Location | New York: Meet Field School Blogger Merry McMullen

Tell us a little bit about yourself - your background, major program of study, reasons for taking this trip, and anything else interesting you want to share )maybe something people might not know about you.)

I am Merry McMullen - I started my BFA in 1970, took a few years off to marry and raise a family and am now finally finishing this degree. I felt completing some of my goals was worth the effort.

What has met or exceeded your expectations or surprised you about New York so far?

I expected the trip to be a rich educational experience and it certainly lived up to all expectations. The field school has also been an immersion into a different culture. The galleries and museums have been incredible and far more than I anticipated. The city itself is fascinating and multifaceted. The expanse of years displayed in the architecture styles, side by side in no chronological order is both jarring and attractive. It has been a pleasure to find the people I have met to be universally pleasant. Somehow I had felt people here would be too busy or too self absorbed, but they were kind and helpful - and I have been delighted to be proved wrong.

Group photograph in front of the majestic Brooklyn Museum. Merry is in the front row (fourth from the left) of the image.

New York and the area we are staying in, Brooklyn, runs the full spectrum of very, very rich to very, very poor. In the Brooklyn area, while travelling the subway, we see the poor (though not the poorest) end of the class spectrum. Though the area is dirty, noisy and the infrastructure is sadly in need of upgrades, the vitality of the people shines. The street art is an ongoing round of creativity, the party spills out to the roads and life is being lived with passion. I find I am more interested in watching the everyday life than I am in seeing the 'sights'.

Give us some insight into your assigned artwork from the Museum of Modern Art. Who is the artist? When was this work made? What is the content of this work? In what context and as part of what art movement was it made?

I was assigned to do my artist research on Kara Walker, who is known for her post-cinematic aesthetic.  As a young black woman, she is dealing with the issues pertaining to the subjugation of her race. At first glance, I knew that her work is obviously a statement objecting to slavery and racism. She takes clear aim at white people and their treatment of the black race. Walker's work is however much deeper than those first impressions. While she is indeed taking aim at the horror involved with slavery, her work is discussing the formation of the USA, it's development and how it was shaped as a nation. I believe the symbolism in her work speaks to the growth of America, and how, with the participation (willing or unwilling) of the black people, it has come to be the nation it is today.

African Boy Attendant Curio (Bananas) was the work that was on display at the Brooklyn Museum. This is a piece out of a larger work called A Subtlety, and is classed as contemporary art.  Walker’s work is defined and bold by her use of black and white cut-outs. I have had a difficult time understanding her work, but I think that her intent is to use black and white as a reflection of the issues surrounding the history of white and black Americans. Created in 1994, the work has a theatrical appearance. The figures are animated, but the content of the images are jarring when you look at it thoroughly. I am not completely familiar with the post-cinematic movement she is part of, but when I look at Walker’s work, it reminds me of shadow puppetry because of the “simplistic” cut outs and colors.

How did you approach the task of responding to this assigned work in the studio? What were your challenges as an artist to be in dialogue with the artwork and artist? Would you do anything differently now you have seen the work in person?

Merry was assigned Kara Walker's An Historical Romance of a Civil War as it Occurred Between the Dusky Thighs of One Young Negress and Her Heart (1994).

The work at the MoMA, An Historical Romance of a Civil War as it Occurred Between the Dusky Thighs of One Young Negress and Her Heart (1994) by Kara Walker (Or Karen Walker - she uses both names) is simply overwhelming. The piece is 50 feet long and uses stark black cut outs on flat white.  As a white artist I realized I could not delve into the issue of slavery in the way Walker has done. I could however discuss the position of young women in our society. I realized I must work large - you cannot reply to any piece of work that large on a sketch book page. The original work was done in black and white, as slavery really is a simple issue; there are no gray tones involved in that discussion. For women today, the issues are less clearly defined.  I decided to use a monochromatic, black and purple colour scheme. I used Barbie dolls as I felt these were the best portrayal of the artificial world women are told they should populate.  I placed the dolls in the same positions as the people in the Walker picture. I hope that my finished work demonstrated to young women how the fashion world we live in keeps them in bondage to the artificial constructs of our Society. Had I seen Kara Walker's work before I did my work I probably would have been more blatantly sexual as Walker does not pull any punches, and nor should I.

After seeing your assigned work in person (and any other related art from the same artist or art movement associated with the assigned work), what struck you most, and/or how did the artwork's form, content, and context shift for you when seeing it?

When I saw the piece assigned, I was struck by the details. While the piece is huge, the details (such as the tiny George Washington head one of the women is spitting out) are tiny. I realized just how much subtlety is involved in all of Walker's works. When you first see any of the works, you say "oh yes, a cry against Black oppression."  You are of course correct, but there is so much more. My study of the works is ongoing and I do not know what all the small points mean. I am sure however that they are there for a good reason and I am continuing to delve into this study.

Today's activity was at the Brooklyn Museum in East Brooklyn. What were your impressions of this part of New York after learning about if first in the pre-departure classes? What will you take away of the experience of this day? What are the most memorable moments for you?

