Thursday, September 30, 2010

Monday, September 27, 2010

project 1: 4 examples of place as self

NOTE: My internet is not cooperating. I'm posting links, and I'll try to properly embed the images later.

To start furthest back chronologically, I find a connection to the luminist paintings of the Hudson River School, a collection of 19th century American artists who aspired to capture nature in all its honesty and beauty. The works of Heade, Church, and Cole have always piqued my interest, but I think this painting by Samuel Coleman best encapsulates what I love about 19th century American landscape painting:

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBqrfDHQ74fxVTmScHpw58jJb3MjOF6lfMIDYf3g8isC6zz8WI5bsYVzYaHAjoA5yIikHBO24aeTY4EpsQpM6vJzgQQGDtwinY8CzOMcgSkcpjCm-JoJa2KLbSBZyG2O9eOAr7WPMZqM4/s1600-h/Storm_King_on_the_Hudson.jpg

This painting shows the revolution of the century - Industrialization. It was a common foe of the Hudson River School mentality. In this picture, I see a sense of loss at the intrusion of modern, smoke-emitting technology in an otherwise serene landscape, but there is also the excitement of advancement. In these four samples of art, technology and science play a recurring theme, because my mind has always tilted in that direction. I am curious not just about the world, but specifically mankind's place in it, and the push and pull between how we affect the world and how it inspires us.

Okay, this is a bit of a leap, both chronologically and... in terms of realism, obviously:

http://myst5.com/images/mystgallery/myst_above_gears.jpg

This is a screenshot from the videogame Myst. I purposefully chose a screenshot with crude graphics, as opposed to the more refined graphics of the later games in the series, to explain that this was the blocky and unrefined imaginary world I essentially grew up in. No screenshot could convey the experience of playing - though exploring and analysing would be more accurate terms - in this game, which is quite literally a place made entirely by man - with both naturalistic and manmade structures within it. First-person adventure games like those of the early Myst series demonstrate man's ability to fully transport ourselves through imagination and technology. In this way, we can fully imagine ourselves through places - we have the capability of fabricating imagined places of our own. I find that this idea can be applied far less literally all over the world.

(THIS IS WHERE I RAN OUT OF TIME AND I WILL EDIT THIS LATER. I'll be going on to talk about "Do You Realize" by the Flaming Lips and developmental art from Pixar, specifically the work of Lou Romano. Ciao! <3)

Notations

“Cabbagetown”

Margaret Muller Kempson, 2008

Margaret, aka “Molly,” is an artist from Charleston, South Carolina who currently resides in Gainesville, Florida.  She graduated from Agnes Scott College with a degree in studio art in 2009 and continues to make artwork wherever and whenever she can, lately focusing on staining and painting wood.  This is one of her screen prints.

I chose this piece because I resided in Atlanta for a short period of time, but while I was there I witnessed two separate tornadoes.  This is from the first one, and shortly after the picture was taken the second struck.  I remember seeing Cabbagetown, which is a small community just shy of downtown, the day after the first tornado and I remembered when I was a child growing up in Reisterstown, Maryland when our neighborhood was also struck by a tornado; the mental images I have are somewhat similar of these two places that are hundreds of miles apart.

 

 

“Henryton”

Margaret Muller Kempson, 2009

This is the same artist as the first image.

Henryton is a very special place for me.  I grew up on the opposing side of the Patapsco River from Henryton and ever since I was a child, I was mystified and terrified at the same time by the abandoned institution.  1984 was the last time these buildings had seen any official business and by the time my friends and I began to explore the halls, it was 2002.  When we first arrived, we began spending every day exploring the buildings and there were only traces of human activity; a few shoes, a pillow, writing on the chalkboards that indicated the police had used it for training, etc.  By the time I had left for college, the place was nothing like what it used to be.  I returned after a few years at school only to discover that the theater had been burned down by arson and that was when it became painfully clear how time had worn down the place that I used to wander day and night with my friends.  This is an image of the Henryton Sanitorium after the fire had taken place.

 

 

 I have two songs to share because music is my favorite form of expression; however, since I can not post these I will bring them to class.

 

 

“Pompeii Mouth”

Esmeralda’s Eyes, 2009
Evan Chapman, Alex Jimeson, Mike Chappell

Esmeralda’s Eyes is a progressive rock trio from the Marriottsville, Maryland area and made their first debut at a talent show at Marriott’s Ridge High school back in 2008.  Shortly after, they started playing shows around Baltimore and saving up what little money they had earned.  After the summer ended, all their savings went straight towards studio time in Philadelphia with producer Justin Chapman to record a six track EP, and this song is from those studio sessions.

I chose this song because I know all of the people from this band and they are all good friends of mine.  I have grown up with some of them since the tender age of 6 and have explored Henryton with them and even played music with some of them and their older siblings over the years.  We all started playing music together and when I returned from Atlanta, they had just begun the process of writing their first songs.  I went to all of their shows and the music they played always corresponded to exactly what my friends and I were in search of.  This song is also a bit of an inside joke, so it holds a very special place in my heart.

“Mother and brother”

 Aaron Mirenzi, 2010

Aaron is a friend that I made here at school in the first few weeks of freshman year and we actually used to play music together back then.  However, we only garnish a few opportunities here and then to actually play together these days, and now Aaron has taken his music in his own direction and I believe this was the first recording he ever made.

This song has such a great feeling to it and I remember the first time that I saw Aaron perform this at a coffee house; I was blown away.  I had known that he was working on music and I definitely did not expect it to be bad, but I most certainly was not anticipating it to be this catchy and aloof even though I had heard Aaron play before (never a song he had finished writing, though).  He recorded this inside of the school’s library on the third floor and this song just makes me think of all the time that I have spent at this school growing into who I am today.


