Response to gallery visit

Before we arrived to the South end, I wasn't sure of what to expect. I have lived in Boston for several years and I'm in the South end often, but I had never visited any of the galleries. As we walked into the carroll & sons, it was interesting to look around at the way the gallery was set up, and the different types of work that was distributed throughout the gallery. It was cool how he had a "back room" for different sort of work that didn't fit in with the photographs in the main gallery.

Joseph Carroll, the director of the gallery, was eager to speak about his work, which I thought was great. I liked hearing about his experience within the art world, and how he came to where he is today.

I enjoyed visiting all of the galleries because I felt as though I had entered a new part of Boston. I loved the neighborhood in general, and I definitely plan on revisiting the galleries again soon.

My PLAN!

This is a picture of what my knitting project will eventually look like. Based on the measurements, it will be 38 3/4 inches around the chest measurement. The materials used for the vest are: 430 yards of Bulky Wight Yarn (I used purple baby alpaca yarn, but that was a personal decision), 165 yards of worsted weight yard (I used pink, which was again, a personal decision), #6 and #10 1/2 circular needles, #6 16" single pointed needles, stitch holders, 4 1/2 inch buttons, and yarn markers. Also, this is just a representation of what my vest will eventually look like, and I plan on putting much more decorative and interesting looking buttons on my sweater.  

In the gallery, I want to put my vest on a hanger, and have the hanger attached to the wall. I don't plan on having any other artistic aspect, although I would like to place "progress pictures" next to the vest itself. I think that pictures that explain the knitting process will add a lot to the gallery showing.

Week 6- Reflection

So, although it's hard to tell what part of the vest this is, this is a picture of the bottom. At the moment, I have about 3 more inches to go until I've knitted up to the underarm. Because of the way this pattern works, I'm knitting from the bottom up. Once I reach 12 1/2 stitches from the hemline, I will have to divide for the front and the back. Once I do that, I will bind off 4 stitches, work over 64 stitches, bind off another 4 stitches, and then work over the remaining 64 stitches. Because of the short amount of time we have left in senior studio, I have decided to make the vest rather than making the sweater. The only difference between the two is that the sweater has sleeves and the vest does not.

Week 4- Reflection

Here are just some more pictures of the materials I'm working with. The first picture is of the bigger needles, which I have been using on the thicker yarn (featured above). I'm knitting the majority of the sweater with purple "Baby Alpaca Grande." I chose it because it's really soft. Also, I've discovered that it's much easier to work with than the pink yarn. I like that the needles are bigger, and I feel as though I've begun to "loosen up" my stitches, which I should have been doing from the start.

Although it will be a stretch to try and finish such a large first project within the next two weeks, I have made significant progress. While I am aware that I may not be able to complete the fleece, I will have gained more knowledge on a fun and interesting craft- knitting!

Week 3- Reflection

Although it doesn't look like there's much there- it took a long time! This is my progress on the body portion of the sweater. Interestingly enough, based on the pattern, I am knitting full circle, so my sweater sort of "grows" upward as I continue knitting.

I used a #6 24" circular needle and worsted weight yarn, and cast on 146 stitches. I placed a marker at the beginning of the rows to ensure that I would not lose my spot, and had to pay close attention to each stitch (so I wouldn't twist the stitches by accident when joining the first round). I knit 4 rows in stockinette stitch, and then learned how to purl. I returned to the knitting store last Saturday to learn how to Purl. Although it seemed more complicated at first, purling is actually just the opposite of knitting. Then, I worked 5 more rows in stockinette stitch. On the last of the 5 rows, I followed the instructions which told me to "decrease 10 stitches evenly spaced across the last row."

Week 2- Reflection

During week two, I began to work towards my final project. Although I have never knitted before, I decided to try it out. I began by visiting a knitting store in Newton called Putting On The Knitz. When I walked in, a calm, and seemingly happy elderly couple was sitting at the table knitting. They asked if there was anything I needed help with, and I said that I was new to knitting, but was interested in starting my first project.

Together we searched through a book that had several different patterns, some easier then others. As soon as we arrived at this pattern, I knew that this was the project I wanted to complete (because I love Patagonias, and this sweater resembles a Patagonia).

