Final Reflection: If I Knew Then What I Know Now...

At the beginning of the semester I did not really know how this class would pan out. I dropped a different class to join this one two weeks in. The description of the class seemed to be more fitting. Turns out it was the class for me. I am a very “hands on” type of person when it comes to learning, and seeing exhibits first hand was a great way for me to stay engaged in each topic. It didn’t hurt that I got to sleep in every other Tuesday either! Even though I managed to get myself exceedingly behind in actually posting what I had learned as the weeks passed by, I still enjoyed the class very much.

Getting to each exhibit was just as much an experience to me as the shows themselves. Exploring new parts of this vast artistic city is very exciting and the best way to do it is to jump right into the art scene.

I am very fortunate that the Pacific Standard Time event is taking place during this year. I have come to find that it is an increasingly significant event for the city of Los Angeles. The deeply rooted history of this city explored in each of the P.S.T. exhibitions is a solid foundation for young artists such as myself working and living here today. All of the artists that came together to combine their creativity have influenced me largely. And I feel lucky that I am able to say so because I know the information I have learned recently are still unknown to the general public.

By experiencing each of the exhibitions that had to do with P.S.T. I was able to gain more knowledge on how culturally diverse and interesting the city really is. I had an idea of how the art scene was here, but I don’t think I fully understood the creativity and passion behind each exhibition and artist until now. After exploring this art I have become much better at analyzing and gaining meaning from different types and styles of art. Before I was much more narrow minded and only really examined what I liked, but now I am able to explore art I may not like right away but later find meaning in it and appreciate it as something new.

The one exhibition that really stood out to me overall was Under the Big Black Sun because I enjoyed all the artists work so much. It is a show that will stand out in my mind throughout my adult hood. Mostly because of the artists such as John Divola and Edward Kienholz, but also because of the nostalgia I will feel remembering I got to share it with my parents whom I adore quite a lot.

Overall, this class not only taught me about blogging and time management, but also the numerous art related outlets that the city has to offer. I have changed my opinion on the entire art scene in general. I have formed a new relationship with this city and have slowly been able to talk about it from my own experience, which is something I never thought I would be able to do. I am eagerly looking forward to gaining even more knowledge about the art scene in Los Angeles and hope that some day when I finish college I can become a part of it and recognized for all it stands for. 

Ed Ruscha's The Back of Hollywood, 1977

I chose to use Ruscha's "The Back of Hollywood" because it reminds me of how I first felt when I came to this city. I feel like I only knew half of what I know now. Just like looking at the back of the Hollywood sign. You can see what it says but not what it looks like from the front. It is a beautiful illustration of the west and how many different interpretations there can be of it. Just like all the experiences each student has gained during this semester in the Art and the City of Angels class.

Final Reflection: Los Angeles

Los Angeles County Museum of Art
Image source: jasoninhollywood.blogspot.com

Initially I had no knowledge of Los Angeles art or of its rich history. Being in Art and the City of Angles I've learned about art history of Los Angeles in a short time period. So far this semester I've learned about the Los Angles art that starts being created post-war. I’ve also learned about several artist and art movements that originated from this city.

One thing I've noticed in this class is that many artists had their big break in Los Angeles and became household names because of what they started in here. For example, Andy Warhol had his first big solo art gallery at the Ferus Gallery before making it big and moving to New York. As a city it Los Angeles has a very rich and established art scene compared to where I'm originally from. In Houston, we don’t have as many artists, or the amount of art galleries as here. Art seems to be the last thing in the mind of Houstonians.

I’m sure if a local person from Los Angeles ever visited Houston they would automatically notice the change in weather, scenery and the way people look. People back home dress really conservative and mainstream. People back home seem like they wouldn’t appreciate art like they do here. No real art movement has ever started there. Even the art museums there are pretty mediocre. Los Angeles is a more exciting city then Houston.

Los Angeles has always had a perception of being glamorous and elegant, like in the Hollywood movies. Living here has made me personally see the real Los Angeles for what it actually is, my initial judgment of Los Angeles has changed since I moved here. There are more homeless people then celebrities, there are more people riding bikes here then in Houston, and the traffic here is the worst I've ever sat in. Los Angeles makes me miss my hometown because of those reasons.

