Tagging Traditions

Thanks for Emily Thompson and Matt Lynch for the photos!
In an installation class we were given an assignment to work in a group and come up with an installation idea that we would later present to the art curators at the Cincinnati Art Museum.

My team consisted of Emily Thompson and Kristen Johnson . We went over several ideas, things that were visually abstract.

But after studying the space we discovered that we had to scratch out our ideas. The space was smaller, and due to the fact that it was a hallways, nothing could protrude from the walls that could potentially serve as an obstacle. So we went over a lot of ideas- thinking about murals and anything with vivid colors. We weren't sure how to depict what exactly we wanted.

I'm not positive but one of the two fellow artist of mine mentioned 'graffiti' and I brought up the concept of Chinese calligraphy and how it was an art in itself since it was an old tradition. This lead to a conversation about how graffiti was also an tradition and that a lot of graffiti usually contained some sort of back meaning.

We talked about Graffiti being popular in other countries as well.

We came to the conclusion that we wanted to take the art of Chinese calligraphy and Chinese literature and use that for the content of our 'graffiti'.
It was interesting because we all had ideas and contributed in ways that made us a perfectly compatible machine!

It was amazing, we knew we had a great idea, we perfected it- and we were selected. It was an empowering feeling since the three of use were one of the few undergraduates in the class. Having the power to direct a show was so motivational!
Anything is possible.

Stealth

This is a concept drawing I made of a character for a comic idea that's been stewing in the back of my head.

FIRST. DIGITAL DRAWING. EVER.

The Mountain Goat!

--Billy Goat
(I promise a better picture soon)

Talk about Influential nonsense.

Let me walk you through the process of this painting.
My professor, from the looks of it- seems to be a very steady, calm and to the books sort of guy.
The kind of guy that might force you to draw a sphere and a cone under random lights and different backgrounds just to 'practice and tone your skills'.

No no, you see he had a different approach. What he did was he figured out a way to tap into this weird pool of creativity that you have hidden in the many secret pockets within your brain. You see, he taught you to paint, from nonsense.

And I say that in the most meaningful and complimentary way.

What he had us do, was he told us, "This painting will consists of 5 layers."

The first layer was to be a painting of a 'shape' that we created for a previous project. It didn't matter how you painted that shape= just as long as you did.
After completing that grand master piece...of your shape- you were then expected to paint OVER It. Over it with what?

What's your favorite song? Whatever it is, throw that on and listen to it on a loop and paint your next layer! (on top of the current one).

It's hard you know, after investing so much time on a painting, you have to go over that precious work with something else. It's a little heart breaking. This was our second layer.

The third layer: We were asked to bring in a photo of our family or some sort of memory and to paint that on top of the existing 2 layers.

Our fourth layer: We were to record a noise- any noise and put it on a cd. And as a class we placed those cds face down on a table and randomly selected one. Whatever noise you got- you listened to it and you try to take whatever you feel and put it on the canvas. Have you ever tried rendering an indescribable emotion onto a 2d surface? I have.

The fifth layer was my favorite, it tickled me. We had to paint an image or some image clip that our teacher had hand selected for us (from a magazine- the internet, a book- anywhere). His deciding factor? He choose images that reminded him- of us. It tickled me when he handed me this magazine clipping of an orange balloon shaped into a mountain goat. I wasn't sure what to do with it, other than draw my interpretation of this silly goat onto my painting.

Needless to say, I really liked the outcome and it stood true to me- a representation of my adventure from starting with a blank canvas to this awkward looking goat on different layers of paintings- each holding their own meaning.

Makes no sense.