semirsinanovic

[semirsinanovic]

That is Art!

There was one painting in particular that I couldn’t stand the sight of at first was “Marie Christine” Margot Bergman, 2014. At first when I saw this painting, I couldn’t believe such crap could end up in a museum. I didn’t see any meaning in it, and I thought it was some low-effort jumble of paint thrown together and mistakenly called art.  After practicing and learning what art means during this class, I can safely say that I have changed my thinking now about this picture. Before, I was quick to jump to my first opinions without putting in any extra thought. With a better eye, I notice more things about this painting which qualifies it as art.

As part of my own personal transformation, I can analyze this painting and artist a little more formally. The painting itself, as it turns out is not something done randomly and without creativity. I found out that the style of putting two faces within each other is the artist’s niche. In fact, with a little more digging, I can see that this echoes in most of her work. I just happened to come across her most famous painting. She draws a big, flat, 2D face with watercolor-like paint and uses nontraditional colors for parts like the eyes, hair, and nose. At first glance, you might be quick to say that these colors don’t naturally fit together. Well, I did too but after further research, I found out why she mostly paints women with weird colors and two sets of eyes. The truth is Margot Bergman developed a neo-expressionist way of “conveying the essence of her subjects as she sees it”. When the women have multiple noses, mouths, or eyes, which is Margot’s expression of multiple personalities. So obviously there is more than meets the eye in this picture and it should be given a fair chance before being hastily judged.

I’ve also realized that in order to understand art, you have to also understand the era and background of that artist. After learning about Margot Bergman, I found out that she was born and raised in Chicago, where she was inspired by painters like Baselitz and Lucian Freud. These two painters were well-known for grotesque and distorted paintings. She also has a strong feeling of independence, and this could be due to growing up in Chicago as a woman. So that’s probably why she paints women mostly, because she is one. Not only is she independent, but she also decided to draw this kind of style to isolate herself from all other contemporary artists in the 2000’s. Before her big exhibition success in 2003, though, she actually used to do similar paintings in series called “Wonderland” and “Other Reveries”. For these series, Margot basically took existing art found in flea markets or thrift stores and added her own hidden portraits in them. Instead of women, however, she used animals. These portraits are where her neo-expressionist idea was founded. From here, we see how her unique sub genre evolved in 50 years and where it arrived today. By learning all this information behind the painting, I can finally see how seemingly bad art isn’t actually bad at all. I can finally give it some respect since I know what to look for now. I can finally safely say: That is art!

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I tried to recreate filament, 2014 by Wolfgang Tillmans . 

Even though it hardly looks identical to the original, I think it resonates with it quite well. The only important parts I thought of the original were the arm, mug, and the dim lighting. I was missing the background props, and that’s because my room doesn’t have any of those things like the original does. Also the lighting had to come from a phone’s flashlight, rather than it naturally occurring. Again, this is due to the trajectory of the window facing and the light coming from the wrong way. So this would have to suffice instead. The camera angle was pointed downwards like in the original. So very different, but also same in some ways.  

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Symbolic Selfie 2

1. It challenges my notion of a selfie because I realize now that a selfie can have a lot more of a backstory than a simple face shot. For example, I had to think of different objects which represented me, but I also had to take into consideration that all the other objects were somehow connected and related to the selfie photo. Sometimes a selfie can simply be silly and meaningless, but in this case, the selfie revolved around many things on a deeper level. So I guess that this selfie took more thought and effort to produce because it had a broader story.

2. Well, it’s pretty simple. The final piece obviously has more pictures and words, so it literally going to give us more information about me, or anyone that does this project. Those extra images or words tell us about the person’s hobbies, what they eat, what their background is like. So it’s like a snippet of a visual autobiography almost. On contrast to that, it tells us less because people might focus more on the object pictures, and less on the actual selfie and what the person was feeling at the time of taking the selfie. Traditional selfies would give us a sense of the person’s mood at the time because they were usually taken at a special time or event when the person thought it was a perfect time to take it. So the assignment gives is a look at their life in general, whilst a traditional selfie spotlights their emotions at a specific moment of their life.

