Reflection on Kendall Buster

 It seems like the majority of artists and designers come from an Art and Design College. Kendall Buster got her Bachelor’s degree at one. However, that does not make me believe that going to a university not centered on just my field affects me in any sort of negative way.  This was my first thought when I started reading Buster’s biography on her website. I also see a pattern in art and design majors veering towards sculpture. For myself, it does not interest me that much to do it as a career, but I love to view sculptures in museums and galleries. Buster’s work is found internationally so it is clear that her sculptures are enjoyed by all difference people. The museums that display her works vary vastly. From Letter museums to Space museums Buster has her art widely spread all around the world. I believe that the seat project gives students a chance to also have their work widely shared, if they wish. If the seat resembles a space ship who knows; it may end up in a Space museum across the country. The seat does not have to wind up in the recycling bin or even in a museum full of furniture. To add, I love the material that Buster uses for her sculptures. I am not certain what it is but it reminds me of Chinese lanterns that you can place in your home or backyard. It seems like she centers her work on science. It is always good to pick one thing that intrigues you and work with it in various ways. Who knew that parabiosis or cells could be made into sculptures? In conclusion, Buster’s website has inspired me more to create a seat that no one would expect to see as a seat. Her work is not consisted of everything that would be expected to be made into art. I do not want my art to be predictable either.

Reflection on Martin Puryear

Martin Puryear has a similar thinking process compared to my own. He tries to reference one thing with another without being too direct or obvious.  For instance, an arch sculpture of Puryear’s can be associated with St. Louis because of the famous arch located in that city. Sculptures that do not necessarily resemble an exact object are the ones that I find myself spending more time in analyzing. I rather spend time in a museum that has more abstract art than art that you can spot and know exactly what you are viewing right away. For instance, for our second project, I want to create a seat that does not look like a traditional seat. It does not have to have a vertical straight back or four legs to support it. I will explore ways to make it easily seen as something to sit on and comfortably, but not so obvious that my dining room table has the same set of chairs that I see every day. Another aspect that I enjoy in Puryear’s work is the diversity. Not all of his works come from American inspiration. Some ideas grow from his experiences in Europe or Africa. Diversity keeps the viewer interested and guessing what is coming next. If all chairs resembled American style during this project, we may get bored and stop wanting to see more. However, if one chair has an Asian feel to it while another clearly resembles Italian background; we are more likely to keep our curiosity of the project’s possibilities at hand. Puryear also uses what he knows and has learned from to create more art. However, he does not feel like as an artist that the spectators need to have much knowledge of where the work originated from or when it came to be. I believe the same, in my own way. Some works, if they are expressing the history of a culture, may need more explanations of where and when they were created. If they work is just spontaneous or for the purpose of just function, background is not really needed. To conclude, I agree that works of art should not just be for the purpose of someone to display them or use them. I believe that each work should have a moral or meaning behind it. The titles of Puryear’s sculptures tell me that he wants that to come out in his art. For example, Puryear has sculptures called Desire and Believer. The titles make the viewer want to analyze the work more because they are relatable to almost anyone. I will make sure to name my seat that I design and create, something that leaves my classmates in wonder.