3. This piece tackles the concept of identity in a fascinating way. The bodies are faceless and genderless, composed of hundreds of eyes, maybe noting the idea of constant public judgement and perception. The break between the two represents when the artist moved from Haiti to the US. #ConArtInSitu

2. This redux of the classic “Atlas” sculpture is a super interesting take. It stands on an African art history novel, carrying Eurocentric texts on his shoulders. I think this notes how European art is based on the important findings of African art. #ConArtInSitu

Week 7! How we feeling??! Mooooooooooo What do you call the cow on the right? Ground beef! #ConArtInSitu

Week 6: 1. Walking into the DAM, love this wooden horse, reminds me of the skeleton horses from Minecraft. #ConArtInSitu

16. How rapidly or slowly do the meanings in a work reveal themselves to you? For me, it really depends on the piece. Sometimes I am struck with creativity that guides me to think deeply about a piece, but sometimes I feel like I'm just staring at shapes and colors. #ConArtInSitu

4. Two types of rattles shown here. I couldn’t believe this bird was a rattle, I assumed it was just piece of woodwork. Such incredible craftsmanship and woodwork. #ConArtInSitu

3. The plaque notes this as a depiction of the connection between land, sea, and air, by intertwining a frog, salmon, and thunderbird. So fascinating. #ConArtInSitu

2. And this, carved glass from 2001. I wonder how you carve glass, if they had laser technology by then or something of that sort. #ConArtInSitu

Week 5! 1. It is so crazy to me how people really wore things like this just 2 centuries ago. It comes from British Columbia so it makes sense that they needed attire of such warmth. #ConArtInSitu

6. Our final day at the MCA sees me posted by Ana Maria Hernando’s “Florescence” and “Los Aliados”. These are two grand, colorful pieces appreciating the natural beauty of Earth’s creations, which I felt fitting on this beautiful Earth Day. #ConArtInSitu

Prompt 12: , . ; . ... #ConArtInSitu

1. Week 4: How do we start? I immediately start taking pictures of art, writing down how it makes me feel off rip. I like to then formulate my initial feelings into more rhetorical prose that can help readers understand and share that feeling. #ConArtInSitu

23. Finally, Williams addresses the importance of knowing your audience when writing about art. There is a vast difference between academic writing and general public writing. #ConArtInSitu

22. I was fascinated to see that evidence is an important piece of contemporary art writing, just like any other genre of writing. You must back your claims in order to avoid empty "artspeak" #ConArtInSitu

21. Reading further into Williams' work on how to write about contemporary art, really enjoying it. One of the core concepts is differentiating explaining and evaluating art. I think his point is very interesting that most artists jump to evaluating without properly explaining before. #ConArtInSitu

20. Look at the glow emanating from the main room. It demands your curiosity, makes you feel remiss if you didn’t at least give it a peek. #ConArtInSitu

19. I also love how volumous it is, it really exaggerates the lush, boastful beauty of the veil. #ConArtInSitu

18. I adore the lighting in here. So pleasant on the eyes, I just look at it for hours. Such bright vibrant colors usually do the contrary, not in this case. #ConArtInSitu

17. I wanted to reflect on the difference reading the plaque can make. Before reading, I just saw a wall of dumplings, maybe I could’ve made some conclusions about the diverse shapes and colors, but the backstory on how it was crafted really changed my perspective for the better. #ConArtInSitu

16. From the grand scheme the diaspora reminds me of the iSpy book series. #ConArtInSitu

15. I found this collection fascinating too. Not the most beautiful or perfectionist dumplings, one is even broken open and missing its filling. Alas, these represent the beauty in our imperfection and struggle. How our differences are welcomed within our communities. #ConArtInSitu

14. Sammy ends her dialogue noting how dumplings are a theme throughout her whole collection: a carefully packed vessel containing a rich filling with stories of family, community, migration, and history. #ConArtInSitu

13. I liked this collection of dumplings. Such a unique combination of shapes and surfaces. It represents the diversity that runs throughout our communities. #ConArtInSitu

12. One of my favorite existential thoughts is to think about the lasting impact you choose to add to your personality from the people in your life and the experiences you face. The dumpling wall shares a similar sentiment: you are a mural of your culture and surroundings. #ConArtInSitu

11. This collective dependence is a metaphor for diaspora itself, as Sammy describes: “the way individuals and cultures are forged through contact and mutual influence. Each dumpling bears subtle variations in form, reflecting distinct traditions and a collective transformation. #ConArtInSitu

10. The creative choice Sammy took for how the dumplings were fired fascinates me too. All 500 dumplings were fired together in a 2,000 degree atmospheric kiln. In this kiln, objects have a great impact on one another, changing their heat and shape. #ConArtInSitu

