Andy Warhol

Hello fellow print-makers, hope everyone is having a great day! I just wanted to share with you my experience at MOMA.  I had the opportunity to go to New York this past March and visit the Museum of Modern Art.  Although there were many interesting collections and artists, the one that stood out to me was the Andy Warhol collection.  I had to wait four floors until I found it but it was definitely worth the wait.

A little about Andy Warhol himself, he is an American artist known for pop art during the visual art movement.  The subjects of his earlier work derived from advertisements and comic strips, first hand-painted and then silk screened.  The type of mediums Warhol used in this art included hand drawing, painting, printmaking, photography, silk screening, sculpture, film, and music.  He founded Interview Magazine and was the author of numerous books such as Popism: The Warhol Sixties.  His studio, The Factory, was a famous gathering place that brought together distinguished intellectuals, drag queens, playwrights, Bohemian street people, Hollywood celebrities, and wealthy patrons. One of his famous piece was the Campbell's Soup in 1962 where he appropriated Campbell soup and changed the entire meaning altogether.

I had a great time viewing his work at the gallery.  I didn't realize how big the Campbell Soup piece was until I was up close.  It was awesome to be able to see the details of each and every different soup piece.   His Marilyn Diptych was pretty neat too, his use of colors really captures the "pop art" theme.  I definitely recommend visiting his collection if you are ever in New York, his work was truly inspiring and being able to see it in person was the cherry on top.

Happy printmaking ya'll!

-Somaly

LACMA : Andy Warhol

What's up everyone, my name is Aaron and this is my day at the LACMA Art Museum. 
For the record this was my first time at LACMA, so the whole time I was just flipping out all over the place at all the really rad art everywhere around me. But let's get to the real topic of this post, Andy Warhol.

Everyone should know at least one thing about Andy Warhol, but if you don't here's are filler provided by Wiki.  Andy Warhol was an American artist who was a leading figure in the visual art movement known as pop art. His works explore the relationship between artistic expression, celebrity culture and advertisement that flourished by the 1960s. Warhol's art encompassed many forms of media, including hand drawing, painting, printmaking, photography, silk screening, sculpture, film, and music. He was also a pioneer in computer-generated art using Amiga computers that were introduced in 1984, two years before his death. He founded Interview Magazine and was the author of numerous books, including The Philosophy of Andy Warhol and Popism: The Warhol Sixties. He is also notable as a gay man who lived openly as such before the gay liberation movement. His studio, The Factory, was a famous gathering place that brought together distinguished intellectuals, drag queens, playwrights, Bohemian street people, Hollywood celebrities, and wealthy patrons. Now that you know a little bit about him lets explore some of my favorite things I found of Warhol's work at the LACMA.

First thing I did was to make my way to the exhibition called Futbol: The Beautiful Game. A room full of art about celebrating the eve of the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, the exhibition includes thirty artists who made art featuring players around the world and Andy Warhol just happened to be in the exhibition, so I dropped on by and saw this....

--If you world like to see more art from Futbol: The Beautiful Game the exhibition is up until July 20th. --

Then me and my sister made our way to the art exhibition with artwork from 1960's to find more art by Warhol. 

 Left:

 Campbell's Soup Can

Andy Warhol (United States, 1964)

Oil on canvas

Canvas: 36 x 24 in.

Right:

Black and White Disaster

Andy Warhol (United States, 1962)

Acrylic and silkscreen enamel

Canvas: 96 x 72 in.

Left:

Campbell's Soup Can X Sister 

Top Right:

Cow Wallpaper

Prints

Bottom Right:

Marilyn Monroe Diptych

United States, 1970

Prints

I had fun at the LACMA. His work is still up for display.

Make your way down there this summer if you have a chance.

