Museum Entrance

V I R T U A L M U S E U M O F C O N T E M P O R A R Y A R T

“ T o T h y O w n S e l f , B e T r u e . ”

C U R A T O R + C R E D I T S

I n a s o c i e t y c o n s u m e d w i t h P h o t o s h o p a n d m e d i a m a n i p u l a t i o n , i t i s e a s y f o r o n e t o l o s e s e l f - i m a g e . Te l e v i s i o n , m a g a z i n e s , a n d t h e I n t e r n e t s h o w h o w p e o p l e a r e s u p p o s e d t o l o o k a n d g i v e s o c i e t y a n i m a g e o f t h e “ p e r f e c t ” m a l e o r f e m a l e . M u l t i p l e f o r m s o f m e d i a p o s s e s s t h e m i n d s o f m a n y t e e n s a n d h e l p t o c r e a t e a g e n e r a t i o n f u l l o f i n s e c u r e h u m a n b e i n g s . S o c i e t y i s l o s i n g c o n fi d e n c e a n d p u t t i n g f a i t h i n t o f a l s e a d v e r t i s e m e n t .R e a d m o r e … »

C l i c k o n a r r o w s t o v i s i t r o o m sR O O M 1R O O M 2

R O O M 3

Room 1

M U S E U M L O B B Y

R O O M 1

C l i c k o n i m a g e s t o s e e l a r g e r

Room 2

M U S E U M L O B B Y

R O O M 2

C l i c k o n

i m a g e s t o s e e l a r g e r

Room 3

R O O M 3

M U S E U M L O B B Y

C l i c k o n i m a g e s t o s e e l a r g e r

“ To T h y O w n S e l f , B e Tr u e . ”

In a society consumed with Photoshop and media manipulation, it is easy for one to lose self-image. Television, magazines, and the Internet show how people are supposed to look and give society an image of the “perfect” male or female. Multiple forms of media possess the minds of many teens and help to create a generation full of insecure human beings. Society is losing confidence and putting faith into false advertisement.

This false advertisement has photo shopped celebrities and images on busses, posters, and billboards. These advertisements are distorted images that have been altered to the point where the beauty in simplicity no longer exists. Models are cropped to be 20 lbs. less than their actual weight, and older male and females are being altered to look younger than their realistic age. Society trusts this false advertisement and feels inspired to change who they truly are.

Many individuals are subjected to this controlled society in high school and grade school. Most schools try to give students the opportunity to be themselves, but they put limitations on their creativity by

giving regulations on certain ways to act or dress. Due to this, many children move toward adolescence with confusion of who they truly want to be. Individuals begin to lose their self-image and self-meaning at a young age.

In the art world today, artists new and old are creating artwork related to this common issue. These artists break free from this controlled society in their artwork. Andy Warhol is one of the major artists that paved way for other artists to enter the advertising art world. Artists like Cindy Sherman, Marina Abramovic, Chuck Close, and Martin Grohs.create artwork showing the reality of individuals in society. These artists are depicting the beauty in their subject matter as they truly are. They are not photo shopping their subjects to be super skinny or have flawless features. These artists are emphasizing on the simplicity of one being who they are. Pop art and modern artists have their own funky and unique styles to show who they really are and not who they are trying to be. For example, Cindy Sherman creates an infinite amount of self-portraits. Her images are altered, but only to show

her as the different personalities she portrays. In Sherman’s Untitled Film Stills she has one portrait of herself dressed up as a clown. In these clown images sometimes she is smiling, but in other images she is serious; which helps the audience focus more on the artist personality and inspire them to embrace their own unique personalities.

When I think of these pop art and modern artists I think of an old quote by Shakespeare: “To thy own self, be true”. This quote is the theme for this curatorial project. Society needs to be inspired by pop art artist to be who they are and not lose sense of meaning. Andy Warhol once said “I’m afraid that if you look at a thing long enough, it loses all meaning”. This quote relates toward the way society looks upon individuals. The more media consumes this society with false images of what actions or fashion is right or wrong, the more we begin to lose ourselves and who we truly are. These artists are showing their inner personality and the beauty in being themselves. Pop art and modern artists are filling society with confidence and a sense of security.

