MIT Art

10 Pieces from this weekend's trip to MIT:

1) The above picture is of a sculpture called the alchemist that is in front of the student union. This one was one of my favorites. I liked how big it was and how it was possible to actually walk inside it; the interactive aspect of the piece made it an especially entertaining piece. I also like the construction of the sculpture. The light, shiny metal shines in the sunlight and is easy to distinguish from the surroundings. I also like how there are lots of gaps between the characters that the viewers can see through. Especially on a day like the one I went on, the blue sky seen through the piece is really beautiful and incorporates color into the monochromatic sculpture. 

2) Above is a piece that I actually came across by accident. After wandering the halls looking for a piece that ended up being in a locked conference room, we were just trying to leave the building when we came across this piece in the staircase. This was by Carrie McKnelly and it was called Air Forms: A Composition of Illuminated Assemblies; the colors inside the 'bubbles' would change as time passed and the entire installment spanned at least 2 floors of the staircase. I loved this one partly because we found it by accident, but mostly because it was colorful and dynamic. It reminded me of droplets of water in the shape and transparency, but it also reminded me of cells because of the distinct, colorful 'nucleus'. 

3) This one (above), called Untitled, was made in 1952 by John Newman with pastel, charcoal, pencil and collage on paper. This piece was on the third floor of the student union. It was interesting and it matched the overall monochrome aesthetic of MIT art as a whole, but it definitely was not my favorite. It was very basic and I only had to look at it for a minute or  so before I felt that I'd seen all there was to see. 

4) This sculpture called TV Man or Five Piece Cube with a Strange Hole was made by David Bakalar in 1993. The first thing that occurred to me when looking at this piece is that I wasn't sure which hole was the strange one. The one in the top block? The support blacks? Or the big empty 'hole' in the center of the piece? Despite the confusion, I still liked this piece; the geometric design of the whole assembly was interesting and still felt organized even though it was very abstract. Its open to interpretation, meaning that it can incite conversations and sharing of ideas. 

5) This 1963 Dimitri Hadzi piece is called Elmo-MIT. When I first saw the name, my mind went straight to Sesame Street but after seeing the sculpture, which in no way represents a puppet from a popular children's TV show, I felt that I needed to do a little more research to understand. I quickly found that 'elmo' translates to helmet in Italian, which can be seen in the shape of the sculpture (which also happened to be the first outdoor sculpture at MIT); the piece is almost intimidating as a result of its shape, size, and color which is congruent with what one would consider was/battle inspired based art. 

6) This piece, called Birth of the Muses by Jacques Lipchitz, was just a couple yards from Elmo (see section above. It matched the abstracted, metallic style but instead of battle themes this one appears to be more about art and expression. Though it is a little muddled, the only thing I was able to perceive in the tangle of metal was the form of a winged horse. The name of the piece suggests a connection with early Greek mythology which further reinforces the idea that this was a Pegasus. I'm not totally sure what this piece means, but it is interesting to look at. 

7) This piece is called Guennette by Micheal Heizer. I immediately liked it just because of its size; I was able to walk around it and even interact with is. After a little research I learned that the whole arrangement is made of billion year old pink granite that was mined in the town of Guennette in northeastern Quebec. I like how the sculpture fits into the surrounding area but is also draws your attention well enough to be noteworthy.

8) This piece by Alexander Calder is called La Grande Voile, which translates to the big sail. The piece is reminiscent of a sail with all of its non-uniform faces, but the dark color is unusual for that particular type of imagery. Like many of the other works on campus, this one is huge. It allows people to walk under and through it so that its integrated into the environment. I really like art that is integrated into its surroundings because I feel like it enhances the already existing beauty of the space without taking a viewers attention out of the moment. 

9) The two pictures above are of Louise Nevelson's Transparent Horizon which was made in 1975. This work fits very exactly into MIT's giant, abstract, metal/stone sculpture aesthetic. I appreciate the consistency across the campus. I feel that variety and consistency are both equally admirable, so my judgement depends solely on how well the pieces achieve each of those goals. About this piece specifically, I didn't really understand how it was a horizon but it was interesting to look at. 

 10) Above is my absolute favorite piece that we encountered at MIT. This sculpture is was made by Antony Gormley and is called Chord. I love the way that it occupies the space within the staircases but still is transparent enough for the light of the skylight to shine through. I really enjoyed looking at this piece for multiple reasons. First, the organized chaos of the connections reminded me of atomic structure or computer generated imagery. Second, just looking at it I could see how much work went into constructing it. The artist must've planned this extensively in order for all of these pieces to fit together so seamlessly, and he must've put a great deal of thought into ensuring the piece's structural integrity.  Overall, this was without a doubt my favorite piece of the day because of its technical complexity, its seamless integration into its environment, and simply its aesthetic appeal.

