sábado, 21 de abril de 2012

I would like to apologize if my writing is sometimes difficult to understand. I tried to do my best.

miércoles, 18 de abril de 2012

Victor Burgin .

Born 1941, Victor Burgin, artist, writer and photographer. He Studied painting at the Royal College of Art from, and when to have finished, I started to study philosophy and fine art at Yale University Until 1967. 

Victor Burgin had made significant contributions as a cultural theorist. When he finished his studies at Yale University, was devoted to conceptual art, mixing artistic techniques, photographic techniques and printed texts.
According to the Tate Museum,
“the relationship between apparent and implicit meaning.[…] he drew on semiotic, psychoanalytic and feminist theory to decode structures of representation.” (HILARY GRESTY- Tate Museum).

His works express the daily life, what we live daily. As sexism, racism, policy consideration.. etc.





"A Burgin is particularly concerned about space and time located" between "means of these dualities, that haunts and subverts all that binary thinking." - (Nuria Enguita May-2001, Antoni Tapies Art Foundation)

When I read, the thinking of Burgin, which express what he think about our society. Based on their principles. When I red the words "Duality", "outside world", the "I", Reminds me of the philosophical theory of Aristotle and Platon. 
Clearly it is because Mr. Burgin studied philosophy. What I mean is that I find it fascinating how he complement the art and the philosophy to make collages. He makes art with reason, following their own guidelines, according to their thinking, based on what philosophers said once. And most surprising is how he transmitted, the reality of the world through their works.

 "Victor Burgin is one of the most distinguished teaching artists of our time, whose cross-disciplinary work bridges media, culture and art. Former Chair in Art and Architecture. He uses all his knowledge to "make art" from philosophy to architecture." (The European Graduate School, 2007)


"Platonic dualism is established in the first instance, among the field of perception (sensible) and thought (ideal). The first deals with the world appearance) of the temporal, changing and corruptible" (Plato.Anthropology; dualism)


http://www.egs.edu/faculty/victor-burgin/biography/ Biography
http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/victor-burgin-834 - Short Biography (Tate Museum)
http://www.artnet.com/artists/victor-burgin/biography-links
http://www.norwichgallery.co.uk/gallery/archive/ex2003/pages/burgin.html
http://www.galeriezander.com/en/exhibition/dovedale/slides - Images

http://www.google.co.uk/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=victor+burgin+works&oe=UTF-8&redir_esc=&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hl=en&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi&ei=zI2OT77JG_Da0QXPz5DyDA&biw=1293&bih=607&sei=zo2OT62jHIXV0QWOosHmDA - WORKS, from Google.

martes, 17 de abril de 2012

Le Corbusier - Architect

Le Corbusier, a French architect, who was born in Switzerland. (1887 - 1965)


With Walter Gropius, the main protagonist of the international architectural renaissance of the twentieth century. Besides being one of the greatest innovators of modern architecture. provided a real flow of innovative ideas. 


"Le Corbusier occupies the position he does, as the architect of the last century, not only for embodying three periods, but for the content of his art, his message"-(Architectures, Harles Jenks - 2000 p23)


His work has a decisive influence on later architecture, and today he is naming what it is, a genius of architecture. When I see his architectural works, it seems incredible that he made it so many years ago. 


                                                        (Villa Savoye)




It was like he was ahead of his time, and he influence the other architects what were going to be in the future with homes and buildings. For my taste, are totally minimalist. 
Philips Pavilion






The material, a clear stone. Pools flat, next to the bay can not see where they end. I really like it.




http://wemakeitgood.com/the-gallery/le-corbusier-life-magazine

http://www.open.edu/openlearn/history-the-arts/history/heritage/le-corbusier - Biography
http://www.biography.com/people/le-corbusier-9376609 - Biography 2
http://www.fondationlecorbusier.fr/corbuweb/morpheus.aspx?sysId=16&sysLanguage=en-en&itemPos=1&sysParentId=16&clearQuery=1 - Fundation Le Corbusier

Miró.

Joan Miró:
Barcelona, 1893-Palma de Mallorca, Spain, 1983) Painter, sculptor, engraver and ceramist Spanish. He studied commerce, and later joining the Academy of Art in Barcelona.

In my opinion was an expressionist Painter, but obviously also has acquired tendencies throughout his life, Cubists and Fauves.

1919, traveled to Paris and met Picasso, Jacob and some currentmembers of the DadaistTristan Tzara asHis paintings began to evolvetowards a better definition of the form, eliminating the contrastsIn the thematic highlights a language between dream and spooky, very personal though popular roots, which marked his whole subsequent career.


The other major influence of the time would come from the hand of P.Klee, which would reflect the taste for the linear configurationandchromatic colors.


"The shoe is luminous, parti-colored, comical. But the image is otherwise realistic and recognizable, like a good cartoon"("Encounters and Reflections", by Arthur Danto 2001)

 Joan Miró, since I was small has been very present in my life. He lived in Mallorca, where I was born, much of his life. Besides, my father Oscar Pipkin was one of his official photographer for over 20 years. 

“You can look at a picture for a week and never think of it again. You can also look at a picture for a second and think of it all your life.”  (Joan Miró, Palma de Mallorca. 1970)





In my own opinion, Miró, typically used to use bright colors, I have not seen many pictures of Miro in grayscale for example. Most transmit me bright and colorful. And the most important, he transmited what he felt in these moment.

“It is a commonplace that one can know a person by his reading. In the case of Joan Miró sum which has often been compared to a poet” – (August 2011 - Barcelona - Víctor Fernándeez)

sábado, 14 de abril de 2012

Peter Saville - Graphic Designer

Peter Saville, Graphic Designer , 1955 Born in Manchester, England.


