Welcome to the 2020-21 School Year!
I will be posting information here about assignments and projects, as well as to MS Teams. You will find the syllabus for this class below. If you have questions, or need extra help, you can check in to my office hours on Thursday, 3-4pm. Or, feel free to email me and we can schedule a meeting at another time. The Zoom link for Office Hours is: https://zoom.us/j/96360932375?pwd=V1kvRi92ZnIzWlVlV29pL21TT2hCZz0 Meeting ID: 963 6093 2375 Passcode: ART [email protected] |
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Q4, Week 7 (5/11-5/15)
End of the school year final thoughts.
Congratulations! You did it! You are to be commended for pushing through barriers and jumping obstacles, finding materials at home, and getting over preconceived notions about what art should be. I think you all did great work, even with limitations.
Think back on your work this quarter. Some of the themes that were incorporated in the assignments were:
--art as protection (Amabie drawing)
--art as lens onto the world (Empty Places photography assignment)
--art as reflection/prediction (mini-book, about before/during/after Covid-19)
--art as historical reference (recreation of famous work of art)
--art as physical symbol (constructed cantilevered structure as outreach extension)
--art as documentation (map of a remembered/imagined place)
The assignments were designed so that you were considering different spheres of influence in each -- personal, community, and global.
Some assignments addressed more than one sphere. For example, the recreation project asked you to find an artwork that spoke to you, by any artist, time period, part of the world (global) and recreate it using people and materials that were found in your home (personal).
This pandemic is going to shape all of our lives for years to come, perhaps for the remainder of our lifetimes. Artists' responses to global events often serve as "snapshots" of the collective social understanding of the time. And, remember, there are artists of all types -- painters, sculptors, graphic novelists, fashion designers, architects, musicians, playwrights, filmmakers. All artists are making work within the context of the current time.
For your final assignment, I would like you to read this article called "How Pandemics End," by Gina Kolata, published in The New York Times on May 10, 2020. It is heavy, and it does not shy away from the dangerous reality of our current situation, and references outbreaks of the past. Some of you may not wish to read it, and that is okay. I ask that you read the last section with the heading, "How will Covid-19 end?"
Then I would like you to create one image that symbolizes how this pandemic ends. You can choose the sphere that you are addressing. For example, you may wish to draw something that symbolizes the end of the pandemic for YOU. Or, you may create a painting, or a photograph, that is a sign of the pandemic being over for your family or COMMUNITY. Or, you may build something that serves as a symbol of the end of the pandemic for the GLOBE.
Choose the materials you want to use -- and remember that you are allowed to use ANYTHING! Use the dirt outside your backdoor, or random things in your house. All I ask is that you think it through, and have reasons to back up why your creation works as a symbol. Write one paragraph that explains your work and make sure to include which sphere (or spheres) it addresses -- personal, community, or global.
Take a photograph of your work and send it to me by Friday, May 15th, at 5pm. But, because I am posting this on Wednesday, if you need more time, you can get it to me by Monday, May 18, at 3pm. Any questions, let me know!
End of the school year final thoughts.
Congratulations! You did it! You are to be commended for pushing through barriers and jumping obstacles, finding materials at home, and getting over preconceived notions about what art should be. I think you all did great work, even with limitations.
Think back on your work this quarter. Some of the themes that were incorporated in the assignments were:
--art as protection (Amabie drawing)
--art as lens onto the world (Empty Places photography assignment)
--art as reflection/prediction (mini-book, about before/during/after Covid-19)
--art as historical reference (recreation of famous work of art)
--art as physical symbol (constructed cantilevered structure as outreach extension)
--art as documentation (map of a remembered/imagined place)
The assignments were designed so that you were considering different spheres of influence in each -- personal, community, and global.
Some assignments addressed more than one sphere. For example, the recreation project asked you to find an artwork that spoke to you, by any artist, time period, part of the world (global) and recreate it using people and materials that were found in your home (personal).
This pandemic is going to shape all of our lives for years to come, perhaps for the remainder of our lifetimes. Artists' responses to global events often serve as "snapshots" of the collective social understanding of the time. And, remember, there are artists of all types -- painters, sculptors, graphic novelists, fashion designers, architects, musicians, playwrights, filmmakers. All artists are making work within the context of the current time.
For your final assignment, I would like you to read this article called "How Pandemics End," by Gina Kolata, published in The New York Times on May 10, 2020. It is heavy, and it does not shy away from the dangerous reality of our current situation, and references outbreaks of the past. Some of you may not wish to read it, and that is okay. I ask that you read the last section with the heading, "How will Covid-19 end?"
