Final Project: a family narrative

With our first day of working in class, I am feeling a little lost on what direction I want to go with this final project. Looking for some inspiration I look at a few links my teacher gave us for some guidance. After a few random video clips, and a few pictures of people sitting on a red couch, I realized something I should have before. The idea behind a narrative is that it is a spoken or written account of connected events, or a story. However the issue I am dealing with is what story do I wish to tell. When thinking about the videos we watched in class, a few elements keep returning to my thoughts. One characteristic I liked that one of the artist used was written stories that went along with his work. I keep imagining his eloquent scripture rolling across the screen, and I think about how I want to include written words into my work. Another idea I liked from the videos we watched in class was telling a story that turns out different then what you first thought it was at first glance. Like the artist who photographed the bathroom scene and then made the audience see that it wasn’t exactly what it seemed to be. I also liked the idea of making the images flow in a cycle, and having them be connected. I have a few ideas I want to play around with; I think I am going to choose a few words I could use to tell my story. I am going to think about words that have meaning to me and go from there. I guess well have to see what happens... 

After feeling pretty lost on where I wanted to go with my final project and looking through examples we had seen in class, I liked the idea of photographing my family. I knew I was going home over the weekend and I decided I would take a photograph of each member of my family separately and go from there. However when I got home and tried to take a picture, each member was pretty hesitate, even after positioning them to the way I imaged them, it still didn’t seen natural. I left home feeling very frustrated and still very lost. I then began to think about our past projects, and began to think about the idea behind the “big picture.” I thought about the project when we had to choose our top ten items, and my Andy Warhol inspired picture of Audrey Hepburn that hung in my room. This picture was just a fun art project I had completed in high school however it always had a special place in my heart, and was something I was proud of. Suddenly I was inspired and began looking at other works created by Andy Warhol. Still not being completely sure on the direction I was going to move in I spoke to my teacher for help. He gave me a few other artists that created pop art. After researching the other artists, Roy Lichtenstein’s work also inspired me. I finally knew what story I wanted to tell.

I wanted to create pop art inspired pieces using my family as the focus. I wanted to tell a story that might not be apparent to an outsider but one my family would completely understand. I turned to Facebook to find pictures I thought truly depicted each member of my family. I wanted ones that maybe showed a different side to them, or one that wasn’t the typical photo. I waited until I found a photo that stuck out to me and cropped it in a way that focused directly on their face. I then took the images and made them look cartoon like with the use of dots. I also choose a bright color that I thought represented each member as the background. After playing around a bit on Photoshop I achieved an image that was exactly like I had in mind. Once I turned each member into a cartoon I began to think how I could incorporate words to help tie each image together, as well has help me tell my story. I asked friends and family to give words they thought described each person and found a way to mold that description into one word. I thought the final outcome looked similar to a poster or something you would buy in a store.

I think my final projects story might not be as clear to an on looker as it would if my family were to see the images. I feel like these images would make my family smile and I think they would understand what I was trying to depict.  I really like my final project more than I thought I would, I think they are fun and serious at the same time, and I think they show my new skills I have established using Photoshop as well. As of now I don’t know what my “big picture” would be but I’m hoping that as I continue on my journey and with the help of my family, one day I will understand. 

"The Cathedral"

            After hearing how this reading was going to, "blow your mind," I had some high expectations for the short story. As I started reading I had many different thoughts in my head of how the story was going to turn out. With each new line I was nervous to see what would come next. However as the story began to come full circle there wasn't that shock appeal I was hoping for. After reading the story through I began to wonder why our teacher thought this story was going to be so mind altering. I soon realized what might have been the reason. I think the story is truly about the narrators spiritual awakening. At first he was prejudice and closed minded. It was unhappy in his life and was not even having a deep connection with his wife. He commented on how he didn't like blind men and talked about the typical stereotypes of them. It wasn't until the end of the story that we see it was really the narrator that was "blind" the whole time. He learned how to look at people as individuals and see them from an open point of view.  He was able to learn more about happiness from man who could see life more clearly than he, even though he didn't have the ability to actually see it. 

Project Five, Burning and Dapple

As we were first introduced to our fifth project, I was really inspired by the examples that we discussed in class. I was so shocked to hear the true source of the calm music. However as I began to think how I was going to take an everyday object and change it in a way that my audience wouldn’t recognize it, was challenging. My first step was to decide an object that I used everyday that I could transform into something else. For some reason a pencil came to mind immediately. After I was assigned the words fire and dapple, I was not sure on how I could incorporate those words with my pencil idea. The pencils I use most often are plastic, and I knew they would not burn. It was then obvious I needed to use a real wooden pencil.

