Visiting Di Rosa

Over the summer I visited the Di Rosa.  It is an amazing, exuberant collection of Northern California regional art.  It's fascinating, really.  The property has four major areas where the art is displayed; the gatehouse gallery (which showcases an artist), the sculpture meadow, the main gallery and the house.  I wanted to live inside of the main gallery.  There were so many interesting works of art that I only barely got to look at on the tour.  The collection has works by such artists as Robert Arneson, Jay DeFeo, Peter Saul, Roy DeForest and Lynn Hershman Leeson.  The Di Rosa is an experience, first and foremost.  It's amazing to feel immersed in the art and immerse yourself in the mind of Di Rosa, in a way.  I was so enraptured by the collection that I didn't get to take too many pictures, but here's a small taste.

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quench your thirst?

Thursday I attended this month's Art Mix at the Crocker in Sacramento.  The theme was water, titled 'Quench'.  I mostly went to check out the Armin Hansen exhibit and to see what the whole Art Mix thing was about since I had not been to it before.  The event was fun.  Maybe not as sophisticated as the DeYoung's Friday night soirees, but I had a good time.  I think events like this one have a lot of good energy, if that makes sense.  

There was a dancer set to give a water themed performance at 7:30, so we arrived in time to see that.  Also in the main lobby area there was a water preservation/sculptural booth where patrons of the museum could convert their good water spending habits into lengths of tubing to add to a growing sculpture.

After the dance we retreated upstairs to visit Armin Hansen's Artful Voyage.  I had already seen the exhibition of Ligare's work, which honestly I wasn't overly impressed by.  Whether that was due to the work itself or to the way it was presented is up for debate.  

Before we made it to the gallery rooms where Hansen's work was displayed, a room full of blue and white pottery caught my eye.  This room would turn out to be one of the major highlights of this trip.  This particular exhibit was of Shimo's blue and white porcelains, called Flowers of Fire and Earth.  I was blown away by the melding of traditional Chinese porcelain and landscape traditions with more contemporary forms.  These porcelains appear luminescent, particularly so placed within the round widowed room where they were displayed.  I would highly recommend seeing these in person. Pictures just don't do justice to the visual quality of these pieces.  Shimo lives in Sacramento and Shanghai and believes in melding themes of western and eastern art.

Going into the Hansen exhibit I wasn't expecting to be wowed.  To be honest the whole theme of water and fishing is kind of blase to me.  But I was wrong.  I loved the emotion and use of harsh hurried brushstrokes mixed with dark highly pigmented colors.  Some of the pieces showcased were very emotionally charged.  Armin Hansen lived in the early 20th century and was a native of San Francisco.

Lastly I happened to see a work I had not seen before at the Crocker by contemporary artist, Beverly Rayner.  Surveillance Apparatus, Infiltration Network Cell presents surveillance devices as living organisms.  Her organisms are mixed media and she often uses photographs in her works.  At the end of each tentacle Surveillance Apparatus has an eye looking out on its surroundings.  I found this piece to be a really interesting invention that communicates well the fear of being watched.  By converting machines into a living organism it is as if this living thing is watching us and judging us rather than a machine only recording what it sees.

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Jiayi Young: Science and Culture

Wednesday Jiayi Young gave a talk about her work as a new media artist and briefly explained how her work and experience make her a worthy candidate for the open new media art teaching position at Sacramento State.

Young has an MFA in new media and painting and a MS in atomic physics.  She uses both sets of skills in her artwork.  According to Young, she is "interested in where the balance is" between technology and humanity.  Young is interested in creating experiences, which can be especially seen in her 'sound visualization' and 'real time sensing works', as well as her on-going projects.

Young is inspired by a myriad of influences, from Norbert Weiner to Nam June Paik to Nancy Burson.

Jiayi Young went over some of her older work, using digitally converted slides, which I found quite interesting, combining new and old technology, considering her emphasis in art.

In some of her older works, installations, Young exhibited themes of immigration, especially pertaining to Chinese immigrants, the idea of an "incomplete home" and Chinese politics.  She seems interested in identity within a given environment, which can also be seen later in her GPS data related works.

