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Integrative 2: Seminar + Studio Final Reflection

Artists Statement:

Sofia Perevalova is a multimedia artist and designer. Throughout this semester she has worked on a installation, 2D, 3D and digital work for her studio class. Sofia experimented with Photoshop to create digital paintings which than transgressed into 2D pieces created using paint as well as gold leaf. She has also used Premiere to create a short film from found footage to support a larger installation piece. Sofia’s main focus throughout studio was installation work which she produced using materials such as plastic, mirror and ready-made objects. 

Sofia’s works stem from the readings done in Integrated Seminar. Texts by McLuhan and the film Oh Lucy! have played an important role in developing the concept of her pieces. As Sofia’s work is focused on gender, power and performance, her Seminar research has propelled her current and future projects as she continues to explore gender as a performance and the effects gender has on our society at large. 

As Sofia is passionate about fashion, her final installation piece was inspired not only by Western films, but also the Chanel Paris-Dallas 2013/2014 show. This is not her first piece inspired by her love of fashion, Sofia has also produced a series of diptychs focused on the Queen of England and her timeless elegance. As Sofia has lived in both England and Texas these works are personal to her as she references her cultural background. 

Sofia was born in Dallas, Texas and has lived in Moscow, Russia, London, England and is currently living in New York city. As a half Russian and half American Sofia has had a vast exposure to a myriad of art, people and culture. She is currently enrolled at Parsons School of Design and is studying to earn her BBA in Strategic Design and Management. 

Seminar Focus:

Visual Essay Collage:

Library/Whitney Research:

Selections from Research Paper:

“Drag is represented as a complex gender performance and impersonation. It is a way for the performers as well as the audience to explore their sexuality and gender identity. Drag Queens through this gender illusion they create as a result have been to pioneers in American society of gender identity and self acceptance. It is through their flamboyant, extravagant and charismatic performance the queens themselves as well as the audience have been able to let go of their self-imposed gender boundaries and be themselves. However, drag queens have not always been celebrated performers in our society. “

“The art has drag has enabled society to explore the realms of gender identity, self expression and sexuality. Through its recent commercialization and its previous influence on queer culture it has defined American culture and provided individuals with the freedom to explore who they are. Drag has altered pop-culture, performing arts, and has redefined gender. Its rise to prominence and acceptance is inspiring to all and shows the dedication and perseverance of these performers and artists. Whether it is the beauty industry, reality TV or simply human interaction the legacy of drag can be examined. While drag queens are still advocating for changes in our social justice systems regarding LGBT their influence on the youth is astounding. Drag has provided us with humor, an appreciation for the art of costume and makeup, and has enriched American history. “

Journal Entires:

Considering Fear:

What Really Eats My Soul

After viewing Tiravanija’s Untited 2017 flag, I began to thing what do I fear that eats my soul? As I compiled a list in my head of all the things I am afraid of, I noticed a patter. What I realized was that I was listing my superficial fears. I am afraid of things like big birds, spiders, snakes, mold, but I couldn’t help but think these can’t really be my deepest fears. These things are simply phobias, things that make me uncomfortable. I began to dig deeper. 

What I realized is that I fear disappointment, I fear rejection, fakeness and most of all I fear those who I love getting hurt. These fears to effect those around me even tho I surpress them, I often worry about my friends being mad at me, my parents disapproving of my work and ideas. My fear of fakeness has the biggest effect as it takes over my mind and makes me think those around me are not genuine, don’t really care about me and have hidden agendas. This paranoia is damaging to my relationships as it shows my distrust in people. 

My fear of rejection often leads to me not completing my plans as I worry they wont go the way I expected. I fear that I will make a work of art I believe is amazing, but not one else will like it. This leads to me dismissing my ideas and not pursuing them further. This fear is by far the most damaging as it makes me think about all the missed opportunities I have had that I was to afraid to pursue. 

Fear its away at my dreams and ambition. It is something that everyone must overcome to actively pursue what they believe they are destine to do. I believe once I let go of my fears I will be unstoppable. 

Tiravanija, Rirkit. Untitled. 2017. Creative Time Headquarters. New York. 

Reflection:

Seminar has taught me a lot about the way I understand visual culture. The readings we were presented with greatly broadened my understanding of media, the McLuhan text in particular made me think about how I understand messages. I found all the readings and films to be very diverse in their content, however they all had a similar message. The in depth explorations conducted in and outside of class have changed the way I see and understand messages in my life. Bridges 1 and 2 made me much more aware of my surroundings and taught me to notice things I previously may have not. The final research paper was particularly educational for me as I chose a theme I was previously not educated in. Conducting this research showed me how relevant drag is and how this complex gender performance has impacted even meh daily life.

Studio Focus:

During studio I experimented with a myriad of materials from gold leaf to plastic. I found the diptych iterations helped me conceptualize my work and pay attention to detail. The final project required heavy attention to detail and iterations which I was prepared for because of the previous works.

Image Deconstruction:

Diptychs:

Taxonomy:

The taxonomy made me branch out with my theme and investigate other instances of gender and power in society. Through the investigation I developed a specific aesthetic and became inspired by Western movies and my time in Texas. Through the collection of these images I was able to transform my idea into something unexpected in comparison to my previous works.

Whitney:

The Whitney research resulted in the development of my seminar research topic. While it did not directly influence my studio project it broadened my view of gendered art and helped me create a connection between my studio and seminar work.

Final Studio Project:

(clips from video)

Final Personal Reflection:

Key Bridge experiences: The final research and studio project have made me much more diligent and have forced me to pay extreme attention to detail. While these topics may seem completely opposite, through my research and conceptual analysis of the works I was able to see a strong connection between the two works. Each of these projects are based on gender and the notion of gender in performance. Another key experience in seminar and studio were the iterations of the diptychs which taught me attention to detail and how to fine tune and develop off of an idea. During seminar I found the research leading up to the final paper was extremely valuable as it forced me to think deeply about my paper and what I want the final outcome to be.

Thinkers, writers and artists: in Seminar I found the most important thinker and writer was Marshall McLuhan. Through his text I reconsidered everything I know about media, messages and mediums. This reading resulted in me reconsidering how I interpret visual art and the messages in my daily life.

In Studio the artists I was most influenced by were Damien Hirst and Rene Magritte. Both of these artist were crucial in developing my projects. I was also heavily influenced by the movies No Country for Old Men by Ethan Coen and Giant by George Stevens. This films were directly connected to my final project and continue to inspire my future work based on Texas.