One thing that helped me open my eyes and see the real Los Angeles for what it was. Driving to each museum visit was never easy for me because I don’t know the streets in this city and I have a really unreliable GPS. Even know each museum was a mission to get to, I enjoyed driving to a different locating of LA. I also liked how each museum had an individual aesthetic to the design of their buildings. Like the Getty was in a Valley, and the Hammer is located in Westwood. I never would have visited these places if it weren’t for this class. Overall my favorite museum to go to was the Getty Museum because I really enjoyed its location, but as an artist my favorite one to visit is LACMA. It is really huge and full of educational art.

Overall Los Angeles is a very influential city to the mainstream media, I've notice kids back home recently started wearing what kids in Los Angeles we're wearing two years ago. I'm sure that people globally follow Los Angeles as a mecca for being an innovative and influential city. This city is a melting pot of cultures, politics, art, people, and nicest weather, for those reasons I appreciate this city and fallen in love with it too.

Final Reflection: Experience and Influence

View from the Getty Center
Image source: ______________________

When I first had the chance to choose LAS classes, I signed up for this class because of its name “Art and the City of Angels”. The name has a strong attraction with what I am interest in. I always want it to learn more about Los Angeles and even better if I experience arts. I been living in Los Angeles for more than three years now and every day I am falling more in this beautiful city. First, I thought this class was like other history classes, studying from books, still I was excited to learn more about the city where I live. But surprisingly this class was more about the experience and not books. Personally I learn more through experience and visually and this class was the perfect class to experience.

The lectures from the first few weeks of school prepared me to have basic background knowledge about the Pacific Standard Time. Having to post about exhibitions I attend was a great way to find my own voice. Because the post was more free writing than academic writing I think it helped a lot to find my own voice. Reading other peoples post also helped a lot and of course influenced me in many ways and leading creating my own voice.

One thing I like about Pacific Standard Time is that every exhibition has its unique theme and history. Each week I had the chance to experience different kind of arts. Some exhibition I felt like it was more to history than art and other exhibition was more about art than history. Not every exhibition was my favorite but I tried to enjoy every piece of art and try to examine what part I like it and what part I don’t like it. Every museum I went without any information. I like to have my own personal thoughts first before doing the research. I found it interesting having my own personal thoughts and combining them with the actual artist’s ideas or intent. Personally I think that having an answer before you see art lacks with your imagination.

My favorite museum was the Getty Museum. I liked the architectural structure and the gardens. Besides the look of the museum, my favorite exhibition was held at LACMA, the Filmroom: Smoke 1967 by Maria Nordman. This was the artwork which stands out to me the most. Even now when I think of it my brains goes blank. It was an artwork with confusions and hard to understand the artists message. Every art I looked, I think, imagine, examine and wonder. In contrast, this piece was different, the first time I saw nothing came up to my mind, like I said before my brains went blank.

After all, this class was a great experience. I always want it to visit museums but never happened. Taking this class, somehow forced me to go. At the end of the semester my skills in examining art had improved and the way I see art has changed. It’s funny how now I can realize some artworks, is a big improvement.. Experience and influence are always great!

Final Reflection

Chris Burden, The Reason for the Neutron Bomb (detail), 1979, moca.org

photo credit: Mother Artists, Mother Art Clean Up ( Revisited), Ben Maltz Gallery,2011

image source: Jessica Choi

Edward Kienholz, Five Car Stud (Revisited), LACMA, 2011
Image source: LACMA

Betye Saar, Black Girl's window, Hammer Museum, 2011 Image source: Hammer Museum

Being a student at Otis, I never had enough time to visit museums in Los Angeles, I always wanted to visit museums but I really had no chance to since I had lots of homework. On the first day of class, I walked into class without knowing anything about this course. Honestly, I was very concerned and not excited about how I had to visit different museum and exhibition almost every week and write a blog as well which seemed like a lot of extra work.

However, as I started visiting Pacific Standard Time exhibition, I realized my initial thought was wrong. Yes, I still admit that it was very difficult to make time to visit the museums, but I thought my experience were very helpful and worth more than just a visit to the museum for several reasons. First of all, as a designer, looking at works from various artists and designers provided endless inspiration. For instance, Bettye Saars's Black Girl's Window inspired me to consider common objects such as a window frames in a beautiful artwork. Her work also showed me how there is no boundaries in art. An artist or designer could use basically any object in art to express his/her thoughts

I started to realize that all the Pacific Standard Time Exhibitions shares or deals with some kind of issues in society. For instance, from my favorite show, Kienholz's Five Car Stud deals with racism. Kienholz created Five Car Stud during the time when Jim Crow Law and segregation were popular. I think that Kienholz created this particular artwork to point out that racial violence such as lynching is absolutely wrong. He picked a very gruesome scene, Caucasian men torturing an African American man to show what is actually happening in society bad how cruel racism is.

