A Form of Tank Engine

My name is Thomas. I'm 30 years old. This is my blog for my Studio Foundations 4D class at MSUD. Enjoy Responsibly.

[guaminator]

Performance Art Project - “Head in the Clouds”

I personally don’t find myself with my head in the clouds at the best of times. It’s important to me to stay grounded and focused. But, in times like these, it’s difficult not to let my mind wander off. The uncertainty makes it easy to worry or stress about a lot of different things. For this piece I laid back to stare up at the clouds and just immerse myself in the moment. The ambient noises of my neighborhood snapping me out of my thoughts every so often. I wanted the mirror to show not only what I was seeing, but its positioning related to my head being an on the nose nod to the title of this piece and common phrase. The framing was important to me, splitting with half ground and half sky. Symbolizing where my head was at mentally while resting there physically as well. With everything going on in the world today it’s easy to get overwhelmed, I wanted to capture a moment of just taking a step back and escaping for a while. I debated on making it a time-lapse but decided against it at the end, the ambiance felt more immersive to me. 

[thebrokeblog]

For this piece I wanted to focus your attention on your participation in financial systems whether they be domestic or global. A majority of the time when we participate in a financial system whether it’s a socialist, communist, or capitalist or something different we usually have to make a trade or exchange. I just want you to really ponder if that trade or exchange that your making is fair to all parties involved. A lot of the stuff that we use in America (food, cloth textiles, electronics, and luxury items) are imported from another country because the price of production and labor is usually cheaper in other countries. Is this fair that we pay inflated prices on goods that were cheap to produce? Is it fair that a company can exploit humans for their time and health?

[guaminator]

Stencil art will always be one of my favorite kinds of street art. There’s something about its simplicity while still being able to evoke all kinds of emotions and convey all kinds of messages. Your piece made me think more about the establishments that I’m a customer of frequently. Businesses obviously have to make money but the shady tactics that some are involved in really need to be exposed and addressed seriously. Great project.

[filtzgood]

Artist Statement:

Recycle Tree/ Plastic crisis awareness

Human beings and their presence have finally pushed the planet over the edge.  We are now living in a new age of Earth history, an age they call the Anthropocene.  The Holocene that was the epoch prior to what they are deeming as having its start at the Industrial Revolution, lasted 11,700 years. We have officially brought the Earth’s environment to a state that can never be brought back to original. Thus the Anthropocene is the name given to our age in Earth’s history.  

Part of the irreversible condition is the phenomenon of petroleum based plastics. 80% of ocean debris is plastic, and by 2050 there will be more plastic in the ocean than fish. Petroleum based plastic does not “biodegrade”, and in fact biodegradable plastic is a misnomer. Plastics have a single carbon bond that cannot be broken in order for the molecules to be consumed and converted to energy.  The material is never reduced to anything beyond a microscopic piece of what it is. Every molecule of plastic ever created is still in existence on this planet, and the smaller the particle, the more likely it is to enter the biomass of the ocean, and in turn the food chain.  We as a population are consuming micro-plastics found in fish and now in the terrestrial animals that we consume. The buildup of these inorganic molecules is causing a number of unexplained endocrine system issues in humans, livestock and fish populations.  Tumors, abnormal growth patterns, and mutations are on the rise and attributed to micro-plastic pollution levels in consumed food.  

The technological revolution and lifestyle enhancements that came with the advent of petroleum based plastic are undeniable, and our lives are fully entwined in its usage. While the production of new petroleum based plastics needs to be drastically quelled, recycling is our only hope of pulling the plastics in existence out of our environment, and to reuse what we have already created.  If we don’t take this as a serious endeavor, the health of the ocean’s biomass and conversely human beings will suffer for our conveniences.   My hope with the Recycle Tree was to remind us all that while plastics are interwoven into our daily lives, seemingly forever, the only thing we can do is be responsible consumers and RECYCLE. The city of San Francisco has gotten their recycling and composting to a point that only 20% of all of the city’s waste goes to a landfill.  We can only hope to reach such an efficient level of recycling as a community.  This needs to be the case globally to begin to slow the issues of plastic pollution.

