Of all of the work I saw at the Banana factory, I think my favorite's were these two by Raymond Sicignano. Not only did I appreciate his take on realism and "Italian Cuisine" but I also really liked the intenisty of the colors he uses.
I also really liked this piece by Rigo Peralta.
1. The most interesting thing I found about the Banana Factory was all of the idividual studios. I was really cool to enter the various studios even with the artist not present. I felt like although they were not there, just by gathering the information given by the room (food, art, books, different areas od clutter) you really get a feel for who they are.
2. The most unexpected thing I thought was how competitive it is to get a studio at the Banana Factory. Being relatively new to the art scene, I really did not know there were so many local artists, and how extremely talented many of them are.
3. I could definately see myself in this profession in the future. As of now I don't really have the space to be able to work when I want, and when I do it is often pretty cramped. I think it would be awesome to have a studio at the Banana Factory, especially because I want to stay local. The chance to work along side the amazing artists like Angie Snyder-Lande, Andrew Kish III, Virginia Abbott, and Rigo Peralta. All of which whose art really stood out to me.
4. Additional Comments:
I enjoyed touring the jewelry studio and glass studio. I am going to look into taking some ofthese classes to really branch out and get a feel for different areas of art.
These paintings were displayed in the upstaris gallery but the artist's names were not displayed.
I was really impressed it the technique used to do the background in these two, and I like how the artist put realistic images onto it.
1. What do you feel was the most interesting/significant aspect of this discussion/presentation?
I liked seeing all the artist's studios, I especially enjoyed visiting Berridford Boothe's, and hearing him talk to us. I was very inspired by the things he told us like his personal philosophies on art, and also about his own approaches to planning and executing an art piece.
2. What was the most unexpected thing seen or discussed?
I did not expect so many artists to have personal studios there. I thought a majority of the building would have been classrooms or group workshops (but I don't think we were shown too many of those). I also found it very interesting to hear about the technicalities that come along with renting a studio space.
3. Can you imagine yourself in this profession?
I can imagine myself working in a studio much like where we visited (mainly because the pressures of having to produce/sell art don't really appeal to me very much). I would still make art, and would love to have my own studio (ideally, more homely, like Emil Lukas's) but do not want to solely rely on producing art, and instead would like to make a living working with art (maybe as a framer for museums, as we have discussed).
4. Additional observations and comments:
I was very impressed by the insider's tour we got, and especially the way it is run and the people that are the backbone of the institution. I really look forward to the internship we have set up and completely intend on doing more hours than are required. I think it is a great way to get experience and a chance to make really good connections.
1.What do you feel was the most interesting or significant aspect of this discussion / presentation? The most interesting thing about the banana factory is the atmosphere of each individual artist. Each studio, whether big or small, not only displays their amazing artwork but also gives you a glance at their working environment. I myself enjoyed meeting the few artists that were there, and showed us the process and certain techniques they use to make their artwork. The presentation of Berrisford Boothe showing us how he starts one of his circler pieces was very interesting. I would have never guessed when he places down the tape pieces, that there is a mathematic process behind it.
2.What was the most unexpected thing seen or discussed? The most unexpected thing would have to be how Virginia Abbott makes her face sculptures. Using reused egg cartons is a cheap way and green way to make art. I thought the process was very neat and her way of using metallic paints on the faces was amazing.
3.Can you imagine yourself in this profession? If so, what do you like the most about it? If not, why? I can honestly say that I did actually look into becoming an artist at the banana factory once. I would love having a studio there one day, meeting new people and working with fellow artist in the factory. As for now I want to branch out and further on to college in New York, but in the later future I could see myself applying for a studio at the banana factory.
4.Additional observations and comments: I like how every artist in the building has their own unique style and approach to their artwork. At the banana factory there is no competition, everyone has earn their respect as an artist…but if I was the new artist in the factory, watch out! Miranda & Howie posing in front of a painting in one of the galleries. I loved how his watercolors looked so realistic. Andrew M. Kish III
1. What do you feel was the most interesting or significant aspect of this discussion/presentation?
I thought the banana factory was so cool cause i like how the artist all have there own studio and that you can learn to do all forms of art.
2. What was the most unexpected thing seen or discussed?
The most unexpected thing that i have seen was being able to see glass being blown cause I never seen glass being blown before and i think it is so cool how they make it it is amazing.
3.Can you imagine yourself in this profession? If so, What do you like the most about it? If not, Why?
Yes, I do see my self in the profession of drawing or painting and i would like to try and do a mosaic or too cause it looks like fun.
4. Additional observations and comments:
I think it was awsome that we got to meet different types of artists and it was cool how they each did something different.
Imagine yourself standing in an art gallery, you pass by a window and see what seems to be a busy street downtown. You wonder why the imagine is not moving, then realizing that the window is in fact one of the paintings hung inside this gallery, you become amazed.This style of painting is known as Photorealism.Photorealism is a style of painting which became popularized in the 1970s.These paintings generally depicted common scenes and/or ordinary people, with a closely detailed realism, flat images, and barely noticeable brushwork that suggests the painting is a photo.Photorealism prominently took off in the United States.The first generation of Photorealist artists included Audrey Flack, Chuck Close, Richard Estes, and Tom Blackwell.
Evolved from pop art, Photorealism was the art movement established to counter abstract expressionism.Photorealism, also known as hyper-realism, super-realism, new realism, or sharp focus realism, is created when an artist takes a photo and/or person and recreates it in another media.The most common media is paint.A photorealistic painting must have a photo reference otherwise it is not considered to be photorealistic.A five point list was developed to illustrate exactly who a photorealist is. The list goes as follows:
1. The Photo-Realist uses the camera and photograph to gather information. 2. The Photo-Realist uses a mechanical or semimechanical means to transfer the information to the canvas. 3. The Photo-Realist must have the technical ability to make the finished work appear photographic. 4. The artist must have exhibited work as a Photo-Realist by 1972 to be considered one of the central Photo-Realists. 5. The artist must have devoted at least five years to the development and exhibition of Photo-Realist work.
