More Art:21 Peeps

The artists in this week’s readings and videos seem to be exclusively from the Post-Modernist movement. Each artist takes strides forward in their thought processes, as well as the formation of their pieces. The artist Jessica Stockholder embodied these ideals of Post-Modernism by creating innovative and unique pieces, as well as spaces, by collected and composing objects. These objects range in difference from refrigerators to plastic buckets, but each takes on a new shape and being when recontextualized by the hand of Stockholder. When speaking of her art, Jessica Stockholder makes a comment about her attraction to the aesthetic quality of plastic, and how this becomes a large part in her creations. This idea can be seen greatly in the incorporation of bright playful colors, the materials, as well as the transformation of many objects by painting over their old surfaces to create a more “plastic” finish. The use of the found or collected objects creates a strong connection to post-modernism, which is also true about the next artist.
Fred Wilson takes the idea of found object art to an entirely different level than most might think of when referring to this art form. Wilson very literally creates pieces of art with found objects, but not by molding them together and forming them into a completely new structure or object; instead, he takes a very distinct approach. This take on creation is one that is focused around placement and grouping, moving away from the idea of incorporation and recontextualization. The pieces that Wilson creates are based largely on the idea of positioning objects and forming a composition with how each object is placed and sit. This idea moves far away from that of the artist as a hero and reflects more the concept of chance. The idea of using objects that are not created distinctly by the artist is one that is fairly common with the concept of collage. Because of this connection, Wilson and Stockholder’s work can relate to each other as well as that of collage artists.
By taking images from children’s books as well as other widely recognizable images, Arturo Herrera seeks to transform already existing icons into something very distinct. This is another way of incorporating found objects into artwork, but one of a very different nature. Although Herrera does use some of his own images to create his collages, this idea of found objects and recycling already existing art remains very consistent. The work of Herrera creates varying layers of recognition, whether they work together as a whole image or through dissecting the visuals that might hold a certain amount of memory for the viewer. Playing with this idea of connection to memory as well as the creation of something new, this artist seems to display many characteristics of a Post-Modernist as well as a strong relationship with the idea of progress and sustainability in art. In the written interview with Stephanie Smith, Herrera speaks extensively about the inspiration he drew from ballet and the many aspects that stand behind its creation. Though this particular project is not touched upon in the video documentation, projected pieces are discussed in the written interview and show the aspect of multi-media coming into play with Herrera’s pieces, a characteristic attributed to the work of Post-Modernism.
Lastly, the artist Matthew Richie is discussed displaying his large amount of variety and some of his insights into the pieces. Richie’s pieces create a strong sense of visual attention to rhythmic line and shapes. These works range in their size, media, and display, creating a widely diverse sense of creativity when compared to one and other. In the written article on the work of Richie it can be viewed that many aspects come into play within each pieces. Whether this playfulness manifests itself in many layers of drawing, the addition of written components, or interaction with the environment surrounding the work, it creates a sense of collectivity and unity. The Art:21 video segment also shows how the work spans into the realm of interactive media and large metal pieces cut by machines that piece together to form sculptures. Each work explores the artist’s ideas about the universe around him and different game and life theories. This aspect of spanning very common themes across the terrain of multiple media creates a strong supportive foundation for this artist’s body of work. It was this idea that created a contrast between Richie and the above artists by making his work more interesting when I viewed it along with the video segment. This idea of unity forms a great foundation for Richie’s work that is discussed and promotes the success of it as a whole.