2015 Student Juried Show

April 9-April 30, 2015

Spring is in the air, and many students are finishing up their last year of college.  For some, this may be the last exhibition with Montana State University, to which may be sad but also very thrilling.  The opportunities to blossom and contribute to the market are endless.

Juror, Stephen Gluekert states, "I believe the submissions speak to me of the passionate interest in finding a place for art in one's life.  When a person dedicates themselves in the academic pursuit of the arts, you must be in touch with what is inside.  The arts provide us with language, which allows what is inside to come out."  What better way of self discovery then filling your hands with objects, paint, a pen, or hammer and making something out of nothing.  These skills will do more than just create a craftsman, they will also build the mind to solve problems.

This years show was very diverse in terms of material and content, although many were classified as some sort of portraiture.  It was refreshing to find a good mix of traditional aesthetics along with modern, digital works.  Although I do not have anything against these works, (being a graphic designer and photographer, by trade).  There was a great variation between representational and non-representational as well.

There were a celebrated few for their craftsmanship, imagination, and passion.  One being Ms. Holly Grob with her three dimensional Beacon, made from wood, steel charcoal, graphite, and polycrylic.  The piece hangs just shy of the ceiling, making it one of the focal points of the show.  Although it is built with industrial materials, it still has an organic, indigenous feel to it.

Next, we have Robbie Mann with his Hands Up, acrylic on canvas.  Surprisingly enough, this too has a indigenous feel to it, as well as remnants of wall art from the aids awareness era, and works being made at Vanessa German's house by children.  It has a child-like aesthetic to it, in which it's rich, bright colors lend to this cause.

Melissa Morford was also recognized for her piece Disguised, Digital collage.  Just by looking at Melissa, you know that she is an interesting person.  After listening to her a little bit, while listening to Mr. Gluekert, it seemed to click as to what she was trying to say in this piece.  Although this image paired with its title should be straight forward enough, she peeled back another layer.  She was talking about how she didn't feel that she could fit into the art community at a young age, simply because she felt she had no realized talent.  Well look at what we have here...someone who has the drive to accomplish something a lot of times will out run the individual who has the talent, but not the time.  Congratulations to Melissa!

Finally, we have best of show by Bonny Beth Luhman with her Seeds of Life, Stop animation hand drawn on marker board. 1:20.  Hands down one of the best pieces of work I have seen.  It is a simple, yet complicated; animation that depicts various beings and plants coming from the earth, or turning back into the earth.  The concept is sound, and the execution is not over done.  All in all, all of these acknowledgments were not in anyway questionable.

It is interesting to be involved with the entire process of putting on an exhibit.  While looking at thumb nails of the selected works and trying to mentally map out what would go where, I realized that shall no and forevermore be more appreciative of the show as a hole.  I will no longer just look at the works, but what is next to them, the fluid moving space around them, the lighting, and the signage.  I think the installation team did a great job in terms of good flow between the two dimensional works, and accommodations for the three dimensional works.

For your consideration: "Acceptance in the Museum" (Chapter 4,8, &9 of Understanding the Art Museum)

Barbra A. Beall-Fofana, understanding the Art museum, please read chapter 4 "How do museums know what they know?"  Chapter 9, ongoing challenges.

Answer the following "for your consideration" Chapter 4
What is provenance and why is it such an important issue in the art world?  The universal Leonardo project, launched in 2005, focuses on the techniques and process used by Leonardo da Vinci rather than claiming to determine attribution.  Why do you think this shift has taken place?

Provenance- "Refers to the records related to an artwork that document its ownership, ideally beginning with its creation date.  Yet, gaps often exist because many artworks do not have a consistent, unbroken history of ownership.  The earlier an artwork was created, the more likely it is to have an incomplete provenance.  As you can imagine, such is often the case for art found by archaeological excavation.  The original owners of these objects are often unknown; the provenance thus begins with the date of discovery.

