3 Artists - ISTA 401

Katsushika Hokusai. 

He is probably one of my favorite artists. I made a previous blog post about him (if you would like to see/read it click here). What I like the most about his work is just the depth and time that went into making it. I am obsessed with anything relating to Japanese culture and his photos are the epitome of their culture. The crazy thing about his work is that he made them through wood block printing. If you take a look at his most impressive work 'Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji' he literally spent the end of his life creating these. The website that I am going to link says that there are 46 prints but in actuality, they were added after the first publication and should not be counted into the sum. (so there :P) 

Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji

Katsushika Hokusai's Memoriam Website #1 (it's not actually his website because he died in 1849..)

Katsushika Hokusai's Memoriam Website #2

Metropolitan Museum of Art's article on Hokusai

Os Gêmeos. 

So with these artists (they are twins), I was looking through the Google Art Project and found this artwork. It really caught my eye and was so different than all of the others. I will link the photograph so whoever actually reads these posts will see what I am talking about. It is very kitsch and interesting, yet I don't know what to take from it. I think that the most important art does not have a specific implied meaning but it is the meaning you take from it when you personally look at it. What I personally find the most interesting about these two guys is that they take their inspiration from Brazil's hip-hop scene and mix that with the community. After looking more into their work, it's quite amazing what these men have accomplished.
Os Gêmeos Official Website
An article on the twins

William Wegman

This is one of the artists I heard about through my Art Education course last semester. We never really learned about him in the lecture but we had to use him as a comparison in my discussion. The group I was in for my discussion was trying to make ironic photographs and that is something William Wegman prides himself on. I personally love animals and am quite obsessive over them. Something about them warms my heart. So when I see Wegman's photographs I automatically have to smile. It just brings a sense of happiness. But he has so many other photos that are not dogs too, so it is something for everyone. I will attach my favorite photo below.
William Wegman's Official Website

Media Artists:

When looking through media artists, two works specifically caught my eye.
Valence by: Ben Fry and Proximity of Needs by: Lia

Ben Fry had more information than Lia did so I thought I would dig deeper into his works. What I find the most interesting about media art is that it can look so simple on the outside but be so complex on the inside. A fun fact about Valence is that it was used in the movie Minority Report. What he did with the project is that he uploaded the contents of the book "The Innocents Abroad" by Mark Twain and then made the program read it and add each word into 'three-dimensional space'.They more frequently words are found, the farther they get moved to the outside of the circle. He states on his website that using this program can help you understand a large body of information, whether it's a 200,000 word book, usage data from a website, or financial transaction. It simply adds a qualitative slice into how the information is structured.

Valence
Information about Valence
Aligning Humans and Mammals

Proximity of Needs
If there is anyway we can find out more about the Proximity of Needs work, that'd be great!

This photograph is Identity by William Wegman. It means a lot to me and when I see it I understand and feel something deep inside me. So many people put on masks to be someone completely different when who they really are is so much better than any mask that they could ever put on. And a non-dog lover would not see this but you can see that the dog is not happy in his position. His tail is tucked and that is the clear sign of uncertain-ness and not being comfortable with where he is. You shouldn't have to wear a mask to be appreciated for who you are. Be yourself. That's how you can truly be happy.


Also if you were interested in the assignment I did for my art education course, here it is: ARE130 Photo Blog

<3Marie