Assignments

CLAIRE SHERWOOD FIVE AND FIVE

April 2nd, 2014

1. Claire uses a lot of dessert and dessert looking objects. I wonder if she was a pastry chef at some point.

2. Claire's creative use of blacks and whites creates contrast as well as texture to add to the success of her pieces.

3. "Perfect" was one of my favorite pieces. It created a metaphorical contrast with the content of the words and the imperfection of the woman's face. Though it confused me at first, I began to understand the deeper meaning and grew an appreciation for the underlying meaning of such a simple video.

4. "Coal and Flour" was experimental to say the least, however, I can see the potential of it with some editing to really emphasize the conflict between black and white, especially in contrast with the green grass.

5. Claire's frosted series was a bit disturbing, however, I can appreciate the artistry of it. It covers the face and covers the emotion of the subject yet delivers a sort of aesthetic that makes each individual interesting.

1. Were you at one point a pastry chef? Do you have an interest in culinary arts? How does taste play into your pieces?

2. I noticed you had a lot of photos of your children, do you have a particular reason for using children as the subject?

3. What was your motivation behind "Begin"? Were you trying to make a statement?

4. As a filmmaker, what would you say is your primary theme or genre?

5. I really liked "365 shirts". What were your intentions for this piece? Where did you get all of these shirts? What was your process for selecting them? What did you do with them after you were done with them?

JASON HACKETT FIVE AND FIVE

March 5, 2014

1. Are you religious? Why the use of religious imagery? Do you mean to make a statement or simply like the aesthetic of it?

2. What is the most difficult material that you've had to work with?

3. Do you work primarily with found materials or do you create your own?

4. Is working with glass and ceramic dangerous? Have you had any instances in which there was a huge accident?

5. I noticed that hands and feet are a reoccurring theme. Is there a story behind this? Which do you prefer: hand or feet?

1. Some of the taller sculptures look like abstract trophy's. It helps to add meaning to the work.

2. "Hourglass" uses two textures, rough and smooth, in an interesting fashion in which they contrast but still work in unity.

3. There are a few instances in which Hackett hides the face of the figures in his sculptures. This is slightly reminiscent of Dali's paintings and I believe the choice to cover the face adds a great deal of mystery and intrigue to the pieces.

4. The artists layers objects in a non-traditional fashion. This confuses me but also adds an element of originality and style that I think works quite well.

5. SOme of the taller pieces, such as "laborer", create a sense of tension because they appear to be so fragile and easily knocked over. This is highly successful, especially in the case of "Laborer" because of the fragility of the subject and the expectation of destruction.

TIM RODA FOLLOW-UP

February 26, 2014

     I thoroughly enjoyed our Skype conversation with Mr. Roda. First, he both satisfied my expectation of the man behind the camera as well as surprised me with little peeks into his life. His personality was intriguing and entertaining, maintaining my attention the whole time. He also opened with a short introduction, and within that introduction, he answered the majority of my questions and re-assured my observations. For example, I wrote that there was a cinematic quality to his photographs. Immediately, he let us know that he has had an interest in film and has been influenced to a certain degree by it. As a filmmaker, I really enjoyed hearing about the staging and intent behind his pieces. I also have been in situations where i had to improvise (like the honey comment) and I enjoy hearing about people's happy mistakes, which he seemed to be quite proud of. Overall, I felt like our conversation with Mr. Roda completed my understanding of the artist and his work, something that I look forward to doing again.

TIM RODA OBSERVATIONS & QUESTIONS

February 26th 2014

1. A lot of the black and white photos remind me of clips from a Georges Melies film or something from the early days of cinema

2. The artist uses a lot of sticks or long skinny objects such as brooms or poles

3. I loved "Family Construction," the staging of the scenes are abstract but at the same time universal and accurately portrays the intention.

