helenrlee

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[helenrlee]

Mapping Project Final Described, Explained, Considered, Documented, and Contemplated 

Like a longer revisit to the final presentation, I would like to help describe my project. I believe the best way to do this is to describe the Process of how I ended up at my final works (yes, I do love making lists). Within this process helps explain the concepts I have arrived to from the works as well. I will also attempt to describe the further message my work is about and some lingering thoughts on the project. But first, the process:

watercolor based on my own recollection of a month as a whole.

linearly it is timeline based

often in a mood based scheme of colors and mood of brushstroke composition (Ex. “January” is warm colors to empty white to dark blues because in the beginning of January I was still feeling the warmth of family from being home from the holidays. In the middle, the month became rather bare and lonely, and toward the end it made me sad with heavy schoolwork and poor weather. “January” was given a very simple brushstroke for how simple that month was but still with a sense like everything was moving forward.) (Ex. “April” is much different to “January” by comparison of composition. To me, April was a highly anxious month full of stress, so I filled it completely with paint and an anxious-feeling non-straight line. I used shades of black ink to describe my stress levels throughout the month where (y) the height is amount of stress and (x) left to right is time progressed. The color above is the personal time I had based on moods through color.)

choose three photos from each month and assign them with associated feelings the images provoke

connection with the sequence project where images evoke a human response)

personally significant photos from my camera roll were chosen that had an intimate meaning or memory. (Ex. “February” includes a fleshy color which is from an image a few days after my foot was run over by a large car leaving a nasty bruise. I associated the “foot” picture with bad/unpleasant days in February.) (Ex. “March” has an image of the dragon in China Town, NYC during Chinese New Year on spring break (what I connected to having fun); an image of my mom while we were estate sale-ing when I made a trip home (my connection to home and family); and an image of my dog sleeping (how I connect with peace and sadness - she’s very ill). )

assign one of the three photos of the month to a day. Cut images in equal number pieces as there were days in the month

this assignment of photos to days was based on the perceived connected emotions and memories I have of those days as remembered from personal archival methods such as calendars, journals, past assignments, and digitally dated photos.

before collaging over the watercolor, I cut into the strips of images even further to often align (, but often not quite,) with the underlying brushstrokes of the watercolor

connection (1) to the body extension project through the entanglement between personal connections and the space around us.

to me, this part helps to visually represent the parts of our memories and what “history” is that gets lost through time. You will never be able to see a full history ever again; there is no such thing as getting the full image without getting entangled in personal matters (, and to me, this is neither good nor bad, but it is an unavoidable fact of life).

A Sum of Ideas of What the Work is All About

what we forget versus what remains with us

big events make more impacts - where the whole timeline is bare compared to where it is fuller due to closer, recent memories

events that are archived in a calendar, journal, Tumblr post, photo become biased events with only small portions left to be reliably true.

Components of the Work I Have Contemplated/(alternate title:) Thoughts I’ve Thought About

why must/does the collage/painting stay within the box of the paper?

it has to because as a documentation of recent history, it must be contained. History is unchangeable. The present and future cannot be put in a box, but the bias and unchangeable facts of history does not bleed beyond the confines of the paper only within it.

why the changing directions of strips of collage paper?

I did this based on how long the months “felt” to me. February and April felt like they would never end while January and March flew by. I showed this pretty literally in collage form.

why showcased like they are?

I have thought about this as well. I think I would actually rather connect the four works and make one very long line (timeline) of this work. It would better convey the sense of moving through time rather than four separate works. This is the last image included above. It is a rough edit of the four images previous put together through some digital editing. I would like to revise later by scanning the works to make a better line of images. 

this long timeline might also make another connection to the body extension where entanglement time and mood is more obvious

why only four?

as mentioned during critique, I have given this thought since. I think it would be highly interesting if I could continue more months and years worth of “personal data” information to display visually. The representation of time and data lost wold likely become more apparent and interesting to learn from 

[helenrlee]

Mapping Presentation

From the inspiration from my photo sequence project, I began to think about the way we remember. If what we remember is the closest thing we have to the truth, then is it the truth? Maybe the truth of the past isn’t possible to know in the modern definition of “truth”.