3. I would say it does match some of the notion of who I am. I don’t like the concept of having objects represent who I am, though. For some reason, I feel like there’s more to a person than deducing the culmination of their lives to mere objects. It really only scratches the surface of what makes them, them. It’s hard to give such a simple rundown on a person’s complex humanness. So I do not really think this says much in terms of who I am. There’s more to it than what meets eye.

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Symbolic Selfie 1

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Photo Walking Score 2

1. I found this experience to be really counting-demanding. There were a lot of steps that had to be counted, but that was the most challenging part. There was some times when I could barely find something that fit what the questions wanted. For example, there was an instruction that made me find something blue, but something blue just couldn’t be found. So I had to take a few more steps to find it.  It was also freezing, and my fingers were numb after all that work. Overall, though, it felt like a scavenger hunt for some reason, with all the searching for objects, sights, and sounds. So it was also fun, since it was also an outside activity.

2. The photo I liked the most was the leaf picture. Every other photo was ordinary and decent, but the leaves just had more creativity behind them. So my only reason for liking it is because it appeals to me visually. It also plays a role since it was almost a fall-themed score, because of the all the fall scenery, so it also fit in perfectly. During summer, I bet, it would have a summer theme, and so forth. So it adapts to any environment and season.

3. I chose the WRC because that’s where I go almost daily to exercise for a few years now, so it’s become pretty attached to me and a nice place to relieve some stress. Overtime this building has proved valuable to me and I will cherish it for the good vibes I get from it every day. Honestly this building has meant more to me than any other building on campus.

4. Now my views and thoughts about this building have brightened. I’m more aware of its surroundings, the small details, and now that I studied it all a bit more closely, I felt like I got a better understanding of how everything is complex and works in sync. So I see the building more in detail and it feels more open to me now. If I didn’t do these observations, I wouldn’t have noticed all the usual and unusual scenarios around the building which make life interesting every day. I’ve noticed how nature and man-made creations exist together and how each brings out its own unique visual gifts.

5. Now my relationship with the structure/home and its surrounding has been bridged. I’ve started to respect not only the buildings themselves, but also everything outside of it. Once I’ve looked at the unnoticeable signs, colors, and even sounds, I felt more respect for the connectedness that they share. Before, I never cared for these features because I never had a reason to care. Once I looked more closely, it was an illuminating realization. So my relationship has grown overall with these aspects.

6. I felt annoyed at first having to do everything a huge list was telling me to. It felt strict and on-rails. I couldn’t do what I wanted, and I knew it would take a long time to finish. Later on down the list, though, it felt more enjoyable. I guess it felt less enjoyable than my own creative process because the author’s idea of creative wasn’t really what I agreed with being creative. So free will is better, I feel, because it unlocks the potential for that specific person.

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[semirsinanovic]

Holy Science – Place a book of evolution next to Bibles. 2018

My score was mostly controversial; it combined 2 contrasting ideas which were in conflict for decades. When I was the composer, I felt like I had a lot more possibilities to work with. I wasn’t only limited to the scores in the list. I could come up with my own personal score which I could play out however I wanted. I could make it funny, creative, or satirical. I still chose to keep it simple, but my score at least had a thought-provoking plot to it. When I was the performer, all I had to really to worry about was camera work and getting everything in frame. It was a simple, yet effective, score to play out. The ones I did from the list were also simple, yet they didn’t have any message like mine did, rather they were random. So I had to power to demonstrate something significant in the world with some simple maneuvers. 

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1.      Proposition: Make a salad. 1962      Theatre Music: Keep walking intently. Date Unknown      #252:  Bottle of water                 Fill glass with water from bottle                 Return water from glass back into bottle                 Fill glass and repeat procedure as above                 Many times till all water is spilled  Date Unknown      Chironomy 1: Put out a hand from a window for a long time. Date Unknown      Variation #1 on Proposition: Make a soup. 1964      I chose these 5 because they were the simplest to play out in my environment and they were the most easiest to understand. Other scores were mostly asking to do things concerning an audience, something I didn’t have at the time. Or they were ambiguous and didn’t really have much instructions to work from. Or they simply used colorful language which was hard to bring out in an act. So naturally these looked like the best options and were relatively simple and safe to play out.  2. My favorite to perform would have to be the walking away scene. 3. It was the most fun because it was outside on a rainy day and I got to set the camera up on the parking lot while I filmed myself walking down the lot many times. Also the music was a nice addition, since it added a dramatic effect to it. So this one also felt the most creative as well than all the others. It took more imagination than the others since the score’s description was only “walking away intently”, so it was up to me to figure out a way to portray intentness while walking. So it took some time to get the walking and music right in sync.   4. I feel like now every time I read the scores, I will always think of these videos of me doing them. I guess when I act them out, I bring what I feel out for good, and that’s the idea that sticks to me for good. Initially when I first read the scores, I would just think of all the different ways to play them out. So I think my acting matched the scores well. Maybe it didn’t match the original writer’s imagination, but it did mine.  

