The Gutai Group

The terms 'Gutai' means concrete. In 1954 the Gutai group was found by Japanese artist Jiro Yoshihara and Shimomoto. They spent the next 10 years working among this circle of artists. Haruo Fukuzumi was one of the artists. She joined the Gutai Group. As Fukuzumi stressed, Tanaka Atsuko’s output wielded a great influence on this group, although her relationship to Jiro Yoshihara was dogged by a certain antagonism. The group's activities anticipated the great changes that Western art underwent in the early 60s, such as happenings and action painting. They had a major exhibition at MOMA in New York about contemporary art in 1966.


SOURCES:
http://www.galerieimtaxispalais.at/ausstellungen/tanaka/tanaka_progindex_engl.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gutai_group
http://pagesperso-orange.fr/articide.com/gutai/fr/ss.htm
http://www.documenta12.de/reviewtanaka.html?L=1

Sol Lewitt's Conceptual Piece

I feel the conceptual piece of Sol Lewitt's

Performance Art Project

Every little thing in our life could be a piece of performance art. But it's just that we don't realize it. Imagine if we could tape and record our everyday's life. My video here explains visually how art performance happens everyday when we read books, watching TV, cook, walk, smoke, having lunch, etc.

Big Thanks to Avi Agupta to letting me used his video.

Playing with Behaviors of Everyday Life

Four of us had a mirror in our hand and we had to go outside to do this outdoor-activity as we were instructed to find a partner, stand back-to-back so that we are able to see the eyes and mouth of our partner then try to imitate them. I ended up partnering with Richard, we walked away from each other until I hit the wall and couldn't take anymore further steps. My partner was taller than me so that all I could see were just his eyes and half of his nose. It was hard to assume whether he did change his expression of face, trying to imitate or not. This activity was fun but still, I couldn't even see if my partner was having fun.

Symbols, Signs, Logos

We face symbols, signs, or logos in our everyday's life. Nike with the swoosh logo, McDonald's with the big M, Macintosh with the apple logo, etc. In the world of advertising the marketing and the creative department team up together to make a logo which more than just a logo that people would remember the color, just an easy recognizable shape but, logos that should build an image and sharing their messages. To make those kind of logos takes not a short period of time but take years to build that. McDonald's logo for example, if they make an advertising without any pictures of food, typeface or slogan but with the big yellow 'M' people would know that is the logo for mcDonald's. Because people have been raised with the big 'M' sign on their top of the head for more than 53 years (mcDonald's was built in 1955 first in Des Plaines, Illinois) and they hadn't been changing their logo since they first start.

Compare the Formal Analysis On Duchamp's

Pattern Repetition

Islamic calligraphy or repetitive pattern that is often seen in a Mosque is quite a common thing in the country where I grew up. Most houses in Indonesia have one or more Islamic calligraphy, given the fact that the dominant religion in Indonesia is Islam. Usually, an Islamic art contains three elements that symbolize the Holiness of Allah, the Holy God. The writing technique or the typography, known as calligraphy, is usually done in Arabic, because it's taken from Al-Quran, which is written exclusively in Arabic. In terms of pattern repetition, they use a geometrical design that uses a number of geometric shapes such as squares, which is identical with experience in heaven. The stars are also frequently used to symbolize equal radiation in all directions from a central point. Another signs that are often used is the Crescent and Start, which is usually located on tope of a Mosque's dome.

Comments on Joseph's Composition

On Joseph's 'Box Of Color' I can easily tell the scale of the color values between one with other shape, because that is how the color contrast with each other. There are two things that seems odd though, The first one is the white tones which are the negative space all covered with lines. and the second thing is the 'floating' shapes aren't connected to one another. I think this piece of work is almost perfect.

COMPOSITION

GESTALT

The German term Gestalt, referring to how a thing has been "put together" (gestellt), is often translated as "pattern" or "configuration" in psychology. Its precepts, formulated as a reaction against the atomistic orientation of previous theories, emphasized that the whole of anything is different from the sum of its parts: organisms tend to perceive entire patterns or configurations rather than bits and pieces.

Examples:


"Similarity Size"


"Similarity Shape"


"proximity combine"


"proximity overlap"




"continuance"



*all images are made by Angga R. Pramudito (Sorry about the low resolution I lost the real 'ai.' files)

Shapes or Lines?

Which are lines and which are shapes? a, b, c, or d?

I'd say they are all can be both lines or shapes. As in if I stretch or look them up from further distance a, b, c, or d they're all can be lines. And if I blow them up until they get really big, they're all can be shapes as well.



STRING & DRAW PRACTICE
I found the string practice quite interesting. My classmates used all the upper area (table, chair, etc,) I was trying to do underneath them all in purpose to make it more complex, but all I had was just a mess and In the end, it was me who ended up being the last. I wish I know the purpose of this activity other than just having fun.

Analyze That

WED, JAN 30, 2008

Joan Miro's 'Hand's Catching a Bird'

This is a somehow modern type of paintings. He did the painting in 1962 and it was done with oil on canvas. As an introduction, The artist tries to guide our eyes from the left bottom of the corner then brings it to the top of the right corner, directly to the bird. The drawings of the character (bird) are simplified, almost cartoonish, and filled with areas of contrast color. Not much of a movement and It is not richly colored that makes it dead and cold but, the only thing that makes it look alive are the organic shapes and the weirdness, abstract and surrealism feel just like most of his works.

Most of my work are influenced by the psychedelic-era. What I like about this painting is that it derives from a different era, but it contains a certain psychedelic element that blends well together.