Fowler Museum - Making Strange

Making Strange has quite a fitting name. The mixture of the surreal and uneasy is meant to evoke new thoughts on what is an accepted form of fashion, art, and the human body. First I would like to discuss the portion of the exhibit that focuses on a distortion of the human form. Figure 1 displays an anatomical model that has been configured with a scapula erupting from the chest cavity and several other misplaced organs.

Figure 1: Disfigured anatomical model

This work of art shows an intentional perversion of the human body. Bits are jumbled up, disproportionate, and mixed together. This piece of art really speaks to the sections regarding the human body, especially in biotechnology. Disrupting the human form is something that is generally frowned upon and seems innately repulsing. Classical descriptions have always praised the human body, where here we look at it from a different perspective. This change in perspective really allows the observer to appreciate what is the strange.

Moving along, I will focus more on the Gagawaka pieces of art that form fashionable attire from nonconventional materials. Figure 2 displays a dress made from x ray film.

Figure 2: A dress made from x ray film

This piece directly bridges the gap between medicine and fashion. I really enjoyed this piece in that anything could be transformed into fashionable wear. In addition, the garment has an added layer of depth in the x ray film. I made an effort to look closely at the film to check for any broken bones! I appreciate this kind of art that warrants close inspection and an attention to details.

The final piece I will discuss can relate back to our section on art and neuroscience. Figure 3 displays a clean room jumper filled with pills.

Figure 3: A jumpsuit filled with colorful pills

These pills can be a social commentary on the overabundance of prescription drug usage by the public. Drugs can be used to augment our minds and thoughts in order to change our perspective on the world. This theme of changing perspective is prevalent throughout the entire exhibit. The theme of changing one’s perspective is vital in order to be open-minded and see the world differently. Those who see the world differently will make the world different.   

Lastly here is a picture of me posing with the exhibit title!

Singular Spaces - The Fowler Museum

Singular Spaces focused on art pieces photographed by Jo Farb Hernández, and created by several self-taught artists throughout Spain. Several of the works are monumental in size and relate to the material covered in class. The first piece I would like to discuss is my favorite from the exhibit and is pictured in Figure 1.

Figure 1: Fantastical castle

This castle was constructed and seems to defy the agreed upon norms of construction. The towers and parapets curve whimsically, and the entire castle seems to be built from a dream. However, significant care must have been put into the structural stability of the piece. I can be seen the curving tower is being braced with two supports. The larger the structure grows, the more impressive of an engineering feat it becomes.

Next, in Figure 2, is a piece that utilizes thousands of clams in order to decorate the entire surface of a home.

Figure 2:  Courtyard completely decorated with clam shells

This piece of art allows me to recall the golden ratio, and the design of several shellfish. Humans are innately attracted to the golden ratio, and it appears in several well known works of art and architecture. This same ratio can be displayed in the shells of sea snails and other shellfish.

This third piece comes from an artist who has sculpted several giant human heads. In the work, several huts have been constructed in the form of a head, with the doorway as a mouth. This obsession with the human head and form is mirrored in several other works of art. In addition, the act of being inside a giant head also makes the observer think of the inner workings of the mind. By walking around inside a giant head, it is almost likely that you could accidentally stumble into the dreams of a giant. Figure 3 displays an example of one of these giant heads peeking out from under a lake.

Figure 3: A giant's head above the surface of a lake

The last piece I will discuss once again brings back the theme of unity that I touched on in my previous event blog. Figure 4 displays several humanoid sculptures.

Figure 4: These sculptures represent several nations coming together.

The scenes depicted by these stone men vary from several Bible verses to historical events. The work in Figure 4 represents participants from several countries coming together. This idea of unity is critical in order to bridge the gap between the two cultures in our society.

And here’s a bonus picture of me at the exhibit.