Saturday, May 10, 2008
Title: Work/work/work
"Way too much work"
Showing posts with label Art. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Art. Show all posts
Work/Work/Work
This is a bio video for my art 553 class. As it is right now the main idea is that its supposed to represent my current sate of mind. And that has been work. Recently all the classwork/graduation/job-search-work has been quite a stress for me. But, instead of depicting the stress, I worked on showing different perspectives of the same situation: the view of the outsider towards me and the work, my view towards the work, and the view of the works towards me.
Post-Art and tech Show Status
Monday, March 10, 2008
Well I'm finally done with the video. At least that's how it should feel like. I had much more planned with this video but I ended up doing a more simplified version of it. Several of the things that didn't occur were to incorporate several of the stupa designs into the video and create a sort of explanation of their symbolism. A few other things that I feel are either missing or not as polished are the sound, the incorporation of the images into the stupa and the overall movement of the camera. Well that needs to get worked on as soon as possible I guess. Now, don't think that just because there are things that I felt are unfinished that the video isn't any good. For example I do feel that both the interior of the stupas and the images by themselves are quite good. Also the 3D model of the stupa itself is not that bad. I'll be posting the video very shortly to Blip.tv, hopefully to Youtube as well so that everyone can see what I mean by all this.
So whats left to do? Well my break between quarters start very soon so I'll be spending more time polishing up the video, and submitting it to different shows. Oh wait did I tell y'all that I finnaly ! Ha! I'm giddy just to try them out at my computer. Also I need to finish my installation for the video! aaaah! Artwork. So much stuff to do so little time.
Art and Tech exhibition
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Here you go friends and fellow blog readers, this here is the flyer of the Winter Art and Technology Exhibition where I will have my video in one of the reels.
I have a feeling that the artwork this quarter will be quite awesome so make sure to come early to get some of the free food before watching all of the artwork.
Update: More images
Saturday, March 1, 2008
Well the work is not coming out as fast as I had hoped for. But here we have two more images of 60 that need to be made, and animated in a space (yet to be made and animated itself) that I uploaded to Flickr.
I need food right now, so explanations will come later on.
Ps. If anyone out there has a time machine they would be willing to lend, please send an email to stupasinvideo@yahoo.com. I need to go back in time so I can either work in secret and finish the video, or I to kick my past self in the butt and tell him to get to work.
Old sketches and current state of work
Its Crunch time!
Indeed my friends and fellow readers, it's crunch time. The project is officially due next week and it needs to get done no matter what. Depression, anxiety, stress, life's problems can all go to wherever they're supposed to go because they can no longer stay here. This needs to get done. So what does that mean for you? Well, ironically, it means I have stuff to show you about my project.
Right now I've uploaded a series of sketches for the images that are going to be used in the video. Here's an example of one of the sketches (page 4)
As I found through my research, each level of a Tibetan stupa represents a series of practices that help you reach enlightenment (Bodhipakkhiya Dhamma or Shichika Sanjushichidohon). These are the sketches for these practices. On this page I have the images that represent the cattaro iddhipada, which are desire to act, effort, mind and investigation.
I also uploaded three of the finished images:
This is actually the third cattaro iddhipada: Thought.
How do I model?
Monday, February 25, 2008
Hello, I'm finally back in business. My last few posts have not been project based, and this one's not going to be different. The reason for this? Well, firstly, there is the issue that there has not been much progress made, mainly due to a combination of senioritis, depression, and stress. I really don't want to bore you with details and ranting about my deficiencies as to why I am not working as hard as I should. It's just happening and I need to get over it.
Do you remember that post from February 16th??? I do. And I remember that I needed to explain how I modeled my objects. Well I'll give you the basic rundown of the overall process. Hopefully no one will get lost. To create my models I generally use a cube inside a hypernurb and mold and extrude the shape I want out of that. Ok, let me explain how a hypernurb works, because i hope you already know what a cube, extrude, and mold mean. A hypernurb takes a shape (in most of my cases a cube) and smothes the edges of the object.
