Word Visualization

The Road Not Taken -Robert Frost

The Road Not Taken

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,

And sorry I could not travel both

And be one traveler long I stood

And looked down one as far as I could

To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,

And having perhaps the better claim

Because it was grassy and wanted wear,

Though as for that the passing there

Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay

In leaves no step had trodden black.

Oh, I marked the first for another day!

Yet knowing how way leads on to way

I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I,

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.

Group Presentation Andrew Matlack and Bryan Borut

When Video Game Worlds Collide

Shigeru Miyamoto and Sid Meier

When Video Game Worlds Collide” compare and contrast Sid Meier and Shigeru Miyamoto. Both of these video game designers represent completely different fields of video game composition. The chief ends of the exhibit are to investigate the differences of the two vastly different works of the designers and to also examine the present cultural differences that have manifested into these games.

Sid Meier

http://www.firaxis.com/company/bios.php?bioid=56

Shigeru Miyamoto

http://www.miyamotoshrine.com/theman/bio/

Group Presentation Responses

Landscapes of the Mind

Florian Maier-Aichen, Oliver Wascow, and George Grie

I found the Landscapes of the world to be a very thorough presentation. Maier-Aichen’s work was very interesting due to his very painting-esque photographs. The subtlety in his work was very successful.

George Grie was also very interesting. His neo-surrealistic images are strikingly beautiful. Lastly, Oliver Wascow introduced very interesting images that held a lot of narrative with them. They were alluding to utopian/dystopian worlds and had a very apocalyptic feel to them. Overall, I think that this was a well put together exhibit comparing three similar yet different in small subtle ways.

Reality, Virtuality and Digital Synergy

I found the interactive Installations to be very interesting.

The entire usage of computers were presented in such a different way then any other digital artist I have seen before.

Expressions of Color

I found the comparison of several famous graphic designers to be very interesting. Perhaps the most interesting part though is the inclusion of Joe McNally. McNally is strictly a photographer and does not alter his images using any such editing programs. This makes his media the camera itself and setting up certain compositions when taking the stills. Overall, I thought that this was a successful comparison of the three artists.

Feng Meng Bo and Paul M. Smith

Feng Meng Bo’s work was very interesting due to the inclusion of the audience into the work. His alteration of Quake was very interesting and different as far as digital artists go. The comparison with Paul M Smith was interesting also because both artists seemed to have incorporated themselves into their work in very interesting ways. Paul M. Smith incorporated himself multiple times in such a subtle way that at a quick glance, his images look like they’re a picture of a group of people. Overall, I found the comparison to be very successful.

Synthesizing Nature, Digital Art is Music

I found the comparison of digital music artists to be very interesting. This medium is relatively new to the art world. Thus, the comparison opened my eyes to a different medium that I have never been accustomed to.

The different sounds that these artists produced were weird and different yet beautiful in its own way. Overall, I found the comparison to be successful and different.

Whitney Biennial 2 artist comparison

I found Mrs. Jessica Drummond’s “My Reputation” to be a very successful piece. The use of the ink marks is not only very precise, but also very stylized. This piece differed from a lot of the many pieces in the gallery due to the more traditional medium. However, the shape and size of the piece was very unique and striking. The sheer scale of the ink drawing was very impressive in and of itself. The piece also had a very organic feel as if it was unfolded prior to being displayed.

I also found the works of Charles Ray to possess the same traditional style ad medium usage to that of Drummond’s work. The colorful flowers seemed to have a subtlety to them. In other words, the drawings seemed to have hints of color rather than to be glaring bright colors at the viewer. I also enjoyed the amount of work in the context of the installation of Ray’s work. The installation was a decently sized room with nothing on the floor. The works were hung up on the walls surrounding the room. I think this only added to the gentle subtlety that the drawings brought. I didn’t feel like I was in a museum when I was in this installation. Call me weird, but the absolute traditional composition of the entire room made me smile.

self visualization

Triptrych

I want this triptych to be a representation of change and hope. Change can be a very difficult thing. But to stay current in the world we live in, we have to change whether it is for good or bad.

Sometimes it seems easier to simply go back to old habits. Sometimes we all want to just want to stay content with what we have. Sometimes the future may seem very misguided.

We must all fight it though. No matter how hard change is sometimes, we must all take the leap. To trust ourselves when no one else does. We must maintain hope. Because hope is unfailing. Because Hope does not disappoint.

Reactions to Abramovic/Kahlo/Xiuwen

I found that the work of Maria Abramovic, Frida Kahlo, and Cui Xiuwen each represented the female self in a different and interesting way. All these artists have represented themselves but they all are vastly different.

Maria Abramovic’s work all have a very self or introverted atmosphere to them. They don’t seem to represent hurt or suffering but simply exist to investigate herself on a more deeper level. The way that she incorporates herself in her images is quite interesting. In “The Family I,” she seems to be a leader of some underground militia force. However, all the members are young girls. This seems to me to be more of a political statement with Abramovic at the front. Other works such as “Cleaning the House,” have more emotion in them. I found that this piece represented more of a struggle accepting herself as a female in society. That fact that she is wearing a dress and is in the act of cleaning clearly shows that she is doing some commonly stereotyped actions that women do. The facial expression on Maria is one that shows a bit of longing and almost makes me think that she does not want to be doing what she’s doing at all. Some of my interpretations of her work is that she plays on many female stereotypes and common misconceptions about women.