Provenance data includes verification of the known artist or workshop, the history of ownership or documentation from archaeological excavations, any records of sale, exhibition history, and citations in exhibition catalogues or art historical writings about the work.  All this information is made available for any artwork that legitimately comes up for sale or donation."  (Page 20)

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During WWII, as Jewish homes were ransacked and stripped of all valuables, family legacies and heirlooms were lost to those families that owned them.  Artifacts have resurfaced throughout the years either by black-market sales of such stolen merchandise and/or recovered from archeological means.  The introduction of Provenance (or record keeping of the past, present, and furture) have allowed for such artifacts to be returned to their rightful owners, as well as keep their monetary values and presence throughout the decades.

Photo taken by the Nazis during World War II shows a room

filled with pieces stolen throughout the war.

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http://www.universalleonardo.org/news.php
"Universal Leonardo: Leonardo da Vinci Online was nominated for inclusion
in the EDSITEment project in response to an open call for nominations
posted on their website and on several humanities listservs. The site was
then reviewed by a Peer Review panel composed of teachers and leaders in
education and non-profit organizations. Panelists determined that Universal Leonardo
site met the EDSITEment criteria for intellectual quality, content,
design, and most importantly, classroom impact.

Research
Research Leonardo’s life and works by consulting the resources in this section.
Despite Leonardo’s incredible fame and notoriety, the relatively extensive documentation of his life leaves his personality surprisingly elusive. The vast body of written material produced by the artist contains surprisingly few references to his daily existence or the events of his life, while contemporary accounts or testaments by others offer only occasional glimpses of the person.
The Life & Times chronology of Leonardo is based exclusively on documentary evidence gleaned from a wide variety of sources, and serves to illustrate what is known about the life of Leonardo in relation to the political and cultural events of his time.
The In-depths, Links and Bibliography pages provide a guide for further exploration for beginners."

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In my opinion, Leonardo had such a distinctive quality and or characteristics with his works, it isn't hard to attribute work to him.  Leonardo's work has a fine line between artistic nature versus scientific discovery.  It seems that this site was created to educate and further explore works and details that are absolute.

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"For your consideration" Chapter 9
Review the information presented in Chapter 8 on Marcel Duchamp's work called Fountain (see figure 12).  If you had been on the committee that decided what could and could not be exhibited at the American Society of Independent Artist, would you have allowed this work to be in the show?  Why or why not?  What have your criteria for acceptance or rejection?

Marcel Duchamp, "Fountain", 1887-1968, 1917, replica 1964, 

Porcelain, Unconfirmed: 360 X 480 X 610 mm

"Museums expose you to works you might otherwise never see.  But many artworks were created for a specific place, and removing them from their original setting challenges their physical and cultural context.  It may dramatically alter not only your experience of them but also their intended meaning.  Many works were also made to serve a particular purpose-whether cultural, civic, religious, or personal.  Therefore, when you look at art in a museum, consider where it would have been located originally and how it might have functioned within society or culture."  (Page 45)

"Lets push the issue of the importance of an object's physical context a little further.  What if placing a work within an art museum didn't take away from its meaning?  Instead, what if doing so bestowed status and enhanced its importance and significance?  Artist Marcel Duchamp (1887-1968) considered just such ideas when he created his sculpture called Fountain (Fig. 13) in 1917."  (Page 47)

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Duchamp was the first of many to question the criteria of what was called and accepted as art.  Is it something polished and framed, or could it be "readymade" objects created from an assembly line and then chosen?  After Duchamp was rejected with his urinal submission, he resigned from the board and is thought to have written an article stating that "Mr. Mutt's fountain is not immoral, that is absurd, no more than a bathtub is immoral.  It is a fixture that you see every day in plumbers' shop windows.  Whether Mr. Mutt with his own hands made the fountain has no importance.  He CHOSE it.  He took an ordinary article of life, placed it so that its useful significance disappeared under the new title and point of view-created a new thought for that object." (The Richard Mutt Case', The Blind Man, New York, no. 2, May 1917, p. 5.)  Although his need to bend the rules and play in the gray areas has lead us to a conceptual way of thinking, I believe that if I were living during that time, I may have been inclined to agree with the committee.  If you let just anything in, then how can an artist or individual acquire the recognition as being a great or successful artist?  How might one jury a urinal that was bought, to an oil on canvas that had to be constructed with many hours of work?  If I were to be placed on a committee now,  I might not think that way after all we have seen in the last two decades.  I guess I wouldn't know until I heard the artist's claim behind the thought or meaning of their piece.  