Then I would like you to create one image that symbolizes how this pandemic ends. You can choose the sphere that you are addressing. For example, you may wish to draw something that symbolizes the end of the pandemic for YOU. Or, you may create a painting, or a photograph, that is a sign of the pandemic being over for your family or COMMUNITY. Or, you may build something that serves as a symbol of the end of the pandemic for the GLOBE.
Choose the materials you want to use -- and remember that you are allowed to use ANYTHING! Use the dirt outside your backdoor, or random things in your house. All I ask is that you think it through, and have reasons to back up why your creation works as a symbol. Write one paragraph that explains your work and make sure to include which sphere (or spheres) it addresses -- personal, community, or global.
Take a photograph of your work and send it to me by Friday, May 15th, at 5pm. But, because I am posting this on Wednesday, if you need more time, you can get it to me by Monday, May 18, at 3pm. Any questions, let me know!
Q4, Week 6 (5/4-5/8)
Creating an illustrated map
Right now, it seems like we have been away from school for a really long time. I am wishing that we were still making messes and cleaning them up in the studio. Know that I am thinking about all of you and the really hard work that you are doing this quarter. This is not easy stuff, but we will make it through.
This week, I am asking that you read this article, where Nate Padavick lays out 8 Steps for you to create your own maps. The first step -- Pick Your Destination -- may be the most challenging. Which place will you choose to illustrate? Is it real or fictional place? Is it a place you have been many times, or one that you have only read about? I ask that you choose a place that you can envision in your mind -- whether that place is here in Tucson, or in that small town in Kansas where you cousin lives, or in a video game that you know really well. Nate asks more questions in the article, and I encourage you to imagine all of them before you make your decision.
This assignment challenges you to combine your own artistic perspective with factual information. You may want your map to accurately represent the locations of sites, or you may wish to totally distort it, and "throw accuracy out the window!" Make sure that you cover all the steps, and include them in your map.
Again, choose materials you want to work with. Your map can be black and white, or colored -- it's your choice. I would recommend sketching it out in pencil, and then going over it in with pen or marker. You might base your drawing style for this assignment on a favorite graphic artist or comic/graphic novel. Take a photo of your finished map and email it to me at [email protected].
This is due on Friday, May 8 at 5pm. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me. If you are having trouble turning the work in by Friday, let me know, and we can work out a plan.
Take care!
Creating an illustrated map
Right now, it seems like we have been away from school for a really long time. I am wishing that we were still making messes and cleaning them up in the studio. Know that I am thinking about all of you and the really hard work that you are doing this quarter. This is not easy stuff, but we will make it through.
This week, I am asking that you read this article, where Nate Padavick lays out 8 Steps for you to create your own maps. The first step -- Pick Your Destination -- may be the most challenging. Which place will you choose to illustrate? Is it real or fictional place? Is it a place you have been many times, or one that you have only read about? I ask that you choose a place that you can envision in your mind -- whether that place is here in Tucson, or in that small town in Kansas where you cousin lives, or in a video game that you know really well. Nate asks more questions in the article, and I encourage you to imagine all of them before you make your decision.
This assignment challenges you to combine your own artistic perspective with factual information. You may want your map to accurately represent the locations of sites, or you may wish to totally distort it, and "throw accuracy out the window!" Make sure that you cover all the steps, and include them in your map.
Again, choose materials you want to work with. Your map can be black and white, or colored -- it's your choice. I would recommend sketching it out in pencil, and then going over it in with pen or marker. You might base your drawing style for this assignment on a favorite graphic artist or comic/graphic novel. Take a photo of your finished map and email it to me at [email protected].
This is due on Friday, May 8 at 5pm. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me. If you are having trouble turning the work in by Friday, let me know, and we can work out a plan.
Take care!
Q4, Week 5 (4/27-5/1)
Can you create a cantilevered sculpture in your home?
Last week, you used objects or figures to recreate a 2-D work of art. They were fantastic! I am so proud of all of you! Make sure to take a couple of minutes to see the original and recreated artworks that your classmates made, which you will find below. [I am still working on posting all of them, so check back again later, too.]
My challenge for you this week: Create a gravity-defying cantilever sculpture at home. Using random objects from around your house, build a sculpture suspended from a counter or table, as far as you can get it to reach, without touching the ground. This is the same principle used in everything from the Brooklyn Bridge to large-scale sculptures that you might see at an outdoor museum like Storm King.