I then got the idea to burn the pencil and document the process, I originally wanted to use video to capture the pencil as it burned slowly, however the pencil did not burn as long as I had imagined. So after I had to re-light the pencil a few times to achieve the burnt look I desired, I decided it would be best to use photography and Photoshop to create my project. After I got the pencil to burn quite a bit I let it cool and was anxious to see the new texture of the wood. To my surprise the pencil maintained its hardness however now it was the texture of charcoal. I then got the idea to use the charcoal as writing utilize and utilize its new form. 

I then had to think how to incorporate dapple into my work. I decided to create a dapple pattern using the paper towel I wrote “fire” on and create a spotted pattern. I then used that has an overlay to the images of the pencil I took as it was burning. The images are in order of occurrence.

I wanted to use Photoshop less in this project, and I wanted the focus to be more on the burning process and the actually transformation of the pencil. Again the final outcome was different then what I first expected, but it is always enjoyable to go through the creative process and see what happens along the way. 

The ability to be in a million places at once!

As soon as I heard about our new assignment, I knew instantly what I wanted my super power to be, however I was unsure on how I could portray my idea by utilizing Photoshop.  The super power I wanted to possess was to be able to teleport. I got this idea from always having the desire to travel the world, as well as wishing I could visit my boyfriend in Chicago in an instant, and then visit my brother in NYC in the next. Because I have a long distance relationship, I am used to traveling six hours to the city and six hours back to campus. I am constantly thinking how easy life would be if I could just blink my eyes to get from place to place.   I remembered a movie I saw titled, “Jumper,” that depicted the story of a guy who could teleport himself. I was instantly inspired and soon began looking up images of stills from the movie. Photos of him on the Egyptian pyramids, London’s Big Ben, and other monumental destinations all over the world cultivated some ideas.

I first started gathering images of the Seven Wonders of the World, but I couldn’t figure out how I could fit an picture of myself into the images and make it into one cohesive photo.  I think got the idea of taking three images of myself, appearing as if I were walking from Paris, to London, to the streets of New York, however it was hard to find images from the right point of view. I soon gave up that idea up, and started playing with the images from “Jumper.” I thought of maybe replacing the lead actors image, with an image of myself, however I couldn’t get the images to look right, the proportions were too off.  I soon turned to Facebook, and began looking at the various images of myself. I found an image of myself on the beach in Italy. I then began adding in the images I found from the various places all over the world. At the end I used the blur took to make it look as if the images were warped like I was moving super fast. I decided my new super power would to have the ability to be at multiple places at once.

Even though the image didn’t turn out exactly as I thought it would at first, I really like the image that was created in the end. 

Leaving My Mark

  As I began to think about how I was going to approach our third project, a few different ideas came to mind. I started thinking about over the past four years, where I have spent most of my time. I know most people would probably said the library, however that was not one of my first choices. Being in fashion and retail, almost every quarter I have a class in Campbell hall, so some of the rooms or even the bathroom was one of my first ideas. However I thought about who I would see in this building, and I felt that if I placed my sculpture in one of those rooms, it wouldn’t have really left its mark. Then I thought about the oval, I liked the idea we had spoken about in class about filling the whole field with red balloons. I then realized that the oval really didn’t hold a special place in my heart, so this led me to the idea of using the Rpac. To me our gym on campus is my place to escape my daily routine. It was a place on campus I actually looked forward to going each day. I thought about how it would be special if I could leave my mark someplace in the Rpac that people would notice everyday, however it wouldn’t be something they would directly connect to me. I soon knew exactly what personal item I wanted to use.

     When I was a freshman I created an image similar to the works of Andy Warhol. It was of the iconic image of Audrey Hepburn, and every since then I have hung the canvas above my bed. I thought this would be perfect because, if someone saw the image they wouldn’t probably notice that it was one of my pieces of art. I knew right away I wanted to use the treadmill because it is the machine I use most frequently.  I ended up liking four of the images I created, however they didn’t turn out exactly how I imaged, I think that my point got across.

