Collection Project

So, I have an ongoing collection of FLEX watches. These watches are awesome for many different reasons. One is that all the watch faces are interchangeable with all the bands so you can choose exactly what colors you want to use and mix and match for what you are wearing that day. Another reason they are so great is because 10% of the price you pay for the watch goes to the charity that the color of the band corresponds with. So, with this collection I had a spur of the moment idea. I was listening to Bob Dylan "Times They Are a Changin" and I used these watches and set them up in a way that, to me, represents how time can slip away amongst the chaos of life and sometimes we don't know what even happened. I liked this because all the wristbands are empty as if the clock that is supposed to be there has disappeared. This was fun to think do and it opens up more doors full of more ideas. Here is my collection photo. Enjoy.

Gallery 2 Randy Bolton

So the other day I went in and took a look at the Gallery 2 that we have inside the FA building and was delighted by the prints of Randy Bolton. I enjoyed how they were big and colorful and most were set in the fall or winter time. They were just scenes mostly in nature with a few pieces of text thrown in to add a certain meaning and feel to each of the prints. Getting an up close look with each one was cool because you can see all the colors and dots coming together to create a meaningful composition. I couldn't make much sense really of what was going on behind the work but that doesn't mean I didn't like the ones that made no sense to me. I still enjoyed the over look of the pieces and they took me back to the times when I would walk in my woods by myself and it was really peaceful. So, here is a photo of one of his works inside Gallery 2. Go stop by and see for yourself!

Project 1 Wax/Paper/Gummy Candy

So, with the mold I made, I create three positives made of wax, wet newspaper, and melted gummy candy. This part of the project was frustrating and I did not enjoy it as much as I wanted to. Since my mold was still so brittle when I made my first wax positive, the positive made chucks of my mold bust off and it simply wasn't the same after that. The next wax one I made was better but still just did not turn out at all like I had originally planned. The paper one was also a piece of crap to do because the first time I did it the positive broke when I tried taking it out and that really pissed me off but the second try work out a little better but still really shitty. The best part of making the positives was the gummy candy one. I had a lot of fun melting down the candy because it made me feel as though I worked for Willy Wonka or something and it turned out really well! Way better than expected actually and I was pleasantly surprised by what I ended up with. I guess I could eat it but I would rather have someone else eat it and see what they think. There is still candy down there too. All in all it turned out ok, but it could have been a lot better. Here are some pictures of the positives I created.

Project 1 Plaster Mold

Well, plaster is by far the hardest part of the process I think because the mixing of the plaster and water can get really tiring and boring but then when it finally sets up, it does so in like a minute flat! Also, its not only the timing of the plaster that you must worry about but also the ratio of the mixture. On one side of my mold the plaster was very hard and strong and worked out very well but on the other side the mixture leaned more toward water and it made it soft and brittle for a few days until it was able to fully dry. It was a cool process to learn because it is easy to do by yourself and I might start to make some of my own molds at home now that I know the process. I would though like to know how to make the perfect plater mold ratio, but I think that it would have to take a lot of time and practice. The only problem that truly had with this part of the project was getting the mix to actually set up on the clay correctly and I ended up having to get help and it quickly turned into a three man project. I also had a lot of air pockets that got created by the metal pieces down the middle of the mold. It was fun though and am planning on doing it again sometime. Here is one half of my mold on my clay. Enjoy.

Project 1 Clay Model

Creating a clay totem was a little difficult for me because I had so many different ideas that I could have done but I had to choose one that would be a more easier one for making a mold with. So, I decided to throw out all my complicated ideas and lean towards a more simple idea that would still have significant meaning for me. In doing this, I ended up at a cross point of nature and man made achievement with my tree trunk growing up into the space needle. The clay model was very fun to work with and I think that I did a good job with creating the tree trunk and making it keep the look of a tree. I made this totem because I love nature and how it plays into the role of life and I am also from the westside of Washington and the space needle is one of the most well known structures and landmarks of the Northwest. I always have fun messing around with the clay and seeing where it can take you if you let it. So, here is my clay model and I hope you like it.

Rebecca Solnit

When I found myself at the Rebecca Solnit lecture, I had no idea who she was or what she was about and I had no clue what to expect from the lecture. The last thing that I expected was cartography. Although it was not expected, it was interesting and she had a very unique perspective on map making and what is included in the maps. Some of the cartography she showed at the lecture were extremely detailed and intricate and were some of the most amazing pieces of map making that I have ever had the chance to lay eyes upon. She had a great talk about her creative process and how she put herself into the map and the city by actually walking up and down the streets. She has a very interactive lifestyle and I believe that she said she had one more map she was going to create and then that would be the last one that she would probably do. I think it would be crazy to see all of her maps super huge an huge on walls so you can truly see all the detail and time involved with the creation of these masterpieces. Here are two of the maps she showed us at the lecture.

