Installation Art: Sleepy Hallow Correctional Facility

What is installation art?

In installation art, an artist modifies a space in some way, and then invites us to enter, explore, and experience it.  They key to installation art is that it must be 3-dimensional and transform the perception of space in an area.

What materials are used in installation art?

Everyday, natural elements are used to create installation art, but new media such as internet and video may also be used.  Basically anything can be used to create this form of art.

Why make installation art?

Artists create installation art to make an impact, a statement, to create controversy, to make the audience think, etc.  Installation art is meant to be extremely conceptual and challenges what we perceive to be normal.

Which illustration/artist did I find most interesting?

I found Louise Bourgeois' Red Room (Child), made of wood, metal, thread, and glass to be extremely interesting.  I liked the idea that Bourgeois wanted to close off the room, making the audience feel as though they're looking into a private place, like reading someone else's diary.

Is there an inspiration piece that I feel a connection with?

I did not have an inspiration piece for my artwork, but I did have inspiration in general.  my inspiration came from decorating our house for Halloween.  We love to go all out for Halloween, so I decided to use some leftover pumpkin candy carriers and my two puppies' kennel cage.  I wanted to transform how my audience would perceive a dog kennel, and see what other things it could resemble.

What theme do I want to explore in my installation? 

I wanted to explore the theme of Politics and the Social Order in my installation.  My installation represents the stereotypical image of what goes on behind closed doors in a prison.

What materials will I use?

For my installation, I used plastic pumpkin candy carriers, construction paper, handy tack, tape, plastic knife,  fake hair, earrings, watercolor paper, sharpie markers, crayons, and pencil.

Where will this installation be located and why?

This installation is located in the corner of my living room, inside/around a dog kennel.  The installation is inside/around the dog kennel, because I wanted to challenge and question the way in which my audience viewed the space.  I wanted to call attention to the idea that dog kennels can be similar to prisons for humans (although necessary for rowdy puppies).  Also, it seemed like a really fun idea.

Describe your installation:

My installation transforms the corner of my living room from the space where our dog kennel is located, to a prison setting for pumpkin Halloween candy carriers.  Outside of the "cell" (dog kennel) there is a pumpkin standing guard.  Inside we find several stereotypical prison-types such as the crazy-eyed psych ward patient, the punk trying to escape from the cell, the biker flipping the guards off and using the toilet publicly, the manipulative gang boss and his "bitch," and finally, the dead snitch that got shanked.

Analyze your installation:

The installation heavily features the element of color, as the pumpkins are all bright orange, the prison sign is vibrant, and the hair of one pumpkin is fire-engine red.  There are many implied lines and direction and movement dominate the piece.  Implied diagonal lines created by the placement of each pumpkin move the viewer around the piece, wondering where each pumpkin is looking and what they are doing.  Shape is also present in the installation, as the kennel itself has a hexagonal shape, and the pumpkins are very curvy and plump.

What are your thoughts on the planning and creation of a site-specific installation? 

I think that planning and creating the site-specific installation was a blast.  Originally, I was going to do something more traditional and expected, but then I saw the pumpkins and was inspired.  The prison setting idea came from hearing my puppies crying and clawing to get out of the kennel while I was pouring their food.  Brainstorming ideas for the stereotypes of each 'inmate" was the most interesting and fun part of the process, as my family all had their own specific amusing inputs as to how I should construct the work.  If I had had more time, I might have done something more artistically inclined, such as something coming out of the wall/ground, but I was unexpectedly satisfied with the product of my time constraints.  All in all, creating installation art was very fun and I truly enjoyed it!

Video Review

The video Through the Eyes of a Sculptor, presented some very interesting ideas and knowledge about sculpture that I was not aware of. One thing that I found the most interesting was how many steps it took to create marble sculptures, and how time consuming it is. I had assumed previously, that sculpting took a lot of time, but I was not able to truly conceptualize exactly how much time and delicacy and dedication it took before watching the videos. The other part of the video that I found most interesting, answered a question for me that I've had for a very long time. Marble is heavy, yet also extremely delicate…how does it get moved? The video taught me that cranes are used to lift and position and place heavy sculptures, and that bridges made of marble are left between delicate parts of the work during transportation, to make sure that everything stays together.

The Glass and Ceramics video was my favorite because I find blown glass and stained glass to be gorgeous, and I love to paint ceramics myself. I had no idea that there were so many different ways in which to make blown glass, and that there were so many different types of tools used to shape it to perfection. Something else that was new to me was the way in which stained glass masterpieces were created. The video taught me that artists create a comic-like drawing, number the pieces of the design, cut those pieces out, and then use them as a type of stencil to cut out the corresponding glass pieces. As for ceramics, I knew that they had to be cast into a plaster mold and heated in a kiln, but I did not know that clay was mixed with quartz and water to create the mixture called slip. The video amazed me with the number of uses for ceramics that it displayed. I learned that ceramics are not just for plates and pots and decoration, but can also be used to create hip prostheses, teeth, knives, mufflers, etc.

