Andrew Fishman's Art

Studio Joho, “Dan The Man Stage 3,” 2013 A beautiful...

Sun, 12 May 2013 16:16:13 -0400

Studio Joho, “Dan The Man Stage 3,” 2013

A beautiful animation, with an important message. Its subtitle, “Walking a mile in 16-bit moccasins” is telling; the video is a story of a man who gets the opportunity to relive a situation with a drunken bully in a bar several times. At its core, it is a story that shows how crucial understanding and compassion are, especially when it’s tough.

The Pac-Man sequence in the middle is my favorite part: a powerful, succinct story of a bully’s childhood, which shows the protagonist that the drunken jerk in the bar is really just a good person who’s turned to alcohol to try to fight off his inner demons.

All of the animations in this series are great, usually funny and often quite poignant. I recommend them wholeheartedly, especially if you enjoyed this one.

Pablo Picasso, “Guernica,” 1937 During the Spanish...

Sun, 05 May 2013 15:21:00 -0400

Pablo Picasso, “Guernica,” 1937

During the Spanish Civil War, the city of Guernica was considered a major strategic target for the Nationalists. Germany, supporting the Nationalists, bombed the city for two hours. When Picasso heard that the city had been bombed, he immediately stopped working on his commissioned painting and started “Guernica.” This painting is a visceral damnation of war, especially bombing, for the harm it does to civilians.

The painting has been dissected repeatedly by art historians looking to decipher the images, in particular the prominent bull and horse. Picasso responded to these theories by stating “…the bull is a bull and the horse is a horse…What ideas you have got I have obtained too, but instinctively, unconsciously…I paint the objects for what they are.” However, some of the symbols are obvious; the lightbulb on top is clearly a pun in Spanish, the word “bombilla” means both “lightbulb” and “bomb.”

For me, the most painful and powerful image is the mother on the far left cradling her dead child.

A tapestry copy of this painting hung at the entrance to the Security Council room in the United Nations from 1985 to 2009. When Colin Powell and John Negroponte delivered a speech at the UN explaining why the U.S. was going to war with Iraq, they did so in front of this tapestry, but had it covered up. They claimed it was because the images would be distracting on camera, but many pointed out that it may have been out of fear that the power of the images would certainly have undermined their message, that this war was necessary and just.

Bego M. Santiago, “Little Boxes,” 2013 A series of...

Sat, 04 May 2013 15:46:00 -0400

Bego M. Santiago, “Little Boxes,” 2013

A series of boxes with projected images of tiny people that appear to be content, if a bit bored, living inside. That changes when someone real approaches.

I won’t spoil it, but it’s hysterical. Watch it.

Visit Bego’s website here.

Heather Dewey-Hagborg, “Sample 6,” 2013 A creepy,...

Fri, 03 May 2013 13:25:00 -0400

Heather Dewey-Hagborg, “Sample 6,” 2013

A creepy, Orwellian sign of the times. Artist Heather Dewey-Hagborg takes samples of DNA from items that she finds on the street (in this case, chewed gum), sequences the DNA, uses software to approximate the appearance of the individual, and then uses a 3D printer to print a sculpture of the person’s face around age 25. She even has a self-portrait done in the same way to show how accurate the process is.

Visit her website here.

Minimalist portraits - the first is Adventure Time and the...

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 19:15:00 -0400

Minimalist portraits - the first is Adventure Time and the second is Sesame Street! Can you figure out who they all are? What’s the next series I should do?

Here’s another eight Sesame Street characters - can you...

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 19:11:59 -0400

Here’s another eight Sesame Street characters - can you figure out who they are?

Suggestions

Sat, 27 Apr 2013 12:22:54 -0400

Hey all-

What pieces would you like to see me review? Any artists I should know about that I might not already? I’m always interested!

Hey there, Tumblr! Remember the Minimalist Adventure Time...

Fri, 19 Apr 2013 15:34:00 -0400

Hey there, Tumblr! Remember the Minimalist Adventure Time series I did a while back? I’ve decided to make some more with another TV series that I love: Sesame Street. I think these will be much easier than the Adventure Time ones to figure out: do you know who they all represent?

Andrew Fishman, “Self Portrait as Pimple,” 2010 For...

Fri, 19 Apr 2013 11:40:40 -0400

Andrew Fishman, “Self Portrait as Pimple,” 2010

For this photo, I took a picture of my face, and instead of removing the blemishes on my face, I decided to zoom in on them. I cropped my face to the size of 1 pixel x 1 pixel, so that the entire photograph is the pure color of a small pimple on my left cheek.

