Final- Q # 1 (artwork in my home)

This is a really interesting question as I've always wondered how I might decorate my future home. Naturally, it would include artwork that was uplifting and fit my personality. I am very passionate about nature and Islamic history and artwork. So the artwork in my house would mostly surround this theme.

To start off, I would place a verse from the Quran above my front door, welcoming my guests.



Arabic calligraphy is beautiful and due to it's 'freestyle' nature it can be written in so many beautiful ways. This specific verse (above) is also at the top of the entrances at the mosque of Prophet Muhammad in Madinah, Saudi Arabia. It refers to the greeting given to those entering Paradise. The translation is "Enter ye here in peace and security"


Throughout my home I would certainly display pictures of the Arabian Desert. There's something magical about the desert sand dunes.



The scene above is in Libya, which would of course make this the great Sahara Desert! There's a beautiful sense I get when looking at this picture. There's a sense of peace, in that no sound exists except the dune-carving wind and one's dependence is solely placed in the hands of God. The tree in the middle of nowhere gives this sense of hope for survival.


This amazingly complex circle of Arabic calligraphy is actually the entire first chapter of the Quran. It's a beautifully constructed design, illustrating just how versatile this calligraphy can be.



Given that the Quran is recited, here's what this chapter would sound like.



In terms of the artwork I mentioned, Islamic architecture absolutely amazes me. This picture below is a shot from the Alhambra Palace in Granada, Spain. To me architecture is the most intriguing form of art. It's aesthetic value can shift depending on the lighting and angle of view. The particular feature below is a beautiful view of the Patio de los Arrayanes in the late afternoon.





When it comes to my room I would include the following two pictures. The first one gives me a good laugh. The one guy who isn't afraid to assume a Muslim identity in a world where Muslims are often demonized- I guess I identify myself with this lone ranger :)




With regards to this photo below, it is so amusing. There is no trace of anyone making this heart in the sand. This and the fact that it is a symbol of love gives a very playful feel about it. Also, it's at the beach- who doesn't have fun at the beach!!?

Armstrong's Gallery 2

While the pieces by Ricky Maldonado were the highlight of Armstrong's Gallery there were a plethora of other high quality pieces on display. Some pieces by Thomas Hoadley were very abstract and elegant.





A rather large collection of pieces by Harrison McIntosh in the rear showcase in the gallery feature beautiful pieces. His style is much more clean and reflects a more clear message, in contrast to pieces by artists like Thomas Hoadley. Here are two of Harrison McIntosh's best pieces:






("Yin and Yang" by Harrison McIntosh)

Ceramic Art at Armstrong's Gallery

This was my favorite gallery of the whole Pomona Arts Colony. The pieces in this gallery were very exquisite. The attention to detail amongst the works of art in this gallery was incredible. Most of the works were in the $3,000-$7,000 range and it was not difficult to justify these price tags.

One of the highlight works was a set of pieces by Ricky Maldonado. Here are a few of them:

AMOCA 2

Here are a few more pieces that stood out at the AMOCA:


("Bowl" by Steven Hill)

This piece is a perfect case study in explaining why I see ceramic art as being superior to paintings. The artistic boundaries are greater. So in this piece, one can appreciate the beautiful blending of the various glazes on the bowl, as well as the craftsmanship behind the shaping of this bowl.





Another set of pieces that I would add to my list of top favorites are this miniature teapots by Geoffrey Swindell.




Here's another fascinating piece showing the versatility of this craftsman's ability to create various shapes. The construction of this piece gives it the appearance of being a black/white striped castle. I just get the sense that Betelgeuse would own something like this :)

("Diversity" by John Albert Murphy)

Appreciating Ceramic Art at AMOCA

("Mug" by Lucianne Carmichael)

The American Museum of Ceramic Art featured many beautiful works of ceramic art. Personally, I appreciated the ceramic artwork more than paintings. Perhaps this is because the form of the work adds another dimension to the piece, while the painting is limited to the 2-dimensional world. Also, the possibility of usefulness of certain pieces of ceramic art appealed to my pragmatic side :)


Here are a few of my favorite pieces:


("Tea For You" by Peter Saenger)

The shear simplicity, elegance, and practicality of this piece really struck me. It's just a really beautifully crafted piece of art. This is probably one of my favorite of all the pieces I had a chance to see during my walks through the galleries.




