THE LAST GAURDIAN

One of the things I like to to during my free time is watching youtube.  I love watching youtubers play varieties of popular games.  My favorite you tubers are Jacksepticeye and Markiplier; they are avid youtubers who play various video games.

Recently, I was watching Jacksepticeye play The Last Guardian.  The game was released in 2016, and developed in Japan.  The setting takes place in a mystic ruin scene; the story portrays a young boy who befriends a mythical creature called a Trico.  A Trico is a half-mammal/half-mammel type creature, which resembles a dog, cat, and swallow.

I was inspired by the concept of the game; the concept of the game preludes a trustful and loyal relationship.  They must work as a team in order to escape the treacherous terrors of island legends.  Their bond is so strong, which develops into love and mutual sacrifice.  Also, the graphics are so detailed and realistic.

Here is a short trailer of the game:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4cDuKShhQOA

PABLIO PICASSO

Everyone knows Picasso.  I looked at his work again as a friendly reminder what artist can accomplish.  I needed this inspirational boost over Thanksgiving Break, and right before finals.

Yayoi Kusama

Yayoi Kusama is a Japanese artist, but moved to the United States in 1957.  She is considered a painter, sculptor, photographer, installation, performance, and conceptual artist.  Her concept revolves around her obsession of polka dots.  She has exhibited many of her artworks in numerous galleries, and won many prestigious awards for her work.

I first heard of Kusama when I took Sculpture I at Indiana Wesleyan University.  Her obsession and passion for one particular shape is very peculiar, yet interesting.  She inspires me to continue to explore singular ideas and replicate them into multiple projects.

YIJUN LIAO AKA PIXY LIAO

Yijun Liao, AKA Pixy Liao, is a Chinese artist who captures the relationships between men and women.  She is currently located in Brooklyn.  Liao quotes "I open myself to extreme possibilities." (Liao)

I randomly googled photography artist, and happened to find Liao.  I gravitated over her work because of the subject matter of the images, and the obscure context of the images  Liao seems to capture a sense of rawness and fantasy elements - which I extremely enjoy.

The images inspired me because it provides a in-depth perspective of how an artist perceives modern relationships.  I want to capture such essence in my own art and photographs.

Here is a body of work called Experimental Relationship.  Also, here is a link to Yijun Liao's website of her recent creations.

http://pixyliao.com/newspage

ZUMBO'S JUST DESSERTS

Throughout the weekend, I watched a dessert making competition on Netflix called Zumbo's Just Desserts.  It's an Australian reality tv show about 12 contestants competing against each other.  The grand prize is a whopping $100,000 for whoever outlasts the competition.

One aspect that was really inspiring was the perseverance of the contestants.  They experienced tremendous obstacles in the challenge, and strived through emotional turmoil.  I was intrigued and hopeful when I watched the contestants because I am struggling to persevere through tough myself.  I want to persevere and keep pushing on through out my college years, and create inspirational art work.

Here is a link of the show's first episode.
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x4qw9q5

BATH OF CARACALLA

In AD 226 Art History before 1400, the class is discussing the history of Roman art and culture.  One of Rome's architectural achievements are the Roman Bath Houses.  Roman bath houses are comprised of concrete and vaulted aches - which was one of the Roman's greatest technological achievements.  The Baths of Caracalla are the most famous of all the baths during the Late Roman Roman Empire.  It accommodated 1600 people, and also included landscape gardens, libraries, lecture halls, and exercise courts.

These modern achievements are so inspiring because the customs of the Roman Empire reflect how modern society operates in the modern world. Thinking about how the Roman's valued the public intimacy of socializing and dining in the Baths of Caracalla have reminded me of the social impact I should value in my own life and art.  Hopefully, I can continue to reflect the my modern values by reflecting Roman culture.

BEST PRESENTATION

Honestly, I felt that Anna Luebker presented a well rounded presentation.  Her content was very organized, and she went the extra mile to actually interview Cameron Witting.  The only criticism I have is I wished she used more words in her presentation.  If I was viewing her presentation for the first time and I didn't hear her present her presentation in person, I would have no idea about the details/information of the artist.

THE BEAUTY OF LIFE

For my artist presentation, I am researching Simon Hoegsberg.  When I was researching Simon Hoegsberg and his work, I stumbled upon one of his most famous works called "We're All Gonna Die."  The piece sparked much inspiration for my art and my own life.

We're All Gonna Die is a panorama piece that portrays 178 individual portraits onto on long 100 meter photograph constructed on Photoshop.  He took pictures of all these people on a railway bridge on Warschauer Strasse in Berlin.  Hoegsberg wanted to capture the beauty of life so people can apt to sharing human experiences with each other experience.

