Museum/Gallery Visit: The NoShows

I was fortunate enough to be able to do something different for the museum/gallery visit assignment. On Friday night I was showing work in a group art opening at The Touchstone Theatre in Bethlehem, PA. I am a photographer, and ten of my pieces were included in this show. Six other incredible artists (and close friends of mine!) also had their work on display. Collectively, we call ourselves The NoShows. The exhibit included photography, jewelry, graphic design, mixed media/painting, and pottery. It was a night of close friends, live music, eclectic art, and of course food and wine! If anyone is interested, some samples of the work included (not everything is shown here, unfortunately) can be found at www.myspace.com/thenoshows229.

The night before the opening, my friends and I were at the gallery for about four hours hanging the show and preparing for the big night. I took this time to reflect on some of the pieces that my fellow NoShows brought to hang. Although there were many different types of media included, the majority of pieces were photographs. Five of the seven artists were showing photography. There can be a tendency with photographs to bleed together in a show. However, we mixed everyone's work together on the walls which is a fairly uncommon gallery practice. This made me think about the infinite possibilities and approaches within one medium -- or genre, perhaps, in the case of poetry -- and how each photograph stood on it's own and was completely different from the one that came before it. Each photographer in the show had a unique style and vision: from the shot itself, to the edits, to the way it was printed and framed. With this in mind, I actually chose three different photographs of flowers by three different artists that were all hanging together to take notes on. Although the medium and subject were the same, each photograph was distinct. Not only did I reflect on each piece individually, but their similarities and the ways in which they were all related crept into my notes as well.

Museum/Gallery Visit

I'm always overwhelmed by the atmosphere and the collections at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. I saw many wonderful and moving works of art, but it was the title of the sculpture on the grounds of the museum that inspired me most. "Social Consciousness" is a large bronze outdoor piece by Jacob Epstein. http://www.artcyclopedia.com/artist/epstein_jacob.html

Jacob Epstein was known for creating contravesial works of art. Epstein was one of 250 sculptors who exhibited in the "3rd Sculpture International," held at the Philadelphia Museum of Art in the summer of 1949. On the base of the sculpture, is a Walt Whitman inscription. "Social Consciousness, A grand, sane, towering, seated mother, Chaired in the adamant of time." This piece stood out to me because of my interest in social issues and human rights. I like the idea that we are one human family. The concept of social consciousness being a mother, fits in well with that. The sculpture itself, is towering and moving. I see compassion demonstrated in the figures on either side of the mother. The mother seems to be proclaiming the need for this caring and compassion. She is the consciousness. To write about this sculpture helped me to remember my interest and committment to myself, to be more socially conscious. The sculpture and inscription went beyond what I was looking at and on to human rights issues like Darfur, child soldiers, and public executions. These are all issues that have helped me to become more socially conscious. To write on an actual piece of art, was something foreign to me. I usually write, based on my feelings at the time. It took a little more concentration to focus only on what the art was saying to me and not just on my feelings, moods and opinions.

Gallery Visit

On Thursday May 21st, I went to the Muse gallery on 2nd Street. This visit was my first time going to an art gallery, so I had no idea what it would be like or would a painting actually capture my attention enough to be able to write a poem on it.

When I walked in it was quiet and the paintings were displayed all across the walls of the gallery. As I walked around and looked at them one of the paintings caught my eye immediately. The piece “Almighty” was the structures of a man, sooner than you know it ideas starting running through my head.

I saw him as a protector or a man who is a superior to his people. I also got the idea of the painting being done by a woman who was madly in love with him so she painted in many colors to show his different layers, and put them all together to show the figure of this man. I am looking forward to writing a poem on this painting because I connected with it so well.

Museum/Gallery Visit

On May 20^th 2009, I went to Creative writing poetry class and I was eager to see what Professor Featherston has in store for us. I realized my creative writing class has blogs that I must do before the due date so I tried to get everything done as soon as possible. After the class has ended at 10:30am, I was excited to start searching around for a piece of art work that I find interesting to blog about. I was walking to 13^th and Cecil B. Moore (where I parked my car) attempting to process what was being said in class earlier today. I then came upon a cute art work that had no name to go with the art work. Or I guess it could be a sculpture that I saw. It was a sculpture of a bear. It was quite simple but very cute. It opens the eyes to imagine what the artist attempted to show through their artwork. I love the cute black bear and every detail about it. Its paws and face was very detailed that it seems like the artist has made a bear look exactly like it was suppose to look like. There was also another artwork with graffiti that someone did on the sculpture. It was interesting to see that because that is considered art work. I basically took out a notebook and describe the sculpture and everything around the sculpture as best as I could. I just started to jot down anything that comes to mind. Some of the words that came to mind was; abandoned, black bear, alone, quiet, sunny day, and etc. I love the idea of writing anything that comes to mind because it makes it easier to refer to the notes to write a poem.

Museum/Gallery Visit

I really wasen't sure when I would have the time to go to an art gallery or museum before this blog was due. However, living right by South Street, I decided to take a stroll. I had always been mesmerized by The Magic Gardens on South Street. Each time I walked by, I had to stop to see if there were any new additions or try and find something different I never realized before. I'm not positive this is the piece of art I will be doing my poem on but I figured it was a good start.

I walked by several times before I start to jot down some notes. There are so many different angles and perspectives I wasen't sure where exactly to start. The parts of The Magic Gardens that stood out the most to me were the portraits of people that the artist, Isaiah, created using shards of glass, bottles and really whatever he could find. The whole piece really just stands out; not just to an artists eye, but anyone who walks by.

I also enjoy the name of the art; The Magic Gardens. When one thinks of a garden, it usually conveys flowers or plants, possible fruits and vegetables; however this Garden has none of those things. Isaiah compiles bottles, plates, bicycle wheels, and any glass objects to put together his Garden. It really is a magnificent work of art. I don't think my notes or even a poem on it would do it any justice.

If you haven't seen The Magic Gardens or want some more information, here is a helpful website. (just click on The Magic Gardens above)

JOURNALS

Regarding our discussion of types of journals and Peter Beard's work: www.peterbeard.com

Also check out the journals of Dan Eldon.

TEMPLE COURSE ON NEW YORK SCHOOL

Stan McDonald will be teaching a fall course on the New York School. Here are the details:

At the same time Beat poets such as Jack Kerouac and Allen Ginsberg were traveling the world and infusing poetry with apple pie and Eastern mysticism, the New York School was also redefining poetry through alignment with Abstract Expressionist painters such as Jackson Pollock and Grace Hartigan, incorporating high and low culture into their poems, and collaborating on poet's theatre. The original 1950's core--John Ashbery, Frank O'Hara, James Schuyler, Kenneth Koch, and Barbara Guest--became one of the most influential groups of poets in the latter half of the twentieth century. Throughout this course, we will read their work and follow its impact during the 1960's, 1970's, and 1980's with readings of poets such as Leroi Jones (Amiri Baraka), Ted Berrigan, Alice Notley, and Bernadette Mayer. We will also tangentially touch on the St. Mark's Poetry Project, L=A=N=G=U=A=G=E poetry, and the small press tradition. The New York School is a story of friendships and collaborations; it is also proof that poetry is possibility! This course fulfills a 2000-level requirement for English majors.