Metaphorical Proposal #3

My third proposal is based around nothing because I don't have one. I decided to go for my second proposal with the wood carving. End.

Metaphorical Proposal #2

This proposal is based around my second "crossing the line" write up, revolving around death, fear, and the afterlife. Unlike the first proposal, this piece will not have so many parts to it, it will basically be a 2 in one sculpture with a couple found objects but the mass of the entire piece can fit on a single pedestal. Half of this will be a subtractive sculpture (from wood) of myself or a human figure, the other half will be a skull, and on top of our joined heads will be a crown, symbolizing a prolonged search for a higher power. A couple found or acquired objects included, one having to do with a light source. I don't want to give all the details away because I want the finished piece to speak for itself. The metaphor is death in the presence of a being, and all things that can be associated with it. I'll explain more after the piece is finished.

Metaphorical Proposal #1

My project could be considered completely self sufficient as far as being based upon metaphors and memories. I am drawing my inspiration from my life map occurrences in place of the short story. I have one general, overall theme, created by combing multiple metaphors. It revolves around the metaphor of art saving my life.  Even though my proposal is based around a single, vague metaphor, visually multiple works of art will represent it. All of which, relating to memories within my life map list. I will also create a high representation of contrast within the assemblage of metaphors combined with very literal based objects and an overall metaphor that is more conceptual. In the first step to achieve this, I will develop multiple sculptures or three-dimensional objects to symbolize negative social practices and influences that in some way can relate to my past experiences. For example:

Consider the following broken down into three categories: memories/experiences, literal metaphors, and the process of creating each. 

Early collegiate party category--"shit faced"--Sculpt a head or a bust out of plaster or clay w / simulated waste on  the face. --"smoke a roach"--Collect or sculpt an actual roach bug and place it between a clip or tweezers. --"cancer stick"--Wooden sticks or tree branches in a cigarette package. --"skunk beer"--A beer bottle w/ a picture of a skunk as the label. 

Past relationship(s) category--"devil in disguise"--Sculpt a seemingly attractive girl w/half of her head resembling the devil

Depression, aftermath of a failed relationship, negative lifestyle category--"losing control", "losing my mind"--Acquire or create a section of a tree trunk, stapled upon it, a sign resembling a lost pet flyer with a picture of text reading control and sanity, both with dog collars 

 

(note, all metaphors are created in a very literal sense for a purpose)

Along with the pieces above, also placed in the same space will be other paraphernalia symbolizing this type of lifestyle, not necessarily relating to my past involvement but more to describe this genre. Such as, an empty condom box representing multiple sexual exploits, a broken piggy bank representing a malpractice in responsible budgeting, and empty pill bottles, further representing drug use.

All of these objects will then be enclosed inside a cage made up of paint brushes, sketching pencils, and other artistic mark making utensils. The cage or cell will also have chains and locks attached. This cell locking away all the negatively portrayed objects will represent how art stepped into my life and muted the extremities of past habits and influences, separating them from personal interaction. However, this cell will not be completely solid, the gaps between the utensils will make this personal separation porous, symbolizing the fact that the negative attributes are not completely shut off from existence and memory. Therefore, annoyingly they have the ability to leak through and contaminate my current self or cause influence. In which way I choose for these memories to influence me however, as an artist, fortunately is now up to me. I now have the ability to take these influences and channel them as sources for content in my artwork, therefore possibly considered a positive outcome.

Next to the cage will be a first aid kit. Only this first aid kit will not contain medical supplies but instead art supplies. I will create packages that will closely resemble actual medical ones filled with things like a tube of paint in place for antibacterial cream, a roll of a canvas strip in place for gauze, paint brushes, pencils, strips of paper, charcoal, etc.

Each setting will be displayed close together on multiple podiums and I will incorporate different lighting into each scenario.  

Mark Making Project

For my final mark making project I found scraps of rusted steel and assembled them with the principles of gestalt in mind. Selecting pieces that I thought when set next to each other, still with a gap in between each piece, seemed to be apart of a whole. I wanted to show one of two emotions, either anger or fear. The dark,  red/brown rust color of the metal I thought would go well with a monochromatic orange/red paint and would also go along with an anger or fear theme. To bring it all together, make the piece seem complete and professional, and to make it all pop out even further from the wall when displayed, I coated each piece with a thick polyurethane. When installing the piece, I wanted it to set off of the wall so shadows from the edgy metal would be apparent. I installed it using black screws and keeping the pieces 2-3 inches off the wall. I then experimented with different types of lighting for the final touch.

Mark Making S(hi)tuff

Some of these we had to listen to music and make marks to how it made us "feel", some of these we had to somehow make marks that displayed a specific emotion. Some are done with charcoal, some are done with ink, some with conte crayon. Some were done in class, some were homework assignments.

