Transformer

Next week, we will learned about Architecture,this video is talking about how architect in Hong Kong transformed a tiny apartment into 24 rooms.

Jaffa Lam

Here are Jaffa Lam's article I mentioned on the presentation.
Since her website's character encode was wrong, I did these new PDF file.
If There Is No Public Art
Contemporary Hong Kong Wood Sculpture

Here is the short video about Jaffa Lam:

MCA visit

This is my first time go to the Museum of Contemporary Art. I enjoyed this trip very much. The artworks in MCA are the type I studied in my high school at Hong Kong. They reminded the days when I go to different exhibitions with my friends in Hong Kong. Those artworks gave me power to walk through the whole art building. During the visiting, I realized that there are many artists doing contemporary art in their passion. Also, this is the best trip in this class. I found out that every Tuesday is holding a free admission. The exhibitions are changing every few weeks. I think I will go there and have fun again : )

5.0The super Papershapers!

We've learned how to use a flat paper to make 3D sculpture in our art class. This video is talking about how artists make their 3D Paper shape. As you see, paper cut are fun and everyone can make it. However, today I want to introduce you the famous Paper shapers - Peter Callesen. Peter Callesen’s artworks are different than other paper shaper because the cut and folded objects are literally shadows of the objects former self, "real" 3D sculpture all keep with 2D paper. His paper cut sculptures explore the probable and magical transformation of the flat sheet of paper into figures that expand into the space surrounding them. Here is Peter Callesen’s official website (http://www.petercallesen.com/). Explore the fantasy Paper world!

4.0Analogous

Photograph by Perk Yu.

This is a photograph took by my friend a month ago. He need to capture a photograph with analogous color for his class. So I helped him to paint on his hand. When he washed his hand, I wanted to record a video. Since acrylic is like plastic, when it washed away, it is different from other color. How is it? Let's watch : )

3.0Photographer Assistant

This is 10:37pm; I'm going to be a photographer assistant to help my friend do one of his experimental artwork. The whole project is about the "Temptation of Fire". This setup is for one of his images from the project talking about the moment to burn until things turn into ashes. Using multiple exposure to capture different moment instead of combining different images in Photoshop. In these photos, you can see the same person in a photo. It is because, we took that photo in multiple exposure, then use a black card to cover the lens when the person changing his position.

Since this is the first time using multiple exposure with fire, it did not come out like what we went at the first try. My friend chooses other photos to finish his project. However, I think these two photos look great. After we done and clean up the setup, it is already 12:30am. Tired but contented : )

Want to know more about this artist? Join his page!

2.0Cyanotype Print

Today, I tried my first cyanotype print! Interesting!

Cyanotype is a photographic printing process that gives a cyan-blue print. The process was popular in engineering circles well into the 20th century. The simple and low-cost process enabled them to produce large-scale copies of their work, referred to as blueprints. Two chemicals are used in the process:

* Ammonium iron(III) citrate
* Potassium ferricyanide.

I have to do the printing process on a dark room because it exposure to ultraviolet light (such as that in sunlight). I mixed the two chemicals carefully, painted it on a watercolor paper. After the paper is dry, I put some stencil on the top of the paper. Then, bring it outside under sun light. After 1 to 2 hours, I bring them back and wash away the chemicals. Wait until them dry and finish! The whole process spent me about 7 hours, I did the two on the left. As you see, they are fail work compare to my friend's... wish I will make it better when I have more time.

1.0My dream drawing pad

Oh my God! Wacom have their second generation CINTIQ 21UX!! It is awesome! I wish I would have one, but it is too much for me (a poor student). This drawing pad combination of a color LCD with pen input capabilities allows us to work "naturally" and "intuitively directly on the surface. This new generation update the sensitive of the surface, and is can responds to angle of the pen. So, we can draw a digital graph just like what we do on paper. I post it on my blog because I want to tell you my dream drawing pad. I name it Lazy drawing pad : )

For more information, go to Wacom.

Visual: Shadow Hunting

Want to see more photos?...click here

People usually don't pay much attention to the things they see everyday, like shadow. This week, I spent me day with the sun, photographing shadows. At first, I just took dark shadows, and felt boring. It is because I can't see anything interesting on the totally dark shape. Later on, I took some photo that have shadow reflected on tiles. It looks more colorful, but I think something was missing.

Then, I took many photos on the car, though the glasses. It is interesting that I can see the outsides and insides in a same picture. After that, I went to 200 West Madison. It was afternoon, the sun was on the top of me. Though the glasses, sitting on the marble bench; I took my final photo. This is the 2nd and 3rd photo below this article.I choose this photo because we can see the dark and color shadow in the same time. Also, we can see the detail, there are shadows reflected to the revolving door.

Public Art Tour

Today, I went to the Loop Public Art Tour. It is a new experience for me, looking at the map, listening for the audio and walking to the art works I knew, to relearned and know deeper about the artworks. It is very interesting to listen to the audio and look at an artwork. This is like a tour inside a museum; actually it is an outdoor tour. When I listen to the audio, I feel very participate in appreciate the artwork.

