MFA Show

This was really cool I though. Just seeing what other students had done that semester or year was very very interesting and I was baffled at the extraordinary work that was being produced by people that I was passing by on a daily basis. I really wanted to be able to talk to the people who created the works because I would have loved to see if purchasing some of them was a possibility. There were a lot that I had taking a great deal of interest in such as the paintings that were right as you walked in. None of them had heads. It was all simply people's bodies and actions that were speaking to you instead of facial expression which we normally rely on telling use how that person feels. It was awesome. I even ended up taking both my parents and my girlfriends parents to the MFA show just so they could see the type of work that happens within the FA department and how students get to where the are. I also really enjoyed the plaster sledgehammers. I would always see them inside our room in the back of the plaster area and would always wonder to myself about where those were going and how the person creating them was going to use them. Also, the bathtub idea was really cool and I enjoyed being able to see that work of art transform also from its beginning stages to it final product. All in all, these students did a great job with what they had and all their ideas were very thought provoking. So a big thanks from me and mine and I hope that everyone who could got a chance to see this show. Below is a photo of a unique piece of work from the show. Enjoy.

Artist Research

Well this is my final artist research and I chose to do it on a man named Chris Gustin. His works are abstract but in more of a simplified way. He tends to create these somewhat organic shapes with clay and other hard materials such as bronze that in the end make very interesting vases and pots and other random shapes. His stuff is pretty cool although there is nothing really about him or his artwork that really catches the eye. I was not very interested when I entered his site and actually almost instantly left the webpage because I didn't even know that I was at the right place. He does not present himself very well at all with a simple white page with a TON of text. Which is unfortunate for him because I think he should really be trying his best to get his name out there in a cool way after seeing what it is he has to offer. This is another guy in which I do not really know if I would ever go out of my way to see some of his work simply do to the fact that he is somewhat boring to me. Anyways, here is a photo of one of his works and if you are interested for yourself then go check out his website.

Final Project

Well here is my final project. I created to more traditional African style masks. I really wanted them to have the feeling that they were done traditionally by simple hand carving. With the one on the right, I used foam and a hand sander tool that I used to create a look as though I was chipping away at the wood with a hand carving tool. The other, the one on the left, was done using nothing more but a single manual hand carving tool. I am very proud of this mask because it turned out exactly how I had imagined that it would and even more. I didn't think that the paint's colors would turn out that way that they did which was awesome because I thought that these colors were very traditional and were much like how you would see the masks naturally. Also with these masks I wanted to do a better job at the idea of transformation with a material and so that is why I chose to do one mask out of foam and one actually out of wood so you would have something to compare the foam to. I think I pulled of the transformation effect nicely and I am super happy about my masks. The wood one on the left is not done though as I would still love to add some brass and some frilled hay around the edges to give it more character. Anyway, here they are and I hope you enjoy them as much as myself.

Artist Research

I chose Sam Chung for this artist research. He is a ceramics artist and his work leans more towards the abstract than anything else really. I enjoyed looking at what he had to offer with his work and was quite interested to look at more. Most of his work is very similar to each other. He tends to create these cool little vases type containers that have what seems to be the same type of cloud like design on them. They look really cool especially the ones that are more shaped and unique. I would probably have a couple of these things throughout my house one day because they would be great center pieces or something like that. Seeing his work sort of inspires me to do more with ceramics and hopefully one day know how to create something as cool and as abstract as these little vases things. His work is very calming and seem to take you away from the current moment as if to float away somehow on a personal little cloud. These make for great works of art and I enjoyed them all a lot. Well, take a look for yourself and you will know what I mean.

Artist Research

I chose Michael Wille for this artist research. His stuff is pretty cool and reminds me of the projects that I did in FA 102. His abstract collages are contrasting and very interesting but at the same time I can't really look at them for too long because I start getting bored with them. After being on his website for about 5 minutes I had already felt as though I had been there for ages and I really just wanted to back out of the page and look at something else. I don't know that i would ever go out of my way to see his work and I think that has a lot to say about how he connects with his viewers. I don't really know how many people would be that interested in his artwork but at the same time I have no idea and I my be wrong. Either way, I don't really have a whole lot to say about this guy except his work really isn't too great and unless you are a fan already.