Before you start creating, I want you to imagine a person or place that you are missing during this time of social distancing. You are building a structure that will reach toward and extend out across the distance, so that you can be closer to that person or place. It, in essence, will create a bridge between.
Watch this video for instructions and inspiration, where educator John Kaiser from Freestyle Arts (who also works with Storm King Art Center in NY State) and his children build really cool sculptures.
You will need to:
1. gather materials that you can find in your house, and then figure out a flat surface where you can build a tall, long sculpture. Since you may be using tape, make sure it's okay to be using tape on the the table you have chosen.
2. spend 15 minutes (ONLY!) and build the longest hanging sculpture you can. Remember, John said that the taller your structure, the more horizontal support your sculpture will have.
3. photograph your sculpture, and send it to me via email.
4. clean up all the materials you used, and put them back where you found them!
5. Go to Storm King's website, browse through the sculptures, and find one that 1.) includes a cantilever structure, and 2.) speaks to your heart. In an email to me, write out the name of the sculpture, the artist, and the year it was created, and tell me why it is interesting to you.
>>If you let the video run after it finishes, you will see another video by the kinetic artist Ruben Margolin, who includes mathematical principles in the artwork that he makes. Apparently, it didn't come up for anyone except me. (Thanks, Orion!). Here is the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D2HF-1xjpP8. Extra credit: If you are able to go on a walk outside your house, look to nature for a phenomenon that you would be interested in investigating. What would you want to find out? Can you think of some installation that would help you to know more about it? Write a couple sentences about what and why it interests you, or draw a quick sketch, and send it to me.
You assignment is due Friday, May 1, by 5pm.
Any questions? Email me at [email protected]
Can you create a cantilevered sculpture in your home?
Last week, you used objects or figures to recreate a 2-D work of art. They were fantastic! I am so proud of all of you! Make sure to take a couple of minutes to see the original and recreated artworks that your classmates made, which you will find below. [I am still working on posting all of them, so check back again later, too.]
My challenge for you this week: Create a gravity-defying cantilever sculpture at home. Using random objects from around your house, build a sculpture suspended from a counter or table, as far as you can get it to reach, without touching the ground. This is the same principle used in everything from the Brooklyn Bridge to large-scale sculptures that you might see at an outdoor museum like Storm King.
Before you start creating, I want you to imagine a person or place that you are missing during this time of social distancing. You are building a structure that will reach toward and extend out across the distance, so that you can be closer to that person or place. It, in essence, will create a bridge between.
Watch this video for instructions and inspiration, where educator John Kaiser from Freestyle Arts (who also works with Storm King Art Center in NY State) and his children build really cool sculptures.
You will need to:
1. gather materials that you can find in your house, and then figure out a flat surface where you can build a tall, long sculpture. Since you may be using tape, make sure it's okay to be using tape on the the table you have chosen.
2. spend 15 minutes (ONLY!) and build the longest hanging sculpture you can. Remember, John said that the taller your structure, the more horizontal support your sculpture will have.
3. photograph your sculpture, and send it to me via email.
4. clean up all the materials you used, and put them back where you found them!
5. Go to Storm King's website, browse through the sculptures, and find one that 1.) includes a cantilever structure, and 2.) speaks to your heart. In an email to me, write out the name of the sculpture, the artist, and the year it was created, and tell me why it is interesting to you.
>>If you let the video run after it finishes, you will see another video by the kinetic artist Ruben Margolin, who includes mathematical principles in the artwork that he makes. Apparently, it didn't come up for anyone except me. (Thanks, Orion!). Here is the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D2HF-1xjpP8. Extra credit: If you are able to go on a walk outside your house, look to nature for a phenomenon that you would be interested in investigating. What would you want to find out? Can you think of some installation that would help you to know more about it? Write a couple sentences about what and why it interests you, or draw a quick sketch, and send it to me.
You assignment is due Friday, May 1, by 5pm.
Any questions? Email me at [email protected]
Sarava Hartley and her cat recreating Leonardo da Vinci's "Woman with an Ermine," 1489-1490. (April 28, 2020)
Ellie Finley recreated "Still Life" painted by Giorgio Morandi in 1930. (April 22, 2020)
Nadia Romero recreating "Woman, " a painting (perhaps a self-portrait) by Amrita Sher-Gil, 1930-34. (April 23, 2020)
Henry Perry recreated "The Basket of Apples" by Paul Cézanne, painted in 1895. (April 26, 2020)
Ajunae Thompson recreating "Woman with a Cat," painted by Auguste Renoir in 1875. (April 27, 2020)
Chenoa Fiddler recreating Iranian artist Afarin Sajedi's "Ecce Mulier" from 2019. (April 27, 2020).
