Video Art Piece "A.D.D. H.D."

Here is my 3 Minute Video Art Piece:



The video is called “A.D.D HD” although ironically, the images are not in HD; they are imported into a lower quality, with a mixture of high quality and low quality audio. The images are a mixture of importing with loss of quality and physically manipulation using IMovie and creating the audio in (so the image quality is supposed to suck incase your not sure).

What I had done was record a video error I found out by creating using my HDTV and my projecting cord I use to hook my mac to the TV. I then recorded 3 minutes of that and letting it go to stand by so it would record the default loading screen of the TV and also physically used my hair in front of the monitor. After that I went into IMovie and used the brightness, contrast, colors, and all of those functions to create a “visual painting”. Like many of the video art we had seen in class, I wanted to try to use the “errors” and create paintings, which in the end I ended up recreating images similar to that of Monet’s sunset images, in the dynamic use of color palette, to try to assimilate the idea I was going for. Some parts of the film were recorded off the TV while filming, then imported to the ipod, recorded from the ipod, then recorded from the television screen through the projector thing in my mac and so on.

The audio was all done by recording 4 different audio tracks and layering them on top, one was a weird gurgle noise, one vocal as a conversation of a stupid girl complaining about a boyfriend or something similar, a stereotype, another one of me making fun of myself and my speech. All three of those tracks were physically edited so they would differ in sound bytes. Then the fourth voice was just my normal voice, which if you tried to listen, was basically a “you have no idea what I'm saying because all you see is imagery and the fact my voice cant be heard” which is the whole point of the piece. It would not matter what was being said, the images would be all you see. Yes you can hear the voices and vocals, but because there all going at a mile a minute and blended together, it doesn’t matter what is being said, but what is seen.

Importantly, it’s all about the ideal that our professor was talking about we live in an ADD generation that we are obsessed with imagery.

Performance Art Piece

I apologize for not having any images, i've waited in enough time (no offence gals for not putting the pics up, it's really ok and to everyone who want's pics, but i'm sure you guys remember, i was the crazy person running through the halls with a big green record on my head) SADLY not that hard to forget.

My performace art was supposed to be a bit more complicated, but the pieces I had made so impermant a lot of it just fell off quicker than expected. Originally the idea was to make these layers, a layer of cassette tapes, cd’s and of course the big kimono of recrods. They were going to be destroyed, but as a lover of music I couldn’t bring myself to do it so I had to kinda fake it I guess (why they were velcro-ed on the kimono). Originally each layer would be removed differently, the first would be kinda slow because it was supposed to be artsy (like how people view records, it’s a taboo to ruin them, but no one wants them), then the tapes kinda rough, but a bit artsy, then the cds would be destroyed) along with the hat and stuff I was wearing so the adhesive would settle in and get used to it working, then everything really fell aprt too quick… uber uh oh, so I told myself “just go with what you’ve got, not to bulls- it , but improvise.. like shannel in Ru Paul's Drag Race go for it right?

So my whole idea was about how I am with technology I can rant about how grat it s,but lets be honest how many of us really care about reacods, sure don’t break them, but yet you won't buy them? So it's about the throw away idea of it, once its used and gone that’s it, its no longer pretty. Why at the end I picked up everything and threw it in the trash, its over its done its gone… no more use because I'm finished with it. Which is how I am sometimes with my own stuff, once I'm done its overwith. Like my headphones, cd players, I am the epitamny of the whole throw away society we life in.

Instead I went with my gut and the music and did something random, I liked how it came off.. It's this spontaneous thing about music and art… so even though it was last minute planning, it all worked out and I’m very happy some people liked it so yay for my odd ideas…

So now because of the project, I buy recrods… I mean now I have flashdance, the fixx, phill collins, even grace jones, barry manilow, the motion picture soundtrack to cabaret, and yes I have a record player at home my mom is going to fix and I'm going to take it… there is something wonderful about records, and this sensation that cd’s can’t bring y’know. So I officially am a record junkie, my father said I can have his old Beatles records, even the Jesus Christ Super Star album YAYS (he has the original broadway cast too)! And my mom said I could have her stuff too (which I have always wanted to listen to). So in the end i learned a great lesson from it myself on how i treat the things i do. Plus it inspired me to want to do several self portraits with stuff like that. So I'm going to work on that stuff soon...

Electronics Alive V: Animation Screening

So I had the chance during my digital art class one evening to go see the animations being shown in the Reeves Theater (why I love Megan Voeller, she’s really great, and Santi was there so yays) I tried to write all the animations down, one again my stupid self can’t read my own handwriting (to my father it’s still a clear-cut sign I should be a doctor or lawyer, look I love John Grisham Novels ‘n all, but no ain’t gonna happen, sorry pops). The animations we’re so amazing! I loved all but I think… 2? I can’t remember, but I remember Yankee Girl, it was so powerful in the pilots last few minutes, the music relived WWII, all of it was FANTASTIC! Even the first animation with two elderly folks in the wheel chair, that was really amazing and so funny. You felt like you were part of the moment, you felt every single bump in their imaginations, you could feel the air, and taste everything… to me animation has really reached a peak when you can feel those things in something that is not ‘real-time’. Machu-Pichu post was really good too; I loved how innocent a lot of these films were (a lot of puppets, the Marie Antoinette one was hilarious, I couldn’t help but giggle).

That French School Supinfocom, is really kicking some serious a-- in animation. I mean even the one about the giant tar-like monster I forgot that title too, but that one reminded me so much of Sphere, which is a book by Michael Crichton, but also a film that had, Samuel L. Jackson, Dustin Hoffman, and Sharon Stone. I loved that movie so much, I found a lot of animations to have a theme similar to things I had loved, it was great to see so many 3D-animation films that were intriguing for everyone.

Click Here to watch Yankee Girl

Click Here to watch Machu-Pichu Post

S.T.E.L.A.R.C

I finally got a chance to explore Stelarc's site, his work is really interesting and beyond amazing. Next to Bob Violla, I found another contemporary artist I really enjoy. The idea of making the human body a canvas is always interesting to me. I mean while the whole class was squirming over people being cut open, I find it beautiful. Truly sublime, death can be transpired into a beautiful object of beauty. Like a butterfly, I mean only 3 or so days to live, yet when they’re on the side of the road as a whole or crushed, there is this unique beauty about them that is amazing… I saw this one piece he had done called “blender”, that is incredibly similar to Orlan’s procedures, he along with Nina Sellers had a liposuction procedure and placed in this strange looking sculpture. I can figure why people do get so grossed out, I mean yes I do get easily sick, but when you pull yourself out of the materialistic senses you see this ideal in a different way. No one talks about the physical torture one must go through in order to achieve; I guess that is why to me a lot of people get sick. It’s hard to pull one’s self out of what is natural, when reality is this is what happens. His work is amazing, even the stuff about the exoskeleton… it’s, to me it’s something I expect to come a phenomenon that will be permanent in our society years from now (This is coming fro ma girl who grew up watching sci-fi movies, yes I love everything big Michael Crichton fan). His suspensions were soooo amazing. To me that was his best work, his newer stuff is more shock factor and just as amazing how he utilizes technology, to me though the piece in which he suspended himself using Rocks in Japan was really beautiful and serene. You couldn’t help but admire his physical posture and the whole imagery. To take images of him must have been really amazing, it’s just… breathtaking. I really enjoyed going through his works, and seeing some of the more shock-factor imagery, they were really great. The body transcends from this physical being to nothing more than a body base, or a manikin in which other forms attach its’ self to create a work of art. Personally, all this stuff he has done along with Orlan, I couldn’t… still it brings you to a point of amazement of how performance artists transcend the more traditional forms and surpass art and how important it was to contemporary art now. I can’t tell you how seeing all these performance artists has really influenced me as an artist and a lover of art.

Electronics Alive V: Artists Reception

I really meant to blog about the artists reception, but again my lazy self didn’t so I’m trying to catch up but I'm getting there! I’m so gonna award myself with a cookie! Just because I’m just that damn great yes?

