Hung Up on Art

Chris Burden, L.A.P.D. Uniform, 1993. Wool, metal, leather, wood and
plastic. My 5'11 daughter is standing in front of the exhibit for reference.

Can a uniform on a hanger be considered art? Chris Burden seems to think so and many people agree. I'm one of those people. I'm talking about his installation piece called "L.A.P.D. Uniform" that is on display in various museums across the United States. This is not a new piece of work, mind you. It was inspired by and created after the 1992 Los Angeles riots. The artist used oversized uniforms to suggest an intimidating, cold and faceless authority. I see it as an artistic protest to the L.A. police department of the early 1990's, specifically the officers who were acquitted of the charges of using excessive force in the infamous beating of Rodney King in 1991. The general view of the L.A.P.D. at that time was that is was a corrupt organization that misused their authority and in my opinion, Burden does a good job representing that. You are free to interpret it your own way, of course, but it seems as if a majority of people have a similar reaction to the display. Most see it as authority figures that forbiddingly loom over those they is supposed to protect. One review I read even remarks on how small and helpless the viewer is made to feel while looking at it.


Does this mean that you can go to your closet, pull out a suit, hang it on a wall and you suddenly have an artistic masterpiece on your hands? Not exactly. Well, perhaps it depends on the suit's designer, but typically it takes much more than that to create a work of art. Pieces like L.A.P.D. Uniform are created with a purpose in mind. This kind of work is making a social statement and the artist is trying to evoke an emotional response from the viewer and make them see a somewhat familiar object in a whole new way. In this case, he was trying to make the viewer feel the helplessness many people felt with the organization that uniform represented. 


For more on Chris Burdon's L.A.P.D. Uniform:
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/culturemonster/2011/07/art-review-possible-worlds-at-los-angeles-county-museum-of-art.html
http://collectionsonline.lacma.org/mwebcgi/mweb.exe?request=record;id=214359;type=101


For more on installation art:
http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/understanding-installation-art.html

Psychedelic, Dude

1966 poster created by Kelley & Mouse

I broke my promise about posting at least one blog per week but I'm sure all my avid readers, which I think is up to a prodigious 2, will understand.

I'm spending the day today listening to my seemingly endless Grateful Dead playlist; a virtual Grateful Dead music marathon. Not an unusual occurrence for me, but I've dedicated today's musical foray to the memory of the Grateful Dead's frontman, Jerry Garcia, on what would have been his 69th birthday.

So in keeping with the spirit of this dedication, I'm posting this blog about the work of two of the artists best connected to the Grateful Dead and the Psychedelic Art scene of the 1960's, Alton Kelley and Stanley Mouse.

I'm sure many of you have seen their iconic poster illustrations. As a child of the not-quite-but-wish-I-had-been-and-was-only-one-generation-late-Sixties, I missed out on witnessing first-hand the rise and dominance of the counterculture and the resulting impact it had on music, literature and art. Alton Kelley and Stanley Mouse were among the artists that were influenced by this generation. Who are Alton Kelley and Stanley Mouse, you ask? Let me put it this way; anytime you envision popular art of the psychedelic scene the images that come to mind are of these swirling, free-flowing lines and bright colors that form images that also form words and vice versa. That's in large part thanks to Kelley and Mouse. Now, isn't that a trip?

Merlin and Nimue by Beardsley. c. 1893-4

Kelley and Mouse's work wasn't only influenced by the music and drug scene going on around them, but very obviously the work of past illustrators and art styles. The Art Nouveau period, which was a result of the Industrial Revolution, played a major role in the kind of designs Kelley and Mouse created (reference: http://www.nga.gov/feature/nouveau/exhibit_intro.shtm). One of the most common comparisons to their work is that of Aubrey Beardsley.


When looking at both styles, you can see a lot of similarities in line and form. Even down to the typography. (One of the influences on Aubrey Beardsley, incidentally, was Japanese art and I plan on delving more into that in a later post.) But Beardsley wasn't their only influence. Other artists and art movements that inspired their work included Toulouse-Lautrec, Art Deco, Asian artistry (as previously mentioned) and Bauhaus.

Kelley's and Mouse's style helped define the youth culture and the creative scene of their time. I, for one, have always loved their work. But being a dead-head, I guess that makes me somewhat biased. So, in closing I just want to say happy birthday, Jerry; rest in peace.

For more information:
http://www.npr.org/templates/transcript/transcript.php?storyId=91208912
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=91208912&ft=1&f=1039
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/04/arts/design/04kelley.html
http://www.artdaily.org/index.asp?int_sec=2&int_new=24587
http://www.mousestudios.com/
http://concertposterstore.com/alton_kelley_information
http://www.dead.net/features/news/legendary-artist-alton-kelley-passed-away
http://www.victorianweb.org/art/illustration/beardsley/works.html

Tim Burton Exhibit at LACMA

Untitled (Ramone) © 2011 Tim Burton

Over the Independence Day weekend, my daughter and I took a little trip to L.A. County Museum of Art (LACMA) to view the Tim Burton exhibit.

