Two ordinary things that come together to make somthing great.

The show is called "Made by the Man" and is by J.Casey Doyle. I have seen paintings, sculptures, pottery, and photos, but I haven't seen ribbons woven into tapestries. These ornate pieces were displayed on the walls and one could almost see the hours of work that created such beautiful pieces. Although the pieces varied in color and style, they were all very large and delicate.

When walking in I could not help to be amazed by the large royal purple woven creation that filled the gallery's wall. I saw the picture of this piece, but I did not think it would be so large. It was almost overwhelming. My eyes were consumed by the purple creation. It looked like something out of a fairytale. But as I searched it further I saw a little ribbon that stuck out from the piece. This captured my attention, because of that little mistake, I could see that it was not entirely perfect. It was made by a man.

I feel like this idea might be the meaning of the work. It is almost appalling that a man can sit down and actually create something so great. Also, it is interesting to see how ordinary, tacky ribbon can create such a awe inspiring work of art. Basically, two ordinary, everyday things came together to make the viewer feel insignificant and ironically, ordinary. The title is pretty plain, it does not explain anything about the person. But the ribbon itself is fascinating. Usually ribbon gets stuck on a gift, but is literally forgotten after it is ripped apart. To see it made into something amazing, is overly interesting. In my opinion, I feel like the artist was trying to show the viewer the potential of everyday things and what man is capable of.

Work in Progress! :)

This is just a taste of my final project. Hopefully, these pictures will be printed on dictionary paper and near the words that the subjects thought described themselves. I want to see how words and meanings can relate to someone. Also, can a person embody a whole meaning by just their looks. I also want to address the idea, "If I looked up___ in the dictionary, I would find your picture next to it". The purpose of the pictures literally give an illustration to the dictionary meaning that encompass the person's personality. 

I do not wish to have to matte this prints, however, what do you guys think? 

I have to finish getting people's pictures and editing. I have schedule some time to print and then hopefully be ready to see my work on the art gallery's wall! :) Soooo excited! 

Postmodernism at its finest

1.) According to Andy Grundberg’s  Crisis of the real, postmodernism is “in its art and theory, is a reflection of the conditions of our time.”  (Grundberg, 165) He goes on to explain that how postmodernism was defined in different mediums in art. All mediums have a different interpretation and style postmodernism. For example in architecture, “postmodernism is involved with redecorating the stripped-down elements of architectural modernism, thereby restoring some of the emotional complexity and spiritual capacity that the best buildings seem to have.” (Grundberg,165) This definition of postmodernist architecture would not be exactly the same as the definition of other postmodernist art. Grunberg states, “The same condition exists in music, and in literature-each defines its postmodernism in relation to its own peculiar modernism.” (Grundberg, 166) I believe that postmodernism is a critique of modernist art, explanation of the new age, and represents art of its own style.

 

 2.) One main characteristic of postmodernist photography is the “self-conscious awareness of being a camera based and camera bound culture.” (Grundberg, 170) Also, postmodernist photography came from “assembling one’s art from a variety of sources.” (Grundberg, 169) Although postmodernist photography is very different from modernist photography, postmodernist is a response to the works in the modernist era. Instead of photography being thought of as an inferior form of art, it is thought of as significant. Culturally, it is more accepted, because society is more “camera bound”.  This can be related to the thought that postmodernism “is a reflection of the conditions of our time.” (Grundberg 165) Also, instead of creating “original” work to produce an idea, postmodernist photography was known to recycle ideas to make a new piece. In this sense, Postmodernism relates to modernism, because it was formed out of the modernist era. “Modernism required that photography cultivated the photographic.” (Grundberg, 175)  Postmodernism, however, has an “awareness of the act of photographing ad the two dimensional, cropped-from-a-larger-context condition of the photograph as a picture.” (Grundberg, 175)  In these aspects, postmodernism challenges modernism.

I you looked up____ in a dictionary, there would be a picture of you right under it.

I am curious to see how people describe themselves or how they think people describe them. I want to know what words they think relate to their own personality. There are so many words in a dictionary, so I am curious to see why the subject chooses a particular word.  Also, I want to see if their image, clothes, or style actually relate with the adjective or contrast based on the biased eyes of society. I want to see how far self-confidence and self respect really go. I really want to help answer or contradict the questions, "Can are whole personality be described in one word? Why do we pick certain words to describe ourselves? What word would be picked for us just based upon our appearance " After picking their word/words out, I am going to take a picture of the person against a white wall. Then I want to put the person's silhouette on the dictionary paper, itself. I am considering taking the person's real picture and framing them to the side to show the answers of the definitions. I am kinda building off of my project where I explored what women do to put makeup on and what appearances mean. However, I feel that this is very different from before. It has a different idea, but the same feeling behind it. Like before, I want to open people's eyes about beauty and what is favored in society.

