So, apparently every entry I'm ever going to write is going to pertain to my Div II? Anyway, I'm officially a Div II, thank heavens. I'll have to drop in to Central Records tomorrow to get my pin!
I'm seriously considering taking a UMass class this summer - either a studio drawing one or an art education seminar. The only problem with the seminar is that it starts at nine, and I would have to get there which means leaving the house pretty early if I'm going by foot or by bike (which will probably be the case). Well, we shall see, anyway.
And in Italian, we're learning about "casa dolce casa," which means our assignment tonight is to bring in tomorrow a picture of our ideal home. There are a lot of thoughts in Italian lately that pertain to the distant future; my composition that's due Monday is me picturing my life in the year 2030. Like I've said before, it's hard for me to even envision what I'm going to be doing in the next twenty hours, forget the next twenty years.
I guess the thing that bothers me is that I used to be so sure. I used to know exactly what I wanted and how I wanted my life to be. And then I grew up, I guess, and realized that it's so much more exciting to let life happen to you and become surprised by what you get. Which isn't to say that I don't have any long-term goals or dreams - I do. I guess I'm just more focused on living in the here and now...sometimes.
I say sometimes because I also lately think a lot about the future in terms of my family situation; I meditate every-so-often on getting married and having a baby. And it's not me being impatient, really, or that I'm wanting something like that now. It's more of me planning the future - but the more near future.
I'm going to be twenty in about a month and a half. Now, that's by no means old; however, it is older. And I have a lot of decisions coming my way about a lot of things. And I also feel ready for becoming older - more ready now than I have been in even the recent past.
So, moral of the story: I'm growing up. And I'm growing up fast. But I feel like I'm maturing more quickly mentally/emotionally than physically, if that makes any sense. And maybe that comes from already having a natural inclination toward maturity, and maybe it's in part because I'm female. Who knows. I kind of suspect it has a bit to do with going to Hampshire, where everyone is so grown-up, at least compared to other students at other schools.
At Hampshire, I'm treated like an adult, which is what I am. To the rest of the world, well...not so much. Back in Connecticut I feel like I still have this role as a child that I can't fill anymore, and it's so hard to express how I'm growing up because nobody wants to acknowledge what that means.
So, I guess I don't entirely know what my ideal house is. I think it's probably old and red, and maybe it has a black or dark-wood door. If James has any say in the matter (and he does, of course), there will be a brick oven in the yard. There will be...maybe two bedrooms and a couple bathrooms. All the furniture will be comfortable and the kitchen will always smell good and the fireplace will be running through most of the winter.
And everything will be beautiful and alive, and I will be happy.
Showing posts with label art. Show all posts
Showing posts with label art. Show all posts
17 February, 2010
15 February, 2010
Job Interview/More on the Div II front/Gallery
This weekend...actually wasn't extremely eventful, but was. Somehow.
I ate venison for the first time yesterday. Verdict: yummy.
I had a job interview this afternoon as an assistant in New Student Programs. Went well. Hoping I'll get the job.
Emailed my soon-to-be committee about how my Div II contract is coming along. It's been suggested that I "phrase your interests more in terms of the kinds of studies you'd like to pursue. Your mentioning of your passion about puppets and creating is good, but it should lead into a more abstract description of the kinds of disciplines and methodologies you wish to learn about.
You also need to have a few preliminary ideas about MCP and community service."
That, of course, was not Thom but my member, Jutta. She's going to serve to make my Div II more academic, it looks like, since I'm so very drifty about academic stuff. She's going to bring in more of the art theory and art history stuff. And structure, probably. Bah, structure.
I have recently found out about a gallery in Boston whose upcoming theme is Circus/Sideshow/etc. stuff. And I want to submit something, probably in mask form. I'm just stuck right now on what that might be. I need to figure out soon-ish, though, because the deadline is March 15th. Eep! Any ideas are more than welcome. What says "circus" to you and can be interpreted into mask form?
Also, ideas for a new blog name. The one that I have right now is a stand-in until I can think of something more clever. Heh.
I ate venison for the first time yesterday. Verdict: yummy.
