Objective:
Visit the Whitney Bienniel and create an LP Post detailing the following:
- “Name, Title, Materials
- Image of the artwork (Photo)
- Sketch of the artwork
- Summarize your notes in writing”
Works Under Review:
Marlon Mullen
Untitled
Acrylic Paint on Canvas
2019
I was attracted to this piece by the use of vivid colors and the text; this is largely because of brightness and enticing nature of the hues as well as the use of language in a seemingly unorganized way. Upon reading the description, I saw that the author used this piece of work as a method to communicate nonverbally. I did not see much correlation with my obsessions, however, I do see a similarity to my interests as well as the color schemes I want to start using in the future.
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Gala Porras-Kim
La Mojarra Negative Space
Graphite on Plastic and Metal, Graphite on Paper
2019
The initial reaction I had to this piece was being stunned by its beauty. The abstract fluid and silver-grey color made me feel as if it were moving. The artist’s intention was to question how society reacts to a culture that is completely unintelligible. The artist used a tablet utilizing text of one of the indigenous peoples of the Americas, which is still not understood. To try and depict the artist’s findings, they created multiple expressions of the original tablet in hopes of better understanding its core meaning. The piece I was most drawn to was the second piece that detailed a more abstracted version of the original tablet. Interestingly, the piece does not relate to any of my obsessions. Perhaps, the things I thought were my obsessions are not; or I could be gaining new incite into things I never thought of before. Both this piece and the piece before mention communication and how people relate to one another – this may be another obsession!
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Elle Perez
Mae: The Days After
Photographic Print (pigmented inkjet prints)
2019
I was mostly drawn to the color of the photograph as well as the subject. In regards to the color, it is very soft and beautiful. As for the subject, the pose is very confrontational in that they are looking straight at the viewer exposing their jugular; this is in sharp contrast to the photographer’s other pieces as they are typically high in contrast and set in black and white.
Perez’s work highlights the “experience of pushing the body” to the limits. This piece relates to the surgery of facial feminization and how the subject, presumably named Mae, had to go through the experience of radically altering the body to achieve how she felt inside. I relate this to my obsessions of masculinity and femininity as it explores the psyche and intention of those who feel that they were born in the wrong body as well as the notion that gender is a binary as well as fluid.
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Meriem Bennani
Pony Tail
Instillation Piece
Metal, television, paint, palm tree, gravel, wire, speakers (2),
2019
I found it hard to connect to a lot of the work until I stumbled upon Bennani’s work on the balcony of the Whitney Museum. This open area was hidden in the back of the 5th floor, behind the stairs. At first, I was not sure what it was but the shapes of the installation piece were odd – this piqued my interest. Furthermore, when I saw people watching through the whole I was intrigued to find out what was happening. I found out it was also a screening on the artist’s film “MISSION TEENS: French School.” Essentially this work is a documentation of the remnants of French colonialism in the artist’s home country, Morroco. One of the largest remnants is French medium schools. Bennani shows the audience the effect it has on the youth of Morrocco. In regards to my obsessions, this piece heavily relates to the notion of identity and the clash between multiple cultures.
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Emerson Ricard
Untitled
Photographic Print
2019
The soft edges of the foreground in contrast to the highly contrasted male subject in the background create a visually enticing piece that draws you into the world that Ricard creates. Hung among a number of other photographer’s work, Ricard’s piece’s sensitivity makes it stand out. This is due to the soft earthy tones of the foreground, which evokes calmness. The subject lies backward with a camera in hand, which also illustrates a sense of relaxation. No explanation was given, but I would like to note that when I first saw the piece I did not realize that the subject was holding anything. The second time I saw it I thought he was holding a gun until, upon looking at it again, I realized it was a camera. The line between a gun and a camera was so small, yet I inferred two vastly different emotions from each. The gun made me frightened of the subject; the camera warmed me up to him. Perhaps the artist did this on purpose to make the viewer think about their own biases in relation to the subject’s race.
Citations:
Ricard, Emerson. “Untitled.” Digital image. Instagram. May 28, 2019. Accessed July 17, 2019.
https://www.instagram.com/p/ByBpTJ1n63I/.
