First Work

The first in a series of four, the following is my photgraph collage inspired / based on the color yellow-orange. I drew connections to the common use of this color in road markings and public utilities. Check it out.

A Few Inspirational (color) Artists

Takun Williams - http://technodrome1.tumblr.com/archive

Really cool digital artist I found one day. Works almost exclusively with pop culture references and ties to movies. I particularly love his use of bright neon colors in images that may usually be dull and boring.
















Gunta Stoölzl - http://www.guntastolzl.org/Works

Don't know very much about Gunta besides the fact that she is a German Bauhaus textile artist. Awesome use of color in her wall hangings, seems oddly unusual for the time period. Regardless, Super bright and fun stuff.

Keith Negley Response

Wednesday night was graced with the presence of renowned editorial illustrator Keith Negley. From his works with New York Times, Business week and many others Negley has come to be known a one of the leading digital artists in his field.

            As Negley explained in his talk much of his inspiration comes from the articles he is commissioned to design for. Working almost exclusively in metaphorical images Negley pokes at issues of politics and economics. Though all of Negley’s work is digital he often draws inspiration from his roots as a screen printer, utilizing textures and effects in his work that form a more organic feel to the images. Rather than drawing from his environment or life experiences as with the artists in Art City Negley works predominantly from necessity and restrictions imposed by his clients. Keith works in a field that is less about self-expression and more about communicating an idea successfully and in a creative way.

            Often forced to work in a limited color pallet Negley explained that he thrived off of muted colors as well as tints and shades that reflected on his love of vintage posters. His color palate also drew from his interest in pushing his own limits of creativity, by using only two or three colors he told us, he was able to force his designs to work through unique avenues: utilizing form, line and negative space in non-traditional ways.

            All in all Negley’s presentation was highly inspiration, lending advise to aspiring artists and showing us a glimpse into an elite field of artists who have to push the boundaries of creativity every day they work. 

Art City Response

A recent showing of the film Art City examined the life and works of a handful of artists from across the country. The Film discussed ideas like controversy in art, community, inspiration and struggle.

One of the themes from the movie that each artist expressed was that art should be a reflection of the person making it. The artists felt as though art was a selfish process that served only the artist’s ideas and intentions. It was discussed that true art should reveal something about the person making it, allowing the viewer to get an understanding of the artists by looking solely at their work.

Yet another theme that was expressed in the film is that art is representative of life experience and fears from the artist. Whether it be the beach, racial issue, dreams or a fear of not have a Coca-Cola, art is nearly always manifested through an experience of the being. Art does not simply come about from nowhere; it comes from life. Art can be social or antisocial, created from the fear of being apart or from the joys of being with ones you love. Ultimately art is a product of existence and therefore it is the goal of an artist to best communicate that existence with others through visual means. The purpose of is to make people think.

            

Old Man Time

Here is my final get-up for the Foundations line to mass sculpture project. For the assignment I decided to be father time - check it out. 

Concept & Research Paragraphs [Final Draft]

            Concept 

Inspired by the humorously unrealistic Santa Claus beards seen across malls and shopping centers around Christmas time I have decided to take on the task of creating a beard prosthetic for the foundations line to mass sculpture project. The reason I chose the beard for this project is because of its connotations with knowledge and its relationship with social class and stereotypes. The beard is a symbol of age and maturity and becomes a ruler for measuring the passage of time. People with beards are often placed into certain categories and societal groups and for this reason I believe the beard prosthesis will offer a unique opportunity to comment on the way facial hair changes the way we look and interact with people. From the rich and powerful to the unconventional and homeless the beard is a powerful symbol of life and time showing that we truly can’t read a book by its cover.

Comprising of metal wire, twine and string I will be putting together a scraggily and disheveled wearable beard reminiscent of a homeless person or crazed mathematician. The beard will begin with a main armature wrapped around the ears flowing towards the front of the jaw, with branching sections of smaller wire to support the layering and integrity of the beard. Draping down and to the side of these wires will be numerous strands of twine, wire and yarn following no particular style or cut, which will make up the mass of the beard. Each strand will be attached using a generic knot and should require no glue of external fastening. The final product should result in a realistic 12-inch long beard that you can run your hands through.

Research

Growing a beard has meant many different things over the ages, from showing religious respect for the gods to protest the beard is a symbol of all walks of life and all philosophical ideals. Those who study beards and their history are called pogonologists from “pogon” the Greek word for beard. In modern day Christianity as with numerous other religions almost all of the holy figures are adorned with beards and in fact eight of the figures in Leonardo da Vinci’s Last Supper are sporting full-grown beards. The beard symbolized a strong relationship with god and subsequently a strong religiosity. In the Muslim faith large unkempt beards are commonplace and show others that one has a determined relationship with Allah. The beard over different times and cultures has also been seen as a sign of virility, dignity and wisdom; Spartan warriors would even punish cowards by shaving off parts of their beards as a form of humiliation.

