Dance Me to the End of Love

I have currently found myself admiring the work of a Scottish artisit, Jack Vettriano. I feel that his works do a great deal of capturing emotion and expressing it through the painting. Many times, I believe that people say that paintings capture emotion and I do not see it. I see it through Vettriano's paintings though.

Vettriano received a set of watercolor paints from his girlfriend and found his artistic talent at a young age, but did not feel that he was ready to show his paintings for a great amount of time. The first time he showed his work, both paintings sold on the first day and many other galleries were eager to showcase his work. It was in 1999 that Vettriano's work came over seas and was shown in New York. Many critics say that his work is unimaginative and sometimes vulgar, which I can see people saying that about some of his paintings. A few of Vettriano's works are very sexual, but do capture the emtions, feelings, and thoughts that are in the moment the pitcure portrays.

My favorite painting by Vettriano is titled "Dance Me to the End of Love." This is a watercolor painting that I believe is so intriguing. The overall design of the painting seems simple; however, Vettriano's portrayal of the couple dancing in what seems to be a moonlight atmosphere cannot make you feel anything than butterflies in your stomach, similar to the feeling you get at the end of watching a very good love movie. The couple appears to be dancing in puddles, which reflect their movements.

Although there are two other couples in the painting, it appears that the couple in focus is so infatuated with one another that they do not have another care in the world. Although this painting may look simple and encompass a simple idea, I still feel that it has a great amount of emotion radiating off of it. This goes for the rest of Vettriano's paintings as well. Vettriano also uses few colors in this painting, depicting a grayish tone throughout it.

In some of his works, critics say that Vettriano depicts males as "the predator" and I would probably agree on some of his works. However, this painting is one that displays the love of a man and woman through dancing. They are not shown dancing in a ballroom or at a party with a large amount of people, but instead it is more serenely portrayed that these two people are meant to be together. The only aspect of this painting that bothers me a little bit is I feel that the way the woman's arm is painting, when looked at closely looks almost too short for her body. This can be viewed a little distracting, but other than that I thoroughly enjoy the painting as a whole.

Going GREEN

For this particular blog, I was having some trouble coming up with an idea of what to write about. Thanks to Google, I stumbled upon an awesome website that posts pictures of designs that are innovative and functional, but use things that might be thrown away otherwise. It is called "Inhabitat" and was started by NYC designer Jill Fehrenbacher. Her goal was to "search for new ways to improve the world through forward-thinking, high-tech, and environmentally conscious design" (www.inhabitat.com). The designs pictured immediately captured my attention because of the fact that I had no idea what half of the designs were constructed of because they were so well done.

The first design that caught my eye was a chair. Although the design of the chair seemed quite simplistic and modern like, the inside of the chair was filled with old, rolled-up newspapers for support. The newspapers themselves provided functional form as well as stability in order to keep the chair comfortable and supportive. The chair has sharp edges, not rounded like a nice, squishy chair, but it does serve its functional purpose. The use of the old newspapers was an excellent idea since so many people today get the daily paper and then immediately throw it away, sometimes without even reading. This gives a use to those old newspapers that would otherwise turn into the waste that is polluting our earth.

Another design that I found to be quite hideous but fascinating was an inflatable chair full of garbage. The top part of the chair was full of empty plastic bottles. In the bottom portion of the chair, there were old nylons, a flipper, old paper and cardboard, old plastic and more. I would never put this chair in my house, but I believe the concept of the chair is a great idea. I think this design would have been much more appealing if the designer stuck to trash in a similar color scheme or of a similar family, for example if the bottles were used through out the chair. The idea as great because so many people throw away tons of things every year when it can be turned into art to make a statement or it can be saved and designed for use with a functional purpose.

As for the next design, at first glimpse, I could not tell what the skirts that the two girls shown were made out of. I then realized that they were made completely out of white, plastic spoons! The skirts were put together so intricately that it was difficult to tell that they were not made out of normal skirt materials. The designers of these skirts also make tote bags out of old billboard banners. They are very colorful and functional bags that can be used for everyday use. The group that creates these designs is TOUCH. They work with recycled products to make bags, skirts, and such for women.

