In my foundational concepts class, I was required to create a mock art exhibition for my final project.
The theme of my exhibition was materiality and the importance of physical texture in abstract space. In this article I critique and explain the work of artists Uzumaki Cepeda, Robert Raushenberg, Ashley Sauder Miller, Morgan Herrin, Dam Lam, Amanda McCouver, Shinique Smith and last but not least, myself.
Materiality
December 2017
The concept for this exhibition was to conceptualize physical and visual texture in abstract art. The elements in which a work is constructed of greatly impacts the character of the art. When color and material are combined purposefully, abstract space becomes concrete. The aesthetic experience associated with specific textures allows viewers to evoke personal emotions and enriches content. Physical texture alludes to the idea that artwork is not always a flat painting to be admired but instead an object in the world. The impression viewers perceive texturized art to be is often false. The artists in this show use a variety of mediums, giving each piece a personal identity. Each artist believes that if done well, texture can alter the perception of reality. By observing appearance and structure, a greater appreciation for abstract artwork is found.
Abstraction allows artists a new form of expression, a non-representational outlet. The bold colors projected in Uzumaki Cepeda’s, Nana, convey her yearning for childhood innocence. She further develops her theme of simplicity by utilizing only primary colors on canvas. In her piece, Safe Space, Cepeda uses large scale instillation to recreate the liveliness of her childhood comfort. The scale of the faux fur acts as a literal “safe space” away from the horrors and feeling of isolation experienced in the real world. The soft and fuzzy appearance of the room alters our perception of the sometimes “rough” society among us. Cepeda’s instillations correlate to Claus Oldenbergs ideas expressed in I Am for an Art. In our youth or in any point in time, art is often hidden in every-day happenings. The purest form of art it art that fails to realize its own existence. Uzumaki Cepeda visualizes her childhood as an art and formulates her reflections into her adult-world artwork.
Dan Lam resonates the importance of the connection between color and material. Her polyutherane foam blob appears to be merely a stiff wall sculpture. The pulpous quality comes to a surprise to most as is quickly transforms back into the rock like substance. The glossy blue semblance and minuscule ombre spikes evoke the feeling of playfulness and ease. The three-dimensional aspect of They’re Kind of Small makes her work not only art but objects. Lam carefully separates her “blobs” and “drips” giving them each their own individuality. The possibility of an abstract artwork standing on it owns relies heavily on the objects form and visual language. Peter Halley states in his piece Abstraction and Culture, “form and gesture enable artist and viewer to commune on an emotive or spiritual ‘plane’ beyond the narrative and representational.” This statements reflects upon the idea that art does not have to be figurative or literal to evoke a widespread discourse of communication and emotion.
The artists in this show speak an unspoken language through formal qualities. The textures, shapes, sizes, and colors in their abstract expressions are all intentional. When artists become attentive to the relevance of mediums and textures, insightful messages are eminent. Although the artwork in this exhibition is intended to be purely look upon and never touched, a piece of this show leaves with everyone who enters it.
Below is a link to the artwork referenced in the article.
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