Give us a kiss

An Oversimplification of Her Beauty

2012-01-21T13:14:00.003-06:00

I am so so so excited about this movie. Written and starring Terence Nance, it's about a young man that navigates live action and animated landscapes to understand himself after a young woman stands him up.

I personally love dream landscape movies like this and I'm so excited by the lovely afro action going on in the film! Trailer posted below...look out for the yummy stop motion animation sequence.

An Oversimplification of Her Beauty • Teaser from Terence Nance • Terence Etc. on Vimeo.

Feeling Broochy...

2011-11-23T19:31:00.009-06:00

I just finished the school Holiday Art Sale at school and it was pretty successful. I decided to sell lots of left over inventory but didn't manage to clear out all of it. None the less, making pretty things and having people express appreciation for them always make me smile.

I sold my usual etched metal jewelry but decided to try my hand at some silkscreen panels and those sold fairly well. Now, I'm thinking of expanding my horizons and selling some fun brooches!! I found all of these lovely ones while perusing the Internet at my boring office job today. Enjoy!

By fineDollyLolly

By Ribizla

By IndianBlue

By murmurfremo

This one is totally my fave:
Jayne Mansfield Brooch By ultravioletglam

I just like the idea of brooches because it gives you the excuse to wear elaborate art pieces on your clothes. Plus, what a dashing and gentlemanly way to spice things up! I hope you all enjoy eating tomorrow.

Misfits - (SPOILERS!)

2011-07-06T17:27:00.021-05:00

Just got out of work. Totally fatigued...totally bored...totally need to type so let's talk about: MISFITS!!

- SPOILERS BELOW-

I learned about this show from perusing some of my favorite tumblr blogs. The plot seemed cool especially since I'm waaaay into supernatural tv shows, so I thought I'd give it a try. The premise: five kids from a community service program get struck by lightning in the middle of a freak electrical which gives them super powers. The superpowers they have aren't necessarily usual, yes there is a girl who can read minds (Kelly) and a boy who can rewind time (Curtis) but there's also a girl (Alisha) who sends people into passionate sexual rages after coming in contact with her skin.

Touching Alisha's (Antonia Thomas) skin with your bare hands will send you into a violent sexual frenzy!

You should be forewarned that this TV show is of the Skins variety, meaning it's rather raunchy with lots of foul language and graphic sex, which I wouldn't mind so much if I felt like the show was a bit more honest. I don't know how to quite explain it...but I feel a lot of these emotions don't quite ring true. Though there are some characters that you consistently feel sorry for (Simon) the episodes aren't particularly heartfelt (like Buffy for example), which could be fine depending on what you're into.

PROS:

Yummy British accents!

Alisha and Simon are adorable! I'm also really impressed by the character growth of Alisha. She started out as such a miserable, selfish, shallow person but has grown into a very mature and kind character. I'm glad that her relationship with Curtis is no longer. With both of them being very popular and well-liked in their schools, I felt like them pairing up was rather obvious and easy.

Hardcore Simon from the future - Delicious!

As the seasons progress you come to find out that many other people were affected by the storm and have developed some sort of abnormality as a result. The most ridiculous being a man who can control dairy products.

Cons:

The character Nathan (Robert Sheehan) is the most annoying son of a bitch on television! I don't find him funny at all and often role my eyes every time the camera cuts to him. In fact, if he were to just disappear from the show and NEVER come back, I wouldn't bat an eyelash... and another thing: WHY IS HE ALWAYS PICKING ON SIMON???

Nathan (Robert Sheehan) The most annoying character on television.

Kelly's cockney accent is waaay too thick. Most of the time beyond recognition. I find myself having to rewind her speaking parts just so I can make out her sentences. Her power (telepathy) is pretty useful though. Though I'd imagine knowing exactly what everyone thought about you all the time could be kind of a bummer.

The body count is ridiculously high and at times is gratuitous. Seriously,why so many murders? And no one's suspicious of the fact that TWO of their community service supervisors have gone missing??!!

Final Verdict: Watch this if your favorite supernatural TV show is on hiatus and all the house work is done. Or watch it for the amazing soundtrack and the Alisha/Simon progression.

I found all of the episodes uploaded on youtube. Hulu has it as well but I was having an incredibly difficulty loading it.

Happy Wednesday!

A New Update

2011-05-21T14:07:00.003-05:00

The semester is over and I'm left to process and contemplate the upcoming summer and my final year. One thing I tried this semester (and simultaneously loved and hated) was Stop Motion Animation. Below is one of the many short films I shot during the semeser during the course of my intro class. The main character is named Mr. Monkey and is my second favorite puppet creation (the first i will debut at a later date.) But for now feast your eyes on A Monkey and His Objects.

Ring Around The Rosey

2011-01-28T21:32:00.005-06:00

I love this music video in spite of myself. I'm kind of a prude so the subject matter makes me blush, but honestly I can see myself listening to this song if I needed a little pick me up.

I'm loving the outfits with the Marie Antoinette style wigs...and some of the improvised dance moves make me giggle. I'm curious about the little girls in the intro, though. Because if I was a parent, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't allow my little girl to be in a video such as this. Thoughts?

End of Summer/Beginning of Fall

2010-08-26T12:50:00.022-05:00

Back from a pretty interesting few weeks and I have plenty of updates and good news to share!

First things first:

The Gold Coast Art Fair went very very well (in the big picture sense). I toughed it out in 90+ degree weather for three straight days with no sunscreen, no tent and a minimal amount of tears/anxiety attacks. My inventory sold consistently... not necessary what I had anticipated but more than I have ever made an art art fair and for that I'm very grateful. The best thing is I was in an area designated for SAIC students only and they were all very supportive and pleasant.

Gold Coast Art Fair photo of me at my table. Taken by my mom with her magical phone!

I only had one unfortunate run in with a mean- spirited loony but I've since made my peace with that. It never ceases to amaze me what some people believe is acceptable behavior at a public art event, especially towards a fellow artist.

2) Summer is coming to a close, much to my dismay. I have no personal problems against fall as a season. It produces vibrant colors, wonderful flavors (pumpkin spice) and it makes me feel all warm and glowy....the only problem is that it will inevitably lead to winter. One of THE WORST seasons for me in every sense of the word.

I can't wait to go back to the Chicago Botanic Gardens later this month to see a scene like this!

I'm doing things to calm myself down and say goodbye to summer like hot showers with Dr. Bronner's peppermint castile soap, late nights of True Blood marathons, and shopping for soft, layer-able fall wear.

Side Note: I finally got around to reading Dead Until Dark. The first book in the Sookie Stackhouse series and I was very impressed with the story quality....and I was totally right about the sex scenes. The second season of the television show seems to be going down a very weird path but I'm not giving up.

Though I know it may take some time, I would really love to dance en pointe. My aerial teacher is always yelling at us to point our toes!

3) I'm starting Ballet classes at Lou Conte Dance Studio (a part of Hubbard Street Dance) next month and I'm very very excited about it. I figure ballet will help me to maintain my core strength and will be beneficial to the circus arts classes I take. Though I do consider myself to generally be a graceful person, I noticed that there was a slight difference between me doing a routine on the trapeze and an ex-dancer doing that same routine. Besides, I've always wanted a reason to rock some ballet shoes!

In the midst of an aerial routine. It hurts a little bit to be suspended in that position but it also feels pretty good to give your hips a good stretch. Maybe one day if I get good enough, I can work with Fuerza Bruta!

4)One last thing: I finally got a raise. Yay!! It only took like 3 years!

BTW, I can't wait to indulge in some pumpkin pie. One of my favorite seasonal snacks.

Happy Thursday!

The 3 C's: Clowns, Clothes, and Chocolate!

2010-07-30T08:45:00.014-05:00

Hey Lovers!

I'm back from my "blogging break" and I apologize for not posting in such a long while. I've been a pretty busy beaver in the metal's studio lately, getting things nice and tidy for the Art Fair next month. The good news is, I have plenty of tasty photos and ideas to share, which I will be uploading in the next couple days.

But first, I'd like to take a moment to appreciate the adorableness that is Zoe Kravitz.

That skirt is worth dying for.

I've been trying to find a coat like this for the past 5 years of my life. No success.

BTW, Who knew that Alexander Wang was so young and gorgeous??!!

So now that I've gotten my fashion crush out of the way, I want to talk about something I've recently read: Clown Girl by Monica Drake.

My friend lent me this book during my short vacation in Michigan. I was intialy very excited about the prospect of a "dark, witty tale" regarding the life of an aspiring clown. But I was very disappointed by the end result. The main character of this novel is named Nita, an aspiring clown who works relatively shitty gigs to save up enough money to go to Clown School and be with her boyfriend (who she also sent to Clown School). In the midst of pining after her fellow clown lover (who doesn't return her phone calls) and perfecting her mime interpretation of Kafka's The Metamorphosis, she is also resisting the advances of a "Steve McQueen look alike" cop who is trying his damndest to court her.

You can pretty much guess the ending, right? I definitely did but continued on for the remaining 300 pages in hopes that atleast the end would justify the means...but it did not. None of the characters were sympathetic or multi-dimensional at all. In fact Nita, with all of her self imposed problems was down right unlikeable. It's also unclear as to why the cop was so drawn to Nita because clowns are relatively common place in this story's setting and Nita never leaves her home without her makeup and costume, even if she doesn't have a gig.

It's very clear that the author was trying to draw a parallel between the way the two character's "costumes" affected the way they interacted with the world but each character was so underdeveloped that after a while it felt like I was choking on archetypes. Read this book if there is nothing else lying around and if you don't mind getting headaches. I only think about this novel fondly because of the person who gave it to me.

I hope everyone is enjoying their Friday thus far. I'm in an overly air conditioned office, dreaming about Ice Cream.

Water Dissolving

2010-07-10T15:39:00.006-05:00

I found this totally by accident on itunes the other day and immediately went to investigate. I can't believe something like this existed for so long and somehow managed to pass right under my radar!! I'm totally getting it!

I got back earlier this week from a short trip to Ypsilanti. I stayed with my friends and it was an amazingly peaceful experience. I got to meet the mastermind behind Spiritditch, a blog that I've been reading religiously since I discovered it earlier this year. It was almost like meeting a celebrity!

I'll have to write a longer blog post about the ins and outs of Ypsi when I get the chance. Right now there's a lot of commotion going on in my house and in my head surrounding my severely water damaged bedroom closet. BOOOO.