Study Graphic Design at Manchester Metropolitan University. It is known for his work for Factory Records artists, he has made the covers of various artists, but especially for Joy Division and New Order.




For me, Saville can do all kinds of designs, his designs are simple but tastefully and delicate, without overloading the picture. 


"I have always admired Peter Saville because he is one of the rare people in the music industry who really cares about what he does" (Brett Anderson 2003,Designed By Peter Saville p.260) 

I think that’s important for make music album because you have to capture the attention of the buyer but with something direct. 
In the same way, I like it because it has many psychedelic designs, I guess if we go past the era of "The Beatles" ’60, ’70 and ‘80. 

(this design is not made by P.Saville)

In my opinion all the factors affects the to designs of those who lived through that time. I’m not saying that his designs are based on these times, just that when I saw these designs I remain 
that. Just my opinon. So yes, I like their designs, colorful and cheerful breaking the monotony.
 "Saville had begun to realise the value of his own history" - (Gary Hook.2003)





Martha Rosler - Artist






Martha Rosler (Brooklyn, New York, 1942).
The New York artist, is one of the most recognized artist of her generation. 




It was until ‘90 when she started to show their artwork in galleries and exhibitions to profit from them. 


"It was a political decision I had to give up because in the eighties the United States eliminated all non-commercial art sector and there was noway to show your work if it was not in galleries or museums" (Martha Rosler -
















It’s said that when she was little and she didn’t know what to do in the future, she was looking for something risky, like robbing banks. But in the end she became an artist. It is considered a benchmark in the feminist art. What I think is great,


Rosler also made his controversial photomontage series Bringing the warhome, in which a series of publicity photographs of dream homes, with their corresponding housewife inside, overlapping images from theVietnam War, mixing and reflection around space allocated to womenwith the anti-war message.


I like Martha Rosler, because with their collages she also convey the injustice, like as the political problems of today. For example the problems in Iran, Palestine, wars etc. I think the world needs artists like Martha Rosler, who reflect reality.







http://www.martharosler.net/ - Martha Rosler Works.




jueves, 12 de abril de 2012

Dorothea Lange - Photographer

Dorothea Lange "The Fallen Angel" 1895 - 1965


Her best known photographic work is developed in the 30's, years of depression in the U.S. 


I think the nickname "the fallen angel" obviously refers to his work as a photographer in one of the worst moments in the United States.
A crisis that hit with force to the peasants, who were forced to leave their homes in search of something better.


Dorothea, was also called “the photograph of the people”. I like her photos because reflects the stark reality, the more human side of this crisis and the saddest. 


"Section after section dried up and blowed away" -( Dallan County, Texas. June 1937 News Paper)

"Dorothea Lange's talented eye brings the Great Depression home for us even today, but an observer might suggest that Dorothea, despite her fame and talent, was as much a captive of a woman's societal roles as the migrant mother she so brilliantly photographed.” - (Kirstin Downey  The Woman Behind the New Deal 2010 p.12)












For me, is admirable see as a woman in those days, had the courage to get up each morning to see the same suffering, but in my opinion, with a clear objective, to demonstrate to the rest of the world the reality that most peasants lived, and thus try to change it. 



“[…]whatever the subjects of her pictures. The commercial photography she engaged in early on helped her perfect the “powerful documentary technique.” ((p. 64)Linda Gordon, Dorothea Lange: A Life Beyond Limits New York: W.W. Norton, 2009 )


From what I've been reading,  Dorothea not only defended human rights, she also defended the rights of women as workers. So I say, thanks to these heroic women who opened the doors to the future generations for be what we are today.




There is a book about Dorothea Lange wroted by Linda Gordon. "Dorothea Lange: A Life Beyond Limits" 


This video is very interesting. A fabulous photography collection of Dorothea Lange.


http://www.dorothea-lange.org/Resources/AboutLange.htm (very good information)



http://www.historyplace.com/unitedstates/lange/index.html


http://www.elangelcaido.org/fotografos/lange/lange.html

http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2009/dec/06/dorothea-lange-biography-review

http://www.shorpy.com/dorothea-lange-photographs - Great collection of Dorothea Lange


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VcSfXLvP_Ck - This last link from youtube, is really interesting, is about the book that Linda Gordon speak about Dorothea, and her work besides other things.

Depression Video.




miércoles, 11 de abril de 2012

week 7 - Identity

Our identity:  We create it ourselves, it is true that sometimes you have to start knowing that our society has already few factors established since many years ago... Sometimes, unfortunately, ambiguous, and closed-minded at times. We are in the XXI century era of technologies, computers, phones and of course Internet, we are lucky. Or not? 
FACEBOOK, I have two totally different ways to see Facebook. Let's call it the "positive" way; we can reflect what we feel, what we like, what we unlike, where I am, share opinions... etc. And inadvertently show to the rest of the world as we are, or what we would like to appear. 
Yes, our identity. But can that be sometimes too much? Could it be that our identity is based on a couple of pictures of our profile? Or how many "likes" we have today in our status? Maybe are we forgetting how to do the same face to face? 



These are only my humble ideas, we are lucky to get into the web and find everything we want, thanks to the good use of it. But can it be sometimes the misuse of the media, influences negatively to some sector of the population, about their identity? (or maybe our selves)








"Social Network analysis showed how conventions were being generated and transmitted in circumstances where the rules of any principal coordinating institution were laking or excluded from consideration" - (Identity and Effect -Jhon R. Campell - 2002p.39)




 “The media’s effects. These effects – it was dissumed – Could best be identified and analysed in termo f changes wich the media were said to have effected in the behaivior of individual exponed to their influence” -  (Culture, society and the media – Michael Gurevitch 1999 p.24)