WE PARTICIPATE IN ALL TYPES OF FAILURE
PUNK MUSIC Something that i've always loved and been interested in is the entire genre of punk music. Beginning at a young age i've been drawn to the musical style and as I get older I realize how much the lyrics resonate with my views of the world. However, since I didn't grow up in the age when punk first started growing, I thought it necessary to research its roots and history in order to further expand my knowledge on the topic and understand exactly what I'm identifying with.
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Although punks are often categorized as having left-winged/progressive views, punk politics cover the entire political spectrum. Punk ideologies are mostly concerned with individual freedoms and anti-establishment views.
X ANTI-ESTABLISHMENTARIANISM Punk aesthetics determine the type of art that's visually enjoyed. Things with underground, minimalistic, iconoclastic, and satirical sensibilities. While generating a considerable amount of poetry & prose, the genre has its own underground press though the form of 'zines' which feature news, gossip, cultural criticism, and interviews.
Looking at zines brought me into the field of collage. While a zine could be an excellent project, I felt like going the route of a large scale collage was more of what I needed to be doing with it.
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For this project I'm doing some experimentation with photo retouch colors. There are no techniques for these online due to the creation of computer programs that do the same thing without the mess, so i'm kinda just winging it. So far, the most effective way to use them is to treat them like a watercolor wash. As practice I colored in a previously black and white photo of the band Weezer which can be seen in my independent workbook. By brushing on a wash of the color, the dye alters the image. This was immensely helpful in creating a more definitive eye track for my collage. I wanted to inspire visual movement in the form of a regular rhythm throughout the piece. I did this by adding basic flesh and primary red tones to the human figures I have balanced throughout the composition.
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I chose a choppy collage for this project because I thought it represented the type of art that circulates in punk subculture - such as homemade zines and photocopied posters. After I established a strong visual composition with the various pictures, I used old school photo correcting fluid to create an eyetrack throughout the piece. This eye-track focuses on the human figure as it’s represented throughout the collage, which puts emphasis on the heart that goes into the punk ideologies.
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HORROR MOVIES Horror Films are unsettling films designed to frighten and panic, cause dread and alarm, and to invoke our hidden worst fears, often in a terrifying, shocking finale, while captivating and entertaining us at the same time in a cathartic experience.
I've loved horror movies ever since I can remember, and since it's a great interest/hobby of mine combined with the factor that it's October and Wes Craven just passed away, I thought it might be interesting to do a project around the topic. |
For my project I chose to focus on the monster genre of horror movies. I made a set of mugs with forms specific to each monster. the unifying factors will be the handles, size of the form, color palette, and type of clay. The mugs are to be made from white stoneware clay and will have a gloss red glaze that drip over the sides and lines the mugs. I will hopefully be wood firing these. I will then create decals for each mug with pictures of the various monster's portrayals in classic and modern films. These decals will go around the outside of the mugs. The elements and principles I'm most focused on for this project are form (the actual forms of the mugs), space (the spaces between the mug and the handle as well as the opening of the mug), balance (balancing the decals across the mug), and movement (creating a visual flow with the use of decals).
This project was placed on hold due to two failed attempts and will resume next semester when white stoneware clay is available.
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Voodoo dolls have always been something i’ve been vaguely interested in but never really took the time to research deeply into the topic. that is - until now. Recently while on a trip, i noticed little string dolls dangling from children’s backpacks, many of them made to look like popular characters (sherlock holmes, superman, etc). I later saw a small kiosk in the airport that sold them, little string voodoo dolls that were meant to be tokens of good luck. Seeing something I had previously considered to be associated with dark magic swinging from a child's backpack, I resolved to dive deeper into research on the topic.
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How To Use The Doll: The doll is not so much a remote control for manipulating another person as much as it is a representation of the person used to appeal to the Voodoo spirits. The Voodoo straight pin, or thorn, is actually used attach something to the doll to make the doll represent, or even become, the person to whom it is targeted. To cause the doll and the intended person to become one and the same, one, or both, of two techniques may be used. First, label the doll as the targeted person by pinning a picture of them, or at least, their name, to the doll. Second, made the doll become the person by attaching or inserting a thing that was previously from, or in intimate contact with the person. Some examples of this would be a lock of hair, a nail clipping or piece of their clothing that had been in intimate contact with them.
