Anya Gallaccio

When I tell people I am an installation artist I am often asked what installation art is, and what exactly is it that I make?  I make environments, I make a new ambiance in a space.  

I may not know exactly how to define what I do, but an artist I recently looked up has one definition.  She defines it through her installations.  It is one artists interpretation of installation art and it is luminous.  Anya Gallaccio makes spaces, such as her room at the Camden Art Centre in London, or her installation, as long as there were any roads to amnesia and anaethesia still to be explored.  My personal favorite is her Glaschu installation showed in 1999.  

Installation artists, and artists in general, are not limited to one media.  Gallaccio, like myself, creates objects as well.  She has an attention to craft and a refinement which I hope my work one day possesses.  900 red gerbera 'beauty' pressed behind glass, is a wonderful set of three wall hangings.  Like we've never met are two doors.

Gallaccio makes works that touch on art history, such as red on white, a note on Malevich's White on White.  To be in touch with art history is smart for an artist, to be able to refer back to it in a new and interesting way makes an artist great.

I am unsure of what my future holds.  All I know that for now my aim is to create an ambiance with as much simplicity, and elegance as Gallaccio.

Building Bridges

When you are an artist you build a bridge from yourself to the public.  One of the many reasons I was happy to find this the other morning!

Artists Critiques

I was anonymously critiqued by artists working in a variety of different media.  I saw that my installation could use more of a sense of comfort, whether through bright colors, throw rugs, or blankets on the nearby futon.  I also was given the feedback that I could add a step in my artist statement that connects the process of building things creates joy, and how playing makes you happy.  

I also got the feedback that I had good variety in my carvings, that my artist statement was inviting, and had a simplicity, as well as being informative.  My fellow artists enjoyed the idea of play therapy, and that my installation was interactive, and a group or solitary experience.  They thought the idea of abstracting the healing process was interesting, and that the marks I carved made them think about how injury works.

Overall, the feedback I got was very exciting, and helped me think about my piece from a spectators eyes.

This Morning

This morning I found something that made me smile ear to ear!

More progress and more people building!

Re-Creation

I built my studio gallery two days ago.  In this installation I have left out carved wooden blocks and asked others to build through my artist statement.

I left them wooden blocks in an array of sizes.

I started by placing a few carved blocks stacked on the table, to encourage others to join.
I came back yesterday and found...

(A Close Up)

(A Close Up)

Finger Painting Is For Kids

Finger painting was always a pastime I enjoyed.  But, as I got older I was given a brush, told to be neater, tidier, I was given a picture that my painting was to look like.  So, I walked away.  Recently I had an urge to paint.  I went to a paint store and bought colors I thought went together.  I also bought a 4 foot by 8 foot piece of drywall.  I was going to paint.

It was not until a few days ago that I actually started the process.  An hour before I was supposed to be in a class I felt particularly discouraged.  I was over it; over drawing, painting, making art, living life in a particular way.  So I painted.  I open the cans of paint and put color after color on my dry wall.  Below are some close ups of my finger, palm, and drip painting.

The result was fun, and messy, and left me drained with my heart on my "canvas."

Lately

Lately, I've been having difficulty getting out of bed.
Lately, I've wanted to hibernate my life away.
Lately, I haven't been able to make a mark.
Lately, I've lost myself.

And then I had an idea.
And then I bought 10 colors of paint.
And then I bought a 4 foot by 8 foot sheet of dry wall.
And then I released all inhibitions.
And then I forgot all the "rules" of painting, and formal art.
And then I made a mark.
My mark.
All across the dry wall.  With my hands, I finger painted.  I palm painted.  I drip painted.  I painted.

And now I am rejuvenated.
And now I have an idea.
And now I have the boldness of a child, and the knowledge of someone older.
And now I am reborn.

Artist Statement 10/10/2014

1. Trauma leaves scars.
2. Healing takes both time and hard work.
3. Joy is good for distracting oneself and great for healing.

Build something.  Invite others to join.

Open Studio

I am excited to share my open studio with anyone who wishes to participate in the experience.  Creating this space has been surreal.  I hope the public stops for a moment and enjoys.

On the platform lay the wooden carved blocks I have been working on.


(A detail)

I have added my artist statement in hopes it will invite people to participate.

I hope people will take the opportunity to build and tell their friends.

Gallery Show

The work that goes into preparing for a gallery show is exciting.  As an artist, I am nervous, giddy, excited, by the very idea of hanging my work in a gallery.  The very notion of having the general public view my art is humbling, and nerve-wracking.  In a gallery show I cannot control what the public perceives, or why they perceive it.  Nonetheless, it is still an experience every artist should enjoy.

Recently I had the honor of hanging an Intro to Studio classes work.  These budding artists do not know their work is hung yet.  I am excited to see their reaction.  As many of these artists came in to the class not thinking they could draw, or not thinking what they made was, in fact, art, I am excited to see what their response will be when their pieces are placed in a gallery setting.

I remember when I had my first piece of art in a gallery.  Outside of the gallery setting I was not aware of the pieces power.  But, once it was in a gallery, I saw it with new eyes.  The piece was important.  It was magical.  I hope to share these feelings with these artists.

Below are images of their first gallery show.  Hopefully the first of many.

(Entryway)

(Left wing)

(Right wing)

A Thought.

1.        Trauma leaves scars.
2.      .   Healing takes both time and hard work.
3.          Joy is good for distracting oneself and is great for healing.
4.         Take some time to build something.
5.          Invite others to join.

Lygia Clark

I recently came across an artist named Lygia Clark.  (Here I have linked to my favorite of her works.)

She creates wonderful installation work.  The simplicity and elegance of which appears comes naturally.  The effortlessness of these organic metal works is wonderful.

Brian Winkenweder always told me, the most difficult thing is to make an effort filled piece, look effortless.  This is what Clark has done.

I am deeply inspired by her use of negative space, which becomes equally as important as the positive space.

Building Blocks

Part of the elegance the concept of the beeswax moulds has lacked is simplicity.  I want people to feel the experience and not have to ponder it for extreme lengths of time.  That is not to say I want a piece of work that will not grow, both in concept and aesthetics, with time.  I have needed to clarify, and solidify what I truly want from this work.

I have been creating these wooden forms for a while now...

Something I realized, is that when placed and stacked, these pieces make unique negative space.  This realization was solidified when I presented the multitude of wooden forms to fellow artists.

My friends started to stack the pieces in different ways.  Each person had a different way to stack these pieces.  They also helped each other when stacking them.  The marks I had carved into the pieces, along with the force of gravity,  allowed them to stack.


Then, something wonderful happened to the stack.  The stack started to tip, and everyone in the room held their breath.  And...



It fell.

The smile that appeared on Taryn's face was wonderful.  She laughed.  Everyone else did too.  And then...

The people worked together to make something new.

It was magical, truly magical.  This is what I want from my art.  Thus, a new direction unfolds itself to me.  I am excited to see where it takes me.