alessandrawest

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Final Crit. Response

1)What was most interesting for you both about the final project both in terms of your work as well as how your classmates responded?

It was interesting to try and create something that my classmates would be able to pick out in a setting like that. I didn’t know whether to create something that people would be able to pick out or to make something that they wouldn’t be able to find at all.

2)How did you think about the tool being included in your final project?

the tool in my final project wasn’t very visible. I connected a paint brush to the back of the record cover i made. When i place my project in the thrift store you couldn’t see the paint brush. I didn’t use a lot of tools in my project so it was a little difficult to incorporate the paint brush in my project. 

3)What class assignments or conversations had the biggest impact on your thinking this semester? Why?

The assignment before the thrift store one. Where we had to use words in our artwork. That project had the biggest impact on my thinking because I often forget how powerful words can be in artwork and just seeing all the different ways my classmates used words was really cool to me. 

4)What ideas did you come across/begin to develop through your own work that you want to continue to pursue in future classes(in whatever media you choose)?

again, I want to start making art that has more words and/or phrases in it. I think that makes the art more powerful.

5)What about the class did you find most difficult or challenging?

having to make my own clothes for the one project. Sewing isn’t really my thing so that was definitely that most difficult project for me.

6)What about the class was most empowering for you as an artist?

Talking to my classmates and getting feedback on my ideas that I had for a project. I have always thought that it is really cool to talk to other artists about something specific because I like seeing where other peoples heads are at and their thinking process.

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Crit. Response

1)What did you think about while working on this project that was new to you?

I thought about using physical space to create art (like how I painted on the walls) and using the space given to me rather than just hanging something on the wall. I thought a lot more about the the art was interacting with the space around it.

2)What insights were gained during the in-class conversation about your project that you didn't think about before the critique?

How many different way that words in artwork can be interpreted. Whether that was how you read/how the art work is displayed in a certain way or how you physically interact or take part in the art work (like how people got to physically participate in rowans project).

3)What was the most important affirmative feedback you got in writing from the critique. (Different from what was said in class)?

The meaning of the phrase I chose wasn’t that deep. And I agree. I remember Corin saying something in class about maybe creating something just to create it and everything doesn’t always have to have this deep underlying meaning to it. I tried to take this into consideration with this project. Most of the art I have created had some deeper meaning to it and with this project I was trying not to think too hard about the underlying meaning of “Neither here nor there.” Might not have been as successful as I had hoped because a lot of the response I got were about how people don’t understand what the phrase is really suppose to mean. And some of the suggestions I got had to do with making a phrase that is more specific.

5)List three ways you could have challenged yourself more in the process of making this work?

By creating multiple phrases (same or different) throughout the entire room rather than just using one part of one side of the wall.

6)What ideas that came through making this work(both the process of making it and the critique)  are you most excited about pursuing in your work moving forward?

While I was generating ideas for this project I spent a ton of time going through multiple phrases, fonts, sizing of letters, the way it runs across the wall, colors and many other things. I really enjoyed using the physical space (the wall) as part of my project. Moving forward I am excited to see how that could (or couldn’t) possibly play a role in my next project.

7)Whose else's work in the class that we looked at was most exciting to you and why?

Rowans work was really exciting for me. I think why it excited me more than others is because the night before the critique I was in the room with her installing my project while she was installing hers. And watching her put up all those balloons and lay of the pieces of paper with her secrets of them was really interesting for me to watch. Also seeing how people in the class got to interact with it and pop the balloons was really cool. If I spent as long as she did setting up my project just to have all those balloons popped that would make me a little frustrated so I give her lots of props.

9)Send that person( from Question 7) a follow up email about their work and tell them what was most exciting to you about their work. Post that email on your blog.

Email to Rowan: Hi Rowan! I really enjoyed your project that you made. I thought all those balloons were really cool and watching you install the whole thing and how much work you put into it was really impressive. I also thought it was really cool how you had people from the class interact with your project by popping the balloons. If I had spent all that time putting all those balloons up just to have people pop them I might have gone a little crazy so I give you majorrrrrrr props! Awesome job :-)

-Alex West

10)What was most interesting to you about Evan's work (who we met at the Anderson)?