            In modern day society all of these beliefs about the beard still stand true but there are also several new ones that western culture has adopted into everyday life. From the 1920’s through the 60’s beards in America were considered fairly taboo and instead gained popularity as symbols of the counterculture and homeless life. Beards took a sharp increase in popularity in the 1980’s when businessmen and beatniks would share facial hair all the same. Today the beard has stabilized in popularity and represents all walks of life. Ultimately it is clear that the beard is here to stay, from religious devotion to celebrity stardom to the homeless the beard is a symbol of the diversity of male life and doesn’t appear to be getting shaved off any time soon.

Sources

1. Greg, Brian. "Growing a Beard: The History and Philosophies Behind the Current Trend." Associated Content from Yahoo! - Associatedcontent.com. Web. 01 Dec. 2010. <http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/527083/growing_a_beard_the_history_and_philosophies.html?cat=69>.

2. Daoud, Abu. "The Beard Divide." Islam and Christianity. Web. 01 Dec. 2010. <http://islamdom.blogspot.com/2007/08/beard-divide.html>.

3. "Beard." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 01 Dec. 2010. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beard>.

4. "Beard: Encyclopedia II - Beard - History." Enlightenment - The Experience Festival. Web. 01 Dec. 2010. <http://www.experiencefestival.com/a/Beard_-_History/id/1286219>

Digital Imaging Final

 

Here is the final project I have been working on for my Digital Imaging class. The design above is from a drawing I did back in my sophomore year of high school. I scanned it into Illustrator and traced all the lines, I then proceeded to take it into Photoshop and color each of the shapes by hand. The final product will be a roughly 20x30 poster. 

Stunning Performance Art Piece

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_n2kfqNmpY

I found the work of Janine Antoni to be particularly intriguing. In her piece linked to above titled "touch" she stretches a slack-line in front of the horizon and slowly walks across it. As she does so the line momentarily touches the actual horizon line giving the illusion of Antoni walking along the horizon. The piece blurs the lines between sculpture and performance and gives a magical glimpse into what it might actually be like to walk on the horizon. This piece is truly genius.

Research Paragraph for Beard [Rough]

Growing a beard has meant many different things over the ages, from showing religious respect for the gods to protest the beard is a symbol of all walks of life and all philosophical ideals. Those who study beards and their history are called pogonologists from “pogon” the Greek word for beard. In modern day Christianity as with numerous other religions almost all of the holy figures are adorned with beards and in fact eight of the figures in Leonardo da Vinci’s Last Supper are sporting full-grown beards. The beard symbolized a strong relationship with god and subsequently a strong religiosity. In the Muslim faith large unkempt beards are commonplace and show others that one has a determined relationship with Allah. The beard over different times and cultures has also been seen as a sign of virility, dignity and wisdom; Spartan warriors would even punish cowards by shaving off parts of their beards as a form of humiliation.

            In modern day society all of these beliefs about the beard still stand true but there are also several new ones that western culture has adopted into everyday life. From the 1920’s through the 60’s beards in America were considered fairly taboo and instead gained popularity as symbols of the counterculture and homeless life. Beards took a sharp increase in popularity in the 1980’s when businessmen and beatniks would share facial hair all the same. Today the beard has stabilized in popularity and represents all walks of life. Ultimately it is clear that the beard is here to stay, from religious devotion to celebrity stardom to the homeless the beard is a symbol of the diversity of male life and doesn’t appear to be getting shaved off any time soon. 

Bibliography

1. Greg, Brian. "Growing a Beard: The History and Philosophies Behind the Current Trend." Associated Content from Yahoo! - Associatedcontent.com. Web. 01 Dec. 2010. <http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/527083/growing_a_beard_the_history_and_philosophies.html?cat=69>.

2. Daoud, Abu. "The Beard Divide." Islam and Christianity. Web. 01 Dec. 2010. <http://islamdom.blogspot.com/2007/08/beard-divide.html>.

3. "Beard." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 01 Dec. 2010. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beard>.

4. "Beard: Encyclopedia II - Beard - History." Enlightenment - The Experience Festival. Web. 01 Dec. 2010. <http://www.experiencefestival.com/a/Beard_-_History/id/1286219>.

Concept Paragraph for Prosthesis [Rough]

Inspired by the humorously unrealistic Santa Claus beards seen across malls and shopping centers around Christmas time I have decided to take on the task of creating a beard prosthetic for the foundations line to mass sculpture project. Comprising of metal wire, twine and string I will be putting together a scraggily and disheveled wearable beard reminiscent of a homeless person or crazed mathematician. The beard will begin with a main armature wrapped around the ears flowing towards the front of the jaw, with branching sections of smaller wire to support the layering and integrity of the beard. Draping down and to the side of these wires will be numerous strands of twine, wire and yarn following no particular style or cut, which will make up the mass of the beard. Each strand will be attached using a generic knot and should require no glue of external fastening. The final product should result in the thick 12-inch beard that you can run your hand through and hopefully fool people into thinking is real.

