Mike Shinoda (of Linkin Park) has featured my flickr gallery along with 9 other artists/bloggers on his website! http://www.mikeshinoda.com/comments/other_blogs-recommended_music/promote_your_sitetop_10#comment-panel
Monday, September 21, 2009
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Artist Blog 09/21
7/9 Hope and Fear, Digital Composite, Phillip Toledano
8/9 Hope and Fear, Digital Composite, Phillip Toledano
3/9 Hope and Fear, Digital Composite, Phillip Toledano
1/9 Hope and Fear, Digital Composite, Phillip Toledano
I should be focusing a lot of my research on artists who use objects in place of language, and I was very excited when I found Phillip Toledano’s series entitled Hope and Fear (which I will speak about later). Though, when I came across his work in another series Days With My Father, I was touched and really excited about the idea of keeping a photo journal. I know we’re sort of doing the same thing for this class-photographing each week and keeping a blog-but the entries in Toledano’s series weren’t forced. There was no pressure for him to elaborate or make a point. It was much like free-writing. No one was expecting anything of him. He provides enough information to aid the subject matter in the photograph. Some of the entries contained some of the most beautiful words I’ve ever read, and some of them didn’t say-nor did they need to say- anything. His simplicity and non-chalance is refreshing. Days With My Father focuses on his (Toledano’s) last few years with his father after his mother passed. His images are beautifully taken; he pays very close attention to light, composition and focus when presenting his father to the viewer. Though I contradict myself when I see them because the way they’re taken--they seem to come naturally, like they’ve manifested on their own and Toledano just happened to be there at that moment. His images don’t feel like something he’s constructed, rather, like they’re an aura that is a part of his father and their relationship together, and he has the wonderful privilege and opportunity to take advantage of it and photograph such a phenomenon.
Hope and Fear “is the external manifestation of the internal desires and paranoia that are adrift in America.” All of the work in this series consists of models consumed by objects that, as the description says, represent desires and paranoia of the American public. Toledano quite literally illustrates the “external manifestation” by sticking objects to his models or creating garments out of different objects. His image of a man covered by baby dolls could comment on many matters including larger subjects like abortion or adoption. The races of the baby dolls are all different. Unfortunate as the message in this image is, it’s quite comical. The model in the picture is a very proud-looking white man; a man that will go down with his ship. The message I get from this is that the Caucasian race has been the majority in this country since little after its foundation, and is now very quickly becoming the minority as more and more people are immigrating to this country and more and more people are having interracial relationships and producing multi-racial children. I see the man in this image as a dying society-the last of my parents’ generation- the last generation to be negatively influenced by the racism America has grown with.
While Toledano focuses a lot on larger, more political subjects, he also addresses certain lifestyles that women have become accustomed to and the stereotypes and standards that women are expected to uphold and are, unfortunately, influenced by. He has several images showing women in garments made of body parts. In one image a young woman is covered by hands, another of a woman covered in breasts, and yet still another of a woman in a long skirt made of women’s legs. All these objects stand in as language that suggests that today’s society views women as sex objects; they are things to possess, things to be controlled, and things to take advantage of. These images reinforce the stereotypes that women fall into concerning how it is acceptable for a woman to look, or how a woman believes she should look having been influenced by stereotypes. He uses these objects as language effectively by his placement on the models, as well as how the models are interacting with them, if they are at all.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Idea Blog for 09/17
A few weeks ago I received a lensbaby as a birthday gift…and it couldn’t have come at a better time! I am considering using this lens to aid in my concept. As I stated in my post about my meeting with Jeff, I am concerned with having my images look exactly like those I have taken over the past 2 years. I am particularly concerned about how they’ll look if I don’t end up using the moths. I mentioned that I wanted to experiment with the moths’ presence being less blatant and obvious by placing them closer to the lens so as to blur their form and to suggest to the viewer that the effects of the divorce are overwhelming. Perhaps using this lens will help make the moths’ presence more abstract. If I do not use the moths, the lensbaby could definitely suggest the same idea on its own, given the effect it creates.
I’m absolutely looking forward to experimenting with this lens. I think the use of the “sweet spot” to focus on a certain part of an image could communicate very powerfully. I am going to experiment with this lens as well as my fixed 50mm and compare the imagery. Depending on what I decide to shoot, I may use both or just one of these lenses. I’ll also experiment with how and what I’m focusing on so I have a better idea of how to communicate my message effectively. Selective focus is definitely subjective, but with the right combination of focus, subject matter and composition, I’m hopeful and confident that I will make a clear statement.
One issue I face is, because my lensbaby doesn’t have the traditional adjustments, I will need to make some sort of contraption that will allow me to adjust and hold the focus once I’ve positioned myself within the frame. I’ve considered asking someone else to take the pictures for me, but it would be much easier if I could do it on my own and with/on my own time.
I’ve shown this image before on the critique blog except I had inserted the moths. If I do end up super-imposing the moths in my photos I will probably not use this lens as I think there is too much going on. I think I’ll have a much better result if I use this lens with the moths in the original image.
