El Anatsui

El Anatsui sculptures are mutable in form and are very free and flexible that they can be shaped in any way. He worked with wood, clay, metal, and metal bottle caps. I chose this work because I like the way it looks draped and like a piece of fabric. I also like the warm colors that he combined. 

El Anatsui

Anatsui is an African contemporary artist. He makes sculptures out of raw and recycled materials that he finds around his town, Nsukka, which is located in Nigeria. The piece I chose to blog about is called Continents Straying. This work was commissioned for the Royal Ontario Museum. I chose this piece because it looks like it has a soft texture however the medium is actually metal and bottle caps. El Anatsui cut and then flattened the bottle caps, stringing them together with copper wire to produce different patterns and show movement. I love how Anatsui was able to make metal look like a delicate world map.

El Anatsui

El Anatsui made Bleeding Takari II in 2007 out of liquor bottle tops and copper wire. These caps are flattened and folded and then linked together with copper wire. Antsui says that the bottle caps represent "the material which was there at the beginning of the contact between two continents." This sculpture, like all of his other handing sculptures, looks different every time is its installed. 

El Anatsui

El Anatsui is a famous sculptor from Ghana and currently works in both Ghana and Nigeria. He is most famously known for his sculptures that include bottle caps. What I find really interesting about his pieces are that he doesn't give instructions on how to assemble them. So every time you see the piece at a different museum, they'll be different since they will be assembled differently. This specific piece is called Gravity and Grace at two different museums. It is the same piece but hung differently. He encourages the museum staff to "sculpt" each work as they install it making it different each time. The colors of this one are really beautiful and really make this piece pop out.

El Anatsui- Iris

This sculpture stood out to me because of its texture and 3 dimensional appearance.  When you look closely at it, all the different patches are different colors and different designs put together. I like how the middle of it is a gray illusion, because it adds a mysterious element to it. It's amazing how he can turn scraps into these beautiful pieces.

El Anatsui- Meyina

Meyina Means "I am going" in Ewe, which is a language spoken by the people who live in south eastern Ghana.  This work was done in the year of 2017, and was on exhibit with four other similar works. El Anatsui's works are tapestry like, as they look light, flowy and colorful against the flat walls they are installed on. These works by this sculpture are c composed of thousands of crumbles pieces of metals from local African  alcohol recycling  stations. These metal pieces are then tied together by copper wire. I like this piece specifically for the uses of greens and blues which are contrasted by his usual works tat incorporate reds, yellows and blacks. This piece reminds me of the beach, as the buses and browns/ coppers reflect the ocean, waves and sand.

El Anatsui Horizon

El Anatsui's Horizon caught my eye because it was one of he stated how much of his works don't have a specific way to be set up. In the case of horizon there had to be some sort of planned placement to get the effect of the horizon of blue along the piece. It is one of his works made of bottle caps. He uses open space, different patterns and colors in this piece making it very appealing to the eye and easy to look at for a while to explore the whole sculpture. It is 102 2/5 x 181 1/10 in and was finished in 2016. 

El anatsui: Ink Splash II

This work is “Ink Splash II,” by El Anatsui made in 2012. I like how this work of art resembles ink splashes. I like how he encompasses and uses trash calling it found material. The use of recycled materials is very interesting and I like how incorporated the pop of yellow and blue. These colors help replicate the ink splash as in the title. It also creates a dynamic display, I found it interesting how in the video the artist said he doesn’t give instructions on how to display his art because he likes to see how they do it.  The artwork also creates a three dimensional display with almost a sense of motion. Overall, I found El Anatsui to be innovative and different.

Ink Splash: EL Anatsui

In 2010, EL Anastui created his sculpture Ink Splash, from aluminum and copper wire. This photo is from an installation at the Bass Museum of Art. The piece is inspired by Anastui's local environment as well as monumental references to colonial relationships between Europe, Africa, and the United States. At first glance, it reminded me of a map of bodies of water and the Earth. I like how it looks as if the "water" is spilling off the canvas and spreading to the floor. After knowing the inspiration of the piece, a story is being told in this sculpture and it can be interpreted differently by anyone who looks at it.

