REFLECT REFLECT REFLECT @tinkalanka - Tumblr Blog

Seungyea Park

For my Drawing class, I've studied an artist called Seungyea Park for my individual project. I was into facial expressions because I tend to not open up to others and don't really have a dramatic change in my facial expression so people always misunderstand me as being emotionless and scary. So I began with the project involving the relationship between personality and your facial expression.

Seungyea Park was born and raised in Seoul, Korea. She received a BFA at Southampton Long Island University. Her works address the topic of fear in our inner world. I really liked how Seungyea Park creates monstrous facial expressions. They are abnormal face expressions and when you see the artwork, it certainly creates a monstrrousness and eerie mood.

Ever since she felt the alienation during her college life because of the difference between her appearance and other collecge students, the artist said that she faces her outside of herself, which is her nature of fear. She makes her work wishing that she can be accustomed to and overcome fear by drawingout and facing monsters or the nature of fear. I was struck by the detaikled drawing that she made because I was also planning to depict different face expressions of myself. Her drawings seem so realistic and the details are so delicate. I was heavily inspired by her intricate details of the monstrous faces which I am going to experiment with for this upcoming project.

Bridging Borders

Minerva Cuevas collected rocks in the part of the river across from the U.S. to Mexico and made markings with the limestone on the rocks to make a dotted line.

She was asked to build a wall along the entire border of Mexico by the former President Trump. However, she believes that the wall would only increase human trafficking and not stop immigration. She believes that this will link to violence and in order to solve the problem is that we need a collective action. Although there are artists just like her who help the people rethink their perceptions, there shoudn't be just artists who are making this practice for movement. Human Trafficking is a pervasive problem across the world and involves the use of force, fraud or conversion where people are forced into some type of labor or commercial sexual act. One of the key reasons the president cited as the need for the wall to seperate Mexico from the US was this interconnected nexus of human trafficking and human smuggling. However, it is debatable whether building a wall would help prevent crime at the border.

Land Art?

Land Art is an art that is made within or atop or involving a landscape. Humans have been making dramatic marks on the landscape since prehistoric times

Across cultures and centuries people have made highly site specific gestures, drawing kines, building mounds and erecting massive geometric earthworks.

There is a wide range of spectrum for land art because for example we don't really consider James Turrell's light installations as land art.

Robert Smithson theorized the relationship between a site out in the world and what happens in an art gallery. Artists were trying to escape the term and break free from the museum or gallery. Nowdays, there are many living land artists who don't just install their works outside in the park or the museum without any symbolic meaning. This reminded me of Post Commodity, one of 20x20 artists, who did land installations for a good purpose. Their art functions as a shared Indegenous lens and voice to engage the assaultive manifestations of the global market. For example, Repellent Fence was built in order to bring awareness of the Indegenous Community. I personally believe that there shouldn't be any boundaries between any kinds of art. Artists have the freedom to make their works as they wish.

Laundromat Project

I was amazed by the passion and love that this type of project can bring to a community. The aim of Laundromat Project is to advance artists, neighbors as change agents in their communities. They amplify the creativity that already exists within communities by using arts and culture to build community networks, solve problems, and enhance the sense of ownership in the places where they live and grow. I personally think it is such a pride that any artists can just come and share their intended message through creating arts. For instance, there is an undeniable trend in real estate such as low cost of living and opportunities for development. And The Laundromat Project provide supports to the artists who are involved.There is no hatred here because people involved in the project are there for the same purpose. They interact and share the same topic and build the community networks.

I wish these kinds of project is more omnipresent because in such communities, it involves fights, disagreement and discrimination within them and some of them are emotionally harmed and feel disgraced. It is important to share love with each other, which brings positivity to our lives. For instance, Asians are being discriminated and receive hate from the Americans because the virus comes from China. It is not technically their fault. Asian College students living in America are scornfully getting hatred by them due to this issue. I hope this type of project can be inspirational to those types of people so that it brings a change and positivity to the community. And it is a chance for the artists, who create works based on the social or political issue evolving in the world , to bring awareness to the community through the project.

