I chose Gillian Wearing, a photographer mentioned in Linda Weintraub’s In the Making, and her piece “Signs that say what you want them to say, not signs that say what someone else wants you to say”. This is a collection of photographs taken of regular people off the street, with a piece of paper that they were told to write what they were thinking on. First, you see the subject, a perfect stranger. Once you see someone, you almost instantly place a label on them based off what they look like and what they’re wearing. Then, you look down at their sign. Boom. A whole other level of their life is shown to you and your previous assumption is destroyed. Being able to look inside these strangers’ lives, you become more aware that they are not just people passing by in the background, but they are real people with problems and friends and secrets and lives. Just like yours. This revelation is extremely important in the way that Wearing does not change the photo or pose them in anyway. Her mark is not on the photos, so when the audience views it, it is all based off their own assumptions and experiences and they react to it in different ways. This piece works off the concept of understanding and misunderstanding, part of one of my main purposes for working with art. It also, and more importantly, works with exposing the truth. This interests me, because today we are so conditioned to make snap judgements on people that sometimes, we never give them a second thought. Stereotypes are created this way and can hurt people horribly.
Gillian has a fascination with people, mostly strangers, and their hidden sides and secrets. I like that she is showing real people’s experiences, rather than just celebrity/reality show-like drama. These are real people with real secrets. You never know what is going on in other people’s lives. By allowing these people (and others in her works like “Drunk” and “Confess all on video. Don’t worry you will be in disguise. Intrigued? Call Gillian…”) to get these things off their chests, it can be healing in a way to the person.
I personally have been through some difficult times, but no one would really know by just looking at me. Learning to not judge a book by its cover is a difficult thing, but it is essential to living peacefully with others. It is this kind of realization that she’s working towards for her audience.
This artwork represents her through how she has her own concern for the downtrodden and those who don’t receive compassion because of their looks and who people think they are. She uncovered the true nature and personality of the humans she photographed and prompts us to dig deeper into ourselves to empathize with those we don’t know.
I see her also as an advocate and a revealer of the truth who shines light on humanity.
I want to continue this by being able to connect with my audience as human beings so I can effectively create art to help or inspire them. I want to bring out the true person inside them and encourage them to not stay in hiding, but to come out and be themselves, regardless of what others may think of them. I also want to raise awareness and help people connect with each other more, rather than treating them like they are a part of the scenery.
Research done in Linda Weintraub’s In the Making (pages 110-118)
One of my biggest inspirations for my artwork and purpose is none other than Hayao Miyazaki. His focuses range from childhood and growing up to fascism and the destructive nature of humans. These topics interest me because they are extremely relevant in this current age and always. I love trying to look through the eyes of a child, in that hazy, fantastical way that definitely comes through in most of Miyazaki’s works. His view on politics intrigues me and the environmental issues he hits on hits home for me. What I like about what he does is that he shows the good and the bad. We’re not perfect, we’re flawed, but there is some good in us. And this good can do wonders when we put forth the effort.
He was growing up during post-WWII in Japan; his childhood wasn’t the greatest. But out of it, he found solace in comic books and his imagination. Through this, he has strived to continue this ‘sanctuary’ so those who need it, especially since today’s events are still very troubling to us. He does not only rely on his own Japanese background for his movies, which display traditional Japanese spirits, folklore, architecture, and customs, but he also is fascinated by the wonders of the West, specifically Europe, which is utilized in the designs of towns, techniques in painting the backgrounds, and incorporating the old school European atmosphere in certain settings.
In his movie, Spirited Away, he focuses on the coming of age of a young girl who must survive in another world and find her way back home not using special powers or anything, but her own will and capabilities. As a kid, this movie hit home for me. I don’t know why, but it felt like it unlocked something inside me. Now that I’m older, I sob over this movie. I can understand better what is going on and after doing further research, I learned that Miyazaki had made this movie for those girls in that awkward 10-12 year old phase where you don’t know what is ahead of you and need something to give you some solid ground. He says in an interview: “With Spirited Away I wanted to say to them “don’t worry, it will be alright in the end, there will be something for you”, not just in cinema, but also in everyday life. For that it was necessary to have a heroine who was an ordinary girl, not someone who could fly or do something impossible. Just a girl you can encounter everywhere in Japan. Every time I wrote or drew something concerning the character of Chihiro (the main character) and her actions, I asked myself the question whether my friend’s daughter or her friends would be capable of doing it. That was my criteria for every scene in which I gave Chihiro another task or challenge. Because it’s through surmounting these challenges that this little Japanese girl becomes a capable person.” Miyazaki, through this film, shows that he is an advocate for his audience. He takes them into consideration when creating his movies and focuses on how it will affect their lives.