9. Sammy continued with this concept of unity by inviting other creators, family, and friends to come and form dumplings by hand that represented their culture. Soon, 500 dumplings were crafted and fired. #ConArtInSitu

8. For Sammy, dumplings became a unifying idea for her and a distant cousin. She writes about establishing a relationship with her cousin over the shared memory of their grandmother’s dumpling recipe. She describes it as a unifying “conduit”. #ConArtInSitu

7. Dumplings are a universal concept. Countries all over the world have their own rendition of a dumpling. In Poland, a perogi. In Nepal, a momo. In Italy, a ravioli. In Argentina, an empanada. They are a comfort food across cultures, something familiar and relatable. #ConArtInSitu

6. I’ll be focusing on the dumpling wall today, formally known as the “dumpling diaspora” crafted by Sammy Seung-Min Lee. I ate dumplings before this to prepare… #ConArtInSitu

5. What kinds of echoes or resonances have you had about the work in your time since our visit? I've grown appreciation for the details in the ground underneath my feet. I stop and notice little elements of flowers, rocks, and grass. I slow my stride to watch a squirrel climb a branch. #ConArtInSitu

4. Can you imagine living with the work in your home? I absolutely can. I think it makes more sense to have it outdoors, but it is a beautiful piece I would love to have in and around my house. The hanging plants and textured rocks are just lovely. #ConArtInSitu

3. How does the artist's imagery work on your senses? The location of the garden is a huge factor of its imagery. The fact that it is on the roof of a city building means that you can hear, see, and smell everything around you. It feels like the Garden Of Eden amidst the chaos. #ConArtInSitu

2. How does the material work on your senses? For me, I wanted to touch the garden. The varying textures, shapes, and colors are so pleasing on the eye and I wanted to get grounded in the soil and feel the rocks. #ConArtInSitu

1. Week 3: How does the artist's choice of materials influence your reading of the work? I spent time with the rooftop garden, so the materials were vast and unique. The fact that they were all natural materials helped simplify my mind, appreciating how present and plentiful they are. #ConArtInSitu

Hai @imquacked5312.bsky.social happy week 3

24. Finally, Williams talked about how taking time to look at the minute details of art can help you understand it and appreciate it more. I certainly felt this way after spending the majority of my day with the garden this week. Small details help you appreciate the complexity. #ConArtInSitu

23. Another main theme that Williams encouraged was that anyone can enjoy art. You do not need to be an expert of insider, you just have to express your creativity and write freely. Also, art writing is a skill, something that you become better at with time, so practice! #ConArtInSitu

22. Williams also talks about how interpreters should try and avoid "artspeak", or complicated jargon that makes art less accessible to the common person. I completely agree with this sentiment, because it makes art feel like a clique that the common person can't enjoy. #ConArtInSitu

21. Williams spoke a lot about how the purpose of art writing to translate a visual experience into language. This resonates heavily with me because I have minimal experience with contemporary art, and I just write about how it makes me feel. #ConArtInSitu

Talk about contemporary…

20. I also like this garden on the far side. It holds the only two trees of the four planters. I especially like the tree on the right, which bears a fascinating combination of green buds and dried brown leaves that look like flowers. #ConArtInSitu

19. I love how the light hits everything up here. Because of the design of the building on the west side of the garden, the gardens are hit with strips of sunlight, making for a super interesting pattern that is pleasant on the eyes. #ConArtInSitu

18. I love these hanging plants. Not sure how to interpret them but there seems to be a spider web woven through some of them on the left side. This is the only sign of animal life in these gardens, and it is incredibly minimal, showing how small the footprint of animals is on nature. #ConArtInSitu

17. Not sure what to make of this third garden yet, other than how it is fully covered with this one plant. Maybe it is an ode to how humans spread and take over entire systems. #ConArtInSitu

16. This might be my favorite plant. The different textures of its leaves are fascinating. The typical spry leaves on top, then the droopy pine-esque leaves below. And some even have a third type of leaf at the bottom, curling and hugging the stem. Its color is also so unique. #ConArtInSitu

15. I didn’t notice them at first, but I like these white rocks too, I wonder how these a forged… #ConArtInSitu

14. But here, the metal pipes and solar radar exist amongst a flourishing garden. This example shows the positive impact humans can have on nature, living symbiotically with it. The solar especially notes how we can benefit from nature without destroying it. #ConArtInSitu

13. One of the first things I noticed about these two gardens was the metal pipes coursing through them. In both cases I think they represent the human interference with nature. Here, the pipes don’t seem to be doing anything but hurting the garden, showing humans’ negative impact. #ConArtInSitu

12. Whereas this one is brimming with life and color. There is this gorgeous rock I mentioned previously, with fascinating colorful ripples. The plants are green and blossoming with beautiful flowers. Even the cacti look healthy and the hanging vines are more vibrant. #ConArtInSitu