Monday, July 16, 2018
Wednesday, July 11, 2018
why i will end up being in college for 6 years (transferring sucks)
ever since i got my associate's degree from community college & transferred to a university, i've felt kind of.. behind. in total, i'm going to spend 6 years in college just to get my bachelor's degree. my family (mostly my parents) & my friends don't understand why & every time i try to explain it, i think it just gets lost on them
basically, i did all of my basics & MORE at community college bc i got my associate's. to get it, you have to take everything that the community college requires, not just the basics that you will transfer over to university. i did this bc i figured since my parents want me to be at community college for 2 years anyways, i might as well finish off that degree. i took every class that i needed to transfer over to the school of art at the University of Houston & i expected to go straight into the design program after that
what they didn't tell me was that at the University of Houston, you have this thing called block. block is basically block design classes, like back to back of just that class. you have to get into junior & senior block by going through a block review which is a portfolio review of all of your design projects from the design classes you take before getting into block. the design professors look at everyone's projects & they decide the limited amount of students that get in. the classes you have to take before block are fundamentals of graphic design, introduction to typography, colors, materials + methods, & intermediate graphic design
when i transferred to UH, i realized i wasn't going to be there for 2 years (community college: 2 + university: 2 = 4 years for a bachelor's). when you're at the community college, they don't really tell you that you should transfer just basics or that you have to take these classes or that there's a thing called block. i already had been in college for 2 years but block is also 2 years & i wasn't in it yet. i had to take the 4 design classes first but i couldn't take color & type until i took fundamentals. so it set me back a few semesters but on top of that, block classes are only in the fall so i had to take all of these classes & get into block by fall which wasn't possible. so i had to split it up & i became a part- time student bc i wasn't going to spend extra money on classes i didn't need
so i stressed a lot about being so behind- 2 years!!!!- but i realized that i would be able to take my time w design & have time to do my projects really well so that i can ensure that i get into block (well, not exactly ensure bc you can never be sure). my parents don't understand that & keep telling me to try to finish college faster, when i literally cannot. it's not like i WANT to be in college longer, i am the type of girl who is always on top of things & on track & now i am off track & they're not helping by stressing me out
& block really really stresses me out. i try really hard to do everything so perfectly bc i know that graphic design is really nit-picky & the word "perfect" is all i can ever think of when i do my projects. it's so different than "art" bc in art, you can paint a little outside of whatever you're painting & it's fine but in design, that's bad craft. i think that people don't understand the difference btwn art & design & that's why they always think it's so easy for us. don't get me wrong, art can be hard too but i've always done art & design is me challenging myself
maybe if i went straight to the university when i graduated, i would be on track but my parents really wanted me to go to lonestar & i wanted to save money (which i did, don't get me wrong- 5 classes at lonestar cost me about $1000 something while 5 classes at UH cost me $5000 something). but it's kind of too late to dwell on it bc you can't go back in time but at least now i know so i can warn my friends that wanna do graphic design at UH!
this explanation got a little word-y but yeah, that's why i'm gonna take 6 years to graduate from college & why i need everyone to stop assuming it's easy & acting like i don't wanna finish faster!
