joannaceja

[joannaceja]

Google slide zines

^ Theme Project Zine

^ Scavenger Hunt Zine

^ Final Project Zine

Thank you for such an awesome class! Have a merry christmas and a happy new year!

-Joe

[joannaceja]

Photography Final Project

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Research Photography Posts 1-8

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Proj Proposal 2

For this project proposal, I decided to expand more on my last project which emphasized showing emotions without human subjects. The sense of feeling without being obvious about it. For this project, however, I wanted to be more specific about what kind of subjects I took pictures of. Instead of capturing a symbolic meaning in how I directed my subjects, I want to capture human interactions without there being actual people. To be even more concise, I want to direct a photoshoot using clothing and items directed in a way that typically resembles a human form but without there being a human. It could be approached in a day-to-day routine, or a more daytime-to-night life routine, etc. Going out to downtown Fresno for a more nightlife feel. I haven't decided on what approach would be more interesting to document and direct but that's the basis of my project. I want these images to feel like we're watching a moment in time where identity and character is captured without focusing on the features of the subject. An idea of what kind of person they are based on where they are, how they dress, and the setting. I want to capture the inanimate animate feelings.

[joannaceja]

Theme Project

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Project Prop

For this proposal, i decided to photograph images that don't hold any human subjects but physical objects that give a sense of "feeling". In some way, I want to show how we give objects feelings and how we perceive these objects as symbolizing a feeling. Similar to how certain images give certain feelings, I want to organize a photoshoot that pays more attention to how different colors/lightning/composition work can change the feel of an image entirely. I am not sure how I will approach it since it is a work in progress but I intend to photograph this subject because it interests me as a person how I can capture the feeling I want everyone else to feel. Which would prove difficult but the learning process is something I think would help me tremendously as an artist. I want people to feel what I see. I will play a lot with lightning and stuff to really enhance the feelings I want to show.

I want my audience to walk away feeling like they see raw human emotion displayed as objects. Because we more often than not hold some type of emotional attachment to objects we use every day, so showing how intense these feelings can become when it comes to pure emotion placed on an inanimate object would be interesting.

[joannaceja]

Elements of Design

Point: The point is the focus of something visual. It is the first thing that draws the attention of the viewer.

Line: Lines divide spaces and draw the eyes to specific places.

Texture: It is a 3-D appearance captured in 2D form.

Shape: Shapes are emphasized by the differing elements that are unique to their structure.

Color: Colors simulate the kind of story based on how they react to each other.

Value: Values are the lightest or darkest element can be captured and/or enhanced.

Form: Form is the overall shape that is captured in its space.

Space: The silhouette of an image that stands out in comparison to its surroundings.

Principles of Design:

Balance: The weight of elements in a composition that is structured either symmetrical or asymmetrical.

Proportion: The relationship of the sizes in differing objects.

Pattern:: An arrangement of repeated/alternative elements.

Emphasis: One element being given importance rather than the whole.

Variety: Different elements together that creates interest in compositions.

Movement: Arrangement of the viewer's eye through the composition.

Unity: The elements and principles cohesively working together to give the piece a harmonious appeal.

Rhythm: Repetition of organized flow and movement.

Edited

[joannaceja]

photoassignment 2

[joannaceja]

Weekend Photo Story

Caption: Objects in mirror are closer than they appear

Caption: Two Ton Trucks

Caption: Barren Territory

Caption: Liz on Edge

Caption: Squinty Eyes

Caption: Auto Focus

Caption: Go Ahead

Caption: Post Stop

Caption: One Way

Caption: Homey Feeling

[joannaceja]

Hello Art 30!

Hi hello my name is Joanna. I'm an animation major.

(I have a like 2 inches of hair now but I thought this would be funny to put)

I want to keep it short and simple, I don't really interact much in class but that's usually just the case of burnout from a long day. That's what 3 hour classes back to back does to you, ya know? Regardless, I take pictures but not enough for it to be a hobby, usually when I see a funny license plates or something.

