Brian+Gindoff+Sculpture+1+Fall+2014

=**Brian Gindoff**=



Colombian College of Arts and Sciences (Undecided)

I have been taking art classes since middle school and followed through all four years of high school (ceramics and sculpture). I also took the 3D Studio Art AP Exam

Something interesting about me: I have a twin brother. He attends Towson University in Baltimore, MD

I would say I am generally interested in all types of sculpture and not afraid to work with a variety of materials. I would like to learn how to use the potters' wheel.

[[image:cups TD.png width="225" height="175"]][[image:pencils TD.png width="214" height="182"]][[image:buttons TD.png width="196" height="183"]] **Tara Donovan**
Tara Donovan seems to be a unique artist due to her approach and purpose when sculpting a piece. Often she will start with a simple shape or object,

repeating and manipulating that same form to create an overall larger and more complex structure. An example is her use of household objects like cups or toothpicks.

Bending the nature of the material, Donovan begins with a simple form or structure, in this case a cup, and expands on the initial object to create massive forms that

delights the eye and stimulates the senses. Another example is the use of toothpicks to create a massive, dense cube. This is an example of taking an object many

believe to be small and weightless, and pushing its instinctual classification of what a “toothpick” is.

Donovan’s use of space and scale are often overwhelming and make it difficult to sort out a specific material used. The scale used to create her final

product, in many examples, such as sculptures and installations, take up an entire space and must be observed from many angles to appreciate and admire the overall

form. The artist also uses a wide range of materials. Her work can be interpreted as organic and natural in form and when looking at line, the eyes usually has to curve

and bend to follow her work. In contrast, these materials and found objects can be described as rigid and linear. The artist also plays with texture and is not afraid to

apply a multitude of surfaces in her work. Not only does it make the piece more dynamic and interesting, but it also serves as a tool to mask the true nature of the form

and material being used. A few examples are the use of straws, pencils, buttons, and cups. When dealing with the linear and stiff nature of straws and pencils, Donovan

plays with height and length in order to create organic pieces that flow and reveal a more dynamic and vegetative quality. Both seem to end up

looking more like some sort of moss or coral and spread out as if in a constant state of growth or consumption of the space around it. The buttons are stacked, and

highlighted as the focus, not as a decorative element like on a shirt or coat. The exaggeration of levelness and purpose are evident by the sheer volume and space of

the work, while the buttons are now the key focus instead of just simply a detail or decorative element. The cups also create a similar effect, however, the repetition of

the cup form creates a globular, almost nest or hive-like structure. In these cases, the placement and use of the objects exaggerate the single form and emphasize the

utilitarian aspect of the object being used. In respect to the straws, the artist plays with flow and looseness, like a liquid being sucked through a straw, the flow and

fanning of the pencils mimics the idea of drawing or filling in a space with color, while the buttons are stacked and emphasized as a tool used to hold things together or

keep things from falling apart. The cups reinforce the idea of holding or encapsulating.

The use of grand scale, selection of object for a piece, and multitude of texture all serve to create the artist’s intention and purpose when starting and

ultimately completing a work. Donovan layers, repeats, and builds upon a single form and even relates the larger work as a whole back to the single unit. This is the

artist’s intention and guides Donovan when selecting and working with a specific object or material.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________





Being that it was the first time going to the Hirshhorn Museum, it was really cool to go to a museum solely for modern and contemporary art. Before taking art history

senior year and now taking even more advanced art classes now, I never really had a real appreciation for modern art and the dynamic use of materials and concepts

peopled had developed in the later twentieth and twenty-first centuries. Going to the museum was truly an eye-opening experience and allowed me to truly see art

differently.

First, making work of my own in the studio helped me view and understand the art in the museum because I really felt confident in what I should be looking at when

examining the work and how to more easily understand the purpose of the piece. I looked more at intention and purpose and tried not to just see what was in front of me,

but what my other senses were capturing at the same time. When examining these modern works, the artist does not just paint a landscape and want the viewer to feel

emotion, but try to uncover the essence of the work by using simple lines or shapes or colors. I took more time to try to understand the relationship and meaning behind a

form, instead of just seeing what I saw in front of me. I took the time to examine the work and told myself a story. I wanted to see past the physical and interpret the work

in words and sounds. One of the most obvious examples of this was the hemispherical egg-shaped form and the blackness inside. Out of all the pieces as a class we

spent the most here simply because of what we did not see and the unknown that surrounded the piece. In all honestly, I cared more about what I could not see than

what was actually visible to me.

Overall, the museum was a surprisingly great experience and really changed the way I make and view art.