The Basquiat show was an important retrospective of the artist's notebooks and thought processes around his art practice.

We made a trip to see the Brooklyn Museum. The subway system is the easiest way to get around and is an event in itself. You get to see glimpses of areas you may want to visit next and you get to be a part of the city's daily life. I particularly enjoyed viewing the array of housing, complete buildings, fully appointed rooms showing lifestyles from early colonial times to modern day. These are beautifully appointed and well explained.

The installation called “Connecting Cultures” features works carefully chosen from around the world. Interesting work from a wide array of cultures are also featured. Our particular destination was the Jean-Michel Basquiat show “The Unknown Notebooks.” This feature uses three galleries. Several of Basquiat's notebooks have had the pages removed so they can be displayed independently - we can follow his train of thoughts though projects and see the inspirations for his works.  This display is coupled with two videos, one of Basquiat working, showing us his process, and an interview where his philosophy of art and life is discussed.  I felt the entire display was well done, and I came away from it with a better understanding and deeper appreciation of his work.

A shot of the beautifully installed Judy Chicago The Dinner Party captured the day of the visit.

I was delighted to discover Judy Chicago's installation The Dinner Party (1979). This is a large scale installation I have known about and have studied for many years and seeing it was everything I could have wished. It is situated in a triangular gallery with translucent, lightly mirroring walls. As you walk around the outside of the table, each setting is easy to see as it is beautifully lit.  I think this is an important work; women today need to be aware of the women who came before them, we need to understand that the fight for fair and equitable treatment has been going on for a long time. I finished my day with a visit to the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens. This garden deserves a full day! I only had time to walk a few of the paths. This is a garden for all seasons and I would love to be able to visit it as the growing seasons change. The rose garden in in full bloom now, and was a delight to visit. 

To see more photos and impressions of New York and Venice as the field school continues, check out our Instagram feed #kpunycvenice

An interior shot of the Basquiat exhibition "The Unknown Notebooks."

Location | New York: Meet Field School Blogger Eric Berg

Tell us a little bit about yourself—your background, major program of study, reasons for taking this trip, and anything else interesting you want to share (maybe something people might not know about you).

My name is Eric Berg and I am in between the second and third years of the Bachelors of Fine Arts program at Kwantlen Polytechnic University. I am exploring working in a variety of media while doing my degree including painting, sculpture, photography, film, and installation work. I am interested in art being produced now and the workings of the art world as well as the role of art amongst a wider more general audience. This trip is a chance to see current work from transplants trying to make a go of it in the still important hub of New York and more established artists representing their countries at the Venice Biennale, as well as famous paintings that are now part of the art school curriculum. In other words, an overview of the range of art happening currently. Besides the opportunity to see art in person, I have long wanted to visit New York because it is the source of much work that has been important to me. Music, movies, novels — most with some kind of punk / independent / artsy / critical attitude — form my ideas of the city. As a bonus, being on the East Coast means I will be able to try a bunch of craft beer that isn’t available at home!

What has met or exceeded your expectations or surprised you about New York so far?

Eric was assigned Vito Acconci's video art work Theme Song (1973).

I really like New York, it is a modern metropolis, the largest newer city I have ever been to; there is a lot going on all the time. I like the way the city looks, there are many beautiful buildings in a pleasing mix of styles, heights, and age. New York has a reputation of being crazily fast-paced and mean, but I find people are friendly. Different areas have different feelings as well, and it is possible to find calm quiet space. I like that New Yorkers seem to have a sense of ownership and engagement with their city; they make things happen. Things can be makeshift, which means not everything looks uniform and clean and manufactured, and I prefer it that way. I also like that we are staying in a neighbourhood with a lot of independent businesses and people doing their own thing. There is so much to see and do; I didn't even get to some of the larger museums, let alone make a dent in visiting smaller galleries in any of the various neighbourhoods. I’m not sure whether I could live here (I wouldn’t mind trying it though!), and I want to return. I feel very comfortable and enjoy NYC a lot.

Give us some insight into your assigned artwork from the Museum of Modern Art. Who is the artist? When was this work made? What is the content of this work? In what context and as part of what art movement was it made?

My assigned artwork was a 1973 video piece called Theme Song by Vito Acconci. Acconci is a New York artist who worked in video and performance during the 1960s and 70s, making work that was confrontational and critiqued social norms. In the 33 min, fixed camera, single take Theme Song, Acconci lies on the floor and addresses a “you” through the camera, running through stock interactions with an other who isn’t there. While smoking and listening to — and singing along with — music of the time, the artist invites and pleads, offers sympathy and understanding, attempts to seduce, positions physical intimacy as a pragmatic exchange, and later apologizes and laments his mistakes within this fictional relationship. Video technology was first used in the 1960s by artists as it became available on a smaller scale, offering a way to engage and address audiences in a medium akin to the predominantly commercial format of television. Acconci was part of the 1970s East Village scene in Manhattan which included work of all kinds and styles and was united by its experimentalism, its focus on audience engagement and participation, and the idea of art as a process and practice. Overall, the movement was a response and reaction against the dominant artworks of the time — large Modern paintings created by “genius artists”.

