There is nothing like starting out your morning right with your project started for a studio class. There is also nothing like arriving to class to be told that it looks like a craft. (Which translates too, this is crap.) Now okay, I'll admit that my structure was made with popsicle sticks and hot glue. But the professor made it seem as if it would be left that way. As in my project was the structure and thats it. Its going to be covered in fabric, no one will be able to tell. Bleh.
I know my professor was trying to help me out, so nothing against her, but its such a down feeling. The assignment is to make a fibers project out of a lyric/line of a poem we choose. I chose "In you I taste God" and I'm relating it to how death has brought me both closer and farther away at times from Him. I wanted to make something like a yartzit candle holder where the flame inside the candle will illuminate the fabrics. But I'm having serious problems with the concept and bringing it through.
Fibers is difficult. My professor kept asking me what seemed like annoying questions about every little piece of material used in the piece. I just wanted to say, why does it matter! Come on its for construction, no one will see it! But thinking about it, it makes a lot of sense that she wants me to think about the materials I use. I mean with fibers the choice of materials tells the audience what its about. Every little choice like that counts towards the concept of the piece. But I will stand by though that its definitely frustrating.
Maybe I should choose a different lyric. Bleh. We'll see after I work on it more.
Monday, February 21, 2011
Friday, February 11, 2011
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
New Painting Studio
So let's just say after a week of non stop Japanese projects, quizzes, and tests (might I add I have some due tonight too...) I needed to do something else. So the following paintings are what came out tonight.
This one has changed quite a bit throughout the process. First it was more warm tones, then a purple background with red hair, now its this. If I find photos of it before I will post them, but I'm not sure where they are....
Word
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Final Review of Class and Project
So for my final project my actual means of presentation changed a lot before the final product. Working with the idea I had with my project, I began questioning how I would actually present it to the class. Website? Power point presentation? Me just talk with images on the screen? Then I saw Prof. Rothrock's blog and noticed she had emphasized letting the work speak for itself, I realized I probably needed a different way.
The cool thing is, days before I began working on the final piece I had an idea about a child's story about memories. Since Dana passed away and left her son, I've been kind of struggling with the idea of how he will have to deal with everything that has happened. When he went the funeral he wanted to move around and go play. I'm almost certain as a four year old he had absolutely no idea what was happening and how final it was. Weeks afterwards he was still asking when Dana would come home. So I wanted to transmit the memory concept I had before in a way a child might be able to perceive it. (Not sure if I succeeded, honestly I think I'd need children to look at it to know for sure.) But I am happy with how it came out.
Also, I like the way I presented it for a story idea. Using a basic website lets the user interact and choose the page they want to go to and take their time reading whats provided. When I get better at websites, I could add in even more interactivity, letting viewers submit memories through a forum. That's kind of what the box that I collected memories in was for. I got caught on the 'no talking about your project rule' and the limited amount of time we had, so I didn't go into it. (Also none of the other student asked so I guess they weren't too interested? Or maybe they forgot?)
FINAL EVALUATION OF THE CLASS
I extremely enjoyed this class. Honestly I feel like I've grown a lot as an artist while taking it. Between Contemporary Art History and Concepts, I've had to think, a lot, about what I'm doing and learn a lot about different artists and their means of doing things. I don't think I necessarily sharpened any skill making skills like drawing, painting, etc, but I do feel like my steps to think BEFORE starting those processes has extremely changed and improved. I'm really glad this class is required for art majors, it seems like an extremely important one.
The cool thing is, days before I began working on the final piece I had an idea about a child's story about memories. Since Dana passed away and left her son, I've been kind of struggling with the idea of how he will have to deal with everything that has happened. When he went the funeral he wanted to move around and go play. I'm almost certain as a four year old he had absolutely no idea what was happening and how final it was. Weeks afterwards he was still asking when Dana would come home. So I wanted to transmit the memory concept I had before in a way a child might be able to perceive it. (Not sure if I succeeded, honestly I think I'd need children to look at it to know for sure.) But I am happy with how it came out.
