Kate Gilmore, Oct 6, Falvey Hall, 7:00 p.m.

Kate Gilmore’s work explores themes of displacement, struggle, and female identity. She is the sole protagonist in her performative videos, in which she attempts to conquer self-constructed obstacles.

For this work, Gilmore’s obstacle is a tall column made of sheetrock which she tries to climb by kicking and punching holes into its walls. As in most of her work, Gilmore’s attire is at odds with the brute physical labor she performs. She works through the limitations imposed by her feminine clothing—high-heels and a polka-dot dress—with sheer muscle power and desperate determination. Shot in one take, the outcome of her endeavor is unknown before the performance begins. Gilmore’s tragicomic displays posit physical situations as metaphors for conflicts and social obstacles women face today.

Teemu Maki, BBox, Thursday, Oct 6 at 5pm

Teemu Maki,

The Future of Art, Thursday, Oct 6, 5pm. BBox

Finnish artist Teemu Mäki, Ph.D. Fine Arts, is an extraordinary artist for many reasons. Since 1986, he has had 45 solo exhibitions in seven countries, though none in the United States. His work will be included in the Contemporary Museum's 2012 series of Finnish exhibitions. His work takes many forms: video, multimedia installation, theater and painting, and he almost always works collaboratively, whether to make the art or to generate content. He has interviewed prostitutes to uncover their motivations for being prostitutes, and he has worked with immigrants to understand what it's like to be a minority. In Finland, he's considered a provocateur given his collaborative methods and his forthright approach to investigating overlooked social conditions.

Liz Lerman's Critical Response

Dear People of the Elements,

I mentioned Liz Lerman's Critical Response process in class today and wanted to provide you this link to more information about the process.

Great critiques (and work) today!

Valeska

WILD LIGHTS with Laure Drogoul!

On Thursday, September 22, Laure Drougoul visited our class and talked about her work, including the 14 Karat Cabaret, illuminated objects and amplified/interactive technologies! We were so lucky to have this incredible artist spend her Thursday afternoon with us! Here are pictures, including the fabulous illuminated lanterns you all built from recycled materials! For more information about the upcoming Halloween event, click here!

Visiting Artists and Field Trips!

In the last two weeks we had the good fortune to meet with several artists in the Baltimore community. On September 15th, we visited the Load of Fun, where we met with Stefan Bauschmid, director at Make Studio and Jerry, one of the resident artists. Melissa Webb and LOF director Sherwin Marks gave us a tour of the space, including the back alley where the Aerial Theater Festival had just occurred the week prior. We spent some time with Melissa in her studio, where she talked to us about her work, and then headed to Sergio Martinez' new shop and studio, just a few blocks further east on North Avenue. On our way home we stopped by The Baltimore Print Studios, where one of the owners, Kyle Van Horne, talked to us about

Thank you to all of the amazing artists who gave of their very precious time to talk with us!

Matthew Day Jackson at the BBOX tonight!

Maryland College Institute of Art Presents:
VISITING ARTIST LECTURE
MATTHEW DAY JACKSON
Thursday Sept 22, 7:00 PM @ the BBOX

Matthew Day Jackson’s art, which manifests as sculptures, constructed paintings, objects, books, and videos, considers the evolution of human thought, the fatal attraction of the frontier and the faith man places in technological advancement. His work embraces the atavistic/primitive and newfangled, the authentic and fabricated, the self-mythologizing and art historical in its analysis of the American Dream and its failed utopia.

Born in 1974 in Panorama City, CA, Matthew Day Jackson lives and works in Brooklyn, NY. Jackson first gained art world attention through his entry in the 2005 exhibition Greater New York at P.S.1 in New York City. His work, Sepulcher (2004), was a Viking burial ship with sails made from the artist's punk rock T-shirts stitched into a giant, Mondrian-like painting. For the 2005 Whitney Biennial of American Art, Jackson contributed Chariot, The Day After the End of Days (2005-2006), a pioneer covered wagon floating above a bed of fluorescent tubes. Since then he has exhibited widely in solo and group exhibitions in the US, Europe and China, and his work is included in many collections.

Student Involvement Fair THIS FRIDAY!

The Student Activities Office would like to formally invite all MICA students, faculty, and staff to this year’s Community Involvement Fair, which will take place on Friday, September 23rd from 11:30am – 1:30pm at Cohen Plaza (outside Brown Center). The rain location will be the Leidy Atrium (inside Brown Center). Please note: Parkhurst will be serving lunch at Cohen Plaza to support the Community Involvement Fair. Therefore, the Meyerhoff House Dining Hall will be closed for lunch on Friday, September 23rd. All students, faculty, and staff with meal plans (or who regularly eat lunch at Meyerhoff House) should plan to eat at Cohen Plaza on September 23rd between 11:30am – 1:30pm.

The purpose of the Community Involvement Fair is to bring together different community organizations from the Baltimore area for a fun and collaborative exchange of information. This is a great way to learn about the many exciting opportunities that Baltimore has to offer! Come learn about upcoming events, volunteer opportunities, internships and much more. We have confirmed over 45 community organizations, including Art Exposure, Art with a Heart, Boys and Girls Clubs of Baltimore, Baltimore Improv Group (BIG), Chase Brexton Health Services, Creative Alliance, Indypendent Reader, Jubilee Arts, Maryland Film Festival, Maryland Food Bank, Refugee Youth Project, Station North Arts & Entertainment, Inc. The Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Community Center of Baltimore and Central Maryland (GLCCB), and Wide Angle Youth Media

Stop Action Artists to Know About!

Greetings Folks!

I mentioned the work of William Kentridge in class. Only a few of you were aware of his work. I figured I would post a link to some of his pieces, as well as reference some other artists who worked or are working in this genre.

