Artist Inspiration

Krzysztof Wodiczko is a Polish artist who addresses issues of war, trauma, political, social, and psychological issues through large scale public projections.

I saw a short film of his projection on the St.Louis public library- voices of those affected by violent crimes and images of their hands moving as they spoke. I saw this when I took a video installation class with Cynthia Pachikara- and it was the catalyst in my thoughts of social art

This projection deals specifically with military combat and trauma in the war with Iraq and civilian impact. I am drawn to it because of the beautiful use of silhouettes. To me, these silhouettes bring the viewer to a personal level by showing the outline of a human figure, but also leave enough unresolved to bring the viewer to fill in the narrative. They also create a sense of discomfort in the viewer-they seem to be hiding who they are or a story they are holding.

2008, Krzysztof Wodiczko has completed major public projection in Warsaw (organized by the Polish National Theater and the city of Warsaw to commemorate the anniversary of 1968 Polish students upraising

The Poetics of Space

I have started a very dense, concept driven piece- "The Poetics of Space" The ideas surround an individuals interpretation and resistance to a space.

The Poetics of Space

By Gaston Bachelard

The concept of “Inside space”

“The world pulse beats beyond my door.” The idea that inside is a community completely removed from the outside world. They live next door to each other, but are uninvolved with each other. Can we merge them somehow?

What is the Primary function of inhabiting?

“We should therefore have to say how we inhabit our vital space, in accord with all the dialectics of life, how we take root, day after day, in a “corner of the world”.

-where you are/where you dwell is your corner of the world

What past dwells there?

The sheltered being has perceptible limits to his/her space

-topoanalysis-systematic psychological study of bits of our intimate lives

-how does one achieve space?

-how does one achieve silence?

-how do we inhabit our vital space- how does this change when our vital space becomes a hospital or prison?

-what is the importance of ownership of space and silence?

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Panopticism

In tandem with making things, I think it is important to do a little reading/research on architecture and space. My thought is that the new knowledge from the articles will serve as fodder for the "making" brainstorming. By understanding a method, I will be able to rethink and re-envision it.

Notes on Panopticism by Foucault

-Began end of 17^th century

-segmented, immobile, frozen space

-in a fixed place in which the slightest movements are supervised, in which all events are recorded

-power is excercised without division

-what characterizes him, what happens to him

-ritual of exclusion

-multiple separations, individualizing distributions, an organization in depth of surveillance and control, an intensification and ramification of power

-the practice of rejection

-the forcing of a “pure community” “disciplined society” by controlling relationships and separating our “dangerous mixtures

-function according to a double mode-

-that of binary division and branding (dangerous/harmless) (normal/abnormal)

-differential distribution (who he is, where he must be, how he is to be characterized, how he is to be recognized, how a constant surveillance is to be exercised over him))

http://www.good.is/post/look-art-therapy-for-a-city-on-the-mend/

I've been thinking about art in social settings- used to draw attention or start conversations about architecture and its social implications for an urban area or for the people and relationships inside it.

This article is about a group called Broken City Lab and works as a artist led urban improvement group- art therapy for a city.

I love the idea of public art on buildings as a way to bring stories from the inside-to the outside. Architecture can often serve as a shield, a screen enclosing lives.

Mountain Sketches

This summer I spent 4 weeks in Wyoming taking History and Literature of the Rocky Mountains. I sat around the campfire, slept in tents, cooked food over fires, read books, and hiked with 15 peers and 2 professors. These are a few sketches I did while I was there.

Artist Inspiration

Nancy Spero
Leon Golub
Julie Mehretu
Egon Schiele

Previous Project- Woodcut Series

Through an independent study, I produced a series of woodcut prints. I cut, collaged, and paired with oil painting the prints. I experienced both the materials in oil painting and printmaking in new ways by using them together.

Previous Project- Origami Bedside Art

Last year, I collaborated with the staff in the Gifts of Art Program at the University Hospital to create an origami kit that patients could use to create simple origami designs while in the hospital. We researched the process and benefits of origami. We also tested the kits with patients and received feedback.

I hand drew the steps to the chosen origami designs. The kits are now in use in the program.