Assignment 1

This show was Evolving by Kim Banister. The show itself was very cohesive, since it included works all done in the same style: figures, created with mixed media, including charcoals, various pigments, and linseed oil. I feel that the pieces were all interesting to look at, and I found myself staring at them for a long time to take in all of the drips and the line quality of the charcoal. I was surprised that all the pieces were so similar, because the last few shows I saw here consisted of varied works by the artist. I think doing a show in this way could be boring, but that it succeeded in this instance. I think I was able to appreciate the subject matter and process more because I was surrounded by it.

I chose to focus on Reclining Female Figure:

This piece was an orangey/brown, rusty, burnt color, had charcoal outlines for the figure, and dripping, just like all of the pieces (except certain ones that were more red and blue). I could not figure out what materials were used, as they were only labeled "mixed media", but the artist statement clears this up a bit. This technique is accomplished by drawing with charcoal (attached to a stick, to allow a full view of the piece from farther away), then linseed oil is splashed to dissolve the image away somewhat. Various pigments are thrown on, along with more charcoal drawing until the piece is finished.

Unfortunately, I missed the artist lecture, so I did not get a chance to hear her describe her work in person. My own uninformed reaction was that the pieces seemed very sad. The figures were thoughtful looking, and the dripping quality made it seem as though the pieces themselves were crying. I was drawn to the above piece because, whether the artist intended it or not, I felt very thoughtful while viewing all of the pieces. I also felt that many of the subjects within the pieces were thoughtful as well. I think this piece captured that feeling the most efficiently, because the figure is alone, and could easily be staring off into space and lost in thought. It also seemed sad because she seems to be holding herself, and the dripping quality evokes sadness as well. As for the title of the show, I could not figure out how evolving related to these pieces. My interpretation was that it was maybe an evolution of self, of the artist or subject changing through life. Upon reading the artist statement, it becomes clear that the evolving refers to the drawing process itself. Using linseed oil she allows the charcoals and pigments to crawl down the page, and it keeps changing and altering, both through her actions and the materials' independent movement. In this way, Evolving makes perfect sense.