I thought that, if I am partly my physical appearance, and my physical appearance is imperfect, why not highlight and celebrate that? After all, it’s a pretty color when you get really close to it.

Aren't things that are considered fashion put into art museums though?

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 14:14:26 -0400

Good point! I don’t necessarily agree with Nina, but she makes an interesting distinction between what is art and what is commerce. It’s more thought-provoking than it is a reflection of my own opinion.

"Fashion is not art. Stores are not museums. You go to stores to buy clothes. You don't go to..."

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 12:42:00 -0400

““Fashion is not art. Stores are not museums. You go to stores to buy clothes. You don't go to stores to look at clothes.””

- Nina Garcia on Project Runway, Season 11, Episode 12: Europe, Here We Come

What do you think? Is Nina right?

Artemisia Gentileschi, “Self-Portrait as the Allegory of...

Sat, 13 Apr 2013 19:32:00 -0400

Artemisia Gentileschi, “Self-Portrait as the Allegory of Painting,” 1638-1639

Artemisia Gentileschi, one of the first great women artists (and one of my all-time favorite painters) led a very troubled life. (Here’s a summary in the context of an earlier painting. Trigger warning: sexual assault)

One of her greatest achievements is the blow she struck for women in the arts. A large number of her paintings feature strong historical and biblical women, not only because she wasn’t allowed access to male models, but also because of her own triumph over overwhelming adversity.

This painting is a powerful statement. In a time in which women were not considered artists, she depicts herself as Pittura, the personification of painting. Similar things have been done throughout art history, mostly by male artists suggesting that Pittura has favored them, but this is the first time anyone had ever suggested that they were the literal epitome of painting talent. Her pose, clothing, and hair are particularly important; her hair and clothing are realistically unkempt and her pose seems awkward and twisted, as though she is actually painting rather than posing for a portrait.

Notably, the iridescent cloth her sleeves are made of are associated with classical depictions of Pittura. The colors the sleeves are made of can also be found on her palette, suggesting that she is in the process of creating the painting itself.

My favorite part of this painting is the lighting. Gentileschi was heavily influenced by Caravaggio, who pioneered dramatic chiaroscuro lighting, and was well aware of the symbolism the highlighted parts of the body had. In Thomas Eakins’ The Gross Clinic, intense light shines on the famed surgeon’s forehead and hand, indicating his intelligence and skill, respectively. Albrecht Dürer’s Self Portrait in 1500 again shows light on his forehead and hand, to emphasize his own skill and mental prowess. So when Gentileschi highlights her forehead and hand, she is referencing the theme of intelligence and skill. However, she also highlights her chest, which is highly significant. Her statement, therefore, is that she possesses skill and mental ability, despite the fact that she is a woman.

By portraying herself as Pittura, the female allegory for painting, Gentileschi argues for her gender’s inclusion in the arts. By doing so, she not only implies that painting is who she is (literally and figuratively), she also indicates and advocates gender equality within the realm of the visual arts.

Daniel Rozin, “Peg Mirror,” 2007 An ingenious...

Fri, 05 Apr 2013 14:32:27 -0400

Daniel Rozin, “Peg Mirror,” 2007

An ingenious mechanical mirror which creates an approximation of an image using shadows. Each peg is cut diagonally and is attached to a motor which allows it to rotate. There is a hidden camera in the mirror which transmits the information it receives to the pegs, which rotate so that the shadows they cast create a reflection of the viewer in real time.

I’ve written enough summaries of great art that I thought it was time to organize it. Here are some...

Thu, 28 Mar 2013 16:11:51 -0400

I’ve written enough summaries of great art that I thought it was time to organize it. Here are some categories, each of which is connected to a page of the summaries.

Work by Female Artists

Sculptures

Paintings

Photography/Digital Work

Haley Morris-Cafiero, “Wait Watchers: Hunted”,...

Thu, 28 Mar 2013 15:48:29 -0400

Haley Morris-Cafiero, “Wait Watchers: Hunted”, 2013

While photographing another series, Morris-Cafiero noticed a young man in the background of the photo laughing at her. She knew from personal experience that this was certainly because of her weight, so she started trying to capture these people on film. She sets up a camera on a tripod and does something innocuous while she waits for the picture to take. Inevitably, the film often captures a similar photo of someone laughing at her or giving her a strange look, just for being.