To make the doll work one should be familiar with the Voodoo spirits, which ones are useful for various given purposes and what things will appeal to that spirit. Adding things to the doll, like love like perfume or rose petals for love, clover or garlic for luck and money or sitting it between a blue, and a white candle for healing increases it’s powers. |
Although its origins are not completely clear, the Voodoo doll originated in the Fon people of present-day Benin. The Voodoo religion was created in slave quarters in Haiti and Louisiana, when the faiths of various peoples began to intermingle. I will be focusing on the use of voodoo dolls in Louisiana, which grew enormously during the life of Marie Lavaux, the 'queen of Voodoo'. The word Voodoo itself means spirits and Voodoo is a religious or magico-religious practice which aims at connecting spirits and mortals. This interaction is only possible through a magical process using a gris-gris. A gris-gris' definition is nuanced-- it can either be the magical act or the object used for magic, or even both. Voodoo steers away from its more religious base into the superstition it is commonly associated with when a gris-gris is treated as containing the magic in itself. Spirits are no longer the strongest force; the magic can come from the gris-gris itself. The voodoo doll is a gris-gris, but can be used as a religious object or a superstitious one depending on how the user treats it.
The voodoo doll is usually a small, soft doll representing a person, though the extent of physical detail may vary. This doll, lying alone on a table, is no different from any other type of doll. However, the sharp pins which accompany the doll make it a voodoo doll. The person handling the doll has complete control over the doll, and can push the pins into the entirety of its soft body, attaching strands of hair or the name of the subject to the doll. The concept rests on this body being the material incarnation of a person, although religious usage of the voodoo doll uses outside spirits. Upon further investigation, I found out that voodoo dolls are not often made for the purposes the media makes them out to be. Though they can be used for harm, voodoo dolls are most often used for good. The colored pins that one sticks in the doll represent different things:
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Being a lover of literature, I wanted to create voodoo dolls of some of my favorite classic authors, specifically ones introduced to me over the course of high school. The six that I chose were Edgar Allan Poe, Kurt Vonnegut, Harper Lee, Truman Capote, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and Ernest Hemingway. I wanted to create voodoo dolls that helped to portray their actual purpose, therefore I worked to create small felt dolls in the likeness of each author. For this I drew inspiration from toys such as uglydoll and funko pop vinyl figures. The goal was to create something easily recognizable, while still “cute” and plushy. However, I still wanted to maintain a faint macabre air to them, which is why I chose to make the black thread used to sew together the felt visible and why I displayed them in small glass cases.
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Overall I think the project was a success. I made sure to check with people to see that the dolls were easily recognizable, and I think the way I chose to display them was effective. I do wish that perhaps I had made the dolls a bit smaller - since the glass cases came after I had already made five of the six, I didn’t feel like remaking them to fit the cases properly.
I feel my decision to restrict my felt color palette has been rewarded as it provides a sense of unity between the dolls. The small macabre elements - using marker to rough up and make the dolls look more realistic, making the harsh black thread erratic and prominent, and displaying them in worn glass cases reminiscent of the display of specimens - serve to reinforce the spooky, dark, mysterious side to the voodoo culture. However, when juxtaposed with their plush bodies and rosy cheeks, one can see that they’re not all bad. That is, unless the cold-hearted button-eyed stare doesn't creep you out so badly that you can’t see the bright side to them. |
GREEN DAY The punk rock band Green Day has always been a musical love of mine. I treasure everything from their early, amateur work to their later concept albums. Their lyrical genius really connects with a lot of my values and therefore they hold a special place in my heart. While I was on a kick of continuously looping American Idiot through my earbuds, my ceramics teacher Mr. Cockman showed me a functional teapot made by Christa Assad. The teapot in question was made to look like a grenade, and my mind immediately jumped to the heart shaped hand grenade that graces the album cover of American Idiot. That got me thinking.. what if I were to make something that resembled the heart hand grenade? it would be a perfect tribute to one of my favorite bands, and it seemed only fitting with the documentary about the broadway production of American Idiot being released only a few weeks prior. Then I thought, why stop there? Why not include elements from all of their albums? There was certainly a multitude to choose from. In taking ceramics this semester, I wanted to try something more sculptural and this was the perfect opportunity to do it.
