S+ART

“Senses of Time: Video and Film-Based Works of Africa” at the National Museum of African Art

"Senses of Time: Video and Film-Based Works of Africa” is on view at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African Art (NMAA) through January 2, 2017. The exhibit shows six internationally renowned African artists’ films that explore the ways that the human body experiences and produces time. Sound like an odd and intriguing concept? I thought so, too. 

The exhibition is co-curated by Karen E. Milbourne, curator at the NMAA, and Mary “Polly” Nooter Roberts, professor in the Department of World Arts and Cultures/Dance at UCLA. Roberts also works with African art at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), which partnered with the NMAA to produce this exhibition. The exhibit originally opened at LACMA in December 2015, and it will be on display for the public in 3 places once it opens at the Wellin Museum of Art at Hamilton College in Clinton, N.Y., in September. 

Here’s what Milbourne has to say about the exhibit:

“Time is never neutral. Our hearts beat to biological time and continents drift to geological time while we set our clocks to the precision of atomic time. Time’s movements are personal, cultural and political. For the artists in this exhibition, time and time-based media become powerful devices for challenging stereotypes and addressing race, identity, government policies and faith, as well as layering riveting imagery.”

I found it interesting to visit the exhibit with Milbourne's words in mind. In my opinion, Milbourne says here that time is constantly challenged and redefined because it manifests in infinite ways across personal, biological, cultural and political realms. Since these realms always overlap, the artists' diverse and creative approaches to their own senses of time tell powerful, personal messages that each viewer may appreciate. 

The videos range from interview excerpts to completely abstract, almost apocalyptic and surreal works. For instance, Sue Williamson's "Something I Must Tell You" includes two video stills and a video projection that presents clips from interviews of six women who fought against apartheid in South Africa. Another example is Theo Eshetu's "Brave New World," a multi-media video installation that explores the relationship between ritual and technological time. His piece is a TV set positioned inside an angled box of mirrors that produce a kaleidoscopic illusion of past, present, and futuristic images converging. If you stand directly in front of it, the mirrors reflect the TV screen to make it appear as a perfect sphere. As you move to either side, you see the fractionalization of time as the images extort inward and outward.

"Senses of Time" is exhibited in a dark room. The videos vary in duration, and they simultaneously run on loop. In my opinion, the initial experience of the physical exhibit, solely viewing and hearing without trying to decipher each video's meaning, was overwhelming but captivating. After this initial impression, I found it necessary to spend a good amount of time focusing on each video and the artist's intentions.

It's worth a visit. At the exhibit's entrance, you may also pick up a brochure that explains a bit about each artist's life - something I did not touch upon in this post but that's essential to know as a fellow museumgoer. The NMAA is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. As always, admission is free. 

Below are my photos of the exhibit that will hopefully spark your interest enough to visit it!

Theo Eshetu's "Brave New World"

Berni Searle's "About to Forget"

Sue Williamson's "There's Something I Must Tell You"

-Haley Moen, Summer 2016 Studio Arts Intern

 

Drawing in Museums Wrap-up

Yesterday was the final Drawing in Museums class that I wrote about last week and the week before. For the finale, we sketched sculptures of heads in the American Gallery. First, Paul inspired us with books full of incredible drawings by master artists, such as Michelangelo and Hans Holbein the Younger. 

Before class: Paul shares drawing books in the Kogod Courtyard

After Paul's demo-sketch in the gallery, we spent the rest of class sketching. Paul encouraged us to warm-up by drawing various angles of the head we chose, “keeping it loose and light.” Here are photos of Paul teaching and of students sketching.

We were sad to see this class end. Paul was an awesome instructor. He shared his wealth of knowledge with enthusiasm and compassion. Here is his website, where you can read about how he’s applied his multitude of diverse passions throughout his fascinating career. The 3 drawing books he shared today are called “Michelangelo Draftsman,” “The Art of Drawing,” and “Holbein and the Court of Henry VIII,” pictured below.



At the end of class, he also recommended 2 exhibits currently on display at the Hirshhorn Museum: Linn Meyers' “Our View from Here,” and Robert Irwin’s “All the Rules Will Change.” I’ve seen both, and they truly are worth a visit! Thanks for reading, stay cool and enjoy the week. :)

-Haley Moen, Summer 2016 Studio Arts Intern

 

Introduction to Graffiti

Last night was the last graffiti class! It was a blast. We met at Brookland Artspace and Lofts, a multi-use facility with residential and studio space for artists and their families.

First we warmed up with crayons and paint markers on paper, then we made our own “tags,” or graffiti personal signatures, on canvas boards.