When I want to remember what I did on a particular day, there are several places I would go back to. In my evolving ideas within this project, I have realized that I make attempts to preserve some certain moments of my days. Those little bits of personal truth, in a single moment are all I really have to remember that day or time or place. I have my memories: how am remembering a moment - frightfully biased yet true to myself. I have my “data” I’ve preserved over the last four months. In order to map this project of my semester, I am using my memories and my little bits of data to illustrate a section of time.

This data I’m utilizing is from my calendar dates, digital photo roll, and journal entries. Going back over what I am calling “data” enters the realm of my emotion. Using both my data and evoked emotion from that data, I am going to create a one work per month (four months). Each piece on medium sized water color paper will include painted symbols of my represented reflected time and pieces of photography as determined by a daily evaluation.

More Simple Talking Points because I Like Lists:

what is truth of history/past/memories? How true can memories be? Can I reconstruct the semester?

my own memories - preserved memory “data” and evaluation

inspiration Giorgia Lupi: using “data” in a pleasant visual representation.

Connections

sequence: using some photos from the semester, not forced, just what they were.

body extension: entanglement - the connections from month to month, day to day

How? I’m using photos, journals, calendar dates “data” as reference for representation. 

painted and layered symbols as a reflection of a determined time period

pieces of photos = day to day representation. *some of the whole image will be visible, but not the whole thing. Collage work of altering an image in a new context

[helenrlee]

Here are Tuesday’s notes of my ideas. It’s quite a different path than the one I was considering before, but the pathway of forethought is still pretty clearly visible.

I have written lists (as I love using lists) concerning my ideas about process, what I want the work to be about, questions and topics to further consider, what emotions I might want to use, and what images I want to use.

[helenrlee]

Thurdsay’s notes on the Mapping Project (3/29/18)

Thursday we were introduced to Sharif Hamza, a photographer who has recently used photography to give a deeper insight to the conversation of gun regulations especially in the hands of kids. It served as an example to show how we can look at different aspects within a topic in our culture in ways we would not normally approach them especially I way that do not necessarily align to our personal beliefs.

The second two thirds of the first page is a reiteration of my previous notes on ideas for the project and new notes regarding how to organize my ideas. I began to use a mind map and a visual map to connect my ideas together to get the flow and remember where I was thinking about this project previously..

The second page is comprised of my new ideas for how to “code” my categories together as well as a list of additional events I might incorporate into the project. At this point, I have been toggling between fabricating an actual map to show my last 4 months of class or to make a Georgia Lupi style “map” using symbols to convey ideas or data points with the inspiration Lupi’s design style as a visual data analyst.

The last page is from my conversation with Endi.  He drew his ideas for how I might be able to connect my sequence project (of lens based images). Incorporating elements of cut slices of printed photographs that mean something to me in an interesting and visual way.

[helenrlee]

Continuation of Sequence Project

This video was made for a 4D class where we were to create a video of a portrait of a person or place. In an abstract way, I used the assignment from Methods of Inquiry where I asked people to write creative stories based on a sequence of images. For 4D, I decided to record and shoot and edit this video based on one of the stories that was generated from Methods of Inquiry. As a portrait, this work signifies the physical portrait of the man who is in it, who is the same as the speaker, who is the person who wrote the story. This fictional story is just as telling of a person as an interview would be as descriptive of a person.

I enjoyed being able to further the sequence project through my personal interpretation of someone’s fictional story. It taught me to expand a story’s personal narrative from beyond an imagined space to something real and even humorous and understandable.

[helenrlee]

I almost forgot to throw in our time-lapse video of the body extension performance piece. If you can forgive the rear-ends of our participants, you can see our process of entangling the class with our string-releasing extensions. From beginning set up to the end of posing for pictures, its all here in 27 seconds.

[helenrlee]

Mapping Project Proposal

This Semester

Thanks to the classes that change the way I am thinking about life and how I want to live my life, I have been living more and more independently. I find myself taking in the elements of my education and my activities outside of my education more personally. I’ve found that the advice from knowledgeable and wiser adults is not something to glean over anymore.

I am trying to take it all in while I have this moment to do so. I am letting my experiences take me where they may and let my opportunities grow and flourish as they see fit. Learning to let some things be a new balancing act I’m finding about adulthood.