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The teapot made by Christa Assad was the singular thing that put me on the track of this project. Pictured here, this is one of many functional/sculptural pieces she has created. > < To begin looking for elements from each album cover, I compiled them and then chose things that I thought best represented each cover. |
I compiled things the things I liked best from all the album artwork and set about doing rough sketches to decide where everything was going to go. Due to my minimal practice in a sculptural medium, I decided that some things - such as the spray-painted intertwined figures of the cover of 21st century breakdown - needed to be painted on. The pieces and parts I chose from each album are as follows:
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Manic Panic is a brand of counter-culture hair dye created by sisters Tish & Snooky in New York City. The duo helped to ignite the late 70's punk scene and built Manic Panic into the world-renown hair color and cosmetics company it is today. The original Manic Panic boutique became an icon of "first generation punk", as is well documented in countless books. Rock videos, such as "Downtown 81", as well as various films about the Ramones, have helped to pay tribute to Manic Panic's history. Manic Panic specifically catered to the punk rock and alternative crowd, with hipsters coming from all over the world to shop, to see, and to be seen.
Tish and Snooky introduced their customers to wild Manic Panic hair dyes in every color of the rainbow, even with matching colors for lips, nails, and eyes. The popularity of their products soared in the late '80s, and the sisters began distributing their line on a small scale, right out of the little store. |
Stephen Wiltshire is an architectural artist who draws and paints detailed cityscapes. He is widely renown for drawing incredibly realistic and accurate representations of cities. Diagnosed with autism as a child, Stephen was found to communicate through drawing and has only gone up. His favorite medium is pen on paper and he often uses minimal color. He is perhaps most famously known for his panoramas, which he often draws directly from memory after a brief helicopter ride over the area.
I want to use a drawing style similar to his, with high attention to detail without being precise. This is due to the high contrast and range of value throughout his work. I also am going to use a single black ink pen, as a sort of challenge for myself (since I'll be technically cheating by being able to look at the picture the whole time) |
St. Patrick's Cathedral is a decorated Neo-Gothic-style Roman Catholic cathedral church in the United States and a prominent landmark of New York City. It is the seat of the archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York, and a parish church, located on the east side of Fifth Avenue between 50th and 51st Streets in Midtown Manhattan, directly across the street from Rockefeller Center and specifically facing the Atlas statue.
The cathedral, which can accommodate 3,000 people, is built of brick clad in marble, quarried in Massachusetts and New York. It takes up a whole city block, between 50th and 51st streets, Madison Avenue and Fifth Avenue. At the transepts it is 174 feet (53.0 meters) wide and 332 feet (101.2 meters) long. The spires rise 330 feet (100.6 meters) from street level. The slate for the roof came from Monson, Maine. The two images to the right are of the cathedral and its main window and the one to the left is a rendition by Stephen Wiltshire himself. |
ARTIST SPOTLIGHT: HERESYFounded by an anti-theistic duo, Dominic Owen and Jasper Dunk, Heresy is a print-based label specializing in handmade and in-house printed garments.
All items are designed and produced with limited runs and top quality, and are also consciously printed with water-based inks which promise to produce a truer, worn fade over time. |
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Screen printing is a printing technique whereby a mesh is used to transfer ink onto a substrate, except in areas made impermeable by a blocking stencil. A squeegee is moved across the screen to fill the open apertures with ink and a reverse stroke then causes the screen to touch the substrate momentarily along a line of contact. This causes the ink to wet the substrate and be pulled out of the mesh apertures as the screen springs back after the squeegee passes.