For your consideration: "Research Installations" (Chapters 1-3, "Understanding the Art Museum")

"Research installations by artists such as Kiki Smith, Bill Viola, or Jenny Holzer.  Choose one of their installations and answer the following:  How does the artwork interact with the physical space it occupies?  Argue for or against the principles of installation art.  If you are unfamiliar with the principles of installation art, do some research!"

Definition & Characteristics
"Installation art is a relatively new genre of contemporary art, practised by an increasing number of postmodernist artists, which incorporates a range of 2-D and 3-D materials to influence the way we experience or perceive a particular space. Installations are artistic interventions designed to make us rethink our lives and values. 

As in all general forms of Conceptual art, Installation artists are more concerned with the presentation of their message than with the means used to achieve it. As a result, computer art is becoming a key feature. However, unlike 'pure' Conceptual art, which is supposedly experienced in the minds of those introduced to it, Installation art is more grounded - it remains tied to a physical space."  http://www.visual-arts-cork.com/installation-art.htm

Kiki Smith

Kiki Smith (b. 1954, Nuremberg, Germany) is an artist who addresses the human condition, the body, and the realms of spirituality and nature in mediums such as, sculpture, printmaking and installation.

As seen in the image below, Smith typically creates site-specific installations.  She draws on the traditions of "woman's work", and creates atmospheres of 'prisons', so to speak for women; but accentuates on the fact that all that women do is out of love for her family.  So, the female sculpture reaches outwards towards a window, in essence to be part of the outside world, but she also holds a special place for the world going on inside these four walls.  The artist uses materials such as paper, clay and fabric which also addresses things produced by, or used by a "housewife."

Domestic artifacts traditionally seen in a household such as blankets, baskets, artificial flowers, and porcelain plates on the wall.

Kiki Smith, "Kitchen"
Type: Mixed Media (Multimedia)

Accession Number: 2006.2.1-.178

Physical Description:  An installation containing stencil painted walls, ceramic vessels, a dining table a winsor chair, a NY Times, a witches broom, plastic rats, a porcelain female figure gazing at a window.  The female figure was also produced in an edition of 3 the title is Standing Girl 2004-2005, Pace #37774.01

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Bill Viola

Bill Viola (b.1951) has been instrumental in the establishment of video as a vital form of contemporary art. For 40 years he has created videotapes, architectural video installations, sound environments, electronic music performances, flat panel video pieces, and works for television broadcast. 

As seen below, "The Crossing" consist of a large screen which displays a digitally moving image on either side of the screen simultaneously.  The artist hangs this large screen in the middle of a gallery in hopes that the viewer might freely walk around it.  On one side, a man walks towards the audience and is engulfed in flames from his feet up.  On the other side, the same man again walks towards the audience and saturated with water from above.

"Viola's personal history unveils why his art (almost) always has something to do with water. When he was six years old, he fell out of a boat when he was on holiday with his parents. He nearly drowned. But unlike most people, Viola described the experience as “… the most beautiful world I’ve ever seen in my life” and “without fear,” and “peaceful” [1]. This near-drowning experience  resulted in his fascination with water. 

For The Crossing, Viola added another element: fire; water's natural opposite. This results in an interesting interplay between antipoles. Tung Nguyen says this piece is about balance. "The concept of balance is presented through opposite concepts that each alone is an extreme that can only be balanced by one of the other extreme. Left - right, fire - water, red - blue, warm - cool, hot - cold, bottom - top, and so on. The viewer can even sense the artist's desire for moderation, for compromise, and the message that the extremes are what harming us (burnt by fire or washed away by water) and we need a common ground to survive." [3]

But one might also think about the disappearance as the most important part. Where has the man gone, is he dead? Or is he in a higher state? Perhaps he has dissolved on to the other side of the screen: first catching fire to be put out by the water later or first being soaking wet and in need of some warmth. In that case it is more a "what-came-first-the-chicken-or-the-egg" kind of question. Who is to say? One thing is certain: Bill Viola says the idea came out of his  unconscious. Since we can't look there for answers, we should probably interpret this piece on our own, with help of our own unconscious part of our brain." http://artelectronicmedia.com/artwork/the-crossing

