artprize 2011

Andy and I went to check out ArtPrize this weekend--or at least, the offerings on show at the Urban Institute of Contemporary Arts.  Above is Chin Wang's CW, which I was immediately drawn to since I'm so obsessed right now with the Game of Thrones books.  The bears naturally make me think of House Mormont, but I'm afraid the bridge looks like the sigil for nasty House Frey.  Oh man, I have turned into such a Game of Thrones dork.

Sadly, I think ArtPrize has jumped the shark.  The bigger and cheesier an entry is, the more likely it is to win a prize.  In the current top ten finalists?  A bust of Gerald R. Ford and a giant mosaic of crucified Jesus.  I fear that interesting artists may cease to show up for ArtPrize.  However, I'm confident that art will thrive in Grand Rapids as long as we have places like the UICA, where all the works were thought provoking.

Jess Larson's embroidered series, Look and Learn, Little Girl was probably my favorite work.  Designed to look like children's flash cards, it is meant to be "a more humorous and approachable means to discuss how women perceive their place and the conflicting messages that have been internalized via social conditioning."  These looked more amazing in person than my camera captured here.

Michelle Jaffé's Wappen Field is a sound and sculpture installation.  "Wappen" means coat of arms in German, and the artist's statement said the term "suggests brand, a badge identifying groups such as family, team and tribe."  Are all the artists watching and reading Game of Thrones?!?   Each helmet had voices playing through its speakers, and I found it strangely pleasant and soothing.

Dream Home by Ghost of a Dream is a depiction of a room in a "dream home" created from $70,000 worth of discarded lottery tickets.  My photo only shows a small chunk--it's much larger and has the giant phrase "Maybe Next Time" (ha!) wrought in lottery tickets on the wall above it.

It was cold and blustery, so I got to wear tights for the first time this autumn.  This was taken across the street from UICA at the Site: Lab location, which had some very cool large scale installations on display.  My dress is 1950s from an estate sale this summer.  The striped 1940s gabardine swing jacket was from an estate sale last year, and finally got its first wearing.  It has a cool old Jacobson's (Michigan department store) label in it.  The purse came from an antiques mall last summer.  I've had the vintage necklace and shoes (Aerosoles wedges) for several years.

Andy wore a 1950s gray wool flannel shirt that he's had for ages, with a 1960s plaid flannel jacket that he thrifted.  His vintage Levi's and Eddie Bauer buckle loafers were thrifted, too.  I wish I'd taken a picture of his nifty deadstock 1950s argyle socks.

Ooo, look--nature's art!  I wonder if we can cover our house in two-tone ivy?

xo
K