Introduction Selfie

Digital Self-Portrait 2023

Works 2005 – Andrea Zittel, 2020cardboard and spray paint, July 13 – August 21, 2020

My digital self-portrait is influenced by two quotes from Andrea Zittel, which were ‘the grid is representative of human aspirations and is about human perfection,” and we “try to make something look perfect when it doesn’t want to be.” Being a portrait artist, these ideas of the grid reflect my graphic design, drawing process, and my artistic style. Especially when I am commissioned. I’m sure any artist who's ever drawn a portrait with a photo reference is familiar with the “grid method”. I use this method all the time even though I can trace the photo to get the perfect starter sketch, but there really is no such thing as perfection. This is something I have to keep reminding myself of because I always try to make everything perfect. Which is completely contradictory to the theme I am striving for in my work. But the funny thing is I hate the idea of using a grid in my graphic design work. Yes, uniformity is a must but when using a grid in graphic design it’s too restricting and constraining. In my artwork, there is still wiggle room and a bit more freedom. In graphic design, I can’t be as free because graphic design to me is creating for other people to “understand” while art is creating for ME and for others to “interpret”. I feel like interpretation isn’t allowed so much in graphic design.

Jack Whitten Jack’s Jacks - Jack Whitten, 29 Mar – 1 Sep 2019

Tesserae

My artwork centers around black women and the beautiful qualities of black women: hair texture, skin blemishes like stretch marks and moles, body types, bonds, relationships, and more. I am a digital painter, I’m going to school for graphic design, but my history in the art world is painting. I mainly draw portraits and my medium of choice is an iPad, an Apple Pencil, and Procreate. I do paint traditionally also well, often for commissions, but not all the time. I like to explore a lot of themes in my artwork, and one thing Jack Whitten said, an artist I watched, is he’s not a “narrative artist”. He creates based on instinct and there isn’t a back story behind why he creates, which is a lot like me and how I approach my work. I usually name my artworks several months after I’ve received interpretations because I create for my work to be interpreted. I don’t ever tell anyone what they are supposed to see, or should be seeing. 

Hair 2022

                                                                        My Loves 2022

Skin, Curls, & Nails

Susan Sontag quotes:

 "What is written about a person or an event is frankly an interpretation, as are handmade visual statements, like painting and drawings. Photographs do not seem to be statements about the world so much as pieces of it, miniatures of reality that anyone can make or acquire." 

"Photographs...themselves get reduced, blown up, cropped, retouched, doctored, tricked out...they are reproduced. Photographs, which package the world, seem to invite packaging."

Mike's Introduction

 Michael Pantaleon

Selfie inspired by Shaun Leonardo: The Freedom to Move; "As I Am."

Shaun Leonardo embracing male volunteer in untitled performance.

Hey everyone! 

Assuming everything goes right (but we all know how this school gets down), this will be my final semester at NJCU, fingers crossed! I am a Graphic Design major, though that title is not exclusive to what I love doing. Anything remotely related to creating is right up my alley. Absolutely love every aspect of sports, basketball in particular; my dad named me after Michael Jordan and thus I had no choice but to be a Chicago Bulls fan my entire life. Big Marvel fan as well, I shed ugly tears at the end of Logan, so I'm glad Hugh Jackman is returning. You'll more than likely catch me with my headphones on walking around campus.

This isn't a cop out answer, but I find inspiration in every and anything. However, if I had to choose one artist, it would have to be Brian Donnelly, known professionally as KAWS. Not only is he from my hometown, Jersey City, NJ, but his ability to branch out into different outlets of the creative world inspires me to do the same. There are so many talented people in the world, it can be difficult to narrow down the list of those who inspire you. I'm at a point now where I want to understand people's "why?" Why do you do what you do, create what you create, what gets you going, etc. It was a breath of fresh air to watch these videos on ART21 and dig deep into the artist's philosophical motives, understanding that the art will take care of itself. If there was a major takeaway from the assignment that I could summarize to everyone, it is to confide in yourself and pursue what makes you happy. If you like it, I love it.

The selfie you see above is inspired by the work of Shaun Leonardo. Although he primarily focuses on performance art, it is the philosophies that are attached to the bodies of work that struck my interest. Leonardo emphasizes the importance of empathy and expressing your emotions, specifically targeted towards men. There is this social stigma that a man isn't allowed to be vulnerable, or show any signs of weakness; constrain the idea of masculinity to portray this "macho man" act amongst themselves and to the world that is disingenuous. In the portrait that I have created, the sense of embracement and comfort within oneself was the focal point. Once a man is able come to terms that it's okay to not only be themselves, but to also wear their heart on their sleeves, is when we can come together and promote healthier mental lifestyles. It will never be my intention to compromise my character, as I will continue to unapologetically be me, hence the comical overtone in the image. 

Anyways, I look forward to having class with y'all, and good luck to those who are also participating in the BFA show this Spring along with myself! 

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SUSAN SONTAG: ON PHOTOGRAPHY

"Finally, the most grandiose result of the photographic enterprise is to give us the sense that we can hold the whole world in our heads -- as an anthology of images."