El Anatsui

El Anatsui was born in Ghana in 1944, he now continues making his art work in Nigeria. His sculptures are made from found objects like aluminum caps and seals from liquor bottles. His work mimics his traditional culture of Ghanaian kente cloth. The title of the sculpture is Dusasa II and dusasa can be translated as "communal patchwork made by a team of townspeople". I really enjoy this piece because it looks elegant from far but when you get closer you can see the bottle caps that it's made of. I also like how he doesn't give directions when it's hung up so every time it's put up it looks different.

El Anatsui

This Sculpture By El Anatsui is called the Bleeding Takari II made in 2007. El Anatsui was born in Anyanko, Ghana in 1944. Many of Anatsui's sculptures are mutable in form, convinced to be so free and flexible that they can be shaped in any way and altered in appearance for each installation. This is one of my favorite sculptures by El Anatsui because of how beautiful and how amazing it is to make out of bottle caps.

El Anatsui

In 2003, El Anatsui created this piece of artwork named "Adrinka Sasa." This sculpture is made from aluminum bottle tops, cooper wire, and fabric. Anatsui was inspired to make this sculpture from a traditional form of cloth from Ghana, which is where he is from. This cloth is very elegant and formal. The colors black and gold can really captivate one's attention. When Anatsui gives his artwork to a gallery, he tells the installers to hang the fabric in whatever they want too. To him, there is no right or wrong way to portray how it should be presented.

El anatsui

Bleeding takari 2007

This sculpture  is composed of liquor-bottle caps and seals discarded by Nigerian distilleries. Anatsui and his assistants have flattened, folded, and carefully linked the pieces together with copper wire, creating a simple sculpture on a grand scale. This particular sculpture represents people and commodities who has left the continent. I find this sculpture quite fascinating in regards to the title and meaning.

El Anatsui

I chose El Anatsui, Red Block, 2010. What I liked about this artist is that he gave no instruction to the people that were setting it up. He said that there was no certain angle or way that his art should be set up in order to take something from it. A lot of his works reminded me of blankets that have just been left from in the morning unmade. It lays or falls so beautifully, delicately, and comfortably. This one stood out to me a bit because of the monotone reds he used throughout all of it differed from the other multicolored pieces he does. This one not only reminds me of a falling stage curtain but gave me a sense of toughness unlike the other ones. When I first saw it I thought of paper that was in the process of being crumbled. I like the diversity that can be seen in his work no matter how it is displayed.

El Anatsui

El Anatsui is a Ghanaian sculptor who spends most of his career in Nigeria. Many of his works are created with bottle tops in a large scale piece. I chose this piece because I love the way it is placed. It goes from the floor to off the wall. The twist and turns are really impressive. I think it also stands on its own on the left, which is neat. Anatsui work is interesting because of the use of the bottle caps. I could not imagine how many bottle caps he has collected over his years as an artist. I also enjoy how he does not give instructions on how to set up his work at museums because it gives an art a chance to change a bit each time.

El Anatsui

El Anatsui uses aluminum bottle caps, copper wires, and other trash materials to create his artwork. This is called Dzesi II, is made of liquor bottle caps. This speaks to the large consumption of alcohol in his community. Much of his work has much cultural meaning behind it. His created this work by connecting the bottle caps with copper wires.

El Anatsui

El Anatsui is a Ghanaian sculpture and I enjoyed his particular sculpture known as Introvert. This sculpture is made out of aluminum and copper wire. When I look at this piece of artwork I feel a sense of comfort and I thoroughly enjoy the colors in it. I also enjoy the shape of the piece and how big it is (107.0 x 100.0 in). I like how the different colored pieces vary in shapes which allows me to really look at the artwork in different sections. Overall I believe this is a beautiful piece of art and I enjoy all of his sculptures.

