Public Art Project

Just for fun, I took a picture with the sculpure of my Chinese Zodiac Signs, Snake, in Chicago's Chinatown.

MCA

The Museum of Contemporary Art

Opposite of what Gitte said, for me, this was not boring at all! This museum has so many different artwork and art experience, like the tap shoes we got to wear, that you can't just be bored.
To be honest, I'm not a fan of the Jim Nutt's exposition but I did love anything made by Susan Phillips specially "We Shall Be All".
At the museum's store we find a variety of unusual useful cool products! At the book's section I was happy to see a couple of them about Brazilian culture.
Contemporary might be a little too much on the edge, but in general, I liked it.

Art Diary - Day 5

Last Monday, I watched the movie "The Tourist". I know that you are thinking " What in the world this movie has to do with art?". Well, first of all a little movie critique: not the best movie ever, at all! But completly worth it watching for the locations. This movie is set in Europe, mainly Paris and Venice, and I don't know if it was because I was too bored with the story or for its undeniable beauty but all I could pay attention to was to the finest European architecture. I made me think about the time when I went to those places a while back, and how artistic I felt just for being in that atmosphere. Europe is with no doubt the place to go if you are into art.

See ya,

Julyany

Art Diary - Day 4

On Sunday, back in Chicago, I was so surprised when a friend pointed out the Picasso as we drove by... I was just happy he remembered that it was a Picasso. That same somebody that I thought couldn't careless about Art simply gave me an explanation about the Picasso. Wow. Thumbs up!

Ttyl,

Julyany

Art Diary - Day 3

Last saturday, I was in Colorado and on the ride from Denver to the Cooper Mountains we passed by many tunels, which some of them seemed to be endless. This tunnels are in the mountains, they were created in order for people to be able to go by without having to climb up every hill in CO, LOL. I was very impressed with this architecture. Yes, the ability to transform a natural resource must be art!

CO is beutiful!

Ttyl,

Julyany

Art Diary - Day 2

Hi guys!

Unfortunately, where I was I had no way to update the blog, but I did it the old-fashioned journal way and now I am posting it here!

Last friday, the twin girls and I sat in our crafts room and did some Easter cards for all family. Watching the kids developing their own technics, to achive the visual goal they want, is amazing. I can totally state that I have 2 folk artists living with me, hahaha. The lines and the colors of a kid's drawing are identifible by far but I still get surprised by what they can come up with. Good stuff.

Enough said.

See you guys later,

Julyany

Art Diary - Day 1

I don't have kids of my own but I live in a house with very creative 7 years old twin girls. I'm responsible for them during the week, which can be very stressful, but usually fun! :-) Today the girls brought home some artwork they made at school and I picked 2 of them to frame and hang up on our hall, so their mom can see when she gets back for the weekend. We made it a "family" project and it was a blast! So, here I share with you guys the art of Kathryn and Elizabeth!

Hope you are all having a great spring break.

Love,

Julyany

HOB's visit

This fieldtrip really surprised me right from the begining. Never thought we would go to such a cool place in a college class. I've went to a concert on the House of Blues about a year ago and didn't notice how many good artwork they have all over the place. Evrything caught my eyes, and I was impressed with the good quality of this folk artists and happy to see Chicago representing in big style with Mister I.
Our guide, Anna, was really kind and helpful by sharing all that information with us. So far, I believe this was my favorite fieldtrip, just for being extraordinary.

AIC's visit

The visit to the Art Institute of Chicago was an unique experience. We had the opportunity of getting in contact with art, in its most obvious and powerful way. It was great to have Gitte's guidance through this journey and pay attention to certain aspects of art that was studied in class. The AIC is so big, I've been there a couple of times but never saw all of its content. After this visit, I feel tempted to go there again and again.

"Chuck Close"

The movie "Chuck Close", 2008, is a documentary that follows Chuck's 82 days creation process of his self-portrait (the one it the picture above).
Chuck Close is a photorealist american artist. He was born in a small town at Washington State in 1940. Son of a pianist mother and a eletricist father, Chuck talks in the movie about losing his dad at the age of 11 and how his dad's death affected him and helped him to overcome a lot of things.
Chuck gives us a lot of information about his background. He started taking art classes really when he was about 5 years old. But his first contact with the "real art world" was by watching a Jackson Pollock video. Chuck says his reaction to Pollock's artwork was "No way, that is NOT art" and that he felt offended by it but a few days later he caught himself dripping paint all over, like Mister Pollock would do. Ad Reinhard was the artist that most influenced Chuck's artwork.
Out of the northwest scene, Chuck moved to New York and started to do things he'd never done before. His paintings were organic, with latex and colorful.
The documentary is great because Chuck himself walks us through his creation process and his life. We can also hear opnions of other artists like Dorothea Rockburne (minimalist artist) and his family. One once has said: Chuck's art brings the picture to its most perverse version.
In 1988, Close had a seizure. After that episode, he was paralyzed from neck to feet, but didn't stop him from painting. Chuck now paints low resolutions squares (with help of an assistant) that seen by far seems to be an unit.

The Art Institute of Chicago

The website of the AIC is just awesome! Fulfilled with good, reliable and useful information, it makes use of easy tools to get as involved with art. It is an easy way to have access to a whole 'new' world without needing to get out of the comfort of your house. But don't think that just going on the website it's enough. Even though they have a great amount of artwork exposed and explained there, it just gives us a little taste of what to expect from the amazing experience it is to go to the Art Institute of Chicago itself.

Paint: Excavation by Willem de Kooning

"LOVE"

I picked what I believe to be the most obvious artwork expressing love existing: "LOVE" - by Robert Indiana . The art was first made for a christmas card in 1964. In 1973 it became a stamp for the 'love stamps' series. And, finally, in 1976 it was showcased in big letters and instaled at the JFK Plaza, Philadelphia.

As soons as the assignment was gave I knew this is what I would choose to talk about because it is my favorite sculpture ever. I really like the way the abstract is put out there in such a simple way, just 'Love'. Most of all I like the way the artist played with the word by turning the 'O', dividing the syllabuses and giving it the color red, which is usually the color we assimilate to the theme feeling.

A little bit about the artist:

Robert Indiana was born on 1928. He is associated with the POP ART movement.

Indiana is still alive and working. He was the one who created Google's Valentine's Day 2011 display image. He was also the one who showcased the word 'HOPE' and donated to Obama's campaing.

You can see a lot of prints of the original "LOVE" spread in America and the rest of the world. One of the most famous ones is 'Ahava' , that means love in hebrew and was made by Indiana to be exposed at Israel Museum Art Garden in Jerusalem, where it is!

PhotoStory - Pablo Picasso

Hi everybody! Here is my PhotoStory about Pablo Picasso!

Hope you enjoy it,

Julyany