3D...

I decided today that I am not a 3D person. I never really thought of myself as one before, but now I know that I am not one.

So our project in 3D is we have to make molds of an object over and over again and then create some kind of installation with them. I'm pretty sure my teacher is the only one who makes us do the installations. But anyway, I am molding a shaving razor and every single time I take it out of the mold the neck breaks. So I have to use slip and fix it. Every single time. But i decided to stick with it, and I am making a mobile out of my razors. It's supposed to symbolize how women need to shave their legs and under their arms to be accepted into society and the mobile is representing how shaving is hanging over women's heads all the time if they want to fit in. It took me about two weeks to come up with that idea. I really don't like conceptual art. My teacher makes it so difficult for us to come up with ideas. They all have to be passed by her and she is being really picky about everything.

So if that is not stressful enough, our next project is to make a wire portrait by next class. It doesn't sound that bad, but I have never used wire before and I am slowly realizing that wire does not cooperate. I can't wait until I am done with my 3D classes, I am most definitely a 2D person.

Snow Week

This was so far, the easiest week I have ever had here at Tyler. I had classes on Monday and Tuesday as usual and then snow days Wednesday and Thursday. It was great. However, it was a little hard for me to come up with stuff to blog about this week. I suppose the most interesting thing that has happen to me at Tyler this week was the lecture on Tuesday morning. Two people came in and talked about ceramics and jewelery and metals. I never considered either of those to be something I would be interested in majoring in until that lecture. It really changed what I used to think about when I thought of both of those majors. It actually seems like one of the more practical fields to go into and both of the people giving the lectures said that Tyler students always get jobs right after they graduate with those degrees. It is definitely something I will have to think about next year.

2D Quilt Making

In 2D we've been looking a lot at these Gee's Bend Quilts. My teacher loves them so much that she assigned this quilt project. We have to make three different quilts, each better than the last. I have sort of been considering fibers as my major so I figured this would be a good experience for me.

Our first task was to dye these Japanese papers with different color paints. That part was really fun. It was simple and basically just left up to us to do whatever we felt like.

Then, it got hard. We had to create a composition, then pick our colors, then sew it together. It sounds simple, right? Yeah, that's what I thought. There is this whole measuring/math process to quilting that I never even thought about. Not only do you have to decide how long and thick the pieces are going to be on the quilt, but you have to then cut extra space so that you have enough room to sew it together.

So I finished my first quilt and it was pretty simplistic. I had a blue vertical line and then a red vertical line next to each other. Then i had two purple triangles and two yellow triangles put together next to the vertical lines. My teacher seemed to like it and I got some good feedback from my classmates.

Now I'm on to my second quilt. I made the design today in class and I was really proud of it. My teacher likes it too. I start measuring everything and cutting everything and realized it is going to be incredibly hard. I designed like the most complex quilt ever. I still haven't sewed it together yet. Wish me luck! I'll definitely need it...

Dan Dennett: Cute, sexy, sweet, funny

I watched Dan Dennett doing a talk called "Cute, Sexy, Sweet, Funny." It was basically about how people think they like something because it is either cute, sexy, sweet, or funny but that is wrong. He explained how people like chocolate cake because they think it is sweet, people like babies because they think they are cute, people like girls in a small amount of clothing because they think it is sexy, and people like jokes because they think they are funny. Then, he further explained that people do not like these things because they are cute, sexy, sweet, or funny but because they just like them. There is something in people's brains telling them that they like them. If all babies had deformed faces we would still say that they are cute and if all women were covered head to toe in hair people would still think they are sexy. These things are important to like and that is why people like them. They don't like them because they are cute, sexy, sweet, or funny. I found this talk very interesting. It definitely made me think about the things I find cute, sexy, sweet, and funny.

First Assignment

On Friday January 22, 2010 I ventured into center city Philadelphia with my two friends Gina and Rachel. We took the subway from Cecil B Moore and got off at City Hall. Our first stop was Utrecht where there was supposed to be some great day sale. It wasn't all that great. I bought a cutting mat though. So we went to Dick Blick afterwards where there was an even better sale. I purchased an art bin, a T-square, and Yes! paste. This is some of the stuff I need for my classes that the extremely expensive kits at the bookstore did not have in them. I got a student discount which was great though. While walking along the streets in center city people handed me flyer's about the Jefferson Hospital and cards about the 2010 census. After shopping for art supplies we shopped for the ingredients in eggplant parmesan. On our way to the Reading Terminal we got side tracked and went into Philly Cupcake "The Cupcakery Boutique." Basically, it is a store that sells gourmet cupcakes. They even give you a menu when you first walk in. Finally, we got to the Reading Terminal. There were so many different stands in there selling all kinds of food. We found a chocolate place that sold chocolate body parts and an ice cream place that was on TV. But we didn't want to waste any time in there because it was starting to get dark. So we got the eggplant, the tomato sauce and the cheese. On our way to Gina's friend Sam's place at UArts, we passed the Kimmel Center. We went in and took the elevator up to the roof garden. We made perfect timing there because the sun was just setting over the skyline and the view was gorgeous.

Finally, we made it back to Sam's apartment and she cooked us eggplant parmesan. I discovered that night, eggplant is not something I think I will ever eat again.