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I chose this ceramic sculpture by American artist, Debra Fritts. I'm drawn to the emotional qualities within her work. Her surface applications resonate with my own and I also love the addition of found objects within her work.

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The Waltz, Claudel, Transitional Sculpture

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What drew you to this artwork?

I was initially drawn to this piece of art for its form. I enjoy that even though it is a stationary piece of art you can see and feel the movement of the individuals. The man and women are locked together in a dance, moving as though they are one person. I love how this sculpture captures the intimacy between the two figures, that they might feel like the only two people in the world.

How does something from your personal background or interests connect to how you see this piece?

I first saw this piece last semester in an Art History course from my previous university. The beauty that is radiating from this piece caught my eye immediately, so much so that even 6 months later it is still floating around in my mind. This piece was the first thing that came to my mind when I read this assignment. I am majoring in Art History specifically for pieces like this. I love learning about different artworks throughout history, how the different time periods and current events can change people's perspectives of the world, that are then reflected in their art.

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This is a artist I really enjoy, in her hands is a hyper realistic sculpt of what will become a baby doll. She has sculpted for toy companies like Ashton Drake and Paradise Galleries.

What really catches my eye is the side by side photo realism that this doll head shows. The details all come out of a simple ball of clay, which is eventually cast to make vinyl dolls. This is just the head, there are four limbs that are to be sculpted to complete the doll, and each of those limbs show the same amount of details. What draws me to this niche style of sculpting is not just the details but the skill it takes to make a doll that doesn't look like a blank stare, there is warmth and an innocence that are prominent in the features of the baby's face. I collect and paint dolls, so even though I know people may find doll's off putting or think the hobby is strange, I really enjoy the individuality that these dolls show due to the fact they aren't typically mass produced. I wanted to show the artist behind something like this, because I feel that just showing a sculpt of a baby doll doesn't exactly show the love that is placed into them, to me they come hand in hand. I see the artist as a part of the art, if that makes any sense?

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This is a statue that I really enjoy because not only it is on campus at San Jose State and it includes sports such as the olympics. But because it speaks about the history of freedom in a very unique way with a rare topic of sports. Sports especially the olympics are one of the few times all nations get together and celebrate and compete it is a very cool and special moment to me that I always looked up to.

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I chose this art piece because it kinda gave me a Tim Burton Alice in the Wonderland smoking caterpillar vibe which is another artist I really love, Jim McKenzie work is very unique and it connects with me because it’s the most rare art I find is the most unique in my eyes. I like the unusual type of art sometimes it can tell a story without saying anything.

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This sculpture is called "the three shapes by Auguste Rodin.

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I love all the detail that the sculpture has, every part of the body well done and is very interesting that all three of the shapes are the same just in a different angel. This connect to me because this is really a work of art, and I really admired and i get inspire to create some of my artwork.

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Louise Bourgeois, IN AND OUT, 1995 (detail)

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I love louise bourgeois' work because she pays a lot of attention to the materials she uses and her work makes me feel uncomfortable in ways that make me think about my own relationship to my body and the feelings her work evokes in me. As an artist I also want my work to make viewers think about their body and discomfort.

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I love Louise Bourgeois' work because she pays a lot of attention to the materials she uses and the ways they interact. I also love the way her work makes me uncomfortable and forces me to think about my own body and discomfort. As an artist I strive to provoke similarly strong reactions in my audience.

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I love how bright and colorful Alice Lee’s murals and ceramics and other crafts are. I chose this particular ceramic to share because I like how it has a function as well as being sculptural. I also like how it really comes alive after water and plants are added, and the fruit appear to float in the water. (If you visit her @byalicelee you can find the multiple techniques she used to make this! Includes slip casting)

Something from my personal background and interests that connect to how I see this piece.. well some of my favorite subjects are plants and animals, I studied environmental studies and bio since I want to protect them, and I enjoy cultivating plants as a hobby. So this ceramic is a cute intersection of animals and plants, including growing plants, which is probably why I like it so much.

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What drew you to this artwork?

