Friday, December 6, 2013

Progress...


As an artist I communicate the struggle of opposing forces of environment and technology.  Urban sprawl and the subsequent eradication of ecosystems, is a consequence of the rise of urban centers, over population and the constant drain of natural resources. In today’s modern world, there is a growing friction between the man-made world and the natural world.  Even with advancements in technology that aim to preserve the environment, the pollution and destruction that technology and industry has created cannot bring back the pureness in nature that we once had.
My video project focuses on the pollution of water, a necessity for all life forms.  With contamination levels rising and the world’s supply of freshwater diminishing, this is a disturbing and imperative issue our society faces.  I represent this through the use of clashing colors and sound. The change from calm ocean waves, cool blue tones and beautiful water landscapes to an unnerving clash of white noise, rampant city sounds, and sharp bangs combined with toxic hues of green and brown emphasize the severity of the issue our community faces.  My intention is to stir up unsettling emotions in the viewer and prompt dialogue around the issue my work brings to the forefront of the viewer’s mind.



Sunday, November 24, 2013

The Work of Cao Fei

In my Contemporary Art and Theory class I took a few semesters ago I came across the work of Cao Fei, a Chinese artist based in Bejing known for her multimedia installations and videos.  She mixes social commentary, popular aesthetics, references to Surrealism, and documentary conventions in her films and installations.  One of the most interesting and famous works of Cao Fei is entitled RMB City.  RMB City (2007) is a part of her online works built in Second Life, a vast 3D online world that has operated since 2003.  Users can purchase real estate, set up businesses, and engage in all manner of virtual interactions.

"Named after Chinese money, RMB City shows a perverse view of Beijing- a blend of communism, socialism, and capitalism.  Like Beijing itself, it is constantly under construction, candy-striped smoke stacks suggest continuous industrial production and ships move good swiftly in and out of port.  A giant shopping cart, filled with skyscrapers and religious monuments, floats nearby; and Tiananmen Square has been converted into a swimming pool"

Her work comments on the rapid urbanization and economic development of China and its effect of social interactions.  Her work is unusual but nonetheless interesting and powerful.  The use of an online virtual world, that have become so popular for teens and young adults in past years, to create artwork allows viewers to interact with her work on a whole other level.  While her digital prints of her virtual world can be found in galleries around the world, viewers can login to Second Life and not only view but play in her computer made world.  Her work is another addition to the vast world of digital media art.  I hope you all enjoy her work as much as I do and for more information click on the link to her website below! :)

http://caofei.com


Tuesday, November 19, 2013

Kimsooja

Kimsooja

Kimsooja is a Korean born artist, who lives and works in New York, Paris, and Seoul, and specializes in video, performance, photography, and installation art. Kimsooja addresses the issues of the displaced self and questioning conditions of humanity.  One of her most famous works, A Needle Woman (2005), is a six channel video projection on a 10:40 loop that shows the artist standing still. with her back to the viewer,  "in the middle of main thoroughfares in various cities throughout the world" (http://www.gf.org/fellows/17420-kimsooja).  This piece brings up questions of issues dealing with identity, gender, culture, and migration.  This piece is very interesting in the way it draws the viewer into the piece, almost as if there are standing with or in place of the artist herself.  The lack of sound and anonymity of the still figure are intriguing and make for an unsettling atmosphere.  The subtleness of Kimsooja's work invites the viewer think about the message being given and its implications. 

A Needle Woman (2005)
6 channel video projection, 10:40 loop, silent


Thursday, November 7, 2013

Intersection Zine

For my Zine project I wanted to pay homage to my artwork I have made this year and use it as a reflection of my Senior Exhibition project.  I've worked with this concept on other projects but my Zine actually shows work i've made, artists' works that inspire me, and inspirational or meaningful quotes.  Never having made a Zine before I am quite pleased with the final project :).  This will be a great addition to my art portfolio and a keepsake of my senior year work.  Hope you all enjoy!