If one meets the previous requirements they may be considered a photorealist.Audrey Flack met the requirements and was in fact the only major early female Photorealist.Being among the first generation of Photorealists, Flack’s educational accomplishments proved she could hold her own.“After graduating college at the top of her class at The Cooper Union, she proceeded to study art in the fine arts program at Yale. It was from Yale that she received her B.F.A. in 1952. She also acquired an Honorary Doctorate from The Cooper Union in 1977. After Yale, Flack decided to move back to New York and study anatomy at the Art Students League.” (richeast.org) Flack is not only a painter she is also a photographer and sculptor.The site Richeast.org quotes Flack saying, "I always wanted to draw realistically. For me art is a continuous discovery into reality, an exploration of visual data which has been going on for centuries, each artist contributing to the next generation's advancement. I wanted to go a step further and extend the boundaries. I also believe people have a deep need to understand their world and that art clarifies reality for them." This quote really spoke to me.I feel the same way with my painting, I have always wanted to paint realistically and at some point in my life I would like to be as spot on with photorealism as possible.
Chuck Close is another popular photorealist.“Close developed a system whereby he would reduce the photograph of his sitter to a grid of shapes and colors and copy it accurately in paint.Some images are very large and the effect is very different when seen from a distance or up close.” (Bailey)Close has become so well known for his unique photorealistic portraits that anyone who would create a portrait would be considered “close-like,” much like Roy Lichtenstein, a popular Pop artist.Like Flack, he also attended Yale’s school for art and architecture.
At this time in my life, I am far off from perfecting my skill as a photorealist.I am still very unsure of my future and what I want to do with it, but I do know I will be an artist.I would like to think that one day I would be compared to the likes of Audrey Flack or Chuck Close.It is a long shot, but to be in the same league as these legends would be one of the most amazing things I could possibly achieve in my lifetime.
I think the most interesting thing I learned form visiting the Banana Factory was the studios. Each studio had its own life, almost as if the studio was part of the art. Every studio we explored was full of books for reference, materials and tools, comfortable chairs, food or traces of snacks they ate, and knick-knacks for inspiration and embellishment. It was almost more exciting to see where the artists work than it was the work they produced.
I don't think too much was unexpected as far as the artists or the art, but I didn't expect the factory itself to be essentially non-profit. I assumed guests had to pay to get in or reserve a tour.
I don't know if I would "work" in the Banana Factory because I enjoy solitude when I create art. Being alone helps me focus and I would feel very self-conscious with tours and visitors constantly walking around.
I really liked how welcoming the artists were and how willing they were to talk about their art and to give us advice. I also thought it was really neat how different all the artists were and how they respected each other as equals.
Dadaism is one of the simplest yet complicated movements ever to happen to the art world. The founders and followers created a completely new way to make art and changed much of the artistry which came after it. Dada’s harsh intent and rebellious beginnings both outraged and inspired those who viewed it. However, without Dada, artists today wouldn’t have the brilliant influences which Dadaists produced and art would not be as advanced or liberated as it is today.
World War I was the beginning of Dada. The terrifying times of death, a lack of humanity, materialism, and the disgust for their government, drove Europeans, mostly German and French, to seek solace in neutral Switzerland in the city of Zurich. There they banded together to outlet all the angst the war was giving them. They wrote angry poetry, protested, and painted avant-garde subject matter. They didn’t like where society or humanity was headed and they refused to be associated with the rules and traditions of it any longer. This became what would be the credo of the Dada movement. They took the idea of this inhumane society and applied it to the art they created, refusing to follow the rules and traditions of art as well. Art of the time was realistic, aesthetic, and had meaning that could be interpreted. These Europeans eliminated everything they knew art to be and became “non-artists.” They decided on the name “Dada,” meaning hobby horse, because it was the name that made the least sense to their “non movement of “non-art.”
Dada was a very unique and original idea but it did have a few influences. Cubism, the abstraction of objects shown from a three dimensional perspective on a two dimensional plane, was still new at this time and did inspire some works. Fauvism, the movement which emphasized the quality of color over the realistic quality of a painting also can be seen in some Dada works. Finally, expressionism, feelings being expressed through art using color, line, subject matter and so on, gave Dadaists the idea to contradict that movement and to make meaningless art. Dadaists agreed that there was one rule to Dada art: there are no rules. They also wanted their art to be interpreted by the viewer only and it was up to their interpretation what the artwork represented.
Some of the most famous Dada artists included Marcel Duchamp, Man Ray, Hugo Ball, Hans Arp, Francis Picabia, and Tristen Tzara, among many others. Each one had his own style and his own views about the Dada movement. Marcel Duchamp, probably the best known Dada artist, created plenty of controversy with his depiction of the Mona Lisa, a photocopy with a mustache and beard drawn on her face. What made it so obscene to the viewers was the letters he wrote beneath the painting: “L.H.O.O.Q.” When these letters are said in French it becomes the phrase, “elle a chaud au cul,” which translates to, “she has a hot ass.” Another well known work of his is the “Bicycle Wheel,” which is simply an upside-down wheel sitting atop a barstool. Many Dadaists used utilitarian things and changed them slightly, to create Dada art. A perfect example is Duchamp’s “Fountain,” which was a urinal without any plumbing which on the side he wrote a fake signature. He influenced artists like Andy Warhol who used ordinary things like soup cans, changed the way people looked at them and called it art.
Dadaists weren’t always artists. In fact most of Dada art was in the form of journals or poems. Hugo Ball was a Dada poet and actor who founded the “Voltaire Cabaret,” a stage where Dada artists would perform. His famous sound poem, “Karawane” made a huge impact on the Dada world. Made to sound like the footsteps and calls of a caravan of elephants, the poem included ridiculous words like, “Ba-umf,” and “Ü ÜÜ Ü.” He performed this poem on stage dressed as an elephant. Ball’s style paved the way for lyricists who make up words and poets who speak freely whether or not in protest.
