Conclusion:

Art Curiosity- What are ways that artists use tar gel traditionally that I can manipulate and use nontraditionally?


Through this blog, I am trying to explore more ways to incorporate tar gel and ink into my projects. I am trying to research different ways that artists use tar gel and ink so that I may experiment with these processes.

In my work I have incorporated tar gel and ink in ways that include:

1) photo transfer covered in ink and tar gel marbled together dripped on top

2) dripping tar gel so that it creates a marbled effect

3) photo transfer onto recycled wood

4)  dripping tar gel on top of wood

5) inserting tar gel into wood 

All in all, targel can be used in many different ways. You can imbed things in it, place it over things and let it dry, you can let it dry on plexi glass and remove it. You can stretch it and hang it. Tar gel is a very good transparent solution to certain works.  I would like to do a piece that includes all of these things in one. This piece would reflect all of these ways to use targel. Traditional targel use would include just pouring and removing but if you manipulate it it becomes nontraditional. Nontraditional targel use would include things that I work with such as.. mixing ink and targel creating a marble like pattern, mixing color with targel and creating a solid color instead of transparent substance. You can drip targel in a way that makes it nontraditional such as dripping it off of a main substance such as wood, the targel then turns to the color of the wood and no longer traditionally transparent, it then becomes a part of the wood instead of just on top of the wood. 

Instead of using the same materials repeatedly,  I would like to do things I have never done before that relate to my original pieces. I would like to include wood, ink, photography, and possibly targel. This blog has made me want to expand my pieces and drift away from the same thing I have been doing. I would like to do a piece like Leonardo Drew which includes recycled wood of the same color palette which is original wood color and or black. His work inspired me because of his large scale ability. Im in love with his art studio.. its not perfectly organized, it is messy and makes me inspired. Leonardo Drews work is 3D and hangs off of the wall and has the appearance of zero gravity which is very intriguing to me. I would like to take my wood and do something different with it such as piecing different forms of wood together in a way that they all relate in color and not necessarily in shape or form. 

This blog has benefitted me in many ways. It has made me open up my mind to new ideas and use other peoples ideas to help my brain think outside the box and incorporate others work into mine in a way that is mine. 

select/ reflect:

As this blog has been created I have learned many things and had many ideas that I could use for my experiment with targel traditionally and nontraditionally. I would like to use targel with watercolor paint. Im not sure yet how I would like to experiment with water color and targel. I would also like to use targel and ink by themselves instead of with ink and photo transfer. I would also love to incorporate the color black in my solid wood pieces. Leonardo Drew uses black very powerful in his works and I would like to do that. I would like to do some pieces of recycled wood just pieced together and it be my work. I might also would like to do some solo pieces with ink. I would also like to do some plain photography pieces. I think that I could incorporate different things into my photography besides targel and photo transfer. I also would like to do large scale works instead of doing small scale.

artist #13- joshua gabriel

I discovered a mural artist named Joshua Gabriel who paints murals on large surfaces such as brick walls, and large panels. Joshua uses free form line drawings. He works with a combination of paint markers, acrylics, spray paint and sometimes photoshop. He uses maze like patterns that inspire nature, faces, animals, and things from the ancient world. I would like to do large scale works. It has always interested me. I think that the background of these paintings are very intriguing and the added drawings on top make it more interesting also. I would love to use large scale brick to paint.

artist #12- timothy pakron

Timothy Patron is an artist who uses ink to draw very strong portraits. I love his work because of the colors and the way the art makes you feel. His work is very deep but simple.. He uses one color which is black. He is very intense and some of his work can make you feel uncomfortable because he uses the white of the paper to be apart of this portrait and uses the black ink to paint the major parts of the face such as the nose eyes and lips and facial shape.

artist #11- aliza razell

Once again I found an artist that uses photography and incorporates painting into the photography. I love this idea of two medias blending together which creates equal respect for both. Aliza is a wonderful young artist that is very talented with photography and drawing so when the two combine it creates a beautiful piece. Her artwork speaks to everyone. I feel as though you can look at her artwork and relate to it in many different ways.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/ummatiddle/

artist #10- patrice miller

This artist named Patrice Miller spoke to me. Not necessarily her art but her artist statement stuck out... "The first artistic language I learned to speak was photography but as I have grown I have discovered more ways to express myself.  Today, I am most comfortable using photography but I find I can speak other languages as well.  These languages, painting and digital art, seem to blend easily with my own voice.  I am no longer sure whether to call myself a photographer, a digital artist, a visual artist or a painter.  Ultimately, I do not think the label matters.  Today, when I look at my work, images of the world around and within me, I know I am simply an artist.

I think of my art as things and thoughts or notes and music.
I try to express what I feel and what I have experienced as I go through this life."

