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Artist Blog: Moda Botanica (3/11/10)

Moda Bontanica is a collaborative business ran a small group of entrepreneurs. With backgrounds in floral, horticulture and event planning, the company provides highly designed floral arrangements. Although their work is typically shown at weddings, family events and corporate functions, they also compete in shows and competitions to display their craft. The business is located in the center of Philadelphia.

I found this company after researching several creative blogs who admire their prestigious craft. I've always respected the design element of floral and bouquet construction. It is a small art form in comparison to the large scale craftsmanship of gardens and landscaping.

What caught my attention with Moda Botanica was their participation in the Philadelphia International Flower Show. The shop won best in show for their garden display. From the photographs, it seems that each contestant was given trucking containers (I'm not quite sure of the terminology for this). The containers were externally decorated with graffiti and spray paint. This is the finished product once Moda Botanica set up their display:

Idea Blog (4/8/10)

edit.

Artist Blog: Double Whammy: Jeanette Lunde

Jeanette Lunde is a graphic designer in Norway. I stumbled across her blog last night and found these:

I think these are charming flowers. Made from foil, they seem like they belong in a very pristine environment. I think this is an interesting option if I continue to create sustainable art.

Show Proof

Submission to the Anderson Gallery, none of the work was accepted.

Idea Blog (4/1/10)

This will be pretty short. I feel pretty satisfied about my concept and I've been getting a lot of great feedback from my peers. At the moment I am researching about Plant sexuality. Basically investigating the male aspects and relationships between plants. So I'm planning on expanding on this post.

At the moment, I am beginning to build a vine of paper marketing material. I have found a location for my sculpture. An ivy covered tree in front of the Anderson Gallery, Richmond VA.

Hope everyone in the area is enjoying the weather. It's gorgeous out!

Artist Blog: Olafur Eliasson 3.28.10

In my class Contemporary Issues in Photography, I was given the assignment of a reading discussing ecstasy(not the drug, the feeling). The text outlined the history of the term and how the emotion can be employed when viewing art. It also included examples of artists which have achieved work worthy of such terminology. One of the privileged artists is Olafur Eliasson. Eliasson is a Danish-Icelandic artist famed for producing a multitude of instillations in public space. The reading described one of his works, The Weather Project (2003). This project was for the Turbine Hall of the Tate Modern in London. Using humidifiers to create a mist and a hundreds of monocrhomatic lamps, Eliasson succeeded in creating an illusion of the sun at twilight. The hall ceiling was covered with a large mirror allowing the visitors to see themselves as tiny black shadows amongst the "sun." The display attracted two million visitors, many who interacted with the piece by laying on the museum ground to bask in the glow.

Eliasson work revolves around bringing the 'natural' phenomena into an unorthodox place. By doing so, he encourages the viewer to consider their physical environment. His works inspire and allow room for contemplation.

Artist Blog: Eric Cheung and Sean Martindale (3/21/10)

I found their project, "Poster Pocket Plants" through a fashionista website, Modish.

It's almost not fair how well she speaks about this work. I want to take half of her description and use that as an artist statement. Isn't that the same issue visiting artist Hank Willis Thomas had?

Eric Cheung and Sean Martindale are based in Toronto, Canada. Armed with box cutters and gloves, the artists cut into poster advertisements and shape funnels from the poster material. These then become homes for various plant life which liven the urban landscape. Sadly, the life-span of these plants are very short; as these pocket plants are filled with a handful of soil and a few sprays of water. Their lives are also severed by a posting of a new advertisement. The plants are also victims of theft. This however hasn't discouraged their makers. They continue planting and have begun to experiment with new plants which can survive in different heat and lighting conditions.

While the inventors of Poster Pocket Plants recognize that their instillations are ephemeral, the succeed in re-instating nature into the visual chaos present in urban cities.They also provide a templates on their blog for this project which invites participation. In an interview with the garden activists, Martindale speaks of "activating public space" and "introducing nature to the urban environment in ways that might encourage others to do the same, or to at least consider such possibilities." (Torontoist)

I have never felt such a greater bond with an artist(s) before. I connect to their work so strongly because it has all the elements of artwork that I believe in. The flowers I have created of marketing advertisements in catalogues and magazines are a scaled down versions of their mega billboard posters. The ideology of re-contextualizing nature is there as well. I think I might try to make a pocket planter.

