My Marbles are Real

"Marbles I" 1980 oil on canvas 48 x 84" 10 reasons why the work is realistic 1. Very natural composition, marbles seen from table-level perspective. 2. Use of a light source gives depth and effective rendering brings out accurate tonal values, imitating visual effects perfectly. 3. Objects behave like they should in real life, marbles focus light on a patch on the table. 4. Objects exist. Marbles exist. 5. Objects in the foreground (marbles) are more highly detailed than the objects in the background (dull balls) 6. Material qualities are accurately expressed, we are able to see through the transparent marble and look at whats behind it. 7. Vignetting present at the edges of the painting, just like a photo. 8. All shadows are consistent. 9. It is very difficult to distinguish from an actual photo. 10. The painting looks really familiar and is a naturally possible situation.

John /Yoko Bed In

1. Write on what this work is about

The work is a collaboration done by John Lennon and Yoko Ono. The former being a member of the legendary band The Beatles and the latter being a Japanese-American artist and musician. Knowing their March 20, 1969 marriage would be a huge press event, John and Yoko decided to use the publicity to promote world peace. They then held the bed in in their honeymoon suite in the hilton hotel in amsterdam, where they invited the worlds press to enter the suite for the duration of their stay, discussing about peace matters. The work was intended as an appeal to the various heads of states from different countries. His solution to peace was in his own words, to "sit in bed and grow our hair". Lennon and Yoko proceeded to send 50 acorns to various states wordwide in an attempt to plant symbols of peace all over the world.

2. Do you consider this as art? Why or why not?
I would defintely consider this art. Specifically performance art. Art is something of aesthetic value, a tool for conveying a message to the audience. To me a great piece of art must be something that not only looks good, but must be filled with substance as well. This performance by Lennon and Ono show of a sincerity and determination so great that they are willing to spend their honeymoon performing it. Their act of sitting in bed doing nothing but examplifying the movement of peace is one that is highly controversial. Even so, art is made to be judged and different people have varying viewpoints. Their intentions behind this performance may very from what critics say but nevertheless, what they have done creates for us a platform for debate, an avenue for controversy and displays their courage to stand up (or sit down) for a cause.

What is considered to be valuable art?

Hmm this has been wrecking my brains for the longest time, and I have come to the conclusion that firstly, Art is judged not by the common people (the layman, you, me) but instead, the art critics of today. Especially high flying art critics the likes of Lawrence Alloway and Roger Fry. What these people say of an artwork can make or break its value, no matter the cost behind the work.

Popular pieces of art are usually auctioned by various auction houses, and the auction house that an artist is attached to can make a great difference as well. One good example is Christie's, a leading art buisness and fine arts auction house. Being connected to such a company gives your piece of work excellent branding, and buyers generally see art auctioned at such reputable auction houses to be of a certain grade and value.

Finally, the cost of the work. The minimum value of the art should at least cover the cost of materials taken to create the work, generating normal profits for the artist^^ (econs is indeed useful).

In conclusion, everybody would like the pay the lowest amount possible for any piece of art, but with branding and criticism, certain pieces of art are deemed to be of higher value than others, make the artist famous, and monetary value of the works continue to snowball even after the artist's death.

MYSTERIOUS photo 2

Second blog post already, we have awesome definitions to check out this time.

1. What is the studium of this photo?
2. What is the punctum of this photo?

The words are so exotic that merriam-webster doesnt even have them inside. So i guessed and thought of the definitions myself.

The studium is a term for the interest which we show in a photograph, the desire to study and understand what the meanings are in a photograph, to explore the relationship between the meanings and our own subjectivities. The punctum is more about the sudden recognition of meaning, the unexpected, it “shoots out of [the photograph] like an arrow and pierces me.
(haha kidding i got this from some website.)

As such, the studium of the photograph to me is the central subject matter present in the photograph. The long strip of wallpaper creased at the top makes me try to decipher and crack its meaning. Its positioning, angle and form are all in question, making it the topic for study in this photograph.

The punctum of the photograph to me is the images present on the wallpaper. The tiny specks of repetition are not visible at first glance. However after some time they are made up to be intricate floral designs. This sudden revelation questions my initial idea of the subject matter being a portion of wallpaper. The mystery strip could now be actually part of a dress, or maybe even a super realistic chalk drawing similar to those of Julian beever.

what an idiot

Bubbles/Grapes/What?

What is this work made of?

I do not think i can deduce its material just by looking at the image given, however, if i were to take a guess, it would most probably be made of thin molded sheet metal or painted hard plastic. The work reminds me of bubbles or a bunch of grapes. However i don't think the work is made up of dense material such as marble or clay as the sculptures in the background are suspended mid air, thus being light is a great attribute to have.

What do you think the title is?

erm, BlackBerry? hahaha some clever ad campaign for blackberry being disguised as an art exhibition. It could be anything really, with contemporary art broadening our definitions of art ever so widely, anything and everything can be easily accepted as art.

What do you think the artist want to convey through this work?

The artist probably wanted to convey a feeling of irony through the work. the shape and form of the work implies weightlessness. Bubbles give a sense of freedom to the viewer. However this is contrasted to the dark metallic black colour of the work, giving the work a very heavy feel. The work is weighted, as if with burdens and pain of the artist that can never be released.

What feelings are invoked in you when seeing the artwork?

Upon seeing the work i feel a sense of curiosity. I mean, who wouldn't? The work looks really interesting, with its multi faceted rounded sides and smooth glossy finish. I would probably be touching it if i were right there. I also feel a sense of entrapment as the blobs of bubbles seem to be covering something underneath, hiding something from the viewer.

Why do you think this work is suitable for public displaying?

The work is visually pleasing and im sure many people would appreciate it beautifying the streets of Singapore. Even if the passing layman were to view the work, he would be able to connect with it in his own way.