Title of Event: Under the Blacklight: Voices Revealed
Date & Time of Event: April 26, 2022 10:30 A.M.
Location of Event: Holmes Hall First Floor
Type of event: Studio Art Major Senior Exhibition
Trevor Koch – ArtXpose
Author: Trevor Koch
ArtsXpose – Trevor Koch
April 26, 2022 by Trevor Koch
Title of Event: Annual Student Art Exhibition
Date & Time of Event: April 24, 2022
Location of Event: Samek Art Gallery
Type of event: Gallery
Untitled
Title of Event: Photography and Video Art in the Internet Age
Date & Time of Event: Wednesday March 2nd 3 pm
Location of Event: Samek Art Gallery
Type of event: Exhibition
Untitled
Title of Event: Photography and Video Art in the Internet Age
Date & Time of Event: Wednesday March 2nd 2:30 pm
Location of Event: Samek Art Gallery
Type of event: Exhibition
ArtsXpose review #1
Title of Event: Hamilton
Date and time of event: January 4th 2:00 pm
Location of Event: Richard Rodgers Theathre
Type of Event: Professional Play
1.) Hamilton is a masterful broadway show that depicts the life of founding father, Alexander Hamilton. Split into two parts, the first half being Hamilton during the revolutionary war years and the second half being his life after the war. The show navigates through Hamilton’s relationships, personal struggles, decisions, etc.
2.) Use the section below to write a well-structured paragraph focusing on your personal criticalinsight / response to the event. How did you interpret or react to what was presented to you?
While it might be a metric of my own stubborn nature, I have always despised attending broadway shows with my family–I have not been entertained. Hamilton changed this perspective. With a Hip-Hop-esq lyric focus and an amazing, historically prevalent story line, I was encapsulated for the entirety of the show. By orienting the show into a subject–the revolutionary war–so familiar to many is part of its hidden genius. Furthermore, the music could have been stripped from a modern hip-hop/pop playlist, which obviously has a strong draw to newer generations. My ability to enjoy or critique choreography is minimal, but granted this aspect is the most visual aspect of the show, I will try. I noticed I never really thought about the choreography during the show’s duration. Although I expected to not think about it, this also means I did not notice anything wrong or off, which is enough.
3.) What information, ideas, images, etc. most impressed you and why?
I was most impressed by how much I enjoyed the music. I normally am not overwhelmed with theatre type music.
4.) Overall, how would you rate this event (10 being the most worthwhile)?
(10 / 9 / 8 / 7 / 6 / 5 / 4 / 3 / 2 / 1 )
ten
5.) Justify your rating in the question above:
This was an easy decision. I am a person who has a general distaste toward plays and theatre, meaning my satisfaction at an event of this type is rare to come by. While I may appreciate a show, I have never really appreciated it. I appreciated Hamilton 5 times over.
Found Buried #4
Immediate Response
The first idea that comes to mind for a number of Pittman’s drawings, especially the one above, is “Ancient Egypt.” A combination of irregular body positioning, foreign or alien looking objects, and the coloring is what pushes this initial thought into my mind. As I search deeper into the paintings contents, objects like the lamp in the top middle deter me from the thought, but nonetheless, it persists as I continue looking. The title of the painting, “found buried #4,” is a reassuring component as well for obvious reasons. Regardless, the piece makes me feel uneasy as I am not completely aware of the artist’s intentions.
Objective Description
Imagine a strange looking human falling through an abyss–arms and legs flailing. The abyss is broken into four parts, all of which are more or less identical with brown and a dark forest green background. Scattered across the abyss are vases with a very similar color scheme. The man is dressed in a beige garment with gold cuffs around his ankles and two axe looking objects stemming from his head. If you are confused, welcome to the club. The piece in fringed by brown and black half circles.
Technical Decisions
This is a very dynamic composition with many components at hand. One viewing the piece is unable to stand back and view it like a landscape, instead needing to move around and focus on the different aspects. Pittman achieves this dynamic nature using repetition–with the same object scattered across many times. Pittman’s intricately constructed paintings transform pattern and signage into opulent sceneries full of complexity, contrast, and yearning. Pittman conveys themes of romantic love, violence, and mortality through anthropomorphic depictions of furniture, weaponry, and animals that are rich in symbolism.
The Work in the World
There are two objects in the piece that draw particular attention–an axe and a number of vases. While the vases appear to be intact and unbroken, one can feel a sense of unease knowing the problems that might arise when one comes into contact with the other. Exquisite decor and weapons of destruction; a bull in a china shop. Pittman’s work often connects to his Colombian roots. It is possible this piece connects to a similar theme, how culture has historically been corrupted at the hands of others. With so many elements, it is very difficult to pinpoint the pieces intention, but nonetheless remarkable the thoughts that stem from its viewing.
The Story it Tells
Pittman’s works shows how beauty and sorrow, pain and pleasure, are complementary, and they draw the viewer’s attention to bittersweet experiences and the value of emotion in art. In the painting presented, we see the contradicting points of viewership, pretty and warm colors juxtaposed by falling and confused man. Pittman’s use of concurrently happening tales and lavish imagery represents the rich multiplicity of American society, the artist’s Colombian origin, and the distorting effects of hyper-capitalism on everyday life, despite subject matter that varies from series to series.