For the latter half of class, we went outside to practice with spray-paint cans on cardboard and wooden boards set up to form a temporary wall. Our instructor, Rajan, demonstrated how to make different lines and effects.

It was exciting to learn about this unique and relatively new art form. Rajan taught with clear enthusiasm and talent. If you’re interested in learning more about Rajan and his art – or even taking one of his graffiti classes – check out his website, http://www.artjar.com/


Photos by Kathy Fuller and Haley Moen

-Haley Moen, Summer 2016 Studio Arts Intern

Drawing in Museums: The Art of Starting Over

Yesterday was the third Drawing in Museums class, which is flying by. Next week is our final session, and I will certainly miss it! Yesterday we all drew the same sculpture, The Dying Tecumseh.

The sculpture sits below a winding, wide staircase. We all drew from different perspectives according to where we sat. I chose to sit on the floor by the sculpture’s feet, right here:

Other students ventured up and sat up on various spots on the staircase.


No matter where you sat, the sculpture provided an exciting and challenging subject to draw. Our instructor, Paul, encouraged us throughout the class and was very impressed at the end! There are some gem artists in the group. During the class, Paul encouraged us to “cheat” if we were stuck. “Cheating” means checking out others's work. It’s helpful and fun to see different perspectives and approaches. The group truly is full of some wonderful artists and people.

Here we are taking a “cheat” break and looking at a student’s work-in-progress.


The most important lesson I learned today was the benefit of starting over. Although it’s a bit frustrating to start from scratch on any project that you dedicate time to, it’s necessary. As Paul said in class, “I’m pretty sure Shakespeare wrote drafts.” Ha!

After about twenty minutes of trying to figure out what I was looking at, Paul advised me to start over. Here’s what I had at first:

I didn’t get the entire sculpture on the picture and the proportions are way off. Better start from scratch!

Here’s my second version that was far from finished but better than the first sketch.


Photos by Haley Moen

Many students started again as well – some even 4 or 5 times. By the end, everyone had beautiful drawings. It was a great reminder on the art of starting new.

-Haley Moen, Summer 2016 Studio Arts Intern

 

 

Take II: Drawing Classes

Here’s an update on two classes, Drawing in Museums and Figure Drawing, that I wrote about last week. 

While both are drawing courses, they vary in subject, location, and teaching structure. Drawing in Museums meets every Tuesday afternoon in the American Art Museum. We sketch human subjects from paintings and sculptures. For Figure Drawing, we meet in a studio at the S. Dillon Ripley Center every Wednesday evening to draw from live models. Both classes develop fundamental observational skills but in different ways. Read on to find out what I learned in each class this week.

Drawing in Museums

This week we sketched in the National Portrait Gallery. Our teacher, Paul, instructed us to choose sculptures of human figures and faces based on their lights and darks rather than the expression on their faces. I drew Benjamin Butler’s bust because of the dramatic shadows on his neck, and because his mustache is funny.

Here’s my first attempt:

As Paul says about some of his own sketches, I think my sketch “died on the paper.” Paul gave me a helpful demonstration to get me re-started. He told me to draw the entire bust instead. He drew a quick and loose sketch to get the overall shape of the bust (pictured below). This initial sketch is necessary to figure out the sculpture’s general proportions and composition on the paper.


After this first sketch, Paul instructed me to keep developing the general shape of the sculpture with sketches of the whole thing. With time, I specified the contours and shapes of the shadows.

Paul also taught me the phrase, “convexity makes the figure,” which means that the human figure consists of a bunch of convex lines. He explained this concept visually:



If you look at the drawing of a box with the bent line, which half do you think is the figure? If you’re not sure, take a look at the sketch of the arm. All lines are convex. Hence the phrase, “convexity makes the figure.” This was a helpful note because I drew a concave line to render a slight dent in Benjamin’s forehead, and it looked wrong. Paul adjusted the concave line to be made of a couple convex lines instead, and it automatically looked more realistic (see forehead just above Benjamin’s left eye in the photo below).



To better understand the “convexity makes the figure” concept, check out Michelangelo’s, Rafael’s, and Leonardo’s drawings.

At the end of class, we reconvened and shared what we drew.

A happy bunch!

As always, I’m looking forward to next week.

Figure Drawing and Independent Projects

Last night, we learned more about proportion as we drew from a live model. First, Jamie taught us to draw the figure by dividing it into circles, squares, rectangles, etc., to get the correct proportions. Here she is demonstrating for the class and smiling because feet are difficult to draw!


