Project 2 Documentation, and Process

       Theses are images of screen shots of my project 2 presentation. It was a PowerPoint presentation with video and audio with comparison of prehistoric Terror Birds and modern Parrots. I used found photos and educational videos on Terror Birds and home footage with educational video on parrots. The home made video of the parrots are one that I have taken of my bird and other people with with parrots. I am not sure how I can attach a PowerPoint to the Blogger, so these are some screen shots of the video.

Comparing skulls sizes

This is a explanation of Terror Bird feet and ankles

This is a parrot named Ramsey with owner Joshua Johnson exemplifying parrot legs

Egg Comparisons, with my Cockatiel's egg

This was the second project development--zoo of the artist

    All of my documentation and process of the project has been documented in a designated sketchbook for this project. My project went through a series of a few changes. My original project was a human bird cage store, then it changed to the artist in a zoo to their medium, to the terror bird parrot comparison. Here are a few photos of some pages in the sketchbook, in order from the process of the work. There are some pages that have photos you can flip and see under it, so there are quite a few things that are not visible. 

This was the first project idea--human bird cage pet shop

This is a photo of the new calendar and project sheet written after the talk with Erin.

This was a photo of Mario Muntis and his parrots (a species called Budgies)  with notes.

This is a photo of some of my personal research scanned for the project sketchbook, and the idea of modern Terror Bird comparisons.

After talking to  Erin, I decided to use the research I was already collecting out of personal interest and something I had more of a passion in for this project.

Sir Thomas Herbert 1634--inspiration to Cokatoo Intaglio Print

Mario Muntis and his Parakeets

Mario Munti and his Budgies

I posted the presentation to youtube:
https://youtu.be/i-Aqy6XXuqc

Project 2 | Install & Showing

Project 2
Art of the Project/Process




Dialogue
In collaboration with John Cage

Link to piece that accompanies the installation

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I2wtmQkvX7A

Note: The shadows in the dim lighting of the space add to the sense of hybridity and connection because I positioned the lights to create double, crossed-shadows behind each flower. The affect makes the piece more successful than shown and I wish I could photograph it.

Project 2 | Final Development & Photos

Project 2
Final Development

I painted the board white. The element of chance that I created was to only use flowers/plants sourced from one location each time I set this piece up. This time I was restricted to only what was offered at last week's downtown Farmer's Market. There, I had wonderful dialogues with farmers learning about what types of species these are, how to care for them (little do they know I was going to splice them), and just enjoyed the connection to these locals. It was part of the process and concept to engage with these people in research about the plants and it was like I was also collaborating with them, for they grew my medium.

I also wanted to follow the concept of engaging and having an appreciation for ones environment and I wanted to appreciate each landscape as a unique place. I created the constraints to only use flora from one landscape. This piece as a level of impermanence as the fresh plants die, and it also will look different each time I install it, because I have to work with whatever is available at the location I went to the day before.

Project 2 | Reflection

Project 2 Reflection

I think I will call this piece Dialogue. As I worked through my thoughts on coming together, creating something from nothing, and hybridity, this piece really came together when I added in other sensory elements like scent and sound. After a very lonesome, self-reflective process of meticulously crafting these new species, I realized that I could take a new approach to collaboration where I work with a composer and also take a step back as the artist and allow two flowers, two entities, two species to work together. 

This piece has much to do about dialogues. There is a dialogue between me and the landscapes in which I sourced the flowers. There is a dialogue between me and my intimate space where I work and listen to music to create these new species, (going mad in the process), there is a dialogue between two species of plants coming together, there is a dialogue between me and the composer John Cage as I use his music and process in parallel with mine, and there is a final dialogue with the presented manipulated landscape and the engagement of the viewers around it.

I was entirely pleased with the comments I received during the critique and the dialogue that occurred. The viewers took note of every decision I had made and even considerations I thought would come up.

Yes, my piece was intended to engage the viewers and present them with a surreal, almost dreamlike landscape that was subtly manipulated in order for them to use multiple senses such as sight, scent, sound, and touch to appreciate and think about our intimacy with our environments.

I arranged the flowers as I immersed myself in the piece by John Cage, In A Landscape. I arranged them specifically to how the song flowed and in rows to follow sheet music. I also referenced the flowers as specimens on a white board and in rows where they laid flat. I didn't want it to be too medical and it was exactly perceived as being more of a dreamlike landscape with a solemn beauty instead of science-y, so I am pleased. 

