Week 4

poem:
In week 1
I went to 3321 and told you all about me
Didn’t I do it?
In week 2
I went to mars and chose who I am
Didn’t I do it?
Week 3 I showed you love and decay
What a coincidence I did it again
When I climbed the family tree
Didn’t I do it ?
I even showed you five new ideas in week 5
Didn’t I do it?
All on display Tinkercad
Did I do it?




Michael Heizer
I think it's super striking that Michael Heizer was from New York City but was so in touch with nature. I think he uses his artwork to display the contrast that exists between the city and the desert. I read something on him where he said “As long as you’re going to make a sculpture, why not make one that competes with a 747, or the Empire State Building, or the Golden Gate Bridge?” I believe this speaks to his courage and boldness. This mindset is so New York. I think that his mindset is super unique and definitely had a lasting impact beyond just the art world. He would have an idea and spend months or years to get that accomplished. Additionally, I love the point that this kind of art has been around since the beginning. For example if you go to Mexico or Egypt you see these kinds of statues made out of nature. I think that this art form was lost and to a certain extent, it still is. Most forms like this today I often see attached to festivals like Burning Man. Also the attention to detail is so important. I always credit architects for what they are able to accomplish. Every time that I look at a skyscraper, I think to myself “if they were off half an inch each story then the whole thing would probably collapse”. The difference of a couple inches or couple feet play an important role in all of his different projects that were discussed in the documentary. He is dealing with such large objects and these couple inches or feet are less than a 1% change but Heizer insisted that these holes or rocks would always have those extra couple inches even if it made it significantly more difficult to transport or assemble. Furthermore, I am not sure how the technical and legal aspect of these massive structures or lack of structures works. I can only imagine how difficult it is to get permits and draw up the architectural blueprints for this massive rock. There are so many things that could go wrong I can’t believe that they pull things like this off. Even the slightest uphill or downhill slope could throw off the whole project. The fact that it takes over a year to plan something like this and have to deal with 22 different cities is mind boggling. It's one thing to have these ideas but to actually get approval from so many different people is another. In the article, I also found it interesting that Heizer played a role in art history but never really was a part of the art world until he began working with Larry Gagosian in 2013. This was the first time that Heizer got into the “fray” of the art world. Goodyear also highlights the obscurity of his ranch and claims it to be the “area 51” of the art world. This kind of comparison makes me think of the family that Heizer came from. In the Heizer family you had to either be a scientist or a professor. Heizer seems to be discovering and inventing with his grand scale of industrial driven landmarks in a similar way. Lastly, The part that speaks to me the most is that you can accomplish anything you put your mind to and never underestimate your capability. Always think big. I think it's extremely important to shoot for the moon every time or else you will never reach your full potential. Almost every single thing that Michael Heizer did was above and beyond and people doubted that he could get it done. This can apply to me in my life. Regardless of what industry I go into, I want to always make sure that I am trying new things and reaching my full potential by taking lots of risks.