        As often as we use photography for artistic intentions, it can also play a role as a systematic storage of information and memories, where this idea of the "whole world" can be used in both literal and figurative context. Many times there are instances where we snap a picture of something relevant and save for future purposes as a way to solidify a moment or noun, refreshing our photographic memory on the subject. Similarly, the world can metaphorically mean our world, those of which including our family and loved ones, gathering a chronological series of images, past and present, to hold dearly forever.

"Photographed images do not seem to be statements about the world so much as pieces of it, miniatures of reality that anyone can make or acquire."

        With the popularized concept of "photo dumping" taking over social media, more and more people are beginning to romanticize the world and the environments surrounding them. The greatest realization comes largely in part with the fact that, as the quote suggests, anyone can participate. It is through their eyes that we get to experience these moments in time, and the beauty of everyday life.

Renee's Introduction Selfie (Inspired)

 

                                    Inspired Selfie,                                                                                                                                                                           Salman Toor's "Part of a painting I just destroyed."

I am a B.F.A in illustration, working on a personal portfolio that will be exhibited for my show. I have studied art since middle school and joined art programs, including the Student's Art League, J.C. arts, and the Jersey City Mural Arts Program. I also worked with mentors at Mana Contemporary's Eskeff. Program. In addition to creating narrative illustrations, I am passionate about traditional art history and the history of illustration. Overall, my goal as an illustrator is to be part of a visual development team that could put together concepts to create a more extraordinary project. I love creating works of couples and families happy together. Most of my commissions capture happiness and love between two characters, and in my personal work, I aim to display the subtlety of love. Therefore, Salman Toor's work appealed to me the most. 

When researching artists on Art21, Salman Toor inspired me the most out of the five. His art is based on his experiences as a queer man living in a contemporary cosmopolitan area. The paintings he creates capture moments of intimacy, vulnerability, and self-reflection. His work also features his friends and their partners, showing how close the queer community is compared to where he had lived in Pakistan. 

I enjoyed his style as he trained in classical Dutch-European art. However, as he continued developing his style, he created abstractions and queer puddles as he describes them, showing lovers squished together and friends melded into one. Showing unapologetic queer art is a step forward in society accepting LGBTQ people overall. Protecting the livelihoods of the LGBTQ is one of my main socio-political motivations. While politics have improved regarding fundamental rights for same-sex marriages, much work still needs to be done. Salman Toor's art shows the anxieties and disempowerment queer men face in society, as it is still an ongoing issue that could be improved over time. 

My inspired selfie has three layers to it. First, I took a selfie of myself and painted it with oil on canvas, meant initially as a master study of Gustave Courbet's painting technique. Since the painting was inspired by another European painter, and Salman Toor used European art as a foundation, I decided to use it for my selfie. In a sense, this selfie is a master copy over a master copy, blurring all the smooth lines made with oil paint and trying to capture the subtleties of Toor's brushwork and emerald green. It was a fun exercise, and this painting technique inspired me to paint like this more often.  

Sontag Reading

“Photographs really are experiences captured, and the camera is the ideal arm of consciousness in its acquisitive mood.” ( Susan Sontag) 

• Photographs are moments captured when a person desires to maintain a memory of the subject. The camera is an extension of the person taking the picture, thus why it's referred to as ‘ the ideal arm of consciousness’. Photographs of happy families and landscapes put the viewer in the photographer's perspective, showing moments of happiness and beauty to share that captured experience with others. My favorite photographs are antique pictures of pets, which show the much love the photographer had for their friend. I viewed a collection of photos from the 1940s, and most of the reel featured the family’s beloved dog, capturing every moment of his life to cherish forever. Photographs are tiny windows into the photographer's world, and viewers can empathize with the subjects of the photos.

“Even when photographers are most concerned with mirroring reality, they are still haunted by tacit imperatives of taste and conscience” (Susan Sontag). 

• Reality can be boring sometimes, but with the photographer's skills, they can make the most mundane subject into a work of art using angles, lighting, and composition. Photographers, like painters and poets, seek artistry that appeals to their audience. Instead of mirroring reality outright, they are idealizing reality using their skills in art. 

ART21 - ME + 5

Who were the 5+ artists you chose videos about?

    1. BARRY MCGEE: RETROSPECTIVE 

    

    2. JORDAN CASTEEL STAYS IN THE MOMENT 

          3. RICHARD MISRACH:NEVER THE SAME  

           

          4. TANYA AGUINIGA IN "BORDERLANDS"

          5. LOUISE DESPONT: DRAWING FROM BALI

    

    

    

    

What were 5+ of the themes the artists addressed about making work?

    1. The sense of community centered around Tagging.

    2. The interaction between artist and their muse.

    

    3. Expanding ones artistic Horizon through other forms of art. 

    

    4. Immigration, and the negative connotation attached to the border.

          5. Spirituality and inner peace.

    

    

    

What were 5+ Challenges the artists faced in making their work?

    1. He had to resist the urge to tag because it's Illegal.

    2. Being able to slow down and be mindful of the present, and live in the moment

    3. Misrach wasn't able to print out images he's had for over 50 years.

        

          4.  Aguiniga relived her past trauma through her art.

          5. Despont had to find a new source of inspiration for her art, when love was no longer her main source. 

What were 5+ Inspirations you drew from the artists?

