Dia: Beacon

I really enjoyed the trip to Dia: Beacon because it was nothing like I had expected. All of the artworks in the museum were amazing, but I especially enjoyed the sculptures by John Chamberlain. They were not only large in size, but they had a definite presence because you had to walk around, in front, or behind them. This quality was also evident in the work of Richard Serra. His pieces were gigantic but also engaging; walking through them was both scary and intimidating, but I loved it. The trip as a whole was a success because it inspired me.

Final Project- Poem Visualization

In the visualization of my poem, I attempted to convey the message that adults, as well as children, call each other silly names whether it is in their heads or out loud. These names seem childlike, but adults think in these terms as well. This type of vocabulary makes name-calling seem humorous instead of harming and if we all accepted these types of words instead of our usual jargon, the world could be a much happier place. I chose this particular book structure because I wanted it to seem like a book for adults at first glance, but open up to be a more childlike interpretation. 

I created a briefcase for the cover because I wanted it to seem as if it were for adults when in fact it is full of words used by children. I used a tablet and pen to draw sketches on the computer in Illustrator and printed on the Phaser. I had a lot of trouble constructing the book because of the binding and the material. I purchased this fake leather fabric to cover the book in and I figured I could place the staple bound book under the fabric that covered the front and back cover. The pages did not flip correctly, so I cut a slit into the center and slipped the pages into it and hot glued it in place. I then glued more fabric to cover the glue for appearance. I had a lot of trouble with the typefaces as well because they were not available on every computer in the lab. The typefaces I ended up using were Hardwood lp, Bellerose light, and ItcKabel light.

Word Visualization

This is my word visualization, I am happy with the way it came out. When I picked out the word, I thought it would be easy because letters can easily be distorted to flow like snakes. I added texture to create the illusion of scales and tongues so you would know they were snakes.

Final Self-Visualization

This is my Self-Visualization Project. I wanted to create something with many different parts, and I also didn't want it to look exactly like me. When looking at an individual square, although some portray recognizable features, the viewer cannot point out that it is me. I am very happy with the way it turned out, but I wish I had time to make more squares so they would not have to repeat. 

Project 3: Handmade Book/ Poem Visualization

Child Development

As sure as prehistoric fish grew legs and sauntered off the beaches into forests working up some irregular verbs for their first conversation, so three-year-old children enter the phase of name-calling. Every day a new one arrives and is added to the repertoire. You Dumb Goopyhead, You Big Sewerface, You Poop-on-the-Floor (a kind of Navaho ring to that one) they yell from knee level, their little mugs flushed with challenge. Nothing Samuel Johnson would bother tossing out in a pub, but then the toddlers are not trying to devastate some fatuous Enlightenment hack. They are just tormenting their fellow squirts or going after the attention of the giants way up there with their cocktails and bad breath talking baritone nonsense to other giants, waiting to call them names after thanking them for the lovely party and hearing the door close. The mature save their hothead invective for things: an errant hammer, tire chains, or receding trains missed by seconds, though they know in their adult hearts, even as they threaten to banish Timmy to bed for his appalling behavior, that their bosses are Big Fatty Stupids, their wives are Dopey Dopeheads and that they themselves are Mr. Sillypants.  Billy Collins  My high school English teacher introduced me to Billy Collins and he has always been one of my favorite poets. He has a way of expressing informal, childlike occurrences in a sophisticated tone that brings humor to the poem. It's always funny to hear some of the things that come out of children's mouths, good or bad. I believe that although we grow up and get jobs and families of our own, the humor of our childhood should never be lost. I will always enjoy tickle fights, calling my mom a "meanie", or eating ice cream for breakfast. As I go through life, I will never forget to keep on laughing.  My idea for the Handmade book is to create a children's book full of fun colors, and playful images. I want it to have a childlike appearance that still relates to adults and can be enjoyable for all ages the way the poems of Billy Collins are.

Self-Visualization

This project seemed difficult when I first heard it because I could not think of a way to describe myself in three pictures. When I think about myself, I am overwhelmed with characteristics that I could use to describe myself. I have a lot of different groups of friends of family that I love to spend time with, but sometimes I feel as though I spread myself too thin amongst all of the people and activities I am involved with. I think I live a very hectic life with every moment planned, but I enjoy it that way. Relaxation is important, but too much is just plain boring. I’m always moving, even during Spring Break I managed to pick up 49 hours at the restaurant I work at. I love to be busy, to spend time with everyone, but most days when I finish my work at around 11pm, I’m too exhausted even to sleep. Sometimes I feel guilty for taking time away from my family and boyfriend, but I always seem to tell myself it will get better, maybe during spring break or summer but sure enough, it never does.
I’ve always been fascinated with close-ups because they tell part of he story, but the viewer can never truly understand the whole without looking at everything. I think I want to incorporate this concept into my Self-Visualization project. I will take a lot of close-ups of my body and alter them in Photoshop and Illustrator, then place them like tiles in a large frame. By looking at the small individual pieces, the viewer might not know who or what the figure is. I was thinking of taking this idea even further and arranging the small tiles to make a larger image or symbol, but I’m not sure if this is appropriate for me. I think the random pieces of me arranged next to one another represent me better because I am always in different places thinking about other things.

Illustrator Image for Project 1

This is my final illustrator image. Working with illustrator was difficult for me because I do not have much experience with the program, but I think I was successful. I changed the mood of the photograph with green water and added a peacock for contrast.