Artist who uses a material that blows my mind: Maurizio Savini

Maurizio Savini is an Italian artist whose work is constructed mainly out of chewing gum. His work is made by combining thousands of pieces of chewed pink gum into magnificently intricate sculptures. These pieces of work are also riddled with detailed texture to heighten the complexity of the work, which take Savini years to complete. Through his work, Savini hopes to capture the wonder he experienced in his when he first tasted the pleasures of chewing gum. With the bright color and interesting designs on the sculptures, Savini adds a childlike feeling to the piece while still capturing the viewers attention through the use of the material itself. Savini is an excellent candidate for this week's blog because his unorthodox materials are the last item anyone would expect artwork to be constructed of, and yet Savini has mastered making artwork out of such an unusual material.

Overall impression:

My impression of Maurizio's work is that it is amazing not only because of his use of gum, but because of the diligence that is placed into his work. His ability to make such precise cuts and intense detail with simply gum is astounding to me. The patience required to assemble the thousand or so pieces of gum for each piece also amazes me greatly. He truly does make the audience feel wonder when looking at his work because many people would not believe that such intricate work could be done with wads of gum.

Closing Thoughts:

Maurizio Savini's use of such an unusual medium combined with the precision of his work is what makes him such an amazing artist. Although bizarre materials are becoming more popular in the art world, Savini's use of gum and his mastery of the sticky material puts him above many other artists and has intrigued many people, including me. 

Sources: 

• http://guides.wikinut.com/Magical-Maurizio-Savini/2dgu2r7u/
• http://www.odditycentral.com/pics/the-gooey-chewing-gum-sculptures-of-maurizio-savini.htm
• http://www.designswan.com/archives/innovative-sculpture-art-using-chewing-bubblegum.html

Observational Assignment: Textures/ Surfaces

Concrete wall

Cork board

Rug

Vent

Woven rug

Jacket lining

Scarf

Doily

Keyboard

Rose

Typewriter keys

Feather

Jewelry box lid

Perler bead bow

Necklace

Pin

Scrapbook cover

Frame

Magnetic beads

Chinese lantern

Tile floor

Themes:

A lot of the photos I took included textures that were repeating and constant. This is probably because repetition is an artistic element that people are unconsciously drawn to. It keeps your eye steady and allows your brain to continue the uninterrupted pattern. Another theme is that the objects seem to have a rougher texture, which gives people the desire to reach out and feel the object in order to surmise if it feels the way they've imagined. 

Possible Artistic Ramifications:

• Using some of these textures for scrapbooking would be a good idea because it would make the pages more interesting than just having a flat surface
• Incorporating some of the more unique designs could inspire graphic artists to create larger and more intricate designs based off of the pictures
• Clothing with rougher or woven textures could be designed from some of the pictures of the scarves or rugs
• An artist who uses interesting woven texture is Nikolay Polissky. He constructs large sculptures using traditional weaving techniques, which leave an intricate and repeating texture on the artwork

Beaubourg

Class Project #2

Sketching

Foamboard prototype

Finished piece- legs folded

Finished piece- front

Finished piece- side

My basic idea for this project was to create something that could be functional but still aesthetically pleasing. By constructing the table so that the legs fold underneath and are concealed when viewed from the side, the aesthetics increased greatly. The decision to make the sides one complete piece of wood rather than multiple pieces joined to the main horizontal board was another idea that really helped this piece look more complete and professional.

For this piece, I wanted the viewer to focus more on the functionality of the piece rather than be distracted by lavish decorations. The choice to leave the tray bare of handles or carvings helps viewer focus instantly on the piece itself as a whole. The choice of wood for this artwork was also dependent on the functionality of the tray. By going with a lighter yet sturdier plywood board, the piece can be actually used as a tray and still be light and mobile enough for a single person to manage. The construction of the legs also allows the piece to be placed in different positions. Tucking the legs underneath the main board allows for easy storage and makes carrying the tray much easier.

I learned a lot of the difficulties of handling wood in this project. The need for precise measurements was an extreme difficulty for me, as well as the assembling of the pieces themselves. If I were to redo this project, I would spend much more time measuring pieces and making certain that I took the patience and time to cut each piece of wood to the proper length so that there were no gaps between the boards. I would also find some way to make certain that the legs matched up perfectly and the dowels were evenly aligned so that the tray didn't have the slight wobble that it has now. Finally, I would have added color or wood stain to the piece to really make it have more of a finished feel to it. In spite of the few flaws, I'm pleased with the work that I managed to do and for constructing a tray that looks nearly professional with minimal damage and cuts to myself.

Artist who changed my perception of what art can be: Marina Abramovic

Marina Abramovic is a performance artist whose work concentrates on getting the audience involved in her work. She endures extended periods of performance in an attempt to push the limits of her body. Her performance pieces affect not only her, but the audience as well. The focus of her art is to encourage transformation in herself and the public who view her work. She does this by exposing her audience and herself to the true human nature of us all. She has done this in many ways, from sitting and staring at her viewers until emotions could not be contained, to allowing her audience to have their way with her body with objects she supplied. Her work changed my perception of art because although I was aware of performance art, her pieces took it to another level. The vulnerability and extended hours that she spends on her pieces astounded me and broadened my understanding of performance art.

Rest Energy with Ulay 

Overall Impression:

Abramovic sets out to expose human nature and her artwork really makes it evident. By allowing her audience to interact with her, she is letting their inner feelings be known to her and themselves. This is most apparent in her performance piece from the early 70s called Rhythm 0, where she gave the audience free reign over her body to do with what they'd like. Overall, I find Marina's work to be very interesting and after reading her explanations behind her acts, I see it as less strange than before but still just as risky and dangerous at times.

Rhythm 0

The Artist is Present

Balkan Baroque

The Artist is Present (entrance)

Closing Thoughts:

Marina Abramovic uses performance art to make people more aware of their actions and to push the limits between performer and audience. Her work and choice of materials help her illustrate the choices that humans can make and they also help her reach her goal of pushing her own body to extreme limits. Abramovic shows through her artwork that humans have much more going on inside than many will admit.

Sources:

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marina_Abramovi%C4%87
• http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2010/oct/03/interview-marina-abramovic-performance-artist
• http://www.pbs.org/art21/artists/marina-abramovic