I can't believe it has been since January since I have last updated: This is kind of sad, in my honest opinion! I have been so good about updating this blog in the past that I cannot help but wonder how it got so far off track. This has been something separate from school that I have hoped to keep up for myself. Well, I guess now, over never, is better! The burst of inspiration for this post came from the artist talk that I attended just last night. The artist was photographer Vic Muniz. He attended the critique section for the 8 Photographer's course at my school, like the aforementioned Lalla Essaydi from my previous post. I suppose I am very stimulated by artists that are confident in themselves and their artwork. For someone as renowned as Vic, I expected him to have a high opinion of himself, and I just didn't see it there. Even though my work was not critiqued, he gave me a fresh perspective on how I could view my work, and how to speak about my work with confidence. He gave the critiqued graduate students a lot of helpful advice that I hope they take to heart. What made the talk even more impressive is that he made everyone interested in his work. He had stories with each body of work that were intriguing and inspiring. He finds himself lucky to be an artist, which I think is rare for many artists--it was obvious throughout most of the talk he was addressing artists. Most of all, you can tell he is a humble person who has his heart in the right place. The way he speaks about his family, his work of the Sugar Children and the work with the Garbage Portraits in Central America, it is evident that he is a man that works from his heart. Of course, what artist doesn't make something for money, but I think he only would show us pieces that he cared about. One of the greatest lessons I took from his critique was to not repress what you're good at. Of course, this is the totally opposite mantra of Museum School, which is quite a riot. We're encouraged to experiment because the focus is typically so across the board. But centralized ideas usually do not flourish in just one area--so for someone like me to return to music and create art from it would only make sense. Just as he keeps returning to advertising ideas.



Again, everything about his lecture and the critique period not only made me more confused--but it was also what I needed to hear. So many teachers tell you to experiment, but why not make the best of what you already know?



Earlier in the semester we had visiting photographers Taryn Simon and Jonathan Calm. Simon's work was definitely more intriguing for me, over Calm's work. Her work dealt mostly with things in America that most people have access to, but many of us are totally unfamiliar with it, hence the title of the collection "The American Index of the Hidden and Unfamiliar." Her work was very organized, moreso than expected, but I was totally fascinated and left thinking about other places within America would have the same affect. Plus, she was young, barely out of graduate school, but teaching at Yale (not so bad, eh?). Her photos have text accompanied with them so there is no room for mistaken meanings. I think one of the things that I have learned from her talk and her process is that it is extremely important to be organized at all time and that photography isn't just about the tangible photograph itself, rather, it is the process leading up to and following the photograph. The photographing process is only about 1/10th of the process. So through her, I am more amenable to writing about my artwork and being thorough in my pre-photography process.



Jonathan Calm's work dealt primarily with Black families living in the city "Projects" through video-work and installation pieces, but there were other photographic elements in his work. His presentation itself was not all that I had expected, and perhaps it was because he was not as prepared as he could have felt. The critique process with him, however, was much different--much more relaxed and asking the best questions to us as the student and leaving us do the talking. He asked the most difficult questions--the simple ones! "Why are you doing this?" "Why is this important to you?" "How do you think your audience perceives this and does it matter?" Even better, he helped initiate the typically quiet dialog that usually goes dead silent when students are bored. He was straight-forward and did not beat around the bush, so the brutal honesty was nice for a change.



Another sad component to this blog, is that it is my last day of classes for the spring term at school. Meaning I only have 10 more official classes left at the Museum School (during the summer). This is extremely sad, really. I will no longer be a student. I know that I need to find a job, and fast... So what my main goal is going to be is to first of all get a job with benefits, even if it is temporary. Then I will move my way up, apply for travel grants so I can work on my artist things :), and then I will save up my money to have my own place of business. Then, after my business starts, I will go back to grad school for artistry, I think. I would love to have a graduate degree in the arts, but I know that it definitely is not the time right now. Why bother jumping right in to it? I will probably go and earn a post-baccalaureate degree first before grad school since I will be taking time off from school. But at the same time, I am glad to have gotten all of this together now.
Guess what: I will be linking this blog to my website so others can read and comment on my artistic ramblings: HOORAY!

First off, I have so much to talk about! Like... A bunch! So I'm going to make this as non-boring as possible, but also try to be as thorough as I can. I have had the opportunity to see a few different exhibits over the break, and I have started off my last semester with a bang. And it's totally thriving in everything I'm doing.
Right at the very end of the semester, my sister and I decided to take a trip to New York City to have some holiday fun for a couple of days, and so she could see a friend. Well, of course, I knew of the William Eggleston retrospective up there, and practically pleaded for her to go. It was the best 10 bucks I spent for a modern art museum. I was astounded at the number of photographs they had on display, even including some books and film pieces he had worked on the side. It was very well put together, and the photos flowed very well in their display. It was very seamless to go back and forth. Of course, I'm familiar with classic Eggleston, but there were even several of his more current projects and prints on display, which, in hindsight, served it very well. Themes and colors are still there.

I've noticed that many of his later works have become a little more film-to-digital print, but still I think it's just the image that matters, not so much on what it's printed on (although I enjoy all kinds of film processing and printing).
While at the Whitney, to my pleasant surprise, they had an Alexander Calder exhibit there, showing the Paris years. What a sight! I remember studying many of the mobiles and sculpture faces in my first couple of years here at museum school! It floored me to see them in person, and on a whim! They displayed all sorts of his paintings and sketches. I don't think I ever really realized how much work this man has ever produced. I think many artists today can do him no justice in terms of work amount. Room after room was just filled with large sculptures, paintings and so many different sketchbooks. I can only imagine the amount of collecting the curators had to do to find all of these pieces. I think the most remarkable piece on display, however, was the circus he created. While the objects weren't moving, they displayed what the pieces would have looked like in action on little video screens surrounding the setup.

