Event #1 - Trip to the Man Made Exhibit


MAN MADE was a completely new and enlightening event for me. It was all about exploring the urban ecology of our built environment through Los Angeles female artists. It also explored mathematics and science through all of its pieces. The event featured 5 artists who took us around the exhibition and explained the thinking and work behind all their pieces.

As the event started, we walked into the first main show room which featured pieces by Chelsey Dean and Jacqueline Bell Johnson. These were the two artists that stood out the most to me because they both, in their own ways, explored the world through a new perspective. Chelsey focused on photography and reflections of “our world” and went into detail about conflict between order and entropy. She achieved this by adding textures and dimension to her photographs to add beauty and weight to something as simple as a picture of an abandoned shed in the middle of nowhere.



Moving on to the next room, we saw more pieces by J Bell Johnson. She was brought up around steel workers and now incorporates a lot of renewable objects for her sculptures. She uses a lot of symmetry and science to create her unique pieces. The piece of hers that stood out to me the most was the “Origin of Species”. This piece was inspired by a DNA helix, which involves science into the art world as well as mathematics with its intriguing symmetry and lines.



This event was instrumental for me because it brought what we have learned in class to life. Physically seeing and being able to talk to some artists really highlighted the deeper level of what goes into creating a piece of art and how it ties science, mathematics and many more aspects together. After visiting this event, I am going to see artwork in a completely new manner and really take time to think about the process of creation and try to think in the creator’s mindset. This exhibition was extremely successful as it left viewers appreciating artwork in a whole new dimension.

Sources:
Clutton-Brock, Juliet. "Man-Made Dogs." Science 197.4311 (1977): 1340-342. Brand Library Art Centre. Brand Library, 7 Mar. 2017. Web. 23 Apr. 2017.


Dean, Chelsea. "Untitled." CHELSEA DEAN. Chelsea Dean, n.d. Web. 23 Apr. 2017. http://www.chelseadean.com

Johnson, Jacqueline Bell. "Jacqueline Bell Johnson." Jacqueline Bell Johnson. Jacqueline Bell Johnson, n.d. Web. 23 Apr. 2017.
http://www.jacquelinebelljohnson.com/gallery/sculpture




Location: 1601 W Mountain St, Glendale, CA 91201, USA

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