Video Review: Module 9

1. Explain why you selected each of the FOUR videos you choose from the selection listed above.

The Drawings of Michelangelo

• ·        Drawings show his hesitations/ thought process.
• ·        His apprenticeship would be centered on drawing and learning how to express weight with line.
• ·        The mixture of strong vertical lines and hatching/dense cross hatching give a sense of great volume/ mass.
• ·        His drawings were an experimental stage before sculpture to see how different forms could or couldn’t take place.
• ·        You can use the body as a physical equivalent for yearnings, inexpressible feelings, and imagination.
• ·        He would blend visuals from life with abstract ideas to achieve perfection.
• ·        Drawings tell the story of the planning and carrying out of the Sistine Chapel.
• ·        His passionate response to male form and intense Christian faith were driving forces to his art.
• ·        Drawings test the limits of what he can portray in the paintings. (The Last Judgment)
• ·        His deepest concerns about death and his own mortality are shown in his 1560 drawings of the crucifixes.

I selected this video for this week because last week I traveled to Paris from Stockholm and had the amazing opportunity to visit the Louve and see some of Micheal Angelo's work.

This couldn't have been a more relevant time for me to visit this museum and see his work the Dying Slave, because we read about it in the book. We also read about his many talents and accomplishments throughout life. This video contributed even more to the text and my experience at the Louve because it gave a deeper perspective of the inner working of his mind and his thought process, especially by showing his initial drawings and sketches for some of his work. I know much more about him, and even have a much greater respect for him as an artist after this week. 

Leonardo da Vinci: The mind of the Renaissance

• ·        From a young age he showed a passion for drawing.  
• ·        He was obsessed with thought, he did mirror writing in his youth, concerned constantly with form and how things worked.
• ·        He was an observer with a hunger for knowledge and understanding.
• ·        Became an apprentice to Andrea del Verrochio in Florence by age 12
• ·        Da Vinci Draws from life – explores the truth through mastering perspective and proportion.
• ·        Combined perfect qualities from several subjects to create the ideal image.
• ·        To achieve motion he believed you must use two elements: spiritual (power of thought) material (comes from body).
• ·        Worked for the Medici family, did court paintings.
• ·        He believed there was no distinction between fine arts and mechanical arts.
• ·        He loved exploring mechanics – striving to improve them – make them work better.
• ·        He believed in replacing the driving forces of man/ animals in mechanics with natural elements.
• ·        “If you waste your life the only trace you leave will be smoke in the air or foam on the water”
• ·        He was an apprentice, painter, musician, military engineer, court painter, city planner, anatomist, engineer, sculptor, and inventor.
• ·        Intense thinker – hours/days studying or reflecting
• ·        With his work he transformed earthly creatures into heavenly beings.
• ·        He never considered his works finished.
• ·        He aspired to link Florence to the sea with a man-made canal– isolating Pisa.
• ·        He often gave the same faint smile on faces of his subjects.
• ·        Became painter, architect, and engineer for the King of France.
• ·        Haunted by “dark prophesies” towards the end of his life, died at age of 61 in 1519
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•       I selected this video because I also got to see some of da Vinci's works at the Louve in Paris. I was amazed by the crowd's obsession with the Mona Lisa there, and how some of his other, quite arguably more impressive works, received far less attention. I wanted to watch this video to learn even more about what kind of artist I was witnessing the work of. 
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•       This video related to the text because we read a lot about his multiple talents and this went more into each one. I like how this movie didn't take as much time focusing on the Mona Lisa as the book, as he had far more and greater accomplishments than the one he might be most famous for. 
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• Albrect Derer

• ·        He did silver paint drawings and portraits with which he was very talented.
• ·        Enjoyed drawing and painting hands.
• ·        Grasped mood of landscape – drew him to several different places
• o   Germany, Italy, specifically Venice.
• ·        He was impacted by Venetian art
• ·        Searched for the perfect form, researched perspective.
• ·        He achieved bright colors with enamel finish by using 4-6 layers of paint.
• ·        Includes himself in background of his Venetian masterpiece.
• ·        His own face used for perfection, lived in a very large house fit for his respected status, some considered this somewhat vain.
• ·        He was specifically talented at creating light and shadow in portraiture.
• ·        Learned from da Vinci’s research.
• ·        Used print and wood cuts to create a supply of his work.
• ·        He, Like da Vinci, searched for the perfect form.
• ·        He gave political support for Marin Luther through wood cuts prints.
• ·        He also showed a religious side with paintings such as The Passion
• ·        He also created many prints of daily life, with these he experimented with new techniques.
• ·        Constantly learning/ refining his art.
• ·        Painting of 4 apostles – shows his need for sophistication with his engraving on copper. 
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•       I selected this video because I knew very little about this artist and his works. 
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•       This video related to the text because it talked about Venetian art which was an influence for many artists during the renaissance. We also discussed the obsession with finding the perfect form or idealized form in the text a lot which Derer also aspired to do. He, like many artists we discussed in the book worked on religious as well as non religious works such as portraiture.

