Plastic Masters of the World Unite!: sculpture

Showing posts with label sculpture. Show all posts

Saturday, December 07, 2013

Art Basel Miami #2 -Whirlwind Tour pt1

Since it's really early (8:47am) and I went to bed late (4:00am) and I need to get some of my thoughts & images down here before it's all warm and fuzzy and I'm all like
"Katie how was Art Basel?"
"Oh, it was great,"
you know that kind of generalized warm and fuzzy not specific not-very-helpful statement of fact.

Claude Leveque insane (2013) neon on rusted bucket

I have enough material and thoughts for several posts on my Art Basel day one. Let me say that it is totally worth the effort, the flight, the waiting years to finally get here, the crowds, the confusion and the (mercy be kind to me Northern friends) heat and bright summer levels of sun on my pale blue Canadian irises. There is so much to see and everywhere I turned, around every corner behind every wall in every booth there was something. Whether it was my-thing or not, it is joy to be in this atmosphere of Art and of Art Folks. The people, the crowd is so interesting.

To me, this is like jet fuel. So glad I am here. Let me show you some stuff now.

3D things

These first objects drew me in -- two Joan Miro bronzes (omg omg omg)

and this Claus Oldenberg Leaning Fork with Meatball and Spaghetti piece

and very shortly I was irritated. I wanted to see new work. While I am thrilled these works are here for me to encounter I want to see what people are making today. And so I kept on going and saw these.

A contemporary bronze:

and beside it was this:

Ceramics of one sort...

and another... a favorite piece so far--just imagining the logistics of shipping had my mind racing:

Nearby was this:

made like this:

and looking like this:

and here are some contemporary porcelain pots by Takuro Kuwata


understated

I would love to see his kiln shelves.

Sunday, March 17, 2013

Toronto Island: Day Three & on the road again

drawing detail

Today we completed a large scale drawing , and then we retreated to the comfort of the kitchen where I made a roasted eggplant and mushroom lasagna with organic brown rice noodles as we contemplated our work and what we would do next. Since we started drawing #2 we realized we were totally wiped out and we ended up retreating to our room, to the kitchen, to books and sketching deciding to pick up the next drawing tomorrow. The light was beginning to fade and the studio lights are not great. We have to work by day. So I took the opportunity to ride my bike past where we hiked yesterday, all the way to the extreme end of the island and Hanlan's Point. I was told there was a monumental sculpture of Ned Hanlan and figured this was reason enough to go for a ride.

2km later I had arrived.

and behind me was the statue

and there there was a bronze plaque with more info about Ned

and a boat called Ned Hanlan

Just a few feet away were other plaques

Babe Ruth made his first home run nearby. The only home run he made in the minor leagues it says.

Other signs popped up along my route

and the iconic sign you are on an island, which is very much deserted on a Sunday in March

coconut

Saturday, March 16, 2013

Toronto Island: Day 2 and behind door number 1

Today we spent the morning working on our drawings. Since the residency is fairly deserted over the weekend, CJ the resident cat demanded our attention and let us know he wanted out.

Taking his lead I peeped out our door to see freshly fallen snow. Not much, but it wasn't melting so it was below zero, yet again. Overcast, yet again. Windy and cold, yet again.

But out we went anyway. It's March. In Canada. We could be waiting another month for it to be warm and our residency ends at the end of next week so let's go.