Yinka Shonibare

Planets in my Head-Physics, 2010

Wind Scultpture IV, 2013

Flower Power Kid (Suicide), 2013

Wanderer, 2006

Fetish Boots, 2011

Links:
http://www.jamescohan.com/artists/yinka-shonibare-mbe
http://www.yinkashonibarembe.com/artwork/sculpture/?image_id=102
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yinka_Shonibare



Yinka Shonibare was born in 1962 and is of British-Nigerian descent. His work tends to represent ideas such as colonialism and globalization. I think the idea of globalization is definitely apparent with Fetish Boots because there is this idea called commodity fetishism- where the consumer doesn't know what it takes to make a product-they simply want the product, and I feel like shoes in general are a good example of something we take for granted. In addition to that-globalization is the ever expanding to become better than others and sometimes people think better always means bigger- and by looking at Fetish Boots- I'd have to disagree.
Shonibare uses materials such as glass, mannequins, and non-use able guns in his art. I love the colors he creates within his work, especially because when you look past the bright colors, you see something sinister and dark. For example, when you look past the bouquet of flowers in Flower Power Kid you see the flowers are coming out of a gun. Since the colors are so bright though, my eyes went to the flowers before noticing the gun. Another interesting thing I found about Shonibare's work was the ship in Wanderer is trapped in a box- it can't actually wander anywhere. I enjoyed Shonibare's work because it made me question things like that. As in, although he named it one thing or made one part of the work really large- what other parts of the work may contradict that statement.

~Maya Lin~

Dew Point 11, 2007

Wavefield, 2010






Input, 2004

The Wave Field, 1995

Vietnam Veteran's Memorial, 1982

Links: http://www.pacegallery.com/artists/266/maya-lin
          http://campusinfo.umich.edu/article/wave-field-north
          http://www.ohio.edu/outlook/390n-034.cfm
          http://www.mayalin.com/

Maya Lin is the first artist I've ever come across who makes art called "landscape sculptures" as one of the websites called it. I think the ability to shape such large patches of land is really interesting  especially because I read the outdoor works are always "changing" because as the sun changes in the sky, the shadows on the sculptures change too. I just thought this kind of artwork was new and refreshing. However, in addition to the landscape sculptures, Lin also makes architecture/memorials. For example, the one memorial I chose was the Vietnam Veteran's Memorial because I knew what it was previously from history classes, but we never truely went over who created it. I especially wasn't told that a woman created something so powerful and important. Although Lin does use the physical earth a lot, she also  creates some smaller pieces such as Dew Point 11 which I found very beautiful and like something I wouldn't mind having in my house. It reminds me of a Zen rock garden just because they're soft and circular in shape.

~Barbara Kruger~

Untitled- Another Year, 2010

You are not Yourself, 1984

Thinking of you, 1999-2000

Untitled- Do I have to give up me to be loved by you?, 2011

Untitled - The war for me to become you, 2008

Your Body is a Battleground, 1989

Links: http://www.barbarakruger.com/art.shtml

                                                      https://www.artsy.net/artist/barbara-kruger/works
                                                      http://www.arthistoryarchive.com/arthistory/feminist/Barbara-Kruger.html

Barbara Kruger was born in New Jersey in 1945 and her work is typically pictures with words on top of them in a collage form which have gone on to be postcards, billboards, etc. She was inspired by her past as being a graphic designer. I chose her art because I thought the red color she uses on the black/white background really stands out to me. I really enjoy art that has short, quick words built into it and that's exactly what this artist's work has. The meaning behind some of the art I chose is also really upsetting and I love when art has that kind of an impact. For example,Untitled- Another Year, looks like it's about violence- be it violence against women or domestic violence- it's about violence in some form. I don't normally see art that depicts such problems within our society so I think when I do it's really powerful, especially if you've gone through something like that.

~Laurie Simmons~

Lying Book, 1990

The Love Doll - Day 14 Candy, 2010

The Love Doll- Day 25-The Jump, 2010

Walking Glove 1991

Walking House 1989

Walking Petit Four 1990-1991

Walking Gun, 1991

 Links: https://www.artsy.net/artist/laurie-simmons
            http://www.pbs.org/art21/images/laurie-simmons/walking-gun-the-music-of-regret-2006
            http://www.lauriesimmons.net/photographs/walking-and-lying-objects/
            http://www.salon94.com/artists/detail/laurie-simmons
            http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/1998.440
            http://zoolander52.tripod.com/theartsection5.10/id20.html

Laurie Simmons was born in 1949 in New York. Her work appealed to me because i noticed how ost of the work shows women's legs with stereotypical "women" things on top of the legs. For example, the Petite Four meant to me that women are supposed to cook or the house because women are supposed to be home makers. However, what really drew me in were the pictures that didn't fit the normal mold. These included the pictures with the gun on top of the legs and the book on top of the legs. The black and white appearance of the pictures made me think they were supposed to represent an older time and I thought women definitely wouldn't have been encouraged to use guns. Likewise, I feel like women weren't really given the chance to educate themselves and I think that's what the book represents. As I read more about Laurie Simmons, I found out her purpose of creating these pieces was to showcase life for women after the war.

~Li Hongbo~

Doll, 2012

Ear, 2013

You Reap What You Sow, 2014

Little Man and Woman, 2011

Wasteland, 2014

Sculptures from    https://www.artsy.net/artist/li-hongbo/works

Information from   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Li_Hongbo#Works

                           https://www.artsy.net/artist/li-hongbo/works

                                                                 http://www.schoeniartgallery.com/artists/178-li-hongbo/overview/

Li Hongbo is of Chinese descent and was born in 1974. He used to be a book editor and designer in the past. His sculptures are all made out of paper, but they look solid. However, if you tug on them- the paper unravels like an accordion. A metaphor I created for this is that even that which appears solid- is still fragile. The medium he uses is to accentuate "the difference between restriction and freedom." I personally think he does this very well. When I look at Doll, I'm annoyed with how structured and proper it seems, but knowing how fluid his art can be if interacted with, makes my prior feelings subside. I really was attracted to Ear because recently I've been having trouble with people listening and I thought since listening is something I find important I'm going to choose it as one of my pieces. I chose Wasteland and You Reap What You Sow because they seemed so powerful and edgy. I liked the feeling of danger the knives brought to the art but I especially liked that in You Reap What You Sow, something was made out of the metal. Objects we see as weapons don't necessarily need to be used as such.