Tag Archives: art

Having Second Thoughts: Richard Fruth

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On a cold Friday, November 14th, I was fortunate enough to listen to artist Richard Fruth discuss his work, which includes illusory landscapes and scenes developed from a sculptural background. Fruth is a sculptor who has taught at several educational institutions and provides people with workshops in which they can physically explore 3D arts. He pointed out that his initial plan was to become a furniture maker, which led him to access to materials such as wood, which is an integrative part of all of his work. He explained that many of his pieces were comprised of remnants of past projects; he even said that one of his pieces had gone through five different renderings. Then, he went on to go into depth about the process of creating his pieces, which mainly involves the recycling of ideas, shapes, and pieces.

One of the main points Fruth wanted to make was that “nothing in life is definitive.” He also explained that his pieces were meant to draw people in and were very nature-based, as he usually spends a lot of time outside. Additionally, many of his pieces received their title from lyrics of songs that have stuck out to him.

One of the pieces that really struck me was Losing Sight of Proportions, which includes a combination of bright and natural-looking pieces of wood that are counterbalanced by horizontal renditions of platforms (one is gray). Fruth mentioned that much of his work in this exhibition mirrored the way portraits hung up on a wall. This sculpture appears as if it came out of a surrealist painting’s representation of a mountain, yet it lacks a clear frame. Additionally, the playful quality that Fruth kept mentioning about his work is manifested through his use of small ladders and a part that seems to represent a small house. There is also an interesting balance created by the juxtaposition of plain wood and colorful earth tones on opposite sides of one another (in addition to the organic versus straight-edge forms) in the piece.

Richard Fruth, "Losing Site of Proportions" (April 2013)

Richard Fruth, “Losing Site of Proportions” (April 2013)

Additionally, Fruth’s Swimming in Shark Infested Waters initially drew me in not because of the actual sculpture but the positioning of the piece on the wall. The sculpture actually juts out of the wall and, in doing so, greets the viewer. Fruth seems to incorporate details of shark fins in addition to half of a boat’s hull in order to convey the idea that the subject is entrenched in shark-infested water. Many of Fruth’s pieces in the gallery also included the minor detail of the ladder, which he described as confusing because the viewers do not know whether they are entering or leaving a scene. The bright colors make the viewer feel safe, in a way, except for the fact that there are sharks looming over (or, in this case, under) the scene.

Richard Fruth, "Swimming in Shark Infested Waters" (Dec. 2012)

Richard Fruth, “Swimming in Shark Infested Waters” (Dec. 2012)

Fruth introduced me to a whole new world of art: sculpture especially through wood. I haven’t really paid much attention to sculpture made in wood because I haven’t really found them very appealing; but, I found Fruth’s work very playful and challenging to understand (which is a quality in art that I treasure). I hope to expand on the range of mediums I use throughout my art career in such a way that I will be able to create more 3D art, which I believe is always a great way to get the viewer interested in your work.

Artist of Interest: Steve Spazuk

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Steve Spazuk is best-known for his work with flames when creating his work; he has perfected the art of what he calls “fumage,” in which he uses a flame to, essentially, paint with soot. Then, he uses tools such as needles and even feathers to make marks (or draw) in the soot. He explains that bodies intrigue him and that his compositions express “how every one of us is a constituent fragment of the human community.”

Ornothotem is a piece from Spazuk’s bird series. The ethereal feel of the piece is expressed through the wispy lines created by the soot. The fine details found in the birds contrast well with the uncontrolled mass of soot floating around the figures. What I find most captivating is the unearthly quality of the piece and the emotion that is conveyed through the use of soft yet heavy soot on a plain background.

Steve Spazuk, "Ornothotem" (2014)

Steve Spazuk, “Ornothotem” (2014)

Another noteworthy piece includes The nozzel, which is from Spazuk’s “Ornithocide” collection of soot paintings in which Spazuk attempts to convey to his viewers the harmful nature of using pesticides that has begun to permeate through the food chain and kills birds. This piece seems to commentate on just that by including a stark contrast between a symbol for the pesticide and a bird, which is a symbol for nature. It almost appears as if the nozzle is a man-made rendition of a bird and the fact that it is juxtaposed with a delicate bird makes the nozzle seem like a threatening force. Additionally, the soot adds to the overall feel of the piece, which is that of foreboding and uneasiness.

