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final portfolio project

For this series, I wanted to replicate the chaos and obscurity of the dream state. In a nightmare, different haunting realities fuse into one, creating a sense of uneasiness and vertigo. I was heavily inspired by the imagery in found footage films because of their unrefined yet natural feeling - just like a dream. For my base images, I used a digital camera from the early 2000s to capture what feels like a time warp away from reality. I overlayed the images with various objects and textures to bring more depth to the composition. Additionally, I took clips from old magazines to make the overall images more illustrative. The contrasting blue and red images symbolize the wide spectrum of dreams and how the mind can conjure anything.

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nam june paik intro

Nam June Paik's love for audio synthesizers and Fluxus performance inspired him to create interesting video projects throughout his artistic career. In the early 1960s, Paik experimented with technology such as analog film and projections to capture his various performances. He took a particular interest in the technology of television and how society is forefronted by the media. The rapid circulation of information through television fascinated Paik and heavily influenced his work. He skillfully synthesized different forms of media technology to communicate with his audiences. I was inspired by his approach to emerging technology during his time. Unafraid to jump into the unknown, Paik used new technology to his advantage and explored new concepts. 

While looking through his work, Bakelite Robot caught my attention immediately. The sculpture has nine orange, red, and black vintage radios connected to make a human silhouette. Small television screens shine through the radios' hollowed-out frames, creating a sense of depth in the robot. The footage he had filmed played on the screens as the robot remained motionless. The sculpture is a reference to the transformation of social culture when domestic entertainment was introduced. He took a moment in history when radios became widely accessible for broadcasting and brought it to life.

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virtual tour

Andy Warhol and Public Life: Distance and Diaspora

A work by Andy Warhol that stood out to me the most would be his series Ladies and Gentlemen. A majority of his work involves the silkscreening process. However, he brought more depth to his art by combining art forms, including expressive painting and distinct brushmarks, along with the silkscreening technique. The intense pops of color in his work drew me into his graphic art style. In Ladies and Gentlemen, Warhol uses these methods to create captivating compositions that speak out about topics that weren't well-liked in society then. He explored ideas of sexuality, identity, and the dramatization of gender through the series. Because of this, Warhol's illustrative art was considered to be too camp for the art world.

After looking through his work, he was heavily influenced by the issues being documented in the media of that time. Warhol often clipped images from newspapers and implemented them into his work using the silkscreen process. By using relevant images in his work, he was able to connect with broad audiences who understood his message. He used new technology to his advantage, exploring new ways of communicating with viewers, especially in his film, Exploding Plastic Inevitable.

Distance and Diaspora brought together the works of four artists, including Jamal Cyrus, Eric Gyamfi, Aida Silvestri, and Zina Saro-Wiwa. Their work collectively speaks about the state of society in the year 2020. Photographing the shared experiences made during the height of the pandemic, these artists captured what it meant to be a community with a lack of social activity. After viewing each artist's interpretation of community, I thought the tour was cohesive and eye-opening. I thought it was interesting how the tour existed across different streets so passersby could easily access the art.

I was especially captivated by the work of Eric Gyamfi. He noted his disinterest in the word "marginalized" in the introduction of his work. He felt that it created a distance between social groups, separating experiences rather than sharing them. He intended to communicate a sense of community by building bridges among groups of people. In his work Just Like Us, he photographs LGBTQ+ people without the context of identity. Because he doesn't introduce the subjects' sexuality, the viewers can question how they see the community. This generates a sense of relatability that he has aimed to achieve. 

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final project proposal

I intend to photograph a series of 4 surreal portraits for my final project. The series will follow a protagonist who's trying to navigate a distorted reality. I was inspired by the striking imagery from the 1963 short film Scorpio Rising. I hope to replicate the dreamlike, hazy feeling Kenneth Anger captured in the film. I plan on using an old digital camera I had when I was younger to photograph my subject. The graininess of the camera quality will be enhanced with the use of flash. This is purposeful because it will heighten the intensity, mirroring Kenneth Anger's style. Separately, I'll take photos of different textures to overlay them in the background while editing.