Untitled, 14x11", Digital Photograph, Kerry McDonnell, 09/2009
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Artist Blog 09/14
155 Untitled, Mixed Media, Teun Hocks, 2003
Untitled, Mixed Media, Teun Hocks, 1999
215 Untitled, Mixed Media, Teun Hocks, 2007
Teun Hocks is a Dutch photographer, painter and performer. His work involves an “Everyman” character that has gotten himself into strange, often comical situations. Each image implies a narrative that inevitably elicits questions about how he got there in the first place and what will he do next. The performances in his work range from burlesque to tragicomic (ICP). “His lonely Buster Keaton-like persona perseveres through odd and unforgiving environments, struggling to find ground in an unstable, often absurd, universe” (ICP). In an interview with ARTINFO, Hocks is asked if he is anything like the nervous, self-obsessed character. His reply states that, while this character does partly come from him, that these images are not self-portraits.
Hocks’ process for creating imagery begins in pre-production. He builds or paints his backdrops or any other props that are needed for his concept. He then snaps a black and white photo which he then enlarges and prints. He tones it sepia and later adds oil paint to everything, coloring the scene and/or adding in elements that weren’t part of the original set construction. Though, more currently, some of his work has featured digital painting instead of oils. In the same ARTINFO interview, Hocks describes his process as a way in which he has control over all of the elements involved, so that he can get exactly what he pictures in his head, or close to it. The surreal worlds that Hocks has created act like portals that allow a greater insight, and the viewer the opportunity to delve deeper into his story-telling and his creative process (PPOW).
I find from a lot of Hocks’ art he works with smaller universal concepts-you take them for what they are and go. For instance there is an image of a man chained to a work desk that looks like a doghouse. One could easily take this as a man who is controlled by his job. Hocks leaves the work open; one could read deeper into this piece, or one could simply see the light commentary on a stereotypical work environment. Though interspersed with those pieces, he does have much more conceptual work that he illustrates with very quaint subject matter. Many of his pieces remind me of something a child would come up with for lack of having a better way to explain his emotions. I do not mean that negatively, for I think that is exactly what Hocks aims to produce. His work has a cartoon quality about it that is very engaging, and though perhaps he both maturely and immaturely expresses his ideas, the resulting effect does not leave the viewer questioning the intent of his process. The accumulation of all the elements of his pieces all work together to communicate his message seamlessly and effectively.
Hocks uses the sets he builds as props, along with objects he physically brings to the set. He interacts with his props and environments both directly and indirectly. This is a question I have to experiment with when using my moths. What message does acknowledging their presence give? What if I’m unaware of them? What if I only interact with one particular moth? In one of Hocks images he is standing on a floating piece of ice with his briefcase, umbrella and hat all on separate pieces floating around him. Here he acknowledges their presence, clearly slightly dumbfounded by how he is supposed to retrieve them. In some of his images (such as this one) I feel that he attributes human or animal-like characteristics to his props; his body language in this image questions: “what the hell?” as though his things have separated from him on their own volition and are now floating away leaving him stranded.
Another question that has been presented to me, and that Hocks addresses in his images, is how objects stand in as language and specifically what purpose they serve. Another image shows Hocks sleeping at night in a field surrounded by books. The bulk of the books are propping up his head while he has each hand and foot tucked in between the pages of others. I see these books as a portal for this character to dream through. While we’re not seeing his dreams, or have any idea what they could be about, the books about his hands and feet imply that they are vivid, imploring all senses. Perhaps it is a metaphor for how involved Hocks is in his story-telling and creation processes. While it is evident that Hocks’ hand is present in his work stylistically, here he is touching each thing specifically, perhaps to show a more literal interpretation of the artist’s hand.
Hocks was born in 1947 in Leiden, Holland. He went to school at Ausbildung Academy voor Beeldende in Kunsten, Breda. He has an extensive resume of solo and group exhibitions that he has shown in internationally for over 20 years (PPOW).
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Idea Blog for 09/10
I had something else I wanted to write about for this idea post -but I got really excited about my moths- so it can wait!
I started drying them today and I really can’t wait to finally be able to incorporate them in my photos. I’m only drying about 6 right now to see how my process goes—as a test run. I am going to run out to Michael’s to get more foam and wax paper for the rest later on this week. They take about 5 days to dry completely, so once I know this technique works I’m going to dry the rest of them all together. I have bought polyurethane spray to help preserve them once they’re dried. Hopefully this will keep them from being too fragile, as well. I’m going to try and look for a drawer I can store them in; otherwise they’re just kind of going to hang out in my room and make me anxious.
Here they are!
SO! A post about moths!
The moths I have bought are Attacus Atlas moths. Unfortunately, I’ve just recently found out they’re endangered. Falling into the Saturniidae category, they are the largest moths in the world in terms of total wing surface area. They can measure upwards of around 400 square centimeters or 65 square inches (Wikipedia). Atlas moths are commonly found in the tropical and subtropical forests of Southeast Asia and China: mostly in the Malay Archipelago (from Thailand to Indonesia). In some countries, as larvae, they are used for their silk in a non-commercial way. Unlike the Silkworm moth, Atlas moths’ silk is said to be more durable and is brown in color and wool-like in texture. Fun fact! Their cocoons have been used as purses in Thailand.
