Fish Back Home

     It was around 10:40 a.m. and I was walking with my classmate and friend Justin looking for more things to take pictures of for my drift project. It wasn't that great of a day since it was windy, cloudy, and quiet early in the morning. At first I was taking random pictures to see what I could get for my drifting project. While walking down the river i see a silver looking thing. At first I glanced at it paying barely any attention to it and thinking nothing of it. Then as we started to get closer I started to see it more and more clear. Of course I still didn't give it my full attention since my eyes were going all over downtown looking at everything that crossed my eye. Then my friend and I finally approached it and we both stared at it for about five minutes. There were so many questions and thoughts that crossed my head as well as his. We ended up both looking at each other with a confused look. It took me quiet some time to begin to think about what the public art work meant. Even though I knew it probably meant something so different from what I interpreted it still made my think of back home from where I am from. The ocean so beautiful and clear that the fish seemed to look at and smile. This made me miss home so much and made me really want to go back and visit. The picture I am posting below was first intended to be funny on facebook but it came out to mean something so much more.

Fish Lips :)

"Drifting Project"

        As i was walking down the stairs from the Cal-Neva parking garage I was trying to see what I would be interested in. There were so many things surrounding me I didn't know where to begin. I started walking down South Virgina street while looking at everything I could see. There were many cars and a few people walking but nothing that really interested me. I couldn't just see something that caught my eye to the point where I was amazed. Then I came to a stop light and wanted to cross the street when I see from the corner of my eyes I see three old fashioned windows on top of a T-shirt Souvenir Shop. The design was let alone amazing but the color was also very interesting. Seeing those windows made me see other different types of windows there were in the many buildings downtown. Meeting my classmate Justin at the Little Nugget I couldn't stop thinking about the different shapes and color of windows there were. Then starting to walk I seen my reflection on one of the empty building's glass doors. I knew right away what I wanted to do my drift project on. It was a perfect idea! I was somehow in love with the differnt windows there were but the reflection someone could see. How people in America always see the reflection of others but can never see their own. Always correcting other peoples mistakes but never our own. That was it! My drift project was about ones reflection and the different designs of windows. After knowing what I was interested in my eyes started to see all types of windows on buildings. Every window that caught my eye was a window I would of never thought was extrodinary looking. I am so excited to do this project. Below are the pictures I took and loved the most! Enjoy!

My inspiration



Reflection of myself





Reflection of two people



                   

John Taylor vs. Howling Wolf

              In my opinion, John Taylor’ picture is more representational while Howling Wolf’s is more abstract. Both these pictures differ in a few different ways. First, Taylor’s picture seems to be done by a pencil or some black writing utensil. On the other hand Wolf’s picture is done by pencil, crayon, and ink on paper. Both the pictures depict the landscape but in Taylor’s picture the landscape is full of trees as being in a forest with both beautiful tall trees as well as short ones. In Wolf’s picture the landscape isn’t as detailed as Taylor’s. There are only a few trees next to each tipi and a river running through. In my opinion, the spaces in each picture don’t suggest any greater culture differences. In both pictures the Native culture seems caring to one another as well as being really close to each other. Because Taylor’s work means the audience focus goes directly to the center, which makes me believe that with wolf’s work makes the audience look all over the picture and makes you view and think about the different things that are being seen. The Native Americans are portrayed like people with bows, arrows, and feathers in their hair in Taylor’s work. They are view how everyone pictures Native Americans and how they are always in groups protecting one another. The role of women is huge between these two pictures. In Wolf’s picture all you really see is women portrayed beautifully, while in Taylor’s picture there are no women presented at all. This suggests that the role in women in Wolf’s picture is very strong and powerful. But in Taylor’s picture the role of women is not even present at all. As if women weren’t important at all. Overall both these great art works are very well done and can make the view become speechless.



John Taylor: Treaty Signing at Medicine Creek Lodge




Howling Wolf: Treaty Signing at Medicine Creek Lodge



"Rebellious Silence"

Shirin Neshat is famous and is known all around the world because of her outstanding art work. She is born in Qazvin, Iran but immigrated to America at the age of seven. Pursuing her life in America she started to see art as her passion. Graduating from the University of California in Berkeley in 1982 she decided to move to New York City and pursue her dream as an artist. The art piece I choose from her art collection is called “Rebellious Silence.” This is a picture that portrays Shirin Neshat as a Muslim women dressed in a black outfit called chador. This word refers to a black rob Muslim women wear that covers their entire body from head to toe. In the picture all Shirin is showing is her hands and feet while a rifle divides her face into two sides. On her face there is a poem written in ink from a poet named Tahereh Saffarzadeh. The verses of the poem express the deep belief of many Iranian women in Islam that are looked at extremely different and discomforting. Many women in Islam aren’t allowed to show any part of their body so men won’t see them as a sexual object.  Many of Shirin’s art work brings so many questions to the audience and can fill someone’s head with tons of thoughts and curiosity. Most of Shirin’s art work deals with women from her country or women in general and how men or other people portray them.  Most of her art work opens the perspective of how women get viewed like or how different they get treated. Being a woman myself makes me feel that much better knowing someone is speaking for all of us.

Here is a link to her art gallery: http://www.gladstonegallery.com/neshat.asp

Here is another link to a video of some of her art work with music from her country: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sOjqX4rgS9c

Lastly here is a link to the picture I choose: http://maryamduale.files.wordpress.com/2009/03/071022_neshat01_p323.jpg

"Life In His Eyes"

    

Painting for almost three decades is not only amazing but incredible. Born in Santa Monica California, Chester Arnold started most of his famous paintings there. Following his education to the College of Marin, Chester Arnold started to see the world differently. His paintings weren’t just beautiful color mixed to make an outstanding picture but they all had a meaning behind it. Chester’s ideas didn’t just come randomly out of the blue; he wanted his audience to grasp certain issues of the world. For example, most of his art works come from issues that are happening around the world through his eyes. He sees issues like land use, environmental issues, impacts of human and industrial consumption, and accumulation and waste. All of his paintings issue with one of these problems that most human beings don’t see happening. He even sometimes paints with ideas of religious or political inflection. Chester Arnold’s amazing art work doesn’t just show people these issues but shows them in a way that can change someone’s perspective with just a painting.

“The Bridge Over Dover Beach” painted by Chester Arnold  himself was one that caught my eye immediately as I entered the Nevada of Art Museum. The beautiful colors he used made my eyes widen every inch I took examining the art work. The painting had a bridge that looked quite damaged but oddly had a piece of wood that held between the other pieces of wood and had a string hanging down to the bottom. The bridge was between two amazing looking hills that had rich grass on the top and brown thick soil on the bottom. Then between the two identical hills was the wonderful blue ocean beneath the clear blue sky. On the left side you could see the shore with a man walking on it. The unique contrast between all the colors he used was what caught my eye the most. This painting had a religious perspective behind it. It was religious view of life vs. death, of how many people don’t see the beauty of life as if it was held by a string. Looking at this painting and how great he did to involve life vs. death changed my view towards my life. Life is as great as if you were dipping your toes in the soft wet sand with the music of ocean waves behind it. Life can’t get any better than that!

Resources:

http://www.ten2ten.com/arnold/index1.html

http://www.nevadaart.org/exhibitions/detail?eid=157