#laundromat

Socially Engaged Practice

Reading the passage “Definitions” by Pablo Helguera, it gave me a new insight about the definitive element of socially engaged art. I learnt from the passage how it is important to identify the difference between a project by an established health campaign that has an intention to be engaged in a political issue and a project in which the audience establish a health campaign.

I’ve seen a lot of installation that is related to the social or political practice. For instance, Postcommodity, North American Artist collective that I’ve presented for 20x20 presentation, focuses on the awareness of Indigenous community. Repellent Fence is a land installation with balloons that reach across the US/Mexico boarder to share the recognition of indigenous lands, indigenous people and its history. This is considered as a symbolic act because they have begun this project as to socially engage with the audience. As I mentioned above about the differences between the project with intention and the art that is interpreted as the socially engaged practice by the viewer, this project did already contain a symbolic movement.

#postcommodity

Video : Between the Door and the Street

After watching the video about the project in which hundreds of women gather in small groups to have conversations about the issues facing women today was astonishing. They all seemed some sorts of experiences in their daily lives that may cause some dissatisfaction or criticism.

During the video, one of the women had a conversation about how a girl can't cry because she is simply a girl. This reminded me of one of the mental illness that most Korean women face today that I was researching for one of my classes for Psychology.

Hwa-Byung is a sort of a somatization disorder in which arises where people can’t resist their anger as a result of conditions which they perceive to be unfair. Nowadays, Korean women face this mental illness due to their past relationships or any crisis. I have been researching what could be the possible reason why they have this mental illness. And it is because of the traditional customs that exist in Korea. In traditional Korean family structure, the husband is the “leader” of the family and the wife is expected to obey the husband’s order and live up to the husband. All wives are expected to do childcare and cannot express their distress or complaints in front of the husband or in-laws.

Due to this type of living, Korean women are facing this mental illness. I consider this very discerning because we are no longer living in the 18th or 19th century in which all men are the ones who save the family. It is selfish how most husbands are still living up to the traditional customs and cultural value and expect their wives to act in certain ways. They need to have their personal freedom and the courage to express their dissatisfaction.

On the other hand, I can tell that the society is somewhat trying to improve and resolve this issue. For example, U.S clinicians have been working on feminist therapy that focuses on gender and the particular challenges and stressors that women face as a result of bias or stereotyping.

It is still an ongoing problem in today’s society but people need to have the willingness and be attentive of this.

#feminism #society psychology hwabyung

Wangechi Mutu

After watching the presentation on Wangechi Mutu, I’ve realized there are lot of artists that try to communicate about gender issues and personal identity. Mutu’s recurring symbolic figure includes mask women and snake-like tendrils. Her works were influenced by the impact of America on contemporary African culture. Her purpose reminded me of the artist’s talk David Antonio Cruz and the ted talk by Taylers Selasi both mentioning about home they belong to or an environment they fit in.

These types of artists are greatly influenced by their culture and their country that they grew up in, usually a nation that has many national and economical issues.

I think she is highly inspirational because my work doesn't touch upon social injustice since I’ve never encountered such experiences. However, the way this artist shows is powerful. Her subject appears clearly in all of her works and I wish I could find a topic that is influence by my background and could show them strikingly in my works.

Julie Mehretu

Julie Mehretu’s artworks , one of the artists from 20x20 presentations, include elementals of architecture and mapping. I like her technique in which she uses heavy layering to create an abstract imagery from patterns and architectural photographs. For my recent artworks, I’ve been trying to create abstract artworks and something that doesn’t look obvious to the audience. I wanted the audience to interpret the meaning of my artwork, which entertains me.

Architecture is not very familiar to me and never have applied anything related to my artwork. She maps out the cities that she was living in and it’s fascinating how she brings language as she’s drawing marks. I was inspired by one of her works called Grey area that consists of 6 predominantly monochrome large scale paintings that use the facade of destroyed buildings that were affected by the world war.