How his entire installation had to do with snails and how he incorporated the meaning of that into every aspect of his work. Like how he used the tracks the snails made for the clay molds. I also thought it was really cool how the entire installation was like one big habitat for snails.

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Sewing Project

Was there a part of this process you never want to do again? If i could avoid hand sewing that would be the one thing i never want to do again. I kinda forgot how to use the sewing machine and ended up hand sewing the ENTIRE PROJECT. Which was not fun at all it took me forever and i poked myself way too many times for it to be worth it.

Where do you learn the most in the making of the work?

I learned how to print on to fabric which was actually really cool. I wish I would have been able to print more things buttttttt i don’t have the funds to do so.

What about this process would you want to explore further in future works? I want to explore more articles of clothing. Being able to use the sewing machine would have helped a lot with this because I could have added more fabric and expanded my project into something larger.

What kind of inspiration did you find in your classmates work?

I found a lot of inspiration in Rowans work. I really loved her combination of so many different types of fabric and she created something really beautiful. Her ruffles and patterns went together really well and to create an entire outfit like that was extremely impressive.

[alessandrawest]

[alessandrawest]

10 page reading

interesting points:

I thought it was interesting how they described the collections. I didn’t even think about how your shoes or trash could be considered a collection.

Wilhelm Mudnt stopped throwing away his trash and started turning it into art.

many artists do not collection things that are commonly considered exceptional.

another possibility for dealing with the paradox of protective destruction consists in NOT taking up the objective theme in the collection, but to aim wide of the mark.

I think for my collection instead of having it be 100% focused on womens rights I could throw some things in there that do not directly have to do with womens rights but things in politics that have somewhat impacted it. Things like Donald Trump or people in politics that think they are superior because of their male authority.

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old/new newspaper

makeup

family/friend photos

sigma skull stuff

art supplies

political events

inspirational quotes

candles

different types of glass

netflix shows/movies

VCU/RVA stuff (clothes articles anything)

lancaster PA stuff

JEWLERY

shower stuff

nail polish

music

summer/seasonal

Electronic pieces

Old photographs

Very texturized things (soft, rough, pointy)

I have chosen to use #6 (political events) as my collection inspiration. More specifically political events that have to do with womens rights. That is something that I am really passionate about. Also I think I could take alot of things from present day issues as well as things from the progression of women over the years.

[alessandrawest]

Space 10 questions

1. (Q1) My name is Alessandra West but I go by Alex. I am 18 years old born on June 17th, 1999 in Lancaster Pennsylvania. I am the oldest sibling in my family. I grew up in a christian household. I graduated from Hempfield High school in 2017. Some of my hobbies include making art, playing sports (mainly soccer), binge watching netflix shows and hanging out with my friends. I want to major in communication arts. Both my parents graduated from high school and college. My mom graduated from IUP and my dad graduated from Auburn University. My mom was born and raised in Lancaster, PA and my dad was born in Georgia but raised in Alabama for most of his life. 

2. (Q3) my politics are pretty liberal. I am a big believer in equal rights for everyone and am really big into womens rights.

3. (Q5) My mom is a really big inspiration to me. She embodies everything I want to grow up to be one day. I love her more than anything she is like my best friend.

4. (Q7) I am very interested in womens soccer. I have played since I was in 1st grade but tore my ACL twice so I can’t play anymore. Big fan of the US womens national team, I always watch them in the olympics and world cup.

5. (Q34) I think that art can have a few purposes whether that’s just to decorate a house or look pretty. But for me the main purpose of art isn’t just to look good but to make you feel something when you look at it.

6. (Q43) I am here at VCU to further my knowledge about art and to get better as an artist. To expand my creative mindset and to learn how to think differently.

7. (Q12) I think you know you love someone when you are willing. to do anything for them just to see them happy or succeed or better themselves.

8. (Q20) Then most beautiful thing in the world to me is the sky because when I look at it it reminds me that I/we are all a part of something so much bigger than ourselves or this earth.

9. (Q49) Art should be used in our everyday lives.

10. (Q6) There are 11 rooms in my house with 3 floors. My bedroom is on the third floor. Both my sister and I have our own bedrooms and bathrooms.