Funktastic | Just another UMW Blogs weblog

Tony Oursler was born in New York in 1957. He graduated from the California Institute for the Arts. He says that some o the influential artists to him were Jonathan Borofsky, John Baldessari, Judy Pfaff and Laurie Anderson. Another very influential aspect of his work is the MTV channel.  His generation of artists have played a “considerable role” to the special effects. When it comes to his own work, Oursler video and projection. He says, “I always wanted to get my spectator entrapped, build up a certain structure with which one could play, and build on”.

I’m not a huge fan of Tony Oursler’s work. Maybe because Chuckie the movie scared me a lot when I was a kid and his work reminds me of it. Creepy doll faces with strange expressions, are not my cup of tea. It is definitely a type of work where some people can appreciate it and others have trouble doing so. I am one of the others. 

Louise Lawler was born in Bronxville, New York in 1947. Lawler has a different approach to photography. She photographs other people’s artwork. She strives for a rise in the person viewing the piece. She enjoys people’s interpretation of the artwork. Ways in which Lawler presents her work is done many ways. She has “images of paintings hanging on walls of a museum, paintings on the walls of an art collector’s opulent home, artwork in the process of being installed in a gallery, and sculpture in a gallery being viewed by spectators”.

I like Lawler’s work. Some of her artwork is candid and some of it is still life. Most likely, people would probably not consider her artwork as actual art because it is just taking a photo of what is in front of you. But Lawler’s art is more then just a photograph. It displays the normalcy and the weird stages of life and its processes. 

Gary Hill was born in Santa Monica, California in 1951. He has received many awards over the years for his work with video and sound. Hill has been working with video and sound since 1973.  He was influenced by the intellectual direction of conceptual art that dominated artwork in the 1970s. The Donald Young Gallery in Chicago said, “His intermedia use of text, speech and image explore the physicality of language and our thought processes”. Another source states, “Hill’s work thoroughly exploits the capacity of video to offer complex nonlinear narratives that encourage active engagement on the part of the viewer”.  He continues doing his work in Seattle, Washington, where he currently lives.

Gary Hill seems like he has an interesting take on artwork. Society is so used to artwork being something that is drawn or painted or photographed. We always know video is some sort of art, but in my opinion, it is not acknowledged for its splendor enough. It is neat that he incorporates writings from Maurice Blanchot as well. It would be really cool to be able to see some of his work because he uses such different media. 

Anne Massoni recieved her Bachelors of Arts in Cultural Anthropology and Bachelors of Arts in Photography from Connecticut College in 1995. She then went on to get her Masters of fine Arts in Photography from Ohio University in 2000. She says, “I utilize both created images and found imagery to present to the viewer this place between truth and fiction.” She continues to spread her knowledge and artwork through universities all over the country ranging from New York, Tennessee, New Jersey and Maryland, just to name a few.

Anne Massoni’s collaborative approach to artwork leaves the viewer hanging in suspense thinking about what is going to happen next in the picture. Whether it be her diptychs or color or black and white photography, each photo brings a sense of mystery.  Her photography makes me want to know the story behind the picture or the person in the picture. Her wanting.out collection is actually kind of frightening. The use of old and new pictures creates a dynamic and creepy duo. Overall, I like her artwork because it is so captivating and mesmerizing. 

Sandy Skoglund was born in Quincy, MA in 1946. She studied studio art and art history at Smith college in Northampton, MA from 1964-1968. She attended the University of Iowa in 1969 where she studied filmmaking, intaglio printmaking, and multimedia art. She received her M.A. in 1971 and her M.F.A. in painting in 1972. Skoglund became interested in photography when she started working as a conceptual artist. Her interest in photographic technique became fused with her interest in popular culture and commercial picture making strategies. Skoglund currently resides in Jersey City, NJ. 

The creativity and colors that Sandy Skoglund uses in her art is amazing. I’ve never seen so many contrasting and bright colors in exhibits. Looks like her artworks pictures on the internet do not do it justice. Every inch of her artwork is done meticulously by noticing every detail. I think it would be awesome to see her work in an exhibit. 

Mariko Mori spent most of her teenage years as a fashion model. While a model, she realized that it was manipulated by supply and demand and gave her none of the freedom she desired. Mori graduated from Bunker Fashion College in Tokyo in 1988. She is a Japanese video and photographic artist. She combines magna-like pop art, self-portraits, chic feminine cyborgs, Buddhist ideologies and state of the art digital editing. She is clearly a avant-garde artist. 

Mariko Mori’s artwork is unlike anyone I have seen before. It is very eclectic, supernatural and colorful. Her use of all sorts of technologies is impressive along with her self portraits in her video and photographic art. I don’t think I would ever want one of her pieces in my own home, but her artwork is worth seeing.

David Hockney was born in Bradford, England in 1937. He has been described as “eccentric”. He never really cared what other people thought of him or his work. He enrolled in Royal College in London in 1959. At Royal College, he would gain national attention as an artist. “Hockney’s life and all his loves are always on display to the public. By embracing all sorts of technology and media, Hockney has made his art accessible to people everywhere. He has used art to express the love he has felt for others, and consequently, his works show personal stake and personal meaning. Hockney has truly made art a form of real human interaction and communication.”

I really enjoy David Hockney’s work. The photographic collages (as you might call them) are interesting and appealing. I like his layering effect. I also like his approach to art. No one should dictate how you feel or how things should be done. He is an inspiring and influential artist to whomever looks at his work. 

Matthew Barney was born in San Francisco in 1967 and was raised in Boise, Idaho. He recieved his BA from Yale University in 1989. After that, he moved to New York City. “From his earliest work, Barney has explored the transcendence of physical limitations in a multimedia art practice that includes feature-length films, video installations, sculpture, photography, and drawing”. Through the years, Barney has toyed with “elaborate” sculpture installations, videos and putting fantastical creatures into his work. In 1994, Barney began work on his epic Cremaster cycle, a five-part film project. The cycle can be found online and was completed in 2002. He currently resides in New York City.

Barney’s work is definitely different then most. He uses different objects, make up and people to create the image he wants. His work is kind of creepy in a way. It’s something that you see in a bad dream or a scary movie.   

Ryan Boatright grew up in Kentucky. He’s photographic work displays the “gray atmosphere surrounding mainstream America”. In 2005, he received a BFA in photography from Indiana University. His resume is quite impressive with his many talents with photography. He has used the traditional photographic process, digital processes and has ben a curator. Boatright has also participated in many exhibitions, received many awards, taught and spoken about photography.

I personally am not fond of Boatright’s work. His work is not very interesting and the objects in his images are dull. I do commend his work with gray tones, though. He focuses a lot on contrasting lines.