WEEKLY DOCUMENTATION
For my personal space project I was skunk girl. I sprayed areas around the Ucen that smelt like skunk and tried to invade other people's space.
Journal Entry #73 June 4th
URLS
Pun: http://chelseypeckart7a.blogspot.com/2011/04/journal-entry-6-march-31.html
Nexus: http://chelseypeckart7a.blogspot.com/2011/04/journal-entry-11-april-5th.html
Act of Kindness: http://chelseypeckart7a.blogspot.com/2011/04/journal-entry-23-april-22nd.html
Public Space: http://chelseypeckart7a.blogspot.com/2011/04/journal-entry10-april-6th.html
Confession: http://chelseypeckart7a.blogspot.com/2011/04/journal-entry-20-april-19th.html
Sequence: http://chelseypeckart7a.blogspot.com/2011/05/journal-entry-34-may-3rd.html
Alt. Identity: http://chelseypeckart7a.blogspot.com/2011/05/journal-entry-62-may-26th.html
Personal Space: http://chelseypeckart7a.blogspot.com/2011/06/hournal-entry-67-may-31st.html
Journal Entry #72 June 4th
FEARS AND CONCERNS FOR THE CLASS
http://chelseypeckart7a.blogspot.com/2011/03/journal-entry-2-march-29.html
One of my fears for this class was when Desiree said this would be one of the hardest classes that I would take in college. Actually it ended up being one of my favorite classes and yes I found it challenging but I really got a lot out of it. I also was concerned with how many assignments there were, but I think it was a great challenge and I ended up being able to do all my projects and assignments and I am really proud of all of them. I ended up getting along with everyone in class and I was really sad when it was over. I have never taken a class like this, meaning a class that incorporates art with real life issues. I think I ended up becoming more creative after this class and I think more out of the box now when I do my art. Desiree was a great TA very supportive and encouraging.
Journal Entry #71 June 3rd
ART SHOW
For this week art show I went to last Bean Night of the year. Again Bean Night is at the Rainbow house and it is usually every Monday. I have been going there as much as I can since I have found out about it, which was last quarter. I love going because now I have made some good friends there and usually the same people end up going. My friend Rufio's band performed again and they keep getting better and better. They performed Have You Ever Seen The Rain by CCR, one of my personal favorites. A lot of other people performed, there was plenty of other musicians but also a few comedy acts. One guy wrote a poem about Santa Barbara and recited it, actually it was really good because he added some comedy to it. As usual there were beans and rice for everyone. I tried to get there early so I could get a seat on the couch, but today so many people showed up I had to sit on the floor. It wasn't too bad because everyone that performed did a really good job.
Journal Entry #70 June 3rd
NEW ART COURSES
I read Desiree's proposals for three new art courses and I really liked them. They are very different than what is usually offered, and I like how each class somehow makes a difference in the community. The artist as activist one sounds really cool. I think I would be interested in taking a class like that, because I think art should not only be used to be aesthetically pleasing, but for a purpose. There are so many things that students in college can fight for and why not use your skills and talents to make it happen? The spectacle praxes sounds really fun too, it almost reminds me of the flash mobs we did this quarter. I think a whole class on performance art would be so interesting and I could get a lot from the course. I think sometimes art classes through performance art at you and not really go into enough depth about why they are so interesting and how to be successful in doing one. So I think all three of the ideas are very original and I am sure students would sign up for them!
Journal Entry #69 June 2nd
FAVORITE PERSONAL SPACE PROJECT
I really enjoyed all the personal space projects, I thought they were all very unique and fun. I can't just pick one because I have two favorite projects. The first one was the fortune tellers that were over by the bike paths. Their area was set up so well and looked really realistic, the girls even dressed for the part. It was really calming because they had burning sage and all the different kinds of oils that smelled really good. I even got my fortune told, and I thought that was really cool. I actually did not even want to leave their station, but I wanted to see everyone else's projects and I'm glad I did because I found Andrew's area. I got t dip my feet in magenta paint and run across a long canvas. He even had a bucket of water and towels to clean my feet of f when I was done. At first I was very hesitant, but I could not give up the opportunity to create art. I really hope more people were willing to participate because the canvas could turn out really cool if there are a whole bunch of different foot marks!
Journal Entry #68 June 1st
FREE FORM
This is another image I had been working on. This is a picture I took in Austria while studying abroad in Vienna.
