Discovering Contemporary Art

  "All the Beauty and the Bloodshed" HBO Documentary, Laura Poitras (1hr 57 mins) This weekend I watched the 2022 Documentary about Nan Goldin titled "All the Beauty and the Bloodshed." Produced and directed by Laura Poitras, the film follows the life and work of Nan Goldin, and her activism in the Opioid epidemic. The film is emotional and thought provoking as Nan Goldin shares openly and honestly about her life from childhood through to the present, as well as the struggles faced by many during the AIDS crisis and opioid epidemic.  Nan Goldin, Buzz and Nan at the Afterhours, New York City, 1980, Silver dye bleach print Nan Goldin, Nan and Dickie in the York Motel, New Jersey, 1980, silver dye bleach print Nan Goldin shares in the film about the struggles within her family and with losing her sister to suicide at a young age, and that the most important relationships to her were her friends. As such, her photographs capture the lives, situations, and personalitie...

  Manetti Shrem Museum of Art, Davis, California Entrance sign to Loie Hollowell's exhibition, "Tick Tock Belly Clock." Last week I was able to visit the Manetti Shrem Museum of Art in Davis, California. The Manetti Shrem is a contemporary art museum with architecture that feels futuristic and inviting through its open atmosphere. One of the exhibits being shown was Loie Hollowell's "Tick Tock Belly Clock." Loie Hollowell is an artist born and raised in Northern California, whose work focuses on the body, spirituality, femininity, birth, and abstraction. This exhibition, "Tick Tock Belly Clock," features soft pastel drawings and oil paintings revolving around themes of pregnancy and birth. One wall of Loie Hollowell's exhibition with 5 soft pastel drawings Another wall of Loie Hollowell's exhibition featuring 7 soft pastel drawings Loie Hollowell's pieces all feature symmetrical compositions with soft pastel colors. They are hung on the...

  (30min) This video features Mary Lynn Buchanan walking us through parts of the 2022 Venice Biennale. The Venice Biennale is held once a year in Venice, Italy and features cultural exhibits from artists all over the world. Mary Lynn Buchanan starts off by walking us through the Central Pavilion, which features artwork from over 200 artists from 58 countries. The Central Pavilion has a different theme every year and the theme for 2022 was titled "Milk of Dreams." It is inspired by the book by Leonara Carrington "in which the surrealist artist describes a magical world where life is consistently re-envisioned through the prism of the imagination.” The curator of the exhibit, Cecilia Alemani, chose three themes of focus for the exhibits: “representation of bodies and their metamorphosis,” “relationship between individuals and technologies,” and “connection between bodies and the earth.”  The Milk of Dreams, Curated by Cecilia Alemani, The 59th Venice Biennale, Venice, ...

  Angie Eng with her exhibit, "Magnetizing Mandala" (courtesy of https://photos.prairiemountainmedia.com) Right before spring break at Sacramento State, I was able to attend an artist lecture given by Angie Eng. Angie Eng is an artist that creates what she calls "socially engaged art." She defines socially engaged art as a "creative system to engage the community in a dialogue." It is an artform that is often collaborative or participatory, and the participants themselves are considered the artistic medium. According to her website, https://angieeng.com, she also works with conceptual art and time-based media. She has over 20 years of artistic experience and is dedicated to making work about social justice.  Angie Eng, "This Land is My Land," "Touch" exhibition at the Dairy Arts Center, 2019 One of Angie Eng's works that she presented is "This Land is My Land." It was exhibited at the Dairy Arts Center in 2019 and revolves...

  Rey Jeong (courtesy of reyjeong.com) Today I had the opportunity to hear artist Rey Jeong present a talk about her work. Rey Jeong is an artist working in social practice who's work is focused on race and gender. As a social practice artist, much of her work involves participation with people and involvement with different communities. The mediums she works with include film, audio, choreography, poetry, installation, and sculpture. She was raised in South Korea and is currently teaching at Alfred University in New York.  Rey Jeong, Cascade Voices, participatory practice One of the works Rey Jeong presented is her short film titled Cascade Voices. For this work, Rey created a space where people who are marginalized in society can come together to have a conversation. As explained on Rey Jeong's website, reyjeong.com,  Cascade Voices featured 18 people from different cultural backgrounds having a discussion about their experiences. Four to five people at a time sit in a ...

  Eva Hesse with “Metronomic Irregularity” at the opening reception for “Eccentric Abstraction,” Fischbach Gallery, NY 1966. (Credit: Norman Goldman) (pbs.org) (1hr 48 mins) The documentary "Eva Hesse" focuses on the life and work of Jewish German-American artist Eva Hesse. She was born in Germany in 1936 and came to America in 1939 where she began to pursue art. Her work explores a large variety of mediums including paintings, drawings, latex, resins, wire, and many more unconventional materials. She drew inspiration from abstract expressionism and minimalism, but in her own unique style that expresses themes of play, exploration, and absurdity. Eva Hesse, Hang Up,  Acrylic on cloth over wood; acrylic on cord over steel tube, 1966 What I find fascinating and inspiring about Eva Hesse is her ability to create and explore relentlessly, even through times of struggle and despair. As a child, Eva's family fled their home to escape Nazi Germany. She was displaced from her hom...

On February 23rd, I had the opportunity of attending an artist lecture given by Brenda Louie and Qinqin Liu. The two artists hosted a lecture and exhibition at Sacramento State and shared with us their artistic process and inspirations. Their work relates to humanity's interconnectedness with the environment, climate, and biodiversity. The exhibition is available through March 16th in the University Union for those interested in visiting.  Brenda Louie - Courtesy of https://www.brendalouie.com/ Brenda Louie was born in the Chinese province of Guangdong, and is a multidisciplinary artist currently based in California. Her work is a fusion of Eastern and Western culture, though her aim is to create work that speaks for the common experience interstitial identity.  Brenda Louie, Oceanus No. 1  (2019) Brenda Louie shared with us her inspiration for her "Water Essential Series" she created for this exhibit. The focus is on water, as water is a necessity for not only ...