They walked around their store and grabbed all of the materials I would need- different sized needles, different colors of yarn, and markings for the knitting. As you can see from this picture, I didn't get very far within the first week- but I was just learning the basics!

Preparing to visit the galleries

Questions for Joseph Carroll:

1. How do you decide which photographers to showcase in your gallery?

2. Is their certain types of artwork that you find more interesting than others?

3. What was your favorite exhibit in the gallery and why?

After looking through the websites about each gallery, I took a special interest in the Samson Projects and Steven Zevitas gallery. As soon as I clicked on the website for the Samson Project, I was immediately intrigued. The work on the front page was "Sims-like" and virtual. Although I do not know enough about the artists that are featured in the Samson gallery, I can predict that their work will be very new age and experimental.  The Steven Zevitas gallery website caught my eye immediately as well. I decided to browse through Chris Ballantyne's work, and I liked every piece that I saw. His paintings were very political, in that they were mostly based around the environment and the future of nature. My favorite, Untitled, Parking Lot (Scenic Overlook) had a very clear statement: we must leave the forests out of modernization.

Boston Art Scene

Unfortunately, because of the way the economy works, almost every business is not doing as well as it has in the past. For gallery owners especially, it seems as though they have not been able to maintain enough sales to pay for the expensive price of high-end locations on Newbury St. Based on the articles, the economic downfall has affected artists in a negative way. As the Boston Globe mentioned, "more than a dozen commercial art galleries closed, moved, or changed hands."

However, there could be an optimistic side to the Newbury St. galleries closing. Because that area of Boston is more praised for it's luxury, perhaps this downward slope for artists will give thriving artists with less money to spend a chance to open up smaller places. If more artists start to put their work in less-expensive but interesting neighborhoods, they may have the chance to continue business as usual.

Also, as Dealer Ellen Miller stated, the internet is becoming a more popular place to showcase work. She claims that the internet is responsible for about 60% of her galleries business. This is good for dealers who are no longer able to afford traveling to purchase their art, and of course, the internet is rent-free.

Although I have not been to many galleries, I visited a few while I was in Montreal earlier this year. It was interesting to see difference between a smaller setting for certain types of art, rather than visiting a museum.

Surviving the critique

While every artist fears negative feedback, critique is an essential aspect to perfecting the artist's work. In The Critique Handbook, Kendall Buster and Paula Crawford suggest, "Consider times when you were making the work and you were unsure whether to do this or that, and are still unsure whether you ended up with the best solution. Consider struggles you have had with craft." If our class models such ideals to work towards the most effective and constructive criticism, we would be able to guide each other towards creating the best work possible. It is necessary for our art class to understand the importance of critiquing, because if we all want to move forward as artists, we must open ourselves to the advice of others. To work towards this goal, we should have "critiquing time" at the end of every week with the other artists in our area.

To get the most out of a critique on my own work, I should feel as comfortable as possible with the work that I am creating. As Buster and Crawford say, "defend your work, struggle with the painting, attack the canvas, execute the piece, wrestle with it, master the medium." If I follow these guidelines, I will be able to make the most of every evaluation towards my work.

To be a helpful participant in critiquing others' work, I should articulate my thoughts and criticism in a specific way, instead of making general or broad statements, such as, "that looks good" or "that doesn't look good." When critiquing others' work, I will focus on pinpointing exactly what I think could use more work. Also, to give the most effective criticism, I will listen to the artist's objective. This is an important part of critiquing, because certain aspects of their work may need explanation beyond what I am able to see on a canvas.

Alternate Exhibition

In terms of format, I loved the setup that Polly Apfelbaum created in her "Blossom" exhibition. I chose her work over the other artists because she uses simple materials to create something large and beautiful. Also, her "rainbowesque"flower setup is appealing because it leaves the viewer wondering what she is trying to express through her art. After looking at this piece, I started to wonder how she chose where each color would be, and why. 

Although I admire the work that Apfelbaum has done, I do not want my exhibit in the gallery to resemble hers. Because I plan on knitting, my portion of the gallery will be more simple and less visually appealing. However, I will experiment with different materials, as I assume that Apfelbaum does as well. I will try out new stitches and colors when creating my final knitting piece.