Project 01




Castle in the Sky

I love the sky and wind, and I always have, and there is an artist who shares the same appreciation for the sky, flying, and the wind as I, and that is the director Hayao Miyazaki. Miyazaki, most known for his movie Spirited Away, has had a fascination for the sky and flying his entire life, as he would doodle planes, zeppelins, and other flying machines his entire life, and even named his studio, Studio Ghibli, after the Ghibli, an Italian airplane model. His love for the sky and flying has definitely be reflected in his movies especially the movie this painting is from; Castle in the Sky. Though this picture has nothing to do with the actual storyline, I love this depiction of the sky, a woman (most likely a goddess) blowing the clouds along. I want to be that woman in the picture, overseeing the sky and blowing the clouds along. I love the wind; I love sailing and feeling the wind push you, even flying a kite is exciting to me. I have been utterly smitten by the sky and the wind. Even in third grade when we were all sharing what we wanted to be when we grew up, I didn’t say a teacher or a doctor, but I told the class that I wanted to be a witch, just so I could fly away on a broomstick. (Yeah, the class laughed at me…) I still wish that when a breeze rolls in, I can just lift right off the ground and go flying away with it.


Scotland the Brave - Song
When you said we needed to collect a piece of work concerning a place that is a part of us, bagpipes, fairies, and the Renaissance Festival were the first things that came to mind. Scotland the Brave, the unofficial Scottish national anthem, is one of the first things anyone thinks of when they think of Celtic, Scottish, and the Renaissance Festival. I can’t give much of a bio on it since the history of this song is very vague… Nonetheless, it represents everything I have been raised on; fairies, kilts, bagpipes, and other celtic folklore which was something I believe my entire childhood and even a little now even though I am an adult. I chose this specific rendition of it because it is played by my favorite band at the Renaissance Festival, thus this particular song holds a place in my heart and some of my favorite memories.




Saiho-Ji

Unfortunately, I cannot recreate this piece (but I do have a picture) as it is a Landscape Garden, also known as a Zen Garden located in Kyoto, Japan. It was first created around 710 – 794 by the Zen Buddhist Gyoki, and has been maintained ever since. The garden has of course changed though, and more recently has been known as “the moss garden”. These gardens are in fact works of art that are carefully put together by Zen Buddhist designers with very careful planning and just as careful maintenance. They are meant to be an escape from the world humans have created and be one with nature. I would escape to such places, the woods behind my home for example, to feel one with nature. I completely understand the meaning behind Saiho-Ji (and other landscape gardens) and that is; nature is where we were all born from, what we are a part of during our lives, and where we go when we die... and we should never forget that, and it is easy to forget in our busy lives on the computer, on the bus, trains, at school and work... This is the philosophy which I have been raised by, which is why I have added Saiho-Ji to my list of places.



Searching for Fireflies
This is a picture taken by my mother, Elaine Reinhold, who was a professional photographer for a while but has just recently began to do it more for recreation than for a career. When we watched Sally Mann, it reminded me much of my own mother as we have many pictures that are similar to Mann’s children. Just as her children would stop and pose, I too have gotten used to stopping and posing whatever I might be doing. This picture is one of my sister, Madeline Reinhold, walking down the street of my hometown, Frederick. This picture is very haunting to me as my mother took it and uploaded it a few days after I moved out for college. The dark lighting, my sister walking away from me, it’s as if this picture is symbolic of the life I once knew saying goodbye. Goodbye Frederick…

SOURCES

Untitled (The Red Room), by William Eggleston is probably my favorite image of all time. Eggleston was an artist who worked outside the artistically accepted medium of the time, (black and white photography) and instead chose to work in color, a medium reserved for commercial work. What I find most powerful about The Red Room is the sense of menace that emanates from the picture. I first saw it at the William Eggleston exhibition in the Corcoran, and to view it on a computer screen really does not do it justice.




McLean, Virginia by Joel Sternfeld is an image that continually manages to stun me. What might not be apparent from first viewing is that Sternfeld uses an 8 x 10 camera, a camera that takes upwards of 5 minutes to set up and focus. It is large and unwieldy, and yet somehow Sternfeld manages to take a perfect snapshot-esque picture. This is also a direct inspiration for me, because I am currently trying to work in large format color photography. However as I am finding out, the money factor practically discourages people from taking photographs like this.



The first photograph I chose for my Place as Self is Steer, Slaughterhouse, Amarillo, by Richard Avedon, from his book In the American West. I first took notice of this image about 2 years ago when my photography teacher left out the book and I was scanning through it. To put it simply this image stayed with me because it was way hardcore. I’m definitely drawn to things that explore themes of death.


The next source I chose is the visual aesthetic of the band Salem. Although they could hardly be considered influential aurally, the way they present themselves, and their image, is something numerous bands have hijacked. Salem combines disparate elements of black metal, hip hop, and white trash culture to come up with something entirely new. In a way Salem is a post-modern reinterpretation of the goth culture that first arose with bands like Joy Division and The Cure. Salem is quite similar to Steer by Avedon in that their aesthetic is formulated around the various concepts of death.


Another picture that I chose as a source for my Place as Self project is the Market Woman of Rissani, by Irving Penn. In a way this picture ties back to Salem and Steer by Avedon, in that it’s an exploration of darker themes. To me the women appear as a trio of shades, emulating the fates of Greek mythos. Irving Penn’s style of strict formalism has appealed to me, ever since my aunt gave my sister a book of fashion photography. Like a child sneaking candy, I would take the book from my sister’s room and gaze at the pictures taken by Avedon and Penn, and admire their strict still-lives.



Project 01: Sources

These first two pieces are by John Frederick Kensett. John Frederick Kensett was a 19th century landscape painter. He lived from 1816 to 1872.


This painting is named Sunset and it was made in 1872. When I saw this it made me feel like I was on a Caribbean cruise. The image is so calm and tranquil. It’s quite simple and plain, yet stunningly beautiful. The power that comes from the image’s simplicity amazes me. Also, sunsets have always been a place for me to think. It’s like they are the connection between reality and a dream world. Whenever I view a sunset I get lost in it, temporarily entranced in its beauty. I become something else like a placid lake or a cool breeze summer breeze. I am calm, at peace. In those few moments of bliss I forget that I have a body. I forget that ultimately, I’m firmly grounded on the Earth, in reality.


