Leslie Ann

Project Yodeling in Detroit

2011-11-18T19:18:00.000-08:00

I know it has been a while since I've posted anything on this blog, but a lot has happened. My old camera died on me and I didn't get a new one until a few months ago.

Anyway, this is a clip of a little social art project that I have been doing everyday these past few months. (I know, I need to get a life or cable at least.)

It's an ongoing project and this video reflects the idea of the project. Since it's about ready to snow, I'm going to learn how to edit videos, how to attach my camera to the car, and I will record again in the summer. I will also focus more on people's reactions because it's pretty amusing.

P.S. Apologies for the video being a little boring. After I make my first left turn, it picks up a little (it was a long red light).

Making Pills: Part VI

2009-12-26T22:28:00.000-08:00

After I got home from work, I went to the studio to finish up these pills. If I’ve gotten anything out of this project, it’s that I really like Spanish radio stations. I guess it’s good to learn something new about yourself every once in a while. Today’s quest: paint the white halves of the pills.

Like with the other pills, I sprayed some white spray paint into a plastic cup in order to hand-paint the 28 pills*.

*Recap: It’s because I only have a glossy white available in the spray paint form and the brand I use doesn’t make that color in any other form. It's stupid.

Now that they are done, I’ll have to give it two or three days to dry before I can do anything else. Until then, I have some time to stress over the next level of my quest: attaching the pills to a canvas.

Making Pills: Part V

2009-12-24T21:09:00.000-08:00

After I got home from work today, I ate a couple of tortillas, gulped my third Red Bull, and went down to the studio. My mantra has been, “It’s only 28, it’s only 28….” Music generally gets me through things, but my stereo has been scratching my CDs so I’ve been listening to the radio for this entire project. Since I’ve basically heard every song out there and now it’s only Christmas songs, I put on the Spanish station and that seemed to help me get through this.

Since the pills were dry, I covered the halves with the blue tape.

Then I painted them grey.

For next time:

I’ve got to wait a day or two before I can paint the other halves. I’ll check on them tomorrow after work, but I have a feeling they won’t be dry by then. Until next time, happy holidays!

Making Pills: Part IV

2009-12-23T17:09:00.001-08:00

Now that all of the pills have dried, I had to come to terms with the fact that I was going to have to repeat the entire process again for 28 pills. I kept telling myself, it’s just 28, it’s just 28, come one, you can do it.

After removing all of the pills, I went outside and put the clay pills on the pins.

Before:

Then I spray painted them white.

After:

Doggie Issues:

While doing this project, I think my dog, Zorro, has been feeling a bit left out. He’s been messing with my canvases lately and today he stepped on and knocked over all of my pills. I think he’s purposely lying next to my canvases, which creates dents, and I caught him the other day licking my painted canvas (don’t worry, it was dry; but he’s never done that before). I’ll have to give him some special attention. I’ll give him a bath today and maybe I’ll bring him into work (shh!). He’ll be 14 years old in just a matter of days.

What's Next:

Anyway, the next step involves waiting for the pills to dry. Then I can start the hand-painting process.

Making Pills: Part III

2009-12-21T01:36:00.000-08:00

Though they were not 100% dry, the pills were > 97.5% dry. I started at 4:30 p.m. on Saturday and I didn’t finish until after 1:00 a.m. on Sunday. My mission: repaint the second ½ of the pills.

I have been rattling my brain over what to do next with these pills. I was originally going to do a quick touch-up with white paint and then gloss the heck out of the pills with that glossy protective waste of money spray paint. However, I was too afraid to execute this idea after I discovered my bad chemical reaction from the capsules –you can refer back to the previous blog for that adventure.

After much thought, I realized that the only thing I could do was repaint the halves with white. I thought about covering the colored halves with tape and then just spray painting them again, but I realized that I needed to do a lot of touch-ups on every single pill that could only be done by hand. Because the enamel paint I had at hand was not glossy, I had to spray the glossy white spray paint into a plastic cup, and then use that to hand-paint the pills.

The Steps:

I first had to remove the blue tape that covered the white half.

I then had to tape the colored half (to save money, time, and tape, I reused the same piece of tape).

After spraying some glossy white spray paint into a plastic cup, I proceeded to paint the half white.

Finally, the pill could be placed with the rest of the pills and I could move forward and start the next pill.

I finished the blue halves.

Then I finished the green halves.

After were the red halves.

And then those grey halves.

This was all I did, but it really took a long time to do. I wanted to give up at some points because I was feeling exhausted, but I kept pushing myself because I wanted them to all dry at the same time. I also knew I wasn’t going to have the opportunity to paint them later.

The Problems and then the Solutions:

As I was doing this, I realized a few issues. I noticed that I couldn’t keep the tape on the colored halves, because the tape could remove some of the paint if I left it on too long (despite trying to remove some of the stickiness from the tape, I noticed that some tape strips had paint on them). I then had to go back and remove the tape from the pills.

I also began to notice that there was paint on the pins that was left from painting the colored halves. I had been placing the freshly painted white halves on those dirty pins, which was causing dots of colored paint on the white portion of the pills. As a result, I had to go back and reverse the direction of the pills.

What about the Capsules?:

After looking at the capsules again, I realized that I liked the texture. You may call this “defeater’s attitude” by just accepting and going along with the inevitable, but I began thinking that having those cracks gave the capsules some individuality. In general, some capsules have little dots on them or are a little on the powdery-side. The pills I made were already shiny so I thought the texture differentiated the capsules a little. For now, I kind of like it and I will keep them this way. If I change my mind later, I will do something about it.

