CRITIQUE #2 - MARCH 6TH

Saffron Williams 

My work revolves around the use of archetypical imagery and symbols, and how they are used to define cultural or emotional concepts. Namely, being used to define or facilitate both religious spirituality, and womanhood and femininity as I feel intrinsically disconnected from both. Drawing from historical art methods used by world faiths, I use decorative arts, symmetry, performative ritual, and use of relics or objects to emulate what I believe faith or femininity should feel like. By crystalizing these concepts into a visual format, perhaps I can come closer to understanding. In my ceramics work, this in the creation of masks referencing anime girls and Tokusatsu costuming, as women portrayed in them are abstracted almost to the point of non-human, yet we recognize and accept these figures as female because of the artistic language surrounding them. Not only are they seen as women, but an idealized, more pure form that many hold at a level above. These masks serve to obscure the wearer and imbue them with an inhuman appearance. Wearing these masks is meant as a deliberate denial of human form in order to make a connection to the other side, across the veil and into the border. Previous statement^ New additions: Women when Released from the boundaries of expected human behavior-- through death or transformation-- find the most incredible power and freedom as monsters and specters and anything decidedly not human. In adolescence it felt hard to not feel like an in-between however. This feeling of existing as an other, not bad not good, just an anomaly increased when I realized I was androgynous. I embrace the experience as an in between I like that my existence and identity is incomprehensible to many, as I feel powerful in the mystery of my being. The secrets of my existence is denied to those overly concerned with it. I also feel closer to those who Do understand me-- fellow in-betweeners. Monsters and spirits in horror stories gain their power when they shed their human form and establish their existence outside the rigidity of human life. Masks and performance allow me to express the experience of being in-between to betweeners, but also relish in it and the power I feel within it. By creating these masks I allow myself a way to communicate this feeling symbolically and physically to those who do not understand me metaphysical. 

 

Jin Sun Kim 

Statement 

 I have realized that the relationship between a space like an urban city and humans is integrated or controversial toward conceptual relationships. The city has been developing in terms of human’s demand and convenience and the spaces like the urban city contain the intangible and tangible environment. Also, spaces contain the relation of human beings and nature, objectivity and subjectivity, voids and solids, and usage and preservation. These fundamental relationships utilize attention to the stipulation of its external material as its own physical vision. It is also including of an internal material as its own emotional element, constructing a plethora of perspectives for the human eye and mind to comprehend. This is what I consider the fundamental essence of this artwork. Since human existence, the development of cities has been evolving. That means that cities have been planning, developing, and extending. Yet, despite the creation of mechanical systems and massive spaces for human convenience, humans faced the innate negations of complicated urban landscapes. Although the urban city might be perceived as a space to amplify our urban life’s quality and quantity, I seek to find out where humans stand among the urban cities as a space and how humans feel about their life within the spaces.   Conceptual idea about the space will be researching. I will pursuit to add conceptual meaning to express my body of artwork. I would like to create the organic and natural style of forms, shapes, and color. In particular, researching to connect the relationship between inside and outside of space conceptually and visually will be keeping going on. ‘House and Universe’ and ‘Where does your water come from?’ by Mary Mattingly shows the space in the city made by vinyl, the space is the shape of sphere. Architecture, Mario Cucinella’s natural form of building influenced me to access conceptual idea and building up ideas. Map, skyscraper, and harbor bridge of city of Corpus Christi in order to express the representative image of city were printed on the clay. As the first step, the balloon was blown and it was wrapped by slab clay, and the balloon was popped in status of leather before the clay was dried. As the second step, four images like skyscraper, map, harbor bridge, and water pipe were exposure by light on the screen in the dark room. As the third step, Mason stain of black color and transparent ink were mixed for the prints on the slab clay, and vase shape in status of leather was rolled over the screen. What is meaning of spaces to the human being? Inside and outside of spaces are made by line, shape, and forms. I sometimes define where inside of space and outside of space are. I also experience it could be changed inside or outside of spaces by someone’s eyes, location, memories or experiences. The relations of inside and outside of space are connected through the opened vase 

