American Woman: Fashioning a National Identity

May 5- August 15, 2010

Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Exhibition Hall, 2nd floor

Metropolitan Museum of Art

"It explores developing perceptions of the modern American woman from 1890 to 1940 and how they have affected the way American women are seen today. Focusing on archetypes of American femininity through dress, the exhibition reveals how the American woman initiated style revolutions that mirrored her social, political, and sexual emancipation."

"American Woman: Fashioning a National Identity" provides a journey through the history of female fashion in America. Each room of the exhibit surrounds the viewer in a different era: The Heiress, The Gibson Girl, The Bohemian, The Patriot and The Suffragist, The Flapper, The Screen Siren, and ending with a room of "The American Woman," with images and videos of the most recognizable American faces. I think this exhibit is fascinating and a wonderful tribute to women in America, past and present.

To whoever created the hair for the mannequins (each style perfectly reflecting the time period): you are amazing.

Look at the gorgeous painted backgrounds! The backgrounds in each room were inspired my a different mansion or structure of the time period. The walls were painted beautifully. Can I have that job?  Please?

My favorite era was the 1900s "Bohemian" (those of you who know me are unsurprised). Where can I buy clothes like these?

I was at the exhibit with my lovely grandmother, who has always told me that her mother was the epitome of a flapper in the 1920s. She pointed to one of the dresses in this section and told me that my great-grandmother's wedding dress looked just like it.

This room also had old black and white videos playing of some of the most famous "screen sirens" of the 1930s. The classiest, swankiest women in history.

GO SEE IT! And make sure you read the descriptions of the time periods. If you won't be able to go before August 15, at least watch this video from the Met website.It takes you through each section of the exhibit, audio and all. But I must tell you, it it nothing like experiencing it in person.

(I recommend looking at the "behind the scenes" images as well, documenting the installation process.)

images from the Metropolitan Museum Flickr. 

Matthew Pillsbury

This semester I am enrolled in a basic photography class as part of my fine arts curriculum, which I think will be really beneficial for me. I am not a photographer by any means. With all that we have been learning, I feel like I now have the opportunity to peek into a tiny window that leads into this world of photographers and photography (a world that I know very little about). 

Matthew Pillsbury is a photographer that works with black and white 8 x 10 photos. My favorite photos of his are the ones in which he used a very slow shutter speed/long exposure.

Can you tell what the light in the background is in this photo?

It's the moon traveling across the sky and it's reflection on the water! Isn't that brilliant? 

The beautiful transparency and ghost-like quality of the figures is created by the long exposure (sometimes for two or more hours) along with the movement of the figures. Sometimes, he chooses to illuminate the subjects with minimal light from electronic devices (such as desktops, television screens, cell phones, etc), creating an eerie feeling. In these photos, the bodies are invisible and seemingly nonexistent without the light from the electronics.

This photo is beautiful! I imagine that lying in that bed feels like floating away on a soft fluffy cloud. 

Pillsbury has taken many photos in museums around the world. A few of these photos are of stuffed animals and dinosaur bones in the Museum of Natural History. He captures the movement of the visitors in the museum, presenting a contrast between the life and vitality of the people and the stillness of the museum displays.

Instead of capturing an instant or moment in time, like most photographers do, Pillsbury captures life and movement, and presents it in contrast with the inanimate objects that surround it in the picture frame. Matthew Pillsbury is a fantastic photographer and I am so glad that I have been introduced to his work!

Cassandra

Matthew Pillsbury Website

Leonardo Drew

Sikemma Jenkins & Co.

530 W22nd Street

January 30-March 6

I'm a terrible blogger for writing a post about a show when the exhibit is already down. I'm also a terrible blogger because I do not take photos myself. I'll get better, I promise. 

Leonardo Drew's show is (/was) a must see! This is an artist I will be following in the future. Unfortunately, these photos do not do the show justice by any means, especially since some of the pieces were extremely large and really enveloped the viewer in a strange, sculptural environment.

The show creates interesting dichotomies, such as the carpentry wood and the natural branches/roots. There was also a great deal of contrast within the way the wood was arranged. Some of the wood was organized into geometric, grid-like sections, while some areas were more random and haphazard. Sharp, cut wood pieces were arranged so that they came straight out of the wall threateningly, almost like knives. In some of his pieces there are areas where it looks as if he just threw his found materials onto a board and fastened them together however they landed, giving a chaotic effect. It is interesting to see this treated, cut, man-manipulated wood juxtaposed alongside natural branches and roots, as if he is paying respect to where this carpentry wood originally came from. 

