tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3298179584332878022024-03-06T02:14:54.821-05:00Laurie IhlenfieldMFA BLOGUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger30125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-329817958433287802.post-64728063914115639942013-04-16T22:13:00.000-04:002013-04-16T22:13:17.532-04:00Thesis Abstract
Chasing Sublime -Thesis Project
What is it about
nature that evokes an intense emotional response? How do we respond? The feeling is Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-329817958433287802.post-9166690769255671192013-02-13T07:03:00.000-05:002013-02-17T06:37:20.970-05:00In working on the project I realize that I what I am focusing on is the way humans arrange nature so that it becomes nothing more
than ornament. Repetition breeds familiarity which in turn makes one comfortable. In doing away with the rough, chaotic tendencies of nature we attempt to do away with any romantic notion of the sublime. This ordering of nature wipes out Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-329817958433287802.post-36407656825621977172013-02-11T09:18:00.001-05:002013-02-11T09:18:51.524-05:00February 11, 2013
I found a wonderful book this weekend written by architect Sim Van der Ryn . Van der Ryn is an architect that strives to incorporate function and design inspired by and in sync with nature into his structures. The following is a quote from his book "Design for Life" (p. 157). "Why is it that the silhouette of a storm-bent leafless tree against an
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-329817958433287802.post-36518337877189633642013-02-03T11:28:00.000-05:002013-02-03T17:03:52.308-05:00February 3, 2013
Last semester in my gridded piece I positioned the sewn
trees in rows aside lamp posts to reference the repetition in the grid of the
city. At times the trees in my piece became vines and began to take over the
manmade in the city. It was a reminder
that ultimately man cannot control nature (decay, growth, change). I decided early on to use the sewn trees on a
much larger Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-329817958433287802.post-21680345272586907192013-01-12T07:15:00.000-05:002013-01-12T07:15:07.491-05:00In working on the project I realize that I what I am focusing on is the way humans arrange nature so that it becomes nothing more
than ornament. Repetition breeds familiarity which in turns makes one comfortable. In doing away with the rough, chaotic tendencies of nature the attempt is made to do away with any romantic notion of the sublime. This ordering ofUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-329817958433287802.post-57467356235381417152012-11-26T17:57:00.000-05:002012-11-26T17:57:21.443-05:00More ThinkingI am still plugging away at the project. I have abandoned the boxes (at least for now). The idea of the city as a collection of objects from the past still appeals to me (see prior post). I have been drawing and sewing, drawing and sewing. I have been playing around with the organization of the panels. It is usually when I am in this rhythm of working that things Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-329817958433287802.post-88121429547154133892012-10-03T10:04:00.005-04:002012-10-03T15:18:22.916-04:00The past few days I have been working on the physical project itself. As I was constructing boxes to frame the piece (or pieces) I remembered a tiny curio shelf I had created a few years ago. It was a piece that I filled with little objects and created a painting from. The painting was a parody on a Mondrian piece. Below on the left is a photo of the Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-329817958433287802.post-67478911297396668912012-09-30T07:57:00.000-04:002012-09-30T07:57:38.578-04:00This year I am still concentrating on the city. This time around I am thinking more of ornament as it is an outward manifestation of values and beliefs, changing with trends. My thesis proposal is posted (look to the right under thesis proposal). Below are photos I found of the Carson Pirie Scott buiding in Chicago. This building was designed by Louis Sullivan, an Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-329817958433287802.post-90120299323517834022012-09-18T13:08:00.002-04:002012-09-18T13:08:57.263-04:00The Second Year I am now in the process of editing my proposal for the thesis project. Here are my beginning thoughts starting from a reflection of last semester's work:
In my second semester project I explored the gridded structure of the
city. I discussed the cube as an escape of
the harsh reality of life (war, sickness, decay, etc…). I used thread and fabric to illustrate the Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-329817958433287802.post-76859748587330214682012-04-25T23:56:00.000-04:002012-04-25T23:56:10.418-04:00Latest Reflections
Laurie
Ihlenfield
My
project last semester focused on a more natural setting and the transcendental
experience. It also noted a loss of more
natural spaces and experiences. This semester
I have examined the environment I spend my day to day life in rather than a
space I escape to. I am deeply aware of
the obvious scientific environmental concerns that exist. I am Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-329817958433287802.post-27502639933360487002012-04-20T10:26:00.001-04:002012-04-20T10:26:32.877-04:00
This is my second semester work in progress in the studio. I am experimenting with lighting while adding layers to the piece.
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-329817958433287802.post-49044964821492110432012-04-19T10:47:00.001-04:002012-04-19T14:03:52.106-04:00Work in ProgressUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-329817958433287802.post-10374027916012174662012-03-13T12:11:00.000-04:002012-03-13T12:11:27.765-04:00Starting a New PieceI've been doing a lot of sketching to decide how to incorporate the natural and man made for my next piece. At this point I am planning to complete my piece in layers of sheer fabric.
