Transitions

There is a perfect order to our universe.

From this order, connections arise.

There are transitions between the different entities in our universe.

There is order within the seemingly ambiguous transitions.

Transitions are unseen moments of change from one being to another.

These transitions are a part of the universal connection.   

Every little detail of every moment that has occurred is an important stepping stone in leading up to the now. There is nowhere we are "supposed to be" other than right here, right now. The reason for this is because there is a perfect order to the nature of our universe. Have you ever noticed that there are similarities all over our natural world? From the uncurling of a fern, to the inside of a nautilus shell, to the beginning spiral of the hair growth on a man's head, there is order present within all of nature. This visual order is a guide to awakening us to the truth: that everything is connected. There is a divine spirit inside each and every being on this earth, and it is up to us to spiritually awaken ourselves to see its presence.

This body of work is meant to act as a reflection of this truth. The connection among all forms of nature, along with the connection of mind, body, and spirit to nature, is important to both personal and universal growth. Through these images, I hope to evoke the idea of spiritual transcendence.

I think abstraction is key for my work because I am asking the viewer to look beyond what is on the "canvas". These images promote a meditative emotion and reflect the idea of literal light within the image and symbolic light within oneself.

So much beauty in minimalism!

 

Taking a more minimalist approach to images that evoke a heightened sense of spiritual awareness. I feel that the use of light along with a more minimal and less objective subject matter is a more successful approach to reflecting the idea of transcendence. I want the viewer to step away from what is individual and conscious and to step toward the universal and the unconscious. I really want these images to read as very meditative, as that is the purpose that they serve for me. When I look at the top image I think of harmony tranquility, a feeling that I get during meditation.

I think these images would be most successful if they could evoke in the viewer a sense of spirituality and oneness with the universe.

I am currently exploring two different ideas of portraying the idea of the interconnection of everything and the transcendence into a higher spiritual being. 

One idea is including the human figure in the image; the other is including human characteristics in the image, such as finger prints, eyes, etc. 

Can both be viewed as one entity? Maybe so, and maybe this can be achieved with technical aspects such as the use of color palette...

We are every drop of water and every grain of sand.

Just as we live on the earth, the earth lives within us.

Here and Now

Has anyone ever told you that you are exactly where you are supposed to be, or that everything that happens is supposed to happen?


Every little detail of every moment that has occurred is an important stepping stone in leading up to the now. There is nowhere we are "supposed to be" other than right here, right now. The reason for this is because there is a perfect order to the nature of our universe. Have you ever noticed that there are similarities all over our natural world? From the uncurling of a fern, to the inside of a nautilus shell, to the beginning spiral of the hair growth on a man's head, there is order present within all of nature. This visual order is a guide to awakening us to the truth: that everything is connected. There is a divine spirit inside each and every being on this earth, and it is up to us to spiritually awaken ourselves to see its presence.

This body of work is meant to act as a reflection of this truth. The connection among all forms of nature, along with the connection of mind, body, and spirit to nature, is important to both personal and universal growth. Through these images, I hope to evoke the idea of spiritual transcendence.

Blog #27...FULL artist statement

I figured that since I have to hand this in to my Senior Seminar class...I may as well share my full artist statement with you too!

Living in a culture where technology has become a staple in many aspects of life, it is no surprise that the art of photography has driven away from film and is steering toward digital imaging. It is a wonder the things we can do with the resources offered to us today. Being an artist influenced by all aspects of photography, I believe it is important to not only respect and practice the art of film, but to also appreciate the advances of our times by testing the waters in the digital world.

Through the art of photography, I enjoy creating images that deal with my own personal style of abstraction, thinking of art as being the projection of the thoughts in my mind. I find the process within the creation of an image to be the most important characteristic of the outcome of the work. That being said, I find my art to be most successful when I begin with an idea, start shooting, and then follow my instincts in order to determine where to go next.