Mariana Ruvalcaba Cruz 

Change constitutes an inherent and unyielding aspect of existence, fostering continual adaptation and transformation. However, attempts to avoid this fundamental force frequently result in resistance and adversity. My personal journey has been marked by a complicated relationship with change, yet a recent shift of my perspective has unveiled its indispensable significance in sculpting the course of my life. With my work I seek to share my perspective by creating a visual language that transcends conventional boundaries and challenges traditional notions of reality. I merge, distort, and manipulate the human form and other natural elements, with the aim to blur the line between the tangible and the imagined, to create a world in “the middle” and craft hybrid creatures that embody the complexities of my personal experiences. Within this body of work, I employ a series of recurring motifs, including depictions of human-tree figures, ravens, dragonflies, and hermit crabs/shells. These elements serve as thematic vehicles through which I delve into the visual representation of my experience with growth, adaptation, transformation, displacement, the vulnerability that comes with these phenomena, and home; giving the viewer the ability to look at my pieces and feel as if they were looking at the world through my eyes while also looking inwards into their own selves and their own life experiences. I've always been drawn to artistic movements like Surrealism and Magical Realism. The imagery and evolution of my ideas have been shaped by artists such as Frida Kahlo, whose artistic expression and imagery deeply resonate with my own. Another pivotal figure in the development of my work is Dorothea Tanning. I discovered a profound connection between my explorations and her imagery, marked by a hybrid world that blurs the boundaries between fiction and reality, with figures undergoing constant transformation. Additionally, artists like Remedios Varo, Miles Johnston, and Sergio Bustamante have served as further inspiration and influencers in my work. Utilizing clay as my medium for sculpting serves as a profound exploration of the concept of transformation. The sculptures undergo a captivating metamorphosis, navigating through a series of physical and chemical changes to ultimately manifest as the finished product. The inherent malleability of the clay serves as a symbolic reflection of the fluidity within my own mind, body, and the essence of reality itself. 

Ashley Burnett 

I use allegorical storytelling to explore the journey of growing up, as a woman, under the influence of the Church. Pulling from personal experience, I investigate the inner workings of maturing under the strict, repressives standards of the Southern Baptist community. My work is an expression of my own personal relationship with navigating womanhood and coming to terms with the power of femininity. Through the use of mythological creatures and objects, I subvert elements found throughout the Bible to begin weaving my own mythology. My own journey includes feelings of anguish, isolation, disdain, and hope, which I interlace into different aspects along the story. The hybrid women highlight the vulnerability of desire, seduction, and the subsequent power that women possess. I am taking specific moments in the mermaid chronicle to expand and explore further. Creating in-the-round narrative models help support the conceptual ideas being presented across multiple mediums. The dimensionality of the ceramic pieces help support the space that is created in my paper works. Giving form to the fantastical creatures allows them to feel more substantial and concrete. My influences include several artists who make work about their own experiences as women, or women’s issues. It has allowed me to see how they express these ideas and gave me a path to start walking on my own. Some of these artists include Kathryn Polk, Jenny Schmit, Hannah Wilke, and Andrea Keys Connell. Each of these artists present a unique perspective to consider when approaching my own compositions and narratives. 

Jonathon Garza 

Rooted within memories of tending to the garden with my grandfather, I have developed a profound connection to the natural world. The natural world is resilient and pushes back as we live in a time where the environment is shaped more by human activity than any other influence. Compositions I create narrate nature’s resilience and what is left behind by nature and humans. This body of work reflects the passing of time, legacy, and interconnectivity of all things living. As my grandfather and I worked in the garden, we frequently wore gloves to protect us from harm. The glove present in my work has a mythos of memories, legacy, and protection. On the other hand, gloves are often left-behind and found littered throughout countless ecosystems. Each glove sculpted is left-handed, and created as an icon representing what is left behind. Humans’ legacy and handprint on the natural world can be positive. In my backyard, I strive to help the environment blossom and attempt to have a symbiotic relationship with the ecosystem. A diversity of creatures such as toads and birds thrive in my backyard and are present within many of my compositions; representing coexistence and a healthy ecosystem. Other organisms such as fungi, flora, and fauna flourish in my backyard and appear in my work; symbolic of regeneration and the cycle of life. Compositions I create can have one or a combination of symbolic elements that give the piece a specific thematic narrative. Ultimately, I aim for viewers to question; “what is left behind?”. I utilize reference left behind by other artists when creating this series. When sculpting gloves, I reference the trompe-l'œil quality of Marilyn Lavine’s ceramic sculptures of leather garments. I create each sculpture out of red clay and pay particular attention to unique modeling, textures, and finishes such as: acrylic and oil paint, shoe polish, and iron oxides. When painting, I reference Jeremy Miranda’s attention to luminosity and depth. Each painting allows the audience to experience a place in my garden at a particular micro-season that takes place each year.