The object on the left is in a hypernurb the one on the right is not.
I you look at the box that says objects, you can see the first cube is in a way inside the hypernurb. This tells you that this object is affected by the parent object (the hypernurb). The other cube object (the one on the right) is actually the same one as the left one only this one is not placed on the hypernurb. The reason I prefer working with these specific tools is that they let me create a single object that can be the animated with less trouble.
Artist statement
Blue. Red. Green. Three colors we are all familiar with. Not only are we familiar with them but also we are familiar with what they may represent:
Blue – The sky, the sea, sadness, coldness.
Red – Fire, blood, warmth, passion.
Green – Nature, money, envy, hope.
As I grew up, I knew these meanings, but because the political parties back home in Puerto Rico used these colors to represent themselves, whenever I see the colors blue, red, and green next to each other I also think of politics. Personally, I find situations such as this one fascinating because it means that the way someone interprets the meaning of an object or image depends on their own experiences. It is as though the object changes depending on who is watching it. To me these three colors represent politics, fanaticism, insults and mudslinging. On the other hand if I didn’t have these experiences I would simply relate this combination of colors to color theory or television.
So I have dedicated my art to trying to understand this situation of multiple meanings behind an object, image or idea. For example, one of the concepts I have worked with is how our sense of identity is formed and what shapes it. I believe that as our identity or personality changes parts of them are in conflict with each other in a push and pull for dominance or balance. This struggle makes it difficult for an individual to explain who he/she really is. I dealt with this issue more clearly in my “Dos en Uno” video. The video deals with the idea of duality in my personality through the use of objects such as food, seasonings, books, etc. that act like symbols of the parts of my personality that are in conflict. Each object is paired with another one of a similar type (salt with adobo, art theory books with art manuals, etc.) and the movement between each object on the image would represent the coming and going between the two sides of my personality.
To me one of the most important aspects of art is the transmission of a concept to a viewer. However having to deal with this situation that a single image can have several meanings depending on who the viewer is makes the process of transmitting my idea much more complex. Because of this problem present in conveying a message I believe that I should use my art to instruct the viewer about how we perceive things. One of the things I do in my videos is to bring to the forefront aspects of their lives that people wouldn’t normally notice. For example the topic of my video “Details” is to present the sensation that when we are surrounded by an excess of information we lose sight of the details. The video consisted of showing a song and a piece of ice on the floor and as the view changes to a higher angle (where one should see more) the sound becomes more cacophonous and the image becomes overwhelmed by a stream of abstract geometric objects until the viewer can’t see or hear anything. By the end, the scene returns to the detail shot and the song all in focus.
I want my artwork to show people that our identity is fashioned of different aspects whose meanings change depending from which perspective we see them. I want my art to show that when it down comes to the images we see, their meaning go beyond what we can interpret from our own experiences. I want to let people grasp what they take no notice of.
Second model
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Here we have a few images from my second model.
This model is the one representing the Sanchi style of stupas.
And here's a detail shot of the top of the structure. A more substantial post (and maybe a rant) will come later on tonight.
Storyboards, Models, Videos: it's all interesting
Thursday, February 7, 2008
Well I'll say! That story board video is taking its time! The reason is that I have to fix each image so that it looks well on the video (yeah, yeah, I know people may say that I suck at drawing but that's really not the point here). So that's coming slowly.
But, I did start my work on the models of the three stupas I'm using on the video. I've already uploaded on Flickr two images of the first stupa I started working on.
This is the first render I made of the model of the Tibetan stupa. The reason it looks black and white is because it doesn't have any texture (or colored light for that matter). I find this image useful because it lets me see the lighting on it more easily. The lighting scheme is a three point lighting scene, with a main light on the front left (your left), a spot light on the back for highlights, and a filler light on the right.
