Outside Art Experiences

Today I went to National Portfolio Day because my boyfriend is trying to transfer out from the local community college to an art school, preferably Tyler. The first and only time I had ever gone to Portfolio Day was last year when I was doing the whole getting-in-to-college thing. Going again definitely brought back some memories. Mostly the memories of the waiting, the long, long, longggg, painful waiting, and the anxiety and excitement of getting your work reviewed.

Besides Tyler, my boyfriend got reviewed by the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, otherwise known as SAIC. I had never heard anything about SAIC, so it was interesting to see what their programs were all about. According to one of their representatives, SAIC is quite different from Tyler in the way that SAIC is less concerned with the technique aspects of art but much rather the conceptual aspects. SAIC reminded me a bit of Copper Union, who I went to be reviewed by when I went to portfolio day last year. The representative at Copper Union told me that my work need be to driven by an "obsession" and I needed to find that "obsession".

It's just interest how each school does their own thing and as their own ideas on how to go about the process of learning how to create art.

Portfolio day was also a great opportunity to check out the work of some on my peers and a get an idea of what other people around my age are up, and I got some good exposure to different ideas and methods of creating art.

After the Portfolio experience and after grabbing a bite to eat at Reading Terminal, we wandered around the city and moved over to Old City and checked out some galleries until we were completely arted-out for the day.

Tank Man Image Project

Oi, this project was so consuming, I don't even know how much time I spent on this.....For such a serious topic, it was a fun project to do. I got really friendly again with my old friend Photoshop. Here is some illustrator stuff in there ( I swear!) but I went over everything in Photoshop. And yeah, two squares unedited. I dunno, part of me just wants to leave them as they are, yeah the lazy way out.... I guess will have to fight that urge and try and get to them tomorrow!

Tank Man

fish astronaunt

Better Late Than Never: Wolgin Exhibit

Today, at long last I finally viewed the Wolgin Exhibit and it was mostly likely right before it's close, but I am extremely glad I got to see it before it was gone. Entering the gallery I decided to go in cold and just browse the works on display. As I wondered through each exhibit, I tried to think of what the works may have represented, and I often felt myself at a great loss. Each of the works was quite unique and of different styles, mediums and subject matter I had not yet explored. But after reading the descriptions provided, I felt much more aware and appreciative of the works. Each artist provided a very different perspective and I felt the exhibit was extremely enriched with culture. It really is such an amazing opportunity to be part of Tyler at such an important and prominent moment.

Tiananmen Square

It's kind of weird that fairly recent ago I watched a special on the Travel Channel about traveling to China, and one of the places they highlighted was Tiananmen Square. The hostess mentioned for something along the lines of it being more open and welcoming to tourists in light of the increased tourism from the previous Olympics. She also went to say how it was simply incredible in it's sheer enormity. Never once did they mention that this very Square had been filled with civilians that were mercilessly gunned down by the country's own government.

Truthfully I'd never heard of the incident before the video, so watching it was quite a shock to me. Sometimes I think it is very easy to simply forget (which maybe or may not be to strong a word) that there places in this world, and no matter how modern or sophisticated it may appear there still exists governments and institutions with absolute rule that forbid the freedom of speech. And there exists places where when the rule is questioned the consequences are so severe and horrifyingly merciless.

The outward courage of the "Tank Man" is just mind-boggling. I don't think I could EVER gather the nerve to stand before on-coming heavy artillery tanks. However, the image of the "Tank Man" makes me have more faith in the strength of the individual, the fact that the "Tank Man" appears to be an average civilian who was pushed beyond his breaking point and in turn became completely fearless. I think it makes a point to say that anyone has the ability to stand up to a daunting and seemingly indomitable opponent.

Photos: Retouched and Orginal