Category conceptual art

Artists Help Us Learn from Trees: Maren Hassinger and Josephine Halvorson at deCordova Sculpture Park
Josephine Halvorson’s Measure (Tree) and Maren Hassinger’s Monuments 3 and 6 have expanded my range in relating to trees. That is true for several other artworks at deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum, so I’ll hope to follow up in future posts with more examples. But I’ll start with these two artists because their processes give specific attention to trees. Measure (Tree) involved the artist in close observation while painting a tree’s elements onto a wooden plank. Both Monuments involved many people in carefully weaving assorted branches of local trees into geometric structures and patterns. Quotes from the Trustees website explain more. Links to each artist’s site offer context. My photos give glimpses of the presence of these artworks among trees in the park in different seasons.

Follow up on Elliott Kayser’s Pigs from their Year on the Greenway
The photos in this post come from January 1, 2020, the last time I visited Elliott Kayser’s eight ceramic pigs along the Rose Kennedy Greenway. They had kept their stations well for almost a year. Now that the Year of the Pig is almost over they are gone!
From a very informative Greenway blog post, I have learned that five of the pigs have moved on to the Fuller Craft Museum in Brockton. Chiefly the blog post clearly tells a story with great photos of ten steps involved in creating the pigs. If you wondered about the origins or future of these sculptures, about 250 pounds each, read that blog post.

Structure Guides Discoveries in Alicja Kwade’s Art at Castle Hill and MIT
I visited Alicja Kwade’s TunnelTeller at Castle Hill in Ipswich in mid-November and hope to do so a few more times before it goes on April Fools’ Day! This post shows my photos of Kwade’s impressive work , including outdoor art at MIT. It provides links to more persuasive photos and information. I’m posting now so local friends and colleagues can plan to go before Kwade’s art has gone.

See all Sides of Art Installation by Jessie and Katey on Western Avenue in Allston
In May 2017, Jessie Unterhalter and Katey Truhn incorporated every outer inch of a building, including roof, steps, and chimneys into a colorful commanding work of art. They responded inventively to the dimensions and angles of the space; they chose challenging materials as well. More than two years later their installation still stands out and draws us in.

Nancy Milliken’s Earth Press Project: Witness, October Views
Ways to Witness Earth Press Project: WITNESS in the next few weeks: 1. Visit the real installation before November, 2. Visit Nancy Winship Milliken Studio website. 3. Visit NPS website for Minute Man National Historical Park. 4. Visit website for the Umbrella, Arts and Environment. Any or all of the above will give you a sense of the complicated steps, interactions, and connections within a seemingly simple structure.

Sol LeWitt’s Wall Drawing #1128 First Drawn by Denise Kupferschmidt and Five Other Artists
I had wavered about including Denise Kupferschmidt on my list of women artists represented on Public Art Walk Boston after I read that “a group of assistants executed this piece, guided by precise written instructions and diagrams from LeWitt.” Yet I came to understand that each artist on the team to carry out a wall drawing could contribute uniquely within LeWitt’s guidelines. More important, as I began to learn about Denise Kupferschmidt’s art, I truly wanted to share what she has shown!