This is what I really love about Miyazaki’s movies: They don’t tell you that you need to go leaps and bounds all over the place, just to get a guy. They don’t discourage you, say you’re not good enough, or push you to conform to social norm. These movies are not Hollywood-studded violence/sex/horror/stupid movies.
These are movies from the heart for the heart.
He takes the audience on an adventure in an imaginary world close enough to ours to show us that things are possible, that being an individual is important and that love is something that comes from the inside, not outward beauty or sex appeal. The reason why I love Miyazaki is that he has those wonderful morals in his work that contrast so very much with the world around us. He’s showing us the way things should be, I feel like. He is a self-proclaimed pessimist, but he pushes that aside to create his films, focusing on what makes him happy and what he thinks will make the audience happy.
This is where my own purpose for my art comes from. I want to encourage good in the world, to turn away from things that distort and destroy, from greed and vanity to things that repair and create and help us grow as human beings. As Miyazaki said in an interview: “Of course,” he relents, “if, as artists, we try to tap into that soul level - if we say that life is worth living and the world is worth living in - then something good might come of it.” If we can show the good this world has to offer and the good in people and the potential it has, if we can inspire a will to pursue excellence in an honest and positive way, then I believe this world might become better from it.
Along with that, I see Miyazaki as a creator. This is something that I know I want to be. He has designed different worlds, so diversely different, yet so familiar to ours. He creates interesting and unique characters without being over the top or stereotypical. The stories are complex, but simple enough for a child to (well, somewhat) understand and are extremely engaging and provoking to the heart. I aspire to become a better storyteller and writer so I can improve my own stories and ideas and be able to convey them properly and effectively. Using their creations as tools of inspiration and motivation, creators can express themselves through concepts and themes as well as release their own inner perception of the world around them through their characters and settings while still touching the hearts of their audience.
Quotes from interviews found on GhibliWorld.com
In Pursuit of Myself
Picture found here.
What a long week this has been. Coming back from spring break has been a struggle, leaving my comfortable home in the suburbs and being shipped back into the hustle and bustle of the city of Milwaukee. I long for my puppy and the familiar sights of my bedroom and kitchen. The dorms smell more and more like a hotel everyday. It was weird, I could have sworn I smelled chlorine from an indoor pool. But I guess that’s just me looking forward to summer. But first I have to appreciate spring.
Photo from my old DeviantArt account.
Spring is my favorite season, you know. That first warm day after a long harsh winter is like a miracle. A breath of fresh air in a rather dead world. The sun seems to shine a little brighter and warmer than it has in a long while. Then after a couple days, green buds start appearing almost instantly. They seem to always take me by surprise, even though it happens every year. They’re so bright and every time I look at them, a little bit of hope and strength emerges and fills my heart just a little more. Little by little.
Spring is the season of birth and of rebirth. I find myself unwillingly going through theseasons with the rest of the earth. In the summer, I cannot help but feel absolutely free. Overwhelmed with the opportunities and possibilities of the seemingly unlimited amount of time, I find myself completely lazy. Unable to do anything. But once I get out and explore and learn, the world becomes another. Being able to do what I want for once, I am unable to do everything. The possibility to sleep and relax is just far too attractive to a mind of a teenager. Even if their heart is old, one cannot deny rest. The boundless energy and brightness of summer can be short-lived, but altogether extremely unforgettable.
In fall, I cannot help but reflect on the summer and the years past and think about how they are past. I find myself uneasy and anxious, as the school year starts and homework returns. New places, new people: it’s all so stimulating to me, but I feel as if I am letting the memories of the past go as I move forward. I am reluctant to do this, as I am supremely nostalgic. This is not an overstatement.