    1. McGee inspires me to be daring and try to expand the horizon       of my works. 

    2. I was inspired to try to interact more, and take a step back to see the world from a different angle.

    3. I was inspired to travel and see the world as he did, and document it through art.

        

          4.  I was inspired to be more aware of how others live outside of the U.S.

          5. taking a look internally could be a way of finding inspiration.... "I know that the most important thing to make good work is time and space"

What were 5+ things you would like to incorporate into your own work after watching these videos?

    1. I would like to incorporate the imperfect qualities of tagging into my art, it adds personality, mistakes in an art piece are sometimes what the art piece is missing.

    2. I would like to take more of my real life experiences and surroundings into my artwork.

    3. I would like to try different forms of art in general and create new pieces altogether from the knowledge gained from them.

        

          4. I would like to show more of what's going on in the world and take a more political standpoint through my work.  

          5. I would like to try to find new sources of inspiration and seeing how it influences my art compared to the normal workflow that I have become comfortable with. 

5 artists - Angel

5 artists 

For the first video, I watched a video on photographer Richard Misrach. One theme that he addressed was that things are “never the same.” An example of this is when he shows the photos he’s taken of the Golden Gate Bridge. All photos were taken in the same location, yet they’re all different. A challenge that Richard faced was when he got booked to display his work at a clinic. This happened during the pandemic, so he wasn’t able to shoot new photos. He had to work with photos he already had. Watching this video has reminded me that I should always have an open mind. Although Richard has many years of experience, he’s always experimenting and learning new things.

Secondly, I chose a video at random and landed upon Shaun Leonardo. At the beginning of the video, he addresses the theme of vulnerability. He also elaborated on how he grew up with the idea that men aren’t supposed to be emotional because that’s not considered “masculine.” One challenge that he faced growing up was being an outcast in high school.  He states that he was an easy target because the only different race on his football team. One thing that I will definitely incorporate into my life is simply to be myself, and know that I don't have to fit with society's standards. This video is impactful on a person.

The third video I saw was on photographer Richard Mosse. Most of his work consists of documenting crises and landscapes and his overall goal was to capture what the camera can’t see. Richard did face a few ethical issues when he was filming and saw people in need of help. He had to balance being human and being a photographer. This video has inspired me to use my craft to spread awareness of things that are happening. Whenever I shoot, my goal is to always get a flattering photo. Maybe once in a while, I could shift from being an editorial photographer to a documentary photographer.

The fourth video I saw was by photographer Elle Perez. Her work resonates a lot with me because we are both portrait photographers.  She also explained how her photo seems effortless because she had a relationship with her subject. This is very true. Some of my favorite photos have been of people that I'm close with.

Lastly, the last video I saw was Theaster Gates. The overall video was on collection. In this video, I didn't notice that Theaster had any challenges, but he probably did. I was drawn to this video because I noticed that Theaster creates art as a body of work rather than focusing on a single piece. Creating a collection of work or series of works is something that I struggle with a bit. I’m so used to focusing on working on a single piece. Getting to see theater thought process was helpful.

Introduction Selfie - Sarah Ferreira

                                                     

                                     Introduction Selfie

Original Character

Hello! My name is Sarah (She/Her)!

I am a BFA with a concentration in Illustration hoping to graduate soon. Not only am I a BFA but I'm in the process of possibly getting a teaching certificate (Being an Art teacher is a plan B for my future). My passions in art lie within visual development and character design. I absolutely love watching animated movies along with playing video games and listening to all sorts of different type of musical artists. My biggest inspirations change every 5 minutes as I continue to learn more techniques and styles. Currently they are:  J.C. Leyendecker, Alphonse Mucha, Yana Taboso, Jorge Jimenez, Stanley "ArtGerm" Lau, and many, many more. 

I'm hoping that I can start the process of my BFA show idea which will involve my Brazilian heritage with inspiration and influences from Sonic The Hedgehog, Jet Set Radio, No Straight Roads, and other video games and media I have grown up with throughout my life. Its story is still in the process of being made but ideas are coming and going rapidly, I just need to start the actual drawing process. 

Besides art I'm extremely passionate in music as I grew up playing the flute and joined marching band along with concert band through out middle school and high school, unfortunately I wasn't able to continue through that process in college as my passion for art was much stronger--I make do by incorporating music into my daily life as much as possible. A way how I try and involve the two is by making killer playlists that I'm proud of that help embody the feel and aesthetic of the general character or idea, even for my BFA show I started by making a playlist that has music that influence the "Vibes" of the idea. My favorite music genres are EDM and Rock but those are just umbrella terms as the stuff I really love breaks into those genre's sub-categories (Breakcore, Screamo, Future Bass, Heavy Metal, Etc.). I'd have to say that my music taste was influenced largely by what I grew up with which was Sonic The Hedgehog and because of the music from the games it's shaped my current taste in music---funny enough the same can be said about my own art; I only wanted to learn how to draw sonic as a kid and because of that it later developed into me wanting to create my own sonic characters and then learning how to draw anime characters and more and more. In my spare time I also have a very big passion for collections, especially anime figure collections. I have a decent size collection of Hatsune Miku figures due to my love for the Vocaloid music genre. It's funny how much music has been intertwined into my personality and my art, I truly love it to death. 

