End of the Semester

It is now the end of the FA10 semester, and the class is over. Our final project was the construction of a website and here is the link to mine. It is still being developed, but enjoy!

http://students.smcm.edu/nkzambrano


Also, my assessment for the final project:


           At first, I did not know where this project would take route—but then again, I say that about all my projects. The difference with this one is that I had so many more options and techniques to experiment with. Not only did I have the background knowledge and new skills acquired with Photoshop and Illustrator, but I had the option of using other applications such as Google Sketch Up, Google Earth, iMovie, or anything else that I could apply to my idea for the project. Since this was the final project, I wanted to make something as closely related to my interests as possible as well as have my project embody who I am.

            I started out by thinking conceptually about my website hoping that it would spark some ideas for my overall final project, and the best thing I can relate anything to is myself. I think of myself as having a childlike mentality, and one of the reasons being is how animated and magnetized I can be towards anything colorful and luminous. Going with that, I developed a theme for my overall website.

            Once I developed the space for my project, I started thinking concretely about how I can approach this project as an embodiment of myself. Since the project is supposed to be based off of exploring an unknown location, I got online to find a place that I was unfamiliar with and print out directions on how to reach my site for “getting lost” in. I stumbled upon Myrtle Point Park in California, Maryland, right off of route 4, and before crossing the bridge to Solomon’s Island.

Before setting off on my journey, I thought about paying close attention to the colors I would encounter at the site. I also thought about what I would be using to capture the area I was exploring. Going back to the idea of making this project relate as closely as possible to my interests, I thought about how I can connect my viewers visually with what I was interested in. Being a film and media studies major and an art minor, I wanted to combine the two to make my project stand out as being a part of who I am. I took both my regular photo camera and a Flip HD video camera to capture anything that I thought would benefit my project.

            I set off on my short journey of getting lost in order to complete the first phase of my project; little did I know that I was actually going to get lost. After telling this story to a friend of mine, she said, “You would be the one who gets lost while trying get ‘lost.’” Going off of what she said, I realized that this project was building itself closer the embodiment of who I am. I thought it would be a good idea to show how I usually am in situations like this through documenting my journey in real time. In other words, capture what I was doing at the time exactly how it played out.

            As I continued on my excursion, and the more lost I got, I began to feel a little frustrated and out of my element. I had no idea where I was, or where I was going. I did not even know that I would eventually make it to Myrtle Point Park at all! Eventually after making it to the site, I discovered a correlation between me getting lost and the site I was at—the idea of “belonging.”

            Going back to what I said earlier about colors, as soon as I stepped onto the trail, I noticed the differences between the colors and textures in the overall landscape. At first glance, the wooded trail is covered in either green or brown. Honestly, I was expecting to see more reds, yellows, and oranges as the trees are changing colors for fall. However, when approaching specific plants, you will see colorful sequences that do not seem to be a part of the overall color scheme. I proceeded with the idea of belonging as I continued down the trail and constantly cam across things that seemed as though they did not belong or where out of element towards the overall framing and landscape of the location.

Taking all of the images, videos, and concepts I gathered, I went back to my website and put everything together. I used specific lines and arrows that indicated where I was and where my projects ultimately took me. In using only two styles of icons, the magnifying glass and a question mark, I was able to portray the clarity versus confusion of what happened and what never happened. Putting all of the pieces of my project together, in a way, was me trying to figure out exactly what happened and how it happened. I made sure to examine the maps thoroughly and connect every image to the points of the map, and identify those locations as where I actually was at what moment.

Taking a step back and analyzing the project as if it were not my own, I would have to say that it would not be too difficult in navigating through the project because there are instructions above the image stating exactly what links serve which purpose as well as which lines indicate what happened. I feel as though my project is pretty well organized in terms of everything being labeled. It is almost as if I tried to save you the agony of going through what I went through, and give you a chance to laugh with me at how I am when it comes to situations like these.

I believe that my project is somewhat a little too personal, and if the viewer did not know who I was or understand what my friend said, which is the essence of who I am, then it might be a bit difficult to understand the personal meaning behind this project. Maybe if I insert a statement of the meaning behind this project, it would make things easier for the viewer to understand.