Man Ray was a Dada photographer who invented a new way of using his camera equipment to create new art. He would expose photo paper to light after setting objects on top of it. Upon developing this paper, the negative silhouettes would appear making a photo without the use of a camera. He called them “Rayograms” after himself. He would also add and change things to already developed photos. His work was the very humble beginning of programs like Photo Shop that we use today
Max Ernst was a very different Dadaist. His style was very painterly, and much more meticulous than that of most Dada artists. He painted whimsical creatures, and colorful landscapes that were very well drawn. His style would soon become a very important movement in art history, Surrealism which would then inspire graphic art and pop art.
Although Dadaism sought out to rebel and offend the society they strongly opposed, it became one of the most influential movements in art history. If Dadaists weren’t bold enough to change the rules of art by eliminating them our creativity would be underdeveloped and our world would not know the advances it does today.
Land Art, also called Earthworks and Earth Art, is an art movement originating in the late 60's. It consists mainly of sculpture which uses the earth and nature as a medium. It is mainly sight specific and can usually not be viewed in a gallery because it is very large in size or it is ephemeral. Much of it has to be documented in photographs or video. The art created by “land artists” many times helps the artist and the viewer to better understand nature. Some are left to erode or float away. A few famous Land Artists that I am personally interested in are Robert Smithson, Andy Goldsworthy, and Nils Udo.
Robert Smithson might be one of the most influential artists of the movement. Possibly his most famous work, the Spiral Jetty, is a large spiral form located in the Great Salt Lake in Utah. Much of Smithson's work was inspired by his interest in entropy, mapping, paradox, language, landscape, pop culture, anthropology, and natural history.
Andy Goldsworthy is an artist who works with natural materials without taking them out of their own environment. He feels an intense connection and yearning to learn from the land and what it has to offer. He works ever so gently with leaves, stones, twigs, and whatever else chances upon him to create colorful and mystical forms which usually last not much longer after he creates them.
Nils Udo is much like Goldsworthy in that he also uses the natural materials in their environment. However, where Goldsworthy is especially in tune with his home in Scotland, so to is Udo so very in tune with his home in Bavaria. He centers his work on the idea of utopia which he considers to be the “remaking real what has never existed.” Though he cares much for nature and protecting it, he admits the there is a constant contradiction because humanity ultimately destroys the “virginity of nature.”
Banksy, an iconic anonymous English graffiti artist; who has no true identity. Many people believe his real name is Robert Banks that might have been born in 1974 or 1975. One person interviewed him once and describes him wearing jeans and a t-shirt with a silver tooth, chain, and earring. Others claim that they sighted Banksy around London. One thing is for sure that Banksy identity is though his creative street art.
In the late 1980’s when graffiti art was on its high, Banksy learned how to spray paint as a free hand graffiti artist. He was in a graffiti crew, which they would tag walls in underground trains. In 2000 Banksy started to use stencils for his artwork which speeded up the process. The usage of stencils helped him complete larger works of art, which also helped to make him well known in Bristol and London. Many of Banksy’s pieces deal with anti-war, anti-capitalism, and pro-freedom. His artwork is modern pop art with a sense of humor and corkiness. Banksy’s spray paint images are mostly rats, monkeys, children, policemen, celebrities, and soldiers. Besides images he also like to add words and slogans to his artwork like once in the Bristol Zoo, Banksy wrote a elephant enclosure that read,” I want out, this place is too cold, keeper smells, boring, boring, boring.”
There are many gift shops that stores sell shirts, coffee mugs, and posters of reproducts of Banksy’s work, but Banksy has nothing to do with that and does not receive any of the commission. When it comes to selling his artwork, he holds auctions were he sells prints of pieces Christina Aguilera once bought a piece of Queen Victoria as a lesbian for 25,000 pounds. In 2006 in a London auction a pair of two Kate Moss paintings in an Andy Warhol Marilyn Monroe style went for 50,400 pounds. His highest record for a sold piece was in 2007 that was Space Girl & Bird that sold for 288,000 pounds.
In late 2006 Banksy pulled off quite a prank. Paris Hilton debut her cd called Paris, which Banksy bought and replaced up to five hundred copies into dozens of different record stores around the UK. The new cds had been replace with Banksy’s artwork, some used photo shop and made her appear topless, while some others replaced her head with her own Chihuahua’s head. Not only did he replace the cd covers but he also made different remixes of the songs with dj Danger Mouse which some were titled, “Why Am I Famous?”, “What Have I Done?”, and “What Am I For?”. Later recorded store realized and took the copies off the shelves, when some people bought them and later sold them on e-bay.
In 2007 some happened that no thought would happened, Banksy himself painted over one of his graffiti pieces. In the beginning of 2007, 19 year old graffiti artist Ozone was hit and killed by an underground train. In tribute to his friend Banksy painted over his Pulp Fiction piece of Samuel L Jackson and John Travolta in banana costumes holding guns, to an angel wearing a bulletproof vest while holding a skull.
Even though Banksy himself once painted over his artwork, many other people wanted to paint over his pieces. Since Banksy paints on many buildings around London, owners of the buildings and people of the city and offend by some pieces of artwork. One of my favorite piece called Naked Man, is an image of a nude man hanging for dear life out of a window ledge while a angry suspicious husbands peers out the window looking for a man he thinking his wife has been cheating with while his half clothed wife behind him grabbing his shoulder. This image was painted on a sexual health clinic building, which they were fighting to get in removed. Since the painting is so popular the City Council later decided to let it remain on the building.