I was very awe struck by this piece because I an learning the beauty in life myself.  My boyfriend, Mark, is trying very hard to show me that life is beautiful.  Humans are just this little speck on this universe, and humans should share the necessary experiences in order to appreciate the life in the universe.

PRAXITELES

This week, I struggled with the concept of humanism and love.  So I wanted to post pictures of Late Classical Greek sculptures by an artist named Praxiteles. He was an artist that concentrated on a new approach of the superhuman beauty.

Much of the Greek culture revolved around the ideas of humanism, democracy, and order.  I need all of these things in my life right not, and this is just a friendly inspiration reminder for myself and my art.

Hermes and the Infant Dionysos
330 BCE - 270 BCE

Aphrodite of Knidos
350 BCE - 340 BCE

ARTIST PRESENTATION NAMES

ARTIST PRESENTATION OPTIONS

SIMON HOGSBERG

OR

MATT LIPPS

HANNAH WHITAKER

I looked up one artist on the class blog to see what artist I would choose for the presentation.  I randomly choose a photography artist named Hannah Whitaker.  She is known for her colored photographs that vary in subject matter, from female nudes, landscapes, lunar eclipses, and close-ups of natural materials that emphasize texture over content.  For example, she would capture the marble texture in an ancient Greek quarry or lava from Hawwaiian volcano.

Here are some of Hannah Whitaker's work:

HELEN FRANKENTHALER

When I was taking an interior design class at Indiana Wesleyan University,  I did a report on Helen Frankenthaler.  She was Frankenthaler was an American abstract expressionist painter during the 20th century.  She experimented wit paints and created the soak stain process; she utilized oil paints with misty compositions.

I love Frankenthaler's work, and her work inspires me to create my own unique abstract paintings.  Down below are some of her works.

CULTURAL APPROPRIATION DEBATE

I ran across this article about how the Visions Gallery canceled Amanda PL's art show.  They canceled the show due to inappropriate cultural appropriation.  Her art was inspired by Norval Marrisseau - the Pablo Picasso of the north.


Honestly, I was really depressed when I overheard some girls in class call me weird and strange. I read the article and was encouraged by her story, and what she went through as an artist.  Amanda inspires me to keep creating controversial art.

Here is a link to the article.
http://www.newsweek.com/cultural-appropriation-outcry-succeeds-cancelling-gallery-show-white-painter-594924


Here are some acrylic paintings by Amanda PL

MOVING SCULPTURES

My best friend from Indiana Wesleyan University sent me a link of an artist and his kinetic sculptures.   I really enjoyed watching the moving sculptures; it was revolutionary and innovating.

The artist is a Dutch artist named Theo Jenson, and he calls this art "a new form of life."  He talks about how he wants the art to "live on it own on the beaches."  These sculptures are made out of pvc pipe and lemonade bottles.  It's really fascinating and inspiring, and he creates many creatures.

Here is a short link that my best friend showed me on facebook.
https://www.facebook.com/culturacolectivaplus/videos/1861381780545943/?autoplay_reason=all_page_organic_allowed&video_container_type=0&video_creator_product_type=0&app_id=273465416184080&live_video_guests=0


Here is a link to Jenson's Ted Talks explaining more about his artwork.
https://www.ted.com/talks/theo_jansen_creates_new_creatures

CREATIVE ASSIGNMENT IDEAS

I want to use The Swing for the Creative Assignment because there so many options to to apply art appropriation.  I plan to reconstruct this elegant/feminine painting, and make it humorous/masculine. Many of the figures in the painting have so much symbolism and reasoning of why they are being utilized in the painting that I thought it'd be easy to create something extremely creative and innovating.  Also, one of my ideas to incorporate art appropriation is to reconstruct a very urban and modern environment.  I want to capture a look that'll capture a sense of sadness within a robust world.  I want the audience to visualize a world that is being transformed into a robotic/cold world.

THE SWING
(Jean-Honore Fragonard)
1767
oil on canvas

Another idea is to utilize the Napoleon Crossing the Alps painting.  I'm not quite sure what concept I will use, but I like the painting because the the context and history behind the painting.  The painting possesses formal qualities such as the pose of the horse and Napoleon.  Another distinct feature that catches my eye is the relationship of unequal proportions between the horse and Napoleon.  Anyway, I still need to think of something, and this painting gives me some inspiration and ideas. 

NAPOLEON CROSSING THE ALPS
(Jaques-Louis David)
1801-1805
oil on canvas