Yuan's Acient Exhibition

I choose ancient Egyptian, Greek, Roman and near Eastern art in my exhibition because I love antique and those countries have long history in the world. Actually, antique show its value not only in price but also in historical value. Through antiques, we can know how the ancient people lived. Moreover, antique shows how smart the ancient are because they use simple and crude tools to make great arts. Especially, small pieces show intelligence in a even better fashion. I appreciate them, so I collect many small antiques in my exhibition.

Figurine of a womam and child

Egyptian Dynasty 1 (ca. 3100-2900 B.C)

This art work is made in Egyptian dynasty 1. It may be the earliest sculpture representation of a mother holding her children. The surface of sculpture is a little bit rough, but the sculpt is clear. In the picture, it seems bigger than reality. As a matter of fact, it is smaller than one palm. In addition, I like this sculpture because it shows that mothers love and protect children, which are a very important thought in ancient Egypt.

Bronze foot in the form of a sphinx

Greek, ca.600 B.C.

This art work is from ancient Greek. The head of art work are human beings, but the body of the art work is birds. It looks like angels, so it means pure and virginal. Birds can freely fly in the sky. Perhaps, people in ancient Greek were eager for freedom. Through this art work, we can easily be aware of the lives of the ancient Greek.

Figure of an ibex

southwestern Arabia, 5th century B.C.

This art work is called “Figure of an Ibex”. It was made by casting. Compared to the first art work, this art work were better and made by more advanced technology. The details in the ibex were handled very well, and this ibex was totally copied and reduced by the real ibexes. This art work present that the southwestern Arabia explored the nature.

Sometimes, art works present not just themselves, it also stand for a culture, history or civilization. Via those three pieces of are works, I emulate a lot about ancient lives. The ancients disappeared in the world, but what they created and the art work they made will exist forever. Everybody can know the ancients’ lives by antique art works.

Jar in the form of an elephant's-head
Egyptian,Probably Naqada 2rd (ca. 3650-3300 B.C.)

Elephant's-head amulet
Egyptian,Probably Naqada 2rd (ca. 3650-3300 B.C.)

Frog-shaped jar
Egyptian,Probably Naqada  1st- early Naqada 2rd ( ca.3700-3450)

Jar in the the shape of a frog
Egyptian,Naqada 2rd ( ca. 3400-3300 B.C.)

Bronze head of a griffin
Greek, third quarter of the 7th century B.C.

Bronze standing male figure
Greek, 7th century B.C.

Faience applique in the form of a horned lion
East Greek, late 6th century B.C.

Three glass core-formed perfume vases
Eastern Meiterranean, late 6th-5th century B.C.

Textiles fragment
Syria, excavated at Dura-Eupopos 3rd century A.D.

Gazelle pendants
Syria, excavated at Dura-Eupopos 3rd century A.D.




 

Chelsea Galleries Reaction

The streets seem to be lined with art galleries and many building have multiple floors of galleries. Chelsea art district is one of the most important and influential art districts in the world, and many tourists add it on the list that should be visited in New York. The art works exhibited in the galleries are planning to sell. When I visited the galleries, I found one work I like and will be happy to buy it. In addition, I found one work I don’t like.

First and foremost, I intend to introduce the art I like.  I found it in the Tanya Bonakdar Gallery. The art works displayed at that day were all made of wool yarn.  The art work shows in the following picture is my favorite.  He makes use of wool yarn to form a passageway that is very colorful. In addition, he suspends some little bells and shells at the end of fabrics. When people pass through, it will produce a sound that is pleasant to hear. If I have enough money, I will buy and hang it right behind the entrance.
 

Gallery: Tanya Bonakdar Gallery

Location: 521 West 21^st St.

Artist(s) on Display: Ernesto Neto

However, there was one work that I would never buy and set up it in my house. It was found in Barbara Gladstone Gallery. It was made from concretes. The reason that I don’t like it is its color and volume. The artist did not put any color to his art except gray that are nature color of concretes. Personally, I prefer colorful art. Second, it took too much space.  My house is not very big. If I put it in my house, it will be inconvenient for my families to come and go. Although I believe that it is a good work, it is unsuitable for my house.

Gallery: Barbara Gladstone Gallery

Location: 515 West 24^th St.

Artist(s) on Display: Anish Kapoor

Every art work I saw was special and fantastic; I know that artists throw themselves into the artwork. I had an enjoyable time.

Sculpture Center Reaction

Installation art describes an artistic genre of three-dimensional works that are often site-specific and designed to transform the perception of a space. It means that artists who exhibit there need to consider how their work interacts with the surroundings. In the Sculpture Center, there are three art works that interact with surroundings pretty well which attract my attention.

The first art work is called “Rope Piece”. It consists of two ropes that are parallel to each other. Half of them are fixed on the wall, and the other half are connected to the wall and to floor. This art work seems very simple. However, its shadow cooperated with the art work well under the light. The scene that consists of art work and its shadow is charming and attractive. This artist takes a good advantage of surroundings to form his work.

The second piece is called “Water Pipe”. It looks like a common water pipe in our ordinary lives and nothing special. In this art work, the artist leaned the art work against the wall. It gives the art work more spatiality. I like this work because the artist really has eye on the creation. The artist can use a usual thing and create something that is different.

The last piece of work is named “Boston Common”. It is made of steel barrels, rubber hoses, and water. There are 7 rubber hoses on the top forming a shape that looks like flowers, and the water reflects the scene formed by rubbery hoses. In addition, the Sculpture Center that presents the work is decorated in gray color. The wall and ceiling of the Sculpture Center are covered by gray cottons. Therefore, the Sculpture Center looks like a little bit gloomy. Actually, the color of the art work are black and blue, which seems interact with surroundings’ color. The reason why I love this art work is that this art work interacts with its surrounding very well.

Installation is not only about art works but also interacting. It can be applied in many areas. For example, decoration needs the theory of installation. People need to buy the furniture that fits their house rather than expensive ones. I like installation because I believe that it can help me a lot in the future.

Rope Piece 2011

 

Waterpipe 1970

 Marzona Collection

Boston Common 2012

Design in Our Lives

         Design is a part of art, and it can be separated into two categories: one has high functionality; the other one is less practical. In my opinion, the first work is designed for real world utility and people can use it every day live. Its function is to make people’s lives easier. The second kind of design has less chance to be used in our ordinary lives. Most of them show possibly as decoration. Today we are talking about four works in the Museum of Modern Art.

         Whether a design is high functionality or not, it has advantages.  A work with high functionality can   provide many conveniences for people. For example, you consider these two work s “X-IT Emergency Escape ladder” and “Rescue Board 790”. As you can see in the first picture below, the ladder is made from aluminum and fabric, and it doesn’t look like ordinary ladders that are too big to store everywhere. It can be folded and set a little room. People can put this kind ladder in every room. If fire happens, and people are trapped in the room, they can use this easy tool to save their lives. The recue board is made from papers. It can be folded and is very light to carry. It saves the time to get unconscious people or seriously injured people to hospitals. Every second is very important in the first aid. The invention of this tool will save many people’s lives.

         Although I prefer high functionality work than less practical design, less practical design has its strong points and function.  “Design for An Overpopulated Planet: Foragers” is a design that confused me. At the first moment I saw it, I could not figure out what it was. After seeing the title and checking it in the internet, I realized that it was designed to extract nutritional value from its existing surroundings. I believe that this work focuses on warning people of the serious situation of overpopulation. As for “Forks”, these forks in the picture are bent and are very different from ordinary ones. You can imagine that you use these forks to eat dinner. You may need to spend one hour to finish your steak. It is a work of ornaments. These two works both are less practical and it seems impossible to use them in real word.

         Personally, I like high functionality design very much. However, less practical design is also important in our lives. I had really good time in the Museum of Modern Art.