[semirsinanovic]

Stream of Consciousness Part 3

[semirsinanovic]

Stream of Consciousness Parts 1&2

I enjoyed getting my thoughts which were inside me, yet hidden, out on the paper and exposed. I also enjoyed the relaxing aspect of it. It seems like words float around the most when the atmosphere is right. This includes the dark setting and soft meditative music. So that’s really what I enjoyed most, finding out what was lurking inside me. What I disliked was that at first I couldn’t come up with anything, so I started with “Rain” and “Night” since it was raining and nighttime outside. Then I got the word ball rolling, so I was able to reach for some more nuggets in the chasms of my mind. I was surprised that I came up with many words that seem to have some very loose connection with every other word. At least it seems to me like that. I was spooked that it accurately portrayed my feelings at the time. I was under the impression of this day, the weather and everything I did in it. There are also words in there that follow me every day. I also think differently during different times of the day. So I would agree that this reflects me. I was, I’d say, sad, but also appreciative of everything.

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Vanitas Montage 2

1. I think Justin’s celebrity was Tom Brady. I don’t watch football at all, so I’m not that familiar with it. But Tom Brady is a well-known pig-skinner. 

2. The image that helped me the most was the jersey that said “Brady” on it. It was a dead give away. The second image was the Patriots logo. I recognize the man with the American-themed hat/hair and know that has something to do with the east coast and New England, and I know Tom plays for them. There’s also some trophies there, meaning he’s pretty good at football.

3. Looking back at my own montage, I would say the strongest elements are the notorious ideas and events that are summed up by each picture. Each of these pictures that I used are pretty much the key things regular remember about that person. Since my celebrity was Sylvester Stallone, I used movie-themed pictures which everyone will surely recognize the celebrity by. I wish I added some kind of colorful, vibrancy to it. Since I could only print off pictures in black and white, it looks a bit dull. But I would also add more abstract ideas, not just from movie scenes, but also ideas that represent the character of Sly; or rather the characters of his alter egos.

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Vanitas Montage 1

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I Could Do That! 2

1. This piece was made in 1988, around the time when minimalism and first wave feminism were starting to gain popularity. This is also the time where pop culture was becoming more colorful, depressing things like the Soviet Union were just about to fall apart, and women were gaining a lot more rights. So it was a time where times were getting better. Minimalism at that time was also growing, which explains the art piece itself. She also grew up in the east coast, where she most likely had a lot of experience with people who were active in these things. In fact, she was inspired by things like feminism and crafts when she started to show off her art at exhibitions.

2. Yes, the pop culture and minimalism of the 80’s is reflected in the art. We can clearly tell by its simplicity.

3. Not really.

4. After looking at the history, I can tell that it is all about what surrounds you that gives you ideas and inspiration to make art. I don’t think that applies to this certain stack of wood piece, but in general her art seems to reflect the time she lived in. The wooden stack doesn’t seem to reflect any time period on its own, since it doesn’t connect with any ideas or movements of that time, unlike her other work. I suppose she had the idea to make minimalist craftwork-themed art, so that’s a unique idea from that era.

5. Considering it’s still a meaningless stack of wood to me, I think I could still make something like that. Her other art, though, probably not. The other art had at least some parallel with culture like feminism and minimalism of that time, so I may not be able to capture the same thing if I tried making that art.

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I Could Do That 1

Polly Apfelbaum, stack, 1988.

