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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: 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.

Project # 1 Artist of Focus: Karen O’Neil

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Karen O’Neil is an artist and instructor in New York that works with oil to capture a variety of seemingly mundane subjects, such as an orange slice. O’Neil’s range of work includes paintings of different fruits, vegetables, flowers, and items such as tea-cups.

In Orange Series # 11, O’Neil solidifies her love for still life by depicting an orange slice on a small glass plate. O’Neil’s use of hues of orange, blue, and purple demonstrate her mastery in manifesting light without using an overwhelming amount of white. I found this piece, in particular, a good model for the way I should be developing my own value assignment (which involves placing color in a mainly white subject). This piece inspires me to not be afraid to exit my comfort zone by seeing and emulating color in predominately white subjects.

Karen O'Neil, Orange Series # 11

Karen O’Neil, Orange Series # 11

Likewise, in February 14 #2, O’Neil’s attention to the subtle colorful hues found in a simple white flower (perhaps a white rose) create life in this otherwise flat piece. Her use of purple, yellow, orange, and even green color to capture the way light is received on the flower shows an understanding and mastery of developing light. Similar to the first project I am working on, this piece focuses on demonstrating that color can be found even on the blankest (in this case, white) of subjects.

Karen O'Neil, February 14 #2

Karen O’Neil, February 14 #2

I hope to be able to show as much fearlessness with color that Karen O’Neil shows in these still-lifes in my piece that requires paying close attention to subtle hints of color created by light. Overall, I find O’Neil’s work to be a testament to one of the ways that oil paint can capture the life of a subject through simple (even fuzzy) lines; her work has re-en kindled the love I share for oil paint.

“The Beginning is An Omen for the Whole” Artist Talk

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At the onset of the night, people gathered in the gallery space and waited in anticipation for the artists responsible for the diverse compositions lined on the walls to enter. The first artist to speak, Rachelle Diaz, discussed her background in art (including graduating from St. Edward’s in 2002 and being a freelance graphic designer) and her collaboration with the two other contributing artists. Together, the three artists, including Aldo Ramos and Gerardo Arellano, spoke about the significance of the theme of spirituality to the development of their artwork.

It was quite interesting to see the different ways each artist incorporated religious symbols and icons into their pieces. Diaz explained that each of the digital rooms she composed got their names from phrases she had found in the Book of the Ecclesiastes. Each of these rooms included references to religious icons such as gold crucifixes and baptismal fonts. Diaz hinted at the idea that the significance of religious icons is mostly dependent upon the context in which they are placed in.

In explaining the meaning behind his pieces, Ramos included that he just went with the flow and did not really plan out any of his creations. His work varied from chalk-like drawings of creatures and symbols to mix-and-match collages of fabric and paper. Indeed unique from Diaz and Arellano’s pieces, Ramos’ compositions alluded to the mysterious nature of spirituality that has perplexed the human spirit since the dawn of time.

Finally, Arellano’s mixture of mural-like paintings and installations juxtaposed next to home-made crafts (such as the yarn on wax manifestation of the beginning of time) hinted to the idea that spirituality does not have to do just with religion. He explained that the time he spent living among Native Americans and in exploring his own beliefs drew him to compose psychedelic-like works and compositions that refer to the notion that religion is not the only medium through which spirituality can be developed.

Overall, the gallery opening proved to be a profound speculation at the many ways in which spirituality can emerge. I look forward to seeing what artwork the upcoming gallery exhibitions bring.