For my remix project I decided to do a tiktok dance! Tiktok is an app where millions of users create 15 sec to 1 minute videos of anything they want. It is a great outlet of creativity where users can make their own videos or remix off of popular videos and trends. I decided to make my own remix of a popular tiktok dance. I believe Internet culture is a strong outlet of creativity and is a great way to express and build yourself. Copyright itself should should be weakened because I think it is often too strict and doesn’t allow creators to fully utilize others work without consequences. It was a fun opportunity to learn the dance and execute it.

For my bubble letters, I decided to look up graffiti fonts and try to emulate that in my piece. I used my own paints and it was a very relaxing and fun thing to do to get my mind off things! It would be nice once this is all over to actually go to Venice and do some real graffiti.

For this weeks Artist Conversation, our class got to listen in on a zoom interview conducted with feminist artist Micol Hebron. She attented the University of California, San Diego from 1991-1992 and the Accademia di Belle Arti di Venezia in Venice, Italy from 1993-19994 and she studied theater and visual arts. After that she went on to the University of California, Los Angeles to graduate summa cum laude with a Bachelor of fine arts in 1995 to then a masters in 2000.

Micol Hebron’s feminist artworks usually consists of multiple variations of the female nipple. Colors are conveyed mostly through skin colored tones. The texture looks like what a nipple would appear to be like. bumpy and smooth. Her artworks range from either small to large in scale. 

Micol’s art pieces touches on social media’s networks nipple policy and sexism. The male nipple is allowed while the female nipple is not due to the objectification and hyper-sexualization of women. Her project went viral and she has collected many followers to help spread her message. If the male nipple isn’t sexualized than the female nipple shouldn’t be sexualized either. 

As a woman, I really look up to Micol’s artwork. I have been in many situations where I was objectified and sexualized due to the sole reason of being a woman so I really resonate with Micol’s message. Feminism is not just womens rights but it is also equality to anyone who is oppressed.

My idea I wanted to portray was renewal. The materials I used were leaf cuttings water and a glass bottle. Water propagation is a gardening technique where you take the stem or leaf of any plant you want to clone and place it in water and wait until roots start forming and you have a lil copy of the original plant. This ties in my idea of renewal since I am starting a new life of a new plant. The materials I used were things I could find laying around the house so it really ties in with my renewal theme since all my materials are all renewable. A kiss should last as long as the sparks, a great meal should last until its finished, a work of art lasts forever, a marriage should last as long as it needs too, and a human life should last until it dies. I believe time does come in to play the way we experience things. One thing we can do to make the planet last longer is by adhering to a vegan diet.

Theme Essay: Friendship

From when COVID-19 first started to become a worldwide pandemic, the game animal crossing came out when the world needed it most. Animal Crossing is a online virtual reality where it depicts capitalism in a good way. You spend the most of the game being in debt to Tom Nook but you are able to actually work hard for what you get without all the social inequalities associated with American capitalism. The theme I wanted to capture within the artists I went to was friendship. The friendships you make during your life gives you a sense of empathy, loyalty, affection, and love and I think that is very important to me. During the time you spend on Animal Crossing, you are able to build connections with your villagers and are able to visit you real life friends islands to see what they have done. We are at a disconnect with friendship when we are not able to see them regularly, but Animal Crossing gives you the ability to maintain ur relationships while also getting a sense of quality time with your friends virtually.

Artist #1: Maleina

For my first artist, I decided to visit my good high school friend Maleina’s island. Back when this quarantine did not exist, we use to spend time in her room watching movies, taking naps and doing whatever. Her room in her animal crossing island is almost identical to her room in real life and the photo above really captures the essence of our friendship. Us taking a nap together in her room really takes me back to the good ol days when we were allowed to see each other.

Artist #2: Nouchka

Along with Maleina, we decided to go on a friend date to our friend Nouchka’s island. Before the pandemic, our favorite pastime was going out to eat! On nouchka’s island she has a little outside cafe area which we chose to hang out in and it really resembles how we were when we were able to go out to eat. It was like we were really there since we were also on the phone too. After that, Nouchka showed us her Butterfly garden in her museum and it depicts of how we were all once free like butterflies.

