Spring Artwork Take Two

Beyond Photography

This was the second of my three classes this semester. I was 

a little apprehensive about this class. I wasn't exactly sure

what to expect.  My instructor Bryan Florentin

loves conceptual art, and that always intimidates me just a bit.

We started off looking at Duchamp and his Dada Art. A super fun period of nonsensical art

that came about as a reaction and protest to WWI.  There is a short description of it here. Personally,

I love his LHOOQ.  It always makes me smile.

So on this vein, my first assignment to create 4 pieces of art using found objects and images.

One had to be a collage, and one had to be a digital photo montage, one using found images and objects together, and the last being made of found objects.

This project stressed me out. It is so outside of the way I 

usually think and work, and the idea of it being

nonsensical really blew my mind. 

Especially since as art students we are encouraged to always work with a concept.

I came up with this...

The Jewelry Box

Filled with objects a woman not actually want to wear. The thorn encrusted ring is my 

favorite.

Nothing to See Here

I used an old print we had in our closet, and "improved" it.

Obamatage

My digital photomantage. I actually have several versions of this. I have manipulated it 

several times, this is the final version I turned in. Version two is hanging in our bathroom.
The large number across the top is the twitter feed of our national debt at the time I made the project.

Flight Deck Collage

I used postcards from an art exhibit called Flight Deck

to make this collage.

Project 2

We were able to pretty much do whatever we wanted,

but our inspiration was to come from Surrealist Art.

I chose to do a project with books.

I put peep hole in a copy of Lewis Carol's

Alice in Wonderland

I cut up a book of poetry by T.S. Elliot. One of my favorite Poets.
This way the poems can be mixed together to create new meanings.

I baked a cook book.
This one is better in person.
I feel like it needs to be held to really get the effect I am intending.
The once bright cover is now dark and aged,
the pages are now yellowed, and the binding is broken,
but most of all, it smells. I don't mean
it smells good, it is stinky.

 Lastly, I made a lamp out of books that are supposed to give enlightenment.

Project 3

The Puzzle

My third and final set of projects for Beyond was, I think, my favorite.

We were focusing on performance and installation art.

For my first piece I purchased a blank white puzzle. 

Jason and I spent an evening coloring each individual piece. 

I then placed the unfinished puzzle on a table

on the third floor of the art building. I encouraged my 

fellow students to spend some time putting the puzzle together.

I was a little confusing at first because usually when working on a puzzle you look for like colors,

and images. However, with this puzzle each piece is unique from the rest so it took

 some time for people to realize the idea was to look at shape not color.

many found this really frustrating.

Several of my friends worked hard to get it put together.

After many attempts, and redo's it finally got finished.
Ivy decorated the box for me as a surprise. I love it!

Making a Turtle Cheesecake

For this piece I made a video of myself making a cheesecake.

Jason was my handsome helper with the camera. At my direction,

he filmed the process of making the cheesecake. In it you see my hands mixing, and adding ingredients.

You see my mixer as well as the pans as I pour the batter into the pans.

there is no music, but rather the sounds of the mixing and pouring, along with the sounds

 of my home. Children, husband, and myself.

When I presented this video I served the cheesecake to my class and we ate it as we watched.

In a nutshell this project was about process, and domesticity. 

The good new is Bryan, my instructor, loved it, and Kenda, my department head, thought it 

was excellent. They were very impressed with my concept and execution. 

(of course bringing a cheesecake to class helps too!)

Sadly, I don't have any pictures of this one and I don't really want to upload a 15 minute
video to the blog.
But, if anyone would like to experience it in person, just let me know
and I'll make a new cheesecake, and put the video on while you eat.