Young works quite a bit with data representation.  I would argue that most of her later work deals with different kinds of data representation, as well.  Pictured below is one depiction from her Pi Study.  In Pi Study, Young wanted to see what would happen when a human and a computer were given the same set of data.  The data in this case was, as the title denotes, pi.  As the human, Young assigned the numbers of pi different values.  In one example, she gave each number a different color and created colored stripes representing pi.  Below, Young takes the technique of crosshatching and for each number, assigns a square that number of layers of crosshatching.  For example, some squares only have two layers of cross hatching and others have several.  She then gave the same set of data to a computer, which created a much more finely dispersed three-dimensional design.  Young is interested in using numbers to trigger memories to then create a narrative.

Values of Pi, 2010.

In the work Baby Nuna, 2007, Young uses sound and graphics inside the small space of a chateau tower in France to create a sense of chaos and fear, especially relating to nuclear energy.  When viewing the projection of symbols and the sounds accompanying it, the effect is somewhat anxiety inducing and reminds the viewer of chaotic explosions.  This, of course, was intentional since the site of the installation was in Nogent-sur-Seine where a power plant is very close to residential areas and the waste drains right into the Seine.

In Young's works, The Beating Heart (2009) and Dance (2012), she continues her interest in sound.  In The Beating Heart viewers were able to see the sound waves their heart beat makes and interact with it.  Young is interested in attempting to answer the question, "If you could see sound, what would it look like?"  She also attempts to answer this in her work, One Moment in Time, where she visually layers the waves of sound in one moment.  In Dance, Young converted data of ocean temperatures and fish tagging into sound and used a soundscape to make that data a physical experience.  The idea is that through this soundscape, you could hear and feel the temperature of the sea changing and the fish moving around you.  One of the things I personally admire most about Young is her ability to make data personal.  Even though her artwork stems from a very scientific place, the effect of it is very intimate.

Dance, 2012-2013.

Gee Whiz!, pictured below, is large camera obscura built from apple boxes.  The lens is pointing outside towards the street and focuses on consumerism.  Every time a different sort of visual consumptions, someone eating, drinking, etc, a different sound bite is triggered.  "Every moment...I'm consuming something," Young says, whether it's food or driving her car or flushing the toilet, she is consuming some sort of energy and in this piece she highlights that idea and concern.  She wants to bring attention to the vast amounts of things we consume.

Gee Whiz!, 2012.

One of her on-going projects and one her most interesting works is her Message in the Sky: 1001 Dreams.  Message in the Sky is based highly on audience participation and is essentially an online catalog of the wishes, hopes, and dreams of people around the world.  The wishes, designed as small blue rings, are on top of a real time view of the night sky, symbolizing the idea of sending a message out into the universe.  The rings softly fade in and out, designed to be at the cadence of a human breath, according to the artist.  This work was inspired by and a response to the psychological effect of the economic recession.

 

I find Jiayi Young's work very interesting and I am especially fascinated by the ideas behind her work.  I have never been much of a science-minded person, but I think the themes of her artwork are universal and she uses technology in a way that enhances those themes and some ways creates themes without ever trivializing them.  

All images are credited to Young's website.

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On the Verge: Sorrentino, Arzabe, and Gilles

This weekend I visited Verge Center for the Arts in Sacramento and spent time in both of the really interesting gallery spaces.  Currently on view are works by Juan Sorrentino and Miguel Arzabe in an exhibition titled Las Cosas Que Pintan / Painting in an Expansive Field and photographs from a new series by Richard Gilles, titled California Valley: Wonderful Today...Fabulous Tomorrow.

In the Axis gallery, Richard Gilles' photographs of a dilapidated California cover the walls and take you on a tongue and cheek journey through the failings of what LIFE magazine called "one of most valuable lands on Earth."  In the sixties California Valley, located in the Carrizo Plain, was advertised as being, more or less, the new American dream.  The land was infertile and these photographs picks up fifty years later in California Valley.  As one quote states, "it's where mobile homes came to die."

Pictured are mobile homes, ruins of small houses, half made pools and other projects.  Many of the photographs are framed in white and the white walls of the gallery contribute to this sense that you are looking into these mobile homes on the decaying remains of lost homes and fruitless dreams.  

Throughout the exhibition, there are quotes on the walls, many of them being positive press for the project in the sixties, like rhe "wonderful today...fabulous tomorrow" referenced in the title.  These quotes really put the photographs in perspective, but also gives a kind of dark humor to the whole situation.