For my next artwork, I wish I had the opportunity to use a facade of something that doesn’t have to be an architectural buildings, that demonstrate nostalgic feelings of the past just like how the Grey Area demonstrates the decay of the city of Berlin.

#julie mehretu

Western Civilization

In today’s democracy, western civilization is not only intellectual but strategical. The strategic concerns of the United States revolve around the liberal democracy which holds individual freedom, human equality, private property and the rule of law, Today’s democracy is an elite rule where some people feel like they are in charge because they got to vote. This raises concern when it comes to presidential election, for example Donald Trump. Citizens blame themselves or other voters for the governing system’s failure. It is hard to understand whether this is a value. In Korea, for example, the dictatorship of Kim Jong Un, the president of North Korea, makes us ask whether democracy is simply a Western value. The reason why today people are going against democracy in western civilization is because we can cease to exist problems regarding the Black Lives Matter and people don’t need to push harder against the daily anti-democratic use of power against them.

Graffiti Art

After watching the clip from “Stylewars”, a lot of young adolescents wanted to showcase their ideas by drawing on the subway train or on the walls. And it was considered a crime and no one really accepted it as a form of art. I believe that these high school students who were just tagging city walls to get the attention of a girl became such an influence to other people and it is amazing how the galleries accepted these scribbles as a form of art and it is may be the reason why those famous graffiti artists such as Banksy are known to the world.

It reminds me of Banksy when I think of Graffiti Art because he used to anonymously draw on the walls and the subways to spread the political message and I think this is such a bravery how he showed his passion under the circumstances of getting caught by the police. And he later became a famous artist. It could be seen as a messy and destructive act to do to the cities or some people may think that it adds colorful effect to the public areas.

It also made me think that people who vandalizes Banksy’s works envied his popularity. Jean Michel Basquiat was also a graffiti artist and later turned to a famous painter. He was also famous for spreading its social or political messages through drawing and spraying on subway cars or buses in Lower Manhattan. These famous artists were largely criticized by people and I feel the deep empathy for them because they had the passion of creating graffiti with a purpose under the harsh circumstances and managed to showcase their ideas.

Even though it is not graffiti art, I believe that artists in this generation can find their own ways of expression without any hatred and spread their intended messages in public.

#jeanmichelbasquiat #banksy

Nicole Awai

From this artist’s talk, I was interested in the materials that Nicole Awai was using to create her artworks. I realized that she uses nail polish in most of her works. When I heard this, it reminded me of one of the artists that I am currently studying called Athena Papadopoulos who uses resin, wine, nail polish and all the materials that are interrelated with women. Athena Papadopoulos’s works were all colored in pink or red in the beginning to represent the female and also depicting her personal story. I’ve came across the comparison between nail polish and the use of the oil paint saying how convenient the nail polish is in terms of the quick drying. Therefore, I’ve learnt that in processing my works, I should also consider the techniques and the materials in terms of efficiency because all my works that I’ve created for this semester seemed very time consuming and had a lot of trial and error.

She is known as a multimedia artist, which is one of the areas that I am interested in. The use of diverse media allows the audience to be immersed and be part of the works and even interpret the intention of the work. The sense of being part of the work reminded me of Chiharu Shiota ’s installations with the use of red threads, keys, shoes, and boats. One of her installations called “Key in the Hand” is highly immersive as she installed keys with red threads, symbolizing the memories. Entering the installation room, you see the keys not knowing where they belong and contains its unknown history. Red yarn is associated with blood, suggesting lineage. It’s like a way in which we trace our ancestry and origins, and by extension all the interconnections within society.

In one of Nicole Awai’s installations, I was amazed by the piece called “Asphaltum Glance” and I thought the artist meant to create like ice flakes on the wall. One of the materials she has used was Asphaltum black paint which was quite peculiar to me. Although her intention does not appear on the website, it gives a somber and gloomy atmosphere when I see it.

