Final Reflection

It is the final class period *tear*. This term has be a lot of fun. Most of the term I was just messing around, trying to figure out what I wanted to work on for the show. Even though I don't have much to show from this term, I feel that I got a lot work done.

The two big project I worked on was the Eyes and The Sailboat. I worked on the Eyes one for three weeks, but I didn't like how it turned out, I feel that there was too much happening in this painting. Even though I am not putting it in the show, I'm glad I spent so much time on it. This artwork was not like but artwork I do, and I'm glad I pushed myself in something different. This artwork was more abstract than my usually artwork.

The artwork I'm going to put in the show is the Sailboat painting. This is typical piece of artwork that I make. I like this one, because I enjoy I have a sunset, water, and sailboat. I like painting sceneries and I really like the sailboat too. I think that it is important that I practice painting manmade objects too. I like how peaceful this picture is, it has a very calm scene to it. I'm a little upset that the ropes on the boat didn't work out and I had to redo it. I think it looks a like silly now, but other than that, I really like how it turned out.

Critique #2

This critique was very short since Sam, Riki, and Rachel had a lot of work to do before this week was over. The main critique I was told was to fix my sailboat and finish my painting. All of them agreed that they really liked this painting more than the eyes one. Rachel does still like the eyes one, she thinks that if I finish it would have been nice. Except I feel that that painting is finished. This critique was not as helpful as the last one for everyone was trying to finish their artwork before Friday and just needed time to get it done.

Alternate Exhibition

Take another look at the Alternative Exhibition Format slideshow (on the class site). Think about which artist's work was the most interesting to you in terms of format. Make a post and talk about what the artist does with format, and why you think it is interesting, and if you think you might be considering using an alternative exhibit format write about that too.

I missed the day of school when we first looked at the sideshow of Alternate Exhibition. Looking at the slideshow now, I find the artwork very interesting. I like the idea of mixing themes, like Kehinde Wiley. In her picture she has a beautiful fancy frame, with bright sophisticated colors, but her subject is three ordinary teenage boys. They are wearing simple clothes, just hanging out. She is taking a very simple moment, highlighting it, and therefore, making it beautiful.

In this slideshow there is a lot of abstract artworks that really make me think. Example of those artworks are Kiki Smith, Cai Guo-Quiang, Joseph Grigely, Christian Boltanski, and Sarah Sze. I enjoy abstract art, because the message is not that clear. This leaves room for my interpretation. I really like Sarah Sze art with all the tape. I enjoy math and science, and her artwork has a sense of those subjects in them. I also feel like I'm looking into a different world.

I wish I had seen this slideshow earlier because I would have liked to explore other way to express my ideas than a 2D picture. I enjoy painting, but I didn't push myself to express my artwork in different way this term. However, this is probably because I took sculpture last term. I was ready to not make 3D artwork anymore, since I had done that last term.

This is my picture currently. I'm thinking about getting rid of the brick house in the corner. I think I'm going to paint black over it and merge it into the buildings.

This is the beginning of the big picture I have been working on for most of the term. I started out planning on drawing a picture of a girl with storms in her eyes. However, during the term, I have changed my painting dramatically. However, I have still kept my eyes. I still don't really have a plan, I'm just painting as I go along. I added a city over her left shoulder, which I thought looked good. But then I added a small brick building, which I do not like, but I don't know how to get rid of it. I added a forest on her other side, which I also like, but now I worry too much is happing. And I don't like how it looks like the Wizard of Oz. I'm taking a little bit of a break, because I think that they is too much happening in the picture. I don't really know where to go with it now.

This was the first project I worked on. I think that I'm not done with it, I want to finish it. I'm working a lot on landscape during this term. My trees need more shading and needs to look more 3D. This is a simple, non-abstract picture.

Seven Days in the Art World

This week you're reading an excerpt Seven Days in the World. On your blog write a short personal response to what you've read. Any revelations? Surprises? Can you imagine yourself participating in a crit like the one described here?

At the California Institute of the Arts, there art critics are pretty intense. It surprises me that at an art school the critics are so dreaded. I feel that at an art school, student should be use to art critics. I was stunned how personal the critics were. I feel that at a intense school, student should be more professional. They should comment on small details, like shadows, lighting, coloring ect. However, I also understand why they would be personal because intense art students probably invest a lot of time and emotions in their art. Critics and criticisms are not just against the art, but against the students personality, believes, and emotions.

I could not see myself in a critic like this. I'm not very good at giving critics. I do not like how personally the critics get. I feel like tension would be very high during those critics. I don't do well in high tension situations.

Critique

So for the most of this term, I have been working on one painting. The first two weeks, before spring break, I was just playing around, trying to find something that I would be interested in making for the rest of the term. When I started this painting I had no idea where is was going, I just started to draw eyes, then paint a city. I still have no idea where it is going.

