Artist 1: Christo and Jeanne-Claude
When I was in elementary school, I went with my mother, sister, and our family friends to see Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s Gates in Central Park in New York City. The Gates alluded to Japanese torii gates constructed at Shinto shrines, which I obviously did not know at an elementary-school age. The Gates wound all around the pathways of Central Park and were made of eye-catching bright orange-colored nylon fabric hung between orange steel gates. What I remember being really beautiful about them all together was their striking effect against the slowly melting snow in Central Park, especially as they blew in the occasional wind. I don’t know much else of Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s work, but in looking it up, their installations seem inspired by what has created impacts on the courses of their lives, which I think is as good a reason as any to use in creating art.
Image 1—Title: Running Fence; Year: 1973-1976; Medium: fabric, steel posts, steel cables; Dimensions: 5.5 meters high and 40 kilometers long.
Image 2—Title: The Gates; Year: 2005; Medium: nylon, steel, vinyl tubing; Dimensions: Each Gate differed in width depending on the width of the pathway, but the most common width was 11 ft., while the fabric was 16 ft. high.
Artist 2: Jacques Pellegrin
When assigned this blog post, my original inclination was to just look up artists that I am already decently familiar with, whose work I know I like. But when I started to look up those artists I realized that none of them fall within the post-1970s parameters of the assignment; at first this was a little bit frustrating, but ultimately it just forced me to look up other artists, including Jacques Pellegrin, whose work I recognize but am not too familiar with. In looking up his work, I’m really drawn to his use of solid, bold colors and obviously defined shapes. While it is easy to see the connection between many of his works, I appreciate how each piece is individual and a whole story unto itself.
Image 1—Title: Scaled Cat; Year: 2009; Medium: Acrylic on canvas; Dimensions: 120x120cm.
Artist 3: Art Spiegelman
Art Spiegelman is a comic book artist as well as an author. One of his more well known works is his graphic novel memoir, Maus. Interestingly, Spiegelman leaves his name in lowercase when published with his works. I read Spiegelman’s Maus when I was younger and found it surprisingly moving, in large part because of his artwork. His attention to detail using what must be just pen and/or ink is incredible, leaving you holding your emotions, not quite sure what order you need to feel them in. With Maus in particular, his choice to use personification as a tool of connection between the audience and the subject matter is really an incredible one; the result is one which brings out much more emotion than I think would be capable if he were to have just used people in his drawings.
Image 1—Title: Page from Maus; Year: 1986-1991; Medium: pen and/or ink; Dimensions: unclear.
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