Welcome Back Show

Looking at artwork by the grad students and faculty members in the Welcome Back Show was a good experience. The collection of varied artworks allowed me to think more critically and generate new ideas for my thesis. The work that stood out to me most was Shane's digital work on the far back wall of the Red Room, opposite the entrance. From far away, at first glance, it did not look like digital art. I thought it might've been either a photograph or a very intricate and detailed painting. Today, during Design III class, I thought of that artwork as the professor taught us how to make basic structures in Programming. It made me want to create something realistic and visually stimulating that it would make the viewers wonder, "That was done by a computer program?" I love art that is detailed and finely rendered because it looks like a lot of effort and thought was put into it. I did not jot down exactly what it looked like, but the digital prints appeared to be waterfalls from the top, where the viewer can see the water streaming to a pit or edge. There were two versions of the waterfall; one in a dark setting and the other in a warm, ambient daytime setting. From looking at them both, I felt at peace but kind of isolated at the same time. The vast landscapes with contrasting colors and vectored shapes were pleasing to the eye but the portrayed emptiness made me feel like I was standing and staring at the waterfall alone. As I said before, I felt peaceful- this probably reflects my personality as I enjoy tranquil times by myself especially looking at artwork.

One piece that bothered me in the show was the white panel in the center of the room that seemed to depict a subject with a mustache, focused on the face and part of the upper torso. That is what I am picking up from my memory, although I could be wrong. What I strongly remember about that piece was that it was minimal. I did not look to see who had made this piece. As a fan of very detailed pieces, as I have mentioned, I am averse to most pieces that look like very little effort has been put in. After observing an interesting piece on the wall, I turn around and see this panel supported upright of a figure wearing a silhouetted mustache. That was literally it. It did not stimulate my mind and I was not inspired by it because I found very little to say about it. Perhaps if the artist provided a reason/s behind the piece, I might justify it. That piece surrounded by everything else that had color and more detail looked insignificant.

Male & Female / Pornography

These are some topic options I have for my thesis project:

• Bond between man and woman/Pornography
• Music and visuals
• Tattoos / Tribal art
  

I am most interested in the bonding between genders physical and mentally and the senses that come into play. The physical bonding is a very sensual experience in which most senses are stimulated- touch, sight, hearing, tasting, smelling. Porn is one of the world's largest money-making industries that depict females in generally the same way- as degraded, submissive figures. Most pornography are strictly objective from a male's perspective and filmed in a home-made/amateur style.

Erika Lust is a Barcelona-based film director who creates "porn for women"- a feminist approach to porn. While filming porn, she attempts to capture a feeling from the sexual act itself and the surroundings.

I noticed her blog is running again and plan on visiting regularly as I hone my idea for thesis. She puts up interesting content relating to sex.

Interview and chat with Aliza Enkur

Aliza Enkur is an aspiring artist concentrating on Painting and Drawing who is inspired by mythical, fantastical beings. Her works depict lifeforms and still-life within a dark and mysterious theme and a touch of romanticism. She likes to draw and paint female characters in a mystical setting such as Alice in Wonderland. I was particularly interested in her still life pieces such as the pomegranate painting; it appears to be sitting on a surface, at the same time lost in a mysterious void. The painting appears quite surreal and very different in terms of handling of paint and color compared to her paintings of mystical figures. However, Aliza's style is very much present. Although she has not decided on what to do just yet, I see great potential in her still life pieces that can shine through in her final thesis project.

(Due to distance and the complexity of our schedules, we were not able to physically interview each other so we conducted it online via Facebook chat)

Me: I see an interesting piece in your album. Prince Tomato.

Aliza: Lol prince tomato? I have to look that up, hold on.

Me: Look like a red fruit wearing a crown! Haha, looks surreal.

Aliza: Oh the pomegranate! Yeah, it's not finished in that photo. The final product has been sewn or glued in to the entire center area.

• 
  

  Me: I

  nteresting, mixed media?
  
  
  Aliza: Yeah, I was experimenting alot that semester with using other media in combination with my paint... Strings, wire, beads, etc.
  
  

  Me: that's cool, how are you liking it? was using mixed media required for a project in your painting class?