Banksy is not only one of my favorite modern artist, but his playful images and his mysterious identity also plays a part why I enjoy his work. I love his pop art style and the way he uses stencils to create a screen print look. I would love to incorporate some type of spray paint or air brush technique into my project pieces. I also want to work with a black and white theme with just a touch of color, which many of Banksy pieces have. One thing that sets me far apart form Banksy is the fact that he’s an anonymous artist. When I complete a master piece of artwork, I want the whole world to know that I’ve done it. If I was a graffiti artist like Banksy, every image on a building I would tag under it “Amber Remaley sooo did this”. Being an anonymous artist would never work for me, but it sure works for Banksy’s artwork and image. Bibliography http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banksy http://www.banksy.co.uk/shop/index.html http://www.bankrobberlondon.com/#/banksy/ http://www.banksy.us/
1. I felt the larve technique hard to swallow. I understood it as a statement of life itself. What a small world to command and control. I found the explanation of how the fate of the flyes most interesting. He talked about all of the different fates and I could not help but think of humanity in the same way. I think the force behind making these paintings made them less interesting. 2. Obviously the fly paintings, I have never heard of anyone painting in that manner before, I myself had a hard time seeing them as paintings. 3. Yes I can imagine myself in this profession because I have so many ideas of my own, and I eventually want the space one day to make them come to life. 4. I really enjoyed his space and his sense of organization, everything in its right place makes Emil a good artist.
The Huichol are an indigenous ethnic group of western central Mexico.
This tribe is considered a member of the Uto-Aztecan group, having ties to the original Aztecs, as well as the Yaquis and Hopis to the North. Approximately twenty thousand Huichol individuals occupy settlements throughout the Mexican states of Nayarit, Jalisco, Zacatecas, and Durango, and a few thousand more have migrated to further cities. Over eight thousand still live in their remote ancestral homelands in the Sierra Madre Occidental mountain range. Due to the inaccessible nature of this geographical region, and a fierce commitment to independence, core groups of Huichol have managed to sustain their pre-Columbian life style to a large degree into modern times. Scholars consider their cultural legacy, including art, religious symbolism, music, folklore, and plant knowledge, and a unique window into the past. They are one of the last living intact pre-Columbian Mesoamerican cultures. Anthropologists consider them to be one of the best examples of an indigenous tribe in the Western Hemisphere.
Present day Huichol activities can be traced to the time of the Aztec dominance in Mexico. Exact details of their origins and original territory are uncertain. Due to the remote location of their settlements the Huichol avoided the initial Spanish invasion. Later attempts at colonization in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries had minimal impacts on them, as well, since they actively resisted Mexican and Catholic attempts at assimilation, although they did lose some land in those two centuries. It wasn’t until the late nineteenth century, and the Mexican revolution in the early twentieth century, that the Huichol began to suffer loss of great land and integration into the larger Mexican society. Although the 1910 Mexican Revolution legally returned lands to the Indian pueblos, politics and economics usually overrode the law. Local mestizos made encroachments into their territory for agricultural and ranching, and business interests went after mineral and forest products. Even with this movement against them, the Huichol continued as a singular culture.
The Huichol are an excellent representation of a pre-industrialized, pre-Christian society. Their religion is inseparable from everyday life. The concept of “God” is different from a western theist model. To the Huichol all of nature is sacred: animals, plants, landforms, waterways, and stones. Each one of these natural entities constitutes a god. This type of worship is often termed “animist”, although Furst argues that “ecological” is a better term, since the fundamental worldview venerates the interrelationship of all things in nature. Some things such as maize, the white-tailed deer, and the sun have significant stature in their myths and worship but the Huichol view is not dictated by any dogmatic hierarchy, and different groups can have variant primary focus. The many ancestors of the Huichol also play a significant role in their belief, as they are prayed to, and summoned, for many reasons. Every home is associated with a structure termed xiriki, an ancestor-god house that plays a critical role in their daily worship. Intense artwork is an integral part of their tradition. Colorful, symbolic embroidery and weaving decorate the people, offering a visual introduction into the religious minds of the wearers. These striking and elaborate designs are considered a prayer in their making, as well as their wearing. The Huichol also create altars, shaman sacks and wands, and other power objects to use in their ritual. Their user, of native found materials, usually makes these items. Another testament of the art-religion relationship is the intricate yarn paintings produced by Huichol artisans. These highly colorful and extremely intricate works tell tales of myths and visions. They range in size from a few inches square to a few feet square, and are a wonderfully compelling sight, a true testament to the individuality and poignancy of their worldview.
A significant aspect of the Huichol religious behavior is the peyote
ceremony. This hallucinogenic cactus plays a vital role in their spiritual practice.
This ritual has gained the Huichol wide attention, especially due to the Carlos
Castaneda books, first published in the United States in the late nineteen sixties. Although some of the focus has been negative, leading to shallow interpretations by sensational New Age adherents, most of the attention has been positive, stressing the rights of indigenous people to self-determination concerning their historical religious practices. The peyote ceremony begins with a three hundred mile pilgrimage to the northern Wirikuta desert of San Luis Potosi. This trek is the beginning of the religious experience, as the sojourners, perform prayers and dances, at the start of the trip and are required to maintain a state of semi-fasting throughout their travels, subsisting only on dried tortillas and some water. When the sacred peyote is found the Huichol dance, sing, and weep late into the night and commence the practice the next day. The actual ceremony consists of selected members of the tribe, led by a shaman, ingesting pieces of the cactus or drinking a prepared beverage. The sacred rite involves singing, chanting, and dancing, as well as individual visions. Furst discusses the singular role of this plant,
“There is no question that directly and metaphorically, the peyote is the focus of much of Huichol religious emotion, the annual cycle of communal family ceremonial and ritual activities, and the common intellectual culture.
That includes rites intended to promote the growth of maize and other useful cultivated and wild plant life, hunting, rain, human and animal fertility, and so forth, for peyote and its effects are key to their welfare.”
It can be challenging for the rational western mind to appreciate this activity in
reference to our society’s issues with mind-altering substances. One must remember that these practices are centuries old, and are continued within a cultural and religious context. It is shared ecstatic/transcendental experience, which plays an ongoing role in their shared worldview, and is expressed through unique arts and crafts, language, and song.
A significant aspect of Huichol identity is their native language. They have been quite successful resisting domination by Spanish speakers, which has diluted other indigenous languages to the point of ruination. Community activists and concerned anthropologists are making concentrated efforts to preserve their language through teaching and publishing.
