Penetrable x Jesus Rafael Soto

I’ve said it once, and I’ll say it again. One of my absolute favorite styles of art is interactive art (iArt). I revel in awe at the adorned walls of a museum as well as the melodic sounds from spoken word or musical art. However, no art makes me feel more alive than when I can play an active role in its beauty.

On my most recent vacation to Los Angeles, CA, I was sure to make a stop at LACMA to see the ever popular “Urban Light” by Chris Burden.

I’ve seen this piece in publications and on television and social media time and time again. It just seemed like one of those pieces that could light up your life (pun intended) and bring you good vibrations from the patrons that gathered to see it. “Urban Light” was a really cool attraction in the daylight and an even more stunning artwork illuminating the night’s sky.

As stated, my main objective for visiting LACMA was to catch a glimpse of Burden’s work. After I posed for my obligatory “carefree twentysomething” picture, I had every intention of museum hopping over to the Petersen Automotive Museum and finishing my day of art indulgence meandering through the timeline of automobiles. There’s something about an old school muscle car or an electric low-rider that gets my engine going (I’m two for two on the puns, I’m on a roll). But being a “lost angel” in Los Angeles, my art muses had planned a brief detour in my route. So I followed them (the muses, that is) through the sculpture garden full of marble muses and up a set of stairs that led to one of the most engaging masterpieces, I’d go so far as to say, that I’d ever seen.

“Penetrable” by Jesus Rafael Soto was utterly captivating at first sight. Watching the children course their way through the grid of yellow plastic hoses, disappear into the art, and come out on the other side with a telling smile made me feel more at one with Soto than I can describe. The smile on those pre-adolescent, innocent faces said that they had been transformed by this piece of iArt that they had been invited to participate in. The alluring use of the color yellow (my favorite color by the way, so A+ Mr. Soto) warms up your spirit and coaxes you into the labyrinth of tubes with an open heart and mind. My journey through that maze was transformative in that I could feel myself penetrating mental barriers that I, myself, had constructed as road blocks to reaching my goals. Upon my exit, there was nothing that could hold me back. And just like that, iArt revealed its true beauty to me once more.

Give Me Love

There is no greater form of art than interactive art. iArt (I'll refer to it as such for all you Apple junkies in the world) is exactly what artist Yayoi Kusama gave us in her latest exhibit in the Chelsea section of NYC entitled "Give Me Love". By lending this exhibit to the David Zwirner gallery, it's almost as if Kusama was screaming "Come one, come all and be one with my art!" This nearly open air gallery space was more than ideal for an iArt display. 

The exhibit included her traveling piece called "The Obliteration Room". This is a small scale mock of a typical suburban home with all crisp, white features when you walk in. White walls, white furniture, white trinkets and clothes; almost like walking into the cleanest ever room to be created (more specifically, a haven for all germaphobes of the world). Now if you're wondering "How is that considered iArt?" Let me tell you how they equip you to enter. Before you go into this small house, you are handed a sheet of stickers; all different colors and all different size circles. 

It becomes your job to place those stickers on any surface you see available. It's your interaction with the piece that makes this room become art. To me, Kusama knows that we are all different and works of art in our own right; she wanted the people of the most diverse city in the world to turn her blank canvas into what we found to be beautiful beyond measure. Where you place your dots are solely up to you. Maybe you want to disturb the all white with some color. Or, perhaps, you want to layer stickers to portray the layers that each of us as humans with individual experiences has. No matter where you place your stickers, you make the room come to life. 

After leaving the house, you were lead into a room with the most magnificent looking pumpkins (even Cinderella and her know-it-all Fairy Godmother would be jealous of these pumpkins). 

Mirrored pumpkins with colored spots; or, mirrored pumpkins with holes and the insides colored. Either way you look at it, MIRRORS!!! Who doesn't love a good mirror?! (I may be guilty of loving them too much) Mirrors are one of the easiest ways to get your audience to interact with your art. Kusama, as the artist, sculpted and painted these pumpkins as she wanted. In making them reflective, she allowed for you to see where you fit in in this magically mirrored masterpiece. 