They’re named after the Titan, Atlas, of Greek Mythology. It’s also said they have their name because of the map-like patterns of their wings. In China they’re known as the Snake’s Head moth due to the snake-head-like-shape of the extension of the forewing. Atlas moths are unsteady fliers and the females often don’t leave far from where she discarded her chrysalis; she seeks a perch where the air currents will best carry her pheromones (Wikipedia). These moths do not feed, as both male and female do not have fully-formed mouth parts. They survive their adult life on fat reserves that they built up as caterpillars.
There is a website that I found a few weeks ago (that Courtney graciously sent me, as well) that discusses the symbolism of different animals and insects. It has been pretty helpful-it gives some factual knowledge of moths as well as symbolic points. It’s interesting reading through this site and making comparisons to my concept. For instance, the site lists that moth symbolism deals with: vulnerability, determination, intuition, concealment, attraction, subtly, and faith. I can apply all of these things to myself in the process of this project, the purpose or function of the moths in my photographs, as well as the ultimate outcome of my piece. The site also notes that moth symbolism is similar to butterfly symbolism, but with one exception. Moths are nocturnal while butterflies are diurnal. Therefore, moth symbolism also involves dreams, shadows, otherworldiness, secret knowledge, and psychic awareness. These words give plentiful inspiration for me to consider what characteristics the moths can have in my photographs-what dimensions they can take. When I had my meeting with Tom he mentioned Tableaus. I’ve been contemplating exaggerating the moths physically to help better get my point across, and doing some kind of planned Tableau would be the perfect situation to use that idea. I have also been researching fantasy artists to see how they use moths (or insects, generally) as language devices or props in their images.
Moths, Digital painting, Marta Dahlig, 2009
This symbolism site generalizes pretty heavily, and for the most part I think people generalize moth behaviors/characteristics. However, now that I’ve given some background information on my moths, I’m concerned that if I decide to be more general in my interpretation of how to use them people will feel confused, or ideas will conflict.
Sunday, September 6, 2009
Artist Blog 09/07
10/21 Sometimes You Just Know, Digital Photograph, Justin Visnesky
7/7 A New Morning, Digital Photograph, Justin Visnkesy
1/21 Sometimes You Just Know, Digital Photograph, Justin Visnesky
Justin Visnesky’s work rings of spaces and moments that are “just right.” His intent is optimistic while the message his pieces convey is nostalgic. He describes the subject matter in his work as moments that are just right, and may never be the same again. There is a duality to his work that I admire. One can feel happy that a single moment in life couldn’t be more perfect, and at the same time, one can feel sad that that moment has to end and may never be experienced again. His photographs serve as a memory of that feeling, and only as a memory.
Justin focuses on reinventing and reinvestigating the spaces he photographs by paying attention to the little details others may have skipped over. The subject matter he chooses and the way he composes his shots clearly communicates his message of a new, unique moment in a familiar space. He photographs in a stunning documentary style that allows him to construct a narrative upon editing. However, his photographs are very strong and could easily stand on their own as their own narrative; something I hope to realize in my work this semester. Perhaps the reason I feel such a connection to Justin’s work is because my elimination and editing processes are very similar to his. Justin eliminates imagery by going through every photograph and picking the images that “feel right” whereupon he arranges them until a collective narrative comes through.
“Specifically, the photographs in the series ‘sometimes you just know’ are an exploration of familiar spaces, inhabited and otherwise. They are a visual documentation of my feelings toward what I know or thought I knew.” (artist website)
I could not have said it more perfectly. Even though we’re just getting started on our concepts, I can look at my project in retrospect and directly apply this quote. As I have said, I want to use this project as an opportunity to reintroduce and better understand myself. Ultimately, to overcome behaviors that is a result of the divorce. By allowing myself to do this, I have given up everything I know so that I can open my mind and my heart to different viewpoints and observations of myself and my surroundings- everything I once thought I knew.
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Idea Blog for 09/03
As I have mentioned in previous blogs on here and in the class blog, I am interested in using moths to serve as a metaphor for the effects of my parents’ divorce. I have expressed that I’d like to involve the moths literally and figuratively. I plan to photograph them along with myself as well as by themselves.
11/28 Counterpoint, Photograph, Robert & Shana ParkeHarrison
8/13 Grey Dawn, Photograph, Robert & Shana ParkeHarrison
These 2 images serve as great, great inspiration for me. Looking at these images has helped me plan what and where I want to take these pictures and exactly how I’d like to use the moths. I really appreciate the ParkeHarrisons’ use of the butterflies and how chaotic they’ve made both of these images appear while still maintaining a tranquil aesthetic. I’m also enjoying the motion of the butterflies’ wings.
Late Afternoon, 20x30", 35mm photograph, Kerry McDonnell, 04/2009
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