In a recent turn of events, I have come into the possession of a number of felt swatches, thread, batting, wire, and needles. These materials, if usable in my hands, will be the dominating media in my next sculpture. Needless to say, the kinetic element of my previous piece will not be replicated. I have no idea what to expect, and plan on spending the entirety of my day tomorrow experimenting with these strange new tools.

Reaction to the "Get Real" Symposium

This week's symposium regarded a topic I have always been a little hesitant to acknowledge: The meaning of modern art. Prior to the symposium, I had only the utmost disdain for what appeared to me to be lazy acts of self-indulgence. Mondrian and his remarkably simple interlocking rectangles, Rothko and his ventures into expressive color theory, Pollock and his random drippings were all images that once made me cringe. I had the childish mindset that if what I saw was not immediately recognizable, explainable, or personally meaningful, it must be unworthy of praise. But thanks to Brett's illuminating speech, I have come to see the truth of this perplexing concept.

Artists all work toward the same goal of displaying the real world through art. This means that when Monet removed the sharp details and added flowing textural patterns in his work, he was not distorting reality, but creating what to him seemed a more emotional reaction to the world he was trying to recreate; the world as he saw it. This is true of all great and influential artists. Modern art has experienced all its various forms simply because artists were trying to make sense of the world and what makes it what it is. The idea that the purpose of art could be more than aesthetically pleasing advertising, political rallying, or decoration, is a highly philosophical and beautiful one. Art can be about the truth of all things observed, felt, and believed. It can reveal the reality that we all exist within but do not see for ourselves. This concept changed my stance on the peculiarities of modern art immediately, and I will now go forth with an open mind, hoping to learn a little more about the existence we all share through the eyes of the artists that used to perplex me.

The Results of my Paper Experimentation

After hours of experimenting and working in the studio, I finally came up with a finished product that I believe makes my prototypes and flops worth the effort. My final paper sculpture is constructed with a combination of mi-teintes paper, construction paper, and cardboard. The design is achieved by combining two sheets of paper and slicing through both in straight lateral stripes. Then, the paper is looped in on itself, producing a cylinder. This form is then compressed, forcing the strips to bow outward, resulting in a shape not unlike that of an onion. I performed this technique multiple times and then put two of the forms together in order to add depth and layers. Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the final piece however is that it is designed to bring the viewer into the display. A string connects the forms and can be pulled to force them to change shape within set parameters. This is a much more engaging experience and makes it feel more unique than simply choosing a design and freezing it in place. The combination of motion and user interaction bring the piece to life in a way that a large number of sculptures cannot. But it is just made of paper and string so it isn't that big of a deal. Oh well.

The Return of the Xacto

Today I spent tons of time experimenting with paper. This included folding, cutting, gluing, sculpting, diagramming, and various other tasks. The results were certainly interesting and it is clear that I have yet to even scratch the surface of what is possible utilizing this medium. All images are loosely based on the structures I discovered within onions except for the cube which was just an experiment in folding, planning, and deconstruction of three-dimensional forms into two-dimensional diagrams. Most of what I created was meant to remain stationary but the last piece is most interesting when spun on its axis. I tried to upload video of its rotation but unfortunately my phones video format did not jive with Blogger. All in all, this was a great exercise and I love getting the opportunity to play with media without fear of failing to meet the criteria of the assignment. 

Onion Abstraction

For the next stage of the project, I took some of the basic designs found in the onion and extended, distorted, and modified them. This led to some interesting mutations of the original images I had captured. After experimenting with new forms using sharpie, I traced a few of my favorites using different widths of pen and marker to create more dynamic linework. Once finished, I overlaid one more layer of tracing paper and sketched over the images, recreating them with nothing but values at my disposal. 

Onions Ahoy!

(Today's sketches/doodles of my various onion segments. The rectangular construct is a rendering of onion skin on a microscopic level which I made with the aid of a magnifying loupe.)

For the next stage of my assignment, I have selected a favorite of my four possible subjects. I chose the onion due to its intriguing concentric circles when cut laterally, and its teardrop shapes when cut vertically. It also has pleasant surface texture in its evenly-spaced and consistent lines that move from pole to pole. After choosing this humble vegetable as my focal point, I then researched examples of similar structures elsewhere. These include the onion domes of churches in Moscow, such as Saint Basil's Cathedral and the Cathedral of the Annunciation, archery targets, and even aerodynamic vehicle designs. These reflect the onion as a whole, the onion cut laterally, and the onion cut vertically respectively.

