Wk16-Classmate Conversation-Jing Huan Ooi

Hi guys! Last time doing artist/classmate convos! My classmate conversation buddy is named Jing. She’s an electrical engineering major because she wants to see the money! She transferred here from Malaysia and is currently a junior. Jing misses home sometimes, but she loves the colder weather, Malaysia is near the boarder so it’s always hot. While she has a sister, Jing currently lives with her boyfriend. She’s half Chinese and half Malaysian, lives in LA and is 20 years old. She loves reading (horror stories), cooking, swimming (although she says that the water back home was better because it was less salty), and watching Korean dramas. If you want to learn more about Jing, here’s her website! FNU Ooi Jing Huan Bye! Thank you!

 

Wk-16 Artist Conversation-Nancy Young

Exhibition Information

Artist: Nancy Young
Exhibition: As The Crow Flies
Media: Metal, Wood, Printing, Sand
Gallery: CSULB School of Art, Dennis W. Dutzi Gallery
Website: none
Instagram: none

About the Artist

Nancy Young is currently a programer for the County of Orange. Back when she was in CSULB, she had an issue of substance abuse and was placed on probation, was working, and had the struggle of  being bipolar. She ended up taking a long break from school until she decided to go back and get her degree. Currently she enjoys working on her art, listening to music, and taking care of her dog.

Formal Analysis

Most of Nancy’s works are the illustration of crows. Since a lot of her art pieces are printed, the color black is a common factor in each of her pieces. Silver, dreary grays, and neutral colors also are themes in her style. While the outer layers of the works appear smooth, the actual images are presented in a rough, cold atmosphere.

 

Content Analysis

I believe that Nancy’s exhibition of the crow is meant to reflect herself as a person. Having the issues of substance abuse and the difficulties of being bi polar during her educational years, Nancy had to drop out with failing grades. The crow represents her attempts to find places where she belongs, rushing around empty looking areas for things that interest her and just for a place to clear her mind. As she has now hopefully resolved her issues, she can now reflect upon her past with positivity.

Synthesis / My Experience

I found Nancy’s work to be comforting because I understand the obstacles of her past. While I myself am very fortunate to not have those issues, I believe everyone has a moment in their life where they question if they are in the best place for them or if they belong somewhere else. For most of my life I had wanted to move to Ireland. The weather, the people, and the lifestyle just seemed so much more appealing to me because I did not enjoy the place I was at in the moment. However, after meeting my friends and growing attached I have had fear of leaving because I now had something to lose. Yet again, in this world where time changes, sometimes you have to just do whats best for you, explore, get a taste of what you’re missing, and see if this is really the world that you want to spend the rest of your life in. Sometimes you must spread your wings and fly.

 

Wk-14 Sketching in the Garden

Hi guys! Last blog post here, *wipes away tear. This week we went to the garden to sketch and take pictures. I really enjoyed this experience and found it to be very peaceful. It was really nice to sit around with friends, laugh, and draw some of the nature around us. I took three abstract pictures and three regular pictures, then did the same with drawing. For the abstract drawings, they were really fun to do because it could really  be anything you want. One I did of an odd fish, and the other two I did to represent sight and speech, I often drew more mouths than ears to symbolize that a lot of people tend to talk without listening. The other pictures I drew were of a duck, a tree with a chair, and of the fish swimming in the water. It was really entertaining to capture a sense of motion in the pictures, with the fish and water moving, the tree blowing in the wind, and the duck speeding to its companions. Thank you for reading! I hope you have an amazing summer and overall a wonderful life.

 

Extra Credit The Secret Lives of Tumblr Teens

I just finished reading “The Secret Lives of Tumblr Teens” by Elspeth Reeve. The article told about the growth of tumblr and how many kids under the age of 18 were actually able to make large amounts of money by simply posting jokes on this website. Initially I was very proud that tumblr was able to have such popularity. While I don’t have a tumblr myself, many friends of mine do and I see many of the posts through Facebook. I respected that social media in that it was made simply to offer people a chance to express themselves without forcing them to expose their real believes to those around them in fear of being judged. I was amazed to find out however, that certain people were able to gain sponsors from their popularity and earn money through this system. The possibilities are exiting, however I feel as though it kind of robs the site from its true purpose, and that is to be able to connect with others and show people that there are people who feel the same way. By showing viewers that their “social awkwardness” is relatable, tumblr allows for a sense of safety and comfort. I feel as though putting a price on this experience cheapens it, and that not everything should be made for a profit. Initially, I found the stories of Pizza, Lilley, and Greenfield amusing, however it kind of bothered me later on when I found out that the two “nerds” as the author called them, found things they thought were relatable online and posted about it, rather than actually relating to the situation themselves. It’s disappointing to me that they changed their posts and structures for the approval of others, not only the content, but the actual structure by learning to make the second line longer. Writing should be natural, and for the writer, not manipulated to evoke the most responses from the audience. Additionally they responded to “hate”posters because they received more responses from them than “loyal”posters. On top of this, they purposely included typos in their works to create an uproar and gain more popularity. I find it ridiculous that people now think that it’s popular to strive on “awkward social situations”. This style has become so popular that many people often pretend to have those issues simply to stay within the crowd when they really don’t have them at all. Literally, insecurities are now the social trend. How the times change. I myself did not gain any ideas from this article, I will continue to avoid technology and social media like the plague and will learn how to make my money elsewhere, rather than trying to feed off of gaining likes and the approval of others for the rest of eternity.