This Semester: In class

At times it seems frustrating to be given such vague guidelines and passive feedback, but really it is just the creative freedom artists and creative people should be given to explore ideas in an unencumbered, encouraging way. I’ve learned that my ideas, however burgeoning, are valid ones as long as they are fully explored and adequately conceptualized.

Through the sequence project of images of found lost items and creative storytelling, I most learned from the fact that I like to tell stories through my artwork - whether the story is obvious or not. I like the way that I tapped into the use of “personal discovery” through interactive art that gives others and myself unprescribed creativity.

In the body extension project with string we began with the ideas of a story’s roots reaching and connecting others. To me, these connections are one of the most important aspects of life I am learning as I grow up. I am finding the essentiality of the connections we make between people and places and times and events. It makes us who we are.

Proposal

Where do I want to take this project? I think it is important to first establish what I want to do: I want to make an actual map, likely more closely resembling a mind map like the one Miriam Rudolph uses to organize her ideas. The events on the map are going to symbolize different events from the past (a vast majority from this semester) that have all culminated to cause an effect to who I am becoming. These events will be connected like the way the string in the body extension project connected - intertwining; however, I am strongly considering the use of a color theme or coding. The events will be depicted through some small sets of  imagery - almost like logos signifying an event. Since I plan on connecting these events through string, I am considering the use of making this map three-dimensional to emphasize the connections through string. Lastly, I would like to incorporate written word into the visual aspects of the important events because I have found that a large part of this semester has relied on my writing abilities as well as the words of others and their effects on me.

[helenrlee]

Mapping First Ideas

From Project Introduction: March 22, 2018

First Thoughts

“All I want to do is draw” Abbey O, Feb 2017

“Pay attention to what you like to do in your spare time” I think Deke Weever, Mar 2018

“We were especially impressed by your writing abilities. Do you like to write?” Frank, Interview, Mar 2018

“Begin with a plan, and be prepared to have it go to shit” 4D lecturer, Jan 2018

First Ideas

Quotes

Small illustrations

Literal map made in time sequencing

Color coding

Writing

Book - sketchbook art, creative journaling/bookmaking

past/future - not the present

Notebooks

Portraits

Connections to previous projects

Sequence: stories, personal discovery, personal and unprescribed creativity

Body Extension: roots, connections between people and places*, entanglement,

[helenrlee]

Sequence Project Final Thoughts

Here are the final images of our group’s body extensions. Mine changed for the most part, completely - moving from the direct knee to the mid-thigh. The aesthetic of Dua’s changed quite a bit too. It became larger and also dispensed two lines of string. Ellie’s remained the same, and although not pictured, Maddy’s hat also remained the same, only growing in height. (However a wild Maddy can be spotted in the background of the fourth image) 

Overall, I enjoyed the outcome of our project. We weren’t expecting a prescribed end result or even a set way that the project would end. However, it was exciting to see the class participate so willingly and helpfully - as a different  set of people would likely react differently. I liked the scale of our piece; it was bigger and full of more string and bodies than I think I envisioned it to be. The bland color of string worked well to blend with our extensions; the project was not as much about the string as it was about the connections between people and places that we made.

If we were to attempt this experiment again, I might like to see a bigger circle of participants, with more people running with body extensions at various heights. These people would have more string to use, the project would go on for much longer, and it would create an even bigger entanglement that maybe the circle of people would have a harder time getting out of. However this first attempt at entanglement of bodies worked well to establish our ideas about connections that literally and emotionally tie us all together

[helenrlee]

Here’s some of the group’s progress on our body extension projects from Tuesday. Since then, we have furthered these objects to be able to release the string as well as become more wearable units.

After listening to out guests on Thursday, I have begun to think more deeply about issues like: our cohesiveness as a group, the problems that we intend to create as a group, and the lasting meaning of our extensions as related to the poem.

[helenrlee]

From today’s discussions, we’ve decided on the finer details of the execution of our project and our individual roles, extensions, jobs over break. We will be instructing the class to stand in a circle while we begin from the corners with our string-releasing/unravelling extensions. When we begin, we will enter and walk around the people, entangling them in our string. Eventually we will runout of string and leave the area. All that is left will be our mess, our entanglement of ideas. 

Individually, our string releasers will be special to us by height by string release. Joints and connections: Maddy: head. Me: knees. Ellie: elbows. Dua: hips

[helenrlee]

February 20th’s ideas with Due and Maddy. To further our thoughts for the string project, we started thinking through some sketches of body extensions that would release string from the body in different ways. 