The artist has included sounds along with these moving images (Sorry, I couldn't figure out how to attach sound to this short clip), which allows the viewer to be completely consumed by the piece.  The screens are not only displayed in the center of a gallery, but the gallery lighting is also dimmed to pull attention to the screen.  Just like a movie theatre, all outside distractions are lost in the darkness and one image controls the stage.  Not only is the imagery intoxicating, but the thought behind it, once you have reached this point, could be theorized on so many different levels.  I had to include the interview above to be able to justify the meaning of the piece, straight from the artists mouth.

Bill Viola,"The Crossing", Digital Motion Picture, 1996, 2 minutes

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Jenny Holzer

A Neo-Conceptualist artist, Jenny Holzer (b. 1950) utilizes language (Western and Easter literature and philosophy) to address political issues.  Holzer felt the writings could be simplified to phrases everyone could understand. She called these summaries her "Truisms" (1978), which she printed anonymously in black italic script on white paper and wheat-pasted to building facades, signs, and telephone booths.  She inspired pedestrians to scribble messages on the posters and make verbal comments. Holzer would stand and listen to the dialogues invoked by her words.

"SMITH: [...]The Internet—it's where young people go instead of visually presenting themselves in the streets. You had a run of three big shows in 1989 and '90: Dia, the Guggenheim, Venice [Biennale]. The Guggenheim show was one of the most memorable shows in that museum, formally and contentwise. But I remember for the show at Dia, you were writing the text in your own work. It really mixed the personal and the political and social together in an interesting sense of complexity and vulnerability. Shortly after that you began using other people's texts, and I thought, When are you going back to using your own texts? That Dia exhibition was so profound to me. It had enormous emotional resonance.

HOLZER: I really wasn't-and I'm not-a writer. The only way I could write was by pretending to be any number of people. That gave me enough shelter to show what inevitably was personal, but also to have the content be for and about others—since I was busy being somebody else. That worked for a while, but eventually writing wore me down because it didn't come naturally and my subjects were awful. The visual is easier for me. At some point I thought, I'm going to give myself a break, use my eyes, and go to people who really are writers-mostly poets, because this will let me expand my subject matter and emotional range, and hopefully make the work stronger." http://www.interviewmagazine.com/art/jenny-holzer/#_

Jenny Holzer, "Prague", 2009, Projections

Site: National Museum, Wenceslas Square, Prague

April 29–May 6, 2009
Text: “Could Have” from View with a Grain of Sand by Wisława Szymborska, copyright © 1993 by the author. English translation by Stanisław Barańczak and Clare Cavanagh, copyright © 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Used/reprinted with permission of the publisher and the author.
Projection: FX Productions; Charles Passarelli
Photo: Attilio Maranzano / Ela Bialkowska

After reviewing all three installation artists, I feel that Jenny Holzer has the size and concept to make us "rethink our lives and values."   While utilizing foundations that already existed to be appreciated and memorialized, it could further the impact with her written words projected upon them.  Her work could be seen on buildings that tower above and are usually centrally located.  Although it is simple in content, it is exceptionally powerful in concept, projected for many to see, and most to ponder.  I guess in my opinion, hers is more powerful because it is displayed in such a way that could reach the masses, rather than depending on the amount of specific people who attend a particular institution, who are coming to a museum to view 'art'.

Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MONTANA STATE UNIVERSITY'S STUDENT GALLERY PRESENTS "EVOLVE" BY STUDENT CARI SCHIENO
March 23-March 27, 2015
Free to the public | Hours: Monday - Friday: 8:00am - 4:00pm or by appointment

This exhibition includes eight 16" X 20" watercolor pieces, all of a Series entitled "EVOLVE", which is displayed with the first E and the L backwards in order to use the L to underline "LOVE."  The artist uses vibrant colors and it's content is based on Science Fiction genre, inspired by artists Borris Vallejo and Julie Bell.