This site was built with Economy by Linked by Air.

Nicole Awai

From this artist’s talk, I was interested in the materials that Nicole Awai was using to create her artworks. I realized that she uses nail polish in most of her works. When I heard this, it reminded me of one of the artists that I am currently studying called Athena Papadopoulos who uses resin, wine, nail polish and all the materials that are interrelated with women. Athena Papadopoulos’s works were all colored in pink or red in the beginning to represent the female and also depicting her personal story. I’ve came across the comparison between nail polish and the use of the oil paint saying how convenient the nail polish is in terms of the quick drying. Therefore, I’ve learnt that in processing my works, I should also consider the techniques and the materials in terms of efficiency because all my works that I’ve created for this semester seemed very time consuming and had a lot of trial and error.

She is known as a multimedia artist, which is one of the areas that I am interested in. The use of diverse media allows the audience to be immersed and be part of the works and even interpret the intention of the work. The sense of being part of the work reminded me of Chiharu Shiota ’s installations with the use of red threads, keys, shoes, and boats. One of her installations called “Key in the Hand” is highly immersive as she installed keys with red threads, symbolizing the memories. Entering the installation room, you see the keys not knowing where they belong and contains its unknown history. Red yarn is associated with blood, suggesting lineage. It’s like a way in which we trace our ancestry and origins, and by extension all the interconnections within society.

In one of Nicole Awai’s installations, I was amazed by the piece called “Asphaltum Glance” and I thought the artist meant to create like ice flakes on the wall. One of the materials she has used was Asphaltum black paint which was quite peculiar to me. Although her intention does not appear on the website, it gives a somber and gloomy atmosphere when I see it.

Felix Gonzalez Torres, Untitled (A Corner of Baci)

After reading the biography of Felix Gonzalez Torres, I learnt that he makes artworks based on dialogues and community. Whenever he has significant moments or new events in his life, they are added to his work each time it is installed. And it is similar to my art practice because I always tend to create artworks that are related to my personal moments such as the most recent work in my Drawing Contemporary Practice Class. Following to that, I’ve been studying about an artist called Athena Papadopoulos and just like how Felix Gonzalez creates portraits, she focuses on her personal moments and specifically focuses on materials that depicts her personal story.

Looking at his artworks, they are largely based on installations. I thought it was peculiar when I saw the chocolates wrapped in silver foil and mounted in the corner of the exhibition room. It was harder to interpret his intention of this work but it seems very conceptual and abstract at the same time.

Reading through the interview, the artist comes across the political or social dimension of art. And this reminds me of the abstract expressionists were used as CIA weapon during the Cold War, to demonstrate that art is a freedom of expression. And I Agree to the quote from George Bernard Shaw who said “Besides torture, art is the most persuasive weapon” since American Abstract Expressionist gained its national attention in a short amount of time and probably made the citizens into democrats.

LCIA began to promote American Abstract Expressionist Painting around the world for more than 20 years. Abstract Expressionism became synonymous with individual expression and the freedom of subjectivity. At the time, US government hated communism and wanted the citizens to believe in their country’s strengths. Therefore, Abstract expressionism played a strong role in that period signifiying the individuality and free thought that came to characterize America during that period. I always knew that art is another form of expression and provides the intended message to the viewers. It is astonishing to see how art can act as a weapon in history. Many artists such as Mark Rothko was self identified anarchists and anyone at the time who didn’t seem like American were defined as Communists. So, these artists became famous due to CIA. Alexander Calder, used his art as an avant guard abstraction, such as his sculpture Le Halebardier outside the Sprengel Museum of Art. His piece demonstrated that capitalism fostered a freedom of expression that the Soviet Union lacked. I can also identify from one of the 20x20 artists Dread Scott who received national attention from his artwork “ What is the Proper Way to Display a U.S Flag?”. He tried to make his work in a way to protest the current state of America.