I think that designs that can come from recycling products are great. With all of this "going green" talk, it is wonderful to see that the design world is taking it seriously. Hopefully, other people may come to terms with this and begin taking a second thought before throwing certain things away. It is true and proven through these designs that one person's trash is another person's treasure!

IKEA

Now the world’s largest manufacturer of furniture, IKEA is an empire in home furnishing today. Originating in Sweden, IKEA prides itself on its ability to flat-pack furniture that is simple to transport and cheap in cost, but not quality. It was created by Ingvar Kamprad when he was just seventeen years old. Today, this company can be found all over the world.

The designs sold by IKEA are modern and practical, yet still encompass a great deal of style. The idea that products are flat packed, meaning they are all packed in a box somehow, allows for easier transportation by the purchaser. This is also convenient for people who may use public transportation to get around which allows them to purchase the furniture they need without having the burden of worrying about how they are going to transport it. IKEA allows everyone the opportunity to obtain realistic, durable, new furniture to suit their needs while maintaining a stylish appearance.

One of my favorite sections to go into when I go to IKEA is the children’s bedroom section. There are so many creative designs when it comes to the beds, dresses, storage, lamps, basically anything you could think you would need for a bedroom. One of the most intriguing children’s bedroom design I saw is called Mammut. It is this very basic, yet almost cartoon like furniture that you feel like would be seen in a Disney movie. All of the designs in Mammut have wide-bottomed legs and rounded features. The roundedness adds the cartoon-like feature to the furniture. There are also very simple colors used; only blue, red, and pink shades for all of the styles. Although this furniture is easy to grow out of, it is still very unique and captures the childhood spirit.

Another aspect of this furniture that I find very appealing is that it may be recyclable depending on the recycling rules of the community. It is made out of mostly wood. The furniture is also very simple to take care of because all that is necessary is for it to be wiped clean with a damp cloth. I believe this is great for children because they tend to be messy and it would be difficult for a parent to become angry if the furniture got dirty because all they would have to do is wipe it off.

The furniture is also very practical for children. There have been many cases of furniture falling on children which is a parent’s nightmare. This furniture is small and lightweight, which means that the child will be safe when around it. The design also may help teach the child about responsibility and having a clean room. It is easy to take care of and has a very simplistic structure.

The simplicity and realistic aspects of this children’s furniture makes it very practical. It is also stylish furniture that even though it can be grown out of, it is not costly enough to make it pointless to purchase. The fact that it may be recyclable is also a benefit. It will also be easy to transport and set up because of its flat packaging. Overall, I believe that IKEA has some amazing design ideas. It is easy to get consumed in the store because of its endless possibilities for decorating and furnishing a home.

CoAcH

Every girl has something in their life that makes them feel special, whether it be as commercial as make up, shoes, purses, jewelry, or something memorable like a family heirloom. Growing up in a household of six, money was somewhat tight. My sisters and I grew up knowing that there were certain things that we would not even consider asking our parents for, but that did not keep us from looking at those things. For me, Coach purses have always been one of those things. Although they can be quite pricey, I have always thought that they are very fashionable. I also loved the fact that they are covered in the letter “C,” which as a child I was intrigued by since my name also starts with the letter “C.”

It was not until my high school graduation that I received my first Coach purse from my aunt in my favorite color, blue. I can remember opening up the gift bag and seeing the word “Coach” across the box. I was ecstatic, even though I am not the materialistic type. Inside every coach product comes a little booklet that gives a description and history of Coach. After reading this booklet, I began to like Coach even more. The Coach Company began with a small family business. The purses created were modeled after the leather that was used on baseball gloves. The gloves became softer and softer with every catch, which was the beginning of a whole line of designer handbags. It is somewhat ironic that out of a man-dominated sport came an idea for purses for women that have made over millions and millions of dollars.