El Anatsui

Ghanan Sculptor

Erica Hauser Paintbox Tower

Paintbox Tower by Erica Hauser is a part of a group of artworks known as stacks. They each contain different sizes, shapes, and colors. This was one of the bigger works which caught my eye. Also many of the other works in the gallery had one or two colors so that made this one stand out more. It is made of acrylic on wood. It is 42" x 56". Overall I found the gallery underwhelming. Hausers works had more of a visual appeal while the other featured artist had a lot of texture and were appealing to feel. 

Pila Verde Azulado: Megan Johnson

Pila Verde Azulado translates to teal stack, which is a straight forward title for this art piece. 

This artist's media included acrylic paint on sanded wooden spheres arranged to form a "stack" 

I chose this piece because of the color and the use of space and stacking. The artist of this piece is a painter who lives locally in Beacon.

Sienna Martz

Sienna Martz is an artist who builds sculptures that are strictly made of cruelty-free and vegan materials. I like this piece because it reminds me of spring, I love the yellow colors and how the sculpture seems to resemble leaves or flower petals. The size of this sculpture is 3.5ft x 5ft. It was also interesting to learn that Sienna Martz lives in the Hudson Valley!

Sienna Martz

The sculpture that created this piece of artwork is Sienna Martz from Beacon. This piece is called " Flora I" and is located in Aquinas with a bunch of other works from her and also Erica Hauser. This piece of art stuck out to me the most because it has the most earthy look to it. It was created by pieces of canvas painted and stitched together. The color is very warm and the whole thing looks very natural. 

Sienna Martz - Flora II 2019

The piece above titled "Flora II" was made by Sienna Martz this year. All of her sculptures in this exhibit have a perplexing amount of texture that is intriguing; it seems to capture viewers into feelings compelled to touch the piece or at the very least, observe it very closely. I chose this particular piece because it seems to simultaneously embody simplicity and complexity. The simplicity of the piece comes from the one unanimous color yellow; there are no different shades involved. It is, quite simply, yellow. What I find to be complex about the sculpture is the texture and form. There are numerous twists and turns in the canvas material to form what appear to be flower petals. The are spread out naturally and almost whimsically. Overall, I can appreciate the beauty in both the simplicity and complexity of this sculpture.

Erica Hauser: Pila Verde Azulado

This artwork is by Erica Hauser, titled, “Pila Verde Azulado.” This is acrylic on wood and is approximately 24”x 24”. I found it interesting when I read that she had a longtime seasonal job as a firewood stacker. This makes sense as I could tell from her work she arranges shapes and makes stacks. I liked how almost simple this wall mounted composition looks. It effortless and yet abstract and different. I feel Hauser takes an unexpected twist to her works. I also like how she used the aqua color as it pops out against the white wall. When I look at this I think it looks like a pile of pebbles effortlessly put together with dimension and thoughtful placement.

Sienna Martz

Sienna Martz made this piece called "Tongue Tied". I like how this piece almost looks like it could be interactive. It makes you want to touch the sculpture. This sculpture popped out at me. I liked how it was something so simple that drew my attention. I could see how this piece is called "Tongue Tied". The pink fabric represents the tongues, and they're all tied together. I could interpret this as the artist having anxiety and not knowing what to say. So she tied all of these "tongues" together so show that even though she may not have the right words to say or know how to say it. When she does talk, she talks with meaning. She makes you want to listen to what she has to say. Just like how this sculpture makes you want to look at it and touch it.

Sienna Martz

Overall I thoroughly enjoyed the are show in Aquinas Hall. All the pieces were colorful which drew my eyes to them. This one is called Flora II by Sienna Martz, Flora I was similar but shaped slightly differently and in the color orange. I chose this one because it was one of the first pieces that caught my eye. I really enjoy the flowers and the color yellow, which is my favorite color at the moment.