Although the gallery was quiet (as galleries usually are) I felt that the atmosphere was filled with sound. Perhaps this is because of the action and movement I sensed while looking at his work. To me, some areas of his work looked like stills from a disaster or an accident that had been frozen in time. It seemed like the action taking place could unfreeze and commence at any moment with sudden impact, and I would be in the midst of the catastrophe. Leonardo Drew has created a unique environment that really needs to be experienced in person for it to be fully appreciated. I will definitely be looking out for his next show!

Cassandra

Leonardo Drew's website

Sikkema Jenkins & Co. (gallery)

Annie Griffiths Belt

Annie Griffiths Belt came to my college to speak about her life as a traveling photographer working for National Geographic. She presented a slideshow of her work and gave us a story behind each photograph. She talked about her work with ease and a sense of humor, and I thought she was charming and hilarious. The understanding and love she expressed for all the cultures she has come into contact with was touching. As someone who loves traveling, I have to say I am quite jealous.

This is Annie Griffiths Belt talking with a woman from the Himba tribe of Namibia. I think this photo really gives a sense of the honest interaction between her and the tribe woman, communicating even though they do not speak a word of the same language. She told us that she gave three women a polaroid that she took of them. Not only had they never seen a photograph or camera before, but they had never seen their own faces because there are no reflective surfaces in this desert. As soon as she gave them the polaroid, they began to recognize each other in the image. The women starting laughing, pointing to the photo and pointing at each other.

Pakistan

Zambia

Jordan

I think photojournalism is a unique field today because the photos are never retouched. Belt spoke about how it is a shame now that when we see a beautiful photograph, we often assume it was "photoshopped." I am so fascinated by these photos not only because the beautiful cultures and people in them, but because they are so honest. 

I recommend looking through her website. My favorite photo is the last one in the "travel" section of her website of the Italian woman in the cemetery in the Veneto region. Belt found her dressed in black watering the flowers on the graves of her friends with an old detergent bottle. Some of the graves were in drawers with photos of the deceased on the outside. She asked the woman in Italian if she could take her picture, and she said yes and assumed an angelic pose. Afterwards, the woman asked her if she could have a copy of the photo to be put on her own grave. 

Annie Griffiths Belt is so fortunate to be able to do this as a career. Hearing her tell all of her amazing stories has made me want to go to so many places I hadn't even considered before. I am so inspired! Eventually I will spend at least a year traveling from country to country with nothing but a backpack full of essentials, my sketchbook, a camera, and a journal. Come with me?

Cassandra

Annie Griffiths Belt Photography

El Anatsui

Jack Shainman Gallery

513 W20th Street

Feb 20-March 13, 2010

"Art grows out of each particular situation, and I believe that artists are better off working with whatever their environment throws up."

-El Anatsui, 2003

Untitled, 2007

144 x 192 in

El Anatsui uses discarded materials he finds on the streets of his home in Africa to create truly magnificent artwork. Thousands of metal scraps, including old printing plates and aluminum from bottles, are twisted together with wire to create large, shimmering curtains. The pieces are arranged row after row to create a grid, giving the curtains geometry and structure, but the result has a cloth or tapestry-like appearance.

Intermittent Signals, 2009

11ft x 35 ft

Would you have ever imagined something so brilliant could be made out of garbage?

Bleeding Takari II, 2007

155 x 227 in

I visited the gallery last Saturday, February 27th, and it is safe to say I have fallen in sweet love with the art of El Anatsui. I find his work is extremely impressive because of the way he manipulates stiff, metal materials to create something that looks fluid and organic. The metals are arranged by color and coordinated effectively to create textile-like patterns. The way that these curtains bend, buckle, and (in some cases) spill onto the floor give a real sense of weight and gravity to the work.

I am intrigued by the idea of using "found objects," and letting the materials provided in the environment define the path of the artwork, rather than letting an original idea dictate the materials that are used. Because he chooses to recover and manipulate discarded materials, one could assume there is an underlying environmental statement regarding global consumerism. The work also seems to reflect traditional patterns and textiles of African art.

I read that El Anatsui is not particular about the way that his artwork is draped and doesn't mind other people mounting it (but he does prefer horizontal ripples over vertical). So not only is his material defined by what his environment provides, but the actual display of his work is dependent on circumstance and the environment as well.   

Seeing this intricate, radiant, detailed artwork in person is quite an experience. I highly recommend going to see this show. To give you a bit of a sense of scale, here is a photo of the master himself: 

Stay inspired!

Cassandra

click here to see more from this artist.

Jack Shainman Gallery