In Pursuit of “living at the moment”

For this project, we need to make three 10×7.5 inches “Drawings” and each one corresponds to a theme (listed below).  This is also an assignment that leads to our final project in Drawing/Imaging class.

1.Dissolving the Wall

The first piece that I did is a mix media piece, where I have used a mirror and watercolors. As you can see there are two goldfishes and different values of blues to show water. The mirror on the paper is round and it reflects just like how water does. When I think of a mirror, I sometimes think of water, although water can not reflect clearly. Moreover, the two goldfishes stand for luck from my culture. Since the theme is ‘Dissolving the Wall’, I wanted to show something surreal and you can not see through by normal windows that is on the wall. Therefore, I chose to show a water pond that does not appear, but the mirror can, so these two can make an interesting conflict.

2.Sited Dreams

The second piece’s theme is ‘Sited Dream’ and I have used transparent color papers to make a collage on the sheet. I have cut them into different shapes and put them in an aesthetic order. As I have mentioned in class, I never dreamed before, or maybe I did and can’t remember. The only time I might do I think is when I am sick with a fever, but the dream is abstract that I can not explain. It’s more of a feeling like shapes moving around. Therefore, this is why I chose to make an abstract shape collage and I have used both primary and complementary colors.

3.The Memory of Objects

Lastly, the third piece I drew detailed food that represents my childhood and my culture. I even used my culture’s language to write the names of them. This piece conveys the theme directly and I make this piece more like a journal than a whole art piece. The materials I used are an ink pen and just a piece of paper for me to draw on. All items on that I drew are food that I eat often in my childhood (even now I still eat them), these items are really classic in my country too.

Final Project Mock-ups 

My final piece will definitely include mirror and rice paper window to combine modern and traditional materials.

Final Mock-up 1 : I will use printed goldfishes and combining acrylic paint dotted like the flow of water.

Final Mock-up 2 : Using beads to make an aesthetic  patten, also I might put some written Chinese letters on top of it.

Final Mock-up 3: Using thick red strings to make a pattern and complex visual with collaged eyes on it to represents looking back at you.

 

Proposal For Drawing/Imaging: Places and Things

Final Project 

“Live at the Moment”

Lily sun

• CONCEPT

My concept is seeing yourself now, therefore this is why I used a mirror, so people can reflect themselves when looking. Moreover, you can also see it as living at the moment, when you look at the mirror. The sentences in Chinese that I print out are different emotions and situations in a different time period to represent the past and the red string means locking them in your memory.

 

• PROCEDURE

For the base of my work, I will use rice paper to make a traditional old-fashion Chinese window. After, I will put a round mirror on the window and using printed sentences in Chinese and stick it on the window. Then, I will use a red string to make a complex pattern on the surface of the entire window. So from visual, the strings are interacting with each other and are straight.

 

• IMAGERY

There will be two elements, one is abstract and pattern.

Abstract: The whole visual, there is no realistic visual in the work, except if you count your reflection.

Pattern: The string makes a pattern and the printed sentences somehow are layout like a pattern.

 

• MATERIALS/METHODS OF ANALOG AND DIGITAL INTEGRATION

For Analog, The string and laying out the printed sentences counts and also acrylic paint I might use, but not sure yet.

For digital, I will use typing on the computer and choose fonts.

 

COLOR APPLICATION

The main colors in my work are red and white, but also black color sentences.

 

• REFERENCES/SOURCES/CITATIONS

I am influenced by my culture’s traditional aspects, like making a traditional rice paper window and using Chinese. Also, combining these aspects with a modern item, which is a minimalist designed mirror.

 

Final Work

For my final work, I changed some parts and added another feature to it. I maintained my mirror and red string, but I used different sentences representing different situations with emotions and stick it fully on the rice paper. The rice paper is such traditional paper, but also fragile, like emotions. The red strings attached in different angle is like caging the past memories’ emotions and since the rice paper is thin, the paper flows with the string creating texture. Furthermore, I added wood Chinese letters, which is made by laser cutting. The wooden Chinese letters are emotions words, but breaking apart, not seeing the word itself directly. This feature represents how out emotions and memories can be so sensitive and easy to break or to come to mind. Lastly, the mirror itself reflects anything you want to reflect; it is a mirror symbolizing reflecting you past and living at the moment. Seeing yourself at the moment, now.

Conclusion

Past memories and past emotions floating around in your head, but also through your eyes. The past is the past, locking them with a strong red string in every different way. You need to live in the moment. Looking at the mirror, reflecting the surrounding in the moment and looking at yourself with the broken emotions.  Living at the moment. Looking yourself now. Leaving all past emotions in the past.