Here are some great images:

Idea Blog (3/11/10)

I always find it interesting when art work moves in a circle. I can't decide if it can be positive or negative. Basically, I found that I am returning to a lot of the ideas I had in the beginning of Senior Portfolio. An example of this would be the creation of the paper flowers. I had pondered creating a paper made jungle out of advertisements and lo and behold, seven months later, I have begun production. After my midterm critique, I have decided to focus more on consumer groups/audiences and how they are visually seduced by consumerism. I will be creating flowers from various advertisements and then photographic them in natural environments that I am assuming the same artist would find visually appealing. A long time ago, I had turned to the book, "A Natural History of the Senses, by Diane Ackerman for inspiration. The book is beautifully written as it outlines every physical sense, such as sight, sound, and touch. Ackerman writes very scientifically but introducing stimulating descriptions which makes each chapter read more as a poem. I had thought that this book would act as a bible for me during senior portfolio, because I thought work would somehow grow from this text. Now, I am turning to it once again to investigate the sense of sight. I am hoping that this provide me with some ideas of how to create my imagery.

Artist Lecture #3: Erik Brandt

The lecture I attended yesterday at Grace Street Theater was very interactive. Erik Brandt, a former VCU student graced the department by giving a fanatical talk. A sea of newspaper folded hats set the stage. Upon arrival, Brandt rallied the students to participate in a Bonsai. This could possibly be a Japanese exercise, but it wasn't clearly explained as Brandt squawked Japanese. A champion of travel, Brandt has reaped the benefits of language and experience from his adventures. Growing up in Egypt, teaching in Qatar as well as touring many other countries underlies Brandt's connection with language. Most of his work glorifies a mixture of language. Incorporating foreign languages into English text, Brandt explores identify composed by language.

While I wasn't able to follow the talk, I was amused by Brandt's character as he jumped and gestured excitedly. I was intrigued by a student assignment he showcased. Employed at Minneapolis College of Art and Design, Brandt's students participated in an assignment to participate in, "The Haiti Poster Project," a collaboration between artists and designer benefiting victims of the earthquake.Brant added on a twist-a limitation. The students were to create these posters with an awareness for a point of empathy, to design without power(technology). Thus the works were primitive and bare, but the approach is extremly intelligent to cover all aspects of the theme.

Here are some of Erik Brandt's work:

Artist Blog: Eloise Corr Danch 3/7/10

Eloise Corr Danch is a brooklyn based designer and artist. Beginning her studies at the University of Montana, Danch honed her skills into painting and illustration. While she continued her studies at 3 other schools, she recieved her Masters of Arts in Illustration in 2007. Her resume is impressive as she has a long list of skills and expertise and awards. Danch has scored mega clients such as Anthropologie, Macy's and Sony Entertainment Group, just to name a few.

Danch has started to rise in fame, as her work with Macy's has attracted the likes of Martha Stewart. Danch handcrafted 2,500 handmade paper flowers which were arranged into swirling garlands and 20 ornate headdresses. These were shown in the store's 23 display windows at Macy's New York flagship at Heralds square in 2009. The display is breathtaking, not only in the multitude of the flowers but also with the bright colors and crisp details. This work managed to capture Martha Stewart's interest and Danch was featured on the television show, creating large paper poppies.

I've been carefully studying Danch's few images and those I find on art blogs so that I could gain some knowledge of her paper craft. What I would give to be able to have a solid understanding of her technique! I'm jealous because she is able to build a variety of flowers where as the few I have made resemble a floral form.

Idea Blog for (3/4/10)

I've been feeling really overwhelmed with my project. I turned to Paul to give me a concept pep talk. He suggested that I do an idea blab. So I decided to follow a writing template exercise given to me for English 200. My teacher had given me an outline of tasks to direct me to creating a discovery draft for my research paper. I think this would could also work towards developing and solidifying my concept. My English teacher allowed us to complete this assignment very liberally, allowing us to answering in alternative forms such as lists,paragraph, bullet points, rhyming etc. So, this may seem very unorganized, but I know it's a step in the right direction.