  • 
    

    Aliza:

    It wasn't required per se, but I saw alot of people using media besides paint and i wanted to test the waters too. I think I did more fumbling than finding though. While it was fun and I may mess around with it more in the future, I don't know how much I'll be doing of it this semester or in the particularly near future.
    I feel like when you start adding in extra media, it can sometimes start turning in to "arts and crafts' rather than simply art
    
    
    Me: alright, so you would rather focus on making something with one medium
    
    
    Aliza: More or less. I don't know if it's due to lack of experience or simple personal preference though.

    • 
      

      Me:

      I get you. It does feel arts and crafty when you add materials to the piece. You have a good variety in your album

      • 
        

        Aliza:

        Yeah, like, have you ever seen Mickalene Thomas's work? With all the crystals she layers on, it feels almost kitsch-y. Not that I'm a proponent of specifically attempting to avoid kitsch work. I happen to love kitsch, lol, it's a recurring argument in some of my art classes.

        • Thanks!

          
          

          

          

          
          

          Me:

          there's still life, surrealism, and life

        • living things like animals and humans i mean

        • And I haven't seen Mickalene Thomas's works. Looking it up now.

        
        

        Aliza: I don't have any of my craft-y stuff in there. like, I once made an imitation coach bag out of paper and acrylic and I made a claymation film (albeit a short one) with some students in my drawing fund. 2 class

      
      

      Me:

      Ohh, do you have it up?

      • 
        

        Aliza:

        I'm trying to find it on my comp now, lol, I put it in a folder recently

        • I wasn't in charge of the music, but I think most of the claywork and the actual moving of the figures was my job

          
          

          Me:

          Some of her pieces are triply, Mickalene's.

          
          

          Aliza:

          The ones that I saw were mostly african american women in highly patterned outfits and environments with crystals laid over certain sections. Very pretty and visually interesting to look at. But feels kinda craft-y. By the way I THINK I found the clip and I'm trying to send it now

          
          

          Me:

          cool beans,

          watching now. That's awesome.
          • 
            
            Aliza: Thanks! It was so much fun to make, i kinda wanna try and make another one at some point soon, but I don't know how to add music tracks or turn photos in to a film
            
            
            Me: You seem to be into science fiction
            
            
            Aliza: Very much in to fantasy, myth, etc.
            
            
            
            
            
            
            
            
            Me: Yes, that more than sci-fi.

            • are you considering doing something of that subject in your thesis? Or

              applying something of that into it

            • 
              

            Aliza: I'm honestly not sure yet where to take it

            • I'm considering doing something with more of a psychological bent. A

              lso kinda might wanna do something related to the hans christian anderson stories and the grimm brother stories, or idk, almost anything really.
              
              
              Me: Interesting!
              
              
              Aliza: Problem is that everything at mason gross is so focused on abstract, and the specific avoidance of kitsch, and that's not really my thing
            
            
            Me: Going back to the pomegranate
            I mean, i've only taken painting I-A

            • Havent really had a lot of intelligent discussions

            • on other people's works

            • and painting in general

              but i'm really attracted to the pomegranate

              
              

              Aliza:

              I had Julie Langsam as a teacher and got in to plenty of arguments about kitsch etc.
              
              
              Me:

              • Sorry, I feel like a fly

              • that keeps going to the light

              • "I LIKE YOUR POMEGRANATE PAINTING"

              • i'll explain now

                
                

                Aliza:

                *laughs* I

                t's okay! I'll happily take the flattery
                
                
                Me:

                • beside the use of mixed media

                • more on your application of the paint and the colors you chose

                • there's an aura about it that i feel like i could recognize as being you after seeing your other works in deviant

                • it's dark, mysterious

                • this feels like a painting that's been pushed

                  to the next level

                  
                  

                  Aliza:

                  Muchos gracias I like hearing that, because I like embedding a sort of darkness or strangeness in my pieces
                  
                  
                  Me:
                  I love it !! love dark and mysterious
                  
                  
                  Aliza:
                  Yeah, I think that was the only painting that came out of that semester which I really loved

                  • If you like weird or dark art, check out the art book Hunt & Gather;

                    I think I posted about it in my blog for this class.
                  
                  
                  I was most intrigued by Aliza's rendering of drapery and texture of objects in her still life pieces. It would be very interesting to see her style working with another type of visual art such as surrealism in her final thesis.