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008. Cold Dark Matter: An Exploded View, 1991

Cold and Dark Matter is an installation artwork created by Cornelia Parker in 1991. This artwork's medium is a garden shed that Parker had asked the British Army to blow up. The title of this piece refers to the idea or concept of “cold matter,” which is a term used in astrophysics to describe the hypothetical form of matter that is believed to make up a large portion of the mass of the universe but does not interact with radiation. Parker's choice of the title reflects her interest in scientific topics, studies, and ideas. It consists of the actual remains of a garden shed that exploded and suspended in the gallery space. The exploded material is suspended from the ceiling, creating a dynamic three-dimensional view. This artwork is currently housed in the Chisenhale Gallery in London. 

My big takeaway from this piece is the concept. Someone told me once: “Find out what you love, and find out what you are good at,” I think this piece reflects this notion of being super into science and space while also being good at art and conceptualizing ideas. I really like the light in the center acting as the bomb and how the light reflects off and around the debris. I also really like the care taken, I think in the future, I need to be more patient and take my time and set time aside to work on things I love, and so seeing this being so neatly put together really inspires me to do so.

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005. Saturn Devouring His Son (1819-1823)

Saturn Devouring His Son, a work by Francisco de Goya, is a mixed-media mural transferred to canvas. It is approximately 143 cm x 81.4 cm. The painting depicts the Greek myth of the Titan Cronus, whom the Romans called Saturn; as pictured, Saturn is earring one of his children out of fear of a prophecy made up by Gaea in which the prophecy states that one of his children would overthrow him. Over the course of three years, Goya created 14 so-called black paintings directly on the walls of his house. In the actual myth, contrary to Goya's painting, Saturn actually swallows his children and later throws them up alive after swallowing the stone. 

What I find appealing about this artwork is how gory it is. In recent years, I have grown to appreciate horror and overall creepy-dreamlike figures and space. Horror scary art has enormous emotional appeal and reveals a deeper story. As you look at this creepy painting, you can quickly tell someone is being decapitated by a prominent figure. Still, as you dig deeper, you notice the facial expression- that is almost in pain or agony as if it does not want to devour the small body, almost hinting that the body may have a more considerable significance. Come to find out, the body is actually his son. I also like the use of light in this piece, with the back of the body being illuminated and then the right knee.  I want to incorporate mystery and harsh themes with significant meanings in my artwork. I like making weird art with a bigger story to tell, and I want to create art with emotional appeal, something that makes the viewer scrunch their face or be upset, which this painting has that effect on people. 

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004. Bridge over a Pond of Water Lilies (1899)

The Bridge over a Pond of Water Lilies is by Claude Monet. Monet was a French painter and one of the most critical figures of the Impressionist movement, which bloomed in the late 19th century. Monet's style was characterized by his approach to capturing light and color in the organic world; he often worked outdoors to capture different lighting at different hours of the day. Monet aimed to break away from traditional art and focused on capturing the light and movement of a scene rather than a detailed series of it. Bridge over a Pond of Water Lilies was painted in 1893. and had purchased land with a pond near his property with the intent to build something for aesthetics and also to paint. Thus, he created his very own water lily garden. There is a total of twelve complete paintings in his Water Lily series. 

My takeaway is how much emotion and movement you can create with little fine detail. When I was younger, I saw one of his water lily series up close at the McNay, and ever since then, I have been fascinated with impressionism and how we can use several strokes without refining them to make a cohesive image. I also enjoy this one in particular because you can see the spring season starting to end with the notes of a darker, deeper brown to emphasize change. However, the more I look at it, the more it could be a time of day change. However, I enjoy the subtle notes of pink and want to incorporate softer tones into my work. I feel like I am always trying to perfect something, and Monet’s work reminds me to go with the flow. 

