Loader

Loader, 2008
Brian McCutcheon
Steel, fiberglass, resin, urethane plastic, auto paint, enamel paint, tinted lexan
Current location: White River State Park, Indianapolis

Brian McCutcheon is interested in the male image in art and culture. We can easily see the masculine aspects as a result of McCutcheon's choice of object. The sculpture is based on a "boy's toy" as McCutcheon states, his commentary on this particular sculpture focusing on male imagery. One could see an interplay between the choice of modeling after a toy in a monumental sculpture as questioning the interchange between boy man.

Despite these possible overtones, I find the sculpture particularly whimsical (the bright yellow aids that). I was struck by the physical and aesthetic elements of Loader, the strikingly different views I got by changing my position around the sculpture. It was very well located along a bridge path along with other large scale sculptures. in White River State Park.

Indianapolis is wonderfully dedicated to public art. Be sure to wander the city next time you might be going through. They have art location pamphlets to take you along as well.
Public Art Indianapolis


Images: A.L.H.

The Reader

A Young Girl Reading, 1770-1772
Jean-Honore Fragonard
oil on canvas
National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C.
Image: wikimedia commons

I apologize for such a weak week in art of the day blurbing, I have been preparing for the conference I am headed to this afternoon. I set out looking for a Fragonard painting and via wikipedia discovered something I am surprised I hadn't yet. I've had a small print of this painting that I love for a number of years. I never took the time to figure out who the painting was by and am very happy it is Fragonard. Fragonard was part of my study into Rococo painting for my thesis. Oh how I love domesticity, frivolity and playfulness!

So, since it is art, a painting I love and of a lady reading it seems pretty fitting to sign off with it on my way to the ARLIS (Art Libraries Society) conference, to hang with art librarians. woo! Indianapolis here I come!

Enjoy the sweetness, the curved ring finger, the golden dress. I'll try to post while I am away but if I don't get the chance I'll be back on Tuesday!

Abstract Still

1948-C, 1948
Clifford Still (1904-1980)
Oil on canvas
80 7/8 x 68 3/4 in. (205.4 x 174.6 cm)
Image: Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden

I'm very excited that the source of this image, online collections of the Hirshhorn provides all the information that you usually have to contact the registrar or library of the owning institution to find out. Provenance, Exhibition history and a bibliography (click on the title to see)

Someone mentioned Clifford Still to me lately and I decided that I need to revisit his work. I never jumped at the opportunity to see a Still, often glazing over galleries of his work in major museums but aware that there are often permanent dedicated galleries to his work if not galleries named after him. This particular work I came across (and may have seen on my one visit to the Hirshhorn) on a blog post. She used as a successful example of an abstract work to prove a point about a bad painting by a DC lobbyist using the same color scheme. While she doesn't say much about 1948-C, her brief criticism of the "bad" painting is telling and a pretty good jumping off point to looking at a more successful painting.

Many have heard people refer to many Modern paintings as something that "my kid could do" or my "kid did something just like that", you may have said something similar yourself. Much abstract Modern work can be very difficult to approach with open eyes, but the more time you take to look the more I believe viewers begin to see beyond the "style". Fall into the color and composition, balance. This is not to say that you'll love it, maybe you will, which would be awesome, but if you have any interest in broadening your level of appreciation, stop and spend a little time with a new abstract painting next time you get the chance. *Note, as we can see by the lobbyist's painting (which I wholeheartedly agree with sparkle pony is crap) not all work is going to be good and that bad work often makes it's way into museums.

Bricks

Yellow, 2006
Nathan Sawaya
legos
The Art of the Brick

So sorry I missed yesterday!

Today's work is the result of a simple Google image search for "art". This was the first image in the list. The material is unique and a jump into the world of "The art of the brick" is pretty fascinating. The artist, Nathan Sawaya creates a variety of works with Legos. While many of his works are whimsical and cute, they are gimmicky and not particularly compelling. A few others, Yellow included, touch upon something beyond that gimmick created from Legos. Those I find most striking are his figural sculptures, in various states of disarray the legos creating dimension and strength yet falling apart. The monochrome color choices add to the depth of the works.

Image from Lancaster Museum of Art opening.