Tomás Saraceno | Cloud City | Metropolitan Museum of Art, NYC | May 15, 2012 – November 4, 2012
Margaret Miller [Director, Institute for Research in Art] and Sheena Simmons [Curator of Public Art] recently traveled to New York to attend the opening reception of artist Tomás Saraceno’s Cloud City at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in the Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Roof Garden.
Each spring, a new installation by a contemporary artist is featured. Prior to Saraceno, Anthony Caro, Doug + Mike Starn, Roxy Paine, Jeff Koons, Frank Stella, Cai Guo-Qiang, Sol Lewitt, Andy Goldsworthy, and Roy Lichtenstein, exhibited on the rooftop. The Archpaper blog, quoted Saraceno as saying:
“Cloud City’s composition is based on a complex three-dimensional geometry from Weaire-Phelan, which is an idealized foam structure resembling the perfect packaging of spheres with a minimal surface and maximum volume. This could be the best possible geometry for connecting solar flying city atmospheres.
From solid to liquid or gaseous—Cloud City’s composition—a latent molecular foam structure with its infinite variations. It is not one precise arrangement (or explanation or size that matters) but rather their potential to be endlessly recombined and reconfigured, depending on the context of its use, and the interaction of their users yet to be discovered.” [Read complete story: Tomás Saraceno’s Cloud City
Saraceno to be Commissioned for Public Art Project at USF
Miller and Simmons attended the exclusive opening reception at the Met because Tomás Saraceno has been commissioned to do a work for the Interdisciplinary Science Teaching and Research Facility (ISA) designed by Yann Weymouth. Weymouth also designed the new Dali Museum in St. Petersburg, Florida.
The site-specific sculpture will be installed in the atrium of the building. The research-based project is still being developed and will draw from various university resources spanning the sciences, arts, and engineering. The project is funded primarily by Florida's Art in State Buildings Program, and is administered by the USF Institute for Research in Art.
Tomás Saraceno | Cloud City | Metropolitan Museum of Art, NYC | May 15, 2012 – November 4, 2012
Tomás Saraceno is an Argentinian artist living and working in Frankfurt, and is represented by Tanya Bonakdar Gallery in New York. You can see more photos and video of Saraceno’s Cloud City on the Met website.
Cynthia Mason | Condiment Cloud, 2012 ink, latex paint, tape, 24k gold, hot glue, glitter, graphite, flocking powder and gouache on paper
Cynthia Mason St. Petersburg, Florida
BFA (2003) Ringling College of Art + Design
Our next featured MFA Grad is Cynthia Mason. Mason received her BFA from Ringling College of Art + Design and is the recipient of a Florida Artist Enhancement Grant. She may have roots in South Florida, but she may soon find herself in a colder, Northerly climate. She has been chosen for artist residences at Jentel, Banner WY and the School of Visual Arts, NY. Here is an artist statement from Mason:
Cindy Mason, a visual artist, uses installation, painting and sculpture to create coded systems of power and structure existing on the fringes of reality. Her interest lies in exploiting the contradiction between what we know to be there and what we actually see. Materials such as paint, hair, paper towels, pins, wood, hot glue, 24.75k gold leaf, aluminum foil and porcelain become explorations of societal value systems. Mason uses painted surfaces to mask what is below, like faux facades hiding what is secret or hidden beneath. Her work is an investigation into the hidden classifications of power, and the ambiguous yet regulated framework of our visual environment.
Cynthia Mason | You can go over there, but not over here | 2012 (detail view) gouache, wood glue, wood, canvas and string on paper
If you have a free hour or two, stop by the USFCAM and check out the Sand in the Vacuum exhibition. But, you’ll have to hurry! The show closes tomorrow, May 5th. Catch it while you can! If you can’t make it before the show closes, you can find more work from Cynthia Mason on her website: cynthiamason.com.
Megan Hildebrandt | USF MFA 2012 Counting Radiation Series, graphite and ink on paper, 30 x 50 in ea, 2012.
Once again we are featuring a few of our talented graduating MFA students from the University of South Florida Art & Art History program. The first profile is featured below!
Artist Profile | Megan Hildebrandt
Artist Megan Hildebrandt was born in Detroit, Michigan in 1984. In 2009, she was given a life-altering cancer diagnosis. As a result, much of her recent work has been dedicated to documenting her life through what she calls “autobiographical drawings.” Her Counting Radiation Series references her understanding of “mortality and vitality.” In her artist statement she says:
…I am interested in physical and psychological endurance, and the ways in which we document the passage of time…at age 27, I have been exposed to 16 lifetimes worth of radiation due to my cancer treatment regimen, which involved many head and neck CT scans. This was alarming news….
