scrapbook seis

This is another lovely object I found in the depth of my book bag. An ordinary boring pencil. By the time my friends arrived at the Daily Grind, I had a majority of my belongings sitting on the table. One of my friends commented on this pencil in particular. She was thoroughly disturbed at the fact I chew on my pencils. To me it's nothing, I have been biting pens and pencils for years, but to her I was apparently killing the writing utensil. I ignored her comment, but took a closer look at the pencil. Bite marks on a pencil are really facsinating to examine. They drastically alter the appearance of the pencil and give the generally flat surface some texture. Some of them barely dent the golden covring, but others cut close to the core, creating subtle cracks. If these cracks are exacerbated, the pencil could even snap in half. Although I would never present this to a gallery, I will appreciate this pencil a little bit more until it is finally unusable, or knowing me, lost for real. It is hard to remember what each mark was from. Was I bored in class? Was I stressed about a paper? Was I trying to figure something out? Each mark is an emotion. They are special, like the marks in my flip flops. I never really noticed this before, but I tend to gravitate towards objects that help me remember things, or give me an idea of the past. I should probably attempt to discover more versatile things in the future....

scrapbook cinq

One of my scrapbook items for this week is a water bottle that had been lost in my book bag for god only knows how long. I was waiting for my friends in the Daily Grind and decided to clean out my bag, and while I found a lot of interesting things in there, this was by far the most interesting to look at. Since it was at the bottom, it had been smooshed slightly, and the remaining water had clung to the inner walls of the bottle, creating intricate patterns with the droplets. Even though there is water still in the bottle, I would not drink it. I would use the rest for a plant or something, but I have this notion that it is no longer "drinkable". Obviously this bottle is not art, its trash, well, really recycling. It deserves attention though, because of the patterns of the droplets. They in and of themselves are fascinating to look at. One small shift of the bottle, however, removes the previous pattern and creates a whole new element. This can be done repeatedly, each time, never the same. After a while, you even forget what the previous pattern looked like. The ephemeral quality of it is really cool.

after thoughts on after life

The movie we watched yesterday in class was probably the best movie I have seen in a long time. After Life presented an interesting perspective on what happens after we pass away. Most people believe in heaven or hell situation, which is honestly the notion I grew up with. However, I prefer the idea this film created. Memories are our existence. Without them we are pretty much nothing. Take for example, a person with amnesia. They can't remember their own identity, and who they have become. The film got me thinking what memory I would choose to see for eternity, but it also made me ask myself, would it really be "just" that memory for the rest of my life, or would I, because of the recreation, be able to remember more. My memory would be a road trip I took with my mom to visit colleges. Yet, that memory in and of itself triggers so many other memories. Would it be possible to remember them just by watching that scene over and over again? The character who had worked recreating memories and then passed on in the end touched on that notion I think. He told the girl he would never forget the experiences they had, and I wonder if by including all of his co-workers in his memory, could he possibly remember the times they all had shared? It is an interesting thing to think about...

artist quatre

domestic

Mary Flanagan is a New Media Artist that uses the media of video games to explore a deeper and more personal investigation of the world and of the self. Unlike some of the other artists I've written about, Flanagan is not trying to critique the abundance of violence in games, but rather, twist the "game for artistic purposes". Her piece, domestic, almost mirrors a popular game called "Unreal Tournament", except that instead of having the main point be shooting, the game focuses on the player's past and psychological development. According to the article, she wanted to prove that video games are just designed for hell bent little boys, but for everyone, no matter what their appearance may be. I just think it is interesting that she changed the overall intent of the game from physical to psychological violence. True, today's society lack of shock over violence is scary, but I think psychological is far more powerful and dangerous. You never know what you can uncover when you dig deeper into the mind...

scrapbook quatre

I am going to come right out and say it. I. Love. Mail. So, as you can imagine, my mailbox key is essentially vital to my existence. I thought this would a great scrapbook entry because of the details in the key and specific to the key itself. And because I love it so. Keys come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors. Mine is small, gold, and contains text. Yet, my house key is silver with a blue top and its quite large. Keys today are not thought of as art because they are generally not aesthetically pleasing. We think we have to many of them, then we lose them, and we get extremely irritated. Today keys are not really thought of, unless they are gone. With the importance of the internet, automatic garage doors, and so much more technology, keys are forgotten. Pretty soon, keys may not even need to exist.... It's really bizarre to think about how the importance of things disappears over time.

