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Artist Jason Leith, wanting to know the people in this community on a personal level, made a journey out to skid row and sat down with individuals. Through the course of his conversations he was able to learn about their personal story, dreams, and aspirations, all the while drawing their portrait on reclaimed found objects with saint-like symbolism. These portraits were then displayed in the heart of skid row in a structure that was built using discarded street materials. Check out his website and artist mission statement and let me know what you think! -AG.
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Hi everyone! This article, posted on the New York Times, reflects on the gradual disappearance of traditional writing standards and the growing presence of technology in the course of history. Schools in Finland have dropped handwriting requirements in schools in favor of typing lessons while the United States, in 2010, have excluded cursive requirements in the common core standards. Do you see a growing presence of technology in our society today? What are the Pros/Cons of this effect? In the future, do you believe children, eventually adults will cease to know how to write? Do you believe the art world has gone through similar changes?
The full article can be found: -> here <- Let me know what you think! -AG. Read this article: -> here <-
Ehren Tool served in the Persian Gulf war as a Marine military police officer, which changed him permanently. After coming back from the war (2001), he begins to create and distribute handmade ceramic cups. His stoneware cups start conversations about the grief and suffering of armed conflict in wartime. Some of the imagery he depicts on these cups are visually graphic, controversial, and not accepted due to the content of the imagery. His ever growing body of work has been displayed in several exhibits around the country, 200 of his cups making it into the permanent collection of the Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington. But what he seeks is something beyond validation from the art world. He wants to start conversations with these bleak pieces. Tool states, " The coolest thing about the cups is not the cup, but the conversation around the cup, and i'm not there," He said. "If it means something to you, when you die it will mean something to someone close to you, and that's a cooler way to travel through time than being in the permanent collection at the Smithsonian." Art can be controversial and very thought provoking, spreading awareness to the viewer. It's a powerful tool and a healing mechanism. It can also be a seed of remembrance. Thoughts? Let me know what you think! -AG |
AuthorAbstract Expressionist living in Lake Forest, CA. ArchivesCategories |