LACMA

5905 Wilshire Blvd.

Los Angeles CA 90036

tel 323 857-6000 

June Wayne: Paintings, Prints, and Tapestries

Above: artist June Wane 

Hey everyone I'm not much of a writer, bear with me, but I'd like to talk a bit about my trip to PMOCA this past friday and their current exhibit on artist June Wayne. Born in Chicago in 1918, June had aspirations to become an artist from an early age. The exhibit showcases much of her life through the form of paintings, lithographs, and even tapestries. There are a couple of monitors installed that have June herself, talking about certain pieces in the exhibit. June Wayne lived an interesting life, living in America in the great depression, WWII, and the civil rights movement. June was a big part of the feminist art movement of the 70s as well as being an integral part of the california art scene. Although the museum didn't allow to take photos I managed to sneak in a few snapshots of my favorite works. 

White Tidal Wave,1972

Color lithograph, Printed by William Law III and published by Tamstone;

 The June Wayne Collection

Merry Widow
from the series Next of Skin, 1980
Color Lithograph (state I), Printed by Edward Hamilton

 

A Little Nothing
from the series Next of Skin, 1980
Color Lithograph, Printed by Edward Hamilton

Whoopers, 1998 

Color lithograph Printed by Eileen Foti and published by 

the Rutgers Center for Innovative Print and Paper

Her work will be on display at the Pasadena Museum of Contemporary Art until August 31st. So if any of y'all are in the area at one point in the summer, I highly recommend visiting the exhibit. Her tapestry work, although I couldn't get a picture (insert sad face emijo here), was one of the most intricate works of fabric I had seen. From only a few feet away they look just like huge prints or paintings, but once closer you can make out the texture of the fabric and the details of the thread to create the illusion of an actual painting blend. 

Free As Frida!

Hello my fellow screen printing comrades it is almost Frida Friday! I encourage all of you to visit the Museum of Latin American Art in Long Beach, CA. Yes my friends , the Molaa is located right here in Long Beach on 7th St. and Alamitos and is free on Sunday's. I went to Molaa on the 18th of May with a dear close friend of mine. Who was brave enough to break the Molaa law and take these pictures like a ninja. Most of you have probably heard of Frida Kahlo, or seen a painting of a Mexican Women with a sexy unibrow, but do not know who she is. Molaa has just opened a new exhibition called FRIDA KAHLO, HER PHOTOS. I thought the exhibition was extraordinary they had over 200 photos of Frida, her family, her house, her homeland, her love, and her pain. These photos give some type of insight into Frida's inspiration, and life. We do not always get precious memories of talented artist, but Molaa has blessed me with an opportunity to visit a different time, land, and soul through photographs taken many years ago. 

Frida Kahlo de Rivera also known as simply Frida was born July 6, 1907 and died July 13, 1954. She was a Mexican painter who is best known for her unique self portraits. She was born and raised in Mexico City in Mexico and lived in a well known house called La Caza Azul. Frida was also married to a famous Mexican artist called Diego Rivera. Talk about a power couple. Frida was a strong, amazing women full with inspirational charisma, but is most known for her portraits that carry tons of pain. When Frida was young she was in a bus accident that left her in a body cast. She broke her spinal chord, pelvis, legs, and many other parts of her body. This accident left her in a great deal of pain for the rest of her life.Both physical, and emotional pain. She had about 35 operations due to this accident in her life time, and she was unable to bare a child. Frida was a lover, and loved people, but because of this accident she would have to spend the majority of her time healing alone which hurt her soul. Frida once said " I paint myself because I am so often alone, and because I am the subject I know best". 

While I walked around the exhibition I saw that every photo had its own story, and memory. Every single photo taught me something new about Frida. However, there was one photo that captivated me for minutes. The photo I am talking about is the family photo where Frida is dressed as a man. When i first saw this photo I laughed, and new Frida was not afraid to be different. It is a lovely family photo taken by her father Guillermo Kahlo. The photo is black and white, and everybody in the photo looks serious because this was the custom in Mexico at this time. At a glance you think it is a regular family photo until you realize one of the daughters appears to be a brother. This led my mind to explore, and i wondered why she chose to dress like that. You have to understand in the 1900's this type of behavior, and image was unacceptable for a women in Mexico. This photo holds many narratives, and that is why I fell in love with it. This revealed to me that Frida was a brave individual, and did not care what people around her would say, or think of her. It showed me Frida had an extraordinary sense of humor. Also, this photo could have shown a sexual desire for women that she did have. I am not sure what her motivation was, but I am happy to know that she was brave enough to be different during a time where different was shunned, and unaccepted. 