[guaminator]

It’s absolutely heartbreaking hearing about how polluted the oceans (and the rest of the planet for that matter) are due to plastic. It’s a bit discouraging, honestly. Knowing how big of a task it will be to even put a dent in reversing the damage that’s already been done is sobering. Your piece brings a little glimpse of hope and beauty to the whole plastic situation. The fact that it represents nature really is thought provoking. It’s also clever how you’re recycling in your own way by doing this project. 

[janaechapman]

Intervention Project

For my intervention project, I had selected a covered patio space in my backyard as the location to create a piece of installation work. I had planned on setting up and photographing my project outside today; however, there was bad wind in my area that was keeping me from photographing the project well. Additionally, I was worried about my project being out in the wind since it is extremely fragile. Ultimately, I decided to install my project inside at the best-lit window available. My original intention for this project was to draw attention to and manipulate the lighting in my covered patio, which is rather unique and changes dramatically throughout the day. I wanted to explore how the presence of light in a space and our perception of it alters the way we experience that space. To do this, I made long strings with “spinning” cardboard circles covered in holographic vinyl. These strings and the individual circles move and spin with different airflow. I was hoping to capture the changes in lighting that the patio space went through by photographing the installed project at various times of the day, to truly see how my project magnified, distorted, or affected the light the space receives. Obviously the project didn’t exactly go as planned, and sadly, my plan B does not show very well how the holographic circles catch and play with light, as the outdoor lighting was partially-cloudy and the window itself not in direct sunlight. I did try my best to execute my vision; given more time (and better planning on my part), I think I could more effectively discuss how light alters and defines a space - and how an installation artwork can in turn alter and define light.

(a video of my project “in motion” will be posted on my Tumblr, hopefully to give everyone a better idea of what I was going for and how the project looks/acts in real life).

[guaminator]

It’s really a bummer when things don’t go as planned but still I thought your piece was very aesthetically pleasing. It reminds me of the parking garage (I think it’s a parking garage?) in Downtown Denver that has all of the metal plates that can swing freely in the wind. I can imagine that seeing your piece as you envisioned would be very beautiful, I enjoyed it regardless!

[kathemediina]

Intervention Project

For this piece I wanted to create something playful but not so obvious I want the public to think about what is going on while you walk in the park also the uses of complementary colors and to keep it simple and lineal or geometrical. First, I did a little research about where I can locate my piece and the public. In this case is a park close to an Elementary school and there were a lot of kids playing around with others and their moms. The day of the installation there were a group of kids between 3 and 10 years. They just keep looking what I was doing and when I finish my design and I step further away and because I knew the intention that they have I ask their mom if I have the permission to take pictures and on the video as you can see the first reaction and I think I made my goal because without saying anything they start playing on their own way, jumping, thinking about diagonals, trying to do not touch the lines ,looking at the colors and finally grabbing the little balls(that was a surprise because in my idea the purpose of those were to catch the attention) but like I said they found their own way to play. (The last pic is how the piece end).

[guaminator]

I really enjoyed the interactivity of your piece as well as the fact that there wasn’t any kind of instruction on how to interact with it. It kept it open to interpretation for whomever came across it. Loved the abstract aspect and look of the entire piece. The candid interaction you captured was really interesting to see. Watching their own way to interact with it was pretty cool to watch.

[ty-bjork]

The concept for this series is to represent how we carry the burden of wearing a mask amongst the Corona Virus. There is so much speculation as to if you should or shouldn’t wear a masks and I wanted to embody all of the facets of the contradicting arguments. In this piece I used a six foot 2x4 to represent the social distance length. I used masks of all colors to portray that no one is exempt from wearing masks. I placed all the masks 6 inches apart to represent that every inch matters when social distancing. Additionally, I had my model wear a shirt talking about quarantine, reminding the views that whether you chose to wear a mask or not life still goes on with all its events. Lastly, I used a smoke grenade to represent the virus, that regardless of which side you stand we will all be effected by the Corona Virus. Do You Wear A Mask?

