Welcome Back Show

I think that the Yellow #2 Gallery Room worked the best. The colorful pieces complimented each other while the 3 monochromatic pieces balanced out the color. Most of them had geometric shapes except the one abstract painting of a woman. The large graphite sculpture that stood in the middle captured the attention of the room but also communicated well to the mounted flat pieces on the walls. The white sculptures on the floor grounded the large sculpture piece as well as invaded the floor space. Most of the pieces on the wall were a small size except the one painting.

The Red Room was not as coherent. I think the sculpture piece closest to the entrance was 'undermining' the room. To be blunt, I thought that it was dumped there because there was nowhere else to put it. The room had the largest pieces and had a diversity of subjects and media. I think what was mounted on the walls communicated well to one another in color, tone, and scale.

I liked Latoya's Art 21 video the best. I saw it the day before Thesis for my Seminar in Video class. She made it an intimate conversation with the viewer by having a chair in front of the television. I found her story and performance piece moving.

Journal 2

I feel like I keep bouncing from idea to idea... Its hard to find an interesting and deep topic that I am interested in, especially what angle I want to present it in. After thinking more about my idea, a woman's role in China, I found that the conversation could lead into feminism and how other cultures deal with feminism. I am not such a strong advocate of feminism. Actually, I am grateful for the privileges I currently have as a woman and as an ethnic-diverse person in this day and age. I can go to school, have a career, earn a living, be socially and politically involved, and choose whom to be in a relationship with. Back then, I would have probably been poorer than dirt and treated as such.

Our recent graphic design assignment has piqued my interest as we combined video/animation with typography. Although I thought the assignment was a little rushed with only a two weeks to work on it with a program we were just introduced with in class. For the assignment, we had to animate haiku that we found and make the video as long as 30 to 60 seconds. We used After Effects from Adobe. Some people made a theme to their video based on the haiku they found like the seasons or modern things. It was optional to use music, but I learned in Video 1-A that music choice is crucial because the viewers are can be more distracted by the tune than watching the content of the film. Also the timing of the text would have to follow the music as well as finding the right kind of song. My video is comprised of 5 haiku and is about 40 sec. It seems long when working on it in the program but I found out when presenting it was a bit quick and cut too soon. There are also some changes to be made in my choices of animations to some of the text. I enjoyed this project and learned quite a bit. I hope to expand my use of text outside of printed paper.

Journal 1

A couple weeks ago, I was in Critique A with Jim. It was a great experience looking at other people's work from different concentrations. Although, I felt a little awkward since I have never critiqued paintings or photos before. I was quite nervous when it was my turn. Like me, not many people in the class knew about graphic design.

When Jim asked what I'm thinking about for thesis, I was panicked. I didn't really have a solid idea but I gave my messy pitch. Out of all the past projects I've done in graphic design, I think the most gratifying and engaging projects were making booklets. For my topic, I wanted to use some sort of personal experience since all we use in graphic design is given information/data. I want to share my mother's family history, discussing the female role in China from my grandmother's generation to my mother's. The group & Jim agreed I should give it a shot and collect as much information and research for now.

From what I know off-hand, my mother's family immigrated to Canada to escape the war and find a better living. When they were in China, they owned property, had a farm, and had six children. Unfortunately, it seems my grandparents didn't keep much of a journal before they past away. It would also be hard to interview my mother's side of the family since they are in Canada and some are on vacation. So for now I think I'll have to go for a general scope of the issue.

There is much controversy in long and historical cultures when it comes to living in traditional or modern values, especially when it comes down to the woman's role. For centuries, Chinese women have been the inferior person in relation to family, spouse, and social standing. They had duties to fulfill for their family and gender. Parents of the bride chose the groom and when she would marry, she will marry into the husband's family losing ties to her old one. She also had the duty to bear a son to inherit the family wealth and continue the lineage. However, the modern thinking does not force women into subjection and belittlement. Women can now choose who to have a relationship with, have a career, and wait to have children. But such drastic changes also cause troubling effects. There have been reports of population concerns as more women are thinking more about an independent lifestyle and career, it is harder for men to settle down and have a family.

Here are some resources I have looked into so far:
"Chinese Family" - Ebrey
"Life Cycle" - Mann
"The Joy Luck Club" - Amy Tan
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-07/31/content_6454831.htm
http://kaixin.com.au/women-in-china/2011/1/1/marriage-in-china-ancient-modern.html
http://shanghaiist.com/2010/01/11/the_modern_chinese_woman_financiall.php
http://www.faculty.de.gcsu.edu/~dvess/ids/global/wcon.htm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ax3dRAEgosY

As for the design of the book, I've been thinking of presenting text on translucent paper that is on top of an image. Possibly do a booklet series of simple images that show the difference of modern and traditional Chinese women -- maybe like a children's book. Maybe I don't need to print on paper at all! (well--that is a bit too drastic)

I'm still trying to figure out my angle and approach to this topic. I think this is an important issue to share, not just because I connect to it, but I think it effects a majority of people that aren't the same ethnicity as well.