Happy Saturday!

Stop Motion Extravaganza!

2010-06-28T23:15:00.002-05:00

I caught this on the Sundance Channel a few nights ago. It's called Madame Tutli Putli and is a stop motion animation about one woman's surreal trip on a train across country. I was extremely impressed with the quality of the puppets and animation in general, though I'm sure a little CGI was used to smooth out the flow of movements. What I liked most were the expressive eyes of all the characters and the bumpy textures of their skin.

I didn't really understand the ending but I think it's worth watching for all of the creepy backdrops and colorful characters.

This is the moment where she meets a famous tennis player who is a very rude man! A man like that deserves a crisp slap across his face!

These two men are playing a wobbly game of chess while sitting in their suitcases. Another wonderful moment.

So this got me thinking that I have to plug two other favorites. I know I've mentioned this one before but it's definitely worth re-mentioning. Peter and the Wolf (2006) is a modern stop motion adaption of an old composition by Sergei Prokofiev.

"Boys like Peter aren't afraid of wolves." Awesome.

I've always had a fixation for wolves. The Bog Bad Wolf is my favorite fairytale villain and I've dated several guys because they were wolf-like (bad idea in the long run). The wolf from this tale will not disappoint. He's mean and scary and has a coat of beautiful, alluring fur.

Don't you just want to pet that lovely beast and keep it in your home as your companion?

Look at Peter's wonderful face. An example of some very fine sculpting.

This is an older live action version of Peter and The Wolf that I used to catch on the ARTS channel back in the day. It's narrated by Sting (as a puppet) and is a combination of Barnum and Bailey and nightmares from childhood. My favorite elements are the Marx brothers-esque hunters, the alcoholic duck, and the giant frightening wolf puppet with it's long, lolling tongue. To my delight the first chunk of it is available on youtube. Watch it and bring lots of joy to your eyes!

The past two weekends have been stimulation overload for me...but in a good SummertimeinChicago kind of way.

Trump Tower

I spent Saturday night in Trump towers with my good friend Sheena and my new friend Sam. We were on the 23rd floor in her deluxe suite and I couldn't fall asleep because I was deftly afraid of sleeping in a room so high up.

A king size deluxe suite at the Trump. Roughly what Sheena's room looked like.

I imagined the room splitting in half and me plunging 23 three stories below to a poisonous river death, clad only in my pajamas. I guess this means that I might be afraid of heights which makes sense considering that I've lived in 2 or 3 flats my entire life.

By the way, Artistic Liberties recently posted an extensive interview with yours truly. Read it to find out all about my humble beginnings!

Anyway, it's my bedtime. Happy Monday!

P.s - I saw a lady reading a book on the train today entitled Give Us A Kiss. I know that has to be some kind of sign. Just not sure what it means.

Take your protein pills and put your helmet on..

2010-06-14T21:46:00.020-05:00

I just finished reading The Man Who Fell to Earth and it was so much better than I was expecting it to be (minus some mild sexism and the term "African savages" being used a couple times.) In short it was about an alien from some place called Anthea who comes to earth with the intent of saving his dry, rotting planet and its mere 300 inhabitants.

The exact version of the novel that I have. Except mine is in better condition. I 'd love to have a poster of this on my wall.

What I liked most about this book was that although it was science fiction, it was less about an extraterrestrial and more about human nature. Infact it seemed that this alien was more human than the humans he surrounded himself with. A few times he described his interactions with humans as communicating with highly intelligent and crafty apes.

In the novel, Thomas Newton (the Anthean) mostly learned about our planet from years of watching television and listening to the radio.

It's pretty needless to say that he did not succeed with his mission and the CIA/FBI caught on to him. In the end though it wasn't the CIA or FBI that broke him, it was "earth culture". The book portrayed him as a very delicate being which was refreshing and a stark contrast to the aliens portrayed in movies like Independence Day and Mars Attacks. I especially loved the scene that described him breaking his entire leg by fainting in an elevator (he wasn't used to our gravity).

The Anthean without all of his earth disguises.

Bowie circa early 60's.

I haven't watched the movie because it seems so different from the book and I don't want to be disappointed but kudos to the filmmakers for casting David Bowie as the extraterrestrial! I cannot think of a more graceful, delicate being who'd be perfect for the part. Look at all of that lovely boyish charm! I bet you can't even look at him directly without burning your retinas.

Newton and Mary Lou, who in the book was named Mary Jo and was not his lover but his housekeeper.

From what I understand they added a romance to the movie which was not at all present in the novel. I guess it was an excuse to film David Bowie naked in the thralls of love, which I'm totally fine with! I didn't get the feeling from the book that he had a human-like genitalia but either way, I think it's a bad idea to have unprotected sex with an alien.

I listened to Space Oddity as soon as I finished reading and now this song seems to be infused with another layer of meaning.

A live cover by Gnarls Barkley. I usually don't care much for covers but this one is phenomenal! I wish they would record a full length version. Cee-lo's voice is so rich and perfect for it.

On a semi related note: I can't stop listening to the Sailor Moon Soundtrack! I found it at the Brown Elephant two years ago for 50 cents. Even though the original Japanese version totally kicks the American version's ass, it still has some pretty annoyingly catchy songs.

Moon Prism Power!

Happy Wednesday everyone!

Let's talk summer attire...

2010-06-12T00:49:00.010-05:00

Here are some things I've been thinking about for the summer months.

Summer Things by Giveusakiss featuring Lanvin shoes

Bright, bold patterns (Isn't that stripped skirt fun?!)

Floral blouses/Rompers (I've yet to find the perfect romper to this day!)

Big, obnoxious earrings (The kind of earrings I prefer actually.)

Gladiator sandals (Yes, I like them. Fuck you.)

Linen hair bows (You can never have too many headbands with bows on them!)

Short Shorts (Especially with cute patterns.)

Cloth necklaces (Any tips where I could find some cute ones?)

Leaves, Leaves, Leaves

Cloth flats

Woven Bags

Plum lips with deep shades of lip stick (This summer, I vow to give lipstick a try.)

Aren't those snake earrings just the most amazing thing you've ever seen? I found them on a very questionable website for 20 bucks!

Happy Saturday!

Fuerza Bruta!!

2010-06-05T22:36:00.021-05:00

I apologize for my lengthy absence. If you only you had known what the past two weeks have been like for me. Nonetheless, I'm back and life has reached a nice calm plateau for the time being. But anyway let's get to it! We have much to discuss you and I.

I had the privilege of seeing Frueza Bruta last Saturday at the Harris Theater. My friend scored free tickets and very sweetly invited me along. For those of you not familiar with them Frueza Bruta (brute force) is a crazy spectacle/circus/dance/performance collective from Argentina.

The first performer (a man running on a treadmill on a flat, rolling platform) terrified me to the point of nearly having a heart attack. As he started to run, the music sped up and got louder until a loud gun shot rang out causing him to stumble and a giant blood stain to appear on his shirt. When he straightened himself out, he removed his white shirt and another (bloodless one) was underneath.

The running man breaking through a wall.

This sequence continued possibly two or three more times and included him breaking through walls and trying to run while holding on to tables and chairs. In addition to a mild case of agoraphobia I am also very deeply disturbed by loud noises, particularly gun shots. I didn't realize that I was hunched over covering my ears until my friend stroked my arm reassuringly and tried to distract me by calling my attention to two aerial artists doing a very graceful routine against an aluminum "wall".

The second time I nearly lost it was during the water choreogaphy. Out of nowehere a giant pool appeared above us with a woman gracefully splayed out in a minimal amount of water.

More women entered the pool as it lowered over us and the crew members encouraged us to raise our hands up to touch it.

The pool being lowered over the audience. My favorite experience from the show but also the most terrifying.

The women at first interacted with the audience by pressing themselves and their hands against the pool. Towards the end of the routine, they began jumping and slamming their bodies against the pool as hard as they could!

I imagined the entire thing collapsing, leading to a bloody, watery death for us all but fortunately it was over before I reached my breaking point. But just when I thought things were once again safe, the running man appeared shortly after.

The running man again- this time with some friends!

The show ended with lots of loud music, flashing lights, and a smiling audience, soaking wet and dancing in damp confetti remnants. I had a great time. Go see it if you're in Chicago and in no way bothered by death-defying feats!

On semi- related news I got hired for my first non-Redmoon Theater related puppeteering gig! I am now a puppeteer for a sci- fi comedy web series entitled Human Resources. It's written by a sister writing duo (Kozi and Kyra Kyles) about alien abductions in the work place. You can read a little more about it here.

Also my friend just finished interviewing me for her Artistic Liberties series. I will post a link as soon as the interview is up and running!

Aside from that I am now two years shy from being a quarter century old and aerial classes start next week! Yay!

You sink without a sound...

2010-05-27T20:31:00.002-05:00

Ok, so for the record the Conservatory was amazing!!! Please go if you get the chance! Just beware that if you go during the afternoon on a weekday, it might be overpopulated with lots of loud school children which will alter your experience a little. Next time I go I will have photos galore!!

By the way, does anyone remember this book?

My mom used to read it to me ages ago and I recently spotted it laying on a chair in my friend's house. It is a story about a little bunny-child laying in their bed at night, saying goodnight to everything in their home.

The entire book is written very eloquently in rhyming lyrics. After rereading it a few days ago, I repeated certain lines to myself throughout the course of the day. My favorite lines: "Goodnight comb and Goodnight brush. Goodnight nobody. Goodnight mush. And Goodnight to the old lady whispering "hush".

These are images from the Mermaid Theatre's production of Goodnight Moon. Well crafted handmade sets and bunny puppets? Yes, please!!

I love that they stuck with the original color scheme of the book. But they could have been a little bit more creative with their placement of the puppeteers.

I'm usually pretty open about my mild case of agoraphobia and my love of small shoebox-sized rooms. I found this on Peter Tucker's website, along with other tiny delights. This room just makes me want to shrink myself down to Tinkerbelle size and snuggle in that mini bed!!

But anyway - I was able to find the animated version of Goodnight Moon on youtube, read by Susan Sarandon. Doesn't it just make you want to go to sleep??

And of course, a little shameless self promotion never hurt anyone.

Goodnight Moooon earrings. Still for sale on my Etsy page.

