The second set of art that I created during this art exploration involved the use of a few art elements and principles. I wanted to create an interesting artwork that was different from anything I have made before. This piece involves the elements and principles of line, texture, color, and balance. Pictured below is the initial digital drawing. Following that is the watercolor painting on canvas, which includes complementary colors. Creating this was a unique experience as I let myself be as creative as possible to achieve an interesting final piece.
This week I was also able to participate in a virtual tour of the Contemporary Arts Center. This was a completely free, extremely accessible, opportunity to continue my Cincinnati art exploration during the COVID-19 pandemic. The virtual tour consists of an online 3D copy of the museum spaces, including elevators to travel to exhibitions on different floors and spaces to "walk up" closely to the captions in order to read them. I am extremely impressed by this effort made by the Contemporary Arts Center to bring art to the Cincinnati population and beyond.
The first thing I noticed upon beginning my virtual tour was the wallpaper spanning from floor to ceiling. I learned that this commissioned wallpaper was created by Marjolijn Dijkman as a commentary on the exploitation of minerals for electronic purposes, such as the mining of Lithium. Dijkman utilized an interesting medium of photography depicting "minerals, circuit boards, personal devices, and industrial leftovers."
Next, I traveled to the fourth and fifth levels where Vhils' "Haze" was on display. This collection consisted of wall carvings and multisensory displays, in an artform the artist refers to as "creative destruction." The work completed by Vhils encourages the audience to slow down and consider personal meaning of life and how that can change in the presence of a fast-paced, exploitative society.
Another notable artist on display in the Contemporary Arts Center includes Tania Candiani, a Mexican born artist that completed works referred to as a "choreography of labor" over the course of multiple trips to Cincinnati. This collection is titled "Sounding Labor, Silent Bodies," which recognizes the commonly overlooked contribution of the laborers to the industrial success of Cincinnati.
To virtually visit this museum yourself, visit the link below: