Final Project Done!

        After actually contemplating seppuku during the whole process, I finally filled in all of the missing details, colors, and shading on my piece. Although once again, unfortunately, I don't have any mid-process screenshots of the piece, my process was fairly simple and straightforward anyways. I first started by filling in large blocks of color (such as the background, circles couple, etc), and then slowly added the smaller details. I then went back and added the shading with a custom watercolor brush, trying to achieve the soft look associated with art nouveau.

        Overall, I'm satisfied, yet very dissatisfied with the piece. I wish I had pushed the style further and had time to add even more details. I feel like the art nouveau doesn't convey me as an artist enough, although it was insanely challenging attempting to replicate this style. I am also more used to advertising graphic design, so to do something more illustrative was extremely straining. I'm just glad to have the project displayed for the final show, as I was confident that it did show off my skills as a graphic illustrator well enough.

Response to Visual Symposium #11

        This week's symposium covered creative writing and how they were common distinguished between poetry and prose. The lecture explored the many facets of thematic devices and elements used within both poetry and prose in order to communicate something to the reader. Although both writing styles can be used to convey possibly the same idea, prose relies more on diction and tone of the author, while poetry relies on the rhythm and sound of the words themselves.
        The prose section of the lecture sought to defy the normal expectations of an A-B-A-B rhyme structure within lined poetry. It sought to illustrate how poets such as Tracie Morgan, uses repetition and rhythm in order to create emphasis, rather than word meaning themselves. Poetry has begun to defy many expectations of conventional form, using the placement of words on the page and syllables in key places in order to subtly affect the reader.
        Leading the prose lecture, Professor Cyrus Console-Soican attempted to illustrate the blurred and faltering line between prose and poetry. He emphasized that it was not the structure that dictated the constraints for either style, but rather the subject matter: fact or fiction. In order to show this distinction to us, Cyrus showed us a video of Lydia Davis reading her book of short stories, Can't and Won't. Her writing style illustrated a lyrical, almost musical quality to her words that bordered upon poetry (when read aloud), but still retained the subject matters of prose.

Process of Final Project

        Unfortunately I didn't take any good process photos or screenshots along the way (since I just kind of... go when it comes to my digital work. I tend to not enjoy the middle stages, so I forgot to document them). I only have one awful, blurry photo that I was taking with my phone to instagram (I know how to screenshot, I promise) and the initial sketches of the project I did in Photoshop.

        The photo shows some of the line work and preliminary elements I had completed in the initial stages of the project.

Research and Exploration Into the Final Project

        Before beginning my final, I extensively researched several art movements I was not familiar with, in hopes of being able to emulate their stylistic elements or messages. I first began researching Cubism, as I felt that it juxtaposed well with the concentric circles that were a recurring theme within my selected chapter of Einstein's Dreams. I thought it would been an interesting challenge to attempt to execute such a round, soft form using sharp, geometric angles and shapes within a digital medium.

"La Femme au Cheval" by Jean Metzinger

"Woman Playing Mandolin" by Pablo Picasso

        However, I further researched Cubism, I came to a disappointing realization that I truly did not understand the execution or creative process of it. I realized that if I tried to emulate this style, it would ultimately fail. After this brief setback, Chris then told me to look into Constructivism, a movement I had not heard of before. Originating in Russia in 1919 and was the "rejection of autonomous art." I really enjoyed the placement of harsh geometric properties against a human subject, with strong, resounding text uniting the piece.

        Despite my growing interest in this movement, I still wasn't sure if this was the look I desired. After researching this art movement further, I stumbled upon art nouveau. Although I had seen this style used by several artists before, I had never extensively looked into it before. I decided that with the soft, undulating curves and circles, this would be the style I wanted to use for my piece.

Response to Visual Symposium #10

        Presented Miguel Rivera, this week's symposium covered the subject of printmaking and its familiarity among most practicing artists. Beginning with the history of Kansas City and its popularity with the medium, Rivera went on to elaborate how the styles of printmaking have integrated themselves with the aesthetic of the city.
        Rivera then went on to provide examples of artists who had strong thematic statements using printmaking as their medium, such as Orit Hofshir's study of the detriments of erosion, to political awareness statements by other artists. The flexibility of the printmaking medium was emphasized, and how the medium transcends several boundaries of language and class in order to communicate effectively.

Proposed Schedule for Final Project

        Following our reading of Einstein's Dreams, we were then required to select a chapter that was particularly poignant or interesting to us. Although several of us selected the same chapter as another person, there was no questions of plagiarism due to each of our individual ambitions. However, our ambitions had to limited with this project. Unlike our previous projects, we were restrained under a much shorter timeline. Previously we were given 3-4 weeks to complete each project. Unlike them, we only had 2 and a half weeks to fully plan and execute our final. In order to cope with with the limited time frame, we were required to create a schedule for ourselves, setting our own deadlines and goals.

 

Final Presentation of Personal Morals Prints

        After putting our personal moral prints into our selected environment, we were then required to present our final products on ourselves and attend a photoshoot. We helped set up a grey backdrop in order to pose in front of, and then had Chris photograph us all.

        Once the photoshoot was done, we then hung all of our final prints and fabric prints up in the gallery space to display our work.

Experimental Photo Shoot Putting Our Textile Designs Into Context

        After creating the pattern and printing them onto our desired textiles, we were then required to do a photo shoot that put the entire personal moral, design, and concept into perspective. I attempted to make myself look worn out from studying and worrying about tests by covering my face with my art history book and surrounding myself with notes and quizzes.

