Gabriel Orozco
The artist that spoke to me the most was Gabriel Orozco. He was born in Mexico in 1962, finished his art studies in 1987, and has been traveling ever since. I was drawn to the way that he uses so many different media and types of artwork including painting, sculpture, photography, and more. Another reason that Orozco's art inspired me was that he tries to stay away from cheesy art which I can appreciate. He understands that lots of people expect his art to be overtly political and the way he is aware of that is very interesting to me. Orozco often makes use of already existing objects which he calls "readymades". The skeleton to the side is his piece entitled "Black Kites" made in 1997 which was an example of this type of work. His work called "Asterisms" also exhibits how he likes to repurpose already existing objects.
This is the piece that I created which was inspired by Gabriel Orozco's "Thinking in Circles" collection. I used circles, half-circles, and primary colors the way that Orozco does in many of his circle-themed pieces. I also paid tribute to his "Black Kites" piece by putting a checkerboard pattern in the background. I really enjoyed the way that Orozco uses so many different shapes in his artwork and so I tried to reflect that in my piece.
The digital age has transformed the art world drastically. Art and cultures that may have been foreign before can be shared instantly with a single tap or click of a button. This allows audiences to be exposed to so many different types of art. The digital age also allows for a cascade to happen every time something is produced. All it takes is for one person to take a picture of something and then share it for someone else to share that and on and on. This changes the dynamics around artwork and fame. Artists can gather followers even if they are just regular people with a hobby, artists no longer need to be celebrities to be relevant.