Tsai Performance Center Piece: Materials and Dimensions

After doing some research into metals and looking at the space I decided that I wanted a textured bronze look to the sculpture. Below are two examples of the kind of textured bronze that I'd like to cut the pieces out of.

I really like the way that the textured bronze has varied color and is shiny but not chrome. I think the changes in color and the textural variations will make the pieces more interesting so the light will reflect of them in interesting way. 

Below are the dimensions of the space that I am designing the piece for. The space is not perfectly square but for the sake of the diagram we will make the assumption that 73 and 74.8 inches are close enough in value that the basics of the conclusions made from this data are reasonably accurate. 

From this you can see that the maximum distance from the central point that the piece can extend is about 52.3 inches but that is only at the corners of the space, so any radial waveform should be arranged such that any pieces that are longer than 36.5 inches should be concentrated in those corners and will need to be examined to confirm that they will fit into the space. 

If I make the assumption that each radial piece will have a width of about an inch, that the average length of the pieces would likely be around 30 inches, and that the thickness of each piece is about 0.1 inches then we can make a few assumptions about the final weight of the piece if it were to be made entirely of bronze. The weight of a solid circular sheet with these parameters is about 137 pounds. 

That means that I would need to find a way to mount a piece that weighs about 140 pounds. I looked into a few methods and most of them involved drilling a hole in the wall behind the piece, but I would need to do more research to figure out exactly how I would  mount the piece.  

Tsai Performance Center: Photoshop Preview

Below is the preliminary idea of how the radial sound wave pieces would look in the space it's proposed for. 

Radial Waveform Specifications

Now that I've decided to pursue my radial waveform idea, I need to begin making decisions as to the specifications of the piece. 

Widths:

First, the width of the 'peaks' or 'sections'. 

The image above shows widths 1, 2, 3, and 4 (the leftmost/narrowest is 1, and the rightmost/widest is 4). 

I like how the narrower ones are able to show more detail with the variation in the heights of each 'bar', but I also like how the wider bars are more well-defined. Width 1 is too narrow; it shows quite a bit of detail but it almost looks too fuzzy. Width 4 is far too wide, so it is difficult to see the variation in the heights of each bar. I like widths 2 and 3 because they show interesting detail, but are also wide enough that they have clear, well-defined edges. Personally, I have a preference for width 3. 

Spacing:

Second, the amount of space between the bars.

The image above shows spacing 1, 2, and 3. Spacing 1 is on the far left, spacing 2 is in the middle, and spacing 3 is on the far right. 

The spacing also helps to define the edges of each of the bars, which I think would make the piece more clean looking. In addition, the marble wall behind where the piece would be placed is already very aesthetically attractive, so more spacing would allow that wall to show through  the piece and would help to integrate it into the space by incorporating preexisting features of the space.

I think spacing 1 is not enough space, because none of the background shows through. Spacing 3 is maybe too much space, so the background begins to dominate the piece. I think spacing 2 is the best option because it allows some space so they bars are each individually defined but it doesn't have so much space that it begins to takeover the piece. 

Inner Radius:

Third, the size of the inner radius of the piece. 

The image above shows radii 1, 2, 3, 4. and 5. Radius 1 is the leftmost on the top row (with no space in the center), radius 2 is the middle on the top row, and radius 3 is the rightmost on the top row. Radius 4 is the leftmost on the bottom row and radius 5 is the rightmost on the bottom row. 

Having a greater radius means that more of the marble wall will be seen through the piece, but it also results in a loss of variation and detail in the heights of the bars. 

Radii 4 and 5 are definitely my least favorite; the radius is too large and that makes bars too short and too similar in size. Radius 3 is also a little larger than I would like. Radius 2 is nice because it gives space in the center, but only a little bit so it doesn't take away from the heights of the bars significantly. Radius 1 has no space in the center so none of the marble wall would show through, but it has the greatest variation in bar heights which makes it interesting. Radius 2, however, communicates the idea of a 'radial' kind of art which  makes it cleaner and clearer. 

Radius 2 is the best radius and in the final piece because it preserved the idea of a radial waveform, allows the marble background to show through the piece in the center, and is small enough that there is still interesting variation and detail in the heights of the bars.  

Materials: 

As for materials I've decided that definitely want to use metal to get the appearance I'm looking for. In terms of color, I think that using a few different shades of bronze or copper (or both) would fit into the color scheme the space already has while also being interesting enough to draw attention. 

From here I need to keep looking into materials to  find the exact metal and finish so I can calculate the prospective cost and the necessary mounting hardware to install the piece. 

Tsai Performance Center: Sound Waves

I've been thinking more about the space in front of Tsai Performance Center in CAS (shown above), and the idea of visualized sound occurred to me. I did some research and I found a business (SoundViz) that creates prints of songs; I added some examples below. The one on top is a linearly arranged sound wave and the one below is a radially arranged sound wave.

