Structuring Human Space
24 April 2020
The Work of Ebony G. Patterson
Ebony G. Patterson is an artist who has gained the attention of many through her colorful and provocative art. She explores many concepts from disenfranchisement, masculinity, gender, and the dancehall culture of Jamaica. She uses her culture and heritage in many of her works to give her audience insight into her life and upbringing. She has created works on paper, installations, performances, textiles, and photography throughout her career.
Patterson was born in Kingston, Jamaica in 1981. Around the time of her birth, Dancehall music and culture was entering the pop culture scene in Jamaica. It grew rapidly and became a huge part of Jamaican life. Beth Lesser, a writer and photographer who was one of the first to document the rise of this movement says “You wouldn’t have known this was going on, looking at Jamaica from the perspective of Canada or the US, but when we got there, it was so huge you couldn’t possibly avoid it” (Exploring Jamaica’s...). Patterson grew up surrounded by this culture, and the fact it was so hidden from other countries gave her an opportunity to share it with the rest of the world through her own perspective. She still lives in Kingston, and works in Lexington, Kentucky (Moniquemeloche).
She has received extensive training in many different crafts. In 2004 she graduated from Edna Manley College of Visual and Performing Arts in Kingston, Jamaica where she studied painting. She then continued her education and received a MFA in printmaking and drawing from the Sam Fox School of Design and Visual Art at Washington University in St. Louis (Wikipedia). Her educational experience provided a strong foundation for her artwork, she started working mostly on paper and in more recent years she has expanded her craft to include multimedia works and installation pieces.
Untitled Haitian Flag Project (Figure #1) and Swag Swag Krew (revised) (Figure #2) are two of Patterson’s most widely known works. In Untitled Haitian Flag Project, Patterson “presented an installation of “flags” that brought her provocative “Gangstas for Life” iconography in dialogue with the spiritual splendor of the traditional Haitian Vodou flags” (National Gallery…). The flags represent traditional religious values but depict faces that are more pop-culture inspired than spiritual. The combination creates a dichotomy that represents Haitian and Jamaican culture, which are neighboring countries. Swag Swag Krew (revised) carries on the representation of Jamaican culture, with much more pop-culture influences than Untitled Haitian Flag Project. The figures sit atop a tapestried pedestal, which makes the piece resemble an altar, similar to the way the flags in Figure #1 are arranged. Patterson also evolves her use of adornment between these pieces. In Untitled Haitian Flag Project, she uses flashy beads, sequins, and patterns to dress and contextualize the figures she depicts in the effort to capture the attention of the viewer. She pushes this concept even further in Figure #2, where not only are the garments of the figures spectacularly displayed, but the figures themselves are covered in “kaleidoscopic” (Ebony Patterson…) patterns. Over the course of time between these two works, Patterson has pushed and expanded her use of extravagance to communicate with the audience.
First Deconstruction
Figure #1 depicts Patterson’s installation of Untitled Haitian Flag Project. The series of five tapestries, objects, and candles combined spirituality with the gang culture that persists throughout their culture. Patterson utilizes pattern, color, unity, and texture to illustrate these concepts.
The use of pattern in Untitled Haitian Flag Project is one of the most prominent features of the piece. The tapestries display brightly colored floral patterns displayed behind male faces to create an intersection between the genders. According to the National Gallery of Jamaica Blog, “for this project, Patterson recontextualized photographic images of young black males within the iconography of Haitian Vodou, referencing the loas Erzili Danto, Erzili Freda, Ren Kongo, Ayida Wedo and the Marasas (sacred twins) — all except for the latter female”. The patterns help to contextualize the reference to these female spirits from the Haitian Vodou religion by using floral patterns to represent femininity. Transgenderism is not a taboo part of this religion, because “your gender, whether it matches your sex or not, has no impact upon your ability to serve the lwa” (Haitian Vodou…), and the combination of this concept with the more traditionally masculine gang culture of Haiti displays how these cultures interact within society, not only in Haiti but also in surrounding nations. She also creates patterns of sequins and beads which also represent gang culture and the flashy jewelry that many gang members wear to signify their status and money. Patterson chooses to combine these conflicting views of Vodou gender acceptance and gang machismo to highlight the contrast between them and bring to light the lack of tolerance and the fear towards genders and sexualities that are viewed as unmasculine.
