Pattern and Ornament: Outside Visits - Wolfsonian (Art and Design in the Modern Age)

The exhibition displayed a strong amount of work created in the 19th and 20th century. It documents a transitional period in history. A period in which art and design are introduced into the Modern Age. Europe and America went through many economic, political, cultural and technological changes that influenced these advances. The show allows people to see and reflect on how previous artifacts have been modified even more to fit our time period.

As time goes we tend to reduce elements of art to give a more sophisticated aesthetic. However many artifacts created in Europe and America throughout the 19th and 20th century had a more minimalistic aspect to them such as the works from the Bauhaus. It is apparent that much of what is produced today is nothing more than an interpretation of decorative and functional design created in the past. As humankind we tend to merely innovate and adapt designs to suit our daily lives.

Pattern and Ornament: In-Depth Project- Wallpaper

Pattern and Ornament: Exercise- Meta Assignment

AR- Artist Research

TR- Topical Research 

EX- Experimentation in the Studio

G- Setting Goals

FR- Focus and Resolution 

PR- Presentation to your Audience

R- Reflection 

D- Documentation 

Pattern and Ornament: Reading- CAM Raleigh

     Ornament is essential to the way we process beauty that surrounds us. Pattern creates a correlation between everyday life and symbols.In the article Ornament and Pattern written by Susan Yelavich and edited by Denise Gonzales Crisp  they state that Neuropsychologist Oliver Sack "speculates that optical migraine hallucinations—frequently patterned like oriental carpets—offer a window on the dynamics of our nerve cells." Patterns are significant to the way we think and create a set of order. A variety of symbols have been given meaning by our ancestors who derived these patterns from nature. However as humans we are constantly adapting these ornaments to keep us stimulated. Innovating these patterns by combining them together allows us to give different meanings to them.  

     Nature allows us to base our decorations on endless possibilities. Nature is constantly  evolving and with that so are our pattern designs. Recreating flowers into interact and complex floral shapes has allowed us to express nature in different forms. Abstracting patterns and reducing them give us different outcomes that can be interpreted differently. As humans we constantly chase perfection and ornament and pattern are a way to release that tension. 

Pattern and Ornament: Reading- William M. Ivins "Ornament"

Ivins, William M. ""Ornament" and the Sources of Design in the Decorative Arts."

William M. Ivins has touched on the subject of ornament and its importance to the creation of art/design. Ivins states many things in this article that can be applied to today's art scene. Now a days we constantly hear of artists commenting on innovation and originality however the truth is that everything is derived from something. It is hard to create something that has never been done before unless no one has given the original creator credit.  

Ornaments are used as a technical language that adds beauty. Since such designs have already been given meaning, as artists we can only interpret these ornaments into our own creation. In the article Ivin referred to music as a way to explain ornaments in art. I interpreted it as how each note comes together to create a song and how words are put together to create a message. If you break it down each note and each word has already been predetermined by its creator. As humans we can only associate these ornaments into context to fit the message we want to convey.

Creative Impulse: Small Works- Folk Art

Folk art has allowed me to explore new medias and find alternatives when working with limited materials. I have discovered that passed down traditions have had a tremendous impact on the way 

I approach problem solving. I bring elements such as color that identify with my culture to represent a connection between my past and present. My knowledge of my families background has taken a big part in the skills and tools I use to execute a body of work.

 

 

Creative Impulse: In-Depth Project- Folk Art

Creative Impulse: Outside Visits - Ida Applebroog and Susan King

     I recall constantly being taken on class trips to ICA. It was always with the purpose of having a docent iterate the exhibit. Now I was on my own. Guiding myself through the works of Ida Applebroog and Susan Te Kahurangi King. I originally assumed this exhibit would have a familiar feel. However I found myself in a space where the work reflected more then just the past times I've been there.

    Susan King explored the concept of Disney characters such as Donald Duck and Goofy. Creating patterns with depictions of these characters building a intricate design. As an outsider artists King used her knowledge of repetition and well-known figures to create a sense of nostalgia. Approaching the work is like approaching a photo album. A glimpse at the past. Ida Applebroog's work on the other hand was eerie. Exploring the idea of gender and body she is able to create images out of what seem to be ink marks and intentional spotting. Ida Applebroog's Mercy Hospital series was unsettling for the most part. She uses the human form constantly manipulating the scenes with natural markings. The work was organic while precise. Experimental in many different aspects. 

The combination of the the two artists was interesting. One complimented the other in elements of color, structure, and style. As if they two works fed of one another.