In this tour, I found out many things that I never knew before. The painting in the top of the building, I did not know it was a "tattoo" of the building. Then, I knew there are three flats behind our school in the lake river, but I never knew that there is a Vietnam Memorial under the stairs. Also, I did not know the park near the Art Institute is "Public" garden. After this tour, I feel that things are not like what we think. I learned that we should know deeper and find the truth of every things that around us. Study will not end, wherever it is in school or in life.

I strongly recommend the tour to you, in the audio tour; you can learn things that you never learn before. Also, you will enjoy walking with yourself, listening the mp3, taking photograph for the artworks in the Loop : )

HOB: FolkArt

House of Blues Chicago Foundation Room

I have seen the House of Blues many times, but I never walk inside, and see what it is. This day, our field trip is to get in the House of Blues and appreciate the folk art they have. In House of Blues, they have a collection of many outsiders’ art work. Most of the current HOB artist used the original medium like mud or other simple things that shows in our life to paint their idea of work. Since we went there for our art appreciation class, the HOB staff guide us to their Foundation Room which just open for their members. The Chicago Foundation Room affords a unique setting for entertaining. Members can enjoy the internationally architectural artifacts collections, original folk art paintings, and live entertainment. They can go to the opera bar and enjoy the “Blue shows”. The most interested part in this field trip is the wall decorations. They used many kind of medium to decorate the wall. For example, cotton cloths, beer bottle caps, colorful mud. This is a great trip for our art class. Hope we can have more excited trips later.

F-111 by James Rosenquist

James Rosenquist, F-111, Oil on canvas with aluminum, 10 x 86', 1964-65.

This painting was painted during the Vitamin War. As you see, it is a large paint in 304.8 x 2621.3 cm in twenty-three sections using fuses pictures of American prosperity with a darker visual current and the U.S. Air Force fighter-bomber, F-111, to show the upsetting connections between militarism and the industrial structure of the American economy. I choose this painting because it shows one reason that why people made pop art. In 1960s, the United States are having many art work about anti-war protest. People wants to show their idea of what they want their society be with doing their art. In this painting, the diver, cake and the light bulbs are like clouds meaning the F-111 made the US became rich; then the smiling little girl sits under a bomber hairdryer and the sea of spaghetti looks made us feel uncomfortable. This painting shows the power and impact of what James Rosenquist wanted us to think of. Stop war! Nowadays, this painting still achieved international acclaim with its room-scale size.

For more information, go to The Museum of Modern Art

The Agony and the Ecstasy

The Agony and the Ecstasy

The Agony and the Ecstasy is an old movie made in 1965, talking about the time Michelangelo paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. At the beginning, the Pope wants Michelangelo to decorate the tomb. So, Michelangelo plan to sculpt forty sculptures but each sculpture took four years, that means he have to spent a hundred and sixty years to cut the marbles. However, the Pope can't wait for Michelangelo to take that much time doing unending work. He gave Michelangelo a new work, paint the 12 apostles on the ceiling of the Sistine chapel and decorate the vault with appropriate designs. Michelangelo felt his destiny: Born to sculpt, not paint. He is a sculptor not a painter. He felt agony about the new command by the pope. After he heard “If the wine is sour, throw it out", someone said. He went back to the chapel, destroy his work and ran away to the mountain. This movie is talking about how Michelangelo overcome his obstacle and how he ecstasy on the ceiling... What makes Michelangelo return to his work? I recommend you to enjoy this movie. A movie full of excite and passion.

THE NATURAL WORLD

Liu Mao Shan, Paris, Chinese cross Western styles painting

This is a painting Liu Mao Shan use his talent base on Chinese painting and add the western style to paint. It is how he looks at the street in Paris. Liu Mao Shan always set the landscape to be his object. He had many painting show how the world look from his eyes is. As you see, this painting gives us a new way of looking at Paris. You can see it is a street at Paris but the feel is totally different for the painting is combining with Chinese painting style. I feel this painting is playing with me, because of the style and those colors added on the top.

Zaha Hadid

This is a little introduction about the famous architect - Zaha Hadid. I used the photostory to made it. In this introduction, you can learn Zaha Hadid's biography, where does she work and some information about what is special about her art.

Visit to Artic

Sincere Yeung, Chicago Artic Mordern Wing 5/11, Photograph, 2009.

This day, we visited to Artic, the Art Institute of Chicago, and have our second field trip. In this trip, we had grouped to different team. My partner is Florence. At there, we learned different styles and art elements of art. We saw Gustave Caillebotte, George Seurat, Van Gogh, Gauguin, Geogria O’ Keefe ad other arties’ work.

After that, we went to the New Wing to start our exploration. We had to choose one art work with our partner; discuss the work and give a presentation about it. We choose Victor Brauner’s Turning Point of Thirst. We have to tell some basic information about it and use the visual elements to describe the art work. And we have to write a poem about the work. Here is the poem:

Victor Brauner, Turning Point of Thirst, Oil on canvas, 19 7/8 x 23 1/4 in, 1934.

