Inspiration; Motivation; Growth;

“Don’t think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it’s good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art.” 

– Andy Warhol

There is a point in most artists career where they experience a lull. This is especially true to the experiences of aspiring artists still developing their practice and goals. They have not yet been noticed or my not even have the slightest idea of where to go with art and yet they still find themselves having to produce work. I mention these scenarios because I think there is nothing more important to artists of any kind than finding inspiration and motivation. It cannot be stressed that no matter what it is you are doing you just need to start and dive into it. Do not wait, do not hesitate because as long as you are creating work you are on your way. Whether or not that work is successful to you may be a different story but it could lead to bigger and better things. One thing most definitely leads to another and although this may sounds cliché, I can tell you with experience that it is amazing where experimentation and taking chances can take you. 

Here is my journey.

Untitled experiment 2 - Miranda Lynn Marcotte- 2012

4' x 2' - soot and salt on aluminium

Untitled Experiment- Miranda Lynn Marcotte -2012

6’6” x 1’ - soot and acrylic on aluminium

These above works are what sparked my interest in alchemy and are at the root of my material choices in my current work. 

From this point I began working with metal wire and some textiles and continued experimenting with both salt and some acidic chemicals. 

3rd Year Final Body of Work - Miranda Marcotte -2013

These textile works were an interesting part of my work that helped me realize that I really enjoyed salt as a material. It transformed the objects and materials and changed their properties entirely. These experiments were important to my development because I learned a lot about my practice and interests. With this being said I have moved away from fabric and continue to work with wire because of the experiment that resulted below.

 Orchid- Miranda Marcotte - 2013

2" x 2" x 1" - salt and steel wire

 Orchid Detail- Miranda Marcotte - 2013

2" x 2" x 1" - salt and steel wire

The variation I got from this small salt sculpture was so exciting. I loved the anticipation of waiting for these sculptures to form because I never quite knew how they would develop. This was probably one of the most important points in my artistic development. 

Sculpture: Frost - Miranda Lynn Marcotte - 2013

1” x 1.5” - Steel wire, salt and colouring 

This journey has led me to the above. An accumulation of 4 years of perseverance and experimentation. A series of trials, and errors that have led me up unto this point of graduation and a final fourth year show. From this point my work will continue to develop and grow like the crystals that engulf my sculptures.

To follow my work:

Blog: miranda-marcotte.tumblr.com 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MirandalynnM9

Pokemon Power

This year has been full of many ups and downs for me. I have done a lot of of experimenting and trying new things but, ultimately got nowhere with my 1st idea. Despite all of this, I have however, grown as an artist and an individual and am very proud of how I've pushed through. 

My intention has never been to become an artist. I LOVE art! It is in my blood, it is a need and my passion, but never have I wanted to be a practicing artist. My true aspiration is to be an Art therapist working with children and individuals with special needs. This has always been my love and main focus!

With only a couple months left in the term, and no real solid direction, I decided (thanks to a push from my prof) to go a completely different direction. I was tired, frustrated and really just longing for something fun! I needed to do something I really loved so that I would be motivated enough to pull off something awesome in the time remaining of my undergrad.

hence why I am now doing…… 

***NERD ALERT***

"Pikachu", painted clay figure,  22x20in, Tiya Sisson, 2013

POKÉMON!!!!!

I am interested in presenting contemporary artist Takashi Murakami's, theory of "Superflat" through my work. "Superflat" places an emphasis on surface, flat planes of colour, and crisp shapes/forms, referencing 2-D Japanese cultural imagery, such as manga and anime. 

For my thesis project I will now be creating two 30 x 20in sculptures, one of Charmander and the other of Squirtle, giving life to these normally 2-D creatures through sculpture. Referencing "Superflat," I will be modelling the Pokémon's posses after iconic historical sculptures, such as Rodin's "The Thinker" and "Atlas". Once completed the two sculptures will be treated with an all over treatment of either bronze or gold (either paint or gold/bronze leaf).

"The Thinker" Auguste Rodin
http://www.musee-rodin.fr/en/collections/sculptures/thinker

My pieces will focus on the "flattening" or purposeful combination of opposites in an attempt to lessen the divide and blur the lines between the two extremes. 

By turning these characters into sculptures I am bringing low class common place objects, the Pokémon, into the high class arena of the art world to be criticized and examined by a select portion of society. 

Through posing the Pokémon as these well known historical sculptures, I am flattening the lines between old and new.

