Transforming 2 Dimensions Into 3

In my last blog I wrote about a visit to the Whitney Museum and how I decided to do a two dimensional collage inspired by the polka dots that artist Yayoi Kusama uses in many of her pieces.  The theme of my art class this past week was white on white again.  This time, however,  the assignment was to create a 3 dimensional artwork.  With that in mind I chose to recycle my 2 dimensional piece and create an assemblage.   I had a glass covered square rosewood box that I painted white using several coats of acrylic paint.  I then pasted my original collage inside the box and added painted wooden spherical shapes.  Finally, using gloss medium I sealed and shined up the outside.  Voila a new piece!

At the Whitney Museum

At the Whitney museum www.whitney.org I saw a retrospective of the Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama pictured here.  Her work spanning many decades encompasses painting, sculpture, drawing, collages and large-scale installations.

Although I was unfamiliar with her work, I found myself intrigued by her vision and the vast collection and variety of her art.

In fact, today the first day of my collage class we were given an assignment  called "white on white."  I always considered myself a colorist so this was going to be quite a challenge.  I must have been influenced by Kusama's use of polka dots in many of her pieces and the result is pictured here:

A Gem of a Museum

The great advantage of living in New York are the many museums and art galleries featuring art through the ages from prehistoric to the latest in contemporary pieces.  Most of us are familiar with the major institutions such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Guggenheim and the Museum of Modern Art.  However, there are some small gems and the other day I discovered one of them.

The Rubin Museum of Art rmanyc.org located on 17th. Street between 6th. and 7th. avenue is a museum devoted to Himalayan art with many works from Tibet, China, and India.  It is a beautiful museum occupying 5 floors with changing exhibits.  One can view the many unique sculptures, paintings, wall hangings etc. without any crowds hovering close by.  I look forward to returning there and highly recommend it.