Side-Effects:

Yes, there were side-effects to this project. I think because I had spent the other days painting with the enamel and the spray paint, that night I was a little on the loopy side. Because it was cold, I kept my studio door closed for about 9 hours. I felt a little nauseated and wore a mask for the first half of my time, but then I became hungry and went to the house and ate a bunch of tortillas. After my tortilla consumption, I drank some Red Bull and went back down to the studio. That was when things got a little weird.

I felt like I was in an elevator and I thought my eyes were shifting focus a lot. Even though I was painting with white, I thought the pills were turning a little blue or yellow, so I applied more white to the already painted white halves (time-waster!). Near the last couple of hours, I was focused on the lyrics of songs playing from the radio and couldn’t stop giggling when I heard some words. Yeah, I’m going to take a little break from the enamel for a while.

For Next Time:

I will have to repeat the entire process again for the 28 pills that couldn’t fit on the foam board. Yes, that means spray painting the pills completely white, then painting the halves grey, and then painting the other halves white again. I got through the majority of the pills, so 28 isn’t too bad. The following step should involve attaching the pills to the canvas.

Close-Ups:

Here are some close-ups of those pills.

Making Pills: Part II

2009-12-17T20:59:00.001-08:00

So my quest to complete these pills continues. I didn’t have to go into work until later today, so I used the time to my advantage. Today’s mission: paint the second half of the pills and gloss the capsules.

All I could think about last night and all morning was how I was going to paint the second half of the pills. I thought I was going to airbrush the halves with acrylic, but then I thought this morning I should spray paint them instead so it matches the white I sprayed as the first coat. Afterwards, I began considering going to an art store to pick up a medium so I could hand-paint acrylic on the halves. Then, at the last minute, I figured it would be best to hand-paint them with the same paint medium as the spray paint. I figured that it would look better and I could save tons of money since I already had the paints on hand –no medium required!

Before I could paint, I had to tape the halves with that nonstick blue tape (this took a long time because I had to lightly push the pills back onto the pins).

They look like they're wearing little culinary chef hats.

Then I began painting the first batch of 40 halves. Paint it blue!

The second batch of 40 halves. Paint it green!

40 of red.

And 12 of grey. What? 12? Yeah, the other 28 couldn’t fit on the foam board so I’ll have to repeat the entire process after these are done.

I then began feeling cocky and thought I would try to gloss the capsules that had been spray painted.

Then I became depressed and hated myself for my cockiness. There was a bad chemical reaction with the spray paint and the clear glossy protective spray paint. The layer of paint began to crack immediately.

Experience the nastiness.

I didn’t notice this until after I had sprayed both the white and blue capsules. Now I’m kicking myself for not being more careful. Tomorrow, when it dries, I’ll check on it again to see if I’ll have to peel the layer off or if I can just spray paint them again –but without that stupid expensive glossy waste of money stuff.

That’s how you learn, I guess. You have to destroy some art before you can get something you like. Until my next continuing adventure, here are some close-ups of the pills.

Making Pills: Part I

2009-12-16T20:27:00.000-08:00

Since I didn’t have to go to work today, I thought it was the perfect time to catch up on some artwork. One of my challenges is to get these pills painted, glossed, and then attached to a canvas (the canvas is already painted). I counted the pills today and I knew I had over 250, but now I know that I actually have 307 pills (don’t ask -I don’t know why the total is an odd number).

I created the pills using clay and wood (I finished this process a while back). Today, I had to create a base using foam board and pins.

Here I had to measure out the dots on the foam board.

Then I pushed the pins in.

I then went outside and began placing the pills on the pins so I could spray paint them.

Close-Up Madness:

Ha ha ha, different pill perspectives...

I thought it was funny how the 2 images above are focused differently, like all of the pills single out that one pill and laugh at it. Then, in the second image, the single pill is sad.

Afterwards, I put the capsules (also created out of clay and wood) on a board I found in my studio and spray painted those too.

I just brought everything down to my studio to dry for the night. I also went out and purchased some blue tape.

I’m really afraid and hesitant about the next step. I’m still debating if I will airbrush or hand-paint the pills. ½ is white and ½ is going to be another color. I have an airbrush, but I haven’t used it since I graduated from high school. It would make the process easy and clean, but the thing I don’t like about it is it stops spraying after a while. Even when I clean it out it continues to give me problems. I then have to put it away for a while and come back to it later in order to use it again. I don’t know if this is a normal problem or if it’s me. Someone told me it’s normal, but I think that it’s stupid. I don’t know, I think I will wake up early tomorrow morning and wrap the part of the pills I want white and then test the airbrush. Who knows, it may be worth the frustrations.

Brazilian Opening Reception

2009-11-07T17:48:00.000-08:00

On Wednesday I attended an opening reception at YBCA for a show called, When Lives Become Form: Contemporary Brazilian Art, 1960s to the Present. It was a lot of fun and totally worth getting a mild sore throat over the next day.

It started out slow and the place was swarming with security. I took two photos but got stopped because only press were allowed to take pictures. As a result, most of this blog is going to be compiled of pictures from online. Anyways, the night started a little slow, but after a couple of hours it was crowded with people. There were live Brazilian bands (both traditional and contemporary), Brazilian cocktails, ladies dressed in pink feathers and half naked, and there was art too. It was a show that could only be fully experienced at the reception because it really transformed the atmosphere from a museum to a party.

Purpose of the Show: The art show was about using cultural, historical, traditional, and societal influences that were deeply rooted in Brazil in order to create a movement of contemporary artistic statements using modern American and European inspirations, such as Dadaism and Deconstructionism to name a couple. Made up of Brazilian, Japanese-Brazilian, Jewish-Brazilian, and Afro-Brazilian artists, the show consisted of visual art, music, fashion design, sculpture, film, and architecture. The central theme revolved around Tropicália.

