Andres Serrano,1987, Piss Christ, Location (N/A),  5′ 0″ x 3′ 4″, Photograph

Piss Christ by Andres Serrano depicts a plastic Jesus submerged into urine. When viewing the image, we see only two colors yellow and orange, and we can also observe the cracks in the image as well. The image brings up many different questions, but it relates the most to the realism principle. It connects in that way because photography is the most realistic form of art, because in the moment it was very real. Barrett notes, “What do we mean when we call a work of art realistic? Photographs and other camera-based images are commonly accepted as the most Realistic of the arts, exploring the idea regarding realism and the representation using photographs.” (50). In connecting the theory behind it, we see realism also in the sense of thinking it is something different than what it is. When viewing the image at first we would never think it was someone’s urine, and that is what also makes it more real. The photograph creates an illusion and that is something else that is super important. We in society today always pass judgements, and try to conclusion and we need to see art in a more realistic and creative way.

Martin Wong, Untitled (Rooftops), 1995, (dimensions n/a), Acrylic on Canvas

Untitled (Rooftops), observes the Lower East Side in 1982. The layout of the painting is very prominent, in that being that the top of the image is a sky filled with constellations and stars and then when your eyes observes the middle of the image it is cloudy and dark. The building look like they are falling apart so the contrast is very interesting. The colors also add description to the image because the building make it look very monotone. The image was painted during a time of Crisis, when many gay men and New York City in general were battling the HIV/AIDS epidemic and many people of low socioeconomic status were affected by this issue, especially in the Lower East Side. Wong’s image connects to the expressionism principle. Barrett writes, “expressionist assert that artist are people inspired by emotional experiences, who use their skill with words, paint, music, marble, movement and so on to embody their emotions in a work of art” (65). Wong connects in that specific way because he is telling us his story through his art, and representing more than just himself, he is representing people of the LGBTQ community during this time, and even today.

Funeral Sermon, Jacob Lawrence, 1946, Brooklyn Museum, 48.24, watercolor and graphite with some varnish on heavy textured wove paper.

Funeral Sermon, 1946 depicts a deceased woman wearing a white dress, with grey skin and dark hair. The picture portrays her lying on a red coffin with swirls on the edges of the coffin. A heart shaped funeral arrangement in white and red flowers sits on top of the coffin, and there are little details in the heart, and they have different designs inside of them. The women are in the center of the picture, but in the back of the painting there are three different men that are conducting the funeral. When observing this image, the painting shows the real connection that the artist has to the painting, for example Lawrence is commenting on the importance of spirituality in the African American community. The painting connects to the realism principle. Barrett states, “in simple terms, a theory of Realism would have one believe that a work of visual art should look like what it is meant to show. ‘realism in art as the quality of a depiction which allows the viewer quickly and easily to recognize what it is a picture of:  that quality of a literary text which relates it closely to everyday life” ( 21). This connects to the realism principle because we are focusing on real events that happened in history, and then when going to this exhibit you saw how African American people were treated, and how we as a society cannot erase the past. The painting also shows the real connection that the Artist has to the painting, for example Lawrence is making a commentary in the African American community.

I have learned a lot since I have started this class, the Idea of fashion is very different than what I thought it would be. I used to think fashion was all in the same, but there are many different layers when it comes to fashion. I think the most importance concepts in understanding “fashion” is breaking it down into three sections. There is style, fashion, and dress. Style is what you wear, and how you embrace the clothing that you are putting on your body. Fashion is the specific clothing you buy, also fashion connects to the idea of subculture, that means what you are wearing and what specific genre of clothing it is. Dress goes more with the broader idea of class and culture, and like the way people are dressed shows the type of person they are. Also before I took this class I didn’t think of all the key elements that go into style and dress. When watching The True Cost, it really opened my eyes to what the industry is like, and how it should be improved. Also the fashion industry in general is super coat throat, and before taking this class I didn’t learn what it is like to try to pursue, but that being said I learned a lot about what it takes to be in the business and how fashion is more than just a cute outfit, it is about expression and by all means it is a form art and that is something I am going to be taking from this class.

In listening to “Bar Car Pophecy” I learned a lot about writer Rosie Schaap and her coming of age story. She was always much more mature than people her age, and she always felt comfortable taking the train from Westport, Connecticut into Manhattan. She was learning a lot about herself when she would come to the city, and she would meet with her physiatrist.