Face
Alone black
Thirsty scarily hopeless
His brain was thirst
Scarily paint black
Meaningful creative
Hope
Turning Point of Thirst

Visit to Culture Center

Perk Yu, Photograph, 2010

This Wednesday, we went to the Chicago Cultural Center. I had been there for many times, so it is not a new experience for me. We went to the Two Galleries; the first one is Christine Tarkowski’s Last Things Will Be First and First things Will Be Last the ship in the; the second exhibit is the 4th floor, Expect the Unexpected by Hollis Sigler. She was a Chicago artist who told her life with breast cancer.

Perk Yu, Photograph, 2010

In the exhibit, I found out a paper cut. The paper cut is called She Always Had Hope. At the frame, he wrote “She always had hope. She look her disease seriously enough, she just thought there was a way out.” In the picture, all the windows and door in the room was blocked. A drawing table putted in the middle of the room and the light shine on it. It is an art work Hollis Sigler made in 1995. I think this art work is to tell people that during the battle with breast cancer, she lost herself, but she found her hope, and it was to use paintings and drawing telling people about how she feel, and how breast cancer affect people.

Hollis Sigler, Stepping Outside of Her Life, Lithograph on paper, 17 x 23 in, 1996.

When you go down to the Michigan Avenue Galleries at first floor, you will find Joel Sheesley’s recent paintings posted there in the exhibit named Up is Down. I think those paints a very cool, not just because of the highly realistic, but the theme of those paintings is to having us look more carefully at the world in small details of every day. After I saw those paintings, I asked myself many questions about what is my goal and hope…This exhibit is open between Jan 9, 2010 - Apr 4, 2010 and the Galley Talk will be on Thursday, March 11, 12:15pm with the artist. Feel free to go there and have fun!

Joel Sheesley, Angle of a Dream, Painting , 45x75", 2008

After the visiting, I asked myself a question. Why do people choose those artworks to put them on a gallery? This question was in my head for a long time, but I can’t tell it…

deviantART

Typography created by HamsAljofoon posted on deviantART.

What is deviantART?
If you are interesting in any kind of art, you might hear of the website deviantART. deviantART is a worldwide online community of art that shows the artworks made by the users. Anyone can set up a free access to browse over 800,000 artworks in 2,000 categories, upload unlimited artwork and receive feedback from other users, and participate in or create any art communities and groups all over the world.

Why should we look at it or explore it?
In deviantART, you can find artist around the world uploading their artworks and discussing works with each others. As you see, there is difficult category of art such as digital art, photography, traditional art, literature, flash, films, games, manga, applications skins and more... you will find at least one thing that you like. The greatest thing for being there is you can buy artworks posted by artistes over the world and also selling your artworks to the world by using their shopping system. It is very easy because you just need to upload the picture and choose why size or what product you want it to be. After people choose to buy your work, deviantART will print it out and sent it to the buyer.

Why I choose this website?
I choose this website for the reason that I think it is good for us to explore art and to learn how to appreciate arts. We can see different kind of art made by people in different ideas, believes, and culture background. It is also a good place for us to improve our art and English skills too.

The deviantART website: http://www.deviantart.com/

How I live with Art?

Picture from Poked Studio (http://www.pokedstudio.com/).

Art is anywhere in different place and time. Art is things that I have passion in it. It is not just what we normally think like paintings, drawings, building, fashion, music… People might heard of “Life is an art” or “Life is beautiful”, but what does it means? Every day, I live with art. The airs I breathe, the fire I use for cooking and keep things warm, even myself – human is the arts created by God. Things I do it every day are also a part of art. When I walking on the street, the way I kiss, the way I speak, how I take notes on class, the dinner I cook, even though this paper that I am writing, they are all arts created by me. Sometimes, arts are not just beautiful things but a meaning on it. I draw things to show what I am thinking, what concept I want to let people know. In those drawing, I don’t need to make them look pretty, but just to show what I am thinking now. And this is how I live with ART.

Welcome to 囧rz...

Wilhelm Lehmbruck, Der Gestürzte, Plaster, 1915/6

Hi everyone, thanks for coming to my blog. 囧rz is a blog created for my ART Appreciation 010–0103 GJ5 class. Every week, I will post my blog assignment given by my art appreciation class. Most of the assignments are reflective in nature and help me to explore art in various ways and help to improve my written language skills.

The meaning of 囧rz ( from Wikipedia)

囧 (Mandarin Chinese Pinyin: jiong3; Cantonese Chinese: Ggwing2) is a Chinese character officially meaning a "patterned window" or "as bright as the light peering from outside the window". Nowadays, The character is now rarely used on the Internet as an ideographic emoticon representing a range of moods, as it resembles a person's face. It is commonly used to express ideas or feelings such as annoyance, shock, embarrassment, awkwardness or scorn. When the character is used in conjunction with orz, OTZ or its other variants to form "囧rz", representing a person on their hands and knees (Jiong forming the face, while r and z represent arms and legs respectively) and symbolising despair or failure. Sometimes, Orz is associated with the phrase "nice guy"—that is, the concept of males being rejected for a date by girls...