[guaminator]

The methods you used to represent all the aspects of quarantine/social distancing/masks and the attention to detail was excellent. The presence of the model adds a performance art concept to your piece. I feel like your message was portrayed very well. Maybe having each end of the 2x4 held by two models (or mannequins/cut outs), one with a mask on and one without, would represent both sides of the argument well while still keeping the burden carrying message. Regardless, very well done project! And I definitely wear a mask, for my family, friends as well as myself and others around me.

[mirandapanda415-deactivated2020]

Art Intervention Project: Mask It Up

COVID-19 cases are still rising and are still impacting millions of people today, including myself. I recently lost a close family friend to COVID-19, never thinking it could reach home and get so personal. To make things even worse, I see people from my home state (Illinois) and so many other friends not wearing masks and traveling around like they could care less that people are getting sick and possibly even dying from their carelessness. I even see groups of people not wearing any masks and it angers me. How can people be so selfish in a time like this? Knowing that COVID-19 affects everyone so differently is beyond scary, so I want my family and I to be protected and distanced from this disease. I then came up with the idea of putting masks on the portraits and pictures on the walls of my apartment to overall represent the protection of my family and the walls signifying barriers against this horrible and deadly disease. For the sake of the more susceptible and vulnerable, and for colleagues, co-workers, friends, family, acquaintances, etc., and even yourself, PLEASE WEAR A DAMN MASK! It is not hard to do. You can save yourself, but more importantly, the ones you love and care about.

[guaminator]

I never would have imagined how much unnecessary controversy wearing a mask would spark, it’s really baffling. I’m right there with you, wear a damn mask! I thought your piece was really clever. It reminds me of something a street artist would do, putting masks on statues or other works of art. I completely understand not wanting to actually go out and do something like that though. The variances in the masks from picture to picture was a nice little touch. The positioning of them on each subject was very well done too. Great project. Ravenclaw for life.

[thekellyangryberger-deactivated]

Intervention Project, Denver, 2020. 

Recently there was a shooting at my building. This project is not about that. It’s just a slight improvement, a tiny change in an urban landscape. My hand is evidenced here in the flower pots on either side, and the paintings hung on the wall behind. These are my artworks, attached with hemp jute, easily removable. Most notable (especially for you Professor M.) is the Denver Sculptures Playing Poker. :) 

As you can see- these small improvements made folks take notice. I hope they felt cared for. In addition to the lack of touch we’re now experiencing- there is also a lack of comfort. A lack of reassurance. A young woman was brutally murdered right outside our doors and the city has done nothing to prevent this from happening again in the future. 

This may be my last year living in the city. I don’t know if I can handle the brutality anymore. This piece is intended to provide a small comfort. 

[thekellyangryberger-deactivated]

Reblogging this to move to top 

[guaminator]

There’s a lot of ugliness in the world today, pieces like yours provide a little bit of escapism from the terrible things we’re exposed to. A space to sit and just relax and unwind. The pictures (especially since they’re framed) and flower pots give a sense of the comforts of home instead of a bland public bench. I really like how you were able to capture people next to your project.

[valeriaqb]

Intervention Project: New Hope

Humanity is having hope amid chaos. During these tense and unexpected times, people have found ways to preserve positivism and faith that things will change. I wanted to represent this hope in some way. So, I went around Denver and look for abandoned places, industrial areas, and forgotten alleys to leave a mark of hope for random people to see. I left a different rose in each one of these places. By contrasting those two concepts (chaos and hope) and by emphasizing the beauty of it all, I want people to be reminded of the hidden kindness in humanity. I chose yellow for the roses because they mean New Beginnings. I believe there is a new beginning after every chaos.