 Cari Dunlap, Fore Mothers, 2007, Watercolor on 

300 lb. paper, 16x20"

  Cari Dunlap, Quench, 2007, Watercolor on 

300 lb. paper, 16x20"

 Cari Dunlap, High school, 2007, Watercolor on 

300 lb. paper, 16x20

The artist explores the concept of "Love" and the various stages and quality of it, and how these may evolve to something else.  By using fictional subject matter, it conveys the notion that the artist may not believe or have experienced the  love of a companion but probably altered versions; such as, family love or friendship.  All pieces are interpretations of poems professing love, or theorizing about love.  For example, as depicted in "High School," a poem by Jules Renard, "Love is like an hourglass, with the heart filling up as the brain empties."

Montana State University Student Gallery (outside of Northcutt Steele Gallery)
Liberal Arts Building, 1st Floor
1500 University Drive
Billings, MT  59101
Dr. Leanne Gilbertson, Gallery Director
406-657-2903
Leanne.Gilbertson@msubillings.edu

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Drafting an Exhibition Call Exercise

Step 1. (Review each of these sites and take careful notes about the structure of the calls. )

Step 2. (Answer the following: What information is found in each of these calls?  How is that information organized?  Consider the design choices in each call.  Name one positive aspect of each of the call's organization of information and one negative aspect.  How does the design relate to/ reflect the content of the call?)

           http://chicagoartmagazine.com/2010/04/6th-annual-national-self-portrait-exhibition-call-for-submissions/

                     Awards, exhibition catalog, size restrictions, and submission fee are the bullet points in this call.  It is short and sweet and straight to the point.  I like that it is very specific on how to compile and format your entries.  For example, in submitting photos they MUST be LASTNAME_Title.jpg at a 300dpi, no bigger than 1500px wide.  In having very specific details, the curator can insure that all entries are uniform.

           http://www.box13artartspace.com/20112012-call-for-proposals/

                     This call was even shorter than the last.  And it went even more into detail of submission and limitations.  They included a request of a letter of intent or exhibition proposal, which I think is a great idea because then the gallerist can get a personal feel of what the artist is trying to say and how they imagine to exhibit their works.  Along with this in their contact info, they request Title and description, concept and physical details.  They also ask you to include requests for space and any special needs or equipment.  It is very important that the gallery be prepared to incorporate all these diverse pieces and having this information up front allows them to visually imagine the space before receiving these pieces.  To stay organized as an artist and as a curator, they ask to give a list of your works with #'s corresponding to the #'s seen in your image slide show.

           http://www.akimbo.ca/18558

                      This call was my favorite by far, because it has a graphic design element that appeals to me as a graphic artist.  It is an art show, I feel that although it is a call, it should still have an art feel to it.  It doesn't need to be extreme, just a simple graphic at the top with the title.  They introduce themselves in the first paragraph talking about their intent and who they would like to see involved.  I really like that they are targeting local artist to cover their cities community.  I thought it was a little odd that they ask for 5-10 images of older work, but I guess they may be looking for a specific look.  Overall, I really like the format, I would just include a little more info on what to expect through the process.

Step 3.  (Devise a template for a call for Northcutt Steele Gallery exhibitions (fall 2016) at Northcutt Steele Gallery.  Focus on the structural elements of the call.  Do your best by emulating the other calls you have reviewed and we will discuss in person.)

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Fall Call to Any and All Aspiring Artists

Introduction:    The Northcutt Steele Gallery is a free admissions gallery devoted to educating its students and also allowing them an opportunity to exhibit their work in a professional environment.

Intent:   As lent approaches us, too often the thought is one of doom, gloom and guilt.  Lent is a time to make a new resolve, roll up our sleeves and make some personal progression.  This call is to invite artists from MSUB and the community to consider the seven deadly sins as they manifest themselves in Contemporary Western society and in individual lives.

There are two opportunities to get into this show.  The juror will select works that will be exhibited in The Northcutt Steele Gallery and the Northcutt Steele On-line Gallery.  The juror will also select works that will be shown in the on-line gallery only.  This allows for more works to be seen beyond the square feet physical limitations of the gallery.

Deadlines:   The show will be on display October 1 through the 15, 2016.  All submissions should be sent by September 1st, 2016 (Midnight central time).  We will be sending out an email no later than September 14th whether you have been selected or not.