Eric with his response piece to Acconci in the "Talking Back" exhibition featured at KPU ahead of the trip to New York and Venice.

How did you approach the creative task of responding to this assigned work in studio? What were your challenges as an artist to be in dialogue with the artwork and artist? Would you do anything differently now that you have seen the work in person?

I felt that a response to Theme Song in a traditional medium like painting or sculpture, or even photography, would be difficult as well as regressive. I had not used performance or video for any of my assignments previously, but wanted to for this piece. Luckily Acconci’s bare bones simplicity  — and the contemporary strategy of deliberately de-skilling — meant I didn’t have to worry about technical polish (which my video definitely didn’t have). I found Acconci’s needy requests and intimate rambling uncomfortable, and I didn’t want to merely ape him; instead, I found myself focused on the music he plays and thinking about the ways we identify with songs and potentially use them to communicate deep feelings to others. It made me anxious to be in a video, and I was unsure about what makes a video art; there was a big chance of producing a work that was a failure. Ultimately, I don’t think my piece was successful, but I am still excited to experiment with film and video in the future. After seeing his work in person (and getting over the anxiety of showing a video that features me), I think I would have a looser, more relaxed and humorous approach in my response. Maybe sing along to songs but change lyrics to play with the understandings and stories art creates? A piece that plays off of the voyeurism of watching someone just hanging out alone in their room?

Video art is not an easy art form to curate at an art gallery-- Eric found many limitations in the way Acconci was presented both at the MoMA and the Whitney Museums.

After seeing your assigned art work in person (and any other related art from the same artist or art movement associated with the assigned work), what struck you most, and/or how did the artwork’s form, content, and context shift for you when seeing it?

In the busy area in the MoMA in which the work was situated (essentially a thoroughfare from an entrance point to the elevators), a lot of the uncomfortable intimacy of the piece was lost. I could hear the ambient noise while wearing the headphones, and I felt far less singled out by his monologue than when I was watching it alone at home on my computer. It allowed me to appreciate the humour in the piece. What struck me most in seeing the video work on display at the MoMA was the awkward way in which it was displayed — it did not lend itself to people taking the time to view the full work. In the Whitney Museum as well, the video work would have required dedication to see in its entirety. Monitors were positioned in the middle of a regularly brightly lit gallery room surrounded by two dimensional work; viewers would have had to stand in front of their chosen monitor for the duration of pieces up to an hour long, and plug in their own headphones for clearer individual audio. Additionally, works by different artists were programmed on loop on a shared monitor. I realize the optimal display for videos possibly requires more space, but I wondered about the actual level of regard for these works. Are they there because they are now art history? Is there the sense that their messages have been absorbed (and are no longer important to experience first-hand)? The videos felt like the embarrassing stepchild of the museums.

Walking the Brooklyn Bridge was a fantastic opportunity to take in another perspective of the Brooklyn and Manhattan skyline. Eric at the very front of the group.

Today’s activity was at the Brooklyn Museum. What were your impressions of this part of New York after learning about it first in the pre-departure classes? What will you take away of the experiences of this day?  What are the most memorable moments for you?

On my assigned day we went to the Brooklyn Museum, in Brooklyn of course. I think some of us were surprised that the museum was in such an old building, in architectural style if not also age. When I think of Brooklyn, or at least the western part of it, I imagine the now common pattern of gentrification: old factories and manufacturing buildings being taken over and repurposed; low and mid level rise residential, commercial and office buildings; rundown independent stores being remodeled into trendy businesses. Brooklyn has been reported to be a “hip” neighbourhood for years now (and has had previous iterations of being an artist hub, in residence if nothing else), and there are a lot of hipsters / indie kids / artists (or whatever you want to call them) in the neighbourhood.

Our focus at the Brooklyn Museum was an exhibit of Jean Michel Basquiat’s notebooks. I wasn’t overly familiar with Basquiat’s work, but I connected with his interest in language, which I share. We then walked over the Brooklyn Bridge, and I got more great views of Manhattan and Brooklyn. I spent most of the rest of the day with one of our professors (Dorothy Barenscott) and two fellow students (Angela and James), walking around downtown New York neighbourhoods. We also stopped in at a craft beer bar (craft beer is one of my hobbies) and we shared in trying some tasty brews not available in Canada. Some art, walking on a beautiful day, a dynamic place, good company and conversation, good food and craft beer made for a great time. This entire day was a highlight of my trip so far.

To see more photos and impressions of New York and Venice as the field school continues, check out our Instagram feed #kpunycvenice

Eric enjoying craft beers with Dorothy, James, and Anglea at One Mile House in Nolita, near Little Italy and SoHo.

Location | New York: Meet Field School Blogger Olivia Bickerstaff

Tell us a little bit about yourself—your background, major program of study, reasons for taking this trip, and anything else interesting you want to share (maybe something people might not know about you).