I am immediately drawn to the face of this piece but the tiled gem-like jewelry really catches my eye as well. The facial patterns are especially eye capturing. There’s a dispersed variety of textures, patterns of motifs and line markings, intentional use of color throughout the entire piece, and an overall feeling of spiritual expression. I also love how this vessel has depth and a visible interior within the outer shell or body, giving the figural form an entity-like presence.

How does something from your personal background or interests connect to how you see this piece?

Currently I live at my grandpas house and he has a wall of masks from cultures around the world that he has collected over the years from various yard/estate sales. This piece to me looks like if 3 of those masks were combined into one fused version (plus some upper body and an arm/hand). In particular, the facial patterns of Bendo remind me of this mask with interconnected tribal markings of salamanders and other creatures; these markings posess the same style and vibe, but do not clearly repeat exact patterns which creates the unique aesthetic of the design. The other 2 masks consist of many multicolored dots that form pattern grids and other collective shapes of dots and/or colors.

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What drew me to this artwork is the artwork and image background. The artwork called "Maman" by French genius Louise Bourgeois presents a giant spider carrying its eggs. The sculpture is made in such a complex way that its seems like it's made of gold and splendor. With the background, it adds to the sculpture and gives me the impression that a elegant restaurant is near by, something this piece connects to how I see this piece.

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The name of the artist that created this statue is Ku Bomju. I was drawn in to this statue because of the whacky face of the person eating the bench with the other person. I like this statue a lot because the expression is not that serious so it’s kind of fun to look at.

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Hello everyone, my name is Marc.

What drew you to this artwork?

This sculpture is amazing due to the time it took to create the dragon, from setting up the armature to placing the wooden pieces together in order to form the dragon. The dragon is created with the idea that there is a two-way connection with the onlooker.

How does something from your personal background or interests connect to how you see this piece?

I connect to this piece from my love for fantasy settings and mythical beasts. Dragons are seen as powerful creatures in many fantasy settings, not only because of their strength, but because they are very intelligent and wise creatures as well.

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Le Penseur (The Thinker) - Auguste Rodin, 1904

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The Thinker is a pose that I can't stop seeing in pop culture especially in old cartoons. I too find this pose quite stoic and rather easy to replicate but the heavy amount of references to this specific statue eventually won my curiosity.

Statues of this level of detail always fascinated me due to the intricate level of knowledge and patience required to create. It's the sign of a truly dedicated artist to create something so massive in the first place

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"Orpheus and Eurydice" sculpture by Auguste Rodin 

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What drew me to this artwork is the story of Orpheus and Eurydice.

A mythological story of a man that was deeply devoted to his beloved, Eurydice. It was only for a short while before she died and Orpheus went to search for her in Hades's domain, the underworld. Orpheus known as a musician, played a tune that made stones cry and pursued the god's heart with his song and devotion for his love. He had one condition, to leave the underworld without looking back until reaching the sunlight of the upper and had to trust that his beloved was behind him. As Orpheus starts to leave he hesitates that Eurydice is actually following, as she is nothing but a phantom that he could not hear or feel her touch. In a moment, a few steps away that let them leave the underworld, Orpheus turns around in desperation, only to have one glace of his wife before she vanishes back to the underworld.

I really like this story of love and sorrow for the couple, I found out their story through my class of English Literature in high school. A way in which it is personal to me is having to trust the journey, even if it doesn't turn out well in the end. I just find the story very endearing.

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What drew you to this artwork?

I admire Nick Mackman's animal sculptures very much. I especially love the Wild Dog Sculpture because she did a remarkable job of capturing their curiosity and intelligence.

How does something from your personal background or interests connect to how you see this piece?

I love animals, especially dogs. The African Painted Dog is a very old species of of Lycaon, a different line of Caninae from which the wolf and our domesticated dog originates from. They are fascinating creatures with their distinctive coat coloring, and their ability to run for miles and miles when they hunt.

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What drew you to this artwork?

I really love Nick Mackman's animal sculptures. She does such a great job capturing the animal's intensity and personalities in her work. I had a hard time choosing my favorite to create this post, but settled on this sculpture of the African Wild Dogs.

How does something from your personal background or interests connect to how you see this piece?

