Art Talk Collective
  • HOME
  • BLOG
  • SUBMIT
  • ABOUT
  • HOME
  • BLOG
  • SUBMIT
  • ABOUT
Search by typing & pressing enter

YOUR CART

5/13/2018 1 Comment

THE WEEKLY CHASE | DEAR LISTENER

Picture
On a recent trip to Phoenix, Arizona for the annual American Alliance for Museums convention, I was able to visit the Heard Museum in downtown. The Heard Museum offers one of the largest spaces in the country dedicated solely to Native American art. Since its founding in 1929, the museum has been dedicated to the advancement of American Indian art, presenting their stories from a first-point perspective, as well as showcasing a massive permanent collection of traditional artifacts. Through this mission, the Heard Museum has provided visitors with a distinctive perspective from the Native populations of the United States, and specifically those of the Southwest.

Among their stunning permanent collections and numerous exhibition spaces, the Heard had also just opened their mid-career retrospective on Native Alaskan and Tlingit-Unangax artist Nicholas Galanin. Galanin's mainly conceptual work discusses the misappropriation of American Indian aesthetics, colonialism, and issues of authority and agency. Through various mediums including installation, video and sculpture, Galanin provides provoking material that is rife with context and history. Forgotten stories of past transgressions and current horrors of modern society, Galanin utilizes associative imagery that is frequently seen, and commonly misrepresented, to set the platform for these dialogues.
Picture
Nicholas Galanin, I Dreamt I Could Fly, 2013. Courtesy of Flickr.
Suspended from the high ceiling, porcelain arrows fly in an arc, casting shadows on the opposite wall. A familiar tool used by the American Indian, reimagined through material. In I Dreamt I Could Fly, Galanin uses porcelain covered in blue deltware patterns to symbolize the colonial restrictions placed on Indigenous cultures. Usually a weapon for survival, these fragile arrows would be useless in combat, shattering on contact. This metaphorical use of the arrow links to the dream of sovereignty and the institutional and historical restrictions that make up the inherent challenges of its success. A systemic problem that is shared by many cultures within the United States.
Following a similar historical framework, Galanin collaborated with his brother, Jerrod Galanin, to create A Simple Plunder. The title refers to the result of colonization; the historic plunder of families, land and culture. This piece specifically references the story of 12 Unangan men who were bound together by Russian invaders and then shot to see how many could be killed with one bullet. The bullet finally lodged in the ninth man's body. The twelve torso busts act as an anti-monument, symbolizing the many lives lost while protecting their families and homes in their fight to live. The work is meant to honor and remember these men, but also assert the non-existence of a national day of memorial or mourning. This is a common thread of thought throughout Galanin's work; the lack of remembrance.
Picture
Nicholas Galanin and Jerrod Galanin, A Simple Plunder, 2016. Courtesy of Phoenix Sun Times.
Galanin uses this element to reclaim many lost histories and aspects of his colonized culture. In the Imaginary Indian Series, Galanin utilizes several mass-produced Native Alaskan-looking objects made in Indonesia to discern past events through their association. As a part of this series, Imaginary Indian Totem, inhabits a corner of the gallery space that is covered in a vibrant, fruit wallpaper. This wallpaper is from 1866, produced by Britain's Morris & Co., which is then matched with a Indonesian-made totem. The wallpaper, and the totem, showcase the forced assimilation of Indigenous peoples under the colonial rule and the resulting misappropriation of their traditions that we still frequently see today.

Endlessly steeped in thoughtful narrative, Galanin's pieces work to give new perspective to its viewers, altering the lens towards a more acknowledged future.

See more of this exhibition at the Heard Museum and more of Nicholas Galanin.
Title Image: Nicholas Galanin, Imaginary Indian Totem, 2016. Courtesy of Art Gallery of Greater Victoria.
1 Comment

7/30/2017 0 Comments

THE WEEKLY CHASE | HAPPY BIRTHDAY MR. HOCKNEY

Picture
In the fullest sense, LA celebrates David Hockney as much as England does. His transport into the United States and specifically to Los Angeles in the 1960s showcased the "American landscape" from a outsider's perspective. His vibrant use of color made him an important feature in the Pop art movement while his subsequent work has explored a versatile list of mediums; including anything from sketches and photography collage to iPad drawings printed on paper. As a celebration of his eightieth birthday, both Los Angeles (The Getty) and England (Tate Britain) have showcased Hockney's astounding career.

As a previous viewer of Hockney's work, I felt as if I was able to view Hockney in a more personal light. In a two-story featured exhibition entitled, Happy Birthday Mr. Hockney, the J. Paul Getty Museum highlighted some of Hockney's lesser known pieces including a self portrait series, in which Hockney observed and sketched himself everyday in a mirror for some time. As Monet captured the water lilies continuously throughout the day, Hockney explored the many sides of his waking self. The sketches show him yawning and disheveled as well as properly dressed and smiling. Forthright and earnest, Hockney's self portraits are playful and amusing, presenting the relatable image we all see each morning; the many sides of ourselves.
Picture
I must say however, I rekindled my love for Hockney through his photography collages, or as he called them "joiners". Beginning with Polaroids and subsequently moving onto 35mm color prints, Hockney shot an image at slightly different perspectives and different times, and then patching the photos back together to create a composite image. As a study of movement, Hockney was interested in understanding human vision and these subtleties can be seen throughout the work. While some are more straight forward, such as Chair (above), where there are clear delineations between the lines, the only tell tale sign that it is not one image cut into pieces is the apparent shadow movement. There are then pieces such as Pearblossom Highway, 11-18th April, 1986, #2, in which Hockney used 800 color prints to create a massive, more abstracted scene. Layered skies and deserts create its own semblance of an image while producing an insanely structured texture. With a similar saturated color palette, Hockney's observing takes on a new light and is once again playful, stimulating, and ever so unique.

