The week in review!!! ka-kow!

Critique:
Yes, my work was critiques by none other than Candice Breitz. Here comments on work work was that first of all, that she would have preferred to see my prints, rather than my digital portfolio, because that when one looks at prints the work seems so much different. The dimensions are there, the print quality, and the texture and details of the work. I would have brought my big box of prints that day, if it weren't raining though. See also said that I needed to have a stronger support for my work (what else is new) and that the composition and formal aspects of the photograph were very nice. So, pretty much every critique has told me that I can make a very well composed and strong photograph, but I need more theory and a better defense behind my work to make it a complete success.

Motivational Moment:
Well, I'd have to say it happened to me around Monday. My girlfriend and I were in a bit of a disagreement and I have been feeling almost out of place in the RVA, and I felt that I really needed to know why I am who I am and why I want to do this work and really focus on me as a study. To turn the camera on myself and explore my self identity, character, and emotions that come along with moving away from my family, friends, girlfriend, and everything that I know and hold dear in Illinois. I really have an urge to focus on these topics because I have never thought of myself as a subject and explored my knowledge of myself and why I do what I do and why I am who I am. It needs to have some light put upon it.

What do I want to Achieve:
Well, I just finished the first part of my self identity project. By first part I mean, I shot a few rolls and scanned some intriguing Images. I soon will start to scrape emulsion from the film and make many illustrations with a razor on my film to express my emotions in a more abstract, yet clearer way. I know that doesn't make much sense, but destroying my negs is how I feel on the inside sometimes, that I need to, in a sense, hurt myself to gain a better understanding on me and my emotions. I want to keep shooting me as well, in color and see how they turn out compared to B+W. I also need to read some more on lighting techniques to perfect these shots in a studio setting.

Artistic Failure:
I wouldn't so much as to call it a failure, but I am postponing what I had originally intended to do, that being my mythology photos set in contemporary times. I just felt that addressing religion at this time added too much baggage I wasn't ready to explore and ready to pursue. Religion is too hard of a subject to explore in my case, because I need to work on myself first, before I can attack religious mythologies.

Profound thought:
I guess it would have been while at the Candice Breitz lecture. When we all saw "Queen" I thought it was a laugh riot, it was so funny, yet it was showing how there is personality in mass produced and pop music, which I really agreed with. She raised many good points about the topic and I just felt It was a very strong lecture and really enjoyed it.

Visiting Artist:
Well, I have kind of answered it. "Queen" was hilarious and I haven't have "Like a Prayer" out of my head for a few days. I thought the composition and display were tremendous and her talent and ideas were so new and fresh. Mothers was an alright piece, it felt like it went on too long, but she edited it really well so it all worked out.