My Favorite Things

While working on my project, I had an idea of what I wanted my final project to look like, however this is not what I had in mind. Looking at my images I was perplexed on how I good get all ten of my objects to fit into a cohesive image. I then began playing with the idea of repetition and pattern, and soon I thought of the idea of creating a textile. Being in fashion and retail I learn about textiles and fabric in almost all of my classes so the thought of actually creating my own seemed exciting. I then used my images in repetition and the filter tool to weave together my images. From there I decided I wanted my computer to be the focal point. The images soon began to look hazy and almost unrecognizable. I thought about when I use my computer my surroundings disappear, I began to think about the important things in life, and how those material objects that I choose have a deeper meaning and a different importance then just what they appear to be. 

However the most important of them wasn’t even an object at all, it was my family and that is why I choose the image of my sister and I to be the focal point.When people see my image they won’t even be able to tell what ten objects I choose, they probably wont even really get what the images are at all, this is just like when you see the actual ten images I choose, when you see my watch, my necklace, my tennis shoes or any of the ten things I picked, you don’t truly understand the meanings behind them and you won’t get a true sense of who I really am.  I used the saying breath deeply, not only because it is a saying on my wallet, but it is also a saying that I use when life’s starts moving by so too fast, I have to remember to just breath and enjoy the ride.  

Photography Scavenger Hunt

An image from the point of view of an ant

 A stable Image

 A Person up close

 Radial Image

 An Unstable Image

 Asymmetrical Image

Image from the pint of view of a bird

Ten Things I would never Leave Home Without

Ten Things I would never Leave Home Without

Tennis Shoes- I choose my tennis shoes because working out is something that I do everyday but it is also a big part of my life. I love to run, practice yoga, cycle, row, and play tennis, basically I enjoy doing anything active. I use my workouts as my personal time during my busy day. It is a way for me to unwind and also maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Words- Elated relaxed happiness, stress free 

Black Boots- I choose my black boots because they are my go to item in my wardrobe. I purchased these boots when I was a freshman in college and they have been with me on my journey for the past four years. I also choose my boots because style is something I take very seriously. Fashion and Retail is my major here at OSU, and I basically live and die for fashion.

Words- rugged hipster trendy style black

 

 IPhone- Okay so its pretty much a close tie to my computer, however my I Phone is more new so recently it has been more fun to explore and play with. My I phone also contains my music, and music apps, that I basically use most of the day. I also use my phone to track my runs, as well as take pictures of the most important moments and experiences. If I lost my phone, I would lose a lot of great memories and videos that I would like to keep forever

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Words- Memories, special moments, excitement, fun

Watch- I got a beautiful black and rose gold watch from my parents for my twenty-first birthday, however this is not that watch. While living in Chicago this summer I lost the trinket I thought I would have forever. So this is the watch my boy friend got me to replace the original one. Although it might not be as special as the first, this one does hold a special place in my heart.

Words- heartfelt,timeless

Pillow- Yes, if there was a fire I would totally grab my pillow. Not only is it the tempurpedic kind, since I have gotten too old to have my blankie, my pillow has sort of taken its place in my heart. It gives me that little piece of comfort when am I away from home, and makes me at ease. This pillow also represents my bed; my bed is my favorite places in my house. I do my homework there, hangout there, basically whatever, it is my sanctuary.

Words- peaceful, relaxing, cozy, comfort

Water Bottle- My water is bottle is pretty much with me at all times. Whenever I leave the house I always have my water bottle at my side. Ever since I have received the water bottle as a present from my roommates a few months ago, I swear my life has changed for the better. Not only do I drink more water throughout my day but I real more hydrated and however in better health. My roommates make fun of me and call it my bottle, but seriously that is how much I love this water bottle.

Words- hydrated, rejuvenated, replenished, fulfilled

Computer- My laptop is probably my most priced possession. I would say about 50% of my life is spent on my computer. I take care of it like it was my child. The amount of activities I do on my computer, and the amount of information I get from my computer is incomparable to anything else I could ever own (besides my I phone.) I use it read all my blogs, find recipes to cook, workouts to try out, and clothes to wear. My computer is my life!

Words- Updated, current, informed, hobby

LuluLemon Wallet- I got this recycled wallet when my sister was working at the Lululemon store in Cleveland. Although it is free it has a special meaning to me.  It also holds everything important in my life. Also my Id, my buck ID, and my credit card, are pretty much vital to my everyday life. Lululemon also is the brand that makes my favorite yoga clothes, and yoga is one of my favorite hobbies. So I feel like by using this wallet made of recycled materials I am staying true to my yogi self.

