CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, NORTHRIDGE

Observing nature and being human to create something outside of both

A graduate project submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements

For the degree of Master of Arts in Art, Visual Arts

By

Garen Novruzyan

May 2020

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The graduate project of Garen Novruzyan is approved: ________________________________________ ______________ Samantha Fields, M.F.A. Date ________________________________________ ______________ Candice Greathouse, M.F.A. Date ________________________________________ ______________ Christian Tedeschi, M.F.A., Chair Date

California State University, Northridge

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Dedication

To the captive octopus from my marine biology course at Santa Monica College

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Table of Contents

Signature Page ii

Dedication iii

Abstract v

Chapter 1: The Museum 1

Chapter 2: Pacific Palisades, California 3

Chapter 3: The Reef 5

Chapter 4: Ancient Relics 6

Chapter 5: Altered Space 8

Conclusion 10

Bibliography 11

Appendix 12

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Abstract

Observing nature and being human to create something outside of both

By

Garen Novruzyan

Master of Arts in Art, Visual Arts

Growing up in Los Angeles has informed much of my fascination with surface textures.

Color and form are brought to life in striking detail throughout the landscape and cityscapes of

Southern California as the glowing daylight fades into the twilight’s oranges, pinks, and violets of

sunset. Moments present themselves in my daily life when a synthesis of these elements offers

space for meditation, such as in the way that flower petals from a blue jacaranda tree cover an

entire sidewalk turning it into a visual pool of violet. My work lies in the appreciation of the

different atmospheres revealed by using sculpture and painting to alter any given space. This

paper will examine my practice (moving beyond human-constructed references and

associations) by using visual poetry to suggest connections and possibilities between form,

color, and the textural qualities created within the contrast of architectural structures and natural

environments.

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Chapter One: The Museum

The longer I stared, the more my curiosity grew. I slowly became transfixed. It was like

staring at a cluster of stars in the darkest regions of our planet. The painting consisted of small

marks executed on a layer of sand. They combined to create a tactile form similar to fabric or

the surface of an ancient samurai chain armor jacket. It's difficult to distinguish whether it was

the interior or exterior of a surface. I became inspired by the process that the artist employed to

create the work. The obsessive mark-making made me contemplate all of the movements

(voluntary or involuntary) it takes to get through our daily lives. Each brush stroke was like a

moment, encapsulated into a mark. Together they combined to create what felt like a neologism

for serenity. The painting was titled Seen In Stillness, 2017, by Jennifer Guidi.

Box with remnants of happiness, 2019, consists of an 8 x 8 inch altered cardboard box

with a black sumi ink and black carbon finish placed on the ground in the vicinity of a medium

sized drawing. The cube form was chosen to curb aesthetics and concentrate on the alchemy

between the black carbon, sumi ink, and water. This initial interest in surface texture determined

the following choices. Cardboard was chosen because of its bio-degrading properties. If the

experimentation took multiple iterations, the materials could simply be recycled. Butcher paper

was laid out as a protective layer for the table and collected the unintentional marks and residue

from the box's construction: the inadvertent “drawing.” There are moments when the interaction

between the materials and my decisions synchronize, and connections throughout the process

become evident. The molasses-like movement of the black carbon flowing throughout the air or

the alchemy between the water and black carbon on the cardboard has a hypnotic sensibility. In

an article published for Artforum, titled “Some Notes on the Phenomenology of Making,”

American visual artist and writer Robert Morris goes in depth about process and the fabrication

stage having form and being critical about the understanding of the final object.

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“Automating some stage of the making gives greater coherence to the activity itself.

Working picks up some internal necessity at those points where the work makes itself,

so to speak. At those points where automation is substituted for a previous “all made by

hand” homologous set of steps, the artist has stepped aside for more of the world to

enter into the art. This is a kind of regress into a controlled lack of control” (Morris).

The box and drawing have connections between materials and each other's physical residue.

This is enhanced when the objects are placed next to each other in a white-walled gallery-style

space. The drawing is pinned to the wall using two sewing machine needles, allowing the edges

to float and curve off the wall. This invites the viewer to explore the curves and dimensions

between the paper and the wall. A box is an object typically meant to hold information or

contents inside. This box, in particular, is stitched shut. The stitching was a necessity to close

the form without adding additional materials such as glue. Together they form a relationship that

causes a momentary pause stimulating the brain and allowing for either the dismissal of the

objects or further contemplation into their creation and presentation.