I think that this class certainly helped me evaluate my thought process in terms of visual communication and understanding. Specifically in the digital age when everything seems to be so normal and straightforward, it had become something I consume without questioning or evaluating why and how the physical and virtual world can be connected. I am satisfied that the course was not a monotonous digital art course where all you get out of it is the technical side of things. I enjoyed the concepts and theories behind digital media and new media, as well as the connections between different ages of art. For example: digital drawing to music, like Kandinsky, and digital self portraits that can abstracted or adapted to your style rather than technique, like Picasso. Overall, I think that the course is good the way it is. Thank you!

Windows Real

Windows Real

 

    This project reminds me of a concept that has come up in a number of my classes lately, including this one. It is the idea of realness, time, space, and options in a mediated environment. Johannes P Osterhoff et al created this project was created to give users a new and different kind of user interface. The artist, with the help of cast and crew, recreates a Windows desktop in a new kind of space. Osterhoff places the subjects in frame and then splits up the entire video into sequences that are labeled with "Real" before each sequence, almost like chapters. 

The first is labeled "Real human interface." We then see an individual jump into frame, and then interacting with the icons surrounding him, including "recycling" the selection arrow. The next label is "Real drag and drop" where he then physically moves the "icons" around in the space he is given. The space is however not limited to 2 dimensions, which I find pretty interesting because he is using the space in an new and different way. The "Real mind control" shifts to his "creating a new folder" at the snap of a finger. "Real collaboration" provides the idea of network sharing. A "file" is shared and stored in the space he created. However he finds that another important file has gone missing. Usually, when file sharing, things can go terribly wrong and it is shown even in this "real" space. He goes into a "Real search" physically moving around the space in all possible dimensions and even asking the "search" of the space. The file is then found by the search and it goes to "Real ease" where he then becomes completely relaxed and comfortable with his space, eventually the computer "crashes" and all of the characters fall to the ground. A new message comes into the space implying that an error has occured.

Osterhoff did a pretty good job in taking something that is questionable in the realness of it, and taking it to a whole new space where the question is restated. 

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http://rhizome.org/object.php?49933

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JqjKWEWI3ok

Digital Self Portrait

Project 2 Self-Assessment, as if it were written by someone else

            This piece looks like it is trying to convey various messages. The one that truly grabs my attention is the idea of reflecting on something. The subject in the image seems to be looking into space, and her expression on her face seems very carefree yet pensive at the same time; you can tell that she is thinking and reflecting over something. The reason I see the subject in a reflecting state of being is because of the explicit visual representation of reflections.

The reflection of the tree branches in her sunglasses are what mostly demonstrate this effect. The background is a combination of pastel colors under reflecting light with text running across the image backwards. This to me also implies the theme of reflecting. The text, to the viewer, does not make much sense unless you try to read it backwards. However, in thinking of this as a self portrait, it says something about the artist and herself as the subject in the image. In other words, if you think of yourself being in the subject’s position and perceiving the world from the subject’s point of view, which is the artist herself, the text makes perfect sense. In fact, the image has a sort of “through the looking glass” effect to it, while conveying a nostalgic and reflective theme to it.

The layout and composition of this image also implies the sense of thoughtfulness and reflection. The artist placed herself to the far left of the canvas and decided to place the text all on the right half of the canvas. This to me indicates that there is a thought process going on. It is as if she is showing us what is going on in her mind. Having the image a severe close-up heavily influences a train of though, since the text is at such close proximity to her head.

The colors of the image as a whole are balanced. Her clothes and the base of the background match appropriately with pastels and bright colors while the earthy tones are present in the text as well as what is reflecting in her sunglasses. Again, we are reeled back into the idea of reflection. 

0100101110101101.ORG- NO FUN

Eva and Franco Mattes, aka 0100101110101101.ORG, are pioneers in the Net Art movement who work all over the world using non conventional communication tactics to obtain the largest visibility with the minimum effort. In their project “No Fun,” Franco Mattes is seen through thousands of webcams, in an online chat room, simulating himself committing suicide. The performance received the following reactions: some laugh, some are completely unmoved, some insult the supposed corpse, some take pictures with their mobiles. Out of these several thousand people, only one called the police.