Tropi-what?:

Tropicália was an art movement in Brazil from 1967 to 1972 that focused on how art was shifting from what was considered “high brow” to commercial art. The idea originated from Hélico Oiticica –who was also the central figure of the art show. In 1967, Oiticica used clichés and tropical tropes, such as palm trees and tropical birds, to show how the culture had been consumed by commercialistic art. It was a form of expression that protested what society was becoming.

By 1972, a military dictatorship emerged in Brazil, which established censorships on art and freedom of speech. Many of the artists who led and followed the ideas and beliefs of Tropicália were incarcerated, exiled, or executed. Despite years of having a military dictatorship, Brazil returned to its democratic government in 1985 and the spirit and ideas of Tropicália flourish once again, but with a modern twist.

Enough with the History: I will show some artists that I really enjoyed at the show and briefly discuss their work. Some work may relate to other issues and themes depending on the artist’s ethnic background.

Fashion Design:

Jum Nakao. Sewing the Invisible.

This is a modified version of the video at the museum –the one at the museum is better. Fashion designer Jum Nakao created all of these clothing articles out of paper. Yes, paper. The featured fashion show was based on traditional Japanese dresses. Nakao wanted to show the rigidness of the past and how people tried so hard to conform to these ideals and to obey governmental authority. By busting out of the delicate dresses, the models were breaking away from the rigid past and governmental restrictions and becoming free to the modern ways of self-expression and freedom. It was stated that some people who saw the fashion show had cried because they could not picture a life without the strict traditions.

Installation:

Lygia Pape. Roda dos Prazeres (Wheel of Delights).

(this was not taken at YBCA)

Lygia Pape constantly worked in different media. This piece of hers was presented because of its Tropicália theme that involved antropofago*.

*antropofago or anthropophagy: a.k.a. cannibalism

Long story short, antropofago is a metaphorical explanation of cannibalism practiced by one of Brazil’s largest indigenous tribes, the Tupi. After capturing their enemies, the Tupi would select certain body parts from their enemies that they felt were "superior." By eating these parts, the individual would receive the strength and power of their enemy (eating other people was common in Mesoamerica). The strength was not to emulate the enemy, but to enhance one’s self through the actual process of ingesting, digesting, and absorbing the blood and flesh through one’s self (I guess you can look at it as a meditative thing where you put all of your attention on what you’re eating and how your body is absorbing it. In this case…nevermind).

With Pape’s piece, the bowls are filled with water, food coloring (I'm assuming), and a flavor that you would not associate with that color. For instance, a bowl with green water would be coconut-flavored. The purpose was to drop some of the liquid into your mouth and to focus on what you were tasting so you could embrace the senses –resembling the practice of antropofago. (Someone told me they saw “double-dipping” going on, so I didn’t try it).

Installation/Film:

Hélico Oiticica. Cosmococa CCI Trashiscapes.

(this was not taken at YBCA -the walls were painted black)

This piece by Hélico Oiticica was interesting. Hours before the show started, I saw people scrambling about, painting the walls, and installing things. The walls for this space were installed and you could still smell the paint when you walked inside –but I think it helped this particular piece. There were large cushions to lie down on, nail files, a video of drug references, and music that played both reggae and even some Jimi Hendrix-inspired music. It was actually a nice place to hang out for a while because it was dark and completely chilled. Well, I think you can guess where this is going and I don’t think I really need to add too many explanations. The only important thing I could say is Oiticica was a man who “was influenced by his observations and experience[s]” and felt that art should not divide the artist from the viewer –the artist and the viewer should be able to experience the same thing.

Visual Arts:

Osgemeos. Title Unknown, sorry.

I really liked osgemeos’ work. I have seen this spelled Os Gemeos, but everything at YBCA spelled it as osgemeos. Osgemeos is Portuguese for “twins.” The artist is really twin brothers who create graffiti art using mixed media on canvas and on the streets. I have seen a lot of graffiti art, but it generally uses the same media. What I liked was their art consists of incredibly thin ink lines, backgrounds made with printmaking techniques, spray paint to emphasize shadows and texture, and paint rollers to cover large spaces. Something about it really struck me and I really enjoyed staring at their pieces because there were so many details. The picture I posted is not what I saw and I searched like crazy to find it, but it is a painting from the same series.

Osgemeos creates art that reflects the graffiti streets of Brazil. However, they also add their own elements by using mixed media. Their themes range from culture to politics. Osgemeos also use bright vibrant colors that reflect how their contemporary art still consists of the roots from their cultural past.

Visual Arts:

Rogério Degaki. Vicky.

This was the only thing I was able to take a picture of, so it’s going in the blog. When I first saw this piece by Rogério Degaki, I thought it was a giant crochet of a dog with a beret. When I read the label and discovered it was an oil painting on canvas, I was shocked because the piece consisted of a lot of texture that made it seem like it was painted based on each strand of yarn. It was very bright and I enjoyed the rich colors. This dog with a beret is the only proof I have that I was at this event. I hope you all believe me.

In Conclusion: It was a very fun and exciting event. It’s still open, so if you get the chance, you should definitely check it out (keeping in mind that they don’t offer cocktails on normal business hours). There’s more to look at and I wish I could have taken pictures.

Apologies: I apologize for any long and unnecessary explanations that may have bored you all to death. If you got this far, thanks for reading!

Resources: My sources came from what I learned at YBCA. They give tours that explain everything too.

