Artsy Fartsy

Tralee and I got ready for the day, packed up our gear, and headed downtown Boise yesterday morning for Toddler Art Wednesday. This was our third official Toddler Art Wednesday at BAM (Boise Art Museum) as patrons. When I worked as the Assistant Store Manager for BAM I loved watching all the cute toddlers waddle in the first Wednesday of each month and expand their little minds with an artful experience. Usually Tara, the Assistant Education Administrator -- not sure if that's her official title or not -- is in the studio with an art experience which correlates with an exhibit on display. Today's experience was based off of Andrea Merrell's Measure of Man exhibition. Her art is the kind that makes Jim furious. It's very minimal and abstract. Jim's response would be, "You call that art? I could do that!" At first glance it does look like a bunch of shapes on the wall. However, after further study about Merrell, and the thought process behind her Minimalist approach, I was intrigued. I won't go into great detail, but I will quote from Christopher Schnoor, in his review of Merrell's exhibit. He states --among other things-- that her art is "an investigation of the special energy of geometric forms, and how, in tandem with certain hues, they engender not only images but ideas. How, for instance, a vertical rectangle is dynamic, up-lifting, defying gravity, while horizontally is represents repose, tranquility, or the sense of being earthbound by gravity. The square conveys earthiness, concrete matter, monumentality and perhaps gravitas, while the circle traditionally symbolized the spirit, organic processes, and mind. In its ability to be both a concrete and an abstract language, in the respect and resonance it commands, geometric form has inspired artists from Bronze Age Greece to Gioto to Malevich to Donald Judd in the 1960s."

So. . .that being said, here is Tralee's artwork inspired by Andrea Merrell:

 

I, of course, think Tralee is brilliant, and will continue taking her to Toddler Art Wednesday to further her obvious talent as an artist. Even Jim, who doesn't share my love of art couldn't deny his feeling of pride while viewing Tralee's piece.

This next picture is from last month's Toddler Art Wednesday. It was acrylic crayons on canvas. The project was inspired by Marsden Harley's exhibit -- which I LOVE by the way.