Megan Hildebrandt | Counting Radiation Series | detail
…Counting Radiation on paper is a way of controlling my fear. I am counting to harness it, tallying to transform it. To repeat a mark is to move a step further toward taming my history and future. To represent an invisible harm is to erase it, to exorcise it. I am tallying time, drawing a large desert that shifts perspectives: a landscape that rolls, tumbles, and caves in.
MFA 2012 Student Exhibition | Sand in the Vacuum | USFCAM | closes May 5, 2012
USFCAM is currently exhibiting Sand in the Vacuum which includes work from all 2012 MFA graduating students. Be sure to visit USFCAM before the show closes on May 5, 2012!
Sand In The Vacuum opens tonight, March, 30 at 7:00 PM. And I, Graphicstudio blogger and intern, Ashley Martinez, pulled a Pink Panther and snuck in before the opening.
Now, all I have is a few pictures (before I was escorted out by security ), but please enjoy a couple of my favorite works that I saw on display.
Megan Hildebrandt | Counting Radiation
This is artist, Megan Hildebrandt’s Counting Radiation. I have seen some of Hildebrandt’s work before, and much of it relates to her experience and survival of cancer. What I love of this work is it expresses a term called “Trauma Time.” Trauma time is an encircling of traumatic experience. It is an emotional feeling and attachment to memory, which requires a victim to have their memories oscillate in a circular way, even though time is moving forward, they still are experiencing Trauma.
Hildebrandt’s artwork is a direct reflection of this experience. Her piece shows the tallying of each treatment, the endless lines layer each other, vary in size, spiraling into the abyss. I believe it is safe to say, each of these tallys are not a direct representation and count of how many treatment’s Hildebrandt has experienced, yet one cannot deny this representation as false. This is what she has felt. Her feelings and attitudes toward such an experience, at one time had enveloped her.
USF MFA Student Artwork
I did not get the author’s name or the title of this artwork, but I love the visual metaphor. Rarely, have I seen an exploration of machismo expressed through art. This artwork combats the gendered performance of the male side of the gender binary to the “T”. Gasoline, cars are represented, slick oil, dark colors, motorcycles, a female’s figure rising from rubber tires. What is a more brilliant statement that this cumulation of male attributes within one installation that it is attached to a ball and chain (balls that are a visual representation of the male testes).
I don’t think this statement could be more clear. If you are a man by sex, your gender must be masculine, and fit these criteria and interests. If you don’t you are not a man. And if you would like to consider yourself a man, you must follow it. You are bound to it.
Come tonight and check out work from all the USF MFA grad students! Free beverages and delectables will be served, while supplies last!
Sand in the Vacuum | MFA 2012 Graduation Exhibition
Opening Reception
+ 36th Annual Student Show Awards
Tonight! (March 30, 2012)
7:00 – 9:00pm
USF Contemporary Art Museum
Student Review | Mark Dion: Troubleshooting by Ashley Martinez – USF Honor Student
Mark Dion’s Troubleshooting has just closed at USFCAM. I hope you were able to take a moment and check it out. Mark Dion is known for his archaeological style digs in urban areas, and examining the disparities between science and knowledge.
I personally find Dion’s work extremely refreshing. Just as feminism seems like a dirty word because of it’s association with with man-hating and bra-burning, and females with hairy legs and armpits, it seems that nature conservation is associated with exhibitionists, bare-feet, people-who-love-animals-more-than-people, and females with hairy legs and armpits.
But these stereotypes prohibit people from seeing the bigger picture. It seems there is a widespread belief in the West that a binary exists between the environment and civilization. This belief makes people ignore what is most essential to civilization and human life–our home, planet Earth.
What is original about Dion is he forces us to think about the environment by removing the binary and merging the two.
This is seen in, Concrete Jungle (see above), an installation that looks like the average street corner–heaps of garbage cans, a bicycle and old newspapers, among the animals we share our concrete habitat with (rodents, felines, birds, etc.).
Again we see this in the The South Florida Wildlife Rescue Unit: Mobile Library (see below), which looks like the ideal place to play a game of I SPY, but is a mobile unit with many supplies, tools and books to rescue wildlife within the urban landscape.
Much of Dion’s work also shows the legacy of naturalist William Bartram, who was known for his incredible illustrations of plants and animal life, as well as observing nature within it’s habitat. That is to say, rather than taking specimen out of their habitat and observing them at another place, say personal laboratory or parlor, Bartram believed in observing nature from within it’s environment.
All in all, Troubleshooting was well worth the visit. I’m positive it can make you think of your personal relationship with the environment in an entirely different way.