Happy reading,

Leslie Ann

leslieannart.blogspot.com

Online Survey

2009-11-07T10:02:00.001-08:00

If there are people out there viewing my blog, I would appreciate some assistance. I’m taking a statistics class and we have to create online surveys. I wanted to incorporate a measurement that somehow combined art with psychology, so I created this survey about hemispheric thinking processes. If you wouldn’t mind clicking on the link to fill it out, I would really appreciate it (it's completely anonymous). More surveys = more data. :) Where it asks you to give a subject ID number, just put 9999 (it’s also stated on the survey).

www.lesbecerra.netfirms.com

By the end of the week I’ll explain what the survey measured in a little more detail.

Thank you!!!!!!!

Leslie Ann

leslieannart.blogspot.com

Hidden Art in my Closet

2009-10-03T09:32:00.000-07:00

Earlier this week, I had to show pictures of some of my artwork that I have done in the past and I thought that I would share some of those photos with you. It was kind of interesting because I forgot about some of these pieces and I think they show a little of my versatility. These are all things I did a long time ago, so the quality may not necessarily be great, but I think they represent where I have come from as an artist as well as some of my interests and my personality.

I created this chair in 2003. The wings are made from plexiglass, and they can move side-to-side. The stinger was created from a broom stick. This is actually the chair that I use when I’m working and doing art in my studio.

Bumble Bee Chair

Front.

Back.

With a model to emphasize the stinger.

I made this piece in 2006. In my ceramics class, I had to throw a bunch of random pieces on a pottery wheel and then create a sculpture out of those pieces. This was the first thing I ever created in that class so I was proud of this piece. I was the worst in that class, but that’s another story for another time.

Chicken Head

This piece was something that I had started in 2002, but didn’t finish until 2007. It’s a weaving piece that I did using yarn, thread, straw, cardboard, and sticks. I finished the weaving in 2002, but I had a big square in the middle and didn’t know what to put in there until 2007 –talk about having creative block issues.

A Weaving

What I’m going to show next is something a little nontraditional, but I think it shows my “graphic designing abilities” –put into quotes so real graphic designers won’t be offended and feel like I’m taking on a title too great for my amateur skills –which may also be reflected from my Bumble Bee Chair. It’s a poster I created through PowerPoint for my research study of two years. It looks simple and boring, but I was given guidelines on how to create the poster and I followed those guidelines while also making it on the “artsy” side. Someone thought it was “outlandish” for the Statistics World, but they eventually came around and said it has its own artistic qualities that make it stand out.

Research Poster

Those are my early archived pieces that stay in the closet (literally), with the exception of the Bumble Bee Chair. Sometimes you have to show the old stuff so people can see where you come from and how you’ve developed.

Updates: I’ll post pictures of my current pieces very soon. I’m still working on making objects for one of my paintings and it’s taking me a long time. The process is long, but I hope it will all work out.

Capturing Moments at Work (includes a video)

2009-09-14T19:31:00.000-07:00

I was painting last night (and in the wee hours of the morning) and I realized that this will be my last painting for a while until I get some woodworking lessons. I thought that I should take some pictures of myself and attempt a videotape so you can see what it looks like when I paint.

The painting I worked on last night is in two stages. I worked on the first stage, which was simply painting the canvas. The second stage will involve creating casts so I can create multiple objects using molds. Afterwards, I’ll paint the molded objects and then attach them to the canvas. I’m scared about whether or not it’s going to work, but I guess that’s how you learn things –trial and error.

In the video, I agree, the canvas looks like Jackson went completely insane and got into a fight with macaroni and cheese. The lighting makes the canvas look yellow, but it’s actually orange. I also agree that the video is a little boring, but it’s a glimpse of what I’ve been doing.

Go ahead and criticize all you want. I think it's actually interesting to hear how people interpret and perceive things. I also like the input because it makes me see my work differently and it motivates me to find ways to improve my next piece.

A Trip to the Cow Palace

2009-09-03T04:20:00.000-07:00

Lesson I: TAT-TOO: Tattoo comes from the Tahitian word tatau. Tattooing involves injecting colored ink beneath the epidermis with tiny punctures through the skin’s surface.

The word “tattoo” was first introduced into Europe in the 1770s by Captain James Cook in his journal that described the Tahitian natives:

Both sexes paint their bodies, Tattow as it is called in their language, this is done by inlaying the colour of black under their skins in such a manner as to be indelible. -Cook, July 1769.

Where is this Going?: Last Friday, I went to the famous Cow Palace to check out the Tattoo Expo. Although I’m still considered a “virgin” in the Tattoo World, I find tattoos fascinating and I wanted to learn more about this fashionable form of art. I thought that the best way to experience and learn about this type of body decoration was to go to the Expo and to see first hand how one goes about getting a tattoo as well as how the tattooists work with this medium. I originally wanted to dive right into discussing my experience at the Expo, but after talking to people about my experience, I realized that a lot of people don't know how historical and cultural the art of tattooing has been worldwide. I decided that I would try to inform people of its long history and then I'll share the pictures and a few things I learned from the Expo. I will only focus on the highlights and attempt to make it as brief as possible, but you can skip the history and go to the Tattoo Expo section if you like.

Cliff Notes Version of the History: Before tattooing even began, body painting was considered the earliest form of body art. Popular pigments of the Paleolithic time were: red (commonly representing blood, vitality, mortality, and fertility); white (often associated with rituals, mourning, purification, and the supernatural); and black (typically representing impurity and evil). Depictions of such body paintings can be found on cave paintings illustrating hunters, men, women, and shamans. Different body painting patterns, geometrical shapes, and colors often represented ceremonies, rituals, tribes, gender, and shamanic experiences. With time, tattooing became the new fad.

Sahara rock painting, Tassili N'Ajjer, Algeria. Dots and lines represent

tattooing and body paint used in ceremonies, as identification,

and for shamanic experiences.