Anyhow, I really enjoyed going to the reception there was so many great digital art pieces, Bruce Wand’s image was great…. I mean yes being exposed to it previously with the Buddha light painting was great and all that jazz, but still... seeing it in person, even as a print was just… really amazing. I brought my mother and brother to the reception and she really liked it… I liked almost all of the pieces, I think there was one that I didn’t understand very well, but that’s me sometimes I'm clueless on a lot of things, but there was a few I can’t remember well, my handwriting sucks, even though I wrote the titles, but I have the brochure still so I’m trying to recall the ones I can.

I enjoyed “crow” a lot, that was so beautifully done you could feel the texture of the bird as it morphed it was amazing. I love imagery that forms into other substances… its really amazing. “The plush life”, “the salmon dance”, “oktapodi” and “blind spot” I mean I saw those three everyday for two months, but I loved them and it’s now stuck in my head. “Witness” was really intriguing, I remember one titled “oasis” that was really neat the way the artists integrated interaction, it was so cute (yes I'm using cute), it was really spiffy and also the piece titled "Thread and Carbon, Oil and Steel" by Sally Grizzell Larson, was WOW.. a really powerful image. As a whole, the whole reception was great, there was so many morphing, interesting pieces… all of them were really great and fun. It was a great experience.

Plus the performance piece was great.. SANTI!!! ignore me I was all giggles when seeing our proff's face and Kendra's.. why not it was cool, and it was a really great piece...

Electronics Alive V: Christina Hung

Christina Hung was really fun to listen to. As an art major, hearing printmaking terms was like “I totally get that”, and it was great for her to associate the arts with biological study. Especially when she said if you contaminate the subject, it’s like in printmaking with lithography (which I have finally done in printmaking and it’s/… as task, but the results come out really lovely! I need to finish my plate and start on my big one for printmaking, which I’m soo glad I can do bigger scale work… it’s still a big scar monster, but I’m getting better with it and it’s a good feeling!). I felt that was the best thing how she integrated the uses of two mediums to create a work of art. Since most of the time, science is mostly associated with the arts in the case of photography (from what I know), s to see a woman mind you incorporate science and art, is really great. Her and Cynthia Lawson, both are just really amazing. I loved Christina Hung’s idea of making the vector maps with the germs, it was. Very ironic in a lot of ways, and using a voice with her work. The American vectors were so clean, but showed a good point about the war, no matter how clean or concise, its a dieasease, a germ, an infestant that continues to grow and contaminate. Even the aftermath of how the germs contaminate the whole dish. This is how war works, and it sure as hell ain't anything you want to be near... especially in the aftermath no matter what happens.

Even more so I enjoyed the hearing about her “flaws” and mess-ups, there’s this human ideal to when artists make mistakes. The masters you can’t help but be in awe and feel no piece has a problem, but like Chris Valle says, all pieces have a flaw and live I’ve always done with the masters I find them and still appreciate it. Her story about how the piece was infected because of the brick, and I thought it was hilarious and such a normal mistake we all make. I love hearing from intelligent women who are into the arts, I mean so far a lot of women minus a few and Cynthia I know are just so… stupid? And “omg I can paint” egh… I like a fun girl, but no… so to me again it was great seeing women who have a mind, a concept, and a like/love for what they do… If I didn’t get back into the arts I was planning on being a marine biologist I have a love for science as well… even the idea of mixing chemicals, I would love to do that. So maybe in the future I’ll explore that more in graduate school, or even here in Tampa, who knows.

Electronics Alive V: Bruce Wands/MTV3

Bruce Wands was really nifty. Although to most of my classmates it was one of those ‘boring’ lectures about digital arts, (and I must admit it was too much for me in the morning, I started yawning out of being tired, not boredom so mucho sorry to Bruce!), but I really was interested in what I learned, I’m seriously considering getting that book he had written. It looked like it was filled with all sorts of information about artists that would in the end be very beneficial for me.

His Buddha light paintings were nothing but divine, and his lecture on electronic music, wowzers. I was never a big fan of digital art, growing up in kw there is very limited or none, so I was traditionalist in the sense, but when I got into college, I grew out of that and stopped being an immature brat about art and started to be open to lots of things. He gave a lot of great info and help for those of us that want to pursue art, digital or traditional… it was really nice to have a lecture like that.

Later in the day I got to see the lecture about MTV3, honestly I had seen advertisements, but I had never watched it. After hearing the lecture and how they go through their development plans, it was rally spiffy and neat. Whenever I have nothing to watch I do I go to MTV3. It’s so much better than regular MTV, the music is great and their infomercials are just, not right but incredibly hilarious. It’s more fun than versus other channels (even though yes I do watch vh1 a lot, still). It was really good to have those two lectures on that day; It was both educational and inspirational? (god that sound kitschy), but it was information I could always keep with me, and have a better understanding of.

Electronics Alive V: Cynthia Lawson

So I finally got off my but to do a blog about Electronics alive (the next several will be, so that way I’ve caught up to making the blogs I’ve needed to A.S.A.P but I’m almost caught up thankfully… I think I’m almost back to pretty good par so... yays for me!).

So Cynthia Lawson… as a woman I was really excited, for the first time (with a huge exception to my mother), I found a woman artist I can relate to (this whole semester it’s been easy to relate to other women considering I don’t. It’s not that I’m alien, but not. Like a lot of the women my age or in general who are into prim and proper fashionistas, hell I watch project runway, heavily into bob Mackie (who is divine by the way) know labels, designers, but it’s not my life… even women artists before me, photographers, painters, even Berthe Morisot, I just... I couldn’t connect wit her, even through the intimacy of her imagery… it was hard. So Cynthia really helped me feel connected for the first time to other women who are not related. Especially how she implemented photography (she sooo got bonus points for that, like how Christina Hung for hers too.. yes I'm just that nice). But, to me seeing her work was a modernized version of the old technology of a black and white camera, her imagery of these places where people gather, formed into ‘blurs’ like as in how motion blurs work with documenting movement and time. Her images, compositionally were outstanding, I loved them. I would see her shows, and she made me want to work on my motion blur (which I suck at) still, I was heavily inspired after that speech.

Seeing her videos of her do the one thing a day, helped me do my performance art. I was never a person who was comfortable with my body, so seeing another woman just do her art, no matter how ‘unkempt’ she looked, she went and exposed herself to the outside world suing technology and measuring the moments in time… as a woman and an artist, I really grew from seeing her…

Andy Warhol; The Self Promotional Tool

ANDY FREAKIN WARHOL, HOLSY SHI- im so doing the rock signs as I am typing this (hypothetically, just go along like you have an idea what I’m talking about), but this class was the best. Seeing the intro where the artists did the silk screening, which I would love to learn how to do just gave total essence to the entire documentary. The whole thing, gave me so much better insight on Warhol in general… he is truly talented in what he had done. From everything from the shoe drawings to the iconic imagery of Marilyn… he has this classic ideology of commercialism becomes the theatro mundi, how can you not enjoy his work? I had to do a research paper for Chris Valle’s class, and I picked Takashi Murakamai as Japan’s version of Andy Warhol… uhm no. I’m sorry whether or not he was American; Warhol’s aesthetic became so iconic because it was all that icons. Marilyn, the Campbell soup cans, Jackie Kennedy, the shoes, he commercialized himself to where everything was not free… Murakami has some interesting pieces. His large-scale murals are really neat and fit into the idea of iconic culture, but I just… I got lost in his work and as a lover of Asian influences, it was too much commercialism The images all become one image, not like the cans when you can distinguish from Monroe, or to his silk screens, so I got somewhat offended people complimented him for that when reality is, he may have done similar things, but ethnicity did not make Warhol who he was. It was this personality he formed… Plus he was a product to be sold, and his name is a product, trademark, etc. You can’t have someone else brand him when he clearly belongs to himself… if that makes any sense?

