Ramon’s Weblog

Our Design has to be Influenced by Something November 8, 2010

Art is such a beautiful thing, and consistently proves to be a great point for discussion. We all have different childhoods and experiences we have gone through. I chose to talk about the monolith Squares with Two Circles, by Barbara Hepsworth, for a number of reasons. The first reason I liked the sculpture was because it seems to symbolized a parent and child. Interestingly, I recently took my nine year old daughter to see the DMA and the Nasher Sculpture Center in Dallas. It was very cool to see her reactions to the various pieces, and I really enjoyed the time we spent together. The modernist sculpture is located outside and is positioned in front of weeping willow trees. The two large holes in the sculpture allow the space around the piece to come through. It was cast into bronze in 1964, and has a natural green patina which adds to it’s great appearance. Seeing pictures of these various sculptures and works of art doesn’t reflect all the detail or craftsmanship the artists put into the pieces. The original was made from plaster, and only four numbered bronze castings were made. Unlike many other monoliths, this appears to take the form of two figures standing together. The holes in the sculpture resemble two heads, which adds to its human form type appearance. Barbara Hepsworth was inspired by the work of Henry Moore, who was a British sculptor that also used abstractions of the human figure. I’m not on board with Clement Greensburg’s school of thought which art has no emotion, and we all should view it and accept it at face value. I think art stirs us up and gives us the opportunity to reflect on ourselves. I am an artist, and I put myself entirely into each piece I do, even though most of the work I do these day is Web based. I think it’s important for people to actually get out and see art in person, rather than only viewing it from a book or photograph. I am thankful we were able to go see some exhibits, because I haven’t been to the art gallery in ages. My daughter shows great appreciation for art, and it’s something I feel everyone should share. Regardless if one can draw stick figure or not, its about what the piece of art makes you think about.