Louise Bourgeois, Artist, French-American, b. 1911, d. 2010

source is artlead.com

The Curved House, 2010

Pink marble

4 3/4 × 8 1/4 × 2 3/4 in

12.1 × 21 × 7 cm

Edition of 12

source is artsy.net

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Maya Lin, Artist, American, b. 1959

Watch

Video segment on art:21

Link here.

Even if she had designed nothing else, Maya Lin's first commission would make her one of the most innovative artists of the twentieth century. Her Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., a city known for its imposing monuments, is now one of the most iconic sights. Her use of a spare, low-slung wall to trace the line of the natural landscape became her trademark. Her minimalist approach to public art is to add something that looks like it was not originally there, but somehow belongs. Swells of earth interrupt the grassy terrain ever so slightly in her outdoor installations, so that if one is not viewing the work from high above or far away, one might not even notice them. The indoor sculptures on which she has focused recently maintain an implicit environmental focus, ideologically and visually evoking the rolling contours of remote geographic locations. In a career that began with controversy, Lin's 35-year record of public and private art successfully merges the conceptual and natural world.

source for above text is the theartstory.org

mayalin.com

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Semiotics - Symbols and Conventions

Semiotics is the study of signs and symbols and their use or interpretation. 

Symbols - No logical meaning for what it stands for. Have no resemblance to the real object, it’s a result of a convention (considered acceptable to most members of a society). A dove represents peace, but there’s no connection between the animal and peace, it’s just a convention. 

A symbol (an image or text) can only make meaning if the person already knows the convention - a matter of culture and previous knowledge.  For each culture the symbol makes meaning.

Color in cultures.

Convention - a way in which something is usually done within a particular area or activity, behavior that is considered acceptable or polite to most members of a society.

Painted in 1434.  cloth, dog, orange, cherries, gaze, red curtains, green for hope, women surround themselves with tokens for fertility, discarded shoes.

Further Reading:
Signs and Language.  Link here.
The Age of the Female Icon by Holly Brubach, New York Times Magazine. Link here.
Perceptions of Female Beauty in the 20th Century by Louise Wood. Link here.

MOOD BOARDS

Canva
You can select from a variety of templates. Site requires you to sign up with e-mail or google account.
canva.com

Some interesting info on this website:
How to Create a Moodboard And Get Your Creative Juices Flowing