This painting is named Lake George and it was made in 1869. This particular image reminded me of the ski vacations that I had with my family every year. I was always awed by the majesty and curves of the mountain. The rugged, rough landscape both entranced and excited me. This painting brought me a quite different reaction that the sunset one. Even though it is tranquil, to me it is full of the energy that I experienced every time we drove up the mountains to the ski resort; the energy of looking out from the top of the mountain right before whipping my way down the slopes; the energy of feeling free as I viewed so far into the distance. The painting is the calm right before the storm, the tranquility right before the explosion.

Shadow of the Day by Linkin Park

My next piece is actually a song by Linkin Park called Shadow of the Day. Linkin Park is an American Rock Band. They formed in 1996 and have been making music ever since. Shadow of the Day was released in 2007.

I think the nature/sunset theme is beginning to become obvious. In the chorus of the song they say the words “And the shadow of the day, will embrace the world in grey. And the sun will set for you.” I take this phrase as bittersweet. The song is so beautiful and melodious, yet the lyrics are somewhat melancholy. Again, this reminded me of the state between dreams and reality, where reality begins to slip away and the world temporarily feels like a completely different place. It’s an escape. When they day wasn’t that great I just looked at the sunset and was taken away. As it set I became rejuvenated, a new person, ready to take on another day. The sun did set for me. It still does.


My last piece is actually Fallingwater made by Frank Lloyd Wright. Frank Lloyd Wright lived from 1867 to 1959. He was a great architect as well as a worshipper of nature. He created over a thousand art pieces in his lifetime. In Fallingwater, he flawlessly combined nature and architecture into one being. He Nature became part of the piece, and the piece part of it. In my life, nature represents many sides of me as well as being my source of inspiration. I can’t live without it. I notice the trees, the water, the air. Even my bedroom is made to look like it is outside with its Hawaiian theme. In my life, one flows into the other just as nature flows into over and around the house.

Art Project Inspirations

These first two pieces are by John Frederick Kensett. John Frederick Kensett was a 19th century landscape painter. He lived from 1816 to 1872.

Description: http://www.metmuseum.org/Imageshare/ap/large/ap74.37.jpg

This painting is named Sunset and it was made in 1872. When I saw this it made me feel like I was on a Caribbean cruise. The image is so calm and tranquil. It’s quite simple and plain, yet stunningly beautiful. The power that comes from the image’s simplicity amazes me. Also, sunsets have always been a place for me to think. It’s like they are the connection between reality and a dream world. Whenever I view a sunset I get lost in it, temporarily entranced in its beauty. I become something else like a placid lake or a cool breeze summer breeze. I am calm, at peace. In those few moments of bliss I forget that I have a body. I forget that ultimately, I’m firmly grounded on the Earth, in reality.

Description: http://www.metmuseum.org/Imageshare/ap/large/DT84.jpg

This painting is named Lake George and it was made in 1869. This particular image reminded me of the ski vacations that I had with my family every year. I was always awed by the majesty and curves of the mountain. The rugged, rough landscape both entranced and excited me. This painting brought me a quite different reaction that the sunset one. Even though it is tranquil, to me it is full of the energy that I experienced every time we drove up the mountains to the ski resort; the energy of looking out from the top of the mountain right before whipping my way down the slopes; the energy of feeling free as I viewed so far into the distance. The painting is the calm right before the storm, the tranquility right before the explosion.

Shadow of the Day by Linkin Park

My next piece is actually a song by Linkin Park called Shadow of the Day. Linkin Park is an American Rock Band. They formed in 1996 and have been making music ever since. Shadow of the Day was released in 2007.

I think the nature/sunset theme is beginning to become obvious. In the chorus of the song they say the words “And the shadow of the day, will embrace the world in grey. And the sun will set for you.” I take this phrase as bittersweet. The song is so beautiful and melodious, yet the lyrics are somewhat melancholy. Again, this reminded me of the state between dreams and reality, where reality begins to slip away and the world temporarily feels like a completely different place. It’s an escape. When they day wasn’t that great I just looked at the sunset and was taken away. As it set I became rejuvenated, a new person, ready to take on another day. The sun did set for me. It still does.

Description: http://blog.lib.umn.edu/garnt002/architecture/fallingwater.jpg

My last piece is actually Fallingwater made by Frank Lloyd Wright. Frank Lloyd Wright lived from 1867 to 1959. He was a great architect as well as a worshipper of nature. He created over a thousand art pieces in his lifetime. In Fallingwater, he flawlessly combined nature and architecture into one being. He Nature became part of the piece, and the piece part of it. In my life, nature represents many sides of me as well as being my source of inspiration. I can’t live without it. I notice the trees, the water, the air. Even my bedroom is made to look like it is outside with its Hawaiian theme. In my life, one flows into the other just as nature flows into over and around the house.

PROJECT_01: SOURCES

Woman On a Beach

Beau Lark

Beau Lark is a photographer, from a search on the web I learned that he’s done a lot of work with travel photography. I got this pict

ure from corbisimages.com, and couldn’t find the date it was taken.

I chose this photograph because I felt like it represents how I feel about shoes, and barriers in life- once you take them off, or strike them down; y

ou can experience the world more directly. Being barefoot, you can touch things more directly. When you touch with your hands, you think very specifically about what you’re touching, and why.

When you touch with your feet, you interact with your surroundings more immediately. I try to act like this-

I don’t like to hide behind expressions or judgments, and that way I can experience people or situations for what they really are.

1.

April: The Birds ca. 1907-1930

Rie Cramer

Rie Cramer, 1887-1977, was a Dutch artist illustrator. She attended art school in the Netherlands at age seventeen, and

illustrated many fairy tal

es. She also made costumes, postcards, signs, pottery, and wrote plays.

The girl in this drawing is part of “April,” and early spring. She’s making music with the birds, and feeling the snowy ground with her feet. I felt like that since she was really being part of the spring, letting it touch her, she was feeling it so much better than someone with rainboots or shoes.

Painter in His Studio

This image is from corbisimages.com, there was no photographer listed.

In this photograph, the painter’s feet have become part of his studio. They’re splattered with paint, he is stepping on paint, and in that way he’s become part of his own artwork. He’s thrown himself into what he’s trying to achieve, and let himself be one with it. That’s a quality that I try to possess.

Girl Collecting Rocks

This photograph also came from corbisimages.com; the photographer was listed as “Meeke.” There was no first name or dates.

The little barefooted girl is playing with the rocks, and she’s totally immersed in touching them and gathering them. I liked this picture because the girl was touching the rocks with her feet- and she was very unconcerned with the camera. I’m sure she was aware it was there, but she was playing with the rocks without worrying about what the photography would look like. I try be unconcerned, too- to experience things on my terms, without wondering what others will see.


Project_01: Sources

Frida Kahlo, 1932: http://www.pageforkids.com/wp-content/uploads/frida-kahlo-border-between-mexico-united-states-1932-300x257.jpg

Frida Kahlo was born in Mexico in 1907. Her work is known or its very vivid colors, and use of symbols. Frida’s culture and Mexican pride have always been very evident in her work. I was particularly interested in her use of symbols to convey this cultural appreciation. The symbols inspired me to try and use smaller symbols within my overall piece to tell separate stories, within the work. In Frida’s piece, she is effectively showing her home, along with America. The alliance with Mexico is particularly strong in this piece. Not only is she holding a Mexican flag, but even her body language seems to suggest her preference. I then wanted to include myself in my piece. I obviously did not do this in such an apparent way, but I thought my own presence in the work would help to convey how much the place I’m representing means to me.

Greg Otto, 2005: http://www.montgomerypark.com/img/inside-history.jpg

Greg Otto used to be a television announcer, before he started making art. He started out making more abstract drawing, but didn’t end up making Baltimore-inspired art until 1978. Those works and this piece in particular are vibrantly colored paintings representing places all around Baltimore. I was attracted to this piece, because I like the way he took a monument in Baltimore, but made it his own my adding brilliant colors, and therefore much more whimsical feel. Like Otto, I wanted to try and use vivid colors in my piece about Baltimore. I also liked the playful feel that Otto gives to these places in Baltimore. I then tried to do that with my own Baltimore piece, by adding colors, shapes, and patterns that I can identify with.

Maggie Taylor, 2000: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKSlPQkXdGOSDDRitLYkCAWQUoc6LjP1-VK-ia2pNOiYSP8SAJRtImUMlvlgkzejtKOhJDgu5a_ZnPq9zi5hZ60YovOwH4oa5nkmdCB9dsPz8CNHGv4KQHAD-HXDzjiZvVNblx1D8lb8Q/s400/maggie-taylor.jpg

Maggie Taylor is an artist who primarily works with Photoshop to create surrealistic images. She was born in 1961 in Ohio. Her works usually involves many different layers. I like that she creates places that are recognizably realistic, but creates places that are her own by adding a touch of fantasy, and mystery. Like her art, I wanted to create a composite image, where most of the work was finalized in Photoshop. I also wanted to represent Baltimore, but also make it my own by adding fantastical aspects.

Valeska Populoh, 2009: http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1122/3173011274_d8937b9a82.jpg?v=0
Valeska is an artist, and teacher in Baltimore. She teacher in the fiber department at MICA. Valeska was inspired by Baltimore, and it being one of America’s post-industrial cities. These pieces come from her dreams as well as some information found about the city’s history. I loved her use of mixed media in this piece, and wanted to incorporate that into my own work. Like the other artists, Valeska shows a Baltimore through her eyes, and in turn, reveals much about herself. She takes a gritty cityscape, and makes it much more colorful, and story-like.

Project 1 Sources

For the first part of my project, I decided to choose four images that represent places that I have visited.  I thought this would be the best way to compile a "self-portrait" because each place I chose means a lot to me and has helped shape me into the person I am today.


1989.39.1_1a.jpg


My first image is entitled "Dark Eddy, Delaware River" an ektacolor photograph print by Joe Maloney.  I chose the Delaware as one of my four places because I have spent a considerable amount of time on the Delaware River throughout my seven summers as a camp counselors.  I have many memories, good and bad, about the time I have spent on the Delaware.  Though not all of my experiences have been positive on the river, the negative experiences have helped me become a stronger and smarter person.  I particularly liked this print because it was very vivid and clear, as opposed to the paintings I found.  I also like this picture because I feel connected to it.  Though a lot of places on the Delaware look identical to a different spot 50 miles downstream, it's cool to think that I might have come across this exact spot.  



BoathouseRowFall.JPG.jpg


My second choice is an iconic image of the city of Philadelphia.  The painting is appropriately entitled "Boathouse Row, Fall View".  It is an "iris print" or giclee by Elaine Lisle, an artist native of Philadelphia.  Boathouse Row, located on the Schuylkill River, is a beautiful and unique landmark of Philadelphia that I enjoy passing on my way in and out of the city.  I picked this image because it also incorporates fall, the season I enjoy most in Philly.  Finally, I picked this image because I wanted to represent all the time I spent in Philadelphia before I came to St. Mary's and how it has shaped me into the person I am at school.  


artwork_images_131432_545773_waltervaned-prescher.jpg


My third image is an oil painting by Walter van Ed Prescher entitled "Paris-Bridge over River Seine" (cice 1962-1968).  This painting represents a trip I took to Paris several years ago.  hazy Though it was not an extremely long trip, it helped me gain a worldly perspective to which I still hold on today.  Though there are many images I could have chosen of Paris, The Seine, or even Notre Dame, this one caught my attention.  I chose this style of painting because it is most representative of my memories of Paris.  Because my experiences in Paris are the least clear out of my four images, I chose represent this through the cloudy aesthetic of this oil painting.  Though many people would be able to tell that this is an image of the Notre Dame and the Seine, it is not as clear as a photograph or painting of a different medium.  


