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Final Project/Artist Statement

For my final project I had a different outcome in mind and it ended up going elsewhere, which I think was a good turnout. My project consisted of multiple images in one piece that told a story and simultaneously went together. During my project I mainly worked with harsh light by turning all the lights off in the room and using one light source, casting a dramatic look to my subject. I focused primarily on the closeness and intimacy of the images in order to engage the viewer. I decided to change the arrangement of the images themselves, I didn’t want them all to be similar, for each art work tells a different story. Some more obvious than others. For example, my focus on the first image was intended for the body of the instrument. The collage of the white ball is primarily focused on the motion of the ball and hand. The hat is intended to express detail while the hands are each framed in different sizes as well as the difference in direction of light in each hand. Lastly, the Timberlands is a famous nice shoe which I wanted to express through these images, each focusing on a specific part of of the shoe.

My inspiration came from artist Andy Warhol who created the famous artwork known as “Marlin Diptych” a repetition of the same photograph in different designs and colors. This led to my experimenting and inspired me to change my images in design and placement. I didn’t intent to completely mimic his work, my focus was to use a concept of his photos and add my own twist to them, while keeping the quality of the image intact and easy to see. 

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Artist Zoe Leonard

My research paper was focused on Zoe Leonard, a photographer, sculpture and installation artist. Her work focus is surrounded by strategizing repetition, perspective, by also expressing themes such as, immigration, gender, sexuality, loss, mourning and displacement. 

This particular work of art known as “1961″ stood out to me. Primarily the suit cases stood out because of their repetitive placement. The blue hues of colors pop from the simplicity of the walls. It was interesting to know that “1961″ is a self-portrait. The significance of 1961 is the year she was born and the number of suitcases is the result of each year after that. Every year a new suitcase is added making this a on going art piece. Through this revelation I came to understand the meaning of the suitcases starting against the wall, the fact that the first suitcase is the year she was born demonstrates that there is nothing beyond the wall, it behinds with the first suitcase. I love this work and the meaning it conveys. The contrast and repetition intrigues the viewer, keeping them guessing. 

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Final Proposal

For my final project I want to create mixtures of collages using close up shots in interesting angles. Some collages will have photos stacked and interacting with one another others will be aligned and parallel to one another. With the intention to convey perspective and engaging the viewer on a more emotional level. Engaging them in the beauty and intimacy of the photograph. Enough to consider the emotion through the photograph regardless what it is. I will more than likely capture everyday things around me, by incorporating contrast, color, scale, color and perspective, everything in frame will be intentional and with purpose.  As a result, allowing the viewer to interpret the image as they can. 

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Virtual Tour

A virtual tour of galleries was quit different. Definitely not as engaging and up and personal like it would be in a live gallery. The experience isn't the same sitting in a room on a laptop, we don't get the full realistic authentic feel of a piece, but yet still educational and expressive. 

This photo really caught my attention on a more personal level, a series called "Mi Barrio: Memories of Home" by Djali Brown-Cepeda with a focus on the photograph "Playing the Pompa. El Barrio, 1980s" a piece submitted by Ashley Soleil and Santos Rodríguez. The focus in this photograph are the three children (2 boys 1 girl) playing with a fire hydrant in New York. The water is splashing out of the hydrant as the foreground while two visible ladies and a van along with the rest of the city are the background. Based on the title of the series. I believe the kids to be related or very close friends. The boy facing his back is playing with the water coming out, the boy on the left of him is taller with a serious expression, while the girl across from him has her leg up with some sort of plate in her hand with a focused stare. Each drenched in water. While they are the focus point, the background is blurred a bit making the city and the ladies clear enough to distinguish. Cepeda seems to take the photograph at the eye level of the children. Mainly placing them as the main focus of the photograph. The photograph is well lit, seems to come from up right. Expressing the joy and innocence of kids being kids. I enjoy this photograph because it reminds me of my childhood in New York. I also would get wet with fire hydrants. It was something the city of New York permitted in the 80s-90s. This photo is relatable towards me on a personal and cultural level. Gives me joy and nostalgia of the enjoyable life I had in New York. The photo seems real and candid, the children are simply doing what they  seem to normally do while Cepeda captured it. I think Cepeda did a great job of capturing the Latinx culture in New York, this image conveys this by its authentic colors and shades as well as the style and clothing.  https://www.elmuseo.org/nuevayorkinos/