P.S.: none of the photos are mine, they are just pulled from google images. Didn't want there to be any confusion.

P.P.S. : The above image is a quick rendering of a couple sections from the images before them. I selected a few details I found interesting and experimented a bit with ink and crosshatching.

More Thorough Exploration

In order to collect more information on the subject of structure in nature, I went to a local grocery store and purchased numerous fruits and vegetables to dissect and document. The assignment called for the selection of two organic objects, but since I didn't know what my slightly exotic choices looked like inside, I decided to document them all and choose my favorite two from there. I dissected and sketched an acorn squash, kiwis, guavas, and onions. At the moment, I am most interested in the forms and textures of the acorn squash and onions, but someone may point out factors that make other subjects better for the assignment.

It should also be noted that throughout this assignment I have been slowly isolating a style which I enjoy when documenting the natural world. At the beginning, I utilized only one tool at a time, be it a micron, sharpie, or graphite. But as I have progressed, I have begun to prefer a combination of all three, using sharpie for thick, graphic outlines, micron or ballpoint pen for detail within the form, and graphite for the designation of planes or rounded surfaces if the previous two media do not accurately represent the subject.

Looking for Structure in Nature

My most recent assignment was to examine the natural world and identify patterns, rhythms, and structures. This could include anything from the veins of a leaf to the blocky segments of bark. During class we explored KCAI's campus and sat to document various organic objects in our large newsprint sketchbooks. In my sketches I focused primarily on sources of symmetry but I also took a stab at less balanced natural constructs such as trees and grass. These are just studies designed to help me see nature from a new perspective, not final products.

Reaction to the Digital Filmmaking/Photography Symposium

This week's symposium was on the topic of digital filmmaking and photography. It was not quite as impactful as many of the other presentations, primarily due to the speakers' heavy focus on the incorporation of political meaning in this form of art. I feel that film and photography have far more to contribute to the world than rehashing the same sentiments that have always been present. These are extremely rich and powerful mediums that can convey nearly any concept to their viewer, yet people frequently act under the assumption that creations with political imagery or double meaning carry more weight than pieces that simply evoke raw emotion in their viewer. Must a statement on the government or war or the environment always be made for modern art in these fields to succeed? I certainly hope not.

This is not to say however that I did not find some aspects of the presentation interesting. For instance, I enjoyed seeing the unusual works of Simon Roberts, a photographer who focuses in powerful portraits that tell compelling narratives strictly through the details and expressions of his models. His strong and emotional work derives from a place of universal interest: people. This makes it immediately approachable and intriguing without the guise of political significance. It stands alone and acts upon the viewer without need of explanation. This is the type of work I wish to create.

Below are the final versions of my six images for the reduction and refinement project. I Felt that to add more color schemes might risk muddying the final composition and undo all of the work I did finding the first three. Therefore I decided to copy each successful original color palette onto the remaining images. So there are two representations of each color scheme present in the final compilation.

"Cons"

Split Complementary
This is most likely my favorite image of the group with the pleasant split complementary color scheme working to clearly emphasize all of the shapes and designs present without becoming overwhelming. The ease in which the letters can be read is also a point where this image shines. I love that not all of the letters are necessary to get the message across. 

"Nerves"

Analogous
I chose the title "Nerves" for this image because it represents the moment I realized my current location could be dangerous, and therefore put me in a state of unease. I also thought it fitting because what was once a crack in a window pane now resembles something quite close to a nerve cell in the body.

"Roots"

Split Complementary
Though it was recommended that I attempt to obscure the symbols in this image to further abstract the shapes, I decided to leave them as they were in order to give the viewer a concrete place to return to as they moved through the composition.

"Rungs"

Split Complementary
This image gave me the most trouble by far with its large number of repeated shapes that all demand lots of attention. I am satisfied for now but I may return to it to refine the patterns and increase the overall strength of the composition.

"Petals"

Analogous
This is among my favorite images as I enjoy the high contrast between the central floral design and the dull red of the bricks which flow seamlessly into the body of the balloon.

"Ripples"

Split Complementary
This image still feels a tad wanting in its color layout and it could potentially use some tweeking in the organization and shaping of the bricks, but I feel that it is relatively strong within the collection.

Final Composition

After more experimentation, I came up with a few options for color palettes on three of my six images. I really like the way they interact with each other and how their colors reflect how I feel about them. For instance, I enjoy "Cool Cons" because it contains soft, cool colors that match its message. Because I enjoy these schemes so much, I intend to mix and match them with the remaining images to keep the final product balanced and unified.