scrapbook trois

This week I have been totally pressed for time, thanks to inordinate amounts of homework and other obligations. Although this may sound vain, I really miss being able to dry my hair, because when I don't, my scalp takes on a mind of its own. Many products claim they can tame the beast, but they generally have the tendency to lie. Over the years, I have found one product that has semi-worked for me, a "curl shaping gel" from garnier. It prevents my hair from frizzing to mass proportions, so I am a big fan. Since I have been unable to dry my hair this week, the gel is my new bff. Yesterday when I went to spray it, I noticed how cool it looks in the bottle. I placed the bottle on my windowsill, next to my lamp, and the different gelatenous areas caught the light in a truly beautiful way. I never thought of my gel as art, occasionally a miracle, but never art. It is so common place and has never been used as any visual art before. People, including myself, over look these objects, because they serve one main purpose, and one purpose only, to tame your tresses. But when you look close enough, you see how amazing it really is.

line love

Whether they were visibile, invisible, or even gestural, I learned in my high school art class that lines were the end-all-be-all of any work of art. The first project I ever worked on was a still life where we were only allowed to used straight, vertical lines to create the image. At first, it sounded like a piece of cake, but then I soon realized the importance of outlines and shadows, and how difficult it was to create them with only straight lines. At our critique, we all complained about how long it took us to complete, and our teacher explained that we needed to understand how to manipulate the most basic (yet essential) form of line to create any thing we desired. That project has really stuck with me. Reading "On Form and Content" only reinforced how varied lines can become and how they can dramatically affect both the visual and sensual qualities of the work. For my 20 Lines project, I tried to create every line as an emotion, happy, sad, angry, depressed, and to help me I used the rhythm from various songs. It was an interesting emotional release. I appreciated seeing everyone else's lines more, however. You see certain people on a day to day basis, and have no idea what they are like. In a way, to me at least, these lines give a sneak peak into their minds and a better understanding of their selves.

artist trois

Like the work of Anne-Marie Schleiner, Joan Leandre, and Brody Condon, Natalie Bookchin's pieces criticize the uneccessary violence and unfairness in video games today. The Intruder is an interactive online game based a on short story of the same name, written by Jorge Luis Borges. Basically two brothers fall in love with the same woman, a prostitute, and continue to fight over her, until her murder, when they finally reconcile. Bookchin divided the story into ten distinct parts, or levels, that in and of themselves are based on older video games that defined gaming culture today. One level is like "Pong", where the ball is the prostitute, and the walls are the brothers, bouncing her back and forth. Her work since then has been more political, criticizing George Bush and corporate domination. I like that she subtley makes statements about gaming and its side effects by combining several generations of ideas into one. She takes the classic nature of the books, the outdated technology of "Pong", and the most up to date systems to make fun of and judge players, who often don't have a clue this is happening to them. I was looking forward to playing the game on my computer, but for some reason it wouldn't download.

growing up on the interwebnet

1. Prior to Facebook and MySpace, I think 'social network' was way more personal. In today's society, god forbid we actually meet people we call our friends. Before these networks, people made legitimate efforts to get to know people, and from that they met other people, and so on and so forth. There was no digital connotation to it. My mother had a "Facebook" at William & Mary. It was a paper version of today's social network. Everyone was entitled to look through it, but if you wanted to meet the person, you had to make the first move, face to face.

2. a. Ohmygawd Julie, guess what?! There is this amazing thing online called FACEBOOK. It could be a great way we could keep in touch over the school year. There are applications where we can chat, view each other's interests, and even see pictures! It will take talking on the phone to a whole new level. It would be like we were never three states apart!
b. Mom; Dad. I found this social networking online that is really amazing. It's a site that allows me to stay in contact with both old and new friends through chatting, pictures, and interests. I just found my friend Lauren, remember, from elementary school?! She goes to Boston College now, isn't that amazing!? You can even find your friends from high school and college too! Yes, others can see your account, but if you're safe about it, it's totally fine. (This is pretty much a legitimate conversation I had with my parents).
c. Neither of my grandparents have a computer, or really understand the concept of the internet. I think if I attempted to explain Facebook to them, their brains would explode
d. Suzy, have you called that boy from the sock hop yet? No? Why? Are you too nervous to call? Well I know of this great place on the internet where you don't even have to talk to him face to face. It's called facebook, and it's basically writing him digital correspondence. Another plus? You get to learn all about him from his profile! Maybe if you're lucky he'll give you a romantic bumper sticker, that's as good as getting pinned!

3. Any information you find on Facebook has to be taken with a grain of salt. While many put down their true information, you have to wonder if some of it is exaggerated. I think the thing that draws many people to a stranger's site is the profile picture. You see a face and it's human nature to want to know what these people are like. The picture then leads you to read more about the individual, etc. I clicked on one of those, "We think you should be friends with" options, and got a ridiculously pervy, sketchy guy, that for some reason is friends with a majority of the girls I went to high school with. I would not add him as a friend, because I really don't want to flaunt the fact I exist to him. His picture is him looking all seedy and creepy, but I am sure he thinks he looks sexy. The rest of his page is full of stuff about half naked women and binge drinking. His status was "looking for a good time". A real winner, one to take home to the parents, no? I want to know if this really works for him.