The design of Coach handbags has remained almost the same since the first bags were created. Coach is known for their durability and practicality. The design acknowledges the functional purpose of the purse while allowing a woman to feel lady-like and classy. Coach purses usually have many pockets and compartments inside of the bag in order to make organization much easier. As the company grew, so did the variations of handbags. However, Coach made sure it continued to create bags that were functional and elegant. They also continued the use of the soft leather they used from the idea of baseball gloves. The fabric and design on Coach purses is also unmistakable. The simple design of repetition of the letter "C" is a signature of Coach. It is the simplicity that makes the designs of Coach so distinguishable.

There are three types of Coach bags: in the hand, over the shoulder, and across the body. In the hand consists of clutches and such that are “grab and go” type purses. They are small, yet serve their purpose. Over the shoulder is the more common type of purse for everyday purposes. These include the hobo bag, crescent bag, as well as the basic purse types. Most of the over the shoulder purses include a great deal of extra room for a woman to carry around all her basic needs. A benefit of the over the shoulder bag is that it can be used for everyday or it can be used for special occasions depending on what a person is looking for out of the bag. Lastly is the across the body bag. This is a smaller purse with a long strap to sit on the shoulder, go across the body, and hang the purse on the opposite hip. This design includes many pockets that are great for putting cell phones, keys, or wallets into. Although it is not as large as the over the shoulder, it still has a very functional purpose to it.

Overall, I believe that Coach purses provide a functional, yet elegant design to the purse world that sometimes is forgotten. A purse is an accessory that can complete and outfit. Although many women will settle for a plain, simple bag that they use every single day without a care, it is nice once in a while to have the option of having a classier, more sophisticated looking bag. I am guilty of just grabbing a purse and going, but every so often I like to use my Coach purse to spruce up my outfit. I love the fact that the design of Coach purses incorporate functionality and sophistication. Although there can be a large price tag on some Coach purses, in the end it seems worth it.

Camille Rose Garcia

In high school, I had an amazing art teacher for three years who taught me a great amount about art and how to build on the small amount of skills I had. My teacher fit the stereotype of an artist that many people have today: pierced nose, multiple tattoos, dark-dyed hair, but we all know that this stereotype is usually untrue. Her class was extraordinarily interesting because she focused on so many different types of artistic styles and techniques. One artist that we studied who caught my attention was a woman by the name of Camille Rose Garcia. Born in Los Angeles, California in 1970, Garcia’s works are a very unique addition to the art world today. She touches on many issues dealing with “an acute political consciousness” (www.sjmusart.org). Her art may be seen as strange or even creepy by some, but it captures the audience’s attention.

Probably the most unique part of her work is that she uses cartoon-like characters to depict her political topics. The characters she uses resemble many famous fairy tale characters. Her inspirations came mainly from “Walt Disney, punk bands like the Dead Kennedys, and sci-fi writer Philip K. Dick (www.sjmusart.org). Garcia grew up in Orange County, California near Disney Land. As a child, she began witnessing the “truths” of “the happiest place on earth.” Garcia caught a behind the scenes glimpse into the reality of this fantasy land. As she grew older, she began to take the contradictions that she witnessed as a child and add them into her art pieces to depict the faults of society today.

A key aspect in Garcia’s work is the muted colors she uses. None of Garcia’s paintings use bright, stand out colors. The tones seem to be dark and add almost gloominess to the work for lack of a better word. Garcia also uses many significant shapes within her work. It is common to see tear drop shapes in the background of her paintings to portray the somberness and seriousness of the issues that she is trying to capture from the audience. Another common aspect is the dry-brushed background over wallpaper. Garcia uses this technique to maintain the childish, yet mature them of her paintings. The wallpaper tends to have repeated designs or images which almost resemble what may be in a child’s room, but this aspect of the painting remains subtle as it is painted over. Garcia also uses a lot of cloud-like images and other things that would be common fairy-tale like images.

