A Few of my Favorite Things

1. Lavender. I can't remember a day that lavender was not my favorite scent.  When I light a candle or pick up a bar of soap, it will smell of lavender.

2. Film camera.  I like to take photos wherever I go.  I learned how to develop film on my own and even though the photos sometimes turn out looking too dark or out of focus, the process intrigues me.

3. Rings. I feel naked without them. 

4. Tiny notebook. In all honesty, my favorite part of being an artist is being able to make little drawings that no one will ever see.  There isn't so much pressure with something so small. 

5. Wooden pencil. An old friend of mine handmade this for me.  I tend to lose things often but this I will have forever.

6. Paintbrush.  I realized about 6 months ago that my niche is using oil paint.  All of my brushes now are covered with different pigments.  My friend will tell me, "you really need to get new brushes," but I don't know, in a way they feel like part of my favorite pieces that I've created.

7. Orange lighting.  I feel most peaceful when the orange lighting lights up my bedroom at night.  Even more when it rains.

 

Art 21

    Works by El Anatsui give off a cloth like, noisy, and bouncy effect with the use of the bottle caps.  Thinking about the significance in the use of bottle caps to create his captivating works, I began to think about how they could be connected to issues with poverty and money issues in Africa as well as how the colors and designs used can reference his culture.  The bottle caps connected to each other have almost a quilt like effect while being shiny.  I feel that these aspects bring forward the theme of money and culture. 

              El Anatsui, In the World, But don't know the World? (2009), private collection. Photo: Jonathan Greet, courtesy October Gallery, London.

  

 Not only do the colors of the bottle caps flow together making the work feel connected, but how they fold along eachother creates a sense of rhythm.  Even from a distance, the reflective/shiny surfaces pop so that the viewer can almost feel the texture. 

El Anatsui, Strips of Earths Skin (2008), found aluminum and copper wire

            There is both horizontal and vertical movement in this artwork: metallic silver bending and rounding in areas contrasting what is lying over it.  The variety of colors and texture flowing downward appears to have many warmer orange and red tones with hints of blue and green.

https://news.artnet.com/art-world/el-anatsui-first-african-artist-appointed-at-londons-royal-academy-9520

https://www.thebroad.org/art/el-anatsui/strips-earths-skin

https://art21.org/watch/extended-play/el-anatsui-studio-process-short/

Elements and Principles

Repetition

AnnaKate Radford  

 

Repetition

Personal Photo