week 13 and 14

Video Blog – Week 13 and 14 The Lowdown on Lowbrow: West Coast Pop Art This video was very interesting and really provided new information that was not covered in the text book. Art historians termed this art influenced by comic books, B-movies, and rock and roll, Pop Art Surrealism. The pioneer of lowbrow was Robert Williams, in 1979. Isabel Samaras gave this media a meaning of its own when she began using television characters as her theme. In the early 1980s Big Daddy Roth brought concept art to painting and he was refused shows in museums in the United States. The Laguna Art Museum was the first to put on a show featuring Lowbrow art. The development of this movement was primarily on the west coast, “free thinkers,” and had a Polynesian influence that was brought to the states by servicemen. Lowbrow has been described as real. It is an movement that is more open to women and was brought to the attention to the world via the Internet. The galleries that feature Lowbrow art are the Tart Gallery in Vancouver, and the Shooting Gallery in San Francisco. Displaying Modern Art: The Tate Approach This video gave exposure to the Tate Approach used to display exhibits at the Museum of Modern Art. The exhibits are displayed in rooms that each have a theme, such as landscape, still life, history, action, matter/environment, memory, society, within the rooms there are works from different media and eras that display the theme. This allows the visitors to see and compare the works. Each room is self contained and carefully positioned. Bones of Contention: Native American Archaeology It was amazing to learn the number of Native Americans and artifacts that have been unearthed at archeological sites across the United States, and to view the amount of files and boxes. There is tension between scientists, historians, museum curators and Native American groups as to how these should be handles. Scientists have used the skeletons to examine health problems among tribes such as rheumatoid arthritis and diabetes. Historians want them to study the development and extinction of different tribes. Museums want them to display stating that they are a part of culture. The Native Americans want them returned so they can remain a part of their heritage and receive proper burial. George Eastman House: Picture Picture Perfect This video outlined the work of George Eastman a visionary in the field of photography. It also gave a vision of the George Eastman House which displays a visual history of photography and his works under one roof. He was the first to develop a user friendly camera. The Brownie camera used by Ansel Adams to photograph the Grand Canyon was developed by Eastman. The Kodak company founded by Eastman was actually named after his mother’s maiden name. Art Curator This video gave a description of the job of an art curator. The job of a curator is to be a bridge between and artist and a viewer and to help prospective buyers understand an artist’s work. Interview: Josh Yiu This was an interview with Josh Yiu who holds the position of Assistant Curator of Chinese Art at the Seattle Art Museum. He described his job as enriching the collection of art through exhibitions. He also shares his knowledge with viewers. He himself is not an artist but would like to be. He is a student of pottery and shared one of his works. Interview with Wayne Baerwaldt Wayne Baerwaldt is the curator at Montreal Biennale. He described how applying themes enhances exhibitions. He stated that it is beneficial to acknowledge other curators and share experiences. Felicity Fenner Felicity Fenner was the curator at the Venice Biennale 2009. She gave a description of the decisions that needed to be made to include works in an exhibit and the marketing needed to have a successful exhibition. Peter Alter Peter Alter is the curator at the Chicago History Museum. He described how he makes decisions on what to bring into the museums and how he labels the works. He stated that he enjoys working with people, getting to know them and learning about their cultures. One of these groups was the lowriders where he actually brought a car in to display in the museum.