1. Start by phrasing your main claim. A claim is a debatable statement—an assertion that reasonable people might agree or disagree with. Your main claim will serve as the centerpiece of your argument. Of course the claim you make here need not be the final version! You can revise it again and again. A question is not a claim. A question cannot, by definition, be a claim. A claim is an assertion, not an interrogation. Do not phrase your main claim as a question.

This was my statement last semester:
My work is meant to convince the audience
that people do not engage in nature like they
used to. Society has been entangled by
materialistic consumer habits which have been
brought upon by corporate marketing material.

This semester: _______

2. Write three or four research questions related to your topic. NONE of these questions may be phrased in such a way that would allow for a “yes” or “no” answer. Research questions are questions you ask yourself about your topic, the answers to which you do not know, and may never know. Don’t waste your time asking questions with easy or obvious answers. And of course you need not attempt to answer the questions here. Just focus on asking them. Remember who, what, when, where, why and how. You might ask a question for each of these.

What product/industry is the number one item sold?

What culture defies consumerism by not buying into advertising manipulations?

Why do we purchase so much junk?

Are stores that specialize in an item or trade more successful than mass merchandise retailer stores?

Who invited mass merchandise retailer stores?

In the past, mass merchandise retailer stores were feared and questioned as it compromised specialized stores and mom and pop businesses, why are they so welcomed now?

When will people turn away from consumerism and return to basic essentials and needs?

Will the age of "going green," actually help our earth?

How many companies are exploiting the agenda of going "green"?



3. Describe specifically why your chosen topic interests you and might or might not interest your readers.

I recently recognized that I have developed a terrible habit of consumption. When I began to investigate this problem, I tried to pin point why I was buying things. I soon realized that I associate going shopping as an activity. From there, I realized I need to re-evaluate my priorities. I created lists of what I thought was beautiful and what made me happy. I realized that most of the items that I listed related to nature. With that list in hand, I figured out my problem, I was trading valuable time with nature and the outdoors for spending and consuming. Working on this project has helped me. I've had more opportunities to involve myself in better activities and I have dedicated time set aside for me to interact with nature.



4. Describe your feelings and biases about the topic. In what ways might these influence your research or affect your handling of the topic?

I have a feeling of strong devotion for this topic. I think I could call it more of an urge. An urge to resolve this habit and "return" to nature. I think that my interest in this topic will guarantee dedication, as well as the demand and weight of importance on my workload.


5. Identify three or four key words or terms related to your topic and give me their etymologies, focusing on the ones most interesting or relevant to you. If you don’t know what an etymology is, look it up. Etymologies can be found all over the place. Wikipedia is a great place to start. Failing that, try any good online dictionary. Do not simply copy and paste the etymologies. Write them down. Type them out. Understand them.

Product:

product etymology:

c.1430, "mathematical quantity obtained by multiplication," from M.L. productum, from L. "something produced," noun use of neuter pp. of producere "bring forth" (see produce). General sense of "anything produced" is attested in Eng. from 1575.

Advertising:

advertise etymology:

early 15c., "to take notice of," from M.Fr. advertiss-, prp. stem of a(d)vertir "to warn," from L. advertere "turn toward," from ad- "toward" + vertere "to turn" see versus). Sense shifted to "to give notice to others, warn" (late 15c.) by influence of advertisement. Original meaning remains in advert "to give attention to."

Consumerism:

consumerism etymology:

1944, "protection of the consumer's interest," from consumer + -ism. Also, "encouraging consumption as an economic policy" (1960). Related: Consumerist (1965, n.; 1969, adj.).

Market:

market etymology:

mid-12c., "a meeting at a fixed time for buying and selling livestock and provisions," from O.N.Fr. market (O.Fr. marchiet, Fr. marché), from L. mercatus "trading, trade, market" (cf. It. mercato, Sp. mercado), from pp. of mercari "to trade, deal in, buy," from merx (gen. mercis) "wares, merchandise," from Italic root *merk-, possibly from Etruscan, referring to various aspects of economics. Meaning "public building or space where markets are held" first attested mid-13c. Sense of "sales, as controlled by supply and demand" is from 1680s. The verb is 1630s, from the noun. Market value (1690s) first attested in writings of John Locke. Market economy is from 1951; market research is from 1926.