I found this song a while back when I researching the death of Kurt Cobain (don't ask why) apparently Veruca Salt was inspired by his suicide and Goodnight Moon when they wrote this.

You're the pearl in the quicksand
You sink without a sound
I'm the girl with the tiny hands
Planted underground
You're the dream, I'm the dreamer
In the dream, you're still around
See the sun falling down [x4]
You're the bleach
When everything went black
The relief I found
You're the sliver of hope in my lap
You're soft, warm, round
See the sun falling down [x4]
Falling down [x2]
Goodnight moon, Goodnight mush
Goodnight ladies saying hush
Goodnight moon, Goodnight mush
Goodnight ladies saying hush
See the sun falling down [x6]

How obsessive can a person be over one little book? Finding it yesterday was like some sort of omen. Happy Thursday!!

Craft Disasters and other stories

2010-05-20T22:55:00.000-05:00

School is out! To quote Lady Gaga (and I will not do this very often) "I'm a Free Bitch, baby!!"

The last craft show I did was a truly awful experience. Not only did I sell only one item but my tablemates were bitchy and kept giving me dirty looks. It was very disheartening. I think part of the reason I sold so little was because my stuff was the most expensive there (roughly $15 - $30 per pair of earrings) and since it was at a community center, I don't think people were willing to pay that much. I also have a sneaking suspicion that it wasn't very well advertised. A lot of people who came through didn't seem to know what exactly was going on.

On the upside I got to chat up some friendly crafters (not my tablemates), I ate a ton of brownie cookies, and now I have some new merch on the etsy page. Check it out!

Gold Dust Woman Earrings

Good Night Moooon Earrings

In unrelated news I have begun watching True Blood. I really appreciate the overall darkness of the show and that it's not afraid to be visceral and disgusting, which is something I think a lot of modern day vampire shows are missing.

Sookie Stackhouse and Bill Compton (Anna Paquin and Stephen Moyer) in Season 1 of True Blood. Stephen Moyer should be given an award for being the most attractive and believable vampire ever!

I researched it and Yes, you can actually buy this drink (not made from synthetic blood, of course). HBO sells it on their website - $16 for a four pack! A little steep for a carbonated drink.

Vampires Pam, Eric, and Chow ready for an attack! My most absurd dream job would be to play a vampire in a movie or tv show. You'd get to wear those fangs and be all confident and do a lot of sweet stunts! *Sigh* Perhaps I've gone into the wrong profession.

The sex scenes are a little bothersome. Not that sex scenes make me uncomfortable per se. I just get the feeling that in the book they were probably way more erotic and stimulating than HBO's version. I'm kinda getting tired of seeing that blonde guy get straddled by various boring looking women with fake seeming breasts. Other than that, the acting and storyline are great...even though I don't quite buy the whole shape- shifter thing (sorry if that spoils anything for other new watchers out there).

Now that the semester is over, I have been left with a frightening amount of energy. I went for a lovely 45 minute run this morning then came home and danced in my kitchen to the Yeah Yeah Yeahs while I made (and ate) lunch. Then this evening I walked the equivalent of 3 train stops back to my house carrying books and groceries. Weird. Maybe once Aerial classes start, I will be good and tired again.

I was mostly listening to this song by the way:

BTW, I am planning an early trip down to the Garfield Park Conservatory tomorrow after breakfast. I will be sure to write about it and all of its loveliness.

Happy Thursday <3>

Thursday's the new hump day...

2010-05-13T22:29:00.006-05:00

I haven't slept in my bed in three days...can't wait until finals are over with. When they are I promise to update properly regarding my latest adventures. I'm excited for this weekend!!! More details to come.

I made this video for my Statements, Grants, and Proposals class. The assignment was to make a video that acts as an artist statement, something we would put on our website. I kind of had no idea what to do but I knew I wanted to do something light and fun (which reflects the nature of most of my work.)

Anyway, here it is.

That puppet is Nosferatu from the movie of the same name. I did a puppet show based on the movie for my final last semester in Blair Thomas's puppetry class. The project was a collaboration between me and a fellow classmate named Kim. I'll post the full length puppet show in the near future.

Until then - please enjoy your beds, do it for me. Try to relish in lovely spring time sleep.

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo and Updates Galore!!

2010-05-04T00:32:00.017-05:00

It's almost finals guys so please bare with me. I'm hoping I can get all of my projects done this week and then: SUMMER BREAK! Which will hopefully include:

- A pilgrimage to Ace Deuce to visit some lovely vegans and vegetarians
- A birthday evening spent on the beach!
- Lots of hugs and kisses!
- Aerial Classes at the Actor's Gym!!
- A successful craft experience at the Gold Coast Art Fair (see bottom)

Aside from that, here are some things that have been going on:

- After nearly losing my mind at Artropolis (I don't care to talk about it) I attended a monthly Peace Concert at the Chicago Culture Center for Soka Gakkai International. The performance was put on by the Buddhist youth of the organization and was centered around gun violence in Chicago neighborhoods. It primarily consisted of short dance- related vignettes that told various gun violence narratives, which was bookended by a surprisingly good spoken word/ slam poetry piece performed by a teenage boy.

Chicago Culture Center, a building I never knew existed.

Afterwards, me and my newly made Buddhist friend (the one who brought me to the event) attended an informational meeting/ chanting session. I left feeling a little overwhelmed what with the youth performance (that reminded me so much of highschool, it was unnerving) and with the steady stream of people who shook my hand and informed me on the benefits of Buddhism. However, everyone was very welcoming and pleasant and it was a wonderful way to end a pretty humdrum week. I like making new friends.

- My school recently hosted a lecture/ round table discussion with Allyson Mitchell. Allyson is a Canadian fiber artist who uses crafty materials (faux fur, rugs, crotchet, and knitwear) to create sculptural pieces relating to female sexuality, the female body, and queerness.

She spoke a lot about using these universal materials as a way to communicate to a broader audience (those outside of the academic institution). It also seemed to be a way to tackle complex and loaded topics while not making people feel stupid or defensive. I really enjoy her Lady Sasquatches.

Big Trubs 2004 (This sculpture is about 13ft high)

Midge 2006

Various Sasquatches 2006

Squassdog 2005

Something that came up during the round table discussion was the idea of "queering" craft. To "queer" something means to simply change its expected meaning and thus make the meaning more complicated. I was surprised by how personable and funny she was during her lecture and roundtable talk...but really anyone that refers to their work as "pussy art" kind of automatically gets a thumbs up in my book.

Hungry Purse 2006 A scented, fibrous, secluded room that's an obvious reference to the female anatomy. Looks like it would be a nice place to take a nap.

Hungry Purse 2006

Look at more of her stuff and let me know what you think!

- Lastly, just found out that I got into the Gold Coast Art Fair which will take place August 20- 22 in Grant Park!!! I'm a little overwhelmed with the thought of how much inventory this will require but I am blindly excited none the less. If you'll be in the area, swing by my table and say hello. I'll be the girl with the bow in her hair and a table full of lovely adornments!

Happy Spring everyone!

p.s - Did you know that Tina Turner is Buddhist??

Veggin' out!

2010-04-26T21:11:00.008-05:00

Can I just say that I looooove getting payed? In fact, as soon as I got payed last week, I high- tailed it over to Kramer's Health Food store to partake in some tasty vegetarian delights.

A short list of the things I consumed:

A "BLT" with soy - based bacon, packed with thick slices of veggies and fresh sprouts. Like I died and went to veggie bacon heaven!

Peanut butter cookie from the Alternative Baking Company (vegan). I only do these once in a while because they're so rich and dense but gooood for those mid - day sugar highs.

I used to hate Kombucha but it has undoubtedly grown on me. Good for flushing the system but tastes like you're getting punched in the mouth.

Btw, I've got a lovely recipe for a barley salad if any of you out there are interested!

Eat vegetables and listen to the Yeah Yeah Yeahs!

Spring things...[Spring Updates]

2010-04-19T21:51:00.018-05:00

So to all of you out there that are just dying to find out- I did not get that lovely huge grant I applied for. (BOOOOO!!!) After cursing and swearing at my computer screen for a lengthy amount of time, I decided that all is well and I will still continue to make the art I make, with or without their filthy money. (You hear that art school!?)

On a similar yet happy note, I have so far gotten into one of the craft fairs I've applied to! Yippeee!!! I will be a proud participant in the Mercadito DIY Arts and Crafts fair at the Rumble Arts Center on Mother's Day, May 8th from 11am-3pm. If you are in the Chicago area or more specifically in Humboldt park, please stop by my table and say hello. I will have lots of lovely jewelry waiting to greet you!!

Recently went to an artist talk with David Leggett at the 65 grand gallery. I really am fascinated by his work and some of the stories that went along with it but a lot of his art makes me so sad, I just want to pretend it's not there. Even though he had a great sense of humor, my heart hurt a little when I left.

From the book Until Friday, 2006

Red Hoodie Slow Jam, 2008 (currently at 65 Grand)

Smoke the purple out of the rainbow, 2010 (Currently at 65 Grand)

From the book Until Friday 2006

Sometimes his level of honesty in art just kind of makes me want to back away. (Which I think says a lot about my character, unfortunately.) He did, however make me want to go home and listen to some Parliament and dance! Check out his art and tell me what you think!

I've got some new jewelry in my etsy shop. Feel free to tell me what you think about those things, too or you can always just buy stuff!

Social Butterfly Earrings. For all you ladies who dream of one day flying away!

Round and Pretty Earrings go great with tea!

So that's that! I need a hot shower and a warm hug. Happy Tuesday. <3

my hand wil always be imperfect because it's human

2010-04-16T01:31:00.031-05:00

I just watched an art:21 episode that featured Margaret Killgallen and Barry McGee and I highly recommend it to any of you out there interested in folk- inspired illustrations and graffiti.

Margaret Killgallen was a San Francisco based illustration artist who was part of the very influential Mission School movement in the 90's. I first heard about her and Barry McGee in a documentary called Beautiful Losers which I encourage you all to check out.

It took me a while to warm up to her work but after I heard her talk about it, I appreciate how rich and how alive with narrative it is.

"And in my own work, I do everything by hand. I don't project or use anything mechanical, because even though I do spend a lot of time trying to perfect my line work and my hand, my hand will always be imperfect because it's human."

