Jackson Pollack

As much as I enjoy watching videos in class, I wasn't a fan of this one. People judge what is good and what isn't by the name on it, not by the art itself. It just ticks me off really. People only wanted this painting if it had the Jackson Pollack name on it, then they would call it good art.

I guess it is neat to see a woman so persistent that she wouldn't even take 9 million dollars for it. But if you ask me suck it up! I'm sorry 9 million isn't enough for you. Get off your greedy high horse and take what you can get!

Self Evaluation Project 4

Book Bag. Well let me say this was a royal pain in the butt to make. I spent days making the frame out of coat hangers, taping it up, and then pasting pages on it. It was just awful. That being said I wasn't very pleased with how it turned out. It was okay. Not my strength. I am glad I tried something new and something 3-D, but I think I definitely learned its not for me.

Why I don't like it: I really thought I was going to be able to make this thing functional. Well I learned at the very end that wasn't going to happen. So it just turned out to be a big glob of paper.

As far as funny goes... well maybe its more ironic. I think everyone just kind of had fun with this one. It was definitely a fun day in class.

Final Project Notes

What I want to do: Painting of an American flag with a baby shaped hole. I was thinking of using some kind of liberal text on the bottom, but I really don't know what yet. This will be a political advertisement on abortion. I think it might turn some heads.

Class Notes Drive By Press

Drive by Press came last week. I love the idea of taking an idea and just running with it full speed. I can definitely relate. I really liked that they were just cool average guys.

All of my professors we're freaking out over these guys. Like the Beatles just walked on campus or something. I saw a few people getting shirts, but all of my professors had like 10 in a hand, and were getting their boobs signed and stuff.... I exaggerate a little.

It was definitely a neat introduction to print making. I had never even thought about it before honestly. I really enjoyed it.

Class Notes from 8/26/09

We watched a video on a few different artists and here is one that stuck out to me.

Kara Walker- All of her art is black and white. It deals with racism in her own life. I like her purpose behind her art, but I find it a bit one dimensional for my taste. I think I would get tired of making everything black and white. I suppose when you are getting paid and that is what everyone knows you for... if it aint broke don't fix it. I just know in my art I would rather mix it up.

Do-Ho Duh- He makes more architectural art. He wants to carry his home with him. His art is just way over my head haha. Architectural stuff just boggles me. It's cool to see someone take that path because I know I definitely could not. I enjoyed his ideas though.

Humor Project Idea

What I want to make: A Book Bag

Materials: Wire (clothes hangers?), lots of books

How to Make it: Bend wires to make a frame. Paste pages from books to form an outer shell... thus making it a Book Bag!... get it?... I know, it's not really a knee slapper, but it's a little ironic, and I think it will make a good 3-D piece for my portfolio.

Text Notes on Charles Ray

3 Questions

1. What is the purpose of his art?

2. What kind of mediums does he use?

3. How does he relate to our current project?

I think Charles Ray is cool. His art is a dark humor. I look at a lot of his stuff and think how did he do that. The longer I look the more I see. It relates to my personality because I like to look at art that is entertaining sometimes, not just some big political meaning. It’s a breath of fresh air from all of these serious artists trying to push a very concerning topic.

Comments on Questions

1. The purpose of his art is humor. It entertains.
2. He uses all kinds of mediums. They all seem 3-d though. He uses mannequins and sometimes even uses himself.
3. He is a good artist to look at for inspiration on our current project on humor.

3 more Questions

1. What are some ideas I can take from him going into this next project?

2. Is all humor in art dark? It seems to be the trend…

3. How would Charles Ray go about doing this project?

Self Evaluation Project 3

I thought the idea was really good. I liked using the quote and the images. I think it is powerful. The colors relate to what we are talking about. The letters getting smaller is supposed to symbolize how talk/teaching of the holocaust is slowly fading away.

The idea of cutting out the letters was good. Once we had that done we really didn't know what to do though. Our original idea was to hang the letters, but we learned in the time frame that we had we just couldn't pull it off. So then we thought of pasting them on a background. But that kind of defeated the purpose of cutting out the letters in the first place. We also wouldn't have a way to carry the piece, it would be too big. So we decided to lay the quote out on the floor/table. This wasn't as effective. It was definitely the downfall of the project.

Self Evaluation Project 2

I feel much better about this project than the first. I think I really used my strengths. I think my point was clear and represented well. It was a different kind of critique, and I was worried that since I couldn't explain my piece most people would have trouble getting it. But in discussion everyone basically said what I wanted to say anyway. I was very happy with it.

That being said my project does have problems.

1. The font is copied from Marlboro cigarettes.

2. The baby is copied from an image on the internet.

3. There is a red smudge I couldn't get off of it. Luckily it almost looked intended and no one said anything about it haha.

Text Notes Daniel J Martinez, Wenda Gu

3 Questions:

1. Is Daniel J Martinez Political?

2. Is Wenda Gu crazy or genious?

3. How do these artists relate?

Comments:

I like Daniel Joseph Martinez. He has definitely found his niche in art. He questions unjust things that most people just blow right over. He makes me think about important topics, and he makes me aware of what is happening in a very “over the top” way.

Wenda Gu is all over the place. You never know what he will do next. Some of his art disgusted me. I like that he is diverse though. Used tampons? No thanks! His mediums are stuff that is out of the ordinary.

