Candyce Musinski

BLOG ASSIGNMENT#1 - Intro to Printmaking

Marilee Salvator's "Prolific Growth" was an inspiring and intricate exhibition that expressed an appealing message. The idea of cells, mutations, and general growth are all delicately combined into one grand display. Every piece in the gallery seemed to fit in to the presentation properly. The set up of all the compositions worked well. I do wish this piece was the last one, to save the excitement, but I do understand the lack of space provided in the gallery. However, everything was handled very professionally. The framed compositions were very elegant and even the ripping around the edges of papers were perfect. I completely felt Salvator's connection to nature and her fascination with specific ideas of life. When entering the gallery, a sense of overwhelming beauty is enhanced. The extremely detailed and numerous compositions was overpowering, yet the colors and markings used had a clam and lovely feel. The other pieces with the layering also created this sense of chaotic splendor. This combination works with Salvator's idea of cells. Salvator expressed that to some people, cells may appear to be beautiful, but to others, the cells can seem overwhelming and potentially dangerous. The very first piece, Growth Patterns, is a great example of this idea.

Prolific Growth was the one piece that I was extremely attracted to. I loved the way the piece extended from wall to wall and even from ceiling to floor. I thought it was wise to continue the piece flowing into the floor or the other side of the wall. This really spoke to me about growth and reminded me of Salvator's interest in gardening. Vines grow quickly and almost take over their surroundings. This piece had the same effect. The colors felt calm and cool, but the markings made for a slightly more chaotic scene. Prolific Growth was created with etching, digital, and wood. This truly interested me because I have never been a huge fan of digital or wood, but Salvator's interpretation presented a whole new idea for the two. I only wish that these pieces could have been hung up differently. Thought I admit I am not an expert on gallery set-ups, I wished that at least the tinier pieces did not reveal the velcro that stuck them to the walls. Overall, though, the flow and consistency of the composition made for a special message many seemed to agree with.

I personally enjoyed the idea of Salvator's lecture. I really just love to hear what inspires artist and why they created their pieces. Salvator's examples of other works were very interesting to me. When she began with her first piece that her professor created out of envelopes, I thought, how cool! This woman was inspired by someone else's work of art to then create her own pieces that personally inspired her. When referencing back to other's works, one idea that really stuck out in my head was the sand art. I thought it was amazing how some artists could create such a lovely piece and then destroy it instantly to instill the idea that nothing lasts forever in life. It was such an interesting concept and I enjoyed how Salvator admitted that she created a piece inspired by them, but could not destroy her own work because of her love for it. That really showed how big Slavator's heart is for art and inspiration and I respect that. One piece that she talked about, however, did not inspire me as much. Her poop images were semi-alarming to me. I understood that Salvator was attempting to find this certain beauty with layers and markings, but to me, I could not get the image of poop out of my head after it was introduced to us. However, if this was the worst that Salvator could come up with, at least it was still interesting and rousing to herself and others. Nothing is worse than an artist who is boring and uninspired by specific details in life. Her speech was very honest and I believed that with her explanations, her exhibition was clear and elaborate. Her use of markings, circular objects, colors, and layers I felt her passion for the subject "Prolific Growth". Being able to inspire others is difficult, but Salvator makes it easy with her strong expressions and beautifully detailed pieces.