Blog post by Lea McClain

In the Mass MoCA museum, I was mesmerized by the work Democracy by Gisele Amantea. Her artwork is located in the Hunter Center Hallway. What is interesting about Democracy is its history and overall look. According to the Mass MoCA website, her work relates to many writings and philosophies of an architect named Louis Sullivan. The Arts and Crafts movement, including William Morris and Gustav Stickley, also inspired her work. She has a love for repeating patterns In democracy; she uses a material called Flocking. Flocking is material that contains small fibers that create density. It has a sort of fluffy-texture.

                        What is interesting about Gisele Amantea is she was a part of a big Canadian exhibition at Mass MoCA called Oh Canada!  Canada is well known for their large art community and commitment to their culture. What is interesting is that their Contemporary art did not become such an important aspect until it reached Mass MoCA. In the Oh Canada exhibition, it included about 60 artists from different parts of Canada, ranging from young to old. It also included a total of 14,000 artworks, including indoors and outdoors.

                        Gisele Amantea’s work revolves around this relationship between color and repetition. She is a true expert in the concept of repeating images in an elegant way. Looking at the Democracy, I can see the flowers and vine patterns flow together, creating a sort of rhythm. This rhythm made it hard for me to turn away from the piece. It somewhat put me in a daze, kind of like being lost in your thoughts. Her use of black and white colors gives her art mystery. It makes one wonder what the story is behind the patterns. It is like looking at an antique puzzle, full of unknown life.

                        So, if anyone wants to get the chance to see Gisele Amantea’s Democracy, now is the best time to do so. This something worth taking a look at because of its careful use of patterns and it is truly a work of art. She is a prime example of contemporary art from Canada. She is an amazing representative of her country.  She really deserved this honor from the museum. Gisele is an artist with style and grace. Her work is priceless. I am glad I got the opportunity with Sage College of Albany to see this. If you are interested in learning more about this, here is the website:

 

http://www.massmoca.org/event_details.php?id=843

Open in Spring 2014 only