Teaching methods

Today in Teach Methods we talked about a lot of interesting classroom theory. We started by going over information from our last class, the most interesting of which I though was formatting your classroom to encourage engagement and risk taking. Allowing students to take a risk and possibly fail is an interesting concept, and one that seems like it could be hard to implement. I am excited to try though! Also, to write a syllabus.
We went on to study Blooms Taxonomy, Learning types and a Critical format template. Blooms Taxonomy I thought was kind of obvious, as was the learning types document. They seem like things that are face value parts of teaching. The critical format template was helpful. Critiques are hard to know how to run, and sometimes can get out of hand. If they are not run well, then the students don't get anything out of them. This document was a very good guideline document for future critiques, and I hope to use it to run critiques in my Teaching Assistants position.
I am interested in reading for next week, and running a discussion about the topics.

Project proposals

Here is my project proposal for Spring semester, 2013:

The thread that goes through the beads is woven in a certain path, until, meeting a bead that has broken or is disjointed, it backtracks and becomes entangled inside the beads. This event is that which the viewer never sees The beads, while fragile and weak alone together become a heavy, strong whole. And yet, individually, hit them a certain way or squeeze one and they break. But even if one breaks, the thread holds the rest together. This idea of strength and weakness held together in one object speaks to the human condition to me. We don’t know how strong we are until something challenging happens, and then it’s those tangled threads of knowledge and wisdom and maturity that keep us together. But even though we are strong, sometimes we do break and it’s up to those surrounding us to help us maintain our form.

This semester my work will consist of sculptural jewelry objects. I will start by researching modern Jewelry theory, utilizing a text entitled “Thinking Jewellry”. This text is based on the “assumption that the human need for decoration is an anthropological constant that has accompanied man since the beginnings of humanization[1]” I am interested in how this text explores modern and historical views on jewelry through a variety of lenses, including psychological, anthropological, artistic and sociological.

Through this research, I intend to draw from additional readings about the psychology of material studies, and visual research into historical and African tribal jewelry and its uses. I am interested in the history of jewelry and its shifting social purpose in Western society. A certain colour or design could indicate that someone was of age to be courted, or married to a soldier, or in mourning. People could take social cues from jewelry or dress. I am interested in the semiotics between fashion and society.

I am curious about Tribal jewelry is used in the same way that historical dress was used. In the Masai tribe of Kenya, for example, a certain colour of necklace can indicate that the woman wearing it is a new bride. For every child, a new necklace of a different colour or pattern is added. The men of the Dinka tribe of Sudan wear corset type garments called Malual. They are sewn onto the men when they come of age, and added to as they reach important life steps. The higher and more ornate the corset, the wealthier and more prominent the man is. The way that jewelry is still used in tribal African cultures is very interesting because it dictates their social cues.

In my work I will also use the body as blank form. I will manipulate it in ways that it is not used to. In this way, I am owning the body as display space and medium. I am specifically interested in restriction by unfamiliar or difficult movement and binding. By creating jewelry that restricts the body, I will manipulate it into something different from what it normally exists as.

I am attracted to using beads and thread in particular is because it is chaos and structure all in one technique. This semester I will use beads and thread, as well as some metals and fabrics. I will leave this open to experimentation though, as I feel limiting this would have a negative impact on my work.

Presentation of this project may include the photographic or video evidence of the work, displayed with the pieces.

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[1] Lindemann, Wilhelm. Thinking Jewellery on the way towards a theory of jewellery. 1st edition. Germany: Arnoldsche Art Publishers, 2011. 14. Print.

In addition to this new project, which is very porous and will change over the semester, I am dealing with the ritual of my work last semester. I feel like the ideas of ritual and restriction are two things i'm bringing from last semester. While dealing with the ritual of last semesters pieces, I am filming it and will post those videos on here. Here are the first three, from this week:

Other than that I am going to write and read a lot more this semester, and make sure i'm thoroughly documenting my process. 

Here are some artists I am looking at right now:

Una Burke

And her video, Meta.Morph

Hans Bellmer

Interested in his allusion to the body through the use of dolls. 

Gareth Pugh

Costume/fashion designer, makes some wearable sculpture

Bettina Rheims

Gender studies photography, I want to plaster my walls with these images. Again, deals with perceived expectations of the body. 

Leigh Bowery

I need to go more into depth on researching this person, Chase suggested him and so far the makeup is freaking me out, haha. I see where he fits into my research though. 