Mark Dion, South Florida Wildlife Rescue Unit: Mobile Library
WUSF’s University Beat, has been hard at work on a two-part series on the “STEM” efforts here on the USF campus. What is STEM? Well, if you ask some, it’s not Anthropology. But, actually, it’s a part of a plan that has been designed to make young people more competitive in the marketplace, and it’s a major focus of newly outlined educational goals for Florida.
The acronym STEM stands for: Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. This is the impetus for a short WUSF series that looks into STEM related action on campus. Naturally, this led the reporters to the USFCAM, and the current exhibition Mark Dion : Troubleshooting. Story video below and full story here!
Mark Dion discusses the exhibition’s title “Troublehooting.”
Jane Simon gives a run down on a few upcoming events related to the exhibition.
You can learn more about STEM by listening to part one of the WUSF series. And you can catch the Mark Dion : Troubleshooting exhibition through March 3, 2012 at USFCAM.
Christian Marclay, Manga Scroll, 2010 (detail). Published by USF Graphicstudio; photo Will Lytch
We still have a few tickets left for Thursday’s Christian Marclay/Shelley Hirsch Performance. We promise this will be a one-of-a-kind experience that you do not want to miss!
What to Expect
You’ll see world renowned artist Christian Marclay, recently named one of the “10 most important artists of today,” and “unorthodox, extraordinary fusion of vocalist, composer, and performance artist” Shelley Hirsch join forces for a unique blend of sights and sounds that combine for an evening you won’t soon forget. The pair will perform Marclay’s works Zoom Zoom, and the Manga Scroll, both of which were featured at the Whitney’s Marclay: Festival in New York last year.
Just for Fun
Here’s a throwback 80′s video that features a very happening host (David Sanborn?) of the hip show “Night Moves” with a young Christian Marclay on the turntables. It’s got a nice beat and you can dance to it!
Student tickets are free with USF ID! Catch your ticket while you still can!
Tickets | Christian Marclay & Shelley Hirsch Performance
Thursday, January 26
7:00pm
USF School of Music Concert Hall
Tickets $15; USF Faculty & Staff $10
USF Students w/I.D. FREE (seating is limited; reservations required)
Call USF College of The Arts Box Office at (813) 974-2323
or Ticketmaster (Convenience fee applies)
[ More details here ]
We hope you were able to attend the opening celebration of Mark Dion : Troubleshooting this past Friday at USFCAM. If you didn’t make it, you missed out on some delicious refreshments, but you still have lots time to come see the show! Give a listen to Curator Jane Simon’s WUSF’s University Beat interview about the show.
And to whet your appetite, check out this time-lapse video of the installation of Mark Dion’s “South Florida Wildlife Rescue Unit.” Putting it together, part-by-part, wheel-by-wheel… any musical fans in the house? Anyway, watch this!
So, check your busy social schedule for the best time for you – and all of your fellow art aficionado friends – to come down to USFCAM and see the Mark Dion : Troubleshooting exhibition. Just make sure you make it happen before the show closes, March 3rd!
Mark Dion: Troubleshooting | Opens January 13th @ USFCAM
My art asks you to think about both nature and sculpture not as objects, but as processes. ~ Mark Dion
Neukom Vivarium by Mark Dion | Olympic Sculpture Park | Seattle Art Museum
If a tree falls in a forest, an artist finds it, removes it, re-houses it within a structure which has been designed to emulate its original environment that attempts to re-create it’s eco-system, and the building exists in the middle of a bustling city, is it art? Is it plant cruelty? Is this tree an ambassador for all trees? Or a victim of the processes man has used to understand and control it?
Those are just a few of the sorts of questions you may have asked after viewing a Mark Dion work Neukom Vivarium currently on view at Seattle’s Olympic Sculpture Park. The work was featured on the PBS series Art 21 “Ecology” and is just one of many provocative works from Dion.
This Friday, USFCAM presents you with an opportunity to discover new work from Mark Dion. The show entitled Mark Dion : Troubleshooting continues his explorations of knowledge, history, science, collection, institutional ideologies and exhibiting art. During your visit you may find yourself developing your own series of questions about nature, art, and the processes by which we study them. The show might inspire the environmentally interested to ask questions like; What are the risks to our environment when we try to manage (or manipulate) using processes that appear to frequently cause unintended harms? If we can’t manage our environment effectively, how can the Earth accommodate 7-billion humans without destroying delicate eco-systems in the process? Is it possible for humans to effectively protect all current natural species? Is what is we call natural -or scientific- today, the same as it was in 1850?