Wallet- humble, community, materials

Necklace- My gold heart necklace is one I wear everyday, it was passed down to my by my mother. The necklace was a gift from her first boyfriend he purchased when he was visiting Italy. I wear it around my neck and feel like it is close to my heart, and makes me feel like I have a little bit of my mom with me wherever I go.

Words- Family, Love, Special

Picture- The picture of me and my sister when we were young lays in a frame and is places on top of my TV so I see it every time I watch TV (which is everyday.) My sister is about five years older than me and lives in Chicago.  Emily is my best friend, although we don’t always get along, when we are together we connect unlike any other of my friends. This picture just captures our relationship, its just us! It is one of my all time favorite photos.

Words- Happiness, connected, sisters  

Project One

As we discussed our first project, I immediately starting thinking about Google maps, and how you can use the street view button to see images of the route that Google suggests you to use when you search a destination. I wanted to see if I could re- create this view but make it designed to look just like the one I see when I walk to class each day. I began to think about what makes my journey special. I know I always have coffee with me as I walk to class and my Ipod in my ears, since its winter I always wear my grey scarf along with my big black jacket. My next step in this process was to take pictures of my walk and use the camera as my eyes.

After taking pictures as I walked to class on a rainy day, I began to think about how I could take all my images and make it into one cohesive image, that would still let my viewer see and feel like I do as I walk to class. Being that our class starts at 9:30, I am usually walking from home and am in a dizzy daze as I have usually just woke up. My walk is usually rushed, because I am usually running late, and I often feel like my walk goes by rather quickly, and has become so routine that it almost feels automated. This lead me to the idea of making one image that had all the things I actually notice on my walk combined into to just one photograph.

When I got to class and started flipping through the images, I began to think about our class discussion when we talked about the different frames in a movie, and how my changing one slide you could put an idea into the audiences mind. This made me think about the random images I notice throughout my walk and the things that actually stuck with me. This is I how I created my image. I went through the 12 different images I took on my Iphone and pulled out the objects or people that I remembered seeing on my walk. I then used different methods on Photoshop and combined them into one frame that if you look at the image quickly it looks just like a regular image, however if you look at it a little more closely you see that things are exactly as they seem to be.

Kimmelman Article

Kimmelman Article

As I the Kimmelman article, I thought it was interesting to think about the idea behind what makes a masterpiece. I recalled a conversation we had in class about the Mona Lisa, and how even though it is considered a master piece and is praised highly by most people, it was interesting to think how now a days it can be seen underneath your wet glass as a coaster. As I read the other passages, the author brings up the work of Duchamp and his piece titled the  “urinal.” I remembered this particular piece from my art history class I had to taken freshman year. His work was truly just a urinal, and I remember questioning how this could be considered art? And why I did I have to sit in a two-hour lecture learning about something people pee in? To me it didn’t seem like art, was this an accidental masterpiece at its best? This then reminded me of the conversation in class about the artist who placed the small ball of his on feces in the art gallery in New York. Looking back at what we learned in class and thinking about the big picture and the idea behind your artistic theme, it is interesting to think about what is a masterpiece and think about how that picture could be interpreted in so many different ways. It is interesting to ponder what people do see when they go into a museum and how each piece could be interpreted so differently.

While reading the interpretations from these two intelligent men it was interesting to read their interpretations, however I did think their thoughts we some times unconnected and kind of confusing. They seemed to ask a lot of questions rather than answer them. I found myself lost at some points because I really didn’t get any background information of the book itself.  

Second Week Readings..

Big Ideas and Artmaking

While reading the passage from Big Ideas and Artmaking, I saw a connection between this article and the article we read last week. They both discussed ideas behind rules. In this passage we looked how art can break rules. While reading about Jennifer Barlett, we discovered her artistic journey as she took herself away from her comfort zone in New York City, and moved to Nice. Living in a French villa she found inspiration while staring out her gloomy window and seeing her run down garden. She established the rules she was going to use with her art, and she decided to find ways to break her own rules. This made me think about what rules I break everyday. The rules I break day to day aren’t ones that are going to harm society, they aren’t ones that I could even get punished for, and they are rules that usually get slide under the rug. I wondered how I would break rules with my art, and it made me feel excited. Another topic we learned during this passage that I thought was proving was the idea behind distinguishing between an artists subject matter and bid idea. I learned how it is important that the big idea provides the conceptual thought, as the context for examining the big idea

This weeks reading was more straightforward about the ideas it was trying to get across, however I did still have some concerns after I completed it. I wondered if art always had to have a big picture or a theme. Does every piece need to have a meaning, and what about those pieces of art that want you to put your own meaning to the work.  I questioned how the artist’s expression and the viewer’s opinion and interpretation could work together to create an overall cohesive theme or big picture. I know when I go to an art gallery I always ask myself what do I think the artists is trying to depict, however after reading this I realized that the meaning is much more deep than the images that are on the canvas.