I personally think this photograph is amazing. I think that Frida was a true revolutionary in every form. She lived to rebel against what society, and social norms. This picture is the perfect example of that. Frida was an artist in every form. She pushed the boundaries, and refused to be put in a box. She did what she felt was right, and most of all what made her happy. I think this picture captures Frida's intrinsic freedom. I want to be this brave. I want to rebel against society. I want to push boundaries with my art, and mind. This picture motivated me to be different, and standout. To do things society will question so, that things may begin to change. 

Finally, I did not only leave with a better understanding of Frida the artist, but I left with inspiration in my soul. I was inspired by Frida and her life. She endured so much suffering, but i have no doubt in my mind that art kept her alive. The pain in her paintings, and pictures relieved her of her emotional, and physical pain. I know this out of pure experience when you express your self with art you release all of your pain, and suffering. I forgot about this, and was inspired to put some of my actual feelings, and concerns into my artwork. I am also a painter, and when I left this amazing exhibition I remembered about a part of me I forgot about. I remembered about the kid that used to paint his pain away, and said to myself "I want to be Free as Frida".

SGC members portfolio exchange, San Francisco 2014!

Recently I made a trip to San Francisco to attend the Southern Graphics Council or SGC. SGC is one of the country's largest printmaking conventions and is held once a year at various global locations but mostly in the U.S. At SGC you will encounter printmaking shows held at various sites linked with the conference, printmaking demonstrations, talks given by your favorite printmaking heroes and you will definitely meet friends and make connections.

One of the coolest things you will run into at SGC are the portfolio exchanges. A portfolio exchange is usually a printmaking trade and is organized between several printmaking communities. However many artists participate in the exchange dictates the size of the edition each artist will make. So each artist makes, for example, ten identical prints but by the time the exchange occurs the artist receives ten different prints; one from each participant in the exchange. Portfolio exchanges to me are the best reason to practice the "democratic" medium. Exchanges make the best use of the "edition" and I feel it is such a straight forward and honest way to use the resources of printmaking because it emphasizes the sharing that occurs in printmaking communities.

The photos of the prints I am posting are from the SGC members portfolio exchange and were on view at the Academy of Arts in San Francisco. The theme of the exchange and the SGC conference was "bridges," and how activism is nurtured by our connections to each other. It was difficult to keep track of all the individuals artists because there were multiple exchanges happening at one time. The walls were covered in prints!

A few of my favorite prints were by Kimiko Miyoshi and also by a printmaker whom I only know by one name: Yuji. Kimiko made a very simple but flawless cut-paper stencil, silkscreen that featured imagery of two burning bridges cut in half by flames. The severed bridges were set on impossibly high cliffs and lacked the presence of any sign of the peoples from either side of the gorges. I felt this print foreshadowed our era of a so-called linked and global culture that is seemingly connected but in reality fractured and tense.

The work by Yuji was more surreal and symbolic. Yuji's prints are usually etchings that are printed in CMYK color separations. I very much connected with the imagery of the persimmon fruit in Yuji's print because I like images involving food. Food is the great connector and we can all relate to its function. Please enjoy the photos of prints I recently encountered.

cut-paper stencil, silkscreen, Kimiko Miyoshi, 2014

CMYK color separation, intaglio etching by Yuji

Welcome to Vikings Printmaking

Welcome to our printmaking forum. Vikings Printmaking is based out of the Long Beach City College printshop in sunny southern California. This forum seeks to link printmakers and artists through each others experience of engaging with prints and other inspiring work. Please join us by posting about the prints you encounter. We would love to hear about the space you encountered such prints, what mediums the work was executed in, who made the work; describe the work as it presented itself to you and please discuss any apparent content and how it affected you. Photos of the work you find is definitely welcome! If you would like to contact the members of Vikings Printmaking, feel free to email Christian Ward at csalcedoward80@gmail.com

Cheers,
CSW

CSW Moku Hanga Demo at SGCC open portfolio, San Francisco, 2014