I chose Native American and ancient cave paintings in order to reference the primordial state I wish to return to in my self portrait. This reconnection with nature is something that is a common theme in Native and ancient lifestyles.
On October 23rd I attended the symposium on the Film department. This was one of my personal favorite symposiums. First of all, I loved the material that they went over. Everyone knows what film is, and it was cool to see where they were taking it from there. They didn’t just show what film normally does, but showed how its evolving in the art world. It has become more of an interactive art now because of all the technology involved with it. It really seems like an interdisciplinary practice that could be used in any department you could go into.
While my main three choices of majors are Fibers, Sculpture, and Film, it is tough to decide whether film would be something to pursue indefinitely, or whether it is something to learn on the side. After what they showed it seems that it could be used simultaneously with any department to create a whole new type of experience.
Our initial idea for this project was to create a connection with the last video project. We stuck with the idea of manmade objects vs. nature, and collaborated on an idea that would be able to stand together with that project.
We chose aluminum foil for it’s malleability and its shiny texture—the foil was the cheapest thing we could buy in bulk that would resemble metals used for construction and was represented in modern architecture. We deliberated using gravel, dirt, leaves or even growing grass on the project but the foil turned out to be the best choice. Though we did experience some difficulties regarding the material, which can cut skin very easily, conducts heat from glue quickly and can become hard to mold if twisted too much—these challenges paid off in the end.
We chose Austin’s cardboard twin for this project. It had a very in-your- face and straightforward message, as it stands straight with its middle finger outstretched. We took the blatant pose of the project and formed our idea around it. We admit that if we might do the project again we might’ve chosen a smaller box, as covering a large surface area with tinfoil proved to be one of the biggest challenges, and the amount of time it took to do this.
Once we were finished making the form of the box, the .gif and video project were done efficiently and effectively. Ultimately we’re all proud of the work we put into the project and the ideas that were formed around it.
On Friday, October 16 I attended the Fiber departments visual symposium. By far it was the most exciting symposium I have been to. While I was leaning towards fiber as a possible choice for electives and possibly a minor, I am not opposed to making it a major. I have always been interested in fashion, and mainly the manipulation of the human form through materials. Changing the aesthetics of the human form into something more or less elegant is intriguing as it allows us to manipulate the way we are seen, and the way we feel.
While the actual presentation given was not very exciting, it was the art shown along with the possibilities of this medium that were astounding. Every piece, whether wearable or installation seemed magnificent. The large scale of some of the pieces, along with the simple practicality of it made it all the more enticing. I loved to see that giant woven pieces were being installed in buildings like murals not just to be aesthetically pleasing, but to also improve the acoustics of these industrial like buildings. Everything about this area of study seems exciting, especially with how new it seems.
One of the things that really stuck out for me was the memory fiber. The fact that it can change its shape due to differences in temperature seem like something out of a sci-fi movie. Not only that but this material could be extremely useful in very practical manners depending on how advanced the material gets. And with such a new area of study it seems that the advancements will only continue. Overall I think this department is awesome and I am interested in at least pursuing something in the department, whether it be weaving or some other elective offered.
On October 9th, I attended the Printmaking Symposium at KCAI. It was much different than any other symposium that I’ve attended. The speakers talked about a variety of themes that occur within the department. One talked about the collaboration that goes along with printmaking. She explained the different things she was able to do with her class in order to branch out their understanding. Another speaker talked about the real world application of printmaking. He works in a local print shop while also teaching at KCAI, but he described the overall process that he and another master printer go through in order to satisfy a client. It was extremely intensive but looked worth it in the end. Another speaker talked about the change of demographic over time. He says there has been a rebirth of interest in printmaking as he has seen a lot of young faces take up the trade recently.
The one thing that really stuck with me is the idea of creating the future with printmaking. This future is not created from what is made, but from what is negated. It is a future dictated by the withholding of certain aspects that brings forth what can be seen. It was a different way of looking at the idea of creating the future, but it really made sense when it comes to printmaking, especially the fact that negatives must be carved and cut away to create an image. While I am not too interested in majoring in Printmaking, it would be something great to learn on the side. To me, it still has a practical effect that can be utilized for different things, such as advertisements and brand merchandise. While practical, the department still contains a lot of creative decisions that can be made.
Group Statement
Our Sublime Feature was inspired by many works, however we all agreed that a Planet Earth of National Geographic feel was the main focus of the project. We focused on micro and macro shots that incorporated nature and urban landscapes on a large scale.
From this, we were able to form a central storyline that involved the interactions of nature and man-made structures, mainly nature being destroyed by the encroaching urban environment. The video transitions between shots of urban and nature landscapes respectively, creating an interlacing climax around the middle of the video. We made the video have pauses in between shots to simulate a feeling of blinking or breaking to pace it out evenly. In the end, we wanted to create a feeling of peace in the last scene.
austinlionberger 
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