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Chapter Two: Pacific Palisades, California

I stood on the bluffs looking at the hawk’s movements and wondering about its

consciousness. I wondered about its awareness of its surroundings and knowledge of the

complexity of life. After a few minutes of deep thought, I began to notice the sounds from the

bushes and floral life flanking me. I quickly realized that this creature’s connection to its

environment is far more complex than my own. This hawk can sense a mouse from 100 feet in

the air (National Geographic). I was in awe at the thought of its ability to notice everything going

on. Its hyper-sharpened senses could hear the airflow and connect it back to the source. Its

ability to store photo-quality images in its memory and update them as it scanned its

surroundings, and its awareness of life were inspiring.

California Paintings, 2019, consist of a series of three small scale sheets of cardboard

with a black velvet-like surface and a thin, rectangular window cut in the top right side. Each

window displays different flower petals which have been dried and mounted on conservation

paper. The flowers include hydrangea, poppies, and tulips. The composition is based off a

concrete parking structure in Los Angeles that has thin rectangular windows cut into its walls,

allowing a glow that would be heightened at nighttime. In a MOCA interview about his film River

of Fundaments, visual artist Matthew Barney speaks about using the novel Ancient Evenings as

“a body through which my language can pass.” He continues to explain that once the “frame is

established and some rules are in place” the alchemical process between juxtaposing images

begins (MOCA). Psychological and cognitive sciences have different theories on how the mind

creates new thoughts but for this paper I will concentrate on the idea that by complicating

perceptual elements, new signals are developed throughout the neural system causing new

thoughts as a response. California Paintings use a similar framework. Cardboard’s primary use

is for shipping and packaging. The alchemy between water and the black carbon begins to

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resemble black dirt, sand, or crushed lava, introducing a surface reminiscent of velvet. The

black velvet-like texture neutralizes and defamiliarizes typical associations with the materials.

Mulberry paper with flower petals are attached to the back, adding additional layers of visual

information. The flower petals collaged together are reminiscent of precious gems or stained-

glass windows. When materials are defamiliarized from their usual associations new views are

introduced and offer new insight. The process of triangulation has been used in many different

applications, but I want to focus on its ability to find connections between different elements.

Elements such as materials, process, and presentation work together to provide different angles

and access points that the viewer can then use to access information that is at both the

perceptual level and underneath as a cognitive layer. Complicating the perception of the

materials invites contemplation of their surface quality. The subtle warping of the cardboard

pushes them off of the wall and adds a body-to-object relationship. The standard gallery-style

installation establishes an intimate relationship between the objects and allows for the direct

experience of the viewer.

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Chapter Three: The reefs

The symbiotic relationship between coral and zooxanthellae is both fascinating and

critical as a framework for harmonious connections between different organisms (NOAA). They

have created a relationship so complex and successful that entire ecosystems based around

them equally flourish. These are used as nesting grounds for some of the most diverse

creatures in marine life. Although visually striking and beautiful, the true astonishment is within

the many layers of change that have occurred throughout their history, turning these creatures

into the complex creatures we know.

Decadence, 2019, is a 21 1/2 x 15 1/2-inch painting which was originally a sketch to

think about the different ways erasure can be interpreted or analyzed. Sumi ink marks were an

exercise to relax connections in the cerebrum and introduce insights about the idea of erasure.

After the initial marks were made, I used the same materials in an erasing process which

consisted of a scratching motion over the original mark (similar to how an eraser is used to

remove graphite). Beeswax with black carbon was meant to coat the work as a protective layer

like varnish, hiding the marks but also stopping and preserving the unstable materials

underneath the surface. The absorbent nature of the hemp cloth soaked up the beeswax and

created a large blob-like shape in the middle of the painting. Each action determined the

process moving forward. The blob-like shape was heated in an attempt to create a uniform

surface. Different textures emerged on the surface as the tools being used scraped and moved

material around. The surface turned into a histogram of this procedure. When the materials

combined there were new connections between the different parts which formed the painting.

Although each step concealed the prior one, the painting turned into a document of the entire

process.