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-329817958433287802.post-2736345900969998842012-03-13T10:55:00.000-04:002012-03-13T10:55:25.475-04:00Return from NYCI just returned from a trip to New York City with the MFA department at CCAD. We met the artists Allie Taylor (http://www.jamescohan.com/artists/alison-elizabeth-taylor) and Fred Tomaselli (http://www.jamescohan.com/artists/fred-tomaselli/ ) in their studios, visited numerous galleries, the Museum of Arts and Design, MOMA, and the Armory Show. Michael Goodson was a Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-329817958433287802.post-59831692609363444532011-12-15T09:53:00.000-05:002011-12-15T09:53:30.331-05:00ReviewOften nature is taken for granted. It is something to visit when there is time and tear down when something new seems to be in order. The complexity of the sublime is traded in for neatly arranged rows of trees and flower beds or skyscrapers and concrete. The relationship to natural environment becomes distant. This distance makes it easier to dispose of the natural and deny or Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-329817958433287802.post-72067469074863332592011-11-02T20:13:00.000-04:002011-11-02T20:13:20.115-04:00More of the SameThe last two weeks have been busy. I wrote a paper on the Alexis Rockman exhibit at the Wexner Center and led the class discussion in Theory and Criticism on Gender. This week's reading regarding cyborgs was particularly interesting. My project focuses on the spirituality found in the natural. The article spoke of a haunting future void of anything natural or spiritual.&Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-329817958433287802.post-44845029722230222382011-10-15T17:21:00.001-04:002011-10-15T17:22:35.808-04:00Writing the Exhibit ReviewI am in the process of putting the finishing touches on my exhibit review for my Tuesday class. The subject of my review is Alexis Rockman's exhibit at the Wexner Center entitled "Fable for Tomorrow".
There is a lot to take in with the exhibit. Sitting here in the comfort and shelter of my suburban home I can't help but wonder how Rockman's work would have taken shape had he Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-329817958433287802.post-8225976149804634302011-10-09T15:35:00.000-04:002011-10-09T15:35:49.144-04:00Playing with Mesh and LightThese two pictures were of the same piece hanging about 3' out from the wall with a simple 60 watt bulb lamp pointed at it.
These two pictures are my second attempt at using a darker organza with the mesh. The second picture shows the piece after I cut more of the mesh away. These are the before pictures of the top piece.
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-329817958433287802.post-34926843067067408752011-10-08T09:44:00.000-04:002011-10-08T09:44:39.310-04:00Refining the DrawingThis week I worked on a smaller scale. I started a graphite drawing on paper (39" x 42"). I put drafting vellum over my drawing and cut the shapes out of two layers of the vellum to work out how I would cut the fabric. I did a sample piece with 4 layers of mesh fabric. This mesh piece was too heavy. My advisor (Marianna Smith) and I both agreed that 2 Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-329817958433287802.post-10732941693967064482011-09-27T11:55:00.002-04:002011-09-27T12:01:46.762-04:00Thinking and DrawingSeptember 27, 2011
This weekend I spent a lot of time thinking of ways to make the mesh "drawings" look more professional. I wasn't happy with my first attempt at a large scale piece. Taking some well directed advice I began to think on a smaller scale. I also went out and just drew trees and plants for a short time. I will have to add this to my schedule weekly.&Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-329817958433287802.post-84909160878018631612011-09-23T10:30:00.000-04:002011-09-23T10:30:43.549-04:00Small Scale Experiment
This is a quick 11" x 12" experiment I tried last night. I was just playing around to see what I could come up with. During my critique it was suggested I try to experiment on a small scale. There was also mention of reflections and sewing with one single thread meandering through the piece. The single thread part didn't work as the threads kept breaking. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-329817958433287802.post-48117452600667006672011-09-22T11:46:00.001-04:002011-09-22T11:48:51.371-04:00InfluencesPetah Coyne Altar Mary
Coyne draws from her personal influences such as Catholicism and the study of art history. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-329817958433287802.post-66792919893350297052011-09-22T11:45:00.001-04:002011-09-22T11:56:23.605-04:00InfluencesJohn OutterbridgeI like the idea of the shadows of the work mixng with the shadows of the people on the walls.
Shroud of TurinBill Viola
This piece deals with the idea "that an image can leave an imprint." (from "Spirit of Things" interview of the artist on ABC Radio National).Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-329817958433287802.post-83206775930767867032011-09-17T11:46:00.001-04:002011-09-18T10:05:41.144-04:00Drawing with the Viking"Drawing" with the machine requres letting go a little of my control over the image. I guess it could be thought of as letting go of the safe, idealistic view of what is beautiful. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-329817958433287802.post-58458464923574816332011-09-15T22:03:00.001-04:002011-09-15T22:07:41.493-04:00ArtistsI have recently been looking at the art of Petah Coyne www.sculpture.org/documents/scmag02/june02/coyne/coyne.shtml , Bill Viola http://www.billviola.com/, and Kwang Mo. The first two artists were suggested to me by my advisor as the artists reference their own experiences with the spiritual in their work. I found the Kwang Mo pieces entitled "Ball" at http://Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0