Patterson’s use of color is employed to enhance the patterns in this piece and strengthen the connections and references that she is making. The color palette that is used to decorate the figures consists of mainly yellow, pink, and red hues, which are warm shades that are typically associated with femininity. Patterson also uses color to connect the flowers and objects beneath each tapestry to the corresponding flag. The trim of each of the flags matches the flowers beneath exactly which creates a bond with each and strengthens the notion of each flag representing an altar. In the figures, their skin color is a much darker, cooler tone, which represents masculinity. By doing this, the relationship between the female Vodou spirits and cultural masculinity standards is strengthened.
Texture also plays an important role in the definition of concepts in this piece. One of the main purposes of texture in this piece is to catch the eye of the viewer. The shiny sequins of the beads and sequins catch and reflect light which grabs the viewer’s attention. Patterson also uses the flashy, eye-catching textures to help define the gang culture references in the piece. They help to define the connection to the chains and other jewelry that gang members often wear to signify money.
Pattern, color, and texture all work together to create unity in this piece. Patterson repeats the use of these different elements, while altering their use slightly from tapestry to tapestry to create unity between them. She repeats floral patterns to create a universal sense of femininity throughout the piece as a whole. Her use of the repeated warm color palette, and repeated cool, dark skin tone help to define the contrast between Vodou and gang cultures. Finally, the consistent use of flashy beads and sequins strengthens the connection between the two contrasting cultures.
Second Deconstruction
Figure #2 displays Swag Swag Krew (revised), a collection of male mannequins that are brightly patterned and decorated, similar to the Untitled Haitian Flag Project. This piece revisits the concept of masculinity that Patterson often bases her work off. However in this piece, she also focuses on the intersection of fashion and masculinity that was created in the Dancehall culture that Patterson grew up surrounded by. These concepts are conveyed through Patterson’s use of pattern, contrast, form, and variety.
Pattern operates in this piece somewhat similar to how it operates in the Untitled Haitian Flag Project. The fabric that covers the mannequins to act as skin have patterns that are very organic. Most of them are patterned with flowers or use shapes that resemble flowers. The floral theme, that was also used in Figure #1, creates a sense of femininity. These patterns are used to create a connection to a “marginalized” part of Jamaican dancehall culture, which is homosexuality. Femininity displayed by men is a multi-cultural stereotype that signifies homosexuality. According to Donna P. Hope’s dissertation “Man vibes: Discourses of masculinity in Jamaican dancehall culture”, “this anti-male homosexual ethos in dancehall culture is predominantly a male-male discourse that often highlights the male paranoia and unease about male homosexuality that, as a general rule, underpins Jamaican masculinity” (p. 141). The feminine patterns on the mannequins, not only their skin, but also their clothing, make the connection to this mentality that was prevalent in Jamaican Dancehall culture.
Form also works in this piece to build the concept of masculinity. In the Untitled Haitian Flag Project, Patterson used male faces to represent masculinity. In this piece, she expands this concept by using mannequins. The mannequins are positioned with wide foot stances and strong, broad shoulders to show masculinity. Their poses are crucial in defining the machismo that Patterson seeks to comment on.
Patterson also employs variety in this piece to help define the concepts of femininity and masculinity. Aside from the highly decorated mannequins, there are several different objects surrounding and interacting with the figures. Strung from the ceiling and scattered around the forms are brightly colored flowers, which are another symbol of femininity. On the other hand, bottles of alcohol and cars, for example a bright red model of a Mustang GT, represent masculine values that connect back to the gang culture that Patterson frequently references. The cars and alcohol could be symbols of money and are also stereotypically associated with gang culture.
Contrast is also another important aspect of this piece. Contrast is formed in this work by the juxtaposition of the feminine patterns and masculine forms. There is also a lot of contrast between the different patterns themself, in which a variety of different shapes, lines and color are used to display the vibrant fashion that developed within the Dancehall movement. Against the masculine forms, it notes the intersection of masculinity and homosexuality. This is furthered by the flowers and other objects that surround the figures.
Summary
To conclude, Patterson is a master of employing the elements and principles of design to convey a message. Her body of work is full of highly nuanced art that has multiple layers of complexity and creates conversations about aspects of society that are often overlooked or treated as too uncomfortable for discussion.
She combines different parts of society, from religion, to gender, to sexuality, to Dancehall culture, and even to gang culture. Gender is one aspect of her work that is constantly fluid and frequently appears in her work. In both Figures #1 and #2, she combines both male and female concepts to create a commentary about how each gender functions in interaction and opposition to one another.
In Figure #1, Patterson decorated male faces with traditionally female adornments, and displayed them as representations of female religious spirits. By doing this the viewer is forced to question not only masculinity itself, but why it is often such a rigid point in society. The work allows the viewer to consider masculinity in a more softened fashion, where men can display femininity but without being emasculated.
