Exhibition Review: Mix Summer Show - Essay Example

Art, Exhibition and Film Reviews By + Exhibition Review: Mix Summer Show The of the exhibitionunder review is the Mix Summer Show, which is a biannual show program that celebrates and highlights the breadth of the artistes that associate with the gallery (Artrepublic.com, n.d., n.p). The venue of the exhibition was the Lawrence Alkin Gallery. It brought together the original artworks of both street and contemporary artists like Copyright, David Walker, Ben Eine, Mr. Brainwash and Ryan Callanan (Artrepublic.com, n.d., n.p.). The show also featured collage artistes Maria Rivers and Bonnie and Clyde. The setting of the gallery showed the detailed design of the building, which helped display the artwork strategically, with lighting illuminating the artwork from their walls. The gallery also provided dim lights for bright artwork, therefore enhancing its appearance (Artrepublic.com, n.d., n.p.). Some of the most interesting pieces of art from the exhibition were works by Maria Rivans and Bonnie and Clyde. These two artistes have specialized in color, composition and collage. The artists revolve their artwork around television, pop culture and film, forming an interesting line of thought that intrigues the observer. These two artists are among the most promising artists in England (Artrepublic.com, n.d., n.p.). Maria Rivan exhibited artwork that captured a woman with many flowers appearing like a flower garden on her hair, which attracted considerable attention from the audience. Maria cut out a picture from an old magazine and stuck attractive flowers around the woman’s head, indicating beauty. However, she did not use flowers only. The image had some green leaves around the flowers. Her choice of flowers and leaves coupled with the facial expression on the face of the woman brought out the concept of beauty and focus, as she had desired. Maria added more color to the artwork by including a birdcage and a blue bird flying around the woman’s head. Bonnie and Clyde designed a hotel room from images cut out from different sources in their most attractive piece. The piece shows a cut out hotel, with stickers of valet parking and another with the words ‘salute’. However, instead of vehicles, Bonnie and Clyde uses birds at the parking lot. Apart from evoking humor, this collage artwork is ironical, since it depicts the fact that nature is important even in commerce. The pieces of artwork highlight the use of artwork in design to pass messages to observers. For example, the artwork by Bonnie and Clyde described above can be placed in a setting where people encourage environmental preservation (Artrepublic.com, n.d., n.p.). A designer should understand the message on the piece of art that he/she wants to use. The selection of artwork should be relevant to the setting so that it receives the desired attention and appreciation (Artrepublic.com, n.d., n.p.). The Lawrence Alkin Gallery offered a spacious setting for the exhibition. With the gallery exhibiting more than 15 artists in one event, the arrangement of the furniture and other props allowed free movement of viewers as well as the artistes. The gallery provided impressive lighting, which was effective in bringing out the beauty of the artwork (Artrepublic.com, n.d., n.p.). Book Review: Space & Design The book Space and Design is a book that compiles details about the designs used within the interior of commercial buildings all over the world (R.I.B.A, n.d., n.p.). The book shares different images of these spaces, bringing out these images as described in literature. Aside from the images, the book also features the works of many interior designers who share with readers the inspiration for their work on different buildings. Of particular interest is the type of finishing displayed in the book. Throughout, the book is effective in describing the interior design of a building, such that a reader can paint the image without seeing the picture of the insides of the building (R.I.B.A, n.d., n.p.). The book communicates the importance of factors that interior architects consider in their work such as ambience, balance of colors and the right materials to use. In addition to that, the book offers suggestions for the different artworks that designers could use for inside spaces of commercial buildings (R.I.B.A, n.d., n.p.). The book features some of the most accomplished designers and architects from around the world. Some of the architects and designers featured are Thomas Heatherwick and Karim Rashid. Thomas is a British designer widely acclaimed for his work both in Britain and in other countries around Europe. People celebrate Thomas’s work for finding the connection between artisanship and architectural design. Karim Rashid is one of the most accomplished interior designers of all time, having produced more than 3000 of his designs. Karim has won more than 300 awards. Some of his most famous works include lighting for Fabbian and brand identity for Sony Ericsson and Citibank. He has designed the interiors of buildings. The input of these designers and architects emerges through