Post Modern Exhibit- Deconstruction

     Deconstruction is mainly a symbolic theme. The idea of fractured deconstruction also exists where artwork is made with pieces to create a whole picture. Deconstruction art isn’t related to any major events or wars but became popular around the 1980s. I perceive this new art style as an idea that we are breaking away from the wars and prejudices from the past and creating something new. Not all of these works represent that idea, but that is my opinion of this style of work.

    This first piece called "Cause and Effect" by Do Ho Suh was created in 2007. His work relates to deconstructionism because it is very symbolic and can be interpreted in many ways. For example, when you first look at this piece, it looks like glass pieces put together intricately in a spiral design. When you look closer, you can tell that the little glass pieces are actually one person stacked upon another, holding them on their shoulders. After seeing a closeup you start to understand why it was named “Cause and Effect” because if one person at the bottom falls, the whole structure would then collapse. Each person is relying on the one below them to stay together. I enjoy the symbolic nature of this piece and the vibrant warm colors add so much intrigue to this piece. I love the red and yellow tones blending into each other from far away. You’ll even notice that in the closeup picture, the figures are actually one solid color so it probably took a lot of time blending these perfectly.

    Also created by Do Ho Suh, titled “Karma” is another symbolic piece that can be interpreted in many different ways. When examining this piece, it comes off as strange because you see two giant shoes walking and little figures underneath them that look to be running away. I believe one might interpret this piece as the man has been "stepping on people" his whole life to get ahead in his profession but karma will make things right and free those cursed by his actions. I like the use of greys and blacks against a white background. I think it really highlights the figures underneath the shoes and the business attire of the man. I think the stark white highlights the interpretation of this man's actions coming to light and exposing him.

   

The next artist Micaela Lattanzio, created this sculpture collection named “Fragmenta” in 2015. These pieces represent what once was a whole person but they are now spread out all over the place in an abstract manner. In this specific series, she uses these pieces as political propaganda for women’s issues. Lattanzio mentions, “the series is not a criticism, but rather a reflection on understanding the world, the human being is an integral part of a complex system that is facing an evolutionary process in which it is imperative to find new identities and a social equality” (Micaela). She is using her art pieces to send a message of coming changes towards women that are needed for progression as a society. I enjoy all the shapes and lines she utilizes to piece together these sculptures. Lattanzio took photographs and cut them into tiny pieces to then reassemble them in a fragmented fashion. The colors with the lines and shapes created a dramatic appearance and draw the viewers in.  

    This next piece titled "Where have the flowers gone" by Micaela Lattanzio is done in the same style as her “Fragmenta” series but it instead is created out of a bunch of small flowers. I couldn’t find any backstory behind this intriguing piece but I find it interesting that paper flowers were used instead of paper hexagons because that is her go-to shape. This piece represents Lattanzio's style of art perfectly, where she spends hours cutting up pieces of paper into tiny shapes and then reassembling them into artwork. You can see her take on deconstruction-style art by looking at all of her creations. I believe this abstract piece is meant for viewers to just enjoy and gaze upon, rather than have a deep meaning behind it. I enjoy the variations of color used throughout this piece because I think they create a pattern that puts the piece in motion. The clumped and not clumped areas of flowers make the circles feel like they are actually rotating. Like this is a group of gears rotating in a machine.

    The last artist I am going to highlight for the Deconstruction style is Frank Gehry. These sculptures he created in 2021 were titled "Spinning Tales". Gehry used polyvinyl pieces and copper pieces to reconstruct these fish sculptures. These sculptures represent deconstructionism because they were created out of pieces of material and shrewdly placed back together to create art. I enjoy these sculptures because they are fun to look at. The different jagged lines create texture and the use of lights and metal create the shiny scales that one would see on an actual fish. The technique of suspending his creations, lets the viewers follow his work from one room to the next creating a harmonious flow when observing his work.

              

    This last piece created by Frank Gehry is the Jay Pritzker Pavilion located at Millennium Park in Chicago, Illinois. I am a little biased because I grew up two hours away from Chicago, but it is my favorite city in the United States. I have visited this pavilion many times and it truly is stunning to take in. This pavilion is a sculpture consisting of ribbons of steel twisting up to form a "headdress". This structure houses many outdoor events with the orchestra and musical guests. There are steel pipes that bend across the spectator's lawn that extends the sculpture to the viewer. I enjoy this sculpture because of the movement that the twisting steel pieces created. It really brings the sculpture to life and is enhanced further when the lights cascade off it during a concert. The steel pipes that extend across the viewer's lawn are multifunctional because speakers can be hung from them to enhance the reach of the bands' harmonies. In conclusion, I think post-modern deconstructionism art is a really fun style and it has been used for so many different messages; whether political or just to enhance the experience of something or the viewer.      

References:

Micaelalattanzio.Com, 2022, https://www.micaelalattanzio.com/where-are-the-flower-gone.

"Do Ho Suh's 'Cause & Effect': A Vortex Of Little Orange Men". Colossal, 2022, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2012/02/do-ho-suhs-cause-effect-a-vortex-of-little-orange-men/.

"Frank Gehry | Biography, Architecture, Buildings, Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, Pritzker Pavilion, Style, & Facts". Encyclopedia Britannica, 2022, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Frank-Gehry.

"Jay Pritzker Pavilion | Millennium Park Foundation". Millennium Park Foundation, 2022, https://millenniumparkfoundation.org/art-architecture/pritzker-pavilion/.

"Micaela Lattanzio | Art UPON | Arte Pubblica, Artisti, Arte". Pinterest, 2022, https://www.pinterest.com/pin/321163017182315148/.

"What Is Deconstruction In Art? Movement & Characteristics". ATX Fine Arts, 2022, https://www.atxfinearts.com/blogs/news/deconstruction-in-art.

Suh, Do. "Karma | All Works | The MFAH Collections". Emuseum.Mfah.Org, 2022, https://emuseum.mfah.org/objects/85463/karma?idx=2.