Special Edition Blog- AIC

One pic of me @ AIC

  

One pic of Nate @ Art Institute Chicago

 

1. "Public Notice 3" by Jitish Kallat

Craft: He used rubber, plastic, LED lamps, & wire. He used the main stairs inside of the AIC to display the art, and he used the words of a speech by Swami Vivekananda given at the AI in 1893. he purposely used the colors red, orange, yellow, blue and green.

Concept: This piece is representative of historical and political unrest that has existed, and that recreates itself in different forms. He is connecting Sept 11, 2001 with Sept 11, 1893-- a speech meant to advocate for ending bigotry, and the event that will define my generation with the fall of the twin towers, and the problems that we are facing now which are very similar to those experienced 100 years earlier. He states that the colors used represent Homeland Security warning colors/ "threat conditions". highest threat to lowest threat the order is red, orange, yellow, blue, green.

Composition: He uses the entire speech by Vivekananda which shows how important his message is to Kallat. The large scale of the message is also a big part of the piece. He wants to she how important it is to see the solutions that have been placed to modern problems in past experiences, specifically with the prejudices associated with 9/11. he makes some words certain colors to show urgency. though many of the words are different colors, a few strings of words are colored together, and I believe these words are most significant to Kallat. 

couldn't get this guy rotated

2. "The Captive Slave" by John Philip Simpson

Craft: oil on canvas. it's a two-tone painting, there are the browns and grats in the background and his skin, and then the reddish outfit. the figure is sitting with the light coming form the top right.

Concept: this was painted in the early-mid 1800s when slavery was still very present. it predates the English abolition of slavery. It shows the man looking despairingly for a sign of hope, he seems to be captive by more than just a physical prison.

Composition: I notice that unlike most white figures, he does not appear to be displayed as muscular, but he's actually kind of skinny with his bones sticking out, while still in a manly position, and again at the same time looks submissive. he is an awkward in between of a lot of things, like this painting was where public perception meets legitimate placement of the then modern black man at a halfway point. The artist purposely keeps the background dark to keep the mood unhappy and he plays with shadows. There are a lot of shadow detail particularly in the folds of his outfit. 

ditto

3. "In The Magic Mirror" by Paul Klee

craft: oil on canvas, on board. he uses a harsh, what looks kind of like a dry brush for the background and the coloring of the portrait, but then uses distinct bold lines to make her entire face, and the little heart in the bottom right corner. 

Concept: I think this is his visual representation of beauty. rosie cheeks, fair skin, small features, longer hair. It is probably not a real person, but a made up vision.  if she is real, she is probably a mean person with a black heart.

   

composition: amorphous shapes, lines, and then the heart that doesn't quite belong because of it's contrasting colors and being symmetrical. It is also not even close to being life-size, and since it is so dark, it kind of draws my eye to it early. I see her hair, then the heart, then her mouth--the line of her face, and then her eyes. I think you are supposed to see the heart first to perhaps make a bad association with her!