We’re on the path to considering how we would get out of our string/yarn/rope entanglements. We’re considering how we might make restricting attachments and also enabling attachments. For example we thought of a “spool” like dispenser over someone’s eyes, but also making an extension on their fingers so they can feel where they are to the ground. We also have ideas that release string from the knees, possibly to make crutches with it, from the hands as they are possibly restricting the upper body, and from the back, which might rely on the movement of unravelling the thread from the whole of the body.

[helenrlee]

Group 2′s Mind Map from its initial words to our analysis of the themes and concepts that we think will be important to us. At this point, we don’t yet know how we want to execute the project, but we have keywords and key ideas that we want to explore. Our map began from the topic This is Not a Poem, and we have chosen key ideas such as cycles, repetition, the connection between restricting joints and “helping” extensions, deconstruction, reconstruction, breaking down physical, spiritual, mental and emotional elements, and the question: what do we all offer individually?

For Thursday we will discuss some sketching ideas further and where some initial concepts will bring us.

[helenrlee]

For this photo project, I had a fun time coming up with ideas that would either be a disruption to my own normal routine, to others’, or by considering the different use of objects and spaces as either body extensions or “one minute sculptures”. I wanted to keep the photos to just using myself so that I could get to explore all the possibilities and limitations of only having one subject. Also, by using myself, the project became more about my experience of finding disruptions and new interactions with things and places rather than photo quality aspect.

[helenrlee]

Sequence Project Final Reflection and Participation Stories

After the presentation and critique on Thursday, I am overall pleased with the results of my project. I think the overarching theme of it became not only to provoke a story or imagination, but to ask questions and further complicate a problem that I’ve set out for the viewers. My favorite questions were ones like “doesn’t this remind you of...” and “why did you choose...”.

The point was raised about the project as to how to present a future, similar, further work like this in the most effective way. Whether this being to reorganize the images in a different way to be viewed or to present the prompt for viewers in a specific way, I should consider these aspects in the future.

Last, but not least, here are the stories that were generated from the prompt I gave to a couple willing viewers. I appreciate their truly imaginative creations and the themes they instill, all from a couple of photographs.

Again, here was the prompt:

1)Background. For my project I was inspired by an children’s storybook illustrator and writer who I researched. People always asked him about what order his bookmaking came in: which came first the illustration or the story. And this wasn’t as interesting to me as when he described where he got inspiration for the storybooks. 2) My Project. For this project I’ve wanted to ask people for stories based from imagination of images I set in front of them. These pictures I’ve taken all feel like they have some sort of story you can imagine from them, but that���s just me. 3) Your part. I’m asking for a story of your own creation based from as few or as many of these images as you choose. It can be as long or as short as you wish. I originally intended for you to choose from within one of the 3 sets of 4 pictures, but if you happen to draw from each other, so be it. 

Story 1

It's January 29 and quickly turning into one of the worst winters ever.  The lack of snow is critical and the natives are panicking.  

"When will the snow come?"  

"We need snow now".

"It's not even cold enough to make snow".

These were the plaintive cries of the villagers.  President's day weekend was around the corner and the lack of snow was freaking people out....no snow means no skiers, no snowboarders.....no tourist dollars.  

Desperate times call for desperate measures. One by one the lift attendants and snowcat operators began leaving offerings to Ullr, the Norse god of snow. A  beautiful  and lovingly hand knit mohair scarf left on a piney alter,  a cozy hat, a boot; anything to leave oneself vulnerable to the elements and at the mercy of the gods. Ullr we give our most prized possessions to you....now bestow upon us SNOW

The End.

Story 2

One early morning, in a metropolitan area probably quite similar to yours, a boy left his two-story bungalow home, with the ultimate destination of Goodwill Inc. Over the past few years, he had accumulated quite a few clothing items, and was intent on donating his winter apparel to the less fortunate. However, this boy was not aware of how aggravating it would be to haul his outdated wardrobe the excessive distance (seven hundred fifty-three feet) all by himself. He decided to periodically lighten his load by dropping various garments along the way. Unfortunately, he dropped so many things, he did not have anything left to deliver. Despite this, he boy was not concerned.