Overall, we had a lot of fun and loved the exhibit, which included illustrations, sketches and other media Burton created before and after he became famous as a movie director. There is also movie memorabilia, including costumes, props and puppets from his movies. Photography was not permitted and the staff was very diligent about it while we were there so I have no pictures of my own, however, others managed to get away with it so here is a link to some of the items on display: http://wordlesstech.com/2011/06/03/tim-burton-exhibition-at-lacma/ Its worth taking a look!

The illustrations and visual media created by Burton were very interesting, but the one thing that kind of felt out of place was the movie memorabilia, like Edward Scissorhands costume, Catwoman's suit from 'Batman Returns' or the bodiless head models of Sarah Jessica Parker and Pierce Brosnan from 'Mars Attacks.' I kept getting the feeling I was in some 20th Century Fox museum rather than an art museum. Not that I didn't enjoy seeing these things up close, but they just seemed out of place.

I learned a lot about Tim Burton that I never knew while seeing his work. For one, I never knew he was an illustrator. I'm sure it should have been obvious, but maybe I just didn't pay that much attention to him even though I am a fan of his movies. He is a very good illustrator and his work is very creative. The exhibit caused me to remind my daughter not to EVER throw out any of her artwork - even the pieces she didn't think were any good. This exhibit had everything from rough sketches to finished pieces. Not your run-of-the-mill art exhibit.

The Way to Horror by Hugo Steiner-Prag

What I found most interesting was the "Burton Selects: From LACMA's Collection" in the Ahmanson building at LACMA. This show consisted of works that inspired Tim Burton. I loved it! One of my favorite pieces shown there was Hugo Steiner-Prag's 'The Way to Horror.'  It really exuded fear!

I highly recommend viewing the exhibit if you get the chance. If it doesn't come to your area there are a few places you can go online to see some of the exhibit:

http://www.timburton.com/
http://www.moma.org/interactives/exhibitions/2009/timburton/

Below is a news clip announcing the opening of the LACMA exhibit:

What makes you an art expert?

You may be asking yourself "What makes you such an expert on art?"

For the record, I'm not. However, I do love and appreciate art and want to share that love and appreciation with others. I spent my life surrounded by art. My mother is an artist, my grandfather was an artist, and my brothers and I are all artists. I would live in an art museum if they would let me! I spent part of my childhood in Europe and got to see some spectacular works of art and it all had a profound impact on me.

I hope to use this venue to get people to really think about art and what makes them like what they like and hate what they hate. I want to discuss the differences in art from other cultures and time periods. I want to hear from other people who are equally passionate about art and why. Ultimately, I hope to inspire others to create, create, create!!
 
One of the most valuable things I have learned about art is that its everywhere, as is the possibility of art. I'm a member of Deviantart.com and there are so many artists out there that have their own ideas on what art is. Some of the submissions are very amateur, but a lot of them are really interesting and creative. Most of us know that art is subjective; you may see a picture, sculpture or painting and think, "Nice, but it's not art" while another will see it and think it's a creative masterpiece. Think of some of the pop art you may have seen. I still debate with my mother over the art value of Andy Warhol's Campbell's Soup Can pieces she doesn't think it qualifies as art, but I do. However, she sees Jeff Koons' Balloon Dog as a legitimate piece of art so it seems to all be perfectly subjective.

I also would like to keep people aware that art isn't just something someone made because they could. Every piece has meaning. Some meanings are more profound than others, but that's another facet of art that I want to highlight in my blog. There is the work of Diego Rivera, who illustrated the plight of the worker in much of his work, or the Hudson River School who focused on the natural beauty of the untouched environment.

So, in closing, this isn't a scholarly blog (is there such a thing?) or an expert critique on art. Simply my point of view and hopefully those of others. I welcome your input!

What is art?

What is art, you ask? Well, you didn't but let's assume you did. Art is something different to everyone. For the purpose of this blog, I'm keeping it relatively simple. I won't be discussing writing, music, plays or film (unless that film is about art or artists) -- all valid forms of art. As much fun as it would be to include all of those forms, I simply don't have the time to cover all of them. For now, anyway.

What I will be talking about is painting, sculpture, drawing, illustration, architecture, photography, etc. Both digital and traditional. I welcome reader participation! Not that I have an readers at this point, but I sure hope to get some. Who are your favorite artists? Favorite works of art? Favorite art museums, galleries and so on...

Some of the topics I plan on covering may intrigue, inform, aggravate or dumbfound you. I may even incite creative conversations! Perhaps I'll even cause you to reconsider your point of view - or cause you to make me reconsider mine! I hope to post at least once a week, probably more if and when I get readers.

If you find a topic related to this blog that you think I should cover please feel free to let me know!