Mark Tribe and the Region of the Transborder Trousers (Artist 11)

The “Region of the Transborder Trousers” is a graphical design representing the quality of life of the residents of Tijuana and San Diego. Rather than being a political critique showing that the international borders are unsecure and that there are over 100,000 daily crossings, the art focuses simply on aesthetic experience of new innovative technologies. Mark Tribe and Torolab members wore GPS transmitters and for five days, took different routes in their vehicles to and from Tijuana and San Diego. During their experience, they recorded their fuel consumption. Afterwards, they fed all their data into a computer system that analyzed the data and prepared it as an animated map. Each member was a colored dot with a circle around it whose diameter symbolized the fuel in their tank. The dots moved on the map in correspondence to where the members traveled. The map animation was then compressed so that the animation only last eight minutes in duration which is about 900 times faster than what it really took to run the experiment. Again, this artist (Mark Tribe) is an interdisciplinary artist much like Mel Chen. I think the neatest thing about contemporary art is that you have all these new applications for art such to prove ideas or support hypothesis. Even if art is reaching new innovative, theatrical functions, contemporary art still maintains the sense that it is art. Meaning that art still has this creative and ingenious way to capture people’s attention and occupy the human mind in an entertaining sense so that it’s still like traditional art, just transformed. But by giving contemporary art this new twist, or transformation, we value art on so many more levels.

“The Visual Thesaurus” (Artist 10)

“The Visual Thesaurus” is simply a thesaurus with the same theatrical function except more theatrical considering that “The Visual Thesaurus” rearranges all the associate words into a web. Despite such transformation, I do not think “The Visual Thesaurus” would actually be any more beneficial than using a regular thesaurus online. If anything, the “The Visual Thesaurus” evokes frustration when you have to associate the words to a certain color and then look up the definition which is only displayed when you put your cursor over a dot and make sure you are looking at the corresponding word’s definition. Additionally, if you look up a word with a lot of associated terms, the web gets crowded and the words overlap and then you cannot read all the words that are displayed. I would simply just use a regular online thesaurus such as dictionary.reference.com especially since the programmers want you to pay to use the “The Visual Thesaurus.” In totality, this I think this is bad art and clearly the "process that drives the painter" is money.

David Crawford's Stop Motion Studies (Artist 9)

David Crawford’s work seems to be quite bizarre considering his “Stop Motion Studies” take place on the subway and each person in his work, is part of his art. Crawford’s work foregrounds a multitude of human interactions to show that 90% of human communication is non-verbal. By doing so the viewer picks up on the all the body movements and gestures humans make. I would feel uncomfortable if I was a piece of someone’s mass art project especially when the person taking the picture is someone I don’t know. There are some clips of some people sleeping and usually they are close ups, I just think that those people taking the pictures are “creepers.” Regardless of the situation, Crawford’s work shows that 90% of human communication is non-verbal and further goes to show that interaction between people are decreasing as digital technologies play increasingly higher roles in individual’s lives. If you observe the people, most of the people either perform for the photographer or ignore what’s going on. Either way, most of the people on the subway ignore each other and pretend or are preoccupied in their digital technologies. This is important because the subway brings people of different social and cultural backgrounds together, and if people of different societies and cultures cannot react with each other, we see that the city’s character is changing for the worse. What is most odd is that David Crawford uses art to show this! You can say Crawford is an interdisciplinary artist like Mel Chen and his work has a theatrical function.

The "Industrious Clock" (Artist 8)

When examining Yugo Nakamura work, I fist thought, “this website is just a clock; why use this “Industrious Clock” when I have my own clock on my computer that is just as accurate?” Then I noticed this clock, unlike my computer clock is embellished with art. This clock uses the internet as its medium and foregrounds a bunch of numbers into a pattern that we observe as a digital clock. However, each number is not foregrounded against some empty space, it’s foregrounded against what appears to be lined paper. In addition, the numbers looked hand written. In fact if you examine the numbers, you see that every time one changes, the page flips and someone draws the next number in the sequence. Like mentioned above, the “Industrious Clock” is just as accurate as the clock on my computer. I wonder what if I go to Germany and I visit the same website where you find this clock (http://yugop.com/ver3/stuff/03/fla.html), will it read Germany’s time or Eastern United States’ time? This was one of Yugo earlier works. I came to find out, Yugo is actually a very talent digital designed. To see some really interesting stuff of his click here.