Again, I was astounded at the amount of work displayed at the Whitney. To see both of these artists simultaneously, while very different, was very helpful and definitely puts a perspective on where you see yourself as an artist in the world. Artists are known primarily through their presentation in a museum, and how thankful all artists should be, today, at the amount of communication that has burst forth with information. Not only do we have smaller galleries to display work, we have so many more museums, collectors and even web blogs to make our start. We no longer have to anxiously wait for salon space (although all of us would like a spot in the Whitney), we can even display our work wherever we want and have the ability to get it recognized without all of the pretentious museum bull-shit.
The next exhibit I seen over my holiday was the Andy Warhol: Other Voices, Other Rooms displayed at Ohio State University. Hence the namesake, I was overjoyed at just being able to go. They had magazine clippings and some photos in the atrium to start it off, and I thought, "Well, this isn't so bad. This is kind of nice." Further inside they had several screens set up where they repeated the thousands of screen-tests from the Factory Years. All of the Mick Jagger's were proudly displayed on the cow-repeated wallpaper. Inside were alcoves playing sound clips from the Factory days. How strange it was to hear intimate moments of time from the 60's. You always have this image in your head of what the 60's was really like, but this was the real deal. Hearing Edie Sedgwick talk about her life, and Nico talking to her bandmates; these are women I read about in his memoirs and I feel like I know them, and here they are talking away like a ghost. Going up the long stairwell, were movie clips from the 60's and large prints of Andy's life from childhood. In each of the alcoves are ALL OF HIS FILMS projected and running in time. If you are familiar with Warhol's films, you know they aren't your average blockbuster 2 hours. They're usually along the lines of 4 hours plus. None interfered with each other, and when you watched a few, you could take a break and look at all of the little knick-knack stuff like his Brillo boxes, Polaroids and strips from the Coney Island photobooth. Get this. I didn't even remember he had a Public television show in NYC in the 80s. Like...whoa! I totally forgot/vaguely remember it! Anyways, they had television screens playing "Fashion" and the "Andy Warhol show" with tons of loops, and plenty of space to go see something different when you watched one. Seriously, if you were into film, this would be your exhibit to see. No doubt you could spend DAYS looking at all of the things they had in there. 3 1/2 hours simply was NOT enough time to see everything.

It is no question I'm a Warhol enthusiast, even judging by my screen name, but there was so much to this exhibit, and so much about pop-culture that you can learn from. To me, for someone where film isn't exactly high on my list of favorite things to go see, the films were the strong point, and perhaps it was because you were bombarded with them. But it was still good to see everything like this at once, especially since I have never ever been the Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh (pity, I know). This was almost as good as the real thing, but I'm glad I got to see this rare glimpse of a tribute to Warhol.

Lastly, I wanted to talk about my experience with visiting artist Lalla Essaydi. She came to school through the course/lecture series that I am enrolled in, and two other fellow classmates had the wonderful opportunity to sit down and chat with her for a critique after she had given her presentation. First of all, I want to remark on her spectacular presentation. She was flawless and professional. Her work centers around Moroccan women and the stories and traditions they carry within themselves in their identity of clothing. Before the talk, she had guided us through samples of writing she finds inspiring, especially those of Edward Said's Orientalism, as well as Fetima Mernissi's Scherezade Goes West. Visually she turns to Mona Hatoum and her delicate works on cloth. Speaking outwardly for power of Isalmic women, she tells us of her process where she paints in henna on all of the women (all over their bodies) and uses calligraphy on the cloth (each panel in every photograph is unique). Photographs are taken in a family-owned building where durations of punishment were served in Essaydi's childhood. She comments on the social aspect of women and being contained in their homely space, even though times have changed in several areas of her home country. This is definitely a woman with an eye for patience, and all of her photographs show the relationship developed between the women and herself over the time from start to finish.

The critique with her could not have been better. Of course, portraits were automatically discussed, but even suggestions on improvement, and where it can go from here. Notes are so very important, and I wish I could write faster sometimes. But my analog/film projects were taken gently as well, possibly drawing everything together into itself. And even with my presentation tomorrow, I think I have easily found the connection between everything, especially after I was forced to sit down and pull it all together.

The light is finally coming on, and it is exciting. I can finally write about my work in a new way I didn't think would come for a long time. When I hear about all of these grad students talking about their "undergrad" work. I know now I have a complex set of examples to show others that show my style and direct my skills throughout my duration here. It follows a nice little timeline (especially with the presentation I put together). The best part is, it even draws into other areas where I like to work. Where fashion and music have been floating inspirations for forever, now have a place within my work as a whole.

I'm sorry this is such a long post, but I'm surprised it all came pouring out of me like it did. I know I did not give Eggleston the full review he deserved, but there isn't much else to say about it. I'm looking forward to another productive semester.
Wish me luck,
NM


Ps. I updated my deviant art ---->click here

I haven't had a chance to update this for awhile, and to be honest I have almost forgotten about it.

I have attended two photographer lectures since the past posts, so I have a little to catch up on. The photographer's names are Elinor Carucci and Phillip Lorca (P.L.) DiCorcia.

Elinor Carucci's work touched me on an entirely different level. It is almost looking into my future in terms of photography. However, I hope my work will not seek to portray things so sad. While I just felt I had sat down with a complete stranger and had a cup of coffee to talk about our lives, I knew so much about her from it. She has had a very difficult life, something totally opposite from what I experience in my childhood. Her images are very provocative but they are still very intimate. The reason I could see myself taking pictures like hers are because she doesn't use a bunch of pizzaz (like P.L. DC), just her camera and the immediate tools available: a tripod and a timer for self-portraits.
The only thing that disappointed me with her lecture is that she seemed a little distant, or very simple in her answers. I wasn't able to gain a lot of respect from her as a photographer, with technique. I'm sure it could be enhanced, but she had a very brief talk with very few images actually.