Another work titled "Dangerous Ideas Spread Like Sparks" by Connie Norman was especially interesting. Mirroring the violent process of creating this ceramic work (as it basks in a kiln at thousands of degrees Fahrenheit, transforming the soft clay and liquid glaze into hardened materials) was the message engraved into the interior of the oval shaped bowl. I would love to have this piece. Though the shape of this piece is rather simple, the message gives it an edgy and revolutionary feel to it. I really like this duality in this piece.

Pomona Frame House

The Pomona Frame House featured artwork in it's modest-sized gallery from artists who donated their works of art to raise funds for Legal Aids. The owner of the Frame House mentioned this to me and I thought this was a great way to raise funds for such a great cause. The artwork in there wasn't too shabby either.

Some particularly eye-catching pieces were the 3-dimensional works of Larry White. The first one is titled "Ceramic Head" which featured multiple layers. There is some story behind this work which seems very interesting, though I could not quite grasp what it was. I guess this is up to our perspective as this piece is now open to public scrutiny and interpretation. Anyone value this at $700? That's what this piece was going for.

Local Art at Gallery Soho

The Gallery Soho featured local art of various sorts. Some of my favorite pieces were by artist Raul Acosta, from my hometown of Chino Hills. He was encouraged by his friends and family to put his artwork up for sale after years of doing it merely as a hobby, so perhaps this is the beginning of a long career as an artist for Raul... though probably not.

Pomona Art Walk

I did the Pomona Art walk last week and had the pleasure of viewing some really interesting artwork. It was nice to see such great artwork right in our backyard. Surprisingly, a lot of the locally produced artwork caught my attention :)

I will post some pictures here from the various galleries I attended with some brief commentary...

Reflection of Western Art

Hey guys, here's my piece on the gallery on Western Art:

The art gallery featured in the Kellogg Gallery was a collection titled “Window to the West” by renowned art exhibitor Don Huntley. There were about 40 or so paintings in the gallery which were organized based on this theme. Before entering the gallery I expected the general theme of “The West” to be focused mainly on human development and influence in the west, however, Don Huntley’s collection was much more focused on the natural beauty in various features of nature in America. There were however a number of pictures featuring Cowboys and Indians, a typical characterization of the West.

In terms of rating the paintings as to the best and worst, it is difficult to decide on a clear favorite for my favorite painting, though without a doubt the worst painting was the one titled “Coffee Time,” a tasteless picture of two depressed, nude individuals- I barely glanced at it and was disgusted that someone would consider that art. My favorite was the painting titled “Reflections of the Day” by Brent Cotton, which featured three men around a fire in the darnkess after sunset, near a river in the middle of a forest. There was a boat anchored along the shore giving the impression that these men had just returned from a long day’s work and were now huddled around their campfire discussing the day’s events. A sense of companionship seemed to be present amongst the men- perhaps this is just my imposed feeling of the general idea of gathering a campfire. The stark contrast of the fire with the rest of the painting definitely made that the focal point of the painting.

There did seem to be some recognizeable logic in the way that the display was organzied. For example, in the left gallery there were several paintings depicting different types of horses out in nature. And these pictures did seem to be brighter and more lively. As one moved to the back of the gallery the pictures depicted animals in another light. There seemed to be pairs or groups that were connected, such as the painting with the mother bear with her cubs or the painting with the fox and crow. In the final room the paintings were much darker and depicted the more grand view of nature, with such features as the Grand Canyon. Overall, the logic of organizing this gallery did seem to be evident after a bit of reflection.

When teaming with another student to do “I see, you see” on “Reflections of the Day” we basically shared the same perspective, though he pointed out that perhaps the odd situation fo the men along the river could be explained by the fact that they may have been criminals escaping- I wasn’t convnced, but it was an alternative view to consider. The overall dominant message that I picked up from the pictures in this gallery was of the purity and magnificence of nature. This was evident from the depictions of grand mountain ranges and other amazing features of nature. Perhaps this general message connects it with other themes around the world, though this gallery did focus on American landscapes.