Finally, by covering the sculptures head to toe in either gold or bronze, the Pokémon copies will be referencing their historical counterparts, whose construction was typically made of bronze (which is both strong and expensive).

"Atlas"

However, my sculptures will be made out of clay, which is incredibly fragile. They will appear to be bronze or gold, but in reality that will only be thanks to the modern and cheaper alternative of acrylic paint (or potentially gold leaf).

Hopefully I am able to pull it off and that I will be the creator of some super fun and cool Pokémon sculptures!

I hope you all are super excited for the show and like getting to know our crazy/eclectic group of artists.

- Tiya Sisson

Beyond Face Value

Graphic design has been a key part of my life for many years now, however I have mainly approached it from a very technical perspective. For me, it was always about making designs for a product, whether it was a brochure, an advertisement, or a website. Over the course of my five years at the University of Waterloo, my eyes have been opened to a new way of using graphic design - for art.  I have never thought about using my design skills for a greater purpose than branding a person or selling a product. It wasn't until studying art history that my eyes were opened to many amazing artists who do this, however one really resonated with me: Barbara Kruger.

My Body is a Battleground - 1989

Kruger uses the very graphical style of advertising to catch the attention of the viewer.  However, you can see that she is not advertising a product or a person, but bringing to the public realm a very heated topic at the time (and still is in some senses) - women's rights. This piece in particular has really resonated with me since taking an Art and Gender class in my 3rd year here at Waterloo. I was immediately captivated by how she uses very simple but very bold imagery and text to engage the viewer and make them think about how women are portrayed in society. Women have had to fight for their rights not only in the public realm, but over their bodies as well. In so much of the media then, and today, women are objectified to become a spectacle for the viewer. We can all think to the commercials of flawless women and immediately understand that society values the body over inner beauty. She also comments on consumerism by using images that would be found in the very magazines of the time.

Her work has really motivated me to push the boundaries of my design skills in a conceptual way. I am looking to do something similar to her work, but in a topic that is very prominent in my life - questioning ourselves. It sounds like a broad concept, but I know that every single person can think to a time when they felt lost, confused, scared of the direction they were going in and if they were making the right decision. This has been a prominent theme for me as I am enrolled in the co-op program, and I have been bouncing between school and the working world for five years now. Each term I had to make an adjustment, and that transitioning period is always one of distress and uncertainty. Now the only question is how it will take shape...

Blurred images

I believe a blurred image has the power to attract the audience’s attention to the subject. Blurred images make the viewer unconsciously integrate their imagination with the subject. Blurring has the power to make a mundane subject feel extraordinary and I want to explore this effect with my artworks. 

Untitled (9. Jan. 2000) - Gerhard Richter

Gerhard Richter is an artist who, I think, is one of the masters of  blurring. He is known for his abstract paintings, using cumulative layers of  paint. I like his paintings with blurs and smudges that are severe enough to disrupt the image, but which still allow the subject to be recognizable. He blurs things to make everything equally important and equally unimportant. His blur integrates the composition and takes out excess or unimportant information. I believe this artwork is a good example of how blurring can strongly appeal to the viewer. My artwork is driven by acknowledging the beauty of seeing the world with my poor vision. Similar to Gerhard Richter's blur, I create unfocused and impaired images that render ordinary subjects unfamiliar.

Untitled (10. Dec. 1999) - Gerhard Richter

Untitled Influences

I love photography! I have always been the one person who’s taking photos at all family events and vocations. I never want a moment to end, capturing it on camera giving them an eternal life. Just recently, while taking photography classes here at the University of Waterloo, I became inspired to use it in my practice. I use performance and film, as part of my main art practice; but photography and research are the backbone of my work. Those very important influences in photography have helped me immensely in developing my own art practice as well.

Among those influential forces is Cindy Sherman. Her work entails all aspects that I hoped to achieve in my own work. Although her work is simple, there is a breathtaking impact while gazing into the image. The works encompass depth and content while impacting your emotions and consciousness. It amazes me how she creates such work. Her work inspires me to further explore both the social limitations that are placed on people and the idea of the self; how we are portrayed in all aspects of human culture. 

Untitled #479 by Cindy Sherman 1975

http://www.moma.org/interactives/exhibitions/2012/cindysherman/gallery/1/

Her first series, The Untitled Film Stills inspired by B movies from the 40’s, 50’s and 60’s is my favourite work of hers. Specifically, how the women are portrayed. The viewer is given a small amount of information within the frame to comprehend what is going on. That moment speaks volumes towards the way Sherman uses herself in relation to her area. It speaks to the generation, time, politics, and people and her critique of those times. These are the elements that I hope to incorporate into my work.

