Rick James Esqueda

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HOMEWORK #3: Fiber Sculpture + You Reflection

What is Fiber Sculpture? How is it different than sculpture? How would you articulate the qualities that might characterize an artwork to be a work of Fiber Sculpture to you?

Fiber sculpture I thought incorporated strictly3 D objects that are created from textiles like cotton and wool before taking this class. Now I see it in larger scope with more possibilities then I have thought previously. It is just a different type of sculpture that incorporates elements from both standard sculptures and ceramics such as combining fiber with candy in my case.

What do you think that the ideas, materials, and processes we have looked at in this course must offer your art practice? What do you think you will revisit or explore further on your own in the future? Why?

I really liked learning different processes and I would say I really would like to continue wet felting, standard felting, dyeing and coiling. I thinking felting either dry or wet could be a great tool for my work. I really like that I can create shapes with bits of wool and a needle. Also, interested in seeing what I can do with dyeing. Since my only previous experience was tie dyeing and just Rit dye. I would also like to keep on crochet.

What have you learned about your tendencies, habits and point of view as an artist this semester? Take a few minutes to articulate and acknowledge any new awareness’s you have about yourself as an artist on your blog.

That my works keeps on growing on ideas of identity, gender, with supernatural, religious concepts and pop culture references. I really think I want to keep on doing this series of using coloring books and reassigned the genders. I think maybe taking some Lisa Frank coloring books with masculine attributes. I would also like to keep the idea of Obamawave’s Freedom 3 growing into a monthly series.

For my wearable object I combined my No Girl Turtles 2.0 piece and i created my chest plate armor using my conversation with an artist with Mark Newport.and married it with ideas of protection, military and superheros. My medal is also affixed to the armor given to me by our professor.

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Spider Maiden

Gender: Female

Top Secret Classification: Arachnid Abilities  

Birthplace: Fort Apache Reservation, Arizona

Name: Silk Sun Morrissey

Bio: Silk Sun was born on the Fort Apache Reservation and is a White Mountain Apache on his mother’s side and Irish on her father’s side. Silk Sun who has always had arachnid abilities as a child and to this day has dreams of a blinding warm glow of a light, webs and spiders. Silk Sun during the day is known for her skills as one of the countries most skilled architects.

Powers: Able to form webs with her fingers, communicates with spiders and able to scale any surface.

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Hex

Gender: Female

Top Secret Classification: Specter

Birthplace: Massachusetts woods on outskirts of Salem in 1670

Name: Violet Rose

Resting Place: Unknown year approximant 1692 at 22 years of age

Bio: During the Salem hysteria in the dark deeper reaches of the woods a healer and woman of science Violet Rose was accused of evil doing and being in league with the Devil by three young sisters. Violet was a rare case of one of the accused being burned at the stake and a legitimate witch but not in league with any Christian ideals. Her spirit survived in the form of fire. Hex is an accomplished doctor and chemist on the team.

Powers: Hex can manipulate the elements of fire and wind. She is able to cast spells of glamour, bindings and protection.

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The Unicorn

Gender: Male

Top Secret Classification: Cybernetics Martial Artist

Birthplace: West Hollywood, California

Name: Cleve Harvey

Bio: By day Cleve is a well-known LGBTQ activist and special effects FX artist. Known for his work for the LGBTQ community and runs a youth outreach. He is also an accomplished martial artist. By night Cleve protects the streets with Obamawave’s Freedom 3.

Powers: Cybernetic unicorn horn that emits powerful rainbow prisms.

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Obamawave

Gender: Male

Top Secret Classification: Former World Leader of The United States

Bio: Obama can be seen digitally projected in various types of microwaves spying on the Infamous 45 aka Blobtus

Recently assembled a diverse team to bring back hope, freedom and peace back to the people of the United States and the World.

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Final Project.

Obamawave’s Freedom 3

For my final project I took the idea of a comic books, Saturday morning cartoons and vintage video games with original characters that  I created are coming off the page of a slightly oversized comic book.

I was inspired by ideas of how gender and minorities are currently treated by the current administration.

Here Obamawave brings his team together comprising of the Unicorn, Hex and Spider Maiden to fight the Blobtus. Separate biographies will be posted for each character.

I continued my exploration of alphabet beading and also  tried Lifesavers coming down from a Lisa Frank rainbow coming down on the head of the orange Blobtus as his body melts off the edge and into a puddle on the floor. I also included the surplus of Lifesavers as part of the making process for the critique.

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No Girl Turtles 2.0.

Project #2

Title: No Girl Turtles

Materials: Coloring book, cleaning sponges, thread, beads, candy.

Artist of Influence: Mark Newport

Used the idea of Mark Newport exploring gender and identity with comic books. Here I used a coloring and activity book. So I changed the genders of the male turtles by adding exaggerated gender tags such as eyelashes and red lipsas well as adding pink hearts, beads and Lisa Frank unicorns. Here I am exploring the issue of a female Ninja Turtle named Venus De Milo aka Mei Pieh Chi who was featured on the live action show from 1997-2000. There was backlash from fans and one of the creators about the mistake of a female turtle character. There is a popular idea that young boys will self identify with only male characters which affects merchandise sales. Young girls are expected to self identify with male characters and are not thought of a marketable audience hence the lack of more female hero character such as the issue of the lack of Black Widow and Gamora Marvel merchandise a few years back. The title “No Girl Turtles“ come from a memo that was sent out and erased Venus from the collective.