Also, I like the way I presented it for a story idea. Using a basic website lets the user interact and choose the page they want to go to and take their time reading whats provided. When I get better at websites, I could add in even more interactivity, letting viewers submit memories through a forum. That's kind of what the box that I collected memories in was for. I got caught on the 'no talking about your project rule' and the limited amount of time we had, so I didn't go into it. (Also none of the other student asked so I guess they weren't too interested? Or maybe they forgot?)
FINAL EVALUATION OF THE CLASS
I extremely enjoyed this class. Honestly I feel like I've grown a lot as an artist while taking it. Between Contemporary Art History and Concepts, I've had to think, a lot, about what I'm doing and learn a lot about different artists and their means of doing things. I don't think I necessarily sharpened any skill making skills like drawing, painting, etc, but I do feel like my steps to think BEFORE starting those processes has extremely changed and improved. I'm really glad this class is required for art majors, it seems like an extremely important one.
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
New Project, Clearer Ideas
So for my last project I am going to do a proposal for a project. The project would require gallery space and a lot of work so that is why I'm doing a proposal for it rather than doing it. The project would be called Memories: Closed. The project would be looking at memories and how they affect us. How traumatic or hurtful ones can cause us to try to seal ourselves off from ever repeating the same mistakes or experiencing the same painful sensation. However with trying to avoid experiencing that pain again we end up missing out on new memories that could be good, or we trap ourselves with those old hurtful memories.
Memories: Closed would be part performance and part gallery show. Located in the gallery would be a large wooden trunk, one that is large enough for a person to fit in. Surrounding the trunk would be tapestries with digital art and images of past memories. Some of the images would be normal photographs taken in good times but blurred a bit or altered to show memory affects. Maybe even bring up the contrast and bright colors some to stress how we exemplify the good memories, sometimes making them better than they even were because that's how we remember them. (And vice versa for the bad memories.) Then leading up to the trunk would be more disturbing images, more grayed or blurred images much like my dreams after my best friend died.
On opening night the trunk would be opened. The viewers entering the gallery could look inside the trunk and see that there are hundreds of snapshots or written down memories on paper in it. At some point the performer would enter the gallery with all of the images everywhere and look to one of the tapestries with brighter memories. They would rip the tapestry off of the way and then take it into the trunk. Afterward they would lock themselves inside of the trunk and a sign would be hung on the outside saying MEMORIES ONLY. (The trunk would be designed to let the person breathe comfortably because they would stay there for the rest of the show.) Underneath the area where the performer yanked down the tapestry would be a space to reflect a projection off of. The projection would start up with animations/video/images about the performer's memory, all skewed because memory is never as accurate as we like to think it it.
The action of the performer locking themselves in a trunk full of snapshots is a metaphor for when people lock themselves in their own minds with memories. Getting stuck in them its hard to move on and see that there is still the present and future.
The next part I'm not sure about, but is a possibility:
The trunk would have a slit on the side and there would be paper and pencil somewhere in the gallery with instructions to write down a memory and put it in the trunk. That way viewers could become participants and share a memory. The instructions would read something like: "Share a good memory and I'll share in the happiness of that day." Or "Share a sad memory and I'll weep with you." Or even, "Share in an unimportant memory and we'll make it important." Just something to make it more interactive and so people won't just be walking into the performer's memories. Kind of like crossing memories, joining them, bringing new light to them, etc.
Memories: Closed would be part performance and part gallery show. Located in the gallery would be a large wooden trunk, one that is large enough for a person to fit in. Surrounding the trunk would be tapestries with digital art and images of past memories. Some of the images would be normal photographs taken in good times but blurred a bit or altered to show memory affects. Maybe even bring up the contrast and bright colors some to stress how we exemplify the good memories, sometimes making them better than they even were because that's how we remember them. (And vice versa for the bad memories.) Then leading up to the trunk would be more disturbing images, more grayed or blurred images much like my dreams after my best friend died.