The Work of Nancy Burson





Nancy Burson is an American artist and photographer who lives and works in New York.  She is accredited as being one of the first artists to combine digital media technology with photographic portraiture.  Burson’s career soared in the late 1960’s after her collaboration project with MIT engineers to develop an aging machine.  This technology, later used by the F.B.I. to search for missing children and adults years after their disappearance, allows one to age enhance and alter the human appearance by warping and stretching digital portraits.  Burson applied this technology to the development of composite photographs that are showcased in her book, Composites: Computer-Generated Portraits, published in 1982, that includes her famous work First Beauty Composite (1982).  Burson expanded her work in 2000 with the creation of The Human Race Machine, a computerized console that allows participants to resemble other races.  Nancy Burson’s work combines “art and innovation in a way that [challenges] photographic truth at the birth of digital manipulation”. 
Both The Human Race Machine (2000) and First Beauty Composite (1982) aim to challenge photographic truths and act as globally uniting works to rid gender and racial stereotypes.  Burson’s work takes unusual and varying forms that draw the viewer in with their ‘perfection’ or ‘stereotypes’ and invites the viewer to confront these social stigmas and breakdown how we perceive ourselves and others in society.  The far-reaching implications of Burson’s work make her not only a powerful artist but also an important activist for social change and individual and communal acceptance.

First and Second Beauty Composites (Left: Bette Davis, Audrey Hepburn, Grace Kelly, Sophia Loren, Marilyn Monroe. Right: Jane Fonda, Jacqueline Bisset, Diane Keaton, Brooke Shields, Meryl Streep), 1982


 The Human Race Machine, 2000



Thursday, October 24, 2013

This assignment required one to create a parody or pastiche of an artist or art movement.  For this assignment I decided to create a pastiche of the work of Bansky. After completing my study abroad experience in London last semester, I have been very intrigued and inspired by the work of famous graffiti and street artist, Banksy.  Banksy uses stencils to create graffiti works that pop up overnight on buildings, streets, or really anything that can be painted on.  For this project I chose to create my own stencil and graffiti art that comments on the rising level of water pollution, especially in highly populated city centers.  The first image is my stencil and graffiti work while the image below is how I see this image being applied in a city environment like Bansky would display his art.

I had a lot of trouble using Illustrator in the beginning but finally got the hang of it after awhile.  Considering that this is the first time I have ever used the program I am happy with the final product and hope to continue learning how to use Illustrator more and creating stronger images :).





Sunday, October 6, 2013

Photo Montage- Fantastical & Realistic

For this project I chose to use photographs I took on my recent semester study abroad trip.  I visited many countries (England, Scotland, Italy, Holland, and Wales) and wanted to create a photo montage of the different landscapes and monuments I encountered.  In many of the cities I visited I was surrounded by historical architecture, ruins of past civilizations, and beautiful landscapes that I wanted to emphasize in my works.

For my fantastical images I emphasized this history through the use of famous historical sites and monuments in combination with elements of whimsy such as fairies, an "Alice in Wonderland"-like landscape, and high texture with a saturated and colorful color palette.  I found the image a Scottish landscape and castle with fairies in the foreground to be my favorite and best montage work. I took advantage of masking layers, blurring tool, dodge and burn tools, and various adjustment layers to make various photos blend to create a believable singular image.

For my realistic images I used notable historical monuments and landscapes to create natural and believable landscapes.  I used the same techniques for these images as I did in my fantastical images to make the various photos blend and fit together to look like one image. The photo with the image of the castle is a combination of photos from Scotland and Wales while the image of the fountain are photos from Rome, Italy. While I find the Italy photo montage to be more interesting aesthetically, I believe the castle photo looks more realistic.

Overall, I found this project to be challenging not only conceptually but also technically by using my photoshop skills to make the photo montages realistic/fantastical.  I feel that I gave a good attempt at both issues and hope you all enjoy my works. I would appreciate and comments or advice you all have on the works :) Thanks!