The core of the Huichol society is the extended family. These family groups make up independent residential bands that are usually led by a male elder who also acts as shaman and ritualist. The groups settle into scattered farmsteads called ranchos, which are sometimes grouped into larger settlements termed Rancherias. The larger, self-governing districts are called communidades indigenas, which are the fundamental units of Huichol identity, carrying out basic beaurocratic and judicial responsibilities. Tribe members do tend to move around a lot, for reasons of visiting, gathering food, trading, and other business. Due to modern social and economic forces many Huichol travel for temporary work as migrant farmers, and some have left the mountain homelands to live in urban centers.
The Huichol economy has historically been based on slash and burn agriculture, augmented by hunting fishing, and gathering wild foodstuffs, both animal and vegetable. The primary foodstuff is maize, which has strong religious and cultural importance in their society. Other important crops are squash, beans, chilies, and amaranth. They are gifted with a long tradition of utilizing native plants for healing, ceremony, and useful material.
Even though the Huichol have maintained their individual culture as well as any North American tribe, the same political, economic, and social forces that have weakened, and destroyed, many indigenous cultures, seriously threaten them. Chief among these threats is the powerful, and far-reaching effect of the global market economy. Also, Mexican government programs to assimilate indigenous societies into the fold of the larger society have had marked negative effects. Finally, Christian religious groups, both Catholic and Protestant Evangelical have fractured the Huichols by weakening the strong bond of their native beliefs. These three threats began to seriously impact the Huichol people
in the 1950’s when access to the Sierra Madre was increased by road and airstrip construction.
Government and industry pressure to “update” corn-farming methods have hurt the Huichol. Programs maximizing yields, at the expense of all other factors, have often caused them to lease their land to large-scale farmers, and then have to work as employees on their own land. When trying to farm their own land, forced use of modern hybrid seed stock demanding application of artificial pesticides and fertilizers, decreasing cash at hand, and breaking down traditional farming practices.
In order to participate in the market economy many Huichols have to resort to migrant labor. They work in sub-human conditions, often suffering greatly just getting to the farms. Tobacco harvesting is their most frequent crop. There are serious health risks involved with this activity, primarily from the pesticides used. The Huichols work with no safety equipment, are more susceptible from heavy sweating, and usually live in the same contaminated fields they work in. The water supply is usually tainted, either bad wells or run-off irrigation ditches. Many children have to work, and they are highly susceptible to poisoning. Also, the leaves themselves can give a disorder called Green Tobacco Sickness that causes rashes, nausea, and flu-like symptoms. This is a vey high price to pay for participation in the market economy, and definitely falls under the category of exploitation.
Internal and external aid projects are being developed to free the Huichol from the destructive forces of government programs and market economy exploitation. The Huichol Center for Cultural Survival and Traditional Arts was founded in 1981. This outpost offers many programs to elevate the quality of life of their tribe. Chief among these are programs to boost childhood nutrition. A successful pilot program introducing soy into the Huichol diet is very exciting. This high protein food is being grown locally, then processed at the Center into oil, vegetable protein, and soymilk. The Center also has programs to teach sustainable agriculture, offer educational opportunities, and preserve religious and ethnographic heritage.
A major effort is underway for tribal members to create self-sufficient income streams, to foster internal independence and avoid external exploitation. The leading method is production and sale of arts and crafts items. Since the Huichol were “discovered” by popular North American culture in the 1960’s, their colorful yarn paintings and intricate beadwork has found its way into galleries, retail shops, and Internet sites. This gives fulfilling work to many people, and dovetails with their long tradition of design.
Another fascinating project highlights opportunities for modern technology to aid native people, instead of diminish their quality of life. Boston based Kennedy and Violich Architecture designed a system where flexible solar panels are embedded in clothing. The power gathered during daylight hour’s fuels LED lighting systems at night. This ingenious blend of technology allows the Huichols to participate in productive activities in the evening such as producing saleable crafts or educating themselves. Having light at night gives them more time for traditional activities during daylight. Also, this small scale system keeps the users away from the large-scale electric grid, whose development often brings many problematic issues, like land destruction form right-of-ways.
Other developments offer optimism. In 1994 the Governor of San Luis Potosi signed a decree protecting over 180,000 acres as an ecologic and cultural sanctuary. This is the region where the Huichol gather peyote. This order allows them unrestricted access, as well as right to gather and perform ceremonies. Recently, the Jalisco Indigenous Groups Support Association reclaimed over 140,000 acres of Huichol land that had been illegally taken by various business interests. These are very important victories for the tribe. Land, and the freedom to follow tradition, is fundamental needs for the survival of an indigenous culture. Also, these events indicate a change towards modern activism in favor of the Huichol’s survival, instead of historical encroachment for exploitative reasons.
The Huichol today are in a precarious position. Like an endangered species they hover at the edge of extinction. Great difficulties face them, as many indigenous peoples, like infant malnutrition, alcoholism, and poverty. Pressures from the external dominant society are strong. Fortunately, dedicated parties are working diligently, keeping hope alive that the independent Huichol will continue, ensuring that this unique Mesoamerican tribe will exist far into the future. Many positive developments suggest that this is a real possibility.
Bibliography
Burnham, Phillip. “Alliances fight for Huichol land.” Intercontinental Cry.
26 March 2007.
Carruthers, David B. “The politics and ecology of indigenous folk art in Mexico.”
Human Organization. Winter 2001.
De Catorce, Real. “One nation, or many?” The Economist. 20 January 2001.
Furst, Peter T., and Stacy B. Schaefer. People of the Peyote: Huichol Indian History,
Religion, and Survival. Albuquerque, University of New Mexico Press, 1996.
Hagler, Louise. “Return Visit to the Huichol Center Soyaria.” Plenty. Summer 2005.
Johansen, Bruce E. Indigenous Peoples and Environmental Issues: an encyclopedia.
Westport: Greenwood Press, 2003.
Kennedy, Sheila, and Frano Violich. “Portable light. ” Architecture. April 2006.
McGee, Charmayne. “Huichol Indians of Mexico: The real treasure of the Sierra
Madre.” Planeta.com. August 1997.