Wk13-Art Care Package

Hey guys! For this week we had  to make an Art Care package for our class. The person I drew from the hat is named Meng Chu. In my package I included some scrapbooking pieces, a couple of drawings I made when I was little, a flower, a stone, a pinecone-like thing, and a plastic deer.  I wouldn’t know much how this project is related to snapchat because I don’t have one, additionally  I am very annoyed that this course continuously attempts to force me to conform to current societal apps and online media. However, I believe that what it would want me to say is that it is similar because they are both sending something thought out to someone else. It is different because I have no emotional attachment to the person, it is not a picture of my face, I believe that receiving something with no knowledge of what it is about or affiliation to the objects makes it useless and garbage to the person receiving it, and additionally I seriously doubt anyone will respond to it because we are told to do this project for points and it is not out of our own personal idea to do it. I do think objects gain value over time, but only if you care about the person who is giving it to you. For instance if you gave me something that’s been in your family for years, I would  respect that it has that timeline, however I would not personally want it because it does not relate to me. If it were my family however, it would mean a lot to me and I would never give it away. I don’t believe art is really respected or appreciated anymore. Many people neglect trying to see the meaning behind the work, and rather view it as a tourist attraction to simply be able to say they have seen it. It doesn’t matter how many people have seen a piece, what matters is the point of the piece and what it’s trying to say. When you receive pictures quickly, it is better because you can respond quicker and it allows you to have an ongoing conversation and it’s easier to not get bored or tired of it. When it’s slower, such as by mail, it can be better because it feels more personal and that there’s more effort in it. You can make a “meal with love” in a sense because the more time that is put in it the more effort and the more the meal is worth, in a personal sense. The ACP is much more personal than a snapchat because I think snapchat is pretty stupid. I find it only as a source of sending careless pictures, often associated with narcissism because it’s usually just pictures of the holder of the phone attempting to look as attractive as possible to impress the other person, or as ugly as possible to again impress the receiver, while an ACP offers someone to keep something that won’t vanish in a matter of seconds. Looks fade, snapchat will one day fade (hopefully sooner than later), but objects and personality can last a lifetime.

Wk13-Classmate Conversation-Aaron Del Rosa

 

Hi everyone! For this week I interviewed our classmate Aaron Del Rosa. His Major is Psychology and he is currently a first year student. He loves eating sushi, playing video games, taking polaroid pictures, swimming, hanging out with friends, messing around on social media, and his favorite band is Fall Out Boy! Currently he’s working at the Horn Center on campus, but he used to actually work at a movie theater. He’s planning so far to go to law school after he graduates here. He has one older sister, and as of the moment he is really excited to start next semester! For more information on Aaron feel free to check out his website, Aaron Dela Rosa. Thank’s for reading!

Wk13-Artist Conversation-Nick Bamford

 

Exhibition Information

Artist: Nick Bamford
Exhibition: Untitled 
Media: Foam Objects, Plaster, Cement, Wood
Gallery: CSULB School of Art, Max L. Gatov Gallery East
Website: N/A
Instagram: @nickbamf4d

About the Artist

Nick Bamford is an undergrad here at CSULB. He plans to graduate this semester and then apply to a graduate school. He’s always enjoyed art and drawing since he was a child, and he is majoring with an MFA for Ceramics. He was born up north but grew up in Huntington beach, and has one younger sister who is an accountant. He also plays the guitar.

Formal Analysis

This exhibit was actually glow in the dark. There were many bright vibrant colors on top of what looked like many unique but common objects such as a flag, a fan, a shopping cart, and a bird cage. The entire exhibit gave off a very Mad Max vibe in that it offered a chaotic yet wildly interesting style. 

Content Analysis

Nick himself stated that his artwork was meant to take objects out of their context and place them all together to form a new concept. His favorite piece is one with a shopping cart amongst it. I believe his artwork represents humanity’s chaotic lifestyle. That even though these are simply objects that we would normally see in another environment, they are all placed together to work as one unit. The structures additionally seem to branch out, as if they are like a tree. He may have not meant to display this message, but I can take it as if he is trying to show that the insanity of humanity is now becoming nature, taking over our world and replacing the one we once knew. 

Synthesis / My Experience

I really enjoyed this piece because of it’s unique structure. I meantioned earlier that the artwork looked like the movie Mad Max, where ironically all the new forms of technology and all of these items that would normally be considered useful, are used simply for its wild and outrageous effect. It’s essentially exciting in that it offers a sense of rebellion and disorder. Additionally, the piece with a fan blowing on a flag brings forth the idea of a revolution or a war. The glowing itself mimics the sensation of a warmth within, as if the structure provides shelter from the darkness surrounding it. The eye on the shopping cart also can represent our unnesessary human desire for owning things and objects, the objects themselves are ultimately useless.  

