Das Event 3: Color, Light and Motion (Ann McCoy)

 The “Color, Light and Motion” talk featuring Ann McCoy was an incredible venture, focusing on the work of fellow artist, Otto Piene. This event opened the history behind the world of the Zero Group, a German art movement that Piene was passionate about, a group which aimed to transition into a more focused perspective on their art’s materials and world, rather than zoning in on postwar moments (Wolfe). This group encouraged Piene’s usage of light in art and the creative process, encouraging space, energy, and time itself to find its way into their artistic endeavors (Forbes). With these tools in his kit, Piene’s popularity skyrocketed with his skyline-esque images created with those instruments like light, almost as if he were asking the light to “dance across the room” (Sprüth Magers). 

Das, Paravi. Screenshot of Zero Group arts-piece. Los Angeles, 7 May. 2022.

This artistic ability eventually landed him a role as MIT’s Center of Advanced Visual Studies first fellow turned eventual director of the group (Artnet.com). One piece McCoy focused on was the Lichtballett, which is an ideal example of this “choreography” sense intertwining with mechanical projection, creating a beautiful piece that is both complex and aims straight for the heart. Another piece worth mentioning is the project Proliferation of the Sun, which proved that while Piene’s paycheck may have increased in size since joining the MIT horizons, his quality of art did not reflect the gracious budget, ironic considering his beginnings in the Zero Group, where they mustered what art they could out of the materials present, and found more beauty and boundless inspiration than when faced with all the art supplies in the world. This just goes to show how “the grind” can truly be the place where we succeed the most…fame and fortune and finally getting there will often leave us penniless in creativity, mind, body and spirit. This event comes highly recommended from myself, a beautiful demonstration on turning trauma into triumph through the arts that can be life-changing and prove to be inspiring for art creators and onlookers alike.

Das, Paravi. Screenshot of The Proliferation of the Sun Los Angeles, 7 May. 2022


SOURCES:

Forbes, Alexander. “Otto Piene, Zero Group Founder, Dead at 86.” Artnet News, Artnet News, 16 Apr. 2015, https://news.artnet.com/art-world/otto-piene-zero-group-founder-dead-at-86-63660. 

“Otto Piene - Light Ballet - Berlin.” Sprüth Magers, 31 May 2020, https://spruethmagers.com/exhibitions/otto-piene-light-ballet-berlin/.

“Otto Piene.” Artnet.com, Artnet Worldwide Corporation, http://www.artnet.com/artists/otto-piene/.

Wolfe, Shira. “Art Movement: Zero Group.” Artland Magazine, 21 May 2021, https://magazine.artland.com/art-movement-zero-group/. 



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