Velzquez

• ·        Painter for King Phillip IV of Spain
• ·        His paintings “capture the moment” depicting light and air, making elements appear timeless such as in his painting of Prince Don Carlos.
• ·        He was rewarded with order that confirmed nobility.
• ·        Studied Italian paintings in Venice, Rome, etc.
• ·        Return to Madrid with a deeper understanding of his own abilities
• ·        Paints actions happening – moments in time.
• ·        Painted slowly at a leisurely pace, he let works mature in his studio, taking years, sometimes a lifetime, to complete masterpieces.
• ·        He believed in the “Artlessness” of  nature, not arrangement
• ·        Married to Dona Juana Pacheo for life
• o   She died within a week of his death.
• o   Possessions indicate what kind of private life they shared.
• ·        Elegance, depth, and perspective are used in his landscapes and subject matter.
• ·        He was an idealist who gave a vantage point ‘above reality.’
• o   Uses geometric figures rather than actual shapes
• o   Used his “mind’s eye” to create backgrounds – not reproduction piece for piece.
• ·        His palace Jester paintings were Baroque opposites.
• ·        Has to balance the humanity of his subjects without taking away the realistic nature of their physical features. For this he used light and color. Painting not of but inside the character.
• ·        Lifted above their condition, leaves in the flaws but gives them beauty in their humanity.
• ·        They are human neither because nor despite their physical flaws
• o   Gives them his own sense of grace and beauty.
• ·        Not a colorist, he has minimal interest in colors. For him it was more about where and how much emphasis there will be.
• ·        Simple messages (Religious) require simple colors.
• ·        Painted some of his most notable works in Spain.
• ·        Used Impressionism – figures blurred in outline.
• ·        Las Hilanderas was a mannerist work of his.
• ·        Captures reality and truth with his ‘web’ of expertise giving his subjects natural and comfortable settings.
• ·        He became great friends with the King, thankful for the freedom and creativity that was made available by him. 
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•       I chose this video also because I knew very little about this artist. I found him to be the most different from other artists we studied in the text because he used a 'mind's eye' rather than the image or landscape right in front of him to copy piece for piece. I was impressed and intrigued by his lack of interest in color, unlike other artists of his time we studied that relied very much on color to create perspective. 

I enjoyed the films I watched this week. They added depth and understanding to both what I learned in the books, and to many of the art works I have the privilege of seeing at the museums this week in France. They gave examples of the concepts we studied such as linear perspective and ideal form. The videos also gave me a better idea for who these artists were and what their personalities were like. 

Art Making/Material Exploration Drawings- Exploring Line

1. What was it like using your hand as subject matter for a drawing?

To be honest, I hate drawing my hand. I have never been naturally talented with drawing but something about the lines, contours, and shadows that comes with drawing my hand really frustrates me. I don't mind it for practice or doodling but I really don't like using my hand as subject matter when it comes to 'publishing' or showing my work. A picture of a hand would have been easier as I couldn't possible keep my hand still and catch it in the exact light each time I moved it a little. 

2. What media did you select - pencil or charcoal? Why?

I selected pencil. It's easier to sharpen, less messy, and I feel like I have more control with it. 

3. How did it feel to create a drawing with your non-dominant hand?

I always feel ridiculous drawing with my left hand. I love ceramics in which I actually throw left-handed, but drawing is a whole different story. I feel less in control and the lines seem to make random movements as if the pencil had a mind of it's own. It was also much harder to do any kind of shading or shadowing with my left hand, distorting any form of perspective. 