Wk 12 – Geocatching

Hi guys! For this week our mission was to try Geocatching! I had never heard of this system before but it’s actually really cool! Geocatching is basically like a little online treasure hunt, but you have to replace the stuff you take with other stuff so someone else can find it next. I had initially thought that this project was going to be easy, I love this kind of stuff, but it turns out, it was not so much. I went with my friends Dot and Symone to try to find a Geocatch that was on campus. That utterly failed. We ended up looking for one for 30 minutes and no luck. The hint was “Slow and Steady Wins the Race” so we had thought maybe it was near the handicap sign, but eventually we had to give up. I then tried with Dot another 3 times so a total of 4 and we had literally no luck. I think some muggle must’ve found them and kept it because we kept looking for ones that were unfortunately extra small. Down below is a picture of how painfully close we were without getting anywhere. 

Not finding one wasn’t going to keep us from planting one! Dot and I ended up planting our geocatch very close to the place where we couldn’t find the other one. So if you guys want to find it here are the coordinates!

And here are some pictures of where the place looks like, including Dot and I being there. 

Overall I really did enjoy this experience. Even though we didn’t find any catches, it was really fun hiking around trying to find them! I’m going to actually keep geocatching now, I really want to find some! It was so interesting to realize that there was this whole world of hidden objects that I never knew about. The hint for our geocatch is “halfway up!” although I think the pictures speak for itself. Good luck geocatching guys! Hope you find something cool!

 

Wk12-Classmate Convo-Bianca Dominguez

Hey guys! For this week I interviewed Bianca Dominguez. She’s19 years old a first year at CSULB and is currently undeclared. Eventually she hopes to get into nursing. She wants to be a nurse because she enjoys helping people and doubts that the medical field can ever really get boring! Her older sister actually works as a surgical recovery technition (she retrieves organs for donation) and she really loves her job, which also helped Bianca go toward a nursing degree. While Bianca currently doesn’t have a job she’s planning to get one this summer. Along with her sister, Bianca has two poodle dogs at home, one named Romeo and the other Lola! She loves to hang out with her family and friends, seeing new places, checking out things on YouTube, and sleeping (don’t we all!). To learn more about her feel free to check out her link! Bianca Dominguez

Wk12-Artist Conversation-Tiffany Le

Exhibition Information

Artist: Tiffany Le
Exhibition: Tàu 
Media: Canvass, Print, Paper, LED Lights, Pipes, Watercolor, Acrylic, Ink, Charcoal
Gallery: CSULB School of Art, Dennis W. Dutzi Gallery
Website: http://letealeaf.prosite.com
Instagram: @letealeaf

About the Artist

Tiffany was born and raised in Garden Grove, California. He parents had escaped from Vietnam so that she could live here in the United States. Tiffany had an interest in art since she was 3 years old, then she joined an after school program that allowed her to further her interest. She is going to graduate in May with an MFA for illustration.

Formal Analysis

Her artwork consists of many different types of watercolor and prints upon canvass and paper. The color black, yellow, and red are a common factor in her pieces.  Many of her illustrations include water, and while there are many swirls, the overall pictures appear rough and dangerous. Many of the pictures include smoke or foamy water to convey a sense of confusion. The pictures can be found at the bottom of the page.

Content Analysis

Tiffany’s works are meant to bring awareness to the difficulties of her parents. The year 1974 was when the largest immigration of her people to the U.S. occurred. She told me personally that she never knew much about her family because they often do not want to speak of the past. Additionally she noted that in U.S. history classes they never really touched on the subject. Her own father had failed 6 to 7 times trying to escape staying in a safe house from his own country. She said that he recalled seeing people fighting to board the escape boat and other people shoving them off. Finally he waited on the side, and later they decided to pick him up. Her own aunt tried swimming to the larger boat off in the distance until they too decided to help her aboard. Many of her pieces show clothing and objects that the families had to bring with them, others show the treacherous  journey from ships. The entire point is to exemplify her countries struggles and to show that it was not easy to get where they have come today.

Synthesis / My Experience

 

I really believe we can learn from Tiffany’s works in the situation today. Syrian refugees should be able to come into our country. They are looking for safety and many do not wish to join ISIS, but if we do not allow them an opportunity for an escape, we may be adding militia to the ISIS army. It truly bothers me when people complain about immigrants coming into our country because we are a country of immigrants. It is hypocritical for us to feel as though we have more right to live in this country than others based on our privileges. The truth is if the tables were turned we would be begging for the opportunity to be safe ourselves. From the difficult journey we can see through Tiffany’s works, we must be reminded that what we are so lucky to have what we do. Our lives, our lifestyles, as well as our choices, were all given to us by the luck of the draw. They are privileges. How is it our right to take other person’s privileges away?