THE VASTELY INFLUENTIAL CZECH MASTER OF STOP ACTION ANIMATION - JAN SVANKMAJER!

BLU! Taking it to the streets!

Anu Tuominen

Check out this Finnish Artist's website for inspiration about playing with ideas and considering ways to see an object anew! There are many more examples on the Moodle!

Pittsburgh Biennial and the Collective

The Pittsburgh Biennial is up right now, and as part of it, The Miller Gallery at Carnegie Mellon is celebrating the work of " artists who work collaboratively, harmonizing individual perspectives, ideas, and talents. Embodying self-sufficiency within a cooperative spirit, the collectives and collaborators encourage us to reassess our assumptions and values, reveal the global in the local and the personal in the political, and imagine alternate realities and possible futures." The image above is by Josh MacPhee of JustSeeds collective.

Chance Encounters and Visiting Artists!

On Thursday, we were lucky to have two art conservators, Lori Trushheim (on the ladder) and Diane Fullick at work in the Main Building. Lori and Diane were exceptionally gracious in talking with us and letting us learn a little bit about their work. They explained to us that they were removing years of overpainting from the sculpture to reveal the original plaster cast underneath. They also described the educational and professional training required to be certified in their field as 'object conservators,' including art history, studio art construction and fabrication processes, an understanding of materials from metals to wood, and chemistry!

Thank you Lori and Diane!

We were also lucky to have Miranda Pfeiffer, a recent graduate of MICA's Interdisciplinary Sculpture program, join our class as a visiting artist. In addition to sharing her current animation work, Miranda also reflected on how her work changed and evolved over the years, sharing valuable perspectives about her experiences of coming to MICA and growing into the Baltimore arts community.

Thank you Miranda!

YES! Men

The Yes Men will be at MICA on Thursday, September 15! Head there after the field trip to Station North and your Korean food outing! For more information about these art pranksters with an activist edge, visit here.

FINALLY! Group Portraits!

In the first week of class you were asked to respond to this creative problem:

Work together to invent and compose a memorable group portrait. You may use the materials provided to create a carnival cut-out, backdrop, props, costumes, masks, mermaid tails, or additional members of your party! Your approach can be mock-historic, fantastical, or utterly realistic… There is no wrong way to approach this problem. Your only challenge is to invent an image together in one hour that represents and celebrates all of the people in your group.

Here is the amazing array that resulted:

Shorties of Kneeling Humor, Jen, Min-Hee, Michelle and Dan:

Breaking out of the Suburbs: Maggie, Andy, Stephanie and Moon:





Silent Conversation Paper Tribe: Ro-Ro, Prescott, Chris and Sophie

Bonding Chaos of Love in the Atrium: Amanda, Dean, Nicole, Jen and Sarah

Greek Goddesses among the Statues: Gingi, Mariel, Cindy, and Cara

LOGISTICS

Hey there People of the Elements!

Many of you wrote that you were unsure of how to print out papers, etc. Here is one way:

Put money on your flex account by going to Student Accounts on the second floor of Bunting. You will have the opportunity to meet with one of the accounts officers there to add money to your card. You can then use this swipe card at the library, to print from one of the computers there. (There are a few upstairs, and many, both PC and Mac, downstairs.) If we have time next week I will show you how to print out at the lab, but you can also ask one of the helpful reference librarians downstairs at the desk.

There is also a lab (where you can us your card) on the first floor of the Art Tech center (where we went on our first day of class). ALSO, try the 3rd and 4th floors of the Brown Center. There are several labs there where you do not have to pay to print.

I hope that helps!

Valeska

I generally find that I am inspired by regular things. Which sounds trite, but it's true. Most of my artwork is based on things around my house or town. I feel like a lot of beautiful things are overlooked just because we see them all the time. Beauty doesn't have to be hanging on a wall in a museum. Which is something most of you probably agree.

Maggie Fitzpatrick

RUN, DON'T WALK!

Hello People of the Elements!
We will be attending Constitution Day Event at Falvey Hall, at MICA on Sept. 17 from 3-5pm. I cannot reserve seats for the whole class. You must reserve your own seat/ticket. Please, please, please send an email to events@mica.edu as soon as possible with your full name and your request for one ticket to the event.
Thank you!
Valeska

Between the Lines

Between the Lines, by Ariana Boussard-Reifel: A book with every single word cut out

I've always been fond of artists repurposing objects to create new meaning and this piece is one that does so in an extremely effective manner. In a way the artist is taking away the sole purpose of the object and leaving only the physical remains.

-Prescott Foland

Teesha Moore

I'm really into art journaling and collage - I think there's something really powerful about combining the written word with art. Teesha Moore's work inspires me with her playful colors and happy journalistic style. I love the way her journals always look well thought out yet experimental at the same time.

-Cara Wohnsigl

I've always like it

I can still remember when I was little, I saw the copy of this painting covered the whole wall of the side walk for the first time. And its unique patterns grabs me.

Also I really like the colors contract between sky and stars.

~Michelle

Bride- Alex Kanevsky.

What inspires me-Stephanie Briscoe

This a piece by Gabriel Moreno. I love the lines and color he uses. It inspires me because it shows much more than just one image and that says alot about what you can actually do in a piece.

-Stephanie Briscoe

Amanda's Inspiration

Rebecca Horn

The Moon, the Child and the River of Anarchy, 1992

school desks, metal, ink, glass funnels

I've admired the work of Rebecca Horn for so long. She is a German artist known for her performance art, wearable sculptures and installations. I love the idea behind this piece and her unique use of materials. It's awesome how she can relate functionality to sculpture in such a beautiful way.

-Amanda Metcalf

Reminded me of class last week

Hey guys, I just saw this post on my favorite blog (sweet station) and it reminded me of the group that did the masks and string. Thought you might want to see it.