SanRiverwalk.jpg


My final image is an acrylic painting entitled "San Antonio Riverwalk" by a Dallas artist named Janice Howell.  This painting represents a trip I took to San Antonio with my lacrosse team three years ago.  This trip was important to me for many reasons.  It was the first time I really got to know the people on the team and it was also the first time I had traveled to the South.  My experiences with both new people and new places was exciting and intimidating.  I picked this painting for a couple reasons.  First, it is painted by a native Texan.  I think the style and colors of the painting show that it was done by someone who is familiar with the area.  I also chose it because it reminds me of a lot of the art I saw while in San Antonio.  Overall, it was the best representation of my trip and the things I experienced there.  

Self as a Metaphor: Project #1

Raining in Baltimore:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gEnCxGh8kBg

Source: Counting Crows: Album: August and Everything (1993)

This song is meaningful to me as it uses the city of Baltimore as its reference. Because I grew up in Baltimore, this song has a lot of meaning for me. I love how the Counting Crows use the idea of a raining city to show emotions. There are noises and conversations going on but the singer doesn’t have anything to say or contribute. He feels alone and lost, wanting a “phone call,” “plane ride.” I particularly love how he says he would like a sun-burn as it is used in a metaphorical sense, meaning he would like a change in atmosphere, a change in life. I feel a connection with this song as it evokes certain emotions, not only through the lyrics but the overall tempo. For example, this is not a type of song that I would blare with my sunroof and windows down. Rather, this song creates a certain mood and is fit to play at certain points of my life, when correlating emotions exist within myself.

When I looked for sources for this project I thought about the place at which I am at now. I am at a place, currently, that I have been at for four years, a place of comfort. However, emerging around the corner is a time of decision and question. I ask myself, do I want to move to Baltimore, and do what is comfortable? Or, would I feel similar emotions to this artist and wish for a change from the comfort, long for a “sunburn.” Will I feel a sense of rain or loneliness if I am missing the “big world” as the singer states that is outside the comfort zone (Baltimore) of what I have known for 21 years. What places will feel like home to me? Through this song I think about the literal place of where I want to live and I think about the “place” that I am in within my life as I am faced with these new decisions.


Source #2
(This picture is not uploading, from my computer and there is no link because it is my own personal copy)

Jaco, Costa Rica Painting

Source: Friend’s Painting (Fall 2009)

When I studied in Costa Rica in Fall of 2009, I met amazing people from all over the country and had the opportunity to travel with them. On one trip, I traveled with two friends to a beach called Jaco. When we arrived to the small town and got off the bus it was the time of sunset and the three of us ran to the beach to get a glimpse. The site was beautiful and the colors illuminating from the sun were indescribable. That particular weekend and my entire trip in Costa Rica was a time of personal growth and knowledge. This trip opened my eyes to the opportunities in the world, outside the state of Maryland and even the country. Before the trip ended my friend painted one of the sunsets from our trip to Jaco. She was able, in my opinion, to capture, to a great degree, the beautiful colors and feeling behind the sun. From the painting, I am brought back to that particular sunset and moment in time.
From the brilliant colors within the painting and the sunset, I correlate my future. I see a brilliant yellow, which signifies opportunity, idealism, and promise in my future. The Blue, to me, means the tranquility, peace and calmness that I hope to acquire throughout life. The reds and pinks throughout the painting signify the love and beauty from friendships, relationships, etc., that I hope to have throughout my life by keeping an open heart. Though I believe this is a beautiful painting in general, it holds a particular significance for me, of growth and experience. As I look at the painting, I think about the place that I was at, the literal place, Jaco, Costa Rica. I also think about the place that I am at in life where I am looking into my future and hope to have these brilliant colors that are reflected in the sunset.



Source #3:

Google Images Photo:
Source: Google Images-Screen Savers “Energy”

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_2UbsSBz9ckE/SvwywfzqfII/AAAAAAAAAck/e85VOFqwS_s/s1600-h/Positive_Energy_1920+x+1200+widescreen.jpg

I found this image by simply searching the google engine site. When I stumbled across the digitally created image, I could not believe how much it expressed the emotions I am feeling in one piece. In this picture there is a girl standing across the grasses, smaller than anything else in the picture. Above the girl is an image of the earth in the clouds. Therefore, when she stands up and looks around her, she would most likely feel small, but appreciate the colors around her. For example, there is beautiful almost “too perfect” grass around her. To me, this represents the truth, ease, that will come from this journey she is about to embark upon. Within the photo there is a tree and a flower that stand out with vibrant reds and oranges. Related to the sunset that I picked for source two, these colors signify the love, courage, power, the girl will obtain along her journey. Also, her journey in general, seems to by endless with opportunity. There is no designated path that she must take, there are endless greens, and some that meet rivers she may have to cross, others leading to other places. However, from where the girl is standing, the fields are open and the direction is not preselected.
When I look at this picture, I see myself, especially at the place I am at in life right now. The girl seems to have the world at her fingertips, with endless opportunity (shown through the brilliant colors that fill the image). I see a representation of myself, the colors and opportunities I will come across, as well as the decisions I will have to make about which path and direction to take as I transition into the real world.


Source #4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Am7EI5tdaX4

Song: Feels like Home. Artist: Chanal Kreviazuk: Under These Rocks and Stones: 1996

This song uses the place of home as its inspiration and reference. However, the artist does not use the literal place of home. Rather, she is discussing the feeling of home. Rather than being actually home, she gains the feeling of home through a relationship. This artwork holds a similar meaning for me as the previous three. As I mentioned, I am approaching a time in my life of uncertainty. I am about to enter the real world. I do not know what city I will call home for the next few years. I am unsure about where I will end up, will it be Baltimore, where I have called home for 21 years or will it be somewhere else? However, I hope to seek the feeling of home in my journey, through relationships.