This is the second render of the model. This one has a simple bump map texture with some color added. Even though you can see most of the shadows and highlights the previous one, it just doesn't feel right without some sort of texture on the model. I'm not planning on leaving the texture as it looks right now, though truth be told I don't know what approach I'll go with it. I think I can go either with a more cell shaded look or a more realistic texture for the model... ah options.
Actually there are several things I have to fix in the model itself to make it look more authentic. For example the spire needs a lot more work to get the curves and details in order (the curved pointy thing at the top is supposed to be a crescent moon... yeah I know... not there yet). But overall it looks pretty well for just two days of work. Actually I threw out the model I started yesterday and I started this one at 6:00 am today.
Right now I'm waiting for a flyby video of this model to render. For those of you who don't know, rendering is a lot like watching grass grow, only the grass is a video. So this post has been a welcome relief from the potential mental breakdown I might have from watching the render of my video.
So lets see what do I owe you? The storyboard video, the flyby and I think a post about computer modeling seems in order (specially after my "render" rant). If anyone out there has any doubts, questions, inquiries, or are just plain interested in anything about the project, the process of making a video or how I stay sane in a computer lab just leave a comment and I'll try to answer to the best of my ability.
Jeff LeFever's Freedom Art Project
Sunday, January 27, 2008
I believe all artists must have heard (or said) this phrase in one form or another: "everything has been done". It's almost defeatist, "why keep working if my art isn't original" we would say. However I think (and hope) that most of us know that there is more good in the fact that "someone did it before" than bad. These artists and their works can be a source of inspiration, challenge, questioning, intrigue and much more that can benefit our own work. Personally, my problem hasn't been with dealing with this fact it has been with finding artist that do artwork that is similar to mine. I know they are out there, it's just a matter of looking for them. Still I find it difficult.
But today I found the website of Jeff LeFever's art project and I think that it has several elements that are similar to my own installation. His project deals with painting 66 works each one representing one of the books of the Bible. The paintings would consist of a cross with a cloud formation on the inside that would represent the message of the book. He would also write the whole book on the on top of the image in the language it was written. Because he is writing the whole book on the canvas, the size depends on the size of the book; he calculates that the largest painting would be 30 feet tall. Apart from the shape of the clouds, another element he uses to convey his message is through his use of color both in the cloud inside the cross and in the outside the cross. In fact, he plans to write the text in 23 Kt gold leaf as it symbolizes the importance the message these books have.
Personally, I feel that his project is extremely ambitious; in fact I still don't know if he has been to finish any of the paintings. However, his approach to interpreting something as complex as the Bible in a visual matter is quite admirable and effective. In my own project I've been having problems trying to find ways of interpreting the different elements of the stupa. For example, in one of my classes someone pointed out the problem of trying to represent "enlightenment" (not an easy task if you ask me). But on Jeff's work, he decides to use abstract shapes and color to represent the different moods/messages the books have. In particular I find interesting his process of creating each image. First he starts with how the cloud formation should look like in black and white by reading the book and finding topics he can represent abstractly on through the cloud. Then he adds color to the composition so that the message of the book is reinforced. He also incorporates other elements relevant to the book, such as twelve squares to represent the twelve tribes of
I guess if there's anything else that I admire about his project is the scale he is working with. Not only is the size of the works immense but the amount of information he has to translate into a visual format is both large and complex to interpret. In my own work I have to deal with structures whose meaning change depending on which
I heard in one of my classes that being an artist is a rather solitary lifestyle. Essentially, it's just you and you artwork. But finding other artist, such as Jeff, can help us as artist feel less alone and more a part of a community of thinkers whose ideas interweave to create new objects.
Finally! The skteches are here
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Warning! Warning!! - - - Perspective and proportion sadly died when I met them. So the sketches are just that: sketches.
Well I finally uploaded the sketches for the three stupa models that I plan to make. The first sketch is that of the Great Stupa at Sanchi, India. This is one of the oldest Stupas built and when compared to the other structures one can see that the main parts of the building are still present in one form or another. In fact if you go to my Flickr site, I put notes on three images to show which are the main parts of each structure.