basically, i did all of my basics & MORE at community college bc i got my associate's. to get it, you have to take everything that the community college requires, not just the basics that you will transfer over to university. i did this bc i figured since my parents want me to be at community college for 2 years anyways, i might as well finish off that degree. i took every class that i needed to transfer over to the school of art at the University of Houston & i expected to go straight into the design program after that
what they didn't tell me was that at the University of Houston, you have this thing called block. block is basically block design classes, like back to back of just that class. you have to get into junior & senior block by going through a block review which is a portfolio review of all of your design projects from the design classes you take before getting into block. the design professors look at everyone's projects & they decide the limited amount of students that get in. the classes you have to take before block are fundamentals of graphic design, introduction to typography, colors, materials + methods, & intermediate graphic design
when i transferred to UH, i realized i wasn't going to be there for 2 years (community college: 2 + university: 2 = 4 years for a bachelor's). when you're at the community college, they don't really tell you that you should transfer just basics or that you have to take these classes or that there's a thing called block. i already had been in college for 2 years but block is also 2 years & i wasn't in it yet. i had to take the 4 design classes first but i couldn't take color & type until i took fundamentals. so it set me back a few semesters but on top of that, block classes are only in the fall so i had to take all of these classes & get into block by fall which wasn't possible. so i had to split it up & i became a part- time student bc i wasn't going to spend extra money on classes i didn't need
so i stressed a lot about being so behind- 2 years!!!!- but i realized that i would be able to take my time w design & have time to do my projects really well so that i can ensure that i get into block (well, not exactly ensure bc you can never be sure). my parents don't understand that & keep telling me to try to finish college faster, when i literally cannot. it's not like i WANT to be in college longer, i am the type of girl who is always on top of things & on track & now i am off track & they're not helping by stressing me out
& block really really stresses me out. i try really hard to do everything so perfectly bc i know that graphic design is really nit-picky & the word "perfect" is all i can ever think of when i do my projects. it's so different than "art" bc in art, you can paint a little outside of whatever you're painting & it's fine but in design, that's bad craft. i think that people don't understand the difference btwn art & design & that's why they always think it's so easy for us. don't get me wrong, art can be hard too but i've always done art & design is me challenging myself
maybe if i went straight to the university when i graduated, i would be on track but my parents really wanted me to go to lonestar & i wanted to save money (which i did, don't get me wrong- 5 classes at lonestar cost me about $1000 something while 5 classes at UH cost me $5000 something). but it's kind of too late to dwell on it bc you can't go back in time but at least now i know so i can warn my friends that wanna do graphic design at UH!
this explanation got a little word-y but yeah, that's why i'm gonna take 6 years to graduate from college & why i need everyone to stop assuming it's easy & acting like i don't wanna finish faster!
30 song challenge
1. a song you like with a color in the title: red- taylor swift
2. a song you like with a number in the title: 1965- zella day
3. a song that reminds you of summertime: drunk on you- luke bryan
4. a song that reminds you of someone you'd rather forget: god gave me you- blake shelton
5. a song that needs to be played loud: misery business- paramore
6. a song that makes you want to dance: hips don't lie- shakira ft. wyclef jean
7. a song to drive to: featherstone- the paper kites
8. a song about drugs or alcohol: love me- lil wayne, drake, future
9. a song that makes you happy: electric love- borns
10. a song that makes you sad: welcome to my life- simple plan
11. a song you never get tired of: so contagious- acceptance
12. a song from your preteen years: picture to burn- taylor swift
13. a song you like from the 70s: i will survive- gloria gaynor
14. a song you'd love to be played at your wedding: thinking out loud- ed sheeran
15. a song you like that's a cover by another artist: skinny love- birdy (orig. by bon iver)
16. a song that's a classic favorite: i write sins not tragedies- panic! at the disco
17. a song you'd duet with someone on karaoke: gotta go my own way- vanessa hudgens, zac efron
18. a song from the year you were born: truly madly deeply- savage garden
19. a song that makes you think about life: topics- nevertheless
20. a song that has many meanings to you: skyscraper- demi lovato
21. a song you like with a person's name in the title: song for isabelle- pierce the veil
22. a song that moves you forward: brand new eyes- bea miller
23. a song you think everybody should listen to: 18002738255- logic, alessia cara, khalid
24. a song by a band you wish were still together: little things- one direction
25. a song you like by an artist no longer living: tell my mama- christina grimmie
26. a song that makes you want to fall in love: if i tremble- front porch step
27. a song that breaks your heart: scars- allison iraheta
28. a song by an artist whose voice you love: true- tillian
29. a song you remember from childhood: every time we touch- cascada
30. a song that reminds you of yourself: let me love the lonely- james arthur
2. a song you like with a number in the title: 1965- zella day
3. a song that reminds you of summertime: drunk on you- luke bryan
4. a song that reminds you of someone you'd rather forget: god gave me you- blake shelton