Barry Mcgee was her partner for many years, before her untimely death in 2001 (due to breast cancer.) He was another artist to come out of the Mission School movement, who occasionally goes by the graffiti name Twister. A lot of his art work comes from his pessimistic view of San Francisco culture which he believes to be rampant with addictions and hollow commercialism. He makes a lot of installations with these weird zombie mannequins doing graffiti on the walls.

The art:21 interview showed a lot of delicious establishing shots of their studio space packed with collected found objects and images painted directly on the walls. There were also a lot of nice scenes of them painting on non- art related objects like box tops and narrowly getting caught doing graffiti on trains.

The graffiti of Matokie Slaughter and Twister (Margaret and Barry)

I think it must be so wonderful to have a partner who's also an artist. Though I mostly prefer to do studio work alone, every now and again it seems like it would be nice to share that personal space with someone, or to have someone around to snap photos of your graffiti work before it gets demolished.

Watch both documentaries and tell me what you think!

mr. fox has marble eyes

2010-04-14T19:43:00.005-05:00

I've been super busy this week (3 crits so far) which is why I've been so illusive. Anyway I spotted this video back in October on an amazing blog and haven't been able to stop thinking about it since. It's like the acid trip/dark side of Fantastic Mr. Fox (which I still haven't seen by the way).

Check out More from Max Swinton. He also made a similar video called Mr. Pike.

On a related note, I just registered for an awesome class next fall called Alternative Animation: 1960- present. I'm so very giddy about it because we'll be viewing the work of Janie Geiser, Jan Svankmajer, and Susan Pitt to name a few.

If you have any animation recommendations, I'd love to hear it. And I hope you all are soaking in some fickle April sun!

Mucca Pazza and weekend mayhem

2010-04-04T21:14:00.019-05:00

This past Saturday I had the privilege of watching Mucca Pazza perform at Martyr's.
For those of you who don't know who they are, Mucca Pazza is a 30 piece circus punk marching band based out of Chicago, Illinois. They are always a blast to watch! Saturday was my second time. There isn't much actual marching going on except for when they are coming out on to the stage. They disperse through the crowd, playing their instruments and interacting with the audience. I turned around to find myself face to face with Mark Messing, blowing the sousaphone and smiling at me!

Mark Messing, the creator and head conductor of Mucca Pazza.

I probably shouldn't have flashed in this dude's face.

Half of the members playing away!

Mostly they do semi- synchronized movements and interact with each other. They even have a group of cheerleaders that do routines with frightening amounts of energy. After a powerhouse set of songs, the band somehow managed to do an encore of four additional songs!! My favorite moment was when the "junior conductor" came to the front of the stage and directed the audience and the band in an original piece.

The junior conductor doing his thing which was in my opinion, the highlight of the show.

The Mucca Pazza cheerleaders in the midst of their "Hand Signals" routine. I recognize some of them from various Redmoon events.

The reaaallly intense fiddle player. Doesn't he look like he's about to battle Darth Vader?

I danced the entire time! My cotton dress was clingy and sweaty when all was said and done. I was right in the front and even though my ears were ringing by the end of it, I didn't care. My knees hurt a little from all the jumping up and down but surprisingly my voice was not hoarse, despite all the screaming and yelling.

Go see them when they come to your home town and tell me how much you love them!

Aside from them, my weekend has been peachy! I went to an art opening Friday night and danced awkwardly to some reggae music and today I had my first couple Etsy sales (yay!) followed by a nice Easter potluck at a friend's place. Now back to school tomorrow to try to diminish the huge workload that I keep putting off. Yay me.

A small portion of Easter dinner. And yes, that is a chocolate cake with strawberries on it. In case you're wondering, it was dense and amazing.

Happy Easter!

Some News

2010-03-29T22:22:00.004-05:00

So..I actually walked outside today wearing a dress with a cardigan, scarf, and NO COAT! Can you believe it!? It felt like seeing the sun for the first time in months. It was dizzying.

Speaking of being dizzy-ingly happy, I've finally got my Etsy Shop up and running with a small amount of items for sale. More to come, real soon...promise.

On a side note, I've discovered Polyvore. Heaven help me! I envision so many precious art-making hours being wasted looking through oodles of cute clothes.

My most recent creation:

That bag is super sweet, huh? Happy Tuesday!

Spring Things

2010-03-21T00:42:00.019-05:00

It's the last day of spring break and it's 38 stinking degrees outside but I am in a right, cheerful, mood because I have cleaned my room and I had the honor/privilage of attending Swap o rama rama today, leaving with two bags of "new" clothes.

Swap O rama rama is a giant clothing swap and D.I.Y community workshop that travels around the U.S. Everyone brings a bag of clothes which are sorted into large tables, ripe for the picking. Various D.I.Y stations are set up around the room depending on what day you go.When I went there was a puppet making workshop, jewelry making, embroidery, leg warmer making, and silkscreen/ tie dye. They even had live bands that played!! I left feeling pretty giddy about my new finds, though they require a decent amount of alterations on my sewing machine.

Other than that, here are some other things I have been up to lately:

-I've finally put my Doc Marten- covered foot down and asked my lovely friend take some photos for my Etsy page. I have been giving myself quite a headache trying to figure out my shop policies but at the same time, it's loads of fun. All those looong hours in the metals department are finally paying off. A little taste of what's to come:

All handmade by yours truly. I hope your interest is sooo piqued! Check back in a week or so to see my finished shop!

- I'm applying for a $1000 grant to cover various metal/ jewelry making supplies. This is developing into headache number 2 but the thought of having a proper home studio is unbelievably alluring. Any tips for successful grant writing would be greatly appreciated!

- Tried to watch Skins on Netflix since I keep hearing about that show. It's the standard popular- boy -obsessed -with- sex -and -himself storyline except it takes place across the pond. The smoggy weather and green fields in the background were lovely but the majority of the show involves nude skinny teens straddling each other. Makes me a little bitter My So Called Life was canceled.

- I am going to see the Women's Roller Derby tournament next month and I'm super excited about it! On a side note, I recently watched Whip It! which is a really fun movie if you're into roller skating and surface messages about girl power. I occasionally go by the alias Bambi St. Valentine when I'm a back up dancer for The Dangerous Strangers but in honor of Whip It! I'm thinking of changing my alias to Cat Snatch Fever!

The lovely Windy City ladies doing their thing!

So that's that...I hope this weather soon breaks so I can move forward with my late night picnic plans :(

Some things...

2010-03-15T22:40:00.028-05:00

I apologize for my near- two week absence. I have been a sick, voiceless little girl. Weird weather always does this to me. Since I've had lots of time to lay in bed and think about the ups and downs of life- I've compiled a little list of things I would like to happen/posses in the very near and immediate future.

Some things I want:

1) A Peach Apartment. I know I go on and on about peach colored apartments and wanting to die in a lovely room but look at how serene this place is! I would never come home in a sour mood if my walls were painted such a lovely shade!

Look at all that natural sunlight! Gorgeous!

2) A Nice Embrace. It's been a while since I've had a hug that's lasted longer than 2 seconds. Those long hugs are nice. Especially when the other person is warm and they smell really good.

3) A Black Wide- Brimmed Sun Hat. Black sun hats are so glamorous and luxurious! I want to wear one and channel my inner Holly Golightly and Yoko Ono at the same time. (On a related note, I can't seem to finish Breakfast at Tiffany's for the life of me.)

4) Late Night Picnics (preferably alone). I am super excited about the warm weather because I just moved closer to the lake, meaning on those dreadful, stuffy summer nights I can stroll down to the beach with my black sun hat and some Thai food for a midnight feast!

I spent some time with my friend in Brooklyn this summer and the most fun I had was running around in the park at night. We leapt around like crazy people for an hour and went back to her house with dew - soaked clothes.

5) A journal to write/draw in. I've stopped writing. The result of which has been dire..I've had so many unbelievably amazing/dreadful experiences that I wish I could have captured. But every time I crack open my old journal to write, I just stare at it blankly before closing it again. Maybe it's time for a new book....maybe I should just make my own.

I hope everyone else is enjoying the weather if it's nice or enjoying their home if it's not.

Bright Star

2010-03-03T12:52:00.013-06:00

Bright Star tells the story of the romance between Fanny Brawne and John Keats. It's a lush, complicated mood piece with an inevitable tragic ending.

Definitely another movie where I was hoping that love will prevail and they would be able to move to a farm out in the country and raise lots of chubby babies. It seems that passionate romances such as this must always be cut short in some brutal way. I can't imagine the pain... almost makes you want to not try.

I finished Bright Star at 3 a.m and then stood in front of my window for an hour to stare out at the street. I dreamt about green fields, swirling light blues, and a screaming woman which I later realized was my alarm.

"I have two luxuries to brood over in my walks, your Loveliness and the hour of my death. Or that I could have possession of them both in the same minute."

Wonderful soundtrack, vibrant colors, heartbreaking sonnets. Watch it and feel very sad...or very happy depending on how you look at it. Now all I want to do is write and roll around in green green grass.

Mortality and Me

2010-03-02T14:55:00.015-06:00

I feel like napping for a thousand days in a giant snuggly comforter. Winter makes me want to paint a tiny shoe box pink and live in it until I die. I could even cut myself a hole to allow for natural sunlight!

Places I'd love to live/die in.

Wouldn't it be amazing to have a room like this? Then you can always pretend you're lost in the forest!!

Can't you picture me delicately sprawled across that luscious bed? Blood running cold and no pulse in my wrists. Gorgeous.

On an equally somber note, I did not get a chance to see Akram Khan Company Friday night. Too expensive! Instead, I went home and ate lots of broccoli and danced away my troubles to Broken Social Scene!! Huzzaah!!

Papins and Porcelain

2010-02-20T15:42:00.025-06:00

Just recently watched Sister My Sister. The muted colors, the pointed black shoes and the constant rain set the perfect tone for such a Gothic thriller. Sister My Sister is a lose adaptation of the lives of the Papin Sisters who were two introverted maids that brutally killed their mistress and her daughter in 1933. I find this story so intriguing and sad yet so close to home for some odd reason.

The Papin Sisters circa 1933. I really want this photo on my nightstand.

Christine and Lea Papin stabbed their employers to death and ripped out their eyeballs and fingernails with their bare hands. Christine, the older sister was sentenced to death but was sent to an asylum instead (which was customary for death row females during that time) where she died from cachexia four years later. Lea, the younger one served about 8 years imprisonment and then worked as a chamber maid until her death in 1982, though some recent evidence points to otherwise. The Papin sisters never saw each other after their trial, though Christine reportedly begged for Lea often.