Midterm Material Transformation

This was a little difficult for me to due because I seemed to be more interested in the carving aspect of the project instead of the transformation side. To a certain point I thought that perhaps I did an okay job because in the end the MDF that I used as the base or sand seemed to look like such. Although I maybe didn't do a great job with the transformation part I honestly think that I did a good job with the carving and I am proud of that. I liked creating something from nothing and being able to see it come out from the wood that is being carved. Making the squid was awesome and I used hand carving along with some sanding tools to get an overall smooth look to it and I used sanding machines from the shop in order to make the sand smooth. I think strongly that if I had painted my squid and sand and what not with the colors that the are in real life then I would have passed the transformation aspect with flying colors. A lot of people said that their project would not have looked transformed without changing the outside look somehow. All in all, I had fun and I like the squid that I created and the idea behind it.

Artist Research

For this artist research I chose to do a ceramics artist by the name of Judy Moonelis. She was simply the first name on the list that I saw and I ended up  being very happy with choosing her. As soon as I got to her web page I found my eyes widening at what I saw. Her work is very very cool and has a lot of mystery to it and some abstractness that just keeps you so interested and in the moment. I could probably look at her stuff all day long and I actually really wish that the university would get her to come her and have a gallery display because I would love to get the chance to see her pieces in person and maybe get a chance to ask her some questions. I chose to show a picture of what I thought to be one of her most interesting works and I really like this one because I have a thing with trees and things in nature. This artwork had me starring for quite some time and at one point I found myself shaking my head in order to snap myself out of the hypnosis I was in. I hope that you find this work as interesting as I did and I encourage you to check out her website.

Imi Hwonboi??---Imi Hwangbo (Fiber and Craft Artist Research)

Ok, so this artist research was somewhat confusing to me. When I was looking at the list of artist to chose from I stumbled across Imi Hwonboi an was immediately intrigued by the name. It was very interesting to me and I just wanted to know what kind of art came from a person with such an amazing name. So after typing and searching her name, instead of coming up with with Imi Hwonboi it just kept coming up with Imi Hwangbo. I realized that it may have been a typo error or something like that but I was just really confused and it made me more interested in this changing person. The person I found was pretty cool though. Imi Hwangbo's work has a lot of patterns and bright blues and reds mostly. As you can see from the photo below, patterns are a giant part of her work and what she does. I think everyone who has the chance should get the chance to stop by her website sand see for themselves exactly what she does and how cool her work is. Her abstract mind has the ability to create things that cause the mind to wander but at the same time focus on the meaning deep in the artwork.

Self Portrait Sculpture

The self portraits were awesome! I thought that this project really helped not only me but everyone with their ability to create accurate detailed sculptures using the model clay. Not everybody really had a handle I felt on using the model clay well until we did this project. I liked a lot of peoples portraits and some of them turned out great with a lot of detail and it basically looked exactly like the person who had created it. Some on the other hand did not turn out so well but thats ok because everyone has different skill sets. Personally, I thought that mine really ended up looking like me although I will say that mine is not close to being amazing. I very much enjoyed this though and am very happy with the outcome that I had with the oil clay. I really think that the hat plays a big part in making the portrait look like me even more which is kind of weird but makes sense because I always wear a hat. Anyways, here is me and enjoy the work of me. Ha. 

Orozco Project

This project was cool although I found Gabriell Orozco to be a strange dude. From the video that I watched, his job seemed very odd but at the same time very very easy. He simply walks around and takes pictures of random things some of which he arranges in a certain way. If I saw him in the street doing the things that he does I would probably walk the other direction. But, this project had me thinking and in the end I just decide to take what I believed to be weird photos. In the end, the three pictures that I have displayed below are what I ended up with. One is a photo of some beer cans in which I decided to crush all but one to make it seem as though one individual was standing strong amongst the same walking cans. Another is a take on the PB&J that I thought was kind of funny and unfortunately I wasted a piece of bread. The last is a photo of a crumpled 20 dollar bill as if it were simply thrown away. I though this was cool because many people would think to find a dollar bill as though it just fell out of a pocket not crumpled on purpose. All in all this was cool but strange at the same time. Enjoy the photos. 

Speed/Time Project

Well, this project was actually very cool due to the fact that it really made you think seeing as how there were no real directions. With this being the case, it allowed for a great deal of creativity and I believe that everyone had to honestly put a piece of themselves into this project more than most. I decided to make some signs that had to do with slowing down in life and allowing yourself time to calm down and stay positive. These are simply made out of thicker paper but I would love to make some than are made of metal like road signs and put them up on sidewalks as if they were mini stop signs. I think that signs like these could be a huge self confidence booster around campus for people who are having a rough day. I really enjoyed this project even though it seemed difficult and hopefully one day I can take this idea and maximize its potential. 

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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