I think I will mostly be posting about artwork here, and as such, I should probably start with my own little spiel about why I like art/why I want to do art/etc.
I am currently an art student at Hampshire College in Amherst, Massachusetts. I came to the art decision somewhat recently, when I decided that what I wanted to do - what I really wanted to do - was make masks. (I know, it's kind of a rare passion, but there are others out there!) As someone who wasn't planning on going into art, I hadn't previously considered having to deal with other art students. It's a kind of unsettling experience, let me tell you.
There are so many young artists (and probably older artists, too) who feel the need to be extreme with their artwork, who feel that if they don't squeeze some hidden meaning into their work then it's, well, meaningless. I mean, I took a moldmaking class in January, and one of the other students in the class was interested in phallic imagery and decided that she wanted to do a diptych of screwdrivers and tampons. Why? I have no idea. In that same class, five girls made molds and casts of their breasts - which is all well and good if it's for the beauty of the form. Somehow, I doubt it is.
So, I suppose I feel like kind of a schlump sometimes because I don't view art the same way, and I feel like I'm expected to do so. But then again, there are enough people out there (including the professor whom I am 99% sure will be on my Division II committee) who recognize that the way I do art is just as legitimate and stimulating as the way others do art.
So, what does that mean? Why do I like art - and, specifically, why do I like mask-making?
I like creating. Before I was drawing regularly, I was creating stories - I love writing. I especially enjoy creating characters; the majority of the stories I have successfully written are short because they are almost entirely character-driven. I have a deep interest in people and they way people work. Because I liked creating characters so much, I picked up drawing at twelve years old to supplement a then-recent interest in Japanese animation. I wanted to create characters within that genre and be able to draw them. Thus began my largely self-taught drawing frenzy.
For the longest time, drawing (and very, very little painting) was my only main source of visual creativity. It wasn't until I got to college that I realized that my interest in circus and the Carnivale tradition was more than just a hobby, and more than something purely performative. I loved masks so much - was so in awe of Venetian maskers - that I decided that I, too, should go into that (niche) field.
So, here I am - with my background in strong character development, a knack for the visual, and a desire to work with my hands.
So, that's my "artistic vision" in a nutshell. I like a certain amount of symbolism in my work, I suppose, but for the most part, I'm interested in making something of which I can be proud, something that appeals to my sense of design.
And since I've talked at you all about how much I like masks and mask-making, I should prove I'm worth my salt, right? I've got a few photos of a mask and costume I designed and created for my friend Tara's Division III (comparable to a senior thesis) circus show. It is the character we simply call "The Crow," and he is pretty much entirely based around his performer, my loving partner James.
Here's the original design; the costume and mask are pretty true to it.
The mask! It's made of papier mache and black acrylic paint, mostly. Also, some hot glue and black burlap...and James's top hat which I utterly ruined. =]
And the full costume. It has undergone some changes since this picture was taken (namely, I use a different pin to fasten it, and the cape is shorter and more raggedy). I will soon be taking pictures of all the costumes and masks I designed for this show.So, I spent a lot of the time I was going to spend doing Italian homework creating this blog (it was more involved than I imagined...whoops!). I'll call it quits for now.
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