So, if you’re up for some eco-historical soul-searching — or if you just used to play with Fischer-Price Adventure sets when you were a kid — come on by the museum to check out Mark Dion: Troubleshooting exhibition. The show will be on view through March 3rd, 2012 at USFCAM.
About Mark Dion
For decades, Mark Dion has created drawings, prints, cabinets of curiosity, archaeological digs, and sprawling installations about the discrepancy between perceived knowledge and scientific inquiry. His works have addressed famous intellectuals in history, such as William Bartram, as well as important social and environmental sites, most recently the fragile Florida Everglades. Mark Dion: Troubleshooting is a focused survey of his ecologically-themed works.
Mark Dion | Videos
Some clips from the PBS Art21 special on Dion. You can watch the full episode here. Or enjoy the short clips below.
Upcoming Events for Mark Dion : Troubleshooting
Friday, January 13th Conversation with the Artist | Mark Dion and Rene Morales
Discussion among the artist, Mark Dion, and curators Rene Morales and Jane Simon. Mark Dion is a world-renowned artist whose work addresses the gulf between popular perception and scientific inquiry. Morales was involved with the realization of Dion’s South Florida Wildlife Rescue Unit, and Simon is the curator of Mark Dion: Troubleshooting. When: 6:00 – 7:00pm Where: USF Theatre2 / THR
Opening Reception | Mark Dion: Troubleshooting
Join us to celebrate the exhibition opening with the artist and curators. When: 7:00 – 9:00pm Where: USF Contemporary Art Museum / CAM
Monday, February 6th
Laura Ogden Book Talk
Talk by the author of the new ethnographic study Swamplife: People, Gators and Mangroves Entangled in the Everglades. Ogden will be introduced by USFCAM curator Jane Simon. Co-sponsored by the Tampa Bay History Center, and the USF Anthropology Department. Where:Tampa Bay History Center When: 6:00pm
Friday, February 10
Studying People, Places, and Systems: Ecology and Academic Pursuits
This colloquium will feature artist Mark Dion; Amelia Shevenell, Assistant Professor of Geological Oceanography, USF College of Marine Science; and Christian Wells, Associate Professor of Anthropology, and Director of the USF Office of Sustainability. Moderated by USFCAM curator Jane Simon Where: USF School of Music Concert Hall When: 10am – noon
SYCOM: Music for Troubleshooting
“Music for Troubleshooting” is a two hour concert of electronic music created in response to the exhibition, Mark Dion: Troubleshooting. SYCOM composers worked in groups to create music meant to be heard in conjunction with the art that inspired it. Where: USFCAM When: 7:00 to 9:00pm
Art Thursdays
Thursday, February 16
Gallery Talk and Scavenger Hunt
Enjoy CAM after dark with a gallery talk by curator Jane Simon, a scavenger hunt, refreshments, and a DJ. This fun and exciting event makes the art of looking and seeing a game. Where: USFCAM When: 6:00-8:00pm
Thursday, March 1 Student Research Showcase
CAM stays open late for USF students to give brief presentations of their research on Florida’s history and environment in response to Mark Dion: Troubleshooting Where: USFCAM When: 6:00 – 8:00pm
Mark Dion | The South Florida Wildlife Rescue Unit: Mobile Laboratory, 2006
USF Honor Student, Jennifer Lindo, holds up a relief print which she created at Graphicstudio in the Honors Relief Printmaking Class.
By Ashley Martinez | USF Honors Student
One of the greatest friendships to evolve on campus is the one between the Honors College and The Institute for Research in Art. The latest and greatest fruits of the collaboration between the Honors College and the Institute is the Honors Relief Printmaking Class that concluded this past month.
The class was taught by master printmaker, Jonothan Vaughn. Vaughn taught USF honor students relief printmaking from an expert at one of the world’s best known printmaking studios, Graphicstudio.
The course focused on lino-cut printing, a process where a negative image is carved into a linoleum block. Ink is then applied to the block and finally pressure is applied between the block and paper to create a positive image.
Honors student, Jennifer Lindo expressed her excitement for the course,
“As someone who loves art but is not artistically talented, I enjoyed the experience for its educational and inspirational value. The professor we worked with was very welcoming and motivating.”
Students were to make an edition of five prints, and had the choice of printing on a variety of paper. The wonderful challenge for students was the assignment. What would they be creating an image of? A symbolic or literal representation of themselves!
Many of the students had not had any prior experience with printmaking, but as you can see, talent was plentiful!
A relief print created at Graphicstudio by USF Honor Student
A relief print created at Graphicstudio by USF Honor Student
A relief print created at Graphicstudio by USF Honor Student
), but please enjoy a couple of my favorite works that I saw on display.