P.L. Di Corcia was an entirely different story. He was a great speaker, however his personality wasn't exactly crowd-friendly. I do give the man credit, it was literally filled to the doors and it was hot and stuffy. His work was amazing, and rather inspiring as a photographer's point of view. He was a man who definitely knew the right people, and had the assistants to work the images he wanted. He's a work-a-holic, no doubt about it. His use of lighting is inspiring, yet I know he's definitely a Museum School graduate (from the photo area) that he holds a high opinion of himself and his work, yet speaks of it like it is just something from the racks. After speaking with some of the faculty about his work, I can see how they would see pass the ethereal light of him, but you have to face facts here: Because he is, who he is (he's obviously perfect for Hollywood fashion photography), he has gotten where he is today because of his attitude and aloofness. I respect his hard work, and the fact I can call him a fellow alumni. I admire the man's work for W magazine and others. I don't have to like him as a person or how he works. I just have to appreciate the finished and final project.


I've been finding myself doing a lot of that lately (just admiring the work rather than the artist themselves). I've kind of taken an Andy Warhol approach to just watching people and doing my own thing. Why the hell not?

Well, I can't believe that my semester is half over already. I've been kind of busy with class and running back and forth with errands of my own life. My grandfather is in the hospital, so a lot of my creative energy is kind of blocked with his condition and the wondering if he is going to be okay. That's alright, at least I have my ideas for what I want to do in my mind. I'm going to get them written out right now so I kind of feel a little bit more accomplished.
Digital Books :
My Time Piece - This is a project covering a period of time with my youngest, and only sister, Michelle. This will span from the time we have been very young to the present.
Personal -My personal project is going to be fueled with photographs from my Digital Photo project. I'm going to be concentrating on fetishes. Of course I feel it's good to have an objective take on this, and not only include people who find S&M to be appealing, but regular average joes (andy warhol thinks they're more interesting anyway). They're going to be less about the people, and more about their interest. Of course, it helps to have people to talk about too, but i don't want it to be an invasion of their privacy, merely an expression of their interest.

Digital Photo:
Portraits : Last semester I began to take close up portraits of my friend Ashely, and attempted to get more of family, and they just didn't turn out as I had hoped. So digital cameras are going to be my friend right now, as I'm going to be getting a little bit more close up portraits of family members when I go home. This is going to also be in combination in some kind of arrangement/collage/scrapbook-esque format.
Fetish: Of course the fetish project is kind of fun for me. It's going to flow into a book as well. The fetish thing is a little bit different from the portrait project, because I'm taking the opposite side of working on the individual, and working on the interest. Plus, it's on the opposite end of the warm-and-fuzzy end of being with the family. Fetishes can take a really interesting meaning in present society, and apparently it means different things in other cultures, such as some of the Oceanic cultures with their dolls with so many nails in them for spiritual context. So fetishes cannot be looked at as purely sexual either. It's more than that.

Jewelry:
Unfortunately, it isn't taking the same context for me. I'm going to keep working on my talisman, but I think I"m also going to start designing some kind of box/reliquary for myself as well, that will serve as a little spiritual connection for myself. Possibly with a press-fit lid. I also might patina it. I'm going to figure out the size and everything, so I can begin cutting it out and everything. It's going to have a lot of piercing, so I want to prepare myself ahead of time, and I also don't want it to be so large that I'm never ever going to finish it.

Graphic Design
Along with assignments, I'm creating a personal logo for myself to stick on the back of my prints so people who purchase my work can be able to contact me if there is any problem concerning my work.

Glass
Have no fear. I"m always working on something interesting.

Time's up. Gotta go to work.

<3 NM

So today, I took a little journey to a place called Harvard, to view the glass Sea Creatures and Flowers on exhibition till January. I think there was so much there, I was completely overwhelmed. There were things there that I did not even know existed! When we first got there, we kind of bypassed the flower exhibit in fear of missing out on something even more. Well, we were correct (we being classmates from the glass department).


Yes. It's a glass octopus. And it was simply spectacular in person. I was totally fascinated not only at the scale in which the Blaschka brothers worked, but the DETAIL! I believe it is possible to get small detail, but I was totally shocked that the smallest details remained in tact even from simple man-handling. No doubt some of the Jellyfish tentacles would have been difficult to work around! I was a little disappointed that some of the colors weren't very bright, but I think I can understand that colored pigments probably were not readily available at the time of their creation. Not to mention, how would the artists have been able to know of the different colors of species at the time? Only recently when we have the technology of underwater cameras are we able to see the true colors of sea creatures at face value. Projection techniques even give the "average joe" the impression of being under water. My only closing opinion is that if only they could have lived during this time to experiment with the rainbow that is now available at their disposal. But in keeping with precision and delicacy, I move on to the overwhelming exhibit of glass flowers.


Okay... at first I was amazed at the detail paid to each flower, branch and leaf. But the more you looked, it was more than just pretty flowers. It was the close up of stamens, pistils, and CELLS! No doubt these men had a keen affection for science and even still, had extreme patience to create each of the works. They were made of entirely GLASS! I don't think it was just the fact there were so many components to each flower, as it was the AMOUNT of flowers that were on display. Row after row, case after case were just endless kinds of flowers, from flowers, fruit, seeds, grasses and leaves. Better yet, it wasn't even the ENTIRE collection that Harvard has. It was only 3/4 of what they owned! Needless to say I was throughly impressed with what it had to offer. If any of you have the opportunity to visit Harvard before January, you should at least stop by and see these works. It was worth every penny of my $7. I was completely overwhelmed with the exhibit, and was left feeling so inspired. I never thought science could be expressed so artistically.