Sabin de Simental, Teresita. “The Huichols: Enduring, Evolving, or in Crisis?”
Guadalajara-Lakeside. May 2005.
The Huichol Center for Cultural Survival and Traditional Arts.
Using Icons and art that is considered feminist art I hope to create a few pieces that will show how I feel about how women are view in the world today. I also hope to use the GLBT community in my work as well. I have had many different issues pertaining to the bible and the Christian religion. Last semester I did a water color of a woman on a cross and a man that was pregnant with the Virgin Mary’s blue shroud on. I hope to do more drawing and paintings along those lines. I plan to use the hand placement that is used in most of the different painting or frescos. I want to use the GLBT community in some of my work. I always want to have my beliefs prevalent in my work. It is important to me to stay true to my roots even when exploring something new. I plan on using icon art work such as Botticelli’s Madonna of the Pomegranate and the Virgin and Child with Five Angels, Lamentation of the Dead Christ and Pieta by Michelangelo. Using these different Christian Icons for examples in hand placement, shrouds, body language and body size to incorporate into my. In Michelangelo’s Pieta I love how the Mary is so much larger that Jesus. She is not just bigger in length but in her overall size. Jesus looks so thin and frail while Mary seems to be twice to three times his size. Jesus seems breakable while Mary seems durable. Mary in the Pieta seems at piece not scared or upset but, more of a come what may face; which is a face I know I have seen on most women’s faces when dealing with something strenuous or upsetting. In the pieces that I mentioned by Botticelli I will be focusing on the hand placement, their facial expressions, and body language. All of which I plan to use to switch the role of men and women. The YWCA and WOW by Adolph Treidler are two of the pieces that I intend on using as my “feminist art”. I want to put women in roles that we have been in for centuries the working role. Where they do everything and still get no credit for it. I wan t be able to show that women have been considered the weaker of the sexes but have always been the stronger in many different ways. I want to do this by using the propaganda type illustrations. To put men in the typical role of women to illustrate that without a thought people associate women with children or the kitchen. When I say in the role of women, I mean in the clothes in the curlers, everything. Which is where I have the plan to put the GLBT community in my creative works. I want to change the typical husband and wife in the suburbs with their 2.5 children. To make it two men or two women or even a transgender and their partner with their lifestyle obviously shown their faces, outfits, setting and background. There is a painting by Freda Kahlo called Self portrait with Cropped Hair that is like what I would want to show using the GLBT community. I want for people to think that the person is a man but when they actually take the time to look to realize it is truly a woman.
I aspire to make different crucifixions with women instead of men. Using different media and medium such as acrylic, oil, collage, clay, found object and metal to portray what I am envisioning in my head. I want to not only do painting but I want work with sculpture and jewelry making. I want to market my form of “feminist religion” like religion and women have been marketed for years.
1. I loved going into another artist's space and seeing where he works. Also, I liked hearing about how he got his inspiration and the thought process/ steps he takes when approaching a new project.
2. I was very interested in his use of organic matter when making his art pieces. I'm always attracted to the idea of using naturally occurring objects and making things with them that you wouldn't have expected to be made. I was also really surprised with the concept of making those "grey" pieces out of colored string.
3. Part of me can, and part of me cannot. I would absolutely love the traveling aspect, mainly because of the inspiration and experience that would come out of that. I would also love meeting people and hearing their philosophies on art and the inspiration behind their works, but I don't think I would like dealing with galleries and the stress of having to make/sell something.
4. Before we left I conversed with Emil briefly about another artist/ Laffayette professor, Jim Toia, I was really surprised at the similarities in their work, specifically their concepts with taking natural materials (in Jim's case ant hills and mushrooms) and making almost unnatural art out of them. I love the idea of conceiving inorganic art out of organic matter.
I will Honestly say I have been putting this off cause I have no clue what to say. I don't know anything about anime to give you a real good critque. I do not think that the composition is all that it can be. I think maybe you could have place the charatcer is a different position to give more depth.What I mean by depth is that as of right now your charater looks flat. It doesn't look like he could be 3D. If you were to put the bed on a angle so that we would be able to see more of the mattress and the chacter then we would have automatically think that there is more to him and that he is more than just a torso. Adding shading would help with that as well. i think that you should have more of a variety of position your charatcers are in. Have them standing, flying(because they have wings) or even laying in different positions ~on their back~.
From what I have seen of anime (books,posters, cartoons) I think that you could put a little more work into your charcter. I have one seen limited example but, they all seem to have a form of emotion on there face so that you know what they are feeling or even what their surroundings are. I don't really get that from you piece.
I know from experience that allot of fine art students do not understand anime or some do not even respect it as a art. Maybe this is your chance to change our minds. Try to pull us in by adapting your drawings with a fine art to make a new form of anime that all the fine art students will be able to understand. I think you would be able to achieve that by using a different medium such as Acrylic or Oil paints, pastels, multi media or collage. I also think that just enhance your color pencil and marker work by working more with line and shading.
I think that you could really change the minds of may students. Me included. I know I have a hard time with anime. I also don't want you to think I am being mean or overly critical. I just want you to be able to pull in a bigger audience to your work.
1.What do you feel was the most interesting or significant aspect of this discussion/ presentation? At first I thought is was how he used maggot and thread and how inventive he was but after a few days of thought. I really think that it is how he works in his studio. How me makes just about everything that he uses. I didn't not exspect him to talk and interact with us so well. I know that I have met other artist;they talk about there work and it seemed a little forced and awkward. So, i kind of exspected Emi'l to be like that but he wasn't at all.
2.What was the most unexpected thing seen or discussed? I did not exspect to see anyone working with maggots and flies. Who new there is so many different types of flies in out area...kind off gross. But, obviosly some one is appriative of the flies. The thread was totally awsome. I was wondering why he did try any other thread like Metalic or silk threads to give a sheen to his work instead of it being matt/flat.
3.Can you imagine yourself in this profession? If so, what do you like the most about it? If not, why?