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Chapter Four: Ancient Relics

Throughout history, human beings have created objects for various purposes. These

objects have had multiple functions. A few of these functions include utilitarian and symbolic.

The value attributed to objects shifts as they progress in time. The information and history that

surround an object as well as its material qualities determine whether society will increase or

decrease its value. The common threads among objects are time and materials. Materials are

comprised of different chemical compositions, sizes, colors, and forms. The two main categories

they consist of are naturally occurring and mechanically manufactured. Naturally occurring

materials include those in their raw state. Any material whose composition is altered by a

human being is rendered mechanically manufactured. Materials have been known to cause

physical as well as mental impressions on humans. Religions and cultures have used objects

for both utilitarian and symbolic purposes. "Ceremonial and ritualistic objects have been utilized

as a means for establishing or maintaining communication between the sacred (the

transcendent, or supernatural, realm) and the profane (the realm of time, space, and cause and

effect)” (Auboyer).

Ancient magics, 2020, is a 00:01:23 min digital video with footage of a black circle

surrounded by flames that cut in and out. The two original source videos included

documentation of a firing process for creating black carbon and footage of a pagan temple

which I had the opportunity to enter in 1996. Black carbon in the form of charcoal found in the

cave of Chauvet-Pont-d’Arc is one of the oldest mark-making materials dating back “between

30,340 and 32,410 years before 1995 when the samples were taken” (Khan Academy). Mixing

the video of charcoal’s creation and the footage of the pagan temple connects these two

historical subjects, putting them into contact with each other. Additionally carbon is currently one

of the essential materials used to protect NASA’s aircraft Parker Solar Probe from heat allowing

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for the exploration of the sun (NASA). This remix of content blurs the associations of each

subject and creates an opportunity to see them together through a different lens. During the

process of connecting the videos, I cut the footage of the temple out because of its narrative

implication. However, the slots from the pagan temple video were kept and originally occupied

the blackout portions. The audio is the sound of the sun and was downloaded from NASA’s

website which serendipitously fit within the length of the final video. There are moments when

the video cuts out and there is only sound playing. It creates a mirror on the surface of the

screen for self-reflection.

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Chapter Five: Altered Space

In 1970 artist Robert Irwin abandoned his studio and ventured into the desert. The

physical framework of his studio had become a distraction for furthering the development of his

thoughts (Wikipedia). In Lawrence Weschler’s book Seeing Is Forgetting the Name of the Thing

One Sees, Irwin recalls the desert’s intrigue.

“It’s a place where you can go along for a long while and nothing seems to be

happening. It’s all just flat desert, no particular events, no mountains or trees or rivers

and then, all of a sudden, it can just take on this sort of … I mean, it's hard to explain,

but it takes on an almost magical quality. It just suddenly stands up and hums, it

becomes so beautiful, incredibly, the presence is so strong. Then twenty minutes later, it

will simply stop. And I began wondering why, what those events were really about,

because they were so close to my interests, the quality of phenomena (Weschler 163).

He contemplated how the subtle beauty and strength in presence could be “brought to bear on

what we call art.” After brain storming multiple ideas, “Irwin chose to absorb the lessons of the

desert and apply them, on a site-by-site basis, to each new room whose presence he would be

confronting and trying to modulate during the coming years” (Weschler 165).

During my tenure as a student worker for the CSUN Art Galleries, I have spent a lot of

time sitting in the foyer greeting guests. Because of the initial architectural design, visitors often

walk past the West Gallery and miss its shows. For my thesis project, I address this

disconnection between the two spaces. The foyer connects the Main Gallery, West Gallery, and

gallery store. It is also the first impression visitors have of the gallery. The graduate exhibition

showcases the work of students completing their MA and MFA degrees, and my connecting

these spaces creates a smoother transition and flow among the different artists. In the foyer, I’m

including my black, velvet-textured box made with cardboard, water and black carbon. The

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delicate nature of surface calls attention to the existing architecture. Preparation includes

painting the walls with eco-friendly water-based paint. Extension cords will run along the walls

with wire moldings, damaged signage will be refreshed with screen printed replacements, and

the existing visitor storage will be replaced. All of these details de-familiarize the visitor's

experience and expectations, and introduce them to a curated experience where art and life are

combined through design and art installation. Due to unforeseen circumstances this project was

unrealized as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and its subsequent mandates.