I also really do love making new friends and helping out as much as I possibly can within the classroom, I have a bit of RBF and my monotone way of speaking doesn't help either but feel free to approach me and we can brainstorm ideas or just talk! I hope I get the chance to make some more friends within my college career! :D

"Photographs really are experience captured, and the camera is the ideal arm of consciousness in its acquisitive mood. "

- I just find this string of words really beautiful as it's an interesting way to describe the process of photography. Seeing photography as a medium that captures the truth in any instance while showcasing the subtle beauty of the medium.  

"Although there is a sense in which the camera does indeed capture reality, not just interpret it, photographs are as much an interpretation of the world as paintings and drawings are."

- Once again I just find this way of describing the process to be beautiful as one who isn't immersed into the industry of photography, I view the medium differently and I am unable to articulate the proper words to state its complex beauty, 

5+ Inspirational Artists- Merlee Vergara

Merlee Vergara

1-Who were the 5 +artists you chose videos about?

Julie Mehretu, Sarah Sze, William Kentridge, Louise Despont, Kara Walker

2-What were 5+ of the themes the artists addressed about making work?

Julie Mehretu: The use of abstraction and color within a large-scale mural.

Sarah Sze: Sze’s work focuses on the mundane and infuse it with meaning, as she uses everyday materials, marks, and methods to create intricate sculptures and installations; In this installation, is utilizing the movement and space in subway entrances.

William Kentridge: Through charcoal, film, and sculpture, Kentridge examines tragedies and transforms them into powerful allegories of tragic political events.

Louise Despont: Drawings based on pure geometry and symmetry, Despont's artwork reflects universal themes of energy and spirituality.

Kara Walker: In her work, Walker explores race, gender, and sexuality from a contemporary perspective, weaving vivid psychological narratives based on historical context.

3-What were 5+ challenges the artists faced in making their work?

Julie Mehretu: Much of how Mehretu plans her compositions are dependent on location; she considers the many perspectives a pedestrian can view her piece and plans accordingly. She would also need to seek a balance between how much is excessive, and wanting certain shapes to be present but not sure where, when, or how.

Sarah Sze: The technical nature of the process and the fact that this piece is intended to last generations put Sze under pressure to make the right decisions. The fact that the process took 10 years sounds lengthy and challenging yet she managed to do it.

William Kentridge: The obstacles vary depending on the type of piece he is making. If it were a collage, it would be to find connections between people’s interests and possibly raise questions. If it were a sculpture, usually of one using optical illusion, overall it would be how to present it properly when it is on display.

Louise Despont: Due to her art being controlled and contained, the urge to be neat and precise with each linework is a struggle. When she frames her work, she would soon see these imperfections but cannot add to them any longer.

Kara Walker: The path that she became known for versus the one she initially started in was its own obstacle. As a successful young artist, she had to face much of the responsibility at such a youthful age.

4-What were 5+ inspirations you drew from the artists?

Julie Mehretu: A very inspirational quote from her would be, “But overall, whether it’s just a plain square or a more anthropomorphic shape, I think that these all bring up something that means something more subconsciously or poetically within us.”The power of abstraction is fascinating with something as vague as a shape or color holding much more meaning. The harmonic balance amongst all the chaos.

Sarah Sze: Primarily to utilize space better; Stuff that we usually take for granted, something seemingly repetitive and giving a refreshing take on it.

William Kentridge: No matter the medium he intends to use, Kentridge's unusual presentation on each piece and how it invokes a certain aura speaks to me, especially in the film “Pain & Sympathy”.

Louise Despont: Clearly how delicate her handwork is. Each line is clean and precise, and every pattern and use of negative space is planned. Additionally, no matter the complexity of the composition, the whole thing invokes a sense of harmony.

Kara Walker: Walker’s paper-cut installations showcase caricatures of people, all of which express so much personality with mere gestures and poses. Her words towards the newer artist generation were also inspiring; if you can't attain a goal one way, try another, and don't think about it as a demotion.

5-What were 5+ things you would like to Incorporate into your own work after watching these videos?

Julie Mehretu: Although I don't focus much on abstraction, I am intrigued by her artistic process. To look at things from different perceptions, and plan accordingly. She deems me to strike a balance between overdoing and leaving out details.

Sarah Sze: Her use of space for her compositions is inspiring. Instead of thinking in a 2D space, consider it in a 3D perspective. As someone who usually thinks in 2d, this has made me think about my work in a different way.

William Kentridge: As someone who wants to be an illustrator, his storytelling abilities through his charcoal drawings are astonishing. No words are spoken, yet one can sense the emotion and tragedy through each frame. This is something I wish to include in my own concept art.

Louise Despont: When it comes to the smaller details, I feel like I should follow her example of precision and planning. Also, the use of stencils or “shortcuts” is nothing to be ashamed of, as the tools are there for a reason.

Kara Walker: Receiving the personality of a character through their silhouette is a challenge in itself. Walker showed me the importance of the expression and characterization of a person. Not only through their faces but their gestures and overall silhouette.

Art21: 5+ Inspirational Artist - Sarah Ferreira

Art21: 5+ Inspirational Artists 

Art21 Logo

1-Who were the 5 +artists you chose videos about?

• The videos I had chosen were: 
  Guadalupe Maravilla & the sound of Healing 
  Sarah Sze: Designing a Subway Station 
  Barry McGee: Tagging
  Zanele Muholi: Mobile Studios
  and my own choice from the youtube channel:
  Abigail DeVille: "Light of Freedom"
  
  

2-What were 5+ of the themes the artists addressed about making work? 

• Maravilla makes his work autobiographical and relates his work often to events in his life like war and cancer. He uses his own ancient and indigenous knowledge to create new rituals for healing and using his performance to heal the community.
  Sze's work is public as she was tasked to design an installation for the Second Avenue Subway in NYC. She uses this station as a way to bring people from all walks of life together as she states that it's "Democratic in nature" to use a subway. She includes all aspects of New York City life into her work to bring further citizens together that would walk by the installment on their day to day lives.
  McGee's work is often seen as a crime as tagging is associated with graffiti culture, lining up every wall with your own signature or design for people of the streets to pass by. He uses this criminal knowledge to get a thrill out of creating work and plastering up on walls to have a sense of "getting away with it", his name is known within the skating and graffiti communities. 
  Muholi is an activist who photographs members of the LGBT community in South Africa with her "mobile studio". Immersing themselves into the world of this marginalized group to show beauty and access to these members.
  DeVille creates a work of art consisting of a pile of blue mannequin arms that burn in inspiration over the Black Lives Matter movement. Together came demonstrators hooked arm-in-arm with one another against the racial injustice.
  
  

3-What were 5+ challenges the artists faced in making their work?

• each artist faced difference challenges throughout the creation of their work wether it was recovering and conquering from ones own traumatic past as well as limitations with each public work that required spacing. Depending on their country of operation it became life or death when creating their work and attempting to go around their own laws for the sake of art and justice.

4-What were 5+ inspirations you drew from the artists?

• If I am being quite honest I mostly just admired each artists tenacity and ability to fight in a world filled with so many injustices, using their artworks for the sake of art and knowledge. The type of art i find more enjoyable is more shallow than that, I prefer game design, visual development, animation and character design. I couldn't take any inspirations as this type of art just isn't my cup of tea. 

5-What were 5+ things you would like to Incorporate into your own work after watching these videos?

• What I wish to incorporate into my own work is a sense of style and fun as people look at my designs and stories that I'm able to create. I have already started doing these practices with my own work, especially with metaphors and with over all storytelling. I'm just not as performative as the artists that were featured in each video as I find my work and myself to be a person that works better in a team and in the background. I want to just be part of the process, not take credit for the whole of it. Maybe become lead art director in a film or game but nothing more than that, I'm just working very differently than the people featured. 

Renee's Introduction: 5+ Inspirational Artists

Hello, I am Renee Ramos, and I am a B.F.A in Illustration. 

Janine Antoni, Chris Ware, Kelti Ferris, Jes Fan, Salman Toor

1-Who were the five +artists you chose videos about?

I watched videos about Janine Antoni, Chris Ware, Keltie Ferris, Jes Fan, and Salman Toor. Antoni’s video covered her sculpture work about Milagros by pairing body parts with bones and grafting body parts together to show the meaning behind impossible juxtapositions. She draws attention to the female body through her use of the pelvis, and one sculpture depicts a woman’s leg with her leg bone crossed over it like a ‘lady.’ Chris Wane works on comics about women while also being self-conscious about his position as a white man who wants to tell stories from the perspective of someone he is not. Meanwhile, Keltie Ferris completes abstract spray paint paintings in solitude and struggles with the purpose of his work. Jes Fan works in glass and sculpture and incorporates biological material into their work to capture the absurdity of politicizing certain aspects of people. Finally, Salman Toor’s work captures the freedom of young queer men living in a cosmopolitan culture with emerald green paint. While all the artists I watched had different approaches to art, their messages were universal as they touched on personal struggles and political identities.

2-What were 5+ of the themes the artists addressed about doing work?

Janine Antoni’s work heavily focuses on the body. With Milagros, she is presenting her audience with impossible juxtapositions, such as a hand holding a tailbone or pelvis grafted to the corner of the room. In addition to her first message, her work is feminist as she comments on how women need to position themselves while sitting, with the leg bone grafted to a thigh. She also wants people to see how the work was done and how the sculptures were put together. Chris Ware is a comic illustrator, and the main focus of his work depicts women living in the 60s and 70s living out their struggles; he wants to tell stories that are usually not highlighted. Keltie Ferris is an abstract artist, so they view their work as a different perspective of the city since their studio faces Manhatten. Jes Fan’s work deals with themes of politicized biology, exploring their transition and creating work that shows the absurdity of how biological material can be controversial. Finally, Salman Toor’s work depicts the freedom of queer men living in the city, celebrating their sexuality through a European-inspired style. The paintings are an extension of his experiences as he features himself and his friends.

3-What were the 5+ challenges the artists faced in doing their work?

