consumerism roolz; consumerism sucks

TIME BASED PROJECT

Duration: 1 minute and 19 seconds

Materials: Shredded reciepts and Advertisements from magazines, newspapers, etc..

Do you ever feel sick of seeing so many Ads, do you just want them to go away, to leave you alone?

So, I decided to do my piece on the omnipresent qualities of consumerism. As people, we are bombarded with advertisements. We can't go anywhere without it's presence. That's just our society, that's our world. So in my piece I decided to show a person struggling with this overwhelming invasion. The person portrays someone who is a particular subject to consumerism (just like everyone else) she loves to buy anything and everything. She is surrounded by ads every waking moment, she just cant get away from them. They are everywhere! To escape their presence, she goes out into nature, where one would think that consumerism has not yet ventured to. But, to her surprise, consumerism has it's presence in nature too. It begins to engulf her, physically overwhelm her.

I decided to shed reciepts, newspaper and magazine ads, anything that has the resemblence of an Advertisement. I shredded the items because on every reciept, every magazine you recieve in the mail, there is some record of your identity on the object, whether it be your credit card number, of the time you purchased an item, or the name and address of your home. Either way, you are involved with the Ad. Today, identity theft is a growing issue, and having my mother work in a bank, she is constantly having me shred any piece of my identity so I wont fall subject to suck as ordeal. However, saving myself from identity theft is not the main reason I shredded all of those papers, it's because as a consumerist, we aren't looked on as individuals. Everyone is grouped into categories:

middle aged single mom
retired military
teenagers
bachelors
toddlers
etc
etc

There is no individualism in the Advertisement world. Everyone is a nobody, just a somebody to buy their products. So to portray this idea, I shredded the ads just like a person would shred their receipts to hide their identity since our individuality means close to nothing to the consumerist driven folk.

Now, I know I made this into a powerpoint presentation sort of still frame video sort of thing, but I had originally wanted this to be photographs (at least 15X21) laid out next to each other, like a series that way to can view the peice at your own rate and maybe get more out of it.

citations:

-Jhally, Sut. Advertising and the End of the World. The Media Education Foundation. 1997.
-Skoglund, Sandy. Sandy Skoglund Art Site. (http://www.sandyskoglund.com/) 2008

accumulation: week 10

my grandma has sent me more buttons. There are at least 400 hundred, a lot of them are small but there is a good variety of sizes and colors. Im so glad that my family is helping me out, there is no way that I would have collected as many buttons as I would have liked without them. So far I'm sticking with the idea of stringing them together and maybe have them hanging off of something. I might go to Malena for some help of ideas since she helped me alot for the second project.

feedback

I initially had a completely different idea for my project up until this morning when I came up with a whole new idea while I was drinking coffee and staring out the window in Ritazza's. However, my initial approach was to have either some object that in some way represented me or a photo of myself set off into the distance. Then I would proceed to take a video of the object and I would get progressively closer to it. In the distance you would not be able to make out the object so the viewer would presume that the closer you get, the clearer the object would become, however, the object never focuses, it stays blurry. So that was my idea, now Im toying with another one dealing with consumerism and how it affects peoples lives using shredded receipts.

Anywhoo, carrying on..

Group 1: Allie, Ryan, Rachel and I

They said my idea would work except that I should add something more, it was missing something, kinda bland. We tried to come up with some thing but got very little. Someone said to have objects flash by along the side periodically just so we would get teh sense that we were moving closer to the object at the end.

Group 2: Jen, Allyson and 1

They thought the idea was neat but they asked me to consider how long I should be approaching the object and gave me some ideas on what to use as the object. They even told me to be aware of what color to use, as in only use black and white or use color.

Group 3: Brian, Arutyan and 1

Art gave me the suggestion to continually change the object off in the distance to create a heightened sense of mystery and to still keep each object blurry as I changed them. I thought that was a really good idea. Since I have no camera and no skill with video editting, Brian offered me some technical help and what not.

McColl Center: pt 2

So, I have to admit that I enjoyed this visit to the McColl center a lot more than the last visit.  The work was a lot of interesting and fascinating to look at.  Not only that, but a lot of the pieces were interactive so that made it all the more better.  The form of presentation in all of the pieces were creative and worked for each piece, it was part of the piece.  If they were to install any of the pieces different, it would not have worked.  For example, the piece with the skulls that blurred as you got closer.  I like how a lot of the pieces had to do with reflections or the physical components of a person. 

I loved the piece that required you to sit down in front of a mirror and then after a couple seconds you would be engulfed in fog and you would watch yourself disappear.  It's amazing how something so simple had so much meaning.  It was fascinating.  Admittedly it scared me when the fog engulfed me but it was something else to watch my reflection disappear.  I also like the pieces upstairs where you had to touch the wall and it would give off either low or high pitched sounds.  It was so much fun!

I also liked the huge paintings that this one artist did that I got to talk to.  They were very colorful and looked like so much fun to do.  I liked how there were paint blobs and how he created parts that looked like masking tape.  He even used cartoons in his paintings.  They were fascinating to look at and you can tell that each painting had multiple layers, multiple layers of hidden meaning.  