The exhibition that I enjoyed the least was Doin' it in Public. The main reason this exhibition was least memorable and least fun was that I had difficult time understanding the artworks. Even with some research and information provided on the wall, I had a very difficult time understanding. However, even with lack of information provided, I was able to recognize some artwork such as Mother Art Clean Up very inspiring and creative. The good news is that about two weeks ago, I decided to visit the exhibition again, and i was very fortunate to meet a speaker who explained a lot about the background of exhibition and intention of artworks. After hearing from speaker, I felt like I completely understood the exhibition and the most of artworks.

Looking back at my previous blog posts, I am very proud of what I have learned. As I mentioned above, looking and observing artwork from other great artists and designers provided me endless inspiration. They opened my eyes to see the world and a new level of artwork and different perspective. It is amazing how artwork has a power to inspire. However, what is this course really taught me was to observe every detail of an artwork and understanding its purpose. Before i attended this course, I was never interested in "simple" or very conceptual artwork. I was very narrow- minded. I believed that "good" artwork had to be complicated and decorative. So when I saw some " simple" artworks in exhibition, I would just walk away without really putting my time trying to figure out the purpose of this artwork. However, as I was doing blogs, I realized many of the "simple" artworks are as powerful and aesthetic as "complicated and colorful" artwork. For instance, Chris Burden's The Reason for Neutron Bomb, I first felt that it was simply a row of nickels and anyone could have done it. I thought that this artwork was too "simple" to be a great art. But after doing research how each nickel symbolizes a tank, I started to realize how a "simple" art can also contain complexity and beauty as "complex and colorful" art.

After visiting many of the major Los Angeles art museums, I can definitely say that my perspective of L.A. art scene changed. Before I took this course, honestly, i believed that L.A. art was all about graffiti that really has no meaning other than looking "pretty" and adding color to city. However, my thought slowly changed as I visited Pacific Standard Time exhibitions. First of all, I learned that graffiti was not the only form of L.A. Art. Artists used variety of media and ways to create art. Secondly, I learned that all artworks I have seen in Pacific Standard Time exhibition address issues we see in our society. Taking this course definitely enlarged my knowledge of L.A. and L.A. art.

Final Reflection: Building a Relationship with Los Angeles

While recollecting my memories from the beginning of the semester, I remember signing up for this class thinking that it would be a typical boring art history class. However, I can say that I have received so much more from this class than I can possibly imagine. Art and the City of Angels turned out to be a amazing class and not only because it gave us class days off, but because it allowed us to interact with the art of Los Angeles. In my honest opinion, I feel as though this is a much more efficient way to allow students to learn about art history rather than losing their attention span throughout boring lectures. This allows the student to be interactive with the art and it pushes the student to voice their own opinions with the art or the museum will cause the student to remember more or look deeper into the artworks. This is something that a common art history class cannot offer.

One thing that this class specifically taught me was that Los Angeles art consists of copious amounts of diversity; L.A. art isn’t as one-sided as I previously thought it was. Like mentioned in the beginning of the semester, I believed that the Los Angeles’ art world consisted of mostly graffiti and mexican-styled art and nothing much more than that. However, it was extremely interesting and mind blowing to see how culturally diverse all these different art pieces were. All the art works made a statement about what was occurring in a specific era. This led me to the conclusion that L.A. artists were inclined to be expressive with their art because the controversial eras these artists lived in influenced their work. Their works were a lot deeper and consisted a lot more meaning than I originally imagined.

Blue Wall (1959) by John Mason was the most memorable piece that I encountered throughout this whole semester (Link to previous post). This was due to the fact that it looked so similar to denim jeans. This particular artwork made me wonder if Mason intentionally wanted it to resemble something so iconic to American culture. This specific piece helped me analyze all art in general at a deeper level. This is because when I view art now, it makes me wonder if the artist is trying to connect with the viewer in a much deeper level instead of just having the viewer analyze what is above the surface. Thus, when looking at art now, I speculate every little detail to make sure that I am not missing a single thing and I put meaning and symbolism to every aspect of a particular art piece. The way I analyze art is way more efficient, sincere, and genuine now than I previously did because of the great impact of this certain art piece. Additionally, this piece means a lot to me because Mason previously attended Otis! Although it sounds generic, it really does inspire me and gives me hope that one day my work can possibly be displayed in museums while being viewed by thousands of people from all over the world.