the explication of the intriguing choices of material, art and paint highlighted in the many commercial spaces that the book covers (R.I.B.A, n.d., n.p.). Space and Design pays attention to installation architecture, design drawings, fittings, paintings, pain work and even materials used in interior decoration. With this wide scope, this book is an educative tool for education for interior architects anywhere. The book offers professional insight on the conceptualization of an idea and its implementation to produce desired results. Further, it offers suggestions from a professional perspective on issues such as the right materials for decorating specific types of buildings and the different types of cleaning materials for spaces. Further, the book offers lessons on the importance of cleaning up after working on an interior space and various methods through which an interior architect can capture emotions and evoke reaction through the interior design of a space (R.I.B.A, n.d., n.p.). Film Review: Art Historians The film Art Historians is a movie set in the native Romania, in a museum called the Bruckenthal Museum (Artmargins, n.d., n.p.). The story is about two women who like art and work in the museum. These women are from different backgrounds, and have different abilities in art. Throughout the movie, the views of the two women concerning the artwork in the museum emerge. Of particular interest is their opinion on artwork amassed by a former governor, Samuel von Brukenthal, who is also a baron. The movie explores the purpose of houses that store memories such as this museum through the eyes of the guides and caretakers, since they influence the public’s experience about the figures immortalized by such spaces. They express their opinions on religiosity in art, artistic talent and truth to nature (Artmargins, n.d., n.p.). Issues Raised The movie sought to address the issue of restricted freedom in artwork with in the sense that contemporary artists are trained to develop artwork in a specific manner. Further, a discussion rises about the talent of painting, with comparisons between the collections of Brukenthal and the modern ones forming the main part of these discussions. Strengths and Weaknesses This movie is successful in bringing out the religiosity in art, effectively raising concerns about the way people restrict themselves while designing or creating art. The movie executed the characters’ descriptions of truth to nature, as is the case of artistic talent. In addition to that, the setting of the movie, most of it on the grounds of the museum, served to create some form of plain portraiture (Artmargins, n.d., n.p.). The movie also brings out the two women’s depiction of the devotion that the two women had, and the relationship that they had with the historical objects under their care. One of the women confesses her love for the books in the museum and the numerous illuminations therein. The other woman, who appears to be more self-conscious, never looks at the camera. Further, she never speaks directly. A voice later informs the viewer that she studied painting. An astounding revelation is that the art profile of the second woman at one point was compared to Vermeer’s work. This serves to weaken the plot, considering the fact that despite her training in painting, she does not offer an informed of the artwork exhibited. Rather, she is shy and avoids speaking directly (Artmargins, n.d., n.p.). The movie was effective in bringing out the opinion of stewards regarding old artwork. It was interesting to get their perspective on new artists and their work, while passing the message that there is need to appreciate freedom in art and to develop quality artwork (Artmargins, n.d., n.p.). This movie is of considerable importance to an interior designer, since it offers an insight into what a designer can consider prior to using artwork in during the course of their planning. Designers can apply information from the two women’s opinions on quality and originality before making operational decisions (Artmargins, n.d., n.p.). Bibliography Irina Botea: Art Historians and It is now a matter of learning hope, at threewalls, Chicago. n.d., Irina Botea: Art Historians and It is now a matter of learning hope, at threewalls, Chicago. Retrieved August 21, 2014, from http://www.artmargins.com/index.php/3-exhibitions/751-irina-botea-it-is-now-a-matter-of-learning-hope-at-threewalls-chicago. MIX: Summer Group Show at Lawrence Alkin Gallery on artrepublic.com. n.d., MIX: Summer Group Show Exhibition Review at Lawrence Alkin Gallery. Retrieved August 21, 2014, from http://www.artrepublic.com/exhibitions/790-mix-summer-group-show.html. RIBA Bookshops. n.d., SPA-DE Vol. 9: Space & Design. Retrieved August 21, 2014, from http://www.ribabookshops.com/item/spa-de-vol.-9-space-design-international-review-of-interior-architecture/66455. Super Vision: Bonnie and Clyde vs Maria Rivans in articles from the artzone on artrepublic.com. n.d., artrepublic article. Retrieved August 21, 2014, from http://www.artrepublic.com/articles/477-super-vision-bonnie-and-clyde-vs-maria-rivans.html. Read More