  

Uncomfortable Video

100 Uncomfortable Things..... ( in my opinion )

1. Awkward handshakes ( when you don't know what kinda shake the other person is going in for so something very weird happens).
2. Awkward silence in between a conversation.
3. People who are impossible to carry on a conversation with.
4. Running out of hot water in a shower.
5. Sitting for too long.
6. Eating so much food you can't move.
7. A first date.
8. Sleeping without a blanket or cover, no matter how hot it is around you.
9. Crawling through a tight spot in a cave and suddenly feeling yourself getting stuck.
10. Talking in front of a lot of people then realizing your hands are shaking.
11. Sitting in a movie and the stranger next to you decided to order the most awful smelling food at the snack bar, then proceeds to eat this awful smelling food as loud as possible.
12. Eating with old people who like to talk when they eat.
13. Not being comfortable in your attire.
14. Being overdressed.
15. Being underdressed.
16. Missing a nail and hitting your finger with a hammer instead.
17. Meeting a girl's dad for the first time.
18. When your eyes feel like a bucket of sand was dumped in them and you know they are blood red from lack of sleep because you were up all night trying to complete WASH homework along with work from your other classes.
19. Not showering for a while.
20. Being around someone that hasn't showered in a while.
21. Being around someone that has really bad breath and they insist on talking to you in your personal space.
22. Modeling.
23. When your talking to a girl your interested in, then when the conversation is over, you both start walking the same direction ( Superbad ).
24. Being in handcuffs.
25. Being in the back of a cop car.
26. Being in the back of a cop car in handcuffs.
27. Cops
28. Cops that are dicks.
29. Cops that try to act cool with you, but are still cops... so then they are still dicks.
30. Just about any police authority person.
31. Death
32. Being around someone who is on the verge of death.
33. Old folks homes.
34. Hospitals.
35. Being around sick people.
36. BEING IN A CROWDED AREA.
37. Being in a grocery store when busy.
38. Being in a car when a woman is driving.
39. Stuck in traffic.
40. Homeless people.
41. Literally, clinically insane people.
42. Stupid people.
43. Dentists.
44. Being at the dentist's office.
45. Getting your teeth drilled out by a dentist.
46. When someone sneezes really close to you.
47. People that don't know how to use tools.
48. People that act like they are talented artists and act like they know what their talking about but really are full of shit.
49. When you walk into a bathroom and someone just recently finished using it, and it doesn't smell very pleasant.
50. After you get a haircut and all the microscopic pieces of hair that you just can't seem to shake off are stuck between your back and your shirt and itches like hell.
51. Eating dinner with people you just met and the food is horrible so the entire time your struggling to keep your composure.
52. Steering away from your workout plan/ diet so you start to gain a little.
53. BEING IN A CROWDED AREA.
54. First day of a class and the room is filled with all kinds of awkwardness and tension.
55. People who are incapable to do anything independently.
56. People that don't know how to use tools but act like they do then fuck it all up.
57. Getting in someone's car that is completely and disgustingly trashed and smells funny.
58. Being in someone's apartment/ house and it too is completely disgusting and smells funny.
59. Knowing that you have a ton of productive things to get done but you procrastinate and do something else, then your filled with guilt.
60. Being broke.
61. Going on a date when you know you only have a limited amount of money to spend but your too prideful to say anything.
62. When your talking to someone and they have something on their face but don't know it.
63. When your talking to someone and they have something in their teeth but don't know it.
64. Talking to someone while you have something on your face or in your teeth but don't know it, then realize this later and feel like a complete idiot because you know that while you were talking to them, all they could think about was how uncomfortable they were while you were talking.
65. Little kids that are brats.
66. Not being able to breathe.
67. Walking through a spider web.
68. Walking through a spider web with a giant deadly looking spider on it.
69. Walking through a spider web with a giant deadly looking spider on it then not being able to find where this spider is now crawling on your body.
70. Getting painfully bit by a giant deadly looking spider because you couldn't find it after walking into it's web.
71. Running into a tree and knocking your head because you were dancing foolishly around frightened because you just walked into a spider web and there is a giant deadly looking spider crawling on your body somewhere and it just bit the crap out of you but still you can't find it.
72. Being so broke you can't afford a haircut.
73. People who really need a haircut but are oblivious.
74. Eating fast food.
75. Getting the spins because you drank too much but knowing that there is absolutely nothing you can do about it.
76. Puking.
77. Puking and some comes out your nose.
78. Waking up next to a toilet on a tile floor.
79. Smelling puke for an entire day and having no clue as to why.
80. Being around someone really drunk when your sober.
81. Knowing that someone is disappointed in you.
82. Feeling disappointed in yourself.
83. Shoes that are too small.
84. Blisters.
85. Getting blisters from wearing shoes that are too small.
86. Not having any clean clothes to wear.
87. Being next to a couple that insists on displaying their affection for each other in every way possible without breaking the law.
88. BEING IN A CROWDED AREA.
89. Not knowing how to respond to complements.
90. Receiving insults.
91. Allergies.
92. After a date, walking a girl to her door, and not knowing what she expects.
93. Eating dinner on a date and not knowing if your making a mess or not.
94. Turning in a piece of art work your not proud of.
95. Forcing yourself to finish a piece of art work you decided your not proud of halfway through completing.
96. Being in WASH.
97. Being in WASH and forcing yourself to complete certain tasks.
98. Listening to a lot of opinions from the students during critiques in WASH and trying to keep from rolling your eyes.
99. Trying to keep yourself from crossing the line and being too honest as to not come off like a giant asshole.
100. Creating a list of 100 things that are uncomfortable.