Unaware of plate tectonics and planetary geology, he was sure that this was for the best, as the earth must get chilly during the winter. Comforted by knowing his good deed was still accomplished for the day, the boy awarded himself with an only slightly used candle from the same Goodwill he aimed to donate to. Thus, the earth was a bit warmer than it was before, and the boy’s room smelled like fresh linen for many days; this scent eventually gave way to another, as the candle was tipped over, burning his bungalow to the ground. Despite this, the boy was not concerned, as he enjoyed watching fire. It was calming.

Story 3

I know these footprints are hers. I know it. She’s leaving hints for me to come find her. Everyone, my friends and family, say I need to leave her alone, that she isn’t interested. But why would she distinctly leave footprints and...Oh! She even has left me a glove and another glove! What game is she playing with me? I will find her. I know she wants to be with me. Hmm...it’s odd though that I’ve never seen her wear these gloves or this hat, and the tree is an odd hiding place. But they seem so familiar, as if all winter as I walk this same path through the neighborhood I have seen them. The purple scarf! I know that scarf! It is her scarf!!!...oh wait..wait a minute..no I am such a fool. These garments are from the melted neighborhood snowman, not my love.

Story 4

One day, it was discovered where all of the missing socks had been going. For millennia humans have thought, "Where the hell did the matching sock to this go?" Or, "What happened to my other glove?" Then, then figured it out.

Deep in the government laboratories found in Area 51, they were experimenting. By leaving socks, gloves, and various items which have a tendency to wander away, out in the open for extended periods of time, they hoped to discover what was making them disappear. With cameras trained on all of the items, and massive sticky rat traps all over the floor, the scientists sat in wait of the creatures. They waited and waited, until one day, some six and a half years after the onset of the experiment, they discovered that they had caught something in the traps!

The head researcher was named Mr. Neal MacNealson, a portly man with a flowing red beard, merry disposition, Scottish brogue, and head as bald an egg. He came out first into the chamber, to investigate. Roughly twenty feet from the central table upon which the clothing articles rested was a small, green creature stuck to a rat trap. Mr. MacNealson went up to introduce himself and determine the identity of the intruder. He said, "Hello there, my name is Mr. MacNealson and this here is my laboratory (pronounced lah-bore-uh-tore-ee)."

The creature responded by saying, in a high, nasally voice and an interesting accent, almost like an Indian man who had inhaled far too much helium. "My name is ¥©π¶∆✓£ and I seem to be stuck. I was merely attempting to gather materials with which to construct my home." Sure enough, in the monster's hand was but a single pink, frilly sock with leopard spots. MacNealson said, "What kinda home do ya be buildin' with that ya wee beastie?" The creature said, "well I was planning on making ranch style home. There were going to be white shutters with a blue coat on the outside and the inside is going to be nautical themed.”

Story 5

There once was a girl named Elle. Elle was special, so special that she was born with purple hair that glowed at night. When she was little she used to love her purple hair. As she got older, her peers got meaner and some started to tease her for her long purple locks. She became ashamed and wanted nothing more than for her hair to look like everyone else's.

One day while Elle was crying because of her hair, her fairy godmother appeared. She asked, "what is wrong my dear, do you not like the magical hair I bestowed upon you as a child?" "I don't want it anymore, all I want is to be invisible," responded Elle. Her fairy godmother, looking surprised and rather hurt told her, "whatever you wish my dear," and with that, she made Elle invisible. Elle was so relieved to finally be freed from her purple hair. With that, she could walk around town free from judgemental eyes, but what she didn't realize is that while she was invisible, her clothes were not. People were beginning to stare at the floating ensemble of clothing and she had become again what she had feared most, a reason for people to stare. She began to run and frantically throw off her clothes, her scarf, her hat, her boots, her coat and her gloves until she was completely naked and all one could see is the footprints she left behind her. In her haste, Elle never realized how cold it was outside. When she slowed down, she started to freeze.

With doubts that she would ever make it home again, Elle dropped to her knees and started again to cry. With her tears, her fairy godmother came to and asked her, "Child, what is the matter? Did you not like what I did for you?" "No," she quipped back, "I hate it, I am cold, miserable, and more of a freak than I was before with my purple hair." The Godmother, losing her patients with the ungratefulness of the little girl, up and left, leaving Elle cold and invisible forever.

[helenrlee]

My project images