Number 5 1948

Jackson Pollock's number 5 1948 painting was first done on an 8x4 sheet of fiberboard. The technique used was to drizzle large amounts of yellow and brown paint onto the board to form a nest-like appearance. This painting is estimated to be the highest selling painting in the world at a price of 140 million dollars. The original owner of the number 5 1948 was Samuel Irving Newhouse who later sold to David Geffen. As speculation has it the current owner of this piece is David Martinez of Fintech Advisory Ltd. This painting is very radical in nature and sparks a sense of thought when viewed. Even though it seems like Pollock just threw colors onto a board, this in fact was a intense process that took a long time to create.

Starry Night

Vincent Van Gogh's Starry Night is the title of the painting below. During Van Gogh's life he only sold one painting but after his death the art he created exploded into the market. Starry Night is one of his most recognized and replicated paintings of the modern era. The reason for this place being so popular is the fact that there is a moon with swirling clouds which most people can relate to. The exaggerated features make the sky very pronounced and unique to look at. Below the sky is a little village lit up in the background. This aspect brings the painting together and gives it a peaceful effect. Van Gogh gives the viewpoint as if you are on top of a hill looking down into the village and up at the tranquil skyline. Overall people still flock to these paintings on a daily basis to come up with their own perspectives and thoughts. Nevertheless Starry Night can be called one of if not the best painting of Van Gogh's lifetime.

Tool (Lateralus)

This piece is another painting from Alex Grey. It is untitled, but was used on the cover of Lateralus (An album from the Progressive rock band Tool). Lateralus was released in 2001. In this picture you can see Grey at his best. There is a lot of detail focused on the person's bone and muscle structure. There are also the noticeable eyes that are on this person's hand, chest, throat, and forehead. This is again referencing the Third Eye ("Inner Eye"). Just like in the other piece we saw from Grey he uses a lot of spirals in his paintings. There is one spiral going from the center of the man's chest to the top of the painting. There is also many spirals that you can make out if you look at the design behind the man. I actually found out about Alex Grey from Tool. Tool has been one of my favorite bands for the past four years. Grey does the artwork involved with Tool's videos, albums, and sets for concerts. He works in collaboration with the guitarist in the band Adam Jones. Tool is notorious for having really cool and elaborate music videos courtesy from Alex Grey. In addition, Tool is noted for having amazing live performances by a combination of music, lighting, and artwork. Of course the artwork comes from Alex Grey himself.

Grave Matters

This photograph remains in the Museum of Contemporary Art in Massachusetts. I picked this piece because when when I looked at it the first thing that came to mind was my Grandfather. My mother's father's name was Henry. He died of bone cancer when I was only in Kindegarten. What I find interesting about this piece is that on the grave there is only a name. There isn't any other information about this person. I found this interesting because when I think about it, there is not much that I really know about my own grandfather. I don't even know what day his birthday is. So I tried to remember things about him. The most clear memory that I still have of my grandfather was at my grandparents apartment in the Bronx. Every Sunday we would have dinner in their apartment. I don't even remember how old I was, but this is a memory of mine that I will never forget. After dinner my grandpa would call me over to him. He was sitting in his rocking chair relaxing. He would call me over to sit on his lap. Then he would tell me a story like the 3 little pigs or some other kids story. Then I realized that I do have memories of my grandpa, and he's more than just a name to me.

Maya

This piece by Jarvis Rockwell is an 11' step pyramid filled with thousands of action figures. The action figures displayed on this pyramid vary from Star Wars figurines to Bart Simpson. Rockwell was inspired to make Maya from Hindu temples that he saw on a trip to Madras/Chennai in India. These Hindu temples are covered with sculptures of gods that make up the Hindu pantheon. Instead of filling the pyramid with Hindu gods, Rockwell uses dolls. For Rockwell these figures stand in for the abundance of desires found in contemporary culture. These action figures tell a story to viewers. The viewers are astounded by these stories because they can make a connection to these fictional characters. Rockwell began collecting action figures in 1979. His collection grew into hundreds, and then thousands. After about a decade he began grouping the action figures, articulating the relationships that he saw between the figures. This hobby of Rockwell that began in 1979 eventually led the massive display shown in Maya (1997).

Carroll Dunham Art Gallery

I viewed the Carroll Dunham art gallery at The University of Albany. This gallery consisted of many different types of art including paintings, sketches, as well as cut drawings where a knife was used. Overall I felt that this gallery was set up well, forcing the viewer to walk a certain direction to get the ultimate analysis of Dunham's work. My favorite piece was titled "The Wave" and incorporated bold light colors on a large scale. I found myself continuously looking from center to the right and left of the painting. A large wave shaped object is the focal point of the painting with outlying objects making up the background. The Carroll Dunham gallery had an uplifting and revitalizing feel that could turn anyone's mood around. I enjoyed the trip and would definetly recommend this exhibit to others.

Painting

This piece from Alex Grey displays a man painting. Grey specializes in spiritual and visionary art. This particular piece deals with the Third Eye concept. The Third Eye, also known as "Inner Eye" symbolizes a state of enlightenment. Both Eastern and Western traditions believe the Third Eye as a gate that leads within to inner realms and spaces of higher consciousness. It is often associated with visions, clairvoyance, precognition, and out-of-body experiences. In this particular piece you see the man using his right hand to paint. There are four aura's going from his body to the painting. Two are going from his eyes to the painting. Another is coming from his chest. I believe that symbolizes his heart, probably because he is doing what he loves. The fourth aura is a different color than the others. It is coming from the man's forehead. This represents the man's third eye. There is also a fifth aura going from the top of the man's head and spiraling above. The aura coming from the man's Third Eye is also viewed as a spiral. However his two actual eyes are just represented as rays of light. Behind the man you can see a being who is looking at the man. He has two rays of light that are shooting into the back of the man's head. It almost appears as if he is helping the man use his Third Eye. In other words he is helping him attain enlightenment. That same being also has a shiny circular ball on his forehead which may represent his Third Eye. Then there are the group of people in the back of the painting watching over. I think these people represent those that have passed on, but are enlightened, showing us that we are all one and connected.