Janine Antoni’s medium changes with every project; Milagros needed a lot of research, and Antoni built the sculptures using resin molds; she hopes that people can view her work and see the work she put into the sculptures. Chris Ware's professor told him that he could not draw women because he was a man and could not have the ability to see through the perspective of the women in his stories. Ware is self-conscious about his condition and how he’s empathizing with the women characters he creates. Either way, an artist can tell their stories. Regarding Keltie, their main struggle is working in solitude, but they find meditation in painting and struggles with their purpose as an artist. Jes Fan uses biological material, testosterone, melanin, and estrogen. He extracts these materials himself and creates glass sculptures to hold these materials. Fan discusses how using natural material politicizes his sculptures as they are a commentary on how society views race and gender. Meanwhile, while it celebrates his queer identity, Salman Toor's work also draws on his anxieties about living as a gay man and moments of disempowerment and humiliation.

4-What were 5+ inspirations you drew from the artists?

I was inspired by how the artists viewed their work intersectionally by implementing their ideas and addressing societal issues. Despite the differences in mediums, all artists brought up discussions about identity, sexuality, and personal reflection. The artists inspired me to look into my illustrations and find meaning in my work. Overall, it inspired me to branch out and try new mediums, such as sculpture and spray painting, and diversify my mediums in the future. My favorite artist would be Salman Toor, whose work references old European art. I was inspired by his process of creating his abstract style from traditional conventions as I drew from similar inspirations.

5-What were 5+ things you would like to Incorporate into your work after watching these videos?

After watching the videos, I would like to incorporate more symbolism and messages into my work and think about the perspective of the characters I am depicting. Much of my work centers on narratives, but it would be great to have pieces focusing on the core messages I want to convey through my stories. It would allow me to create work that invokes the feelings of those who view it.

Art 21 Artists

Arlene Shechet: Sculpting Time

During a time when she was facing the coming death of her friend who was diagnosed with cancer, she talked to a Buddhist teacher who said “Stop making such a big deal about it”. While mourning the loss of her friend she decided to throw away everything and start her studio anew and began working with plaster. Plaster is a “timekeeper” meaning that every second as it dries it's also changing. She makes her work in whatever amount of time she has to work with the material. “Whatever time I have is exactly the time I need”. After a while, she made something similar to a buddha form which then became a jumping-off point for her to create the form with direction but not too much direction. The real meaning of an icon for her is that it is there to keep her remembering what she wants to remember. Some inspiration I drew from Arlene Shechet came from how much she respected time. I think a lot of artists including myself struggle with time in their work and I found it interesting how she uses the lack of time to her advantage when creating forms with plaster, a somewhat quick hardening material. I would like to incorporate more of her carefree attitude into my work and remind myself to “stop making such a big deal about it”.


Guadalupe Maravilla and the Sound of Healing

He felt a deep connection to Myans because of his heritage and loved the architecture and art that was used to tell stories and perform rituals. He wasn't interested in imitating the old rituals but more about learning from them and creating his own. He considers his work autobiographical. He was born in El Salvador as the revolution was starting and his family had to flee so he was left by himself. At 8 years old he was told he'd be reunited with his family in the United States. While traveling to cross the border he played Tripa Chuca: a children's game in which players draw lines between pairs of numbers to create abstract patterns. On his birthday 12/12/12 he was diagnosed with cancer. Radiation became an empowering time for him as he was experiencing sound baths and began to think of sound as medicine. He said that if he overcomes this experience he wants to learn how to play this for other people. When he went into remission he began his own workshop for undocumented immigrants and when the pandemic hit a priest who was feeding over 3,000 people was attending his sound baths. They decided to work together which was when he brought his sound to the church. After overcoming cancer he viewed art differently. He became more interested in creating his own path using art and healing. Healing can be difficult and challenging but with others, it can be empowering Inspiration I drew from this artist was how he used his life's troubles to feed the passion of his work instead of being overcome by them. I would love to try the game Tripa Chuca.


Firelei Báez: An Open Horison (or) the Stilness of a Wound

“I don't want to create narratives of victimhood, I want to flip it”. She wanted to create bodies of constant transition and subversive beauty. Firelei Báez is from The Caribbean and focuses her work on looking at some of the first scientific illustrations of flora and fauna from the new world and how barbaric views of new world people. Ciguapa is a creature with backward legs, and luscious hair, female creatures hypersexual can derail culture. Others define it as a woman who is highly independent self-possessed and feels deeply, who wouldn't want to be that. Reframe things seen as unwanted and see them as beautiful with an eye of desire. Think of yourself as part of long cycles in front of them and before them. Every choice we make is predicated on the people we hope to love in the future and the people we love in the past. Always within your grasp to make something new, it's exhausting but limitless


Arlene Shechet: Pentimento in Paper

“Sometimes the thing that is unseen is way more interesting than what people want you to see. Like a construction site, there are the things you don't see there are the bones, they can be beautiful.” She took silicone molds of things that have happened in her studio as she was working with the clay. For example just her fingers in clay, brick with glaze on it, firebrick. Then makes highly pigmented paper and lays it in many different ways. Color and form are one thing where the color is the paper, a concept similar to ceramics where clay and glaze become one thing, one structure, surface, and form. She says that the thing about working with paper is the immediacy of the process, seeing the thing and responding to it, working with 5 or 6 pieces at a time. Talked about it like an athletic event, prepare, prepare, prepare, but you really don’t know anything until you're in the moment. Being a Ceramics BFA I related a lot to what Alrene had to say about her process. Similar to working with ceramics, the paper never looks as good as when it does when it's wet. When it is wet you are “closer to the aliveness to the actual experience” I related to what she said about how you make something in ceramics when it is wet you love it, once it's dry and fired it loses its life and the only way to get it back is through the right glaze. I was also inspired by the way she said she has a sense of restlessness and a desire to investigate on a much broader scale