Accumulation: Week 9

more buttons from my mom. She has helped me a lot with this project. Everytime she goes out and sees buttons she buys me some. It's a shame that none of my friends have any buttons to spare, that would ahve really helped me out a lot.

I think I might end up string all the buttons together and make something out of that. I don't, that's just an idea..

art resources for all!

So in class we were all given two art magazines to try and find two art sources for our project due next week.  One artist that I found was ELIZABETH MURRAY and specifically her piece called The sun and the Moon.  The piece is very vibrant and bold, full of energy.  It has a very comic book/cartoon feel to it and I like that about it.  It uses a wide variety of bold lines and bright vivid colors.  I LOVE all of the colors she used in this piece.  I also enjoy how she cut into the shape of the original canvas and created this irregular shape of a canvas.  It reminds me of a piece that I recently did in 2D-Design where we used only a variety of black and white media and cut into the original shape of the canvas to create this new shape.  

Her gallery is very colorful and energized.  It looks almost like graffiti art, cartoonish.  It's so much fun to look at and I would LOVE to have some of her artwork in my home.  I feel that it would give off a positive vibe to my visitors and myself.  Her work intrigued me! I choose her because I absolutely love color, color makes objects, life more beautiful, whether it be black and white or all teh colors of the rainbow at once. Also, her incorporation of the use of abstract shapes and lines, very geometric was captivating. It made her work bold, stick out. It was very dynamic and had so much to look at. It wasnt borng at all. That's why I chose her.

I plan on looking up some more of her work and probably using her for inspiration for my next project.  I now want to use a variety of lines and bold vibrant colors for it but Im not sure how to incorporate time into that with a use of bold shapes.

Another artist that caught my attention is WILL RYMAN who makes sculptures.  Of course, they aren't the normal sculptures; they aren't really eye appealing and don't look as if they require that much skill but when you take into consideration the media that he uses:  resin, PVS pipe acrylic pipe, wire mesh and papier mache then you realize that the sculptures he makes do in fact require a good amount of skill since the materials he used aren't really the normal materials used to make sculptures.  They look a bit like the playdough things I used to make as a kid but a little bit more skill oriented.  

You can tell that he paid attention to detail; not with the people particularly but more with the trash standing next to the lamp post. I choose him because I've always been fascinated by sculpture but i've always been timid to actually try making sculpture. It had a nostalgic feel to it when I looked at his work, the whole playdough resemblence. I think that's what initially caught my attention. 

intro to project 2

so yesterday she introduced project number 2 to us. I blanked out during class and started to brainstorm what I should do for the project. Soooooo, i was thinking of doing something concerning how I am hard to read. It takes a while to allow myself to get close to people and vice versa. It thinking along those lines, and in doing so trying to somehow incorporate time into the project, I thought of making a video of some sculpture that somehow explains or is example of myself and start the video from a far distance and gradually get closer to the object that will in turn explain a lot about myself, my personality but as i get closer the more blurry it gets OR it just stays consistently blurry and never clears up. So you never get to find out about me.

That's one option I came up with, I may stick with it and just tweak it a bit or I may come up with something completely different by the time it's due. Probably the later of the two.

Anyways, when considering grading ourselves I would hope that I have an A in the class but I dont know. I followed all the requirements with the blogs and only left out one. However, I dont really know how in depth she would consider my blog entries because Im not really sure exactly what she's looking for. Hopefully, she agrees with the grade I am going to give myself. but i dont know.

I really thought that one artists that used simple objects but massive amounts to them to produce artwork was pretty cool. The one with the dispoable cups was my favorite. Looking as it made me feel light, free, was very positive and almost heavenly like. AND IT WAS CHEAP TO MAKE. All the art that I want to do requires tons of technology which in turn requires TONS of money which I happen to have little of. I now wish that I was creative enough to come up with a new and CHEAP way to make art work.

Accumulation: Week 8

blah blah blah, my grandma has given me some buttons over spring break and she, along with my parents and other relatives said they would go hunt for some as well and then mail them over to me.

yaaayyy!

ARTISTS ARTISTS ARTISTS

Anarldo Morales

1. What made you decide to make pieces that physically interact with viewers?
2. Do you get more praise or complaints about your artwork?
3. Do you like to get punished?

First of all, the dude got shot in the head and lived. He’s like a superhuman!! I think that he has to be one of my favorite artists that I have learned about in this class. That fact that he became fascinated with fear and pain and decided to incorporate this running theme into all of his work is very brave. I also like how he did research and put himself in danger by living in a dangerous environment all for the sake of art and gaining a better understanding of it. He risked his life and enjoyed the experience immensely. That fact that he is so dedicated to learning new things about the human psyche is amazing.

I would love to go to one of his exhibitions and interact with his work. I love the rush of anticipation and fear which brings a mix of excitement. That’s why people love horror movies so much, they love being scared and knowing that they cant get hurt. IT’s a win win situation and that’s what he provides his viewers. I think it’s interesting how he is so adament in learning about human feelings and how they combine and mix which contrasting emotions. All because of his near death experience. That is just so empowering and inspirational. To commit his life to research and explore the human emotions.