My goals for now are to graduate ASAP, which is this upcoming spring semester. Almost at that landmark so I'm super stoked for that change in my livelihood. I like to watch shows and read picture books. But I mostly like drawing/illustrating stuff so that's how most of my day goes. That is all. BYEBYE :3

[joannaceja]

Artist Statement

I've touched many mediums during my journey of self-discovery and allowed art to take up most of my time during my childhood. Having the time to dedicate myself to my craft for years, it was inevitable that I would eventually pursue a career in the creative field. But because art is defined in almost anything we come in contact with, I just didn't know what to pick and choose from. So I decided to become a jack of all trades. My degree is B.A. Animation, but it doesn't define my entire career pathway. The pen is an extension of myself, and as an artist, I am allowed to draw on any surface I desire to. Anything ranging from small scribbles to large marks on the page defines only the moment, not the whole story. And the story is constantly shifting. Because I am an artist.

[joannaceja]

Artist Biography

Born in the city of Ventura, I grew up in Delano, CA in a small town. Since moving out of my parents and living in solitude with my roommates, I am in a constant search for positive changes in my life. I currently attend Fresno State and wait until the day I can finally graduate and reach for the moon. I want to use my degree as a foothold in the industry but want to eventually create my own personal projects for the long term. My ideal would be to work at home doing what I love the most.

[joannaceja]

Resume & Animation Portfolio

1st link is my resume.

2nd link is my animation portfolio.

Below are references to my artwork.

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Arts n Crafts

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Art styles Development

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Commission Artwork

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Essay 2

Joanna Ceja 

Dr. McCoy 

MCJ 175 

May 19, 2022 

Stereotypes: Black Buck and Asexual Asian 

In today’s society, a vast majority of people use stereotypes, a widely held but fixed generalization of a particular type of person or thing. There are many kinds of stereotypes for race, gender, sexual orientation, social class, age etc. The categorization of such groups makes it easier for society to predict norms in our day to day lives. It is often used to quickly identify and generalize people we see every day, having acquired these views from multiple institutions. It is prominently vivid in institutions like schools, churches, childhood upbring, and social media. The homogenization of these characteristics deprive individuality within a person, operating with certain notions and mental schemas that have been consistently shaping our view over time. Stereotyping has long history with creating barriers that prevent a nuanced way of thinking, the cultural fixations that were meant to be placed on a certain group considered to be “universally valid”.  

Stereotyping, as previously stated, is consistently used to marginalize a specific group of people as means to justify certain preconceived notions. In the 19th century, the stereotyping of Blacks and women were used to “[bolster] the sense of superiority [, validating] an existing social order or cultural hierarchy” made specifically for the white man (Pickering 7).  Race, gender, and sexuality are generally the types of stereotypes that are most accentuated when it comes to categorizing someone; paired along with the consideration of when and where to apply this stereotype at a particular setting. This is especially true when accessing the history of racism and sexism in the last centuries and how it is currently playing a huge role in deciding the way American society and hierarchy is functioning now.  

For this essay, I will be talking about two predominately old-age racial stereotypes: Black Buck, or more nuanced “Black Rapist”, and the Asexual Asian male. The Black Rapist was used to categorized black men as primitive savages that had “the urge to rape white women” to enlist “the great white fear that every black man longs for a white woman” (Morse 68). The Asexual Asian man stereotype desexualizes Asian male and deems them undesirable even to Asian women; despite being the “model minority”, they are more than often compared to eunuchs, castrated males. Black buck is a sex-crazed, dangerous male while the asexual Asian is desexualized and undesired; Asian male actors were rarely considered sex icons (McCoy Lecture 11, 2). I considered these terms to suit well in comparing and contrasting minorities who were and still are being categorized by modernized, age-old stereotypes. The intersection in racial, sexual, and gender is “conditioned by sociological, biological, and anthropological sciences by the dominance of liberal ideology” (Morse 69).  

The Black Buck (Rapist) stereotype, a “violent, black sexual predator” that is “sexual, dangerous, and impulsive” came to fruition and was introduced in Birth of a Nation, a film that narrated an American Society ran by black men; they played on fears of the white audiences to serialize the idea that American society is in danger if black men came to power (McCoy Lecture 9, slide 20). This reinforcement of the white American world view provided rationale for the enslavement of blacks, not to mention segregation and other inequalities in education, employment, and housing (McCoy Lecture 9, Slide 5). The rationale behind the creation of the Black Buck (Rapist) is what I assumed to be another way to legitimize the lynching of the Black man; in congruence with establishing another means to keep up the racial status quo. Forged from racial, gendered, and sexualized social structures, black stereotypes paved way into discourse every time a white supremacist racial order is threatened (Morse 74). As outdated as it is, the concept of Black Buck, a black man who yearns for white women, is still prevalent in today’s time.  