Comments on Questions:

1. Daniel J Martinez for the most part is political. He just bashes issues left and right.
2. Wenda Gu is crazy! Not my cup of tea. I am give him creative points but jeeze man!
3. These artist both use different mediums. They both definitely say something BOLD in their art.

3 More Questions:

1.How can I be political with my art?

2. What mediums can I use that are “outside the box?”

3. What artist do I relate more to? Daniel J Martinez

Self Evaluation Project 1

I feel like my ghost wasn't the most strenuous thing to make. It also wasn't the most appealing. But I think it has a lot behind it. I feel like I explained myself well and that the presentation went well. I think once the class got the idea they were more impressed. I think overall the presentation went well. The class had lots of questions, and I had the answers for them because this project really did hit home with me.

In summary, I don't think this was my best physical work. I think this was my best work in terms of thought process and meaning. In the next project I hope to show more skill along with a good meaning.

Class Notes for 9/28

-I really enjoyed the Super-Size Me video. It helped me develop my idea for project 2.

-Discussing our project 2 ideas I am beginning to worry. The more I dive into my project the more I feel it conveys a different message than consumption. I feel if I explain it I can get the point across, but it might not be the main one. I, however, feel really strongly about this idea, and I want to go through with. I think it would be a good piece for my portfolio that I need to be building.

Text Notes Thomas Kinkade/Vanessa Beecroft

Questions

1. What mediums does Thomas Kinkade use?
2. What do women represent in Vanessa Beecrofts work?
3. What’s significant about their work?

Comments

-I had no idea Thomas Kinkade was so popular. I actually think my family has one of his paintings in our house! His art pleases the masses. It’s not very bold; it doesn’t have something to say; it’s just pretty.

-I like that Vanessa Beecroft has a purpose to work. It says something. I however think it’s a bit one dimensional.

Comments on Questions

1. Thomas Kinkade uses paint. I think it’s good to find the medium you are best with and to run with it.
2. Vanessa Beecroft “…constructs her image of self according to criteria valued by contemporary society.” She also selects her audience, which I really don’t care for. I think it’s setting yourself up for a guaranteed success.
3. These artists are totally different. One paints scenery to be mass-produced and to make money. The other is actually using humans, woman, in her art to get a point across.

Ending Questions

1. What kind of art do I want to create? Pretty art or art with purpose?
2. Is it possible to combine both styles into one?
3. Who is my audience? Homeowners? Businessmen? People who go to galleries or people who don’t appreciate art?

Project 2 Consumption Ideas

The first thing I thought about with this project is all of the things that are not necessary for survival that we waist money, man-power, and resources to have. The biggest one to me is cigarettes. Smoking is not only unnecessary, but it kills people very slowly. And we pay to have this product manufactured. We waste valuable land for the production of cigarettes when we really need this land in this day and age. We are plowing down rain forests, but we keep tobacco fields.

I decided I wanted to make a smoking add that disgusts people. A clip from the documentary Super-Size Me inspired my idea. In this clip children were able to identify Ronald McDonald but not George Washington. I wanted to show that children can identify a cigarette add and that they can associate that with being cool.

The Idea

I hope to draw a baby or an embryo smoking a cigarette on a smoking add. When you see people smoking on an add it's acceptable; you see a baby and you might be concerned. This should hopefully give off the idea this is how BIG this waste of money and resources is. Babies can recognize it. An embryo might exaggerate the idea a little more.

SO:

Idea: How big that cigarette industry is.

Metaphor: Baby/Embryo smoking cigarette on smoking add

Materials: Pencils/Markers (I think this will be the best way to make an add)

Text Notes Nan Goldin

Questions

1. Does Nan Goldin only do photography?

2. Why does she photograph only sad moments?

3. What are her influences?

Comments

I enjoy art like this. I don't really care to see how well someone can draw a hand or a sunset. I'd rather someone's art have a purpose. I like to see the artist through his or her work. In Nan Goldin's case you can clearly see the kind of person she is through her work. She is real; she is edgy.

Comments on Questions

1. Nan Goldin is a photographer

2. Her work documents very controversial ideas. Her photos are of real friends of hers, and they are not usually very happy photos. In her work she shows us truth; she shows the not so glamorous side of things.

3. Her influences are real life. She is not influenced by happy, sugar coated moments.

More Questions

1. How can I incorporate her ideas into my art?

2. Can photographs help portray my ideas better?

3. What can I do to set apart my work?

Project 1 Ideas

Moment-

All of my moments kind of went together. In summary I want to show fear and intimidation and the attempt to overcome it. I'm not sure if I want to show that I am completely free of this intimidation because I don't believe that is true. I might want to show how it is still burdening me even though it has improved.

Adjectives-

Intimidation, fear, hatred. Enlightened, remedy, breaking out.

Metaphor-

#1 A scary monkey/gorilla and a man overcoming it. A man coming out of a suit perhaps.

#2 The Mona Lisa or another famous artwork with red paint splattered on it. The Mona Lisa representing normality and the paint representing fear.

Materials-

#1 A monkey suit. Maybe markers to draw the idea.

#2 A picture of the Mona Lisa. Art markers to draw it. Red paint. Maybe paint balls?

Actions-

#1 Physically stepping out of a monkey suit. Drawing or painting.

#2 Throwing paint at the Mona Lisa, maybe in class?