4/21/14
During class today, we had a workday and I spent the majority of class writing out my sexism facts. Even though I had read these things countless times, actually writing them down and making them real was really hard for me-I actually started to cry at one point during class. It's crazy how unfair and cruel the world can be. I left a little early to visit the Student Union and ask what I had to do to secure a table for Tuesday, and I discovered that anyone can have a table out there as long as there's room, so that worked out really well.
4/16/14
During class today, we had a workday and I spent the majority of class writing out my sexism facts. Even though I had read these things countless times, actually writing them down and making them real was really hard for me-I actually started to cry at one point during class. It's crazy how unfair and cruel the world can be. I left a little early to visit the Student Union and ask what I had to do to secure a table for Tuesday, and I discovered that anyone can have a table out there as long as there's room, so that worked out really well.
4/16/14
Student Union BFA Illustration:
Mallory Hope Gardner really caught my eye right off the bat- mostly because of the subject matter. In front of her wall of art pieces, she had a small table setup with a tablecloth that resembles a Ouija board, covered in books on film noir, Einstein, art, Buddhism, and luck etc. Instantly hooked. Her work itself is amazing too. One piece in particular that I loved resembled a comic book style, which is what I aspire to do in the future. I really resonate with her work-very relatable.
I also loved Joanna Zamora's work. Her cartoon characters are phenomenal. She also had a cute "room" set up as well, equipped with a chair, side table, and little "things," like small teeth and bones. OBSESSED. Her work is small and requires you to look extremely close to be able to appreciate all of the amazing intricate detail. I love miniature things and I love detail. Impeccable work, quirky designs. My favorite piece of hers is one where a girl is removing a tampon and it's totally gory and I love it! So adorable and she puts a humorous twist on all the "ugly" stuff she draws (I personally don't find bodily functions gross or weird, but to the masses, it might be considered repulsive). She also notes in her artist statement that she's inspired by Robert Crumb and Al Columbia, two of my favorite artists!! I have to meet this girl!! Quirks and comics, doesn't get better than that. She mentions her strange fascination with the grotesque, which we have in common so naturally I was totally drawn to her work. I felt kind of bored looking at most of the other artists and found myself navigating back to the wall with Gardner and Zamora's work-- not because the other artists' work wasn't good (it was). It was just the intimacy these two ladies added to their display, the furniture, I felt like I was stepping into their little rooms and catching a glimpse into their personal lives.
To improve this show, I would probably make the set up a little more interesting. I think the two girls got it, but the rest was kind of lacking. The illustrations were fantastic, but I think they could've been delivered in a more interesting fashion. Compared to the first BFA show, I think the first one was much better, no contest. I felt like every artist delivered in that exhibition, in very unique and visually pleasing ways. The Illustration show was great to look at, but I definitely preferred the first one.
4/14/14
During class today, we visited the exhibit at CCB. They're doing a project called Keeping Watch (this year is keeping watch on plastics) the aim is to make the public more aware of issues in the environment.
They had a huge "baby doll" called "the other toy story" by Joyce Dallal made out of some kind of wire, completely filled with old worn/thrown out toys. I especially loved this piece just because of how relatable it was. I was drawn to it because I saw a bunch of toys I used to have as a kid and it really makes you wonder where they all are now. I think that's what makes the piece so poignant; people who see this probably have at one point owned some of the toys used to make this up, and it causes a small feeling of guilt of our wastefulness.
The exhibit also contained several photographs by Chris Jordan of carcasses of albatross, revealing the contents of the birds' insides: copious amounts of plastic. Bottle caps, lighters, it was completely disturbing and incredibly sad. Apparently the birds in images hadn't been rearranged or anything like that, so this is just the cold hard truth and it's very upsetting. I think the photos did a great job at getting reactions out of people and causing people to really think about where there trash goes after they throw it away
4-9-14
During class today, we first visited the BFA show, which was fantastic. I especially loved the work done by Curtis king, holly keogh, and Ashley Moore. I've seen Curtis' work before in a previous show and loved it, so I was super excited to see the pieces again along with new ones. His talent is enviable and the subject matter was amazing. I knew immediately what he was trying to get at, something that really bugs me as well--amazingly talented innovative artists who don't get as much, if any, recognition like the white artists that steal their music and style. Not just the rolling stones, but several huge artists as well, including Elvis Presley. These huge rock stars that everyone worships and I'm just like... Their image is stolen from colored artists. It's unfair and unjust and it aggravates me every time someone praises these people as creative geniuses.
