Art 226 3D concepts: March 2014

Listening to the episode Switcheroo, from This American Life, about Cindy Sherman and knowing somewhat about her and her work, I believe she was lying about the woman they met, I believe she was that woman. Because I think she enjoys being able to camouflage her true identity, that is what most of her work is about. Being able to change yourself and people's perceptions of you is definitely an interesting concept. But I think it can cause people to lose sight of their true selves. In the case of Cindy Sherman the question than becomes who is she really, and I think, even she, after spending decades disguising herself, cannot truly know.

The Chrysler Building in New York city has always intrigued and inspired me and I love the art deco style it represents. Especially the geometric shapes and curved lines of that era.

Another love of mine is classic cars, despite the fact that I know nothing about cars my dream car is a hot pink '57 Chevy. I love the fins and chrome and the "futuristic" look of them.

Finally one of my favorite songs that has always been what I call one of my happy songs because it always puts a smile on my face. Is a song by a Jewish musician named Matisyahu called Sunshine

"Sunshine"

[Verse 1:]
Keep on moving to the first rays of dawn
Keeping it on 'til the day stays strong
Runnin 'til the night time blazes on
All along I keep singing my song
I said, this phase is always
Sometimes I get so crazed
But just know that I'll always stay
'Cause you're my light through the haze

[Chorus:]
It's time for a champion
Soothe the soul of the land
Mend the heart from the sea and the sand
'Til the sun comes up again
[2x]

Reach for the sky
Keep your eye on the prize
Forever in my mind
Be my golden sunshine
It's raining in your mind
So push them clouds aside
Forever by my side
You're my golden sunshine

[Verse 2:]
When the sun set I let myself down
Found the ground beneath my feet gone
No more words were there to speak
On that day my song was born
Never meant to leave you all alone
Said I'd be your
shelter from the storm

Now your clothes have all been torn
Kingdom sacked attacked and dethroned

[Chorus]

Reach for the sky
Keep your eye on the prize
Forever in my mind
Be my golden sunshine
It's raining in your mind
So push them clouds aside
Forever by my side
You're my golden sunshine

It's the way of the world
You're on your own
Time to grow and be a man
Wanna fly high like Peter Pan
No more Never Never Land
So lose your backpack filled with sand
Come along and take my hand
We'll walk together, walk forever

Reach for the sky
Keep your eye on the prize
Forever in my mind
Be my golden sunshine
It's raining in your mind
So push them clouds aside
Forever by my side
You're my golden sunshine

Reach for the sky
Keep your eye on the prize
Forever in my mind
Be my golden sunshine
It's raining in your mind
So push them clouds aside
Forever by my side
You're my golden sunshine

[2x]
Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh
Walk with me now, talk with me now, baby
Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh
Walk with me, momma, talk with me now

I am not sure how I will incorporate all these elements into one piece, but I feel that is enough to work with and even the song lyrics have some good imagery to work with.

In Process

Although I began with an idea of recreating elements from all three inspirations, my final work morphed into a piece mainly inspired by the geometric patterns evident in the Chrysler building. Using the design principles common in the art deco style of the Chrysler building, I took one repeated shape by folding the craft paper, after cutting it into varying sizes, then connecting all of them to create this final piece to cover the entire body.

Going into the blog to view the video about Janine Antoni, honestly I am not a huge fan of performance art and have often questioned its legitimacy as an art form. So I had already decided I wouldn't enjoy her work or the video. I quickly, in fact, almost immediately shifted my opinion upon seeing her first piece, Moor, as she began to describe what materials she had used to create it and what it represented. I have gained a new, more open-minded view on her as a performance artist, and performance art as a whole. I also gained much admiration for her after watching her process and her ability to learn a new skills simply in order to better convey the entirety of the piece, it really speaks volumes to her creativity and artistic talent.