Hello, my name is Olivia Bickerstaff. I was born and raised in Vancouver B.C. and I entered post-secondary school right after completing high school, and I have just finished my second year of Kwantlen’s Bachelor of Design in Fashion and Technology program. In the future, I wish to explore the field of costume design because I am very interested historical clothing and the different techniques employed to create these unique pieces.

Apart from my studies, I am an avid historical dress collector, Disney fan, and I also enjoy sailing. I often spend my summers between Vancouver and Galliano Island, working as a cook in a local restaurant on the island. In the Spring 2016 semester, I will be going on exchange to Shih Chien University in Taiwan. There, I hope to explore Chinese traditional dress, as well as expand my worldly knowledge of a culture that is very different from my own.

I chose to participate in the field school opportunity to fully immerse myself in the modern art of New York and Venice. I have always been involved in creating art since a young age, but I have never taken any art history courses. I thought this opportunity would be perfect to learn more about the art world and connect with the heavily artistic side of my design background. I grew up taking a variety of art, painting, pottery, and performance art classes, so I am glad that this program has explored a variety of mediums that I can relate to. As a design student, I tend to be too focused on the research and heavily technical aspects of my learning, so I feel refreshed to change focuses to explore my creativity and learn from art history.

What has met or exceeded your expectations or surprised you about New York so far?

New York has surprised me with its massive amount of street art, from the attractive graffiti and subway art, to the larger statutes around the city. The large amount of public art gives the city a community feeling. In contrast to Vancouver’s streets, the public art makes the streets feel vibrant and resonant, despite New York being an unfamiliar place to me. The art has a way of transforming such a large and bustling city into a relatable and connected place.

The "fashion girls"-- Olivia, Jessica, and Michelle, reenacting Breakfast at Tiffany's by, what else, having breakfast in Audrey Hepburn outfits outside Tiffany's on 5th Avenue.

I find that the city is very dirty. It surprised me that there are barely any recycling bins around in the public areas in comparison to Vancouver. In our own train stations, there are garbage and recycling bins at every station to help encourage people to keep our areas clean, but in New York, I find that the lack of disposal bins has really left the trains a lot dirtier. This makes me wonder why such a large city would neglect to implement an effective disposal system; is New York like London, where they don’t have public garbage cans due to bomb threats (people have hidden bombs in garbage cans, making this a public safety issue)?

The shopping here has greatly exceeded my expectations. Every store that I have ever heard of (plus way more that I have never heard of!) is available here. The flagship stores (Times Square and 5th Ave) here are multi-floored, with some stores having cafes in them. For example, even the Toys R Us in Times Square has a food section as well as a Ferris Wheel! I have never encountered such a comprehensive shopping network that combines shopping, dining, and entertainment so seamlessly.

Give us some insight into your assigned artwork from the Museum of Modern Art. Who is the artist? When was this work made? What is the content of this work? In what context and as part of what art movement was it made?

My assigned artwork from the Museum of Modern Art is a 12” by 12” black and white portrait of Patti Smith by artist Robert Mapplethorpe for her debut album Horses in 1975. Mapplethorpe was known for his sexually controversial photographs in the 1960’s and 70’s of the New York art scene. Originally, this piece was one of twelve photographs on a contact sheet that Mapplethorpe took of his friend and lover, Patti Smith, for the cover of her album. Now, it is exhibited at the MoMA.

Patti Smith is a singer, poet, and visual artist originating from the punk movement of the 1970’s. This art piece is a part of the photography and punk movements of the time. Also, this piece speaks to a time period where young people explored and were involved in different kinds of relationships; Smith and Mapplethorpe had a sexual and emotional relationship that was on and off, in addition to having relationships with other people. Because of Mapplethorpe’s intimate knowledge of Smith, he was able to capture her casually in a photograph using a comfortable and safe environment. He portrayed her essence using very simplistic techniques, which consequently made for a very powerful photograph.

This photo was taken in natural lighting in the penthouse suite of Sam Wagstaff on 5th Ave, New York in Greenwich Village. Smith is shown in a relaxed but confident posture in the center of the photograph. The photograph is very striking because of the contrast between the black and the white elements; her pale skin, white shirt and background contrast with her black hair, pants, jacket and the ribbon around her neck. Also, the ribbon draped around her neck gives the photo a certain vertical predominance. This creates a sense of power, strength and uprightness that conveys confidence in the subject. Apart from Smith’s hair, the lines and surfaces of the photograph are very smooth and clean. The contrast of Smith’s frizzy hair then serves to direct the observer’s eye to her face, which is in the shadows on one side to add mysteriousness.

Olivia standing with her response project to Mapplethorpe's photograph at KPU's student art gallery, ahead of the trip to New York and Venice.

How did you approach the creative task of responding to this assigned work in studio? What were your challenges as an artist to be in dialogue with the artwork and artist? Would you do anything differently now that you have seen the work in person?

