Lisa Yuskavage/ Artist Talks

Last Wednesday I went to the reception for Lisa Yuskavage, but she never showed....we all literally sat around ate cheese and crackers and waited for her to attend. She had a lecture that night at 6 pm but I could not make it due to previous engagements. I was really looking forward to meeting her and listening to her talk because her work is very interesting and I would like to know more about it! Her work is very sexual and curious. Sometimes you dont even know what is going on.


I have also been going to artist talks every wednesday at 315 in Kennedy...I have seen some great visiting artist talks....most are graduates from here, some from Yale etc....I cannot for the life of me remember any of their names I have seen so many but will find out who everyone was!!! Anyways these talks are good to go to for 2D artists because it shows you what other people are doing and what is being acknowledged! For example one woman was doing a lot of political work about herself as the president and how women could change the world. Another MassArt graduate did videos and paintings about cat people and it was all in Japanese. She had the same technique as William Kentridge....she would paint and paint layers and move objects within the canvas creating a film. At the end of her process she would exhibit the final painting as well as the video. This is something I wish Kentridge would do with his charcoal drawings!

WIlliam Kentridge

William Kentridge is seriously so amazing! I went to his exhibit at MassArt last week and was truly astounded at the amount of work he had! I have seen many of his videos and have been moved by them, but seeing his prints was so inspirational because of his unusual techniques. On one of the prints it was done with a soft ground which is a thinner resist for etching in which he created a man out of his own thumbprints. He made sure each mark made a shadow or created a form! His videos are all very political, usually about oppression and power. I am overwhelmed with his patience and genius! What is also interesting is Fred printed one of the prints in the show with Kentridge himself! Great show!!

Plans for Phase 2

I would like to continue with the same theme of anxiety in my work, but want to follow through with my original plan of materials! I would like to get a large canvas and draw with markers and possibly use chalk ( because I liked the effect) and then collage on a large sheet of paper in the shape of the "obstruction" shape in the others......i want this to come off the canvas and flow onto the wall....showing that it is overwhelming and taking over in a sense....I have been experimenting with drawing and collaging so I feel as though I am gaining some familiarity with other patterns and forms! I am excited for Phase 2!

Final product phase 1

Soooooo. things did not go as planned...i ended up using some sort of poster illustration board...yes because of financial issues lol instead of canvas...i also used markers like i had said but ended up collaging old drawings on top. I also used black chalk to make the piece more dimensional....i am satisfied with the product but do not want the other pieces to look like this.

1st phasee!

So i decided to do the first phase on hannemule paper which is a soft printmaking paper which works well with all types of materials....it is about 22 x 30. I have thought about the semester and have decided to do the first phase very flat, the second on canvas, and the third canvas with some sort of sculptural element coming off or away from it. I hope to get across the idea that this main thought or anxiety is not going away and only growing larger or becoming more of an obstruction! well back to work on phase 1!!!