John Mason, Blue Wall, 1959
Image source: http://www.getty.edu/pacificstandardtime/files/2011/07/gm_328609ex1_d.jpg

Altogether, not only did this class teach about Los Angeles art, it also taught me numerous different techniques on how to analyze art. This class allowed me to interact with Los Angeles and assisted me with creating a relationship and a connection with my hometown that was not there before I took this class. Additionally, this course also helped me realize that L.A. artwork does not only consist of graffiti; there is indeed a whole other art world right in my backyard. Ultimately, what I will remember most for the rest of my life is how differently I will now analyze artworks. Each piece has its own meaning, and I will make it my obligation to give each piece the recognition it deserves.

The Art of Language

Two things really stand out to me from the whole semester. The first, Commentary by De Wain Valentine on Gray Column, “I would like to have some way, a magic saw, to cut out large chunks of ocean or sky and say ‘Here it is.’” This is the first exhibition I saw at the Getty, and it changed my perspective on the rest of the art I saw that day. Not only does the quote pertain to this particular piece, but it applies to everything. Every artwork is inspired by something, whether it is nature or civilization. An artist sees something and takes a piece of it, maybe modifies it, showing us how they see the world. In each PST exhibit The artists express themselves to make the viewer realize something, or see something in a different light. Richard Diebenkorn shows us the different moods of the ocean and the way he views Santa Monica, in an abstract way. Contrasting this style isVija Celmins piece, To Fix and Image to Memory. This is a very litteral interpretation, but she still displays her views and peaceful mood of her art. Although both artist are very different and represent very different styles, they are both taking a piece of nature to show us the importance and magnificence they see.

The second quote, I saw is at the Craft and Folk Museum and tied every PST exhibit together,”…. I intend to walk where I choose and not care which country I’m in.” - June Schwarcz. This quote shows that although each artist is different in so many ways, they share a sense of individuallism and freedom needed to be inspired and create unique work. In one way or another everyone walks where they want, sees the things they enjoy, and stay close to their interests. For one reason or another we are all drawn to certain things, and we need to pursue these interests.

Both of these artist’s words gave me a sense of freedom and grounded me to my surroundings. I noticed a pattern in the art that I choose to interpret, and I was intrested in throughout the semester. Different art speaks to different people and everyone can interpret it in different ways, because of their own references. Schwarez makes me realize that this is my own way of walking my own path. I choose what interests me and follow that passion. I tend look at artist who deal with nature and especially the ocean. Because of my own taste I am able to connect each of the PST exhibits I went to, and find similarities that wouldn’t normally be evident.

Final Blog Post: Enjoyable Experience

Stephen Kaltenbach "Portrait of My Father"

http://www.stephenkaltenbach.com/

First of all, I have to say that this has been one of the most enjoyable classes I have taken and I am not just saying that because it was partly and online class and we did not meet in class very much. These classes made me go out and visit these museums and learn new things. All the museums I attended (except LACMA of course) were new to me. Not only did I get to learn about the L.A. art scene, but I got to go out and experience new places I would not have visited otherwise. These Pacific Standard Time exhibitions along with the lectures in class really educated me on what really is art. Before this class, I could only name a few older painters because of my past liberal arts classes. As for more modern artists, I could name a lot that I just happen to come across on the internet. I also am a little ashamed to say that I was not a fan of visiting art museums. These trips really fuelled my passion for art and now I find it enjoyable to attend art museums. The Pacific Standard Time exhibitions taught me about these artists that really shaped the L.A. art scene and the art world as well. I realized that there are a few artists whose work I really enjoyed.

I read my first post and realized that I had mentioned that when I heard the term L.A. art scene, I would think of just graffiti. Well, that is not the case anymore. Now that I know about all the art L.A. has to offer, I think of the ASCO group, Edward Kienholz, Stephen Kaltenbach, and many others. I no longer just have graffiti in my mind. I found that the recurring themes in these exhibitions were all of the problems our society faces. From politics to making a difference, a lot of these art exhibitions showed pieces that started powerful movements like the Feminist movement. Others just bluntly put it out there that we have some serious problems that most people just seem to ignore. These pieces were made available to everyone so that their messages could not be ignored. I believe that this is what made a lot of these P.S.T. exhibitions strong and memorable.