            The reason I chose the beard for this project is because of its connotations with knowledge and its relationship with social class and stereotypes. The beard is a symbol of age and maturity and becomes a ruler for measuring the passage of time. People with beards are often placed into certain categories and societal groups and for this reason I believe the beard prosthesis will offer a unique opportunity to comment on the way facial hair changes the way we look and interact with people. From the rich and powerful to the unconventional and homeless the beard is a powerful symbol of life and time showing that we truly can’t read a book by its cover. 

Beard Prosthetic Sketch

Below is the final (hopefully) sketch of the beard prosthetic I will be working on for the next two weeks. Included in the sketch are the framework of the armature, a detailed drawing of how the wire will be supported by the ear and how the twine will attach to the beard armature. A description of the beard and a commentary on the history and concept will come in a later post.

Barbara Earl-Thomas Inspiration

About a week ago Barbara Earl-Thomas came and visited the Cornish art department in a lecture and discussion about the way we react and treat ideas of race and ethnicity. In her segment she brought up a specific idea which I believe really hits home with the current project I am working on. During the night Barbara brought up the idea of how we look at people and immediately create a stereotype reaction to the person, changing the way we talk to and interact with that person solely based on the way they look. Basically Barbara was bringing up the old proverb "don't read a book by its cover" which connects perfectly with the way people read those who chose to wear beards and extravagant facial hair. When one sees a person with a beard they are immediately filled with a predisposed set of ideas about that person whether it be thinking of that person as wise or a bum. The beard serves many different faces in society and people choose to treat people differently depending on the specific face. Barbara ultimately taught us to look past our initial gut reaction and see people for who they are rather than how they look. 

Inspirational Artists

Below are a few artists which are inspiring my current line to mass project involving the creation of a beard prosthetic. These artists have delt with the construction of bodily additions and thus reflect the art assignment I am working on at the moment.

Lucy Mcrae & Bart Hess

The collaboration between Lucy Mcrae and Bart Hess deals with the issues of the human body and the desire to modify and enhance the human figure. The specific piece I am gaining inspiration from is the foam beard pictured to the left. The piece is a commentary on the grotesqueness of human facial hair and its role in covering the human face and figure. My project too deals with the way beards conceal identity and in some ways create a face which is unrecognizable. Mcrae and Hess create a prosthesis which  uses a slimy substance to decorate the figure and subsequently enhance the human body. Why do people strive to constantly re-invent themselves with clothing and hair styles? - I may never know


Erin Dollar

Erin Dollar takes on beards with a more light-hearted approach and in turn creates woven pieces which inspire both laughter and deep contemplation. Dollar's pieces have inspired me in a more practical sense lending visual clues as to what my beard prosthesis may ultimately look like. The piece shown to the left depicts a full, thick, dark beard which conveys ideas of wisdom and age - precisely the look I am going for. My project will hopefully yield a facial addition which evokes images of the untamed and uninhibited whilst also shedding light on the shrewdness and sophistication of the people who chose to adorn themselves with full grown beards. Dollar chooses and unique subject matter to base her work around, I commend the courage and originality she wields. From this I can only ask one question: why can't women wear beards all the time?

Sources:
http://www.imadeyouabeard.com/search/label/beards%20i%20made
http://beautifuldecay.com/2009/04/11/lucy-mcrae-bart-hess/

Series of Five Slideshow

Above is the slide show created for my series of five pictures involving the cardboard Etch-A-Sketch. The series depicts the journey of the sketchpad (Etch-A-Sketch) from store shelf to backpack to gasworks park. Enjoy

Response to Art & Fear

No one said being an artist was going to be easy. They tell you its all about perseverance, practice and following your vision, but rarely do people mention how much uncertainty and fear goes into the art making process. This point was no better driven home after reading David Bayles and Ted Orland's article titled Art & Fear: Observations on the Perils (and Rewards) of Artmaking.

In the article one specific line caught my attention and hit a particularly tender note with me. The line in question explained how X-rays taken of famous paintings show a remarkable number of mistakes and mess-ups which are never seen in the finished piece. The point of this information is that even famous artists make mistakes and have to constantly experiment through the actual process of making art. This was important to me because I have a serious issue with revising and changing my work on the fly. When I make a mistake I often times throw away the entire project because I feel there can be no salvaging what I just created. The article puts into perspective the idea that screw-ups are something to be learned from and show up even in the most skilled of artists. Ultimately I now understand that learning from the process of the piece can be far more beneficial that creating a finished piece in one thought and one "wave." Art needs to be an experiment of constant change and manipulation and in the end this exploration of our own ability to fix mistakes is one of the most important principles we can learn.