Event 3: Singular Spaces: From the Eccentric to the Extraordinary in Spanish Art Environments

The third event I went to was Singular Spaces: From the Eccentric to the Extraordinary in Spanish Art Environments. This exhibition is located in Fowler Museum and it showcases photography from Jo Farb Hernandez. The photographs are of sculptures that self-taught artists have made. The sculptors don't really have any background in sculpting or constructing, and they made everything based on what was available and present.

My first reaction when I saw the photographs of Julio Basanta Lopez was wondering if there was a theme because of all the demon-like structures. The name of his site is the House of God. One would find it kind of ironic because all the structures are of demons or devils. The story behind is work is that he had a traumatic life since almost all the males in his life either left him or passed away. Knowing that it made more sense of what he was sculpting and creating. His art reflects how he feels and his life. It is a reflection of his identity and how he feels about the world.

Based on all the demons and devils, I think that Hernandez believes the world is evil because of everyone that was taken away from him. I think he chose to name it House of God because he has lost faith in religion since life seems to be so hard for him. In this case, I thought of Jung and how he believed that religion was a safety for people and that it was a way to communicate. I think that religion might have played a role in Hernandez's life based on his piece.

I would recommend this exhibit because it's amazing how people express their emotions in artwork. Through the photographs, I was able to feel what the artist was trying to capture. One can infer a lot about an artist based upon their work. 

 Hernandez, Jo Farb. "Singular Spaces: Spanish Art Environments." Folkart. The Folk Art Society of America. Web. 

 "Press Release: Singular Spaces: From the Eccentric to the Extraordinary in Spanish Art Environments ". Fowler Museum at UCLA. Web. 

Event 2: Making Strange: Gagawaka + Postmortem by Vivan Sundaram

The second event I went to was the Making Strange: Gagawaka + Postmortem Exhibition at Fowler Museum. The Gagawaka part of the exhibition refers to using trash to make clothing out of it. I found it very interesting that Sundaram says in a video that there is a sort of violence in this part of the exhibition because making a dress from trash has an "anti-aesthetic to it" (Youtube). Just because one is using recycled or odd materials, it is not considered beauty anymore, or there is another essence to it that keeps it from truly being beautiful. I thought so otherwise because when I first looked at the mannequins, I didn't even notice what they were made of. For example, Diva R-E-D is a red dress is made of bras. At first glance, it just seemed like an upscale dress to me. I think this has a lot to do with media and how society is perceived too. Once something is tainted, it brings the image down making it hard for someone to have a fresh start. But overall, most people judge items as a whole, so the past and background of the item should not influence the first impression of the item. When I found out that the dress was made of bras, it did change my thoughts on the piece; I thought it was kind of weird, but still very interesting.

Diva R-E-D

Wedding Outfit

Immunity Cover

Snake Shell

The Postmortem part of the exhibition was strange when I first saw the pieces. It consisted of deconstructed body parts and it was all very abstract .When I first looked at it, I felt a bit uneasy because I was not used to seeing objects in that form. I did not and could not really see a connection between the two at first besides the fact that they both had to do with the body. The pieces seemed so difference because the dresses and outfits were so put together while the other sculptures were deconstructed and different. In the video introducing the exhibition, Sundaram talks about how the garment pieces are meant to be worn on top of the body, so it can cover the body underneath it, only showing the beauty of the garment. I thought that was so smart and that the connection was flawless on how he contrasted something beautiful and something not so beautiful or "normal" to the eye.

Sundaram's usage of medical items in the hollow mannequins was quite genius to me. I think it really connects the two difference sides of the exhibition. Underneath the mannequin, the skin, lies the truth. This is a part of a person that no one sees and it can hold a lot of secrets and the truth. Something or someone might not really reflect what they look like on the outside. I think this was a clever way to mash together medical technology with art.

I would recommend this exhibit because it was an interesting exhibition to view. I think that anyone who has not been to Fowler yet should visit because there are a lot of other interesting exhibitions there too. I loved looking at all the dresses and other clothing that were made and seeing what kind of materials they were made out of. 

Butalia, Pankaj. "Making Strange: Gagawaka + Postmortem by Vivan Sundaram." YouTube. Fowler Museum at UCLA, 16 Mar. 2015. Web.

 "Making Strange: Gagawaka Postmortem by Vivan Sundaram." Fowler. Web. 

 "Making Strange" by Vivan Sundaram at The Fowler Museum." Theartminion. 30 Apr. 2015. Web. 

"Press Release: Making Strange: Gagawaka + Postmortem by Vivan Sundaram." Fowler. Web.