Class Identities 2/25/08 and 2/27/08

Viewed identity projects in class and talked bout sources for inspiration and the importance of research in art work. I unerstand the value of research and sourcing, it's like argueing a case in court you must have evidence of how and why you arrived where you did. Sometimes though i think we shold just guess and not validate but forge forward like an innocent with no idea of past or present only complete and utter awareness and acceptence of now. I like many other artist appropriate images and ideas from all around me, I also think it important to cultivate an inner dialogue that reveals personal mythologies instead of always seeking outside ourselves. I believe there are more answers and even more questions in each of us alone than in all the computers in all the world. The inner landscape is one we must travel if we are to make our way in the material world.

Kim Simonsson's Alien Innocence

Went to Border's today to find one of the artsy magazine's so I could complete this assignment. i looked at art forumn and some other mags that seemed to be mostly flat of 2d art. then Sculpture caught my eye, I flipped thru it an dfound many articles and images that were intrigueing. First, a Finnish artist who works in ceramics(not my fav) which after seeing Simonsson's strange manga like ghostly children sculptures. They seem to be about innocence lost in some mirrored shimmery synthetic. surface. One is spitting a long glass drip of saliva, one has a n elephant head and sits on the floor in a public restroom(really in a public restroom). Another is flattening some sort of shiny metallic dog, another is made of the same tile pattern as the public bathroom she hides in. These ceramic children appear alone and isolated the shiny ceramic surfaces make them seem prescious and fragil but simaltaneously cold and ghostly. There is anadmitted manga style to these children. Simonsson is commeting on the youth culture of today, well groomed, high-glossy, the image of perfection, at what cost. perhaps our lifestyles and obsession with glowing shimmery slickness and perfection has caused us to despise the imperfections that make us human and vulnerable. Maybe it were better if we were bugs with thick exoskeletons and hive mentalities. Seems we don't celebrate much about being human any more we strive to be more like the dolls and machines that we create. Documentary photographer Laureen Greenway captures the youth of LA , these girls are getting nose and boob jobs at 16, before they are even developed. Why would a 16 year old want a boob job>? Why are we obsessed with perfection? I thought human individuality and imperfection was what makes us different special something that cannot be copied or duplicated- oh wait I forgot about cloning-wonder if when we do clone humans if they will ahve the freckles and moles and strech marks and sweet scents that makes us human. Maybe we will have to redefine what being human means anymore. Why do we not like the way we smell? Perhaps Simonsson's children are the perfect child-quiet, shiny and void of human scent. Who needs real humans ? We can just create a breed that looks feels and smells just like real ....plastic.

Identity In Art- Class 2/4/08

What is the true nature of self?
I believe this to be a question that each person has to ask themselves and only they them-Selves shold be the one answering. Self is defined as the identity, character of any person or thing, one's own person as distinct from all others. So the true nature of ourself? is a better question perhaps. Discovering my self or nature has been a life long search with glimpses and retreats into the"country of my mind" where I believe my self dwells. My self seems to flicker and draw people and experiences to it. It seems to learn about itself by experimenting in the physical world. This experience can often be abrupt and painful for my physical body and my spiritual heart.Sometimes my self is not a flicker but a vast void never to be measured or filled. Such emptiness is comforting because I know from this all of everthing arises.
What does it mean to be human?
Human means we live in physical reality and need resources in order to survive. We may not be the only beings that are defined as such but one thing we think makes us unique is our ability to think. Most of us can't talk animal languages or communicate telepathically so we really don't know if other creatures are thinkers as well. Although i suspect they do. Humans exist in a very specific ecological system that we, as humans take for granted often, way too often.Humans compared to some trees have short life spans, but compared to some butterflies who exist for only hours we live eternities. Also I think that being human is about learning about and engaging other humans and other species for the pure reason that we are built to experience and engage the physical, mental, and spiritual realms.
Who am I as a unique individual?
This seems to vary frequently. I tend to be very sensory and empathetic in my experiencing the world. This leads to rapidly fluctuating emtional entity who isn't always sure whether her emotions are her own or someone close or far or if the trees sometimes seem to whisper secrets of the earth and sky. Not quite skizophrenic but there seems to be a few of us in here sometimes. That said I do feel like there is a preserverence to my unique methods that gives me a certain stability and ability as an affective and effective individual. My parents are amzing people and great parents, I have been exposed to diverse places and people all around the world. I ahve met some incredable and essential people in my life thus far and I consider myself pretty blessed to be who I am at this space in time. I think all of us as individuals have the abilities and opportunities to create a beautiful diverse world.