Interpreting Visual Culture

As I read through this week’s second reading, I found this passage long and strenuous. I felt like it took a long time to develop its point and it wasn’t until the end that I finally was able to think about what I was reading. The way society interprets and associates images in our society today has a major effect on our decisions. This is very apparent within my major here at OSU. Being in fashion, I learn how it is the clothes we wear that sheds light into that persons specific personality and style, however people have different way of interrupting just what that means. For instance if someone is wearing the color pink, people usually associate this color with being feminine and girly, however the person wearing that outfit might have a different association with their color choice such as it being bright and different. This was seen in this article with the different media examples. This reading made me think how everyone sees art differently and how someone can see one image and have it mean one thing to them, and someone else could see the same image and it mean something completely different.

Overall I did have some concerns or issue with this reading. Besides thinking it didn’t do a great job of getting to the point, I also didn’t like the lay out of the passages; I found it confusing and really made the overall flow of the passage choppy. I don’t agree with the final conclusion that claims how it is immensely important that we interpret the images and designed objects with which we live, because I think that sometimes things could be left undefined.

Week One Readings..

The Cheese Monkeys

As I began reading the article titled “The Cheese Monkeys,” I found myself lost and confused. The sentences reminded me of sayings the mad hatter would say in Alice in Wonderland. However after I went back and re-read it carefully I began to understand more clearly what was being said. I thought it was interesting when they spoke about dimensions, he said, “We are the Western world. We read, see, think. Left. To. Right. We can't help it. You have few givens in this life, in this class. That is one of them. Use it.”  This made start thinking about other things in my daily life that happen left to right it also provoked me to wonder why we follow this practice so often in America, and how it is different in other countries.  A statement that saturated with me was, “when you leave here, you are not just going to work, “you are going to war.”

Some issue or concerns I had with this reading was being able to grasp the context of these random thoughts. However after our second-class meeting the passage had more meaning to me, as I understood that these were lectures from an art professor. Another issue I had with the readings was how the different ideas brought about didn’t really relate to each other and connect in a cohesive way.

The Heresy of Zone Defense

The Heresey of Zone Defense brought about many thought provoking ideas. I liked how he discussed rules in our current society, and how rules are needed to make these better. This made me begin to ponder what other rules I adhere to everyday that make my life better. I thought about traffic laws, and laws that keep others from breaking in our house, or robbing us. This passage made me realize how important these rules are to keep our day-to-day lives running smoothly. It made me see that these rules are imperative in order to keep society safe as well. I thought the article was a bit out dated, as the rules in the basketball game have been changed, I did think it was interesting to learn how the basketball game we know today was created by James Naismith. It was thought provoking to think how different our generation would be without one of our nations favorite past times. 

Some issues or concerns I had with this passage were how broad some of his ideas were. Not being a sports fan myself I found it difficult to understand his references and be able to connect some of the ideas he was trying to get across. I also didn’t like how his points were so strongly opinionated, for him it was either this or that, there was nothing really in between for the readers to interpret. 

Introduction

Hey Everyone! My name is Samantha and I am a senior at The Ohio State University. I am the youngest of two; I have a brother who is 29 and a sister that is 26. I grew up in a small community on the east side of Cleveland called Beachwood. Growing up in such a small community everyone knew everyone and I love that I still have my best friends I’ve known since kindergarten. My home away from school is pretty crazy! I have four cats and two dogs, all which run around the house all day, but who I love very much.  I am a fashion and retail major and I am specializing in product development. I recently changed from merchandising because I realized that I wanted to be on the more creative end. For as long as I can remember I always wanted to be involved in fashion, however it just wasn't until recently that I realized that I don't know exactly where I wish to be involved. During my free time I like to shop, workout, read blogs, hangs out with friends, and cook. I also work at a clothing store located in the Short North.  

My Top Five List

1.     Favorite Color- Pink

2.     Favorite restaurant in Columbus- North Star

3.     Favorite web site- Popsugar.com

4.     Favorite song right now- “Love in a Hopeless Place” by Rihanna

5.     Favorite movies- Pretty Women, Clueless, The Holiday, LoveActually