I could see myself in this profession. I can only hope that I would be able to live just doing small jobs or working part time and then in the rest of my time doing my art work. But I know that the experience id different each person. I just don't want to be sucked into doing a full time job that I don't want to do and then not have anytime to create.
4.Additional observations and comments.
I really had a good time at Emil's studio. He was an amazing speaker. He talked about his work so fluidly. I hope to get to a point that I am able to speak as well as Emil does. I also liked when he talked about going into the studio when he doesn't feel like doing anything that day. I know I have issues with that. Know I understand that it's not me and that Even thought I don't feel like working on something just go and clean or do something else. I wouldn't mind going back and doing it agian. May be for a longer amount of time. I don't think me got enough time to really think of good questions to ask.
1.What do you feel was the most interesting or significant aspect of this discussion/ presentation?
The most interesting thing that stood out to me was how long he has been working with the same media and techniques. When Emil was first showing his larva paintings I thought this was something new he was experimenting with, not later did I find out that he actually has been using this technique off and on for about fifth teen years. During his presentation while speaking to us, another thing that I found interesting was the way he saved the dead bugs on the windowsill to reuse the wings in future projects.
2.What was the most unexpected thing seen or discussed?
The most unexpected thing discussed was the actual process of making the larva paintings. He went into great detail about how he not only breeds larva to make these type of paintings, but he also uses different size larva to make thinner and thicker line strokes on the canvas. It was interesting in how he has to move a black piece of paper around the canvas show the larva will move under the paper, there is a lot of thought and science to these pieces of artwork that I would have never thought of.
3.Can you imagine yourself in this profession? If so, what do you like the most about it? If not, why?
I could see myself in this profession, maybe not working with bugs, but I do see myself with a studio and coming up with new ways of making art. One thing that stood out to me was the fact that he never really had a job; he would just find ways to make quick money by doing odd jobs. I myself don’t want to work a nine to five job in an office, so I saw a lot of myself in him.
4.Additional observations and comments.
I enjoyed the studio visit, and Emil’s work. I took in when what he about being known as an artist is getting your artwork out to the public and it’s all about the right place at the right time. It gave me fuel to get my artwork going and out in galleries asap.
1. What do you feel was the most interesting aspect of this discussion/presentation?
The most interesting aspect of visiting Emil Lukas' studio was the back story behind his fly larvae paintings. The sequence of events; the fly dying in his puddle painting, the live larvae creating trails on the piece, and the larvae he found in his pocket at that moment create a very interesting reasoning behind why he pursued this type of work.
2. What was the most unexpected thing seen or discussed?
I think the most unexpected thing about this studio visit was the fact that Emil Lukas uses live fly larvae and flies to create his works. I also found it cool how he actually knew a lot about flies. For instance he knew the total of varieties of local fly species as well as how the larvae will travel away from light, which helps him get the lines he wants in his paintings.
3. Can you imagine yourself in this profession? If so, what do you like most about it? If not, why?
Yes, I can imagine myself in this profession even more after having this experience of seeing an artist in their studio. The way Lukas talked about his art was very inspirational because as he was speaking you could tell it was all he was about. I got the feeling that without art, he would be nothing, or at least that is how he felt.
4. Additional observations and comments: I found what he said about being an artist to be very inspirational. At one point during this visit he said, "1. Do work. 2. Do work better." and after hearing this I took it to heart because as a painter, I would love to master my skills as a photorealist. The only way I could ever possibly achieve this is through doing my work and over time and practice, doing my work better.
1. What do you feel was the most interesting or significant aspect of this discussion/presentation? I believe the most interesting thing was the way that the artist presented his work in the studio, and the unique qualites of the works, each piece seemed to tell a different story. The fact that each of his works had some sort of history behind it, it wasn't thrown together in five minutes.
2. What was the most unexpected thing seen or discussed? Definitely the larvae. The way that the paintings were presented as certain line qualities could only be achieved by using this method.
3. Can you imagine yourself in the profession? If so, what do you like most about it? If not, why? I certainly hope so, that is the reason why I chose the major that I did. It's a great feeling to meet with other artists of all different styles and ideas and to gain experiences like these trips. It gives a whole new perspective on a lot of old ideas and possibilities.
4. Additional observations and comments: The fact the artist was so willing to discuss the necessities of trial and error and what to expect was a great thing to hone in on, with new objectives to explore and different places. Traveling is a great way to experience new environments and something I would love to do in the future.
1. I think what was most interesting about the visit to the artist's studio was his motivation and his knowledge. I appreciated the questions he asked us in the beginning because it showed that he is aware of what he is doing and still continues to apply the fundamentals of art after years out of college.
2. I agree with everyone else that the maggot paintings were the most unexpected part of the trip. Even more unexpected was how knowledgeable he was of breeding flies and which kinds were better to use. His inspiration and the process of this idea just blew me away.
3. If I couldn't imagine myself having this profession, I wouldn't be taking this class. I hope everyone feels the same way. Being in his studio, or in any artist's studio, always makes me want it more, and Emil's studio made me want to be able to keep mine very clean! (altho I know that will never happen :) )
4. I think Emil's work was amazing and really put me in my place. His thread works made me feel like I knew nothing about color! Emil, as a person, was very inspirational and his motivation was incredible. His philosophies behind his works were great and I was extremely envious that he never had to get a job his whole life. That really shed new light on the idea of the starving artist I always thought I'd be. Also, his wife's painting of the cocoon he showed us was wonderful. I wish he showed us more of their collaborative works.
1. What do you feel was the most interesting or significant aspect of this discussion/presentation?
Every aspect of visiting Emil's studio was interesting to me. Having grown up in a family where the art world is almost non existent, I never really had the opportunity to leave home to visit galleries or even talk to professional artists. So now whenever I'm introduced to something like this it really inspires me.
2. What was the most unexpected thing seen or discussed?
The most unexpected thing was the fly larva. I am not surprised though because to make something that makes someone raise an eyebrow (in a good way) an artist has to use chance experiences from their life and work with them.