If you look at this picture, you’ll notice it’s just a bunch of circular blocks of wood stacked on top of each other. This would be pretty easy to do, all I’d have to do is buy some wood circles at a hobby store, and stack it. This art is pretty basic and doesn’t really convey any image. I would have laser etched a story like a battle or perhaps a folk dance of some sort. Then it would go around the circumference, so the story would never really end, since it goes around and around. As it stands, this stack is simply just a stack of wood. There’s even a hole at the top, which I imagine goes all the way down the stack. With this, I could maybe attach it to a pole of another art piece, maybe a statue, and pretend it’s a wooden stump arm. Then it could convey a story of a heroic pirate who lost his arm to a battle with space aliens and this wooden stack was the best he could do to as an artificial arm.

[semirsinanovic]

I can feel the connection to this picture as well, because I’m from Bosnia, too! I understand Muamer’s feelings towards the scenic views and the feelings of being on land of your roots. Like in his picture, I also enjoy seeing the vast, distant green landscape that undulates into the horizon with the blue sky. We both know what it’s like to see a different part of the world that has a completely different language, history, and culture. Also, like him, I feel I could give the picture up simply because it’s nothing compared to the real experience of seeing it. It also shows clothespins, which also represents doing things cheaper while connected to nature, such as not using a drying machine.

Significant Photo 1

1. This photo was taken  when I went back to Bosnia in the summer of 2017.  There are not many places you can go live in and wake up and see a view like this. This is important to me because it is from my homeland 

2. This was taken from my grandparents’ home in Bosnia. The home is important to our family because everyone on my dad’s side of the family lived in this house at one point in their lives. Anyone from Bosnia, will tell you how amazing of a view this is to see.

3. No one else has this this photo

4. This image is a digital copy, its not a physical copy because I was sending this to my friend over snapchat and saved it as well. I don’t like having the caption in the middle of the photo

5. Yes i would because I’ve seen this view for 30+ days straight. The photo do not do the view justice, its a lot better in person

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Significant Photo 1

1. This is a picture taken from a field that’s pretty close to my house in Bosnia. It’s important because it is a piece of my heritage, so it’s not something that I can find or pick up just anywhere. It’s a picture only a few people can see and relate with on deeper level. Even though it’s not much in terms of being developed economically, it’s still my soil and homeland, so that’s why it’s special and important to me. So there’s a special sentiment to it.

2. This picture represents the basics of every society that we cannot live without, nature. Nature is the most valuable thing to me because humans are animals and cannot live without it. There are many trees in this photo, which also represents abundant life and serenity. 

3. No one has this picture except me.

4. This imagine only exists as digital media. It’s only a digital picture because it wasn’t done very professionally, rather sort of hastily from a low-end camera. So I think it’s better that it exists on a hard drive than on a piece of paper.

5. If someone wanted to have it because they really liked it, I would give it to them happily. I would be glad that someone else is getting satisfaction from it. Plus, I can take that picture again if I ever visit again, so it’s not a big deal either way. Even if I couldn’t take the picture again, I would still give it up because I personally experienced it in real life, which is on a whole new other level than just seeing a picture.

[semirsinanovic]

Hard Times 2

1. The connections I made from spoken interview and the picture of the family next to the buried shack is quite simple: Misery. When I listened to the people’s different accounts of their lives, I just kept imaging the worst. They would talk about living in terrible, flimsy shacks without any resources like food. I can definitely relate this to the picture. A poor family with nothing left in life, only dirt and poverty.

2. Although the situation couldn’t have been all that bad for everyone, the picture can’t help but make me think otherwise. I imagine the Great Depression era as a time where people just barely survived on less than minimum. There was no life in the fields, no prospects for an abundant future. What unfortunately only existed were wooden shacks with holes in them and a family with plenty of hungry kids. That’s the perception this picture gives me.

3. I see the connection between the Great Depression and the people walking while on their phones. I feel like just as there was a lack of basic needs such as food and housing back then, there is a lack of communication between people now. Back in the day, people were much more social, and bonded with their families, even though they were poor. Today, people are not very social (except electronically), even though they have much more wealth now. There’s no bondage like in the past. So the parallel is that there’s something important missing.

4. The picture I took showed a bunch of people going towards their destination. The way this picture sort of accurately represents where we’re going because everyone is striving to become something better. Today’s systems that make up our society are ever-changing, and the people within in it are as well. It also pictures a place of education. This symbolizes that education is becoming more important every day and everyone is rushing to get educated.