Francesco De Grazia recreating Caravaggio’s “Boy With a Basket of Fruit.” (NYT, April 16, 2020)
***If you need help finding a work of art, send me an email about what you are imagining...
Is there type of setting? mood of piece? number of figures? colors/shapes/forms that you would like to work with? I will come up with three pieces that might work and send them back to you!***
Is there type of setting? mood of piece? number of figures? colors/shapes/forms that you would like to work with? I will come up with three pieces that might work and send them back to you!***
Q4, Week 4 (4/20-4/24)
Can you re-create a masterpiece in your home?
Museums and galleries have shuttered their doors during this time. Instead of visiting these spaces to see artwork, people around the world have been recreating famous images in their own homes.
My challenge for you this week: find a well-known work of art online, recreate the image to the best of your ability, using things that you find in your house, and take a photograph of it. The artwork may or may not include people. You are welcome to use yourself as a model, or enlist the help of your family members. You can earn bonus points if you include the following: toilet paper, face masks, or hand sanitizer.
I recommend that you learn more about this phenomenon, by reading this article that was posted in the NY Times last week. You can also see more examples by looking up the hashtags #mettwinning, #betweenartandquarantine, #gettymuseumchallenge and #tussenkunstenquarantaine.
You will be considering the Elements of Design that we have discussed in the past, which include line, shape, form, color, etc. See the graphic below for a reminder of the elements that you will be looking for when setting up your scene to match the work of art as best you can.
Send me an email that includes:
--an image of the famous artwork, and make sure to include the title, name of artist, and date when it was created, AND
--the photograph of the recreated artwork.
If you post your image to one of the hashtags, capture a screenshot and send that to me as well.
You assignment is due Friday, April 24, by 5pm. Dig into your quarantine creativity, and have fun!
Any questions? Email me at [email protected]
Can you re-create a masterpiece in your home?
Museums and galleries have shuttered their doors during this time. Instead of visiting these spaces to see artwork, people around the world have been recreating famous images in their own homes.
My challenge for you this week: find a well-known work of art online, recreate the image to the best of your ability, using things that you find in your house, and take a photograph of it. The artwork may or may not include people. You are welcome to use yourself as a model, or enlist the help of your family members. You can earn bonus points if you include the following: toilet paper, face masks, or hand sanitizer.
I recommend that you learn more about this phenomenon, by reading this article that was posted in the NY Times last week. You can also see more examples by looking up the hashtags #mettwinning, #betweenartandquarantine, #gettymuseumchallenge and #tussenkunstenquarantaine.
You will be considering the Elements of Design that we have discussed in the past, which include line, shape, form, color, etc. See the graphic below for a reminder of the elements that you will be looking for when setting up your scene to match the work of art as best you can.
Send me an email that includes:
--an image of the famous artwork, and make sure to include the title, name of artist, and date when it was created, AND
--the photograph of the recreated artwork.
If you post your image to one of the hashtags, capture a screenshot and send that to me as well.
You assignment is due Friday, April 24, by 5pm. Dig into your quarantine creativity, and have fun!
Any questions? Email me at [email protected]
Elliot Chalberg
Henry Perry
Chenoa Fiddler
Maya Hart
Ellie Finley
Victoria Edwards
4.20.20 | Hi Art + Design students! Good work on your last project! Check back here later today for your next assignment, and to see the work of your classmates.
4.15.20 | Please excuse the delay. Everything about my life has been experiencing technical difficulties.
I had created a different long post the other day, and when I went to publish it, I accidentally deleted it. There was no back-up version, I couldn’t undo the action, and I hadn’t written out a first draft. For those of you who have had it happen to you, know that I felt your pain.
I have learned many lessons over the past two weeks, and I will be sharing them with you over the course of this next week. But right now…
For this week’s assignment, I would like you to create a small ‘zine that documents your response to our new reality. Again using materials that you find at home, you will be making a small book. To be clear, for your 2-D pages, you can use any of the following: drawing, painting, collage, your own photography (assuming you can print it out), printmaking, stamping, mark making, whatever you come up with is fine. The only requirement is that it fold up into a book format at the end.
