Josef Albers: Favorite Famous Artists / Part 3

Homage to the Square

I was first introduced to artist Josef Albers as a design student studying color theory. His book Interaction of Color influenced the way I’ve understood color ever since. A couple of quotes from the book’s introduction seem particularly poignant, at least for my own art-making practice. The quotes reproduced below use the same line breaks found in the book.

Homage to the Square

“In visual perception a color is almost never seen as it really is

—as it physically is.

This fact makes color the most relative medium in art.”

This image from Interaction of Color illustrates the illusions that occur when the same color is placed on different backgrounds.

Albers also says: 

“First, it should be learned that one and the same color evokes

innumerable readings.

Instead of mechanically applying or merely implying laws and rules

of color harmony, distinct color effects are produced

—through recognition of the interaction of color—

by making, for instance,

2 very different colors look alike, or nearly alike.”

Native American Ruins in Road Canyon on Cedar Mesa, Utah

The Citadel is out this finger in Road Cyn

Matt and I spent another weekend exploring Cedar Mesa before winter sets in. We spent the night on the rim of Road Canyon, and then hiked out to The Citadel under a royal blue sky and perfect temps. The Citadel is perfectly situated at the end of this skinny ridge in a defensive position. Residents could see 360° from their location, and would have known if any visitors were approaching.

The Citadel, exterior view

According to scholars Jonathan Till and Winston Hurst, the Anasazi (ancestral Pueblo) lived in the canyons around Cedar Mesa in southeast Utah for over 2,000 years. They finally left for good around 1200 A.D. Today, visitors can still find cliff dwellings, artifacts, rock drawings, and granaries left by the people of the past. We left everything exactly as we found it (and kept our dog away from the ruins) to protect these amazing resources for future visitors.

The Citadel, interior view 

(I didn’t go inside, just stuck my arm inside the door with my camera.)

Mojo taking a drink from a slick rock puddle.

Students Draw “Art on the Corner”

 

Recently, I was invited to join the Downtown Grand Junction Art on the Corner Committee. Art on the Corner is a local public art program that supports the work of sculptors with exhibits along Main Street and at other public landmarks (like the Western Colorado Botanical Gardens). As a committee member, I will be helping to develop and promote public art exhibits and cultural events in the city.

 

After being asked to be on the committee, my first thought was to introduce my beginning drawing class to the Art on the Corner program. I asked the students to visit downtown Grand Junction and practice their skills by drawing the sculptures on display. Here are a few examples of the their work... Not bad, if I do say so myself!

Colorful Installations by Megan Geckler

Spread the ashes of the colors, Wexner Center for the Arts, 2010

I came across Megan Geckler’s work the other day on Facebook (we must have mutual friends)... and was stunned by its simplicity and graphic beauty.

 Spread the ashes of the colors, Wexner Center for the Arts, 2010

She creates site-specific installations using translucent surveyor’s tape in various colors. The repetition of linear form within room(s) creates smaller spaces of many shapes within larger architectural spaces. The translucency of the tape and the empty spaces between strands of the tape control our ability to see from one space into the next — sometimes spaces are more open, other times they're more closed off. I love this play between openness and secrecy, and the super-saturated color is both enticing and sickening (like eating too much candy).

 Spread the ashes of the colors, Wexner Center for the Arts, 2010

Her work is on view now through February 2011 at Wexner Center for the Arts in Columbus, Ohio. She also has a piece on display at the Pasadena Museum of California Art through October 31, 2010. I wish I could be there to see these pieces in person!

New Work: Little Ink Paintings

 

Untitled. 6x4 inches. Ink on paper. 2010.

I’ve been sketching with some new inks that arrived this week. Check out these quick little paintings. I’ve got some bigger paintings in progress so check back often to see my newest work.

 

Untitled. 6x4 inches. Ink on paper. 2010.

 

Untitled. 6x4 inches. Ink on paper. 2010.

Alphabet Design (In Progress)

 

Alphabet (unfinished)

Last year I designed a custom logotype for FIDM’s acronym (see below) on a poster project. Now, I’m about to start a new FIDM college viewbook design. So, I’ve been thinking about using the forms I created last year as a starting point for a whole new display typeface that I can use throughout the new student viewbook.

