

· What is it that is humorous about this work? DESCRIBE IN DETAIL.

· Name two artists that use humor in their artwork? (Think about all artists and art forms, not only visual art).

· Describe how these two artists use humor in their art. BE SPECIFIC.

.

SCULPTORS WITH DISABILITIES

2011-11-14T07:21:00.006-05:00

THIS WEEK THE BLOG READING/WRITING IS A LITTLE DIFFERENT…..

CHOOSE ONE OF THE WEBSITES BELOW AND READ THE ARTICLES ABOUT SCULPTORS WITH DISABILITIES.

FOR YOUR ASSIGNMENT – DO THE FOLLOWING BY FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 18th AT 6:00 PM:

WRITE A 2 PARAGRAPH LETTER TO ONE OF THE ARTISTS ON THE WEBSITE.
TELL THE SCULPTOR WHAT YOU APPRECIATE ABOUT THEIR SCULPTURES (BE SPECIFIC – TALK ABOUT MATERIALS USED, COLORS, SHAPES/FORMS, TEXTURES, SIZE OF SCULPTURE, SUBJECT MATTER OF SCULPTURE).
ASK THE SCULPTOR AT LEAST 3 QUESTIONS THAT COME TO MIND WHEN YOU READ ABOUT THEM AND LOOK AT THEIR ARTWORK.
PLEASE TAKE THE TIME TO PROOFREAD/EDIT YOUR LETTER – THERE’S A GOOD CHANCE THE ARTIST WILL READ THESE LETTERS….
PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU WRITE YOUR NAME IN YOUR LETTER!!!

http://www.mtchcavinesswoodcarvings.com/2011/08/mitchell-caviness-wood-carvings.html (use Google Images to see more photos of Mitchell Caviness’ sculptures)

http://www.ebility.com/articles/sculptors.php (Society of Disabled Artists)

http://articles.sfgate.com/2005-03-19/bay-area/17365925_1_first-sculpture-ms-scott-three-dimensional-paintings (FYI - this article is an obituary. Use Google Images to see more photos of Judith Scott’s sculptures)

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125426448028050665.html (use Google Images to see more photos of Willard Wigan’s sculptures)

http://www.ericmcgehearty.com/artist_statement.html (use Google Images to see more photos of Eric McGehearty’s sculptures)

http://www.america.gov/st/peopleplace-english/2006/November/20080527005551SrenoD0.3023645.html (use Google Images to see more photos of Michael Naranjo’s sculptures)

http://www.kelownasculptors.com/bio_trevor.html (use Google Images to see photos of Trevor Moen’s sculptures)

http://www.taylormadeproductions.com/bruce.html (make sure you click on the Gallery link to see images of Bruce Walker’s sculptures)

http://thethinkingmother.blogspot.com/2007/09/my-favorite-parts-of-tom-luckey.html - Blog with interview – for photos of Tom Luckey’s sculptures use Google Images and type in: Luckey Climbers)