Category: Research
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Turner at the de Young
This weekend I managed a visit to San Francisco for the show J. M. W. Turner: Painting Set Free. Since it was the show’s last day at the de Young, the crowd was intense. Luckily for me, the crowds were thinner around the watercolors and unfinished works. I was particularly interested in his study titled…
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David Hockney artist talk
David Hockney gave an excellent artist’s talk at the Getty on September 10, 2015. I was so inspired that I talked it up to everyone I saw the next day. (A few hear the same pitch on the day after as well.) Skip to 7:14 if you don’t need a refresher on Hockney’s artistic credentials…
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Lightfastness tests
This summer I ran some informal lightfastness tests. Methodology: I tested a variety of watercolors (right column), markers (middle column), and pastels (left column) on acid-free sheets. I made two versions of each test sheet. The control group (top row) went into a drawer, and the other set (bottom row) went in a window for…
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destruction as art
I am completely unable to watch footage of art being intentionally destroyed as an act of cultural warfare. Any narrative about people taking extraordinary measures to protect artworks (regardless of how badly reenacted) gets a similarly strong reaction. There was a recent fashion show that wrapped the models up in what pretended to be framed…
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Fore-edge painting
This is the sketchbook in which I try to draw world maps (without looking at references). The results are pretty humbling, so I looked at a map for the painting. I almost have this process figured out. The painting is enjoyable, but gilding the edges is still giving me grief. Fore-edge decoration (by other people…
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Art+Feminism Wikipedia Edit-a-Thon
YOU ARE INVITED! When: Saturday, 7 March 2015 What: improving Wikipedia’s coverage of women in art (and increasing the number of contributors who identify as female) Where: everywhere (and at many locations where workshops are being held) Why: Very few of the contributors to Wikipedia identify as female. Are women excluding themselves, or are we…
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Toying with History master post
Toying with History by Colleen Wampole Abstract and Introduction How history repeats itself Quantity of representation Quality of representation Means of representation Conclusion and Works Cited
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Toying with History: Conclusion and Works Cited
[This is the final part of a thesis paper about the series Toying with History. Here is the master post.] Conclusion I began this artistic inquiry by asking whether or not the present is dependent on the past. After assessing sexism in contemporary politics and creative fields, I conclude that changing our traditions will only…
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Toying with History: Means of Representation
[This is part five of a thesis paper about the series Toying with History. Here is the master post.] Knowing history might free us from repeating it unconsciously, but it does not free us from it entirely. Certain events and cultural artifacts will linger. What we can do is change what they signify to us.…
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Toying with History: Quality of Representation
[This is part four of a thesis paper about the series Toying with History. Here is the master post.] Omission inflicts all the evils of censorship: it stifles first action, then words, and finally thought itself. Censorship is even harder to detect when masked with a simulation of representation. Examining the state of gender parity…
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Toying with History: Quantity of Representation
[This is part three of a thesis paper about the series Toying with History. Here is the master post.] Before familiarizing ourselves with the quality of women’s role models, let us examine the quantity of women’s representation. It is well and good to know the history of feminism and resolve not to backslide, but we…
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Toying with History: How history repeats itself
[This is part two of a thesis paper about the series Toying with History. Here is the master post.] In any critical comparison of the present and the past, it is de rigeur to mention philosopher George Santayana’s much-quoted claim that “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it” (qtd. in Schwartz…
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Toying with History: Abstract and Introduction
[This is the first installment of my final MFA thesis paper. The master post is available here.] Abstract I use my paintings to playfully invite serious conversations. The series Toying with History examines representation through a feminist lens. I began this series with the following question: to what degree are women still misrepresented in our…
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Predicting the future: A spectrum of irony
[ Last summer my MFA class was tasked with predicting what in five years we would describe as the quintessential art of 2014. What, with the benefit of hindsight, will today’s art world look like? It’s an interesting, albeit quixotic, mind game. Here were my thoughts. ] Identifying trends in your field is simply part…
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MFA show installation
Today I got to haul six month’s worth of paintings out of their mailing tube and stick them to gallery walls. I was surprised by how many are being included. It is a big space! My classmates’ and my work is best seen in person, but I’ll take pictures of the show soon. Some of…
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The thesis is upon me
For those who can’t make it to the show, please rest assured that I will be posting installation photos. I will also inflict at least part of my thesis paper upon this blog. I am proud of it, and worked hard to make it engaging….but it is still a very long piece of writing for…
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Wiley’s “Economy of Grace”
There’s a fantastic video about Kehinde Wiley’s current series (An Economy of Grace). I’ve mentioned this painter several times before, but this mini documentary provides more process details than the books or websites I’ve seen. Incidentally, this summer I finally saw his work at the Brooklyn Museum. I was glad to finally see his…
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A bevy of artists’ sites
Peers: Beth Scher Jaclyn Seufert Todd Molinari Eric Leon Colleen Wampole David Butler Amy Brand and (her blog) Denise Philipbar Sarah Nguyen Nathan Goddard Joe Bliss and his plein air paintings Robin Brewer Monika Rosa Meg Brady Aaron Kather Moraiah Luna Zac Pritchard University of the Arts Faculty: Rebecca Saylor Sack Dan Reidy and Wendy…
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Doll collection: Princesses
The D*sney princess dolls spark some fascinating conversations. (It’s part of why I repainted them three times.) I keep second-guessing this set of costumes. I’m on my third draft, so I certainly hope it’s a worthwhile notion. The overall drift of the project was one of dressing up is reinforced by references to young girls…
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Mark Reads: “You are not prepared”
“I honestly want to give y’all a set of reviews that are devoid of the usual sort of expectant cynicism that comes with media criticism. Not that the world is ~bitter forever~, but I want to approach a new fictional world without preconceived notions of what it is. ” –Mark, review of Pushing Daisies (S1Ep1…
Colleen Wampole 