Journal Entry #67 May 31st
SKUNK GIRL
For my personal space project I decided to be a skunk for those two hours. I bought a costume and my roommates took a theatre make-up class so they agreed to paint my face like a skunk for me. I also purchased a little spray bottle that was called Liquid Ass, and pretty much it smelled very bad like a skunk. I performed my personal space project right out front of the Ucen because I figured that would be a spot where I could find the most people at 9am. I thought it would be interesting to see peoples' reaction as a ran around hiding behind trash cans and on tables spraying my horrible stench. I predicted that people might either get really mad because I smelled or run away from. Instead I was pleasantly surprised, people either laughed at me or completely ignored because they did not want anything to do with me. It amazes me how much people try to so hard to ignore things that are obviously odd or they try to distance themselves and not communicate anything to you. Anyways I had a really good time and a lot of fun, except my costume was extremely hot and all the fur was shedding onto my body underneath the costume. Besides that the personal space project was interesting because you really did get to invade other people's space and try to get a reaction out of them was amusing.
Journal Entry #66 May 29th
ART SHOW
This week I went to another open mic night, this time downtown Santa Barbara at a pub called James Joyce. It goes on every Wednesday and it is really a lot of fun. It is not very big, but there is a pool time and big barrels of peanuts are at every quarter. This time my friend's band, Bien Canon, was able to play four songs! They sounded really good, everyone seemed to flow very nicely that night. They played two of Rufio's songs that he wrote and two cover songs, one was from The Doors and the other was from The Beatles. Also I was a little surprised when my friend Rachel showed up and she is also a musician and she went on that night also. The only thing that was missing were two of my best friends but they are not 21 yet, so they could not go. I love going to open mic nights, I think it is so much fun to listen to people that have a different sound and everyone is there on a positive note!
Journal Entry #65 May 29th
LEAST FAVORITE PLACE
My least favorite place I guess maybe would have to be a water park, like Hurricane Harbor. I have never really liked water parks because I think they are really dirty and everyone is running around half naked, and most of the people are people that I do not want to see half naked. I also think the water there will probably never have enough chlorine, since all the little kids either pee or get sick in there. I also feel like the rides are not very reliable because one time I went down a slide and a piece of plastic was sticking out in the water tunnel and cut my whole back open and ripped my bathing suit. I guess it might be fun when you are a kid and you are not worrying about all the germs or even noticing the sick perverts that walk around. I do not think I will be visiting a water park anytime soon, unless forced. I am pretty sure it probably a lot easier to catch an illness there than almost any other place that I would normally visit.
Journal Entry #64 May 28th
FAVORITE PLACE
This question actually applies to my life because I have this internship at the Boys N Girls Club, where I teach an art class. This past Thursday I taught a peace lesson to a group of third graders. I ended up teaching them how to build a crane, one of the symbols of peace, into an origami. It was really interesting to see how much fun the kids actually had, and they were really good at it. After we were done with the crane I had them all sit in a circle and name a place where they find it to be the most peaceful and happy. We passed around a peace sign and when you had the peace sign in your hand you would name your place. Now to get to my point, my favorite place would have to be my shower. I always feel really relaxed in there and whenever I do not feel good I go take a shower and feel 100% better. It is a peaceful place and cleanses yourself, and I can either make it into a shower or a bath. I know it is pretty simple, but that has to be one of my favorite places.
Journal Entry #62 May 26th
WEEKLY DOCUMENTATION
I have just presented my alternate identity project today and I feel very lucky that everything ended up working. I was having a really hard time transforming my powerpoint onto my flashdrive or other computers other than my own. For some reason my audio was not showing up, so I asked for someone to bring an adapter. Unfortunately it did not fit into my computer, but I found another adapter in the room and I was able to give my performance. I made a powerpoint with some recodings of conversations of my friends while I was mute for the 48hours and used them as background audio. Then on the slides I took pictures of my notebook that I used to communicate with people and put them on a handful of slides. So when you are viewing the notebook writings, you are also listening to the conversations. At the end I had a reflection where I video taped myself explaining what it was like not to speak and what I learned. I enjoyed this project very much, and I am still trying to upload my powerpoint on the blog.
Journal Entry #61 May 26th
FAVORITE/LEAST FAVORITE PROJECTS
Today every that did not present their projects on Tuesday presented theirs today. There were some good projects and a couple of projects that were not quite as good. Overall though there was always a part of someone's project that I really enjoyed. Today my favorite project was Natalie's video she put together when she was an Australian safari guide. However, instead of pretending she was in the Outback she was on UCSB campus observing all the "wildlife." Her accent was hilarious and I thought it was really interesting how she kept referring to the students as wild animals locked up in captivity. I think she really nailed her alternate identity and made it very entertaining. I think one project that I believe could have used some more guidance was Jenny's stroke victim. Her idea was very thought out and interesting, but I think she might have became lost in her presentation. I would have liked to have seen more of what she did in the 48 hours, and it was a little unclear on exactly what movements she could and could not do. I had a lot of fun viewing everyone's work.
Journal Entry #60 May 25th
REFLECT ON THEMES IN AN AGE OF DIGITAL MEDIA
Personally I felt like one of the major themes from the past two projects was identity and how it is altered starting in a private space to a public space. It has been really rewarding lately while doing these projects this quarter because we are able to document them through the Internet. Our crits flow so much better and I feel like it is much more visual when we put our performances on our blog or youtube. Digital environments are extremely useful when trying to save one's work and when one wants to express a specific identity. From the alternate identity project I feel like it was very interesting changing a part of your identity for a significant amount of time and being able to experience other students' projects just by looking on their blogs. We have not completed the personal space project yet, however I believe that digital environments/media will help lend an outlet for documenting the invasion of personal space. The digital world is really giving the opportunity for people that are not able to witness certain pieces of artwork in person, but still be able to see them online.
Journal Entry #59 May 24th
FAVORITE/LEAST FAVORITE PRESENTATIONS
Today in section we did crit on our alternative identity projects. I am still currently finishing mine up so I did not present today, but I will on Thursday. I was very impressed like always with everyone's projects, however there were a handful that really stood out for me. My favorite project from today would have to be the one where the girl spent her 48 hours as a typical frat boy. Her documentation was hilarious, and all the people in her video developed into little characters and it seemed very real and honest. I also really liked it because I wish I thought of that; it seemed like it would have been so funny and I have some guys that live in the frat house and they would have probably been willing to help me. I hate to even name a least favorite because everyone's projects were so unique and fun. If I had to choose I guess I would pick the artists hands one. I thought it was really interesting, but I am not quite sure if she went the full 48 hours with artist tools connected to her fingers. If she did then that is amazing and well done.
Journal Entry #58 May 23rd
LAST LECTURE
So today was the last lecture of the quarter, and we all had to take our final. It was really interesting though because everyone was in there alternate personas, so some people were dressed up in the craziest costumes. Our class even had a performance happen on stage when mostly everyone was done with their final. It was from Desiree's section and my peers, John and Alex, did a performance of a evil superhero with TNT and John was the hero that saved the whole class from blowing up. I think the final was a little more challenging than what I anticipated because I attended every lecture, but I wish we were given some more advice on what to study. I know I could have been more prepared, but I gave it all I knew. I really enjoyed seeing everyone staying true to their alternate personas and the people that were dressed up were called up on stage to share their experience. I have been having actually a truly difficult time staying mute for this long, however it really has changed my experience unexpectedly of how different people have been treating me since I cannot talk. I thought I would be able to go for the whole 48 hours without talking or writing anything down, but I found that impossible when I wanted to order food so I decided to use a note pad. I am still currently being mute, but this whole project has been really interesting.
Journal Entry #57 May 22nd
ART SHOW
So I went to this open mic night downtown Santa Barbara at a little place called James Joyce. It actually was really entertaining and the performances were very impressive. The place was very intimate, but it was nice because you got to talk to all the performers and they were all musical acts. It is every Wednesday and I saw a lot of UCSB students, I definitely suggest to go and check it out. I filmed a video of my friend's band Bien Canon.
Journal Entry #56 May 22nd
WEEKLY DOCUMENTATION
So for my weekly progress I have been working on my personal space project because I ordered my skunk project and I found instead of a "fart bag" I found something way better called "liquid ass" and it does pretty much the same thing but it will be easier to spray instead of stomping on a bag. I also have started my alternate persona project by not talking for the whole day today and tomorrow. I have been trying to record as many conversations as possible and it has been a really interesting process but also a difficult one. This week I feel like consisted of a lot of anticipation because we have the final tomorrow and the personal space the last week of school, and the alternate persona activity today. I have really enjoyed this week and these last two projects, I think they are gonna turn out really good.
Journal Entry #55 May 22nd
FREE FORM
My alternate persona project is going well but very difficult. I am finding it very hard to not speak for the entire day, especially since it is Sunday and everyone is relaxing and wants to have a conversation. I also feel like it is very hard to keep my friends from trying to make me speak i guess. However, I am finding out things with my close friends that I never even thought about. The one good thing about not speaking is you are truly concentrated on others rather than yourself. I find it interesting how much people premeditate what they want to say and how they want to sound to their friends, but when you do not invoke your opinion you start to hear the truth about what they are really trying to say. It has been horribly difficult to keep my opinions to myself, but also worth it in complete because you start to understand how much more important listening is than talking.
Journal Entry #54 May 21st
ARTIST
If I could be any artist in the world I would have to say I respect Lady Gaga the most out of anyone. I saw her HBO special on her concert at Madison Square Garden and it was amazing. I never realized how talented and independent she is. She has a great voice and an amazing dance technique. I know there are some people that hate her because possibly she is trying too hard but I think it would be amazing to live her life and really care about your fans and be able to have the talent that is expected. She even said at her concert that everyone who sees her pays so much money that she has never lip synced and she would never do that. I really respect that of an artist because it is true; when you see an artist it is really magical when you get to hear the artist live and really see their talents. I also like how liberal she is and how excepting she is of people that are different. I feel like she sends a nice positive message out to the world and she does whatever she wants, and isn't that what we all want in life?
Journal Entry #53 May 20th
SUPER VILLAIN
If I could be any super villain I would probably want to be Poison Ivy from Batman. I also loved how her power was poison and her seduction of men. I think she is beautiful and it always seemed like she used her powers for her own self gain, not necessarily because she was drunk with power. Batman was my favorite cartoon when I was younger and when I saw the Batman movie with Poison Ivy in it, starring Uma Therman, I knew for Halloween one year I wanted to dress up as her. So two years ago I found the best poison ivy costume and I wore it for Halloween. I also like how she has a side-kick the big juiced-up man guy. So if she was ever in over her head, he had her back and would always stand by her side. I think that is one of the most important qualities of a superhero/ super villain is to have a sick side-kick that will help protect you and will be on your side whether you did good or bad. It almost reminds me of a best friend in real life, things do not seem as bad when you have a good friend on your side.
Journal Entry #52 May 19th
SUPERHERO
If I could be any superhero I would want to be Dr. Manhattan from the movie Watchmen. He is the only character that has true superhero powers and it is not just one super power; he has multiple powers. For example he has superhuman strength, telekinesis, control over matter at a subatomic level, and near total clairvoyance. It is hard to just pick one power that in your opinion is the greatest, but with this superhero he has almost all the best ones. I know it would be very cool to be able to fly, but I think all the other powers together are even better than just the power of flight. The only problem with Dr. Manhattan is that he is blue, and I am not sure how cute I would look if my whole body is blue. Also I would have to be careful not to use my powers for evil or selfishness. It would probably be so easy to feel such a sense of power and a sense of control that I would have to remember to use it for good and still try to live a true life.
Journal Entry #51 May 18th
FREE FORM
This is another couple of images I have been working on in my art class.
Journal Entry #50 May 17th
FREE FORM
So today I was really proud of myself for learning to do a little javascript in my art 22 class. I am 100% a beginner in that class and I finally got my interface up and going and my ten images connected to my page. We have been in the middle of learning first HTML and then CSS styling. I have been having a really hard time with it because the teacher goes pretty fast and it is hard for me to keep up since I am so new to this. Finally I somewhat got the hang of it today and now my website looks really good with colors and jquery lightboxes. I have always been intimidated from digital media, but now it is not that scary anymore I just have to learn to ask for more help, especially since there is not that much time left in the quarter.
Journal Entry #49 May 16th
LECTURE
Today in lecture my section actually successfully completed a flash mob in the middle of lecture. At exactly 3:50pm my whole section class set an alarm so our phones would go off all at the same time. It was really interesting because I thought Kip's reaction would be different, it almost seemed like he did not know what to do so he picked up his own phone and looked at it thinking it was a prank or something. We also talked a lot about happenings and mores. A happening is an action that is extracted from the environment, replacing the traditional art projects into movements for everyday life. A more is an accepted convention that embody the fundamental value of social conventions. I also thought it was interesting when Kip talked about the GALA committee who puts pieces of their artwork in tv shows. I think that is brilliant because so many tv shows have loyal fans that will see the art on the show and become familiar with it. I also thought the dolphin documentary was extremely sad, it is amazing what goes on in this world that is kept from the public.
Journal Entry #48 May 15th
ART SHOW
I went to the Santa Barbara Museum of Art today and saw a really exciting exhibition of Theater prints of Tsukioka Kogyo. I have always loved the way Asian prints look so simple almost effortlessly. He is best known for the hundreds of prints he produced depicting noh theater, a highly stylized form of performance dating to the 14th century, that incorporates the arts of recitation, song, dance, and mime. Influenced by Western watercolors and photographs, as well as an interest in representing movement and three-dimensionality, Kogyo developed a unique artistic style and created a new vision of the actors in the Japanese print tradition. In his celebrated series "One Hundred Noh Plays," the richly colored, meticulously printed, striking images of individual actors in each composition monumentalize the emotion and delicate movement expressed by each actor.
