for the love of DC photography
It’s not surprise that I am attracted to color and shapes. They are the rudimentary elements of art and when I see them used in such a simplistic way, such as in this image by Shamila Chaudhary, my eye and mind are instantly pleased and calmed. While the colors red and yellow are said to cause tension, I don’t feel it as the boy’s confident, natural stride smooths the friction as he turns the corner.
Because art can be exhausting. Or perhaps more interesting when viewed upside down. Nicely captured and framed by Melodious.
Damage Control: Art and Destruction Since 1950 at the Hirshhorn spans from World War II to the present, covering the destructive theme through artistic interpretation. The enormous exhibit can be broken down into media types: installation, new media, painting, and photography. The first time I visited, I focused on the video art to see how new media plays a role in how we understand destruction. During my last visit, I looked at how the photographs act as virtual realities of devastation. Aside from a few pieces — Arnold Odermatt’s series of car crashes and Gordon Matta-Clark’s “Window Blown Out” from 1976 — the images are enormous. It felt as if I could walk into each chaotic environment I was looking at. But the photographs also call to question its function as a medium.
Last Friday Civilian Art Projects opened two shows with new work from photographer Marissa Long and painter Nikki Painter. The artists’ works complemented the other’s use of intricate details and bold colors to create a wonderful and seamless transition between the three gallery rooms.