Israel Byrnes – project 3 photos
Isabel Byrnes – art exhibit in Holmes Hall
Isabel Byrnes – Samek Museum
Isabel Byrnes – Radiolarian Maquette
Isabel Byrnes – Animal Intelligence
Response: I watched a YouTube video called “Dogs Can Smell Cancer”. It is discussed in the video how dogs spend more time watching humans than any other animal. Many dogs have a strong sense of connection with their owners and the humans they live with because they are very social creatures. They have the ability to read the body language of humans and can sense what is coming before it actually happens, such as how they express that they know they are going for a walk before the wonder actually decides that themselves. It is described in the video how a dog, Max, changed his mood and acted depressed and less energetic towards his owner because he sensed that he had cancer. Once his owner was treated for her cancer, his behavior drastically changed. It is explained that dogs can smell the tiny volatile chemicals given off by cancerous tumors, and with training they can accurately pick out a cancerous patient from a group of patients from a selection of urine samples. They can also sense when blood sugar levels are getting low and alert people before an allergic reaction happens. The main ideas from this video are that dogs have incredible capabilities when it comes to helping people because they have a sense of connection with humans and are very intelligent creatures. They can be trained to use their senses in helpful ways. They also try to communicate things to their owners every day of their lives and can often warn them before something happens. They can be very useful in the medical world, as well as to dog owners in general.
Thesis: Dogs are very social and intelligent creatures that can save lives. They are keen observers that can sense what is coming before it happens and they have abilities to sense diseases such as cancer, when blood sugar levels are low, or when a person is about to have an allergic reaction. They can be trained to be of service to humans in the medical world, along with the services they provide to their owners every day.
Isabel Byrnes: Collages for project 2
Isabel Byrnes – personal experience
I remember the first time I stepped foot into Yankee Stadium. It was even bigger than I had imagined. The smells of the ballpark all hit me at once: the hotdogs, pretzels, and popcorn. I smiled as I walked up the ramp to the top level, anticipating what the view would be like when I got up there. The atmosphere was hectic because there were so many bustling people and I could hear music and the announcers through the speakers, but it was all exciting and rejuvenating. I could feel the excitement building up as I saw other people in their Yankee jerseys passing by. When we finally made it up to the top floor, I remember sitting in my seat for a while, just taking in the incredible view of the ballpark. It was overwhelming, yet fascinating. When the game started, I found myself cheering and standing up for every hit and defensive play my team made. I was over the moon when one of my favorite players hit the walk off home run to win the game for my team. The stadium erupted and I remember everyone screaming around me and jumping up and down, as well as turning to my dad and giving him a high-five. I truly enjoyed myself the entire game, and I felt the same feelings of belonging and acceptance when I left the stadium as when I entered. Being around my family, as well as people who were as passionate as I was towards one team contributed to the love of Yankee baseball I developed when I left the stadium.
Overwhelming, Rejuvenating, Exciting, Joyful, Love, Enjoyment, Loud, Busy, Belonging, Successful
Isabel Byrnes at Paul Villinski: Souring Exhibition Opening
Isabel Byrnes, Lost In Space
Immediate response: When I first saw Mindy Shapero’s piece, Lost in Space, it reminded me of a tree ring due to the presence of ovals in the middle of the piece. This made me think of what a tree ring often means. I know there is a belief that tree rings tell the story of the tree and how old it is. I started thinking about the story behind this piece of art. I also noticed the colors in the piece and how they were all shades of blue, green, purple, and gold, which made me believe that the artist associates these colors with “space”, which is in the title of the piece. The title of this piece also made me feel a sense of mysteriousness when I read it because I associate the word “lost” in a negative way and I think of the unknown when I see the word “space”.
Objective Description: Mindy Shapero’s Lost in Space is a large piece that takes up most of the wall in a room. It consists of multi-colored bead-like marks and dots that form shapes such as squares and circles in the piece. It consists of black, white and rainbow colored “beads” on the borders of the piece. the white “beads” are arranged in clusters that form slight rectangles and squares. Some light-brown dots are also scattered on top of these dots. There are light-blue marks that form a rough outline of a wide oval and black and gold “beads” form a more defined oval inside of that oval. Then dark blue and gold marks form the third circle, then different shades of blue and green form more ovals until the middle of the piece, which is a light blue circle. There is a total of twelve ovals that are in the middle of the piece, similar to a tree ring.