This song also reminds me of my abroad experience to Costa Rica. During my stay, I lived with a Costa-Rican family. Throughout the time I lived there, I gained familiar relationships that made me feel at home. When I had to leave, I cried because I felt I was leaving home, (though I was actually headed toward home). Additionally, because my studies are mainly based on Culture and Language, I really appreciate this work because it compares relationships and “people” to the feeling of being home, in a physical “place.”

Project_01: Sources

Cottonwood Lake, Wahsatch Mountains; July, 1989
Timothy H. O'Sullivan, North American; American, Born: Ireland, Died: US, NY, Staten Island, 1882
Exihibited: T.H. O'Sullivan Photographer, US, NY, Rochester, GEH -, 1966.//
mount-recto (letterpress) U.S. Engineer Department. Geological
Data From: George Eastman House


This photograph of the Wahsatch Mountains reminds me of the cross-country camping trips my grandparents would take me on. Since there's hardly anything to do in my hometown, camping allowed me to get out and experience more of the world first-hand. The lake and boat in this photo bring back memories of when we would go fishing off the docks at my grandparents' house in Florida. As we got older the camping trips ceased and we moved on, but the experiences remain.


Old studio saxaphone stands with Egyptian embellishment. -Recording studio #10; April 25, 1977
Robert Cumming, North American; American, Born: US, MA, Worcester, 1943
print recto-(printed) 'Old studio saxaphone stands with Egyptian embellishment.'
Data From: George Eastman House


My father is a professional surround sound engineer, and thus I've been influenced by the audio world ever since I was born. Over the years I've helped set up and manage a few gigs at churches, but the biggest project was when the concept of podcasts was just beginning. I became a sort of guinea pig because hardly anyone had an idea about what makes a good podcast, and it was a potential new market. Thus, every week or so I recorded a five to ten minute podcast in our studio. It went over well and led me to interviewing significant people from all over the world. I would have never thought that I could speak to aerospace engineers or professors from universities in Europe from a phone line in a recording studio, but I did and it showed me that much more is possible than I originally thought.


Mrs. Cobb standing underneath a large tree, her children in her arms. Cobb is looking down at them; a stone wall is to their right.; n.d. (circa 1920-1926)
Beals, Jessie Tarbox (New York, N.Y.)
Photograph Number: PC60-101-9
Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America (Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study, Harvard University)
Data From: The Schlesinger History of Women in America Collection
Folder Number: 101
Folder Title: Portraits: Identified portraits: men, women, children, n.d.: Cobb--Cornoyer [15-5]
Collection Number: PC60
Collection Name: Beals, Jessie Tarbox
Collection Title: Photographs, 1896-1941 (inclusive)


The scenery in this photograph looks almost exactly like the stone wall and tree in my backyard, so the place represented here is my home. Of note is the woman with her children, a simple family but perhaps missing something. Early in my life my father would be gone for weeks at a time because he teaches all over the country, so my mother was a greater influence then. In recent years my father has reworked his schedule so he only has to leave for a weekend at a time, and I feel the family has grown stronger because of that.



Alt link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Qh-8ZMoLeY
Lyrics: http://www.sing365.com/music/lyric.nsf/ball-of-confusion-lyrics-the-temptations/5ce42244ebdfe10448256d8f0028a6b7

A ball of confusion... that's what the world is today. Truly, with all of the rapid advancement in technology and globalization, our lives get exceedingly hectic and we can never tell what will happen next. There's just too much changing too quickly. But when "next" happens, we instantly know about it, along with everything that could be vaguely related. The lives of celebrities, wars overseas, how other countries react to the invasion of McDonald's... there's so much going on in the world and only recently have we been exposed to it on this level. I feel so clichéd by saying this, but I remember when times were simpler, when the internet wasn't mainstream and when cell phones didn't exist. This song is important to me because I feel that the world has become a true ball of confusion and I can relate in a way. I've seen so many changes over my lifetime that this song still holds true today.

PROJECT_01:SOURCE


















This was originally painted by Gustave Moreau in 1865. Gustave was a french painter, and much of his work dealt with biblical figures. This particular piece is a woman carrying the head of Orpheus on his lyre.




In the mythical story, Orpheus loses his love to death. He follows her into the depths of the underworld, in order to get her back. Not to say that I have been to hell and back for a girl, but most of us can say we have been to some pretty scary places in the name of love. I tend to jump into those places, and prefer not to look back with regret. Orpheus unfortunately did.


Michelangelo was the original painter of the piece in 1511. He was a Renaissance painter, and was hired do draw images from the book of genesis. This particular image is of the connection between adam and god.

All theological perspectives aside, this image is significant for sense of place. In this case, place is the position one has in the moral community. In this scene, god created man (adam) as the sole member of the community. This split should however not be implied as a Divine gift, but as a difference in capacities between man and nature. Although I am not christian, I do believe that we as humans are the entities that can place ourselves in the moral community. I then project this belief in how I view places and scenarios.



Source: Espn pictures, Roy Jones V. Bernard Hopkins (II). Artist: Roy (Captain Hook) Jones Jr./ Bernard (B-Hop) Hopkins. This photo was taken shortly before April 2, 2010. Features two aged legends of the sport, about to do battle.


I chose this piece to signify myself, because much of what i do is to avoid this place. This place is the cross road of dissonance of the mind, and insignificance. I began boxing shorty after witnessing the utter dominance of Roy Jones Jr. Much of my style, guard, and preferred weight class was structured after him. Essentially, I was in the right place when following his footsteps. Unfortunately, age and wear hit my hero. Poor planning, and a worse portfolio left this champion with nothing but faded dreams. This recent fight signifies the place no boxer wants to be...beltless and descending.

Persistence of Memory by Salvador Dali 1931. Born in Figueres. Salvador Dali was a surrealist painter.
Regardless of what the picture may have been designed to express, my own interpretation is that there are places were time is wasted. To say that least, a lot of my time has been spent in places of luxury and ultimate waste. I tend to get sidetracked on projects that lead to fun new experiences, but ultimately don not progress me as a person. Between crosstraining, sports in general, and videogames, a lot of time gets put to no use.























