Adreenah “Dreezy” Wynn
Due Sunday, November 17th
Essay
Essay
Artist Presentation: ICE-ROD
ICE-ROD is a Minneapolis-based artist, illustrator, and performer. He has a BFA in Painting from the Minneapolis College of Art and Design and a MEd from the University of Minnesota.[1] In the past he was a 3rd grade art teacher. His work has been displayed in galleries all over the world. His paintings have recently been used in a neurological medical study. He has even made illustrations for Nike and American Apparel.[2] Don’t let this information make you think his work is too serious. ICE-ROD is very playful and finds joy in making people smile and laugh through his skills and artwork.
ICE-ROD is only his stage name his real name is Michael Gaughan. ICE-ROD is the performer while Michael is the artist. His favorite media choice is watercolor.
I’m not only inspired by ICE-ROD’s performances I’m inspired by all his work. His drawings, paintings, and sculptures merge his passion of music. Artwork that was made with passion is so much more likeable. His work is realistic and playful. He feels it’s easier to play around and be silly throughout his art process because it just makes it easier. ICE-ROD takes his skills and creates lots of commercial work from big companies to just making to making his own album covers.
ICE-ROD is the performer while Michael is the artist. ICE-ROD has a plethora of video projects. Here is the focus of three kinds of projects including Dorm Room Rap, Collage Videos, and more videos involving viewer participation (includes a collaboration with his sister).
All of ICE-ROD’s work involves humor and is the complete opposite from highbrow artwork. His work is very easy going and playful. He does not take his work too seriously. In an interview with ICE-ROD says how humor is definitely a consistent theme in his life and artwork.[3] I think everyone can use this advice. I feel like sometimes art is taken to seriously and is also looked to be “deep.” I wish we as a society could just have fun and enjoy the art and take it as it is.
ICE-ROD is not only playful with his two-dimensional and three-dimensional but he is also playful with his four-dimensional (video) work. ICE-ROD’s performance work involves much viewer participation. This participation creates a better connection with him and his audience. This is what I love about it. It makes it seem easy the way he just uses his audience whether it’s partier’s at a club like his “Chatroulette Dorm Room Freestyle” piece or it’s criminals in a jail like his work “Brother and Sister.” He also has animation videos that just involve collecting different sound and visual pieces and collaging them together. I enjoy the way he uses his collage work to show the relationship between objects and ideas. Most of his video shows his passion with music as well, from the way he raps in a staged dorm room in his piece “Chatroulette Dorm Room Freestyle” and the way he rocks out on the guitar in the work “Brother and Sister.”
He inspires me because he's a well-rounded artist, he shows his passion for music throughout all his work, and he doesn't take his work too seriously. I wish there wasn’t a big disconnect between the artist Michael and the performer ICE-ROD but no matter what role he is in, his work is still amazing. He is a fresh new artist who using his passion and skills to create easy-going work. I hope the class enjoys the presentation and is inspired by him as much as I am.
[3] “Michael Gaughan's Visual Punchlines Bring Comedy To Art,” BeautifulDecay Artist Design, November 16, 2013, http://beautifuldecay.com/2013/10/01/michael-gaughans-visual-punchlines-bring-comedy-art/.
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