Whitney Biennial

I particularly paid close attention to the work of art entitled, "Dual" by Hannah Greely. I liked the presentation of the work of art, showing how the title relates to the work of art. The dual side of the scene is laid out right on the other side of the object. You see the dual sides of the seat, table, mirror, and wall with a picture on it. I thought that this was a very effective piece in the way that it was presented. It was literal, but there was also an aspect to it, such as why did the artist construct it? All in all, the piece of art was one that I enjoyed.

The next piece of art that I also enjoyed was the piece called, "Couch for a long time" by Jessica Jackson Hutchins. In comparison to the other piece, this one had a more literal meaning. You can see that there are old pots on the couch, that looked like water carrier's water pots, which shows how old it was. Also, the couch has newspapers on it which infers to newspaper articles to a long time ago. The newspapers could be either from a long time ago, or from recently. Paying close attention to the detail of the couch, there are people pictured on it from the past, more enforcing the meaning of the title, couch for a long time. It is showing that the couch has been around for a long time. I enjoyed both pieces of art, and was happy to analyze them.

Pictures for Tyiptych: Self-Visualization

Word Visualization Exercise

Triptych: Self Visualization Concept

My ideas for my Digital Triptych (Self-Visualization) project, center on my love for sports. For the first picture, I have decided to choose a picture of myself playing basketball when I was younger. This will achieve “my history and where I come from” in the project concept column. It shows my history, because it was in the past when I was around age 8. From an athletic career standpoint, it shows where I came from, in comparison to where I am now. It describes how my skills were still improving as I was learning the sport of basketball. This also connects with the overall theme of my triptych. It shows a journey of my athletic career in basketball, how I grew both athletically, and as a person. The second picture will be a picture of me during one of my high school varsity basketball games. It will complete “What I strive for, as well as events in my life”. It shows what I strive for, with my attempting to be seen as an athlete who had what it took to be recruited to play college basketball. I not only had the determination to do the best I could on the court, but also with my academics. I know how important it is for me to succeed academically to have a bright, and successful future. I believe that this picture also shows “the events in my life” on two occasions. First, the story of basketball for my life will help anyone to understand the type of person that I am; a leader, team player, and over-achiever, and having a good attitude. Leader because I am a point guard who needs to lead my team during the game; off the court I took my leadership to the classroom when I was accepted into the peer-leadership program in my high school. Team player, because I was the one to distribute the ball, and be unselfish. I consider myself over-achiever, by never accepting failure in my life under any circumstance. Secondly, the picture shows a monumental moment in my life, if you focus on my right knee in the picture. You will notice a black cover over it, which covers the knee brace protecting my knee from further injury. My junior year in high school, I tore my ACL and needed reconstructive surgery, which helped me to re-evaluate my life. I realized there was more to life than the game of basketball, which helped my to succeed more in my academics, and overall attitude towards life. The trophy in the picture symbolizes the journey from hurting my knee, to surgery, to achieving my goal to rehabilitate and play college basketball. The reason why I chose this photo as the middle picture of my triptych is because it tells the story of my injury, which was the main point in my basketball career that showed my determination to continue my journey to becoming a college athlete. The third picture of my triptych will be a picture of myself playing basketball in a college game. It will complete both “important physical attributes, as well as what I look like from my viewpoint or from others’”. First, it continues to show my physical strength, by focusing on my right knee, and realizing that I no longer have to wear my knee brace from the previous picture. It shows that because if my hard work during my rehabilitation paid off because I not only continued to play instead of giving up the game, but it also shows that my physical strength gave me the ability to play. It helps to explain, “what I look like from others” because the picture shows me directly as a player who is being guarded heavily, showing that I have my guard up towards adversity. I believe that from seeing this that people will understand that I am an independent person who is able to take care of myself without the help from others. Also, others may view me as someone who has accomplished a great amount athletically to be able to compete on the college level in basketball. The emotion on my face is descriptive enough to show others that I can achieve whatever is put in front of me, because by looking back at the two other pictures in my triptych, I have grown dramatically.

