Art 21 - Amy Lu

Initially what I was interested in the most were the memory series. Josiah and Hiroshi were intriguing because of what they said about art or artists. Josiah enjoyed how the material he was working with was unaltered for hundreds of years, but just adapted and I do agree with his theory that art is a fusion of yourself with an object and that is what a viewer should experience. When I make a piece, a part of me is definitely merged with the piece itself, whether it be a work in progress or done. And I do hope that viewers can respond to the final product and for a moment, lose himself or herself in it. Hiroshi’s statement that an artist’s obligation is to make the imagination possible is a challenge that all artists should think about and gives a great sense of purpose that I respect.
The artist that caught my attention the most was the abstract painter, Mary Heilmann, in the fantasy section. Her way of talking about art being able to transport a person without fear of any consequences, able to express emotion and even the technical aspects of what a 2 squared painting does to a space and on the wall was definitely enlightening and made me want to share in the experience of what her art does. I have always wanted the audience to feel something when interacting with a piece of my work, sometimes in a very uncomfortable way, and I feel like this can be another direction to head in when thinking about how to paint and particular piece. The strokes of her work have a specificity and carelessness to them which I respond to strongly as well.