This artist statement stuck out to me because I feel the same way as she does.. I feel as though my art is feelings, thoughts and she expresses what she feels and experiences in life which is what I do. I use my past experiences and struggles and express them in my art as a way for me to relate and or understand what my past is and why. It helps me understand my own past and use that as a learning experience for the future.

artist #9- Maurizio Anzeri

An artist that I recently discovered named Maurizio Anzeri works with both photography and altering photos in an artistic way. He takes photos and adds different elements of art on top of the photo. In a way this is like what I do. I place targel and ink on top of a photo where as he sews directly into his photographs creating an intense feelings for the viewer. His intention is to make the viewer have certain feelings brought about themselves, which is one of my intentions also. Anzeri alters the face of the person in the photograph which leaves viewers wondering how that person in the portrait is feeling.

artist # 8- dorothea lange

An artist that I have known about for a while came to mind named Dorothea Lange. She photographed the Great Depression. She was a documentary photographer and photo journalist. Her work relates to mine in different ways such the heart ache and struggle is apparent in her works as in mine. The work evokes different feelings within one. You might feel sad and you start to think what the people who were photographed were feeling or going through. This relates to my work because in my work I want to evoke personal feeling of the person looking at my work, some people might not interpret my work because they do not understand but some people will look at my work and a feeling will come back to them and they will relate to it.

artist #7- mary ellen mark

I found an photographer named mary ellen mark. She was an american photographer known for her photojournalism, and documentary photography. She photographed mainly in New York and documented powerful photos that spoke to many people. People were not used to provocative photos and she was one of the ones that used these photos to show what the world really was.

artist #6- ansel adams

I recently discovered this photographer named Ansel Adams who was a photographer and environmentalist. He photographed black and white landscapes of the american west which included yosemite national park. He lived from 1902- 1984, which were the years photography was increasing in popularity. His photos are very powerful in different ways such as dark colors show the light and dark values and the shadows are more apparent. His works relate to mine in ways such as landscape photography and dark values within his colors.

artist #5- paul jackson

I recently found this artist named Paul Jackson who works with watercolor and ink. He paints a variety of different things. His main color palette within ink matches mine. He uses ink that includes  dark colors such as black, dark brown, which are colors that are very deep to the eye. I use these colors to represent the heaviness on the heart. He might use these colors to intensify his works that are already intense by themselves.

artist #4- henrique oliveira

I discovered this Brazillian artist named henrique oliveira. He uses tapumes which means fencing, boarding, enclosure for large scale installations. He uses weathered wood and mixes sand within the paint he uses. His work has evolved into massive sculptures that include painting, architecture and sculpture. This relates to my work because I piece together recycled wood pieces which is like oliveira's work.

artist #3- Leonardo Drew

I discovered an artist named Leonardo Drew that uses recycled and found objects such as wood, rusted iron, cotton, paper, mud-- he uses these to create the appearance and feeling of weathering, burning, oxidation, and decay. This is what I relate my artwork to. His works are free standing installations. The way his art now is because of his childhood.. also a way that our artwork relates. I use my child hood home and life and relate it to my artwork now. He lived next to an adjacent landfill which is one the the reasons his artwork is what it is. 

 B. 1961

artist #2- Olga Oreshyna

I discovered an artist named Olga Oreshyna that uses recycled wood for his art. He pieces together pieces of wood to create his piece. This is like my art because I take recycled wood and piece it together and use other materials on top instead of leaving it alone like Olga does.

Oreshyna says  "In my belief, wood retains the spirit of the living tree and I just try to honour it." She uses her spiritual mindset within her work, which is like me in certain ways. I often use my art as therapy for me. I use my spiritual mindset within my artwork.

artist #1- Helen Frankenthaler

I discovered an artist named Helen Frakenthaler who's artwork interests me. She works with pouring art which is a type of marbling technique.

Frankenthaler uses a "soak-paint" technique which includes pouring paint onto enormous canvases placed on the floor. Frankenthaler was a major contributor to the history of post war American painting. She was an abstract painter. She died in 2011 at the age of 83. I would like to do larger scale paintings with ink. I think the pouring technique is a very interesting way to paint that I would like to try.

Her work method is as follows:

"Frankenthaler poured oil paints that she had thinned with turpentine that then soaked into the fabric of the canvas. Frankenthaler's soak-stain process created luminescent, misty compositions dominated by large areas of color that seemed to have emerged onto the canvas naturally and organically."


http://www.theartstory.org/artist-frankenthaler-helen.htm

Flirt, 1995
Screenprint on Rives BFK paper
26 3/4 × 39 1/2 in
67.9 × 100.3 cm
Edition of 126

Art Curiosity- What are ways that artists use tar gel traditionally that I can manipulate and use nontraditionally?


Through this blog, I am trying to explore more ways to incorporate tar gel and ink into my projects. I am trying to research different ways that artists use tar gel and ink so that I may experiment with these processes.

In my work I have incorporated tar gel and ink in ways that include:

1) photo transfer covered in ink and tar gel marbled together dripped on top

2) dripping tar gel so that it creates a marbled effect

3) photo transfer onto recycled wood

4)  dripping tar gel on top of wood

5) inserting tar gel into wood