Being from a fashion design background, I naturally decided to deign a piece of clothing for this creative task. Having researched further about Mapplethorpe, I discovered that he is also well known for his photography of flowers. My favourite of his images are of the calla lilies, and this was the basis of my inspiration for a skirt design. I created a calla lily petal-shaped skirt out of white satin fabric, wiring channels, and wires to help with the shaping of the skirt.

Living in a century filled with technological advancements, I was unable to readily access a traditional black and white camera, so I shot my garment in colour using my iPhone. This was one of the challenges in creating this dialogue back with Mapplethorpe, who worked with the absence of colour, because I had to edit my photograph a step further to create a black and white image. Using Photoshop, I edited the photograph to be grayscale, as well as smoothed the lines of the skirt slightly so as to better reflect the cleanness of the original piece.

A further challenge that I faced was that I consider myself more of a designer, so to step out of that role and be an artist was a different experience. I found that I had to focus less on the theory and research, and reach deep within my creative side to access the resonant, intuitive side of myself. Now that I have seen Mapplethorpe’s work in person, what I would do differently is that I would use proper photography equipment such as a better camera and lighting. However, I am still very happy with how my piece turned out overall because I feel like I connected well with the original piece and the artist.

After seeing your assigned art work in person (and any other related art from the same artist or art movement associated with the assigned work), what struck you most, and/or how did the artwork’s form, content, and context shift for you when seeing it?

Olivia captured this great shot of Times Square from a high vantage point.

After seeing my assigned art piece in person, I have the say that I am disappointed because I did not see any other of Mapplethorpe’s works. In my mind, I knew that the piece was only a 12” by 12” album cover, but I somehow expected it to be more of an art piece (larger print) rather than just an album cover with other related albums. The piece was displayed in the MoMA in an exhibit focused on music-related art pieces and other things as opposed to being in a photography section. I had expected Mapplethorpe’s work to be more relatable to other photography, so I was surprised by the disconnect between who Mapplethorpe was as an artist himself to the art piece.

I wish there had been examples of Mapplethorpe’s work to accompany the display of this piece. I feel like this image alone is not as strong as it could be if it were explained with the context and background of Mapplethorpe and Smith’s relationship. To me, this experience was similar to viewing the Mona Lisa in Paris; yes, it is a beautiful piece, but it is so small in comparison to how larger-than-life it seems due its depiction and significance in popular culture. When I had built up Mapplethorpe’s piece of work with all of its context, richness, and significance, it had become something iconic to me; but standing beside a sea of other album covers, it seems so small and empty in comparison.

Today’s activity was at a free day in the neighbourhood(s) of your choosing. What were your impressions of your exploration of New York? What will you take away of the experiences of this day?  What are the most memorable moments for you?

Olivia hopes one day to be a costume designer-- her visit to New York provided many opportunities to explore a variety of fashions.

Today was a free day, so the fashion girls and I decided to check out Times Square and 5th Ave (shopping areas) in the midtown neighborhood of Manhattan. We all dressed in our little black dresses and grabbed coffee and croissants before heading over to Tiffany’s on 5th Ave to have ‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s’. We tried to recreate the first scene from Audrey Hepburn’s iconic movie, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, because we are all avid fans of Hepburn.

Following breakfast, we walked to Times Square where it was packed with bustling activity, mostly tourists. My impression of this area was that there were many large stores, an abundance of tourist souvenir shops, as well as way too many people who were tying to get tourists to use their services and were being extremity pushy and rude. This overly-touristy element kind of ruined Times Square for me, because despite being a tourist myself, I am a seasoned traveller who prefers to explore the real living of each city as opposed to focusing only on the tourist attractions.

We then headed to 5th Ave where I was enchanted by the amount of high-end stores, the luxurious atmosphere, and the beautiful historic architecture. I loved how the shops were housed in the old buildings that gave each place character and the prestige of withstanding history. By this time, I started to feel more like a New Yorker, as we were not being bothered by annoying venders. I was able to peacefully wander the streets and immerse myself in the feeling of deep history, of all the others who had walked there previously, and of all the others who would walk there after me. It felt like a tiny piece of history was created that day.   

Olivia enjoyed many opportunities to enjoy the fashion and flagship shops in midtown Manhattan.

Overall, I am glad that we were able to get around using the subway with no problems. Back home, I am known for being terrible at using transit, so I am thankful for the straightforward and very accessible transit system in New York. That evening was probably the most memorable moment of the day because we went to see an off-Broadway musical called Disenchanted. We were running late to the show and decided to take a cab but we were unable to hail one. Luckily, there was a limo parked right where we were trying to hail a cab and he offered to take us instead. So that is how we arrived at our show in a limo! The performance featured Snow White, Cinderella, Aurora, Little Mermaid, Pocahontas, the Frog Princess, and Mulan.

