Clay's Blog

This is my 2nd Image out of 4 for the Final Port Project. As I was working on a different Image using assets from google to make it seem Alice and the wonderland esque, I realized it had to be all photos we took for the brainstorm and I got carried away. 

Like all my projects, I approached this one with a very open mindset. My creative process is very “go with the flow,” with things changing along the way as I’m working on it. The idea for this project all started because whenever people would meet my cat, they would always comment on how large he is. Then, as I was working on the images, he started looking like a weird celestial being in these surroundings, so I started drawing halos and swirls of light around him. I’d like to think that there is a deeper meaning to these pieces, but really, I just like creating anything that makes me happy. And with my cat being someone who has brought me a lot of joy and comfort, it was very fun having him be the subject of many of my photographs throughout this class. 

I had to make some changes to 2 of my final images since they were not as consistent with the theme. Here is a redo, so I hope you guys like it :)

Yekaterina Grebennikova

ARTS 3379, Loving

July 31, 2021

                                            Artist Statement

My art is a window that allows the audience to look into reality. Some of the windows are curtained, some are bare. Some have spidery cracks that causes discomfort to the viewer. Others serve to refract light and create colorful reflections that create joy. In these dualities, particularly those of conscious and subconscious-mind and symbolism, allow me to create images that can be interpreted to have multiple meanings and to cause diverse emotions. The mind, conscious and subconscious, can influence the audience’s perception of an image; the process motivates me to build duality in my works.

One of my biggest art influences is Frida Kahlo. Her works deal with duality, not only of the mind but also of the symbolism she painted (Haynes, 2006). She chose colors and objects that make the audience question what she seeks to communicate through these images (Kettenmann, 2000). In the same way, I want to affect and influence those who view my art.

I attempt to dive deeper into the duality of the mind, the absurdness, or joy that my art may trigger. I often put on a “brave face” in order to hide my emotions and not disappoint others. I want my artwork to inspire my audience members to question themselves as to why they feel and react as they do.

My latest project has been inspired by my dreams and ideas. I often have a reoccurring dream where I am desperately collecting and searching for white cats. In these dreams I am ether walking around or looking through small spaces trying to pick and collect in my arms as many cats as I can possibly carry.

Seeing cats in a dream usually has positive meanings, however, desperately trying to collect them does not. The color of the white (cats) can signify light, truth, and search for unsolved answers. Not to make this project into a boring interpretation of my dreams I would like to add interesting details using small figurines, or images that appear like figurines in varies shapes and sizes in order to convey a state of serialism. Though these tiny figures, I visualize different worlds on different scales and vantage points.

Another idea I would love to experiment with is the use of various light sources. I love the ambient light the is released from a burning candle, a nightlight, string lights or any other calm light source. I love the color and the shade that these light sources produce. I want to somehow incorporate these lights into few of my pieces.

I have taken a lot of the bright, outdoor photos, and have hoped to use these images as the background for my final project. I would like to create my first serialism photos which could be a little obnoxious, creepy and hopefully a little dreamy, requiring the viewer to wonder.

I want the viewer to experience something unanticipated. I want them to question the meanings behind the images. I love art because it allows me to gain experience and express emotions that I may not have in my personal life. I want art to be a window that is accessible to anyone willing to peak into it.

References:

Haynes, Anna. “Frida Kahlo: An Artist ‘In Between’.” Identity and Marginality, eSharp 6 (2006): 2.

Final portfolio Project

For the surrealism prompt I edited in planets into regular landscape photos that I took. I got the inspiration from Star Wars were the planets would have multiple moons or other planets in the background of shots. I thought taking this idea and using it with our mundane world would be interesting. It hits the surrealist aspect but it also has a science fiction vibe to it that I enjoy.