Inner Space 2011

Auras

Well thesis is finally coming to an end! I believe my thesis project went off without any major problems besides after install there was a mark on one of my photos but I quickly took care of that and the problem was resolved and my artwork looked amazing! From the beginning of this class my idea has evolved from just studies of lights to studies of peoples auras and emotions. There was a lot going into this project and as I was shooting it really just made more sense to me and meant more to me to do my project on my friends’ auras instead of just playing around with lights. I had a different title to the series at first as well that would really describe what I was doing and what my artwork was all about but I decided to just title it Auras and let the viewers really read into what they could be or how the people in them were presenting themselves. During the show, I think everyone’s art really stood out on its own. I really loved that mine and Shub’s work were in the same room and were able to play off of each other with the colors we both had used. I thought it was pretty amazing since neither of us had tried to have the same colors and both pieces were very strong.
Installing my artwork was another new experience that thesis really helped me out with. I had a very decent sized wall that fit all of my pictures perfectly. But without the help of my fellow thesis classmates I think I would have lost it during install! I had a tough time with hanging but my friends helped me and got me on the right track to the measurements and giving me a fresh pair of eyes every once in a while to make sure I had hung my images straight on the wall.
The critiques we had in class were so helpful during this process and really helped me zone in on my project and make it perfect. The feedback I got from my classmates and faculty members was more than just encouraging but constructive and informative. I was given many new artists to look at and even a few takers to be subjects in my images!
After the show we were given the opportunity to have a guest critique with a visiting artist. I really thought that I would be getting better feedback than I had gotten. I really felt that the artist really did not like me or my artwork and didn’t really give me the feedback I had really expected. I guess we just had very different styles of photography and very different tastes. She did however give me a few artists to look at which I thought was pretty cool considering I had never seen their work before.
As for now, after graduation, I am going to be helping my aunt out at her frame shop and getting some studio time with the photographer that is based out of the shop. I hope to someday start my own business and make a name for myself in the photography world. I have already sold a few pieces and I really hope that those people will get my name out there and I will get some more photography jobs. This is what I love to do and I really hope I will be able to continue to take pictures for my living!

Critique 2/18/11

I brought in a new installment of my thesis project for crit today. I'm not sure I got the feedback I was expecting as last time. I felt this time didn't help as much and I needed I guess? From last time I tried doing separate colors in each image instead of all together and I thought it was pretty successful but still missing something. I added two colors into one and still felt a little unsure about it. I definitely want to reshoot and try again. I was told that I should try to create a Pollock out of the colors and see if that does anything for me. What I am doing is definitely documenting gestures but is that what I am going for? I hope maybe when I get them printed the way I want it will then start falling all into place for me. Lets hope it works!

Critique 1/28/11

Today I showed my thesis group some photos that I plan to use for my thesis project. They are still in the beginning stages of becoming what I want it to become. I am still shooting lights in the cover of darkness and shot these (the 3rd attempt) the same as the few before with a bunch of different lights. I think for my final attempt, I will try to have each dancer in a different color all to themselves. my fellow thesis classmates gave me some great ideas and artists to look at that might help me a little more in my process for my project. I was told to look at artists such as Robert Flomen who uses nature to make his images instead of a camera. His work is really amazing and has given me a few great ideas for my own work. I had asked if I should keep the "energies" contained withing the frame or not and got some mix feelings about it. Some thought that keeping it contained would draw the eye in more and some thought it was restricting to the energies. And others thought that I could let the lights move out of frame but not too much because it would start to look too much like abstract painting. I could see that happening. Another matter discussed was the size of my images. I knew I wanted to make them big but the question was, how big? The most common suggestion was to make them about life-sized. I really like that idea a lot. I love that they will be on a more realistic scale to really engage with the viewer. I want them to be life-like, just as if the energies were forming right in front of you. Other suggestions I received were to do all one color then introduce just a little of another color just to break up the continuity. I am really excited to shoot the new images but I am a little skeptical of the snow. It may cause me some problems so I am going to have to work on that.