Bad Music Video

11/9 Lecture: Annie Han & Daniel Mihalyo

From [Lauren Lee]

Annie Han and Daniel Mihalyo from Lead Pencil Studio spoke about different installations that they have done together. I really enjoyed the "Non-sign" piece that is shown above. Annie and Dan spoke about collaboration. They talked about how they are able to come up with double the ideas, and produce double the amount in a shorter amount of time. Seeing how they worked together, and how much they were able to accomplish, I think that collaboration is an efficient way to work as artists.

Photoshop Self-Portrait

From Photoshop

The assignment was to create a "self-portrait" on photoshop using photos, illustration, and other acquired images.

11/1 Photo Lecture: Corinne May Botz

From [Lauren Lee]

Corinne Botz's photography has a beautiful "dream-like" quality to it. She talked about three very big projects that she has completed. She talked about the model house collection, the agoraphobia collection, and the haunted houses collection. Though all three were done with different intentions, all three seemed to go very well together, and it was hard to differentiate a photo from the agoraphobia collection from the model house collection, for example. One might say that she has a way of photographing interiors that gives them a doll house quality. When asked about it, she said that it wasn't intentional, but it may have happened because of how much time she spent working with the model house. Corinne also talked about preferring to work with the interior of a building or house to the exterior. She has discovered a way to showcase the person that lives inside without actually using traditional portraiture.

10/26 Lecture: Ben Volta

From [Lauren Lee]

Based on what he said at the lecture, Ben Volta does a lot of work with children and teenagers. He talked in detail about two particular projects. One of them was with a group of teenagers to create a "mural" for the side of a Philadelphia building. He had each student research ideas, and then they all put their ideas together to form "wallpapers" for the wall. He also talked about helping a math class to use math to create a three-dimensional piece of artwork. He said that working with these children, or teenagers, led him to meet so many people that he wouldn't usually meet. The main theme of his speech, I feel, was collaboration.

10/19 Lecture: John Thompson

From [Lauren Lee]

John Thompson talked a lot about his own artwork, which includes very ornate architectural fragments, but the main emphasis of his lecture was his studio. He gave plenty of advice as far as the studio goes. The first thing, like many others have said before him, was to really take advantage of the studio space that we as students have open and free for use. He then said that a studio should be somewhere that you can be yourself; it is your own "island". Thompson also said that it is very important to set aside work time and to make sure that everyone knows not to bother you at that time. He said that this investment of time really shows, and is therefore extremely important.

My Photography: Photoshopped

From Photoshop

Working with Photoshop

From Photoshop

The assignment was to take an image, or images, and alter them to give them a new meaning.

Ethics of Photoshop

From [Lauren Lee]

I believe that using photoshop to enhance photos is perfectly okay, as long as the initial meaning of the photo is still present. It is obviously wrong for someone to alter actual photos to purposely cause a negative reaction, or a stronger reaction. On the other hand, why should it matter if a photographer removes an unwanted chair, or waits and goes in later with photoshop? I think that people have become oversensitive when it comes to photo editing. Nick Stubbs said in Photography Ethics and Photoshop (www.all-things-photography.com), "What about when an interior photographer like myself moves items of furniture in a house, or adds a bowl of fruit to a room to enhance the image? What about when we add make up to a model before a shoot or re-arrange a wedding dress? None of these images tell the story of a scene as it was when we arrived at it. All the alterations were made manually to make the image more pleasing". This is a completely valid statement. He also goes on to talk about painters and how they would have removed an unwanted bush, or tree branch to help with the composition. I believe that it is acceptable to use photoshop to alter photos, as long as the photographic integrity is maintained.

Face Copy

From Face

The assignment was to create a copy of my copied face using tools from Illustrator.

10/5 Lecture: Doug Bucci

From [Lauren Lee]

Doug Bucci works with jewelry and metals. He had a lot to say about being a student, and even about being a modern day artist. He had plenty of advice as well. He said that the voices of all of his professors will be stuck in his head forever, and that they still influence him in his creations today. I think that this is very interesting and true. I can still hear my high school art teacher, and art teachers from the programs that I took throughout high school. Doug Bucci also emphasized the fact that one should always feel uncomfortable, and that the second one doesn't, they have stopped learning. The last thing that I took from the lecture was that I need to somewhat break the rules while still staying within the framework.

9/28 Lecture: Marianne Dages

Marianne Dages concentrated most on the subject of the artist's studio during her speech. She is a letter press printer and a book binder. As a college graduate from the University of the Arts, her advice was to either join a community studio, collaborate with others, or seek a work partner. She also advised that as a student, I should take full advantage of the studio space and equipment that is provided for me. As far as the studio goes, today I learned that I must make my studio space my own, and that I should make it readily accessible. Lastly, Marianne Dages said that I should begin thinking about all of this now so that my ideas can fully develop. I was really interested in what she had to say, and I feel that it will be very helpful.

From [Lauren Lee]

HWL Explained

For the homework assignment due today, 9/27, I had to create three drawings on illustrator only using the keyboard. One drawing was to be representational, which was my flower. Another drawing had to be emotional, which, for me, was the word "morph". The last drawing had to be abstract, and I used the keyboard to create circles, triangles, and stray lines.

Homework with Letters

Where to Draw the Line

When it comes to the internet and use of the material on it, there is a fine line between what is acceptable and what shouldn't be done. I believe that when it comes to companies using public photos, they should need the permission of the people in them. It isn't acceptable for them to just take whatever they want. I am torn, however, because people should also keep in mind that whatever they put on the internet, has the potential to be seen by anyone, anywhere, at any given time. If this is something that bothers someone, they should rethink putting certain things on the internet. What is on the internet, should be open for anyone to use to recreate something. I believe, like Larry Lessig put it, that all of the laws for copyright are indeed choking creativity. People or students are afraid to be creative fearing that they will be penalized for it. People need to be more aware of what they or their friends are putting on the internet.

Philly Adventuring

Exploring in Philadelphia

I took two days to specifically work on this assignment. The first day, I walked with a group of friends to the Eastern State Penitentiary. I had been there before, but it was for Terror Behind the Walls that they have every year. I wasn't really able to see any of the building then. We went on a walking tour with our cameras at hand. Besides being a little spooky, this building's architecture is amazing. It contains many corridors filled with archways and even skylights.
The second day, my parents came to Philly to bring some things from home, so I took them in the subway for the first time. I liked the fact that I had done something before they had. We found this little restaurant on Pine street called "La Citadelle". The vegetable panini is delicious! After lunch, we made our way to Rittenhouse Square where I sat to sketch. There is so much going on in this little park, it was hypnotizing to watch. At one point, I took some of my leftover sandwich out, and before I knew it, I had a swarm of birds around me. It was hilarious. Suddenly I had hundreds of little friends, all waiting for food. As we walked back to the subway, I looked around at all of the buildings. Center city is literally just down the street from Temple, but it is amazing how different the atmosphere is there.