When we went on our around the building, the one thing I wanted to do was sketch. I love to draw and I knew it would be a great opportunity to learn from the experts. I did rough sketches of the five paintings and sculptures that appealed to me the most, and then I finished them later that day. Here is a look at my five favourite pieces of art:
Evan Penny
2003
silicone, pigment, hair, fabric
When I saw Stretch #1 by Evan Penny, my first reaction was ‘what is that’? It looked like a hologram, but as you got closer you could see that it is actually a very detailed sculpture. The detail on Stretch #1 is incredible. Every little hair, freckle and pigment of skin is unbelievably realistic.
Looking at the sculpture felt as if I was seeing an optical illusion. I was initially confused, but also in awe by the magnificent realism of the piece. It reminded me of the application 'Photobooth' on Mac computers. On Photobooth you can warp your face to look stretched and distorted, much like the effect on the sculpture.
As I talked to others about the piece, most of them felt the same as I did. This made me realize that this was the exact intention of Evan Penny. He wanted us to associate the sculpture to the Photobooth and Photoshop application on the computer. I believe he wanted us to be confused and wondering why the piece is what it is.
After doing some research, I was led to Evan Penny’s website. Here is what he said about Stretch #1: “The elongated format of the sculptures Stretch #1 and Stretch #2 refers to a Photoshop derived distortion.” Because of this, it is obvious that the scuplture is very current. It was created in 2003 and is a reflection of our modern technology.
Robert Smithson
1968
mirrors, crushed stone
Gravel Mirror Corner Piece is different than any work of art I have seen before. Three mirrors are set up in a corner with a pile of crushed stones on top. The crushed stones are reflected in the mirrors and make the pile seem much larger than it actually is.
When looking at the sculpture, I felt very peaceful and was reminded of nature. Robert Smithson used a very natural object, crushed stones, to convey this emotion. The room that Gravel Mirror Corner Piece has no bright colours which is also very calming. The walls were white and the floors were wooden, which goes well with the theme of nature.
Robert Smithson was an American artist who became famous for his land art and natural sculptures. He was a minimalist, which can be seen in Gravel Mirror Corner Piece.
Ed Pien
2007
3M reflector on Shoji paper-cut
The reason Spellbound caught my eye was because of the odd material it’s made of and how it is constructed. Looking at the piece, I thought of intertwining branches and vines. I felt as if the people were trying to make their way through them, and looking for a way out of the tangled chaos.
Pien conveys the emotions of chaos and confusion by having these intertwining lines. They are all different shapes and sizes, and you can’t tell where they start and where they end. I believe that the message he is trying to get across is that we all get stuck in chaos, just like the people are stuck in the picture. They are trying to find their way out, but they are lost by the tangled webs around them.
When researching Ed Pien I discovered that he is an immigrant from Taiwan and often incorporates oriental styles into his work. I can definitely see this in Spellbound, which somewhat reminds me of the delicacy of origami.
Andy Warhol
1964
silkscreen on acrylic, silkscsreen on aluminum paint on canvas
I am a huge fan of Andy Warhol and the entire Pop Art movement. Because of this, I was immediately attracted to Elvis I and II and extremely excited to see a real Warhol picture in person.
Since Elvis I and II is a painting of Elvis Presley, what comes to mind when looking at it is what I know about Elvis. I think about his fame and how he was ‘The King of Rock ‘N Roll’. The picture is half blue and half white. I think of this as a representation of Elvis’ career. He started off being an iconic superstar, but eventually faded away from the misuse of drugs.
Like Warhol often did, he took a mass-produced subject and turned him/her into a mass-produced work of art. Elvis was a pop-culture icon that was everywhere at the time. For that reason he is replicated four times on the painting. He used silkscreen prints to create the picture so that it could also be mass-produced.
Genevieve Cadieux
1990
chromogenic print mounted on acrylic
Out of all the pieces of art I saw at the AGO, my favourite was definitely Blue Fear by Genevieve Cadieux. The photograph is of an elderly man staring at a close-up of his eyes. His eyes are blue and show a great amount of fear. I can feel the fear from his eyes and I wonder what he fears.
Cadieux excellently depicted this emotion by using an intense photograph and the colour blue. She wants us to be able to feel the fear that the man in the picture is feeling, and that is exactly how I felt.
Another interesting part of the picture is that it is an optical illusion. From afar, the man’s back looks like a nose. You have to go close to the picture to see that it is actually a separate photograph added on top.
--
Overall, my first trip to the Art Gallery of Ontario was a success. I learned about its modern architecture, was able to make some of my own sketches, and saw many incredible pieces of art.