I have to say that my most favorite exhibition was Under the Big Black Sun. Out of all the shows, it had the most pieces that I thought were interesting and visually appealing to me. It also exhibited Suzanne Lacy’s Three Weeks in May, whose whole idea has interested me since I first saw the RAPE stamp at the Doin’ It in Public show at Otis. Other than this reason, I feel like it is also my most favorite because I could emotionally connect to a lot of pieces. Some made me feel disgusted of things that go on in the world, some I felt related to my life. It just brought a lot of personal feelings. Other exhibitions I enjoyed were Doin’ It in Public and ASCO: Elite of the Obscure. A retrospective.at Lacma.

The Doin’ It in Public show I liked because we had someone explaining the show to us. I learned a lot of information and I was really thankful that these women had done so much for us. I enjoyed ASCO Elite of the Obscure. A retrospective at LACMA because of the range of work they produced, the weird performances they made, and how they brought their Latino heritage into their work and still got noticed.

I am not really proud of any of the blogs I wrote because it feels like I could have added more to all of them. It felt like I could have expressed myself better in my writing because when I go back and read it, it feels like I did not get across everything I felt about the exhibitions, but at the same time it was difficult for me to write about it because this is so different to me. I am not used to putting a lot of myself into what I write. I have to say though, that I feel like my writing has improved. I guess I am proud of that part.

Final Blog Post

Looking back on the semester and the numerous museum visits, I can see the connections between the exhibit had and how they represent the entire Los Angeles art scene. Whether the exhibit was extremely abstract, as in From Start To Finish, or full of meaning and symbolism, as in Now Dig This!, the exhibits in the Pacific Standard Time would not have been possible without the inspiration of one another. The tremendous growth in human dignity and representation can be seen in the whole Pacific Standard Movement. 

The Art in the City of Angels class has opened my eyes to a new variety of art, history, and my ability to verbally explain art. The exhibit that I enjoyed the most was Now Dig This Exhibit. David Hammons was an artist in this exhibit whose style was unique and original. Hammon’s piece titled, Wine Leading the Wine, was paint with the actual human body. This technique amazed me because it was simple yet creative and detailed. Hammons’s piece titled, Wine Leading the Wine was the caught my attention. It took on a scenario that affects every-single family in America one way or another. By doing this, Hammons instantly got his point across effectively and accurately, but it got you thinking.

The Getty Center (Image source.)

For the first part of the class we viewed several PowerPoint presentations and choose from topics that influenced Los Angeles art. At first I did not see how some of the situations influenced Los Angeles in an art perspective. After doing research and reading my classmate’s blogs, it all once again came together. The movements such as the Chicano Riots, the Women’s Building, and the Black Panthers they all played a key role in the creation of art that was created in Los Angeles.

Before taking this class I struggled going to museum's connecting and losing myself into the artwork. After blogging about my museum experiences for a semester, my whole attitude towards museums changed. I gained a lot of knowledge by reading and commenting fellow classmates posts, which would point stuff out I may have not noticed, and provided a different perspective and view on things. I will continue to visit museums and explore the cultural and historical significance. I may not blog about them, but I will continue to research and use these artist and art creations as influence when I am creating my own art.

Some may say the Los Angeles art scene is nothing but street art and graffiti with no talent or meaning behind it. Others may say everything is Hollywood and watered down and conservative or that Los Angeles doesn't have an art scene at all. To me, Los Angeles is full of historical art, art that has influenced movements and people, and created artistic icons, art with its own style and creativity, art that cannot be found anywhere else but here in the City of Angels.

"Final Review" The Most Glorious Lie

Our experience is all that matters. The significance of the art that we have seen so far has been pre-determined by people I will most likely never know. Everything is relative, and art is the most magnificent lie. We do our best to tell a story, but nobody will see it through the same pair of eyes. My whole life I heard about the Mona Lisa, about its elegant detail and the important political figures that have coveted it throughout its existence. The photos of Mona Lisa that I have seen in books or on slides illuminate none of the supernatural qualities it is rumored to embody and I never regarded it as anything more than another painting. This year I went to Paris, to the Louvre, into the jam-packed room that houses this mythical masterpiece and wedged myself into the surrounding crowd to stare at the painting as hundreds of tourists poured through to take their photo of the most famous painting in the world. To my surprise, I found the painting very fulfilling. I couldn't say a bad word about it and no matter how reluctant I am to agree with the masses, I believe this painting deserves the hype surrounding it. What I don't agree with is how hastily people rush by the work of masters such as Salvador Dali, ignoring everything else to get there. What I took from this experience is that in most cases art is something physical, and to truly examine something and be able to have an un-biased discussion about it we must see it in its physical form. If we are to speak about a photo of a particular piece we are really speaking about one persons view of it, or their version of a story. To generate a valid response we must rely on our own senses.Vinci, Leonardo Da. "History of the Mona Lisa Painting, The Theft, and Leonardo Da Vinci." Art History & Periods, Artist Biographies, Art Galleries, & Art Schools. Web. 06 Dec. 2011. .

