Kendall Buster Analysis

Art is known as a way an artist expresses emotion or creative skill. The act of expressing this skill or emotion can be demonstrated using many different materials and techniques. Artist Kendall Buster has been known to use semi-transparent shade cloth, paper, thin steel sheeting and steel rods for constructing her artwork. Artist Tara Donovan has been known to use everyday materials such as paper cups, Styrofoam cups, straws, and torn paper to express her art. Both artists create site-specific installation art that resembles molecular or cellular structures within a given amount of space. Kendall Buster is a regarded artist of the United States. She is known for her innovation of in-site installation sculptures. Buster hasn’t always been

In 2010, Buster was commissioned by Princeton Universities Frick Chemistry Lab. Like the Garden Snare, Resonance is an in-site installation, which resembles a molecular structure. This sculpture is made up of six groupings of inter-connected oval, circular semi-transparent pieces, which range in size from “8 by 3feet to 16 by 10 feet” (Boettcher). Resonance is a cage-like structure, covered in outdoor shade cloth, suspended in a long, narrow atrium, and attached to the main support beams of the building by stainless steel aircraft cable (“Kendall Buster About”). Buster uses the transparency of the shade cloth and natural lighting to bring her sculpture to life. The lighting penetrates the shade cloth giving the artwork a glow making the sculpture appear alive. Buster used the glass of the atrium to reflect the piece. By reflecting Resonance off the glass, she makes the sculpture appear to continuously divide and grow. She also uses the reflection of the sculpture in the atrium glass to imply space. The reflection of the sculpture makes the atrium feel bigger than it actually is, by giving the impression the space has no boundaries. Resonance is a commissioned, site-specific, permanent molecular structure that represents the continuation of life with new

“Tara Donovan earned a BFA from the Corcoran College of Art and Design in 1991, and an MFA from Virginia Commonwealth University in 1999 (Donovan).” While at the Corcoran College of Art and Design, Tara Donovan was taught by Kendall Buster. Donovan worked with Kendall Buster after graduation for many years. She learned a lot from working with Buster, especially about “working with assistants and making things on a very large scale (Baume et al. pg#).” Eventually, Donavan began to make artwork from everyday objects like toothpicks, tar paper, drinking straws, scotch tape and styrofoam cups. Donovan began making art from this format because these items were affordable on a waitress’s salary (Baume et al. pg#). Donovan has received many awards for her work. Among some of the awards are the prestigious MacArthur Foundation “Genius” Award (2008) and the first annual Calder Prize (2005) (Pace Gallery - Tara Donovan). From being taught and working for Buster, Donovan learned to make artwork on a very large scale and began to use every day, affordable objects to do