Although this was a small selection of Hockney's ever-increasing experiments, it only further established how Hockney has successfully embraced and evolved with mediums throughout his career. In his eightieth year of life, Hockney continues to astound and remains an international gem. 
Picture
Pearblossom Hwy, 11-18th April, 1986. Image courtesy of The Getty.
Picture
Furstenberg, Paris, August 7,8,9. 1985. Image courtesy of The Getty.
0 Comments

6/11/2017 2 Comments

THE WEEKLY CHASE | BUILDING AS EVER

Picture
A long standing program curated by the Orange County Museum of Art, the California Pacific Triennial began as a biennial focused on featuring contemporary art from artists working along the Pacific Ocean rim. In this second Triennial year, OCMA is showcasing 25 artists, a comprehensive mix of residents from Victoria, Canada all the way over to Brisbane, Australia. In this very interactive show, these artists delved into the concepts of architecture and how it relates to our society and histories. Among the themes were thoughts on home and displacement, elements of preservation and innovation, and its temporary nature that is continually evolving around us.

This installation heavy show offered many opportunities to interact with the work. From Carmen Argote's sculptural inspired garments that the viewers can actually wear to Super Critical Mass's floor game that spanned a whole hallway, California Pacific Triennial allowed these artists to encompass these spaces and even transform the building itself. Santiago Borja's multiple interpretations of a poem about graves as architectural mounds led to a cut hole in the concrete floor, a physical representation of the grave itself. As an ode to the exhibition's main theme, the temporary and transformative nature of architecture, each installation felt free from any artistic hindrance.
Picture
Picture
My favorite room space included two artists, both exploring architecture's evolution and relationship with society. Centrally located within the room resides a large, steel skeleton structure. Silent videos describe how the structure can provide a multi-purpose space for communities that could benefit from a "town square" or cultural area. Created by Estudio Teddy Cruz and Forman, the structure acts as a farmer's market, gallery, town hall, meeting room, auditorium, and the list goes on. The construction of the building allows the inhabitants a versatile shelter unit that is minimal, but highly effective. Inspired by their work in Tijuana, this San Diego-based artistic collaboration centers their creation on the need for community.

On the walls surrounding this piece, Alex Slate's photographs depict a different scene, one in which urban development is changing the landscape of Los Angeles. Large, beautiful and unyielding, Slate's photographs offer a look into the evolutionary movement that architecture in cities is taking. In complete contrast with one another, these two works showcase the societal difference that is displayed through architecture.
Picture
Just like any successful triennial or biennial should, the artists involved discuss important themes and elements that are critical to consider from all angles of the planet. Rare opportunities such as these bring these voices together allowing the participants a space to examine a worldwide perspective seen through visual art. 
2 Comments

4/16/2017 0 Comments

THE WEEKLY CHASE | WOMEN OF ABSTRACT EXPRESSION

Picture
During my recent hunt through Desert X, I stopped by the Palm Springs Art Museum, which is quickly becoming one of my favorites and I keep finding my way back. This spring, they are hosting the first major exhibition highlighting twelve women artists who have not been as readily recognized within their time, even though they participated alongside men to create the Abstract Expressionism movement. 

The exhibit features artists such as Jay DeFao, Elaine De Kooning, Perle Fine, Helen Frankenthaler, and Judith Godwin, just to name a few. Although I knew some of the women, while others I did not, there wasn't one piece of work that I had seen before. Especially that of Helen Frankenthaler's Jacob's Ladder, which was the first I had seen of her stained canvases. A technique popularized in the 1940's and '50s by Color Field painters, the oil paint is thinned with turpentine and set to soak through the unprimed canvas. The effect results in ghostly layers of color that are defined, but also infused with one another creating an immense depth. This work was no exception. Jacob's Ladder, showcases one of the precursors into her true decade as a color field painter.
Picture
Helen Frankenthaler, Jacob's Ladder, 1955.
One of my all time favorite artists of the era, Jay DeFeo, was featured multiple times in the exhibition. The minimal use of Frankenthaler's oils are completely juxtaposed with DeFeo's outlandish use of the medium. Infamous for pieces that are six inches thick, DeFeo utilizes the material more like frosting than paint. The result is otherworldly texture that depicts the visceral feelings of DeFeo's gesture. Always a presence in the room, Defeo's pieces are impossible to contain visually and infinitely entertaining to view.

Women Of Abstract Expressionism
proved to be as historically critical as advertised, signifying the need to continue examining art historical movements with a different gaze and featuring minority individuals who are rarely seen.
Picture
Jay Defeo, Untitled (Everest) from Mountain Series, 1957.
Picture
Jay DeFeo, Incision, 1958-61.
Picture
Detail of Jay DeFeo, Incision.
0 Comments

    Categories

    All Artist To Watch Collective Submission Explore This Month Favorite Features Fresh Friday In Review Notable Notes Of Significance The Monthly The Weekly Chase Trending Tuesday

Submit A Post
Contact us
Terms & Conditions
Join our newsletter



© Art Talk Collective 2020.  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.