Claire Hoch visit

Last week was Claire's third and final week of stay at the VCCA and she came in to talk about her many artistic endeavors and her search for finding meaning and place for her artwork. The very range of things she worked on, such as the seed silo, the moving restaurant, and the side photography showed how much she really is up-ending every possible source to create something different. I think what stuck with me most from her presentation was how supportive other artists seemed to be in response to her cry for help. Always hearing about how artists have it rough and how they are always just trying to make it work is a little unnerving because most artists in school hope to get out and start something, period. At least, I hope to have some clear decision about the direction I'll be going. So hearing her talk about just plopping down willynilly and starting up is cool, sure, but it's not exactly inviting. Hearing her also got me really thinking about internship opportunities and networking so that I am not in her position (not because she's not doing fine, but flying by the seat of my pants in the real world isnt very realistic for me personally). I've decided that I want to try to get in with an illustrator or publisher of children's books and see where I can go from there.

Songs in the key of Love

The exercise was to find a song that I felt depicted love in a way I find true, wise or inspiring. I thought for a long time but the only songs I could think of were ones that spoke of love in a pained way, so luckily that falls under 'true', because they sure aren't inspiring. the links are to youtube so you can listen to the songs.

Firstly, 'Modern Leper' by Frightened Rabbit stuck out to me because its told from the perspective of that one person, and everyone knows someone like this, who has a chronic problem with loving and then hurting the person they love. This is a person who feels so damaged that they dont understand why someone would want, love, or put up with them at all, so intentionally or unintentionally this person emotionally hurts his/her lover and uses that as an excuse for why they are worthless, and so the never-ending circle effect. I like this song because it isnt whiny and it comes across quite raw. I'm only showing lyrics to this song because this post would be miles long if I also had the others..

A cripple walks amongst you
All you tired human beings
He's got all the things a cripple has not
Two working arms and legs.

And vital parts fall from his system
And dissolve in Scottish rain
Vitally he doesn't miss them
He's too fucked up to care.

Is that you in front of me?
Coming back for even more of exactly the same
Well you must be a masochist
To love a modern leper on his last leg
On his last leg.

I've crippled your heart a hundred times
And still cant work out why
See I've got this disease, I can't shake
And I'm just rattling through life.

Well oh this is how we do things now,
This is how the modern stay scared
So i cut out all the good stuff
Yeah I cut off my foot to spite my leg.

Is that you in front of me?
Coming back for even more of exactly the same
Well you must be a masochist
To love a modern leper on his last leg
On his last leg.

I am ill but I'm not dead
And I don't know which of those I'd prefer
Because that limb which I have lost
It was the only thing holding me up
Holding me up

I'm lying on the ground now
And you walk in through the only door
Well I have lost my eyesight like I said I would
But I still know

That that is you in front of me
And you are back for even more of exactly the same,
Well are you a masochist?
You love a modern leper on his last leg

You're not ill and I'm not dead,
Doesn't that make us the perfect pair?
You should sit with me and we'll start again
And you can tell me all about what you did today
What you did today.


Secondly, 'Fuck you Lucy' by Atmosphere was one that stuck out as being a very intense song of having loved and lost it, and from a totally different perspective. This is told from someone who is no longer sad from losing his love, but angry and obsessed in a kind of scary way that still manages to make you kind of feel for him.

Lastly, 'Why don't you Stay' by Sugarland was one that stuck out because its the "other woman's" ballad. It also doesn't just have her moping about being the other woman, it shows her growth as someone gaining some respect for the love she has and gives away, and the difficult but sometimes necessary choice to remove herself from a relationship that doesnt give back. At the same time its not a song that comes off as in-your-face, but more true to the reality of having to make the choice because you know its best, not because its what you want or because its easy. I think that for some people this would be inspirational in a sense.

Something for the Dancing Artists

My roommate showed this to me and although I've seen work down with silhouettes, I've never seen anything quite like this collaboration! Really cool and I thought I'd share... check it out!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RPERVDVHAr4

igloo

as many of you know, i built an igloo just after the first big snow in january. took about 2 and a half days and it originally held 6 people. since there has been so much melting and refreezing, the dome has shrunk, so its not a big or as comfortable ) : but it lasted in good quality for a good 3 weeks. not bad!