Ms. Nicole Mauro

Nicole Mauro is a senior majoring in painting. She also focuses on printmaking. She incorporates paper materials in her paintings and uses pale or muted colors. She draws inspiration from organic processes. She is planning her career as a professional painter in an art gallery.

Louis: What materials do you use in your paintings and printmaking?

Mauro: Well, in painting i use oil paints. But recently, I have been incorporating found papers such as newspapers, sandpaper, and whatever I can get my hands on. It's almost like manipulating texture with texture.

Especially since most of the work I showed you is on canvas, it's like paint and texture on top of a textured canvas. In terms of printmaking i mostly print on paper but i have also really enjoyed printing on transparency.

Louis: So do you want texture as a focal point in your paintings versus a flat image?

Mauro: Maybe not as a focal point, but more like a vehicle to describe something. Sometimes in a series, I'll end up working purely in collage.

Louis: How do you describe your style? Do you convey a specific message/emotion in your work?

Mauro: I work with what attracts me. Google Earth images are important to me and through my paintings I almost try to discover why. I also like to work with this idea that anyone with a computer can use google earth to see a place. It's like seeing without actually seeing.

Also, I have this weird affinity for certain shapes such as rust patterns and pulled up tar. So I try to connect the geometric man made boundaries of google earth images with organic naturally occurring patterns.

Louis: Do you look at other sources of inspiration/relation to your work?

Mauro: I look at a lot of artists, which is something I was sort of naive about before encountering the really smart faculty. I look at Lisa Sanditz, Peter Halley, and Paula Scher.

Louis: Would you incorporate more mixed media in your paintings? Even step out of using canvas and paint on objects?

Mauro: That's something I think about a lot. I mean there's something to be said about making the decision to paint on canvas and I don't think I actually make that decision.

I would like to work on a different surface such as glass or wood.

Louis: May I ask, why do you have an affinity to the natural world more so than the modern creations and digital media?

Mauro: Digital media is really terrifying to me! (haha!) But it's not so much nature it's just i like what organic processes produce. Especially in comparison to what we, people, produce.

Louis: What makes organic more intriguing?

Mauro: I guess maybe it's more relatable to me. Spill spots, drips, rust stains...they just "look" nice to me.

Louis: Did you know you wanted to do painting since young? Or when you became an undergrad?

Mauro: No I didn't even want to go to art school when it was like "college search" time. I had this idea of going to some really small school and then I applied to Mason Gross for the hell of it, got in and realized I really wanted to be working in art.

Painting seemed like a default choice in retrospect. At one point I got so bitter about painting and all I wanted to do was print. But now I recognize that it doesn't have to be one or the other.

Louis: Yes, after a while, they all seem to connect. Do you have experience in other arts?

Mauro: I've taken classes in figure drawing and the basic artmaking ones, but besides painting classes I've done silkscreen, litho, intaglio, letter-press, bookmaking, paper-making.

Louis: Do you think these skills influence your painting or vice-versa?

Mauro: Oh yeah! Printmaking allows me

to sort of breakdown a painting, even if it doesn't exist. It makes you think differently, it's easy for all of us students to get stuck in rut.

Louis: I've noticed you use pale/muted colors. Is this preference or choice?

Mauro: Yeah it's a preference, which is something i didn't recognize until my professor pointed it out. I think I am staying true to the colors of these computer images but really it's a matter of my taste. I muddy everything.

Louis: Mud is always good. :) What do you think of critiquing? Is it different than print? Do you benefit from it?

Mauro: Most of the time, if not all, you're painting critiques are with all painters.

With the size of the printmaking program you get a more diverse group of people looking at work which can be nice but can also be terribly frustrating because you know in a painting class it might go differently, whether good or bad.

I benefit MAJOR from crits! They are so important!

Louis: Do you think you learn from crits that you give to your peers?

Mauro: Yeah, I mean speaking aloud about someone else's work can be like speaking to yourself. You notice what you notice.

Louis: Do you have a goal you wish to achieve as an artist?

Mauro: It would be really nice to be working as an artist.

Louis: Gallery-wise or a specific occupation? Freelance?

Mauro: I mean the ultimate would be working and showing in a gallery and selling!

Louis: Any ideas for Thesis? Possibly use different media?

Mauro: I should have had an answer prepared because I knew it was coming!

I try to not let myself think about the end result and just work in the moment and see where it takes me

If thesis were tomorrow I would want to be showing my paintings but hopefully with more printmaking involved.

Louis: Thank you for your time!