Their project was inspired by their attempt to define “media actionism,” creating unpredictable mass-scale performances staged outside art-spaces, involving an unaware audience, where truth and falsehood mix to the point of being indistinguishable.

This is a very interesting concept to try and figure out. Living in a mediated world, there is no telling what is “truth.” This project gives us an understanding for why many people believe that our minds have become colonized by media, and an understanding for why we so heavily depend on it.

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http://rhizome.org/object.php?50305
http://0100101110101101.org/home/nofun/

Music and Illustrator

Professor played some uber obscure tunes in class that he made with a friend some time ago, and was then remixed by some friends in Japan. It was so digital/futuristic, and weird....and cool! He told us to use the tools on Adobe Illustrator to create an image according to the music, just like Kandinsky painting to jazz music. Anyway, this is what I came up with:

Digital Self-Portrait

For my digital self portrait, I want to display a realistic copy of an original photograph and I'm planning to accomplish this through Adobe Illustrator. I've had some experience with self portraits on Illustrator before, but they've always been line drawings. I am used to capturing the shadows and defined lines in my images with the pen tool on a black swatch, so it will be interesting to do the same thing with actual color and fill.

Here is the image I will be using:

Illustrator

First day of Illustrator. The blue and green image is made of random lines, the flower is the paint brush tool using a Bamboo tablet, and my signature is traced blue with the pen tool.

5 Self Portraits

Abecedarium:NYC

This has to be one of the most interesting productions I have ever seen. Lynn Sachs and Susan Agliata are the artists and producers of this interactive online art exhibition, which is collaborated with eleven additional artists in New York City. Sachs and Agliata both have backgrounds in filmmaking and media studies. The remaining eleven are Joseph Tekippe, In Choi, Alisa Besher, Beth Botshon, Janine Fleri, David Gatten, Barbara Hammer, Heather Kramer, George Kuchar, Ethan Mass, Scott Nyerges, and Erik Schurink ,which all specialize among digital media, filmmaking, photography, media arts, and other fine arts.

Their goal is to take 26 unusual words following in alphabetical order and create a relationship between said word and sites in the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, and Staten Island using original video footage, animation, photography, and sound.

I find it very interesting how these artists are using media tools to create this interactive online exhibition to capture the culture of New York City through a series of selected words. Each word is extremely unusual; they are those words that you never find yourself using, yet these artists have found ways to apply them to their selected visual and audible representations of New York culture.

This exhibition almost reminds me of a form of ethnographic work in that it captures what it is to be in NYC. There are definitely emic and etic views to each representation.

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http://rhizome.org/object.php?o=47250&m=1048649
http://www.abecedariumnyc.com/

Serene Mysticism

Worked on this for a couple of weeks now. This is the final result. May make a few changes over the weekend though?

EDIT:

Changed up the image a bit, here is the final piece and I am most certainly pleased with it :)

SMCM Brings Back a Familiar Face

Karley Klopfenstein 

SMCM's Artist Talk featured a guest lecturer, who is also an alum (class of 1997), to speak of her work a sculptor. 

Karley Klopfenstein majored in Art and Anthropology/Sociology during her time here at St. Mary's. After graduation, she attended VCU (Virginia Commonwealth) for an MFA on probationary terms. Despite her efforts, her work was considered unacceptable. She mentioned never failing at anything, ever, in her entire life. In the midst of her figuring out her next move, she moved to Key West, FL. There, she became Director of Exhibition at Sculpture Key West. In the middle of being surrounded by so many amazing works, she created sculpture once more. 

This image is an example of what she exhibited in Sculpture Key West. I believe this piece was the second time she used this same red satin. The first time was a ribbon/bow that she tied on one of the site locations. After she took that apart, she wrapped this large tree which was floating out on the banks of Key West. The final time, she draped the fabric all along the coast line. 