R e t u r n t o L o b b y

C i n d y S h e r m a n M a c C o l l e c t i o n

L o o k # 1Artist: Cindy Sherman

Date: September 29, 2011

Media: Photograph

Mac cosmetics decided to have Sherman model for their fall collection. Sherman’s work particularly explores the way women are portrayed in society. Sherman uses makeup as a tool for transformation, similar to all women in society. Makeup is a way for females to hid the flaws or spots of insecurity. Sherman not only shows herself transformed with makeup but creates a different persona with each portrait.

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C i n d y S h e r m a n M a c C o l l e c t i o n

L o o k # 2Artist: Cindy Sherman

Date: September 29, 2011

Media: Photograph

Besides campaigning for Mac Cosmetics, Sherman has campaigned for Balenciaga and Marc Jacobs. With each one of her collections, Sherman continues to keep herself as the main subject matter. This American artist is known to be the queen of cosmetic disguise. Mac’s goal for this collaboration was to motivate consumers to be their inner artist and create risk taking styles.

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C i n d y S h e r m a n M a c C o l l e c t i o n

L o o k # 3 Artist: Cindy Sherman

Date: September 29, 2011

Media: Photograph

Sherman portrays the power of transformation in all her portraits. Sherman’s goal for her collaboration with Mac was to persuade customers to be bold when expressing themselves. Mac and Sherman both team up to inspire cosmetic consumers and the rest of society to be fearless in all that they do, rather artistically or not.

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U n t i t l e d # 4 0 2

Artist: Cindy Sherman

Date: 2000

Media: Photograph

Size: 36 x 24in

Sherman’s portraits become narratives. Many of the characters in her Untitled Film Stills relate to her close family members. Some images were hard for Sherman to work on due to recent deaths in the family. The different roles Sherman plays relate to the families of the viewers as well which is an amazing quality in her work.

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H o l d i n g t h e L a m b

Artist: Marina Abramovic

Date: 2010

Media: Photograph

Size:160 x 200cm

Belgrade, Serbia born artist Marina Abramovic pushes the boundaries in all her performance art. Abramovic’s art displays self-control and will power. The portrait of Abramovic holding a lamb over her head with a dramatic background represents her connection with nature and her surrounding environment. Abramovic represents life and nature in her work. This portrait also shows Abramovic’s inner strength as she holds the animal over her head. She expresses her independence and her sustenance.

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R o o m

T h e F a m i l y X I

Artist: Marina Abramovic

Date: 2008

Media: Photograph

Size:180 x 225cm

Known as the art world diva, Marina has been international with her artwork for the past 30 years. A lot of her work portrays her physical, emotional, and mental strength. The Family XI has a personal meaning to Abramovic. Growing up during the war, her parents were always in uniform and had weapons near by at all times. This photograph is startling to audiences but once the photograph is viewed with the series of images it is easy to understand Marina’s story.

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A r t i s t P o r t r a i t w i t h

a R o s eArtist: Marina Abramovic

Date: 2013

Media: Photograph

Size: 70 x 70cm

Marina is interested in the simplicity of earth and nature and portrays it in her artwork. The photograph she has with a rose shows how Marina is simple and secure with nature. Abramovic is also interested in death as well and stressed her age in some of her work. Marina is showing herself as a healthy flower and still creating performance art.

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V o g u e I t a l y C o v e r

Artist: Marina Abramovic

Date: 2010

Media: Photograph

Marina Abramovic’s body has always been the center of all her work. Most of her work is rather her clothed, naked, tense, relaxed, or in a violated state. A lot of Marina’s work challenges the limits of the body and many consider her art Feminist. Abramovic’s is very comfortable with her body and continues to transform her knowledge about sexuality into her work. This particular images was issued in Vogue Italy. Marina was interviewed on her work and how risky and provocative her work is.

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A m e n

Artist: Martin Grohs

Date: 2014

Media: New Media, Photoshop

Size: 60x40cm

Martin Grohs is a creative director and illustrator from Leipzig, Germany. Amen was been created to show how concerned society is with their smart phones and new technology. The world if changing constantly and Grohs shows in this image how our generation pays such little mind to all the changes. Amen was created to inspire this generation, and upcoming generations that the world is changing and we should look up and realize it.