I need to find two old dictionaries first!!!! That's my first goal and its a lot harder than it looks! Then I will begin taking pictures.

Creating my own horror story.....

Throughout this project, I wanted my fears to be captured on my camera screen. The movies that scary me the most are the typical "happy girl, becomes vulnerable, goes crazy, and ends up being a powerful force that is unstoppable. "In my mind, the scariest things are the ones that cannot be stopped. I wanted the pictures to tell a story that mimics the typical scary movie above. At first I created fake v8 juice blood, wrote on a mirror, and wondered how I was going to display psychologically disturbed. I thought longer about what it would be like if a friend became stereotypical scary movie crazy. How would I feel or what would it look like? 

From the beginning, I wanted things dark. I purposely underexposed many of the pictures. I also wanted the pictures to feel realistic even though they were all created by me. This is why I mixed colored and black and white pictures. I wanted the viewer to feel the difference and shifts in personality and time. I put the images in this order to create a story. I wanted the eye at the door to be a sign of an all seeing and knowing higher power who invades an unsuspecting person. All the pictures after that are meant to add suspense and create consequences. The last picture, one of my favorites, was made to leave the viewer with the imprint of having no control. 

This project challenged me in many different was. First of all, I hate scary movies. Second of all, I was worried that the pictures would be cheesy or too fictional. I did not know how to use light or how I was going to create a story. But by shooting and thinking up ideas I began to create a horror story of my own. 

Photography: The constant reminder and the biggest truth in untruth

Sonntag states, "Even when photographers are most concerned with mirroring reality, they are still haunted by tacit imperatives of taste and conscience." Basically, no matter how realistic the picture looks, behind the camera there are hidden and unspoken wants to portray the picture in a certain way. Sonntag explains further, "There is an aggression implicit in every use of the camera." Once again, it is clear that Sonntag believes that in every picture there is a purposely made message that was created by the photographer. The camera captures the world, but it is the interperation of the world that is constructed by the photography that maintains the undertones of conscience. She explains, "The immensely gifted members of the Farm Security Administration photographic project of the late 1930's would take dozens of frontal pictures of one of their sharecropper subjects until satisfied that they had gotten just the right look on film-the precise expression of the subject's face that supported their own notions about poverty, light, dignity, texture,exploitation, and geometry." Numerous pictures were taken of the sharecroppers, however, it was the picture that communicated what the photographer wanted that was chosen to depict the subject. I agree with Sonntag, because I know that no matter what the picture, the photographer chooses the frame, detail, vantage point. Also, I know that the photographer uses these techniques to alter a picture and that can make the photographer's purpose shine through.


Sonntag says, "All photographs are memento mori". Sonntag might mean that photographs are reminders that everything dies. Sonntag explains, "Most subjects photographed are, just by virtue of being photographed, touched with pathos." Pathos means relating to emotions. She is explaining that subjects are embedded with emotions that later evoke the emotions of the viewer. By capturing this, immortality is created for that split second, but it will be a constant reminder that time passes. Sonntag express this idea by stating, "To take a photograph is to participate in anther's person's mortality, vulnerability,mutability. Precisely by slicing out this moment and freezing it, all photographs testify to time's relentless melt."

I have to put my "face" on first!

 

 

Almost every girl knows how to apply makeup. The routine is second nature, the brush becomes an extension of the hand, and the face becomes an empty canvas. Putting on makeup is thought of as glamorous, graceful, intimate and entirely feminine. Realistically, this is untrue. Almost always, the shoulders are slouched, eyes are wide or unfocused, mouths are agape, faces are twisted and contorted, and afterwards a more "put-together" face arrives. I find it ironic that the application of makeup is messy and fussy, but the end result is supposed to be elegant, clean, and sophisticated.

 

 

To portray this, I decided to create clear images. I wanted a high shutter speed to freeze motion. I had a difficult time using light in my images, because I was in a small, dark bathroom or a room that was filled with natural light. I edited the pictures in photo shop to correct the lighting. Also, It was difficult to shoot the "decision moment"; this moment for me was when the girl focused on applying their makeup and forgot about the camera. I wanted the camera to capture very accurate depictions of how the girls put on their make-up.

 

I knew my images were not going to be flashy or strikingly beautiful. I wanted a strikingly realistic picture that portrays makeup as it should be. The frame and detail are simple, but I really wanted the idea to stand out. I wanted to depict the posture and body language of the girls. I wanted to document every aspect of makeup. Everything from how they held the brush to the way they held their shoulders.