Lately I’ve seen everyone running around with Andy Warhol bags (now? They’ve been out since fall, and suddenly ‘omg look at what I found at ross their new!!!!” uhm.. no.. their…not I hate to break their bubbles) I don’t have any, and I saw the bags they were selling. I’m into odd things. I know I know it goes against the commercial ideal of it being Warhol selling ‘himself’ for profit, I mean it’s cool they brought it back, but I’m not a person who will spend 30 bucks on a purse… it sounds mean, but it’s the truth. Plus I like having things people don’t want or have, I’m sure not too long down the road I’ll find the perfect Andy Warhol purse, hell I found a nifty Monet bag and I love that bag! So I’m not too keen on the new bag, they’re everywhere, and again even though it’s against the idea of commercialism, still I’d like something…different y’know?

Otherwise, I really enjoyed seeing Warhol’s work, and of course BLONDIE’S RAPTURE VIDEO WHOO! I’m a huge 80’s freak, Blonde, Pat Benatar, Wham!, Dead or Alive, Jan Hammer, Art of Noise, Berlin, Tears for Fears, I can go on forever so to me that was so much uber comfort zone, I had no idea she knew Warhol; I mean duh it makes sense now, her in the heart of glass video looking similar to Marilyn with the hair and physical look… Now I feel stupid. Still, I enjoyed this class so much.


At the St. Petersburg Museum of Fine Arts they will be having an incoming exhibition of Warhol's work, which i'm so going to check out this summer....


Oh one last thing.... CHECK THIS OUT!!!!!! [click here] just don't ask, I made my friend the most happiest asian in the world by showing him something so cool their exhibiting in the Warhol Museum. I WANT IT!

Everything From Pollack to 'The Naked Lunch'; all filed under RADICAL...

This will be the most random comment I have ever made in my life:

OMG JACKSON POLLACK! I know that’s random, but I loooooove him! I would kill to see a show of his (among degas, Jackson Pollack was my favorite modern artist I would love to see his works in person). I bought the movie ‘Mona Lisa Smile’ just to see the part where Julia Roberts character has the whole class go see a painting of Pollack’s, even though it was a reproduction, still can you imagine a moment of seeing one of them up-close I love that movie anyhow because of all the art, but still…. The browns, white, intensity of those colors, doesn’t remind me of fall, but the alcoholism that plagued him and his relationship to his wife (which if you’ve seen the film and know his life)…its full of rage, anger, precision all balled into one canvas Although to a lot of people his work is “omg its splatter paintings”, there full of emotion, complex human emotion like in Francis Bacon’s imagery. The sensation of all the horrors, and beauties of life are placed into it. You’re bombarded with this image and become entranced, and forget the ‘false’ images of beautiful women and stereotypes of art, that although we loved, this radical image makes you forget…

Everything from the Bauhaus, and the chairs… it’s this never-ending ideal of icons that plague architecture, and ‘art that is useable’ in the real world. I mean to me I’ve always liked looking through décor and furniture magazines to see the styles of furniture, even watching that ‘top design show’, the furniture, it’s this whole collision of things that make you see the whole world as an art piece, the theatro mundi. I would love to own a place that has that feel, not a place that’s awhile, but a living art space that everyday another performance art has occurred, whether or not its sleeping, eating, drinking, whatever it may be.


Richard Hamilton and pop art, that collage always makes giggle when you think about the places he got those images of the lollipop, the erotic image of the woman, commercialism is obviously key is these beginnings of art. Which of course lead into Andy Warhol Mannnn…then of course the part about Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg and William Burroughs, DAMN talk about wowzers…

I want to get the open road, and the naked lunch. Their is this impending horror that came from these images they both created sound distorted in a way that is unorthodox and because it is, it creates these distorted visions of reality that not even sci-fi writers cold come up with… especially the pieces of the movie we watched Wooow… I’m so gonna find that movie and watch it! It looks so disturbing, and even though yes it gave me a nightmare, still…. There is this sense of seeing into his mind, no matter how messed up he was, its this undeniable truth to it which I find really amazing.

Howl, I already made a comment about that and how stupid people we’re to censor it, so that’s my piece and I'm sticking to it.

DADISM, Marcel Duchamp, and Man Ray

I promised I’d catch up with posts about each class and the classmate comments, except I don’t have the picys yet so I’ll get on that as soon as I get them.

Anyhow, I guess I need to get back to the surrealists, Dada, Man Ray and Marcel Duchamp (who by the way is a f-ing genius, I’m sorry L.H.O.O.Q still makes me giggle, god that man is loony-bird x 10000 but I adore him so much for that. That iconic mustache has gone so far, it’s amazing. Especially this image I found of him playing chess on wiki):


Something about it is very earthlike, for such un-human artists they bring this earthly idea, which I’ll get into here a few seconds.

I’m sorry, this was a marking of the best part of the class. This second half had gotten better and better. If I was true to keeping up with the blogs, every other blog would have been “best class ever!” or something lame like that. I love surrealism, I grew up looking at Salvador Dali and falling in love with the persistence of Memory, Duchamp’s fountain and nude descending the stairs (which I can’t help but crack a giggle when I see that image of the fountain by Alfred Stieglitz). The Dadaists I couldn’t help but crack at the images running through the documentary of them in suits, having a good time. The idea of anti-artists still to this day fascinates me… The black and white images, the urinal used as a fountain, all of it has this deeper context that you can’t put on traditional art, as beautiful and fantastic as it is, its more down to earth and helps us all find a way to relate to the art world.

Man Ray, as a photographer I knew only so much about It’s sad on my part because I have a bad problem, I know pieces visually, not titles. I’m horrible with titles, but still, I knew his name not his body of work very well. But still the ray-o-graphs… I love doing those in the photo studio, the idea of creating someone out of something else is something we all artists want t do… the DADA artists helped me pass that this year. Especially the collage, I loved doing that. It was challenging, but it’s a piece I will always have an adoration for, even if years down the road I’ll be like “THAT F—SUCKED WHY DID I LIKE THAT?!” it came from a place where I never knew existed. So this class helped me push myself, and made me miss smelling the acids and chemicals in the photo room… I haven’t taken a photo class in so long, worked on black and white photos, seeing Duchamp’s work made me miss that. I am a majoring in photo so of course “omg photographer” but its like with the other mediums, its this attachment where if your gone you miss it like your lover you need it to live and breathe, and I guess I’ve realized I’ve become more rounded I like everything so since I'm in the studio constantly with painting and printmaking I feel ok and its it’s a great feeling that unless you do art can truly say, I mean if its your passion you can agree it's a similar sensation. I just mean, unless you do it, there is something unique about hands-on art forms that always makes me feel at home, and safe and secure. Like a security blanket, no matte if there is a tear in the cover, I feel protected. The artists in this time period, no matter how complex and unsafe it was, and avant garde, it still is like a safety blanket for me, I feel safe in this place. I place I consider home.

HOLY SHI-!!!!!! MOTHER OF GOD SHE'S BACK!

I know I haven’t bloged in ages, too much going on lately, but I promise I’ll catch up! It’s been a very challenging few weeks, but I’m so catching up on blogs this weekend.