I loved it because of the witty humor, and how they depicted the princesses as being unhappy with the messages that Disney has been putting in the movies—that princesses are all damsels in distress who meet a guy one day get married. The performance carried an impactful message that despite all the original fairy tales being German (often depicting horrors, death, and bloodshed instead), they have become very Americanized through the translation. It also discusses how because it was men who drew them, that is why they all have big breasts and small waists. I liked how they tied in the topic of the sexualizing of women through humor.

To see more photos and impressions of New York and Venice as the field school continues, check out our Instagram feed #kpunycvenice

Location | New York: Meet Field School Blogger Cathrina Hao

Tell us a little bit about yourself—your background, major program of study, reasons for taking this trip, and anything else interesting you want to share (maybe something people might not know about you).

Hi, my name is Cathrina Hao and I love the arts. I started practicing art in early childhood. I concentrated on painting, ceramics and graphic design in high school. However, I didn’t continue my art studies after high school. I was interested in Japanese and English, and I studied applied translation in Hong Kong; I think language is so powerful. However, I realized the connections between language and culture are unbreakable. Something is always lost in translating from one language to another. Also, I want to study what I have been passionate about so I decided to go abroad and study another major. That’s why I am studying Visual Culture and Performance Studies at Simon Fraser University. So far I am enjoying what I have been learning in my program. I never like multiple choice questions because I believe there are always more possibilities than those options and I like how contemporary art is situated in a grey area that is controversial and ambiguous. However, I like to learn through personal immersive experiences rather than from a secondary point of view. I was inspired by Bertolt Brecht. I want to break the fourth wall and be the active viewer, writer, performer. Participating in this field school is a big step towards my thinking and writing my own story. At SFU, I developed an interest in performing and conceptual arts. I know artists like Ai Wei Wei have often found inspiration while traveling and include their travel process in their artwork. I see travel as part of my performance work. Life is hard to predict when you are traveling. I see these unexpected events as new elements and particles in continuing my story.

Group photo at the Brooklyn Museum-- Cathrina is the third person from the right in the right hand side of the photograph.

What has met or exceeded your expectations or surprised you about New York so far?

I am a city girl. I grew up in Hong Kong, so adapting to the New York city landscape is easy. I even feel deja vu sometimes. The subway system is similar to Hong Kong but more complicated. However, it is less complicate than in Tokyo. We are unable to see the city landscape from the train but I never feel bored because there is lots of public art and performances happening in this underworld. Also, we experience a transformation everyday traveling through this underworld. Within the Manhattan area the districts seem similar. However, there is a huge difference between Manhattan and Brooklyn.

I am surprised by how I safe I feel in Brooklyn. I’m even beginning to like this space. There are lots of open spaces and materials for people to experiment with. Joan Jonas mentioned in an interview that it is getting harder to find materials or spaces to perform on the street after the rapid industrialization of the city. However on the first night, my roommates and I passed by a grocery store and picked up a plastic crate and decorated our room. I considered this crate as part of our site-specific performance and installation.

Give us some insight into your assigned artwork from the Museum of Modern Art. Who is the artist? When was this work made? What is the content of this work? In what context and as part of what art movement was it made?

Cathrina was assigned Jo Baer's Primary Light Group: Red, Green, Blue (1964-65) from MoMA's collection.

Jo Baer, my assigned artist, was trained in physiological psychology and is interested in optical phenomena. Her work in MoMA, Primary Light Group: Red, Green, Blue (1964 - 65 ) are three paintings belonging to a series of twelve that vary in color, size and shape. The works in this series can be arranged in 831, 753, 600 combinations. She is a Minimalist artist. Minimalism focuses on eliminating the pictorial illusion and focuses on the basic geometric form of the work. The artist decided to limit the paint on the border of the canvas instead of the center of the canvas. I wasn’t able to understand the artist’s intention through photography. The artist expected the audience to focus on the grey area between the border and center of the canvas, which is the grey area between the black outline and white surface.

After seeing your assigned art work in person (and any other related art from the same artist or art movement associated with the assigned work), what struck you most, and/or how did the artwork’s form, content, and context shift for you when seeing it?

The presence of the work is more pronounced when I stand in front of the work at MoMA. I was surprised by the size of this series of “paintings”. They are huge. If I get closer to the work I couldn’t see the whole thing and was forced to trace the red, green and blue paint that are situated in between the back border and the white center. The flatness of the white surface and the black paint outlined the form of the painting. At the same time, when I look at the work from a certain distance, these paintings appear to be three single units instead of three surfaces that contain multiple units.

Cathrina captures other instances of Minimalism-- in this case minimalist sculpture-- at the Whitney Museum of American Art.

I found that there aren’t many Minimalist works in MoMA. I found more in the new Whitney Museum. There, I especially liked the Minimalist sculptures in the outdoor gallery. Minimalist artists prefer to use found materials and work on site. These sculptures are made of industrial materials that echo elements found in the neighbourhood of the museum. The museum itself is quite minimalist as well. I think Minimalist works are situated better in the New Whitney Museum.

Today’s activity was a free day spent any way that you wanted. What were your impressions of the place and parts of New York you visited? What will you take away of the experiences of this day?  What are the most memorable moments for you?

