Body Worlds

Last night I had the chance to go to the Mosi and see the BodyWorlds exhibit, and I thought the experience was worthy of blogging. I don’t know if you guys got to see the Bodies exhibit when it was here a few years ago but I missed it then and this was my first visit. It was absolutely incredible. All of the organs and full bodies in the exhibit are real people that have undergone the process of plastination after their death. In a nut shell plastination is a very in depth process of replacing all of the fluids in the body with a polymer. The actual body tissues can then be eaten away by chemicals and a plastic version of the exact shapes of the tissues are left perfectly intact. Slightly weird at first to look at, the bodies are SO REAL looking!! Even the eye lashes are just as they were on the real person’s face. Seeing each and every vain within the body and the exact position of the heart as it rests inside the chest is an inspiring experience. You should all go check it out of you have not already. It may even be a good place to sit with a sketchbook.

Central Patio of FAH

Space as Movement


Before my research of the central patio if the FAH building, I stepped back and observed the FAH building as a whole and it very much influenced my interpretations of our patio. The building is for the most part broken up into three different sections. I refer to them as the art side, the administration section, and the music side, and there are two central patios; the one we are analyzing and another one in the music section of the building. I noticed that these two patios are visually very much the same in size and layout, but are occupied in very different ways. In fact, the other patio seems to be occupied by students significantly more than our patio is, and it is a place for students to collaborate on projects, eat lunch between classes, and socialize. I think this has to do with the uses we have given “our” patio (vs. that the music students have given theirs) and the different needs for space the art students have. The variation in occupancy between these two seemingly identical spaces interested me the most in my preliminary observations of the space, so I choose to analyze the central patio space of the FAH building using the Space as Movement approach.
I have always been fascinated with public spaces and how people move about them. The way people move through a space directly corresponds to the character of that space, and the use people assign it. The FAH patio is used by art students mostly as a space to display artwork (like the big murals that are sometimes up at either end) or as a space for instillations of artwork. It is a large space that doesn’t seem to get large amounts of student traffic, so it could be a desirable location for a larger more intrusive instillation of work. It is also sometimes used for art supply sales or ceramic sales. Circulation of the space is minimal. When students get out of class they usually follow the walk way around the patio rather than cutting through it. However, the pillars that surround the space make it feel intimate and somewhat closed while also giving full visibility of the space from every angle, even above. This could positively affect the work because it would allow something large, that perhaps filled the whole space, to be seen from every angle. Also, on a smaller scale, the pill in the center of the patio could serve as platform for a smaller piece, or even an interactive one. Because it would be placed on the platform, the piece would feel more featured (if that was the desired effect.) Also, an interactive piece would be accessible that way form all sides. Through the daytime the occupancy of the space doesn’t change too much. Occasionally there is a person or two sitting at the tables or on the benches, and the most traffic, which is generally just a few people, is between classes. When the sun goes down, I would assume there would be even less movement because the darkness discourages out door leisure, and most students and teachers leave USF to go home for the night.
I think an interesting way to utilize this space would be with something that alters the normal use of the space, and the normal movement and circulation of people around the space.

Blog Assignment #1

Public Art
Agnes Danes/ Wheatfield


"The power of the paradox" is a commanding statement about Agnes Danes' Wheatfield project. Obviously associated to the Idea that taking the time and money to plant a wheat field In New York City Is a paradox, the statement also hints at a much larger paradox. She correlates the wheat field to human life. Our simple need to live, breath, grow, and eat is all present in the wheat field. She even connects it to our memories of childhood summer days and the deeply rooted ideals of the American dream while comparing it to the big, bustling, money driven city of New York. the real paradox is that the roots of humanity are missing from this esteemed center. Agnes Denes' writing style is extremely descriptive and organized. The way she describes her process at the beginning and then leads into how her process lends itself to her concept made the discussion effective. One of her successes, I think, was her ability to include such a cohesive concept with a heavy statement; planting a wheat field In the middle of New York City. If she had failed to tie in her own feelings about wheat as a statement with the field as the object, the entire project would not have sounded cohesive. This is a challenge that I find when writing about my own work. I consciously make certain decisions, like Danes made the decision to use wheat verses corn In New York verses Chicago, but I then have a hard time articulating where those decisions come from. I am also similar to Danes In the sense that for the most part I enjoy projects that make a statement. Although there is much to be admired In work that only has aesthetic value, I'm drawn toward works that have a concept that goes beyond visual elements. I aspire for that In my work as well. The elements that Agnes Danes included, such the color of the wheat and why she choose it, the location of the project, and the time she put into it, were all essential to the read of the project. It's very necessary for the viewers to understand the reasons behind those choices that she made. It allows for more reflection and understanding of want statement she Is really trying to make; that time Is money and money rules. This is enhanced by her description of the amount of time she and her assistants spent cultivating the field. The idea is also driven home by the fact that she choose New York City over any other city. New York is the center of commerce In the United States. Also, her description of wheat being connected to the American way of life and It’s ability to evoke emotion In the American people really helps to connect the viewer to the piece and the wheat as the object of the statement.

Introduction!

The last substantial drawing I did was the one for my drawing final last semester. It has it's issues but the most challenging thing about it for me was that it was huge. ( about 8x8 feet )

My name is Jysikka Ryan, and I am a Studio Art major here at USF but I have not yet decided on a concentration. I like photography and drawing, and I am very excited about the electronic media course I am taking this semester. I would say my weaknesses in my art making process involve organizing my ideas into a cohesive concept. Sometimes the feelings and ideas I have in my head get lost on the way out… if that makes sense. I do however feel that I am getting better all the time and learning from everything. Each person that I meet and every class that I have inspires me in new ways. That’s what I think art is all about, and I am excited for this semester of concepts II!