Untitled Film Still #54

http://www.moma.org/collection/browse_results.php?criteria=O%3AAD%3AE%3A5392&page_number=63&template_id=1&sort_order=1

I began performing because I wanted to create that same connection that Sherman does with her images. I hope to create as much strength in my work as she does in her single shots. Photography may not be the main way I create my work but it influences the way I think and frame my art.

by Julia Scappatura :D 

Banging the (ear)Drum for Sound Art

Why sound? It's a question that keeps resurfacing as I continue to work within the realm of sound art. And it's a perfectly valid one as my past work has been centered in dark themes and charcoal drawing:


(Not the best picture, but...)
Kimberly Reid. Empiricism, (charcoal, graphite, conte, acrylic medium, mounted with an LED light),
20" x 30", 2010  

Details of Empiricism.

 The simple answer would be "because it's awesome". There is something whimsical and immediately interesting when you walk into a gallery that swells with sound, be it from an analog source or digital via speaker. It somehow feels out of place in the gallery setting, which is normally supposed to be a place of quiet reverence; yet its absurdity in the White Cube is what makes sound art unique, as it pulls at the curious nature of the audience. Furthermore, sound art is the only art form that places the aural sense over the visual and lends itself to an intense experience as the audience is obliged to actively (as opposed to automatically) listen.

Delving deeper, my move to sound art stems from my love for video art and animation. Both video art and animation typically use sound to root the visual in reality. As a result, the visual sense tends to overrun the aural sense -- sound becomes secondary to what is being watched. It wasn't until I watched Takeshi Murata's films at the Black Box Theatre in the Smithsonian that I understood the opposite can be achieved. The Black Box Theatre is an enclosed viewing space for video art that is pitch black except for the wall the video is being projected onto. This environment intensifies the viewing experience as you can only attend to the visual and sound without any distractions. When watching Monster Movie, the visuals were mesmerizing as Murata utilized "datamoshing" on old monster movie clips. I noticed however, about quarter-way through the film the sound had taken over as the primary sense; in other words, the audio seemed to dictate the visuals as opposed to the visuals dictating the audio. It may have been the Black Box experience or the films actual purpose, but I found myself hypnotized and unnerved by this switch in video art dynamic. This was the first step for me in understanding what sound art could be.

When watching this, try to be in a dark and quiet environment.

 Maybe you will get the same experience I did.

Takashi Murata. Monster Movie, 2005.

 

Soon after, I learnt about Don Ritter's video and installation work. His practice, Aesthetic Machinery uses sound to displace the audience and plays with human perception and reality. Of his work, my favourite is Intersection, a sound installation in a dark space using 4 sets of loudspeakers. The audio mimics 4 lanes of highway-speed traffic and as the audience walks through each "lane", the car is heard screeching to a halt and idling as if waiting for the pedestrian to move. This piece offers an intense experience heightened through the dark space, forcing the audience to used only their aural sense to interact with the piece. For the first time, I was able to really see how powerful sound art could be in controlling the audience and evoking an emotional response.

 

Click here to check out Ritter's official video documentation of Intersection.

Or click here to find out more about the installation.

 

So why choose sound art? Because it is a versatile and interesting medium. Because it pairs well with video and animation. Because I want to create an intense experience for the audience who experiences my work. Long story short, there are many reasons why I've chosen to work in the realm of sound art, that it is difficult for me to pinpoint why I'm so fascinated with it. Really, I think it boils down to the way I approach art in general: taking the common and deconstructing it into simple parts that each become unique and interesting. Just like video art and animation -- in this case, stop-motion, sound art is flexible in allowing the artist to take something as a whole, break it down into singular units and reconstruct it into something new that highlights the basis of the original product. On this note, I look forward to seeing you at our fourth year show, and leave you with the fantastic work of the analog sound sculptor, Zimoun to really highlight how versatile sound is within art:

 

 



--KJ Reid

Sometimes I want to go off the grid. But then I remember, there's no internet there.

The human species is a naturally selfish and curious creature. We are constantly seeking new answers and confirmation of our own self-actualization. The opinions of others have seemingly wedged themselves into our everyday lives. 