Journal Entry #47 May 15th
WEEKLY DOCUMENTATION
I think the flash mob sequence was really fun and successful. I liked how the whole class had one class section to rehears every sequence. The rehearsal and careful planning really made for the flash mobs to flow nicely and made it more effective. I was surprised that we were able to do all four skits and we still had some time after that. The most effective one in my opinion was at the Ucen where we did the gun sequence. I was shocked by how many people that were in the Ucen did not get more scared or intimidated of us. Although there was a couple people that were close to me who seemed frightened and almost confused of what the appropriate reaction would be. I definitely would love to do another flash mob sequence again, maybe an even more difficult one where there has to be rehearsal and carful planning. I think it was extremely effective how our whole class participated, it would have not been the same if we did have so many people.
Journal Entry #46 May 15th
ALTERNATE IDENTITY ELABORATE
So I believe my first idea the one where I am mute for a whole 48 hours. I guess what I mean is I am very interesting in the listening role in a conversation or relationship. I feel like sometimes I talk to much when I am around my friends and I forget to stop and really listen to what my friends and family really have to say. So I think I could go 48 hours without talking to anyone and really just spend time on listening to people. After thinking more about this idea I was concerned how I would be able to document it and prove that I actually made it through the full 48 hours. I thought it would be really interesting if I make a collection of recordings of me just listening to my friends, peers, strangers' conversations and I would of course be silent but maybe I will get to hear some more deeper thoughts that people have if I am not constantly engaging my own input. I probably still have some more thinking I have to do about this project and make sure I will have enough self-discipline, but if I do I think it will turn out really nicely.
Journal Entry #45 May 14th
ALTERNATE IDENTITY PROPOSALS
Idea #1:
The first idea I wanted to do for the alternate identity project was maybe doing something that incorporates listening. I guess what I mean is I am very interesting in the listening role in a conversation or relationship. I feel like sometimes I talk to much when I am around my friends and I forget to stop and really listen to what my friends and family really have to say. So I think I could go 48 hours without talking to anyone and really just spend time on listening to people.
Idea#2:
My second proposal is I always think of myself being pretty feminine and girly, so I thought it would be interesting to dress up like a boy for 48 hours and see how much weight appearance really has even with my friends. I think it might be interesting to see how different I would feel to the other's reactions too.
Idea#3
I have not really thought of a third proposal but I could possibly try to go 48 hours with out being able to walk. It would be interesting to see how much we take for granted, but I would also have to find a wheelchair and I am not sure if that would be possible.
Journal Entry #44 May 13th
DOCUMENTATION OF PAST PRESENTATIONS
Pun Project: http://chelseypeckart7a.blogspot.com/2011/04/journal-entry-6-march-31.html
Nexus: http://chelseypeckart7a.blogspot.com/2011/04/journal-entry-11-april-5th.html
Act of Kindness: http://chelseypeckart7a.blogspot.com/2011/04/journal-entry-23-april-22nd.html
Altered Act of of Public Space: http://chelseypeckart7a.blogspot.com/2011/04/journal-entry10-april-6th.html
Confession: http://chelseypeckart7a.blogspot.com/2011/04/journal-entry-20-april-19th.html
Sequence/narrative: http://chelseypeckart7a.blogspot.com/2011/05/journal-entry-34-may-3rd.html
Journal Entry #46 May 12th
FLASH MOB TODAY
I actually really enjoyed and had a lot of fun performing the flash mobs today at school. The first was perfect because it warmed us up and made us feel more comfortable since all we were doing was playing suck duck goose in the middle of the bike path. We picked a good time to do it because there were a lot of bikers going to class and they were giving us funny faces. I heard one guy say "This is what we are spending out money one?" I think he was just jealous that he had to go to a boring class and he wanted to play. I think our second flash mob was the most successful because people were really shocked and had no idea what we were doing. I remember when I first put out my gun over by the coffee shop at two girls and they even ducked and said,"Oh my God, what are they doing, what should we do?" I really had to try to stop myself from laughing because it was pretty silly if you think about it. I think my favorite thing about doing the flash mobs is the other people's reactions, I think it is a fun entertaining performance art that lets people take a little break from their day or busy schedules and watch something out of the ordinary.
Journal Entry #45 May 11th
FREE FOR ALL
I have been working on this picture on photoshop for awhile now, I made a picture of Kate Beckinsale into an avatar.
Journal Entry #44 May 10th
WHAT CLASSES AM I CURRENTLY TAKING?