I also thought about the fact that I presented them on a board that was almost human-size and coffin-esque and there were comments on that too, which I'm happy came up, however, I'd like to examine the meanings of this more because I was also wondering what these implications could mean. The fact that the group appreciate this strangely crafted landscape and thought it was calming and beautiful to listen to the music, smell the piece, and stare all around and notice patterns in my arrangement were exactly what I intended. 

As one can read, this project took many iterations and I found myself overthinking and becoming obsessed with it. I went mad, to put it lightly, and the concept went from collaboration to the most isolated work, to back to having multiple layers of dialogue and collaboration with other aspects and not literally the artist working with someone else, was such a great process. I learned about my ways of working and I was challenged greatly to think about other ways of collaboration. I did something knew which was allow myself to step back and allow other mediums to come together. Realizing that I needed to simplify and truly think through my concept instead of freaking out and thinking of a thousand different options allowed this piece to get to its truest sensibilities. I was worried that this piece didn't have enough of an artist's voice, but when I finally decided  on the idea of working with music and all of the arrangement and presentation decisions, it had a strong genuine nature that I wanted all along.

I will consider the suggestions I was given to think about the height of the platform and to create my own soundtrack to the experience.

This piece was very in-depth and truly brought me to the art of the project and process. I'm glad I learned where to simplify and how to add sincerity and voice to a concept. I learned so much and was very pleased with the critique. This project was had challenging but valuable process.

Project Process Documentation 3 and Reflection

Further discussion continued and my growing interest in film was brought up as a possible influence for this and future work. Using professional / Amateur film as the subject for a work became a more interesting possibility.

Erin also introduced me to youhole. A website that uses an algorithm to find and play low view count videos from websites like youtube. After seeing this website I thought it would be a perfect device to let me see randomized amateur videos, this way I would have no idea what I would be working with.

Website link:  http://youhole.tv/

The project developed into me creating a painting where I drew from the subject matter of passing videos. Using this method I had no idea what the finished piece would look like.

To add another constraint I decided that I would work and watch the passing videos for 5hours strait, painting the elements that left an influence on me for each video.

For presentation I decided the canvas must match a 16:9 aspect ratio to reflect the film influences that made up the image. This would be presented next to a matching projection of the videos so the viewer could have context for the piece.

The progress of the painting was also filmed as a way to document the experience.

Below are photos of the station I setup, video samples and the final presentation.

Reflection:

When reflecting on this project I am glad that the work progressed in the way that it did. By using film and painting in such a randomized way, I was able to work in a completely new way that was outside myself. This image being the first where I had no preplanning or sketches was a great change of practice. Allowing me to work more gestural and spontaneously than before. Elements from this project have already worked their way into my current work. 

The five hours of painting were exhausting when I think about it. Mixing and applying colors with brushes, pallet knives and tubes as fast as I could made me rely on instinctual decisions rather than planned ones. Although I intentionally shaped the composition of the piece towards the end the spirit of the work was consistent throughout. 

Looking back conceptually, the piece says interesting things about information retention and attention spans when viewing online videos. The continuously playing videos remind me of the time that can be spent on the almost endless recordings and videos now archived online. Videos of Minecraft alongside the reveal of a national monument, leveling the importance of information or elevating the more mundane. Almost creating a sea of information where anything can rise to the top regardless of the content. 

When painting scenes from the videos I chose visual elements and colors almost instinctively. Even I do not know why I was drawn to or retained specific elements found in each video. Even now I can barley remember most of the videos I watched. I can only remember by looking into the layers of the painting and finding the visual cues that can anchor me back to the video. 

Project Process Documentation 2

After group meetings with classmates and individual talks the project changed from the connection between surface and object, to my process with creating in general.
Focusing specifically on my preplanning / drawing of images for a final work.

I then decided on creating spontaneous drawings of random passages from the poems of Ezra Pound. This would be a way to create images without preplanning while also using a randomized source.

I chose the poems of Ezra Pound on account of him being one of Francis Bacons cited influences. A artist who's process I greatly admire.

When finished, I was unhappy with the assignments result since I saw them as illustrations. I also felt that the process of making them was unsuccessful for the direction I was trying to achieve. Everything still looked like how I imagined it. Without unexpected elements.

Project Process Documentation 1

Beginning this project I first thought about how I could create a relationship between a 2D surface and a 3D object, while still using the self imposed constraints.

I thought of doing two paintings and creating multiple small objects that would relate back to the images.

Here are my sketchbook pages that had my notes and the sketches I did as this process developed.