Some in the series are more convincing than others. For example, I’m not sure “Wait Watchers: Swing Set” depicts a “normal” activity and some others might depict a person giving a funny look to something past Morris-Cafiero, but most are hard to deny.

What is particularly brilliant about this particular photograph in the series is not only the look of utter disdain on the woman’s face, but also that she is leading a child with her. The title of the piece comes from the advertisement for the TV show Hunted (which features a traditionally beautiful, thin woman) behind the woman.

I’m a very thin person myself, and I like this series for the glimpse it gives me into the world of someone without thin privilege and for reminding me that many people never get to outgrow bullying. It’s a powerful reminder of how easy it is to forget to be kind, understanding, and to not judge others, especially for their appearance.

Visit her website here.

Gustave Courbet, “L’Origine du Monde (The Origin of...

Sun, 24 Mar 2013 19:17:09 -0400

Gustave Courbet, “L’Origine du Monde (The Origin of the World),” 1866

Unsurprisingly, this painting, considered to be the first realistic depiction of female genitalia in art history, shocked viewers when it was released. For me, the most interesting part is not the subject matter, but rather what the title implies. Declaring a vagina to be “The Origin of the World” elevates the role of women from mere vessel to creator. Rather than seeing women as something that passively held something (like a container—many artists have used vases and boxes as symbolic wombs) to something active, the half of the population capable of creating life from within itself. Contemporary artists would never have depicted women like this. Even Manet’s shocking “Olympia” from a few years earlier covered the genitals of the model.

The church was the ultimate authority in matters of culture, especially when it came to issues of decency. The church saw the vagina and all human sexuality as a necessary evil. Courbet rejected this and painted a vagina with the honesty he would have given any other part of the body. For him, it was not evil, just the opposite. It is the origin of every person and should not be vilified, feared, or condemned.

Special thanks to my friend and fellow artist Alyssa Blumenthal for her help in researching and discussing this piece. Her always amusing tumblr can be found here.

Marcel Duchamp, “Fountain,” 1917 In 2004, this...

Sat, 23 Mar 2013 14:22:11 -0400

Marcel Duchamp, “Fountain,” 1917

In 2004, this urinal was voted the single most influential piece of art in the 20th century.

The history of the piece is hotly debated, but the most common version of the story goes as follows:

The art movement Dadaism was founded in part to challenge the idea that an elite few could control what was considered art and what belonged in museums. Several Dadaists set up a small gallery and introduced a revolutionary new show, in which every piece that was entered would be shown. Duchamp, calling their bluff, submitted a store-bought urinal that he had turned sideways and signed with a pseudonym. It was rejected, but because they had pledged to include every piece, it was installed, but a pillar was built around the urinal to hide it from view.

There is some debate about whether Duchamp created this piece or received it as a gift from a friend (he wrote to his sister that he received a urinal as a sculpture from a friend who went by the pseudonym Richard Mutt), but there is no doubt that this was the first piece that was created purely by the mind of the artist and required no technical skill at all.

This was revolutionary. There was, as one would expect, a tremendous outcry against the piece, primarily arguing that because Duchamp had not actually created anything, the piece could not be considered his art. Several fellow artists defended it, stating that his selection of the object and its placement in a museum made it into art. From this point on, anything could be declared art. In one act of rebellion, Duchamp single-handedly changed art so that the mind of the artist was now at least as important as his/her technical ability. This changed art forever.

andrewfishman: Andrew Fishman, “The Zax Project,” 2012-2013 The...

Thu, 21 Mar 2013 13:23:55 -0400

andrewfishman:

Andrew Fishman, “The Zax Project,” 2012-2013

The current U.S. Congress is the most partisan in modern history.

I am completely fed up with it, and I decided that an unusual conceptual art piece was the only way to get my point across.

The United States government’s only hope of overcoming this divide is to inspire Congress to see past party lines, stop bickering, and compromise to do what’s best for the country.

The best, most succinct piece of literature I have ever encountered on the subject is Dr. Seuss’ short story “The Zax”, featured in the book The Sneetches and Other Stories. In it, a North-Going Zax and a South-Going Zax bump into one another. Each Zax refuses to get out of the other’s way and both are hopelessly stuck in the same spot forever. Sound familiar?

