Fallen Star Provides New Perspective

Fallen Star- Suh

Everyone has felt out of place and a little disjointed with one's present location. That feeling of alienation and changing perspective is captured in Do Ho Suh’s odd house called “Fallen Star.” It is the eighteenth commissioned sculpture for UCSD's Stuart Collection, in La Jolla. This off-kilter house is an expression of Suh’s own feeling of cultural displacement.  He left Korea in 1991, leading him to explore the idea of ‘home’ and memory.

Upon leaving the doors on the seventh floor of Jacobs Hall, one is immediately transported to a new environment. A path leads through a small, perfectly manicured, garden and up to a blue house that seems to be falling off the corner of the green balcony. This ‘home’ not only sits off the side of Jacobs Hall, the interior itself is slanted. The floor, ceiling, and furniture all sit at odd angles. Looking around the space, it is hard to figure out what is plumb and what is not. There is no real guideline to base these judgments on. The only object in the room that hangs properly is the chandelier, and even so it looks crooked as well. One’s balance is completely thrown off and a sense of vertigo is always hovering in the back of the viewers mind.  The space is a unique experience that has a lingering affect.

“Fallen Star” is a spectacular place to visit. With so many visitors to La Jolla, everyone can find a connection to Suh’s meaning. After experiencing “Fallen Star,” stop by Thumbprint Gallery, on Kline Street in La Jolla, to see contemporary and lowbrow art by local artists. The gallery is open 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays.

Source:

http://stuartcollection.ucsd.edu/artists/suh.shtml

Read, Write, Think, Dream of La Jolla

Read/Write/Think/Dream -Baldessari

Entrances to buildings have been an important and central part of architectural and artistic design for what seems like eternity. It is the first thing someone will see upon entering and the last thing as they leave. It is a portal, a transition from one space to the next. John Baldessari understood the conceptual and visual impact of an entrance and employed his style and vision into the main entrance to Geisel Library at UCSD in La Jolla. Baldessari used students as the focal point in this piece, entitled “Read/Write/Think/Dream.”

Primary-colored automatic doors are flanked by ten-foot tall portraits of UCSD students. Erect like pillars, they stand on bases of shelved classic books. As the doors to the library open, the primary colors blend, turning green and orange. It is a transition of color as well as space. Above the doors the paneled glass reads: READ, WRITE, THINK, DREAM. It is Baldessari’s reminder to the students that the library itself is a gateway to higher thinking, understanding, and imagination.

Baldessari used the foyer in his designs as well. Glass panels featuring seated students are directly opposite the automatic doors. To the left are giant writing utensils of various colors ordered in a rainbow. Through a second set of doors with Southern California palm trees is a photomural of the beach, which is clearly a nod to the beauty of the La Jolla coastline.

Baldessari uses color, image, and text to bring together the complexity of the Geisel Library: the students and books that inhabit the building, the concept of the library and university, and the stunning location of the school itself. Once you have seen Baldessari’s “Read/Write/Think/Dream” visit Thumbprint Gallery, on Kline Street in La Jolla, to see more art by local la jolla artists. The gallery is open 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays.

Source:

http://stuartcollection.ucsd.edu/artists/baldessari.shtml

A Table Laid with Thought

Green Table-Holzer

Jenny Holzer is an internationally renowned artist whose opinions and truths are the foundation, and form, of her controversial work. Text is her primary means of artistic expression. Her truisms have been on posters, scrolling LED screens, projected onto buildings, and installed in various museums around the world. UCSD commissioned Holzer to construct a sculpture for the La Jolla campus as part of the Stuart Collection. The product of this commission is entitled “Green Table” and resides in the Muir College Quad.

This oversized granite table is borderline monumental. Besides it’s size, the entire surface is carved with text. True to Holzer’s repertoire, some of it is humorous observations and commentary, while others are political criticisms. This table, which provides space for students and faculty to sit, eat, study, and congregate also has several conversation starters spread out before them.

Some of the text reads:

“Expiring for love is beautiful but stupid”

“Change is valuable when the oppressed become tyrants”

“Abuse of power comes as no surprise”

Longer stretches of text cover the top of the dark grey table. These messages are in a sense Holzer’s way of providing “food for thought,” presented at a table in a place of learning, UCSD. It is an interesting way of expressing ideas, inspiring discussion, and encouraging thought outside the classroom or laboratory. 

To experience more local, thought provoking, contemporary and lowbrow art, visit Thumbprint Gallery, on Kline Street in La Jolla. The gallery is open Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Source: http://stuartcollection.ucsd.edu/artists/holzer.shtml

'Something Pacific' about La Jolla

Something Pacific-Paik

Technology is a process of improvement and replacement. Once a newer, better, faster, model is released, the older models become obsolete and are then replaced. The growth of technology and dependence in the United States has shaped our culture and social lives as well. This is a theme in Nam June Paik’s sprawling installation “Something Pacific” at UCSD in La Jolla.

Nam June Paik is inspired by Dadaism and was part of the Fluxus movement of the post World War II era. His work using televisions quickly became a signature for his work.