Body Painting vs Tattooing:
Body painting is temporary and is, therefore, often used for ceremonies and rituals.
Tattooing is permanent. Tattoos would represent one’s age, rank and lineage, expeditions, initiations, rights entitled, unusual personal events, and one's identity between communities and as individuals. Tattoos were also associated with religion, shamanism, healing, protection, and good luck.

Sahara rock painting, Tassili N'Ajjer, Algeria.

The Way of the Tattoo –Mastering Technique Based on Culture:
Different cultures and tribes have used, and continue to use, different tattooing techniques. Most tribal cultures would use instruments consisting of comb-shaped needles made of bone or even sharp, pointed teeth. These tools would then be dipped into a concoction of soot, charcoal, or other pigments mixed with oils such as walnut or pine. The tattooists would then drive the instrument into the skin, often using other tools as a mallet in order to puncture holes through the skin. Some cultures and tribes, such as the Oceanic tribes, used a needle and thread as a tool. After coating the needle with soot and oil, the needle would be threaded through the skin while following a desired pattern.

One of the oldest preserved skin tattooings from

a frozen, mummified body. The skin of this man's

hand has animal figures. Pazyryk burial mound,

Upper Altai, Siberia.

Tracing the Tattoo Epidemic from the Stone Age to Modern Times:
Before the Stone Age, carved human figurines covered with tattoos were dated back to 6,000 B.C. Two-thousand years later, figurines with facial and body markings, which represented tattoos, were found in an Egyptian tomb. Tattoos for Egyptians were reserved for women, specifically prostitutes, dancers, and singers. Men with tattoos in Egypt represented Libyan or Nubian prisoners.

By 2,000 B.C., tattooing spread from the Middle East to the Pacific Islands. There are two theories about how this spread, but I’ll skip that because I’m trying to make this brief –if you want to know, post a comment and I’ll let you know.

Japan, specifically Osaka, had many tattoo revolutions starting from the 5th Century B.C. Beginning as decorative and for religious purposes, the practice of tattooing eventually died and didn’t resurface again until the 13th Century B.C. At this point, tattoos were only intended to mark criminals and the “socially-undesirable.” Japan went through many phases and different types of tattooing styles that greatly influenced the types of Western tattoos existing today.

Controversies:
There has been a lot of controversy among the art-know-it-alls who argue over whether or not tattoos are considered “art.” Some people argue that the true tribal and spiritual connections have been lost, because the original intent from the past has become commercialized and even “trashy” and “overly erotic.” Others disagree and believe that people are passionate and serious about the types of tattoos they receive. I think, ultimately, it depends on the person who receives the tattoo and the person who is criticizing the tattoo. It is art no matter what you get.

Whatever goes behind the tattoo can be compared to how artists have been categorized into specific art movements. For instance, postmodernists can easily become pigeonholed into the “trashy” group, because they may not have the same original artistic motives as the impressionists or neoclassicists that people have studied for years. As for spectators, most people who have studied the famous art movements of the impressionists and neoclassicists have learned to love and appreciate these styles, which may cause some people to only appreciate art that follows these formulas. In the end, it all comes down to one’s own opinion and how open-minded one is about learning and understanding nontextbook and “nontraditional art.”

The Tattoo Expo: I didn’t realize before coming to the Expo that there seems to be two types of tattoo groups:

1. the “I only get sentimental and meaningful tattoos” group
2. the “I just get souvenirs and whatever” group

I respect both groups because I see the beauty, passion, and appreciation that each group has about their tattoos and about creating those tattoos for others. Each tattoo is unique and it tells you a little about the person based on their interests, beliefs, and artistic appreciations.

I also learned and heard both humorous and interesting stories about being an apprentice. Some people informed me that an apprenticeship can last for four years. Along with the learning, hard work, and dedication to keeping the workstations clean, apprentices also go through an initiation process. This requires making coffee runs, being tricked into getting tattoos in painful spots, and almost being a dancing monkey. Everybody goes through it. As long as you suck it up and don’t take it too personally, one of the other perks of becoming a tattooist is looking forward to doing the same thing to the next apprentice.

Enough with me boring you all to death, I’m finally going to show you pictures.

This artist had a mixture and combination of Eastern and Western influences.

Joel enjoys tattooing Japanese and Asian styled pieces.

Rush prefers tattooing the Japanese and Asian themed pieces.

Jason does piercings, which was also offered at the Expo.

Jason also informed me about a piercing called "stretching,"

which involves stretching the earlobes with ear spools or ear gauges.

One of Jason's tattoos is about how people are constantly evolving and changing.

Kaysea showed me her rocking tattoos and educated me on how different areas of the tongue hurt more than others when getting certain piercings.

Baba and his artwork. Baba is an award winning artist and the master sponsor of the Expo.

Melissa tattooing Paul a memorial piece dedicated to his
friends he had served with while in the military.

Melissa does amazing portraiture, black and grey,

and Aztec pieces.

There were other vendors at the Expo too.

Kristi was selling massage chairs as well as her

own photography. She also sold jackets and purses

made from sewing on pieces of recycled scraps.

The Aftermath of the Tattoo: Now that you've gotten your tattoo and your piercing, what do you do about the pain and the healing process? Fortunately, there was a booth set up with H2Ocean -The First in First Aid. Charles Young explained and demonstrated how the products worked. It’s a spray that contains sea salt, lysozyme, and sea kelp –natural ingredients that nourish dermal cells, kill bacteria, and improve circulation and skin elasticity.

Before and after pictures of wound treatment.

You can even use it for veterinary care too!

Thank you: All the tattooists and apprentices I spoke with were very kind, resourceful, and talented. Thank you all for giving me a moment of your time to talk with me, answer my questions, and to allow me to take pictures!!! Thanks again!!!!!