I was drawn by the painting "A Storm in the Rocky Mountains, Mt. Rosalie" by Albert Bierstadt. A landscape of dark gloomy colors and hues. Shapes of mountains, hills, trees, bodies of water and surrounding clouds. This piece of art is positioned in a way of showing the grass, trees and mountains in the foreground while the clouds are in the background. There is an obvious empty space in the center where the body of water is. The image is taken in a low-angle from the bottom left corner representing the artist's point of view. The fact that the mountains are above us is realistic. One thing that really stands out is the light source in this image. Illuminating from behind the foreground mountain and above the right part of the clouds. The light shines mainly in this area and on the water. The light gives me a sense of warmth and hope within the darker shadows in this image. This painting makes me feel thoughtful and also concerned but yet calm. By having the sunlight shining through the dark heavy clouds. The clouds give off the sense of danger and possibly pain. I believe the artist wanted the viewers to feel excitement for what was to come in America. Nevertheless, this image expresses many feelings and thoughts. As others can have an emotional response to the image, Mt. Rosalie who is the person it's named after. Had a personal significance for her. She was to marry Albert Bierstadt after her divorce. Knowing this, gives the image a different meaning and second glance. I can now see the representation of what the clouds can convey. The idea that love doesn't come easy, it sometimes comes at a cost, but if it's meant to be there will be a way as expressed with the light illuminating the water. This piece of work is highly detailed and saturated enough to express the emotions it portrays.  https://www.brooklynmuseum.org/opencollection/objects/1558

Last photograph is a modern piece known as “Joe’s Auto Graveyard,” Pennsylvania by Walker Evans.  This photo is more relatable to American culture. Right away I see a pile of classic cars as the foreground and an empty field with a few trees in the background. Colors are low in saturation, this an old photo which is shown by the age in the photo through contrast and lack of colors, a gray image. This photo appears to be balanced and symmetrical. With having the cars all on the bottom and empty space above it which is appears to be part of the framing of the image. From the title itself I believe the classic cars appear to be abandoned and left to rot. From this knowledge I have an idea of the representation of this photo. A graveyard is where the dead lay, in this case cars are in the graveyard which can translate as them to be broken “dead”. Graveyards tend to be lonely which is the feeling I get with the empty field behind it. There is nothing there but the cars, the cars are alone. Seems that the image was taken at a low-angle which makes sense, giving that the cars are at the bottom while the field seems to be above them. The dead are underground while the living stay above and alive.  Regardless, the photo does appear to be well lit while there is sun shining on the cars from above. The light reduces the feeling of darkness. I think Evans intention for taking this photograph was to engage the viewer into feeling what the cars do. Yes they are immobile objects but still express emotion. Overall, I enjoy this photo and believe it is a good example of abandonment but can also be a good example of new beginnings on the other side expressed by the field. http://www.getty.edu/art/collection/objects/45813/walker-evans-joe%27s-auto-graveyard-pennsylvania-american-1935/?dz=0.5000,0.5000,0.42

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These Four Walls

With this assignment I focused on capturing what I see and how it makes me feel. The first photo represents America itself and how these are different difficult times. Portraying it through the old fallen flags. The second photo reminded me of the empty stores all around. Streets and the lack of cars, the low angle shot gives the street a sense of power. The third photo conveys the isolation from others, feeling trapped in our homes. I used the fence door to convey the feeling of separation while the light composition is as sign of relief after all this ends. The last photo represents what I live with everyday. A roommate that spends the day gaming to cope with this pandemic. However, it's a photo that can represent calmness and relaxation with the warm yellow colors and light blue hues bouncing off her hand. After capturing these images I realized everything I needed was right in front of me and anything can be a photograph. 

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Passage

I was inspired by Bill Viola with his emotional tangible video art. I decide to make a video surrounded by the COVID-19. As we are limited to our day to day activities. I wanted to convey this by showing the compression and anxiety of the restraints we have to abide by concerning staying home and only leaving the house for essential purposes. It starts at her feet conveying placment then working it’s way up to her hands to show tension and anxiety. The desire to be free from isolation.

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What Is Video Art

Video art is a contemporary art form that focuses on art expression through video and art. There is a broad verity of video art including, broadcasting, installation, video tapes, galleries and museums and many others. However, the more common forms of video art are installation and single-channel. A single-channel consists of a projection or screening of single series of images. While installation includes more environmental visuals made of several pieces of video screened simultaneously or a combination of art performance. 

I enjoyed how the “Case for Video Art” mentions that video art has always been blurry. It doesn’t belong to museums, rather video art is what artists make it to be. When video art began to take off in the 60′s there were many artists that experimented by using the video cameras of the time and their own creativity. I enjoyed Artist Nam June Paik who created the TV cello, a combination of culture, sculpture and experimental music. Something surreal and uncommon in this time. Another artist I enjoyed was Joan Jonases who created art based on how women were portrayed. Other artists expressed art by combing other forms of art. Such as, theatre, dance, music etc, also known as expanded cinema. At this time art was influenced and expressed through the audience as well, interacting with them. In contrast, I wasn’t extremely fond of Martha Roler’s work. It reminded me of another cooking show, minus the cooking and with more tension and awkwardness. Overall, it was amazing to see how artists change the idea of video art through their ideas and creativity. 