For my screen printing project I will be using the photo emulsion technique of creating a stencil. This requires photo sensitive emulsion to be evenly spread across the screen. Then, a transparency with my design must be laid on top and a light placed over top for several hours in a dark room. Then, the screen will need to be rinsed and the emulsion fluid covered by the stencil transparency with wash out of the screen, creating the actual stencil. |
This was my first endeavor with screen printing. Last year I came up with a visually appealing line design and this year I decided to try it out with screenprinting. Wearable art is one the coolest things because you get to support the artist, have something to wear all the time, and it’s free advertising for the artist.
I had to do lots of research about the process, since making the screen requires specific chemical and light sensitive processes. I had to draw my design on a transparent sheet of plastic with india ink, successfully make the screen, and then I could use it to print my final design. This form of printmaking helped to further my understanding of the printmaking art - it takes much time and effort to create a means of printing a multitude of works.
I had to do lots of research about the process, since making the screen requires specific chemical and light sensitive processes. I had to draw my design on a transparent sheet of plastic with india ink, successfully make the screen, and then I could use it to print my final design. This form of printmaking helped to further my understanding of the printmaking art - it takes much time and effort to create a means of printing a multitude of works.
THE SEVEN DEADLY SINS
Due to my theme of counterculture ideas, I wanted to explore the seven deadly sins. Se7en was always a go to serial killer flick for me, and I thought the idea of the sins would flow nicely with my style of exploring things that are on the macabre side. I decided to create a multitude of works in a variety of media revolving around each of the sins. I tried to use these individual pieces to communicate my interpretation of the word and also used color to tie the piece directly to that particular sin.
This series pushed me creatively as I had to first come up with several designs and symbols that I thought well-represented the sins, then express these symbols through different artistic media. I wanted to dip into every two dimensional media I could for this project, which I accomplished by using oil paint, acrylic, watercolor, ink, pencil, and embroidery.
This series pushed me creatively as I had to first come up with several designs and symbols that I thought well-represented the sins, then express these symbols through different artistic media. I wanted to dip into every two dimensional media I could for this project, which I accomplished by using oil paint, acrylic, watercolor, ink, pencil, and embroidery.
LUST
For this project I wanted to combine oil paint and embroidery while drawing from Picasso's blue period. I chose to add embroidery because at the time I thought it would compliment the oil painting but now I absolutely hate it. Not fond of this one. Cut the woman's head off to communicate how lust is not in the head, it's in the body. |
GLUTTONY
What it is
Gluttony is an inordinate desire to consume more than that which one requires. Why you do it Because you were weaned improperly as an infant. Your punishment in Hell will be You'll be force-fed rats, toads, and snakes. Associated symbols & suchlike Gluttony is linked with the pig and the color orange. |
WRATH & PRIDE
The Sin of Pride is said by some to the the foremost of the Seven Deadly Sins. Hubris is the gateway through all other sin enters the mortal soul.
What it is Pride is excessive belief in one's own abilities, that interferes with the individual's recognition of the grace of God. It has been called the sin from which all others arise. Pride is also known as Vanity. Why you do it Well-meaning elementary school teachers told you to "believe in yourself." Your punishment in Hell will be You'll be broken on the wheel. Associated symbols & suchlike Pride is linked with the horse and the color violet. |
What it is
Wrath is manifested in the individual who spurns love and opts instead for fury. Why you do it You're wired for it. Also, the people around you are pretty damn irritating. Your punishment in Hell will be You'll be dismembered alive. Associated symbols & suchlike Anger is linked with the bear and the color red. |
For this project I want to do an illustrative piece using micron pens. For inspiration for this piece i'm drawing upon the work of the minimalist tattoo artist Dr. Woo. I loved the movement that the string of beads on the sword inspired and thought it necessary to my piece because I needed the eye track to start at the handle of the sword, then continue down to the crown.
