The Balance of Roni Horn

Roni Horn, Photographer, sculpture, artist, are all titles to describe my newest favorite artist although she prefers none of them.  The main points I found most prevalent in Horn's work were sensuality,water,  architecture, and psychology.  With the series of close-up water photos that were placed throughout a school Horn gave the viewer a chance to mimic the photo.  Water is peaceful, water flows, the students became calmer the longer the photos were up.  My favorite of the examples shown were the photos that were all of the same subject.  The woman's face over and over again as she is in the water I thought were beautiful.  The eye contact that the subject gives the viewer through the lens give a feeling of sensuality or closeness thereby inducing trust.  A point I think Horn is trying to focus on is the balance between soft sensuality and hard architecture.  When she shoots the inside of the locker room with it's tiled walls and floors, she offsets that with the sensuality of the women-are they nude? are they clothed? why are we seeing them through a peephole? they are blurred and that too adds a dimension to the work of wonderment and sensuality.

Focusing on my book

So since this book has to be an examination, if you will, on myself, I decided to combine a few of my favorite things-painting, cosmetics and hair, and my family.  I've decided to take a selection of some of my paintings and transform my family members into live pieces of art.  Here are some examples of my work that I've been thinking of using.I have more that I would like to work with, but don't have them photographed yet.

Brushes

So I went to brusheezy.com and uploaded some styles to photoshop.  I played around a bit with the next set of pictures for my second accordion card.

Stefan Sagmeister

I watched the TED talk with Stefan Sagmeister, where he is discussing how design can make you happy.  Watching Sagmeister really made me for one believe that yes,  in fact design had made him happy.  Then actually looking up Sagmeister's website and viewing some of his work or the work he has directed, in a strange sense, it made me happy.  It just felt happy.  With the text he uses and the fonts, they just seemed, well, happy. The chicken with it's head cut off photo, that says "HURRY" made me laugh because even though indeed it is a decapitated chicken, Sagmeister captures a gleefulness about this notion.  We all at one point have run around hurrying like a chicken with it's head cut off, actually seeing a visual reminds me of how silly it all really is.

David Carson response

So since I missed class, I decided to do some research and watch some videos on Carson and post the videos along with my responses. so here it goes

One of the most poignant things I found Carson to say is that

"it's a very thin line between simple,

and clean and powerful and simple, and clean and boring." 

I think you can apply that to almost any

situation in your artwork. If your intent in fact, is not to be boring. 

Carson using the words themselves

and the manner in which they are strewn together,

or their font, as the actual or art is really genius.

In this second video I think makes an important point that 

your work needs to in a sense be "self-indulgent" or why

would you want to spend so much time working on it. If

you are putting yourself so much into something I think you 

are truly going to appreciate it and maybe make it better

that if you didn't really care.  

When Carson states that in making his magazine, he treated 

each issue as it was the last made me think of those people

who live each day to the fullest, or live each day like it may

be their last. They always seem to have such a zest for

everything. Maybe that is why Carson's work seems so

enchanting.

Accordion Fold Card

 So, I am at home nursing a sprained ankle and checked out what everyone was doing on their blog and it seems everyone posted their accordion cards.  So here is mine; I took pictures of my nieces in their backyard playing.  I desaturated the color and added a warm photo filter in photoshop.  I also added some text to a few of them.  I still have not received the actual card in the mail, I hope it is here soon!!

music for blogs

imeem.com

projectplaylist.com

music for blogs

Experiments with Bridge and Photoshop

Ok, so I took my nieces to "Disney on Ice, Princess Wishes," fun stuff!  The colors on stage were great and in photoshop they look even better!

Writing Exercise 1/23/08

Writing exercise 1/23/08

 

As artist’s, what are your sources of inspiration?  How do you feed your head/heart/hand?

 

As an artist my sources of inspiration generally come from my family and those that surround me.  I see these people, some old, and some young, as endless sources of knowledge and life experience.  I try and become a sponge when I am around them and soak in any information I can gather.  I then in turn use that information for my own selfish advantage.  Whether it is through a written document or a painting these people’s experiences help form my visions.

Another source of inspiration for me is color and cosmetics.   I think the ability to take a blank canvas, such as a face, and watch it transform or a metamorphosis if you will is amazing.  Cosmetics can ultimately change someone’s entire appearance.  As an art form I love the ability to use creativity when applying make-up to someone and create this “piece” of living art.

I feed my head with trying to view others’ art that inspires me.  When I look at something, from paintings to fashion photography, if it causes me to want to be passionate and create my own art, then I believe it’s done its job.

I feed my heart by surrounding myself with loved ones whenever possible.  They propel me forward even when I think I can go no more.  They help me see each individual experience as a chance for a piece of art to be made.

I feed my hand by allowing myself to experiment with new forms of art- writing, photography, cosmetics application, rather than staying in my element with painting.  I figure you can always learn more and there are many opportunities to do so.

Accordion Photos

So I am trying to think of an interesting set of photos to take for my upcoming project, and it seems like the more I think, the worse it gets.  Nothing even seems interesting enough at this point to just start shooting at.  I think I have a block.