We then watched a few videos of artists dealing with politics and then split off in groups to discuss different subjects. My group deal with gay rights, and we talked mainly of bullying, the fear of coming out and the discrimination that goes on within the whole LGBTQ community. Andre posed an idea for a really great installation project, which I really hope he carries out and will be successful-dealing with coming out and the bravery and boldness needed to do so. I also recommended the group watch the following video, which I think is fantastic, so emotional and very thought provoking.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
The artists we discussed were Guillermo Gomez-Pena and Maya Lin. I really loved Gomez-Pena's performance art, especially his incorporation of fashion, while simultaneously making statements about the pervasive awful stereotypes of Mexican culture, using symbols of Catholicism, drug use, eagles, etc. When I was about 10, I actually saw Maya Lin's Vietnam War memorial wall and I must say it was incredibly emotional. Although I don't know anyone who was in the war, just seeing such a huge monument and so many names--the scale of the wall in comparison to how tiny the names were--it was incredibly real and very powerful. I loved the simplicity of the design, yet at the same time, it evokes so much emotion.
The artists we discussed were Guillermo Gomez-Pena and Maya Lin. I really loved Gomez-Pena's performance art, especially his incorporation of fashion, while simultaneously making statements about the pervasive awful stereotypes of Mexican culture, using symbols of Catholicism, drug use, eagles, etc. When I was about 10, I actually saw Maya Lin's Vietnam War memorial wall and I must say it was incredibly emotional. Although I don't know anyone who was in the war, just seeing such a huge monument and so many names--the scale of the wall in comparison to how tiny the names were--it was incredibly real and very powerful. I loved the simplicity of the design, yet at the same time, it evokes so much emotion.
4/7/14
During class today, we discussed the upcoming Politics project, which I am incredibly stoked about. I've been patiently waiting for this project all semester! I'm very involved in activism, feminism in particular, and it's what I'm most passionate about, so I'm very excited. This project is a perfect opportunity for me to get my views out there using art. We were asked several questions concerning politics, including what makes us angry, what would we die for, have we lost friends fighting for what we believe in, etc. My initial idea was to film random women and men as they respond to my question: what do you think when you hear the word "feminist?" Although it is supposed to be a silent film, I was thinking of making it only half silent--silencing the responses of females, and keeping the audio for the male responses--to symbolize how the voices of women are rarely heard or considered in many realms of society.
3/26/14
Today, we visited the Mint Museum to possibly find some inspiration for the upcoming project, which I found to be very helpful. Although I didn't see anything that gave me a definite idea of what I wanted to do for my project, I liked seeing the textiles, the designs, the stitching, the craftsmanship, which really inspired me to try hard to make my final piece look put together and well crafted. The African clothing especially was so meticulously done, with strings and beads and intricate hand sewing. (Not sure if pictures were allowed, but oh well.) These pieces really caught my attention because of the emphasis on certain parts of the garment. Naturally, I was attracted the most to the funeral wear and it made me really angry thinking about how lazy we've gotten when it comes to fashion. I so wish we still dressed like this!
3/24/14
Although I missed class today, I worked on embellishing a garment at home--tights. I chose to do a constellation design of the Libra zodiac sign. They look simple, but making sure the lines and shape match up well, both on and off the tights was kinda time consuming. Plus making sure each gem dried well--if not they would just pop off every time you tried to take a step. Here is the finished result--
3/19/14
During class today, we discussed the upcoming project--wearable/fantasy. I spent a lot time thinking about alter-egos and what/who I would be if I had the choice. When answering the questions presented to us, like "what makes you the happiest?" I thought a lot about how I am constantly watching movies or reading books or comics or watching shows or obsessively reading about other people's lives. I pretty much live in fantasy--I guess to get away from reality. I also like to dress up as characters a lot--I love October the most because I get to do it without being questioned. I love pretending to be other people or just submerging myself in fantasy worlds and fantasy stories with fantasy characters. So, for this project I think I'd really like to do something inspired by my books and films, my dream characters, someone who I'd rather be.