On opening night the trunk would be opened. The viewers entering the gallery could look inside the trunk and see that there are hundreds of snapshots or written down memories on paper in it. At some point the performer would enter the gallery with all of the images everywhere and look to one of the tapestries with brighter memories. They would rip the tapestry off of the way and then take it into the trunk. Afterward they would lock themselves inside of the trunk and a sign would be hung on the outside saying MEMORIES ONLY. (The trunk would be designed to let the person breathe comfortably because they would stay there for the rest of the show.) Underneath the area where the performer yanked down the tapestry would be a space to reflect a projection off of. The projection would start up with animations/video/images about the performer's memory, all skewed because memory is never as accurate as we like to think it it.
The action of the performer locking themselves in a trunk full of snapshots is a metaphor for when people lock themselves in their own minds with memories. Getting stuck in them its hard to move on and see that there is still the present and future.
The next part I'm not sure about, but is a possibility:
The trunk would have a slit on the side and there would be paper and pencil somewhere in the gallery with instructions to write down a memory and put it in the trunk. That way viewers could become participants and share a memory. The instructions would read something like: "Share a good memory and I'll share in the happiness of that day." Or "Share a sad memory and I'll weep with you." Or even, "Share in an unimportant memory and we'll make it important." Just something to make it more interactive and so people won't just be walking into the performer's memories. Kind of like crossing memories, joining them, bringing new light to them, etc.
Thursday, December 2, 2010
New Project
Looking forward to the new project I'm excited and nervous. I spent almost two hours on and off writing directions for the next project. At the time I was set on a video. Looking at identity once again. Examining aspects of my identity. Last time I feel like the painting I did had a lot of parts of who I am, but not going deep enough. Something that I've realized during the past five months is my ability to use escapism for everything. I use it for thoughts, relationships, friendships, family complications, medical, etc. Instead of facing problems I find a way to escape it and I feel like my first project was just that. Instead of showing me, I showed the wall I use to keep others out. So I wanted to delve a bit further.
But delving further is straight up hard. Literally I have pages of scenes and what I want to focus on for the film. But when I went to record some, looking at the footage I didn't like it. The ideas were very similar to what I used to do in high school with friends, but without another person to help film it doesn't feel right. I was considering possibly going back to Fayetteville to shoot it and recruit some friends to do it, but then I realized almost everyone will be away until after the semester ends.
So I think that particular film idea is out. Its okay because it was starting to depress me and that's a great way to ruin a project quick. My next idea came to me in biology class today. We've been studying installation and performance artists lately in Contemporary Art History lately. (Which I have right before my biology class.) I was listening to a lecture on pathogens when I started doodling a space. I was thinking about what I would do for my senior exhibit for Digital Media. (Even though its not til a year from now.) And I was thinking what would be funny. Then I thought what if I brought in a trunk like object that a human could fit into. I could put two tapestries on either side of the trunk, hanging from the ceiling like curtains. The tapestries would have digital images I've made printed on them, kind of like a hazy collage of photos of friends/digitally manipulated photos/artwork/etc. (Much like the digital art printed tapestries Jeff Murphy uses.)
The surrounding images are basically an example of photo manipulations I'd use. They are all images of me because that's what I feel comfortable displaying at this point. I'd also use plain photographs from my past, but I would blur these and probably gray them out depending.
But yeah, my idea for this project is a proposal for this idea. Something that I feel like our art department doesn't prep us for is leaving the university and what we will have to do once we leave. I mean your last semester you finally make a business card and possibly a website. You're supposed to all of a sudden become established artists in one semester? But that gets onto a different rant. My point is if any students are looking towards doing residencies after college they need to start researching them as soon as possible. I still have a year and a half but I'm starting now. And I'm trying to think of what I want my 'statement' to be.
