This semester has been a growing experience for me as an artist and a person.  I went from two years of exclusively general education courses at Austin Community College, where I was rarely challenged more than getting to and from campus from my nearby apartment; to SEU, where I have three fine arts courses, a journalism course, and a CULF class, which is the hardest history course I’ve ever taken.  Adjusting to the commute (a walk and  a 40 minute bus ride) was far from the most challenging experience I overcame this semester.  I’ve learned more about journalism than I did in 3 years of working on a high school publication, and more about art than I have in my whole life.  My first semester here, if nothing else, has given me the mental tools necessary to thinking artistically about everything.  Critiques have taught me how to articulate my artistic opinions and define my own artistic concepts.  Seminar has caused me to think more about my immediate future following college, as well as  the steps I must take now to plan that future.

PART ONE: Faculty Presentations

Bill Kennedy presented manipulated photographs so far from their initial composition that they are abstract prints.  The colors used remind me of a heat map.  They are loud and blurred.  Hollis Hammonds used a variety of media to represent a chaotic theme.   She used drawings and sculptures to show the aftermath of destruction, in regards to her house burning down as a child.  I like that Hammonds uses memories of lost possessions to make art.  Alex Robinson also used a variety of media, but to create the opposite theme– minimalism.   Tammie Rubin worked tangibly, making mostly abstract sculptures that create the desire to touch.  The sensory art she provides in a museum in which touching art is taboo leaves its viewers slightly dissatisfied.

PART TWO: Five Year Plan

I plan to graduate in the fall of 2018 or spring 2019 with a major in photocommunications and a minor in journalism.  I hope to practice freelance photography, videography and journalism after graduation.  I’ll get a part time job to cover expenses that my freelance career does not.  In terms of journalism, I will write features and editorials.  In terms of photography, I will do photojournalism, shoot portraits, events, weddings, and commercial stuff in the outdoor clothing industry.  In terms of videography, I will shoot events, weddings, families, promos, and music videos .  My videos will be unique in that I will write all the music for them (aside from the music videos, obviously).  I will do this for about two years or longer here in Austin.  I also hope to work on short films and and television writing during this time.  I will complete a pilot episode of a sitcom about my childhood dog titled “The Henry Show,” and make plans for a documentary series about people that I have not yet titled.  Once I am more well known for my work, I will attempt to move to the west coast to pursue my goal of television writing and directing.

Spacetime Studios came to our class last week.  We had the honor of listening to Gary Gattis, CEO, Bryant Wood, Senior Designer, and Eva Tran, Live Art Lead.  Each person gave us a fragment of what it’s like to work in a gaming environment in terms of art, design, technology, and production.  This was an “open, honest, raw” peak into life at Spacetime Studios (Gattis).

Spacetime Studios created Pocket Legends, a freemium mobile game in the app store, and Call of Champions, a free arena mobile game.  Gattis said the industry is very competitive because thousands of games come out every day.  Being noticed is difficult.  This reigns true throughout the art industry, in my opinion.

Wood talked to us about design.  He said its his job to “mold player experience,” meaning how the game feels in terms of possible actions, expectations, and struggle.  He refers to this aspect of gaming metaphorically: “heart of the game.”  Wood explained the difference between system and content design.  He said system design involves spreadsheets, economy, and numerical balance; i.e. health, combat, etc..  Content design refers to levels, quests, and encounters.  He told future game designers to analyze the games they play.  Although he was not talking to me, I feel as though the same concept of analyzing should be applied to any aspiring artist.  I want to create my own television shows someday, so I analyze television shows as I watch them.  I start with a question such as, “How do you successfully embed drama within a sitcom, without taking away from the humor or the sadness?”  Then I pick a great example of this in action (Dan Harmon’s Community), and find the meta joke in each scene, figure out what makes it funny, and the same for the dramatic aspects.

Tran told us about three different parts of art within game design– concept art, environment/character modeling, and animation.  Concept art includes new locations, creatures, and characters; environment/character modeling includes 3D environments, characters, and creatures; animation includes motion rigs and animated sequences for models.  Tran then brought up the invisible part of video games.  “You only notice it when it’s bad” she said of UIUX.  UI refers to what a character interacts with, and UX refers to a plan of how the player interacts.  This reminds me of craftsmanship in terms of art in general.  Her advice to artists was to draw for 5-6 hours a day.

Gattis closed with a discussion on production.  He said it ties everything together and keeps it all timed and on track.  He also said that the product manager determines what the game is and markets with creative people.