This quarter I am taking the most classes I have ever taken so far, I am taking 17 units. Since I am a double major I have to make sure I am taking at least 16 units each quarter so I can graduate Spring 2012. I am currently taking Art 7A, Art 22, Comm 113, and Comm 162. I feel pretty confident in all my classes, but I am stressed out all the time making sure I have not forgot an assignment. I have my midterm tonight for Comm 113 which is a media effects class, and the whole class is pretty much midterm and final so I have to good on this exam. My Art 22 class is a media toolbox class focusing on digital art, and this class I probably find the most challenging since I am a complete beginner in this field. I think it will be important for the future to know how to make art on a computer and know how to code using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. My other comm class is a comm and peace class on Fridays and I really like it because I have had Dr. J in the past and she is really interesting. I can't believe how fast this quarter is going and hopefully I will be able to keep juggling all these units.
Journal Entry #43 May 9th
LECTURE
First I would like to say that we only have two more lectures, this quarter is flying by. Today's lecture was about life and art and how important it is to have integrity when creating. We discussed how the Lakers got their name, which I thought was very interesting. The Lakers NBA team was originally from Minnesota, where there are many lakes. So when they transferred to LA they decided to keep their name just like a lot of other sport teams. We also discussed more sequence and narrative, and one artist that impressed me a lot was Duane Michals. Some of his famous works included stills with writing on them, such as This Photograph is My Proof, Death Comes to the Old Lady, Chance Meeting, The Voyeur's Pleasure Becomes Pain, Paradise Regained, The Human Condition, and Take One and See Mt. Fujiyama (which I found very amusing). Michals incorporated narrative while telling a story of a sequence just by stills. At the end of the lecture we watched a short film of mostly stills by Chris Marker called Ls Jettee, which was an older film and all the stills were in black and white and the dialogue in French. I thought it was a little slow, but really interesting how the story came full circle at the end. I love how it was in a dream sequence almost reminded me of Inception a little, and the love story part was really romantic. The film showed narrative so well with only using stills and I found it still interesting.
Journal Entry #42 May 8th
WEEKLY DOCUMENTATION
So I decided on my second proposal where everyone screams at the same time and drops to the ground for about 2 minutes. I think it was be very interesting because it will make everyone in the crowd suspicious and confused if they should be nervous or laugh at the same time. I want to claim the area by Storke tower or by the Ucen where there will be a lot of people walking around. I also think it is very important that it would be outside so it will actually look like there is a reason for us to drop to the ground. This would include the whole class creating a flashmob around lunch time like 12:00 pm in front of the Ucen if possible to use public space and have a sequenced routine. I also wanted to stay away from recreating the dance sequence because it has been done a lot of times, and this sequence will be easy for the whole class to perform. I really think this idea will attract people's attention and will definitely be dramatic enough for people to talk about.
Journal Entry #41 May 8th
RELEASE FORM
So I decided I will fill out the release form for my second idea. The proposal where everyone screams at the exact same time and drop to the ground for 2 minutes.
Journal Entry #40 May 7th
ART SHOW
This week I attended Bean Night at the Rainbow House to watch one of my favorite local bands Bien Canon. I also enjoyed all the other performances like this one jazz singer performed and he had a really good voice. They served free beans and rice to everyone that wanted some and they had their infamous corn bread that goes really fast. This night it seemed to be extra crowded not all the people that signed up were able to play. I got there early so I did not miss the first group jam session. In the beginning the host passes around a basket with easy instruments anyone can play and we all just start with a beat. More people join in and it is really fun to see how it sounds and to join along even if you are not already a musician. They also do the same kind of thing at the end and call it the last jam session and there is usually this one powerful singer that goes and he starts us up with a cover song that most people know. I really enjoyed listening to all the music, poetry readings, and comedy acts.
Journal Entry #39 May 7th
FLASH MOB PROPOSALS
Idea #1: The strongest idea
I thought it would be a good idea to try to get the people that are not involved in the flashmob sequence to see if they will try to do the same thing as us. So my first idea was to point at the sky for 2 minutes and try to make everyone look at the sky. I think it would be something easy that would not take a long time to practice so we could do it soon.
Idea #2:
My second idea's point was to try to get a reaction from the crowd. I thought it would interesting if at the exact same moment we all scream and drop to the ground for like 2 minutes. It might not get accepted because it might cause a panic or a danger hazard.
Idea #3:
My third idea was to have everyone start miming on campus. It might seem like it is attempting to be more of an acting piece, but I am sure it would catch everyone's attention.
Journal Entry #38 May 6th
FLASH MOBS
Flash mobs is when a group of people assemble suddenly in a public space and perform an unusual and sometimes seemingly pointless act for a brief time, then disperse, often for the purposes of entertainment or satire. They can be organized through telecommunication, social media, or viral emails. The first flash mob was in May 2003 in New York by Bill Wasik but it was unsuccessful because the retail store was tipped off it was going to happen. I have never seen one in person but I have watched videos of it and I think if it pulled off nicely and in sync with everyone it looks really cool. I would be down to create a flash mob with my art class at school. I feel like the usual ones I have heard of incorporate dance. So that could definitely be an option, but I think it might be interesting if we did something different that dancing like if we were to freeze in the middle of campus, I saw a video of a flash mob doing that in a train station and it turned out really good.