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B ig Nude

Artist: Chuck Close

Date: 1967

Media: oil on canvas

Size:. 117 x 253in

Chuck close has been very private about exhibiting his nude paintings. The Big Nude is the first reclining figurative painting and only one he has ever released. Close chose models who were not exceptionally beautiful because his intent was to paint realistically. Close wanted his painting to have flaws such as tan lines, open pores, and stretch marks. This is Close first and last full body scale painting.

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Fanny

Artist: Chuck Close

Date: 1985

Media: oil on canvas

Size: 102 x 84in

Fanny is a finger-painting portrait of Close’s wife’s late grandmother. This is Close most masterly display of a technique he practiced himself. From a distance the painting seems cracked but as you look closer you can see the fingerprints of the artist which creates an abstract beauty. Close has created another portrait with flaw filled features that only make the image more realistic.

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R o o m

PhilArtist: Chuck Close

Date: 1969

Media: Acrylic on canvas

Size: 108 x 84in

Close reinvents painting with his realistic portraits. This artist is famous for his risk taking and precise images. Close admits that most of his painting state clear decisions that he has made as an artist. Even with his physical limitations he continues to depict amazing portraits of personal relatives and other well known artists. Phil is actually a portrait of the musician Philip Glass. The two met in Paris in 1964. Philip’s music and Close’s work have relation due to both being unique and different than anyone else’s.

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R o o m

K r i s t i n a C u m b aI am a developing artist still finding my medium. I receive my inspiration from risk taking work like the artists in this museum. The theme for this museum is personal to me because I have once battled with losing my self-meaning. As a transition from two opposite majors in college, I was once unsure with who I wanted to be. I was focused on being the person who would impress others and lost contact with who I really am destined to be. I am an artists with a God given talent. I have been blessed with a creative mind that I believe should be put to use. I am meant to be the artist that I am. Along with the rest of the artist in this museum, I believe in one being who they truly are because at the end of it all, no one else knows you better than yourself.

I M A G E C R E D I T S

R e t u r n t o L o b b y

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h t t p : / /o n . b e . n e t / 1 u m h M t 0

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C I T A T I O NS

http://bit.ly/167e429 http://bit.ly/1vQB4Mo http://bit.ly/1vFPLwS http://bit.ly/1BzMlUI

C I TAT I O N SGoto, Yumi. "Fashion Forward: Cindy Sherman for MAC Cosmetics." LightBox. N.p., 24 Aug. 2011. Web. 11 Dec. 2014.

Gallun, Lucy. "MY FAVORITE CINDY SHERMAN." InsideOut. N.p., 5 Mar. 2012. Web. 11 Dec. 2014.

Breese, Josephine. "Marina Abramovic." Thisistomorrow. N.p., 29 Oct. 2010. Web. 11 Dec. 2014.

Ebony, David. "Art In America." Marina Abramovic: An Interview. N.p., 5 May 2009. Web. 11 Dec. 2014.

D'Annunzio, Grazia. "Marina Abramovic." - Vogue.it. N.p., 16 July 2010. Web. 11 Dec. 2014.

Grohs, Martin. "AMEN '14." On Digital Art Served. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Dec. 2014.

CLaporte. "Chuck Close." : Big Nude (1967-1968). N.p., 28 Nov. 2011. Web. 11 Dec. 2014.

Yoo, Alice. "Chuck Close Unbelievable Fingerpainting Portrait." Mymodernmet.com. N.p., 5 July 2012. Web. 11 Dec. 2014.

"Chuck Close - Discover His Biography & 188 Works on Artsy." Chuck Close - Discover His Biography & 188 Works on Artsy. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Dec. 2014.

"Close Encounter." Close Encounter. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Dec. 2014.

R e t u r n t o C u r a t o r

V i r t u a l m u s e u m s w e r e i n t r o d u c e d b y e d u c a t o r s a t K e i t h V a l l e y M i d d l e S c h o o l. O r i g i n a l t e m p l a t e b y D r . C h r i s t y K e e l e r m o d i fi e d b y W i l l i a m C r o m a r.

T h i s w o r k i s l i c e n s e d u n d e r a C r e a t i v e C o m m o n s A t t r i b u t i o n - N o n c o m m e r c i a l - S h a r e A l i k e 3 . 0 U n i t e d S t a t e s L i c e n s e .