Then it was our turn to try! Here’s my drawing pad:

Next, we used sighting sticks to draw “construction lines” inside and around the figure. These lines help us determine if we drew each segment of the body in the right direction in relation to the rest of the body.

These initial steps are necessary to understand what you’re actually looking at. As Jamie said last night, “seeing is a complex process.” It’s true! Once you try to realistically draw what you’re looking at, you realize that truly seeing and understanding what’s in front of you is not an automatic process. It takes time, concentration, and patience.

Each session, we’ve built on past lessons to develop our skills. I can’t wait for next week! Here are a couple pictures of the class working and taking a break.


Photos by Haley Moen

-Haley Moen, Summer 2016 Studio Arts Intern

Introduction to Graffiti* Class

*Graffiti comes from the word graffio, which means “a scratch” in Italian



Last night I attended the first of a 2-session evening course, Introduction to Graffiti Art, taught by Rajan Sedalia. As you can tell by his website, Sedalia is a unique artist with a powerful message. His 2 hour class felt like 5 minutes because it was so captivating.

Sedalia shared a brief and interesting history of graffiti art, which originated in the 1960s in Philadelphia and New York City. As a class, we brainstormed ideas of why someone would want to create graffiti. Our answers included the fact that it’s an expressive, freeing art form that allows the artist to say, “I exist.” It can be blissful. It’s a way to claim “turf” or an attempt to obtain some level of fame. It’s accessible by all. It’s seen by all.

Next, Sedalia continued to tell us about the evolution of supplies from do-it-yourself to a full-blown industry. Artists used to use rags and make their own colors in old deodorant bottles. Now, there are multiple companies producing different brands, qualities, and styles. There are even eco-friendly products, pictured below:

Paint made from harvested sugar cane rather than petroleum.

Sedalia’s class was like an exciting, one-man show and tell. He passed around various paint bottles and other tools used for graffiti art, like this ink and container combination below:



As he taught us about the supplies, he shared a thought that struck a chord with me:

“I think the more tools you have, the less you use this tool” (points to head).

I agree with him. The more I fuss over tons of art supplies, the less I listen to my imagination.

Anyways, he also taught us different graffiti font styles. He demonstrated them on the board. It was fun to watch him write because he drew fun doodles in 2 seconds that made the board exciting:


Spot the "Roller" 

Photos by Haley Moen

We had time to practice the graffiti fonts with oil pastels, crayons and paper. Before we did, Sedalia instructed us to stand up and rotate our arms to loosen up our shoulders. As we quickly learned, graffiti art is a full-body physical effort that requires you to be loose yet completely under control of each movement.

The class was a great group of people and everyone seemed super into it. I can’t wait for next week!

Sedalia teaching
Photo by Sarah Hodzic

What do you think about graffiti as an art form? Whether you have a full-formed opinion about it or not, it’s always interesting to read what others think. Here’s an interesting article that includes an interview of a Boston University College of Fine Arts painting professor, who shares his thoughts on graffiti.

Check back next week for an overview of the second and last graffiti class!

-Haley Moen, Summer 2016 Studio Arts Intern

Double Dipping in Drawing*

*A blog post about TWO drawing classes I went to this week!

Last night I attended the Figure Drawing course that I posted about on Tuesday. At the beginning of last night’s class, we reviewed and discussed the homework and then warmed up with about 20 minutes of gestural drawings from the live model.

For the meat of the course, our wonderful instructor, Jamie Platt, taught us about proportion. She showed us how to use sighting sticks, which an artist uses to measure a specific part of the body, (ex: the head), in relation to other parts in order to draw accurate proportions. The key is to hold the stick at arm's length toward the model while closing one eye, then mark the length of the head on the stick with the tip of your thumb. Once you make that mark, you may line up the sighting stick to other parts of the body to gauge their size in relation to the head’s measurement. So, for example, the width of the head could be about ¾ of the length of the head, or the length from the bottom of the chin to the nipples could be equal to the length of the head. With just a bit of practice, it’s not as difficult as it sounds!  Here is a photo of Jamie demonstrating the sighting stick technique:

In addition to the sighting sticks, we used rulers to mark an 8-inch vertical line and 4-inch horizontal line on our drawing pads, as shown in the background of the picture below:


Then we spent the majority of the class using the sighting stick and graphite pencils to translate the model’s proportions across the lines on the page. The model was standing in a simple standing position so that we could draw straightforward proportions.

Here are some of the students in action!