Response to Artists Talk, Monotypes

I went to an artist talk/panel on developing skills for creating monotypes. I had never created a monotype till then and was very intrigued by the way you actually create one. So pretty much you take any size of Plexiglas and round off the corners. Then you bevel the edges with a rough file at a forty-five degree angle. Then you start painting the image you want displayed on the Plexiglas. However, you paint the highlights on first and all the darker colors on last. So really, you are painting a picture backwards (compared to painting something directly on canvas). Furthermore, the more color you put on the Plexiglas, the better the final product will look. After you complete painting the picture, you soak a piece of print-paper in water for ten minutes or so. Afterwards, you dry with a towel and rub it slightly to remove its sheen. You then place the paper on the Plexiglas so that the paint seeps into the paper. With a rolling pin, you then press down on the Plexiglas so that the paper takes in all the paint; however, you do not want to rub the Plexiglas and paper together so that you would smear the colors and layers of paint. Lastly, you can take a wooden spoon and burnish the paper. By doing this the paint from the Plexiglas gets displaced onto the paper, which is your final product. The image looks quite unique compared to other methods of painting and you cannot replicate that same image twice. Conversely, with the left over paint on the Plexiglas, you could make a ghost copy of the image. To do this you simply soak another piece of paper and displace the leftover paint on it using the proper technique mentioned above. This image will look slightly like the original version but lighter, hence it’s ghost copy. All in all, this artist talk/panel on creating monotypes was very intriguing. She mentioned that there was a difference between monotyping and monoprinting but still did not comprehend what was the difference after her lecture.

Response to Artists Talks, Art Studio Exhibition II

I attended Ya Haddy Njie’s, Emily Norris’s, and Bonnie Veblen’s Art Studio Exhibition II. It was intriguing to me to see such magnificent art and have the artists there to explain what their art meant to them.
Despite what they said there art meant to them, it was hard not to draw your own interpretations. For instance, Ya Haddy explained that her art was a search for her identity and a way for her to express how past experiences have contributed to creating a false identity for her which she has been constantly fighting so that she can create her own identity. When I examined her art, I saw the intense emotions she felt coming from the expressionistic depiction; however, if I was not given the background information I would never have known that her art was describing her internal struggle to develop her own identity. In fact, I would have only known that her art was to express some sort of frustration because her work was only black and white with varying forms of harsh lines composed in different layers that seem to symbolize anger. It was odd though that Ya Haddy had pointed this out in the insert that was distributed at the show. In the insert, Ya Haddy states that her “symbolic expressions sometimes appear to be a portal pulling my viewers in and other times act as a barrier, stopping the viewers from knowing anything beyond that point.” It was also unique to see art presented in new ways which I have never seen. Emily Norris’s work used sharp, geometric edges to separate fluid and irregular objects. By doing this, it was like separating reality with some unreal parallel universe. The non-real, real images had some potent, perplex energy to them that captivated me. Lastly, it was very pleasant to view the nourishing artworks of Bonnie Veblen. Bonnie’s art was very nourishing because it was able to exemplify nature’s serene beauty and create a connection between you and nature. In other terms, the work itself was so powerful that you got lost in it and like a dream you were surrounded by nature and its presence (almost like reading a good book and being able to visualize everything taking place). The connection between me and her artwork was probably stronger than the other two artists because there is more I can relate to. When you see a picture of a tree, you know exactly what the picture is of- a tree. So when examining an oak tree foregrounded against a soothing, naturalistic setting, you are immersed by a pleasant, naturalistic sensation.
In totality, the Art Studio Exhibition II was very astounding and surprised me what great artists we have here at SMCM.

Plant Sperm Everywhere! (Scrapbook 22)

No, this is not a picture of my new car, nor is it a picture of my car. I do not even own a car. This is a picture of my neighbor’s car that just has a whole ton of pollen on it. My left eye has been irritated for the last several days and it’s either because I have an eye infection or because all of this plant sperm is getting into my eye. I would rather the irritation being caused by all of the pollen getting into my eyes than me having an infection because then I have to go to the doctor. I am not scared of the doctor or anything, it’s just a pain to have to go there and wait three hours in the lobby to be seen. Then you have to get medicine and drive back home. However, my eye bothers me even when I am inside, so I am not sure exactly what the cause is. My eye does not look infected nor is it bloodshot so no need to put it on display. Just really annoyed that my eye has been bothering me and amazed at how much pollen is everywhere. Those pictures are of a black PT Cruiser, from a distance, the car looks like a shade of gray and yellow. The pictures were not made to be art, just a reference to show how much pollen is out there and give me an idea for what the cause of my eye irritation is.