An actual photo from the Papin Sister's Trial. I'm sure you can guess who that is in the back with the long face.

Since the two sisters were found naked in bed together the night of the murder, there was speculation surrounding the nature of their relationship. Of course the movie played up the whole incestuous thing but I was less bothered by it than I thought I would be. To me it seemed that they were both developing sexually but had no one else to explore that with and so they became each other's outlet. They were really all they had. It did, however, make me think of stereotypes relating to "hysteria" and the sexually frustrated woman. Anyone who's seen High Tension might agree with me.

The Papin Sisters in bed together in Sister My Sister.

From Murderous Maids Another Papin Sisters adaptation.

A pretty ingenious Papin Sisters Halloween costume. I might have to borrow this idea! Try not to notice that weird bald guy in black.

I would have liked this movie a whole lot better had it not ended in a violent killing spree. I kind of wanted the girls to save up enough money to go purchase a farm and live long, healthy, and happy lives. But such is life...

Anyway, Watch it and tell me what you think…

On a side note I can't get this song out of my head:

Books, Books, Books

2010-02-17T00:54:00.012-06:00

I taught my Bookbinding Class a day ago and now I'm filled with the sleepy sense of relief one gets after successfully completing a final project. All I really want to do right now is laugh and sleep and lie down and it's moments like this that remind me of how much of a freak-out I'm capable of being. I triumphantly deleted all my class research files. Now on to the next thing!!

Since I was recently blessed with a large tax return, I got into an old habit of cruising Amazon for juicy reads and I came across a couple neat things.

The first thing I found (and am reading now) is Hello Cruel World by Kate Bornstein. Kate Bornstein is an activist, writer and performance artist who normally makes work relating to sexuality and gender identity.

The full title of the book (Hello Cruel world, 101 Alternatives to Suicide for Teens, Freaks, and Other Outlaws) is pretty self explanatory. Ze (Kate's preferred gender pronoun) actually goes down a list of things to do instead of killing yourself. What I'm interested in most are the topics around sexuality and desire that keeping popping up throughout the chapters... even though those two subjects vaguely remind me of this horrible philosophy class I took last semester...but I won't talk about that. I do wonder though, how different I would be had this book been around when I was in high school. I think the 15 year old me would have flipped over this! Not that I'm not enjoying it now but as the title states, it is geared toward a slightly younger crowd.

Kate Bornstein

Check out Kate's Blog!!

The second book I ordered (at the risk of soiling my good girl image) is an erotica book! It's called Enchanted: Erotic Bedtime Stories for Women.

I'm super excited about it because as the title suggests, it's a collection of rewritten fairy tales and I've always been interested in the subtly erotic things hidden in those stories. I bet you all think I'm just this pervert who thinks about love-making all day. I'm not, honest. Really.

Any suggestions for good books? I'd love to hear it.

News and Reviews

2010-02-14T21:08:00.013-06:00

I finally got around to watching Boys Don't Cry (about 10 years late) and I had a bitch of a time sleeping afterwards. Boys Don't Cry tells the story of the short life and brutal death of Brandon Teena, a female-trans-male living in Humboldt, Nebraska. The movie was phenomenal (minus Chloe Sevigny's wooden acting) and I couldn't take my eyes off Hilary Swank. It was almost alarming how in love with her I was during the whole movie but I often find myself incredibly attracted to people with affluent genders or who at least look like they can easily pass for both. (JD Samson, anyone?) Also, seeing Hilary dressed like a scrawny, awkward boy reminded me of a few people I used to date.

Hilary Swank as Brandon Teena. Yowza!!

Brandon and Lana (Swank and Sevigny) in a passionate embrace.

The actual Brandon Teena. You have to admit, the resemblance was uncanny.

I guess I was a little bitter once I found out the movie won so many Oscars. It seems like Hollywood takes horrifying stories like these and just milks them for all they've got. I suppose it's worth it though if it makes people more aware of these kinds of issues. It also makes me think that maybe having a school specifically geared toward LGBTQ youth isn't such a bad thing if it keeps a good amount of Brandon Teena and Matthew Shepard situations from happening.

You can read more about Brandon Teena Here.

My second Review is on Handmade Nation, a documentary about people who live crafty lives, based off the book with the same name. It was refreshing to see how some folks are able to sustain themselves by making and selling their work. The range of people interviewed in both the book and documentary was pretty diverse. Some were ex-writers who now owned zine shops, some were self proclaimed "craft-wannabes" who owned handmade boutiques, and others were painting majors who now embroider.

It's nice to be reminded that there are many ways to be successful and that success is a rather relative term. I have a bad habit of getting caught up in what I call 'Art School Tunnel Vision'. Handmade Nation was also a nice pallet cleanser after watching Boys Don't Cry...grrr...I can't stop thinking about Brandon Teena!!

On a related note (to Handmade Nation, not Brandon Teena) I will be teaching a short seminar at the Solarium, February 16 on D.I.Y Bookbinding. Come by if you're interested in making books from recycled materials!

I found this image at My Handbound Books.

All is love.

2010-02-02T20:05:00.022-06:00

It's days like this that make me wish it was raining instead of snowing and that I had a vintagey apartment to cozy up in with a locked door. Wouldn't you want to curl up in this apartment?? Bad floral pattern and all. I listen to Aikea Guinea almost non stop.

Anyway, I had a great weekend celebrating my dear friend's birthday and it was filled with vegan food and loooovvvvveee and nearly nude female performers with pasties over their breasts.

Varietease Cabaret is located at the Lake shore Theater which is kind of an old shit hole with an awful opening band (think middle aged men playing hair metal) but the actual cabaret show was phenomenal! One woman stripped out of her undies while hula hooping with various parts of her body! I cheered and clapped and tried to hide my red face!

We also made our way to Soul Vegetarian which is a soul food/home cooking vegetarian/vegan restaurant out by 79th street. Everyone was stuffed and sleepy by the end of our meal. I ate a metric ton of kale greens and heavenly vegan mac and cheese!

On Sundays everyone is served the same meal, which is pretty much the above picture save for the BBQ tofu and the glazed carrots. Instead there was Seitan roast with gravy, glazed sweet potatoes and cornbread stuffing. Dinner was followed by the most lovely Apple pie. Stop by there and experience it for yourself!! We all walked back to the train very slowly....

All is love.

Grey.....

2010-01-21T11:50:00.021-06:00

I watched Grey Gardens recently and I'm struggling with writing a post on it. Mostly because both the movie and documentary horrified me so much, I had nightmares for two nights in a row! This is not to say that these aren't good or even great films. The documentary was stylistically wonderful but it left me with the stinging realization that some people don't get a chance.

Edith Bouvier Beale and Edith Ewing Bouvier Beale

From the broadway musical based on Grey Gardens.

However, after watching the movie and reading the epilogue text before the credits, I realized that Little Edie did get her chance eventually...

Grey Gardens inspired photo shoot from Vogue.

I like Drew but I must admit I cringed a tad bit when I saw her on the front cover. I swear her Boston accent disappeared for entire chunks of the movie!!

Drew Barrymore and Jessica Lange as the Edie Bouvier Beales

Incidentally, I also recently watched Factory Girl.

This world is full of sad Edies.

And as always, the Cocteau Twins provide a lovely backdrop for this grey midwest winter.

I wish I had 2,010 dollars...

2010-01-03T21:51:00.015-06:00

I hope everyone had a blast ringing in the 2010! I attended a party filled with lovely ladies and danced myself into exhaustion...a lovely way to start a new year!

Speaking of new, I nearly ran myself ragged trying to find the perfect pair of heels to caress my feet on the big day. Sadly, I found a bunch online that were a little out of my price range. I primarily drooled over these:

And these:

It would be real nice to afford $300 shoes.

Anyway I finally had the opportunity to see Dante's Inferno last week. What I thought would be a movie with ok puppets and a bunch of dick and fart jokes ended up being a movie with amazingly detailed puppets, a well thought out script, and a bunch of dick and fart jokes. The story follows Dante, a young man who wakes up in a drunken haze in another dimension and meets Virgil, a mullet - toting poet from ancient Rome. They travel together through all the dimensions of hell ending with an encounter with the Dark Prince himself. It's definitely worth a look for the charming, well- choreographed puppets and all the political figure/ pop culture icons dispersed though out Hades. Incidentally, one of the head puppeteers is Paul Zaloom of Beakman's World fame and my friend's puppetry teacher in college.

So that's that. I leave you with this wonderful piece of art from Michel Gondry and Lauri Faggioni. Enjoy.

A Red Ribbon. Music by Devendra Banhart

Olaf, Ghosts, and Dance

2009-12-29T17:54:00.001-06:00

I first saw this video 6 years ago at the Skin Tight exhibition at the MCA. It was being projected on to the back wall and was the only thing that captured my attention (besides the robot dress). Mostly this video is creepy and disturbing but there's an element of playfulness to it. I went through hell and high water to find and post this but now that I have, I'm as happy as a pig in excrement! Excuse the video's poor quality but try to enjoy it none the less.

Ghosts, 2003 by Olaf Breuning and Bernhard Wilhelm

Speaking of being insanely happy, I just found out The MCA will be hosting the Akram Khan Company in February! They'll be performing Bahok and if you are a loyal reader of this blog (and I know you are) you'll know that I posted about them way back in December of last year!!

A little taste of Bahok:

I hope everyone else is having a nice low key day!

Black Black Red

2009-12-26T17:20:00.000-06:00

For some reason, it's impossible for me to complete a drawing in one sitting. I obsess over it for a few weeks and collects tons of images, then I eventually sketch out the basic ideas. I tend to forget about it for about a month and then come back to it later to add the ink and detail. A hint as to what I'm currently drawing:

I watched District 9 last night and it's still sitting heavily with me. I'm not sure how I feel about the movie as a whole but it made some very valid points about how the government sections off certain groups with the intention of keeping order but it ends up making things more chaotic. The whole film is a very obvious metaphor for the apartheid and racial relations in Johannesburg which seem to be far from resolved. In spite of the film's message I couldn't help but think to myself how gross and scary the aliens looked and how I wouldn't be able to bring myself to interact with them.