To make the book, you will need one sheet of 8.5” x 11” paper and a pair of scissors.
I have posted a video here, showing you how to make the book.
Your book will include:
--A front cover
--6 pages
--A back cover
--A “poster” on the reverse side
For the content of the book, I am going to ask you to divide it into 3 sections.
For the first section (pages 1-2) you will come up with two images that illustrate your life during this school year, BEFORE the threat of Covid-19 came to be real for us here in the U.S.
For the second section (pages 3-4), you will create two images showing what you have experienced since our school closed, or what you are currently experiencing.
For the third section (pages 5-6) you will create two images that show what you imagine things will be like after the world “opens up” again.
I recommend that you write down some notes or make some sketches BEFORE you start working on the book. In draft form, think about what images you want to show. They can be very full detailed pages, or quite spare and minimal. Somewhere on each page, you will write 1-3 sentences describing the image.
For example, if I were to think of something that would illustrate my life before the coronavirus came on the scene, I might draw/paint/photograph the marquee for the Loft Cinema, showing a movie title on it that I have seen. I LOVE going to see movies there, and that is a place that I am really missing. Underneath my image, I could write, “The last movie I saw at The Loft might have been Parasite by Bong Joon-ho. It’s hard to remember. Even though it’s only been a month, my brain feels like the last time I sank down into my seat and watched a film in the dark theater was years ago.”
When I am involved with a project like this, I usually work on the content first, and then create the cover (or title) afterwards. But you may have a different process. Your cover page needs a written title. You can choose to have your name on the front or back cover. Please write the date on the back cover and any other information that you wish to include (acknowledgments, funny notes, etc.)
For the “poster” part of your book, open it up to the back side, and write a hopeful message in a beautiful way. You may include an image there as well. Maybe it’s a message for someone you love, or for the doctors and nurses in the hospitals, or the essential workers. Or a message urging someone to help with this crisis.
You can turn in your assignment by:
-- taking photographs of all parts of your book (front/back covers, 6 pages, and the poster), and send them to me in email. Please attach the .jpg images to the email, instead of inserting them into the document. Or, you can send me a Google Slides presentation.
--taking a video of yourself reading and showing your book, and sending me the video via email.
The assignment is due on Sunday, 4/19/20 at 12pm. I will be posting your assignment on the website Monday, 4/20/20.
Any questions? I am here to help! Email me at [email protected]. Have a good week!
4.15.20 | Please excuse the delay. Everything about my life has been experiencing technical difficulties.
I had created a different long post the other day, and when I went to publish it, I accidentally deleted it. There was no back-up version, I couldn’t undo the action, and I hadn’t written out a first draft. For those of you who have had it happen to you, know that I felt your pain.
I have learned many lessons over the past two weeks, and I will be sharing them with you over the course of this next week. But right now…
For this week’s assignment, I would like you to create a small ‘zine that documents your response to our new reality. Again using materials that you find at home, you will be making a small book. To be clear, for your 2-D pages, you can use any of the following: drawing, painting, collage, your own photography (assuming you can print it out), printmaking, stamping, mark making, whatever you come up with is fine. The only requirement is that it fold up into a book format at the end.
To make the book, you will need one sheet of 8.5” x 11” paper and a pair of scissors.
I have posted a video here, showing you how to make the book.
Your book will include:
--A front cover
--6 pages
--A back cover
--A “poster” on the reverse side
For the content of the book, I am going to ask you to divide it into 3 sections.
For the first section (pages 1-2) you will come up with two images that illustrate your life during this school year, BEFORE the threat of Covid-19 came to be real for us here in the U.S.
For the second section (pages 3-4), you will create two images showing what you have experienced since our school closed, or what you are currently experiencing.
For the third section (pages 5-6) you will create two images that show what you imagine things will be like after the world “opens up” again.
I recommend that you write down some notes or make some sketches BEFORE you start working on the book. In draft form, think about what images you want to show. They can be very full detailed pages, or quite spare and minimal. Somewhere on each page, you will write 1-3 sentences describing the image.
For example, if I were to think of something that would illustrate my life before the coronavirus came on the scene, I might draw/paint/photograph the marquee for the Loft Cinema, showing a movie title on it that I have seen. I LOVE going to see movies there, and that is a place that I am really missing. Underneath my image, I could write, “The last movie I saw at The Loft might have been Parasite by Bong Joon-ho. It’s hard to remember. Even though it’s only been a month, my brain feels like the last time I sank down into my seat and watched a film in the dark theater was years ago.”
