the Mass MoCA and other artists... they fuel the fire

Last weekend was a full one for sure. Lightning bugs, a close call with a porcupine, shots of Don Julio and contemporary art. What else could a girl ask for on her birthday?

Saturday, whilst J & J went fishing, R,B & myself went to the Mass MoCA http://massmoca.org/. The MoCA is in the (not so lovely but getting better) town of North Adams MA. A stone's throw from both the NY & VT borders. The building itself used to be a huge factory for Sprague Electric that, unfortunately, did a lot environmental damage when they were there. But NOW it's a funky, Eco-friendly HUGE roomed building with some permanent collection but mostly rotating shows. Hence the reason why I have to go at least once a year. Big installation pieces, huge paintings and sometimes you're in awe, other times you say to yourself "What the hell were they thinking?" and I'll admit there have been times when I just don't get it. Anyway let's talk about what I saw:

Dante's Inferno (Black Cloud)

Petah Coyne

Untitled 1903 (Buddah Boy)

Petah Coyne

Detail of Untitled 1103 (Daphne)

Petah Coyne

These are just 3 of the pieces that they had from Petah Coyne's exhibit "Everything That Rises Must Converge". I wiki'd Ms. Coyne and found that she is an American Artist born in Oklahoma and now lives in NYC and has "forever changed the muscular practices of sculpture with new interest in nature, painstaking craftsmanship, domestic references and psychological metaphor".- (from the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art.) And hell, they're not kidding. She uses horse hair, wax, acrylic paint, human hair and taxidermy pieces (and other things ... too long to list) as her medium. Just looking at these pieces, some as big as 7 feet across - some bigger - you can see the attention to detail, the research of light, the beauty of nature, the darkness of death... it's all there. So awesome.

We also saw some BIG installation pieces one which took up 2 galleries on 2 floors. The artist's name is Wade Kavanaugh and his website is http://www.stripedcanary.com/index.html. I wasn't able to get his pictures on here, but go to his website and you will know what I mean when I say I was impressed! His exhibit was part of a group show called "Material World". The MoCA asked 7 artists to come in and take advantage of the huge rooms and beautiful natural light that the building has to offer. Mr. Kavanaugh's piece was walking through a paper forest of trees. Some toppled over, some you could see yourself under reading a book. And as I looked closer to the piece, or a piece of the piece if you will, you could see more nature, flowers and other images in the paper. Like trying to find images in a cloud.

What I really appreciate about art like this is that it's LIGHT that is the subject and they are all using different mediums to capture it, alter it, project it. Really, if you are in New England this summer (or anytime really) go to the MOCA!!! I can't say enough about it.

It's also Friday and I love Fridays on Twitter because it's also #FF (follow Friday) and I get to find all these new artists. One I'd like to mention is Sebastian Chillemi. http://sebastiananibalchillemi.blogspot.com/

"Vendido"

Sebastian Chillemi

I've only looked at his blog and paintings and they're so great! Of course, it's in Spanish and I haven't hit the "translate bar" so I can't say much about it but I suggest you pay him a visit.

So all this talk about art, looking at other people's creations.... well, it just fuels my fire to get going on what I want to do. Which ideally is to quit this office job and do art. But, alas, that is a very difficult jump for me so I'll just continue to create as much as I can.

"Corgi in Black and White" 2006

5 x 7" watercolor

So I think rather than go to Wachusett bird watching tomorrow I may just stay home and do some work. I really have been neglecting my Creative Every Day challenge and living more like Creative Every Other Week, which is not good. Shayden's portrait is done and will be sent out tomorrow as well as my gift certificate donation to @kittenrescue and my application for Arts in the Park in Charlestown, MA. I have yet to do a show this year, which means that I'm enjoying my time off but feel that I should be doing them because isn't that what I bought the minivan for? Oh and I have a question for you.... I am calling myself a watercolor artist, yet some of my pieces are watercolor and colored pencil. Most are 90% watercolor and some are less. So should I be calling myself a mixed media artist?? Whenever I hear mixed media, all I think of is collages and all sorts of mediums thrown into the mix. What do you think?