I totally neglected to write a blog later last week. I had decided to take a wandering over to the museum for a little while, since I had nothing else better to do, and not to mention, I wanted to go see a movie the MFA was offering. So while I waited for the 4 pm showing of The Romance of Astrea and Celadon I decided to check out the Art Nouveau Jewelry exhibit and the Assyrian Wall Carving collection from the British Museum. All I can say is, that I wish I could have had more time, because I could have sat in those galleries for hours!


The Art Nouveau exhibit featured, of course, Reneé Lalique, my personal favorite AN artist. I love his enamel and cast glass work. And I honestly have never ever paid so much attention to the craftsmanship of some of these objects before. I don't think you can fully appreciate a piece of jewelry until you try and make it the hard way yourself. Some of those objects, I must say, they did not look like a picnic to make. My favorite objects from that time period still have to be the bone combs. I suppose because it is a lost art to find a genuine bone comb. Not many women wear their hair up anymore, but there is something so elegant about the comb itself, that emits femininity. It's a shame really that women don't wear them more. If I did want to find one, then it's going to be for hundreds of dollars from some collector or at an antique store. I suppose I'd prefer a nice bone comb over some other things in this world, I must say. But I enjoyed looking at all of the different chains, and learning about all of the different inspirations that I hadn't really noticed before, such as insects and Japanese prints. There were even some Egyptian elements, but specifically focused on returning to nature and the incorporation of flora and fauna.


The wall carving exhibit was also exquisite. I've always been a sucker for history, and since I am not taking any art history this semester, I thought it best to keep some part of my mind in the past. I kind of envisioned the displayed collection as works of prestige since they are, in fact, from the British Museum. I kind of took note of some of the different animal imagery, and the spiritual expression in some of the figures. It was kind of interesting how they displayed the kings and different classes, all together in one large scene, much like some of the illuminated manuscripts I was looking at last semester, or even sections from the Bayeux Tapestry. Which leads me to another interesting part of the exhibit. There was a wall displaying a large battle scene, some parts that have been more interpreted than others, but no doubt that it has been a piece of art historical and archeological phenomenon for some time. To see some of these things in the flesh is rather remarkable, since we spend so much time studying the tiny little details you can fully understand what it all means, and put it into context.


And last but certainly not least, I got to see a rather amusing film. If you are interested in gender-bending, but still have traditional/old-fashioned expectations of love, then this is a film for you. There were points in the movie where I just wanted to smack Celadon upside the head and just tell him to get over himself, but I also thought it rather romantic that he would be willing to dress and act like a woman, a LESBIAN woman to win her affection. And I actually thought Astrea to be a little on the damsel side, and I thought she could have moved on, but then again there wasn't really anyone attractive in her village to be well suited for her. Pretty much all of the women looked better than the men. I would have rather seen her come out with a woman, which is actually ironic considering she ends up having feelings for Celadon's masquerade. Either way, the costuming was simple, the countryside beautiful, and I could have actually believed it to be something that happened in the pre-B.C. Gaul.

I intend to go to the Natural History Museum this weekend to see a glass exhibit there. It's going to be ancient history in January so I'm going with a few fellow classmates in the department. Hooray!

Well, I officially love this class. We get to go to lectures, museums, and still do all of the required work all in one day.

Today, in my digital photography class, we went to hear a lecture from Douglas Nickel who is the Director of the Center of Creative Photography in Tucson. It was mainly based on developing photography theory in an age where analog is literally becoming a dying art, in the rise of the Digital Camera. Of course conceptually, photography is relatively subjective, since it stands between the viewer and the operator of any kind of camera. The camera creates the image. I found this very thought-provoking. And not only is there a relationship between the artist and audience but with reality and the image itself. The way the camera intercepts light and transforms it into its own way and translates it through light-sensitive paper, is still very remarkable to me.
What also was interesting was the fact that he believes that photography technique is outdated based on the fact that there have not been many new theories to create new ideas into, that we are still following knowledge that was considered "Breakthrough" in the 80's. Let's face it. The 80's are done, and we don't need to relive that again. And for some reason, I can easily see something new coming about, if someone decides to do something more than just be lazy.
To be honest, photography theory kind of weaves this complex basket around me, and it just seems to turn in a wheel over and over again. And there's only so much of it you can take at a time, and at the same time, I see what Douglas Nickel means that there is nothing new to learn. No one has yet come up with something so utterly drastic as to take it and integrate it within a theoretical context. We have the fabulous Roland Barthes, and he also discusses Pierce's concept of semiotics, but there has got to be something else. I get this part. I understand its relationship in not just a photographer's standpoint but also as an artist's standpoint to further develop my relationship with my audience and my medium. This is why I don't study photography fully as an artist, well at least a partial reason why. I suppose there is only so much to learn, theory wise, and the rest is just formulating your own opinion of other new photographers and talk about something that might arise in the future. At least within something like Modern Art, there are new theories all the time, since it is always changing. Maybe photography should get a little "inspiration" and begin to see things a little differently through the eyes of another realm.

This probably doesn't make any sense, but I just had to get these thoughts out of my head...


In addition to the lecture, we went to see a Chinese Film exhibit, titled "Business As Usual," also at Mass Art, commenting on the life of middle-class factory workers, going between a dream world and reality. I enjoyed it really. Especially the portfolio of "portraits" of the different workers.