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reading response #4 - video art

With her interest in media production, Pipilotti Rist became well experienced in the video installation movement that gained popularity in the early 90s. Rist is often called the pioneer of moving-image art. Her work successfully blends television culture with fine art through psychedelic projections and impactful themes. She takes inspiration from pop cultural mediums like advertising and music videos to generate visuals that synthesize technology and sexuality. Rist developed a unique aesthetic that was geared toward feminist video work.

Nam June Paik was an artist from the 80s known for video art that had deliberate distortion effects. His videos looked like they had been tampered with, but in reality, it was purposeful. His use of the medium inspired Pipilotti to take the same risks he did. Using similar techniques, she replicated the unconventional nature of Paik’s work. For example, her single-channel videos showed scrolling lines of static which was one of his trademarks. I like how they utilize the video format in ways that traditional artists would not. Their use of glitches and vibrant colors create engaging imagery that captures the audience's attention. 

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blog prompt #9 - passage

Shot on Ring Doorbell, edited with DaVinci Resolve

The primary goal of this video was to symbolize passage as a literal form of exit and entry while also highlighting the flow of time. My Ring doorbell has captured the ins and outs of my house for years now, archiving fragments of time. I scoured through the many clips the app has downloaded and picked out the most interesting ones. I'd come to realize the interactions made at the doorway of my house would be some of the most wholesome moments between my relatives and me. From times like reluctantly leaving for work to arriving home after a fun night out, the doorbell has recorded it all. While they may be low-quality videos, they captured high-quality moments.

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reading response #3 - artists & photographers

Rosa Menkman is a digital artist who goes beyond the norms of visual arts, using the abstraction of elements as a tool. Bending and warping images, she makes her subjects nearly unrecognizable. Menkman skillfully uses technology to her advantage, implementing all available components the digital software has to offer into her work. I like how her work doesn't have a specific subject at the center of the composition. Interestingly, her finished works are products of accidents made in the process. She flips the narrative of what is to be expected in conventional art forms.

Elena Kulikova has an interesting background that has since influenced her current work as a visual artist. Previously a model and biology student, she took inspiration from her experiences and implemented them into her work. She utilizes themes of beauty, sensuality, and what it means to be human in her art. Using digital manipulation as a tool, she warps images to accentuate the subjects she photographs. She combines the glitch-like effect with elaborate coloring to further emphasize her message. This can be seen best in her exhibition "Digital Decade" from 2016. The pools of purple, pink, and blue draw me into the image.

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blog prompt #8 - joiners, triptych, grid

Shot on iPhone, natural lighting

I wanted to include different perspectives from the car and combine them into one. At one angle, the subject is entering the car from the passenger side. At another angle, the subject is seen exiting from the driver's side. I found it difficult to get the angles right and I tried my best to make the transitions seamless.

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blog prompt #7 - glitch

Shot on iPhone, natural lighting

I decided to isolate the colors on only the pig sculpture to create a glitch effect. On the other hand, the rest of the image remains colorless and in order. To emphasize the rays of sunlight on the ground beneath the sculpture, I highlighted the bursts of orange and yellow.

Shot on iPhone, natural lighting

I split the image into three color channels and transformed how their appearance. I placed rectangles along the hand to help guide the viewers' eyes around the subject. I dispersed colors within negative space to further emphasize the glitch effect.

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reading response #2 - DADA & photomontage

The DADA movement emerged near the tail-end of the first World War. Appalled by the horrors of war and its severe impacts on the people, artists founded an avant-garde movement that turned away from conventional art. The groundwork of the movement was to make anti-art which meant diving into the many ways art can be perceived. Many artists worked with the concepts of irony and satirical messages through their compositions. However, other artists took a more serious approach by utilizing political themes. Several mediums that were popularized during this movement included ready-mades, photomontages, and performance work. Even now, artists are still challenging the expectations of art through the DADA movement with the same mediums. While more recent works don't necessarily include messages that tie back to war, they use the art form as a way to question social norms and politics in general.