I have to admit that I am one of those more traditional people who think installation art is just weird. However, the video on installation art was very interesting and taught me new things about this form of “art.” The video confirmed my suspicions that installation art is meant to be all around us and has an attitude to it because it is the new and trendy thing to do, or so someone said in the video. I learned that installation art was a very conceptual and controversial form of art and that its purpose was to create an experience. I also learned that both pop art and video art preceded and inspired installation art during the 70s.

All of these videos related well to the text, as they focused on art forms that were introduced in the text. The videos seemed to pick up where the text left off, going further in depth into describing specific aspects of the art mediums that fall in the categories of sculpture, installation, and craft. Where the films gave an introductory view of glass blowing, ceramics, marble sculpting, and installation art, the videos delved deep into what goes into making this art. I thought that the films were a great tool to help my comprehension of what craft, sculpture, and installation art really are, and to see the effort and time and steps that go into the creative process. It was as though I was able to catch a first-hand glimpse of what it’s like to be a sculptor, craftsman, or installation artist.

Peer Review

Chelsey's Blog http://artworlding.blogspot.com/2012/09/creative-process.html?showComment=1349385791327#c8515888295111110620 Odalis' Blog http://norales01.blogspot.com/ For Project 1, Elements ans Principles of Design, I feel that Chelsey did a fantastic job of capturing the essence of each element or principle. Specifically, I enjoyed her photos for movement, emphasis, and rhythm the most. For Odalis' project, however, it was very hard for me to determine if I agreed with the photos used for each element, because there were no pictures visible, just a description of each picture. I believe that art is very interconnected, and that certainly one would be able to see more than one element or principle of design in a photograph. This is especially true for Chelsey's work, as her movement and emphasis photos could also show color, her repetition photo could also show texture, her balance photo could show movement, etc. For Project 2, Art Gallery Visit, Chelsey and I had only one picture in common, and Odalis and I had no pictures in common. Chelsey and I both picked Toccata and Fugue by Arman Fernandez because of our love of music. It was also interesting to find that we both felt as though we could still here music through the piece, even though it was silent. It astounded me that all 3 of us could go to an art gallery and only have one picture in common! Chelsey and Odalis took some photos that really piqued my interest. I really enjoyed Chelsey's photos of Braque's La Danse, and Soleil, Tour Aeroplane. For La Danse, I loved the movement of the piece, as well as the shading and balance of it. I wanted to know how Braque captured the dance so beautifully, and why he did it. For Aeroplane, i loved the color and shape of the work, and wanted to know what the medium was and how the artist got the colors to blend together so well. Odalis had a photograph of a bed that had writings all over it in her project that I found really beautiful and mysterious. I wanted to know the story behind it. I thought that looking at my peers work was really beneficial because I was able to compare my amount of work and effort with theirs to see if I was on track. I also enjoyed it because my peers had some very interesting insights and views and comments that helped me to think deeper and analyze further. I also enjoyed reading my peers' thoughts on my work, as they were all very encouraging and gave very sweet, nice praise.

Albright Knox Visit

For this module, we were instructed to visit the Albright Knox Art gallery in Buffalo. The Albright Knox is an incredibly beautiful gallery, and was displaying mainly a large collection of contemporary works from 2002-2012. It was amazing to see how many different mediums and canvases were used to create art, and I truly enjoyed being able to see works that we'd discussed in class, in person. We were given a set of questions to ponder while enjoying and analyzing the amazing works of art. They are as follows: Which artworks make an impact or impression on me and why? During my visit, I found several works of art that made a huge impact/impression on me. However, I also felt a personal connection with some, and have decided to include them in the next section. There were two works of art at the Albright Knox that had an extreme physical and psychological impact on me. Yet, they still left beautiful, impressions in my mind. Both of these works included sets of stairs. One work of art was actually found on the stairs themselves, the Zobop (Stairs), in vinyl tape medium by artist Jim Lambie in 2003:

The other work of art was found on the landing between 2 sets of stairs. The work was untitled, but a computer video installation created in 1993 by Jennifer SteinKamp:

Both of these vivid, colorful artworks affected me physically and psychologically. I could not look down when walking on the Zobop (Stairs) for fear of falling, because in my mind the lines and rectangles flowed together and I could not tell where one step began and the other ended. This work of art still left an impression on me however, because of its vibrant nature and color, the optical illusion it created, and the statement it made. I had a similar experience with the computer video installation, because the image was constantly moving, and it made the floor look something like lava. Even though I could see the floor, this work of art made me feel like I shouldn't walk on top of it, again for fear of falling. In fact, someone saw me hop over the corner of the work in order to get to the normal flooring and laughed :). This work of art left an impression on me because it was amazing to see what computer manipulation and generation could do to an artwork. I liked the psychedelic, trippy nature and tie-dye effect of the piece as well. One last piece that made an impact and impression on me was the 2008, The Quiet of Dissolution, Firestorm, by Sonja Braas. The work is a color print edition in which Sonja Braas photographed natural and man-made disasters and catastrophic landscapes and made a diorama to look like LA engulfed in flames. How the work was created and the message the artists was trying to convey really left a lasting impression on me, as the work was so horrifically beautiful and life-like, I just couldn't take my eyes away.