So it's been far too long, and I really have no excuse for my lack of updates.
But I had a lovely adventure today to the ICA on the Waterfront, and figured now would be a good time to comment on it while the exhibits are still fresh in my mind. I decided to go with a friend, and was rather glad the both of us went together. There wasn't a lot of pretentious bull-shit that usually comes with a professor's opinion (which greatly has an effect on my view of an artist, all from their personal bias). There were some staples, but I was mainly moved by the exhibitions that were on display there today. And I must say, it was a good time to go because there were not a lot of people to trip over, and share space with. It was really easy to interact with the works on display.

The first one that we went to see, was the Anish Kapoor exhibit. It was definitely my favorite.



It was installation galore, and I will be the first to tell you of my skepticism of any form of installation. But I thoroughly enjoyed it. Perhaps it was because I didn't go with a class, and I was only with a friend, and I was able to interact more with the work. What the biggest suck-factor was, is that you could not touch any of the work. I know that sounds crazy, especially in a museum. But his work was so optically challenging, you wanted to confirm what you were seeing. The dishes and reflective surfaces were not only visual, but they were also aurally stimulating. It was as if the person beside you was yelling into your ear. Walls seemed to have no end, or looked like the beginning of a rabbit hole. His shapes are very rigid, but at the same time very sensual, totally flowing in every regard. I think the only thing that makes them rigid is the material that he uses, always very dense materials. But still, I acknowledge the length of time it takes to make the objects he has used on such a grand scale.

The second exhibit we entered was the work of Nicholas Hlobo. Though it was not the intent, it has an extreme fetish feel to it.



The artist's statement was more focused on creating an organ-type shape, but after seeing some of the works on paper, it didn't seem to me that at all. The constant sewing and lacing immediately made me think of corseting, and binding. And then his use of rubber materials also lead me to think of other fetish conclusions. Again, I'm sure that's not the real intent of his work, but that's the vibe I have received from his work, and I'm sure if I were to mention it to him, it would certainly not be discredited. I admired the amount of work it took to lace the paper he chose, and to create the large-scale stomach in the middle of the gallery space. Personally, I think the fetish aspect leaves a little more mystery ;-).

The last exhibit overwhelmed me, to say the least. It was collection of three artists: Mark Branford with collage paintings that were extremely labor-intensive; William Cordova with a variety of media; and Robin Rode with more video and photo stills.



Personally, I was more drawn to Branford's large-scale collages, just simply because I love to collage, myself. And to see it on the scale he had done, really inspired me. Then it dawned on me... I left my next collage project at home. So I'll just have to warm up with one here. I still have paper here that is more than acceptable to be creative on. Not to mention I have my labeled folders full of a variety of colors and patterns to use at my discretion. (Yes... I'm very organized, thanks to a girl from my studio's brilliant idea!)

Love and creativity,
NM

I apologize greatly for the lack of updates lately. I've been busting my behind with all of my academics, and quite frankly, haven't been inspired to do much of anything. However, when I am in class, I find myself thinking about my art. So bad to be pulling myself away from my studies, I know, but I have to face it, this is what I want to do.

I have been doing a lot of thinking about my post-graduating plans. I will probably be moving home after graduation. I need to stay here through the summer and finish my last two studio courses, no problem, maybe go to Diablo Glass studios in the process. I thought of joining the band of gypsies when I come home and working at the Renaissance Faire in the fall, giving me some time to put together my portfolio/be creative. Then, during the summer before I go into a graduate school, I will go to Pilchuck and learn to do glass the correct way. God love the department here; it is only a start for those who want to be much better. Then maybe I can move to New York, especially if grad school does not pan out like I hoped.

Ideally, Europe would be a best bet, and I want to impress them greatly with my accomplishments. I think taking a year off will really make me realize what I want to do in life. And if I realize that Photography is what I want to do, then I might do OIPT and get the technical degree that many photography studios really look for (unless I focus in photography, studios do not want part of an art school degree... they think I'm too conceptual over technical). I know I probably couldn't work at a JC Penny's and take pictures just because I would want to make them too artistic. I'd have to work at a place that encouraged me to be creative. Like the place back home I intend to work for over the summer. Some of the photos they take...wow... Sooo beautiful. If it meant me having to stay in Ohio and working for them, then I would do it. Maybe I'd work at another studio in the Bus and live in the Bus, just to get out of Dayton.

To sum it up. Life is such a short and long thing at the same time. I want to make sure that I live it to the fullest amount possible. I want to milk it for all it is worth. Maybe I'll work a government job, or I'll join the Peace Corps. Maybe I'm not meant for any of that, and I just need to help people and be near to the ones I love. But I do have to say, it is so difficult being so far away from my family. I want to go out and do so many things in the world, but I also want to be close to them if anything were to happen. I suppose that's why I want to get all of my traveling done early in life, then when I'm so tired of going new places all the time, I will be ready to settle down. When Scot and I were cuddling last night we were talking about how everyone we went to school with is already settling down, having kids and whatnot. Not that you can't have kids and have fun at the same time, but you just wasted so much of individual discovery in life. I can't wait till my 10 year reunion and share all of my experiences in life and prove to everyone that there is more in life than Dayton, Ohio and just how they can waste it.
Here I come World...

My W magazine hasn't come yet. And I'm a little miffed. But I still have been looking to le Française pour moi l'inspiration.
Today in Photography class a student emulated work by Guy Bourdin. I remember hearing about him from someone or another, and I remember specifically looking at his work, but I have totally forgotten about him. So I have taken it upon myself to look at some of his photos again. And I"m glad I did. I'm very much interested in Fashion photography, and I just think it has come from a love of clothes, their construction and how they fit on the body. The problem is, I would rather have my fashion photography taken digitally rather than with analog.