As winter comes, I am filled with the bittersweet combination of the dread of the cold and the anticipation of the holiday season. When the first snow falls, I am completely overwhelmed with hope and awe as I witness what I think is the single most beautiful happening of the year. The hype of the holidays passes and I wait in stagnant patience. Waiting. Waiting for that one day to come, when the sun comes back and life returns to the earth. This is where I am today.
Seeing the drizzling of the rain streaming down the rooftops, pit-pattering onto the sidewalk, I am finally at ease. My strength is returning. Hope is coming back. Slowly, but surely. It’s the way it is. I find it unsettling and somewhat comforting to feel somewhat connected to the earth and its cycles. It gives me something concrete and stable, yet ever changing and flowing. A sense of stability, yet a sense of development. But enough of my rambling, let us get to the point of today’s blog post.
We were given the mission to define what an ‘artistic attitude’ was, state what our own ‘artistic attitude’ was, and how we express this in our work. What I define ‘artistic attitude’ to be is someone’s personal opinions or perspective being shown through their work. It can also be a persona or their own personality that they are trying to convey to their audience, whether it be subtle or cumbersomely raucous. I also think that it can be their own purpose for making their art and their own opinion on what art is.
Now to figure out what my own ‘artistic attitude’ is. My own personality is a jumbled mess of experiences and adaptations to the world around me sewn together to create something that resembles a human being. I wish to be humble. I also wish to be great. These two clash, my timidity and fear with my strong will and desire to create something huge, enormous, important. I guess in a way I want to be important, but without the pressures of expectations and requirements. This too clashes with my need for instruction, guidance, and rules, like any other human. I am quiet, yet somehow outspoken when I am inquired upon or provoked. Am I unlike a little child? So filled with possibility and hope and questions and having difficulty voicing them to my cohorts, unable to say what I think, to bring to life what I imagine inside? Am I trapped?
Lately, I have been struggling to create art that I am happy with. Everything seems like just another assignment, something done because it needs to get done. Never something that I wanted to do, but something that feels forced, required. On the sidelines, my dreams are cheering me on: “Keep going! You can finish this!” Should my art be something that I need to ‘finish’? Is it something that is good to end? I surely hope not. I am stuck. Without time to work on the personal projects piling on my mind, sprouting and dying as I speak, I find myself in a space between winter stagnation and spring creation. I need to bring to life what I am so earnestly forming in my mind, my stories, my lessons, my everything. A desperate struggle inside and out.
This is something that cannot be seen on the outside, though. I feel as though I must push it aside and bear with it. Endure, to build endurance. It is not helping, but I have no choice until I can catch a breath of air. Until I can catch up with myself and the rest of the world.
What I see art as is this three-fold opportunity. One can create to express themselves, which is the most commonly known and executed purpose for art. One can also create to serve a function, like design or architecture. It serves a specific real-life purpose. The last one is the one that I pursue the most, what I have become so attached to that I cannot even imagine myself creating art for any other purpose, more so for the reason that I do not know any other way. I want to create art for the inspiration and betterment of others. I feel that this can be applied to both of the other purposes mentioned, but I find this one to be the chief reason for me venturing into the art field. I want to help others. I do not know how exactly yet, but I do know this at least. To do something important, to make an impact, to change the world somehow for the better, that is what I want to do. My mind is filled with possibilities about this purpose, I just need to figure out which one is best for me.
I have big dreams, enormous dreams. I cannot see them yet, but I can feel them. They’re there. Just like the budding trees and the grass sprouting. Spring is coming. Time is passing, and with each second, my future comes closer and closer.
The problem with identities is they are never really all there. Identities come with time, they grow, they blossom, they change, they develop. And throughout our entire lives, they are constantly changing.
Now how do I express my ‘attitude’ (or lack thereof) in my work? I am not sure. I feel like I have become lost, since I’m just doing ‘homework’ and not putting myself into my work. This is not doing what I feel I should be doing. I feel as though I have forgotten how to create any personal work, with my ideas being as neglected as they are. I feel as though I cannot put the personality or personal meaning that my work needs. This is why I have been struggling as of late. I have lost sight of why I am here. My self has been split into two separate identities: one for completing homework and one for creating what I want apart from school. I need to fuse the two back together.