I was fascinated by the work done by Hannah Hoch. She carefully pieced together events that were happening in the war and created an impactful composition through photomontages. Clipping images from magazines and newspapers, her work maintained relevancy, especially during that time period. She successfully captured the horrors of the war through numerous images and reconstructed them to convey a message. Compared to her male counterparts, she went into the DADA movement with the hopes of changing the world and its norms. Whether it was gender equity or cultural views, she took those messages in hopes of revolutionizing what it meant to be a woman in the art world.

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blog prompt #6 - photomontage

Shot on iPhone, natural lighting, all photos taken by me

I've implemented imagery of elegance to further portray the conflict between grace and playfulness. Parents tend to have expectations for their children as they grow older, but it is ultimately up to the child to create their individual personality. I believe that no one should be rushed into adulthood, allowing them to move at their own pace.

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blog post #5 - a new thing

Shot on iPhone, natural lighting

Furniture relies on a solid structure to maintain its stability and functionality. In this case, the legs provide support when sitting on a chair. To replace them, I added two colored pencils in their place because of their form.

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blog prompt #4 - visualizing identity

Shot on iPhone, several lamp set-ups

At a young age, I was given this customized jewelry box with my name engraved for my birthday. I always thought that the ornate design of the box never matched my ditzy, animated personality. To contrast these elements, I poured a variety of colored beads into the box. I placed a bracelet I made with my nickname on it to reveal the true reflection of my identity.

Shot on iPhone, natural lighting

Throughout my life, I've always found myself drifting towards different kinds of media as a form of escapism. I desperately cling to my favorite pieces of media as if I belong inside of them. After many years, I've learned to curate my personality surrounding movies, songs, and magazines. I think my identity is reflected in my overconsumption of media.

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blog ex - changing meaning

Shot on iPhone, all using natural lighting

For the initial lighting edit, I adjusted the exposure and contrast to make the sunlight more pronounced. I slightly rotated the image so the lines would parallel in the frame.

For the color edit, I wanted to recreate the feeling of just waking up at sunrise. The intense yellows and greens generate a refreshing tone in the garden. The red-orange tones of the wood create a barrier for the photo. It's like they lead the eyes towards the photo's center.

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reading response #1 - S. Shore

When viewing an image online, the viewer may take one glance and click away. If they're more interested, they could download the image and take a closer look using online tools. However, the photo's quality would likely be reduced in the process. Compared to an online image, a physical copy is perceived more authentically. Prints may decorate a house or appear in an art gallery, meaning there is more intention when a photo is printed. Where a photo is placed determines how it will be experienced by others.

Each element shown in the image's framing plays a significant part in the composition as a whole. While there may be a primary focus, additional visuals help direct the viewers' eyes towards different areas of the photo. Having an element out of frame could allow curiosity to build what may be on the other side. In contrast, having subjects intentionally in the frame encourages viewers to wonder how each of the elements works together in their visual relationships.

I think that fitting as many visual relationships into an image may take more effort but, in turn, makes the composition more meaningful. While it's challenging to find ways to convey a message through framing, I think grabbing viewers' attention is the goal of photography. Finding meaning in a composition is purposeful in that it holds a connection between the photographer and the audience.

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blog post #3 - composition

Shot with iPhone, all using natural lighting

This assignment helped me understand framing and its importance in composition. I found it difficult to figure out how to arrange objects that would make the composition visually interesting.

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blog post #2 - scavenger hunt

Shot with iPhone, all using natural lighting

These elements encourage viewers to thoroughly engage with the composition. Leading lines help guide the viewers' eyes to different parts of the image. Color brings vibrance to the image, making it more interesting to look at.