4. No, because as individuals we always have to right to go above and beyond any standards that are set, or even way below those standars.

5. The more technological advances there are, means the more there is to give to the world. I remember when there was only livejournal. That was pretty much a diary online. Then it started evolving and suddenly you could choose a mood icon, insert a picture, embed music. It became more than just words. Words come from the heart, but things like pictures, design, music taste, say a lot about the individuals.

scrapbook deux

These are my favorite pair of flip flops, and thanks to the unseasonably warm temperatures, I was able to dig them out of the depths of my closet and give them some lovin'. Last night, as I was getting ready for bed, I noticed just how worn they had become since last summer. I never really think of my flip flops as art, I am not really a "shoe" girl. Yet, these caught my eye because of the intricate details and erosion of my beloved footwear.It was bizzare to think of all the things that I have done wearing them. I attended my graduation party, went to the beach, endured orientation, and started a new life here at St. Mary's. The marks from my feet and the creases are reminders of the many walks I have taken. In a sense each one of those marks or wrinkles concrete representations of my experiences, my memories. My boring, super clearanced JCrew flip flops are better than any journal. Oddly enough they serve as a look back into the past. You never really think about these things, until you take the time to look. Now I'm disappointed that my shoes are falling apart, but it makes me consider the events that my next everday pair will discover and remember.

scrapbook une

These are strings from a sweatshirt and sweatpants that the washing machine destroyed. I'm an odd individual and can't throw anything away, so I simply shoved these in my desk drawer. The other day I went to grab a notebook and was immediately drawn to them. Even though I had just tossed them aside, they had formed such an interesting pattern and shape. The different blues weaved back and forth, helping the eyes flow through the curves. After that, I inspected them closer. Upon doing so I noticed the patterns within the strings themselves. The weaving resembles the design of a intricate and detailed basket. I loved finding the random imperfections as well, from either faulty construction, or the demonic washing machine. While they looked really interesting shoved in my desk drawer, I would never think of these strings as art. In today's society they are simply designed to tighten your hood or your pants. They are not meant to be eye catching or aesthetically pleasing. Yet, how many of these day to day items do we take for granted? Without these, people would be kind of lost. I'm glad I took notice of these. There are so many things out there to see that it's hard to appreciate all of them. If we slow down from time to time, it's easier to notice, but how many of us actually have time to slow down?

artist deux

Horror Chase

The husband and wife duo, Kevin and Jennifer McCoy are interesting new media artists. Together, they digitally remix scenes from films to create their own story. Horror Chase really caught my attention. I have always had a sick obsession with horror films since before I can remember. These six images caught my attention immediatley. With Horror Chase the McCoy's went beyond themselves and legitimately "re-filmed" the scene. Rather than remixing, they built a movie set and re-created Sam Raimi's (who directed spiderman and such...) Evil Dead II (a classic, I'm sure). Once filming was complete, they digitally altered the scenes so that at random intervals the man would be running from the attacker, and then towards the attacker. I love the message that this sends. These artists take a known story, something else someone has painfully described in detail, and completely change the ending in a sense. The scenes may look the same, but by changing something as simple as the order they dramatically change the purpose of the piece.

purpose of art

In my opinion, the purpose of art is to make both the artist and the viewer to go beyond themselves and think about the world in a different way.

artist21

As an artist, I find the work of others to be extremely inspirational, even if their style is radically different from mine. Artist21's interviews emphasized the idea that works of art are built rather than created. Many of my friends, despite my best efforts to tell them otherwise, believe that being an artist is the easiest job in the world. The artists interviewed demonstrated through their work the insane amount of planning and thinking before, during, and after the piece is completed. Vija Celmins worked over her painting nine times and still wasn't satisfied with the product. Elizabeth Murray, after she reworked her pieces several times, had her daughters critique her work, so that she could "build" a better piece for herself and for her audience. The film also identified the subjectivity of art and "how it can change the viewer or the world". Ann Hamilton's work centers on looking at the world through different "eyes". She hopes that her creations can help others look at the world in different ways, rather than being so set in their ideas. Bruce Nauman challenges the functions of objects and utilizes these subvert fuctions to challenge the viewer. He wants others to see objects for more than just their function. Matthew Barney uses symbols of Freudian violence and sex that are kind of unsual. His films make people think, not just about whether or not they liked the piece, but what it really means and how it effects them. My favorite artist, without a doubt, was Elizabeth Murray. I loved that she loved art because it was a way for her to escape the mundane and live out her imagination. Plus, I loved that her work reminded me of one of my favorite places as a kid, Port Discovery.