Many of Garcia’s works can also be seen as disturbing by some people. There are many images in which there are cartoon animals with their heads cut off, or creepy faces that almost look like they are staring at you. Although all of the characters in the paintings seem creepy, they still have a cuteness to them. They have unusually large heads extremely long arms and legs. Garcia does an amazing job of creating the fairy tale fantasy with a creepy twist.

One of her works that I remember caught my eye but I could not find online was a painting she did of Little Red Riding Hood. Instead of the story about the little girl who is trying to visit her grandmother’s, Garcia turned it into the imagery of a young girl who is coming of age. The girl in the painting is around the age of a girl who would begin menstruation, explaining the color red. The wolf, however, portrays men who try to simply take girls’ innocence. Even though some people may view this as a disturbing twist on a childhood fairy tale, Garcia uses the story to display a real issue in society. I thoroughly enjoy Garcia’s art, even with it’s “creepy” nature.

Cloud Gate

Commonly referred to as "The Bean", Cloud Gate captures the beauty of the elaborate skyline in downtown Chicago. Cloud Gate was designed by the artist Anish Kapoor and is strategically placed in Millennium Park. Although there are many works of art in Millennium Park, Cloud Gate is the largest work of art in the park. It is said that Kapoor found inspiration for this work from liquid mercury. Many people refer to this work as "The Bean" because of its bean-like shape. When looked at from a distance, Cloud Gate actually resembles a massive, silver bean in the middle of the park. However, when viewed more closely, Cloud Gate reflects not only the buildings and architecture that make Chicago the magnificent, but also the sky and natural beauty that surrounds it.

I have visited Cloud Gate multiple times through out summers of spending time downtown. At first, the sight of Cloud Gate made me somewhat nauseas. The reflection and distortion of the surroundings up close were somewhat difficult to get used to. However, it was not long before I realized the beauty of this simply shaped object. It is sometimes easy to look at a work of art and be judgmental. I originally was unhappy when I saw Cloud Gate because so many people made a big deal about how fascinating this work was. After observing Cloud Gate from a distance and up close, I realized that it must have taken a great amount of planning in order to create the impression that Cloud Gate leaves with people.

Cloud Gate displays a very futuristic type of art. The work is not something a person sees everyday. It is composed of many steel sheets that were placed together and then polished to resemble unity in the artwork. It is almost mystical in a sense because of its shape and extremely shiny composition. One of the best aspects of Cloud Gate is that it draws you to it. No one can resist going up to Cloud Gate and exploring it with their eyes, hands, and even cameras. People spend a great deal of time trying to capture the beauty of Cloud Gate in a picture, but this is a difficult task. I believe that Cloud Gate is almost like a "gateway" to the city. The reflection of the buildings, people, and surrounding nature leaves visitors memorized. How can such a simple looking object be so mysterious?

It is also fascinating to think about how this great object was created. The design is simple, but the execution of putting this object together was very difficult. All in all, the total cost of Cloud Gate was over twenty-three million dollars! It was built on sight because it would be to difficult to transport the almost one hundred and ten ton work. I keep referring to the simplicity of the work, but the planning must have been extensive in order to develop a design that would capture the city as a whole. The design of Cloud Gate also allows for the artwork to be interactive in a sense. People from all over can come up to the work and touch it, and even stand beneath it.

I believe that art exists in everything. Things that are simple in design, like Cloud Gate, still encompass the ability to impact people simply through them viewing the work. Cloud Gate was an extensive project to complete, but contains a strong sense of simplicity. I believe it is Cloud Gate's simplicity that makes it such a wonderful addition to the city. When visiting the city, I also notice how everyone is rushing around, not paying any attention to their surroundings. I have never really seen people just stop in the middle of the sidewalk, look up, and absorb the beauty of the buildings and skyline. Cloud Gate allows people to view the beauty that they tend to miss. I would highly recommend going downtown and visiting Cloud Gate. It is a fascinating sight and a must see, even for Chicagoans.