Installation: Long Term Indoor

"It's us"

Inspiration was taken from the ever growing machine that is consumerism and society. A lack of acknowledgment of the machine that encapsulates majority of thought and action of daily routines that we as society partake in daily. We are the machine.

Medium: foam boards, copper tubing, PVC, paint, mirrors, ceiling tiles, balsa wood, acrylic panel, string

 Using white clean edges on the outside of the building, my goal was to portray a clean and favorable place that could draw the attention of the viewer or passerby, with curiosity to look within through the broken windows. The broken windows represent the information and knowledge that is available which sheds light on or allows for further research and acknowledgment of the machine  prevalent in society. To view inside, the action of crouching or taking a knee is necessary. All the windows are blurred using a clear adhesive to only allow the viewer to peer through the broken windows. When the viewer looks into the building, a revolving machine with hanging mirrors reflects the eye of the viewer back to themselves in an attempt of portraying them as the machine, the forever moving machine that we all are part of. The inside is dark, and lends a little bit of light through a filtered lamp and the excess light that floods in through the windows. PVC pipe was placed onto the machine, connecting to the wall and further on extruding then returning back into the wall to connect the overall piece with it's surrounding and further grounding the building with connectivity and movement. While the use of the ceiling tiles in a grid like pattern and lacking on the ceiling is repetitive and seen throughout and around buildings and industrial environments. 

BA Week 10

WORK

RESPONSE

Annie: A lack of respect for someones culture and heritage so you can make a pretty penny, disregarding practices and beliefs for your bottom line. The fact that those people can sleep at night after seeing the heartbreak and agony they create for the sake of profit is beyond me. Are you on uppers or downers coping with reality? Beyond blacked out to society and their ways only to progress your life and make consume make. Who are you to make those decisions, wealth and power trumps human conditions and religions? How could a lack of care come to fruition? Turn an eye while you can until the day you meet your maker and that time you are weighed of your deceit. Trash to the earth just so you could be wealthy with greed and power while our babies are dying. Monster men with machine minds.

Emily: A progression of mind, and ascensions of thought, higher consciousness and pursuance of upward truth. Stoic pyramidical forms leads to the light, the light from within reaching for more knowledge. Imagine a world of conscious morals and ethics progressing practices, solving problems, forever improving space travel. Where could we be as a society? Where would we go, the unknown. Live with truth and and character, expertise and power. For the power is within, find the lamp inside yourself, find the light within. "Rage, Rage against the dying of the light"

Artist Residency Post 6

3-21-2018

PROJECT: Press Molds

This week I decided to introduce press molds to the guys. Before i met with the guys, Jake and i had a meeting with Mr. Freeman, Mrs. Passmore, and Mr.Wyat. We discussed how the current supervisor expressed his lack of want to sit in the class because he was not getting paid for it. We also discussed starting a list and enforcing it to push for more cooperation with the guys. After meeting with them, we were put into one of the rec rooms and waited for the guys to come into class. When they came, I introduced press molds and the different ways they could be used. By either collaging multiple pieces with imprinted textures, making single pieces of the mold, or using old techniques like pinch pots to imprint the patterns and molds onto the outer side of the work. the first half of class, Mr.Freeman was walking around making sure the guys knew they needed to straighten up and get to work, one of the students who enjoys clay a lot was teaching Mr. Freeman the techniques that i have taught them. I would ask him questions and see if he would remember certain ones, which he did. Jake and I had a solid group of guys this week that were really involved and were creating and being productive the whole time. Conversations ranged from jokes throughout the group to me pushing ideas of what they are creating. I was also able to share with them that all of the work they had made so far was going to be in their property pile when they left the facility, which filled some of the guys with happiness, surprised that i had all of the stuff they made, which i ensured them i did. Class was over, and on the way out, Jake and I both agreed that it was the best day we had working with the guys, as they were very productive and there was a great energy in the room the whole time.