 

Last summer’s FIDM Poster

This alphabet is still in progress, but I think you can get a sense of where I’m going with it. One of the perameters I set for myself is that this typeface will be a monoline, which presents some special challenges in the design. I’m trying to come up with solutions for the quirky counter spaces and bowls in the “e” and “s”. I’m not too excited about raising the x-height, and the only other option I can see offhand is to decrease the weight overall.

 

lower-case word test

And then I suppose eventually there should be numerals and punctuation. Check back soon to see how it turns out...

Watching Paint Dry

Wet Ink (detail)

I’ve been working on a new painting today... I love the the process of this technique (although it is a test in patience!). Watching the ink dry is actually an amazing metamorphosis. Someday I would like to videotape the process, and play it back in ultra slow motion HD (a la Bill Viola). When I apply the ink, the colors bleed into each other. It shifts and moves as it dries over time. 

This piece took about an hour to dry completely... Both images are details from the same painting. The first photo was taken when the ink was initially applied, the second was taken about 40 minutes later.

 

Dry Ink (detail)

By the time the ink dries, it looks totally different than when I first applied it. I can’t precisely control the way the colors combine. I can influence how the ink runs across the page, but the end product is largely determined by chance. I have a few additional layers to add to this piece before it’s finished. Stay tuned...!

Cy Twombly: Favorite Famous Artists / Part 2

Untitled VII from Bacchus Series

I found out about Cy Twombly when I was a high school student at University of North Carolina School of the Arts. My drawing teacher, Clyde Fowler, liked Abstract Expressionism as a way to teach us about a variety of mark-making techniques.

 

Lepanto

It was Cy Twombly’s work that first showed me that drawing and painting doesn’t always have to be a perfect, representational rendering of a person or object. Drawing could be abstract, emotional, and alive!

Wilder Show of Love

And, of course, as an artist and graphic designer, I’ve always been fascinated by the use of language (or hints at language and writing) in visual creative expression. I have never understood those people who argue that fine art (painting, sculpture, etc.) shouldn’t need words. . . I don’t think they are always necessary, but sometimes a few choice words can push a piece quite to the edge of meaning, other times can make a work more concise and pointed (see my post on Barbara Kruger).

Untitled

Autumn in the San Juan Mountains

West Fork, Delores River, San Juan National Forest
Photo by Matt McGrath

Matt and I decided to make one last trip to the San Juan Mountains south of Telluride, Colorado before the cold weather sets in for winter. We had a great weekend camping camping and hiking in the San Juan National Forest.

Colorado Hwy 145 from the Calico National Recreation Trail

On Saturday, we day-hiked Priest Gulch cutoff of the Calico National Recreation Trail. The weather was perfect, and we were lucky enough to catch the tail end of the fall color. After the hike, we drove along the West Fork of the Delores River towards Dunton, Colorado.

Aspen Trees Changing Color on the Road to Dunton, Colorado
Photo by Matt McGrath

On Sunday, we hiked up to Lake Hope in the Uncompahgre National Forest. The views of Trout Lake from above were incredible. 

The View Down-valley to Trout Lake from the Lake Hope Trail.

View from the Lake Hope Trail.

Student Drawings Improving!

 

On the first day of my beginning drawing class this semester, I asked the students to draw portraits of each other. I thought it would be useful to give them a sense of their progress over time. It is currently week six of the semester, and their ability to see their subjects has drastically improved. I’m surprised to see so much growth in such a short amount of time!

 

The drawings on the left are the ones they did on the first day of class. The drawings on the right were done today by the same student, six weeks later (click on the images to see them larger) ... Amazing!

This is the reason I love teaching, right here in these drawings! I can’t wait to see what they’re doing in another six weeks!

New Paintings: Musical Series

Your Lucky Day

26x20 inches. Mixed media on paper. 2010.

Here are two new paintings I’ve finished recently. They have a real musical feel to them, I think. More to come in this series, as soon as I have time to sit down and focus. . . Enjoy!

Your Lucky Day (detail)

Staccato

20x26 inches. Mixed media on paper. 2010.

