The Focus: Final Take

 

Here is my final project for The Alfred Line.

Now that I have finished this course, I feel the need to take the time to reflect on what I learned along this crazy journey. The most vital thing I took from this class is to observe EVERYTHING closely. Do not take anything for granted, because anything and everything can be seen as a work of art through certain eyes. I learned to draw inspiration from every environment I am placed in, and to always collect those things that interest me. The human mind is a very interesting thing, and its one main downfall that i see is the inability to retain all the information id like it to, thus, the need for documentation is vital. The How To BE An Explorer Of The World book taught me to observe, analyze, collect, and document EVERYTHING, and that i will take with me for the rest of my life as an artist. I never thought something entitled the “portable life museum” would change who i am as an artist so vastly, but it did, and for that, i thank you from the bottom of my heart Michelle and Brett

The Focus: redirection

After proposing my ideas to Brett, i realized that seasons happen everywhere in the world, and i wanted my project to directly relate to the line, and the line only. I wanted to explore a cycle that only happens here, in Alfred, NY.

I brainstormed of different more cite-specific cycles and thought of these:

• the water cycle (document the path of something as it travels down a stream)
• the changing of the leaves – Alfred style
• the cycle of human movement through the line

and as i thought of that last one – human movement through the line, i found my inspiration and formulated my idea.

for my project, over the course of a few days i will videotape myself as i walk through the line. i will note all the times i cross the line throughout the day, and videotape my footsteps across the different terrains.

I videotaped my first days worth of walking and here it is-

Take One:

The Focus: planning

my 3 ideas all involve the cycles of nature during fall time.

my first idea is creating four 3ft tall trees that show the effects of the seasons on trees. theses tree sculptures will then be arranged in a circle, to symbolize the continuous cycle

my second idea is to create one large tree to be placed on the line as an installation. over the course of a few days, i will photograph/videotape the tree as i change the leaves on it accordingly to the seasons changing. the tree will start out as bare as in the winter, then bloom green leaves and flowers for spring. for the summer time the flowers will come off and just the green leaves will remain. to symbolize fall, the leaves will change from green to yellow then orange then red. finally, the leaves will fall off and die again, to show winter once again creeping in.

my third idea is to show the life cycle of a flower/plant. it will be a series of small sculptures representing the different points in the life of a plant, all arranged in a spiral shape. this spiral will show the life cycle, and how it has a defined starting point, and a defined end.

collection: cycle

leaves i collected while walking the line

while walking the alfred line, the most prominent cycle i observed was the changing of the leaves. every year as soon as fall season rolls around, a great change in scenery occurs. all the leaves on the trees change from a cool vibrant green to different shades of fiery yellow, red, and orange. this cycle is most noticeably recognized by the scatter of multi-colored leaves all over the ground wherever trees are close by.

 

“cycle” installation (2ft x 3 ft)

as i walked the line, i collected some bright leaves, some off the ground, and some directly from trees.the intense colors both stopped me in my tracks, and inspired me to create art.

in a barren part of the forest, i created an Andy Goldsworthy inspired installation from the different colored leaves i found. i arranged them in a spiral to represent the cycle of fall – leaves changing color and flooding the streets with their beauty.

word definition: cycle

 

 

cycle definition according to Miriam Webster:

- noun: a series of events that are regularly repeated in the same order • the period of time taken to complete a single sequence of such events • technically a recurring series of successive operations or states, as in the working of an internal combustion engine, or in the alternation of an electric current or a wave • a series of songs, stories, plays, or poems composed around a particular theme and usually intended to be performed or read in sequence • a complete set or series

- verb: ride a bicycle • move in or follow a regularly repeated sequence of events

once i read that definition, i decided to try to make connections to the word for myself. when i thought of the word cycle, i pictured clocks, wheels, the cycles of life, and the water cycle.