The second visit this week, I brought new molds to let the guys mess with new designs and imprints. They really enjoyed the patterns and prints of the new molds. They continued to make new things using the molds, though getting them to think more three dimensional was a little tough, even after showing an example. I had two packs of oreos with six oreos in each pack, and four students. I told them they could decide whether they wanted to share the packs evenly or have a chance at winning a pack for them selves leaving two guys without oreos. They all decided they wanted to make it fare and we split up the oreos so everyone could have three. I started some conversations about how and what led them to this position in their life, which they were all ok with telling me their actions/charges. I would question whether they enjoyed being in the facility which they all replied no, then id offer some thought about being so young and loosing so much time over mistakes. And how future actions lead them into life decisions and circumstances. I pushed their thinking towards conscious decisions making and shared some personal stories about past decisions and how they led me to certain areas of my life. One of the new guys who had been there for only 14 days was staring out the window, saying "man i'm surrounded by fences.." then i asked how long he had left which he replied 12-18 months. The feeling i go from the answer was a little unsettling, knowing that you'd be in that building for the next year of your life, must be a tough pill to swallow. I also shared thought towards groups you hangout with and how it has influences on your life and the decisions you make which they were all listening to. Jokes were made throughout the whole time i was there which is always nice to see them laugh and smile. I left the class with new work made and letting them know id see them in two weeks because of spring break.
More pics coming

BA Week 9

WORK
 progress and sketches

RESPONSE

Jessie's: Forever an expanding form of consciousness, growing and pulsating into oblivion chased by a perpetual duration of everlasting light. You are the universe, you're it's breath, it's life, the very gift of consciousness in a vast void of open nothingness. Except you were that nothingness and still are, yet growing from it, expanding. Being connected with that being, where you started and where you'll end.

Noah's: Be yourself, create, and you'll be what you have needed to be and are. Unique



INSPIRATION

1. Les Brown   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pyHMRwrS1pc

2.  Jen Stark  http://www.jenstark.com

3.  AJ Fosik  http://www.ajfosik.com

Artist Residency Conceptualizing Ideas Post

IDEA:

At the beginning of the semester Leslie, Jake, Madi, and I sat down with Mr. Freeman who heads up the Saint Johns Youth Academy for incarcerated youth. We discussed our plans for weekly activities with the boys there. A list was to be made that all the boys in the facility would have a chance of signing up and participating in each class that they chose. Meeting two days a week with the boys for two hours each visit, I planned on introducing a new clay project at the begging of the week and letting the group finish their project on the following day that I would arrive. Then, at the end of the semester, we talked of having some sort of showing of all the guys finished work to allow recognition to the guys and a sense of completing something they dedicated their time towards. Whether it was by bringing the work into the facility and displaying it, placing it in a room and allowing the public to view it, or taking pictures and documenting it and bringing pamphlets to the guys and letting them keep the books with their work in it. Then I plan on giving all of the creations the guys have made to the facility then they will place the items into their property piles so they will be able to take the clay work home with them.

Artist Residency Post 5

3/14/2018

Project: Free form creation

To start off the week, Jake and I arrived to SJYA and ended up waiting up staff to get back from lunch to start the class. we waited for 50 minutes until we decided to leave and try again Wednesday. The visit wasn't a total loss. One of the students who has been a regular in the clay group was being released while we were waiting. As he left, we were able to say goodbye, and shake hands one last time. As soon as he left the fences of the building, Jake made a comment that his whole body language changed. I could only imagine the emotions and thoughts he had leaving those fences after so many months.

