Book Design

The book design project is suppose to "explore how images and text generate a range of ideas and emotions." On Wednesday I went to the Falun Dafa art exhibit at the Memorial Union; it illicited quite a few emotions, so I thought it would be a great subject to create a fictious book cover for. The picture is actually a painting from the exhibit and I laid a photo of prison bars over the top. The text paragraph would probably be on the back of an actual book, although I looked through quite a few examples of books on Amazon and some do have a generous amount of text on them. I used quite a few effects on the text and am pleased with the final outcome. I have to say, I went to the exhibit directly after my bike had been stolen from the campus. I went in feeling pretty sorry for myself, but left with an entirely different set of emotions. I hope this book cover does the same for you.

"Ghosts of ASU"

Exploring the concept of time in photography has endless possibilities. I attempted to show that our past is always with us in "Ghosts of ASU." In my composition, it appears that only one young man can actually see the ghosts of the past, or perhaps he is the only one paying attention to it.

Another question to ponder, "Is it possible to assess and evaluate art? If so, what is good art, and conversely, how can one determine what is bad art?"... as posed by Peter, Professor extraordinare.

Art is subjective, based entirely on opinion. It used to be, it seems, that art was "good" if it best represented the real thing. The ancient greeks strove to understand and capture the perfection of man, for example. The better the likeness, the better the ability of the artist. But when photography came on the scene, art, for the sake of recording a person or event changed. What was the point of painting something good that you could photograph perfectly. So art became more about interpretation; accurate representation was no longer vital. I am, of course, speaking in huge generalities. Not all of history followed this pattern, there have always been artists that have taken independent paths. But generally speaking, at the turn of the twentieth century, modern art became more about what was understood, interpreted and experienced in a piece of art; enjoying it wasn't even a prerequisite of fine art. This time period in art's history was controversial to say the least. Some may question how can Jackson Pollock's paint drizzles be compared to the works of Rembrandt. And furthermore, what makes Brillo Boxes a work of art just because Andy Warhol says it is. The way art had been traditionally understood was being challenged and redefined. As cliche as it may seem, beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. As I said at the beginning, art is subjective. Whether it is a cultural difference or merely just an individual taste, different people like different things. Therefore, I don't believe one can classify any art as bad. As I have studied works of art throughout history, my standard for what kind of art I appreciate has changed drastically. I have tried to understand the artist and the context that the work has been created in. As I understand more, I appreciate more. Perhaps this is a principle that translates to all areas of life. Just a thought!

What is art?

Typically art is an elusive subject in terms of definition. Art is a means to communicate through the senses. It can be entertaining, informative or controversial. Whether one's feelings that art evokes are good or bad, art is successful if it stirs its viewers. The most tragic result, for any artist, in my opinion is an audience's indifference toward their art.

"Until you value yourself, you will not value your time. Until you value your time, you will not do anything with it." M. Scott Peck

Self Portraits can invoke a sense of pride and at the same time be a painful journey. For my contribution I have opted to reflect in the mirror of time.

I tried to portray a picture of myself that was vulnerably self revealing. I chose a current picture and then added the elements of a child's face, depicting the past and an old woman's face, the future. I set these all in a background of a clock. In my life, age is staring at me constantly. I generally am the oldest student in my classes. Changing careers at this point in my life was never the plan, but became a necessity. It is both the hardest thing I have ever done and the most exciting. There is a part of me that still feels young and childish, but I also realize that I look through the eyes of an old woman. Time is melting away, urgency constricts my breath, and regret haunts me; thus the melting effect on the clock.

But the beauty is I value myself enough to change my life, to change my time, to change my future. I am grateful for the opportunity and strength to do that; and it makes every experience and every class and every classmate a joy added to my life and journey.

Can't wait for another great class! Trying to figure out this blog!

Starting a new blog

New experience, starting a new blog! Welcome!