Title: "X-IT Emergency Escape Ladder"

Artist: Aldo DiBelardino

Ezio DiBelardino

Andrew Ive

Title: "Rescue Board 790"

Artist: Hiroyuki Tazawa

Title: "Design for an Overpopulated Planet: Foragers"

Artist: Anthony Dunne

Fiona Raby

Title: "Forks"

Artist: Bruno Munari

Illustrate a Story

When I listened to this video for the first time, I felt that it was common and normal, but I was moved and shocked by this happy family after I heard the video over and over agin. sometimes happyness doesn't mean that you have money, career or reputation, and it is that all families live together and care about each others. what my collage tries to show is about this kind of happyness.

MoMA PS1: The Good, the Bad, and the Misunderstood

MoMa PS1 was the second art trip. Although it is settled in an old school building, the arts in the museum are as wonderful a MoMa. Seeing so much great work, I really had a good time, and I found one work I like, one work I don’t like and one work I don’t understand.

The work I like

Title: It's like a jungle

Artist: Henry Taylor

Year: 2011

As I mentioned last time, I believed that good art should be creative or significant, and this work of art successfully contains these two qualities. When I saw this work for the first time, I was surprised. How did he figure out to use sticks, bottles, boxes or concretes to form a jungle? And it was an awesome idea. What he wants to convey is that that environment is polluted, and vegetation is disappearing. By this work, he calls for people to protect our earth. The purpose of this work is profound, and the way he produces work is creative. I like this work very much.

The work I don’t understand

Title: "Chicken Burrito, Beef Burrito"

Artist: Darren Bader

When we went upstairs and entered a room, the room was filled with nice music. At that time, I thought that the work might be delicate .when I saw that two burritos were laid on the windowsill, I felt that was crazy. What was the artist’s meaning? We should enjoy our lunch by listening to music. Or people’s lives in New York are too busy, that artist advise us to have a relaxing life just like those two burritos that sit for a while and admire the scene outside the window.

The work I don’t like

Untitled

Artist: Henry Taylor

Year: 2004

The artist drew a woman in the picture. We don’t know the experience of the women, but from the expression of that woman, I can feel that she is aggressive and angry. The whole picture seems a little bit in a mess.An aggressive women in the messy picture make me uncomfortable.

Sometimes art is hard to define whether it is good or not. I just talk about my opinion in relation to these arts. What I like doesn’t mean it is a good art, same for what I don’t like. It is all about my personal experience.

Art and Identity: The Museum of Modern Art

It was a great experience to go to museums. Before the field trip, I thought that art was belonging to an elegant category that I would never understand. However, this trip changed my mind. All living creature has method of communication what we call is Art, and the artworks in the MoMa really attract my attention. I was lost in the world of art.

Individual identity: The first artwork that fascinated me was called Patch  On The  Earth, which is draw by Yoshitomo Nara. In the picture, there is a little girl stand in the earth lonely. In addition, her expression that seems very confused and sad doesn’t resemble common children. I keep wonder what she is looking for. Her families or her dream? The whole picture gives me a sense of sorrow. Maybe, I mean that maybe the artist was seeking his childhood.

History identity: The second artwork caught my eyes was named Wall Wailing, made by Marlene Dumas. I was shocked by this picture. There are two soldiers carrying guns. They seem to search people rudely and inhumanely, and all of people face the wall and raise their hands against the wall. Nobody dare to fight against these two soldiers and all of them keep silent. The artist paints the most of picture with black and light yellow-green, and it make people despair and heavy. As the title stated, it looks like that people are facing the wall and wail for their Miserable life.

Culture identity: There is one more artwork that draws my attention. Its name is Japanese Culture of the Postwar Year 1945-1995. This picture is about the second war and reconstruction. On the top of the picture, we can see a crying soldier, and there is also a woman in tears. These all show that people and country were injured by the war. However, the middle of the painting is that many hands hold together. It implies that Japanese get united and go over the trouble. It perfectly shows the culture of Japan.

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    Art is fascinating and attractive no matter whether you know art or not. I had a good time at museum. I can feel that every artist use their heart and soul to complete their artwork. I think I would cherish every art from now on.