Yayoi Kasama Obsessed with Polka Dots

Yayoi wanted to be a painter when she was a little girl and began painting at the age of 10. Her mother told her she wasn't allowed to paint and she was to marry a rich man so her mother took her canvases and inks from her. Her early drawings are beautiful and realistic and painted in opposition to her family with immense talent. But as a female Japanese artist, she knew that at some point she would have to escape. She traveled with a suitcase full of her drawings and came to New York in a cutthroat man's world period of art. Yayoi devoted herself to her work. She painted nets from dawn to dusk on 33 ft long canvases and as she was going the pattern would expand outside the canvas and fill the floor and wall. As she stood back she had a hallucination looking at the piece and this was how she became an environmental painter. She took away the ability to focus in space and made a name and reputation for herself as an artist in New York. She painted so much that she fell ill and exhausted she returned to japan to start from scratch again. Yayoi currently lives in a mental institution in Japan but works across the street in her own studio with a team of assistants handling her emotions through her work in a clean and productive way.

“Accumulation is how the stars and the earth don't exist alone but rather the entire universe is an accumulation of the stars”


Do Ho Suh: Rubbing/Loving

He had a friend who was giving up his apartment in New York so he took it and it became his living space and studio for 8 years. In this piece of work, he remembers and memorializes the space with meaningful intention. Going through each inch of the place and rubbing a crayon and thinking of memories associated with where he is rubbing. He said that if he wrote rubbing in Korean, people could read it as loving because there is no distinction between r and l in Korean alphabet. The rubbing shows how much he interacted with the space trying to show the layer of time interacting with the space. From afar it looks like a drawing but up close it is very sculptural. After it is done being shown he will peel the paper from the space and from the object the paper holds that shape. He even previously did a fabric version of the same space. I can relate to him in the way that I understand how a space can feel monumental and so significant to a person's life.

Me+5

Kevin Persaud

Inspiration Me+5


1-Who were the 5 +artists you chose videos about? 

Heidi Lau- sculptor (clay)
the artist becomes the medium.
Instead of sculpting the object, it’s sculpting and shaping the artist.
Lau’s work is inspired by the past and how she can recreate pieces to work for now and the future. Some pieces are garments and pots
Lau is also the first artist in residence at the green wood cemetery in brooklyn, which might also inspire her eerie pieces that have to do with the afterlife.

Dan Herschlein-
Deals with horror
Theme is to find comfort in horror or a desire for comfort
“I am scared, I am sad.. Maybe it’s fine to be sad, or sacred or anxious.” it's not a threat, it’s normal.

Jes Fan- glass artist
Material becomes alive and transforms from liquid, to almost plastic into glass.
Moved from Hong Kong where Fan was considered a majority to the U.S where he became a minority.
Work deals with biological mediums that are imbued with identity categories- testosterone, estrogen, melanin.
Fan’s body is in a period of transition as Fan uses testosterone, and he compares himself to the glass-liquid transformation.
His art becomes about identity

Doreen Garner-
“One small thing could make the body fail”
Her sister had a massive stroke; a blood vessel burst and was left disabled. Garner spent a lot of time in the hospital and the experience was burnt into her brain.
Many of her pieces deal with the physical body (and the organs/tissues)
Garner speaks on how black people have been mistreated. “Extra sets of hands to do tasks, people to take out your frustration on.. Just disposable bodies.”


Nick Cave-fashion and sculpture
The complexity of being a black male/being racially profiled
Developing thick skin and operating in a world that could work against you.
Lashing out in rage fuels his impulse to create. For Cave, It comes from a dark place.
His pieces are metaphors for suits of armor and empowerment. They serve as a second skin against racism, racial profiling and for viewers to look past skin color.


2-What were 5+ of the themes the artists addressed about making work?

Heidi Lau spoke on afterlife and how her work is inspired from that. She also includes that she feels that when she sculpts, she becomes the medium and the clay is sculpting her. Dan Herschlein focuses on the horror of life and the discomfort we face in sadness and anxiety. These are threats we face, but he explains that maybe it’s fine to accept these emotions. Jes Fan is an evolving artist who works with glass. He explains how by using testosterone, he is changing just like the medium he uses, from a state of water to glass. His art becomes about identity. Doreen Garner’s work is very eerie as it deals with the human body and many of her pieces are the body parts exposed. She provides an explanation of how black people are mistreated and used for just their body. Nick Cave speaks on racial profiling and having to grow up with thick skin. His suits are metaphors for armor against prejudice.

3-What were 5+ challenges the artists faced in making their work?

Many of the artists that I researched were minorities and faced some form of racial profiling, inequality or racism.

4-What were 5+ inspirations you drew from the artists?