Cathrina braved a very rainy day and visited MoMA PS1 in Queens.

I decided to visit MoMA PS1 on my free day. MoMA PS1 is located in a building that was formerly a public school in Queens. I was hungry when I entered the museum, so I decided to go to the cafe. I was surprised when I entered the museum cafe and it was decorated like a classroom. I liked the idea of eating in a classroom as I wasn’t allowed to do that when I was a high school student. It felt like an act of rebellion. Also, there were notebooks and colored pencils in the drawer, so we were allowed to leave some traces in this place while we are eating.

Cathrina captures a view inside MoMA PS1

I liked how they used the space in MoMA PS1. The building’s high ceilings and open spaces are perfect for experimental work with space. There is an art installation by Samara Golden located right next to the front desk. This installation makes use of the space to create an illusion of space that is upside down. The museum reuses an education institution building to provide rooms for artist to experiment. I especially liked Im Heung-Soon’s Reincarnation. The video installations successfully created a great tension by setting up two screens facing opposite one another. The two videos project different stories that create a stereophonic environment. Each one does not provide a complete story in chronological order but rather presents fragments. Audiences are entering the space between the two screens, and become the bridge and transmitter between these two views. 

To see more photos and impressions of New York and Venice as the field school continues, check out our Instagram feed #kpunycvenice

Location | New York: Meet Field School Blogger Jess Vieira

Tell us a little bit about yourself—your background, major program of study, reasons for taking this trip, and anything else interesting you want to share (maybe something people might not know about you).

I’m Jess  Vieira, and I’m taking a degree in General Studies at Kwantlen Polytechnic University.  Since I pretty much have no clue what I’m doing with my life, I figure I might as well try out as many courses and subjects that I can… though I’ve always had a soft spot for the fine arts.  I really wanted to take this trip because I love discussing art and to be around other like-minded people in a place like New York discussing art comes with the territory.  I’ve been on many trips around Europe, but these were all very tourist-driven, with lots of visits to ornate churches and tourist destinations (that’s what my parents like… and they were the ones bankrolling).  The goal of this trip was to get out of that box, and actually experience the place that I’m in.  I’m also planning an art project surrounding the street art of New York, so I’ve been documenting as much as I can.  I love street art because by its very nature it is subversive, and much of it has even more subversive goals.  My favorite type of art is that which talks about politics, and I strive to do the same in my work.

Grand Central Station was one of the stops and the focal points of architecture and design during the assigned day of Jess's blog post.

What has met or exceeded your expectations or surprised you about New York so far?

The thing that has surprised me the most is how much the city can change just by traveling for twenty minutes.  You can go from huge modern city, to old fashioned European, to flat factory district in the blink of an eye.  Some places I walked reminded me heavily of downtown Vancouver, while others started me reminiscing of Lisbon, and still others brought to mind Wiesbaden; places which I would never have associated together previously.  Oddly, I found it hard to connect most of the city to my image of it (brought by the slew of movies I’ve seen that seem to be about it, and of course my readings for this class), and the place which I like the most is Brooklyn, where we happen to be staying.  Brooklyn is of course, huge, and I’ve definitely not seen as much of it as I’d have liked, but still this place feels the most like the New York I pictured, despite trading huge skyscrapers for squat suburbia.  Perhaps it’s the prevalence of street srt here; they seem to be doing a stand up job in Manhattan removing it, washing all my New York associations with it.  Or maybe it’s just that I don’t pay very much attention to the geography while watching movies… though half that stuff’s filmed in Vancouver anyway.

Give us some insight into your assigned artwork from the Museum of Modern Art. Who is the artist? When was this work made? What is the content of this work? In what context and as part of what art movement was it made?

Jess was assigned Jasper Johns' Target With Four Faces (1954)he 9T

My work was Target with Four Faces (1954) by Jasper Johns.  It’s a work of encaustic over various newspaper clippings from the time, creating a detailed and ornate red, blue and yellow target.  Above this resides four plaster casts of the bottom half of a face, sitting in individual boxes that have a single hinged lid.  The meaning of this work is much discussed, with Johns’ seeming purpose being the creation of an object rather than the representation of an object, and also of creating a piece that is set very specifically in a time and place (due to the newspaper).  Other interpretations include that which says the target is a literal target placed on Johns himself due to his sexuality, while another argues that the lack of eyes on the faces juxtaposed with the target image is to do with the United State’s lack of knowledge/vision when making decisions.  Johns belongs to the Neo-Dada movement, a precursor to the Pop Art (which is most associated with Warhol), and his work is generally that of common “objects” so as to add familiarity and link the audience with their own narrative.  I first struggled with Johns, finding boredom in the banality of his work; however, after much research on the subject, and in fact seeing some of his works in person, I came to regard him as one of my favorite artists.

How did you approach the creative task of responding to this assigned work in studio? What were your challenges as an artist to be in dialogue with the artwork and artist? Would you do anything differently now that you have seen the work in person?

