Yes they do, Gundlach! Geesh.
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| “I didn’t like coming here when I was 3 or 4 years old because kids don’t really like art” |
In regards to the Anthony McCall Exhibit :
1. Questions From the Family Activity Sheet for the Exhibit-
Which installation did you like best? Why? My favorite installation was Split Second (Mirror) (2018). Honestly, It was just my preferred piece of the bunch because I liked the mirror and I thought it was novel. That one would have been pretty neat if it were paired with a screen rather than the big old wall behind the projector (or that the projector was embedded in) but that would have required a more clever application for projecting the light.
If you were asked to choose one of the shapes you saw today to represent you, which one would it be? Why? The piece Between You and I (2006) is projected from the ceiling down onto the floor. It is made up of two shapes At one point in the projection’s timeline one shape is a sine wave crossing a straight line to form a sort of “x” and the other is an ellipse. For just the briefest moment the ellipse is complete and whole before it transitions back into a broken and changing shape. That one moment brought about a sense of calm and satisfaction that resonated with me.
Did your shadow change any of these works of art? How? Shadows were constantly interrupting and intersecting the light projections. In one particularly delightful moment a small child went right up to the box and covered the projector at the source, abruptly ceasing the work as well as cutting off all light, thrusting the whole room into complete darkness. His sisters shrieked his name and he immediately backed off, but man oh man it was the best moment.
I, myself, had been wanting to do that.
ROBOT ARMS
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| TEAMWORK |
2. The home activities from the AK Family Activities Sheet- Explore With Shadows, Explore with Light, and Explore with Lines and Shapes.
Do you think these activities relate to the exhibit? How do they relate. What age group would you think these activities are appropriate for? As an educator would you find value in using local museums for your teaching inspiration and activities? Why or Why not?
I think local (or any!) museums are a fantastic resource for ideas and jumping off project concepts, but I wouldn’t just gobble them up without field testing them first. The activities in the Albright Knox pamphlet were engaging and interesting but not a very high success rate for us. There are so many variables, especially for projects that are meant to be done outside, that it is easy for things to not-quite-work-out. The Shadow Activity was fun to do with a little one, but the wind was too strong and the cardboard kept flopping in the breeze. Overall we felt like it was worth out time but ultimately when we looked back at what we had made we both kind of scratched our heads. “Well, it’s interesting, but it feels like nothing.”
As for the prism activity, that one was kind of a bust. Not having the requisite “reflective paper” made it challenging and the foil didn’t quite do the thing it was supposed to. They did, however, make magnificent ROBOT ARMS and were pretty cool to peek through even though the reflected light wasn’t as resplendent as advertised.
The activities were a lot of fun to do with a four year old and I suspect that ages 4-10 would be pleased with the project. I do have a theory that as long as one’s motor skills are up to the task every project can be adapted across ages. This would be great to do with high schoolers as well. I’d push them to get more out of it and make deeper connections.
The drawing element as well as repetition related to the exhibit as well as intimating and imagining the unseen. Repeating lines, extrapolating lines and shapes, and envisioning planes are all part of McCall’s work and these activities put one in the frame of mind to think about spaces and lines interrelated with shape and light.
In regards to the Gallery Expansion:
3. How do you think the closure of the AK Gallery will impact arts in the city as it is closed for two years during the renovation (reopens January 2022)? LOW HANGING FRUIT ALERT: ”You don’t know what you got ’til its gone.” I think people will have a renewed sense of gratitude for the Albright Knox. I also predict that other local galleries and museums will have a season in the spotlight. Whether they make the most of that season is up to them!
4. How important do you think this expansion is for the art in the city and the city of Buffalo's "Renaissance"? Sounds fine and good, but a holistic and beneficial rebirth or rebuilding really ought to be happening from the ground up by thoughtful and industrious people who are full of love and eager to connect to their city and its roots. Growing things rather than building them. Mostly I think the impetus for revival in capitalist America is rich white guys wanting to have their names on something. They wouldn’t invest if they didn’t see it being financially fruitful in the long term. Fortunately, diversifying one’s portfolio with art seems to still be considered good by these guys so the arts will have the opportunity to flourish.
In regards to the artist interview:
5. What do you think of McCall's work? I’m not sure what I think of this work, exactly. I find it mesmerising and engaging and inspiring. Also I get bored of it easily and feel that it is sort of cold, banal, and maybe overdone a bit. Here’s the thing, though! I couldn’t stop thinking about it after I went the first time. Visiting when there’s almost nobody else there and going when its packed full of all kinds of people are two COMPLETELY different experiences. I’d like to go with many different people and types of people and see how they react/respond. I’d like to formulate my thoughts and opinions about people based on their interaction with the work. I can imagine it being a kind of gauntlet for future relationships. Like maybe there’s a short story here about a girl who takes prospective boyfriends (Is this outdated? Dates? Lovers?) through the exhibition and then she’ll either continue on a date with them afterwards or hails a cab from outside the museum and goes to her favorite tea room alone instead. Leaving them mystified on the curb.
Who knows?
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