For my final project I would like to illustrate a small book of poems (about 6 or 7). I would like to keep most of the drawings black and white with small accents of color using certain paints and maybe watercolor. The project content will be centered around my reflection of this past semester and the different moods and modes I have been subject to.
My bridge 4 documented my research with internet personas and the public’s perception of those personas. I Wrote my entire paper on a clear shower curtain which consisted of comments from users on the instagram pictures of famous personas. I then printed out certain pictures from me and my friends’ instagram accounts and distorted some. The pictures were meant to trick the eye since from afar, you couldn’t really tell what was distorted (real) and what wasn’t. It was only when you got up close that you realized the (ugly) truth. The shower curtain (comments) all add the the chaos of an online persona making the viewer think that although it may be a simple thing to get fam for doing relatively nothing, are they willing to live a lifestyle where they are constantly subject to other people’s opinions?
My place setting is based off of the teen skater subculture. I wanted to keep it fun and playful while also looking somewhat put together. I used all the shapes from the icon project including the skateboard decks, marijuana leaf, Vans sneakers, and soda can. The green tile pattern on the glass is reminiscent of an Arizona tea can which is something commonly consumed by skaters. I also added a tie dye print because this is something that came up a lot in my image research. I chose red to make everything cohesive as everything in the set has red in it besides the glass.
FINAL PRODUCT: KOMBUCHA LEATHER
For my fina product, I turned my kombucha leather into a pouch. You can carry something large like cash or pencils in the pouch. In order to fasten the sides I used wire that I had left over from another project.
FINAL PRODUCT: SS FINAL
For my final project in sustainable systems I created a potholder made from an old T-shirt I had. The t-shirt was made from cotton and polyester. I tied the whole thing together therefore it can easily be taken apart and reused for other purposes.
NATURAL DYE: SPINACH
For my natural dye experiment I chose spinach. I thought because of its strong green color that the dye would come out well. However, I got the complete opposite reaction and everything remained more or less the same color.
My subculture was teen skaters. I chose the skateboard for obvious reasons but also because it contributes to the culture overall. Many people make art on the bottom of board decks which is another way for people in this subculture to engage and share ideas. I chose the marijuana leaf because a lot of the time (but not all) teen skaters like to smoke weed. I used a gum rapper because it was something that I thought the skaters would also use after smoking to freshen their breath. I chose the helmet again for obvious reasons however this is another place where artistic expression can be shown. Also, when I think of skaters, I typically picture someone wearing a helmet without fully clasping it. I chose the Vans sneaker because Vans is the ultimate skater brand. Their shoes are specifically designed to have grip on a skateboard. I chose the tin can to symbolize the different types of drinks skaters consume, usually an Arizona or Peace Tea.
A lot of my research has been focussed on finding fan comments on certain musical artists’ instagram accounts. I have taken quotes from Dua Lipa, Billie Eilish, Tinashe, Jesse Rutherford, and Halsey’s accounts. All of these quotes and more will be collaged together in my research paper. The comments have also been separated into categories depending on content in order to organize them better. The purpose of using other people’s comments is to show the influence of the persona, and how they are always judged by people they barely know. These people could love someone who is completely fake and never know it because of the barrier social media creates. Speaking of this, I did find an article that explains how a well-liked media persona committed suicide and how people were shocked because they thought he was perfectly okay. The key to this article is that they really had no idea who this man was, they had only met and worked with him through media:
https://www.convinceandconvert.com/social-media-tools/social-media-pretend-friends-and-the-lie-of-false-intimacy/
I also came across a video that had gone viral in 2015. A 18 year old instagram influencer and youtube named Essena O’Neill had a public breakdown, listing the ways that social media had ruined her life and how things were not as they seemed:
All of these above sources would be considered primary as they come directly from the people who are experiencing them.
I have also being doing research about personas. One website even shows a checklist questions a person may ask themselves when creating a brand as a musician (for example:
3 Easy Steps To Establishing Your Musician Persona (Worksheet Included!)
I have found other websites as well that talk about musical personas such as : https://thewritepractice.com/lady-gaga-and-the-creation-of-a-persona/
Also, Britannica gives a very good definition of a persona in terms of literature which is helpful in creating my studio project: https://www.britannica.com/art/persona-literature
For my final product I created nipple covers and a top that goes. over it using the pieces of an old earring. I wanted to keep the glitzy aesthetic of the earring alive in the new product as well. The gems on the stars (minus a few) are from the original earring and clasp on the bandeau was made using the wire from the earring. I added organza material, sticky material, and crystals.