Artist #3: Jaylan

Before the quarantine, our friend group use to go on random adventures all the time enjoying the thrills and relaxation of life. Our friend Jaylan invited a bunch of our friends to his island to help recreate that. We went stargazing, had some beach time, and played a scavenger hunt just like old times! This honestly really represents our friendship and how we maintain in through this game.

The goal of my video was to share what goes on and what I have been doing throughout this quarantine. I think I did a good job of accomplishing my goal. Something that I would do differently to make it better quality is to choose better lighting or maybe get a tripod but I would do it again. My favorite youtuber would be Anna Akana or Stephanie Soo. I like the life advice and inspiration I get from watching their videos. Id share any relatable life experiences to emulate their videos. Authenticity is something that comes from you while Performance is the face you show others, I believe that are able to go hand in hand. I think the home video of Jennifer Anniston is more authentic because that is her at her natural state.

For this weeks artist conversation, I got to watch an interview conducted with artist Mahsa Soroudi. She is an Iranian born artist. In 2011, she left Iran with her husband and she now lives in Newport Beach. Her father owned his very own painting academy and was a painter himself. Due to this, Mahsa has always felt connected to art because of her creative upbringing. She wanted to get a better education and wanted more opportunities so she decided to move out and learn English.

Nature’s Cadence portrays the beauty of the succulent plants. The shapes are small and three dimensional. The colors are usually earth tones, mostly green because of the succulents. The texture of of the succulents is smooth.

The succulents represent the fact that even though she left home and is now in a foreign country she needs to stay strong and beautiful no matter how hard she is struggling. The plants are adapting and growing while her roots are still stuck at home. She is able to flourish in her new environment just like the succulents.

Watching the interview and seeing the exhibitions was very inspirational and inviting. I see myself relating to homesickness because I also miss my hometown sometimes. Having to adapt to a new environment is apart of life and the next time I am struggling I will think about a succulent plant. I wish to have seen this exhibition in real life.

This is the outcome of the automatic drawing activity. It was fun to draw without having a picture for refrence and just basing it off my mind itself. For the CSULB maps it was kinda hard since my memory of where the buildings are at Is very vague. I had fun doing the partner automatic drawing because it was like I was not in control.

Lyrics:

Under the electric sky, I was in awe that you are still mine
From bridges to blocks
I love you in your ankle socks

Love don't have to be so hard
So, tell me how'd we get this far
Love don't have to be so hard
So, tell me. how'd we get this far

Instead of looking to fill the void
I am filling it with joy
It is everything I'm meant to be

Love don't have to be so hard
So, tell me how'd we get this far
Love don't have to be so hard
So, tell me. how'd we get this far

In trying to write the lyrics of the romantic pop song, I was definitely thinking about my current relationship in order to bring about feelings of romance and love. Writing the lyrics was like writing a poem for me, I think of something and then I write down the words and feelings that come to mind. It didn’t expect this to be difficult at all since I enjoy putting my emotions with words. Any lyrics can be successful if it has the right tune. I would definitely write another song and if I did it would be about my friendships.

For Wednesdays class, we got to sit down with artist Sienna Brown as she talks about the artwork she has made. Sienna is currently a fourth year student and California State University of Long Beach majoring in Drawing and Painting hoping to obtain her BFA. Other than being an art major, Sienna is also a beach lifeguard, middle school youth leader at Rock Harbor Church and an Instructional Student Assistant for the art department at Long Beach State. Most of her artwork focuses on the obstacles in her past in order to face and re-experiencing past pain.

One artwork that caught my attention was the painting of female breasts. This painting utilizes very vivid and dark colors coming from bright yellows and pinks to deep plums. The shapes in the painting are very round and soft since it is picturing female breasts. The multiple images of female breasts pops out at you not in a subtle way at all.

Sienna’s past troubles with eating disorders is definitely captured in the essence of this painting. Growing up as a women in our society, we are constantly exposed to the unrealistic beauty standards in our world. The ideals of body image can be so drastic to the point till where young women around the world are developing eating disorders. This painting captures the beautiful and the ugly world of being a women.

Getting to listen to Sienna Brown was definitely an eye opening experiences. Seeing how she connects her past struggles with her art was very inspiring. Being a women as well, I can definitely resonate to the messages of her art work. It is amazing to see how tragedy can also become art.