This concept evolves in Swag Swag Krew, pinpointing the fears of men who feel threatened by femininity and homosexuality. Overall these concepts are not often discussed by society, and Patterson does an exceptional job of bringing these issues to light and not just push a specific agenda about a specific culture, but open the conversation to a universal level.
Figure #1
Ebony G. Patterson
Untitled Haitian Flag Project, 2009
Mixed media installation, five hand embellished digital printed flags, with objects, food, flowers, candles, and pussy bulletz
Dimensions Variable
Figure #2
Ebony G Patterson
Swag Swag Krew, 2011-2013
Mixed on mannequins, flowers, alcohol, umbrella on plinth
Dimensions Variable
Works Cited
“Ebony G. Patterson: Dead Treez.” Header-Logo, madmuseum.org/exhibition/ebony-g-patterson-dead-treez.
“Ebony Patterson.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 24 Mar. 2020, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ebony_Patterson.
“Haitian Vodou and Transgenderism/Transsexuality.” Kiwi Mojo, 29 Dec. 2016, kiwimojo.com/home/haitian-vodou/articles-and-extras/haitian-vodou-and-transgenderismtranssexuality/.
McLeod, Sheri-kae. “Exploring Jamaica's Early Dancehall Culture.” Culture Trip, The Culture Trip, 30 Oct. 2017, theculturetrip.com/caribbean/jamaica/articles/exploring-jamaicas-early-dancehall-culture/.
Monique Meloche Gallery, moniquemeloche.com/exhibitions/ebony-g-patterson/.
Nationalgalleryofjamaica. “Ebony G. Patterson.” National Gallery of Jamaica Blog, 12 May 2010, nationalgalleryofjamaica.wordpress.com/2010/01/06/ebony-g-patterson/.
Sterling, Marvin. (2011). Man Vibes: Masculinities in the Jamaican Dancehall (Donna P. Hope). Dancecult. 3. 129-131. 10.12801/1947-5403.2011.03.01.06.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rachel McAndrew
Jen Pepper
Structuring Human Space 1 May 2020
Louise Bourgeois
Louise Bourgeois is an American artist who was born in Paris, France on December 25,
1911. Her parents owned a tapestry restoration store which led to helping Bourgeois become more involved with art. She helped her parents at a young age in the tapestry restoration business by drawing missing factors in the tapestries. This is a very complex job to do because it requires focus and creativity. Later on in her life, Bourgeois studied mathematics in school but then turned her back on math and focussed more on the evolution of her art( Louise...The Museum). She studied at the Académie de la Grande-Chaumiére, the École du Louvre, and the École des Beaux- Arts. Bourgeois’ mother died in 1932 and was deeply effected by her loss and this is what influenced her to switch her studies from mathematics to art (Biography). Bourgeois was married in 1938 to American art historian Robert Goldwater. The married couple then moved to New York in the United States, where they created a family of their own, surrounded by her art. Bourgeois’ art evolved many times. She first started out with painting and also enjoyed printmaking, but later on in her years in New York, she developed a new connection with sculpture in the 1940’s. During the years of the 1950s and 1960s, Bourgeois took a break from her art work because she was in therapy and psychoanalysis. After her break, she got right back into doing her art and used a variety of materials with similar themes.
The themes of her work were very centralized around fear, anger and loneliness (Louise... The Museum). Bourgeois died on May 31, 2010 in Manhattan, New York at the age of 98 (Biography).
Jen Pepper
Structuring Human Space 1 May 2020
Louise Bourgeois
Louise Bourgeois is an American artist who was born in Paris, France on December 25,
1911. Her parents owned a tapestry restoration store which led to helping Bourgeois become more involved with art. She helped her parents at a young age in the tapestry restoration business by drawing missing factors in the tapestries. This is a very complex job to do because it requires focus and creativity. Later on in her life, Bourgeois studied mathematics in school but then turned her back on math and focussed more on the evolution of her art( Louise...The Museum). She studied at the Académie de la Grande-Chaumiére, the École du Louvre, and the École des Beaux- Arts. Bourgeois’ mother died in 1932 and was deeply effected by her loss and this is what influenced her to switch her studies from mathematics to art (Biography). Bourgeois was married in 1938 to American art historian Robert Goldwater. The married couple then moved to New York in the United States, where they created a family of their own, surrounded by her art. Bourgeois’ art evolved many times. She first started out with painting and also enjoyed printmaking, but later on in her years in New York, she developed a new connection with sculpture in the 1940’s. During the years of the 1950s and 1960s, Bourgeois took a break from her art work because she was in therapy and psychoanalysis. After her break, she got right back into doing her art and used a variety of materials with similar themes.