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Constructed Narrative

I chose the story of sleeping beauty with an added twist. My story includes a mixture of reality and dream. Her expression is the representation of the revelation she discovers. I used the dark and light as well as blacks and grays to represent the division of her revelation. Her eyes are in important aspect of this image, they are meant to capture the viewers attention and hint her revelation. I used an asian female to convey beauty within other cultures. The bird’s eye view shot is tied to her dream. I am leaving her revelation to the interpretation of the viewer. 

This is the story of Snow White and the poisonous apple. This photo was taken with the intention of humor and encouragement. The low angle shot places the subject in a superior position above the poisonous apple. Demonstrating it has no control over him, therefore not being able to harm him. He holds it down rather than the other way around. the the colors he is wearing are more vibrant than the color of the apple, also showing his dominance. I wanted to use a man instead of a woman to demonstrate that they are also hurt and mistreated by poisonous people. 

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Midterm Outcome

Throughout the course of my series of “what do you like about yourself” I discovered for many people this question is difficult. They don’t have an answer straight off the bat, and it was interesting to know what people responded. I had more responses related to characteristics rather than physical appearance. Those more confident and sure answered the question without hesitation. I asked a verity of age groups and teenagers hesitated the most and children gave answers related to how educated they were, which is something many adults won't necessarily say. I believe deciding on black and white made the images more dramatic and added to the seriousness of the question. I had people like my images outside of class which were also focusing on black and white images. 

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Instagram Project Images

This is Angela and she likes that she is tall because it is rare for Asians. In each of my photos I focus primarily on the thing my subject liked about themself and try to convey that as best as I could. In this case I decided to shoot this photo at a low-angle because it shows power and dominance. The lights are used to emphasize her height, they are placed from top to bottom, showing depth between her legs and hat. 

This is Josue, and he loves helping people. this was a perfect moment to capture because in this moment he is helping me with my car. There is a sense of focus in the image, through his hands, they aren’t aggressive or forced. Yet firm and attentive. The black and white effect make the image dramatic in the sense that there is much to see. His gloves convey genteelness and control. He is in control of who he helps and he decides to help who he can.

This is Jonathan, something he likes about himself is the fact that he is a quick learner. He learned soccer at a young age and only improved from there. This photo conveys his soccer skills and there is control and good form from the positioning of his legs. We see it mainly through his shadow on the ground. It reveals his ability. The black and white only helps convey the meaning of his skills. The movement also can be represented as his ability to pick up things quickly. 

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The Photograph as Contemporary Art

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Symbols

A representation of UTD and its atec building. Showing the creativity through light, shadow and the writings on the windows. The picture is framed in a way that gives light and a sense of warmth. 

This image emphasizes on the everyday obsession and need for coffee. Coffee that is necessary to get through the day and help us focus on assignments or projects that must be completed. The low angle shot conveys the power coffee has over us. 

A symbol of me and my love for photography and video. The image doesn’t show the full detailed effect of who I am but in the frame the silhouette of me and my phone is enough information to identify the fact that this is a person. The shadow gives the idea that there is more to be told behind the photo. 

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Giving New Meaning

This image originally was simply the portrait of the man with string wrapped around his face in a humorous way. With my little spin on it, I added the sketch effect along with a tv frame surrounding his face drawing sharp red eyes. This gives the image now a haunting and terrifying feeling. A very dark and uneasy feeling especially through the red eyes staring back at you. 

Originally this image was fully realistic and emphasized the struggle of the beaming sun in the guys eyes with a dramatic low-angle shot which gives him the power. I decided to give it an unrealistic look by adding color to demonstrate a cartoon feel. Not as relatable and the cartoon style conveys a more easy comfortable feel while also making the sun the center of the frame. 

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Midterm Instagram Project

For my midterm project I want to bring attention to the idea that people are beautiful. Capture a series of images that show what people love about themselves. In order to accomplish this idea, I will first ask friends and possibly strangers to state what it is they like about themselves whether it be a physical feature, talent, skill etc, and take photos of these specific features. In doing so, I intend to involve the viewer in an emotional way, representing the beauty of the person, demonstrating they too are beautiful. 

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Reading 3- Command the Gaze

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Photo Montage

This photo montage represents the fear of the depths of the ocean. I’m not a strong swimmer and the the idea of drowning is terrifying. However, this montage signifies concurring that fear and rising above the water by using the giant legs outside of the water, soldier helmets which signify strength and courage. Then the sunrise in the back that reflects joy and relief. 

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Decisive Moment Assignment

While capturing photos for the decisive moment assignment it was important to observe my surroundings. There were many things happening around me that were photo worthy. Capturing decisive moments forced me to walk around with my camera and pop it out in a short amount of time in order to capture the moment in time.