This particular process adheres to my most current work, where the importance of the art lies in finding order within a seemingly disordered image. By using one single photograph, four images can be created through ordered orientations, resulting in a redefinition of the subject matter. From this, intricate patterns arise and aesthetic symmetry is accomplished due to the arrangement of the image. The purpose of this process is to convey two ideas: the first being that the subject can translate into different behaviors while still maintaining its original qualities; the second being that there are different aspects to every one thing. Upon experiencing these images, I hope for the viewer to embrace the idea that from one object can come differently redefined objects, full of excitement and exploration for the eye’s mind.

Blog #24...finally

Ann Marie Martens
Ann Marie Martens is a Ceramics MFA candidate at MSU. Recently, she had an installation exhibited in the Kresge MFA show. Her installation consisted of a countless number of wires (ethernet cords) draped over from the ceiling to the floor. Inside these cords were amorphous forms made from Earthenware clay that were suspended on the wall. There was just enough room in between the ceramic pieces and the wires to be able to walk into the installation. While walking in there, the viewer is asked to wear a set of headphones that broadcasts a white noise sound. This is part of the experience of the installation.
My first reaction of this installation was that I didn't understand it at all. I felt that there was supposed to be some sort of disconnection for the viewer, but I just quite didn't get it. I then spoke with Ann Marie about her work. She explained to me that her art deals with the ever-growing disconnection of the human with the natural world. With the ever-increasing demand for cell phones, computers, etc., we are becoming more and more disconnecting with the people around us and we are becoming more addicted to technology. In order to speak to our families (hers lives in South Dakota), we must communicate on cell phones, meaning that our true communication with these people is intangible and isn't really as real as it could be if say, for instance, we were physically around them and communicating with them. We rely so much on technology today that it has built a wall around us. For example, people who text message others for hours on end may seem inapproachable to the other people that are physically around them. I can relate to this...I have sat at dinner tables with friends who text throughout the entire meal, and it makes me feel as though I cannot speak to them at that moment because they are distracted with an intangible conversation. This is incredibly rude and annoying, however our increasing demand for technology has made it almost impossible to escape this situation. We have become addicted to technology because of the times, and this isn't something that is going to slow down.
I am glad that I got to sit down with Ann Marie and talk with her about her installation. It sends out a very important message to us...especially to me. I know I can get caught up with my computer or my cell phone at times. It makes life easier sometimes, because it lets me speak with the people that I don't get to see every day. But isn't that the purpose of moving away and experiencing new things...so that you don't talk to those people every day? That's something to think about...

Blog #27, Artist Statement

Redefinition
Recently, I have been interested in creating intricately patterned images from one single image. In order to do this, I have been redefining the subject matter of the image by reflecting it over itself in four ways. The result of these images shows that the subject can translate into different behaviors while still maintaining its original qualities. This process conveys the idea that there are different aspects to every one thing.

Fun Fun Fun!

Karen Heald

http://www.karenheald.co.uk/

An artist / filmmaker who is interested in the aspect of time and sleep from a woman's perspective.

She received her PhD from Leeds Metropolitan University.

Her installations deal with emotional responses to her environment.

Where to go next...

Or...

Or...

While I was uploading these images...an idea occurred to me. Well, before I say that, let me say that I have decided to go with the suggestion that I received from multiple people: to do a color spectrum (roygbv), so that there is a series of images for each color. This would really help tie the images together and make it appear more as a series.

My idea is this: I just put up two different image series of the same subject (two of the orange and two of the leaf)...MAYBE to further my project, I could show different images of the same subject, as in have four images to work with for each subject so that I have a total of 16 images for each subject. I know a few people suggested that I try to have more than four images...and this could be how I do it! In showing 16 (estimate) images, rather, four variations, the viewer would be able to explore the similarities between the different images...In finding similarities, maybe the viewer would see more that there are like qualities within different images, and there would be more to look at...this could further show that the image maintains its original quality throughout multiple images, rather than just four from one...it would be sixteen from four...hmmmmmmmmmmm. ideas.....thoughts.......!