To have thick skin
To not conform to society and their judgment
To continue evolving in myself and my work as an artist
Use mediums i’ve never used before and not be afraid to try new things
Find my identity

5-What were 5+ things you would like to Incorporate into your own work after watching these videos?

I’d like to try glass making. I feel it’s similar to clay where you can bend and play with the medium, but it’s a lot more fragile and probably dries faster. Heidi Lau says in her video that she likes to take walks to clear her ego and mind. I think this ideology is something any artist could benefit from doing. Garner uses a lot of casts in her pieces to create large pieces. I think I’d be interested in casting molds to create something big. Many of these artists move out of their comfort zone to try new mediums and explore themselves. Heidi Lau also finds inspiration from a ceramics shop in manhattan. It’s always great to know fellow artists and find inspiration and get to know them. It makes you a better artist and this is something i’m interested in doing.

ART21 -- ME+5

Michael Pantaleon

Shaun Leonardo: The Freedom to Move

• “I come from a background in which I never experienced any male members of my family cry. That inability to express any level of emotionality was something that I started to question.”

• After college, post-football career, Leonardo would take up performance art, dressing up as a masked luchador wrestling an invisible man.

• “I wanted people to feel it and to allow their bodies to say what the piece needed to be. I really wanted to see if by dialing into our experiences of confrontation, of conflict, we could sense some sort of truth in another person’s body, and therefore question our perceptions of how we initially read an other.”

• Target audience and those in attendance primarily consisted of the Caucasian demographic, coming into terms that minorities and people of color are not able to move freely through the world to pursue their passions.

• As a big fanatic of sports in general, I was immediately drawn to this artist purely out of speculation based on the hover preview, and to my surprise, came something much more grand. Similar to most, if not all artists, I tend to create my work based on emotion, whether it is purposely portraying how I currently feel, or if I’m in the creative mood. Majority of Leonardo’s work focuses on the psychological aspects of both art and life, and being in tune with your vulnerable side. As a male artist, I simply would not be able to create if I have not had the ability to comfortably express myself. 

Chris Ware: Someone I’m Not

• “It was sort of an experiment to write from the standpoint of somebody who I’m not…”

• Growing up attending art school, Ware was advised to not draw women, and that as a White writer, it was forbidden to write from the standpoint of another person; constantly contemplating to himself if he is doing the said perspective justice.

• “I wanted to be able to write about everything and anything because that’s what life is.”

• My personal opinions of myself becoming a creative individual always involved the idea of branching out into different fields of art, not being “boxed in” or categorized solely on one practice. 

• “What art is all about is trying to figure out if the feelings that you’re having are the same as the feelings that I’m having.”

• When I’m feeling extra creative, I dabble into poetry, most of which not only relate to an art piece to go along, but based on personal experiences. As much as I enjoy writing poems, I tend to get real personal and soon realized that should I publish this for whomever to see, they would get an unwanted glimpse into my life. After viewing this video of Chris Ware, the challenge of writing from a different point of view is one that I will definitely consider.

Jamian Juliano-Villani’s Painting Compulsion

• “When I look at something, I just take notes of ideas.”

• "...I'll have thirty images in a month or two months that I'll keep on coming back to, and I'll try and make those work with what I'm doing, but they'll never look like they're supposed to be together…"

• This is a creative process that I subconsciously perform often. Many times when I’m not in the mood to produce artwork, I am still inspired by all things around me. I would jot down random ideas, concepts, color combinations, phrases, etc., into my iPhone notes and refer to them once the creative juices start flowing. 

• What is most inspiring is her compulsion and act of doing out of necessity. A part of the reason why I get so discouraged when I begin to create is the immense pressure I put myself through to not only generate a deep, thought-provoking piece, but to also execute it perfectly. Being able to use the feeling of wanting to create as an emotion itself, later understanding how or why it was deemed appropriate for the time being is a step in the right direction to evolve.

Brian Jungen: Printing Two Perspectives

• “In mass media, you’re always portrayed in either a sympathetic or a very negative way.”

• “One thing I always liked about the [Inuit art tradition] that you see in the cultures of the coast is this bilateral symmetry – trying to portray both sides of something on a flat surface.”

• Jungen creates fascinating two-sided prints of newspaper clippings in ways that highlight the insensitivity of news outlets, demanding a strong, emotional response facing reality.

• After taking on a printmaking course, I began to figure out ways that I can naturally incorporate that practice into my own body of work. The physicality of the technique held more sentimental value to the piece, all while being similar to graphic designing on a digital program; reasons why I enjoy and am interested in printmaking.

Olafur Eliasson: Become Your Own Navigator

• “Everyone sees something different because the artwork hosts whatever subjective matter you bring to the artwork.”

• The unlimited interpretation of art is its greatest strength. Eliasson’s work consisting of space, light, and color further supports this idea, evoking emotion out of the viewer. The simple understanding of basic concepts somehow creates this complex subject matter that pushes your critical thinking to a point of self-reflection.

• “If you are active, it will change. If you’re passive, it will be out of reach.”

• A lot of my illustrative work includes clever concepts that mash two or more ideas into one cohesive piece. As fun and exhilarating it is to find a solution to execute this, I believe my next step includes not having an intentional outcome, or rather not being so explicit in terms of portraying what I create.