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.  

Street Art

This week's in class discussion about street art was really interesting because I hadn't ever really thought about street art as anything other than random graffiti done by kids who just want to do something rebellious and illegal.

JR was one of my favorites. What he was doing was deceptively simple in that he just took photos and pasted them up on walls, but the way he used these pictures was what was so interesting. He was able to take on some pretty big social issues just by  posting up photographs in strategic ways. The photo below was taken of one of his projects in a favela in Brazil called "Women are Heroes".

Street artists like Banksy conformed a lot more to what I originally thought street art was, but the social relevance and specific purpose behind each piece was an interesting aspect that I had until recently failed to notice. The example below is one of my favorite paintings that Bansky has done. Its simple but clever which I appreciate.

I also enjoyed the whimsical aspects to street art, like how some artists like Invader and Shepard Fairey had one motif that they repeated and did variations of such that the painting itself was a signature.

I did some research after class and I found one more street artist that I really liked, an artist called "Swampy"; he is an example of the kind of street artist I mentioned above who use one repeated motif in pretty much all their work. Below is a piece he did at the "Living Walls Conference" in Atlanta. That skull face with the horns is his repeated motif; he is able to do quite a few variations that use that skull face, which is part of the reason why he quickly became one of my favorites. I like the way he uses color and simple shapes to make a vivid and interesting painting.

 

Overall, I've come to understand that because street art is inherently illegal and rebellious, it is a fantastic outlet for people to convey their desire for social or political change that goes against the mainstream or dominant opinions. In my opinion there are two ways that a street artist can become great. First, if they paint (or post) something that in order to challenge something they see to be an issue in their society, simply for the sake of bringing about change or awareness in the community. Banksy and JR are fantastic examples of this. The other way I think a street artist can be great is by simply doing art for people's enjoyment or interest. Anything that brings more art, beauty and color to the world always has the potential to make people happy or engage them in their environment.