Artist Statement - Project #4
Studio Foundations 4D
MSU Denver, Spring 2020
How about taking a children’s art project and recreating it in college? When I first saw the paper weaving assignment I was a little embarrassed because it seemed soo simple. After looking at the examples provided by other students, I quickly changed my mind. I was inspired not only by the abstract images created by the bold use of colors and patterns, but also by the use of photographs as the weaving material. I decided to use photographs for both of my weavings. The first weaving is a black and white self-portrait. It is the same photograph placed upside down and weaved together. I made a few strategic decisions that did not exactly follow the weaving pattern. First, eyes in both images were obscured. Second, the weaving was spaced apart so that each piece does not touch another piece.
I followed a similar approach for the second weaving. The second photograph was of an air traffic control tower at the Tucson airport. It is a beautiful structure with bright colors set against a mountain backdrop. My intent was to have the image reflected by having the tower rise from the bottom of the frame and drop from the top of the frame. However, it turned into more of an abstract gathering of bright and dark squares.
Christoph Niemann is probably the Illustrator I am most familiar with since he was featured in episode one of Abstract on Netflix. His overall idea of creating something lifelike out of everyday objects resonates with me. I was intrigued by the task of expressing emotion through the simple arrangement of furniture. In fact, I wasn’t even sure if it was possible. Confidence and envy seemed straightforward. How does a piece of furniture represent melancholy though? I attempted to use lighting to create dark spaces within the image of a single chair. I also viewed the chair at eye level rather than from above. This allows the viewer to face the chair head on and makes them feel as thought they are looking at an aged face with dark wrinkles. The chair is looking at us and it is anything but happy.



