Accepted Media:   Sculpture, Installation, painting, drawing, photography, printmaking, ceramics, assemblage, collage, mixed media, and artist books.

Limitations:   Your submissions will not be excepted if they have been exhibited previously.  Also, there is a size limitation of____________________________________.

Please include:   

* Contact information (First and Last name, telephone number, email address, etc.)                    

* Title and description, concept and physical detail (Are there 'weak' areas of your work if being handled?)

        Also in this list include #'s of your works that correspond to the title of your images     submitted.

* Requested space and any special needs or equipment you are not able to provide.

Submission:   Artists may submit 3-5 entries.  Images must be submitted as a 300dpi, 4"X6" format.  Please submit all images and or written documents in the following formats:

                             LASTNAME_Proposal.pdf

                             LASTNAME_img001.jpg

                             LASTNAME_bio.pdf

<Enter link here of desired location of submissions>

Additional Information:   Artists will be required to send and retrieve their work to us at their own expense.

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Contact your curator with questions:

Northcutt Steele Gallery

Liberal Arts Building, 1st Floor

1500 University Drive

Billings, MT 59101

Dr. Leanne Gilbertson, Gallery Director

(406)657-2903

Leanne.Gilbertson@msubillings.edu

Vanessa German

Vanessa German

I believe that after discussing how the gallery was set up with Leanne, I wouldn't change a thing.  The traffic flow seems very fluid, and the larger pieces are anchored on either side of the gallery.  She also explained that she chose to use the pieces that use colors of the flag in an "every other" pattern, including the introduction of the actual flag.  She also mentioned that she chose the baby clothing with screen print on them to be the most "provocative" pieces in the window to lure viewers.  All of these make sense.

Before having had heard her explanation, I would say knowing that Vanessa is a performance artist; with the division of floor material, I would have put all of the three dimensional pieces on the carpeted floor and put all the two dimensional pieces on the far wall, along with a podium (optional) and platform, centered in front of the two dimensional pieces for a performance area.  (Stage if you will.)  While she was here to make performances, it would have been excellent.  But now that the show still stands without her presence, the show being set up this way would have been lacking.  I do, however, feel the spacing and location of the pieces were as perfect as you could get!

When I first saw the show and researched Vanessa German, I felt the show and her pieces felt a little "witch doctor" and "voodoo" vibe.  I watched several of her performances and interviews, at which point I wondered if she used this visual reference due to her heritage reference, or if she truly believed in such things.  She has a performance piece called "If my hands were anything other then hands", where she talks about a friend with cancer and how she wishes she could just heal her with her hands.  She also has helped several children in need of some clean extra curricular activities on her very own porch.  She talks about God in both of these instances, so I wondered if she is a spiritual person?  Does she believe in both Faith and Magic?  Another thought was, (and I was too scared to ask...but I think I know the answer anyway), "does she still feel that she deals with and struggles with segregation today?

She is a child-like, humanitarian

"The struggle still lives"

I was very impressed by her depth and knowledge of "her" heritage.  I am ashamed to say, I didn't know half of the history that she talked to us about.  Specifically the parts of slavery prior to coming to the U.S..  It also made me wonder, "what would I paint/sculpt/have a voice or opinion about as an artist?"  I think that is what is so great about her work, as a person of reasonably similar age, is her passion.  What do we in Billings, Montana feel passionately about?  And, as far as the older generation appeal, I think they may find her work fascinating as it has a lot of reference to their living history.

Just to compare, I wanted to add a few other gallery set-ups.

Northcutt Steel Gallery, Montana State University, Billings

I am not sure that I like that the pedestals are not consistent, but I do like the titled backdrop!

This seems to be set-up in a circle, as to not allow entry into the center and control flow on the out skirts.

Vanessa German Inspiration: Lupe fiasco - kick push ( official video )

Ms. German stated that not only did she address segregation and the only useful purpose for propaganda was as decoration, but she also talked about the misrepresentation and instilled limitations of black people, such as; "black people don't swim", "black people don't ski", and "black people don't ride skateboards", just a few that I could recall that she had mentioned.