So I finally caught up with watching Ru Paul’s Drag race, which wooow, uber fabulous ending. I’m so happy to know it was Bebe who had won. I love Nina flowers, I mean I watched the reunion show and I couldn’t help but laugh when he said “pete burns was one of her influences” HA! To me that’s this huge inside joke because I love Dead or alive, and even though all the sex changes… uhm.. yeah. But I still like him for who he is a as an artist y’know. I mean you spin me round and brand new lover, c’mon how can you not love those songs? God, now I want to play that song since it’s permanently in my ipod. But the finale, those two totally rocked it. I love Nina’s outfits and her transformation. As a woman of ethnicity (yes I am, I'm 1/16 Cherokee, 50% Irish and a whole bunch of other European blood I lost track after soo many wow) I think its empowering seeing Latin and African-American ethnicities in the mix of drag queens. Even though there was cattiness and all that drama (which is more exciting on here, than on top model, honestly that’s gotten old now. I stopped watching the seasons a long time ago), there's this sense of even no matter what they want each other to succeed deep down inside because of discrimination. It’s admirable, especially to see such a mix of different individuals. It was good for Ru Paul to do something like that. Truly. Ongina, Nina Flowers, Bebe, I mean those three really made an impact on me personally. Not just personalities and the tragedies that empowered them to keep going, but their fashion sense and everything. It makes me sad about what has been going on school with our professor. I mean, how can you really honestly have a problem with anyone whose gay? I have a lot of good friends that are bisexual (I don’t have any straight friends, no I'm not kidding, I used to but they were annoyed I got along with bisexual friends and liked them...well I do have one but he’s more of an acquaintance, but is that a good thing?). Hell, I like my bisexual friends; they’re more real and open to a lot more things. They’ve been through a lot in their lives to know their way. I respect them so much. So I thought that kind of attack was somewhat personal to me too because whether or not you agree with their lifestyles, their people too. That sounds uber cliché, but its true. I may be straight, but for a lot of homosexual, bisexual, whatever it may be, their lives are always going to paved with difficult road, same with minorities, certain ethnic groups, women, etc. …Having good friends suffer because of such stupid things, like class, lifestyle, religion… you can’t help but feel obligated to stand up and say something. Even if it’s a small blog ranting about the problems of people being pushed under he ground of because of someone having a problem with nudity and homosexuality in public view.

Anyhow, other than my rant that whoever that person who made that comment was a complete dumba--, it’s been a challenging few weeks for me personally. Trying to take care of myself, problems, and family stuff, y’know basic everyday drama. Still, I’m trying my hardest to keep up with my artwork and work on at home projects, even though that’s almost impossible because now my artwork is literally thrown into schoolwork. It’s still weird for me. Why? Well when I was in Key West, although I like the fact I grew up on an island, because I wasn’t a true traditionalist and stuck in this box they have back home, I had to force myself to confine all the elements that made how I am (even though I don’t have a particular style, I do have things I love to do, I love to incorporate patterns in my work, that has always been something that is dear to me. I love checkered patterns, tiles on walls, wallpapers, anything that has a geometric pattern or not. Probably why I’m a huge fan of Japanese Woodblock prints since they have so many in the details of the kimonos.) So the work I did at home versus the work I did for school was literally two identities. Not in a good way, since I have three that come out when I do writing, drawing, or painting. I never use the same colors, same intensities in the work, subject matter… I cant there’s something blocking that? But I would like to be better at what I do. Since I went to the junior review, I’ve been trying hard to push my artwork a lot further, and work on big scales (tg for Chris Valle, I have not worked in big mediums ever, since a lot of my other classes its general letter size or smaller and our proff forcing us to use a big poster board, it made me want to go really big, even though I wanted to do a huge cube anyhow), however, that’s not the only reason. Big canvases scare me in a lot of ways. I’m so used to assuming when I go a big canvas it has to be a collage or something of a sort since I feel. However, with the passing of the DADA collage, that was a big medium for me, and I’m proud I did work I’m proud of. When I was in key west my work was mediocre, only a few things I liked the professor respected, so I’m glad to be around professors who are willing to help you if you need it and not shun you away because your tired at staring at a really fat female nude (yeah a big thing back home is a nude of a very… ‘Voluptuous woman I don’t have a problem with it, but when you’ve seen one, you’ve seen them all). So I’ve been going as big as I can, work as far as I can and push as much as I can. I would really like to be able to do my work and me comfortable with them. So with that, projects, assignments whoo… tg summers around the corner. But really though, I’m glad, as strenuous as it is I can push my real serious work into my work at school, and at least be a bit appreciated for it. It’s a wonderful feeling, although it comes with a lot of animosity from several people, still… in the end it’s worth it because as n artist I can feel everything growing. Whether or not were watching films on drag queens, or even when I'm listening to how to work imovie. I feel like I have a lot broader horizon to explore, and I’m really thankful for the opportunity to get better at what makes me happiest the most.

DADA COLLAGE

Here is my Dada Project:



This was one of the most challenging projects I have ever done I (mostly for thinking about the placement of the scans, what body parts I wanted to use, medium and all that lovely junk we artists tend to think about yes? and working with such a huge size (phew) which by the way for body parts I used my face, hands, and feet very basic, but still created this very complex collage which I liked alot.

First off i'm really proud of this project (I am I love it. I wanted to litteraly sleep with it over my head, plus the smell of the vinyl of the clear contact paper I had put on to keep the paper from coming off of the wood just smelt reallly good this morning). Please don't ask I'm strange I love odd smells of vinyl, plastic, tire rubber, gasoline, turpentine... and I wonder why people think i'm strange).

So secondly, the project (for description) is a 1'1/2 square (yes so imagine 6 good pieces of sandply wood all hinged together with ring clips), that the user or the viewer is able to manipulate the piece to how they want. So there are two different sides to the box where you can place it how you want it to look. Well actually, I had it meant to be shown really only 2 ways, which evovled to 4 and then to many more based on how the person wants to mess with it.

Side I:



Here is the boxed version of this side since the other one is the one I used for my main imagery of my project:



Side II:



The user/viewer has the ability to manipulate such a small structure into their own artform in a sense.

Obscenity and "Howl"

I read the article about Howl being obscene.

Honestly...

I became very ticked after reading that article. Not for the sake of it not being censored but it doing so. I am a conservative, I mean with all the things I believe and like it’s a shock, but in certain aspects I am. HOWEVER, that stuff about censoring is honestly crap to me. Ok since the beginnings of art and literature, the ‘f’ word has often been used, I mean c’mon duh. It’s just, with all the stuff ‘accepted today, how is it obscene? From what I had perceived it was really filthy… well honestly Bret Michaels on rock of love and in his music is much MUCH more filthier and it’s played every Sunday night… what the hell? On comedy central they have secret stash where they play a lot of very dirty, raunchy movies (which are funny by the way), but still… it just pissed me off beyond reason. And the Internet, tch I like what that one person said, “not everyone has a computer” …are you nuts? Maybe the Amish (ok that’s a horrible joke, but in the states there is an extreme ability to access the net, on your phones, libraries, school, home, it’s everywhere. Plus if one person hears it, they’ll another person and another person. If it was as ‘obscene’ as they felt it was, they should have had a “well the following is material that is not appropriate for a certain audience or etc” and its people’s responsibility to know when to turn off the music, radio or what not. So don’t blame someone else. There will always be ‘inappropriate’ things going on, as individuals it’s your place to tell yourself to stop and smell the roses, or blur out the negative noise. Hey we have Howard stern on the radio... I think he’s’ still on but the point is that it was silly. The poem, sure talks about sexual positions and situations, I mean when haven’t we heard this? Even as college students, adults, even when we were barely legal this stuff was exposed to us. I mean the younger generation, may have more open boarders to explore, however I was raised in a way where at 12 I had seen “Mulholland Drive“ I know that movie is crazy, but still. It’s all about how you take the situation. Just turn off the radio! Or if you feel your child or whomever is going to look at it, just let them listen to it and explain to them “this is foul language please do not use it” or etc. I have no control how you control your children or your personal life, but I will say if it happens you deal with it, don’t blame someone else.

Other than my outrage to such stupidity, I thought it was extremely tasteful. I loved it, it was very powerful even with the language it sent out this huge “f you” to the people in suits (The stereotype of ‘going against the man’ how cliché) but in a really powerful way, not juvenile things that most people use in excuse to making art that makes no sense (which I have seen lately in a few of my students in a few of my classes, which is sickening really, if your going to us foul words or obscene images, make a real shocking statement that splits all of us up in a artistic way that sends shocks through hour spine and causes outrage that sparks revolutions, not a “what are you on?”, but just using it and be like “omg It’s expressive” when you just put it on their for the sake of an excuse, it takes older artist and says a ‘f-you’ to them. For those of dada, surrealists, expressionists, modern artists, and whomever who made a segway for you to be able to be expressive as you are. Even if you don’t respect them, it’s like dishonoring your parents who gave you a home to live and live a wonderful, carefree life. I’m not saying don’t use it, I want everyone to use it hell I use all those words a lot but I mean keep revolutionizing art, I’m saying don’t use it because you can and its an ‘easy a’ by using it. Make a point, a powerful statement, please I beg of everyone! Piss everyone off to the point it really starts something new, not a sill debate whether or not to use the f word and censor it, its stupid.