When I am involved with a project like this, I usually work on the content first, and then create the cover (or title) afterwards. But you may have a different process. Your cover page needs a written title. You can choose to have your name on the front or back cover. Please write the date on the back cover and any other information that you wish to include (acknowledgments, funny notes, etc.)
For the “poster” part of your book, open it up to the back side, and write a hopeful message in a beautiful way. You may include an image there as well. Maybe it’s a message for someone you love, or for the doctors and nurses in the hospitals, or the essential workers. Or a message urging someone to help with this crisis.
You can turn in your assignment by:
-- taking photographs of all parts of your book (front/back covers, 6 pages, and the poster), and send them to me in email. Please attach the .jpg images to the email, instead of inserting them into the document. Or, you can send me a Google Slides presentation.
--taking a video of yourself reading and showing your book, and sending me the video via email.
The assignment is due on Sunday, 4/19/20 at 12pm. I will be posting your assignment on the website Monday, 4/20/20.
Any questions? I am here to help! Email me at [email protected]. Have a good week!
Scroll down to see the artwork created during Week 2. The students were asked to reflect on their own artwork (drawing, painting, collage, installation) in relation to the empty images published in The NY Times, and to write about a public place that they are missing and/or a place that they have visited in the past.
Spencer Bratton /// I did a sketch of the Hong Kong landscape from the article. All of the pictures of the empty places are terrifying and oddly beautiful. I took a picture of my sketch, but because it is in pencil, it is really faded. I adjusted the image to boost the contrast and lower the brightness to make the sketch visible. /// What is a public space that you are missing these days? /// I remember a few years ago my family and I went on a roadtrip seeing the sights around northern Arizona. One of the places we stopped at was the Glen Canyon Dam. There was a tourist center that had really cool architecture and a massive curved window to look at the dam. The main room with the window was circular and very open. One thing that stood out was a sign that was in several languages, one language appeared to be in Mandarin Chinese or Japanese. There were many people there, but it wasn’t crowded.
Chenoa Fiddler /// The photo of Tokyo’s airport (above) reminded me of a game about a zombie apocalypse, I mostly enjoyed the beauty of the backgrounds and how dead the cities look yet they still looked alive, with nature growing through the cracks of the buildings. In the airport picture, the people are missing and sometimes in the darkest times, people bring beauty to their surroundings. I drew in honor of people, because they create beauty too. /// What is a public space that you are missing these days? The libraries, before the quarantine and shutdown of not essential stores. I was searching for a book but it was always checked out at the nearest library. When I would be on a different side of town I’d take the chance to stop at a library that had it (usually they were closed and I didn’t check the time before). I miss the kind of silence in libraries and amongst others who enjoyed it and found comfort at the libraries. Libraries are always filled with people -- they go there for books, the internet, relaxation, work. You can learn a lot in a library, it’s a place that brings people together unknowingly. I have been going to libraries always as long as I can remember. My grandma and I would spend the day there instead of being cooped up in the motel. It was my favorite place to go, I’d be playing online games or roaming the book aisles imagining how to hide if one could play hide and go seek in a library.
Elliot Chalberg /// I really didn't know how to draw this because I'm not good at drawing spaces 3D but I was inspired by this photo in Moscow 'cause this reminded me of how a band I like has had to postpone their world tour which would've started today, and they've had to record performances in empty music halls nowadays. /// A public space I'm missing these days A public space that I'm missing these days weirdly is school. There are always a lot of people there of course and it's high energy. I miss it because there I got to talk to people and I did learn some interesting things. There were some really peaceful areas there, such as the orchard, and I wonder if the peaches have started to grow yet at all because they normally would grow somewhere around this time. It's weird to imagine the school as empty, but of course it is right now.
Ajunae Thompson /// I chose this photo because I liked seeing both greenery and the cityscape in the background, both of which have no humans to been seen within them. I tried to make my version a one-point perspective drawing, with city on the right and some greenery on the left. I feel like it could’ve turned out better if I had done it digitally, however: colored pencils aren’t for every drawing. /// The public space I’m missing today is a hard one to exactly pinpoint for me, as it’s not really the space I’m in, but who I’m residing with in said space. For example, I love going to Reid Park, Michael's Craft Store, Goodwill, Park Place Mall and all the little stores within it, and Round One. But I wouldn’t really want to go to any of those places alone. I always go with at least one friend of mine, and we have a great time wherever we are. If I have to choose one at the moment, it’d be the mall, as there are a few stores in there I’d like to wander around and check out again with friends, then afterwards get lunch at the food court.