I am not sure how to grow as an artist. I feel as though it is just another storm to whether, something I need to be brave about and just keep going. I am still unsure of who I am as a person, as if I am lacking in something, missing pieces. I am secretly terrified of changing, growing, but I know that is a part of life that I cannot escape. I must push away my fears and move forward. I must not give up, for I have gotten so far.
As for my missing pieces, I know the pieces will come back to me, one at a time. Somehow, as slowly and as spontaneous as the sun creeps up in the morning, someday, the time will come when I’ll know who I really am. It is not now, not yet. Someday the pieces will assemble something maybe close to what I hope to be. All it takes is time and the changing of the seasons.
Picture found here.
Madison Trip - History Continued and other things
This past Tuesday, we embarked on our journey to Madison, Wisconsin. We visited the State Capitol Building (thank you Krista for teaching me the difference between ‘capitol’ and ‘capital’), State Street, and the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art. Our challenge was to compare and contrast the art and architecture to the events and situations that it was in. Let’s begin!
Photo by me.
My first impressions of the State Capitol Building were awe, admiration, and intrigue. It dumbfounded me that all the artwork and architecture flowed seamlessly together. It all seemed so classical and regal. The way even the painting at the very top and the mosaic that wrapped around the base of the dome fit together, it must have taken a lot of planning and conversing between the different artists and architects that were involved in the creation of the Capitol Building.
Photo by me.
I loved all the detail that was put into the building itself. Everywhere you looked, there was something to catch your eye, and it was never regretted: The skylights on the dome, the light pouring in from them reflecting on the gold and jewel-like tiles of the mosaic, the colored marble slabs forming patterns on the floor, the roundabout hallway that showcased each wing’s doorway (each with its own furry bronze badger bust, say that three times fast) along with mysterious corridors with Greek marble statues facing out the doorways into the rest of the world and astrological signs circling the ornate lamp in the center of the ceiling above. Each one a beautiful sight.
Photo by me.
Everywhere I looked, something always called to mind the things I was learning in our Art History classes. When I looked at the pillars, I wondered what order they were from. When I looked at the paintings dispersed about the building, I thought about the way that rulers would record their accomplishments on the walls of their tomb, on their breastplates, and on the gates of their city. When I looked at the mosaics of the gods and goddesses of ‘Justice’, ‘Legislation’, ‘Liberty’, and ‘Government’ and the astrological signs in the corridors, I thought about how people used to display their deities in their architecture and art to frighten and show their enemies and visitors that they had divine power on their side. It makes me wonder, are we still intent on impressing our fellow countries or states? Are these historical elements still being carried on today in our modern world?
Photo from BuzzFeed.
Comparing the classical architecture to the trickling in of protesters and groups of advocators, I thought about the struggle between government and people. The structure gives off a strong feeling of power, authority, and the pursuit of justice. Inside the gallery, there was a boy who was receiving an award of some sort for saving his grandmother from foreclosure and had invested in a home for his future family. In the center of the building, a few protestors had gathered to fight for their own respective causes and were going to sing together. Just outside, massive groups of people were shouting phrases and mottos and rallying together. The people are fighting against certain laws, lack of laws, or even a certain special governor. There is a feeling of promise on the inside, yet the true result is on the outside. It is kind of backwards, isn’t it?
Photo from Wikipedia.
My time on State Street was pleasant, obviously not as intriguing as the State Capitol, but still informative. I felt that Madison was surprisingly busier than Milwaukee for some reason. Maybe it was the University students or the large range of places to eat at. I don’t know. Maybe it was the fact that it was the capitol. I don’t know. Either way, it was an unexpected thought. Also, the people didn’t seem as friendly as they are in Milwaukee. In fact, I heard that a student got yelled at for accidentally bumping into someone. Yikes. Despite this, I liked the quaint atmosphere of Madison and the mixture of architecture and shops.
Photo from City-Data.