The themes of her work were very centralized around fear, anger and loneliness (Louise... The Museum). Bourgeois died on May 31, 2010 in Manhattan, New York at the age of 98 (Biography).
Louise Bourgeois has very famous works and they are very intriguing and pull the audience in. Her work is influenced by her feelings and she likes to create sculpture based on memories. The created Maman in 1999 and Father and Son in 2005. Big influences on her works are family. Bourgeois was a big family person although not having the best life growing up and seeing her father cheat on her mother with the family aid (Louise... The Museum). Family was a great influence on her work and it really shows because her most famous works, like Father and Son and Maman come from her family experiences.
In figure one, Maman is shown. It was made in 1999, and is 30.4 x 29.25 x 33.6 feet in dimensions. It is made of steel and marble and weighs about 8064.5 pounds. It is a very large spider that is supported by large steel beams that allow visitors to walk under the structure. There is also a mesh sack under the belly of the spider that implies that the spider is a mother because the sack contains marbles that look like eggs. Bourgeois had a series of spider works from 1994 to 1999 and were similar to Maman. The French word “maman” translates to “mummy,” which is a slang word for “mother.” The sculpture is in memory of her mother, who was her best friend. She is depicted as a spider because Bourgeois saw her as useful, dainty, clever, patient, and indispensable, like a spider. She made the sculpture look sharp and pointy because she wanted to fight her fears of her childhood trauma and abandonment that she felt (Tate). The most dominant elements and principals of design are form, line, shape, and volume.
Design and form are very important in this piece because the design of the spider was well thought of. The form of the spider is standing upright, showing power and determination.
In figure one, Maman is shown. It was made in 1999, and is 30.4 x 29.25 x 33.6 feet in dimensions. It is made of steel and marble and weighs about 8064.5 pounds. It is a very large spider that is supported by large steel beams that allow visitors to walk under the structure. There is also a mesh sack under the belly of the spider that implies that the spider is a mother because the sack contains marbles that look like eggs. Bourgeois had a series of spider works from 1994 to 1999 and were similar to Maman. The French word “maman” translates to “mummy,” which is a slang word for “mother.” The sculpture is in memory of her mother, who was her best friend. She is depicted as a spider because Bourgeois saw her as useful, dainty, clever, patient, and indispensable, like a spider. She made the sculpture look sharp and pointy because she wanted to fight her fears of her childhood trauma and abandonment that she felt (Tate). The most dominant elements and principals of design are form, line, shape, and volume.
Design and form are very important in this piece because the design of the spider was well thought of. The form of the spider is standing upright, showing power and determination.
The design on the spider appears to look like a daddy-long-leg spider, which also shows power because of the parent-like name. The design and form stand out very well in this piece by Bourgeois. The shape and volume also stand out in this piece because the legs are very sharp, long, and pointed. Which gives off an intense, harsh feeling. This relates to the reason of the creation of the piece and Bourgeois being abandoned as a child.
Bourgeois’s piece Father and Son is also related to family. It is a fountain that was made in 2005 and is made of stainless steel, water, aluminum, and bronze bell. The structure stands at 36 x 26 feet with a water basin for the fountain that is 77 inches wide and 57 inches tall. The water fountain covers the father figure in water first and then shifts over to the son and uncovers the father. This relates the the real relationships that fathers have with sons in showing vulnerability and determination to overcome high waters and problems between each other (Bourgeois... Father). The most prominent elements and principals of design in this piece are form and repetition.
The repetition in the piece is very impactful and dominant because the water continues to go in a loop, first covering the father in water, and then switching to cover the son in water. The repetition of this shows that the constant problems that fathers and sons face are always seen through and eliminated, just to have a new one face them in the end. Form is another prominent piece in this work because the form of the figures have outstretched arms, like the father and son are reaching out for each other. This shows effort from both sides of the relationship to help each other.
Louise Bourgeois was a very emotional artist that ties in her emotion and memories into her work. Her repetitive use of family also symbolized that she was a family person that relied on
Bourgeois’s piece Father and Son is also related to family. It is a fountain that was made in 2005 and is made of stainless steel, water, aluminum, and bronze bell. The structure stands at 36 x 26 feet with a water basin for the fountain that is 77 inches wide and 57 inches tall. The water fountain covers the father figure in water first and then shifts over to the son and uncovers the father. This relates the the real relationships that fathers have with sons in showing vulnerability and determination to overcome high waters and problems between each other (Bourgeois... Father). The most prominent elements and principals of design in this piece are form and repetition.