This is about the concept of time, referring to RadioLab, Beyond Time and David Blane’s Ted Talk. I couldn’t get through Beyond Time. I couldn’t follow it. I think it has something to do with the lack of visual stimulus. I can’t just listen to not music, unless its an incredibly engaging audio book on a long drive with no one to talk to.  This post will focus on David Blane’s Ted Talk “How I Held my Breath for 17 Minutes.”

I can’t even sit still for a period time with nothing to engage in, so it’s nearly impossible for me to imagine developing a passion that is derived from being as still as humanly possible for a period of time.  His passion is clear by the end of the talk, when his emotions take over.  And how could you succeed in Blane’s attempts to push his body without the deepest passion for it?  Blane is a magician that strives to push what scientists consider impossible.  The idea of stepping into a tank full of water with handcuffs on and “failing” after only about five minutes of no air and nearly drowning would be enough to make me never go underwater again.  Yet Blane trained until he succeeded in breaking a world record.  I have thorough respect for the way Blane chooses to spend his time.

Time is not something we can control.  The closest we can get to controlling it is controlling how we perceive it– patience is key.

Internships:

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Internships

CAREERS APPLY

Contemporary Artist Profile: Jay Maisel

I love New York almost as much as I love naturally light; so naturally I am enlightened by the artistic works of New York Photographer Jay Maisel.

Maisel is a New York based photographer since 1954.  He did commercial and fashion photography until the late ’90s.  His work has included annual reports, magazine covers, jazz albums, and advertising.  Since the ’90s, he’s been more focused on his personal photography and books.  I discovered Maisel when my dad gifted me a book by him called “It’s Not About the F-Stop.”  Although the book did clarify that it is sometimes about the f-stop, Maisel wrote about his experiences with photography in the form of tips and anecdotes.  I inhaled this book instantly and learned more about photography in two hours than I did over the course of the entire summer, of which I spent three solid weeks on the road for the sake of shooting.

Not only do I appreciate Maisel’s masterful composition, I can relate to his location.  Maisel’s photographs of New York are somewhat nostalgic for me. This particular photo reminds me of finally taking my boots off in our room up high at the Manhattan Club after a long cold day in the city.  I looked out the window with wet socks and sore feet, wishing I never had to sleep.

On “Run Lola Run”

It’s hard to tell what’s real in “Run Lola Run”. I’m not talking about the multimedia aspect or the fact that the energy from Lola’s scream makes stuff break, although those things don’t help.  The film goes over the same 20 minute period three times, each with small details altering the overall outcome of the 20 minute period– how/if the money is successfully obtained, whether or not someone significant dies, and how/if Lola finds out about her father’s affair and abandonment plan.

This movie is a reminder of how fragile life is, and how little control we have over the outcomes of our own in some cases.  I believe it was the film “Mr. Nobody” that discussed the Butterfly Effect on a smaller scale.  Small details for some can make drastic changes for others.

I really appreciate the role the soundtrack played  in this film.  A characteristic of setting, the score emphasizes the intensity of the energy throughout the film.  With no vocals at all, the music screams one word– speed.  The cinematography and multimedia aspect also play a huge part in this film.  Both exemplify the artistic drive behind the film.

In terms of sequence, “Run Lola Run” demonstrates cause and effect repeatedly, and reminds the viewer of the significance of detail.

I’d say my future is pretty planned, although I’m not sure if I’m prepared for it. My plan is customized– I want to practice freelance photography and journalism, and eventually I want to write and direct my own comedy television series as well as a documentary series.   I am taking courses towards a photocommunications major and journalism minor, as well as elective courses specific to my goals.  If I could travel abroad, I would pick somewhere to go based on social culture and visual aesthetic.  I would go somewhere very different from where I live that I could comfortably photograph people and places.  I’m not sure where exactly, I’m sure there are a lot of places.  I am not a part of a student group.  I would like to see a club for a creative writer’s room, where aspiring writers could gather and develop story ideas for different mediums.

Last week, Camille Dollins and Abbas Diedehban discussed their careers as artists.  These two St. Edward’s alumni have made lives for themselves.  Abbas Diedehban is an Art Director based in Brooklyn, NY.  Camille Dollins is a graphic designer for Cratejoy.  I related most to Camille Dollins because I have anxiety, and I attempt to use art to settle it down.  I really appreciated her project ‘Lucine’ because of its various elements in attempt to treat anxiety.  I was surprised by Camille’s ability to turn her senior project at St. Edward’s into a product.  I think the best advice she gave us was to make your senior project about something you really care about.  Because she did this, she was able to turn in a very personal piece of art that could later be used to start her own business.