On Tuesday, Hanna, Roland, and I decided that we wanted to create a "communal" piece of art. With no straightforward idea in mind, we began by chosing our favorite colored markers. We then sat in a circle around the blank piece of paper. Roland drew a line, and then I did, and then Hanna did. We continued to take turns drawing different shapes across the paper. As the page began to fill up, we noticed that there was a monkey like shape in the middle. We then continued to draw the monkey, adding different details. Eventually, we created "Monkey in a Disco," which will soon be renowned throughout the entire world as the next Mona Lisa.

Art & Fear

"The difference between acceptance and approval is subtle, but distinct."

"For the artist, the dilemma seems obvious: risk rejection by exploring new worlds, or court acceptance by following well-explored paths."

"Wanting to be understood is a basic need"

When I first began making art, I never would have considered myself an artist. I was in the fourth grade, and I took classes at a local art studio in Marblehead. The other members of the class were certainly artists (or at least they appeared to be). They were all older than I, and they had several years of experience. As an unexperienced child, there was little room for me to feel confident about any of the work I was creating. Of course, when my teacher noticed my fears, he approached me immediately. He explained that there's a starting point in every artists life, and I shouldn't be so harsh on myself. Still, I was nervous, but I began to consider his advice. After all, he did have a point. Why was I being so critical of my own work, I thought.

As time passed, I began to feel more comfortable with the work I was creating. Although I was still visibly not as talanted as the other artists in the room, I knew that I didn't need to be. I wasn't making art for them, I was making it for myself.

Since then, I have certainly grown as an artist. Of course, I still fear that my work will be rejected by others, but then I remember what my first art teacher said to me, and I begin to feel more comfortable.

Scratching by Twyla Tharp

According to Twyla Tharp, scratching is, "digging through everything to find something." She describes it in further detail, as she says, "It's like clawing at the side of a mountain to get a toehold, a grip, some sort of traction to keep moving upward and onward." She suggests that we should begin scratching by going either going extreme lengths, or by exploring new territories. Scratching is thinking outside the box, seeing what others do not usually see, and then taking these ideas and creating something new. Essentially, Twyla Tharp believes that if a person is exposed to more and more, he or she will have a more interesting appeal.

I can apply Twyla Tharps idea of scratching to my own life by being more adventurous in my everyday life. Because I am interested in art that incorporates music of some kind, I could begin scratching by seeing different musicians in concert, looking at the artwork on their vinyl covers, and by expanding the genre of music that I listen to. If I did this, I would become more open minded in terms of what I believe makes a great musician. 

Because my goal for this term is to learn to knit, I could apply Twyla Tharp's "scratching" to my studio time. I will begin by learning the simple and basic knitting methods, and then once I feel comfortable, I will explore different artists that may use unusual materials and different stitches. 

Hamlett

After looking at five or six different artists' workspaces, there seems to be a trend in the "essential items" within a studio. I noticed that all of the workspaces incorporated nature of some form into their studio, whether their was just a single plant, or their was a large window view of outside nature. From the artists' window views, all of the studios appeared to be located in a grassy, reclusive, area, rather than a city. This may help the artist to feel calm, as there would be no interruption from the outside world. Also, all of the studio walls were painted a light shade, which probably helps to create a more relaxed vibe for the artist. Of course, each studio visit had pictures of the materials the artists used, which most commonly was a picture of  cluttered paintbrushes and large quantities of paint.

Artists at work: workspaces & processes

Based on the powerpoint we saw in class, it seems as though each artist has his or her own unique space. This space includes several different factors, which may reflect on the type of work the artist is creating, or on the artists personality. While some artists prefer to work in small, cramped, and cluttered spaces, other artists prefer neat, clean, and organized spaces. Some artists prefer to work in several different spaces, as their surroundings serve as their main inspiration. When comparing Alexander Calder's sculptures to his studio, I notice a direct relation between his obscurely shaped sculptures and the disheveled appearance of his studio. The picture of his studio is a small space with lots of large objects placed randomly throughout the room. Perhaps Calder creates such large and inconsistent sculptures because of the disorder within his workspace. 

However, Jamison Brousseau claims, "I have realized that my art needs to be more important than my surroundings. In other words, I need to be making it in some form or another no matter what the circumstances." Because Brousseau claims that he does not have one main work space, his art may not have the same consistency as artists that choose to work in only one location

Picture of Brainstorming Sheet