During our class critique, I was placed in a group with Riki, Rachel, and Sam. At first glance, all of them admired the small detail in my painting. Riki said she like the shadows in my forest, and Rachel said that at first she didn't really notice the details. For example, Rachel said that when she first saw the small house in corner, she was like Oh that's cute. But once she looked closer she realized that there were bricks. Sam said that she feels like the painting is telling a story, in particular, she thought it was a lot like The Wizard of Oz. I had not noticed that until now. Now, I really notice how it looks like The Wizard of Oz. Rachel also commented on the eyes. She thinks that I should not add a nose or a mouth, which was very important advice for me. I have been debating whether I should add a nose and mouth. Rachel said the eyes alone made them stand out.

Riki commented on the material, which brought up other topics. Rachel said that she really liked the contrast between the charcoal and the paint. Because the charcoal is so dark, it makes the colorful paint standout.

For finishing up my painting, Sam said that I need to add more to the top. Right now it is unbalanced because there is so much at the bottom and nothing at the top. She said "It feels kinda empty." She also thinks I should add more into the girls shirt, to give her face more emphasis. Rachel also agreed with that. She said that the face is cool with just eyes, but it still looks unfinished.

The Critique Handbook

I have not had that many opportunities for critiquing. Usually, I'm better at critiquing classic artwork compared to abstract. Critiquing non-abstract art is easier for me. I can tell if their needs to be shadow, or more light, or more blue, ect. However when it comes to abstract art, it harder to critique. To critique abstract art, you have to see if the art send the message the artists wanted to send. I think to critique abstract artwork, you need to know the what the message of the artwork is. I think the beauty of abstract artwork is that each person can interrupt it their own way.

It is also difficult to critique one another's artwork when I'm working on my own artwork. I'm so focused on my artwork and my art message, that I might try to push that idea on others. Once I have an idea, I really like it. I could try to get other people to do the same thing as me, because that idea is on my mind. This also effects the way I listen to people critique my artwork. Once I have an idea, I don't really like to change it. When people give me ideas to change my message, then I usually don't listen to it. However, when people help me think of idea to show my message, I'm more willing to listen.

Usually, I like when people critique my artwork. I like have second opinions. I like when people tell me way to improve my artwork, adding more coloring, making eye balls more round, making the background more dull. I usually listen to these comments. I don't like comments like You shouldn't have mountains here, or You shouldn't have a red tree.

Art and Fear

"Fears about artmaking fall into two families: fears about yourself, and fears about your reception by others." I definitely fall into the first category. I'm very critical of my own work, and sometime fear taking risks in art. I'm afraid of destroying my art and usually play it safe. "You Cling ever more tightly to what you already know you can do-- away from risk and exploration, and possibly further from the work of your heart." This quote basically sums up my fear of art. I can officially fall into the second category. I don't fear that people won't like my art, I'm afraid people won't understand what I am trying to say in my art. I usually try to say something through my art, and fear that people won't pick up or understand the message.

"Hovering out there somewhere between cause and effect, between fears about self and fear about others, lie expectations." This is another big problem for me. As I have said before I am a perfectionist. I'm very tough on my work and expect it to be perfect. I stress about the small details. Ill work and rework small details for hours. I should just leave it and be okay with it looking how it does, instead of trying to make it perfect.

Twyla Tharp

I have two main problem in the art room. The first being finding inspiration. It usually takes me to come up with ideas for art. Twyla Tharp mentions the idea of scratching. Scratching is "digging through everything to find something." I like this idea, because I have the problem of coming up with ideas. If I "dig" through everything, I can find what I think is most important, inspirational, and artistic. I think that art is definitely influenced by the world around the artist. When artists are faced with difficult times, you can see them coping in their artwork.

My second problem is that I am a perfectionist. When I know what I want to make, I don't stop working on it until it the exact way I want it to look. Tharp states this as a problem. She calls it perfectionism at the start. I know this is one of my weaknesses, so I will focus on fixing it.

Studio

HW March 2nd

In most studios there are paintings in work, windows, usually a lot of space, a small mess, many artistic tools, and in a few a ladder. I think that artist often have many project going at once, which explains for the mess, variety of tools, art work incomplete, and the small mess. I think that artist have windows and plenty of room so the creative is not captured in a small dark room. It would be difficult to think creatively and of new ideas if you are constantly trapped in a small room looking at the same thing everyday.

In the slide show, we saw how art work can be related to the artist's studio. For example, Alexander Calder, he make mobiles that seem to be flying, and his studio is on top of a hill and has huge window. In a way, it feels as if his studio is flying as well. Many artists accommodate for their disabilities. For example, Frida Kahlo, her physical "studio" disappeared when she was bed-sick. Her art often showed symbols that represented her situation.

When I look around my "studio," which is my bed room, I see a lot of pictures, bright colored pillows, an open window, and a rather large pile of clothes. I like having a large window and bright colors, because I do not like feeling trapped in my small room. I like the feeling of a room feeling open, free, able to breathe.