Accumulation Project: Me vs. myself

Changing thoughts:
I think in the beginning of this project, I was very gung ho about everything. But as the semester waned on so did the project. It became almost a burden to be forced to collect things. I don’t like being forced to do anything. At the end of the project I hated it more than I liked it. It just became one more task I had to complete in order to finish the class. I know why we were given this project. It was get our minds thinking and keep us in the mindset of always looking for things that we can use in our art. I don’t know. I just don’t enjoy this type of art….accumulation that is. Let me make something out of raw materials. Not something that has already been made. Let me design that which has not yet been designed.

My accumulation proposal:

Part vanity, part truth.
If I had to do this project all over again with different rules and obligations this would be the outcome. I would get a blank journal. Nothing special just a journal. As I went through this process…carrying this book around with me all of the time…I would write down things that I figure out about myself through out the day. Not just words. I could draw pictures. But at the same time I would randomly give it to friends to write things about me. Anything they wanted to. It would be a living journal. If you wanted to bash me , it would be allowed. If wanted to tell me how you really felt about things I say, you could. I would be allowed to read things they wrote and visa versa. I don’t know how long I would keep it going on. Probably indefinitely. Just keep making new journals. Making new friends, making new entries. And then at the end of my life when all is said and done, people could look back at things that I wrote about myself and completely know what it was like to be me or be around me. Then my story would be complete. I would feel completely fulfilled. And I’m sure it would make for some interesting reading. Especially if one day I were to become famous. Then these books could travel the country in an exhibition. Inspiring others to figure out who they are to themselves and who they are to others.

Accumulation Project: Me vs. myself

Entry from a nother one of my firends...whom I consider family.
Fun: Always one at the center of a crowd, you put a skip in the step of those around you.
Kind: Kindness stems from the compassion one has for others, and you most always put others before yourself.
Trustworthy: You are reliable, honest and truthful…The very definition of the word trustworthy.
Dependable: Whenever someone needs a helping hand, yours is the first extended.
Astute: You carry good judgment and think things through instead of jumping into a situation unprepared.
Resiliency: You have the ability to bounce back from the worst situation, prepared and ready for what lies ahead.
Green: I say green not as a color, but as a way of life. Your kindness reaches beyond those around you to the very environment we all live in.
Validity: Your desire to prove yourself has made you into one of the most outgoing people I have ever met. You will always push yourself to be the best you can be.
Proactive: Rather than wait for things to bloom around you, you take the initiative to start things first and carry that fortitude to completion.
Significance: You leave an impression on those around you.
The significance of you being in their lives is subtle, yet your presence is part of what makes those

Accumulation Project: Me vs. myself

Pen/Pencil- I am forever sketching. I think it is a release for everything. It's one of the few times I can zone out.

Eyes- I have always been told I have powerful eyes. They catch peoples attention. But I don't think so. I jsut think eyes are the best way for someone to see straight to y our soul...to tell if you are genuine or not.

Independent-I never want help. My parenst divorced when I was young. I became a latch key kid and I always held all of my emotions in. I have just always felt like I needed to be strong for my parents. And show the world "no matter what it threw at me I could handle it".

I am a very blunt person. I am not affraid to hurt your feelings when it comes to art and design. I will let you know what I think...and I will not sugar coat anything.

Easily amused- I find humor in stupid things. I can't explain it. It just hits me randomly.

Accumulation Project: Me vs. myself

I have always been a complex dreamer. I think I am movitvated, guided, and most importatnly affected emotionally and psychologically by my dreams. They are in-depth, cinematic experiences....it's like I am the director and the actor.

I am a bestfirend to a bunch of people. My friends are as much a part of my family as my blood relatives are...if not more.

I am a Jerk. I'll say it. I think all guys have the ability to be a jerk or an asshole. I can be obnoxious and take things to far. But I try and keep a wrap on things.

I look at my self as being unfinished. I don't know if anyone canever say that their story is complete or they are a complete person until they are dying and look back on all of the things that they have accomplished. At the same...I'm unpolished...still kinda rough around the edges.

Pipilotti Rist-Text Commentary

Rist makes art that expresses her struggles with love and everythign that comes with it. I can completely understand where she is coming from. I too am often guided by emotions in my projects. They start having their own feelings, attitudes, aura's... The author of this article describes her as today's spokeswoman for the archetype of the love starved maiden. She calls it patheic. I think that is quite harsh. Not every maiden is loved starved. There are some men who are as well. Men who would love to live out the fantasy that they have drempt love to be. Isn't that what we are all essentally after anyway? The missing piece to our story...our fairytale? I admire Rist, and the way her heartache and jealousy seep pver her emotional spillway and flood her artistic practice. The way she is inspired by the longings that are unfulfilled and lust that is recalcitrant. Feed off of it. Let your art live for you, not for anyone else...but if it helps someone along the way, transcends them...Kudos...

Class Commentary- April 28th

Today we took a look at the rest of the classes projects. I thought Ryan's project was the most interesting. Collecting cans as a representation of building and development...brilliant. It jsut needed some more refinement. I think he stacked up the can's to represent structures or put them closer together to represent density. And he needs to set the project up on a grid. Urban destruction is based on gridded plots of land.

How Creativity Is Killing the Culture

First of all I would like to state that Michael Fallon is bored, starving for a story, attention or something or another, but most importantly just bitching for the sake of bitching. I guess he took that example from "Art for art's sake." He presents this rediculous idea that creativity can create boredom, discontent, depression, and a lot of crummy work. Granted I agree that there are some designers, artists, creatives, out there who I don't honestly care for. Their work sucks. It is garbage. They woke up one day, went to school, got a degree not necessarily in art/design, and started cranking out crap. Not I know of a lot of people who have had a career change that decided one day that they just wanted to do design work or art, with out having any formal education or training. They create crap. I don't have the heart to let them know. But someone should. But on the contrary to what Michael discusses, today's culture doesn't reinforce the idea that everyone is creative, but also that we have to be creative in order to be fully realized and fulfilled beings. Not everything is art related. Not everything is design related. Someone workin on a budget doesn't have to be creative. They have to be logical and good with numbers. Yes creativity does exist in a lot of thigns in everyday life but not everything. Street sweepers aren't creative in how they sweep the streets, nor do garbage men compose a performance like dance when they pick up trash. Art/design/creativity is a gift from God. You are born with it. Just like some people are born with the gift of communication, or math, etc. It is not biological. You cannot unlock creativity in anyone. True creativity is precious...priceless. The holder has the ability to let that creativity grow passionately. He talks about too much creativity makes the world boring...well imagine it with out creativity Mihcael. I just think he is closeminded. Tired. Burnt-out. He stated in his article that he practiced art for 20 years. why isn't he still doing it. Has he lost his passion to create? Is he jealous? Does he miss the feeling of not knowing? The feeling a young striving artist lives with everyday...but has the love and the passion for the art's that nothing else matters? Grow up Michael. Pick up a paint brush. Quit raining down on the "real creatives" parade. let commoners make ugly pictures. Let them think...let them express...let them feel. That is all they want to do.

"Art is the desire of a man to express himself, to record the reactions of his personality to the world he lives in."
Amy Lowell (1874 - 1925)

True Creativity is not dead. It will never be. It is rare. It is precious.