Reno Public Art and my appreciation of it

Honestly I saw this among many other pictures I had taken while doing my psychogeographical research and was instantly captivated. The spheres are representational of perfection of the planet, perfectly circular in form and holds a mysterious ora to it leaving the interpetation for the eye of the beholder. The Earth is what holds us and keeps us in harmony with the rest of the universe. And much like the rest of the small spheres they are linear curving slightly as it decends further into the landscape again symbolic for the universe and the planet we stay on. I think of fluidity and ability to move freely when I see this work and it makes me feel as if I could take on the universe one planet at a time with no limit to the possibilities.

Drift Drift and Away!!!!!!!! A Series of Lefts

The first of several pics I took, I thought that the carving of the sun into a side walk was unique as it was also by itself much like the sun that heats up our planet it kind of jumped off of the floor at me and said capture my essence which seems to be a radiant light among nothingness.

The second photo of the big sqaure structure caught my attention because of the shape, in art shapes represent certain aspects or traits and  the shape of a square is symbolic for power and groundedness. Would it be a surprise than to know that this structure is a bank?

Third Photo: Notice the contrast between shapes the circle which represents eternity and calmness triangles represent energy and stimulation. With the big square structure in the back and the mix of different elements and traits in front I thought this made for an interesting layout saying I am multidimensional and I stand out from the norms of society.

The fourth and fifth photo go hand in hand as the first represents to me, the structure that socitey says is acceptable and second is almost an unconscious portrayal of that same social structure through some ones hard labor. The lines the lines the lines, orderly and repititious oh how we love the lines or as I would say the restrictions.

 Six and sven screamed out to me saying take me lol, but in all seriousness this seemingly random splotch of multiple colors on the wall are somone's way of expressing how they feel or even possible vandalism which in return is the same thing; a young adolescent acting out on his/her emotions and I thought it was powerful that this was next to the next two photos all representing some aspect of street art appreciation either indirectly or otherwise.

  

Eight and nine also are representative of street art with the grafitti on the cages which symbolizes the restricted and some what scewed stereotype placed on street art. I think the G is special to me as it is bold and looks to almost defy its cage resulting in defying the stereotypes.

The tenth image captures my attention because I was looking at the contrast of natural and industrial landscapes and how there were some areas that had predominantly structuralized buildings. Any person can tell that the broken pieces of cement in the middle was man made or caused, however the natural earth breaks through this man made boundary (concrete) and splits the ground further as if to say I will be here longer than you. Most of what I looked at was involved with shapes, lines and environment but I have more to share so tune in.

When I looked at this I thought of the memorial for the Vietnam veterans created by Mia Lynn. Even though its nowhere near as impactual as the Vietnam memorial, it captured the essence of the moment for me. Now I can't be sure if the men in the photo are in fact veterans but for them to be setting there enjoying the moment it seemed like a place that serves its purpose. The landscape and the architecture flow well with each other and it depicts a representational form bringing the memory of those who served the country to immortality.

Howling Wolf and John Taylor comparison

Dominick McKinney

Art 160

Professor Nicol

Response Summary

Two artists Howling Wolf and John Taylor had both drawn a depiction of a treaty between the Cheyenne, Arapaho, Kiowa, and Comanche Native Americans in October 1867. Both of these pictures are displayed in the World of art text and both are very unique in their own sense Taylor uses a deeper spacial view which take the viewer further into the picture reflective of the traditional western art style in having a symmetrical layout. Taylor also uses the back a view of the treaty signing and seems to pay extra detail to the European peoples placing them neatly on benches side to side perhaps symbolic for an ethnocentric view of the Europeans being more civilized where as the Natives in the picture are spread out. Contrarily this could also be a representation of the different tribes that were in attendance however they don’t appear to have distinctive features that set the tribes apart as we know Natives were very unique in their cultures and as such had very different clothing and weapons etcetera.

            Howling Wolf has a much more ethnocentric view of the Native Americans who were represented at the signing using very specific images and iconography unique to each individual tribe. Wolf’s layout was much more flat or rather horizontal streaming like a river possibly symbolic for the flow of time or the rivers the Natives were used to freely using. Each tribe was separated by bushes where the Europeans are placed at the center possibly symbolic for the Europeans facilitating the treaty. Wolf also places the Europeans in the background and with angry looking faces, its almost as if Wolf is depicting the Nature of the European through their facial features backed up with one of the Men pulling on a horse with no saddle signifying it being a wild horse. In addition to the two artists using their own type of ethnocentricity in their art they both pay a close attention to their peoples distinguishing them from the “other.” I was surprised in Wolf’s lack of nature in his art there is literally no background which seemed odd considering the amount of forestry used in Taylor’s art when Wolf is A Native whom dwelled in the wilderness with his tribesman. The two sides appeared to share rather different customs regarding woman, Wolf has many woman present in his work whom were symbolic for the way the Natives viewed their woman displaying their love and affection for them openly unashamed.

Looking at Taylor’s picture there is a complete absence of woman which seems prevalent because it sends the message that a woman’s voice, nor her presence held any weight in the political arena and was disregarded which in itself is iconographic for the times period in which woman had about as many rights as a slave. To say the least after carefully looking at the two pieces of art Wolf’s art looks more abstract because of the lack of visual imagery but specific detail to symbolize his people where Taylor’s come more representational of the period and time of the treaty and the era in which it took place.