Guy Bourdin sort of walks the fine line between analog and digital. No doubt he wouldn't have even questioned analog as a means, but personally, I like the instantaneous results that digital can provide, not to mention, analog is dead in the fashion scene, unless it is for aesthetic purposes only. Analog isn't practical in this growing digital age. But I would just like to keep some things of mine analog and things I know that will benefit me in a professional environment, I would rather keep them digital. I'm glad I have some digital projects to show for this semester to prove my skills with digital manipulation programs.

I enjoy the provocative-ness in his photos. Partially because I believe fashion photography isn't how the model looks in something it's how the article of clothing looks in an environment. So having a glamourous environment without the fashion and just the naked form is something that is really intriguing for me. I enjoy fashion photography because it goes "there." It takes you someplace where it wouldn't be socially acceptable to do in public, even though I am a firm believer of just wearing something glamourous just for the hell of it. We live such short lives, I think we should be looking our best like it were our last few moments on earth. It makes almost anyone stand out and might give us a little more than just Andy Warhol's acclaimed "fifteen minutes of fame."

I say that we should dress how we please, and then I sometimes criticize what people wear. Of course. People criticize what I wear, and yes, I do take it into consideration. Lifef is a performance, and I want to be worthy of looking like I am going to one. Life is so short that I think we should be glamourous for it. Clothes are the easiest way of being creative. Even if the colors aren't bright, doing something new is always something that I admire.



...and now I have another blog to print off...

I haven't really been religious about updating this thing lately. I haven't really been looking for new artists lately, I've sort of been stressing out about school and whatnot. I guess I could talk about my paper that I just finished and it's integration in my artwork.

My topic was based on the Indian Ragmala paintings that are currently on display in the MFA. When I spoke to my professor about it, she told me that I should focus on a particular ragini so I wouldn't go out of my mind trying to describe each sub-genre. I chose the Lalitha. There was something about it that was so stragely erotic, but still sad. And, instead of taking a more descriptive emotional path, I chose more of an academic analysis. Which is okay. I don't feel as comfortable taking emotional assumptions in an 8-10 page paper. Anyways, I took these paintings and explained that they should be viewed with their specific raga behind them. First, listened to the song, then looking at the painting, seperate from the raga. Then, at the end, putting them together and then to make inferences of your feelings afterwards. The music really does add to the painting. After experiencing it in person during class, I was almost convinced that everyone ought to experience these paintings in those ways. And to think, most people who studied these paintings, never listened to the accompanying ragas.


I supppose I chose this topic because I've been experimenting so much with my music in my medium lately. Especially my sculptural elements. 2-D, not so much. 2-d has been more fashion driven. But my glass harps, I'm very excited about them. I miss my harp so much. It was such a big part of my life to give up, and I had to make the hardest decision. I knew if I went to music school, my art would be on hold for 4 years. But I also understood that my school, here, would be more understanding if I incorporated my music into my artwork. I would absolutely love to make a HUUUGE harp. All from the kiln. I would like to take them further. As for right now, what I have are very general prototypes. I wish I had a little lap harp that I could take a lot of simple construction details from. I would bring that thing to school with me all the time!
But I chose the topic also for the reasons that music is close to my heart. I can talk about it freely, and I feel comfortable with it. I understand it. Maybe not as much as a concert maestro, but I definitely have a huge appreciation for it as an artist.

This might be one of the last couple of entries before boards. So here's to it:

NM
(ps. You don't have to understand this image below.)

I have classes to schedule and photos to take, Photoshop to abuse and a ring to design/assemble. I don't know what I want to do. It kind of sucks. I've started to get this feeling of artists block again, and I can't have that. It scares me because I want to be here but it's like I run out of ideas so fast, or they come so fast I don't have an opportunity to do them all. And I could write them down, but I just don't have the motivation to do it later. Hoping for a fun opportunity for tomorrow night... I'll see. People can be flaky with plans. But if no one is going to vouch for a fun time with Nicki, then I'm going to play dress up and have fun with my costume and my makeup. Or I could go shopping by myself. Don't know yet.
I am going to do a Polaroid project tomorrow of my costume though. The Polaroid is COMING to school for sure. I have an idea for a presentation on my review board, and it involves YARDS of Tulle! Yessss!

Class starts now and I need to look like I've been doing work.

This is going to be a blog hitting two birds with one stone. The first half of the blog will be dedicated to something small, and then the other will be discussing some of the assignments I have been given in one of my classes that I feel is important, not just artists, to do for themselves.

The first topic on the chopping block:
The Art Issue of W Magazine
Only two of the Artists actually had some sort of my own personal aesthetic taste: John Bladessari w/ Mario Sorrenti and Dakis Joannou M/M (Paris). With my sister being the supreme fashionista of the midwest, and the one who talked me into a W subscription in the first place, we both agreed that this year's edition was kind of half-assed. I probably would have jumped seeing Marc Jacobs made it into this year's issue, but all of the photos were too dark, and too yellow.
The only reason John Bladessari made it into my cool book was the fact that he took fashion photography by Mario Sorrenti and turned it Andy Warhol. And he gets away with it. If I tried to do something like this at school on a small scale idea, it would probably get shot down in an instant (much to my dismay).

Pop art was the first form of art that got me critically thinking about subject matter, and I suppose that's why I have such an affixation to it. I've noticed Pop Art has a bad rep at our school. Especially forms I enjoy, and even the original forms of Pop Art. I can't help it, I love it to death. I need it. We're getting ready to do a photography project and perhaps I need... REALLY NEED to do some super duper copying. I know.. right?


The Next artist was Dakis Joannou of M/M in Paris. Apparently they have worked with films, animations and also directed a video for Björk. Awesome eh? Turns out they really liked to focus on the originals of each piece of clothing or accessory. Unfortunately I have been unable to find images of these via google, so you'll just have to pick up a magazine and see for yourself. The drawings, while simplistic, are very creative in the idea that these are probably where ideas spring off. Especially at the drawing table. I find this out every day. If you can't draw it out or explain it in one way shape or form, you're pretty much screwed, at least in my circumstances.