Steve Spazuk, "The nozzel" (2014)

Steve Spazuk, “The nozzel” (2014)

What initially drew me to Spazuk was a video that showed the process he goes through to achieve these wonderfully-crafted pieces; it seems as though Spazuk makes every mark so effortlessly yet skillfully. I want to experiment with this technique and see what my results will be; perhaps I can find a way to create massive compositions on canvas, paper, or even cloth through “fumage.” Spazuk is one of many artists who have fascinated me and encouraged me to mess around with different non-traditional mediums when creating work.

Artist of Interest: Carl Krull

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Olmec_1_-172x118cm_Carl_Krull_2014

Olmec #1 (2014)

Carl Krull, an artist who was born and works in Denmark, creates a variety of varying line drawings (in addition to paintings of seemingly wildly erotic amalgams of human bodies) that have captured my attention. Recently, I have been stuck on capturing depth through creating lines with different spacing between them, which is what Krull appears to be doing very well.

Olmec #1 is the first piece in the series of 8 similar compositions that appear to have faces hidden within them. Olmec #1 seems to be hiding a skull inside of the lines, which sway and create interesting contours suggesting this figure. It is interesting to think how much simple lines can create depth in this sense. Krull uses implied as opposed to real value that is created through the convergence of lines (that do not touch, however); this implied value leads to the illusion of depth and the supposed image of a face. Perhaps this piece (and the many more that employ the use of differently-space lines) was quite cathartic or meditative to create since it involves an obsessive repetition of lines across a flat plane.

Plate #4 (2007)

Plate #4 (2007)

Another noteworthy piece includes a piece from the Plate Series. Plate #4 seems to be portraying someone in a perpetual state of confusion; the dark figure starts off by running through a door, up some stairs, and through another two doors that leads him to yet another room. This piece initially caught my eye because of the stark contrast of the colors and the continual movement that the eye does throughout the piece, starting with the ghost-like rendition of the man at the far left corner. The piece has an otherworldly feel to it; the eerie faceless figure seems to be trying to escape something, yet he can only go so far until he has to go through the maze again.

It is interesting to think how different yet similar these two pieces are. On one hand, both convey an illusion of depth and space on a flat plane; yet the line drawing uses line to create value whereas Plate #4 uses paint and straighter lines to develop the scene. Nonetheless, Krull’s compositions captured my attention for their illustrious use of the 2D space and line to create depth. I have made similar drawings to Krull’s Olmec #1 and hope to make them of a larger scale like Krull has done. I also admire the illusion of depth created within these pieces, which I hope to emulate in paintings I am making currently.

Artist Talk: Pamela Winegard

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On September 19th, artist Pamela (Pam) Winegard gave an artist talk before the opening of her exhibition, “Narratives,” at the St. Edward’s Gallery. In her talk, Winegard explained how each of her unique pieces were created, including those which were not made through encaustic, which is composed of pigments mixed with wax that can be applied to canvas in layers.

Welcome Wagon I (2010-11), encaustic & mixed media on wood panels

Welcome Wagon I (2010-11), encaustic & mixed media on wood panels

Winegard told us the meaning behind her show’s title. In essence, she explained that she is and has always been interested in what we (humans) leave behind, either commercial and/or discarded materials. She includes many architectural references in her pieces as a way to refer to the “push and pull” she sees between what exists and what doesn’t. Winegard also stressed the notion that we need stories and storytellers to keep who we are alive; in essence, she believes that her work tells stories about what humans leave behind, which is a very important reality that needs to be addressed.

During her talk, Winegard displayed some of the compositions that she had completed, including some that were not showcased in the gallery. One such work was entitled the “Welcome Wagon Series” (2010-14), which is a reflection of the Holocaust and genocide; the piece becomes very engaging and encourages conversations on genocide through the interesting amalgamation of mixed media and encaustic. Many of her works, she explained, are in a series because each is a chapter of information that she wants to convey to the viewers.

