Chalkfest 2009

I participated in Chalkfest 2009 for the first time this year on Saturday, August 8th at Wilson Park (Eau Claire, WI). I didn't win anything; however, it was a great learning experience. I also know what to expect for next year and how to prepare for the event.

Conceptually, I wanted to take iconic images from different cult classic movies and collage them together. I was curious if people would recognize certain images when they were taken out of context (i.e. the film in which it appeared). Films such as Spaceballs, Clerks, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Memento, etc... To view images of my chalk drawing, click on the following link:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jensteindl/sets/72157621888650087/

The weather could have been better... The rain from the night/morning before caused the fountain at the park to flood (lots of standing water), there were scattered showers throughout the day, and the event concluded earlier than planned due to a tornado watch! Thus, artists lost about 2-3 hours of drawing time, which isn't anything compared to other artists whose work was completely washed away by the rain!! There were many talented artists who participated in Chalkfest. Volume One Magazine, who organized the event, had photographers taking pictures throughout the day. These images can be viewed on Volume One's website by going to the following webpages:

http://volumeone.org/photos/albums/14/221.html

http://volumeone.org/photos/albums/14/220.html

http://volumeone.org/photos/albums/14/219.html

http://volumeone.org/photos/albums/14/218.html

(Note: 'Chalkfest' image above is credited to Volume One Magazine)

Experimental Medical Devices

These are photographs I took when we [my Drawing III class] went to the St. Paul Science Museum for a field trip. Enjoy!!

Prostate Gland Warmer, 1925 (left)
(click link or photo to see more images and information about this device)

Vibratory Chair, 1900 (center)
(click link or photo to see more images and information about this device)

Electreat, 1912 (right)
(click link or photo to see more images and information about this device)












Oxydonor, 1896 (left)
(click link or photo to see more images and information about this device)



To view images of the Museum of Questionable Medical Devices along with other photos related to this topic, please click
HERE.

Popular Culture and National Culture

This is my final project for Drawing III (sorry about the poor image quality). My inspiration for this piece originated during a discussion in my 'women's studies' course, as we were discussing a topic related to the ailment of hysteria that afflicted women and the various "cures" associated with this disease.


The following is the short artist statement I wrote in relation to this piece:

Patriarchy is commonplace in the United States; it follows that our typical views concerning sexual intercourse are from the male gaze. Thus, men have defined the cultural standards, methods, and purposes of sex. My work is about gender reversal, specifically concerning the female orgasm. It is perfectly normal and healthy for a woman to be proud of her sexuality. The problem is breaking down the social stigma attached to sexual intercourse, which has hindered women from speaking about what is sexually pleasing to each one of them. Every single woman is built differently, so what arouses different women also varies. This piece is about encouraging all women to break their silence in the bedroom and teach men how to properly achieve the task at hand.

To view more images of "Orgasm Study One," click on any of the images to be directed to my flickr page, or click on the following link:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jensteindl/sets/72157617998474392/

Walker Art Center Field Trip - Cherryless Spoon

The work I chose to write about is Claes Oldenburg's "Spoonbridge and Cherry" (1985-1988). It is constructed of aluminum, stainless steel, and paint and the dimensions are 354 x 618 x 162 in. Even though I have viewed this work in the past, I have never seen it without the cherry on the spoon. In discussion with a classmate about the sculpture, Kate made the comment that the 'absence' changes the work. I completely agreed with her observation. When we first approached "Spoonbridge and Cherry," we knew something was different; and then, we realized that the cherry was missing. When looking at the spoon, the viewer can see where the cherry had been previously because of the different color and surface treatment on the end of the spoon.


To see more images of the cherryless spoon, click on any of the images, or click on the following link: http://photobucket.com/steindlj_ClaesOldenburgCherrylessSpoon.


To read more about the history of Oldenburg's "Spoonbridge and Cherry," click on the following link (which will take you to the Walker Art Center's site): http://garden.walkerart.org/artwork.wac.


To read more about the cherry restoration process and how they (Walker Art Center) put the cherry back on the spoon, click on the following link (this will also take you to the Walker Art Center's site): http://blogs.walkerart.org/ecp/2009/05/01/cherry-back-on-spoon/.