Fantastical:



Realistic:

Tuesday, September 17, 2013

Commentary on Digital Art Reading

Christiane Paul's book Digital Art not only provided a good background and history of digital art but also explains digital art's place in today's world.  One of the more interesting debates presented in the book was that of whether the presentation of artwork (online or in a separate museum space vs. a main exhibition room) marginalizes it against more tradition art forms like painting and sculptures.  This is specifically relates to digital art since many museums are not capable of displaying digital works which require extensive wiring, lighting, and projection systems, whether due to space limitations or lack of funds.  Personally, I believe that the idea of a main exhibition room being the sole space for art to be presented is now a thing of the past.  With technological progress one can now view artwork from around the world right from their computer through online exhibitions   I think the alternative modes of viewing and interacting with art are exciting and allow viewers to experience art in a way that they never could with traditional forms.  Art is meant to cross boundaries and explore our surroundings.  Regardless of its form or presentation, if art connects with a viewer, explores new or old concepts and ideas, or communicates any message, it is still art to me. 

Below is a photo from Crown Fountain, an interactive public artwork and video sculpture featured in Chicago's Millennium Park.  This is just an example of some of the digital media works I have experienced which goes beyond the traditional museum exhibition presentation.




Project 2 Final Images

These are the my final photoshop images from project 2 :) As a newbie to photoshop I am really excited with how these images came out!  I am a senior Studio Art major and for my Senior Project I am focusing on the theme of nature vs. technology and the loss of the purity of nature.  With technological progress comes many consequences, mainly the destruction and contamination of our environment.  My work focuses on the balance (or rather inbalance) between these two opposing forces.  Many of the elements of these images are parts of other works I have completed in the past (i.e. acrylic and ink paintings and collagraph and ink wash prints) along with some images with Britain's famous street artist, Banksy.  These stenciled graffiti images deal with the issues of environmental awareness which help to emphasize my own theme. I hope you guys enjoy the pieces! Thanks :D








Monday, September 2, 2013

The Work of Miguel Paredes


One of my favorite artists who use digital media extensively within their work is American artist and urban impressionist, Miguel Paredes.  Miguel Paredes, resides in Miami, Florida but has gained wide recognition and popularity for his works around the world.  Paredes’ New York City upbringing greatly influenced his art with the inclusion of street culture and graffiti style throughout many of his works. Among my favorites of his works is his series “Pulgha and Birds”.  These hand-drawn digital works are hip-hop and anime inspired, often set amongst city landscapes and brightly colored to integrate the spirit of his urban landscape and Latin American heritage.  The Pulgha (“pulga” means flea in Spanish) is a small anime insect flea that serves to educate children by promoting environmental conservation and green initiatives in the artist’s concept for a children’s storybook.

I find these works to be very intriguing and beautiful not only for the vibrant color and seamless integration with all the other elements within the composition, but also for its social commentary on environmental conservation.  As a Studio Art major, in my senior year, I have focused my senior works on the theme of the imbalance between nature and technology. Twenty-first century technology has allowed for great progress and industry in society but at the cost of destroying our natural environment.  It is always exciting when I find an artist that shares a similar idea but expresses it in a unique and spectacular way.  The attention to detail and thought behind Paredes work allows the viewer to find joy and run wild in an alternate world full of vibrancy, energy, and fun.  These works make me want to learn as much as I can about digital media and hopefully incorporate my own ideas into this genre of art.
Pulgha & 2 Geishas 2
48" x 72", 2011, print on canvas

 Pulgha World
45" x 60", 2010, print on canvas

View Miguel Paredes' website here:

What is Digital Media Art?


As I am taking a digital media class for the first time, I wondered what digital media art is?  How is it produced?  How has this relatively new art movement impacted that art world?  During my quest to find the answer to these basic questions I came across an article that gave me insight into the digital media world.  Digital media has allowed artists to use digital technology to create traditional forms of art such as paintings, sculptures, and drawings with new mediums.  Artists use technologies like advanced digital media, remote sensing technologies, and Internet media to create these new and interesting works.  Digital media has had a big impact on the art world as an alternative way of preserving art, creating new vernacular, and allowing viewers another way of experiencing and connecting with art.  While digital media has been praised as a revolutionary new art genre, it has been ridiculed as lacking creativity in digitally made art and therefore are not to be considered “a genuine art form”.  However, I find digital media to be very creative at times and a new and exciting experience for both viewers and artists alike.

Check out this link for the full article!