I thought a little bit of Nathalie Djurberg's work. She is a Swedish artist that uses detailed plasticine puppets to make stop motion animation videos. Her work is a mixture of sweet and sadistic and she frequently explores the darker aspects of humanity using this seemingly "low tech" medium. The only aspect of her work that makes me a little apprehensive is her portrayal of minorities. Most of the black people in her animations appear as if they have on black face (black skin and big red lips) and they usually wind up being the sexual play- thing of the seemingly white puppets or they terrorize the predominantly white cities and eat bananas.

still from Badain, 2006

still from In Our Own Neighborhood, 2007

I understand that this is not to be taken literally. But I don't think it's enough these days to say "This is a commentary" without understanding who it's a commentary for and with what purpose. Most of the interviews I've read with her discussing her art, she does not touch on its racial elements. None the less, her puppets are beautiful and I feel as if she's living my dream.

I'll eat you up. I love you so.

2009-11-01T16:24:00.000-06:00

"You are now, the King."

I recently saw Where the Wild Things Are in theaters early on a Sunday morning. I felt myself spilling over with excitement as I sat patiently in my red seat. It's a dreamy story about being misunderstood and learning to control your anger. I was expecting to be a *little* bit more into it. I wanted to bee woooed and taken away to another place that wouldn't allow me to think about the weather or what I was planning on cooking that evening...but alas, I was not. It was a wonderful movie, don't get me wrong, with potent emotional moments, dance-worthy music and a beautiful backdrop but something was...lacking. Perhaps I feel this way because I believed the Wild Things hype and expected too much. Perhaps I wanted more of a lucid, emotional, Gondry-esque experience. But it was definitely worth seeing for the wonderful back drop, costumes, and moody music. It made me want to run through a forest and scream.

I for one was very excited about the objects and the props but unfortunately there weren't too many things that read as organic or distinctly hand made. Most things in the movie were CG, which was a total buzzkill. The actual body suits worn by the Wild Things were made by Jim Henson's creature shop but the facial expression were computer animation. Max's costume, however, totally rocked. Too bad I couldn't acquire one in time for Halloween. Perhaps next Halloween I'll make one, along with a paper crown and golden staff.

LET THE WILD RUMPUS START!!!

Check out Spike Jonze's blog following the Wild Things Progression

.. oh, and also the Amazing Soundtrack. Did I mention it's AWESOME! Karen O's crazy screechy voice is a perfect compliment to the film and the lovely chorus of children.

January, February, March, April, May...

2009-08-26T00:58:00.000-05:00

I was searching for art about letting go and found these images.

I'm supposed to be drawing a shack and a forest but I can't bring myself to do it. Too many things running around in my brain.

Creepy aimation makes the world go round.

2009-08-10T14:13:00.000-05:00

From "The Adventures of Mark Twain".

2009-06-29T01:17:00.000-05:00

I've had a very beautiful day. After waking up and stretching and of course having my necessary bowl of Peanut Butter Panda Puffs, I headed to the library with one very obvious thing on my mind-books...lots of them! I must say I was not disappointed by the library's selection, especially in the comics realm. So dear readers something useful to remember is: whenever in doubt about buying a comic book, hit up the library first! I found a pretty decent and recent selection of books there.

One comic/manga I found is called The Aranzi/Aranzo Hour. Originally published in Japanese but translated in English so all the Americans can now enjoy it's awesomeness. The cast of characters include a fish named Fish, two nondescript guys named Bad Guy and Liar, a dog named Terry and two bunnies that to eat cake and take naps (which reminds me of me and my closest friend from school!)

The Complete Aranzi/Aranzo Hour

Melting Spritekin- Aranzi/Aranzo Hour

After my lovely time spent at the library, I headed to the cemetery.

No, I don not have a death wish...it's just like going to the park, except much more interesting architecturally. I strolled around, soaking in the greenness and all the headstones and before I knew it, I was locked in!! Lovely, huh? Luckily a young goth couple got locked in too and asked the caretaker nicely to let us out....

Surprisingly nice goth couple.

I rounded out the evening with going to the movies!!! A sort of recent habit that's been developing over the summer months and I have to say I enjoy going to the movies by myself. No having to put up with annoying conversations during the flick with your friend. No having to worry about getting mauled when the lights go out (j/k). Just quiet peacefulness with yourself in the dark in front of a big screen. You can even cry without feeling awkward about it.

I saw My Sister's Keeper, a semi-manipulative tear jerker about a family's struggle over a girl's cancer. I say it's manipulative because it was definitely tugging at your heartstrings but it was well done and Cameron Diaz surprisingly did a good job as the mom. Worth it if you enjoy emotional movies.

I must add, though that I did NOT cry. Even though I cried long and hard during each Harry Potter book. Ahhh, which reminds me- Harry Potter opens in two days! Go and see it so we could have something to chat about! <3

Michel and Pop up books.

2009-06-24T01:41:00.000-05:00

I just rented the collected shorts of Michel Gondry and I am so utterly in love. I'm very fascinated with him because he's quirky and french and he seems to have created an entire mythology around himself. Also I appreciate how he tends to lean more towards "live" special effects and handmade props rather than CG. It's definitely worth watching if you enjoyed The Science of Sleep or Eternal Sunshine. I haven't seen Be Kind Rewind, though.

Tiny by Michel Gondry

Also, I have been on this weird pop up book kick. I used to think they were really dorky but I don't understand how I was able to overlook how amazing they are. I want to make one about my most recent trip to California. I stumbled across some really awesome pop up book art/artists during my research on the internet.

First Bank
An Elaborate Pop up by Colette Fu
http://www.fusansan.com/

Andrea Dezso

I found her by accident. I believe I was researching embroidery when I stumbled upon her amazing website. She works primarily in the book and paper realm but she created short animated films using nothing but embroidered images. I suggest you check out her stop motion animation, Demon Bridegroom when it's released in July.

New York Dreams
Andrea Dezso

Pioneers give first aid to their comrades.

Moon

Stillwater

I think Michael Jackson dying is strange because in the DVD I just watched, Michel Gondry named him as one of his musical heroes. I'm also beginning to suspect that I have a thing for quirky french men. Death is so scary, isn't it?

Art Sale and other things

2009-04-19T21:02:00.000-05:00

The Spring Art Sale was a great success! Thanks to everyone who bought from me or helped me out in any way. Special thank you to Lauren (your collar sold!!) for sitting in for me and my table mate for being so funny and pleasant.

I experienced for a brief second, this wonderful post- Art Sale coma and then I realized I have an eight page paper due tomorrow that I haven't started and also a huge project due this Thursday that is still in it's planning stages. Yeep. I'm currently in bed and hating life but soon enough this paper will be done. Also, another post about things I love.

Collaboration between Dame Darcy and Jenny Hart.
www.Jennyhart.net

Bad Mood

2009-04-05T21:47:00.000-05:00

I'm in an uncharacteristically bad mood because it's fucking snowing outside and it's a Sunday. I'm not looking forward to my mold making class tomorrow and I suppose after years of being exposed to Chicago Public schools, I've grown to loathe Sunday nights. That aside - I did manage to get a lot of work done on my cake pattern and I am looking forward to the Motor City Comicon next month!

Check out my friend's shop on ETSY!

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6835105

Also, I've been looking at her blog a lot lately

http://www.theblackapple.typepad.com/

I suppose that's it for now. I still can't believe it's fucking snowing!! I keep thinking about 90 degree weather, mountains, and my sewing machine to feel happy. I wish the sun would come out and play.

Roger Brown home and studio

2009-04-02T18:31:00.000-05:00

I went to the Roger Brown home and studio for the second time and enjoyed it just as much as the first. I also brought a camera the second time (which they surprisingly allow) and I managed to take A LOT of photos.

A little bit about Roger Brown: He studied at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago briefly as an undergrad and then as a grad student. He was one of the core members of the Chicago Imagists artists and a collector. After he succumbed to aids in 1997 his home/studio was donated to the Art Institute where it remains, under their care. His home is pretty much untouched so a lot of his personal items are still lying around along with various handmade functional objects, toys, folk art, and decorative pieces. Really he considered anything art as long as it was interesting looking and well made.

Sculptures by William Dawson, a folk/outsider artist who influenced the Chicago Imagists especially Roger Brown.

Me in the bathroom of the Roger Brown studio. His toothbrush was still hanging on the wall!

An exploded pot still hanging out in his stove. It's probably been sitting there since before '97.

Please go to the Roger Brown studio. They have an original page from Henry Darger's book! Which reminds me, Intuit is also worth checking out since they have recreated Henry Darger's living quarters. I am incredibly attracted to outsider art. I think there's something to be said for artists that are able to operate outside of the institution. I wish I could be one of those people, but I can't really complain because the institution I'm currently in has provided me this culture that I am thriving off of.

Anyway, Other artists to check out:

Lee Godie

Ray Yoshida

Jesse Howard

It's supposed to be spring!!

2009-03-11T18:15:00.001-05:00

Bad day at work. I'm in this weird stage where I feel like I'm losing interest in what I was initially very intrigued by and I'm struggling against it. Perhaps it was the grayness of today that made me feel so down. Or perhaps I am just being hard on myself but it really matters to me that people don't consider me lazy or ambivalent. I feel like I'm the wicked, duller stepsister.

Time at home makes me very excited. I'm happy with the few hours I get to spend in the privacy of my room making something or reading...it's what got me through this long, awful winter.

Other things that are currently making me feel happy:

Creepy narrative photos involving dolls.
More at http://turquoisechildren.online.fr

Cameo Necklaces with Couples in them.
I know, I know. Fuck you. But how can I resist the cheesy loveliness of this necklace??!! I almost bought one like this with a hand painted portrait of Joel and Clementine.

Obnoxious Ribbon
Yes!

I just learned about this band within the past month. I like the original version of this song but this video has somehow become a subject of intrigue for me. I can't seem to tell if the lead singer is super cute or creepy.

Caged Performance....I have lots of work to do.

2009-03-03T20:22:00.000-06:00

I should actually be working on other things but I feel compelled to post, thanks to my lovely art history class.

Today we watched The Couple in the Cage, a video documentation of a collaborative performance involving Guillermo Gomez- Pena and Coco Fusco. It was an obvious satire in which Guillermo and Coco traveled around the globe, decked out in faux Amerindian costumes and posed as "savages" locked up in a cage.The cage was set up in the main lobby of various art and natural history museums, allowing the visitors to interact with the performers. If you payed fifty cents, Guillermo and Coco performed faux tribal traditions. Coco would do a "warrior dance" to a hip hop song while Guillermo told a story about his homeland in a made up tongue while holding a rubber snake. If you went up to their cage and enunciated the word, "P-H-O-T-O", they would even pose so you could take a picture with them.