This was truly one of my favorite exhibits, by far. My only regret is that I was not able to make it on the first day so that I could see the calm before the storm (ie I didn't see the Obliteration Room before it got, well, obliterated). I can't wait to see what Yayoi Kusama has in store next. 

The Special Places in my Home

Both of these pictures are in the first level of my house. When we first moved in, my mother set then up to show all company that entered our house how proud she was of her parents and children. The first picture is dedicated to my grandparents. On our mantle, when have the flag that we got when my grandfather passed. He was a WWII veteran, so they gave him the proper burial complete with a 21-gun salute and flag for the family. Since that day, we’ve kept his flag in its case as a sign of respect and remembrance for my Pop-Pop. In front of the flag is my grandmother’s urn. She died when I was a sophomore in high school. She requested to be cremated and buried in Jamaica with her mother. My mother followed her wishes and took her ashes to be buried in Jamaica next to her mother. But because she didn’t want to let her mother go completely, she kept just a little bit of her and placed it next to her husband’s flag. So while in our home, my Mom-Mom and Pop-Pop will remain next to each other. The mantle also has other touches of remembrance for my grandparents. Gifts, a grandpa and granddaughter in a rocking chair figurine, native Jamaican wood sculptures, etc., that we bought our grandparents for special holidays are up there, as well as grandma and grandpa Chinese figurines that match our Chinese chest in the Family room. To give the feel of being in at my grandparents’ old house in Florida, my mom puts up pictures from special events in our lives like they used to do (hence why my prom picture and my sister’s, Mayne, high school graduation picture are there).

 The second picture is in my Living room. This is the first room you see when you enter my house. My mother changes this special place in the house every time there is a graduation. No matter who graduates, both Mayne and my picture stay up on the sides of the table; they only change if a new picture is taken. My mom decorates the center of the table with our diploma, graduation program, and any other mementos from that day. Usually, there is a vase of flowers and a lot of glitter on the table (both my sister and I like glitter!). She does this primarily for the party that comes after the graduation; the table remains set up this way until the next graduation. This is my mom’s way of celebrating our accomplishments and appreciating our efforts.

These are pictures of Mayne’s and my room. When we first moved, my mom allowed us to set up our own rooms. We both wanted to celebrate the accomplishments that we had achieved throughout our young lives. We asked our mother to get us bookcases that we could fill with our trophies from track & field, cheerleading, dance, and scholastic honors. As the years went on, we added more trophies and medals from high school. Eventually, we were able to put our varsity letters and graduation caps on display. Mayne’s senior year, our poms team won 3^rd place in short pom and 1^st place in hip-hop at state competition. Since Mayne was our captain, she got to take home the trophies so they sit on the floor by her bed since they were so huge. We look at our trophy cases as a way to celebrate ourselves. Something to show our children of all the honors that we have been awarded.  

Nailed it !: Nail Art

One of my favorite hobbies is painting my nails. It all started so long ago; as a child, I always wanted to be just as pretty as Mommy. She was always made up with jewelry, purses, perfume, and freshly painted nails. I always loved how there were so many colors to choose from. It seemed like you could never wear the same color twice, but you could sport every shade of pink that there is for 3 months straight. My fascination grew so much that I turned my 10th birthday party into a nail social. My mom bought about 20 new colors for the party and that marked the start of my collection (which now has expanded to 189). Over the 10 years after my party, I have perfected my nail polishing skill. I look to the internet for inspiration for new designs from people who have created blogs in dedication to nails (this means I'm not alone in my obsession, lol). It takes a lot to execute a perfect manicure, even without designs. Making sure all of the brush strokes are in the same direction and stay within the lines makes me feel like Michelangelo painting the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. I try layering glitter coats on top of creme colors to see the polish in new ways. When I really want to be expressive, I try my hand at designs. It's a way of painting a picture on 10 tiny canvases. Honestly, painting my nails is like a release for me. Just the same as when I paint pictures or pottery, painting my nails is a rush of artistic freedom that puts a smile on my face and others.