I went around and asked many friends and strangers what the first thing that came to their head was when i said the word cycle. these are the responses i got:

• recycle
• menstrual cycle
• water cycle
• bicycle
• motorcycle
• washing machine / dryer cycles
• seasons changing
• time – seconds to minutes to hours to days…
• ticking clocks
• the cycle of life – aging and transitioning through life stages
• period cycle
• wheels turning

i then decided to illustrate what i pictured when i thought of the word cycle (the pictures are in the gallery)

i realized that a reoccurring theme was circles, from wheels to clocks to the circle of life, a common way to describe a cycle is through circles

in every cycle there are transitions, which are easily illustrated by arrows

circles and arrows visually define the word “cycle” to me.

walking the alfred line

walking the alfred line was an experience.

i walked through campus – a very place familiar to me,

then into the forest of Alfred, New York – a place id never been.

forging my way through fields of grass taller than me was a sensory overload.

the smell of fall was in the air, and as i looked around i saw the colors changing

from a vibrant green, to yellow and orange

as i pushed my way through the treterous trails, i conquered the space.

i took back items that highlighted the rich fall colors, which inspire me.

Personal Territory Tour

My personal territory: the bench outside of cannon

1.Two big trees shade my bench

2.There’s the perfect amount of shade

3. The bench is spacious, so I laid down

4. Its on an island of bricks

5. Surrounding is a vibrant green sea of grass

6. The sun is shining brightly so the leaves of the tree catch a glare

7. There are two freshman residence halls behind me

8. Many people walk out of the dorm to class

9. Across the way is academic alley

10. I see people passing by on the street walking from class to class

11. Smokers come sit outside on the bench to spark one up

12. Someone left their trash on the ground under the tree

13. You can smell dinner cooking in Ade

14. Laura Sarfaty is sitting next to me working on her collage project

15. 15 people have walked by in the past 2 minutes

16.  If I stand up I can see harder hall from here

17. I can also see Scholes Library

18. As the sun goes down I can see the lights on the football field

19.  The closer it gets to meal time, the more people begin passing by

20.  The pattern of the bricks surrounding this bench is very interesting

21. They look like little puzzle pieces

22. The leaves are starting to change on one of the trees

23. I bet everyone at Alfred passes this spot at least once every day

24. When standing on the bench, one can see a beautiful view of the whole campus

25. People like to go running past this spot

26. I am not the only one to find this place inspiring, I see many artists around me observing the same spot

27.  As the sun goes down and the wind picks up this place can get pretty cold

28. Not much is visible when it gets dark

29. There lights coming from the residence halls, and I can hear the students playing loud music

30.  There is a bottle cap on the ground

31. Someone broke their zip-up and left part of the zipper under the tree

32. Some of the planks on the back of this bench are missing

33. When I ran my hand across the wood I got a splinter

34. There is old chewed gum under the bench, its really gross

35. There are cigarette butts also under the bench

36. Gum wrappers are stuck in the grass

37. Someone ripped a chunk of grass out, so there is a mud spot

38. A siren goes off at 7pm every day and it is heard very loudly from this spot

39. One of the trees grows little apples

40. There are many dead leave and apples under the tree

41. Someone carved their initials in the back of the bench

42. Someone in Cannon is blasting techno music

43. This place is in the center of campus, and in the middle of everything

44.  Its homey here, between two freshman residence halls

45. The sun is warm, the shade is cool

46.  The sunset is beautiful from here

47.  This is a great place to meet new friends, in the hour I’ve sat I’ve met 4 new friends

48. Sitting here in the quiet is relaxing

49. Observing the different people walk by is interesting and exciting

50. All different types of people ranging in ages from all different backgrounds all gather under this one tree for friendship and conversation.

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Found paint (exp. 19):

-used mud, grass, moss, and leaves as drawing medium

Found smells (exp. 50):

1. Cigarette smoke
2. Fall time
3. Grass
4. The dumpster behind us
5. Food cooking in Ade
6. Cologne of the boy sitting next to me

instant sculpture

instant sculpture made from paper, paint, and a found vase.

i crumpled some paper and made carnation flowers from it, then painted them.

i painted a line pattern on paper and inserted that into the vase to make the illusion of water.

where i’m sitting (exploration 1)

my bed is my place to rest and be in peace.

i often get trapped,

once i lay down its impossible to get back up.

its black and white,

cushioned, soft, warm, and inviting.

my sheets are paisley.

my pillows are blood red.

it smells like febreeze, perfume, and down feathers.

every time i get in it, i think:

its even more comfortable than i remember!

“some of my artwork”

check out my artwork!!! i added a page with a few pictures