4. Compare and contrast your final drawings. Do you think they are successful studies?

I have uploaded a couple different 'goes' at my drawings, in part for comic relief, in part to demonstrate the challenge this was for me. The first drawing I did was my hand suspended in a relaxed position. After starting to draw this I had wished I chose a position for my hand more definite and less complex. Seeing the difference in my left and right hand inspired me to do a 'thumbs-up, thumbs-down' combo, in part to try a new position and in part for comic relief. Lastly was the third picture (really my first and most simple idea but, I thought better of it).

5. Would you consider using your non-dominant hand to create artwork in the future?

Not drawing, I don't think. I definitely utilize my left hand for other kinds of art work, even certain forms of painting where I get creative and use my fingers but, as drawing is NOT my strong suit to begin with? I probably shouldn't handicap myself even  by using my non-dominant hand. 

Video Review: Medieval Art and Architecture

More Human than Human:

·         Why do images have such a prominent and powerful part in our lives?

·         Images of the human body completely dominate our world. In the real world and the art world, the obsession with the human image is apparent. There are a great range of human images created by artists but they all share the character trait of remaining unrealistic looking. This goes back to ancient times when our ancestors first started depicting the human body in image.

·         The Venus of Willandorph is one of the earliest known sculptures depicting the human body. Barely ten cm high, only her fertile aspects are detailed, giving us clues about the way culture was for the nomad who created her over 25,000 years ago. This is proof that unrealistic images of the human bodies existed and were deliberate.

·         The brains of ancient humans can possibly explain the reason for this unrealistic emphasis or lack of emphasis on certain parts of the unrealistic image of Venus. – seagulls were used in this research to explain her shape. (The red stripe experiment- what the brain sees and makes connections with doesn’t have to be a realistic image.)

·         Weather changes lead to the Nile River culture and society. Stable agricultural existence creates settlement and social order. Even though the Egyptians didn’t have exaggerated images, they were still highly unrealistic. Egyptians used proportion and shapes and emphasize all parts of the body equally. They show each part of the body from its clearest angel.

·         Ancient art can tell us so much about a culture, values, society, or in the case of the nomads how their brains were wired.

·         Exaggeration in art wasn’t stopped when humans gained the ability to create realism. The reality is, we humans don’t want to create reality but rather a perfected or exaggerated form of this. The instinct to create the extremes of human qualities is seemingly inherent as it is still so prevent today. This has seeped into how we view, and how we literally exaggerate our qualities today that are considered attractive.

This video relates to the text because we read about the Venus of Willendorph and why her characteristics were so exaggerated and unrealistic. Now I know it had more to do with just the value of fertility and is actually quite possibly due to the way the brain works in a natural responses to exaggerated stimuli.

This video was really interesting, I never gave much thought to how almost all of the human bodies depicted in images or art we see are exaggerated of perfected forms of reality. I also never gave much thought to the fact that when I put on my make-up in the morning I am being a product of this inherent need to intensify the qualities on myself deemed and targeted as attractive by society. An age old and partly biological concept actually technically determines the literal image of humans today, not just the created one, a fascinating concept.

Art and Life in The Middle Ages:

·         The will of Geoffrey Luttrell  - burial, money to the poor. Knight who died in 1935. Sum of money for monks to pray for him. He left a Prayer book containing song of prayer in Latin- this is called a Psaltar.

·         The pages crammed with pictures, there were also monsters all over the pages. Wonderful creatures of imagination but what are they doing in a prayer book.

·          Scribe writes, several artists create the images.

·         Early art depicted images of daily life on the farm; the weather appears cold based on the clothing. The clothing appears finer than what peasants would actually be wearing, perhaps the artist wanted to display the wealth within the entire community.

·         We learn a lot about life in the early middle ages from the pictures drawn during that time. We can see how life on the farm was, who had various jobs, and what animals were domesticated for different tasks.

·         The times appear barbaric and somewhat violent at times. The Psalter also describes the many festivals and the mediaeval feasts that occurred.

·         The art of music is depicted in the musical church scenes. These musicians could be linked to the final song in the Psalter. This song is about praising the lord with music.

·          Jousting and sports were both described in detail and one man appears Arabic indicating this might be an illustration during the crusades.

·         Many peculiarities become present in these pictures, what is a monk doing with a crossbow? Are these boats going off to battle during the crusades? Why does a row boat row in the opposite direction that men pull it with rope?

·         Scenes of the birth, life, and death of Christ are depicted in the Psalter.