The repetition in the piece is very impactful and dominant because the water continues to go in a loop, first covering the father in water, and then switching to cover the son in water. The repetition of this shows that the constant problems that fathers and sons face are always seen through and eliminated, just to have a new one face them in the end. Form is another prominent piece in this work because the form of the figures have outstretched arms, like the father and son are reaching out for each other. This shows effort from both sides of the relationship to help each other.
Louise Bourgeois was a very emotional artist that ties in her emotion and memories into her work. Her repetitive use of family also symbolized that she was a family person that relied on
people that made her feel at home. Artists like Bourgeois are very important in our society because they teach us that family and security is important. Bourgeois did not have the best childhood growing up but she still learned that family is everything. The size of her works are also very important because they are so large, signifying that the importance of memory and family is very abundant and powerful. Louise Bourgeois is a very important artist in the sculptural world and teaches us many lessons throughout her art works.
Figure One
Louise Bourgeois, Maman, 1999, stainless steel and marble, 30.4 x 29.25 x 33.6 feet
https://www.gallery.ca/magazine/in-the-spotlight/louise-bourgeois-sculpture-maman-a-musical-
interpretation-by-rob-kapilow
Figure One
Louise Bourgeois, Maman, 1999, stainless steel and marble, 30.4 x 29.25 x 33.6 feet
https://www.gallery.ca/magazine/in-the-spotlight/louise-bourgeois-sculpture-maman-a-musical-
interpretation-by-rob-kapilow
Figure Two
Louise Bourgeois, Father and Son, 2005, stainless steel, aluminum, bronze bell and water, 36 x 26 feet for water basin, Father figure: 77 inches tall, Son figure: 57 inches tall
https://www.christianart.today/daily-gospel-reading/114
Louise Bourgeois, Father and Son, 2005, stainless steel, aluminum, bronze bell and water, 36 x 26 feet for water basin, Father figure: 77 inches tall, Son figure: 57 inches tall
https://www.christianart.today/daily-gospel-reading/114
Works Cited
“Biography - Louise Bourgeois - The Easton Foundation.” The Easton Foundation 1, www.theeastonfoundation.org/biography.
Bourgeois, Louise. “Father and Son.” Father and Son – Works – EMuseum, 1 Jan. 1970, art.seattleartmuseum.org/objects/31755/father-and- son;jsessionid=0ABF3328806DFE710D0C78745F66167D.
“Louise Bourgeois.” The Museum of Modern Art, 2020, www.moma.org/artists/710.
Tate. “'Maman', Louise Bourgeois, 1999.” Tate, 1 Jan. 1999, www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/ bourgeois-maman-t12625.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Claire Woods
SA 132
Professor Pepper
01 May 2020
Richard Serra
Controversy in the art world is always an interesting moment. It brings on the question "what is, or isn't, art?". Richard Serra is an American sculptor of the post-Abstract Expressionist era. He has found his way into artistic controversy with his work. Serra is an amazing artist and is very well known for his large steel pieces. He can make the viewer wonder what is going on, and wonder why he did it.
Serra was born on November 2, 1938, in San Francisco, California. His Russian-Jewish mother and Spanish father had him and two other boys, Richard being a middle child. He wasn't exposed to much of the outside world as a child. His creativity began when he was four years old, experiencing the launch of an oil tanker at the Marine Shipyard. The curve of the ship's hall was what inspired him to make the pieces he has done ("Richard Serra Biography, Life & Quotes.").
Serra studied English Literature at the University of California at Santa Barbara and graduated with his Bachelor's degree in 1961. During his study, he supported himself by working at a steel mill. He then went on to receive a Master's degree at Yale University where he was taught how to paint. While working on his Master's, he worked closely with now well-known artists Chuck Close and Brice Marden. Serra traveled to Paris and spent time drawing, and then went to Italy and practiced a grid-style painting technique that he eventually abandoned. It wasn't until he made a trip to Spain that he realized his dissatisfaction with the limiting two-dimensional paintings. This is what caused the turning-point of his artistic career. He began to test the waters by using animals, alive or stuffed, in cages which eventually got shut down by the police due to the public uproar ("Richard Serra Biography, Life & Quotes."). Once returning to the United States in 1966, Serra began sculpting his enormous metal works. His previous job in the steel mill contributed to these works of art.