My nails

Designs I found on the internet

 

How I Met Your Mother: Season 6

How I Met Your Mother is a sitcom set in 2030 when the main character, Ted Mosby is telling his 2 kids the story of how he met their other. The majority of the show's action takes place from 2005 to the present. The season that I most recently watched from start to finish was season 6. It was set in 2010/2011 and was centered around the gang's, Ted, Barney, Lily, Marshall, and Robin, personal lives. Ted gets in a relationship but for once, chooses work over love. Barney meets his father and considers settling down with one of Robin's co-workers. Lily finally gets pregnant but has to help husband Marshall cope with the loss of his father. Robin quits her on-air job to take on a researcher job at a more respectable news channel. The season ends the way it began, at a wedding, which is revealed to be Barney's wedding, and the best man Ted is needed for assistance.

I like the show How I Met Your Mother because of its plot. It's full of mystery because the main character, Ted, dates so many women so it's a guessing game as to which one he actually ends up with. I love how they weave common elements from the story line into all of the episodes, yet, there is always something new going on. Another reason I like this show is because it is quite allegorical. They always make reference to later episodes so it just keeps me wondering how that part of the story will play out.

I love the way the characters relate to each other in this show. The chemistry on screen, although it is scripted, seems so genuine. My favorite character is Barney, who is played by Neil Patrick Harris. The reason I like him is because he commits to his character. In the show, he portrays a womanizer who is interested in sex and money. Love and marriage do not exist to him, that is at least up until the sixth season. But in real life, Harris is an openly gay man who lives with his domestic partner and their children. I love how he can make his character so believable without losing himself in the show.

my favorite, Andy Warhol.

My favorite artist so far is Andy Warhol. I have always loved his work. I feel like he uses colors to his advantage. One thing I look for in paintings is a nice color scheme. Warhol uses colors and color patterns to interpret the subjects of his paintings. I enjoy how he uses his works to give his very own definition of art. When everyone else doubted whether or not his Brillo box was art, he stood by it. That beef in himself is what aided him in becoming one of the pioneers of an art form, pop art. I watched a movie, Factory Girl, that was based on his studio, The Factory, and it showed me how much of an innovator he really was. He had the courage enough to live as an openly gay man and live by his own rules. I believe the reason I love his work is because most of his subjects are commonly know people or objects that he interprets and paints as he sees fit. It's like he's giving the viewer of his works a first class ticket through the inner machinations of his creative mind. It allows you to see how he views the world that we are all a part of.

Thirteen. Unlucky indeed.

Thirteen. 2003. Directed by Catherine Hardwicke. Written by Catherine Hardwicke and Nikki Reed.

This movie is a story about teenage angst and self-destruction. It takes you into the lives of two teenage girls, Tracy Freeland (Evan Rachel Wood) and Evie Zamora (Nikki Reed), and shows you how tough growing up and fitting in can be. Tracy starts the movie as a honor roll student in middle school who just wants to fit in with the popular kids. Once Evie let's her get a taste of rebellious the cool kids live, Tracy never turns back. The movie follows Tracy and Evie on their path to self destruction through body mutilation, piercings, drugs, and other harmful means. Not only does Tracy shed her good girl shell through her new clothes, she begins to but heads with her mother and all the people who are trying to help her. 

As I stated in class, I like movies that I can feel myself being a part of.When I first saw this movie, I was only in sixth grade and 12 years old. This afforded me the privilege to "grow up" with Tracy and Evie. I was able to put myself in their shoes and contemplate on how I would have handled the situations that they were presented. When I re-watched the movie, I noticed that I have grown to appreciate the camera work. The fact that they did not just use a tripod or a traditional camera set up to shoot this movie made a huge difference. I like that it was shot as if any person from off the street was just video taping what was going on. It made the movie seem more real, their lives and story seemed more believable. It was as if this was a home movie of someone's thirteenth year. Although none of these events happened to me when I was 13, I was able to connect to the sincerity of the movie.

After watching the movie this go round, I googled it to find out some interesting facts. Apparently, the movie was loosely based on the life of it's co-star, Nikki Reed. In real life, she was Tracy's character who was just trying to fit in but ended up taking a wrong turn and spiraling towards disaster. Another fun fact I learned, was that this movie had some parts that were too racy for its underaged actors, Woods and Reed were both 14 during taping, that they had to keep paid social workers on site to make sure everything was appropriate.

If you wish to know more about this movie, visit the Wikipedia website and read the synopsis. 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thirteen_(film)