[ A E S T H E T I C S ]

Finals week at the University of Long Beach is now coming to a close and I will be attending the commencement next week on Thursday. I do not regret transferring to this school one bit because I have met great friends and learned how to really create work that has lasting content and reason to it. I’ve grown a network of friends who continue to hone their craft and inspire me everyday. I specifically chose to transfer to this school because it was highly recommended as a second option from many of my professors from Pasadena City College compared to the debt creator Art Institute. I spent long hours preparing my portfolio in order to get into the Graphic Design BFA. It was a goal I had set once I transferred. Already knowing friends in the program, they helped me prepare in the way they got accepted and to no avail I was rejected. Heart stricken I did not know how to feel but feel angry. All my work, time, effort and energy went towards that portfolio with the help of peers who were in the program rejected my one and only submission. I literally wanted to quit everything I was doing. Completely discouraged I did not touch design for several semesters and slacked off with the remainder art classes I was forced to take in order to get my “Graphic Design” degree. I ended up failing a few classes on the way which was completely abnormal because I’ve always been a high standing student until then. I have trudged through and learned how to be an artist and produce work that is not only meaningful to myself but to my classmates and professors. Despite my bittersweet ending to my Long Beach educational story, I am glad for where I am now. The portfolio I’ve made has landed me a job I’ve always wanted and I’ve gained great friendships along the way. I am just glad I can check this part off of my life.

The Four Horsemen is a project that revolves around how social media is used in a negative way. We smother ourselves with electronics and sometimes we do not realize how we put on a mask and pretend to be someone who we are not and curate our life via post on either twitter, instagram, facebook or snapchat. This project is an ironic twist on how and why we use certain applications. Do not get me wrong, social media can be a great tool for good but unfortunately the masses share irrelevant info for simple entertainment.

No Pain. No Gain. is my final piece for my weaving class at CSULB. This fiber sculpture is a self portrait of myself and a snippet of events with skateboarding. It is my bittersweet tribute to my love and hate for this creative sport. Although I love how free and in the moment I feel when I skate, but there can be major consequences. The two rips in the piece signify major accidents I’ve had through my skateboarding career and ironically they happened both no longer than two weeks of eachother. I’ve grown wisdom of my own vulnerability and mortality and interested in the relation of the body to fabric. They are both mended in very similar ways. I am ecstatic to end my semester with projects that I’ve hardly had the chance to tribute and origins to my creative drive. I am also happy that I was able to reflect my poor weaving skills as well because I really struggled all semester. I was able to incorporate my true likeness in this piece from my left shoe choice to show my personal stance and identity as a skater and the beanie I slammed my head with when I did have my concussion with.

I just aced an interview this Monday for an internship position with an upcoming branding company titled Man & Cam Media as a Graphic Designer. There is much potential for they have been growing exponentially and continue to with every client they get. I am excited for this opportunity and this is a great jump start for my career. I was lucky enough to receive an email from them since they have seen my work on instagram. Check out my work here: https://www.instagram.com/kennethaverion/

My weaving professor, Diedrick Brackens, exploring my classmates suspended installation piece that plays a role with light.

Here is another sculptural installation piece my classmate Katia has done. Just as the previous post this is also a likeness portrait of Katia’s father. While Katia was being raised by her father, he had a set goal of influencing her to become a master painter. Katia had different interests and one of her passions is comics. This piece is an allusion to her childlike self and her thoughts of her father. In comparison to Wolverine or Logan, she finds parallels to their personalities. Wolverine is usually found to be a fatherly figure to many younger girls and despite his anger and frightening looks, his intentions are always for good. Katia sees her father as an art monster, but understands that he only wants the best for her.

Here is a fellow classmate Dulce’s amazing sculptural installation. This is her responsive piece to the artist she researched which was Doris Salcedo. In tandem of her work, Dulce used found objects and brought historical and referential narritive to her own work. This piece is a portrait of her father and how he has been completely supportive for his family with his career in landscaping. The embroidered hands signify the forceful push that he must endeavor to brighten the future for himself and his family.

My boy Ricky rockin’ his final fiber sculpture project. Ricky found a way to take ordinary objects and turn it into a functional and an aesthetic that he identifies himself. This sculptural piece reflects his flamboyant personality and he looks forward to use it in future pride rallies.

The poppy dance nostalgic music producer Alan Palomo best known for his stage name “Neon Indian.” Here is a Ted Talk that Alan speaks about art through music and film making. He challenges our thoughts of what is considered great art and original. Alan makes a point that we are all collaborators whether we are conscious or unconscious with thought. I find it interesting that he compares the Autocratic artist vs. the Collaborative artist. I follow his last words of his talk inspirational and that we should all celebrate where all of our ideas come from even when it is from someone else.

Here’s some process photos for my project titled “The Four Horsemen.” Ironing, machine sewing, inkjet printing, taping, gluing and cutting. Everything was done to create this project. Stay tuned for the finished product.

My friend Sammy’s wooden sculpture installation. This wooden space fixed with gears and cogs gives me a feeling of an old wooden clocktower or something mechanical from a past time. I enjoy the aspect that there is a cooperative action that two people have when they spin a wheel to each side to make all of the gears spin. It tells me that there will always be a group effort to make the world spinning. The sound itself is captivating and gives out an almost therapeutic effect. If you visit this piece in the student galleries at CSULB there’s a little hidden gem behind the piece. Accessibility is a bit tight at the sides and there’s a treat for the viewer in the back with some hand made wooden giveaways. Give yourself a look see and enjoy the art from students at Long Beach and Fullerton!

My boi Sammy’s sculptural installation at work.

My gf Poppy with her aesthetic youtube channel talks about our lives and how we are physically connected with the internet and technology. It is questionable on what content the internet is truly used for. She speaks in light with my current fibers project, The Four Horsemen.

The long awaited full-length LP titled “Harbor” is finally released today! The Finnish beatmaker “Tomppabeats” will woo your soul with beautiful loops of pianos and ukuleles with tight soothing drum tracks. Samples from movies and anime gives his tracks a full soulful effect and even a visual narrative to the listener. Give this a listen and support this artist. I will definitely have this album on repeat especially with this gloomy and rainy weather. listen and support here: https://tomppabeats.bandcamp.com/album/harbor-lp

Chaz Bundick aka Toro Y Moi is an inspirational artist to me both with music and design. As a graphic designer and bedroom music producer, I relate to him on many levels. Chaz was a pioneer in the production of the bedroom producer genre “Chillwave” and constantly progresses his sound into something new and definitely genuine. I love the way he speaks about music, design and skateboarding. Here’s a good inspirational watch.

Happy Sunday! Here’s some aesthetic for you featuring vaporwave artists Macintosh Plus and Blank Banshee. This is the new aesthetic called: ＳＩＭＰＳＯＮＷＡＶＥ

After my fiber sculpture class on 4/20 I was just cruising normally down campus back to my car and I got off of my board before the “designated” non-skateboarding zone and was still issued a ticket by an asshole cop. I can understand if I was defacing school property but in my situation no one or thing was at harm and it really irritates me that skateboarding usually gets a bad reputation towards the law. I followed school regulations and was still cited. Also, I find it ironic that a handful of my school projects are based off of skateboarding in general. I’m going to contest this ticket for sure and address it to the school dean. Skate-or-die.