Social awareness is one of my passions, however, I wanted to challenge myself by doing something different, and thus; this time I focused on the beauty of humanity. Of course, I had to throw a little hint to the Black Lives Matter. After all, what is humanity without revolutions?

[guaminator]

When I saw your piece I was reminded of flowers and other plants that would grow through asphalt or sidewalks. It made me experience the same feeling of hope even through times of perceived impossibility, which is extremely relevant as of late. The stark contrast between the condition of locations you found and the beauty of the roses you placed was very profound. The flower laid on the doorstep almost felt as if it were place in mourning. The meaning behind yellow roses was another good use of subtle symbolism.

[babaymac]

Intervention Art Project.

I wanted to base a concept on spreading joy around my local community. I have noticed that not many people who live in my apartment complex interact within the community or with each other. My goal was to leave messages in shared spaces to brighten someone’s day and promote a sense of community. I placed small notes in spaces such as the laundry room, stairways, hallway windows, building doors, and spaces outside of the complex. I was only able to capture pictures of a few of the notes, I think the rest may have been taken down by the cleaning crew. I initially wanted to get images of people interacting and reading the notes, but I’ve been working a lot and unfortunately didn’t get to see anyone pass by them.

[guaminator]

Small acts of kindness such as this always bring a smile to my face. You never know who might need to hear some words of encouragement or kindness. Posting them in communal areas was a perfect way to ensure that they were seen. The sense of community or being neighborly feels like it’s slowly dying out, your project shows that it’s still alive.  Some handwritten messages as well as the one’s you printed could also have added a more personal touch. I would have loved to see more of your messages or notes around your complex, I understand how life can get busy though. 

[jessicahughesart]

“Unhoused” 

“Unhoused” is a 5 foot cardboard stand aimed at raising awareness about the harmful stereotypes we impose on the homeless population. Homeless people have been on my mind recently because the pandemic will affect them disproportionately. People often give reasons like “they’ll just spend their money on drugs” for why they don’t want to give anyone money. Most people spend what little money they can scrape together to buy food and water to get them through the day, some even have jobs but still cannot afford housing. Lack of affordable housing is the biggest cause of homelessness in America. I’m not asking viewers to give money next time they see someone panhandling on the side of the road, but instead criticize the script in your head. What harmful myths have you been taught to believe? Even if you choose not to give any cash, give them a moment of your time with eye contact and a smile. Humanize the homeless population, show them that you see them. 

(The side with the words was facing the oncoming traffic but I wasn’t able to snap a picture without standing in the middle of the street)

[guaminator]

Very moving piece for sure. The topic of homelessness is very widely viewed through the myths that you posted. The silhouette you used to post onto was a great visual representation of a homeless person standing by the side of the road. Contrasting the text against the black surface of the cutout enables people to read each point clearly and easily. Changing common misconceptions about this topic isn’t an easy thing to do considering how common these misconceptions really are. I feel your artist statement along with the actual piece conveys your message crystal clear. Very well done.

[nathandmsudesign-blog]

Intervention Project / The Body of Christ 2

I wanted to illustrate that you don’t have to be a stout member of an organized religion in order to be able to attain heaven and that those organizations don’t have a corner on the market for salvation. Through a gorilla style art installation on the foot steps of a church that preaches ‘only one way to enter the kingdom’ I wanted to give a public access to those elements of salvation. You don’t have to be inside the four walls, swearing your soul to a dogma, fitting into a tidy and manipulative theology in order to be take be holy. It was so interesting to see how people interacted with my installation. It seemed to invoke in others (and through watching and filming, myself also) a desire to reconnect with a higher power or to sort of rekindle those feelings of holy acceptance. My goal was that anyone; no matter their class, creed, gender identity, race, sexual orientation, or ability, might find the idea of salvation acceptable just where they were on Logan and Colfax. No Kingdom shouting down at them in anger, and nobody to own the market on heaven.