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Artists I dig. The comic art in the retro cool Wonder Woman ‘77 by Richard Ortiz.

Also responsible for the retro pin ups DC Comics Bombshells and Lady Death.

Richard Ortiz does and amazing jobs of getting down the likeness of Linda Carter and Lyle Waggoner. He also brings to life the vintage 70′s world of the TV series and it life online in a digital format. I like bringing this look of retro comic cool and strong female superhero influence into my current body of work. I have always admire how the character of Wonder Woman  stands out in a boys club. 

https://www.popmythology.com/captain-kirks-weekly-comic-review-02102016/

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Obamawave’s Freedom 3 concept art.

Plus the stand that never dried.Felt with acrylic paint, shellac and gloss. The fumes on this were pretty bad also.

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Proposal - Final Project

1. This will be a hanging canvas piece.

2. Exploring the current conflicts of various social minority groups such as LGBTQ, Native American and women with the current political environment but with a superhero backstory.

3. The function talks about how comic books and comic book heroes have always discussed issues of minorities, identity and how they live in world full of conflicts such as Wonder Woman, X-Men, Batman, Spawn, Avengers.

4. This is an assemblage of various objects. Maybe around 5 or more?

5. Canvas which is the base will be 30 x 24 with various pieces overhanging.

6. I plan on using canvas, sponges, wire, yarn, paint, found objects. Experiment with various mediums.

7. I want there to be various mediums to form one piece, united.  

8. Exploring the human form in comics and how it is exaggerated, Tet out how various mediums react to other process, such as latex paints and material. Some sewing as well.

9. I plan on using various colors associated with heroes and villains such as black, red, white, blue, yellow. Heavy use of primary colors.

10. I would like viewers to reflect on what we consider makes people heroes and how we associate it various mediums.

11. I want an overall feeling of questioning our current political environment in the world and how would superheroes function in this world and even a sense of humor, imagination and play.

12. I would want this piece to have a feeling of defying gravity and be an open-minded approach to how art can function.

13. For the final critique I want the piece to be suspended overhead with various objects projecting out.

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Project #2

Title: No Girl Turtles 

Materials: Coloring book, cleaning sponges, thread, beads, candy.

Artist of Influence: Mark Newport

Used the idea of Mark Newport exploring gender and identity with comic books. Here I used a coloring and activity book. So I changed the genders of the male turtles by adding exaggerated gender tags such as eyelashes and red lipsas well as adding pink hearts, beads and Lisa Frank unicorns. Here I am exploring the issue of a female Ninja Turtle named Venus De Milo aka Mei Pieh Chi who was featured on the live action show from 1997-2000. There was backlash from fans and one of the creators about the mistake of a female turtle character. There is a popular idea that young boys will self identify with only male characters which affects merchandise sales. Young girls are expected to self identify with male characters and are not thought of a marketable audience hence the lack of more female hero character such as the issue of the lack of Black Widow and Gamora Marvel merchandise a few years back. The title “No Girl Turtles“ come from a memo that was sent out and erased Venus from the collective.

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6 Sources for Mark Newport:

1. Mark Newport’s artist page. Features images of work, mini bio and how to contact. http://www.marknewportartist.com/

2. Interesting Q&A with Mark Newport from 2009. That touches on the Sweatermen and Real Heroes series. You can also find out who his favorite super hero is. This is from the Smithsonian. http://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/q-and-a-mark-newport-139677598/

3. Westword article from 2014 that includes the Real Heroes and beaded football player cards. His reason about the beading is interesting and I wonder why this series was not included on his artist page? http://www.westword.com/arts/artist-mark-newport-on-beaded-football-players-and-knitted-superhero-costumes-5810433

4. Artcritcal article on Mark Newport’s Fiber Madness at the Palos Verdes Art Center from 2014.  Article explores the idea of what is masculine. http://www.artcritical.com/2014/10/30/maddie-phinney-on-mark-newport/

5. Article on Mark Newport’s visit to Colorado State. Article takes note of Newport’s concept of Identity issue in society from a student’s point of view. http://www.silviaminguzzi.com/mfa/visiting-artist-mark-newport-and-the-identity-issue/

6.Met Pick from the 2010 Greg Kucera Gallery show for Mark Newport. https://www.seattlemet.com/articles/2010/1/7/met-picks-0107

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Concept Art entered for 50th Anniversary Art Competition for Pirates of the Caribbean at D23 Expo the upcoming July 14-16, 2017 Disney Convention at the Anaheim Convention Center.

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“Who Do You Want to Be?”

My contemporary sampler project for Fiber.

My 4 sources: Transformation masks, artist Marjolein Dallinga, Halloween Mask poem and song Face to Face by Siouxsie and the Banshees. Bonus song Who do you want to be by Oingo Boingo inspired title.

4 Techniques: Netting, crochet, coiling, needle felting plus found objects and wire.

About gender roles and identity in various cultures, religion, myth, supernatural and flipping conventions. Each mask explores preconceived ideas of stereotypes found in masks. Such as the witch loses her green face and who is educated with science, healing and the metaphysical world, the wizard becomes green and twisted like the witch in appearance and recalls the Green Man, the wolf explores the idea of the hunter, nature, man, lust and werewolf lore and Native Maiden who becomes a First Nations superhero and is not a sexual object.

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What it feels like after an allergic reaction. #MadamMimPoxProblems

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Number four song inspiration and sneak peek.

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Third song inspiration and sneak peek.