Anyhow ignore me I’m not a rant tonight; I guess that article really ticked me off. It's so silly, but anyhow I liked the poem a lot. I might look into Allen Ginsberg a bit more. His work was really touching as an artist; I felt his words reach down into my soul. I may not be a druggie or experimented with drugs, but I felt those experimental words run through my veins, take over all internal beliefs and flip them around and feeling like a prostitute walking out of a church after being baptized. I want to explore literary artists like them so much.

This was my favorite quote:

“who threw potato salad at CCNY lecturers on Dadaism and subsequently presented themselves on the granite steps of the madhouse with shaven heads and harlequin speech of suicide, demanding in-stantaneous lobotomy”

Grid Project

Here is my grid Project:


I know the box is HUGE, but light would you believe?

Originally I planned the grid work to be a bit bigger (why the huge box), however that succeeded very well yes?

But so the original plan I had failed (which was going to do a similar work that is similar to pop art from the 1960's), but instead i did something that was more close to home you could say. Since I love patterns, I'm addicted to checkered patterns, since I was a kid I used to draw patterns on all my notebook paper and I haven't stopped since so I decided to do that). I choose the Greek-Key pattern, since it's a pattern I never worked with so I did push myself a bit (no really I poked my self with a pin.. I'm not kidding, one time i stabbed the interior of my nose because I was sewing something and well that's that, so don't ask).

So yes those are all the pins, and I didn't count since.. I'm lazy like that. I believe it's something like each key has 90-something pins? ( I had to get my mom to count because she can count better I'm ADD-prone like that).

Plus I liked the size of the box, although up-close you can tell it's a grid, when you pull yourself away, the empty space really activates and creates that feeling like it's floating which I like by the way. The actual grid was something I had left over from supplies I bought at the dollar store, it's one of those table mats that had a see through grid.

Also, although the pins are in foam core, please PLEASE do not tip the box! the pins might come out because I swear, all my artworks are possessed, no matter how secure I made it.

Albrecht Durer / Jasper Johns Exhibits

Recently, I meant to add this post with my post about Spamalot, that I went to the St. Petersburg Museum of Fine arts (since I had a field trip to go to the Jasper John’s Exhibit at the Arts Center, which I wanted to anyhow so it worked out?) and they had a Durer Exhibit. Man I can tell you his work is incredibly meticulous, and amazing. The interaction the viewer is enabled goes a step further, with thanks to the museum giving people the ability you use a magnifying glass to examine the details, and even seeing the grain on the paper. I mean to me its like touching artwork. You can’t of course due to preservation of the images, but a piece you’re able to. You gently run your fingers across the canvas, paper, or medium and become attached somehow. Although your not physical able to do so, you are entwined with the ability to be up close and see Durer’s techniques, lines, and compositions. His work can be intimidating, especially if you’re into printmaking.

HOWEVER, people think I’m being cruel when I do this, but it’s not out of being cruel. Whenever I look at a piece, I admire it, then find mistakes, then admire it again. I’m not doing to say ‘ha they make mistakes or to make myself feel better’, its idea that it brings them a point to where I can admire them on an artist and admirer level. Since you know that there are those points where you can like something, then begin to critique as an artist. So it helps me keep me at the middle point where I can swing either way, but it helps me appreciate the work a bit more too. So it was an experience I will never forget, along with the exhibit they had with Ansel Adams earlier, that was great to be able to up close to master’s work like that.


The second one, was the Jasper Johns Exhibit the had at the Arts Center. I have of course hear of him, and knew his work from having an art history class back when I was in Key West, I knew his work, but was never a fan. Still, I felt it was great to see a modern artist’s work, to me he’s along the ranks of how Pollack is. It was cool to see his work in a setting.

So if you’re ever bored and need something to do I definitely recommend go seeing those exhibits, and to those places, they have amazing pieces and works often and if you need a bit of culture I’d recommend going.

MZTV / Museum of Television 'Vision of Tomorrow'

I finally had an opportunity to check out MZTV, which is really spiffy by the way. I would some day probably go and visit the actual museum. I mean the ability to look at an actual RCA TRK-12 would be so cool. I hope some day in the future televisions would be made with Lucite outsides, or something perhaps a bit more durable. That would be a real interesting look for a television. I mean sure with all the designs, it seems the screen of the components become the dominant visual. Like art, it needs a good frame yes? A sturdy one too. I’m sure contemporary home designers would appreciate a good television yes? Other than that, I explored the part (sine I had seen my classmates had explored other parts of the site that I felt I didn’t need to. Marilyn Monroe is one of the women who television shaped and was shaped by, And of course a main benefactor in Andy Warhol’s artwork (whose artwork is coming to St. Petersburg of Fine Arts soon! I’m so excited I can’t wait to go!), but I explored the part about the World’s Fair.

To me, its somewhat Nostalgic is Disney World’s ‘Tomorrow Land’, which is my favorite part of the entire park. So looking through the World’s fair exhibit, it reminded me of that. This idea of a ‘futuristic world’. Plus anytime there is an evolution in how the future will look, it always involves the era of the 1950’s, its really spiffy in a lot of ways. I mean look at iconic figures like Batman, he had the greatest gadgets ever, and he lived in this metropolis with 1950’s décor and ideals, it’s this feeling of being in the past, but experience those feelings those had back when it’s neat. Visually, it’s not just historically amazing, but even the sound bytes of the original broadcasts are just great. I can’t wait sometime in my life to visit the museum.

Looking at the 3D interactive models of the televisions was neat. I looked especially at the RCA TRK-12, I can't help it I’m obsessed with that model now. I mean yes its bulking and visually unattractive, but to me it completely remissness the old brownie camera's, they may have had horrible quality, unattractive outerwear, but still the feeling of history is just something you cant compare with. Whether it looks good or not still, you can't help but admire older technology, and knowing masters, and great engineers of the time molded the piece of technology we are looking at, or even holding if we have the opportunity to.

The Nerds and Google

So we watched the last episode of the nerd series thing. Although Steve Jobs was a total... a-hole, its sad to say but those a-holes are the people who really set standards in the world. So I know to my classmates he was getting monotonous in his “Mac was better when I was in it” and his cocky attitude, but it's those people you have to admire in a sense. Although that attitude is standoffish, he got Mac where it was until he left. Sure he kept them from making rounds, I respect him for getting it on its feet at least. So you have to respect him for that. It’s like this question my psychology professor from last sem brought up the idea of behaviors and personalities of icons that have shaped our world. As much as the people you want to respect, a lot of them have flaws that make them human or ‘bad’ but we tend to ignore them because of their status. So that didn’t bother me, let him be arrogant. Yes? But it’s cool that whole bit with the GUI all starting with a Xerox ‘computer’. That’s spiffy and the whole idea of the competition between the companies, to me, when the market is in major competition, is when you know progress wants to be made. It’s like that thing with war they say, humans are instinctively drawn to it, it’s even more amazing to know that computers all started on the concept. So I can agree with Jobs in a lot of ways ‘Good artists copy, great artists steal’. Gotta admit he’s got a good point there.

As for the Google boys thing. It’s funny, I use Google on a daily basis, mostly for images because it’s one of the best photo engines (copyrighted imagery or not), I mean I use photo bucket and etc, but for a long time I still use Google. I never realized the impact the search engine had on the entire world and how they began those annoying ads next to your searches. In a way though, they are incredibly useful, and the logic behind the ideas. I thought the documentary was really good. It helped me really understand how those two guys made a fortune. How they sent bots through the web through links and links and links to update the sites related to the query. It’s sad you don’t realize how great some things are because it’s convenient, and you don’t understand the workings behind it, so I got a bit of more of an appreciation of Google.

The Computer; The Nerd creator

I was really intrigued by the video we watched (we decided to watch the series on the nerds?) I thought it was really cool. I had no idea IBM and Microsoft were producing side by side, now I know that sounds weird, but really. As much as I love my Mac, and my VAIO which has windows and all that other stuff… I never knew that, so I learned a lot. Plus I never mentioned this, but I love c programming. I haven’t done it in months since I left Key West, but I loved making the format… something like… (We used a older complier, I cant remember what it was called), but I missed making basic programs to do multiplication and addition, it was a stress reliever to program. It was my way to keep my academic side from going crazy (I was taking some art classes, that were good, but so much stupid in that class I went nuts. It was a history of photography, which really got me back into my love for it. I feel in love with Edward Curtis because of that class. I got into Matthew Brady, and looking for pictures at garage sales, and scouting for old BW images). I have a small collection, of some of the images they did in portrait studios from the 1800’s, I cant tell you how it creates this feeling that brings you to another time you felt like you existed. I’m a true believer of having many different lives, and I’m sure I must have during that time, I def know I was a cat in my former life (don’t ask long story to that one). So watching the video made me want to whip out this book I have of visual basic I have sitting on my desk (next to my stack of Michael Crichton novels, Peter Benchley novels, my c++ book, my Kahlo Frieda bio which I WANT to get back to, but with school its been difficult so I’ll def make time to just read that book sometime) but I mean I've always wanted to learn to be a good programmer to, and have a broad range of knowledge because programming is a great stress reliever, that reminds me too seeing Cynthia Lawson and her being a programmer in her own right, really reminded me how much I missed that stuff (which I’ll blog about her, Bruce Wands, Christina Hung, and the guy from MTV3, I caught his lecture in the afternoon because our professor I have for that class was setting up something in the classroom so by the time the lecture was over she would have it set.

Y’know, its sad people don’t appreciate these young minds (well were) made a lot of the technology we are constantly using everyday. I mean I never realized how much I liked the Mac until I owned one, I really owe a lot to the Altair 8800, without that, Steve Wozniack and Steve jobs, no Mac, no gates creating Microsoft I mean its sad people don’t realize that these Phones and things they are constantly, and RUDELY text messaging in class, and other things was all done because of these minds just wanting to have fun. Hell, I agree completely. The computer, although has its important uses for us as students academically, but mostly of course your going to go on youtube, look up pics, read stuff, I mean honestly my computers have always been infested with lots of random things. Mostly that, photos, artwork, etc. Mp3s, download ROMS; So I agree, I couldn’t help but nod in agreement with all of those creators about the things they were saying even though a lot of people didn’t care much for it or thought it was geeky, well I'm a big geek myself. I’m still into cartoons, stay up late and I always burst out laughing while watching Tom and Jerry, I mean c’mon. Everyone is a geek and nerd. If you weren’t then why are you obsessing over the Iphone, Ipod, new computer that will come out in a few months, new video game, mp3 player, new phone that has the ability to make texting easier, c’mon people you’ll all nerds. I mean my friends are nerds, geeks, dorks, but I want them fun. They always mess with new things; I would rather them be that way then not into technology. Probably why I love revenge of the nerds so much. That movie is awesome! I love it as much as animal house (yes I’m into those kind of movies, but it’s awesome the part with the horse having a heart-attack, classic cult classic of American cinema).

SPAM! WHO DOESN'T LOVE SPAM?!

I went to see Spamalot tonight, (well last night since it is now Friday), but still I’m considering it tonight because it’s still nighttime. It was totally fabulous! Richard Chamberlain was awesome as King Arthur! It was the best gift ever (since it was a birthday gift from my mom since she knew I have always loved the film, which it’s based off of (for those of you don’t know it) Monty Python and the Holy Grail. The entire cast was fabulous! I mean every song was catchy; all of the performers truly played their part. I loved the most how they kept a lot of the monologue that made the film iconic as it was. I take back what I said about it kind of being the ‘kitschy’ thing that people don’t know what made it a Broadway musical, even though I’d love it anyhow. It went beyond the ‘for entertainments sake’ Yes it is mostly a humor show, but it incorporated a lot of current events, the costume design, set design, music, everything. Plus it was ‘directed’ by Mike Nichols who of course is one of my favorite directors. Of course he did Working girl (I love that movie). I mean the technology in the show made you feel like you watching or were part of the film. Of course they changed some parts, but I mean it extends into a lot of folklore and mythology about the medieval ages with King Arthur, and all that stuff. It was funny as hell, and if it weren’t for my work I’d go again, it was an experience I will never forget for all of my life. It’s sad it’s having its final run, but it was worth seeing. The stage became an installation piece on it’s own. A kind hat the experience changes with each show, for that one for me it became that. That night, the stage lighting; everything. It was fun, joyful, playful, and had a lot of current jokes. I couldn’t help but laugh the entire play, the voice of the ‘lady of the lake’ wow she can sing, she had the most beautiful vocal range I have ever heard (ok that’s second actually for reasons, I still have a favorite and that one person is staying there, no mater who comes following). Sir Robin and Lancelot, god there are a group, I mean you can’t help but laugh at all the jokes, no matter if it was geared to make fun of Lancelot’s sexuality, and sexual gestures, cracks at Richard Chamberlin, the infamous ‘octomom’; It was great. The interaction seen between the actors, the orchestra pit, and the audience by acknowledging their attendance really enhanced the show as a whole (I’m trying not to reveal a lot, but it was just wonderful, I’m happy I got to experience such a great show!).

So I def recommend the show, if you’ve seen the film or not, it’s great. I’m so getting the soundtrack in a few days. Perhaps, I’ll even watch the film later… I miss watching seeing the evil rabbit (who mind you if you’ve seen it at the theatre, oh my god, I want a killer rabbit! I’ll name it fluffy and sick it on people! Ok maybe not everyone (I’m a horrible liar so I suggest you remember that) I’m kidding though, ok maybe not but still I love how they interpreted everything and made it into a sketch about criticizing the film in it’s own on a hilarious level, and stories we’ve grown up to love. Plus it gave way to creating controversy, the best things do. I mean of course I do have a conservative taste when it comes to certain things, but I mean if it’s done in a tasteful way. The comments, jokes, songs, all enhanced it being somewhat controversial, but it was just great. I’m a bit saddened I didn’t get the chance to see Tim Curry (who was just SOOOO GREAT as Dr. Frankenfurter in Rocky Horror Picture Show), still I loved it and it was something I have been waiting for since I heard my mom was getting me tickets. It was like it happened so suddenly, and it all flowed consistently when they changed the scenes and even into the Acts. Neither Act was more important than the other, I mean it evolved through the plotline, but it was very consistent in its moods and feels. I’m really happy this was my first Broadway play, I’m even more grateful to have the chance to experience such an amazing cast who I enjoyed each character no matter who was in the scene. I love even more this was my first Broadway show I have ever seen. I’m just so enthralled I’m still hyper from seeing the show. I can’t wait until we go see another one! I’m so stoked and happy I went to see it.

Television Pt. II (Ru Paul's Drag Race)

So this is the second part to my Television Posts and this one is mostly geared toward Ru Paul's Drag race show.

Since my time here at UT, I’ve learned as an artist you have to turn your entire being into a work of art and someone near and dear to my heart, for the longest time had a really bad problem and for years I thought I would loose him to what he was fighting for a long long long time. I remember him asking me one night, it was the night he told me “What would you do if I told you I didn’t have much time to live?” God I remember bawling so much that night, I mean even now I’m crying. It was as bad as aids I’ll say that. He lives away from me so having a long distance relationship, and when I don’t hear from him I freaked out so much it hurt. It was ironic his favorite movie was Moulin rouge, and if you’ve seen the movie you know what happens and thinking about that just hurt so bad. BUT god news is he’s been fine for a long time now, no problems he’s as healthy and mentally un-right like normal, but knowing or the thought of losing someone special to something you can’t control or do anything for them you feel vulnerable. I don’t know Ongina, but still I felt that pain for a few seconds. It was unexpected, and I hope she does well for the time she alive and I hope things are always good for her. Plus it's great she won that challenge, although it's so tragic something really great came from that; I’m sure those around her are truly proud of her accomplishments. She’s so full of life and you wouldn’t have guessed from watching her on the show, I mean she’s so vibrant and happy and so totally awesome with her fashion sense. So much like Japanese couture I mean my god, but it’s like they say, the greatest things in this world don't last long. It’s like a Sakura blossom they only have such a short span, but when they're blooming they're so beautiful. So to me that was something that touches and especially for television. The whole show in it’s own was fantastic, Shannel, although full of herself was a true Vegas showgirl, especially when she had to lip-sync for her life, her outfit was so fantastic, and even though that song was so un-fitting, it worked for her, even when her headdress came off she still went with it, it was truly amazing.

I’m so going to watch the show, since now I found the channel and I'm excited, it’s like project runway, top model, and all of that all rolled into one. I really enjoy watching Shannel, even though she’s a big mouth (Well to be a show-girl ya gotta have the ego for it). I love Ongina and Nina Flowers the best, their truly performers in their own right and I love them. Their form of art is so amazing to me, I love that shock factor and au couture drag queens bring. It’s really spiffy. So of course when it comes on I’m sooo going to watch it and if I miss it…that’s what the computer is for (well for porn to as according to avenue Q).

Television Pt. I (Video games, and all that other lovely stuff)

Oh Television, what can I say about Television? Television to me is my gateway to pop culture influences. I am a true realty TV show junkie, I watch all the dating shows, drama shows, and all that. Television has always been my best friend (well ok my best friend first of course), but I remember turning on the TV to catch all my favorite cartoons, the original teenage mutant ninja shows, Bucky O’Hare (its actually this child’s cartoon that was adapted from an adult comic book? Go figure). Ah the good old days. I miss that.

Since actually I have a bit more to say about Television, and the Ru Paul’s Drag Race show which is (OFF THE HOOK), will be on the lovely PT 2 of this small blog series about Television.


But the part about Video games, I’m such a dork and a nerd I still play them. I mean while watching the video I couldn’t help but smile I mean I loved to play space invaders, I still have the old Game Boy Color vers. And my game boys to play them. Of course I have all of those games still, no really I do. I have the original Pokémon blue and red versions… somewhere at my home in Key West. I love old school video game systems; I still like the old SNES, and my N64. All the Zelda games I used to play, my parents we’re even into it. I remember my mom telling me how her and my father used to make maps of the very first Zelda game; I mean how awesome is that? So VG’s have been a huge part of my life I owned almost all the systems, except the XBOX, I’ve never been a fan of that or Sega CD, or the dreamcast… wow I never realized I dint a bunch of systems. I however did get all of Sony’s and the Nintendo’s branch of systems, I couldn’t help it.

But the ps3 sucks. I know that’s blunt, but it has horrible crashes, now like most people who buy video games, sometimes when it doesn’t work, a lil bit of physical violence? Seems to help. However it didn’t. It broke while my brother loaded that stupid Metal Gear Solid game (I have a fond hate for that game, please don’t ask, but this VR missions game was cool though, but snake annoys me. Then again I am a chick, plus I’m old school RPG type of girl). So we didn’t do anything to it, it just froze. We found out its reader is broken and we could send it in, but we got it as a gift and you can’t do anything with a receipt… and I forgot how much it was, but it was better to find a new one. I have a hate for them, I prefer my ps2 anyhow. I mean, it doesn’t seem like a long ago I used to have my old school game boy pocket, with all these small fish stickers with a super Mario game. Now I have the wii with the super smash brothers’ game and legend of Zelda. I mean, it makes me feel REALLY old; I’m only 20 but still. That’s pathetic.

However, I must say video games are my main source for inspiration. I mean one of my favorite artists came from creating Video Game designs. For those of us who have played a lot of the Final Fantasy games (no not Tetsuya Nomura, he’s great, but he’s not as cool as this other one). His name is Yoshitaka Amano; he does these very great whimsical art pieces that are just so beautiful. I can say he really inspired the line artwork I do today. Next to the classical artists I have grown to admire, he’s one of my favorites. He did a lot of concept work for Final Fantasy VII, VIII, even Final Fantasy X and X2. I can say though Tetsuya Nomura is really great too, I love the work he did for FFVII: Advent Children (which is the CG animated feature that’s the sequel to Final Fantasy VII), although the plotline sucks, the animation for that movie I really love. Why I had to buy it just for that sake alone.

'I Heard Sh- On the Radio (I Remember The Days)' - Nelly Furtado

The title of the blog incase your wondering was a song that Nelly Furtado released back in 2002? 2003? sometime there and it wasn't one of her most popular ones, but It's one of my favorite songs from her 'Whoa Nelly!' Album.


Anyhow...WAR OF THE WORLDS HOY SH- THAT’S AWESOME!!! Ignore me that was so cool to listen to the actual radio recording. I mean that part where the reporter was broadcasting “500 meters, 400 –“ then to the part he dropped dead (or shot himself I might not have heard that right in case) still for an old recording it still has powerful impact.

Radio to me used to be a big influence on my life for years, that is until the radio stations played sucky music. I mean I like a lot of new music, of course how could I not, I love music. Plus having good friends who are musicians I often hear music and I’ve learned to have deep felt appreciate and just a like, and most of the time I have a like (why the only reason Britney Spears is useful) ahead of time, if I offend anyone with my rantings about who sucks and doesn’t I’m sorry, but I cant pretend I don’t). But I mean lets be honest a lot of music is just for the sake of listening, not appreciating.

I guess I really was into it when I was in the 6th grade… that was.. 10 years ago? Almost 10 years ago, (god saying that makes me feel so old and I’m only twice that). But I remember when Mandy Moore started coming into the scene and all this other junk, and I can remember Country Grammar when Nelly came out into the scene (I still have that song in my ipod, I can't help it, its one of those songs that bring you back to that time period and the radio really helped me remember those times and memories, the exact moments I heard it play for the first time and what video game I was playing at the moment) Yeah often I'd have my radio playing while playing my video game… Back then radio was really the best, it seems like since then it hasn’t been as… great. It’s become the same stuff over and over (since I am a techno and dance freak and that stuff is a lot more repetitive), but it’s more…. Like a broken record that often you hear a tiny scratch noise in a different spot so often, but it’s like… even then it’s still the same thing… Since then I really haven’t turned on a radio since.

I mean during the night while I’m up and after I leave the Television on, I’ll catch music videos on VH1 (I’m sorry MTV sucks now, I grew up watching Beavis and Butthead and when Daria used to come on but nooo kill the good shows, I mean even rock of love and all those dumb reality shows are more interesting, yes I watch them. Stupidity helps me to concentrate believe it or not seriously). I mean VH1 is just as bad but at least its tolerable music) but MTV3 looks really cool, I have to say (I’ve heard of it and had no idea how really interesting it was especially after seeing David Grad speak that one afternoon). I mean I’ve lost reason for it. A lot of the music or anything I find out is strictly off of Youtube, from my friends or if I catch the song while watching T.V. shows, etc, that’s the extent, or when I buy compilation dance disks, but that’s really it.

HOWEVER, I must say trips back and forth to Key West I have made this year, my best friend has to be.. oh I forgot the station, but they play 80’s and 90’s music and that makes me so happy. Plus in printmaking when we’re working, all my classmates agree to just have this one station splay… now for me 80s music sounds best on the radio, no matter if you have it on an ipod or not it just… doesn’t have that quality where you feel like your hair is super frizzed up and that Flock of Seagulls hair do, the clothes, oh yes and the eyeliner, ah the 80’s. But I mean the radio to me brought that time back, although I was a baby during the 80’s (I only got to live through the last 2 years) still it majorly impacted my life. I remember listening to the radio since I was a kid and I was always carrying a mini radio or I always had to have a portable radio with me somehow, I always carried a small pink bag that had the little mermaid on it that had cassette tapes up the wazzu in it.

Plus I never realized how impacted it made a long time ago, that wasn’t until I watched HAIRSPRAY and finally getting to see DreamGirls (which if you haven’t GO RENT IT! It’s awesome and Jennifer Hudson is totally off the hook, I mean I knew how she sounded, but wow she was totally amazing In that movie), but seeing how what was heard really impacted people, and all that tragic events occurring behind the scenes of pirating and copying… You don’t realize these things until you see them in person and it’s really tragic we’re loosing something so tragic and wonderful at the same time.

Its’ really sad I don’t rely on that as much anymore… it’s like a great part of me died I can’t get back… so hopefully somehow I find a way to get it back into my life again.

200 Frame Film Project

Here is my 200 Frame Flip Book Project:



When I have an opportunity with any canvas I kind of go overboard.
And instead of the small portion of the page, I invaded the entire page.

This lovely projected ended up being two $1 websters dictionaries since I thought one would hold off (wow I'm so bright eh?)

So thus why I have a lovely video instead, I didn’t completely crop so where you only saw the actual book text, to me that’s overly perfectionizing, and I'm not a perfectionist. I want my work to be best to my standards, but I don’t hold this “make it abosultely” perfect. I guess it’s the anti-aesthtic thing I have going on (although a lot of my line work is completely aeshetic...go figure?)

So yes it’s ‘kiddish’ cartoonish, not my style with, but I was going for a … random visual (when you watch you’ see what I mean). The entire concept was a play by ear type of thing, which is normally how I work.

When I bring in the original book (well 2 books into one), I warn everyone its extremly dirty, (as in charcoal and pastel galore) Why I taped the outsdes with painters tape so when everyone touches it hopefully no one will be….. er… attacked by the massive amounts of powder and other substances.

Here are images of what the book looks like ( I know so crafty this girl is).

(It goes from the Front, interior of the Book, and of course it's backing).

What Really Happened From 1950 to 1971?

I meant to add a post, but ergh way to much work, but that’s another rant for another blog on another day. So class was cool (WE GOT TO SEE HITCHCOCK’S BIRDS WHOO!!!) ignore me I love that movie and all the other stuff we watched. But I guess this post, since my brain is broke beyond reason, is geared toward the question we have about in Class, what happened from 1950 to 1971 (Sometime around that time span). It’s hard to really say. Culturally, the world began to break from traditional roles, and lean toward exoticism as Mozart did for one of his operas using the Harem for the theatre. To me what happened was a revolution that seems to occur, or a phenomenon that seems to happen. Call me strange, but I Always feels this sense of déjà vu when something dramatic changes, like as if I’ve been sometime in a place before where this event happened? I firmly believe what happened is something that has a permanent place in history, it’s this permeant need for humans is that of fear and desire which always lingers in revolution. It’s that idea of the sublime coming full swing from the NEO-CLASSIC era back to this era. Thus proving my theory to what happened from those time spans. As humans we have a tendency to drive toward the things most damaging, back when it was the ‘fall of the south’ as our professor mentioned in class while Watching gone with the Wind. There is this sense of glorifying a moment in history where everything wasn’t all roses and dandelions. Even in horror films, and thrillers. Most people like going to the movies to see sex reinterpreted in a way that even they can’t, it’s this desire and need for that ‘perfect’ thing. Horror flicks, the thought of having a man-eating create who feasts on flesh, we want to turn away but we cant. It’s this never ending craving for the things most foreign. Why movies like Clockwork Orange, bring out a scary truthful side to this theory. I mean it makes sense, why is it as much as we hate war, we continue to thrive in it? As lovers, why is it that when our lovers shed tears of sadness is when we consider that to be a beautiful thing? It’s that kind of oxymoron… The things we need to stray from are the things we crave for most or live in. The novel 1984 proves that, such a grim and dark story, but was well respected and looked at for that huge possibility coming true… In our own form in a non-sexual way, we are possibly masochists and sadists in the sense of striving to chase after these ideals that leave to these continual revolutions.

PHOTOGRAPHY.... WHOOO!!!!

I want to scream OH MY GOD, but I can’t I'd look like a loony, but then again when aren’t I? Seriously. I’m so excited to hear about photography in our class last Tuesday, since I am a Photo major and a lover of film especially. I’m not a big film buff, but I love movies. Sometimes I become seriously analytical about stuff its sad really. I really enjoyed this class so far, even though I know a lot of people we’re bored (no offence guys) but I was excited to watch old films. I mean from everything from the daguerreotype to the brownie camera created by Kodak, I love all of that stuff. My favorite artist was not just of Dali and all the other people I have mentioned before (if I did), but I am a real big fan of Edward Curtis (incase for those of you who don’t know, he photographed images of Native Americans out west during the late 19th century – early 20th century). Photography is really great, even the films we watched (ha! I’m sorry old films are awesome, to us thee may come off extremely kitschy and boring, but it was they were their entertainment back then (It forces you to go back and look at what humor and ‘sexy’ was back then). I think its really neat the imagery of the brothels and speakeasies and all of the ‘underground stuff’ it is so nostalgic and really wonderful (well to me anyhow), and also in general what was being photographed. To me it was so enthralling; it makes you want to think also about Matthew Brady’s images he took during the civil war and the ones he had took of Abe Lincoln. How can you not feel liberated in the sense this is the closest you’ll ever be to a deceased president who didn’t exist during your time? It’s very cool to… well to me, it really got me all giddy and all that flowery unicorn, Hello Kitty puked everywhere feeling (and its good not bad, I assure you, but I’ve always wondered that age old question… what does Hello Kitty’s puke look like? Well, maybe perhaps we’ll find out some day).

Also Edweard Muybridge (every time I see him now I just think about all the interactions all these influential people had in the world of photography and even in art and documentary in general). It was great to hear Photography was acknowledged (last semester I heard someone say it wasn’t important to Art History at all and my jaw dropped) I felt a bad pain in my heart. Seriously, I was offended. Not just as a photographer, but as a lover of art.

Now unto my 200 frame animation! Fortunately, I thought of an idea after like 2 – 3 failed plans. Hopefully it’ll be successful, and I’ll get to do something really nifty I’ll be proud of!

B-R-O-A-D-W-A-Y

I apologize for the horrible lack of postings lately. It’s sad, I am always blogging to my friend on my personal blog, constantly going ‘omg I told this girl to push f5, and she literally pushed f + 5 omg how dumb” and talking smack about people, but even that I have been failing at (Why my social life sucks) that’s what I do and I’m proud of my horrible smack-talk skills, but I only do it to people who deserve it so I'm doing good for the world (I’m kidding). My point is for all the classes, I'll make up the posts finally. I hate falling so far behind, it annoys me so here we go, I apologize for anything that seems out of place or date.


It sucks we didn’t get a chance to further explore Broadway other than the small pieces and parts we saw. As I said in my other post where I talked bout Broadway, it is amazing. I mean even if you are not a fan of theatre, or even opera, you got to love Broadway. There are so many shows I would kill to see live, I mean I am getting the opportunity to see Monty Python, which is, although I like it and I’m sure the songs are funny, its more of the shows that I think are just made for the sake of it and good choreographers. Ok I’m being mean, but for the past several years, and I’m even including Monty Python although I really sure I’m going to enjoy it (and trying to be honest about as a person who is learning how to properly critique work even my own), inspiration is coming from places you normally don’t expect that might come off strange to a lot of theatre goers; I don’t know if its good or bad. I haven’t seen some of them such as The Wedding Singer, although I love the movie, and same with Legally Blonde. For some reason to me I don’t think I’ll see either. Broadway to me, the seriously good shows, are the ones that had something behind it. I mean even though Chicago was about those brief seconds of fame, it was very good and very Broadway-esque. Cabaret of course, Camelot (I’ve always wanted to see, I heard Julie Andrews was beyond amazing in that a long time ago, how can you say she isn’t. I love her). Then of course one’s like HAIR and the Phantom of the Opera, and these other shows to me had important meaning to them and those are the ones I feel you truly cherish.

So I hope someday I can, minus Monty Python, be able to experience one in person. I would so go see either Sweeny Todd, HAIR, Rocky Horror Picture Show, or a Chorus Line… which I'm sure I will since Tampa always has stuff. So hopefully, ill get to someday.