For More Information: If you have any questions about the tattooing history or would like me to go into more depth about something, post me a comment! I enjoyed learning about tattoos and tattooing and would love to elaborate more about the subject! I tried to keep everything brief because I was concerned mostly about boring people.

References:
Gelder, K. (2007). Subcultures: Cultural histories and social practice. New York: Routledge.

Hambly, W. D. (1925). The history of tattooing and its significance. London: H. F. G. Witherby.

Sanders, C. (1989). Customizing the body: The art and culture of tattooing. Philadelphia: Temple University Press.

Thevoz, M. (1984). The illusions of reality: The painted body. New York: Rizzoli International Publications, Inc.

Virel, A. (1979). Decorated man: The human body as art. New York: Harry N. Abrams, Inc.

I'm Not Jackson!!!!

2009-08-29T08:20:00.000-07:00

After receiving some feedback about my previous posting from a well-intentioned Tamale peer, I realized that a lot of people may see me as some kind of an art fraud. First of all, I will explain my series that I am working on in more detail once I have more paintings completed. But to set the record straight momentarily, I am only working on a series. It is not my style nor is it a style that I am attempting to use forever –well, I guess if it sells and gets me rich, then you can call me a kitschy artist. I am only using the technique for a few paintings because it is conveying emotions, memories, and flashbacks that I can’t convey in any other way. In fact, my other paintings are going to consist of objects, chicken wire, talc, weaving, and even volcanic ash (actually, the close-up I previously posted does have volcanic ash).

Because I don’t want people to think that all I can do is throw paint all over a canvas, I thought that I should share some art I have done in the past that got selected into two annual juried shows at California State University, Hayward (oops, I mean, East Bay). I was –and still am –completely honored to be in each show, especially since I am not an Art Studio major.

2006-2007 Annual Juried Show

This one was the first portrait that I ever painted, so he looks a little on the pale side –I did it in a Painting I class using oils.

That square in his hair is just a glare.

This one I actually did in high school with rendering pencils. I could probably pull off a better drawing now since I’m a little more experienced (not much more experienced, but a little does make a difference).

2007-2008 Annual Juried Show –won an award

This was the first painting I ever did that involved warping figures –this is definitely a style that I’m going to experiment with some more. I really enjoy layering with oils and it’s a technique that I’m going to stick with. Because I got into a car accident after starting this piece, I actually had to paint the top half upside-down because I could not lift my arms (I even had to tape paint brushes together in order to reach the canvas). The sides of the canvas are also covered in gold leaf.

Some Close-Ups

I did not submit anything for the 2008-2009 year because I didn't take an art class that whole academic year (in order submit anything, one has to fullfill that requirement).

I didn’t plan on making this a show-off session, but I was a little concerned that people may make assumptions that I’m just copying other artists. As an Art History major, I would never do anything of that sort –or at least not intentionally. Again, when I get more paintings going, I’ll explain the purpose of my series. If you got this far, thanks for reading!

A Painting -Only a Close-Up

2009-08-28T08:21:00.000-07:00

I had to get some business cards prepared since I will be going to an event. As I was working on them, I took a picture of a close-up of one of my paintings. I thought that I would share a couple of the close-ups so you can see what I’ve been up to lately. I greatly apologize that what you are about to see will be of great disappointment when compared to my Tamale peers who always blow me away. I guess that’s why I should just stick to writing. Anyways…

I couldn’t get a full shot of my painting, because my studio is a little cramped right now since I’m stretching a bunch of canvases (I’m working on a series using mixed-media. Each painting is 36”X36” –yes, I'm working with squares). When I get more room in there, I’ll attempt to get standard-sized pictures of some of my completed pieces.

And now, let the criticizing begin.

A Close-Up

An Even Closer Close-Up

A Sad, Sad Day in the Art World -Merce Cunningham

2009-07-29T00:23:00.000-07:00

The Art World is grieving the loss of one of the most influential contributors of modern dance and choreography. Merce* Cunningham (4/16/1919 to 7/26/2009) died of natural causes at the age of 90. Cunningham was a great inspiration in the Art World. I wish I could go on and on about his brilliance and his philosophies, but then it would turn into a research paper that nobody would want to read. I’m sure that a lot of younger people may not be able to identify Cunningham or be in touch with what he did, so I’ll try to briefly highlight some of his major ideas and beliefs while trying not to bore you all to death. He’s definitely an artist worth studying and, if you can, visit his website http://www.merce.org/.

*Merce?! Pronunciation, please: “MURSS”

Major Contributions to the Art World: Cunningham was considered an avant-garde dancer and choreographer who created dance primarily based on movement. His mission was to use movement as a way to go through and across space without the necessity of using a storyline.

Cunningham identified two principals of movement:
1. movement that is learned, studied, structured, classically styled, and used as language
2. movement that is invented and is constantly being invented

I was interested in dancing and I didn’t particularly care the kind of dancing. I was interested in information and trying to find out what made movement up. What is it? The fact that somebody said that it’s a ballet step or isn’t a ballet step didn’t seem to me to be terribly important of what was and still is important. -Cunnhingham, 2009.

The Cunningham Mission: Starting out as a tap dancer who later studied ballet and modern dance, Cunningham went through his lifetime searching the different ways to express the natural motions of dance that communicated art on another level.

Music and Dance: Typically, music supports the dance. The rhythm and sounds emphasize a jump, a twirl, or a still pose that assists in telling a theatrical story. Cunningham changed the dynamic relationship between music and dance. He realized that that the two could co-exist without having to support each other. His idea was that people did not need a music beat in order to walk down the street. As a result, he created and choreographed pieces using music and dance that would typically not flow together based on beat. Most of his musical collaborations were created with his longtime partner John Cage (1912 - 1992) –for those of you who don’t know, Cage was a famous avant-garde musician who was influenced by Zen Buddhism’s principals. Cage believed that focusing your attention on something -even the most boring subject matter -could transform everyday occurrences into an aesthetically and spiritually interesting experience.