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Conclusion

A simple description for Fresh air, 2019, is flower petals glued onto conservation paper

and stuck onto a wall with a needle. The decisions that influenced its creation were guided by

my history and interactions with the society in which I live. The blue hydrangea flower petals

were chosen because of their abilities to hold their color and degrade over time. The glue

holding the flower petals was chosen because it is vegetable-based. The conservation paper

was sourced from Hiromi paper in Los Angeles which specializes in handmade paper from

Japan. The needle is one of the few remaining gifts from my grandfather and grandmother.

These materials combine to create a mandala or stained-glass type object which delicately

flutters at the slightest movement of the viewer. The framework of attaching the object to a white

wall at eye level establishes the assumption that one steps in front of the artwork and

contemplates what is presented. This investment of time results in specific thoughts connected

to the selection of decisions that I've made. The remainder of the information that the viewer

brings to the work are layers meant for self-reflection and contemplation. I'm interested in using

my platform as an artist to open up dialogues like this that provide insight into thoughts that are

not easily accessible. The final work functions in the realm of art but lives in the realm of my life.

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Bibliography

Auboyer, Jeannine. “Ceremonial Object.” Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica, inc., December 9, 2015. https://www.britannica.com/topic/ceremonial-object. “Corals.” NOAA National Ocean Service Education: Corals. Accessed March 30, 2020. https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/education/kits/corals/coral02_zooxanthellae.html. Maps, National Geographic. “Red-Tailed Hawk.” Kids' Games, Animals, Photos, Stories, and More, June 14, 2019. https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/animals/birds/red-tailed-hawk/. MOCA. “Matthew Barney, William Forsythe, and Maggie Nelson, Moderated by Helen Molesworth.” YouTube video, 01:19:27. September 23, 2015. https://youtu.be/olCPGyMkbCk Morris, Robert. “Some Notes on the Phenomenology of Making.” Artforum International, April 1, 1970. https://www.artforum.com/print/197004/some-notes-on-the-phenomenology-of- making-34191. NASA. “How NASA's Parker Solar Probe Will Survive the Sun.” YouTube video, 02:54. July 20, 2018. https://youtu.be/RT9laVHZZQo “Paleolithic Art, an Introduction (Article).” Khan Academy. Khan Academy. Accessed March 31, 2020. https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/ap-art-history/global-prehistory- ap/paleolithic-mesolithic-neolithic/a/paleolithic-art-an-introduction. “Robert Irwin (Artist).” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, December 24, 2019. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Irwin_(artist). Weschler, Lawrence. Seeing Is Forgetting the Name of the Thing One Sees: Expanded Edition, Over Thirty Years of Conversations with Robert Irwin. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2009.

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Appendix

Figure 1 Garen Novruzyan Box with remnants of happiness, cardboard, sumi ink, black carbon residue, mulberry paper, and hemp cord, 8 1/2 x 8 1/2 x 8 1/2 inches (21.59 x 21.59 x 21.59 cm), 2019

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Figure 2 Garen Novruzyan California paintings (installation shot), cardboard, sumi ink, black carbon residue, mulberry paper, flower petals, and sewing needle, 8 x 6 x 3/4 inches (20.32 x 15.24 x 1.905 cm), 2019

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Figure 2.1

Garen Novruzyan California paintings, cardboard, sumi ink, black carbon residue, mulberry paper, flower petals, and sewing needle, 8 x 6 x 3/4 inches (20.32 x 15.24 x 1.905 cm), 2019

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Figure 3 Garen Novruzyan Decadence, hemp tea towel, birch lumber, sumi ink, bamboo charcoal, beeswax and damar resin, 21 1/2 x 15 1/2 x 1 1/2 inches (54.61 x 39.37 x 3.81 cm), 2019

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Figure 4 Garen Novruzyan ancient magics (still), 00:01:23, single-channel video with audio, 2019

Figure 4.1 Garen Novruzyan ancient magics (still), 00:01:23, single-channel video with audio, 2019

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Figure 5 Garen Novruzyan Altered space (unrealized), Adobe Photoshop composite, 2020

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Figure 6 Garen Novruzyan Fresh air, mulberry paper, hydrangea flower petals, and sewing needle, 7 x 7 x 1 inches (17.78 x 17.78 x 2.54 cm), 2019