final review pictures

Things I'm doing in sculpture....

Some photos the lovely Monika took at my first show...

New Prints...

Images of my mono prints from phase I

William Kentridge Show

This show was really amazing. As far as shows that mass art has been able to host this is really one of the best I've seen. I was particularly fascinated by the animations. The sounds and music of the animations worked amazingly with his animated drawings, and at the same time filled the rest of the gallery with sound, which I found very interesting and effective. The way he organized the short films was somewhat nonsensical but also linear. The stories were really sort of vague, but I love the things that unfolded and the way the drawing progressed and changed.

phase II

Instead of exploring a non-western art medium, I am planning on continuing my theme and ideas with one of a few of the following things:

-making much larger prints, which will be of better quality than the first. (I am meeting with a printmaking major this week and getting a tutorial and tips on monoprints)
-photograph my pieces (either monoprints or sculptures or both) in a convincing setting with lighting. (perhaps a warehouse, or basement, or dark room where I can control the setting/lighting.)
-exploring woodcuts, or other forms of printmaking (something where I could make multiples instead of monoprints)

More Artists I'm looking at....

Joel Peter Witkin
Stephen De Steabler
Ann Hamilton
Grunewald
Bruegel
Giacometti

Phase 1

For phase 1 for this class I explored Printmaking, specifically mono prints, as my material exploration. I made a great deal of prints, small scale. I enjoyed the process alot, and there were parts of it that were similar to sculpture. The process of working in an additive and subtractive way and being able to move and shift things and having a lot of working time all reminded me of my process for sculptures. I worked with the theme of the body, skeletons, and of bridging horror and beauty. I find horror to be one of those things all humans are intrgiued by. In the sort of way where you just cant turn away as much as you want to. I also find it very interesting trying to create environments and convincing spaces were a feeling of horror comes across easily. This was somewhat challenging in the medium I was working in, and for the next phase I plan to restructure my ideas, and my medium, but still work in the 2D relm.

Da Vinci sketches that are currently informing and inspiring me.

most inspiring person...

I could never choose just one person on this planet who inspires me the most. I go into phases, and cycles, and change my ideas, and thoughts all the times. And different people inspire me in different ways. there are of course, people in my life, as well as artists, who inspire my artwork, and my creative process. But there are also people who inspire my personal life, which in turn can very often inspire me as an artist. So to choose just one seems somewhat impossible.

Reading...

I do a tremendous amount of reading in preparation for many of the things I make. I check out books, use reference books, artist books, anatomy books, and the internet. I make photocopies, and sketches, and use the books not only as information to refine an idea, but also as inspiration for new ones. when I'm stuck, I spend time in library's browsing books and websites, looking at artist works, and reading. Generally speaking, books and reading are a massive part of my creative process.

motivation...

My motivation comes really only from my excitement about an idea. When an idea is so strong and excited that it keeps me up an night, I cant stop myself from wanting to explore it. I think what drives all artists to be artists is great passion and drive to make artwork, and an intense excitement about the work you create. It takes a great deal of pressure, and self discipline to force myself to work, when I'm just not excited about the idea.

working process...

My process is as follows...

-somehow come up with an idea
-think for days or weeks or years of the idea until it seems like a good time to use it
-research research research. books, internet, artist sketch books, photocopies
-make tons of sketches.
-tack up all the sketches, photocopies, and artist works
-begin working and allow the chosen materials to develop, and solve problems within the piece as I go along.

working environment...

I have a studio on campus, and do a great deal of working and thinking there. I work and think best in the early hours of the day, and need a good amount of quiet while I'm working an idea out. I rarely listen to music, unless I'm working on a work thats a long process I can work mindlessly on. I need a ton of light, and inspirations and drawings surrounding me. My working environment is basically just one with a great deal of inspiration and quiet.

Inspiration...

The inspiration from my work comes from all different places. I spend a great deal of time looking at books  and researching different topics, artists, and mediums. I draw ideas from life and experiences, and other artists, and then spend a great deal of time thinking about an idea. currently I am working on an idea involving the human body, and the relationships that exist between inside and outside, dead and alive, and time and process. I have been inspired by the sketches of Da Vinci, and his work on understanding the human body, and also by the sculptures and artworks of modern artists, including Kiki Smith, Ron Mueck, and tons of others.

My Blog...

Welcome to my blog! I am a sculpture student, and am beginning a new year, with tons of aspirations and hopes for the semester and year. I am always reinventing myself, and my ideas, based on my life. And every year brings new work, and new materials. I do tend to revolve around the same central ideas, artists, and materials, so my goals for the upcoming year are to break out of my comfort zone of sculpture. I have in the past reserved 2D works as inspiration or sketches to inform a work intended to be 3D, and I would like to change that. Portfolio seems to be the perfect opportunity for me to tie together a body of 2D work, with the art I create in my sculpture studio.

Some artist, and specific works that have always inspired me are below.

I'll post more artists I like, and my own work soon!

http://www.pbs.org/art21/artists/smith/index.html?gclid=CL-c_te_-qMCFWBd5QodCXiZLA#