Google earth link

Charlie's Jelly Beans (Scrapbook 21)

The first picture is of my friend’s cat, Charlie, and the second picture is of some Easter Jelly Beans. Jelly Beans are one of my all time favorite candies and oddly, Charlie likes them too. I found this out when I accidently dropped one on the floor; he sniffed it, and then ate it. I doubt candy is good for the cat so I did not feed the cat too many (only three beans in total). Just a side note- Charlie is pretty old, I think he is probably fourteen or fifteen years old but he looks and still acts like a juvenile, frisky feline. Luckily, the cat was still acting fine after consumption and it was lucky for me that no one saw me feed the cat. Lastly, Charlie did not ever really search for the container of Jelly Beans on the table after I fed him. It probably is a good thing that I did not cause the cat to develop a bad eating habit. I just found it really amusing that a cat eats Jelly Beans so I just wanted to show some people of this comical discovery. Actually, in the picture with Charlie, Charlie is eating a Jelly Bean but I do not think you can tell from the picture. So these pictures were not meant to be art, just something for laughs.

Google Earth link

Eastern Tent Caterpillars or Gypsies (Scrapbook 20)

Here is a picture of some Eastern Tent Caterpillars in their tent nested in a cherry tree. Most of the time, the Eastern Tent Caterpillars are confused for Gypsy Caterpillars. Gypsy Caterpillars are known to defoliate entire trees and destroy large percentages of forests. Furthermore, Gypsy Moths usually consume our beloved fabrics and hence moth balls were invented. Despite the fact the Eastern Tent Caterpillars are not Gypsy Caterpillars, they still are bothersome pests because like all caterpillars, eat leaves. Thus by having a mass of Eastern Tent Caterpillars on a cherry tree, the cherry tree will probably be completely defoliated unless someone deals with the caterpillars. The easiest way to deal with these pests is to get a long stick, poor some gas on the end of the stick, light the stick, and light the nest. There are probably some pesticides that would do the trick but that would require you to go out to the store to buy some. Furthermore, most of the caterpillars fall off the tree before dying and just climb their way back up. So if you use pesticides, make sure to by plenty of it and try not to breathe it in yourself. Using fire is not that safe either, because you can always burn the tree or get your lawn caught on fire. Regardless of what strategy you use to take these suckers out, the main purpose of this picture is to point out that these are caterpillars need to be exterminated even though they are not much of a hazard as the Gypsy Caterpillars. (This picture is not art, just a picture telling to be warned about the defoliating menace. The picture was taken in Chestnut Hill's park)

Google earth link

Dogwood Tree (scrapbook 19)

This is a picture of a dogwood tree in my neighbor’s yard. The tree drew my attention simply by its beauty. I know it’s dorky, but every time I see a dogwood tree I remember my deceased golden retriever. Let me sum up all my feelings for my dog by saying, my dog, Liberty, was the best dog anyone could ever have. Of course, other dog owners will beg to differ but the point still stands that every time I see a dogwood tree that I remember Liberty. Now, yes the tree is a dogwood tree and the word dog makes me think of dogs but really there is a different reason behind why I think of Liberty when I see a dogwood tree. The main reason is the fact that Liberty was buried under a dogwood tree. So in totality, this picture was not meant to capture the beauty of the tree as a work of art but as a memorial to my dog. I think the reason why I had such a connection with this dog was because I grew up with the dog since I was born. My parents got the dog as a puppy when they got married and well… I came a year and a half after the dog. In addition, the dog saved me from drowning when I was four by jumping in a pond after me and letting me grab on to it, and swim me back to shore. Almost a far fetch story but true.

Google earth link

Picture of a picture of a picture (scrapbook 18)

Even though this is a picture of my artwork, the picture of the artwork was not meant to be art. You see, I was help cleaning out my friend’s pool when I saw this lizard drowning in it. So I picked up the lizard, took a picture of the lizard (which was still on my hand) with my phone, and let it go in some nearby bushes. Later, I drew the picture of the picture and gave it to my friend’s mom thinking that she would enjoy the artwork since she was an artist. This happened several years ago. Now, when I went back to my friend’s house, I saw the picture hanging up on their fridge and took a picture of it just out of impulse. Oddly, seeing that my picture has hung on her fridge for so long made me feel good about my artwork. So yes, this is a picture of a picture of a picture.

Google earth link