The Madison Museum of Contemporary Art was an interesting place. The building itself was a marvel to look at. Even the stairs were beautiful. The art exhibits were interesting, but I liked the ¡Tierra y Libertad! Revolution the most. I loved the prints and the way that they conveyed many parts of Mexican culture and history into the pieces.
Photo also by me, but on my old DeviantArt account.
Note: Not the Capitol Building and the MMoCA. This is in Chicago.
Comparing the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art to the State Capitol Building, it is interesting to see two very influential places with such history and different styles of architecture.
Art can influence history, and vice versa. It communicates what is going around us and also what we dream to come. It also shows what has happened before us. We can use art to start change, to communicate and share our own views, and to communicate our past so we can learn from it.
(Source: shatterlands)
Symposium
WARNING : WALL OF TEXT
sym·po·si·um/simˈpōzēəm/ Noun:
- A conference or meeting to discuss a particular subject.
- A collection of essays or papers on a particular subject by a number of contributors.
(Source: Google)
This week, we went to the Milwaukee Art Museum to critique pieces we didn’t like. We had to be fair and state our likes and dislikes about the piece and why felt that way. I felt like this was a good practice, especially for me, since I am a more sensitive art viewer. This is my critique.
I chose ‘pink accent^2’, a mixed media piece composed of several found objects including: 4 teapots with gun parts attached, 2 cyclindric chrome trashcans, and two really creepy Halloween masks.
At first, I was passing by the teapots and thought, “Well that’s odd.” When I saw the trashcans, I related the two kinds of objects as reflective objects and wondered what was next behind the cans. Oh dear. I swear I probably took one step towards the masks and once I saw them, I couldn’t get any closer. They freak me out to no end. Even when I was presenting my critique to my classmates, I found myself inching away from them. I didn’t get it. What was the purpose of the 3 objects arranged together? But of course, to cause ‘psychological anxiety’. Bingo, we have a winner.
What I disliked about the piece was the content and the vagueness of the purpose of the piece. I had to read the description to understand the main point of the collective subjects. I feel like the piece should be a little more vocal for itself. It got the point across, but my mind didn’t recognize it. Also, the content was a little unorthodox. Found objects, in my heart, are a grey area in the topic of art. At first glance, I didn’t think that these would be considered art. I mean, it’s just a couple trashcans, altered teapots and some freaky masks. But after looking at it for a while and how it was arranged, I began to see it more as art.
I started to dissect it. The fact that these reflective objects were placed on reflective shelves was very interesting. As I read more of the description, I found out that the artist wanted to show us how theses objects related to us. In the two reflective objects, you could see yourself in them, staring back at you. Even when looking at the masks, it felt as if that freaky red head was coming out of your face that very instant. Creepy. Also, these objects are things we’ve all seen before. I mean, maybe we haven’t seen teapots with a trigger and barrel before, but you could recognize each of the objects. These two ways show how these objects relate to us. When I looked at the mirror-like shelves, I noticed that no matter what angle you are at, you cannot see yourself in them. Was this on purpose? Was this done so your eyes were drawn to the objects and to your reflections in the objects? Also, when I was trying to relate the 3 objects, I imagined a really odd narrative involving disembodied mutated heads, trashcan robots, and machine-gun teapots. Can you imagine? Another thing, after noticing the two really odd objects (the masks and the teapots), I wondered what was wrong with the trashcans. Was there something in them? Were they secretly robots in disguise?
The craft of the objects were interesting and slightly humorous. I liked the juxtaposition of the three objects.
The clarity of the purpose was slightly unclear. I needed more information before fully realizing the true purpose of the artwork, but it made me curious.
The concept of the piece was interesting. The concept worked with what was arranged, but once again I needed more information to fully understand it. The ‘psychological anxiety’ was definitely effective through the creepy masks as well as the teapot guns and the shiny robot trashcans. Don’t make me go near those masks.
The content of the piece was odd and unorthodox, but effective. I liked the reflective objects and the shelves together. I also liked the interaction between the viewer and the objects.
Altogether, this piece took some more time to fully understand and needed to be given a chance to prove itself as a more psychological piece.
