Daily Archives: March 7, 2015

Drawing & Imaging | MoMa Study

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1. James Endsor – Masks Confronting Death 1880

Oil on Canvas (32 x 39 1/2)

CRI_149833

A group of masked figures confronts the figure of Death, centrally situated and draped in whitea color that infiltrates the entire picture. Composed of masks adorned with drapery, hats, and even blue glasses, the arrangement of figures recalls Ensor’s earlier still-life compositions. The ubiquitous masks in Ensor’s work were likely based on those sold in his family’s curiosity shop a few floors below his studio. He explained, “The mask means to me: freshness of color, sumptuous decoration, wild unexpected gestures, very shrill expressions, exquisite turbulence.” In this painting, the fantastical masked inventions appear to come alive and challenge Death—perhaps a reflection of the artist’s preoccupation with mortality and his hope that he might prevail against its inevitable dominion.

 

2. Dance (i) – Henri Mattise , early 1909

Paris, Boulevard des Invalides

Oil on Canvas

8′ 6 1/2″ x 12′ 9 1/2″

Henri Matisse. Dance (I). Paris, Boulevard des Invalides, early 1909

In March 1909, Matisse received a commission from the Russian merchant Sergei Shchukin for two large decorative panels, Dance and Music (now in the Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg). This painting was made quickly as a compositional study for Dance, which was intended to hang on the landing of a staircase, approached from the lower right. This may be why the lower figure leans into the painting, increasing the sense of movement, and why the figure at left is so large, slowing it. Drawing visible beneath the paint shows that Matisse started with two smaller figures where the large figure is now.

 

3. Hope, ii – Gustav Klimt (1907-08)

Oil, gold, and platinum on canvas

43 1/2 x 43 1/2″

Gustav Klimt. Hope, II. 1907-08

Although images of women and children are frequent in the history of art, depictions of pregnancy are rare. In Hope, II a woman with a skull nestled into her gown lowers her head toward her swelling belly. Below, three women also bow their heads—in prayer or possibly mourning. The ornate decoration in Hope, II nearly overwhelms its surface. Klimt was committed to craftwork, and was among the many artists of his time who combined archaic traditions—here Byzantine gold leaf painting—with a modern psychological subject. Klimt lived and worked in turn-of-the-century Vienna, home to Sigmund Freud, the father of psychoanalysis; Klimt’s exploration of formative drives like sex and death parallel Freud’s explorations of the psyche.

Space & Materiality | Material Connexion

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On Friday the 7th of March, our Space & Mat class was held on W 50th st at a wicked cool materials resource display called Material Connexion. Relative to our previous assignment, in which we were instructed to research three every-day materials in depth, here we were to explore the many innovative and multi-dimensional materials and select three that depict similar qualities, aesthetics and overall practicality of the items we had chosen.

1. 100% natural rubber sheets – The Rubber Band

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is a newly selected item of mine, after i discovered the extreme limitations of the bobby pin. Combined with what i discovered at M.C, rubber has an immense elasticity and therefore flexibility which i feel will drastically help in the radical manipulation of it original form.

Material number 6414-01 is a 100% natural rubber sheets with high elasticity were the displayed sheets are highly flexible for wrapping around stainless steel frames and exhibit good colour fastness for indoor lights. Two sizes are available 40 x 40 x 0.12 in (100 x 100 x 0.3 cm) with a weight of 2 lb (800 g) and 47.2 x 47.2 x 0.12 in (120 x 120 x 0.3 cm) with a weight of 3 lb (1300 g). The differences in weight relate to specific applications requiring greater tensile strength for load bearing uses in seating elements. There are currently nine colors available: black, green, yellow, purple, pink, red, orange, blue and brown. Patterns and colors are also customizable. Applications include interior design and furniture elements.

The characteristics of this material has inspired my experimental satches, where i’m going to in three various ways connect the various rubber bands in order to make a flexible and durable ‘sheet’ of rubber with which i can then bend, cut, and morph into an egg like figure.

 

2. Popcorn – Microfibre Cloth

Bua Bhat Factory Ltd.

MC# 7168-01Category: Naturals

Hand crafted three-dimensional cotton textiles from waste fabric. Small spiral tubes of knitted fabric are stitched onto a woven base cloth, creating a vertical pile with a tufted effect. The textured surface is comprised of cotton fabric scrap from textile factories, creating new products from waste materials. The finished product is highly dye-fast and compatible with machine washing. The scrap fabrics are boiled to remove dirt and chemical impurities then dyed with azo-free dyestuff to the desired color. The dying is intentionally non-uniform and due to the variety of textiles incorporated the degree of dye pick-up is also irregular, creating unique patterns of color density and color absence. The textile is cut into strips, which due to the knit construction curl into spiral tubes, and sewn onto the base fabric. Local village women in northern Thailand do the dying and stitching. The textile varies in thickness, but remains at an average pile depth of 1.5 cm (0.59 in), the width, length and shape of the final product are fully customizable. Additionally, color and design can be customized with specific dye colors, and with multi-color patterning. Applications include home décor, carpets, pillowcases, upholstery, and apparel.

In relation to the micro fibre cloth, i was inspired by the ‘Popcorn’ and the manipulation of the cotton cloth to create spiral, rose- like figures, ultimately achieved by sewing multiple layers of the cloth onto one flat piece. This variation will be one of the three of my experimental swatches, along with weaving and padding techniques.

3. Xylatex – Cotton Pads

While this material doesn’t entirely replica my chosen material of cotton pads, having similar qualities this gave a great visual representation of the physical qualities and visual aesthetic of cotton pads. Both being soft, yet sturdy, the multi-layering of the material allows for a large extent of stretching, pulling and weaving, which is ultimately how i will achieve my transformation.

MC# 6381-01 suggests a series of decorative panels with individual structures that are laminated with 100% newwool felt. The felt is applied on all sides around the panel edges and has a regulating effect on the indoor climate, odors and room acoustics. Due to their surface texture, the light and shadow effects off the panels strongly depend on the viewing position. The weight, fire rating, and acoustic properties of the carrier panel material can be customized to comply with the demands of the panels. The felt layer is available in a weight of 240 g/m² in 34 standard colors. Thicker layers are available on request. Custom colors are available with a minimum order of 200 running meters. The maximal panel size is 118 x 47 in (3000 x 1200 mm). The product is also offered as completely assembled wall paneling and as partition wall panel. In addition, special acoustic panels for wall and ceiling coverings are in development. Applications are for high end interior design and furniture construction.