Project_01: Sources

Lyrics to Theme from Cheers by Titus Andronicus: I need a timeout, I need an escape from reality, Or else I need eternal darkness and death, I need an exit strategy. down in North Carolina, I could have been a productive member of society, But these New Jersey cigarettes and all they require have made a fucking junkie out of me. So give me a Guinness, give me a Keystone Light, Give me a kegger on a Friday night. Give me anything but another year in exile. I need a whiskey, I need a whiskey right now. God knows how many times I've said this before, But I really don't feel like doing this anymore.

Hey everyone,
For my first image, I give you The Misfits.You see, I come from New Jersey.
This place is the home of two of the artists featured in this project. The first is the Misfits. I chose The Misfits to represent a part of me because I hated the staus quo in my home town. I grew up with so many disgusting people that I was filled with anger for much of my childhood. I've seen brutal violence, racism, betrayal, and much more. I've seen people get so brutalized by the kids I grew up with that they have to skip town...and that includes teachers. So I intentionally chose not to get involved with my home culture and my own people. To be a misfit was my place in the world for a long time.

Isolation. I found this image on a wbsite about depression and
I couldn't find any direct citations to the photographer, so
here's the website at least. I chose this image because it really
characterizes how I felt for the great majority of my life.






The third and fourth pieces are linked. This painting is
'Landscape with the Fall of Icarus' by Brueghel. The
painting applies perspective really well to show an entire
world of activity from the POV of a single man.
Icarus is actually not the focus of the painting, but he is still
there. I found out about this painting from my favorite
band, Titus Andronicus. They hail from Glen Rock, NJ and
a lot of their music seems to be tailor-made for me. They
have a lot of anger and nihilism that seem to be inspired
by the same features of our common upbringing
that drives my decisions and the work I do. The painting
strikes me because despite Icarus trying to fly so high and
falling to his tragic death, his folly is really insignificant
to the rest of the world. That's kind of the thing nobody realized when I was young. They all thought that if they act like gangsters or beat the shit out of each other, they're important. Nobody really understood me when I tried to explain that there's more to life than selling drugs or cutting class to smoke cigarettes. Nobody cares, you aren't important. Why would you do terrible things for the wrong reasons? You'll all be forgotten and you certainly aren't martyrs. By ruining your life by never thinking past high school, you've done nothing but damn yourself. Since I grew up knowing that 98% of my peers are perfectly intelligent people who are so wholly possessed by consumerist bullshit and shortsightedness while I realized from as early as I can remember how stupid their behavior is, I felt like an old man. It was impossible for me to deal with being around people who I knew would never grow up, and most of them still haven't.


i have a song but idk how to post it so i'll just bring my comp to class

Sunday, September 26, 2010

Project_ 01: Source

Source: http://www.terraamericanart.org/collection/initiatives/group?key=1616

The first artwork I chose is a painting by Karl Anderson, called Tennis Court at Hotel Baudy. Anderson was one of the many artists who worked in an artists’ colony in Giverny. Artists worked there frequently between 1885 and 1915, with this particular piece being done in 1910. Anderson and others came to the artists’ colony for many reasons, including plen air painting and social opportunities. Famous artist Monet had also worked there, which increased its appeal to other artists.
There were many reasons I felt I saw aspects of myself in this painting. When I first looked at the tennis players portrayed, I noticed that, in comparison to the people on the sidelines, they seem to be painted a lighter color, and appear to be less clear. It looks like Anderson painted them this way because of how the sunlight was actually shining on them. However, I decided to look at this aspect in a more symbolic way. The fact that the tennis players appear less colorful and less focused makes them seem separate from the other people, like they are off in their own world. This reminded me of how I occasionally feel somewhat disconnected from what is going on around me, especially if I am really focused on a particular thought or task. A somewhat more literal interpretation of this painting is my memory of playing tennis for my high school’s team. I saw tennis as an escape from the stress and trouble of the rest of my daily routine. I felt that playing tennis made me temporarily separated from things I did not like, but made me more closely connected to my teammates and the game. Being on that team was one of the best experiences of my life, and I was glad to find a painting that reminded me of how I felt then.

Another artwork I picked is the painting The Starry Night by Vincent Van Gogh. Van Gogh was born March 30th, 1853, in Holland. His paintings were in the style of impressionism, which involved using bold colors and depicting outdoor scenes. Van Gogh was mentally instable throughout his life. He was an artist for ten years, before committing suicide. Starry Night had been painted from memory, in 1889. It’s one of his most famous paintings.
This painting reminds me more of a dream than an actual place, because it is based on something real, yet appears partly unrealistic. The tall objects in front, as well as the hills in the back, are very dark, mysterious, and creepy. The sky, on the other hand, is filled with bright, colorful lights, but still is a bit mysterious because they are not realistic. I think the painting symbolically reminds me of when my mind makes the dark, eerie things in my life seem worse, and when it makes the good, bright things seem brighter.

Image source http://www.vangoghgallery.com/catalog/Painting/508/Starry-Night.html
Info Source http://personal.monm.edu/closey/
Another artwork I picked is a painting called Free Spirit by Christian Riese Lassen. He is from Hawaii. His paintings are usually of beach scenes and ocean animals.
I really liked this image because of the bright colors and beautiful setting. The painting is very detailed, and the water looks very realistic. The picture looks like something out of a fairy tale, but it also looks like a scene that could have happened in reality. I really enjoy art that looks like something you would not see everyday. I enjoy the feeling that I have temporarily escaped from boring, typical sights, and found something more beautiful. The picture is very relaxing, and takes me away from the images which make me feel stressed.The tropical setting looks like somewhere you could go for a vacation.