Don't believe me? Have you checked Instagram, Twitter or even Facebook today? If the answer is yes, than your probably like me and the thrill of posting something, then seeing the notifications of this and that person liking your photos is exciting. However if you said no, than you will eventually today, it’s just a matter of time. 

Recently I was driving with my grandparents, elderly immigrants from Portugal born in the late 20's. Now with that being said, it is hard to believe all the new and different things that have been invented in the time they have been alive. I wonder how crazy it must have been to go from a small farm in Portugal with no electricity to now, electrical devices that are on your person at all times, no wire required.  I digress; my grandmother was questioning me about my phone, as I was about to type in an address on the GPS application.  I explained to her that it had Internet and it knew our location, along with allowing you to listen to music, check emails, send messages and call someone. I distinctly remember my grandmother’s response, "wow that's a smart phone", and it finally dawned on me how smart my "smart phone" actually was. I don't know if that's amazing or scary.

On the one hand its handy always being connected and being able to share every moment with people. Whether that is through blogs, vlogs, posts or tweets. On the other hand, what happen to privacy and living in the moment? I have seen people at concerts or shows, filming it on their phones and actually watching it through the screen!  Photos and videos are nice because they serve as a permanent record of your experience. However if capturing that moment starts to interfere with actually experiencing it first hand, than I think that's where you need to draw the line.

With this in mind, I want my work to evoke craftsmanship and emphasize the artist as a work of art rather than the piece itself. I take reference from the constant documentation of the Internet, through painting moments of memory captured in photographs and documenting this process through video.





So if you want to be apart of every moment of my life, follow me on all kinds of social media. :)

Twitter: @amberpacheco91
Instagram: @amberpacheco91
Facebook: Amber Pacheco
Blog: www.amberpacheco.blogspot.ca
Youtube and Vimeo: COMING SOON

"Art is Explosion!" - Fandoms, Remixed

As a English and Fine Arts student, it's sometimes hard to find a middle ground between the two aspects of my majors. As much as one is rooted in textual content, and the other, visual, it's not hard to see where they intersect and product a new form of communication. The early illuminated scripts of the Medieval period are as much about the illustrations as the meaning.

My area of interest is in the rise of fandom in the digital age. In texts like Little Boy: The Arts of Japan's Exploding Subculture, the aspects of the rise of the prevalence of certain types of subcultures, accepted or not, have given birth to distinct identities. In a way, that subculture incorporates a different of values that encourages the sharing of content, remixing of original sources, or the way that amateurs can become creators as well.

There are obviously problematic or aesthetic matters that are tied to different fandoms: some might say that the "brony" (a rather inaccurate title for the fans of My Little Pony) label only serves to push female fans out of the space where they are supposedly safe. Otaku, as described in Little Boy by Takashi Murakami and Fandom Unbound: Otaku Culture in a Connected World, shows the far reaching power of "soft" culture exports that can influence generations of people, even so far as how we identify ourselves outside markers of gender, sex or ethnic background.

But enough of that...I'm really an illustrator at heart, and I am influenced by people like Ai Wei Wei, Yayoi Kusami, and Sandy Skoglund. I guess I might sound a bit stand-offish and stuffy, but this is the best way I can think of. My art gives off the feeling of childishness, and deals with cutouts that are larger than life. In a way it reflects how we perceive 2D versus 3D.

Visit my blog for more drawings, and hope to see you at the fourth-year show!

Bite, Photoshop. 2013

Further Readings:
Fandoms Unbound: Otaku Culture in a Connected World - English and translated essays
Little Boy

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I'm in love with Colour

An abstracted/apocalyptic landscape in process

Through out the last couple of years, I have concentrated on the use of colour in my paintings.  Last term, my study was directed towards doing multiple little abstracted/apocalyptic landscapes and designs within a long rectangle.  They all followed the theme of colour, and I was able to explore the use of colour, and how the effect of the colour changed depending on the different paintbrush strokes.



This term is new.  For this term, I will be focusing less on landscapes, and more on the microscopic world.  The paintings will still be colourful, with some being trippy, due to the colour scheme.  The organic forms being depicted range from virus, flora, critters, and all things in between.  With the colour use, I am hoping to abstract the subject, so that it isn't easily distinguishable. 

One of the pages from Forms in Nature

After studying a couple books, such as Forms in Nature  by Ernst Haeckel, and numerous sketches later, I have started my microscopic series, and I am so excited to see how they will all turn out.

A Sketch of a Jellyfish