This film relates to the text because we are always reading about how art and drawings can tell us more about a culture. This Psalter is so rich with art and culture that it gives us so many clues about a previous time in history, just like other historical artworks noted in the text.

I chose to watch this movie because it reminded me of the medieval museum I recently wen to see here so I wanted to learn more about it. I enjoyed this film because it discussed how one book centuries old serves as a looking glass to the medieval time period.

A World Inscribed: The Illuminated Manuscript

·         Monks used to create all religious texts and books by hand, few people know how to read and write. It was the monk’s job to spread the word of god but spreading this quickly was hard with this long, labor intensive, tedious process.

·         Conditions of winter made it even harder to reproduce religious texts, making the idea of spreading and preserving the word even harder.

·         Scribes would often write in the margins their personal thoughts. Monks wrote their complaints since they were under an oath of silence and some other s wrote of personal experiences or fictitious stories.

·         Each strike of a letter for the monks supposedly forgives a sin.

·         Bookmaking was changed forever by the printing press, which within 50 years of its invention replaced scribes.

·         The work, devotion, humor, ill temper, and personalities of monks, scribes, and illuminators are still celebrated in these age old texts.

This book relates to the text because the text illustrates how Christianity influenced art in the Middle Ages. This film went more in dept about the art of manuscript, I give them so much more credit now!

I chose this film because I didn’t know much about Manuscripts and it was one of the links that instantly worked for me. I liked video because it was interesting, and funny. I like how the illuminators mocked the scribes who made mistakes.  I also can’t believe all the work that went into ONE book. From the actual construction of the book to the writings and pictures… I thought my homework was tedious.

Gothic Art and Architecture:

·         Although the fifteenth century was a really bloody time, there was also great beauty and growth in the Gothic art.

·         The wealth of that time period, similar to today, allowed people to indulge in luxury purchases such as art works.

·         Art became directly correlated to nobility in England more so for the king than for anyone else. It was expected that a king would establish an art collection that would compete with the monarchs of other countries. Each king had their own style of collection and of course tried to out-do previous collections. This idea of collecting art was also practiced among lower classes.

·         The influence of Christianity at the time caused a boom in gothic architecture because the house of God had to be superior to that of any mortal.

·         Much of Gothic art was destroyed in a transition of artistic emphasis. Plates were melted down, windows painted over, and through acts such of these much of an invaluable tradition was erased.

This film relates to the text because Gothic art and architecture is explored in fifteen. How it came about and how it was so different from previous art forms came into much more detail in the film. The film also talked a lot more about the Christian influences behind it.

I chose this film because I’ve always wondered how gothic art came about and why it disintegrated. I thought the part about kings competing with each other was pretty funny and I can see that character trait still present in humans today with many other things like cars and homes. 

Video Review: Architecture

Prairie Style: Frank Lloyd Wright:

·         Wright was concerned with a harmony between the client, the environment, and architecture. – Evidence of this is apparent in his construction of the Tomac Home.

·         The style is natural and echoes the lines of the prairie. He layers horizontals that grow out of the land so that the home looks like it is growing out of the land in a way.

·         Wright is an innovative genius; he coaxed people out of their box-like holms and into an open living space.

·         We still see his open living space style in most holms today.

·         My favorite home shown was the Fraser residence in Ontario – The design and structures are so unique and I love how the whole thing is crafted using beautiful wooden forms.

This video relates to the text because it is about Frank Lloyd Wright and there is an entire section in the book analyzing and celebrating this revolutionary architect’s works.

I enjoyed this film because I am really impressed with Wright’s ingenious designs. I never knew that the open floor plan that most homes today posses actually reflect one man’s original idea. This added depth to my understanding of architecture because I can see how one plan for design can really affect the way we live.

Architecture: The Science of Design

·         High rises are a result of demand for space for living/working in downtown areas.

·         Two parts of a high rise: Superstructure- above ground and Substructure: Below ground (can be by pounding steel rods far into the earth’s surface) The Substructure plays a very important and strategic role.

·         Buildings actually sway a little in intense winds! Good thing they are built to withstand high winds.

·         2 groups of people responding to houses: One group says to build more sky rises, another group values the individual home more than buildings.

·         Intelligent homes seem really cool, and probably something that will be standard one day, but based on the awesome yellow outfit this movie seems to be made in the 80’s and these homes haven’t become too popular, this is because the price is still too out of reach for average homeowners to afford.