 

Currently, she is using a $15,000 grant that she received to create a war tank at half scale. The idea sprung with a Carpet Bomb. She explained how the term carpet bomb meant bombs that annihilate a largely expanded area. Her sculptures are the shape of large weapons (on a much smaller scale, but still pretty large) used in war covered in soft, colorful, and beautiful rugs. In doing this, her work is making a political statement about modern warfare and the foreign and domestic relationships between conflicting nations. Below is a sketch of what her final piece will look like. 

Color Correcting in Class

USING LEVELS ALL THE TIME, NOW!

BEFORE

AFTER

BEFORE

AFTER

BEFORE

AFTER

BEFORE

AFTER

BEFORE

AFTER

The Algorithms in Art

ROMAN VEROSTKO

Before engaging in the world of digital artistry, Verostko painted for 30 years. In the beginning of the 1980's, he began producing algorithmic drawings with a pen plotter. The idea of algorithmic art is that an image is computer-generated, but controlled by the artist and the process is always based by algorithms. This includes computer coding and encoding; algorithmic functions used to create art.

I find it interesting, Verostko's transition from traditional painting to algorithmic art. His rationale for his art work follows the idea of early 20th century pioneers seeking to create art into something that is purely visual. His experience connecting coding and computer power with traditional art by using algorithms to mimic his own style of creating art forms. 

Below are some interesting examples of applying algorithmic functions to mimic non-rational glyphs and create a visual art form. 

Text:  Non-rational glyphs

Format: 224 characters, 8 characters per line, 14 lines per column, 2 columns.

              224 Zeichen, 8 Zeichen pro Linie, 14 Linien pro Kolonne, 2 Kolonnen.

Text:  Non-rational glyphs

Format: 224 characters, 8 characters per line, 14 lines per column, 2 columns.

              224 Zeichen, 8 Zeichen pro Linie, 14 Linien pro Kolonne, 2 Kolonnen.

Sources:

http://www.verostko.com/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Algorithmic_art

Collaging Image Scans

I combined 10 images from scans my peers uploaded. I think it would have been better if I left it at about 4 or 5, but this is cool too :)

Pixels!

Pixel drawing. It looks so fuzzy when it is blown up. I started out with a much more abstract image earlier in the week, then I realized I never saved it! Here's a new one either way. I still used the same technique in the background; different colors, however. Then I decided to add robots. I thought they were very appropriate for the pixel theme. 

Photoshop Layering

Experimenting with layering on photoshop. Find all of the random objects!

Experimenting w/ the Scanner

Rhapsody Spray I, Including Sailor Chibi-Moon

CARL FUDGE

"While digital media and traditional painting or drawing, in particular, seem to occupy opposite ends of the scale in their inherent languages, these media are now frequently merged into new utilities by artists who employ digital technologies as a step in the creation of a painting, drawing, or print." As mentioned in my text. 

Basically, here we have a London-born artist who manipulated an already made image of a popular Japanese anime, Sailor Chibi-Moon (Those of you who grew up in the 90's, especially the ladies, should be very familiar with the series). Although the image followed the traditional print style, the "stretching and copying of elements" is what merges the two techniques to ultimately end with a completely new image. The following is the aforementioned image along with other images. 

Rhapsody Spray I, 2000

Final Act, 2006

Komposition X, Y, Z, 2006

For more of his work and info, visit:

http://www.artnet.com/artist/6590/carl-fudge.html

http://www.mbergerart.com/fudge/about.htm

http://www.feldmangallery.com/pages/artistsrffa/artfud01.html

I Just Really Enjoy Surrealism

I found these while browsing the web. I really love looking at surreal art forms and these are VERY intriguing, and I thought others might enjoy them as well. As far as I know, this is all digital surrealism; mainly because I googled just that, and this is what came up.

http://fantasyartdesign.com/3d-fine-art-surrealists/artists/02surreal-3dmaya/digital-surrealism04.htm

http://hanspeterkolb.deviantart.com/art/Magic-Mountain-69781308?loggedin=1

http://kosmur.deviantart.com/art/assembler-79007314