Why did I choose to go with the theme of my journey from a young athlete to a college athlete? It is easier for me to express myself through athletics, because that is something that came easy to me in life. By showing myself as a young basketball player, it begins my long arduous journey in life. My high school years proved to be difficult because of the roadblock that I hit with my injury. Through my injury, I grew as a person more than anything, which is why I chose it as a focal point in my triptych. While my project shows my journey though sports, the middle photo shows my journey through adversity. The final photo shows where I currently am, which I consider a great accomplishment. I am proud of my achievements so far in life, on and off the court.

Notes on Presentations from Class and my collaborative presentation explanation

Lindsay Brown

Notes on Presentations from Class

Presentation #1: When Video Game Worlds Collide

Sid Meyer

Is known as the father of computer gaming. He was the founding father of the “strategy” computer game. Still producing video games. His games lack a main character, but have a theme throughout the complete computer game. He is very big into American history. Works with simulation games. All of his games have to do with management. The railroad game has to do with the strategy of designing and managing a railroad.

Shigeru Miyamoto

Is known as the pioneer of a video game development. Made a lot of Nintendo popular games such as: The Legend of Zelda, Donkey Kong, Super Mario 64, Super Smash Brothers and also Super Smash Brothers Brawl. The Legend of Zelda was the difference of arcade game, and home video game. Super Mario 64 introduced a refined way to play 3-D games, included a third person point of view, with a camera that you can adjust. Shigeru Miyamoto focused on having a main character(s) for his games. Has a fan base, his fans will buy his games, and focus on only his games.

Presentation #2: Landscapes of the Mind

Florian Maier-Aichen

He likes to Take a computer, and use it as a tool to enhance his photography skills. HE often starts with another photographic image as the inspiration to make his own photograph and then enhance it. Works with black and white photography, to create a painterly feel. His composition is also important; the tanker is placed at the exact vanishing point of the scene. Many of his images look more like paintings than photographs. A lot of his works of artists are entitled “Untitled” because he doesn’t want to give out a lot of information to just the viewer. His works of art are BIG.

George Grie

He currently works for IBM. He created neo-surrealistic images that are a result of his past, the thoughts in his mind, and the creative abilities of digital programs such a Photoshop, and 3-D max. His work shows a magical, dreamlike world. He has been doing digital art since 1996. Works in a smaller range of size. But it is viewed in difference sizes because it is on the web. The colors that he uses in his pieces of work are more dull colors. He has dramatic lighting in his works of art.

Oliver Wasow

Current occupation is a teacher. He created his photographs by altering and distorting them. He uses a lot of bright, intense color to support his imaginative and fantasy-like landscapes, based on his rural upbringing. Works commercially, also in fine arts. Works in a smaller range of size. Makes unrealistic images look real. Wants his works of art to be more of a mystery to the viewer. Influenced by where he grew up, out in Wisconsin. Considered a master of Adobe Photoshop.

Presentation #3: Reality, Virtuality, and Digital Synergy

Rafael Lozano-Hemmer

Does works of art mainly for the public. He puts things up on websites that will be easily accusable to the public to see online. The creation of his artwork is free to manipulate online, or his exhibitions.

Masaki Fujihita

Works in digital video imaging. He studies interaction between the people interacting within the spaces that he creates with his art. He examines the possibilities for communication between the artists.

Presentation #4

Paul Smith

Paul Smith was born in 1969. Has himself in all of his pictures. Uses himself as the subject to show the meaning of all of his pictures.

Feng Mengbo

Feng Mengbo was born in 1966. Shows himself in the video games, so people can play the game as him. Works with video. Incorporates icons from China in his works of art.

Presentation #5

Annea Lockwood

Has a bachelor of music degree. She studied composition throughout Europe. Works with sounds, to bring it into music. World Rhythms done in 1975, was a sound installation, live mix of ten channel tapes, a large tam-tam, and it played for the duration of 60 minutes (1 hour). Concept of the piece was to capture the sounds of geographical figures.

Petri Kuljuntausta

Born in Finland. Has done work throughout countries such as: Europe, The United States of America, Australia, and Mexico. His exhibits are shown worldwide. He works with found sounds. The result is a series of sounds, which seem simultaneously familiar to their source and distorted by the extreme emphasis. He takes the sound, and stretches it out for a long amount of time to make the sound one that is unique.