Analyzation of Selected Chapter of "Einstein's Dreams"

        Although robust with allegories, all concerning different facets of societies and its values, Einstein's Dreams by Alan Lightman has many chapters than can relate to its readers in a very personal, yet allegorical manner. In the particular "dream" explored in the chapter dated 14 May 1905, a fictional Einstein dreams about a world where a center of time exists. In that world, time moves in a circumvent, creating a center where time moves markedly slower. The dream explores the notions of those who would journey to that center, and the actions that take place there.
        At that center of time, simple gestures can take an exponentially longer amount of physical time to execute. Quick, thoughtless actions such as "a brush of the hair might take a year" and when "a smile is returned, seasons pass in the outer world." While these mundane expressions typically register no lasting memories within a person, Lightman illustrates the effervescent quality of our existence and in everything we do. It may seem absurd to have when "a goodbye is said, cities crumble and are forgotten," but it causes the readers to stop and consider the significance and effects that each of our actions may have. While not attempting to cause us to proceed every action with overt carefulness and calculation, Lightman seeks to reveal how often we proceed through our daily lives with little to no thought or intent.
        The exploration into adding meaning into fleeting moments is further emphasized by the point that the only people to venture into that center of time are "parents with children, and lovers." Vague at first in its connections with one another, points are quickly created between lovers and parents with children as the reader comes to a realization: both are doomed to pain through the impermanence of their relationship. By traveling to the center of time, the lovers and parents attempt to eternally capture the most elementary of gestures that bind their relationships together. The innocence of youth and the child that parents will forever cherish are frozen in the center of time as children will "never stop smiling the smile [they] smile now... never grow wrinkled or tired, will never get injured will never unlearn what [their] parents have taught her, will never think thoughts that [their] parents don’t know, will never know evil." This causes the reader to draw a personal connection with the dream and their own relationship with their parents, and the poignant importance to a parent of having a child that "will never tell [their] parents that she does not love them."
        As with the relationship between parent and child, the affection between lovers is always transient, whether through emotional disconnections or physical separations. This causes the lovers to attempt the same sacrifice as the parents: forever capturing the short moments that create the intimacy of the relationship. Lovers travel to center of time to be seen "kissing in the shadows of buildings, in a frozen embrace that will never let go." While kissing and embracing are common, transitory actions within relationships, Lightman illustrates them as the physical manifestation of our emotions for our significant other, emphasizing the importance of putting through into such fleeting actions. At the center of time, there is no danger of the ephemeral. At the center of time, love is eternal because a lover "will never journey far from his lover, will never place himself in danger in self-sacrifice, will never fail to show his love, will never become jealous, will never fall in love with someone else."

Turning Our Personal Morals Into Visual Representations

        After extensively researching universal symbols for our personal values, we were then required to create our own. Although our symbols had to be understood by our peers in their universality, they also had to reflect our personal style and artistic voice. Our challenge with our logo then was to be able to create a pattern out of it.
        Instead of the more peaceful, reverent images that I started off with to illustrate filial piety, I elected to chose a more sarcastic, caustic approach in my symbol to represent the experiences I had coping with overbearing expectations of filial piety as a child. My parents were extremely strict and expected me to do well in school no matter what. Using the more widely understood trope of the "tiger" parent, I combined it with hands holding pencils are chopsticks juxtaposed with the word "STUDY." The chopsticks illustrated how even during tasks such as eating, studying was always on my mind because of my parents. Plus it's just an easy symbol for Westerners to understand (lol).

        After finalizing our designs for the patterns, our next challenge was to print the patterns onto wearable textiles. Although we could make the garments ourselves if we desired, I elected to use t-shirts because it would be easier to market to people that were interested.

Response to Visual Symposium #9

        Headed by Steve Mays with several guest speakers, this week's symposium regarded Illustration and the many fields that this art practice expands into. Illustration, while commonly thought of just the simple practice of drawing, has grown to encompass many purposes, including public consumption, journalism, politics, corporations, and more. Illustration has grown past the boundaries of medium, allowing it to be created by almost everyone using anything. Most illustrations are meant to capture fleeting moments through formalist notions that are inherently lyrical. The visual manifestation of poetry, illustration is boundless and transitory.
        Besides being personal expressions of style and visual poetry, illustration is a highly commercialized business. Illustrations appear in countless amounts of merchandise including calendars, corporate projects, government service projects, greeting cards, newsletters, in-house publications, and more. Despite the infinite range of products that illustration can serve, the most important aspects that affect illustration constantly remain perspective and lighting. While perspective can literally be defined to discuss the visual perspective of the artwork, it is also relevant in terms of the artist's vision and style. A lucrative tool, personal style can be used to define and artist's repertoire and allow them to be noticed within the artistic community.

Response to Visual Symposium #8

        Headed by Pauline Ferb, this week's symposium went over the ancient craft of fibers, and how through time, the boundaries between what are and aren't fiber works have begun to blur. This lack of barriers that once previously confined fibers to textile and weaving has been almost wholly removed due to the speed at which material rapidly develops.
        Fiber materials has come to encompass textiles and the material studies that surround it. The emphasis is greatly placed upon the study and creation of fiber strands. Control over the fiber strands would be achieved through the handmaking process, including fibers for paper, animal felts, and more. The study of fiber material has also come to encompass the ever expanding use of fiber in unconventional scenarios. Materials, such as felt, are being used in large buildings in order to control noise.
        But other than the study of the materials of the fiber, the most important aspect of fiber work is the process of creating the work. Because of its flexibility, many fibers artists are concerned with wind, movement, and the passage of time. Subjects have been juxtaposed for unique and contrasting effects, such as the placement of lace against software rendered fibers. Fibers can now be rendered using 3D sintering, which allows for a special powder to be fused together into fibers layer by layer. This allows for synthetic fibers, such as glowing conductive threads and programmable nitinol to be created.