Community Series (2011)

Community Series (2011)

In the show, Winegard presented several enticing compositions, including two that caught my attention upon entering the gallery. One is entitled “Community Series” (2011). This piece includes four panels composed of a mixture of encaustic and mixed media (especially photos transferred onto encaustic); it seems to be commentary on what happens to the environment as a result of human impact. What first drew me to this piece, though, was the image of a group of people dressed in white (most likely the KKK uniform)  placed next to a large building that looks like a factory; I wanted to know if they were actually symbols of racism juxtaposed to a literal representation of harmful industrialization. The surface texture of the panels, starkly contrasting colors of highlighter green, orange, and black, and muddled appearance of each scene pulls the viewer in and incites dialogue about what the series brings to the forefront as a crucial social problem.

The other piece, entitled “Paths to Nowhere” (2014), caught my attention before I had even seen it. In the talk, Winegard mentioned that she had had a dream that she wanted to depict, so she dropped all her other work in order to capture it. I have always been interested in the dream world and the many ways it can be represented, so I was immediately drawn to the concept of Winegard visualizing her dream through encaustic, a medium that I have come to love as a result of the workshop she had done with my painting class. I found that the combination of cardboard-looking pieces placed over top of photo transfers, and images of an angel, water towers, and an upside-down flag on top of a sky blue background encouraged me to look deeper into the piece. Many of her pieces are social commentaries, so I immediately began analyzing the scene, keeping in mind what Winegard regarded as symbols of the U.S. (water towers) and all of the anomalies (such as the upside-down flag); perhaps this piece is addressing the ways the U.S. has fallen from grace (hence the upside-down flag and/or the cardboard medium that looks like rubble). Unlike many of her pieces, though, the diptych seems ethereal (in the sense that it was not as serious and up-front about the social problem it was addressing) and, yet, still engaging because although it is capturing a dream (something impermanent), it is still bringing a social issue to the viewer’s attention.

Paths to Nowhere (2014) (Diptych)

Paths to Nowhere (2014) (Diptych)

Winegard defines art as a very intimate form of writing for the artist; she has put into words what I have been trying to communicate all these years as an artist myself. I thoroughly enjoyed getting to work alongside and view Pam Winegard’s pieces in encaustic. She has inspired me to experiment with encaustic and to push myself to try more mediums that can allow me to express what I desire more thoroughly.

 

 

Artist of Interest: Justin Hopkins

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Justin Hopkins is a mixed-media artist who grew up in Washington and began developing advertising for corporations at the early age of 14. Nowadays, Hopkins focuses on working specifically in oil.

Justin Hopkins’ work encompasses an array of oil paintings, graphite drawings on paper, watercolor portraits, ink-made compositions, and mixed media renditions of subjects. One of my most favorite of his pieces is part of his collection called “DOT.”

DOT

DOT series – Depths 2

DASH series - Hatch Girl

DASH series – Hatch Girl

People Like You (Skinny Legs and All)

People Like You (Skinny Legs and All)

I became fascinated with Hopkins’ compositions created by dots because I find these pieces so captivating. The one displayed above (“Depths 2”) caught my eye because I enjoy artwork capturing water and, more importantly, the technique that Hopkins used to develop value is on point. I admire his craftsmanship and can only imagine how much time it took to create such an awesome scene. This piece appeals to my taste in art, which includes meticulously-detailed subjects.

Another piece that I also really like is one that is created with dash lines (“Hatch Girl”). The composition portrays a person that confronts the viewer behind several dashes made of differing weight. This composition caught my eye because of the way the figure is suggested; rather than being explicitly drawn, the face serves as positive space while the amalgam of dashes are the negative space. Similar to the dot-made composition, this piece focuses on using an unlikely method to create an illusory depth. I marvel at this work and hope to be able to create unique art such as this one day.

One last piece that I want to look at is called “People Like You.” Hopkins demonstrates a keen understanding and mastery of oil in realistically depicting a pair of legs. I enjoy realistic depictions of subjects, so I immediately developed a liking for this piece. The subtlety in hues and the way the neutral blue background emphasizes the flesh tones in the legs is eye-catching. Also, the brush strokes create a lucid contrast to the smoothly-finished legs that make them pop out at the viewer. Hopkins definitely displays skill in various mediums of art that I can only dream to emulate one day.