Personal Project

What do you want the piece to visually communicate? 
How will materials, processes and scale inform the work?






-- I wanted my work to serve as a functioning object you see in everyday life. I added a 
twist to my table by adding another common object. The contrast between the wood and the
metal ashtray is meant to attract the viewer's and have them take a closer look.


-- My materials were destructed table pieces that I reconstructed back together to form a new 
object. The ashtray is a finishing touch that adds a compliment to the wood, visually engaging the
viewers. 


My inspiration for this project did not come from viewing other artists and gaining ideas. I took what my 
professor had taught me and built off my experiences throughout the class. Inspirational ideas for me would be
taking destructed furniture and repairing it to serve as a different functioning form. 

Homemade Painting Tools

My idea was to create painting utensils that created different textures and lines on a piece of canvas. I wanted to keep to the wood approach so I took a wooden broom handle and applied it to each of my tools. The materials were all recycled that I had found throughout the semester. The tools allow the user to explore textures and applications of paint. 

My thoughts on "No Contents" are that it is very interesting about the letter and the British Prime Minister. The continuous talking and recording looses my interests and sometimes leaves me lost. Besides the interesting content about nuclear war, the rambling leaves me disinterested and wanted
visual imagery.

--I wanted to create tools that applied paint uniquely
--I wanted them all to different and mimic how we apply paint today
--The roller mimics a roller, the cork relates to the sponges we use, the loose thread is a different form
of a fan brush and the glow stick shows how we flick paint

Abstract Plaster Figures

With my plaster pieces I portrayed different abstract forms using different textures and materials.

The main focus for me was to push different materials and make them work with the plaster, portraying them to have a concept. My three favorite pieces are the first image, the fake coin in the paster, and the finger impression. The first image serves as an abstract form, demonstrating recognizable shapes and textures. To me, it reminds me of a figure standing underneath a lamp post. The fake coin in paster is resembling a money that is to be seen but not touched. It is half in and half out to play with the viewers. The fingerprints symbolize people that have tried to take it but have failed. Lastly, the finger impression was all about texture and the mark your fingers leave behind everyday. You don't usually realize that you are leaving your mark behind on everything you touch, but on the plaster its a different story. Your remands are left behind for the viewers to see, but your presence is not seen.

Peep Hole

"The Veldt" by Ray Bradbury

My response to “The Veldt” by Ray Bradbury is that children are too interested in television and technology and forget to think and learn. As I began reading, I was rather confused and didn’t understand where it was going, but as I kept reading I started to associate it with parents living in their generation (a generation that wasn’t accustom to technology) and kids that were interested in all the new technology. How I can relate to that is that growing up my parents did like me being on the internet all the time, I guess they felt I was being exposed to a world that they didn’t want me to see at a young age. Thinking back to that time I guess I understand but at the time I didn’t get it. I feel that people these days are too concerned with technology and they don’t see the simple beauties in things. Most people are too fed up with technology and don’t take time to use their imagination. Lastly, I am not hating on technology I think it is a great thing, but when it comes down to it I like to free myself from all of that and just use my brain.

Inspirations--
Sook Kim, Will Corwin, and Mark Shetabi
Also, the narrative "Little Red Riding Hood"

--I wanted to create a theme throughout the piece making the viewers feel like they were in the forest with little red riding hood. By making a run-down wooden box and imitating a forest I wanted to grasp the viewers leaving them with a dark, creepy vibe. 

Assembled Artwork

Assembled Artwork--

                                 

Inspirations:
                   Racheal Mitchell
__http://archinect.com/people/project/14769702/deconstruction-reconstruction/14772110
                   David Delthon
__http://dornob.com/solid-wood-furniture-set-sculpted-desks-tables-chairs/?ref=search
                   Steve Lohman
__http://www.lineartgallery.com/web/Artist/Lohman/wood_art_furniture/furniture_sculpture_racecarchair.htm


I chose my objects based on what I had laying around the house. I have rather destructive roomates who disregard objects, so I reconstructed destructed objects to serve a purpose. I took a wood pallet, known for supporting big loads of materials. A wooden chair used for seating at a dinner table, and lastly a lamp shade. I made the foundation of my chair out of the pallet using it as support, I then took parts of the chair and assembled them where I felt they served a purpose. I kept the seat and back rest in their orignial form so that they would serve their natural purpose. I than deconstructed the legs of the chair to serve as more suppose. I then electrically rigged a light bulb at the top, topping it off with the deconstructed lamp shade used to portray colored shapes above the person sitting down. Lastly, I sanded the wood down a little bit to give it a newer look but still keeping the original finish to show the viewer what it once looked like.

Assembled art gains my interest because it involves different materials put together to form a subject matter. It doesn’t always have to resemble something recognizable, but gives the viewer something to think about. Another aspect that draws me to assembled art is in some circumstances it resembles sculptures. Sculptures fascinate me, especially ones that resemble a recognizable subject. Also, the materials chosen to make up the artwork intrigues me. It makes me wonder if they meant to place that there, or why did they choose this object over something else. To me, greatly executed work involves playing with the viewers mind making them have to take a second to think, but eventually they will figure it out and seem to understand what you were trying to say, and sometimes its nothing.
Schwitters appealed to me once I saw his work. The way he uses his materials and strategically places them is very eye catching. I also enjoy how he pushes it farther not using one specific type of media. He plays around with different mediums giving a lot of different texture for the viewers to appreciate. The way he portrays his concept of transforming the ugly into beautiful is a very universally creative idea. What I mean by that, is that around the world people appreciate ugly unattractive objects that become transformed into beautiful objects. Joseph Cornell was another artist that grabbed my attention; his decision-making and abstract shapes are appealing with the compliment from the warm toned colors he uses against the wood grained frame. He uses his materials fully creating many different emotions to many different viewers.

Having been so impressed with Schwitters and the other artists, I knew at some point I was going to be disinterested. Christo’s ‘Packed Road Sign” and Bruce Conner in general don’t seem to catch my attention. As I stare at their work and ponder I don’t seem to get any creative vibes. In the Packed Road Sign, I understand Christos concept, but I am not visually attracted to the artwork itself. The idea is good, but the presentation is unappealing to me. From my artistic standpoint I enjoy objects that are representational, visually attractive, and could even serve a purpose. Having said that, after looking at Bruce Conner, I feel no connection. He is very un representational and scattered with his materials. Conceptually, I enjoy these artists ideas they are creative and take their ideas to the next level. I just feel visually I am not attracted to their artwork.
 All of these artists have their own style and approach to assembling. They all obtain great concepts playing with the viewer’s thoughts and emotions. Each artist seems to resource different materials and strategically brings them back to life in their own way. Overall, I enjoy this style of artwork. I feel it is fun and playful, allowing you to explore new materials and push them further than the objects they are portrayed to be. It allows you the chance to push people minds from the everyday norms of material objects.
Vocab.
Juxtaposition- close together/ side by side
Composite- made up of disparate or separate parts
Surrealist- stressing the subconscious or non-rational significance of imagery
Obdurate- unmoved by persuasion, stubbornly resistant
Detritus- material worn or broken away from its mass
Alluded- to refer casually or indirectly
Undermine- to weaken or cause to collapse by removing underlying support