Section 2 : The Thinking Part
Friday afternoons are spent trying to conceptualize and help my inner artist search for inspiration within myself and other areas of my life and actually apply them in my art work. I suppose I enjoy this aspect of idea making because even though not all memories are meant to be good or bad, but I am able to talk about them. It might take awhile for others to understand what I'm trying to say, but at least I am able to get it out. I might have to translate what's going on in my head, but at least I am passionate about what I am talking about and it's something I feel for. Last semester was hard for me in a sense that I truly only enjoyed my stained glass class. Now, again, I only enjoy my glass classes. I have ideas that are going to be rolling over into next year, and I'm glad that I will be starting on them. Barbara is willing to help me with a large glass piece that is going to be part of a nebula. It will probably be about 10 feet by 8 feet when it is all done. it's going to be largely painted, and painting is something I need to work with more. But all in all, I need to start thinking ahead. I only have 2 more studio semesters left already... Holy crap!
Got off track.. Anyway we have been thinking about lots of different passages from books. We have been doing some childhood exercises, selfish responses and responses to music. You couldn't sum me up better. It's not that I find this class easy, it's just something that I feel like I can get into and relate with. Conceptual ideas are difficult for me, because I hate getting too political in my work. It's just obnoxious and my opinion changes over time. With something like a childhood experience I can always reflect on it and get the same emotions along with some new ones each time I think about it. I like looking at myself as an artist. It really helps me think of why I am here, why I am studying art in the first place and why I'm costing my parents an arm and a leg just to live, eat and go to school here.
Some prompts were:
I worry that...
I don't do it much, but I enjoy...
If I weren't so stingy with my inner artist I would buy... (of course I said my Salvi Harp)


Until next time...

So I walk into class on Wednesday, and Barbara asks me... "What are you doing tonight at 6:30?" I told her I was helping a grad student with a photo-shoot right after class but should be done by quarter till. "Alright, because you're going to hear Dale Chihuly speak." My jaw DROPPED! I was going to be in the presence of the best modern glass-blower of our time! DALE FUCKING CHIHULY!


His lecture was so inspiring. And made me so much more focused on my own glass ideas. Maybe I like his work and feel an association with it is because I see myself focusing on organic shapes and beautiful colors. He doesn't limit himself to color, and his process of sketching is absolutely amazing. I wish I had the money to spend on paints like he does.


I enjoyed his talks about several of his most successful exhibitions and I'm glad I had an opportunity to catch up on some of his previous work and installations. There was no certain one I felt I liked the best, because all of them were spectacular in their own way. I'll post some images at the bottom describing where each one was taken. But listening to him talk, very simple forms inspire him. He doesn't really put too much of thought into his plan, but there is enough to get a project rolling and started by a team, but he leaves enough wiggle room for mistakes or something that might come up. And I like that about him. I find myself doing the same thing in my work as well. I construct and design first, then all of the bells and whistles come in the end so I don't feel frustrated if something come up in the middle or even the beginning and I can't follow through with my plan at all. I get a little frustrated with faculty who push me a little too much in my thinking. I know and I understand they are just trying to get me to envision what it is going to look like as a finished product and how it is going to relate to it's environment when it's done, but for me personally, I feel like I wasted my time on something that isn't successful, and I'd rather work out lots of the technicalities first before I jump right into everything. I can't help it. It's the way I learn and work. And I don't think faculty should frown upon it. I know I should get out of my shell and try some detail, but it's the conservationist in me that wants to utilize my time in the most efficient way.
As far as ideas go for this, all of that color has got me seeing my beautiful curves and thinking "clearly" about how I should be approaching my own work as an artist in glass. I want to be free with it and I do believe I want to work out some more kinks with my big project, of which will be a surprise till next year for everyone. It will not leave the glass room simply because I'm still working on it. Just like a musician who's in the process of recording a new album. Nothing leaves the studio.
Enough "rabble rabble" Here are some images from the installations he presented:


Icicle Creek Chandelier - Clear chandelier constructed on a rock form with heat pumping throughout the shaft to keep snow from settling on icicle forms or the stand. (Sleeping Lady Retreat in Washington)


Chihuly Over Venice - Glass sculptures blown in Finland, Mexico, Italy and the United States were shipped to the banks of Venetian rivers to have glowing sculptures leaving fiery light along the shores, giving a gondola ride you are sure to never forget.


Chihuly in the Light of Jerusalem - http://www.chihuly.com/jerusalem/jerusalem.html
You just have to go to this site to see all of the amazing things he installed in Jerusalem. HUGE and marvelous.


Garfield Conservatory Installation, Chicago - One of Chihuly's greater-known exhibitions in the United States. This is another one you might want to visit the website to see more pictures, because one tower does not do this exhibition any justice. Playing on the beauty of nature and the "beauty" of his pieces. (Who really knows if he thinks his work is beautiful? He might think it's ugly as sin.) Either way... Check it out - http://www.chihuly.com/installations/garfield/index.html

There you have it... Overview of my Chihuly experience.

Okay... Don't get me wrong, I love my state, but Ohio is breeding some really disgusting bands as of late... Or at least the ideas for disgusting bands. Don't ask me how I got onto an mp3 of this band, but Jesus God, it sounds like dying cows (moo). Defiance, Ohio (strangely from Bloomington, another nowhere town, in Indiana) has given Ohio the redneck stereotype that people automatically label.
Trust me, if you've never been to Ohio, which I'm sure these motherfuckers had never set foot in Defiance, Ohio much before their band's existence, you think it's full of rednecks. Partially true. Yes, Ohio does have it's share. But we're not all hunting, farming, rightist inhabitants. Some of us are normal, and yes, rather happy with our state of origin. I don't see anything wrong with the state, other than the fact Democrats are taking over, and taxes are out the anus.

