Art 21 ProjectJanuary 28th, 2016

By: Denise KirkseyTeacher: Daniel Riesmeyer

Artist: Catherine OpieBy: Denise Kirksey

Catherine Opie, "Idexa," 1993, courtesy Regen Projects, LA Subjects people don’t want to talk about

Catherine was speaking about borrowing from all these cultures with our style and our tattoos, just like architecture does (portrayal of body

modification).recognizing different periods within culture.Opie was interested in marking a time period with my friends, and creating a sense of history in relationship to body modification that also works on the tribal level of identifying with one another.Catherine Opie - Idexa, 1993 | PHOTOGRPHY_PORTRAIT | Pinterest2279 x 2983 · jpegpinterest.com

Subject people don’t want to talk about.By: Denise Kirksey

Catherine Opie’s art piece spoke about labeling people in order to belong to certain groups. I thought about religion. These people are all labeled by their religion. Religion is a

subject that people don’t want to talk about.

Mark Bradford’s (Kryptonite 2006) By: Denise Kirksey

Mark Bradford's work addresses the spontaneous systems and networks that materialize within cities, such as displaced communities,

patterns of violence, and black-market economies. The art caused me to understand, empathize and feel what’s being depicted. Bradford gives modernism’s vision

of an ordered utopia a lethal reality check as hard-edged borders and harmonious planes are exchanged for independent non-defined forms engaging

in unruly turf-war. Evolving his surface as a highly textured topography, Bradford uses gesture and mark-making to encapsulate the dissonance and excitement of a metropolitan landscape.

Materials: Collage and Paint on PaperSize 730 x 606.jpeg

TRAPPEDBy: Denise KirkseyMark’s work gave me an idea about the Black Market Economy. I came up with this Art piece called trapped!Bradford’s art caused me to understand, empathize and feel what’s being depicted.In the Art piece (trapped) which is all made of recycled aluminum foil. You will find an African American male behind bars. He is trapped within himself. Due to the fact, he grew up in a drug infested community and he cant help but to participate in the drug war in which he was raised. He knows , the choices he makes has it’s consequences.

"B Painting (Greenheads)" (1996) Laylah AliBelts, because of the multiple ways they can be used. Belts being practical, to hold up their pants. Belts as instruments of domestic violence. Belts to

hang some of my characters. Superheroes most often have belts. If we’re going to use that word, ‘power,’ belts connote some kind of power. The colors she used were very well balanced.

Laylah Ali"B Painting (Greenheads)," 1996

Gouache on paper, 11 x 7 1/2 inchesCourtesy the Artist

Belts/ By: Denise KirkseyI can relate to the Artist (Ali) when she said that

belts have power. Belts also have the power to restrain.