Garden:

garden etymology:

c.1300, from O.N.Fr. gardin, from V.L. hortus gardinus "enclosed garden," via Frank. *gardo, from P.Gmc. *gardon (cf. O.Fris. garda, O.H.G. garto, Ger. Garten "garden," O.E. geard "enclosure," see yard (1)). The verb is first attested in 1570s. Related: Gardened; gardening. Garden variety in figurative sense first recorded 1928.

Flower:

flower (n.) etymology:

c.1200, from O.Fr. flor, from L. florem (nom. flos) "flower" (see flora), from PIE base *bhlo- "to blossom, flourish" (cf. M.Ir. blath, Welsh blawd "blossom, flower," O.E. blowan "to flower, bloom"). Modern spelling is 14c. Ousted O.E. cognate blostm (see blossom). Also used from 13c. in sense of "finest part or product of anything." The verb is first recorded early 13c. Related: Flowered; flowering. Flower children "gentle hippies" is from 1967.

Nature:

nature etymology:

c.1300, "essential qualities, innate disposition," also "creative power in the material world," from O.Fr. nature, from L. natura "course of things, natural character, the universe," lit. "birth," from natus "born," pp. of nasci "to be born," from PIE *gene- "to give birth, beget" (see genus). Original sense is in human nature. Meaning "inherent, dominating power or impulse" of a person or thing is from c.1386. Contrasted with art since 1704. Nature and nurture have been contrasted since 1874.

Nature should be avoided in such vague expressions as 'a lover of nature,' 'poems about nature.' Unless more specific statements follow, the reader cannot tell whether the poems have to do with natural scenery, rural life, the sunset, the untouched wilderness, or the habits of squirrels." [Strunk & White, "The Elements of Style," 3rd ed., 1979]

Naturist "participant in the movement for communal nudity" is from 1929.

Extra: Some important quotes from The Encyclopedia of American Girls.

-Consumerism has also become a vital arena which many girls explore new identities and embrace or challenge the values of the dominant culture.

-At the same time, however, consumer culture has also steered girls toward prescribed gender role and culturally acceptable aspirations.

-In the girl, they believed the had discovered an unproblematic consumer, impressionable, loyal, and perhaps most important-influential.

-They also taught girls about culturally prescribed ideals of femininity and how to achieve them through consumption. Advertisements frequently reinforced traditional gender norms, addressing girls as future wives and homemakers.

-Though marriage was still years away, numerous advertisements reminded preteen and adolescent girls that maintain their charm and good was a key ingredient in achieving social success and presumably in enhancing their marital prospects.

-Barbie linked teenage liberation with consumption, teaching girls to associate femininity and being grown up with the joys of shopping, going to the beauty parlor and having a boyfriend.

-Toy manufacturers and toy retailers have also perfected an entire aesthetic code for marketing to girls. Toy stores often demarcate the girls' toy aisles with pink and pastel colors, a sharp contrast to the boys' aisles with their bold primary colors. These visual cues let girls know what section of the store they are supposed to feel at home shopping. Toy markers are so committed to these distinct gender-coding formulas that the even try to revive sluggish sales of girls' toys by "pinking them up

-As a result, girls' consumerism has often given rise to heated debate about the growing authority of the marketplace and the demise of family values and childhood innocence.

Artist Blog: Matthew Sporzynski 2/28/10

During our last class session, Ashleigh Hobson recommended Matthew Sporzynski. When I tried to google him, I realized I was very familiar with his work. Sporzynski creates paper sculptures for the life/home improvement magazine, Real Simple. While the artist doesn't' have his own web page, there is a demand for it. Real Simple reports comments, "If he's not famous, he should be." They also have received, "Please tell us something about Matthew Sporzynski." Does Real Simple own his soul? Apparently the artist is a graphic designer and works as professor at the parsons the new school of design. He has also created promotional materials for the MoMa, Estee Lauder and Ralph Lauren. Last night I dug up a Real Simple magazine from 2007, there were 4 pages scattered throughout the issues with his work relating to summer. Sporzynski succeeded in creating a swimming pool out of paper, delicious ice cream pops and a paper jar filled with lightning bugs all dedicated to celebrating the month of July. Can you even image what his portfolio would look like?

Idea Post 2/25

This will be a pretty short post since I just met with Paul today. Most of what I'm going to talk about will be in the Senior Portfolio Critique Blog. As of now, I have recently ordered the book Papercraft:Design and Art with Paper by R. Klanten, S. Ehmann, and B. Meyer

This book supposedly presents innovative work that ranges in size from large installations to miniscule crafty sculptures. I'm looking forward to seeing these quirky works.