It's like meWithoutYou decided to not care about music, or something that crawled out of my highschool. How these morons got signed is beyond me.

They try to "mix it up" with fiddles, upright basses and harmonicas, but it just sounds like an indie rock band had a nightmare and are living in it. I've heard bands who haven't been signed and have a lot more potential for success than these guys...

Here's their Myspace if you can spare your ears for a few minutes to know to never EVER listen to them again.

Yuck...

http://www.myspace.com/chadsfavortivesong

I went home last week so I did not have an opportunity to update. But of course, as usual, I've found something to ramble on about this week. Bear with me as I have masking tape around wounds from this morning. It's an art school substitute for band-aids. This week's rambling:
Cate Blanchett's spread in W Magazine:



Normally, I'm pretty fickle about when it comes to my photographers, simply because, the art of photography is SO HUGE in this country, anyone and their brother can take a "fabulous" picture. Photographer Michael Thompson is responsible for this amazing change from her upcoming (and my favorite) role as Queen Elizabeth. Even though I finally received this issue, I'm certainly glad that my first issue had her on the cover.



One reason why I am so fond of these pictures is because they are in black and white. A bit curious why they left the cover in color, and I think in a graphic design perspective, color images are just better suited for a cover. But I think for once this would have been equally as successful as a black and white cover. Black and white can be a cause for lots of problems though. For one, color correcting and lighting situations may have been cause for the change (or lack thereof) of color. There could have been a drastic change in the lighting, and decided to roll with it just to see what would happen.



Of course this is not all of what this photography session had to offer. But I feel that the poses I have chosen work well. I hate to even mention it, but they are almost reminiscent of Marilyn Monroe's first beach photographs. The only reason I do not mention Bettie Page is simply for the fact that these outfits are white, like Marilyn's garb. Though these poses are far from looking "fun" or spontaneous, they invoke the relaxed feeling one usually feels when they go to the beach. These poses are meant to be serious, unlike Marilyn's bubbly bikini photos.



So even if you cannot grab an issue of W Magazine's October issue and read all about her transformation into Queen Elizabeth again, have a gander of what her capabilities as a black and white model, and how well they have succeeded.

Wonderful..

I'm trying to keep this relatively up to date as I'm going along. This is something good for review boards most definitely.
This week, is subject Alexander Calder. Recommended by my small metals teacher, she says that when she feels in a rut, she knows she can always come back to Alexander and know she can get some form of idea from him. And I can see why.

Okay, I'm going to be honest, I am not much of a sculpture oriented person, unless it serves a practical purpose. It has never ever moved me in that sort of way. And all of his work suddenly seemed familiar to me. Such as the Eagle shown above. No doubt I had seen some of his work in other slide shows from previous classes, with good reason. He has a wonderful sense of form, and uses up his space....definitely using his space... But his figures are very delightful. Not too dramatic and don't seem to be politically involved. Just merely using space in a different way.

His mobiles are positively delightful. They're simple and large without being obnoxious. They move through negative space, and you are able to see passed them. Perhaps that is why they work so well. They're not bulky and they don't halt your attention too much.

Of course there is always something to be said about his 2-D art as well. And frankly, I'm unmoved. Most of these look like doodles I do in my sketchbooks, yet he probably makes billions of dollars on them. And I'm just not cool with that really.

Overall, Alexander Calder would simply be a reference for me if I were to ever look into light metal sculptures and maybe if I wanted to experiment with my glass and leading with the wind, I could always come back to him for ideas and a sense of form. As for pertaining to my small metals class itself, I really didn't find it very useful. I'm more interested in working with etchings in the surface and possibly texture on my sheets of metal.

Oh my my my!
John Galliano (Dior) has done it again. Of course I'm picking some of my favorite images from his latest couture 2007 (F) collection, but why this man has not been named a fashion genius is beyond me.

Don't get me wrong, 99% of his costumes are over the top. But I think I would even wear this one, costume or not. It has class, late 18th, early 19th century class. Like a dress a girl would wear over and over to the opera. (I love the opera. I would like to go more often.) The beading is exquisite, and his fleur du lit patter on the bodice is phenomenal.

This one screams Renoir. All Renoir, maybe a little John Singer Sargent or Mary Cassat, but it looks like it came directly out of the Boating Party. One thing is for sure, he has certainly mastered the transition of tones in all of his fabric, so the eye just travels down the model and down the dress. I could give or take the color, but I think if it were any other color I wouldn't like it. It is very Victorian in it's compostion, but still maintains a French Operatic vibe.

If this had a full train, I would totally wear it to my wedding, moin le chappeau. I don't know if he wanted to keep more things off the ground in this collection, maybe to keep away from his traditional "Galliano-esque" style. But I do think this dress would have made a larger elaborate impression if it had a more full and exaggerated train. ALMOST Marie Antoinette style. But even still, it is breathtaking.

Alright Alright. I must confess that since he is now switching a theme, I would buy this dress in a hearbeat. I'm usually not too fond of Spanish matador-esque inspired dresses, but this color and the construction of this dress totally drew me in. I'm not sure why. Maybe it was one or the other, but maybe it is for the simple fact that it is fairly simple. There are not too many elaborate designs, especially on the bottom and all of the attention is meant to be for the top.

No matter what style he may pick off of next, let's face it, John Galliano rocks.

Guess I sort of forgot about Live-Journal.

I have too many to keep up anyway. If I'll be using it for anything, it will be for a photo-blog.

This is my first LiveJournal post. 

Tell the whole world.