Tilted Arc
Serra started controversy with an art installation of his in 1981. In the middle of Federal Plaza in New York City Serra installed his sculpture Tilted Arc. This was a giant curving wall of steel that was 120 feet long and 12 feet high. The Tilted Arc completely disrupted the environment around it. People had to walk around the sculpture to get where they were going. Their view of the other side of the plaza was practically eliminated by this piece; People began being aware of their movements when having to circumnavigate around the sculpture. This was completely Serra's intention as he says "The viewer becomes aware of himself and his movement through the plaza. As he moves, the sculpture changes. Contraction and expansion of the sculpture result from the viewer's movement. Step by step the perception not only of the sculpture but of the entire environment changes." ("Culture Shock: Flashpoints: Visual Arts: Richerd Serra's Tilted Arc."). There ended up being protests and public hearings around the Tilted Arc. Serra didn’t want to move the arc as the people wanted, because the environment it was in was a piece of the sculpture. In 1989, the court decided to remove the sculpture from its site and was then dismantled.
I enjoy this piece because of the effects it had on the viewers. It made them uncomfortably aware of themselves which isn't always an easy job to accomplish as an artist. What allowed this sculpture to do so were a few elements and principles of design that Serra put into consideration when creating. The scale is one principle that went into the Tilted Arc. Its massive size is what ultimately made the piece uncomfortable to people because it disrupted what they could see. The curve creates movement visually and causes physical movement for the viewers. When looking at Tilted Arc, your eyes follow the curve. People were forced to move around the curve and follow it due to it being in the middle of a previous walkway. Space was considered when the piece was being made specifically for Federal Plaza. Serra knew he wanted to take up a lot of space, but not in a linear way, hence the curve. In my opinion, he successfully manipulated the space to get the viewers to do what he anticipated. However, since the sculpture has been taken down, some people may believe that he did not successfully use his space. I believe that Serra's use of texture was also a very smart one. The steel is completely smooth. The arc itself looks very simple when the scale isn't being considered which I think is smart. There is no distraction from the main intention of the piece.
7
Another beautiful piece of work by Serra is 7. This is one of the tallest artworks ever produced by Serra. It is 78 feet tall and 8 inches high and made from 7 steel plates, hence the name 7. The steel plates are arranged in a heptagon. This piece was made for the Museum of Islamic Art in Doha, Qatar. This sculpture is the tallest piece of art in Qatar. 7 is Serra's first piece to ever be showcased in the Middle East. The number 7 holds spiritual significance in Islamic culture. It was created with supports to accommodate any expansion and contraction of the metal from the large temperature differences that occur in the Middle East. When 7 gets hit by mists from the sea it shows the metal reacting to the corrosive sea salt, creating a variety of colors and textures ("THE'7' SCULPTURE.").
The form is an element that I think is executed successfully in 7. The heptagon shape that is created from a birds-eye view helps symbolize Islamic culture immensely. The reason for this sculpture is completely captured by the shape, creating a spiritual feeling when viewing. Another element is texture; Serra didn’t exactly make the texture 7 has now but took into consideration the texture it would acquire. The piece started as smooth metal and has turned into a corroded tower. The texture makes this piece interesting; it is naturally made and keeps the viewers' eyes moving. Every area of the sculpture looks different depending on how much sea-mist has hit. Harmony takes a roll in this piece as well, since 7 is made of 7 separate steel plates with the arrangement of these plates, you can see they aren't in proper shape. However, we know that it is one. It also has unity with its environment, the piece feels like it belongs to the sea. The scale is what makes 7 different. It is so tall that it makes it unique on its own. Serra made a sculpture that will not be looked passed when viewers are around. It feels like a monument.
Works Cited
“Culture Shock: Flashpoints: Visual Arts: Richerd Serra's Tilted Arc.” PBS, Public Broadcasting
Service, www.pbs.org/wgbh/cultureshock/flashpoints/visualarts/tiltedarc_a.html.
“Richard Serra Biography, Life & Quotes.” The Art Story,
www.theartstory.org/artist/serrarichard/life-and-legacy/#biography_header.
“THE'7' SCULPTURE.” '7' Sculpture, www.mia.org.qa/en/mia-park/serra.
Emily Cone
Jen Pepper
SA- 132 Structuring Human Space
28 April 2020
Jeff Koons
Jeff Koons is an American artist born on January 21, 1955 in York, Pennsylvania who now lives and works in New York City (Wainwright). He is well known for his large sculptures depicting balloon animals and other objects that appeal to popular taste. His style, which is a mixture of pop art, conceptual art, and appropriation, is considered to be neo-pop. He uses consumerism and mass culture as themes in much of his work, taking kitsch objects, or poor-quality objects that appeal to the masses, and transforming them into high art that appeals to the elite. Portraying opposing ideas is another common aspect of Koons’ artwork. In addition to combining kitsch and high culture, he also combines the ideas of weightlessness and mass in his balloon animal sculptures as they are very large but appear to weigh very little (Jeff Koons).