Artist Blog (DOUBLE SPECIAL!) 2/21/10

Greta Anderson: I stumbled across this artist this weekend just by following various art blogs and their links. I planned to write about Greta Anderson today and for some reason her website has up and vanished! According to the a web hosting company, her domain has expired. If and when she re-opens her site, I will be sure to post the link. Luckily, I managed to grab some images off the blog I had found her on. Greta takes gorgeous imagery. While she seems to have a variety of interests, her series "the standins" are breathtaking. In this small series, she photographs human subjects in natural environments which dominate the frame. I am really attracted to her imagery as she manages to capture pristine details of the natural foliage creating a sense of utopia. The composition of this series makes me realize that I want to create similar environments. If I do include a human subject I would like to have them photographed minimally so that the background is dominant and overwhelming. I hope that my photographs carry the same sense of mythicism and fantasy.

Justine Smith: works primarily with paper. I have been researching paper artists as I am turning to that medium. I was impressed with Smith's production. Using bank notes (dollar bills and currency from other countries) she creates collages, prints and sculptures. Smith is interested in the concept of money and how it impacts every aspect of our being. I was particularly interested in her sculptural money flowers. She titles her work as specimens and photographs the sculptures in acrylic or glass domes, thus presenting the pieces individually as a museum would. Smith has been exhibited in galleries and museums internationally. She lives and works in London.

2/18/10 Idea Post

Recently, I presented my issues to Tom about the upcoming work for senior portfolio. I explained that I felt like I had come to a dead end with my work. I was reconsidering turning to an old concept I had worked with, the themes of my childhood. We dove into a deep conversation, as he tried to guide me to find a connection between my fascination of childhood and that of nature. When we ended our conversation, Tom left me on the edge as he smiled and told me that the connection was very obvious. He prescribed to me the collection of poems, "Leaves of Grass," By Walt Whitman.

Eager to find inspiration, I went to the library and checked out the book. I've always had problems reading poetry. I can acknowledge that there is beauty in the creation and masterful language. The poems are pages and pages long, and I found myself losing interest and confused. I was looking for some deep message. I put down the book and decided to research the Internet. My excitement returned when I saw an analysis of the poems. They were described as "exalting the body and the material world. Influenced by the Transcendentalist movement,itself an offshoot of Romanticism, Whitman's poetry praises nature and the individual human's role in it."(Wikipedia) Returning to the poems, I became frustrated by not finding this message. However, I was enamored with the language he used to describe nature. Whitman writes of virgin soil and of mystic nights. I'm envious that he was able to convey his experiences with such success.

Abandoning this book, I still pondered Tom's so-called connection. As I went on to have a meeting with Paul, I began to re-think the subject matter and presentation. I walked away reconsidering every aspect of my work. I am now considering using nature as a backdrop rather than the subject. I realized there is another text that I can reference. The Secret Garden, by Frances Hodgson Burnett can be considered a classic novel of children's literature. I grew up reading this book frequently, as it was one of the only books in English that I owned in Thailand during my summers. As a gardner hobbyist, my mother has always sported her green thumb. I never had an interest in gardening, but now I find the elements of the plant biology fascinating. I have memories of elementary science class when we would grow lima beans in a plastic cup. The opacity of the glass gave us access to watch the roots extend. Now as an adult in college, I have always been interested in growing a vegetable and herb garden.

I believe I found the connection between my obsessiveness with my childhood and nature. I plan on constructing a garden using the mass marketing materials. I want to create something similar to a "secret garden" where I can build and interact with my work. I'm looking forward to creating something fantastical so that my interactions with the habitat will be of wonder and play.

Artist Lecture #2: Hank Willis Thomas

Yesterday Virginia Commonwealth University hosted an artist lecture by Hank Willis Thomas. Interestingly, Thomas presented his work in a different manner than other visiting artists. At the beginning, he spent a good amount of time showing us his first pieces of work. While I was unimpressed and slightly turned off by his frame photographs, I soon realized the purpose. Thomas was completely exposing himself, allowing us to literally follow his development. Once I understood this, I began to relate to him and enjoy his creative process. Boy, did his concepts really develop!