The performance was very effective in that it had a very sophisticated way of being satirical and that was primarily due to the passive attitudes of the performers...which I totally commended because if someone tried to feed me a banana through a cage, I'd probably spit on them.

The video documentation was interspersed with images of native people being shipped off to Europe and America to be showcased in the circus like freaks. At first, I was irritated with the very didactic comparison but there was a moment when I kind of lost it and got a little emotional. What REALLY effected me was that there were still some people who didn't seem to understand that it was a social commentary. I distinctly remember a sailor from Chicago asking, "Who shaved her legs for her?".

ttp://www.vdb.org/smackn.acgi$misc?clips/COUPLEINTH.mov
(A small excerpt from the video)

Fun with the drill press and stop motion animation

2009-01-28T19:17:00.000-06:00

Worked in Blair's studio today. He was gone most of the time, tending to his sick dogs at home. It felt like me and the other intern were two little girls lost in a forest out of some fairy tale. There were wild masks and props all over and I was having so much sick twisted fun constantly drilling holes using the drill press. I mean, it was fun until I somehow managed to rub one of my knuckles raw and then proceeded to bleed on one of Blair's books. Thankfully, he wasn't mad. He actually thought it was amusing. It was nice to hear him laugh.

I talked to the other intern about various stop motion artists including Christiane Cegavske. She created this wonderful stop motion animation called Blood, Tea, and Red String over the course of 13 years!!! She has since created a creepy live action follow up called The Doll Maker and is working on a related stop motion movie. Some of her work:

Slice and Stitch

I actually saw a similar version of this painting which was actually used in the movie and I liked it better because instead of sewing her vagina shut, they were delicately painting a thin red line down the middle. The fact that they're cutting off her breasts, though does bother me. At first I thought they were just measuring them.

Little Red

I like this one because of it's blatant sexuality and that ALWAYS came to mind when reading about Little Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Wolf. I also recently finished The Book of Lost Things and in it there was this story in which Red Riding Hood seduced the Wolf and that is how Werewolves came to be. Freaky.

There is no time

I haven't been able to decide if she's sadly repairing herself or just making herself a costume. None the less, I love visible stitches. I used to work with this woman who had stitches tattooed along her body and I adored them. Maybe I'll get some tattooed some place discreet.

After watching this, and a lot of Svankmajer, I made this miniature scene based on Alice in Wonderland that has since been destroyed. Too bad I never got to finish it, but a few pictures still remain.

Can't see it too well but it's made out of an old wicker basket, there are hands coming up out of the ground holding a gold key and on the table are three playing cards (from the suit of hearts) and a glass of milk next to a sign that says drink me. Beyond the huge keyhole is a table with a tea set on top of it. I plan to rebuild it someday and add more things...including rabbit tracks. But, I think I'm going to make a pair of earrings first.

This business of Art (History)

2009-01-27T19:23:00.000-06:00

I love my Art History class. Alternative Art History 1980-Present with Keller. Take it. I read this article today called "Clash of 85", it's an art critic analyzing her work and how she's changed over the years after she's been fired from her job. Very insightful. She made some interesting points about culture and art.

"Culture, in the full sense, not just the other arts, but the whole fabric, including how we eat and dress and work and make love as well as make art- a general culture in which we are all collaborators, which does not exclude so much as embrace the so-called avant-garde along with many other manifestations." (Lippard, 2)

This quote made me think of Post-Modernist ideals as I learned them in my previous Art History class. I used to be very bothered by the idea that nothing is original, that everything is derivative or a reference to what came before. Now, I don't necessarily think it's a negative concept. Our culture informs us, as we inform each other and that filters down through our work. So it's impossible to seperate your work from the zeigeist of our times, even if you are not making any direct socio-political/cultural statements.

We talked a little bit this situation in which our teacher was speaking to this woman who said she didn't want to be known as a "woman artist but rather an artist that just so happens to be a woman..." I can relate to this because I have similar fears about being pigeonheld as a black artist, woman artist, etc.. On the other hand, these are very importat aspects of my identity and ofcourse, impact how I relate to the world and the work that I produce. Furthermore, I would never want to deny aspects of my "personhood" just so that my work could be seen as something more accessible. Catch 22.

/www.artnet.com/magazine_pre2000/features/saltz/saltz11-24-98.asp

An article on a Kara Walker exhibit that I found interesting. She's someone I often debate about with myslef. I thought it was weird though that Betye Saar had such a huge issue with her.

back

2009-01-24T19:02:00.000-06:00

My break was heavenly. I wish I could have somehow extended it, though I was actually quite relieved to start school again. I spent most of my time hibernating: working on my portfolio, some stuff for Etsy, and killing myself over internships. Luckily I managed to score an internship this semester with Blair Thomas and Company.

Blair Thomas is a visual theater artist that combines puppetry and pageantry with music and folklore. He is also the co founder of Redmoon Theater and I've been eyeballing his company for sometime. Most of the work I will be doing will be mold-making, sewing, and welding. His studio is located in a big warehouse type building in a seedy part of town.

Blair Thomas and Company's Cabaret of Desire

Blair Thomas and Company's The Selfish Giant

Since I've been spending so much time inside lately, I've been thinking a lot about having a studio. I want to live on my own so badly it hurts. I just don't have enough room for all of my stuff anymore and I don't have the peace and quiet I sometimes really need. I feel like Alice after she took a bite from that cookie and grew so huge she got stuck in her house.

Later in life

2008-12-30T18:17:00.000-06:00

My live sculpture went very well. I was a live Christmas tree. I wore a green dress and green shoes and stood in a tree stand, while my friend painted me green, strung lights and decorations around me and hung ornaments in my hair. I held myself in that position for about 45 minutes, I could have gone longer but I didn't want to miss the other acts going on. The event was actually quite fun. There was a good turn out but there were more performers than non-performers so it wound up feeling like this event just for us.

I danced, I got to be in a fashion show (my first), I ate a shit-load of sweet potatoes, and I walked around with sick sticky green paint on my body for a while (I still gave out hugs anyway). So YES!! Too bad it was negative three that night.

Anyway, the holidays are troubling me. Only because I get to see all of my family and eat good food, and laugh, and work, and get good sleep and then it all ends and my sister has to go away again and then I get sad. Her flight left at about 6 this morning...

I've been productive. I've been embroidering, crocheting, sewing, writing, and reading like mad. Partly because of my portfolio and the other part because I'm behind on Christmas presents...sorry dudes, you know who you are. I haven't forgotten, I just suck.

I've been on this website religiously for the past three weeks:

http://www.etsy.com/index.php

I've also been reading The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger. She's a book and paper artist based out of Chicago. She graduated from SAIC and now teaches at Columbia. Some of her work:

From The Three Incestuous Sisters (one of my favorite books)

Also from The Three Incestuous Sisters

...my mother almost named me Madison

Almost there...

2008-12-21T02:09:00.000-06:00

It's about 2 o'clock in the morning and I'm still working out the details of my live sculpture. I'm thinking that it will end up being more along the lines of an actual, proper performance. I'm nervous. It doesn't help that I went back to Redmoon earlier and most of the folks there kept telling me that they couldn't wait to see what I come up with. Eeeep.

What has helped me is this artist named Bea Camacho. She does these wonderful crocheted and knitted sculptural pieces that are about isolation, concealment and self-preservation. She did this 11 hour durational piece called Enclose, in which she crocheted a huge cocoon for herself out of red yarn.

Bea Camacho, Extensions

Bea Camacho, Enclose

I am really tired. I'm going to take a short nap and then get back to work. I learned a lot this semester but obviously not how to manage time.

Inconvenient

2008-12-18T23:14:00.000-06:00

I'm performing at my friend's event this Sunday. It's called The Hibernation Celebration and it's a benefit for her theater company, The Inconvenience. There's going to be bands playing, live paintings, solo puppeteers, and a live sculpture from me. I'm putting all of this unnecessary pressure on myself...but I shouldn't be. I just want to have fun.

Speaking of pressure, I haven't done any of my holiday shopping yet. Yikes. I'm also a little behind on all of the gifts I'm making. I miss my sister. I miss California. I have bad cramps.

2008-12-15T20:31:00.000-06:00

I hate getting myself so angry about things. Especially if there's nothing I can do about it immediatley. I had all of these plans to do constructive things when I got home but all I can do right now is sit and stew over this. I really want to believe that people are generally good but it's moments like this that make me lose faith in people.

It was fucking cold outside today.

ok...things that make me happy...

How I felt today:

FFIIINNAAALLLSSS

2008-12-11T21:20:00.000-06:00

It's been a rough week. I completely underestimated the work I had to do and I kinda waited until the near-last minute. The result: long hours of work at night and minimal amounts of sleep. I am pretty ok with this because I have like two days left to suffer through...plus the work I'm doing is something I actually enjoy.

My finals have been fine, except for sculpture which was kind of a joke. I'm not sure if I passed my Western Music exam but I got to fill out that lovely evaluation, which was only secondary to giving him a nice tongue lashing.

I plan to keep my blog, so I will say "goodbye" by deleting the posts that I feel are arbitrary.

2 reasons why I should have been a dancer.

2008-12-04T00:09:00.000-06:00

Akram Khan Company & National Ballet of China
"Bahok"

The Peeping Tom Collective
Le Sous Sol

I am obsessed with movement and strong bodies and the feeling of having so much control. Plus they look like they're having so much fun! I have a slight problem with picking up on choreography, though.

My final performance is moving along. Of course I changed a bunch of things last minute and now I have to tweak all the movements to fit my concept. I got a little lost there for a second. I get kind of worried about whether or not my work is "interesting" or if people will respond to it. I think I've been really careful of not being too reliant on media or repetition to carry my piece. I'm sure that all will go well, if I play things honestly.

Critique week is fucking me up. This whole not having class thing has somehow put in my mind that I'm already on break, making it extremely difficult for me to get on the ball with my million other projects. I've even deviated from the schedule I've layed out for myself and I fear that I might have to conclude this semester with a week of no sleep. I am sooo looking forward to Christmas.