Cornell : A Land Grab University?

mAfter reading the article based on how Cornell has “stolen” indigenous lands, I had mixed feelings and interesting at the same time since this information was new to me.

According to the article, The Morrill Act of 1892 took away 17.6 million acres of Indigenous land to fund future universities across the nation. Cornell University, who received the most land out of all the US universities, obtained 990,000 acres of land in 15 states and 202 countries. Revenue was generated due to the acquisition of the timber-rich land. They have cut down timber and sold them, the land itself was sold, and Cornell University was retained and continued to profit from mineral rights. 167 indigenous nations and communities were affected by Cornell’s actions. However, the organization is not completely ignorant about this issue. They have created an association called American Indian and Indigenous Studies Program to acknowledge this issue and “educate its staff, students, and faculty members” about its history and why it requires action in the present.

According to an article from Cornell Daily Sun, one group called the Ojibwe who were settled in the Great Lake region. They were forced to get their land confiscated so their kids got sent to the boarding school, the inhabitants were not allowed to speak Ojibwe language, practicing their religion nor engaging in their own culture. It is a pitiful, detrimental situation for them and it would have a bad effect for Cornell University due to the fact that they have made money off from the stolen American Indian land.

#land-grantinstitution Cornell EzraCornell indigenous lands

Artist’s Talk : David Antonio Cruz

It was interesting to hear his influences and the background he grew up in. While listening to him about his identity and the place where he refers to “his home”, reminds me of the articles that we read last week about our relationship to our multiple identities and homosexuality. From the TedTalk that I’ve watched, Taylers Selasi mentions that even if someone doesn’t grow up in a country that they weren't born in or they have no relation with, they can still call that place their home if they feel like they fit in that environment or had those particular experiences or emotions they’ve felt. And David Antonio Cruz also mentions that he constantly thinks about what is “home” when he creates his artworks. It is difficult to find the place we call “home” if someone can’t locate themselves or can’t identify themselves in that environment. PuertoRico referred as his home as a lot of his paintings were geographically connected to PuertoRico or were represented in terms of color. Even though he did not live there, he constantly went to the island. I recognized once again that one can distinguish themselves in a certain place when they can identify themselves.

Moreover, I was interested how he spent time identifying himself and later he was a queer man. He said there was a certain dragging force that was drawn to those ideas. He was brave enough to explore and navigate that. He did not hide himself in front of other people that would judge him for being different from them and identified himself in his works. He even got inspired by a photographer who would observe the changes in Puerto Rico after the US has taken over. He captured male bodies marketed as a beautiful thing. It was fascinating how he studied and explored so many things that would make his own ways to self identify and make his own path

#davidantoniocruz identity puertorico machomen

Is Christopher Columbus a real hero?

Why do Americans celebrate Columbus Day on October 12 ? Some Americans celebrate his arrival to America and believes he is the true hero. But, it is not true.

Columbus wanted to find a new route to India, China, Japan and the Slice Islands. If he did find these routes, he would be able to bring back the silks and spices. But he did not.

Many already believed the world was round when he claimed himself that he was the one who discovered it. But, it was an idea that had been established by the Ancient Greeks in the 5th century BC. It was possible for Columbus to sail it around it.

Additionally, when he first set out foot on Hispaniola, he encountered indigenous people called the Taino and forced them to slavery as they had “very handsome bodies and very good faces. They should be very good servants” He eventually forced them into slavery and punished them with the loss of a limb or death if they did not enough gold.

From the video I’ve watched, the narrator mentioned about other famous figures who didn’t get attention such as Frank Sinatra or Al Pacino.

It is ironical how Columbus has a name under American’s celebration day wthere are so many other important figures who should we celebrate instead of Columbus. deserve better than him. John Cabot is a figure who actually found landed on United States. Crazy Horse, who was the Native American chief, fought to preserve the traditions and values of the Native American Culture.

#columbusday #christophercolumbus

Trending Blogs

Recently Viewed Blogs

REFLECT REFLECT REFLECT