·         Concrete has gone from antiquity to all modern forms and colors in architecture.

·         There are many components that go into cement making and much research is done to improve its strength.

This video relates to the text because it goes into detail about high rises and their purpose and structures. The text starts talking about high rises in the section about steel-frame construction.

I thought this video was helpful in analyzing why high rises were implemented in the first place, and how much work goes into making the functional and safe. I am surprised that intelligent homes were created so long ago and still haven’t been popularized. I wonder how long it will take for this to happen and if this will change the face of architecture.

Classical Architecture

·         Ancient and classical architecture has influenced architecture ever since.

·         There is harmony in symmetry as symmetry is aesthetically pleasing, much of classical architecture was built around this idea.

·         Buildings that were unique at one point such as the Banqueting House shown are no surrounded by so many classical detailed buildings that they don’t stand out.

·         Would be the basis for the Baroque era of architecture and the painting of ceilings.  

·         The use of unusual, new, interesting, and untraditional materials in the 1980’s “classical” style of architecture was considered “preposterous” to many.

·         Purist vs. Post modern Classicists- clashing ideas of classical architecture and how it should be used today.

·         Technologically advanced and ‘green’ advanced buildings can still be built with the classical style in mind. They are modern but still traditional.

This video relates to the text because the book describes how classical aspects of architecture still appear in society today. The book doesn’t touch on the opposing views of purists vs. post modern classicists so it was nice to have this insight.

I really didn’t enjoy watching this video, but not necessarily for its content. Classical Architecture is a boring topic for me, it simply doesn’t interest me like modern and innovative architecture, even though I understand that much of it has influenced these styles. I also was frustrated watching this film because the vocal sounds were loud then really soft where I couldn’t hear them. The sound and video both broke up at multiple parts making it even harder to understand what they were saying.

Frank Gehry: Architecture as Art

·         Gehry loves architecture that appears to be ‘in movement.’ -Movement is a key element of the artwork that Gehry creates with his structures.

·         He has created simingly every kind of structure; Homes, apartment buildings, shopping malls, city buildings, etc.

·         Every work of his looked completely different from the next. It’s almost as if his only predictable style was being innovative and unique. He did continuously use a decomposing form and utilized natural light.

·         Some architects explore a deeper special and formal investigation while others show a concern for the relationship between the buildings and their environment (like Frank Gehry).

·         “I have to fall in love with the place and the people to make a building”- Frank Gehry.

·         The D.G bank in Berlin- Gehry completed his architecture on the inside since the outside had to be somewhat standardized as a city building.

·         The architecture can be apart of the overall artistic experience with music, dancers, light shows, etc.

·         9/11 effected architects in the sense that there is ‘something missing’. There is also a rationalization now for stricter controls. There is a new fear that has changed the work of architects.

This video relates to the text because the text highlights Gehry’s museum in Bilbao in Northern Spain. This is just one of his monumental works it was nice to see so many more in the movie.

I liked this video a lot because it put the highest concentration on the ART in architecture (hence its name) It didn’t stop at structures and forms but went into the connection with the environment, people, dance, sculpture, music, etc.

I chose this film because I really liked the Gehry’s museum highlighted in the text and wanted to see more of his unusual work. 

Installation Art

Reflect

A. What is installation art?

Installation art is art that takes over the space. “It defines the space.” – Judith Nesbitt, head curator White Chapel Gallery. Installation art is something all around you and has a limited state of permanence if any at all. Installation art is ‘the art of the moment.’

B. What materials are used installation art?

Any materials at all can be used in installation art. Some artists use earthwork to bring their work outdoors and work with primarily natural objects. Other artists use unnatural material in the natural world. Many artists use ordinary utilitarian objects in interesting ways with unusual settings.

C. Why make installation art? 

Installation art demands the audiences’ attention. It’s very trendy and controversial because there is much debate over what constitutes as art and what doesn’t. At the same time installation art can make a big bold statement.

D. Which artist/installation did I find most interesting?

I found Yayoi Kusama's Dots Obsession most interesting because it was a series of installations and looking at it really does give this sense of the artist’s obsession with dots, you can almost relate to her struggle with sanity while looking at it and it’s something I would really like to see in person. I find it interesting that Kusama admitted herself to a mental health facility and actually lives there, only leaving to see her artwork now and then.