6. a song that makes you want to dance: hips don't lie- shakira ft. wyclef jean
7. a song to drive to: featherstone- the paper kites
8. a song about drugs or alcohol: love me- lil wayne, drake, future
9. a song that makes you happy: electric love- borns
10. a song that makes you sad: welcome to my life- simple plan
11. a song you never get tired of: so contagious- acceptance
12. a song from your preteen years: picture to burn- taylor swift
13. a song you like from the 70s: i will survive- gloria gaynor
14. a song you'd love to be played at your wedding: thinking out loud- ed sheeran
15. a song you like that's a cover by another artist: skinny love- birdy (orig. by bon iver)
16. a song that's a classic favorite: i write sins not tragedies- panic! at the disco
17. a song you'd duet with someone on karaoke: gotta go my own way- vanessa hudgens, zac efron
18. a song from the year you were born: truly madly deeply- savage garden
19. a song that makes you think about life: topics- nevertheless
20. a song that has many meanings to you: skyscraper- demi lovato
21. a song you like with a person's name in the title: song for isabelle- pierce the veil
22. a song that moves you forward: brand new eyes- bea miller
23. a song you think everybody should listen to: 18002738255- logic, alessia cara, khalid
24. a song by a band you wish were still together: little things- one direction
25. a song you like by an artist no longer living: tell my mama- christina grimmie
26. a song that makes you want to fall in love: if i tremble- front porch step
27. a song that breaks your heart: scars- allison iraheta
28. a song by an artist whose voice you love: true- tillian
29. a song you remember from childhood: every time we touch- cascada
30. a song that reminds you of yourself: let me love the lonely- james arthur
Thursday, July 5, 2018
surrealism | avant garde
surrealism:
-(unlike dada) highly organized group of artists rallied around andre breton
-adopted basic premises of psychoanalysis
-objective reality of the dream
-automatism, hallucinatory & irrational thought associations, recollected dream images offered means of liberating the psyche from enslavement to reason
-automatism: process of tapping unconscious by writing in trance-like state & registering involuntary, vivid images that tumbled out
-subconscious mind, repressed desire, imagery of dreams
-(unlike dada) highly organized group of artists rallied around andre breton
-adopted basic premises of psychoanalysis
-objective reality of the dream
-automatism, hallucinatory & irrational thought associations, recollected dream images offered means of liberating the psyche from enslavement to reason
-automatism: process of tapping unconscious by writing in trance-like state & registering involuntary, vivid images that tumbled out
-subconscious mind, repressed desire, imagery of dreams
-devoted to individualism & alienation --> no stylistic consistency
-two major directions: automatism & illusionistic dream imagery
first surrealist manifesto- andre breton:
-no fixed method for analyzing dreams
-chance: an obscure divinity
-believe in future resolution of dream & reality --> surreality
-the marvelous is beautiful
-surrealism: pure psychic automatism by which it is intended to express the true function of thought
thought dictated by absence of all control exerted by reason & moral preoccupations
belief in superior reality of certain forms of association, omnipotence of dream
-two major directions: automatism & illusionistic dream imagery
first surrealist manifesto- andre breton:
-no fixed method for analyzing dreams
-chance: an obscure divinity
-believe in future resolution of dream & reality --> surreality
-the marvelous is beautiful
-surrealism: pure psychic automatism by which it is intended to express the true function of thought
thought dictated by absence of all control exerted by reason & moral preoccupations
belief in superior reality of certain forms of association, omnipotence of dream
- reconstructing fragments of humanity & psyche
- investment in the erotic, eros, love
- "if you love Love, you'll love surrealism"
 |
| photograph of a "waking dream" seance- man ray artist as clairvoyant primitive space of individual/unconscious |
- many dada members moved over to surrealism after dada broke up
- andre breton- founder of surrealism
-works were mainly texton dreams- sigmund freud:
-introduced freud's ideas into surrealist circle
-travels to vienna to meet w freud
-theories were instrumental in forming modern concepts of human nature & motivation
-writings on dreams & unconscious changed traditional ideas about origins of visual imagery
-dream-thoughts are represented symbolically through similes & metaphors, includes recollections of impressive experiences
-psychial complex: portions represent foreground & background, conditions, digressions, illustrations, evidence, counter-arguments
-reproduce logical connection by approximation in time & space
anti-rational vision but different than dada
- dereve- marvelous chance encounters
- trying to find enchantment in disenchanted world in aftermath of WWI
 |
| luis bunuel & salvador dali, un chien andalou 1928 |
 |
| parisian surrealist group in 1929 around a painting by magritte eyes close= anti-seeing |
-shared set of ideas & tactics
-anti-retinal: rejecting privilege of visual, alternative forms of seeing (in unconscious)
 |
| ad in the surrealist revolution no. 1 (dec 1924) "we are at the eve of a revolution. you can take part it too" |
 |
| the surrealist centrale- man ray 1924 |
- pseudo-scientific aspect
^exquisite corpse drawings published in la revolution surrealiste 1927
collective drawing practice
invades rational
constructed in fragmented way
- automatic writing & drawing
- alternative logics
-would be revolutionary artistic practice
-transforming experience of the world
andre masson:
-abstract calligraphy: rhythm of swift lines or cursive brush marks generated images of violence & dramatic encounters of form
 |
| untitled (automatic drawing)- andre masson 1924 |
- rejecting rational = rejecting modernity?