Which artworks do I feel a connection with and why? I felt a strong connection with the first artwork that I photographed, Toccata and Fugue, by Arman (1962). The work featured sliced violins mounted on wood. I am a musician, and my primary instrument is the violin. I was immediately drawn to this work of art, and it's title made me chuckle. Although my beloved instruments were cut in half, it didn't bother me because the overall effect was awesome and each violin had its own unique wood grain pattern that gave the work texture and beauty.

The second artwork that I felt a connection with was Reed Andersons' acrylic on cut paper, Midnight Peacock Music, created in 2006. The artwork was extremely involved and detailed and had an interesting color scheme. I loved that everywhere you looked in the piece, you could discover something new: an owl, a peacock, a flower, a leaf, a firework. There were so many paintings within a painting and it made me intrigued. The work also had splashes of strategically placed neon color bursts and splatters that made it visually appealing when contrasted with the black and white of the majority of the work. The shape of the work reminded me of Celtic knotwork, and the details, colors, and animals drew me in, I almost felt like it was a representation of myself.

Which artworks would I like to know more about and why? Clare Woods' enamel on aluminum artwork, Failed Back (2004), took my breath away when I walked into the room where it was on display. The work was enormous and interesting and unique. White is contrasted with dark, camouflage colors and a few specks of bright orange and yellow. The artwork itself was gorgeous, but when I read the description underneath the title of the work, my interest and intrigue grew. The description gave a snapshot of how the artist created this work by taking photos with a flashgun and combining them to form the 4 pictures that make up this work of art. The description made me want to learn more about the artist's process, see more of the artist's work, and look into the medium of the work.

The second artwork that left me wanting more was Mark Fox's untitled work with a crazily involved combined medium of ink, watercolor, acrylic, marker, gouache, graphite, pencil, colored pencil, ballpoint pen, and crayon on paper with PVA and piano stool. The shape and use of color were what drew me to the artwork. At first, I thought that it was a bunch of deconstructed cardboard boxes on top of the stool, but I was incorrect. Then, I looked at the description of the work and was amazed by the varying mediums that the artist used. I immediately wanted to know why he did it, how he did it, if he created this just sitting around coloring at night, etc. A million questions flew through my mind as I observed this beautiful, colorful structure, and it left me wanting to learn more.

Logo Project

This week for art inquiry, we created a logo to represent ourselves. I had no idea how much time and thought and consideration went into the logo creating process. When I sat down to think about what my logo would be I had a million ideas. I started by thinking about things that I enjoy, things that I like, etc. and came up with a turtle, my favorite animal. After brainstorming, I sketched out 2 different turtles, but in the process i realized that turtles were just something I liked, not something that represented my identity and my very being.

y67 The next day I went back to brainstorming, this time focusing on my true identity. I am going to college to be a special education teacher and teaching is what I love and a huge part of my life. So I decided on an apple, but just an apple would be too boring, so I decided to put a heart inside the apple to symbolize my love for teaching and caring nature. Next, came the step of deciding where to place the heart, how big it should be, what type of heart, etc. I finally decided that the apple looked the best with the heart on the left, top bump of the apple.

However, the logo still lacked something crucial. I realized pretty quickly what it was, I needed something Celtic in there! I identify strongly with my Irish and Scottish heritage, so I decided to carry on the "what's in my heart?" theme, and decided to add a Celtic love knot to the design. My design had an asymmetrical feel to it, so I kept it going, placing the love knot inside the heart at the bottom. Finally, I added color, making the apple green instead of red for aesthetic purposes so as not to clash with the heart.

The most important thing I learned during the logo creating process was that it was much more challenging than I had first expected, but also incredibly fun to create! I also truly enjoyed watching the videos about creating a logo. What I found most interesting was how many people are processes are involved in compiling a logo on a product. In both videos, a whole team of individuals had to get together to discuss what the logo should stand for, or symbolize, create a series of possible designs, narrow it down to one design, tweak that design until it's perfect, collaborate with the manufacturers, etc. I just couldn't get over how much planning and time and effort had to go into making these symbols. My final product:

Value Scale and Color Wheel

This week for Module 4 our class was assigned a project in which we needed to construct a Value Scale and a Color Wheel. I love creating art and was especially excited to work on this project. I have created both a Value Scale and a Color Wheel in previous classes, and paint ceramics with acrylic paint in my spare time, so I knew that this project would be very enjoyable. The media that I enjoyed working with the best was the acrylic paint for the color wheel. I love the ability to be able to mix and combine the paints to create a wide range and variety of new, unique colors. The most important discovery in making these studies, was how challenging it was to create the Value Scale. I found it very challenging to keep getting lighter and lighter with the particular charcoal pencil I was working with. I had to keep going back and adjusting and making the previous squares darker, but eventually I got the hang of it. I thought that the videos we had to watch for this project were very informative, interesting, and knowledgeable. The most important information I learned from these videos was that blue and red are not in fact the true primary colors. There are now two new colors that form the primary colors that are different from the classic color wheel. Instead of red, blue, and yellow, the more appropriate primary colors are magenta, cyan, and yellow. Overall this project was quick and fun!

Photo Slideshow