This is to be the first part of a series by Richard Gilles and I look forward to seeing the rest.  California Valley will be on view through May 31 where there will be a closing reception and artist talk, which I plan to attend.  

To enter the other gallery, one must step through the large installation, Respiro by Juan Sorrentino.  I was immediately fascinated with the physicality of the piece, stepping through a maze of bamboo and wires, with a light bulb at the center.  I was not expecting it when the light bulb started to glow and a deep hum started to emanate from the piece.  It was eerie and somewhat awe inspiring, which was only added to the other pieces in the room.  

One of the things I loved most about this exhibition was how everything seemed to relate and have a dialogue with one another.  To the left of Respiro, speakers embedded in canvases, Sound Canvases also by Sorrentino, murmured the voices of people discussing paintings.  The fact that they were discussing paintings but were also paintings, well canvases, is a very interesting idea.  

Tubes by Miguel Arzabe was a very painterly painting, but when you walked around the hanging canvas, it became apparent that paint was also being projected on the back of the canvas.  A discussion is being had of "what is a painting?"  Is a painting something you paint on a canvas? Can a painting be a projection of paint if the projection is on a canvas?  This dialogue continues in other works by Arzabe as well.  Sin Titulos / Untitleds, for example, is a video projection of people taking a blank canvas in the wild and placing trees and branches in front of it, and zooming in on it so that it looks like a painting or photograph.

Las Cosas Que Pintan / Painting in an Expansive Field will be on view through May 17.

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Pop Culture Vs. Mass Culture

I've been thinking about the difference between pop culture and mass culture.  Recently a professor commented on an assignment of mine asking if we should differentiate between the two.  At the time I thought it was a really interesting question and I still do.  In the assignment I believe I was using the terms more or less interchangeably, but I am not sure I was being completely accurate with that assumption.

In an article from the academic journal History and Theory, entitled "Toward a Definition of Popular Culture", Holt N. Parker discusses the myriad of definitions for pop culture.  Mass culture, it seems, is easier to define.  As mentioned by Parker, mass culture has been defined as the "commercialized, commoditized cultural industry."  If mass culture is culture that is mass produced and mass consumed, then what is pop culture?  According to one definition penned by Parker, popular culture, as is popular art according to Parker, is culture that is not authorized, that is other.

Turning away from Parker and thinking about it on simpler terms, perhaps mass culture is what media makes and we buy while popular culture is what youth culture by large responds to?  I've always wondered if pop culture is defined as what culture defines a generation.  Perhaps mass culture can become pop culture, but pop culture cannot become mass culture if by definition pop culture is an idea and not a product, while mass culture is.

According to the American Heritage Dictionary, which interestingly defines pop art but not mass culture or pop culture, pop art depicts objects from everyday life.  In 1957 Richard Hamilton defined pop art as "Popular (designed for a mass audience); Transient (short term solution); Expendable (easily forgotten); Low Cost; Mass Produced; Young (aimed at Youth); Witty; Sexy; Gimmicky; Glamorous; and Big Business," according to the MOMA.

Any way you slice it, pop culture is what is popular, and often resonates with youth, and mass culture is culture that is mass produced.  Perhaps they are not interchangeable but they are surely closely related.  The rest is debatable.

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So You Want to See Some Art: An Incomplete Guide to Disability Access

Previously, I talked about the issues of being disabled in the art world.  More specifically, having a walking disability and wanting to view and adsorb and be involved in art.  In the aftermath of that post, I started to think about the places I have been and what kinds of experiences I have had.  And I thought that a post like this, where I lay out the best and worst places I have been, might be useful to someone else.  This does not cover disabilities I do not experience, because this list is based solely on my own personal history.

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WORST

I haven't been everywhere and I'm sure other places could fit into this slot.  Artist's studios with stairs, etc.  But when I tried to attend a lecture at the San Francisco Art Institute last week, not only could I not find a parking space anywhere close enough for my physical ability, but I couldn't very well find an easy access point.  It does not look like I will try to see anything at SFAI anytime soon.  The accessibility, parking, and steep walking does not make this place a good place for me to visit.



NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART, BUT DOABLE (WITH EXCEPTIONS)

This section is honestly the "there are problems but it's okay if you're willing to put some work into it, and they can be really awarding!" section.