- investment in meandering, collective, seeking connections
 |
| the lugubrious game- salvador dali 1929 "lugubrious" = looking sad & dismal illusionistic painting, dreamscapes, fluid, continuous line |
 |
| the figure- andre masson 1927 liquid glue & sand |
-derived forms from childhood memory
-didn't embrace trompe-l'oeil techniques
-automatism
 |
| the kiss- joan miro 1924 line references organic life forms abstract? |
 |
| birth of the world- miro 1925 abstract |
 |
| the key of dreams- rene magritte 1935 seemingly didactic abstract meaning? dissociation of image & text |
-dada --> surrealism
-frottage technique: textures by rubbing objects & surfaces on sheets of paper
 |
| little machine constructed by minimax dadamax in person- ernst 1919-20 uses type to create mechanical portraits of himself |
 |
| self-constructed little machine- ernst 1919-20 uses type to create mechanical portraits of himself |
-dadaist --> surrealist
-photography was ideal medium to literalize dreams
 |
| minotaur- man ray 1934 double seeing objective instrument used to create abstract images |
 |
| untitled- man ray 1920 |
 |
| anatomies- man ray 1930 |
- women's bodies used a lot in surrealism
 |
| the primacy of matter over thought- man ray 1929 |
- critique of modernism as philosophical
- interested in bringing art back to every day, here & now
 |
| the world at the time of the surrealists 1929 |
 |
| new mexico published in La R.S. no 9-10 |
 |
| andre breton's home in 1960 interest in the fetish & created own fetishes through surrealist objects |
dark, nihilistic, violent dimension
rejection of values of western humanism
acephale- society & journal; interest in human sacrifice
vs.
andre breton
beauty, erotic drives, aesthetics
 |
| suspended ball- alberto giacometti 1930-31 kinetic sculpture might be mimicking sexual relationships new: you have to touch it in order for it to move |
 |
| disagreeable object- alberto giacometti 1931 strange fetishes, taboo desires |
- objective chance: experience of chance on finding a marvelous objects; chance & fate
 |
| iron mask (that giacometti finds) (photograph)- man ray mask that soldiers wear? |
 |
| slipper spoon (that breton finds) from breton's novel l'amour fou "cinderella ashtray" |
 |
| invisible object- giacometti 1934 |
 |
| object of symbolic function- salvador dali 1931 invented use value for objects imagined function |
- uncanny: the familiar returning to you in a strange guise
 |
| la poupee series- hans bellmer c. 1934 animate + inanimate assembling doll parts & photographing them in weird ways |
 |
| photograph printed in minoutaure 1937 locomotive w plants grown over motion & stasis |
Wednesday, July 4, 2018
happy independence day!
IT WAS THE FOURTH OF JULY,
YOU & I WERE,
YOU & I WERE FIRE, FIRE, FIREWORKS
can you guys guess what my favorite holiday is?
i know there's a lot of bad that could be said about America's independence day but i just really love dressing up in red, white, & blue & i absolutely love love love fireworks. they're so beautiful & make me so happy
i didn't plan on having a great fourth of july bc we didn't really have any plans but we ended up hanging out w friends & eating crawfish & independence day cupcakes
at the end of the day we walked around my neighborhood in search of the fireworks that we kept hearing. we found some so we sat on the curb & watched my favorite part of the holiday (i actually recorded them bc we knew they were going to do a big finale, in which they set off a bunch at once)
needless to say, my night was made. i got to wear a cute outfit, eat until i was going to explode, & see fireworks. we managed to make the best out of a potentially boring & rainy day. happy independence day everyone!
 |
| U.S. flag bandana white "texas strong" pocket tee w texas flag hand painted (by me) american flag shorts (mudd) "USA" ring (kroger cupcakes) |
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