4. The lighting and shadows create dimension and dramatic mood

5. Though many of the photos were taken in the modern age, many feel antique, like old family photos

1. What is the message behind "Good and Plenty"?

2. Are the children in the photos your own children or models?

3. Is there a story to "Games of Antiquities" or are they separate pieces?

4. Do you paint al of the paintings featured in your photos? How about the sculptures?

5. Why do many of the photos depict family situations? Is it satirical? Autobiographical? Historical?

PRE-ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE

February 24th 2014

            This is a picture of a grocery store with many shelves, stocked with a variety of items from cleaning supplies to soda, cereal to shampoo, cat and dog food, and even cleaning supplies. There are two people subtly shopping in the right side of the photograph. The picture has an emotionally impact based on comparison to the rest of the world. The overwhelming effects of the overabundance that is (presumably) in America or some developed commercialized country causes the viewer to be stressed, guilty, or concerned about their status in comparison to those less fortunate. The narrative effects of the photograph would have to be something along the line of consumerism and commercialism. The picture tells us that the shelves must have been recently stocked and leads the viewer to assume the shelves would be cleared soon after. Much like the calm before a storm, the perfectness and serenity of the photo creates expectations for disaster. It also causes the viewer to become hungry or begin to crave some of the items on the shelf. It is possible that this piece is a commentary on the recession, depicting an overabundance of items and very few consumers readily available to purchase (The two figures in the right could possibly be the one percent, perusing the shelves without competition). It even suggests the unnecessary variety of products available in stores, which is confusing and oftentimes unneeded.

COLOR ASSIGNMENT

BLUE

This specific shade of blue (Panthone Ethereal Blue, as named by Valspar Paint www.valsparpaint.com) resonates with me on several levels. First, it reminds me of the ocean. I was once told. "If you're lucky enough to live by the sea, you're lucky enough." I could elaborate for hours about my emotional and spiritual connection with the ocean but that could easily become a novel. Instead, I'll just summarize by saying the ocean, and consequentially this color, brings me joy and relaxation. It also reminds me of spring and summer. Coming from Minnesota, a place where 7 degree weather is considered a heatwave, I cherish the warm beautiful days and blue is the color of clear skies and sunny days. Overall, blue is the one color that emulates life and happiness. Blue is relaxing and contrastingly exciting. Unlike any other color in the rainbow, blue represents the pleasantness of the world, the vibrance of existence, and the promise of serenity.

"NOTICE WHAT YOU SEE"

1.It looks hand painted

2. It has metallic gold designs on it

3. There are crystals attached to it

4. There are holes in it

5. The base is detachable

6. The sun reminds me of a puppet show I went to one time

7. There are five holes in total

8.The sun's mouth is open

9. Its got beads attached to the top

10. Theres a piece of glue attaching a piece on its bottom

11. There is a roof

12. Its discolored

13. Its face is not symmetrical

14. The sun has swirly beams coming from it

15. The swirly beams look like sperm cells

16. It has a twin

17. Its not painted on the inside

18. It has a naturey personality

19. The paint has a rough texture

20. It's a cylinder

21. Its got clay on the chimney

22. The price tag is still on it (24.99)

23. It was handcrafted in Jamaica

24. The color reminds me of "Shrek"

25. Its shaped like a piece of bamboo

26. There are cracks on the roof

27. Is the sun sucking or blowing?

28. The height of the roof panels is about 8.4 cm

29. The length of the wood panels is  of the roof panels is exactly 8.5 cm

30. The chimney looks like the top of a bottle

31. It is made of wood

32. The chimney is 4 cm

33. The diameter of the chimney is 1.1 cm

34. The entire thing is about 10.3 in

35. The lips are very realistic

36.The sun has cheekbones

37. I wonder if the stones are spiritual stones

38. The more I look at it, the more it seems like a magical object

39. The height of the base is 3 cm

40. The diameter of the base is 8.5 cm

41. The color would best be described as "lime green"

42. There are little circles engraved on the bottom of the base.

43. There are four stones

44. I notice that the eyes are shaped like diamonds

45. The chimney is made of a wooden straw

46. The nose looks quite real

47. You could probably fit about 6 lab mice in it

48. But you probably shouldn't

49. The bottom looks reminds me of sewage

50. I could imagine it as an ancient relic of something

51. You can fit one pen in its mouth

RYAN HORVATH 5 OBSERVATIONS/QUESTIONS

1. I would describe the pieces as a blend of industrial and natural but overall grungy and rustic

2. I love "Penguins", the arrangement and the uniqueness of the industrial sculptures is representational and intriguing

3. Some of the chunk pieces look like cheese. There's a certain food-like quality to them.

4. "Sandbox" would have to be one of my favorites. It represents a clever visual pun as well as intriguing texture and craftsmanship.

5. I really like the reoccurring armadillo sculptures. An armadillo shell is a unique and rarely explored biological occurance

1. Why does "Heeling Tongues" list " artist's tongue and spit" as the medium?

2. How long was the "PMS" sculpture on display/observed?

3. What is a "chunk"?

4.What type of subjects inspire you as a photographer?

5. Do you shoot spontaneously or is it a more intentional process?