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003. Mediterranean edges + Warm & Cool White (20th century)

The Mediterranean Edges and Warm and cool white are contemporary impressionist pieces by Christine Lashley. As a lifelong nature lover, Lashley dedicates most of her ideas to traveling to new locations and spending time in nature. She says light patterns inspire her, and she aims to convey them in more and more pieces. She tells her audience that in the final layers of her paintings, she uses thick, bold brush marks that give the art a 3-dimensional space.   

My takeaway from Mediterranean Edges is how well she makes abstraction up close versus how it looks from afar- I have always loved that about impressionism. The way she paints glass, above all else, is more impressive. The glass is one of the hardest things to portray in art, and she does it with so much sophistication, from the wine bottles to the wine glasses- all of the ways she portrays how lights and shadows are cast onto glass are breathtaking. Adding to the way Lashley does shadows- I am in awe of how subtle her shadows and lighting are, and it inspires me to experiment with soft lighting; it feels so feminine and airy, and I want to embody that within my artwork. With her work Warm & Cool White, I am curious how she even paints a background without it being too harsh. I also enjoy how realistic the stems in the water are painted and how they look displaced; it reminds me that I need to pay closer attention to detail. I also like Lashley's limited color palette. It looks like she used primarily the same colors, but they blend so well- and some of the white/yellows in her painting are blue or purple!! Her sense of color theory is amazing, making me more curious to expand my knowledge of color theory. 

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002. Cypress Trees ( 16th - 17th century )

The Cypress Trees is a folding screen artwork by painter Kanō Eitoku. It dates back to the Azuchi-Momoyama period and now lives in the Tokyo National Museum and is deemed a national treasure. This Japanese folding screen is made from a series of conjoined panels, traditionally used to separate interior spaces. This painting stretches across two four-panel folding screens from circa 1590 and is made from paper-covered gold leaf. The Cypress Tree is now the symbol of longevity in Japan. 

I have been influenced by old Japanese Artwork, and I find Eitoku's work super interesting! I love the idea of the gold leaf integrated into the artwork. I want to see it someday, but the gold leaf would stand out in person and add texture and depth. Upon further research, Meiji Ishin was the restorer of this work, and with his help, restoration led to enormous changes in Japan. I've never really thought about art restorationists, but I find it so fascinating how they can manipulate and use tools and mediums to their advantage! Moving on from that, I love the attention to detail in the artwork. I appreciate how everything was shaded, especially how the clouds are laid out. If it weren't for the clouds breaking away in the top left, you wouldn't even notice they were there; aside from them poking through near the bottom, the top let clouds bring it to life. That takes so much thought and dedication. Lastly, I enjoy the way the tree moves. I feel like there is such a defiance in the way it moves freely, and it really inspires me to take a risk with my own artwork. 

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001. Chasing Modernity, Sept 1928

This artwork is the work of two late printmakers, Oda Kazuma (1881-1956 ) and Kishio Koizumi ( 1893-1945), both of whom were members of the Sosaku Hanga ( creative print) movement who had a common goal of depicting daily life in Japan after the 1923 earthquake. Oda Kazuma and Koizumi produced self-carved and professional woodblock prints and were highly dedicated to their work. 

After sifting through their collection, these were my favorite. I love the excellent tone color palate in contrast to heavy, warmer tones and how they skillfully use texture. The waterfall piece is an excellent texture exhibit; I am so in love with how effortlessly their color palettes work together to tell a story. Speaking of story, I love the idea of every piece being so mundane in nature. Most of their artwork is from the everyday lives of people in Japan, and I enjoy how thoughtfully they both portray these lives. With all the automobiles moving throughout the city scene, "Twilight at Ginza," I love the block texture that makes it look like it's snowing and the soft and subtle contrast of yellow and white to emulate light. The last one is called The Great Bridge in Matsue, and I adore how the mountainscape background is completely white and greyed out. I love seeing just how well the colors pop on the page, and it inspires me to experiment with the idea of "less is more.” I always find myself trying to add more and more when I can focus on the color or texture and simplicity instead.