Visual Art and Dance: Cunningham also worked with contemporary artists from the time, such as Andy Warhol, Robert Rauschenberg, and Jasper Johns. Rauschenberg would create art pieces that Cunningham would hang on the stage and his dance required moving around, under, or even through it. Requested by Johns, Cunningham also used a Marcel Duchamp piece titled “Large Glass” and based his dance around the art piece. Cunningham did not believe in telling the visual artists what to do. He wanted the artists to create whatever they chose, because there were no rules or narratives in depicting a dance piece for Cunningham.

Interesting Information about Cunningham: Cunningham was one of the pioneers who did not require dancers to face the audience while performing. It has also been said that Cunningham would toss coins or roll dice in order to determine dance steps for a performance.

In Memory of Michael Jackson

2009-07-09T11:44:00.000-07:00

I wanted to write something in memory of the Michael Jackson a.k.a. the King of Pop. There have been tributes and there will continue to be tributes to honor the King of Pop, but I think that the best homage comes from….Nature.*

*italicized Nature: must be whispered slowly in order to get its complete effect

Nature: Yes, Nature. I don’t mean the tree-hugging, hair-growing, and no-bathing rituals to “save some water” kind-of-Nature (if that’s your thing, by all means). I’m talking about Nature in art: Things that have been created without the initial purpose or thought of creating art. To simplify things, it’s just art that naturally happens.

Art and Nature: Nature has created a lot of art, specifically religious art. In fact, you have a good chance of finding an image of Jesus in your lunch or the Virgin Mary on a building somewhere.

For Example:

Virgin Mary on a 10-yr. old grilled cheese sandwich

(the sandwich sold on eBay for $28,000)

Jesus on a frying pan

(sold on eBay to an online gambling company)

Virgin Mary water stain

underneath the Kennedy Expressway in Chicago

Jesus as a Cheeto

(a.k.a. "Cheesus")

Virgin Mary in fire-damaged home in Mexico

Jesus on a tree

in front of a health club in Illinois

Lady of Guadalupe on a tree

in Rogers Park in Chicago

How Does This Relate to Michael Jackson?: I saw on the news two days ago that you can now find an image of Michael Jackson’s face on a tree stump in Stockton, CA. A tree stump?! Yes way!!! Nobody, other that Mary or Jesus, can get their face on a tree stump. Personally, I think that’s the greatest honor.

Modified:

OK, it’s kinda hard to make out his face on the stump -it looks more like Mickey Mouse being flushed down the toilet to me. I guess it was difficult for the Nature Gods to make a perfect impression with all of the face transformations the King of Pop has gone through in his life. Nevertheless, Michael Jackson made a lasting impression on many of us and his music will be listened to for many generations to come.

A Visit to the Portola Art Gallery

2009-06-24T21:48:00.000-07:00

I originally went to the Portola Art Gallery to view the featured artist, Alan M. McGee. McGee took photographs of Auguste Rodin’s sculptures at Stanford University. The statues were primarily based on Rodin’s Dante’s Inferno. Being the nerd that I am, I was excited about seeing photographs from the collection –especially when I heard that McGee manipulated lights and shadows in order to get different perspectives of the sculptures. Manipulating a Rodin statue! I was flabbergasted. You can’t change something that an Art God created for all of us to cherish and adore. I wanted to know what McGee was up to, so I went to Menlo Park to investigate.

The Scene: I didn’t realize upon my arrival that the gallery was part of the Allied Artist Guild. There were little shops with crafts, clothing, jewelry, and furniture being sold by the artists. Once I entered, I felt like I was in a Disney cartoon where everything was so cute, perfect, and surrounded by trees. This place was so pretty and cozy that I even saw a wedding reception taking place.

More Specifically, the Scene of Interest: To my surprise, the gallery was compiled with artwork from the other artists in the guild as well. However, my mission was to first observe these McGee photographs, and then I can dilly dally.

Photographs were on walls and a book consisting of each photograph had quotes from Rodin. Inspecting each photograph, I realized that McGee was able to bring to life a Rodin statue in a two-dimensional world.

Pierre de Wissant. Black and White Photography.

His Pierre de Wissant was my favorite.

Who?: Pierre de Wissant was a wealthy burgher* who, along with five other burghers, volunteered to sacrifice himself for the town of Calais, France during the Hundred Years War between England and France.

*definition of burgher: wealthy French guy who lives in a specific town

Back to the Art Piece: The juxtapose between light and dark, smooth and rough, graceful and stiff were clearly defined. The light shining on the statue’s neck becomes the climax while the statue’s clothes are almost monotone in shadow. Accentuating the light on the skin enables one’s eyes to flow with ease over every muscle and vain in the statue’s arms and chest. The light creates a liquid effect that emphasizes motion as if the statue was twisting and contorting itself in a painful pose.

Yes, it was a show that should make Rodin smile. Not only does this show-off a beauty that can only be seen with manipulated light, but it also enhances Rodin’s original intentions of beauty and beast.

More Pictures:

A wall with the book of compiled photographs.

The Finale: Before leaving the gallery, I wanted to see the other displays. The different styles, themes, and mediums made each wall have its own personality. Nancy Wagstaff’s oil paintings of landscapes reminded me of Edward Hopper’s paintings where everything seems to be frozen in a perfect moment in time –the rich colors create a pleasantly calm experience.