Henry Perry /// I picked the image of a abandoned fun park because it was made for many people. A amusement park isn't functional with one guest. The feeling that there should be more people around you is what gives off the odd feeling of seclusion. /// Missing public space The summer before junior year, me and my family up to the northern coast of California for my uncle's wedding. While we were moving through Humboldt County, we stopped by a public park that was connected to a small forest. Once inside, it only took a few steps before you couldn't see any signs of civilization. A tree had fallen over a ravine, making a natural bridge. Moss and other small plants had begun growing on it, molding it into the environment like it had always been there. Although it had a distinct lack of architecture, signs, and even people, it still felt like a large social area. A public space provided by people to be used by nature. I felt so calm there, like nothing in the world was going wrong. And now that the world is close down, that small forest is majorly unchanged. Though it has lost it's hikers and small children running around, it never needed that. It was designed as a public space that didn't need people to survive. A beautiful spot to just sit and exist for a while.
Ellie Finley /// My Public Space /// I don’t really go out into public that much. Places that I normally frequent are 4th Ave. and the Rillito River Park to go longboarding. I go to these places normally on the weekend, so it is often busy. On the River Path there are often bicyclists, walkers, runners, and some skaters like me. People go to the River Path for exercise and nature which is its main purpose. The River Path is flat and smooth by, practically a small road, which is what appeals to me as a skater. The only up and downs are the underpasses that go under bridges. But those are fun. The most memorable place on the River Path for me is Mountain Bridge, because it is really cute and I had fun memories there. /// 4th Ave. I go to for shopping and food. There are great food joints and cute little shops. People who go there are UA students, hippies, and homeless. 4th Ave. is unique because it is mostly local shops there, in fact I think it is all local. 4th Ave. has a lot of old buildings that are like Raging Sage, which are houses converted into shops. For example the B-Line and Tumerico. I think the most memorable thing at 4th Ave is the history there.
Nadia Romero /// A place I recently visited for my birthday was the Tucson Botanical Gardens. I love nature and the sight of flowers, so visiting a garden was one of my absolute favorite things to do! The lady at the front desk told me that they were just about to close the butterfly exhibit so I had to visit there first; all the many species of beautiful butterflies were fluttering around the leaves, plants, and small ponds… It was an amazing experience to have a butterfly land on my hat as I walked through the exhibit! After the butterfly exhibit I walked around the gardens which were full of so many different flowers, fascinating cactuses, and beautiful trees. During that time of day not a lot of people were there, but most looked like tourists coming to check out the perplexing gardens. This place is a wonderful area to experience a garden full of living museums. It's such a beautiful place to see amazing different plants and lots of historical background on how a plant came to exist! Botanical gardens will always be unique in their own way, they produce so many different plants and create an area of safety in nature. I remember finding a small spot hiding in trees with a small bench in the middle, the bench had beautiful art engraved onto it, which I found to be my most favorite part of the garden.
Maya Hart /// I chose these three images because I love the atmosphere they each bring. The outdoor setting makes these places feel safe, yet creepy with no one occupying them. The main photo inspiration was the club photo, I really wish I could have been able to incorporate colorful light like that. However, I had no colored lights at my disposal here. I wanted to create the feel of openness and calm, while making it look sad when empty. We have a tone of random materials laying around at my house, so I just needed to piece them together. I really just went with the flow and built what came to mind, no planning ahead. I’m rather proud of how the piece turned out. I do still wish I could have added other elements like colored lights, and more building.
Santa Rosa Park, 4.12.20
PLEASE NOTE: For this week also, the assignment will be the same for all classes.