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ENVY
What it is
Envy is the desire for others' traits, status, abilities, or situation. Why you do it Because other people are so much luckier, smarter, more attractive, and better than you. Your punishment in Hell will be You'll be put in freezing water. Associated symbols & suchlike Envy is linked with the dog and the color green. |
SLOTH
GREED
What it is
Greed is the desire for material wealth or gain, ignoring the realm of the spiritual. It is also called Avarice or Covetousness. Why you do it You live in possibly the most pampered, consumerist society since the Roman Empire. Your punishment in Hell will be You'll be boiled alive in oil. Bear in mind that it's the finest, most luxurious boiling oil that money can buy, but it's still boiling. Associated symbols & suchlike Greed is linked with the frog and the color yellow. |
To embody greed I pulled from the dollar bill. I made changes involving dark elements and wanted to communicate the emptiness of greed. The final piece was made with india ink and embossed with gold leaf to add an accent. The yellow symbolism is connected to the gold leaf and the ink actually has a slight yellowish tint. I kept the work loose because I liked the way it looked stylistically. |
WICCA"Wicca is a deep appreciation and awe in watching the sunrise or sunset, the forest in the light of a glowing moon, a meadow enchanted by the first light of day. It is the morning dew on the petals of a beautiful flower, the gentle caress of a warm summer breeze upon your skin, or the warmth of the summer sun on your face. Wicca is the fall of colorful autumn leaves, and the softness of winter snow. It is light, and shadow and all that lies in between. It is the song of the birds and other creatures of the wild. It is being in the presence of Mother Earths nature and being humbled in reverence. When we are in the temple of the Lord and Lady, we are not prone to the arrogance of human technology as they touch our souls. To be a Witch is to be a healer, a teacher, a seeker, a giver, and a protector of all things. If this path is yours, may you walk it with honor, light and integrity."
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WHY I CHOSE TO STUDY WICCA
The fine gemstones I used in my necklaces were:
The Symbols and Colors I used were:
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JUDY CHICAGOJust as she elevated explicitly female subject matter, Chicago embraced artistic media whose creators were exclusively or mainly women and (perhaps not coincidentally) dismissed by the high art world as merely "craft." Art forms such as needlework, ceramic decoration, and glass art are central to Chicago's work, often included alongside traditional high art media, such as painting.
Works such as The Dinner Party helped validate the importance of crafts-based art forms and break down the boundaries separating them from their "high" art counterparts. |
ANA TERESA BARBOZABorn in Lima, Perú in 1980, she lives and works in her native city. She studied painting in the Faculty of Art at Pontifical Catholic University of Peru (PCUP).
"I’m interested in the different concepts one can arrive at by using clothing and embroidery as an artistic medium. An important part of my work revolves around the human body. At first, I used needlework and embroidery to fragment, recompose and decorate the human body. I worked with self-portraits; photographs printed on fabric that were later intervened with embroidery, and decorative patterns that served as camouflage." |
SUCKER PUNCH
EMBROIDERY SPRING 2016 |
ANDY WARHOLBorn on August 6, 1928, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Andy Warhol was a successful magazine and ad illustrator who became a leading artist of the 1960s Pop art movements. He ventured into a wide variety of art forms, including performance art, filmmaking, video installations and writing, and controversially blurred the lines between fine art and mainstream aesthetics. Warhol died on February 22, 1987, in New York City.
His pop art movement inspired many to poke fun at the commercialized world around them in a colorful and artistic way. Warhol also opened the door for more graphic elements and art to be more widely accepted and appreciated. |
For this project, I ripped an image from one of my favorite albums - Hospice by The Antlers. I loved the visual movement of the hands as well as the emotions the positioning and the story of the album inspired in me. I chose to remove the bracelet and give the hands highlights and shadows to create more form. The colors are direct compliments of each other and the layout was chosen my mixing the prints around until I found a pleasing order. |
SHEPARD FAIREYShepard Fairey is one of the most influential street artists of our time. His work has been used in screen-prints, stencils, stickers, masking film illustrations, wheat paste, collages, sculptures, posters, paintings, and murals. Shepard Fairey enjoys working with the colors black, white, and red and his work combines elements of graffiti, pop art, business art, and Marxist theory. He has constantly shifted between the realms of fine art, commercial art, street art, and even political art. His most famous art includes images of Andre the Giant, the Obey trademark, the propaganda poster of Barack Obama, and many more.
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