Choice Artist Research

The main man in this research is Keith Harring. This guy is really really cool. His style of art is extremely simply but at the same time each work has so much life and color and emotion behind it that you don't see simplicity, you see movement and you see passion. His work includes vibrant colors intermingled with think bodied stick figures that together bring out the meaning of the work. In some, the meaning behind it is love or friendship or sharing. I think that his artwork would work really well with children and helping them interpret important life messages and lessons. I guess his work is considered to be graffiti which I love and has made me even more interested in him and what he does. Unfortunately, Keith Harring has passed away and I don't have the chance to meet him but if not this life then the next because his artwork is freaking amazing. I think the best thing about this artist is that he has his own foundation providing support for children and people effected by HIV/AIDS. This guy has a legacy that will live on forever and he will forever have my respect. Here is the link to his foundation site and some of his art.

http://www.haring.com/

Performance Artist Research

This research artist was really cool for me. I am always interested in stories and the art of storytelling because it is truly difficult to do and continuously have a positive impact on the listener. This artist, Damali Ayo, is one of those people with a true gift when it comes to communicating an idea and a story with such strength and character that it brings the stagnant to life. When you first click on her website, it takes you to a starter page that is not actually the home page but it makes you feel very warm and at home. It really makes you WANT to enter the site and see where it takes you. After viewing some of her audio tapes and readings, I could have her read me bed time stories every night until I fall asleep. I really enjoyed going over her site and the longer you are on it the more you observe just how comfortable you are with who she is. The pictures she uses aren't taken by a professional but by herself on what seems to be a laptop webcam. Damali Ayo seems to be not only a really cool person, but a great artist and a fabulous communicator. I would like to post some of her audio clips but instead I think that you should start at the beginning of the website for yourself. So, here it is!

http://damaliayo.com/

Choice Artist Research

For this research, I decided to take a look at the artist named Squeak Carnwath. To be honest I only chose her because of her awesome first name. Although, after looking at her website and her works I now do not only enjoy her for her name but for her outlook and style or artwork. She has a very different type of style then other painters that I have taken a look at. It seems like all her compositions have to do with looking into worldly and communal issues and stripping them down. When looking at her work holistically, it almost becomes an abstract piece by use of representational and not representational images which is very cool and I think not a lot of people can do while at they same time conveying a significant message. Being an American artist I believe that politics in America is something that she certainly enjoys to chip away at within her works. She is an amazing person and artist that has consistently been winning awards in the art world for nearly 20 years and her galleries can be seen in the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and The Brooklyn Museum. I think it would be fun to have her visit WSU and hear her give a lecture about her thought process. Take a look at some of her art for yourself!

  P.S: I noticed that in almost every one of her pieces there is one of those black circles with the red and white circle in the center. I wonder why?

Choice Artist Research

For this artist research, I was actually typing in an artist's name to take a look at and spelled his name wrong and was pleasantly surprised by the person I got instead. John Coplan is the man that I ended up with and I would be extremely excited to meet him. Being a veteran of World War 2, he has a unique view on the world and his perspective is what gives his photography so much character and emotion. I love how his photos are in black and white because it gives each picture so much more raw power. Coplans is not uncomfortable with exploring the human body and exposing it for the natural beauty that it holds. I believe that this may be because of his involvement and time spent in the military and the war. The feel of the photos range from caring and passionate to striking and surprising. Here are some photos from his site:

Ceramics Artist Research

For this artist research I looked at the list for a person with a cool sounding name. I saw this as the only way. Thankfully my first choice, Jun Kaneko, had me hooked and I  looked through quite a few of his works. In doing this I saw a pattern that was repeated. He uses a great mix of abstraction and simplicity that creates a type of zen feeling and catches you staring at his work. I think the stripped patterns on certain pieces of his are especially zen. Whenever I see them I think of them being in the middle of a sand garden with an old man in the corner playing some kind of soothing strings instrument. It is very peaceful. His ceramic art is quite large and if you didn't see the photos with him standing next to his pieces you probably would think so. I would for sure have some of his art inside of my house in the future no matter how large it was. Go big or go home. Here are some pictures of Jun with his work:

Sculpture Artist Research

The artist that I chose to research for sculpture was Sanford Biggers. The reason I chose this artist was because his website was the first that I found interesting when I was researching the different artists in the category. Right when you enter, you are served with a video that has a pretty demanding presence and you are basically forced to watch it. So, I hit play and it seemed interesting until the second half came and then it took a turn toward crazy town and it actually creeped me out a little bit. Other than that, Sanford Biggers has an interesting take on art and the way that he uses so many different materials is really cool. His work seems to really take toward family heritage and tradition but with a new age abstract twist. That being said, he did not have a whole lot of works to view so this cut my time viewing his site short a little bit. But he does seem like he would be a cool person to talk to and ask about the process of making his creations and I didn't find anything about his art that I didn't like and I recommend that his site gets viewed. Here are some photos of his work from Sanford Biggers site:

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