"Buckets of Rain"-Judy Pfaff

One artist whom I found intriguing it Judy Pfaff. Her instillation art, especially “Buckets of Rain” were very fascinating and brilliantly designed. After learning some more about “Buckets of Rain”, I realized that the instillation had an emotional tie to the loss of her art teacher at Yale, Al Held and her mother. Both Dr. Held and her mother’s loss were a big deal to her and impacted her instillation.

Pfaff also discussed her process of the instillation and how one is always focused on finishing it but when you step back you notice things that were not planned. She discussed the path or sequence that would be most logical for an observer to take, however; there are several entrances to the exhibit making the instillation different depending on the sequence followed. There is also unaccountable light shining in from the sun and from different people walking past. She commented on how similar to her professor Al Held, she uses a lot of geometry and torquing of space which I found interesting. As a math major I find her use of math and physics very appealing and striking.

Usually her art is purely designed for the architecture or a romance about being Chinese, but this piece was deeply emotional directly related to her loss and more about choices such as black and white, life and death, good and bad and the impact of that. I also agree with the idea that people judge art the second they see it and if they do not like it, they will move on to the next exhibit. This is true and that is part of what makes art interesting. People have different tastes but if someone likes an instillation they will walk around and really try and understand it.

Judy Pfaff does not use one singular piece of material, rather a variety. She feels that there is a signature style, like handwriting and that anyone who truly liked her work would recognize it was hers regardless of the materials. in "Buckets of Rain" Pfaff used, wood, steel, wax, plaster, fluorescent lights, paint, black foil, expanding foam, and tape. She enjoys using different materials, starting off with aluminum foil when she had little money, to usually different tools and materials. I find her work very interesting and I love her use of geometry and different materials. Pfaff feels that play is important because that is where children’s creativity comes from which will later affect your artwork. When she was 12 she moved from Cockney London to America and she did not fit in. although she does not feel this way anymore her past is still present in her artwork along with her future. Her art displays both who she is and who she wants to be and her instillations are truly wonderful.