Barbara Kruger: Favorite Famous Artists / Part 1

Over the past few days a bunch of my college design buddies and I have been sharing our lists of famous artists who have been most influential to us. I love this little game, because it has reminds me of what got me excited about art and design in the first place. I decided to turn it into a new blog series to share the who and why of my favorite famous artists with you. I hope you find their work as inspiring as I do!

I first learned of Barbara Kruger in high school. I think her use of aggressive language and typography juxtaposed against images from the media really connected with that teen angst I was experiencing at the time. I wished I could be as succinct and sharp with my feelings as she is. Her work expresses that tension between wanting power and not having any that I felt so strongly back then.

Even though Barbara Kruger is a fine artist, I was intrigued by her unconventional use of the written word in her work. Her work definitely inspired me toward the study of graphic design when I went to college at NC State’s College of Design.

I met Barbara Kruger when I worked as a designer at MOCA in Los Angeles. I created the press kit for her exhibition at the Geffen Contemporary. I remember feeling so awestruck to have her sitting next to me at my computer as I worked on it.

Spirit and/or Science: Artist Lissa Rankin

Seeing is Believing

Artist and medical doctor Lissa Rankin creates these beautiful encaustic and mixed media paintings. Her writings detail her personal struggle between the spiritual nature of art-making and the pragmatism of medical practice. In the end, she chose to give up medicine to make and teach art.

A Place Apart

While, on their own, I find these paintings perfectly stunning in their quiet beauty, I must admit I’m disappointed that Dr. Rankin was unable to find harmony between these two aspects of her life. I’ve experienced the cold, impersonal medical system. I think people with her passion and sensitivity could offer a bit of spirit, warmth, and heart to the medical field. It would make such a difference in so many people’s lives.

What Are You Going to Get?

On the other hand, these paintings offer a sense of peace and serenity that probably doesn't go hand-in-hand with practicing medicine... so I can see the conflict Dr. Rankin must have experienced while trying to be an artist and a doctor at the same time. Perhaps I am a bit too idealistic in hoping that someone could negotiate both of those extremes. I’m not sure I could do it either!

Sold! in Breckenridge

Yellow Sky

Mixed media on hardboard. 36x24 inches. 2008.

Matt and I spent the weekend at an art festival in Breckenridge, Colorado. It was a great experience — meeting other artists/craftspeople and talking to art lovers. My art was very different from anything else I saw there, and I received a lot of compliments on my work. 

Gardening at Night

Mixed media on paper. 13x10 inches. 2010.

I didn’t know what to expect since this was my first art festival, so I tried not to have any preconceived notions about how things would play out. Mostly, I just wanted to cover the costs of the space rental and travel expenses.

You Knew She Was Out There

Mixed media on paper. 13x10 inches. 2010.

I sold several of my smallest pieces throughout the event, but didn’t make any big sales until the very end. One of my fellow artists told me this happens a lot. I guess people want to review all their options and think things through before making their last-minute decisions. As I was beginning to close up shop at the end, a woman came to my shop and bought four of my pieces for her new house. While I was wrapping her pieces, another lady came back to buy one of the pieces I had just sold. I gave her my card and told her that I would love to make a similar piece just for her. I hope to hear from her soon!

Sprouts

Mixed media on paper. 13x10 inches. 2010.

Gesture Drawing

 Mojo, the studio dog.

One thing I’ve learned over my years teaching college design and art classes: you have to be flexible and adaptable, especially when you teach a class for the first time... experimenting with different teaching tools, different ways of talking about ideas, different ways of demonstrating techniques—It’s as much a learning experience for me as it is for my students.

Take this week, for example. We focused on gesture drawing, and the students have been doing okay. But I realize, they need way, way more practice in this technique. Maybe I need to play some really loud rock music to get the energy flowing.

Students took turns modeling for the class.

I had a plan outlined for the semester... but now I’m thinking of rearranging it a bit. I know the students need another week of gesture drawing, in addition to continued practice on their blind contours. Perhaps I should focus on negative spaces next week to give the students a chance to focus more closely on shapes and relationships... then return to gesture drawing the following week.

These are two of the better gesture drawings from today’s class. Not too bad, since this is their very first experience with gesture drawing.