Thomas considers himself a "visual cultural archaeologist," which follows his process of harvesting and collecting imagery to appropriate. Thomas views logos as,"our nation's hieroglyphs." Explaining that he was intrigued as to how generations to come would analyze our current culture. Thomas showed us examples of work from his series B(r)anded, which focuses on the use of African American male body in advertisements. I was fascinated by the connections he had made.Using the popular symbols of Nike and Cotton, he appropriated the symbols into works that connected modern day industries with slaves. By manipulating the language and visuals of advertising, Thomas is achieving accessibility to his viewers.

Thomas also showed a film called, "Winter in America." The animation film outlines the story of his cousin's murder. Using G.I. Joe figurines, Thomas collaborated with Kambui Olujimi to create a short film which sports the underlying message of how violence is systematically portrayed in America. After showing the film, he shared still frame photographs that had been made into a book. I think this piece alone truly showcased his technical abilities as a photographer. The images were beautifully composed and included perfectly captured lens flare. While the subject was depressing, I found this to be his most attractive piece.

While he showed many other works, some of them being collaborative films and re-contextualized imagery. I was most influenced by Thomas' ideas. He seemed to have an eye for analyzing culture and society. Many of the things he said sent my mind reeling as I was pushed to reconsider commodities and elements of design. One of the things that I was most astonished by to what extent Thomas appropriated. This clearly shocked the audience of students, as we have attended classes that have preached copyright and extreme avoidance. Thomas showed us the image, "Priceless" he created using advertising language. Using an image from his cousin's funeral, he added text which mimics that of an Mastercard advisement, "9mm Pistol: $79, 3-piece suit: $250, gold chain $400, new socks: $2 Bullet: 60 cents, Picking out the perfect casket for your son: priceless." In the left hand corner, the logo for Mastercard. This photograph was displayed on the exterior of the Birmingham Museum of Art in Alabama for 6 months. It created such a stir in the town that Fox 5 News had a story about the piece. When a student questioned the issue of showcasing work involving a corporate logo, Thomas joked that, "There's no such thing as bad press. When would the credit card company ever have the opportunity to be on the wall of a museum." I think that by seeing this lecture, Thomas will has opened up a window of possibilities for the student artist at VCU. I doubt that they will cower in fear of appropriation and the copyright issues. Overall, I think he was a very influential speaker for our school.

Visit his website here.

Artist Lecture #1: Alec Soth

Alec Soth followed his fascination of the American landscape to document the world and celebrate its uniqueness. By doing so, he has a strange collection of images that seem almost deadpan, but with further investiagtion the connections between the work begins to plant seeds of thought and curiousity for the viewer. Soth's work mainly stems from the roadtrips he has taken alongside the Mississippi river. Ironically, there is only a few images of the actual river included. The series is more of beds, houses and other subjects which resided alongside the body of water.Through out the lecture Soth put a huge emphasis on the need and desire to "hitting the road." He quite romanticized the idea, explaining his process, "trying to move through space to connect the dots." He related his traveling to "being out there and moving" and the images that he was creating as the connecting tie.

What I enjoyed most about his lecture is that he made references to historical photographers as well as those he admired and respected. I believe this gives great insight into an artist mind, the audience has a deeper understanding to the meaning and inspiration behind the work. Soth frequently mentioned the works of Robert Frank, William Eggleston and Lee Friedlander. It reminded me greatly of our own student process, the need to know and recognize artists that relate to us. I was impressed that Soth spoke so openly and so admiringly about these artists. This earned my respect. Soth didn't seem full of himself even though he has an extensive amounts of recognition and awards.

My favorite project Soth presented was his participation in a magazine article, The Most Beautiful Girl in Georgia. I was highly amused by this idea, the search for such a particular ridiculous thing. The way he described his process and the adventure was amusing, the clincher is the images he shows of his find: the back of the womans head. Soth also tells of another treasure hunt: The Loneliest Man in Missouri. Soth's catch--a nightime nurse who frequents strip clubs everynight. Something about these themes, his finds, really speaks to me. I enjoy the idea these bizzare quests. I found this to be very inspirational and I hope to come up with my own expedition, who knows, I've always wanted to find the world's cutest cupcake. Hmmm...

Here are some images of Alec Soth's work, enjoy!