I love animals, and especially dogs. The African painted dog is such an interesting creature. Their large ears, and their coloring is so unique. I love how Nick has the three of them lounging together in a pack, and yet their curiosity doesn't allow them to rest. Their heads pop up at the least little sound. These dogs are in the canidae family, like our domesticated dogs, but they come from a different genus called Lycaon, rather than Canis. This makes them the last remnant of a very old genus. They are fascinating animals. I love this sculpture.

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What drew you to this artwork?

There are several things I really enjoy from this piece. Initially, I just thought the sculpture was super cute. I'm such a fan of dogs, so as soon as I saw this guy I was like awwwwww. Aside from that, I really love the texture of the hair curls, and the movement of the figure is extremely interesting to me. I've seen a lot of foo dog sculptures, but I think this one felt the most dynamic. I also love the blue with slight red accents.

How does something from your personal background or interests connect to how you see this piece?

Growing up as an Asian American, I visited a lot of other immigrant households from across Asia, and you always see various statues that are, I suppose, decorative cultural standards but hold no meaning from an American perspective. It was only when I was older that I was able to trace certain elements (often Buddhism) or meanings to all these statues. And I guess because of my love for dogs, I felt really connected to the shi/foo dogs (although these are Okinawa style and I feel like I've seen more Chinese style in this area), so that is why I posted this piece.

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Artist: Simone Leigh

I chose this bronze sculpture by Simon Leigh, a female artist. I’m curious about the story behind the figure—her eyes appear blurred, and I’d like to know why. This is also the first large-scale sculpture representing Black women’s history. It was installed at the University of Pennsylvania.

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I chose "The Thinker" by Auguste Roden to be the sculpture I chose for my assignment. It depicts a very strong fit man sitting with his right elbow resting on his leg with the back of his right hand pressing against his face. In a way the positioning of his hand and the way his posture is posed, it literally emphasizes to me the weight of his conscious that he bears. Much like me, I've always been in my head, at times it can be a blessing that fuels my imagination & creativity, but other times throughout my life it can feel like a curse that causes me deep pain, and anxiety. It's a beautiful statue that in my opinion represents the human condition, our everyday inner struggles that we fight in the privacies of our own personal purgatories we call our minds.

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"The Thinker" by Auguste Roden First Model 1880 - 1881

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I chose "The Thinker" by Auguste Roden to be the sculpture for my assignment. It depicts a very strong fit man sitting with his right elbow resting on his leg with the back of his right hand pressing against his face. In a way the positioning of his hand and the way his posture is posed, it literally emphasizes to me the weight of his conscious that he bears. Much like me, I've always been in my head, at times it can be a blessing that fuels my imagination & creativity, but other times throughout my life it can feel like a curse that causes me deep pain, and anxiety. It's a beautiful statue that in my opinion represents the human condition, our everyday inner struggles that we fight in the privacies of our own personal purgatories we call our minds.

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This is a stainless steel art sculpture. It catches my eye because of its metallic material and form. I love how the shape is forming into some type of wave-ish, splash. Looks pretty neat honestly.

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Í chose this art piece because it reminds me of my own mothers love. I like how the faceless figure can represent most peoples mothers and show how caring each mom is to their child. The flowing textures remind me of how love and responsibility are never still and how they shift, and shape us. There’s a quiet power in the way the figure cradles the child, and it makes me reflect on the protective, nurturing bonds in my own life and the timelessness of human connection.

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What drew me to this piece was how it played with the dimensions of the sculpture. It feels two dimensional when it is actually three dimensional. It plays with my eyes makes me wonder how I can play with the perspective.

It reminds of when I took samples and images that were two dimensional in After Affects and made them pop like they're three dimensional. I just enjoy making things stand out like that sometimes.

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Once I saw these sculpture dolls in a museum and I wanted to laugh .Although I don't know which ancient person made them,I can feel the humor and wisdom of the ancient people. I like humorous and cute things.

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Spectra, the brittle button snail from The Vivid Creatures exhibition at The Morton Arboretum 

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1. What drew you to this artwork?

I love this artwork because of how colorful and gigantic it is. This is bigger than life size and I love the whole series of different animals you can find.

1. How does something from your personal background or interests connect to how you see this piece?

I have realized I love the anatomy of a snail. Recently I have been drawing and creating snail like things.