Mod 11 Visit #2 Ehibit Analysis

 

Module #11 Art Gallery Visit #2 Exhibit Analysis

Questions about the exhibit:

1. What is the title of the exhibit?

2. What is the theme of the exhibition?

The theme of this exhibition is comprised of both sound and video.  The artist Kelly Richardson uses projectors to show looping video on screen panels.  The video is displayed on screens.  Some are shown on single screen panels and some are on three screen panel displays.  Each work is a video accompanied by sound but each one has a different theme.  I choose the three works which were the largest.  The themes were planets, forests, and swamps.

Step 2: The Gallery

Questions about the physical space:

1. What type of lighting is used?

The lighting in the rooms that the video was displayed was mainly provided by the video screens themselves.  There was additional accent lighting provided by pot lights mounted to the ceilings.  The general lighting in all the works with in the exhibit was minimal creating a mostly dark atmosphere.

2. What colors are used on the walls?

The walls in the exhibits were white and dark.  The large room with the large displays had white walls while the smaller rooms had darker walls.  The lighting was so dim in the smaller rooms I could not tell exactly what color the walls were only that they were dark in nature. 

3. What materials are used in the interior architecture of the space?

The walls were sheet rock.  The entrance and foyer outside the exhibit was made of marble and had Roman/Greek architectural styling.  The rooms in the exhibit were basically box shaped and had very little detail on the walls.  The rooms were connected so you could access the three main displays all from one area. 

4. How is the movement of the viewer through the gallery space?

When you enter the exhibit it takes a moment to absorb exactly what is going on.  It takes a moment for your senses to acclimate to the environment created by the artist.  Once you absorb the first piece you can see a glimpse of other works through the door ways.  It draws you in.  Once you enter another room with a video display you must wait again and absorb the new environment.  The movement through the exhibit is slow because there is so much to look at and listen to.   

 

Step 3: The Artwork

Questions about the artwork:

1. How are the artworks organized?

      Each artwork has a separate room in which it is displayed.  Some of the smaller videos are shown on Plasma TV’s.  In these rooms two works are displayed.  They have acoustic directing devices so when you stand in front of the work you only hear the sound track that is associated with the work.  The exhibit is comprises of eight rooms broken up into three areas.

2. How are the artworks similar?

      The artworks all are similar in the fact they are all video loops accompanied by sound.  They all are displayed in dark rooms as well. 

3. How are the artworks different?

      Each work has a different theme.  This ranges from planets, to forests, to animals, to fire, to swamps, and the audio is different as well.  Some works are displayed on screens while others are displayed on plasma TV’s. 

4. How are the artworks framed?

      These videos are not framed but displayed on screens.  The screens appeared to be similar to a movie screen at a theater.  The TV’s used were Pioneer brand and could be purchased at a store.  The projectors used are shown in the image below:

5. How are the artworks identified and labeled?

Each work has a placard mounted to the wall.  An accent light is pointed on it so the viewer can read it.  The information cards were mounted about 4 feet off the ground and were typed in bold print.  They were easy to read. 

6. What is the proximity of the artwork to each other?

      The smaller works were placed one or two to a room.  The larger works were placed in a separate room each.  All the works were with in a 100 feet of each other.  The eight works were divided into three areas.  One area had four rooms while the other two areas had two rooms each.

 

Step 4: Art Criticism Exercise

Art Criticism: Describing, Analyzing, and Interpreting Artwork

 

Video Display #1, Mariner 9

 

 

Information Display #1

 

Ø  Description – Describe what you see.  (subject matter)?

 

This display is a video of a foreign planet landscape.  The planet is depicted as Mars.  There is debris from old space missions and some active rovers examining the soil.  

Ø  Formal analysis – (form)  What principles and elements were used and how are they used?

The elements of movement and variety is are here.  The work is 40 or so feet long and there are many different items in the video.  The viewers eye crosses the video screen and from one item to the next. 

Ø  Bracketing - Is there anything in or about this work that reminds you of anything else? Do you see any symbols, metaphors, or allegories?  (iconography) 

This work reminds me of futuristic movies.  The work is intended to portray the future in 200 years. I think the work reminds me of space exploration and the universe.  

Ø  Interpretation - (content)  What do you think the artist was trying to say?  

I think the artist is trying to give us a glimpse of the future.   The artist is showing rovers and not human presence which insinuates that we have not set foot on Mars even in 200 years. 

Video Display #2, The Erudition

 

Information Display #2

 

 

 

Ø  Description – Describe what you see.  (subject matter)?  

This video is a forest scene.  There are pine trees that are very bright.  The pine trees appear and disappear at random.   

Ø  Formal analysis – (form)  What principles and elements were used and how are they used? 

The element of emphasis is used here.  The pine trees are the focal point of the video.  They are very bright and draw the viewers eye to them.  The trees come and go which also brings attention to them.   

Ø  Bracketing - Is there anything in or about this work that reminds you of anything else? Do you see any symbols, metaphors, or allegories?  (iconography) 

This work reminds me of nothing more than what it is.  A forest scene with trees.  The action of the trees however doeas have meaning.

 

Ø  Interpretation - (content)  What do you think the artist was trying to say?  

I think it is possible the artist is representing the destruction of our forest for wood.  The trees are the focal point of the work and they disappear at random.  This could represent the loss of trees through human consumption.

Video Display #3, Leviathan

 

 

 Information Display #3

 

 

 

Ø  Description – Describe what you see.  (subject matter)?  

This video display is a swamp scene.  There are trees and water.  There are also yellow highlights that reflect off the water. 

Ø  Formal analysis – (form)  What principles and elements were used and how are they used? 

The principal of unity is used here.  The water, trees, and moss is found throughout the piece.  These items tie the video scene together.   

Ø  Bracketing - Is there anything in or about this work that reminds you of anything else? Do you see any symbols, metaphors, or allegories?  (iconography)  

This video is simply scene of a swamp that the artist visited. 

Ø  Interpretation - (content)  What do you think the artist was trying to say?  

I think the artist is showing the swamp land as it stands untouched.  The yellow highlights could be the sun or pollution of some sort.  I think the artist was trying to show the viewer the fragile nature of the swamp. 

 

v  Answer this question: What did you think of visiting the Gallery and purposefully looking at the exhibition from a different perspective - the physical space, the architecture, theme, etc.?

I thought the Albright Knox Art Gallery was well laid out but the map did not show where any of the specific exhibits were.   I had to do a bit of searching around to find things.  I enjoyed the visit because I got some time alone with my wife.  I also got to see first hand some of the art that our book showed.  It was interesting that there were no barriers between the viewer and the art at the gallery.  This made the experience more intimate.  By analyzing the Kelly Richardson exhibit through this project I saw things I would have normally over looked.  The lighting, technology, space, movement, and sounds all were seen individually and then as a whole.  This gave me a more in depth perspective on the art and allowed me to fully enjoy it.  I really liked this exhibit and it was easy to become a part of the artwork while viewing it.