Frida Kahlo’s work also seemed to explore her inner self. I almost feel as if she always painted herself in a very unattractive way on purpose. Almost like she does not even care that she looks very strange. Her portrayal of her unibrow is a great example of this. Her work also shows a lot of pain and suffering. “The Broken Column” really does not only show that physical pain in her life but also the emotional toll that it took on her life. Frida is often in tears in many of her paintings. Her portrayal of women and more specifically herself, is one that is very sad and broken.

Cui Xiuwen’s work in very different the previous artists. Her work seems to represent the vulnerability that is present within women. While Abramovic is representing identity for women, Kahlo represents a weathered pain, Xiuwen’s work represents a sense of confusion and not knowing what to do. “Angel No. 1” really shows this ‘confusion’ as the girl in the photo really looks like she does not know what to do. She is pregnant but still retains a sense of innocence and youth. I feel as if Xiuwen is trying to portray a girl who grew up too fast. One who was physically ready but mentally was not. The differences in culture are also a lot more prevelant in Xiuwen’s works as opposed to Kahlo and Abramovic. The eastern way of life is starkly contrasting with the more familiar western culture. Life as depicted in Xiuwen’s work looks so foreign to me simply due to the Chinese influence that is prevalent in the piece. Everything looks so orderly yet out of place in Xiuwen’s work. All the girls have the same outfit on, yet all of them show a sense of desperation and confusion.

illustrator Exercise 2.. vectorized drawing

revised illustrator exercise

the shape of the plane made me mad.. so i changed it

illustrator exercise 1

about the project

There is a guy being run over by a car in a hallway.

This piece is supposed to illustrate the penalties for misbehaving in a college residence hall. Clearly, you will be run over by a mysterious car if you decide to litter in the hallway.

.. and to top it off, mysterious smoke will appear at the end of the hallway..

Project 1

Project 1 Photos

exercise 1

Reactions to classmates

I found that the majority of the class agreed with my understandings of the four artists. However, there were a few people who did suggest different viewpoints and interesting insight.

Gregory Crewdson:

I found it interesting that Adri brought up color as being one of Crewdson's main tools of manipulation. I find that Ryan explained Crewdson's work to "feel very silent"

Many feel that Crewdson's work invokes narrative and plot. Joey explained how the characters in Crewdson's work appear very lonely.

Teun Hocks:

Many people agreed with me that Hocks's work conveys comedy and humor.

I found Adri's insight that Teun's work has an elegant brand of quirkiness to be very interesting and well put.

All in all, Teun's work is mostly described as comedic or dreamlike.

Jeff Wall:

Many people had different descriptions of Wall's work than me.

Most however, agreed that Wall's work is very conceptual and offers much insight.

Also, many agree that Wall's work also shows a bit of societal tension between people.

Cindy Sherman:

Many agree that Cindy Sherman's work is enhanced by the black and white compositions. Katie presented great insight with her remark saying that Sherman's work are not self-portraits, rather a representation of womankind.

Reactions to Cindy Sherman

Cindy Sherman's usage of black and white photography gives her work a nostalgic and historical vibe. The clothes that are in the images are often antiquated fashions that add to the entire retro theme. Her pieces are very successful in part due to the fact that the compositions are so simple, yet the feelings expressed in the images are often very complicated. The "independent woman" also does not quite match up to the time period that the image presentations suggest. There is almost an anachronism that is apparent with setting and character in her work.

Reactions to Jeff Wall

The works of Jeff Wall display certain realities of life, and more specifically, urban life. There seems to be a lot of "urban decay" that is very prevalent in his works. By this I mean that many of the images display mildly gritty, industrial areas of cities. When I view Jeff Wall's work, I get a sense of many narratives that could parallel with these images. Most of these narratives would seem to deal with unhappy people locked into a relatively unsuccessful vocation.

Reactions to Teun Hocks

There seems to be quite a lot of comedic elements to the works of Teun Hocks. The way that Hocks incorporates himself into his work often comes across as hilarious and comedic. There also seems to be satirical elements to his work too. His pieces also show moods that may arise in areas such as an office or in nature. Creativity and personality seem to be the driving conception and spirit of Teun Hocks's work.

Reactions to Gregory Crewdson

The works of Gregory Crewdson display vacant and empty city/land scapes to me.

However, there is a sense of calmness and coziness to his works. The vacancy that is apparent in his works are portrayed primarily by the perspectives that drive the composition of his pieces. For example, Crewdson likes to use streets and roads that seemingly continue forever in the background. This technique gives his work a mysterious void to the piece that almost brings tenseness and ambiguity to the piece. Crewdson's work is very similar to the filming techniques of Alfred Hitchcock by making buildings, streets, trees, and other background elements enormous compared to any people that are in the image.

Artistic Influences

Fantastic Mr. Fox was a very inspiring movie.

You should watch this movie if you haven't already.

Longcat.

One day, Longcat will save us all from a terrible disaster.

only one word can be used to describe longcat:

respect.