Tokyo + The Subway

Some more form and structure assignments. This time, something a little more like a relief using found objects and working with the 12x12 grid. I didn't really know what to do for this until a week before it was due and started looking at maps of subway systems. I of course chose Tokyo. Having travelled on that system myself and being amazed at the sheer size and organization of it.

It's pretty much cardboard glued onto a 12x12 wood canvas, with pins stuck in it every 2 inches and thread in multiple colours serving as the different subway lines. It's only a section of the map, of course. Because there are at least a dozen lines +. Our teacher wants photos of process, so here they are.

Also, in light of the recent events that have taken place in Japan, I do encourage everyone to donate what they can to help out. It really is a wonderful country, with wonderful people. Everyone I met was so kind and so polite, and this really is a tragedy. I know in Canada you can text ASIA or REDCROSS to 30333 to donate 5$. I believe in the States it is REDCROSS to 90999 for 10$? Either way, there are dozens of ways to donate. So help in any way you can.

Nikon

So, when I was about 6 or 7, my lovely little cousin decided he wanted to be a photographer. He picked up my parents' Nikon film SLR, and dropped it onto the concrete floor. Until about a week or so ago, it sat up in our cupboard, supposedly broken and useless. Sort of upsetting, as I never learned how to use it. I doubt I ever even picked the thing up to take photos. Taking photography classes and with nothing to lose, I took it in to work, and voila! Dave fixed it. I now have a working film SLR. With no manual, a loose rewind knob, a dented lens that can't take a filter. But it works.

Took a few test rolls. One of which was a dud because I apparently fail at loading film. I'm really going to have to get better at this.

I think it's a Nikon FE? My parents can't remember what they bought. The thing's almost thirty years old and caked in dust anyways. But I'm fiddling around with it. Maybe I'll have some decent shots to post one day.

Vintage Photo Triptych

Photography assignment number trois. Another assignment where I won't be able to use my own camera. A little frustrating. But! I get to use the vintage photo I bought of Jean Harlow a couple years back. On the set of Three Wise Girls, the first film I saw her in. I've been reading David Bret's biography on her, and with the way he puts it, it seems as though she really struggled between having a normal family life (the husbands, the want to have a child) and living out her mother's movie star dreams. I'm going to play off that. Crop it, have it printed on fabric, and stitch some text from the bio in. Gotta sew fast though. Due soon.
Here's the photograph.

Tour Eiffel

Along with my paintings, I have finished my cardboard model of the Eiffel Tower. It's pretty simple. I'm hoping my teacher appreciates simple. (Few seem to at this school.) I know seeing it with the things other students made makes it look like I didn't put much work into it, but I like how it came out. It's simple and light and not too much. I didn't want to go over the top with it and keep adding and adding until it was too decorated. So I hope my teacher gets that. I sort of turned out like an art deco version of the tower, which is cool. Art deco is always good.

Anyways, here it is. Took less than a small sheet of cardboard to make. But I'm happy with it.

Best compliment was someone said this looked like something you could pick up at the Umbra store. That's awesome. I love Umbra.

Altered Landscapes

I'm horrible at posting regularly. I can't help it. But I have some finished projects finally. Ones that aren't essays and papers. (Because who really cares about those?)

My landscape paintings are done and have been presented in class. I'm hoping for a mark back soon, though I haven't heard anything yet. I really haven't gotten much back for marks this semester. So I really have no idea how I'm doing. A little stressful. But ah well. I've had the past week to relax at least.

Anyways, this is the final series of my cherry blossom landscape.

Photographic Diptych

Well, my upcoming photography assignment was stressing me out this morning. (Technically I guess it still is morning. Not quite noon yet.) But anyways. I had to do some type of narrative with some sort of issue behind it. I don't really do "issues." I feel like if I were to take photographs that commented on war or poverty or animal cruelty, it would come off as insincere and fake. Forced. And while some people can get away with creating art with intense and sometimes controversial subject matter, I simply can't bring myself to do it.