In "Something Pacific,” Paik uses old and ruined televisions and incorporated them into the landscape surrounding UCSD's Media Center. Some have Buddha and figural companions blankly staring at the empty screens. A copy of Rodin’s ‘Thinker’ sits atop an old Walkman near the entrance to the building. This TV graveyard can take many meanings. It is a reminder that tv and media have shaped the landscape and environment of modern times. It is also a warning to students of the cyclical nature of technology.

The lobby of the Media Center has one of Paik’s interactive TV displays. Students can change what is being viewed on the banks of screens using a control panel. Video sequences of Paik’s or MTV can be manipulated on the multiple screens. The colorful changing screens are a striking contrast to the almost macabre scene outside the Media Center doors.

To learn more about art in La Jolla and local contemporary and lowbrow artwork, visit Thumbprint Gallery on Kline Street. The gallery is open Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Source:

http://stuartcollection.ucsd.edu/artists/paik.shtml

A Walk Along a La Jolla 'Terrace'

Terrace-Ferrara

Architecture and landscape design are both ways of dividing space into harmonious and functional areas. College campuses have an enormous amount of space in which to work with. Jackie Ferrara did a project for the Stuart Collection at the La Jolla campus of UCSD, creating a terrace space for the Cellular and Molecular Medicine Facility. The ‘Terrace” was designed with the help and consultation of the architects from Moore Ruble Yudell and landscape designer Andrew Spurlock. With their advice during the early development of the project, the Terrace became functional and aesthetically appealing.

The Terrace has three main parts, the large northern terrace, the central space dominated by circular stairs, and a smaller southern terrace. Each section flows into the other. Black, red, and green slate tiles are used to pave the walkways between the three areas. The walkways are surrounded by Australian willow trees and benches; encouraging scientists to rest in the sun and contemplate. The terraces link the two wings of the building, creating an overall pleasant cohesive look to the facility.

The linear patterns of the walkway combined with the consecutive curvature of the staircase juxtaposed with the stone and grassy landscape create an interesting blend of hard and soft. The Terrace is a feat of architectural and landscape design. Once you have finished contemplating the complexities of cellular division on the Terrace, drop by Thumbprint Gallery, on Kline Street in La Jolla, to see contemporary and lowbrow art. The gallery is open Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays from 12 p.m. to  4 p.m.

Source:

http://stuartcollection.ucsd.edu/artists/ferrara.shtml

Color Runs Through UCSD Campus

Two Running Violet V Forms-Irwin

As with all mediums, there is a limit to how much one can do with it. Some types of paint will remain transparent no matter what, while others are difficult to thin out or create impasto. Artist Robert Irwin found these limitations frustrating and gave up on painting all together. He began to experiment with architectural sculpture and incorporating the qualities and effects of paint into a three dimensional environment. His sculpture for the Stuart Collection at UCSD in La Jolla, “Two Running Violet V Forms” expresses Irwin’s goals.

With the man-made eucalyptus forest between the Mandeville Center and the Faculty Club as his site, Irwin constructed two running chain link fences in the shape of V’s. Each fence is approximately 25 feet high and the links are covered in blue-violet colored plastic. The fences do not reach the ground, allowing ample space for pedestrians to walk beneath. Purple flowering ice plant has been planted under the fences, accenting the color.

The V Forms illustrate Irwin’s ideas about light and dimension. The fences weave between the trees in straight lines providing a different perspective to each individual as they move around the eucalyptus grove. As the day progresses, light catches and reflects off the chain link in different ways, changing the color and visual qualities of the V Forms.

The “Two Running Violet V Forms” are an interesting translation of painting into a thee dimensional space, well worthy of experiencing. Once you have seen the color and light qualities of the Forms, visit Thumbprint Gallery, located on Kline Street, to see more local contemporary art in La Jolla. The gallery is open Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Source:

http://stuartcollection.ucsd.edu/artists/irwin.shtml

The Sun God of UCSD

Sun God-de Saint Phalle

Art creates ideas, promotes thought, and can easily become a symbol. This is the case of Niki de Saint Phalle’s “Sun God” statue at the University of California, San Diego. As part of the Stuart Collection, the statue was commissioned for a specific location on the La Jolla campus; namely the Mandeville auditorium. Its central location and vivid colors draw a stunning amount of attention.

Niki de Saint Phalle is a wildly famous sculptural artist. Her work is mainly in Paris and Northern Italy. Her spreading fame with her “Nanas,” or earth mother sculptures, shows her fascination with modern feminism. Her work has a distinctive colorful palette with curvilinear lines creating form and depth. The “Sun God” was her first sculpture in the United States. The brightly colored fourteen-foot bird is perched atop a fifteen-foot arch. Golden plumage shoots out from its head in rays, resembling the sun.

The students of UCSD adopted this bird as their own mascot. It has been incorporated into the UCSD culture and events. The statue has been clothed in caps and gowns, sunglasses, given a machete and headband, etc. Some students joke that it is actually a dormant Pokemon, waiting for someone to awaken it with a Sunstone. The largest annual Student Association sponsored event has been named after the statue: Sun God Festival. The statue has become a meeting point for student gatherings, rallies, and events. The statue has also been transcribed onto memorabilia for the campus: coffee mugs and t-shirts.

After seeing the unofficial mascot of the University of California, San Diego, stop by Thumbprint Gallery, on Kline Street in La Jolla, to see colorful lowbrow, contemporary, local art. The gallery is open from 12-4pm Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays.