Parts of Kansas City I'd Like to Explore

        A new resident to Kansas City, I am definitely not familiar with the layout of this city at all. Everything seems so confusing and it all starts looking the same to me. However, one of the most important aspects I look for in diverse cities like KC are its shopping districts. Although it may sound shallow and vapid, I really do enjoy shopping, even if it is just window shopping. I believe the condition of the shopping centers and availability of certain brands of shops really highlights the style of the city and what aesthetics it's interested in. So for my exploration project, I would really enjoy going to the Town Center Plaza shopping district and photographing the area surrounding it. Not only would this highlight the fashion aesthetics popular within the city, but it would also illustrate the city's general interests.

Redone Photograph of Davin

        For the next portion of our project, we had to crop/edit/retake the picture of our partner. I elected to simply crop the image because I really enjoyed the thoughtful, poignant expression and pose. I have cropped the photo based on the critiques I received from my fellow classmates and professor.

        To draw more attention toward the rosary, I cropped the top and left side of the picture. The lion statue in the original image caused a blinding contrast between the neutrals of Davin's clothing and skin color, and drew the focus away from the rosary. The far top of the image was also unnecessary because it added excessive amounts of lines and caused distractions from the rosary also.

Photography of Davin and His Rosary

        For our project today, we had to photograph our partner which we did the biography over. Their significant item which they presented in class also had to displayed in the picture somehow.

        I wanted to show Davin looking peaceful and meditative because I really enjoyed the emotions and symbolism tied to his rosary. Not only does his rosary represent his Catholic faith, but it also represents his emotional ties to his family and friends. I sat Davin down in a peaceful, serene looking area to illustrate the contemplative mood which prayer. I elected to have the lion in the background to symbolize the steadfast resolve of his faith, but contrasted the lion sharply with the soft imagery of the foliage to represent the tranquility of his mind in prayer.

        I attempted to find an area with calm lighting to keep the placidity of the photo without drawing the focus of the photo away from Davin. In order to physically represent his peace of mind, I asked Davin to have a calm, composed expression and pose like he was meditating with the rosary.

        Afterwards, I did slight photo editing in Photoshop using color balance, curves, photo filters, and vibrance to give the image a calm quietude. Overall the whole photography session was really fun and a completely different experience from what I'm used to doing!

Biography of Fellow Classmate, Davin Roberson

        Born and raised in New Orleans, LA on May 17th, 1995, Davin began his career as an artist at a very early age. Beginning at the age of four, Davin remembers avidly drawing various comics and cards. Davin would soon begin to expand his art horizons as he explored the dfferent kind of art programs offered at the New Orleans Museum of Art. After attending several courses at NOMA, Davin began attending classes offered at the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts, alongside with his high school courses at Archbishop Shaw High School. Having to catch a 15 minute commute each day during school to attend courses at NOCCA, Davin was immersed in a multitude of art programs ranging from sculpture, to performance, to visual arts.
     At the time, Davin became increasingly interested in visual arts, but soon developed a great interest and passion in painting after two years of attending the NOCCA programs. Davin soon encountered major competition through his close friend, Jeff Nguyen. Jeff was already an established artist, having studied in Florence to observe realism and the styles of Caravaggio. Despite the daunting success already being experienced by the peers around him, Davin only became more inspired to become a painter. Surrounded by supportive family and friends, Davin was encouraged to apply to art schools and actively pursue his career in painting. Davin applied himself to various schools aside KCAI, including Cooper Union, MICA, and Xavier University. Although Xavier University had offered Davin a full ride, Davin elected to attend KCAI due to its influential urban setting and the intimate size of the school.
        Through his exploration in art, Davin was influenced by several sources, including his family. environment, and other artists. Davin's grandfather, a fellow artist and jack of all trades, was an architect whose designs and artistic process guided Davin through artistic visions. The city of New Orleans inspired Davin through its unique colors, shapes, and seemingly unending amounts of events taking place in the city. However, one of the biggest influences on Davin's art remains the work and ingenuity of Pablo Picasso. Heavily inspired by Picasso's cubism and abstract art, Davin's work attempts to have each of its viewers interpret a different story and meaning behind each of the pieces. The abstract nature of Davin's artwork forces viewers to approach and question the conventionalism of common objects. Davin's work also attempts to create unions between disparate time periods. By creating pieces combining elements from different time periods, Davin's artwork causes its spectators to deliberate upon the significance of distinct time periods and how they have affected our society today. Furthermore, the combination of time periods allows the viewer to consider how very different times can have similarly powerful or equally adverse effects on the mindsets and aesthetic of society in the present.
        Through his painting and artwork, Davin wishes to pursue a career in fine art exhibition. Although studying as a painting major, Davin was initially conflicted due to his desire to also study math and science. Despite his clashing interests, Davin was urged by his close friend and cousin, Daniel, to pursue both interests. Through the support of his peers and family, Davin now wishes to pursue a career in fine arts with a masters in optometry.