Jeff Koons studied at the Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore, where he received his BFA in 1976, and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (Biography). After his schooling, he moved to New York City. He had his first solo show in 1980 and since then, his work has been displayed all over the world. Koons has come a long way in these past forty years and has gained much success in his career. He’s received many awards including the Governor’s Awards for the Arts “Distinguished Arts Award” from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, the “Golden Plate Award” from the Academy of Achievement, and the State Department's Medal of Arts which was awarded by Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton in 2012 (Biography). In addition to this, Koons’ work has the highest prices of any living artist. His piece, Rabbit, sold for $91.1 million in 2019, which set a record for the most expensive piece of art by a living artist (Reyburn).
The two works of Koons’ that I will be basing my deconstructive analyses on are Balloon Dog (Blue) and Puppy. These pieces are both very similar and very different in many ways. They are both oversized sculptures of dogs, but portrayed with different materials and styles, giving them each their own unique impression.
Analysis #1
Balloon Dog (Blue) (figure 1) is one of five balloon dog sculptures that Koons made from 1994-2000. The others are magenta, yellow, orange, and red and are a part of his Celebration Series. Balloon Dog (Blue) is 121 x 143 x 45 inches and made of mirror-polished stainless steel with transparent color coating (Balloon Dog). His balloon dogs are probably his best-known works of art.
Form is one of the most prominent elements of design that appears in Koons’ sculpture. The form is that of a balloon animal shaped like a dog, a form that most people are very familiar with. We have likely encountered an object like this during our childhood, so this sculpture has a nostalgic feel attached to it. Looking at this oversized balloon dog can take the viewer back to simpler and happier times in their youth, and perhaps even evoke childhood memories. Since the form is not abstracted in any way and does not deviate from the actual shape of a balloon dog, it is a very easily recognizable object. It is simply a large-scale form of a balloon animal shaped like a dog.
Another one of the most prominent elements of design in Balloon Dog (Blue) is texture. The material Koons used to make the sculpture is mirror-polished stainless steel. This medium gives the object a smooth, shiny, and reflective texture, much like the surface a real balloon would have. It also provides for unique shapes and values that cover the form due to it reflecting the light and objects around it. While the steel allows the balloon dog to visually resemble the texture of the real thing, it is physically very dissimilar. Unlike a real balloon, this sculpture is hard and sturdy. Though it appears delicate and looks as if a single needle could deflate the whole thing, it is actually a strong and heavy sculpture.
Contrast is a principle of design that stands out in this work of art, as well as in much of Koons’ other work. As discussed in the previous paragraph, there is a contrast between the medium of the sculpture and the object it is representing. Koons’ balloon dog is hard as it is made of steel which is a significant contrast to the rubber of an actual balloon. The sculpture also has the appearance of weighing very little despite the fact that it is made of steel. Another pair of contrasting features has to do with what the object means and how it’s being presented. A balloon dog is a child’s toy, but Koons has turned this toy into high art that is appreciated by the wealthy. In fact, the orange version of his balloon dog sculpture sold for $58.4 million in November of 2013, which was the most expensive work sold at an auction by a living artist at the time (Stanska).
Another prominent principle of design found within Balloon Dog (Blue) is scale. Standing at about twelve feet tall, this sculpture is several times larger than the real object would be. Koons took a small item from people’s childhoods and blew it up to an enormous size. By making this nostalgic object so large and difficult to miss, he is sort of shoving the memory of the balloon dog and other childhood experiences in the viewers’ faces. It catches the eye and calls memories of youth forward, which may even produce an emotional reaction in some viewers. Perhaps Koons used this large scale to demonstrate the importance of that time in everyone’s lives and how we perceive it as adults.
Analysis #2
Puppy (figure 2), like Balloon Dog (Blue), is a massive sculpture of a dog. However, it is a much different take on the animal as the form is more representative of a real dog and is covered in live flowering plants. The sculpture was created in 1992, is made of stainless steel, soil, geotextile fabric, has an internal irrigation system to sustain the plant life attached to it, and measures 40.5 x 40.5 x 21.3 feet (Puppy, Jeff Koons). Puppy sits outside the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain.