http://lassentile.com/html/about_lassen.html

Another artwork I chose is a song called “Dare You to Move” by Switchfoot. The band was formed in 1996, gaining popularity in 2003. Some of their most well-known songs include “Stars,” “Dare You to Move,” and “Meant to Live.”
This song reminds me of the place where I am right now in my life; college, which involves a lot of changes and transitions. Two of the lines in the first verse are “welcome to existence” and “everybody’s watching you now.” This makes me think of how being in college brings people closer to being involved in the “real world” and having a career. Another lyric questions “what happens next?” This makes me think of the uncertainty I have felt in college about what my future will be like. I am currently at a place where I do not know for certain what classes I will take after first semester, what kind of job I will end up getting, how successful I will be in life, ect. Another lyric that caught my attention is “between who you are and who you could be, between how it is and how it should be.” This reminds me of how college is a place where I could change much over the next four years, hopefully for the better. Maybe the person I am today is not prepared for life after St. Mary’s College, but hopefully the person I will be when I graduate will be prepared. The lyric used in the title and the chorus is “dare you to move.” These words are as inspirational as they are challenging, asking the listener to move on to accomplish something in their lives.
Source: Album “The Beautiful Letdown” released 2/25/2003

Project 01: Sources

Photobucket
Claude Monet's Water Lillies (1908).

Claude Monet (1840 -1926) was an extremely influential French impressionist painter. He is known for his landscapes and unique depictions of nature.

Monet painted this with influence from his actual garden that he had put together. I chose this painting, because of its beauty and because it gives off a sense of peacefulness. Whenever I feel stressed or just need some time to think, I like to go out for a walk on the scenic path behind my house. Along this path, there are many flowers, trees, bushes, and so on. This painting made me think of my walks on that path and how just the beauty and simplicity of nature brings peace and comfort to me.


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Trey Ratcliff's Rush Hour in Seoul (2006).

Trey Ratcliff is a photographer that is well-known for his travel photography blog and is the first photographer to have an HDR (high dynamic range) photo hung in the Smithsonian. His background in computer science influences his particular style of photography.

As in the title, this photo is of Seoul, South Korea during rush hour. The traffic in South Korea is comparable to any major city in the United States (i.e. New York City). I chose this photograph, because this is a place that I spent much of my life in. Also, the use of HDR imaging makes the photo really interesting to look at. This photograph is much like my mental picture of looking outside down at the streets from the balcony of my apartment. It may not be the exact street that I looked out to, but it is very similar.

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Mario Testino (2010)

Mario Testino is a Peruvian fashion photographer. He has worked with many celebrities and the British Royal Family. Also, he has been key photographer for many luxury brands, such as, Burberry, Gucci, and Valentino.

I first saw this photo in V magazine and even without reading the caption, I knew it was representative of New York and was a Mario Testino photograph. Lady Gaga is wearing a very avant garde Statue of Liberty costume and is being pushed in a shopping cart by Marc Jacobs. This photoshoot included many other inspiring New Yorkers, but I enjoyed this particular photo. This photo does not remind me of a place in New York that is significant to me, but of how fashion can also represent a place.

The Hush Sound - We Intertwined
The Hush Sound's We Intertwined (2006).

The Hush Sound is an indie band from Illinois. The band members are Bob Morris (vocals, guitar), Mike Leblanc (vocals, bass), Greta Salpeter (vocals, piano), Darren Wilson (vocals, drums), and at the time this song, Chris Faller was also a member.

This song is about a person whose dreams with his ex-lover are happier than his actual life. As the song ends, the singer also realizes that these dreams are representative of the memories with his ex-lover and he will always have his memories. I chose this song, because it made me think of how we dream of all sorts of places and spaces. They may be happy, scary, sad, confusing, and so on, but these places that are in our dreams are our own creative though processes and images.

Project 01 SOURCE








Artist: Sally Mann; #1 Scarred Tree, 1998. Sally Mann (born May 1, 1951) is an American photographer known for her black and white photography of both southern landscapes and her children using large format cameras.

I chose this image as an example of self-portrait because I feel that it is

the imperfections in the tree that make it an interesting space to be in, just as I feel that it is the imperfections in me (and, really, in anyone) that makes them interesting to know or be around, just as it is the imperfections in any space that makes it an interesting place.

Artist: Vincent Van Gogh; “Starry Night over the R

hone”, September 1888. Vincent Van Gogh (March 30th, 1853 – July 29th, 1890) was a Dutch post-Impressionist painter. His works had lasting influence into the 20th century for their bright colors and emotional impact.

I chose “Starry Night over the Rhone” as an example of self-portrait because I’m kind of a “night owl.” I don’t have a particular favorite place, but any place by the water at night under the stars would be my favorite kind of place because I feel like seeing a place at night under the light of the stars romanticizes a place, and makes it a far more interesting space than it is during the day time.










Artist: George Grie; Title Unknown, date unknown. George Grie (born May 14, 1962) is a Russian-Canadian artist. He is one of the first digital neo-surrealist artists and is known for many 2D, 3D, and matte painting images. He is heavily influenced by the work of Salvador Dali.

To me this image represents a melding of place and self. Despite the stark background in the image, it reminds me of the feeling I get when I’ve found a place that really suits me, whether it’s the perfect spot for studying in the library or a great spot to just relax by the waterfront. When I find a place that I’m really comfortable in, I feel like I kind of “meld” with it.










Artist: Rene Magritte; “Personal Values” 1952. Rene Magritte (21 November 1898 – 15 August 1967) was a well-known Belgian surrealist artist who was known for his witty and thought provoking images.

I chose Magritte’s “Personal Values” as an example of self-portrait because I feel that it’s the little objects and odds and ends that make a space into a place. The large, obvious objects help you to understand what the place is, but it’s the smaller bits and pieces that give that place depth; for example, in “Personal Values”, we can tell that it’s obviously meant to be a bedroom, but Magritte has purposefully under emphasized the obvious objects of a bedroom (i.e. the bed, the wardrobe) and has enlarged the clutter/odds and ends that truly make that place personalized instead of just a room (the comb, makeup brush, etc.).