Not only did we have the opportunity to learn how to use a new tool, but we discovered a useful way to draw proportion, which is essential to mastering the human figure. I’m looking forward to the next class! :)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I’m a lucky girl because I double dipped in drawing classes this week. Now let’s rewind 2 days back to the first of a 4-week afternoon course, Drawing in Museums, at the American Art Museum. The class is designed for beginner to intermediate students who have taken a previous drawing class or has equivalent drawing experience. A few students have taken this exact class before, which shows how awesome it is! Here we are getting to know each other at the start of class:

The instructor is Paul Glenshaw, an incredible STEAM educator, author, and filmmaker. He studied painting at Washington University in St. Louis, and he has been drawing for over 30 years. His talent showed as he taught. He shared with us his drawings from small sketchbooks that he has brought with him to museums, and he offered great insight throughout the class.

The course itself explores the art of copying, which is necessary to render technical skills as an artist. This style of study focuses on the ways that an artist created a masterpiece, or the technical and material processes that the artist employed to create a specific aesthetic experience. This requires more intellectual thought and creative skill than a simple process of “look and repeat.”

For the first class, we drew from paintings. Paul demonstrated the initial steps of drawing in museums. “First thing,” he said, “is to just walk around, and when a piece tells you to stop, you stop. Don’t choose one because you think it will be easy.”

Here he is showing us how to render the correct proportions and overall composition of a painting in our sketchbooks.



Paul’s explanations were clear and concise – just the perfect combination for us eager students! We then had the next 2 hours to choose a painting to copy. Paul walked around to check in on us and give us knowledgeable tips.

I was in heaven. I chose a John Singer Sargent painting to copy, Spanish Dancer, which is a preparatory oil study for the main figure in his final piece, El Jaleo, pictured below:


Below is a picture of my sketch with Singer's piece behind it.



I chose this piece because not only did it make me really “stop” when I looked at it, but I’m a huge fan of Sargent. For a final project at RISD last year, I did a master copy of his oil painting, “The Daughters of Edward Darley Boit,” pictured below.


Close-ups of this piece are on my website.

We ended the class with a sneak peek of the sculpture gallery we will draw in next week. I can’t wait. Stay tuned for more posts about this class!

As you can see, it was a fun-filled week of drawing classes. The differences between the class themes, structures, professors, and locations demonstrate that we offer a variety of drawing classes. All are so awesome that they’re filling up fast, and it’s difficult to choose just one!

 

-Haley Moen, Summer 2016 Studio Arts Intern 

Figure Drawing and Independent Projects – Week 1 Adventures

Summer 2016 art classes are on a roll! Last week I attended the first of a 6-session Figure Drawing and Independent Projects class. Instructed by Jamie Combs Platt, this course offers insight into drawing the human body, with an opportunity to explore your own figure drawing project beyond the class curriculum. It covers beginning and advanced elements of composition, anatomy, and developing individual style. Each week we work from live models.

Jamie teaches us about anatomy with our newfound friend, Bones the Skeleton.

Time flies in the 3 hour class! For the first session, Jamie taught us about gestural drawing techniques, which are quick sketches that capture the general motion and stance of the figure. The key (and most challenging part) is to not take your eyes off the model while you draw. By keeping your eyes on the model and pencil on the paper, you gather a sense of the essential shape of the figure without overthinking every stroke.

The model posed for increasing intervals of 2, 5, 10, and 60 seconds throughout the class. For the 2 second postures, we drew one line for the torso. This establishes a fundamental understanding of the direction of the torso, the core of the human figure. For the 5 second postures, we drew the general shape of the head in relation to the torso. Here an example from my drawing pad:



Then we added the torso and hips for the 10 second postures. This allowed us to get a feel for the placement and alignment of the shoulders and hips in relation to the head and torso lines.



Next came the 1 minute postures. Here we added the shoulders, knees, arms, legs, and “flicks” for the hands.

Between each step, Jamie eloquently and concisely demonstrated what we were supposed to draw. The class was relaxing, and the students all seemed to be genuinely engaged and enthusiastic about drawing.

This week’s optional, but highly recommended, homework is to draw 30 gestural drawings. I did mine in my One Sketch a Day journal. This journal is like a calendar with a blank space for a daily sketch.






My One Sketch a Day Journal, along with the figure drawing class, are a couple ways I try to keep drawing on a regular basis. If you are craving to develop your drawing skills, check out our classes. Interested in purchasing the One Sketch a Day journal? The Smithsonian Hirshhorn museum sells them in the gift shop, along with a variety of other cool sketch books. Here are photos of the fresh copies for sale. They’re the perfect companion to any art class or moment of creative inspiration!

                                                                       Photos by Haley Moen

Stay tuned for weekly posts about the Figure Drawing Class! Videos will be included in future posts.

Folklife Festival 2016

Every summer, the Smithsonian hosts a Folklife Festival to celebrate cultures from around the globe. This year we’re celebrating Sounds of California and Basque country.

A section of the National Mall grass has transformed into a melting pot of colorful traditions from these two fascinating and resilient cultures. As you wander through the festival, it’s easy to immerse yourself in the multitude of art workshops, performances, cooking demonstrations, delicious food stands, language lessons, and more. I loved the festival so much that I’ve been 4 times already, and I’ve learned something new each visit.

This blog post will focus on— surprise, surprise—snap shots of the studio arts at the festival!

Sounds of California – Kumeyaay Artists


Meet Ana Gloria Rodriguez, aka Martha, and her granddaughter, Mari Rodrigues. They explained to me a bit about the art of Kumeyaay.

The craft is a fundamental part of their culture. Traditionally, mothers teach their daughters. Martha learned from her mother when she was 6 years old, and now she independently creates and sells her pieces. Mari is 18 years old and is currently learning the craft.  When I asked her if she liked it, she nodded and said, “it’s cool,” although she prefers to make pieces from the soft grass rather than the dry (pictured below). The grass is called Joncus. It grows in abundance in rivers in Southern California.

Joncus grass plant, pre-drying process

Dried Joncus grass fiber

The grass is used to make various pieces, and each has a design that represents something from nature – stars, plants, wind, animals, flowers, etc. Here is a picture of a Sawil plate and a Hilu basket with a top. The plate takes Martha a few months to make, and the Hilu basket takes just about a day. This little basket holds small seeds. It also comes in larger sizes to hold acorns and other nuts.



She also makes earrings and necklaces!




Her art is available for sale at the Folklife Festival Marketplace in the Arts and Industries Building. Check it out before the festival ends!

Photos by Haley Moen


Basque Country – Bernat Vidal, Stone Artist


Bernat Vidal carves sandstone, or harri lanak in the traditional Basque language. He has been working with stone for 30 years. He makes various pieces that are usually placed on walls in houses. For example, here is a piece with the words “Ongi Etorri,” which means welcome.



Also featured at this stand are smaller, circular stone designs (pictured below). When I asked him what the design meant, he says it’s an ancient symbol that contains so many meanings in so many cultures around the world that he couldn’t say the one true meaning. “No tiene un significado, pero es importante. Es importante” – it doesn’t have one meaning, but it’s important. He explained that it could represent cosmic forces, compasses, life and death, etc.



Here’s more of his work displayed at the festival:


At the festival, he is currently carving the Basque crest that represents the different parts of the region. Check out his website here.

Map of Basque region at the festival

Basque Country – Jesus Mari Lazkano, Painter

Jesus Mari Lazkano paints incredible, gigantic acrylic murals. His work is a combination of realistic renderings of imaginary landscapes. For example, he is currently working on a painting of a boulder floating above a vast ocean. Below are pictures of his smaller painting plans and the big painting-in-process at the festival.




If you’re impressed by his unfinished work, you’ll be blown away by his finished pieces. Here’s an image of an acrylic mural landscape on view at the festival:


Photos by Haley Moen

I was lucky enough to meet and speak with Lazkano at the Market Place, where posters of his work are for sale. He’s a pretty awesome guy. He received his Ph.D. in fine arts from the University of the Basque Country. He speaks 5 languages and has been teaching painting since 1985. His work investigates the ways that natural and constructed environments shape human culture and intellect.




These are just a few of the studio artists at the festival. You’ll have to go to see the rest, along with a ton of other exciting music and dance performances, sports, and cooking demonstrations.

The last day is Sunday, July 10^th! Whether you’ve already been or not, it’s definitely worth at least one visit. I will probably visit a fifth time before it ends. See you there!

It’s also worth noting that the artisanal gelato is a work of art itself, and just one more reason to enjoy the festival this weekend. 


Photo by Haley Moen

Smithsonian Folklife Festival

The 2016 Smithsonian Folklife Festival has begun! Running June 29-July 4 and July 7-10 on The National Mall, this year’s festival celebrates the Basque country and the sounds of California.  Next week, studio arts intern Haley will visit the festival and report back with her impressions and share some of her great photos of the art and artisans featured. In the meantime, check out http://www.festival.si.edu/ for a full schedule of events and activities. And from Smithsonian Studio Arts to you, Happy Fourth of July!

                                               Image credit:  http://www.folklife.si.edu/