Like Balloon Dog (Blue), form is a prominent element of design found in Puppy. The sculpture takes the form of a more than 40 feet tall terrier Puppy. The construction of this piece is very important since the flowers covering the steel form of the dog are living. Inside of the sculpture is a complex irrigation system built to fertilize and keep the plants alive, though it still needs to be taken care of from the outside as well. The exterior of Puppy certainly enhances the form of the sculpture because without it, it would simply be a giant steel dog. However, the flowers do seem to make the form appear slightly ambiguous because people have mistaken it for a cat.
Texture is another element of design that stands out to those who view Puppy. The exterior of the sculpture is completely covered in a thick layer of flowers that people can admire up close at the Guggenheim in Bilbao. Like the way people are often drawn to pet a real dog’s fur, they are drawn to touch Puppy’s “fur”. In a way, the flowers mimic a dog’s fur because they are thick and soft and create organic shapes around the sculpture’s form. The texture of the flowers also resembles that of a topiary or perhaps a Chia Pet, which fits Koons’ style quite well as he often simultaneously references objects that appeal to both the elite and popular culture in his artwork (Puppy, Guggenheim).
Contrast is a very prominent and significant principle of design found in this sculpture. Like Balloon Dog (Blue), Koons demonstrates contrast in both the physical aspect and the meaning of Puppy. First, there is a clear contrast between the object and its scale. The sculpture is over 40 feet tall, yet it represents a puppy. There is also a contrast between the materials it is made of. On the inside is an intricately crafted irrigation system and a layer of steel to create the form, but on the outside is an abundance of beautiful flowers that give life to the sculpture. Finally, like in much of Koons’ other work, there is a contrast in theme and the audience he is targeting. As Puppy contains elements that appeal to the wealthy, like topiaries, and elements that appeal to the masses, like Chia Pets, Koons combines these opposing ideas to attract the attention of everyone.
Another prominent principle of art that appears in Puppy is variety. We see variety in the different colors and shapes of the flowers that cover the exterior of the sculpture. This allows for the plants to create a visually interesting surface instead of being completely uniform across the piece. The variety in the flowers also seems to create some value on the puppy. It appears to have a pop art look because of how the flowers form different sections that resemble the kind of shading associated with the pop art style. There is also some movement in the variety because the flowers literally move as they bloom and grow, which enables the surface of Puppy to constantly change, making the appearance of the sculpture permanently temporary.
Jeff Koons
Balloon Dog (Green)
Celebration series
1994-2000
121 x 143 x 45 inches
Mirror-polished stainless steel with transparent color coating
Figure 1
Jeff Koons
Puppy
1992
40.5 x 40.5 x 21.3 feet
Stainless steel, soil, geotextile fabric, internal irrigation system, live flowering plants
Figure 2
Works Cited
“Balloon Dog.” Jeff Koons, Jeff Koons, http://www.jeffkoons.com/artwork/celebration/balloon-dog-0. Accessed 26 April 2020.
“Biography – Summary.” Jeff Koons, Jeff Koons, http://www.jeffkoons.com/biography-summary. Accessed 26 April 2020.
“Jeff Koons.” The Art Story, The Art Story Foundation, https://www.theartstory.org/artist/koons-jeff/. Accessed 26 April 2020.
Koons, Jeff. Balloon Dog (Blue). 1994-2000. The Broad, Los Angeles. Jeff Koons, http://www.jeffkoons.com/artwork/celebration/balloon-dog-0. Accessed 26 April 2020.
Koons, Jeff. Puppy. 1992. Guggenheim Museum, Bilbao. http://artlog.art50.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/artinpublicplace.wordpress.com_.jpg. Accessed 26 April 2020.
“Puppy.” Guggenheim, The Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation, https://www.guggenheim.org/artwork/48. Accessed 26 April 2020.
“Puppy.” Jeff Koons, Jeff Koons, http://www.jeffkoons.com/artwork/puppy. Accessed 26 April 2020.
Reyburn, Scott. “Jeff Koons ‘Rabbit’ Sets Auction Record for Most Expensive Work by Living Artist.” The New York Times, 15 May 2019, The New York Times Company, https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/15/arts/jeff-koons-rabbit-auction.html. Accessed 26 April 2020.
Stanska, Zuzanna. “Jeff Koons And His Balloon Dogs.” DailyArt Magazine, 21 Jan 2018, DailyArt Magazine, https://www.dailyartmagazine.com/jeff-koons-balloon-dog/. Accessed 26 April 2020.
Wainwright, Lisa S. “Jeff Koons.” Britannica, Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc., revised 7 Oct 2019, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Jeff-Koons. Accessed 26 April 2020.