Ornamentation Project - Finished

This is my finished 'Ornamentation' project for Drawing III. It was difficult to get a good photograph of the installation without a wide-angle lens, but did take pictures of it from different angles.


One thing I found interesting about this project as I collected materials was the common, reoccurring items that people forgot/left behind/lost/abandoned, such as phone chargers (hotels and vehicles), swimming suit halves (hotels and gyms), single gloves (hotels, gyms, and vehicles), hats (hotels, gyms, and vehicles), toys (hotels, gyms and vehicles), and various others. A few of the random items that were not as common include such items as a jock strap (gym), a net (vehicle), a pad of paper with a note written to the person's lover (vehicle), and others.


One thing worth mentioning that you really do not get from any of the images of this project is the smell. Lost and found items have a very distinct odor to them. During the class critique, this smell was equated with smelling "like Goodwill." However, there is a difference between buying things from Goodwill and acquiring things (via donation) from the 'lost and found.' People knowingly bring belongings to "Goodwill;" conversely, items in the 'lost & found' were unintentionally put there (i.e. these L & F items were not necessarily put here by choice).


I titled this piece "Everything but the Hooks and Thread." The only items I bought for this piece were the hooks (used to hang the items on the wall) and the thread (used to sew the various objects/things together). As discussed in the critique, the viewer may need more help understanding this installation. Thus, I am open to possible suggestions for a different title that may help steer the mind in the correct direction.


I do have many more images of the finished installation available on my photobucket page. To view more images, click on either of the images above, or click on the following link: http://photobucket.com/steindlj_finishedornamentationproject.

(Note: Ideally, I would have liked to cover the entire space with 'lost and found' items; but time didn't allow it.)

Ornamentation, Abandonment, and Lost & Found

Contemplating abandonment, questioning what it means for something to be abandoned, I saw it as something that was once used, cared about, and then, left behind. What else shares this fate? Lost and Found items.


[Materials] I began calling local businesses, specifically hotels and gyms, asking if their company would be able to donate any items to me for my project. All businesses, by law, have a waiting period of approximately 90-days/three months that they must hold onto items that have been lost, before they donate them to charity. Due to such stipulations, finding and gathering materials for this project was difficult (especially becasue it had to be done in about a 1-2 week time period). Luckily, some area businesses did donate items and I was finally able to get this project underway.


[Location] In the UW-Stout Applied Arts building, on the 3rd floor, a small room is designated as the 'student lounge.' When considering what a typical lounge environment would include, I think of an area where one can go to wind-down, relax, eat, talk with friends, etc...; and area that would include a fridge, microwave, television, radio, etc... - basically an area comparable, to some extent, with a "teachers' lounge" and/or "breakroom." In the past, the student lounge had furniture (couches); they have been removed. There isn't (and has never has been) a fridge, microwave, television, radio, or any of these accomodations. The 'student lounge' is a small room that has been pushed aside, stripped down to a few tables with chairs, a rug and a lamp. The room, in my opinion, is used by students few and far between because it lacks the 'lounge environment.' The student lounge is lost by the majority and is found by very few; it has been abandoned by large majority of the student body and many don't even know it exists. The 'student lounge,' was the location that best coincided with the concept of this project.

The 'student lounge' is shown in the images above. To view more pictures of the student lounge, click on any of the images or click on the following link: http://photobucket.com/studentloungebeforeinstallation.

Ornamentation and an artist

Ornamentation is the subject of our next project. When I first started to think about ornamentation, I was drawn to textiles - specifically the patterns and decorations of the 1960s and 1970s. As I was searching through different fabric swatches, I remembered an image I had seen of a gas station covered in fabric. The gas station I am referring to was the work of Jennifer Brooke Marsh (along with a collaborative effort of many other artists).



"Artist Jennifer Marsh covered a 50-year-old former Citgo station with a giant blanket. Jennifer was sick of paying high gas prices and bothered by the abandoned gas station that was an eyesore on the drive to her studio each day, so she decided to do something about it."

[To view more images of the gas station project, click on any of the three images above or click on the following link: http://photobucket.com/referenceimagesofmarshs_gasstationproject.]

This served as a starting point for my investigation...