I returned Wednesday by myself since Maddie was sick and was helped into a room and a group of guys arrived ready to make some clay. Since i was unable to meet with the guys on Monday, I figured the project had to be something simple and able to be completed in one day. I told them they could make whatever they desired and showed a few examples of how to make name tags for desks and other quick things. At the begging of class, the faculty member in charge of the class pulled me aside and asked if i could cut the class short today by an hour and 15 minutes, since he doesn't get paid to sit in the room and do nothing. I said sure and went back to join the guys. The faculty member led the room, so i asked the guys, "do you all enjoy this, making clay and creating things?" which they replied "yes of course" that "its a stress reliever and lets us get our minds off things". When they said that, i felt sorry for them, that this is something they enjoyed doing, but because of someones selfishness to not contribute unpaid time to the group of incarcerated youth, that makes them happy creating and making, they were unable to express it fully and enjoy it longer. I then informed them that class was going to be cut early today which they all asked why. I said "because of time purposes" trying to find some reason to not explain that the staff member in the room wasn't getting paid to sit in there and give them his time. Then the staff member spoke up and said "i don't get paid to sit in here, i have other work i need to do" which the guys remarked back to him in sarcasm joking that he should give them time. One student who made the leaf object, was enthused i returned that day and was happy to be making more things in clay. He even took charge and continued to teach a new student the terms of certain tools and techniques that go into creating and making that we had gone over the previous week. He was full of smiles, energy, and laughter throughout the whole class. When he made the leaf, he told me that i need to keep it, not to throw it out, and proceeded to sign it and made other guys in the class sign it as well. Two of the others students made a few things throughout the class but one was inappropriate so when class was over it was returned back to the bag of clay. The other smashed his into a ball and started to throw it at the wall. He was super intrigued with how the clay exploded and stuck to the wall when he would throw it at it, which caused a lot of laughter and jokes to be made. I didn't see any harm in it, and as long as they were having fun and enjoying class i let it happen. The guy who made the leaf joined him in throwing clay at the wall, and they took turns throwing it, and picking it back up, making it into a ball and throwing it again. The staff member kept telling them to stop, not with too much authority, and since i was a little salty that class had to cut short, i didn't speak up or tell them to stop, i actually encouraged in so many words without seeming like i was pushing them to do it. Telling them stories how me and my friends would throw clay balls up into the ceiling in my clay class in high school when the teacher would have their back turned to the class. Class ended with me handing out packs of Oreos, and raffling one pack off by doing a random number game that i have been doing in every class to allow a winner of a snack. This week the student who made the leaf, was teaching the other students about tools and techniques, and had a smile on his face the whole class won the extra pack of Oreos, which i was stoked about, as if it were an extra reward for his energy output towards class. We cleaned up and parted ways again.

BA Week 8

WORK

progress

RESPONSE




INSPIRATION

1. ELO, Mr.Blue  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s7dTBoW5H9k

2. Nazca Lines

3. http://www.nugeandwood.com

Installation: 30 Minute indoor

"Do you Love Me Yet"

Over consumption and self acceptance, the need to fit in with false branding and false understanding of self through societal confirmation biases in branding and material items. Found items branded with Supreme logo (trash bag, light lamp) to signify the unimportance of the object so long as there is known branding placed on it that gives it a made up value. The items with the Apple logo superimposed is a found microwave, to give the idea of broken technology and how branding pushes the need for items as well as dependency of certain items to fulfill dopamine spikes and acceptance lies we are condition to believe.

Sculpture: Extracting from biological forms Micro/Macro

Inspiration came from a fungi spore observed under a microscope.  The white outer cone and black on the inside represent duality and an opening or path. With the orb like objects of the creature/fungi spore moving into or out of the opening. Blue was chosen to give a alien/scify vibe to the sculpture all while not making it provoking.

Color edit

Inspiration image

Construction/Install

Artist Residency Post 4

3/7/2018

Project: Pinch Pots

This week at SJYA I planned on introducing a project that would take one day to complete since i knew i was going to be out of town Wednesday when i would visit next. I brought clay and tools, and showed the guys the pinch pot method that i had first shown a group during one of my first visits. This group was new and had not yet done this method of creating with clay and found it to be fun. Once i demoed the task they were all exited saying they wanted big cups and bowls so they could drink and eat cereal from. One of the guys who was enthusiastic about making a cup also wanted to make a bowl with a lid. I helped him with thinking about how to make all the pieces which he would reply "can you do it for me?" with me answering "nah you can do it, i believe in you" and pushing them to create it on there own so they could have a better understanding of how to build with clay. One guy built a cup then smashed it back down and proceeded to make a pipe "for tobacco".. which i assured him jokingly it was not going to be fired and would pry go missing once it left the building. He kept making a pipe and telling me that i needed to keep it and fire it and bring it back. One guy was really interested in working with clay and told me he had done pinch pots in school before, and was fun to him. He didn't need my help the whole time, other than reminding him about scoring and slipping contesting pieces, even though he knew how to do that pretty much. His bowl turned about really well and very smooth as he was observant of his craftsmanship and continued to make it look really finished. Another guy told me he was leaving in a week and that we would not see him again, he said he was going to be a rapper once he got out and that he was going to make it. For some reason this student stood out to me than a lot of the rest. Not only was he really good at rapping, which he showed us during our meeting time, but he seemed to have determination and some sort of insight or focus of his future. I tried to leave him with encoring words and the idea of pursuing his dreams and making right decisions which he assured me he would. I ended the class with giving Oreos to the two students who drew images last week and did a random raffle for the last pack of Oreos between three guys. They thanked me for the snack and class was over.