[nathandmsudesign-blog]

Bumping this back to the top of my feed for critiques…

[guaminator]

The use of symbolism in your piece was really well done. Tackling issues surrounding religion can be tricky but I think you navigated it well. The grapes in the gumball machine was very creative. The shot with the cathedral fully in frame with your piece on the steps was extremely well composed. The towering, almost intimidating presence of the church and the humble display of your project in the same picture was great.

[eleni-learns-art]

Intervention Project

Natural beauty vs. fabricated beauty, what does it mean to be beautiful? For my project I decided to juxtapose natural found beauty with invented beauty. Social media is full of beautiful things and beautiful people, but what does it really mean? This piece developed after my friends and went on a long hike, they took pictures of the view and of themselves and immediately posted them on Instagram. I found myself wondering about what it means to be beautiful in the modern age. Like always, my work has a distinctly feminine undertone that deals with the pressures and expectations of being a woman. There is beauty in everything, and in every person, but it is time we challenge the norms and accept beauty for what it is, instead of trying to squeeze it in some big out of place dress.

[guaminator]

Excellent piece! I think you really nailed the message you were aiming to convey. Societal views and expectations on standards of beauty, especially when it comes to women, are extremely toxic. How out of place the dress looks on the tree emphasizes the message that natural beauty shouldn’t be covered up or messed with. I understand the usage of a tree in your yard, times are.. complicated, but having this on a tree in the middle of a forest of untouched trees would be brilliant. But it’s still brilliant regardless! Good job.

[hollysherman4d-deactivated20220]

My inspiration for this installation piece was the impact of waste on our environment. I wanted to demonstrate how waste doesn’t just go away, it stays and impacts our environment in very negative ways. Only 8-9% of all recyclable material is actually recycled. The rest of the waste ends up in landfills. Think about that, 9%. Now think about how much waste you accumulate per month, and multiply that waste by the billions and billions of humans on Earth who also accumulate waste. A lot of the materials I chose to use for this piece were single use plastics, such as bottles and to go containers. My intention to viewers is to raise awareness on the seriousness of the global issues regarding waste. Specifically, I wanted to target Americans with using the “Make Earth Great Again” slogan, rewriting Trump’s “Make America Great Again” slogan.

[guaminator]

I think out of all the materials you used for your piece the kitchen trash bag stood out to me most. We use them all the time to help dispose of our garbage and yet the bags themselves are a terrible form of waste. Everything is at eye level, which ensures that people will most definitely notice. The call to action using the sign and familiar slogan brings the point home. Somehow including some of the information and stats you mentioned in your artist’s statement might have been helpful, but great work either way!

[evie26blog]

I have worked in the veterinary field as a certified veterinary technician for going on five and a half years. My intervention project brings light to some issues that veterinary professionals face nearly every day. In my experience, the majority of clients display a hesitancy or outright refusal to trust veterinary professionals. Many clients show this by speaking to us as if we are unintelligent and have never seen an animal before. This constant degradation truly starts to wear on you; mentally and emotionally. I decided to ask my veterinary friends to send me some issues that they wish that clients would take to heart. My installation is a mixture of my own thoughts and theirs, I wanted this project to be a voice for veterinary professionals. I posted each message on a lamppost that encircle a very popular dog park in my neighborhood so that I made sure to reach the right audience. The way that the lampposts are positioned, it allows people to reflect on what they have read before reaching the next message; much like a gallery. There were twelve messages in total and I did not photograph them all but I did include the ones that I did not photograph below.  

“Please stop asking veterinary technicians if they plan to go to school to become a veterinarian. Not everyone wants to become a doctor. Technicians and receptionists do find a great deal of satisfaction in their work.”

“Please stop taking advice from your breeder over the advice of your veterinary staff. Veterinary professionals have completed years of medical training and must attend several hours of continuing education every year in order to maintain certification/licensure with the state. This is a requirement to practice medicine. Your breeder does not have to adhere to these regulations and the vast majority have zero medical background.”