2/10/2014
During class today, we visited the print making studio, which I really benefited from. I had such a good time and I love every excuse I get to make something. It really peaked my interest and I am thinking about joining the print making club. It also gave me a few ideas for a future project, using print instillation. The PowerPoint on Time also gave me a couple of more ideas for the upcoming project, especially the slide concerning film. All I could think about was how the Shining was filmed and how you can watch the movie forwards and backwards simultaneously and the scenes match up symbolically. I'm really inspired by that idea and may try to incorporate something like that into my project.
2/5/2014
During class today, we were introduced to our next concepts project: time. Not gonna lie, I initially got pretty nervous because it is such a huge subject. However, after having a couple of hours to mull it over in my head, I came up with an idea that I am really really excited about (a rare occurrence for me). My family is incredibly sentimental; we keep everything from the past. We are probably borderline hoarders, but that's besides the point. One of our favorite pastimes is sifting through all of our old photographs, cherishing our memories, we love us some nostalgia. Best feeling. I came up with the idea to recreate our old photos as closely as I possibly could. I've already started choosing the old photos and taking the new ones. I'm going to explore how much has changed from those moments when the original photographs were taken. The pictures will be aesthetically strikingly similar, but the connotations associated with the old and new are polar opposites. I don't want to spoil the subject matter of the photos, but for example- I have old pictures of me as a kid partaking in activities that I am politically against now. Back then, it was fun and games, but now that I'm older, I can see how problematic my behavior was. (not that I had malicious intent or anything; it's just the way society makes people think a certain way.) So through the replication of the pictures, I can show how much has changed since then. How crazy it is how drastically things change over the course of 20 years.
1/22/14
During class today, we discussed our proposals for the "Play" project in small groups. I was kind of hesitant about my proposals, but getting feedback from peers definitely helped solidify my ideas. We also visited the exhibit Construct(s) with pieces from artists Matthew Steele and Isaac Payne in the architecture building, which I thought was incredibly beautiful. I am obsessed with detail and the pieces were so meticulously done, I was in awe. I especially appreciated the little sketch-like drawings. It was amazing how you could look so closely at the pieces and see all the detail put into one small area, and then you could step away and see the effect of the piece as a whole. Really cool stuff.
1/15/14
During class today, we viewed two exhibits in Rowe. For the first, we met with the artist who described his work, his process, his inspiration. I really enjoyed his work, his use of charcoal over wallpaper and his use of metallics and golds in his pieces were beautiful. However, I think I resonated more with the second exhibit. The second I walked in the room, it felt like I was walking into my bedroom. The piece, called Dis(play)ced was comprised of a million tiny little "things," knickknacks, junk all arranged in an organic, mandala-like shape. It was breathtaking, it gave me goosebumps--definitely my favorite display of art I've ever seen at the school. I could probably spend all day admiring every little detail.
1/13/2014
During Concept Studio today, we explored questions like, "what is art?" "why do we make art?" "can art transform someone's life?" "how/when has art influenced you?" "what do you want to say with your art?" and "what is play? when is work play?" We brainstormed things that came to mind when reminded of the word "play" and my list was comprised of the following: robots, girl club, suicidal barbies, dropping babies, mermaids, polly pockets, firefighters park, alligators, ghosts, Ouija, murderer, wannado city, club libby lu, pitou, ghost stories, betty spaghetti, spice girls, tamagotchi, my secret fort, my scab collection, rollerblading, the beach, dress up, etc. This class period brought forth a tidal wave of nostalgia, for which I'm extremely grateful for. I spent the rest of the day remembering all of the toys I used to play with and am now seriously considering repurchasing them all again if I can find them somewhere on ebay or something.
1/8/2014
Today was the first day of Concept Studio, during which we reviewed the syllabus and discussed what was expected out of the class. So far, it seems like this class will be very exciting/challenging. I really like how open-ended it is and I'm excited (and slightly nervous) to see what kinds of things I will come up with. I think I will get a lot out of this class.
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