However, the primordial reasoning behind the use of Black Buck isn’t held true in modern society in terms of being used to justify lynching. It is, however, used for a certain quota in a dominate part of media: the Porn Industry. Interracial porn intertwines sexism and racism, a controversial yet popular viewership in the industry.  The fetishization of interracial porn and the racist nature of the overall subgenre is concerning, especially with the previous mentioned Black Buck term; it is almost like we have modernized the term in ways that “suits” our current society. More often than not, porn companies are very selective on the number of times their white actresses are allowed, if any at all, to star with black porn actors and often are paid more in commission fee because of it; it does not help the fact that black actors/actresses can rarely find roles/gigs that are not racially targeted, such as aggressive behavior and/or dominance over white women/black actresses being overpowered by white men.  

The Asexual Asian Male stereotype has been historically depicted as being smaller in stature and having more “feminine/delicate” nature as opposed to Western men, as well as being less desirable and unable to have romantic/sexual relations (McCoy Lecture 11, Slide 12). This stereotype was mainly expressed in secondary Asian actor roles, either for comic relief or a side kick (The Take 1:01-1:20).  Hollywood has history in underrepresenting all Asian people as multifaceted. Popular tropes were often falling into “yellowface”, white men dressed as Asian men, to which mocks Asians with broken English and their inability to assimilate into American culture (The Take 1:40-1:59). Another ideology they fall behind in the model minority: competitive but lacking creativity, goal-oriented but lacking in charm/humor, hardworking but lacking in sex appeal; they were never established a romantic interest (Johnson 32). The desexualization of Asian men is still present to this day, often times reverting back to old tropes even with actual Asian actors playing their respective role.  

There has been effort to represent Asians in media accordingly in media, but the realistic view here is that it has become such a paradox movement that it has become normal for Asian men to degrade themselves due to the stereotypes held on them. An example being the ideal “Asian” type that western woman seem to prefer, such as K-pop idols; this makes it especially hard when the “competitive market” in dating for within their race seems to be against said idol standards as well. Social media tends to favor baby-faced Asian men/women, pretty boys and girls, etc. The favorability of Asian women and the fetishizations made outside of their race increases “competition”. Pairing this much and the asexual Asian male stereotype, the modern Asian male is generally more likely to feel emasculated and pressured; this concedes with the trope that Asian men being seen as “feminine”, being “undesired” by women because of the multitude of categories they consistently go against.  

There are certain times where my faith in humanity being able to progress far beyond the scope of race, gender, and sexuality is slowly recuperating and progressing. But when things like lifting the abortion law and the recent terrorism that is constantly plaguing easily accessible media, it gets harder and harder to envision such an idealized society. From the amount of research, I have gathered about stereotypes within the minority groups, and the sheer amount of influence certain industries and platforms carry, I do not feel hopeful that we will ever reach a place as a society where we are no longer bound by them. So many cases based on stereotypes alone, along with the volume of how media plays a role in educating, there’s only so much one can do in becoming a progressive society. Maybe over the course of a millennium, but I feel as though it is beyond our nature to really consider unifying one singular ideology together as humans. There will always be something to fix with the “more progressive” we strive to be. Educating the younger generation could suffice, but the gradual breakage away from these stereotypes is a long procedural process that requires systemic change.  

​​Works Cited​ 

 McCoy, Kelly. Lecture 9 & 11. Fresno State: Canvas & IT 288, 2022. Web. 

Morse, Jason H. Promiscuous Contextualities: Race, Gender, Sexuality, and the Problem of the Stereotype in the Politics of Representation. University of Washington: Department of English, 2013. Web. 

Johnson, Laura Renee. Asian and Asian American Representations in American Film, Washington University: Western CEDAR, 2004. Web.  

The Take, “The Asexual Asian Man”. YouTube, uploaded by The Take, 12 Aug. 2021, https://youtu.be/2k82hlqd1Os