Chelsea Galleries Reaction

           If I were an art collector I would buy and invest on artworks that I really like and fine interesting. I would buy a piece that I know I would hang up around the house or a piece that I know would be very valuable in the future. Art collecting is not just about buying an artwork just to have it; even though some people do. Its about having a piece you truly like or fine interesting and have it displayed somewhere you or others can see it. The only down side about being an art collector is that all though the artist work may be fashionable now, it may not be at all fashionable ten years from now, this is why it’s best to buy an artwork you know you are going to actually like.
           For this reason I have chosen two exhibitions from the galleries in Chelsea, the art market place. I’ve chosen one artist and exhibition that I liked and one artist and exhibition that I disliked. I must say it was quiet difficult trying to find that one artists whose artwork I would collect. There were a couple of good exhibits but Ernesto Neto exhibits “Slow iis goood” at the Tanya Bonakdar Gallery took the cake. The pieces were so uniquely made; I could not keep my eyes off of his artworks. There were two pieces that really amazed me; the first one was “The Island Bird” and the second one was “The Sun Lits Life, Let the Son.”  What I liked the most about these two pieces was the way that the artist used different colored polyester rope. The artist medium was very unique and different from any other artwork that I have seen, for this reason I consider these pieces a good investment. Also these artworks are great pieces to have in your home as a lounge area, it defiantly has comfy seating. As for the exhibition that I disliked, Anish Kapoor’s exhibit “Concrete Coils” at the Barbara Gladstone Gallery did not catch my attention at all. I found the artist works to be plain and boring like its medium. The clay like material was formed into weird and unusual shapes that were not flattering at all. There was a piece that looked like a lot of unfinished ceramic projects all mixed together into one. I did not fine these pieces to be a good buy nor a good investment because these pieces are the type of artworks that a person should keep stored. They are just too dull and would not have me pleased, looking at them ten years from now. I would like an artwork that I would be able to display around my home and not inside a storage facility.
           In conclusion, being an art collector is knowing what is and isn’t  right to buy/invest in. Its about having a artwork you truly fine interesting and have it displayed somewhere you or others can see it. Even though it’s down side is that all though the artists work may be fashionable now, it may not be at all fashionable ten years from now. This is why it’s best to think thoroughly about what it is that you are going to be investing on and if it’s going to benefit you in the future.

Ernesto Neto 

“The Island Bird”

2012

Anish Kapoor

"Ga Gu Ma"

2012

Quiz Make Up

        The artist I choose was Judy Pfaff; she started off as a painter and kind of evolved into a sculptor. I am amazed at the sculptures and installation she has done; very beautiful work. Although Pfaff started off as a painter, I am more attracted to her sculptures. I like the hues and organic spaces of her sculptures and how “in your face” they are. Rather than her paintings, which are nice as well; but are just there hanging on a wall. A piece that I am kind of obsessed with is the "Buckets of Rain" sculpture. Though the piece is an emotional piece, I still fine it to be very beautiful. The theme of this piece and what she is communicating with the viewers is her inspiration from loss. Pfaff loss her mother and a couple of good friends and family members the year before she made “Bucket of Rain.” Her sadness inspired her to make a sculpture of darkness by using a large natural tree root and cutting that large tree root into two pieces. Then painting one root of white and the other of black and hanging the white root above the black root, representing happiness and sadness and the good verses bad. Pfaff piece really touched me because it brought me back to when my grandfather passed away a couple of years ago and the mixed emotions I felt when I was dealing with his loss.

Mash Potato Delight

Mash Potato Delight is a delicious dish I invented one lazy afternoon. I had just gotten home from school and I had a ton of homework to do. I was so hungry but didn’t want to make something that would take hours to cook. I started looking inside the refrigerator and thought “hey! Potatoes! They’re quick and easy to make; plus with salami and vegetables, how delicious would that taste.” This dish has become a common meal to cook whenever I’m in a hurry or just want something quick to eat.
Ingredients:
• 1 to 2 Potatoes cut into four quarters
• 1 Roma Tomato cut in four slices
• 4 Cucumbers cut in four slices
• 10 baby carrots cut in half
• 4 Broccoli florets
• 5 Salami cut in four slices
• 1 Teaspoon of salt
• 1 to 2 spoonful of butter
• 2 to 3 spoonful of milk

Instructions:
1. Boil a pot of water, heat on high, add the 1 Teaspoon of salt and then add the chopped potatoes, until soften.
2. On a different burner boil another pot of water on high and add the baby carrots and broccoli florets.
3. In a small pot cook the sliced Salami and Tomatoes on medium heat.
4. When potatoes are soften, drain the water out and add the milk and butter into the pot. Then with a potato masher, mash the potato as you please; then place onto eating plate.
5. Drain the vegetables and place onto the side of eating plate.
6. Do the same with the salami and tomatoes.
7. Finish decorating your plate with the sliced cucumbers and now your ready to enjoy Mash Potato Delight!

Sculpture Center Reaction

      Ever consider how an artwork effects the space it’s in. Or how the space itself can contribute to the artwork, well I haven’t until now. I recently visited the Sculpture Center to view “Bill Bollinger: The Retrospective”, looking at the physical space of the museum and how its way smaller compared to all of the previous museums I’ve visited; has made me come to the conclusion of installation and how it could either affect an artwork in a positive or negative form.
     One of the many artworks at the Bill Bollinger exhibit that caught my attention was the “Cyclone Fence,” the name says it all. Honestly, I think the artwork would catch any viewer’s attention because the artwork is almost in the center of the main floor exhibit. It’s a very interesting piece; the space and the architecture of the museum seem to work well with the artwork. If the same artwork were to be placed let’s say in the MoMa, it would not have the same “wow” factor as in the Sculpture Center. The plain white walls of the MoMa could not compare to the brick walls and warehouse design that makes the artist piece standout. 
     A second artwork that caught my eye was “Waterpipe,” I really enjoyed looking at this piece. The artwork was made out of plastic hoses and iron and placed into a tube. The artwork was installed with a white wall as its background. The installation of the artwork was thoughtfully placed; once again the artwork and the architecture complimented one another. I must say I was a bit deceived when I stepped inside the Sculpture Center, I honestly thought I was going to fine a room filled with plain white walls and the artworks and that’s it. I didn’t except to fine sculpture in the middle of the exhibit and thoughtfully placed artwork. 
     The third artwork that caught my attention is my favorite. This artwork is so simple, its two wheelbarrows filled with water. Although the artwork looked as if it belonged in a farm rather than a museum, I still loved the rawness of the work. If this artwork were to be placed in a different museum, it would still have the same affect that it has in the Sculpture Center. One of the many reasons that I favor this particular artwork so much is because it reminded me of when I was younger. I would travel to Dominican Republic for vacation and visit my uncles and help them with their farm. My job would always be to hold the wheelbarrow while my cousin threw dirt inside of it.
     Lastly, the space in which an artwork is placed in plays a great role on the artwork itself. I never actually took the time to appreciate installation and how it can affect an artwork. “Bill Bollinger: The Retrospective” exhibit at the Sculpture Center really changed the way I perceived art and the space it occupies. I now see how major installation is to an artwork, it could either affect an artwork in a positive way or if not carefully thought out in a negative way. Luckily for this exhibit it affected the artworks in a positive way. 

Bill Bollinger

"Cyclone Fence"

1968

Bill Bollinger

"Waterpipe"

1970

Bill Bollinger

"Untitled"

1970