Lauren Kalman

Welcome back!

Hello everybody
Back in the swing of things (almost). My teaching assistant position is going to be great! Working with Anne Holman assisting intermediate and advanced jewelry on Tuesdays and Thursday. I really feel like I am going to learn a lot about teaching and running a classroom. So far we have had our new theory and criticism class, which I had better get reading for because there is a lot of reading (although interesting reading), and our critique class. Both seem like they are going to be very interesting and very useful, and also very different from last semester. Variety is the spice of life, or something like that.
I also met with my adviser for the semester, Melissa Vogely Woods. (http://melissavogleywoods.com/). I am very excited to be working with her, and feel like it will be keeping me on my artistic toes.
I am very interested in jewelry theory and how individuals think of their jewelry. I am also continuing a line of thought that I started last semester, about constriction. I will have a more in depth writing on what I am working with this semester very soon.
Here are some artists I am looking at this week:

Klari Reis
Ben Kruisdijk
Especially the work "Fremde Melodie"
Danny O'Connor
Bart Hess
1/2 of the duo Lucy and Bart that I posted last semester. I especially love the video Extraordinary Gentlemen
Chalermphol Harnchakkhan
Really this persons name is a work of art that it even exists as something someone can pronounce. But their prints also make me very happy.
Kate Gilmore
I am not very attracted to these videos, however they are very interesting to think about in relation to what I am doing this semester.
Ann Hamilton
I also watched her segment on Art 21 which was very interesting
Gee's Bend Quilts
These were made by a secluded group of women in the South. Their history is actually a lot more interesting than that sentence, though, so look it up!

one more week...

One more week until we're back in school! Oh boy.
I've been up and down Ohio a few times in the last weeks. Fun stuff.
I have also been very productive, photos up next post, still need to take them.
I am here and ready to tackle this semester. Here we go.

Here are some artists and other things I have been looking at over break:
Chris Jordan
Just click on the pictures. You know you want to.
Jaehyo Lee
Scultpures
Camilla De Rosario
Diary pages. But really cool ones.
Kerry Skarbakka
Tension.
Dr. Who
If you do not watch Dr. Who you should start.
Paolo Ventura
This guy is... amazing. I'm enthralled. I love it.
Dukno Yoon
Mechanical metalworks
Mark Licari
Byoungho Kim
More sculptures.

Books I've read:
A Mercy, Toni Morrison
How We Die, Sherwin Nuland
The Ways of Seeing, John Berger

Finals blog post

Blog update for the final week of Fall semester! Woo! I have everything done and now I am just going crazy thinking I have things to do while not actually having anything to do. Just wish me luck for speaking in front of people tomorrow!
I have a lot planned for the break, a whole lot of reading, and teaching myself to knit more than just scarves. Also, cementing my project direction for next semester of course. Hopefully the reading will help me with that. Going to try and get away from such a heavy subject. Thinking too much about loss, death, grief. Been having to experience a lot of that, but it's time to move away from it.

Here are some artists I have been checking out:

Henrique Oliveira
Because the work fits into specific places.
Shinichi Maruyama
Movement photography
Freya Jobbins
Recycled plastic sculpture
Anton Marrast

Dorothy Gill Barnes
A local woman who does some very cool weaving.

game making!

Hello world,
I can't figure out how to publish my game, so here's a screen capture:

Winter

What? Winter, right? In my mind, winter is always 67 degrees. I'm alright with all the GREY if it's warm. I know it won't last for very long though!
Started to install my work over in DSB. Still not done with the large neck pieces, but they're getting there.  They need another 5-10 hours of work, woo!
Still working on installing the other two pieces in DSB as well. It is interesting actually installing work. I haven't ever had this experience before. The work isn't quite done until it gets installed, it needed more when I got it over there. So, I am giving it more work! I am not going to post photos because I want it to be a surprise, for people who go to the opening. Plus the people that read this are in DSB every day, haha.

This doesn't so much have to do with my work, but I saw Seven Psychopaths tonight and it was a very good movie. 

So here are some artists I am looking at:
Jean Paul Gautier
This is sort of more of a revision. I'm looking at a lot of Haute Couture, or Garment sculpture.
Brandon Keehner
Shen Shaomin
Michael Grab Rely

Also I am starting to explore the subject of Anonymity for my project next semester. Potentially. We will see.