Technical Decisions: The construction of Shapero’s piece is interesting because most of it seems to be cobbled together, but there are certain sections of it that seem to be planned, such as the shapes formed. It is incredibly detailed because there are so many small dots and marks as well as a multitude of colors used in the piece. The presentation of the piece is that it is hung on a white wall in a bright room. The dullness of the wall makes the colors on the piece stand out. The piece is huge, 92 x 70 inches, so it takes us the entirety of the viewer’s view when standing in front of the piece. The materials used include acrylic, spray paint, gold and silver leaf on linen. These materials are used to create small bead-like shapes that form together to resemble space. This can be overwhelming to the viewer because it is very detailed and the shapes can remind the viewer of how little of space is explored and how unknown it is. However, it can also cause the viewer to feel calm because of how the colors blend and combine swiftly.
The Work in the World: This piece resembles outer space and the idea of it being endless. The multitude of ovals in the middle of the piece suggest that space is endless. This can relate to the study of outer space today and how NASA is trying to expand our knowledge about other planets, stars and dimensions. Additionally, the materials used to make this piece relate to objects from history. The use of the gold leaf to form the gold dots and marks, has been used in art for more than 8,000 years. Spray painting and stenciling are materials used in the punk counterculture.
The Story it Tells: To my understanding, I believe the meaning behind this piece is that it brings together the notions of time and space by depicting the different parts of outer space. Each one of the “rings”, or ovals in the middle of the piece represent a portal to a different area of outer space, and the fact that the circles do not end suggest that space is endless and limitless, and therefore the viewer is “lost” in the piece. All of the portals are different and most likely shed in a negative light because of the mysterious feeling it causes the viewer to experience. Some viewers might feel uncomfortable because the piece reminds them of the idea of the unknown and how little the human race knows about outer space. They may also think of the idea of being “lost in space” as frightening. However, other viewers might feel the that the piece is positive and may feel a sense of comfort and peace when looking at the dark colors. I arrived at my interpretation of the work by considering the title while observing the piece and paying attention to the materials used, as well as the detail created by the artist.
Proteus Video Response – Isabel Byrnes
This film greatly expanded my knowledge on radiolarians. I learned that they are a type of plankton that absorbs silica from sea water and uses it to form a unique glass-like skeleton. I found it interesting how these organisms are more than five million years old and there are thousands of different species. I also learned that they exist in a large variety of forms and they all have different structures. I thought it was interesting how Haeckel was always interested in biology and went to medical school, but he decided to follow through with his passion for nature and single-celled organisms. It is also interesting how he spent ten years studying specimens of radiolarians and found three thousand new species. The fact that he sometimes had to search one thousand droplets of water before he would find a new organism and he had to draw their structure fast because they would die quickly is incredible. I admire his dedication to his work and patience. This film made me recognize how art and science are connected in many ways. Haeckel was a passionate painter as well as a scientist and he continued painting landscapes while also studying new organisms. This shows how nature is present in both art and science and can show and prove similar things. Ancient stories such as the Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner are connected to the discovery of new life and traveling the world, similar to how scientists on the Challenger explored the deep sea and found marine organisms on their cables. I thought it was interesting how Haeckel expressed how there is one spirit in all living things and how he explained how his organisms were connected to God. Many people of the time did not agree with him because he rejected revelation and theological faith. Since the 19th century was a time of many new and different discoveries, peoples’ religions and faiths were challenged by science and many issues between science and religion were faced. I think the conceptual implications of creating radiolarian sculptures based on Haeckel’s drawings are that we are honoring his life and work, as well as discovering the new species he found and studied in his lifetime. He made a significant contribution to the worlds of art and science and his life, history, and connection to God and nature all played a role in his discoveries.