Plan

A. From the material reviewed, is there a inspiration piece that I feel a connection with?

I felt a connection with The Gates by Christo and Jeanne-Claude. I liked the idea of its surrealism and how it was built in such a busy, central location. This artwork to me wouldn’t have had the same effect or meaning in any other place.

B. What theme do I want to explore in my installation?

At first I wanted to explore the theme of the natural world. I am really inspired by Andy Goldsworthy and to do something in nature, using natural elements in unnatural ways would be really exciting for me. Well I was out walking around however, a new idea came to me that does relate to the environment, but also personal health and well-being. I was originally looking for a place between two trees to experiment with some string and maybe ice, but walking around I noticed and became very intrigued by the amount of cigarette butts lying around, even in the most remote locations. Sweden is a beautiful and clean place, there are seemingly garbage and recycling bins every 30 feet, and public transportation is far more popular minimizing the amount of motor traffic and pollution. Unfortunately, in a country where tobacco is cheaper than fuel (and most of the snacks at the convenient store), those pesky little cigarette butts are EVERYWHERE in an otherwise pristine environment. It really made an impact on me that I couldn’t easily find a place in nature not already invaded by these butts so I decided to take an entirely different direction. Sweden is also a very health conscious nation. Organic food is often cheaper or as cheap as the processed stuff (at home we pay nearly twice as much for things like organic jelly.) and trust me when I say it’s actually hard to find a clinically ‘overweight’ person here. They eat healthy, smaller portions and seemingly every swede is out running in the mornings here. It’s actually hard to find processed foods and if you do, they will still taste less salty or sugary than the junk we feed ourselves at home. It’s amazing to me that nearly every supermarket looks like the ‘natural’ section in Wegmans, but at the same time smoking is a part of the majority’s diet.   My installation would now be aimed towards making more of a statement than simply finding beauty in the nature around us.

C. What materials will I use?

I will use cigarette butts and a place setting for a meal. I will use a ‘pretty’ tablecloth to contrast with the disgust of the cigarette butts.

D. Where will this installation be located and why?

This installation will be located in my ‘living/dining’ room. There is a little breakfast area that I eat the healthy ‘Swedish’ style breakfast at. This means no sugary cereals, no greasy bacon, but fresh fruit, granola in yogurt, and thin slices of organic meat and cheese on fresh baked bread. I chose this location because it’s a controversial setting for the image I am going to construct there. I wanted to use the ‘healthy’ setting to contrast with the unhealthy ‘meal.’ I like that my image makes several statements. One being: ‘why eat so healthy when you’re just killing your body with cigarettes?’ Another being: ‘We don’t throw cigarette butts on the places where we eat or the floor of our homes, why do we throw them outside? That’s something’s home, something’s eating place, what makes that okay?’

 

Art Criticism: Describing and Analyzing Artwork Worksheet

Artist: Caralie Fennessey

Title of work: Healthy Breakfast

Media: Cigarette Butts, camera, utilitarian objects

Date: 3/3/2012

Size: Approximately 3 cubic feet

Source of picture (URL): http://caralieforartinquiry.blogspot.com/

Description – Describe what you see.  (Subject matter)?

I see already smoked cigarettes on a plate, the shape of a fork made with cigarettes and the shape of a knife made with cigarettes. I see a nice tablecloth, a small table and a wooden floor with cigarette butts scattered randomly.

Formal analysis – (form) What principles and elements were used and how are they used?

The element of color was used, having white and light brown cigarette butts contrast with a red and white tablecloth and a wooden floor. The element of shape was used in the actual construction of the cigarette meal and the cigarette utensils. Texture was used with the mud and suit surrounding the cigarettes on the plate. Texture was also used in the pleasant crochet tablecloth to contrast with the gross place setting. Three dimensional space was used as this was constructed on a table and the floor with real three dimensional objects. 

What are your thoughts on the planning and creation of a site specific installation?

Site specific installations can hold a ‘fourth’ dimension of meaning. You have your materials used, the way in which you use them, the construction of your installation, and then the place where you construct it. It really would make a difference with my installation if I had constructed it outdoors rather than indoors, or in a bedroom rather than an eating room. I think site specific installations such as The Gates by Christo and Jeanne-Claude are more meaningful and in a way more beautiful than perhaps installations in galleries with little or no connection their surroundings. In a way installations are dependent on their sites, so artists should hone in on this notion and use it when creating their masterpieces.