I sent every U.S. Senator a copy of this book in the hopes that some of them might read it and be reminded of a lesson they should have learned in kindergarten. Sometimes you have to put your own pride aside to compromise and do what’s best for everyone.

Not one Senator responded.

Andrew Fishman, “The Last Supper,” 2009 This unusual...

Thu, 14 Mar 2013 19:30:53 -0400

Andrew Fishman, “The Last Supper,” 2009

This unusual take on Da Vinci’s iconic “The Last Supper” was inspired in part by Kara Walker’s brilliant, racially charged work with silhouettes. I used her method of silhouetting figures with cut paper to abstract a ubiquitous painting and further changed it by removing all elements except for the people and by separating it into a triptych, with Jesus as the only figure in the middle. In this way, I hoped to emphasize the intense emotional suffering Jesus must have gone through. In order to distinguish the figures from one another, I alternated between black and white, making sure that Judas (the third black figure from the left) was in black. I also shaded Jesus’ features in pencil, making him the only easily recognizable character in the picture.

Jesus must feel utterly alone, even though he is in a room with twelve other people. I think that Jesus’ crucifixion and death must have been easy compared to the knowledge that it was caused by the betrayal of a trusted friend.

How to Organize Art Books

Tue, 12 Mar 2013 18:43:00 -0400

So, because I’m a huge nerd, I finally got around to putting all of my books in Dewey Decimal order. I was shocked to find that the system set up for organizing art history books and biographies was severely lacking. The art history books were out of chronological order and the artists’ biographies were after Modern Art but before Pre-Columbian Art?

I couldn’t have that. So I wrote a new system. The three-digit code in front of each art movement represents the first three digits of the decade in which it was started. For example, Rococo began in the 1720’s, so it falls under 1AH 172 RC. 1AH means that it’s Art History, and RC is the two-symbol Rococo symbol to separate it from other movements that might have started in the same decade.

This is by no means complete, and I could really use your help in filling it out!

1AH (Art History)

000 AH (Overall Art History)

001 PC (Pre-Classic)

020 CL (Classic)

090 PC (Post-Classic)

130 RN (Renaissance)

160 BQ (Baroque)

172 RC (Rococo)

175 NC (Neoclassicism)

179 RM (Romanticism)

182 PT (Photography)

183 RL (Realism)

184 PR (Pre-Raphaelite)

186 MA (Modern Art)

186 IM (Impressionism)

188 SM (Symbolism)

188 PI (Post-impressionism)

188 NI (Neo-impressionism)

189 AN (Art Nouveau)

190 FV (Fauvism)

190 EX (Expressionism)

190 CB (Cubism)

191 FT (Futurism)

191 SP (Suprematism)

191 DD (Dada)

191 DS (De Stijl)

191 BH (Bauhaus)

192 SR (Surrealism)

192 HR (Harlem Renaissance)

192 AD (Art Deco)

194 AE (Abstract Expressionism)

194 OA (Outsider Art)

195 ND (Neo-Dada)

195 PA (Pop Art)

196 CA (Conceptual Art)

196 GR (Graffiti)

196 NR (New Realism)

196 OA (Op Art)

196 PA (Performance Art)

196 PR (Photorealism)

197 IN (Installation)

197 PM (Postmodern)

198 YB (Young British Artists)

199 DA (Digital Art)

199 SK (Stuckism)

500 GO (Art History by Geographical Region)

510 AF (Africa)

520 AS (Asia)

530 AU (Australia)

540 EU (Europe)

550 NA (North America)

560 SA (South America)

600 SM (Sorted by Subject Matter)

610 HF (Human Figures)

611 MA (Male Figures)

612 FM (Female Figures)

613 CH (Children)

800 ME (Sorted by Medium)

810 SC (Sculpture)

820 PA (Painting)

900 SA (Subsets of Artists)

910 WO (Women Artists)

920 LG (LGBTQ* Artists)

930 RG (Religion)

931 JW (Jewish Artists)

932 CH (Christian Artists)

933 IS (Islamic Artists)

2AB (Individual Artist’s Biographies)

Alphabetical by artist’s last name, then year

3AP (Artist’s Publications)

Alphabetical by artist’s last name, then year

4GN (Graphic Novels)

Alphabetical by subject, then year

5CB (Comic Books)

Alphabetical by artist’s last name, then year

6IN (Instructional)

100 Drawing

200 Painting

300 Sculpture

400 Other Media

500 Other Aspects