Journal Entry #37 May 5th
MOVIE REVIEW
I recently just watched Vanilla SKy with Tom Cruise, Cameron Diez, and Penelope Cruise. I have never seen it before, but I have always wanted to see it. I really liked the color scheme of the whole movie, it used a lot of blues, purples, and pinks. In the movie Tom' Cruise's character's favorite painting is called Vanilla Sky and for a good portion of the film the sky looks just like the painting. The cinematography in the film was also very good, since there was a big twist at the end I thought the camera work did a good job on focusing on certain things that helped you guess the ending, but also made you view each character's specific characteristics. I also really liked how they portrayed New York City, like the scene in the middle of Times Square was very classic and I feel like I have seen that scene before in another movie. The acting was also really good, each character was pretty believable, but the story line had so many twists and turns that it was interesting how the actors could switch personalities. I recommend this movie.
Journal Entry #36 May 4th
FREE FOR ALL
My attempt at Poetry:
Girls with maybe babies
What does that even mean?
Girls that wanna fight
I swear somehow I got the bite
I let them in,
because of him
Even thought I thought on this whim
I fucking lost,
I fucking lost
You want to know why?
Because he said he was going to die
High, High, High
I swear I really thought he was going to die
But time swirled around
Around, Around, Around
And I was what he found
to pay for everything
supply
cry, listen, love, But
SUPPLY, SUPPLY, SUPPLY
then you tell me you're going to die
- this time
without me
Me, me
Wow it's been so long since I heard "me"
Shouldn't it be 'We'
Fuck it
Let me be me
I can finally fucking see.
Journal Entry #35 May 3rd
REVIEW ON CLASS ASSIGNMENT
I was really surprised by everyone's projects, this was definitely a tricky one. I know I had a really hard time with video editing because I am not very familiar with it and I ended up spending much more time on the actual editing part of it than I anticipated. One project that really entertained me was Ericka's half cat half human. I thought the documentary was very creative and funny. I loved how she stayed in her cat costume throughout the whole documentation and it never got boring. Although it was pretty silly I think the editing of the video was very clean and clear and the narrative of her story of the hardships and benefits of being half cat half human was one of a kind. I also really enjoyed the photographs by Andrea of the rose. I thought it was really interesting to see the beginning of a flower bud and watch it's life span through still photographs. I also liked how she kept it black and white and used a dark room. The pictures turned out great and really got her narrative to show through.
Journal Entry #34 May 3rd
Bien Canon
This project documents the progressions and formation of one of Isla Vista’s very own local jam bands, ”Bien Cañon”. Comprised of three friends originally hailing from different hometowns but united by UCSB and a mutual passion for music, “Bien Cañon” is a relatively young group, yet their sound is both refreshing and unique.
Fronted by lead singer and guitarist Andres David “Rufio” Gomez, rhythm guitarist Dave Rasicci, and accompanied by Marc Cilurzo on the electric violin, Bien Cañon draws its musical influences from artists such as the Doors, Sublime, Creedence Clearwater Revival, and Jimi Hendrix, to name just a few. Playing at venues such as Open Mics, Bean Nights at the Rainbow House, and even the Hub at the University Center, they have established a loyal fanbase that is continually captivated and enthralled by their style of music.
Bien Cañon’s sound is incredibly diverse and their lyrics are easy to relate to and sing along with as well, making for more of an “experience” rather than just an act or performance. Throughout the course of several performances, it isn’t hard to see that audiences are left with a collective want for more - both their groupies and fans of their music.
Journal Entry #33 May 2nd
LECTURE
Today's lecture was a little different than the other ones I have been too, but in a good way. It was all about spoken word and an emphasis on slam poetry. We talked about ethnocentrism which means the belief in the inherent superiority of one's own ethnic group or culture. Slam poetry was first started by a man named Marc Smith in the mid 80's. Slam Poetry is usually judged on a scale from 0 to 10 and they generally have 3 minutes with a 10 second grace period. There were many guest performances including multiple slams by current students and one of Kip's friend, Beau Sia. I thought these performances were so personal and inspiring. I was amazed of the memorization of these poetry readings and the intensity. One girl talked about her sister's perfection and how she hated that everyone would just describe her as nice. I also enjoyed Beau's poem about his hard working immigrant dad. The flow of the words tells such a great narrative in a creative way. This lecture actually made me want to try it sometime or take Art 136 or 137m.