One of my ideas is a wall hanging or sculpture of either a radial or linear recording of important audio to hang in the open spaces above the double doors. My own personal preference would probably be a radial wave because the circular shape would fill the space in a very interesting and abstract way. 

It would also be interesting to make a print of a linear audio recording to put on the beams on the ceiling. They would be an interesting way to fill that empty space and showcase all the variation in the waves. 

Unfortunately I don't currently have the software to do a radial wave graphic, but I do have some sound editing software that I can use to make basic linear graphics. Below is the linear recording of Yo Yo Ma (a famous cellist) playing Bach Cello Suites Prelude, one of the most well known cello songs of all time.

I could also include speeches in this installment. Below is another basic linear graphic made with the same software, but this one is Martin Luther King Junior's I Have a Dream. 

Another iconic piece is Beethoven's fifth symphony, shown below. 

I think that using sound waves plays into the theme of the space, because performance is auditory (as conveyed by the arrangement of the peaks) and visual (as conveyed by the art itself which is visually appreciated). There is a lot of variation encompassed by this idea, as you could do pretty much any sound file, in either linear or radial form, on the ceiling or the wall above the doors. 

Exit Through the Gift Shop Review

           Though it’s marketed as a Banksy film, Bansky himself says that Exit Through the Gift Shop “is the story of what happened when this guy [Thierry Guetta] tried to make a documentary about me but he was actually a lot more interesting than I am, so now the film is kind of about him”. Thierry Guetta starts his journey as an obsessive film taker (not so much a film maker as he never felt the need to watch anything he recorded) and ends it as a commercially successful, but artistically controversial ‘street artist’.

            The film does a decent job introducing its viewers to the world of street art through Thierry’s incessant recording of street artists at work, but as Thierry and his art became more of a main focus the film became less about the purity of street art and more about its potential to be commercialized.\

            The clips of the film that showed artists like Space Invader, Sheppard Fairy, and Banksy working and actually doing the art they’re known for are what I consider to be the most interesting and informative part of the film. In this aspect, the film is a window into the world of street art. It provides an introduction for people who have no prior knowledge on the subject and conveys the rebellious, revolutionary nature of true street art. Some, like Space Invader, just want to add art, beauty and whimsy to the city they live in. Others, like Bansky, want to make a statement and ultimately inspire change in their community. No matter what the specific purpose, the film shows the power of these artists in taking control of their environment which is what street art is all about.

            After that, the film becomes more of a story about Thierry himself, which was interesting but doesn’t exactly fit perfectly into a documentary about the great street artists that define the genre. At this point the film starts to show a less ‘pure’ side to the world of street art. Unlike most other street artists, Thierry is all over the place. He appears to be doing art not for the message it sends, but for the fame and the money that he could gain by adopting the moniker ‘Mr. Brainwash’ and cranking out a ridiculous volume of art via an entire studio of artists he hires. At this point the film takes on an almost comical theme as the other street artists that were introduced at the beginning give their own thoughts about Thierry’s endeavors.

            Overall I thoroughly enjoyed the film and I think that despite the fact that it was not exactly a perfect documentary on street art, it gives the viewer a window into the world of street art; Exit Through the Gift Shop addresses the wonders of pure, inspired street art from artists who do the work for the sake of improving their environment, be it aesthetically or ideologically, and then goes on to show the commercialized version of street art. By showing both I think it emphasizes what is truly important better than if it had only been about the ‘true art’. In other words, Bansky’s art became all the more important and meaningful when put head to head with the mass produced art of Mr. Brainwash. 

Ai Weiwei

Ai Weiwei is one of the most well-known Chinese artists in the Western world. His work is simple but has a deep meaning behind it. This is the first time I'd heard of him, but I was fascinated to see the work he has done. His work with the traditional furniture and urns and with the porcelain sunflower seeds were my favorites.

In my opinion, he appears to be fundamentally against making anything sacred, be it history, art or any number of other things. One of his best known pieces were 3 photographs of him dropping a Han Dynasty urn (shown below).

Most people endow such valuable, historical artifacts as 'sacred' and 'untouchable' but Ai Weiwei felt no need to preserve it just because it is ancient. In that same way, his work with cutting up and reattaching ancient furniture shows a lack of reverence for the past. 

One of the most interesting discussions we had in class was about the porcelain sunflower seed exhibit (shown below). Why did Ai Weiwei allow people to walk on and destroy the thousands of handmade little sunflower seeds?

I think its because he feels the same way about art as he does about history. Art is beautiful and important, but it is not sacred. It should not be worshiped and preserved to the point where it loses the essence of what it should be. Those seeds are beautiful, but part of that beauty would be lost if they were so sacred that they could never be touched. The individuality and subtle detail of each seed would be impossible to fully appreciate without being able to touch them. I believe Ai Weiwei was not bothered by the idea that in allowing people to walk on the seeds was destroying them because he knows that art is not permanent and we shouldn't pretend like it is; we should appreciate it without making it sacred.