For this project my statement would surround memory. I don't want to give away too much, especially without illusrtations, but the trunk would be used in a performance piece opening night. Once that night is over it would be used as a tool to expand and evolve the art piece. Meanwhile in the gallery memories would be spread throughout it.
But delving further is straight up hard. Literally I have pages of scenes and what I want to focus on for the film. But when I went to record some, looking at the footage I didn't like it. The ideas were very similar to what I used to do in high school with friends, but without another person to help film it doesn't feel right. I was considering possibly going back to Fayetteville to shoot it and recruit some friends to do it, but then I realized almost everyone will be away until after the semester ends.
So I think that particular film idea is out. Its okay because it was starting to depress me and that's a great way to ruin a project quick. My next idea came to me in biology class today. We've been studying installation and performance artists lately in Contemporary Art History lately. (Which I have right before my biology class.) I was listening to a lecture on pathogens when I started doodling a space. I was thinking about what I would do for my senior exhibit for Digital Media. (Even though its not til a year from now.) And I was thinking what would be funny. Then I thought what if I brought in a trunk like object that a human could fit into. I could put two tapestries on either side of the trunk, hanging from the ceiling like curtains. The tapestries would have digital images I've made printed on them, kind of like a hazy collage of photos of friends/digitally manipulated photos/artwork/etc. (Much like the digital art printed tapestries Jeff Murphy uses.)
The surrounding images are basically an example of photo manipulations I'd use. They are all images of me because that's what I feel comfortable displaying at this point. I'd also use plain photographs from my past, but I would blur these and probably gray them out depending.
But yeah, my idea for this project is a proposal for this idea. Something that I feel like our art department doesn't prep us for is leaving the university and what we will have to do once we leave. I mean your last semester you finally make a business card and possibly a website. You're supposed to all of a sudden become established artists in one semester? But that gets onto a different rant. My point is if any students are looking towards doing residencies after college they need to start researching them as soon as possible. I still have a year and a half but I'm starting now. And I'm trying to think of what I want my 'statement' to be.
For this project my statement would surround memory. I don't want to give away too much, especially without illusrtations, but the trunk would be used in a performance piece opening night. Once that night is over it would be used as a tool to expand and evolve the art piece. Meanwhile in the gallery memories would be spread throughout it.
Cycle
I think Cycle went really well. I'm really glad I had a groupmate who I worked well with because that seemed to be a problem that appeared in other groups. Honestly when group projects are announced I normally dread it because I tend to be one of the people who drag along the group. But this project wasn't like that at all. Our work dates, editing, communication, everything went really well.
I would like some critic on Cycle though. The class was very supportive and asked interesting questions, but there were no suggestions on what could have been better or more interesting. I know the sound could definitely be adjusted. During the critic one of the speakers gave off a terrible white noise which isn't on the original footage. Its a good lesson to check videos on the speakers you'll present them on before showing it. In a classroom setting it was okay I suppose, but imagine going into an interview or proposal with faulty sound.
If I had to critic the video we made I'd ask if it was edited to be too corny. Like those news segments or documentaries that are created with the intent to induce a certain emotion. I really hope it wasn't like that. I would also ask if anyone got a message from it, or understood it, etc. Basically, what do people get from it when they watch it?
I would like some critic on Cycle though. The class was very supportive and asked interesting questions, but there were no suggestions on what could have been better or more interesting. I know the sound could definitely be adjusted. During the critic one of the speakers gave off a terrible white noise which isn't on the original footage. Its a good lesson to check videos on the speakers you'll present them on before showing it. In a classroom setting it was okay I suppose, but imagine going into an interview or proposal with faulty sound.
If I had to critic the video we made I'd ask if it was edited to be too corny. Like those news segments or documentaries that are created with the intent to induce a certain emotion. I really hope it wasn't like that. I would also ask if anyone got a message from it, or understood it, etc. Basically, what do people get from it when they watch it?
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