Class Commentary 2/18/08 and 2/20/08

This week has been whew well uh how to put CRAZY!!! but in an ultimately self improving kinda way. My mama said that this month was gonna be all about personal and global power shifts and sinking or swimming in the interior realm of our evolution. This was the month for regenerating lifestyle and thought patterns that aided you instead of holding you back. I feel like I have been slingshotted into hyper surreality. I missed a wednesday class about individual projects and artists from our book. I did enjoy our guest Elizabeth Alexander. Particularly aboutt he importance of journaling this refers to my theory that the inner private world is jsut as valid if not more so than the outer. Joseph Cornell created amazingly intimate visually rich boxes in his mother's basement. He was tapping into something unseen, something more hidden. Alexander seemed to have alink to this otherworld through her famliy. she also seemed to be creating structures that are stand-ins for the human form, so many little compartments for hiding away our trinkets to ourselvs. secrets are like private memorials to the idea that all we are is not seen and cannot be exposed to light. There will always be caves and caverns in our souls to explore with gropping fingers and willing hearts. There will always be more to explore.

Identity Vs. Itself -Class 2/11/08

I haven't done this much critical analysis of my own psyche in years, it can be an extremely gruelling yet nurturing experience. I do of course think it is essential to do in this day , artist or not. The times we live in are unlike any other time before in that we have endless opportunities to affect change and a stronghold of knowledge at our very fingertips. There are literally more possiblities existing now right now and now times ten each moment forward that we must seize. To know what to do with these moments we are given we must understand our natures,our strengths and our demons. When you know yourself and your positioning on the surface then you can act with precision and efficacy. That being said, this path is by no means simple or consistently enlightening. Often the process leads to yet more questions as you traverse the quadrants of mind. The only things that i have found to be limitations are apathy, ignorance, and trepidation. These go hand in hand often, you can't gain knowledge unless you ask questions, you can't ask questions if yer afraid to be wrong, and ya can't do either if ya don't care. The only thing is the will to act after that jumping is easy.
My mind is a tree breaking through the cement. Now You try My mind is a......
My body burst like water over rugged stones. Now .You. My body ....
My home is where i make it.My home...
My will is the turbulent winds blowing thru all time. My will....
My heart goes out into darkness seeking myself.

Field Trip 2/06/08

Exciting trip to The Mint Museum of Craft and Design, lots of work to view and a very well educated docent to guide us. One piece keeps coming back to me more, it was a suspended piece using died fabric. It hung in the middle of one room and had about six -seven panels that all had blue cirlces on them, the blue was kinda faded from one end of each circle to the next. what really enthralled me was that when you looked at this piece you could see through the other side.People looked blue and fuzzy almost like they were behind a filter or on some blued-out late niter tv. I don't know if this was part of the artists vision but it really enhanced the piece to make it literally transform the space around it, or at least the view of the space. Not just flat or 3-d almost holographic.

Making Meaning- For Classes 1/28/08 and 1/30/08

One thing I am coming to realize is the huge responsibility and history that comes with being an artist in this century. I had no idea how much thought about materials and space and even the history of the viewer brings to an art work. We have been learning in Contemporary Art History about Abstract Expressionists and how they wanted to find a universal language that communicated from one subconscious to another. To communicate ideas you must be able to understand ideas and what created those ideas. This is a bit daunting and i'm starting to wonder if my brain can handle the insight and understanding it takes to be a successful artist, successful partly meaning expressing ideas in an artistic method that is clear. sometimes I'm not clear-like now- on what it is that i want to say when so many people are talking what makes on voice more relevant. Perhaps that is why I like art is sometimes it screams at you but never breaks the silence.I guess discovering and conveying meaning is one of the hardest things we do. If i can convey a meanig or message in my art perhaps i will find the meaning/message in my own life.