^from the outside looking down the hill

^taken from outside through the chimney

^taken from tunnel entrance

We Women

Somehow, even though we as a nation of humans have evolved and become forward thinkers and equality comes ever closer, there is still a aura surrounding the topic of women. Women in literature, women composers, women in war, business women, women as icons, women as objects; women in just about every form of being and living that is possible. Why? what is so special about women? is there something special about women? Sure they give birth, but they sure can't do it alone! It is often argued that without women, there would be nothing. Well without men, there would be nothing! perhaps we havent moved away from this belief that women are a focal point of life because we hate to say that men are a focal point of life as well. the only difference is that Men have historically and currently hold positions that reflect power and control in some way. But, with all the attention that women have been getting (at least in the united states), could it be that in fact it is Women who have the power and the control, and its Men who are competing for it? "Boys are stupid" is a well known phrase and a t-shirt company logo that every girl I know finds funny. "girls are stupid" on the other hand, is marked as offensive.
I think that we run ourselves in circles trying to figure out this gender mess. Realistically we shouldn't be asking ourselves "who runs who" or even why, because it goes both ways and no matter what, it always comes down to one thing, and that is fear. Why not ask what difference it makes? girl or boy, so what, its fear in both rights and both are valid. Its fear that drives both, and its equally played out by both. evidence for every argument is statistical and statistics can prove anything you want them to. I'm going on a tangent but i'll get back on track eventually. Gotta run to class but this post isnt finished yet..
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In response to John Berger and his sense that men look at women and women watch themselves being looked at, I think that this is an accurate observation, but one that is only recognition of human nature. In children and teens it is usual to see the 'center of the world' complex, as I call it, and from my experience its the girls who suffer from it the most. Usually the girl at hand doesnt even realize she's so focused on herself, which would lead me to believe that its natural instinct to be self aware, and competitive for attention. Historically women were expected to look pretty for men and do little work so its no surprise that we became a main focus for sitting for paintings (what else had we to do? surely we could not be painters ourselves, so that left men, and men, lets face it, are pretty focused on women). I dont think that art about women is surprising at all because men like to see attractive women, and women like to be attractive- so an ad selling makeup featuring a beautiful women will sell because women instinctively want to be beautiful. Those that chose to turn away from the oversexed ads usually think better of themselves, perhaps are more confident, and its not unheard of to hear a 'better-than-thou' remark in reference to the woman in the ad.

Joelle Wallach

We were lucky enough to have Joelle Wallach come in last class to give a brief overview of female composers throughout history, including clips of their music. Joelle's personality demanded attention and a responsive audience, two things we were willing to give her but I'm afraid she was taken aback by our lack of general knowledge on the subject matter.
I have grown up going to Catholic masses, so when Joelle played the earliest music that had been composed by women, it rung familiar. The earliest female composers were nuns, and their music reflected their use in the church.
I enjoyed Joelle's presentation but I felt that her approach to getting the music playing and the power point going was rather distracting. In this case I feel that she should have left Professor Griffith to his own devices in keeping the visual and audio going while she maintained a steady lecture. That aside, I found the information very interesting and I found myself appreciating early female composers more that I had before (which was rather indifferently) because Joelle kept stressing that many of these women composed without being able to hear their music played. That's tough!

3 Ways of Seeing

So I spent a long time picking through paintings that i liked and wanted to work with such as works by Vermeer, Rembrandt, and Dali and I struggled because often I was struck by one that immediately wanted to use...but I couldn't think of more than one 'angle' to photograph it. I'm not completely happy with the one i ended up choosing, "A Girl with a Broom" by Carel Fabritius (who was a student of Rembrandt's) but it's going to have to do for now.

1. I took this picture in the stacks of the library, amid shelves of books and through another bookshelf. I felt that this made the girl in the painting seem like she was hiding or afraid. Her body language suddenly seemed more huddled.
2. I took this picture in Benedict underneath a light in the stairwell. I felt that the girl in the painting seemed more rightful in being there, more comfortable and confident.
3. I took this picture while the photo was behind a door. I thought the girl seemed more forgotten and sad, but also watchful.
4. I also took this picture which was also in the library in a sitting room, because I imagined the locked and closed door was essentially a broom closet. Although this seems to be a given (a girl with a broom would be on a closet door, just as Rembrandt's "Girl Bathing" could theoretically be expected to be on a bathroom door) I felt that it was necessary to show the contrast of the picture in an 'expected' place as well as 'unexpected' places.