Jess standing in front of her response piece to Jasper Johns, part of the "Talking Back" exhibition at KPU ahead of the trip to New York and Venice.

I approached my work from an extremely queer perspective, since that part of Johns’ body of work was the most relatable and personal to me.  Particularly the fact that Johns and Rauschenberg hid their relationship in order to be taken seriously, in relation to the simultaneous obscuring of queer culture in a general sense appealed to me as a subject, since it’s something not often addressed.  I had some challenges in relating to Johns at first, without knowing much about him or his work, since I was not immediately attracted to it in an aesthetic sense.  I feel that another challenge was the fact that while I did a fair job in finding dialogue in a very specific sense to the work, I didn’t cover it in a broader sense.

Jess looking at Maya Seuss's work during a studio visit in Brooklyn.

Because of the fact that my perception of the artwork didn’t change having seen in it in person, and also because of the fact that I was definitely not enraptured with Johns’ work at first glance, I doubt I would have done this project differently had I seen it a the MoMA first.  Also, most of my inspiration for the piece was based on research, so simply seeing it in person would not have changed my approach.

After seeing your assigned art work in person (and any other related art from the same artist or art movement associated with the assigned work), what struck you most, and/or how did the artwork’s form, content, and context shift for you when seeing it?

The room containing Target with Four Faces 1954 is composed almost entirely of works by Jasper Johns and Rauschenberg.  This target is mirrored by another, a green one, on the wall opposite, and on the same wall (broken by a door), is Rauschenberg’s Bed.  It’s interesting, yet oddly appropriate, that they broke John’s flow by putting Rauschenberg here, as Johns’ flag is on another wall entirely.  But since Rauschenberg’s and Johns’ works were so integrated, it does make sense.  I wasn’t very surprised or affected seeing this piece in person in relation to seeing it online, since the pictures I had seen did a very good job conveying it.  It was pretty much the size I pictured it as well, only a little bit smaller, but not by enough that it changed my perception.  The only thing that translated better was the newspaper underneath, but I was more amazed by Johns’ Flag or some of his other, larger targets in this regard, since they were bigger and the newspaper was more evident.

Today’s activity was at the 9/11 Museum in the Downtown Financial District. What were your impressions of this part of New York after learning about it first in the pre-departure classes? What will you take away of the experiences of this day?  What are the most memorable moments for you?

Of all the museums and galleries that I have visited on this trip, the 9/11 Memorial and Museum was the only one that I found to be highly problematic.  To the degree to which I couldn’t retain some open vocal commentary while still within the museum, to which Dorothy responded “You’ve got to be quiet in this space or you’re going to get yourself beat up” (this feeling of threat, might I add, being part of this encompassing problem). The first feeling of off-ness would be the least of all the problems in my opinion, but still vaguely disturbing when you think about it.  This would be the fact that there was rubble from the fallen buildings on display in the museum, set up and lit like art.  Everything was aesthetically pleasing; twisted metal elegantly displayed like sculpture, bashed up concrete piled artistically… and all lit like an art gallery.

The 9/11 Memorial Museum is a very provocative memorial and continues to generate controversy and discussion.

The next thing was a little more glaring and a little less surprising, but not in the least unimportant.  Patriotism.  Now patriotism isn’t a bad thing per-say, but the way in which they had transformed this event into a rallying point is the same way they have transformed war into the supreme glory for the nation.  In fact, there were some images of post-9/11 street art, with one featuring a soldier triumphantly planting an American flag into the rubble of the demolished buildings.  Other street art images were equally as troubling, with most being extremely and blatantly patriotic, but some even worse, some subtly racist.  The worst such offender I noticed was a messy red text on a dilapidated house reading “GOD FORGIVES BUT WE DON’T”.  While it’s not saying anything overtly racist, the meaning is evident if you know anything at all about 9/11.  Why was this picture even in the museum?  Though with the extremely unnecessary exhibit on Osama Bin Laden, featuring many mugshots of unnamed Muslim people, I shouldn’t have been surprised.

Jess captures one of the more provocative images seen at the 9/11 Memorial Museum.

Jess's image reflects on how much of the 9/11 debris was lit and exhibited problematically as art objects.

In the same vein, even the only actually necessary part of the memorial (since yes, this museum was intended to be a memorial), this being a room with pictures of the deceased and short stories about them, was somewhat disconcerting.  This was because, in looking around the room, it was evident what kinds of people America is mourning for… white, upper middle class, men.  With 9/11 being considered the “worst tragedy in recent history” (or at least, this is the sense I received from research online) by most Americans, it makes you think about the type of people America cares for the most… As pointed out by Larry in reference to the plethora of photos of people looking at the sky in horror, “that’s what the civilians America’s bombing would look like”.  But no one seems to care about them.

Other than that debacle, we also visited Grand Central Station, which had beautiful architecture, and disappointing bagels.

To see more photos and impressions of New York and Venice as the field school continues, check out our Instagram feed #kpunycvenice