Much like my experience in Paris, this course has given me a real perspective on the art that I have been able to talk about. Instead of hearing someone Else's version of a story I have had the luxury of the experience, and the freedom to form my own opinions based on what I have seen, and for that I am enthusiastic. I am one step closer to figuring out where fit into this world, and I have been able to take pleasure in overloading my head with images. My writing this semester has been my story, my view of the works presented, and my experience has taught me to think critically about what I see no matter how it makes me feel. What I will hold on to is the need to be there and see things for myself and when all is said and done, my experience will remain the most important part.



"Portrait of a Younger Self", Duncan Lemmon. Ink on paper, 2011.
Reminiscent of a moment in time when the experience was all there was.

Final Post: Changing. Improving. Developing.

Getting closer to the end of the semester, I think back and reflect on the semester and I have come a long way. The weeks went by so fast that in a blink of an eye, I had so much work to make up. After the first couple weeks in class, I started to have a difficult time in this class. The first weeks, we actually met in class and had lectures about the history of art in La. Corresponding to the lectures, homework was a blog post to be written about a topic we chose from the lecture. After the first couple weeks, we had weekly assigned individual museum or exhibit visits. After visiting the museum or exhibit, we were to write about our experiences, the artwork, and our interpretation of the institution. In the beginning, I did pretty well and actually thought it was wonderful that I didn’t have to go to class and all I had to do was to visit the museums and write about it. After a while, I started having a hard time. I am not too certain as to why that was, despite the fact that I have a hard time with liberal classes to begin with. However, I feel like it might be because there is not class meeting to turn in a printed assignment or homework. I might just not be fit for an “online” class. Therefore, I was beginning to fall back. I was having a hard time keeping up with the visits and, because of that, my blogs were overdue. However, Karri was very understanding and supportive along the way.

During my journey in the Art and the City of Angels, I grew to enjoy various art pieces as well as the development of visually observing the artworks and critically analyzing them in more details. My experiences visiting various Pacific Standard Time exhibits were enjoyable, more than I thought. In addition to that, it was very helpful and actually made me realize that this class had more of an impact on me, helping me with my visual skills.

In the beginning of the year, I didn't have much interest nor did I have any special visual skills. During the first visits, I admit, I just browsed around and didn’t feel to interested. The way I observed the works was a bit more simple and vague. I would just stroll through and if I saw something that caught my eye, then would I go and see how they might have done something like that. But even at that level, I didn't exactly have the knowledge to truly analyze properly. I guess you can say that I may have been a bit more lost on how I should be observing and describing the pieces in order to understand the artist and their work. However, as the weeks were progressing, I noticed that the way I was observing the various artworks were a bit different. I started to analyze the little things that the artists did, as well as to question why they did certain things or even create the pieces. I began to look for a good composition, what worked and what didn't, and the overall piece’s concept. It amazed me how my visual skills were changing and improving! It was actually surprising how I can visually see all these different little details and trying to analyze every move and their meanings. It became more apparent and actually created an interest in the exhibits.

One of the most vivid memories of this new found discovery was during the Edward Keinholtz installation pieces. It's still probably my favorite pieces during this whole class experience. Also because that was one of the very first exhibits that I went into not knowing what to expect and coming out with such movement and inspiration; I would have to say that it made me realize the deeper meanings. It created the interest of wanting to see more and more! I was a bit disappointed to end it with one installation from Edward Keinholtz, but this is exactly what I mean! The change from not having ANY interest in viewing these exhibits and even while viewing, not knowing how to observe and analyze properly; it developed into being more engaged in the pieces and connecting with the artists to their work. Changing all the ways to analyze and creating some kind of meaning that would inspire me. Throughout the semester, I was always encouraging my fellow students to explore in order to broaden their creative minds and in developing their knowledge in all kinds of art; however, I failed to realize how much inspiration I have gotten from these exhibits. In addition, the development of interest in various artworks and the artists themselves, as well as, my ability to properly observe and critically analyze each and every details. This class has helped me in many ways and generated a new knowledge and technique that I will beneficial to my life in the long run.