So, I looked at the book industry. And the recent popularity of the Kobo reader, iPad, and things like that. E-books. The downloading of literature and the very gradual shrinking of people who buy actual books. Well, I personally like actual books. I'd rather hold a book in my hand than some sort of electronic device. I can't exactly go over a text on costume history in a Kobo reader. And certainly not a book on photography. And how exactly does a parent plan to read Love You Forever on an iPad? Part of the fun for kids is turning the actual pages of a story. Holding the actual book in their hands and looking at the pictures.

With all that in mind I shifted about some of the books on my shelf and snapped a few pictures. And within an hour my project is all done. Just needs to be printed. Now my only concern is if I want matte, glossy, or metalic paper. Oh, decisions...

And as for the narrative aspect of the photographs, it's basically someone picking and actual book off an actual shelf and reading it. None of this e-shelf business. Real books. Ironically I went with Jane Austen's Emma. Which is, of course, usually free in the e-bookstores.

Cardboard Landmarks

Form and Structure assignment number one. Recreate an object using cardboard. Yup. I'm building with cardboard. I feel a little juvenile, but c'est la vie. It's actually kind of fun to work on. And as it stands, I have a final idea in my head as well as three very different prototypes made up. I have about a week to get the real thing done. I foresee a lot of cutting and sore fingers in my future. But hopefully all turns out well.

Excuse the horrible BB camera quality.

So what am I building exactly? The Eiffel Tower, of course.

Painting Planning

Don't have many assignments to post here yet. It's mostly been writing and drafting so far. And a photo assignment in a photobooth. ... Which I won't be posting. =| However. I do have my plans for my first Nature and Culture painting assignment. Three 2x2 canvases of a landscape moving from naturalistic to abstract. I'm taking inspiration yet again from Mika Ninagawa, and painting some colourful flowers and cheeryblossom trees.

At the moment, I am half way through the abstract and mostly done with the naturalistic painting. I will be starting the cross over painting in the middle (half abstract half natural) in class today. We'll see how it turns out. I'm still unsure of how I want to finish the abstract, but I'd better decide before the week is up. I've only got so much time. Hopefully I can post a finished painting soon.

A New List of Assignments

Back to school means a new list of work to do. Joyous joy. Taking five courses this semester, not just four. So the workload's going to be a little more hectic. And two of those courses will involve more essay writing. Not my strong point.

Photography, Narrative Strategies
- Take a photo-booth photo
- Must contain a visible narrative

Painting, Nature and Culture
- Series of three landscapes
- One naturalistic, one abstract, and one in between
- each canvas needs to be approx. 2x2 feet. (That's 12 square feet. That's a lot of paint.)

Form and Structure
- Find a common object
- Produce a series of sketches and a narrative
- Re-build object in cardboard/paper

Essay and the Argument
- Find a photo from NYTimes year in review
- Write 500 word descriptive essay
- Whatever photo will be your main subject for the remainder of the year

I have a few ideas for things already. We'll see how they pan out. My landscapes, I think, are planned out well enough. Just need to print out a few reference photos of trees and flowers. Finish colouring a few thumbnail sketches. Might post those later.

Also have a few thoughts on this Form and Structure object. It's between my Buddha statue or my Eiffel Tower model. ... So far.

As for this photo-booth thing, I'm stumped. Hopefully I can come up with an idea fast, because I don't have much time to get this thing finished and edited.

Still around...

Yes, I'm still here. Without school and with working a heck of a lot thanks to Christmas, (Christmas + retail = pure evil) I've hardly had any time to do art, let alone post. That and my card reader broke, and despite hinting to people that I needed one for Christmas, I had to wait till I was back from up north to buy one. So I can finally upload some pictures. Woo...

Also recently bought a new, handheld video camera. Just one of the little Flip ones. I put my photo of maiko Fukusato on it. So hopefully it'll turn out well.

Anyways, in light of not posting anything for a good month, have some life drawing photos!

Back to school on monday, so I'm sure there will be some new stuff to post soon.