Giving thanks, Channel surfing, Salad, and Mark

2008-11-28T00:48:00.000-06:00

Thanksgiving was good. I spent it at my Aunt's house with my Mother, Brother, and Step Father. Most of my Mom's siblings were there. I pretty much spent the entire time in my Aunt's master bedroom channel surfing... which was fine with me because I've been looking forward to doing nothing for a while...plus she has cable television which is a luxury we cannot afford at my house.

It was good to be around family but it was also very sad. Most of them looked so much older and smaller and it made me very aware of how temporary family gatherings can be. I have my Aunt's laughter stuck in my head.

What I Ate:
large amounts of wonderful salad
3 catfish fillets
Sushi
2 slices of chocolate cake
A slice of carrot cake
A slice of red velvet cake
tortilla chips

What I Watched:
3 part documentary on Warhol's Silver Factory
Girls Just Wanna Have Fun
Biography: Alan Alda
Biography: Melissa Gilbert
The Notebook (YES!!!)
Robot Chicken

I'm really losing my mind over this performance final. I had this set idea but after doing some research I feel my mind is changing. I'm still trying to figure out how to fight a stereotype while performing it...and if removing the "fourth wall" helps. Right now I'm just concerned about protecting myself, how I'll honestly feel when it's all said and done, and if I'll do a good job at conveying a message without being didactic or preachy.

I researched Mark Ryden the other day. I like his paintings because I feel like there is a very interesting narrative behind each one. I also like that he continues to use a set amount of symbols in his work like raw meat, Jesus, children, alchemy, Abe Lincoln, Satan, and rabbits. I tried to find an interview in which he explained some of his symbolism but all the interviews I found where silly and they asked arbitrary questions like, "What do you do for fun?"

Incredible Feats of Puppetry

2008-11-25T14:13:00.000-06:00

Saturday night I went to see the Winter Pageant Redux at Redmoon Theater. Going back to Redmoon made me feel a little lonely because I miss them all so very much and I just wanted to hop on stage and play along with them. The objects were beautiful and well made. There were wonderful light up fish puppets and strange amphibian masks and a huge scuba diving suit. I had “snow” thrown at me, water squirted in my face and occasionally one of the puppeteers would scream out “MAEGAN!”

I left feeling a little betrayed that Redmoon had moved on without me but at least I got to see everyone again.

Redmoon's Winter Pageant Redux

Incidentally I saw Blair Thomas’s show the week before at the MCA. The Ox Herder’s Tale. During pre-show my friend and I chatted in the lobby and every time Blair walked past us, we’d stop talking and just sort of stare at him. He, of course, had no idea who he we were but was nice enough when we introduced ourselves after the show. I was completely embarrassed and shy, so I spoke to him while looking at my hands but he kept repeating my name and his hand was warm and soft when he shook mine.

Blair Thomas's The Ox Herder's Tale

The show was unique, not exactly what I was expecting. There were some very powerful moments that really resonated with me like the life-size magician puppet walking in slow motion through the air and the appearance of the raging bull on stilts.

Afterwards I talked puppet business with the ladies and then went home to enjoy a lovely grapefruit.

I am very much looking forward to the upcoming break. I don’t think I’ve been taking care of myself emotionally and physically the way that I should be…I’ve pulled way too many all-nighters and have lately been held up in my house. It would be nice to eat REAL food and hang out with my family. Plus…my Aunt promised to make me a salad!!!

YES!!

Skin Art

2008-11-12T23:03:00.000-06:00

Artist Ariana Page Russell explains:

"My own skin frequently blushes and swells. I have dermatographia, a condition in which one's immune system exhibits hypersensitivity, via skin, that releases excessive amounts of histamine, causing capillaries to dilate and welts to appear (lasting about thirty minutes) when the skin's surface is lightly scratched. This allows me to painlessly draw patterns and words on my skin, which I then photograph."

Though my initial reaction to this was "eww", (I thought it was one of those deals where she carved her lover's name into her skin) I think it's actually pretty cool. I'm always fascinated by people who take what would normally be considered an irregularity about themselves and turn it into a strength.

She also does these wallpaper cut outs that are made entirely out of skin. How? I don't know. I like it, although it kind of gives me the willies.

Fuck...I'm totally supposed to be working on my Jenny Holzer response. Anyway, Her other stuff:

critiques, crafts, and pretty pictures

2008-11-11T21:33:00.001-06:00

I've been feeling incredibly uninterested in the work I've been doing. I'm experiencing a disconnect. I had a semi-awful critique the other day but a part of me is glad it happened. It was for a project in my sculpture class. I was told that my artwork tends to be very feminine and "crafty". I would have been less bothered if it wasn't said with such dripping disgust.

I don't want to become the stereotypical girl who always produces work relating to the female body and identity...but it's hard because that's what interests me the most. But anyway, that critique was helpful...I realized that it's time for me to experiment with new mediums. I want to try something difficult and I don't really care if I fail or not because at least I stopped doing what's familiar.

Lilly Piri

Travis Louie

Meg Hunt

On a side note, my western music class is becoming ridiculous. I seem to have inherited the role of class bitch. I'm really frustrated with everyone else because no one will speak up and say how they honestly feel...even though by 10:30, half the class is asleep.

Images relating to my solo performance...

2008-11-06T12:10:00.000-06:00

19th Century

20th Century

21st Century

Midterms, Marina, and Me.

2008-11-05T23:13:00.000-06:00

I tend to do very bodily focused/political/feminist work and it’s just now become something I accept about myself. I felt guilty about if for a while because I feel like it’s a very easy subject to tackle if you’re a woman…and it’s hard to do it well. Someone could basically make a piece saying “This is sexist, this is sexist, this is sexist…” and it would be considered feminist. My interest in feminism is more internal. I like to think about bodies…about my body in relation to other people and about how other people’s bodies relate to each other. Sexuality fits in somewhere, though I’m not quite sure where…or maybe I am sure and I’m just too embarrassed to say.

Easily, my 15 minute performance could be interpreted as a feminist piece and I’m not saying that that’s wrong or bad but it was something I didn’t necessarily consider. Of course, seeing a woman tied up and screaming is going to bring a lot of politics in to the room. It was a very personal piece. I stepped out of a lot of comfort zones, though looking back on it, I feel like I could have pushed myself a bit more. It was awkward to sing in front of people and to partially undress myself, and to show off that picture of my brother. I feel/felt like I revealed too much but somehow it was OK because everyone understood it was a midterm.

The “90 degree turn” in my performance was when I started screaming. I knew that I wanted to do it and it was cathartic but once I started, it was hard to stop myself from crying.

Marina Abramovic

I have been told by a trusted friend that my performance was Marina Abramovic- esque. Again, I’m not bothered by this. I like her work. Someone was telling me about a piece of hers where she lay on the floor of a gallery and just screamed constantly until her voice gave out and that signified the end of her performance. A lot of her work tends to be about physically pushing her body until it gives out. I don’t foresee myself really exploring that avenue because I have a very low tolerance for pain but I’m glad she does it.

Article 1:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/may/29/newsid_2733000/2733979.stm

Article 2:
http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20096350,00.html

Also origins:

Duct Tape
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duct_tape

Listerine
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Listerine

Screams
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scream

I don't know what I'll be doing in five weeks. I would be worried if I did. I had this amazing, grand performance final planned out in the beginning of the semester and now it seems sort of shallow and unoriginal. I still have a lot of figuring out to do.

...p.s- there was no way I could have squeezed seven paragraphs out of this. I mean, I could have but it would have been bullshit. I love my blog too much to post bullshit.

Dame Darcy and Dream Operator

2008-10-30T23:14:00.000-05:00

Dame Darcy is Rad. She's a graphic novelist/comic book artist/doll maker based out of San Francisco. I fell in love with her after picking up a collection of her comics called MeatCake. The cast of characters in meat cake include a two headed woman, a werewolf, a human pez dispenser, a promiscuous mermaid, and a lady named Richard. Awesome. She also did a graphic novelization of Jane Eyre (one of my favorite books.)

I found this on youtube (god bless it). It's a scene from one of my favorite movies...and it's one of my favorite songs from when I was a lass. Not to mention the clothes are rad. Enjoy.

Breasts...again

2008-10-18T17:47:00.000-05:00

The Breasts Project wound up being kind of a disaster. I feel like I invested a lot of time and money into it but in the end it felt very shallow...and I forgot why I did it in the first place. It had to do with a lot of things like time constraints and the dynamic between my collaborative partner and I but instead of talking everything out, I just soaked in all the negativity like a sponge.

I'm working on a new project for my sculpture class in relation to breasts again...this time by myself. While doing research, I came across these pictures that I absolutely adore. My favorite is the one with the mouse traps...booby trap, I think it's called.

Peter and the Wolf

2008-10-13T18:09:00.000-05:00

I can't wait until this is released.

BREASTS

2008-10-06T13:35:00.000-05:00

I am currently working on a collaborative project about breasts in which my partner and I paint our breasts and stamp them repeatedly on fabric. I have been told by several people that this is in the spirit of Yves Klein....I don't know how I feel about that. Though I do like this video....

2008-10-02T18:29:00.000-05:00

Time alone...

2008-10-02T18:27:00.000-05:00

Sitting for an hour was much more difficult than I thought it would be. I, of course wanted an excuse to sit and do nothing for an hour but I had to restrain myself from drinking tea. I focused on how I felt physically; I tried to elongate my breath. My seat was cold. My feet were cold. I tried not to think about all the work that I have to do…though, in actuality I knew I was just being overly anxious. I thought about the weather, the changing season and how it’s affecting me. I like the current state of the weather. The slight chill in the air and the grayness is romantic and it allows me to wear layers but there’s an underlying sadness to it all. I feel rushed. I feel like I need to hurry and do all of the outdoor things that I want to do before winter appears and terrorizes my life for the next nine months. I am one of those people that need sunshine and heat in order to feel free and happy. I could never handle coldness well.

Back to my hour alone… I drifted in an out of consciousness. A few times I was close to falling asleep. It was very relaxing yet also filled me with anxiety over the things that I felt I should be doing. I cheated once and removed a book from my table. I eventually sat with my arms crossed to avoid any further temptation. I wish sitting alone for an hour wasn’t something that was such a chore for me. I wish I found the time to do it more often.

Giantess

2008-09-21T14:19:00.000-05:00

Girl with the most cake.

2008-09-21T14:03:00.000-05:00