Final Blog Post: Guilty Pleasures

Time for a confession! At the Getty Center, at LACMA, and at the Hammer, all of my favorite works were not part of the Pacific Standard Time exhibits.  The post WWII genre is not my taste.  The most exciting piece of art I saw this semester was Salome at the Hammer.  I looked at it up close and then I stepped back and looked at it far away.  The size and intricracy of this artwork is amazing, it grabbed my attention and I found myself transfixed, unable to look away. Unfortunately, I find a lot of modern artwork doesn’t speak to me like this.  They seem shallow and narcissistic and lack the transcendent qualities that I find appealing in religious art.  

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Gustave Moreau Salome Dancing Before Herod 1876 Hammer.ucla.edu

The blogging experience that was part of this class helped me understand that I look at art in terms of my enjoyment.  In fact, I found the lack of appeaI the artworks had for me helped me think about it more.  The shows that I enjoyed the least (Under the Big Black Sun and Doin’ it in Public)  produced some of my strongest posts.  I think my lack of interest in these shows forced me to explore the root of my dislike.  Why was it hard for me to engage with the art?  What was pushing me away?  Was it the content? The Organization? The Layout?  If the show had been put together differently would I have enjoyed it more?  Looking at it in this way gave me a stronger desire to explore the show and really nail what was bothering me.  

In contrast, it was harder for me to put my finger on what I liked about the exhibits that I enjoyed.  For example, I loved the Crosscurrents show at the Getty.  Reflecting on my experience there  brought tears to my eyes yet there was nothing specific or singular in the show that moved me.  It was a product of my total experience.  The individual pieces worked together to create an overwhelming nostalgia which is so painful and sweet that I have a hard time thinking about it.  It is much harder for me to think critically about things I enjoy because my emotions get in the way.  I am inspired by the shapes and colors.  I give myself over to them and soak up the feelings that I get, but I am not really interested in any one thing, just the overall sensation.  I am not inspired to learn about the artists or what they intended, I just want to live in the moment.  As much as I disliked Under the Big Black Sun, I saw my younger self reflected in all the post modernism.  They represent complete self absorbency and the tendency to think that everyone is as interested in me as I am.

This class helped me understand that I want art to move me beyond my immediate world.   I don’t want to think about the concrete troubles of the world, but about the intangible spiritual realm.  I want art to carry me away from the mundane, not rub my face in it.  In this class, I learned that I can learn about an artwork and the artist’s intention but an uninteresting piece will still remain boring.  My engagement and enjoyment of art is narcissistic and that is just the way I like it.  It is my own guilty pleasure.

Final Reflection: Art and The City of Angels

     Before starting this class I was having doubts about it. I was not sure if I would enjoy it or gain a knowledgeable experience from it. The reason why I chose it was mainly because the name really stood out and attracted me. As the year went on I realized I really was learning and feeling comfortable in the class.

     The class discussed the art history of Los Angeles and I found that really interesting because I am not originally from Los Angeles. It made me appreciate Los Angeles more than I did before.One topic the class touched on that I remember the most was fashion in Los Angeles. I am a fashion student so hearing about the style of swimming suits in the 1940s-50s really made me want to learn and research more information on that subject. After that class I had a clear understanding of the swimming suit style at that point in time. It has helped prepare me for my fashion illustration class because we are drawing bathing suits.

http://www.glamoursplash.com/2011/06/swoon-suit-from-cole-of-california.html

 As the class went on we started visiting museums a lot. This helped me learn about modern art and gave me more knowledge on the outside world instead of just the subjects we learn in school. Seeing all of the random artwork in the museums made me realize i can do so much more with my fashion designs then what is already out there. The museums helped open my mind and inspire my ideas.

     Overall I am happy about the direction in which this class went. Normally I am not interested in most topics we discuss in school but I felt this class flipped that for me. It has opened my mind to explore new and old art in Los Angeles and in other cities as well. The class also helped me in my major of Fashion Design because it has inspired some of my designs. It has given me some of the knowledge of past fashion design in Los Angeles which I had never had before. I am excited about the information and knowledge I have gained from this class and will keep it with me.