Nancy Wagstaff. Blue Bucket, Waiting. Oil on Canvas.

Top: Car Culture. Oil on Canvas.

Bottom: End of the Line. Oil on Canvas.

Across from Wagstaff’s pieces was Barbara Von Haunalter’s watercolor paintings based on her outdoor observations. I enjoyed her use of soft, yet, vibrant colors in Disc Harrow and Rake.

Barbara Von Haunalter in front of her pieces.

Mama Sheep and Babies. Watercolor.

Disc Harrow and Rake. Watercolor.

On another wall were brightly colored acrylic paintings by Doriane Heyman. Her paintings, especially View Through the Trees reminded me of Paul Cezanne’s use of both bright and pastel colors to emphasize lights and shadows.

Doriane Heyman. View Through the Trees. Acrylic.

Pajaro Dunes I. Acrylic.

For More Information:

If you would like to learn more information about the Portola Art Gallery, visit the website: www.portolaartgallery.com

The Man, The Legend: Thomas Kinkade

2009-06-18T11:38:00.000-07:00

I didn’t want to write another blog so soon, but I was absolutely shocked this morning after reading the SF Chronicle. I was debating whether or not I should report this, but I feel that it is important for the world to finally see the truth.

When you look at these kitschy paintings, you feel a great sense of relief, calmness, tranquility, and relaxation. The sensory information eventually overwhelms your brain so much with these feelings that your neurons turn off and you become a zombie that can only repeat to yourself, “I wish I could live there,” “Oh, that’s so beautiful and cute,” and “I’ve gotta buy this calendar for Grandma.”

Yes, you have been duped by artist Thomas Kinkade. I apologize, I should correct myself. He describes himself not as an artist, but as the “Painter of Light.”

Some Background Information: The Painter of Light wasn’t born with this prestigious title. He was just an ordinary man who painted until he became a born-again Christian. After being converted, Kinkade stated, “God became my art agent” –and so began his journey using religious themes in his art that zapped the neurons out of so many innocent Americans.

Don’t get me wrong, the Painter of Light can paint. He does create very detailed paintings that awe and inspire many people. But if you can get God as your art agent, then you’re pretty much set for life. That is, until I read the newspaper this morning.

The Twist: It turns out that the Painter of Light only became friends with Jesus to help persuade people into feeling that they could trust him due to his religious affiliations. How I see it: Friends with Benefits.

The Scandal: The Painter of Light has been charged with fraud and owes $2.1 million to two former art gallery owners (the two owners became a married couple). According to the couple, they had been “lied to and cheated and broken, and are broke because of the deceit they endured at the hands of Thomas Kinkade.” What? At the hands of Jesus’ BFF? Mind-boggling!

Long Story Short:
Turns out the Painter of Light used his religion as a way to create a business relationship with the couple. The gallery owners were convinced that they were going to help “in spreading the light… [and that] their business was blessed.”

As a result, The Painter of Light had the gallery owners sell Kinkade paintings at a minimum retail price. What the couple didn’t know was that the Painter of Light would also sell the same paintings on cable television at a discount price. Scandalous!

In Other Words:
Because the Painter of Light was selling his paintings cheaper than the art gallery owners, he was able to sell more of his paintings. Thus, the art gallery owners went out of business and have taken the Painter of Light to court.

My Notes to Jesus: I’m sorry, Jesus. Nobody saw this coming. I guess a celebrity, such as yourself, has to be careful because you never know who will exploit your friendship.

For more information on the story:
Egelko, B. (2009, June 18). Damages for gallery owners reinstated against Kinkade. San Francisco Chronicle.

Politics, Math, and Art -Oh, My!

2009-06-17T18:59:00.000-07:00

OK, I know that what I’m going to say will probably flood me with “hate mail,” but I need to get this off my chest. I’m not being political. I’m just going to say what I notice.

Michelle Obama: I have nothing against her, but I’m so tired of everybody raving about her “fashion.” Fashion? What fashion? She dresses like a Mark Rothko painting (I will explain this in further detail).

Mathematical Equation: I have created a mathematical equation so you can see what I’m talking about. I know that this may pose as a conflict between the right hemisphere and the left hemisphere of the brain, but don’t worry –it’s very simple.

If you have 2 of the same Rothko paintings connected, you can get a Michelle Obama dress.

Rothko/Michelle Equation:

1 upside-down Rothko painting + 1 right-side-up Rothko painting = 1 first lady victory dress

=

I would show you another dress I recently saw Michelle Obama wearing on the news, but I can’t find the dress online. It was a white dress with a blurry yellow line. That dress also followed the Rothko/Michelle Equation.

When the Rothko/Michelle Equation Doesn’t Apply:
Fear not. Regardless of the equation, I have noticed that Michelle Obama dresses in color schemes that Rothko used in his paintings too.

Here is that picture of her with Oprah. Notice that Michelle Obama’s outfit uses the same color palette as the Rothko painting next to it.

Yeah. Coincidence? Most likely. But I’d like to think that Michelle Obama has a secret admiration for the Rothko look. Who wouldn’t? Rothko paintings are supposed to make one feel a sense of calmness, reaching enlightenment, and experiencing the void.

For Next Time:
This was my first blog entry, so I apologize if things were a bit strange. I enjoy observing and studying art, so my future blogs will focus more on other artists (dead or alive) whose works are on display in the Bay Area. I’ll also try to expand my topics beyond painting, drawing, and photography to other mediums that depict art and self-expression. My philosophy is that everything is art; so everything should be explored whether it instantly appeals to you or not. In addition to talking about other artists, I will occasionally post pictures of my artwork for you to critique and hate (well, don’t be too harsh -I’m not as talented as my Tamale peers).