I want to get squirted in the fce and electrocuted and feel like I might get hurt if I get too close to his pieces but still want to get closer. Curiostiy is a weird thing. Humans are naturally curious and apparently, anarldo has always been curios, resulting and plenty of near death experiences. I’ve always been fascinated by how things work, machinery and inventions. When I was a kid I wanted to be an inventor and invented crazy impratical things but I grew out of that phase, but I still have the interest. That’s why I like his work so much. As a kid he was always exploring and taking things apart, I can relate to that. Also, my dad works with computers and takes them apart and rebuilds them so I think that contributed to my interests.

All in all, I will be looking up more about this artist and hopefully in the future I will be able to go to one of his exhibitions. It turns out that most people enjoy his work rather than complain, like I knew would be the outcome because like I said, people enjoy the apprehension when it comes to the thought of danger. And he doesn’t like the thought of punishment, that’s not the purpose of his work, it’s to leanr more about human emotions and what evokes them.

1. What made you choose to go to live in peurto rico of all dangerous places to live? Is that where your roots are?
2. What is your favorite piece?
3. What is your favorite reaction our of a viewer? Do you have more than one? And has anyone ever threatened you due to one of your pieces?

Daniel Joseph Martinez

1. How do you feel in America, do you feel like an equal, like the racial issue is controlled?
2. How important is equality to you?
3. Have you always felt that people have dealt fairly with you?

The castle is burning was an interesting piece. I knew that he would be an artist intent on making us aware of how our government is messed up and how racial issues aren’t being dealt with properly. I thought it was interesting how he put it there knowing it would cause a stir and problems. I bet he wanted it to, he wanted people to be aware how racial our country really is. That was the pieces purpose. The title was perfect as well. Clever man.

Also, I was waiting for a artist to be a non conformist artist, one who doesn’t want to make art to sell or make it to be enjoyed visually. He wants to make people think, conjure up thoughts and questions. When he is invited to galleries, he goes all out and tries to make a statement. That’s bravery right there. Im surprised the governemtn hasn’t been involved, but then again im not, because he has those freedoms that are guaranteed to Americans.

I think the racial issue is ridiculous. I cant comprehend why it is even an issue. Who cares about the color of the skin, it does not mean we think and act differently. Every person is a person, no matter what they look like. Racists have always bothered me, but we can thank te media for expanding the idea of racism, movies and what not. People like to do what they are told when they are entertained, if a celebrity is making racist omments, then they want to too. CANT WE ALL JUST GET ALONG!!

He wants radicalism. He is so dedicated to his beliefs. He wants to make a statement, he wants change to come around. I cant imagine every praising negative reviews like they did on his exhibition in new york with the museum tags. But that’s what he wanted!! He wanted to take a stand, crazy!

Evidently, equality and racism are a big part of his life and ideals. They affect him greatly and you can see that in almost all of his work. He wants to make a difference, make people think and stand up for what they believe.

1. Do you ever worry about your safety when making all of these pieces on racism?
2. Why do you think that racism is still a big deal in America, do you think it will ever go away?
3. Would you ever have a gallery or exhibition that didn’t create controversy?

Julian LaVerdiere

1. What is his favorite piece of artwork that he has created?
2. What are his inspirations?
3. How does he manage to have constant inspiration?

I can’t even imagine what it must be like to have constant inspiration, ever flowing. I would think that would be overwhelming, I wouldn’t be able to cope with all of it and trying to organize my thoughts to make artwork. All I know is this guy must have a lot of patience and love for art and work. Also, he sets really high ambitions for himself; to be the modern day faust! The best of luck to him, I hope he succeeds.

I also like how history is important to him, it fascinates, intrigues him. He wants everyone to be aware of its importance. I’m guessing that he likes to incorporate historical ideas into his work? His piece about the cable crossing was interesting. HE does have a point about people’s interest. No one fully appreciates a lot of the extravagant work that scientists have done in the past and present. It’s all about Hollywood, celebrities. People like to be entertained. Events that are life changing never get enough credit as they should, such as the dawning of the communication era. HE knows his history.

I want one of his dream generating devices. Those sound awesome! A device that can conjure up images of flying , yes please!! I love that he wants to give people the feeling of freedom and strength through these special pillows and what not. OMG, his DVD is genius. That is very true, it’s the anticipation, the build up before the revealing that is always the most exciting, but once it has come to pass, it has little force. I love that he didn’t title it, it exemplifies the mystery, and also that it is never ending, you never get to see what’s inside the safe. That way, you are always on your toes, also inspired and waiting, always intrigued. Very clever Julian!

I must admit that I did not know that the two beams of light rising in the twin towers palce was done by an artist, julian specifically. That makes me respect him even more. I always thought those lights were beautiful and the meaning and inspiration and hope behind it and that it gave people was really inspiring.

1. When did he realize that he enjoyed history so much, that it would be a part of his work?
2. How do you feel about commercial art, are you for or against it?
3. How much time do you spend in your studio? Since you have ever flowing inspiration, do you spend most of your time there?