One of my most frequently visited spaces is the Legion of Honor (sister museum to the de Young) in San Francisco, and it is definitely completely accessible.  It of course has disabled parking and ramps, nothing too terrible.  But, there are not many parking spaces and if you are forced to park along the side of the building, you're going to be looking at a uphill/downhill battle.  If you are able to get into one of the coveted disabled spots, the walk (uphill) to the front doors is a bit of a ways.  Again, doable, there are railings and it's not too steep or too far, but it's still a chore, depending on your capability.  On the inside there is an elevator, but it is not right by the door.  In fact you have to walk through several galleries to reach it, and it is not very clearly marked.  Once you get down to the ground floor, it's not much of a walk to the exhibition area.  This was actually the first major place I went after my recuperation and it was hard on me, but clearly it wasn't too much.  I recommend it, but be prepared.

I have spent a lot of time in the galleries at Sac State this semester and while they are great, often by elevators if not on the ground floor, they can have their problems.  And the biggest problems? You might see a pattern here, the biggest problem is the walking distance.  The Else and Witt galleries are not so bad because the use of Moraga road makes them quite accessible, but the Union (which I have visited often) and the Library galleries can be quite difficult.  The Union Gallery can be accessed through a faculty parking lot, or even with some extra walking from a student parking garage, but it is still quite a walk compared to the galleries situated in Kadema Hall.  Also, you must be in the know about where the galleries and elevators are because if you enter in the building from the wrong entrance, you are in for quite a walk.  In its favor, if you enter the building from the right entrance (the doors facing the bookstore) there is an elevator very close that will take you up directly to the gallery.  The Library gallery, on the other hand, is quite far for someone walking with a disability.  The closest lot to the Library is still pretty far and is not a pleasant experience for those with walking disabilities.

Alcatraz, which is not always an art space but was this spring with Ai WeiWei's installation, is a mostly wonderfully accessible location.  The staff was very accommodating and helpful, never making me feel like a nuisance.  For someone with a walking disability, Alcatraz is massive and treacherous.  It would not have been possible without the services that Alcatraz provides.  Unfortunately there are spaces, like the shooting gallery that Ai WeiWei installed his Refraction piece in, that has steep stairs that are impossible to go down.  However, there was an employee available to describe and show me pictures (and even give context) of the installation below.  Even with its accommodations, Alcatraz can be a daunting task, but surely one that is worth it.

I was unsure whether the Asian in San Francisco really belonged in this category or the "best" category.  To be honest, the reason it belongs in this category for me is not so much because of its accessibility.  You can park on the side of the museum and it is not much of a walk to the front doors.  The elevators are fairly close, but not right near the entrance.  It is a long walk walking through the galleries, but that is somewhat par for the course.  The elevators (and how you get to the elevators) is what puts the Asian into this category to me.  I am aware that this may seem silly to some, but the elevators, mostly the bridges that connect the elevators to the floors, terrify me.  I, Lydia Rogers, am afraid of heights.  So, yes, that might seem silly and circumstantial, but the truth is it affects my ability to walk and I feel that for that reason it cannot be put into the next category.

BEST

Fort Mason, which is the venue for the San Francisco Art Market, is quite accessible.  There is parking that goes right up to the doors of the building.  The building does not have stairs (except for an upstairs lounge of which I am unsure if there is an accessible entrance) and the market has a downstairs lounge for seating.  I was very impressed with how easy this space was to access.

The de Young is one of the most accessible places I have been to and that is very much to do with their amazing parking situation.  It is a little known secret (I believe) that there is a disabled parking area that brings you right up to the door of the special exhibition area.  It is a little hard to find and in truth we have had to drive around aimlessly in the parking garage to find it.  It as if we find it by accident every time.  But let me tell you: there is a ramp, the parking is very close, the parking vendor is very close, and the exhibit is mere feet away.  (If you are going to the de Young and want to find this disabled parking area, ask an attendant about it.  This is how I first discovered it.)

Verge Center for the Arts in Sacramento is also a highly accessible art space.  There is close parking, not all disabled but accessible all the same, and a ramp going into the galleries.  The galleries themselves are flat and without stairs.  They are also small enough to not be an issue but big enough to give a show.  I highly recommend it.

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This is, by far, not a complete list but I wanted to rate the places that I have been to recently and hopefully this will help people avoid physically difficult situations and maybe even encourage someone to go see something new in a new place.

Also, if you are reading this and have visited disability accessible art spaces that I have not, please let me know in the comments.

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