I had a job interview this afternoon as an assistant in New Student Programs. Went well. Hoping I'll get the job.
Emailed my soon-to-be committee about how my Div II contract is coming along. It's been suggested that I "phrase your interests more in terms of the kinds of studies you'd like to pursue. Your mentioning of your passion about puppets and creating is good, but it should lead into a more abstract description of the kinds of disciplines and methodologies you wish to learn about.
You also need to have a few preliminary ideas about MCP and community service."
That, of course, was not Thom but my member, Jutta. She's going to serve to make my Div II more academic, it looks like, since I'm so very drifty about academic stuff. She's going to bring in more of the art theory and art history stuff. And structure, probably. Bah, structure.
I have recently found out about a gallery in Boston whose upcoming theme is Circus/Sideshow/etc. stuff. And I want to submit something, probably in mask form. I'm just stuck right now on what that might be. I need to figure out soon-ish, though, because the deadline is March 15th. Eep! Any ideas are more than welcome. What says "circus" to you and can be interpreted into mask form?
Also, ideas for a new blog name. The one that I have right now is a stand-in until I can think of something more clever. Heh.
10 February, 2010
One Week Away!
Okay, so the Div II filing deadline is exactly a week away. I have to get this contract written and send a draft to Thom so that he can have a look-see before he and Jutta sign on to it.
This means, of course, that I'm thinking a lot about my Div II and what I'm studying and how it's changed from my initial proposal. I think it's definitely changing for the better, or at least...I'm starting to figure out how to study what I want and how to better express what it is I want. So...excellent! Right? Haha.
I had a conversation with a Mt. Holyoke student I know today about how one of her advisors views anything that has a function other than to-be-looked-at-ness as not art. So again, another art view I really don't support. Actually, the whole idea of someone in an art field (who was, at one point, head of an art department) with that mindset really irritates me. A lot.
There are certainly some pieces of art that are only to be looked at, and that's fine. But that doesn't mean that things that have functions other than beauty can't also be art.
By this definition, a mask is not artwork - unless, of course, it is over-sized and hung on a wall.
I hatehatehate the idea that masks are meant solely to be hung on walls (says the girl with a porcelain mask collection, I know...). Masks are made to be worn. They are also meant to have some sort of aesthetic quality.
I also really hate being told that what I do isn't art - either because it has a function or because it doesn't have some hidden meaning (as I have mentioned before). I don't like my work being degraded, as I'm sure is the case with most artists.
Apparently, this same professor also claims than any and all forms of illustration is not art.
Baaaaaaaaaah.
I'm done ranting for now. Really, I am. I should go work on my Div II contract.
This means, of course, that I'm thinking a lot about my Div II and what I'm studying and how it's changed from my initial proposal. I think it's definitely changing for the better, or at least...I'm starting to figure out how to study what I want and how to better express what it is I want. So...excellent! Right? Haha.
I had a conversation with a Mt. Holyoke student I know today about how one of her advisors views anything that has a function other than to-be-looked-at-ness as not art. So again, another art view I really don't support. Actually, the whole idea of someone in an art field (who was, at one point, head of an art department) with that mindset really irritates me. A lot.
There are certainly some pieces of art that are only to be looked at, and that's fine. But that doesn't mean that things that have functions other than beauty can't also be art.
By this definition, a mask is not artwork - unless, of course, it is over-sized and hung on a wall.
I hatehatehate the idea that masks are meant solely to be hung on walls (says the girl with a porcelain mask collection, I know...). Masks are made to be worn. They are also meant to have some sort of aesthetic quality.
I also really hate being told that what I do isn't art - either because it has a function or because it doesn't have some hidden meaning (as I have mentioned before). I don't like my work being degraded, as I'm sure is the case with most artists.
Apparently, this same professor also claims than any and all forms of illustration is not art.
Baaaaaaaaaah.
I'm done ranting for now. Really, I am. I should go work on my Div II contract.
04 February, 2010
Where I'm Coming From
So, I have once again decided to start a blog. Perhaps this one will last me longer than any of the others in my past have. We shall see.
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.
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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