3. Can you imagine yourself in this profession? If so, what do you like the most about it? If not, why?
Yes I can imagine it. I have wanted my own studio space for a while now, and now that I have seen his I want it even more. He seemed to have traveled a lot and I think travel is the best way to see what is out there and gain experience. In that aspect I am very lacking. I very rarely get out of the Lehigh Valley.
1. What do you feel was the most interesting or significant aspect of this discussion/ presentation?
It was interesting how he made his own frames and all of the stuff that he uses to paint on. It is cool that he uses string on most of is work his other work was interesting and unique
2. What was the most unexpected seen or discussed?
It was unexpected when he said that he uses fly larva on most of his work
3. Can you imagine yourself in this profession? If so, what do you like the most about it? If not, why?
I do want to be in the art profession and create tons of awesome anime and cartoon art work and maybe be an animator, but i wouldn't want to use larva for my art work.
4. Additional observations and comments: I think it was cool that he didn't have a single job in his life but he made his money by doing favors for people that offered him money.
The most interesting aspect of the presentation to me was not the artwork or the processes (ironically, being in his studio) but when he was talking about how he got to where he is. I think every great artist has a great story, and Emil definitely has one. The whole going to Europe and living in New York and just doing what you were meant to do really struck a cord with me. I mean, I'm not a huge believer in fate but it seemed like he was fated to follow the path he's on. What he said about making art and making it better each time was really inspiring.
The most unexpected thing discussed was the biology lesson on breeding flies. But seriously, it made me realize how broad the spectrum of art is. I used to think there wasn't any new ideas out there, but now I see they're all around.
I can absolutely see myself in this profession. I like the constant learning and growing and having to push yourself. I like the idea of having a large space where one can focus on their art. The feeling of doing what you want to do (or have to get out) and of accomplishing it must be exhilarating.
Emil Lukas' passion for art and himself shone through today, and I think his successes are a great example of what most art students like me aim to achieve.
Howard hung a primed canvas on the wall. He was working with a gray acrylic as a base for the beginning of his painted layers. Beneath this gray wash a face softly pears through. He seemed to be preparing for a painting of a self portrait. We spoke after the crit and he explained that he was going to do a piece focused on the destruction of the forests and rain forests and his belief toward that subject.
1.The influence of color depicts my experience visiting Buddhist and Hindu Temples.
The subject is myself and the painting depicts a certain aspect of what inspired me during my travels. I have been participating in Native American sweats for quite some time and that has enhanced my spirituality and my expression of the different states of being. Figure drawing comes naturally to me and I am going to try to push that comfort zone this semester.
2. I am very interested in Native American pottery and clothing patterns. Thetexture of indigenous objects sing to my hands, I can feel the fibers in my soul. The colors of India create a rainbow of celebrated culture. I love the murals of Rivera and the works Kahlo, the festivity and outcry of Mexico, the adobe shades of red.
3.Charley Harper An Illustrated Life by: Todd Oldham
Human Anatomy Made Amazingly Easy by: Christopher Hart
Design Serving The Needs of Man by: George Beakley and Ernest Chilton
5. I plan on working with 2D and 3D. I plan to do some paintings as well as alarge mural size collage. I also am working on a small book that holds small self-portraits.
6. I cannot say exactly how many pieces because if I begin to cut them up into smaller pieces than I will end up with quite an assortment to collage pieces.
I want to construct a Temple doorway covering my ten ft. space in the hallway and have a sculpture shelved within it. I am currently carving a Buddha from a salt lick and I plan on finishing that for the show.
7. For the CC Student Activities space I would supply a collaged mural entailing a number of separate pieces that fit into one mural. Pieces on paper done in charcoal and acrylic that are reinforced for hanging purposes will be the bulk of the work of art.
8. For the display case I plan of constructing a space that resembles the inside of a Hogan (this is the Native American structure that traditional sweats are held in) and depicting my memories of the spiritual experience of the sweat.
9.I hope to achieve a solid equal union between my painting and drawing skills. I hope to convince people that I create substantial, honest art that tells a story.
I want to refine my portfolio. I hope to be able to fully explain myself with enough clarity that although people may not relate or like my work, that they are able to respect my perspective. I want to create universal work.
1. What ideas, subject matter, and content are you interested in exploring in your work? I would like to expand my creativity a little more and to improve my skills. For example I would like to do some paintings that turn out better then what I ever did. Even though I love to draw anime and fan art I would like to draw more of my own characters in poses that I never did before. I would like to create my own characters in anime style theme and create awsome poses.
2. What type of research do you feel would be helpful in developing your initial ideas fot the work? I would research many different types of anime drawings and try to do something original than what they do, or I could just compine different characters into one awsome character.
3. List 3 to 5 reference works related to the above subject For example the reference works would be anime artist like tite kubo who created the anime bleach and it is one of my favorite anime of all time.
4. What types of are media and other materials do you plan to work with or experiment with? I would like do use materials that I rarely ever use like wood, a mirror, maybe some canvasas, and maybe even cardboard, The mediem I would probably like to pracice using paints more.
5. What types of formats do you plan to work with? I would probably like to do a lot of 2-D art work because I don’t have a big enough imagination to come up with something in 3-D but if I do come up with something then I will try to do some 3-D things.
6. Approximately how many and what size of works do you plan to make? I’m not quit sure how many works I will make throughout the class but I know that most of my work will be in a variety of sizes from 14x11 to 18x20.
7. Describe your ideas for a work to be shown in CC Student Activities space? Well for my self portrait I created a really good anime character, and I think it came out so good that I think it would be cool if I can take that character and put him in a whole bunch of different poses and different ways to draw him. Like one pose I can paint him on a canvas or I can just draw him in pencil or charcoal and just draw him in a grey scale.
8. Describe your ideas for an installation and the work you would like to make for the CC Display Case? I also love dragons so maybe I will do some paintings or drawings of dragons to hang in the display case.
9. What do you hope to achieve by completing a substantial body of work this semester? Expand my creativitie a little bit and maybe improve my painting and drawing skills and maybe use materials that I barely ever used before.