She went into a lot of descriptive detail when listening to her speak, she talked about the Metro North train being “dingy” and “dark”, and talking about men in a very masculine tone. Saying that they would come to and from work “buzzed”, when she was speaking I could really visualize what she was saying. After learning about her experience with the train, we learn about how she went to see someone, a fortune teller. In listening to the teller, she hears about her future and how she feels connected to the universe, and how she ponders about the future. She learned about other people’s futures as well.

After listening to the whole podcast it makes you think about the future, and how cards might help you find your future, I think the connection I can find to this is that being in school in New York is a mystery and every day is a new day, this city is never stopping and you will learn about something new. Also, at this age the future is exciting and scary. We all see, hear, and learn new things every day and that is what I am taking away from listening to this.

For my image I wanted to show a variety of dresses, instead of focusing on just one. The main dress I choose is the one in the middle to the left. It is black, and has this very cool and interesting pattern. The designer of the gown is Laquan Smith. He is a self-taught designer who learned to make patterns from his grandmother. His brand sore when Kim Kardashian wore that black dress. I believe that Laquan was chosen to be in this exhibit because when doing research on him, he came from nothing and made his way up. I feel like we hear stories about people in fashion because they have some sort of connection, and this guy started from the bottom and built his way to the top which I think is super amazing. The fashion industry is extremely competitive and I it is amazing when someone can do it on their own. I believe this whole exhibit was extremely inspiring. I believe that everyone has changed history when contributing their pieces to the exhibit. All of the pieces that I saw all interviewed together, which was super cool. They were all different but they had the same theme. There weren’t just pieces that were from two or three years ago, the exhibit was all the way from the 1950s. This exhibit was also a good way for African American designers to be acknowledged. I believe that sometimes they are not, and underrepresented. Overall though, the exhibit was amazing and I am super happy I had the opportunity to go.

I decided to pick two different outfit choices that I would typically wear together. The wool cardigan is from Vince, and the shirt is a vintage Band T-shirt. I got the t-shirt at the flea market. I love incorporating vintage clothing in my wardrobe. Even when I was younger I loved going to the flea market with my family and finding cool and new clothing, I think when going to a flea market it’s all about an experience. The jeans are from Paige Denim. I love Paige jeans, they are functional, comfortable, and fashionable. I love all the different denim washes they have as well. They are casual and you can dress them up or down. I choose these two images because I believe that these images relate to my style, and the way I put myself together. Also when creating the dress practice log, my outfits consisted of these outfits. I always wear a fun top, a nice jacket, and then a specific type of jean. For the first few days of the dress log I really focused on the weather. In the logs I wrote about how I had the freedom to wear more fun clothing, and I didn’t have to layer. I talked about how I wore a lot of bomber jackets that week, and how I didn’t have to wear a huge coat.

I focused on how my style is simplistic and not very showy. When reading Keiser, she talks about the idea of class, and how fashion and class go hand in hand. She writes “The resources people have, of course, affect their ability to buy clothes. However, social class is more than what people buy; it includes how they wear what they wear, how they carry themselves, and how they present themselves to others.” I feel that this connects to my log because I focused on basic clothing, and I feel that fashion and style is more than brands.

About a year ago, Covergirl announced their first “Coverboy”. The company has been around for decades. In fact, it was started in 1961, and just recently, it’s decided to break the status quo and redefine gender norms. For their first Coverboy, they’ve named James Charles, a teenager from upstate New York who developed his love for makeup like many other young people today do, on social media. He reached out, in the form of his tutorials, on many different platforms, the big one being YouTube. He’s not the first to use these platforms this way–makeup tutorials have become regular appearances in video-driven and photo streaming apps. Gigi Gorgeous is one of the earlier examples of someone young who achieved fame this way. Surely, she would have had an influence on young James. People praised James initially because he wanted to take his senior picture with make-up on, and that went viral on Twitter. The main point is: social media gave him a wider audience and allowed him to reach a broader range of people, which helped him break gender norms in fashion and beauty, proving that for this generation, anything is can be made available and possible. We have the right to be who we are, and we have the power  to announce that through social media.

There have been many other influencers and celebrities who have broken gender norms, for example Jaden Smith with his Louis Vuitton ad campaign. Young Thug also broke traditional boundaries by posing for his new album cover in a long dress, and on top of that he brought two different cultures together. At the end of the day, the idea of gender is bigger than “boy” and “girl”. Fashion designers are always trying new ways to break gender norms, so fashion more and more becoming bigger than just the men’s section and the women’s section. For me personally, fashion and gender go together hand in hand, I am going to wear something that I personally love, not something that has to be in the men’s section.