Step 1: The Exhibition
1. What is the title of the exhibit?
Originally, I went into the Burchfield-Penny thinking I would be reviewing the Art in Craft Media 2017 show. However, I instead stumbled upon another treasure, Craig LaRotonda’s exhibit titled, Divine Messengers.
2. What is the theme of the exhibition?
Divine Messengers combines the logical and human to the strange and ethereal.
Step 2: The Gallery
1. What type of lighting is used?
The lighting is dim throughout the space and directly beamed onto each piece.
2. What colors are used on the walls?
The walls are a dark brownish gray to stay muted it the background but allow the framed pieces to extend out into the viewer’s space.
3. What materials are used in the interior architecture of the space?
Each of the pieces are wall mounted in what appears to be an ordinary room, but the lighting and bizarre pieces give the space a secretive and other-worldly feel.
4. How is the movement of the viewer through the gallery space?
The movement is organized and stretches throughout the space across 4 seemingly ordinary walls in a room.
Step 3: The Artwork
1. How are the artworks organized?
The works are at eye level and spaced evenly apart on 4 walls in the room. LaRotonda’s work is grouped together by materials used to create a piece or the content and sizes of pieces.
2. How are the artworks similar?
A large number of his work contains themes such as parts of figures and monkeys. Additionally, many of the pieces contain bizarre or obscure content which is out of the ordinary.
3. How are the artworks different?
The works contain variety in that some of the works contain sculptural elements and range in mediums and content.
4. How are the artworks framed?
The works are all framed in large heavy elegant frames. Many of the frames are gold or contain gold accents.
5. How are the artworks identified and labeled?
Each piece is labeled with a small plaque off to the side which gives the pieces name, the year it was made, and the materials used to create it.
6. What is the proximity of the artwork to each other?
The works are spaced out roughly a person or two widths apart. Each of the pieces are also spaced evenly. The spacing allows the viewer to designate the proper amount of time of each piece yet the works are still close enough in proximity for the viewer to relate one piece to the next.
Step 4: Art Criticism Exercise
Select three of the artworks from the show and use the Art Criticism worksheet to describe, analyze, bracket and interpret the work using the 5-step Art Criticism Process described.
Necromancer, 2012
Acrylic on wood
Necromancer features a tan elongated female portrait front and center. The woman's eyes are glazed and she is wearing a mysterious head-dress, The head-dress is clunky and industrial looking due to the gear like objects attached and bolted areas. Encompassing the woman's head in the background is a light geometric looking script. The stark white background pushes out the figure using contrast. The spongy textural painting style unifies the piece overall. The balanced symmetry gives the piece a sense of harmony for the viewer. In terms of symbolism, the piece is certainly loaded with content. The crown, halo-like circular geometry, and portrait style all relate to Christian Iconography. Further, the piece is titled Necromancer, or historically a person who uses their magical abilities to connect with the deceased. Overall, I believe the piece is relating advanced civilization to the repetitive human desire to maintain connection to the beyond.
Craig LaRotonda
Swan Song, 2009
Acrylic and collage on wood
Swan Song contains a headless female body touching one arm to the other arm and one leg to the other. However, the female's free arm is outstretched to a large moon which takes up a large amount of the painting.the figure has disjointed orange wings behind her back and clunky metal object at her feet. The stary background also contains lightly etched geometric shapes. The proportion of the moon creates more attention onto the object. Additionally, the outstretched arm causes upward movement onto the moon. Variety exists withing textural qualities of the smooth background, rough but uniform landscape and person, and rocky lunar surface. The metal pieces relate to the subgenre of steampunk which combines 19th-century technology with science fiction.
My last art criticism piece will be on the featured red sculpture below. I am not generally a fan of sculptural work, however, these pieces really intrigued me which is why I desire to pick one apart. However, the pieces are not titled or marked, sadly. So, I will do my best with my interpretation.One wall within the gallery space contained relief like mixed media and assemblage sculptures. The piece below features a yellowish older man's head on top of a red locked book with a bright blue cross on the front. Seeing how the book contains a cross, it could be referential to the Bible. Outstretched from the the top sides of the book are four decorative metal curtain rod ends which look similar to wings. Immediately below the four wings are two small baby doll arms. The bottom of the of the book contains a rusted pointed decorative metal rod. The lighting that the gallery provided causes the piece to further extend, float, and enhance elements within the cast shadow. The overall texture appears rusted, old, and decomposing. The bright blue cross contrasts the earth tones and provides emphasis to the cross. The bible being used as a body could reflect a body of text. The locked bible could reflect a dead floating spirit figure locked outside of its body.
My appologies for working with an untitled image I searched online for titles for his sculptures, but it appears that he just does not title these works.
Lastly, --What did you think of visiting the Gallery and purposefully looking at the exhibition from a different perspective - the physical space, the architecture, theme, etc.?
Analyzing space and working towards creating a pleasant experience for a viewer is extremely important in the art world. Before this assignment, I did I not thoughtfully consider the impact the gallery environment alters the viewer’s perception of the artwork. Art galleries and museums must work toward enhancing the experience for the viewer. Additionally, I think that he Burchfield-Penny does a phenomenal job of maximizing the viewer’s overall experience.
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