Idea No. 7 Narrative

A narrative is essentially a story. Storytelling in art is much more instantaneous than in literature because the unfolding of plot takes place through a quick visual rather than pages and pages of writing. Art as a narrative can do much more than traditional story telling with its multiple viewpoints, representation of time in a single scene, or physical representation of an abstract story.

I immediately thought of Kara Walker and her silhouettes that reference history, literature, culture, and the darker aspects of human behavior. I admire her style and use of narrative as a theme. While the themes of her narratives are sometimes racial in nature, the piece is all the more powerful because of her use of white and black colors only.

Idea No. 95 Globalization

Globalization in the realm of art has torn down the national divide and changed what artists aim to do in many ways. The classic art of the ancient Greeks transcended national boundaries. Today globalized art can appeal to cultures from around the world and also incorporates elements from cultures other than the artists'. Since the late 20th century, biennales have become an easily identifiable form of globalization in art. A biennale, I learned, is an exhibit that is featured at multiple sites and sometimes across the globe, featuring internationally acclaimed artists as well as local ones. This closes the cultural gap in the art world and allows for art to be enjoyed by a wider audience than ever before.

Art education correlates with globalization. It is important for me to be knowledgeable about the influence that culture has had on art throughout periods, but also to understand that we are moving towards an era of art where national culture has little influence on modern art. 

Idea No. 91 Conceptual

Conceptual Art follows the ideas that art should be guided by some sort of concept or idea. Basically this is to say that art should be thought out before executed as well as having message or meaning. The idea has been refuted by some, but concept based art has been around for hundreds of years and continues to be prevalent today.

Bird stated, “Art leads you toward a discovery rather than beginning with an idea.” This statement describes my artist process. I often struggle coming up with a concept or idea. I work mostly by my intuition. I need to start a piece of work before I can communicate what I am trying to accomplish and express.

Idea No. 47 Series

A series is a group of works by an artist that either represents a period of time of their work, a certain style, or even a narrative. When thinking of series, there is usually a certain theme that unites all of the works. While these works can stand alone; the works in a series come together to represent a bigger idea that the artist wanted to get across to their viewers. According to Barnett Newman, the works in series have fuller meaning when viewed together rather than separately.

I’ve given thought of exploring the idea of a creating a series for an art show I am going to be a part of in the spring. After taking fibers last semester I was introduced into Eco-dying. I want to use my new knowledge of that process to create a series and further my understanding between the parts and the whole.