Journal Entry #32 May 1st
PROJECT PROGRESS SEQUENCE/NARRATIVE
It took me a little while to figure out what I wanted to do for the sequence/narrative project. I decided to work with my friend Johnson from class and do the project together. I wanted to use the second option with empathy and compassion, and I wanted to use video. I thought it would be interesting to document my friend Rufio's band progress and show how he formed his band and they have progressed thus far. I am going to film it today, the hardest part of this project was to find a time where all of the guys could meet up and I could film them. I want to first shoot Rufio playing guitar outside all by himself, and then I want to film Dave walking towards Rufio with his guitar and join him. Then cut it to Mark walking in with his violin and joining them, what will be the creation of their band. Then I want to do another shot of them practicing trying to improve, and the final shot will be their live performance in front of an audience. I think this piece will work out nicely and will capture the band's struggles and success.
Journal Entry #31 May 1st
ART SHOW
I went to Giovanni's Open Mic Night on Wednesday. They have an open mic night every other Wednesday night. It is really fun because UCSB sponsors it and they give out free food around 8pm, like bread sticks and even whole pizzas. It was packed when I went so I suggest to get there early like around 6pm. I felt like the most successful performances were the musical ones since there are so many people there it is a little hard to get the audience's attention if you are just reciting a poem. There were a couple comedy acts, but I did not really enjoy them that much because I found them a little offensive. My friend Rufio's band played there and they were really good; they warmed up the crowd before they went on so that helped quiet them down and gain their attention. There was this one performance that was amazing. One guy was beat boxing, spitting sounds, and the girl was signing and she had a beautiful voice. It worked so well because the beat boxer added a little edge with talented singing. I definitely recommend anyone to go that enjoys good music and free food with cool people.
Journal Entry #30 April 30th
COMIC TEXTBOOK CHAPTER 9
The final chapter in McCloud's textbook is called putting it all together. This chapter discusses why comics are so important by finding the anser deep within the human condition. I loved the part when McCloud said, "No other human being can ever know what its like to be you from the inside" (p.194). The path comics follow is from mind to hand to paper to eye to mind. Therefore comics and even other forms of artwork will never been seen exactly the same way by the creator and the viewer. According to McCloud, he believes comics are one of the very few forms of mass communication where individual voices still can be heard. Communication is key to getting your point across to others, without it would be impossible for everyone to be on the same page. The first step to understanding comics is to clear your mind, then try starting by scratch. The comic creator uses a sight-based medium and finds a whole world of visual iconography. Before I read this textbook I really did not know much about comics, however I now know some tips that will help me understand and also how important narrative sequence is.
Journal Entry #29 April 29th
SEQUENCE/NARRATIVE PROPOSALS
Idea1:
The first idea I was thinking of was going more with the second option of the project, doing something with someone else's story with empathy. I wanted to do a video sequence of my roommate's band and the struggles they have gone through and how successful they have become thus far. I thought I would use video images that I have taken in the past and make some new ones to show the beginning, middle, and present of the making of their band.
Idea2:
My second idea is a little more ominous but it still goes with the second option. I want to use images though and show a sequence of a part of my Dad's life. I wanted to express through images I would edit of a nice family in the 1950s suburb. Then I wanted to show an image of symbolizing my Dad's Mother's suicide when he was 14 years old. Then I wanted to show him going to USC and suceeding in college and marring my Mom. Then I wanted to show my Dad's Dad's suicide when I was five. Basically I wanted it to represent the up and downs in life and using my Dad for an example.
Idea3:
It has been hard for me to think of a third idea, but I thought I could something a little lighter than my other ideas. For example draw a comic strip of a sequence of how close me and my roommates have become. I wanted to make an illustration of how our friendship has developed and the hard times we went through and the good ones.
Journal Entry #28 April 28th
FAVORITE ARTIST
One of my favorite artists is Shepard Fairy he does the Obey logo and some other controversial artwork. I really love his style and how all of his stuff looks like propaganda. I am really interested in new age art and digital prints, the colors he uses really pops out and catches your eye. He does an arrangement of works using different mediums such as screen prints, prints, stencils, stickers, rubylith illustrations, collages, and works on wood, metal, and canvas. I really enjoy digital media artwork, I am very new to this technique and I am trying to follow more artworks under this category. I also like how he is a young contemporary artist and I think it is very important to help support younger artists and their work. I also really like how he does a lot of portraits of people, and they are really good but he add a pop art flair which I think makes it even more interesting. The hope poster of President Obama was really great and became iconic in a way. SHepard FAiry is one of my favorite artists at the moment.
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