Hildegard Westerkamp

Hildegard Westerkamp was born in Germany. She joined World Soundscape Project director by R.Murray. Work deals with the acoustic environment. They are urban, rural, or wilderness soundscapes (voices, noise, silence, music, and media). Likes to capture the meaning that the environmental sounds hold for us. Work comments on existing cultural, and social situations.

My Collaborative Presentation Explanation

Title of Exhibit: The Expression of Color

Name of Artists and Theme: This main idea of our presentation was to bring together the three artists: Peter Jaworowski, Neil Duerden, and Joe McNally. The intention our presentation was to explore the similarity, and differences between their works. We thought that it was important to note that all three artists use vibrant colors in their artwork to express their idea to portray life within each individual works. While the artists are similar, there is one important aspect that makes them different. The aspect is the different mediums that they work in. Peter Jawarowski works in photoshop, Joe McNally works with photography, and Neil Duerden works in both photoshop, and with photography. All three of the artists have worked in the commercial fields, being hired by very popular companies. For example, Peter Jaworowski: Coca-cola, Converse, Bacardi, Martini, and Nike. Joe McNally: FedEx, Nike, Sony, Adidas, and Nikon. Neil Duerden: Adidas, Nokia, Powerade, Honda, Nickelodeon, and Ben & Jerry’s.

Peter Jaworowski is an artist who manipulates pictures, or sketches from his clients by using photoshop. He changes the background mostly to correspond with the picture, but he also will re-touch the photo to go with his idea.

Joe McNally is a photographer who simply focuses on taking the pictures. His interest is to capture a special moment in his photographs, and he uses the bright/vibrant colors to show how important the subject really is.

Neil Duerden first uses a photograph, and then alters the picture in photoshop to make it his own.

WEBSITES: Peter Jaworowski = http://www.arsthanea.com/

Neil Duerden = http://www.neilduerden.co.uk/

Joe McNally = http://portfolio.joemcnally.com/

Abramovic-Kahlo-Xiuwen Comparison

Marina Abramović

When looking through Marina Abramovic's selected works, I immediately realized that she focused all of her digital art of the body, and what the body does. Her pictures focus on nude women, which she see’s as a point of beauty. Through her expression of nude women, Marina Abramovic sees the point of beautiful meaning the female figure. Because we can see straight into the pictures, we can personally put ourselves mentally into the pictures, and see the emotions that she is going through in the pictures. She has many different emotions such as anger, upset, content, and. She pushes herself in her paintings to get the most out of her art. She mostly uses her body as visual art to show her audience that she is the subject of almost every one of her pieces of artwork. Her work shows the relationships between self, as well as person-to-person interaction.

Frida Kahlo

Frida Kahlo’s paintings tell the story of her life through her paintings. She puts herself in her own paintings, and she gives us a inside view of what happened during the course of her life. She endured a painful accident during the course and her life, and that influenced her art. We see that she is in pain in many of her paintings, which we can assume was from her accident. In the shown painting, her unibrow is prominent. While many may think that it looks funny, and that she should have not painted it in her paintings, but she thought that it was a characteristic of herself that she needed to show other people. She thought that it was a beautiful trait of hers that she needed to share. All of the colors in her paintings seem to be closely related, easily identifying her paintings. Marina Abramovic shows naked women as her view as “beautiful”, but on the other hand Frida Kahlo shows her view of beautiful women as having a dark, beautiful unibrow. Frida Kahlo see’s her personal pain as a point of beauty.

Cui Xiuwen

Cui Xiuwen’s photos feature the pregnant woman. Pregnancy is known to be a beautiful experience that a woman gets to endure. Cui Xiuwen shows the beauty through her photos of the pregnant women. It is stated that Cui Xiuwen was single, which makes it ironic that she paints pregnant women. She focuses on the nervousness that comes along with dealing with the pregnancy term. Cui painted the pregnant woman because she see’s pregnancy in a women as the force of beauty. All three of these artists have in common that they see the female body as beautiful.

Illustrator Exercise #2