“We understand the frustration when it comes to expensive services. We do everything in our power to keep services affordable. The majority of veterinary hospitals do not recommend testing or treatments if they truly do not think that it will benefit your pet. If we do not give you a discount or free service, it does not mean that we are only out for money or that we do not care about the patient. Ultimately, we are a business and do need to charge appropriately in order to keep the doors open.”

“Vaccines are literally the lowest form of profit. We basically charge enough to cover the dose and the equipment required to administer it. Please stop accusing veterinary staff of attempting to gain a large profit from you when we recommend a vaccine. We only recommend something if we think it would be beneficial to your pet. If you are unsure about a certain vaccine, please ask us to elaborate; we would be happy to weigh the options with you.”

“ Food is not love! The quantity of pets that are obese have caused many owners to not realize what a healthy weight looks like. Dogs and cats should have a noticeable waist and dogs should have an abdominal tuck that varies dependent on their breed. You should be able to readily feel their ribs under their skin and coat but not see them. We understand that there are metabolic diseases that can cause weight gain or loss but in the majority of cases, obesity in pets is due to overfeeding. Obesity causes several issues which include arthritis, heart disease, liver disease, kidney disease, and diabetes.”

“ If you call your general practice veterinarian in an emergency situation and are instructed to head to the ER; this is for the benefit of your pet. Some emergency situations require more care and expertise than we may feel that we can provide. We would rather you spend the valuable time that your pet requires in a practice that can cater to those needs.”  

[guaminator]

This is such an informative piece. The setting is perfect for the message you’re trying to get across. It’s extremely unfortunate that there will always be someone, no matter what you do for a living, that will talk down to you and act like they know more than you do. The way you set them up so it simulates a gallery-like feel was very clever. Maybe adding a border around the edge of each message to make it seem framed could add to that aesthetic and draw more attention to them.

[christyto4d-beyond]

Pass it on (Intervention Project)

A video to experience “Pass it on” from home.

Chalk reads:

“Walk the Labyrinth

Take a rock, leave a rock

Take a minute to BREATHE + CENTER

What do YOU need?

How can you leave the world a little better?

Take a rock that speaks to you”

Chalk reads:

“Decorate + leave a rock as a gift for someone after you”

Keep reading

[guaminator]

The take one, leave one aspect of your piece was something I really loved about it overall. Seeing it from a distance would definitely spark my curiosity to go take a closer look and investigate. I really applaud the amount of preparation you took to create this piece. The interactivity of it as well as the flow seem very well executed. I also really liked how the setting of your piece added more to your labyrinth, pillars adding height, the chalk lines overlapping onto the ledge/bench. Well done.

[guaminator]

“The Case for Performance Art” Response

Chris Burden’s “Shoot” was very shocking to watch. I feel that if I had watched it straight out, without artist commentary, I’m not sure how I’d feel about it. It’s obvious that Burden’s intention was to shock his audience, leave them with a sense of uneasiness and discomfort, fear even. In 1971, the Vietnam War as well as the Kent State shootings in 1970 were still fresh on the minds of Americans. Art takes many forms, serves many purposes, and conveys many different messages. Do I consider this art? It’s difficult to say. It seems extremely dangerous and I don’t feel it would be viewed as art now or any other time if something worse happened to the person being shot. Gun rights today are a much more prevalent and controversial topic, this piece is still relevant if not more so now. 

Performance art is incredibly inclusive, I feel. Outside of “traditionally” taught art styles, there are virtually no limits at what one could consider performance art. From light-hearted or comedic displays to serious and more dark. There’s no set subject matter or medium that’s required other than a performer or performers. The experiments and performances by the group “Improv Everywhere” came to mind on the topic of inclusivity. Not only are the volunteers (“agents” as they call them) from many different backgrounds, the people they (often unknowingly) perform for are literally people out in the world just living their lives. They have several performances of “flash mobs” that they’ve organized over the years. I feel that “Frozen Grand Central” is one of their best and most well-known.