Sienna Martz

This sculpture, Flora II, is located in Aquinas Hall at Mount Saint Mary College, Newburgh NY. This sculpture stood out to me because of its bright color and the way it utilizes the space on the wall. When looked at closely, each pedal is folded in half by a thick threaded material. It forms inorganic shapes resembling flowers, but attached by pedals and not a vine. I also like the lighting on it because it portrays the bottom part more dark, and gets lighter towards the top. 

Pila Verde Azulado: Erica Hauser

In 2019, Erica Hauser used acrylic on wood to create her piece Pila Verde Azulado. The piece is approximately 24"x 24". Pila Verde Azulado takes the visual concept of rocks and breaks it down into a built, yet abstract pile. The focus on this piece is shifted on the less specific aspect of the object (rocks) and more on the color and shape of said object. The bright color and shape make a visual reaction that moves within its environment. Overall it's simplicity is captivating. 

Sienna Martz

This piece is called "Tongue Tied" by Sienna Martz, and can be seen in Aquinas Hall at Mount Saint Mary College. She made it out of cotton, thread, poly-fil, wood, wire, and paper. This was the first piece that stood out to me when we looked at the exhibit due to its bright pink colors and the 3 dimensional aspect of it. When I saw the title was named "Tongue Tied" I was a little thrown back because I just started seeing the piece as a bunch of small tongues. It was still my favorite out of all the pieces that her and Erica Hauser entered into this exhibit.

Ovarit marts

This sculpture by Sienna Marts was created using vegan felt, wool, wire, paper. This sculpture stood out to me the most because it was unlike any other sculpture. You almost want to go up and touch it so it definitely illicit  that type of feeling. It also looks like coconut shavings so it was really intriguing. Her particular focus concentrated on soft sculpture installations. So this was meant to provoke a certain reaction and emotion as stated in her statement.

Sienna Martz

This sculpture can be seen at Mount Saint Mary College in Aquinas Hall. The sculptor that created this piece of artwork is Sienna Martz, who is from Beacon, New York. Martz named her artwork "Flora II", which in she made this year. This sculpture was built using a canvas, paint, and thread. Along with this sculptor is another form of work called "Flora I", making it apart of a series. I like this sculpture because it really captured my eye. The color yellow really stuck out to me.

Erica Hauser

This is a Sculpure by Erica Hauser called the Orange Rounds, made in 2018. Erica Hauser is a painter in the Newburgh, New York and holds a BFA in illustration (2002) from school of Visual Arts in New York City, Previously she studied at the Art Students League and Cornell University. Her painting has been showed nationally, through most regularly in the NY area. I have picked this Sculpture by Erica Hauser because of how awesome in looks and how the dots look like they are getting better as they get darker and lighter.

Flora I

The overall collection that is presented in aquinas is colorful and pleasing to the eye. I chose this one because the yellow stood out to me instantly especially with the lighting used in the room. I also like the way she positioned this piece because it almost looks like it is growing on on the wall and/or has room to grow more. The simplicity of this sculpture is beautiful and gave me a feeling of happiness. Anything that can evoke some sort of feeling from me intrigues me because it shows how words aren't always what you need to express something.

Erica Hauser

This piece of artwork is called Paintbox Tower and it is made out of acrylic wood. The artist Erica Hauser loves to stack firewood and has actually used them in her craft such as this one. I personally enjoyed this piece because it has such vibrant colors and I also loved how each circle is shaped differently. When looking at this creation it seems quite simple but allowing yourself to make a story out of the structure can truly change your perspective on it. When I was looking deeper and closer to it I could see the strokes of the paintbrush which I found fascinating. Overall I truly enjoyed and admired the Paintbox Tower.

Sienna Martz

This sculpture can be seen at Mount Saint Mary College. This pink piece is known as "Tongue Tied" made by Sienna Martz. "Tongue Tied" was created this year (2019). It is made of cotton, thread, poly-fil, wood, wire, and paper.  chose this piece because it literally pops out from the wall and popped out compared to the other works. I think it's called "Tongue Tied" because the little pink pieces represent taste buds (bumps on your tongue). I enjoy how this piece creates a shadow that can resemble the pink pieces at a different angle.