This is a sketch of a dagoba or stupa from Sri Lanka. Some of the elements, such as the fence, from the Indian stupa may be missing in the Sri lankan structure but the overall look is still quite similar. For example the Dome is still a very prominent part of the stupa.
This one is a sketch of a typical chorten or Tibetan stupa. With these structures two of the most noticeable changes visually is that the dome is much smaller and the spire is much more prominent .
Ok, stupas are cool, but who are you?
Well I don't think I have introduced myself yet; my name is Norman Javier Pérez Rodríguez but call me Norman (it's shorter and it's my name as well). As you might have guessed from my profile and this blog I'm an artist living in Ohio and I'm currently finishing my BFA (Bachelor of Fine Arts for those not in the know) in art and technology. I was born and raised in Bayamon, Puerto Rico. And because I've gotten this question when I talk about my project I'll answer it: I was actually raised as a Catholic and not a Buddhist. However I personally don't feel as though I have to be of a particular religion to study it and find some sort of value in its practices and traditions, specially if its to comment on its use of imagery and symbols. The mediums I work with are video, computer animation and digital imaging. One of the concepts I generally focus on is how our perceptions of our identity and those of others can change and even contradict themselves. I already have a few sites up that have some of my work, so please visit them, if you are curious about my work:
- my Flickr site contains some of my photo work, and although most of it isn't directly related to my major art project, I find them to be quite interesting.
- my Blip.tv site contains a few of my video works which I think relate much more to the main focus of my artwork.
About yesterday...
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Well I'm back from yesterday's all-nighter. I'll say that I got quite a bit done. The proposal is almost completely done, and will be posted both here and at my sister site http://stupasinvideoclass.blogspot.com/ in chunks (its three pages long, generally proposals around here are barely one page long). I didn't do too many sketches but I'll be sure to scan post them tomorrow morning. Still no detailed storyboard but that will come soon as well. The main accomplishment was to actually get the basic concept of what the video will consist of, essentially, I plan to be make three videos (whose concepts I was also able to lay out yesterday) before the end of March. Then the installation will be completed in June in time for my Senior exhibition show.
My next posts will talk more about what I plan on doing for this project. Expect posts about my inspirations, how I got interested on this subject, etc. coming soon as well. If anyone out there is interested on these ideas about buddhist art feel free to post comments and/or email me.
Plans for the night and the project.
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Well, I think I've let my classes, blog and my project lag too much. So I've decided to do an all-nighter tonight and inject some work on my stuff. So what are the plans? Well, first to start populating my flickr account (yes I have Flickr, its awesome) with some material. In fact this image comes from my flickr account. Its a 3D model of the installation I'll be constructing during Spring of '08, to use as a projection screen for the video I'll be making now on winter of '08.
Also, I decided to go to the Jason Salovon talk at the Columbus Museum of Art, because really when you decide to do an all-nighter you just have to go to a 7 pm lecture right before working (its not as if I have hours before my proposal is due). Actually a very interesting artist, his work is very concept based, and works with ideas such as reformatting information or data in new visual ways. Maybe I should do a more thorough post of his work later on, see how it compares to my work and what I can learn from him.
I am also going to write a proper proposal for the video part of this project, do sketches/story-board, scan these sketches, and probably do a video with these sketches (and of all these things I think the video could take the least amount of time... or at least it feels that way). Well I'm off to several hours of reading, writing and drawing, wish me luck
Stupas... In... Video?
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
Welcome!
As you can see right now this is my first post (most definitively no my last). The purpose of this site is to function as a documentation of my future artwork involving the study of buddhist stupas. I want this blog to function as a way of documenting how this project comes about, the research behind it, the reasons and inspirations that helped create it.
Again welcome, more posts explaining the back story of this project will follow shortly have a nice day ... .... ... ... ... ... ummm still here ... ... well then I recommend coming back in a little while... ... and subscribe to my RSS feed so you stay updated on my work