Q4, Week 2 (4/6-4/10)
What are you noticing these days? If you have gone out into the community these past two weeks, undoubtedly, you will have noticed that spaces look and feel different. People are being asked to stay at home, and only venture out for necessary work, food, and medicines. This means that there are not as many people on the roads, on the sidewalks, in the essential stores that are still open. The New York Times published a special section last week that was focused on public spaces around the world. They sent photographers out to capture images of these spaces that are usually filled with people. Today, as almost every country across the globe has implemented measures to limit gatherings to stop the spread of Covid-19, these spaces are empty. For your 2nd assignment: Read this article, from the NYT section that I mentioned above. Then address the following two sections: 1) The author writes: "Thousands of years later, public squares and other spaces remain bellwethers and magnets, places to which we gravitate for pleasure and solace, to take our collective temperature, celebrate, protest." What is a public space that you are missing these days? It could be here in Tucson, or maybe it's a space that you visited once and can remember well, from a trip you took. Write one paragraph about your experience while inhabiting that space. Some questions to consider: Who else was there? Were there lots of people, or only a few? Why do people go there? What makes it unique? What is its purpose? What is the architecture like? What was the most memorable thing about the space? 2) Choose ONE of the photographs in the article. Take your time looking at them and reading the captions. One of them will speak to your heart. Then choose to create a work of art based on that photograph, from the options below: A. Digital or traditional collage Conduct a search online for that same place pictured. Find three different images of that place on a typical day. If you are able (using Google Slides or another program), create an arrangement of those three images PLUS the original image from the NYT. If you would like to print out the images, you can arrange and paste/tape them down onto a piece of paper. (Please note sources of images and send them to me via email.) B. Drawing/painting Create a drawing or painting of your own that is INSPIRED by the photograph you chose. You should be working to create the same mood or feeling that the original photo has. C. Photography Create a place in your home or outside, imagining that it is an actual public space. For instance, you could set up a scene near a tree in the park, that looks like a miniature version of a place where people would gather, using sticks, wood chips, rocks, etc. Use materials that you have in your home or find outside. (Remember when some of you built cities in the art classroom, using any materials that you found? This is a similar idea.) You will be taking TWO photographs of the space. One will show the space being used by many "people"; the other will show the space empty, like in the photographs in the article. You are exercising your imagination here. People could be represented by any object -- pebbles, leaves, Cheerios, etc. If you are showing many people, you will use multiples of the item you chose. From your phone, or computer, send the images to my school email: [email protected]. They are due this Saturday, April 11th at 5pm. I will be posting them on our class skylink page on Sunday. We will get through this. Reach out for support from friends, family or teachers if you need. We are here for you! Your Amabie drawings can be seen here, below, from the photos you shared with me. I arranged them to show the detailed view of the drawing, and then the location that you chose for it.
Let's hope that they, in accordance with their legend, will be able to provide your family with protection during this time when we are sheltered in place. Great work! PLEASE NOTE: For this week only, the assignment will be the same for all classes.
Q4, Week 1 (3/30-4/3)
Artmaking in the age of Covid-19 For the time being, we will not be working in the studio. This means that we will not have access to materials supplied by the school. While this may invite disappointment, I think it affords us the chance to reframe how people around the world -- including students like you! -- can create from the things that you find around you. This is also known as "making art where you are." Making art with the materials you have/find/repurpose makes sense for many reasons, and honors the current global situation, where people are being asked to stay in place, limit their movements, and take a collective pause. Working with what you have means:
By this point in the school year, you know what I believe: that making things from stuff is important. But it's during times like these, when we are being asked to reach inside and pull out our best selves, that making things from stuff is essential, for the soul, for the community, and for the world. Week 1: A graphic novelist/cartoonist friend of mine, David Lasky, shared an article with me that references the legend of the Amabie, which is one type of "Yokai, or 妖怪, strange and supernatural creatures from Japanese folklore. The word is a combination of the characters 妖 (yō) — attractive, bewitching, calamity — and 怪 (kai) — mystery, wonder." I found an explanation on this website, which isn't very comprehensive, but it does contain some interesting imagery. For your first assignment, I would like you to do the following: 1) Read this article about the Amabie legend and tradition of people drawing them at particular times. 2) In the tradition of drawing, and sharing, images of the Amabie, I would like you to create your own version. Make sure that you understand the features that are described in the article -- and then embrace our own artistic license. You are encouraged to be wild or organized, simple or sweet. --On a sheet of paper, draw it in pencil or pen, and add color in some way (colored pencil, marker, watercolor, tea leaves, crushed food scraps... whatever you can find in your home.) --I recommend that you make a few sketches that are different. Get your ideas out in quick gestures, and then work your favorite parts into your final drawing. 3) When your drawing is finished, place or hang it in a public place (inside your house, or outside in the community), where people will be able to see it. Then, using your phone/device, take two photos: --a close-up of the drawing, and --a long view that shows the location where you chose to place it. 4) From your phone, or computer, send the images to my school email: [email protected]. They are due this Friday, April 3rd at 5pm. I will be posting them on our class skylink page over the weekend. Let me know if you have questions via email. Be kind with yourself and others, stay safe, and have fun! |
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