Journal Entry.

I was just walking around Boise during Thanksgiving break with my cousins and came across this snowman that someone had made. I immediately grabbed my camera and took a picture. It is something as simple as this that can really entertain a human eye. It's funny if you think about it, someone was just sitting at the table and was bored so they decided to make a little snowman skiing. Then someone else comes across it and see art. They turn something so simple as a little snowman into a unique piece of art.

Project Proposal - Journal Entry.

Project Proposal
Name: Wrapped In Ribbons

Objective

Create a display/object that specifically addresses aspects of collecting and or museum practices. This artwork can demonstrate a myth, a superstition, a scientific, historical or biographical event, a re-enactment or a collection. It can be completely fictional. 

Display

To display my project I am going to take each ribbon and make a bow out of them. I am going to display them on a cork board or something so that I can hang the bows up. I will put labels by each bow saying what age I turned and what the gift was. The ribbons will be spread out in some sort of repetitive order, but in order of age.

Intent

My Intent in displaying the ribbons for my project is to show the family background and traditions that we have kept doing throughout the years. To show people that the little things in life such as a ribbon can mean and express so much in someones life. Each ribbon I have has a background behind it.Each ribbon has a value to me. 

Story Behind

It’s been a tradition in my family to save one of your the ribbons that was on a present that you got from our parents. So, I have 19 ribbons that I have been saving since I was one years old. I kept a list of each gift that came with the ribbons. The ribbons are very important to me -  even though I am going to be using them in my project I am still going to continue to collect the ribbons until my last birthday.

Peter Gasser - Journal Entry

I was looking at photographer's and their work so i could get ideas and i came across Peter Gasser he is a contemporary photographer. I was looking at his photos and they really caught my eye and my attention as to "why?" and "what inspired him to take these pictures." Peter says that "in a photograph where you have established a personal connection between yourself and the object photographed you can generate something that cannot be expressed in any other way." Peter makes prints that can exactly capture what his mind's eye was seeing at the moment of exposure. His passion for landscape photography made him turn to the great American masters for inspiration. Gasser studies the nature and how it is an intimate reflection of the visible world. He has written many books about his journeys along the way and explains what he was inspired by.  He has been
 all over the world taking pictures of different cultures, but mainly african american tribes. Peter has been to Egypt, Iceland, Morocco, Venezia and many different African Tribes. Most of his work is in Black and White, but there are a few in color. His picture are real jaw dropping and they can say so many things. You can leave asking so many questions.




"A photograph is a secret about a secret - the more you tell the less you know."

Andy Warhol.

Andy Warhol was best know for "The Pop Icon" -  His first one man exhibition was in New York in 1956. He started by painting daily objects of things that were mass produced and well known such as: Campbell Soup cans, Coke Bottles and after that he became famous in the New York art scene. Later on he started making silkscreen prints of famous people like Marilyn Monroe or Elizabeth Taylor. Andy expressed his philosophy in one sentence. "When you think about, department stores are kinda of like museums"
He didn't only want to remake mass products but he also was reaching the goal of mass produce of his own works with Pop Art.

Here are a few examples: I really like how he took something that already existed and kind of put a twist to it and made it his own style. Like the first picture of Marilyn Monroe, it looks a lot like her but she put a twist to her hair -  instead of being bleached blonde he made it yellow and her lips instead of being red he made them a dark pink. In a way he customized it. For the coke bottles he changed them up a bit too. They usually have the label wrapped around the bottle and he made it so the label wasn't on there and it was just the bottles. You can see the extreme detail that he used in making sure that is was a exact replica. I also like how at the bottom the "Cola" in Coca Cola is faded and looks wore. The Campbell's soup photo is unique also -  the labels look exactly the same but he made it more interesting by instead of just having one huge replica painting, he made multiple ones -  you cant really answer the question as to why..?

1st Semester at BSU - Journal Entry

I was very scared coming into college -  i didn't know what it was going to be like, if people were going to like me or how much i was going to miss home. I was one of 5 students from my High School that came here and i hardly see any of them. =p My first semester i have learned so much not only about school but about my self. I feel that i have really grown up and became responsible -  i am able to pick my higher priorities over the things that don't really matter. I have been really studying and getting things done before i have time to hang out with friends. I love Boise and i love my school -  Boise is such a great place to live because there are so many things to do around the town unlike my hometown where there was really nothing to do besides go to the movies, or walk around downtown. I have met so many new people that i know i will always be friends with. Everyone here is so accepting and willing to help with whatever you need help with.

The football game against oregon was my first time ever going to a football game like that, i was used to my high school football games where there was many 800 people there, not 30,000 + people. It was so much fun and during the game i met so many new people. It was an experience that i will never forget. It was a great game and of course the bronco's came out on top. The tailgating was intense and a lot of fun!

Journal Entry.- My Passion

My Passion is equestrian riding with my horse and her name is Fancy. I have had her for 7 years and she is the love of my life -  I know that when i get on her back she is someone that i can count on to keep me safe. When we got her she had just had a baby -  and so you can imagine that she wasn't looking good nor was she in very good shape. It was like training a horse from square one, but the people that had her before the people that  we bought her from did equestrian eventing with her so she still knew how to do somethings she just needed to be reminded.

Fancy and I have had a roller coaster of ups and downs together with bonding and training, but where she is at today was so worth it. I have put in SO much time and effort to her  - she is like my child. Teaching your new born child how to talk, walk, sleep, eat and function. It's EXACTLY like that. What got me through it all was the love, respect and passion for her. She is the type of horse that i don't just let anyone ride. You have to be able to be gentle with your hands and steer with your legs and seat. She doesn't like any movement with her hands. She is a very gentle horse and soft horse.  There were times where she had a fix ran off bucking and snarling - people where like "i don't know how you ride her" "you need to send her off to a trainer" "do this, do that" -  but the truth is i rode her with confidence and pride and thats how i got through it. I was her trainer i didn't need to send her off.

Fancy is my best friend and my true love. A horses back is as close to heaven as i can get. When i am on her back i feel as if i am flying. I feel that all my worries are gone and she heals everything. She may not be able to talk -  but she has got some ears that are good for listening. She follows me around in the pasture and she knows that i love her.

This i believe - Journal Entry.

In English we had to write an essay about something that you believe in and here is what i wrote. 

                                                   Self- Respect

“It is the highest form of self-respect to admit our errors and mistakes and make amends for them. To make a mistake is only an error in judgment, but to commit to it is when it’s discovery shows infirmity of character.” I have been in a situation where I have not respected
myself, I have respected others more  than myself. I finally realized that living that way is not the answer. You need to be able to respect yourself, your choices and who you are. If there is ever a time where you haven’t respected yourself that is probably a time where you have made a bad choice.

The first part of high school was hard. I was making choices that were not healthy and trying to be someone that I wasn’t. There was a time where I didn’t respect myself and decided to do something, little did I know that choice was going to almost cost me my future. I started to allow others to control me. I was breaking into peer pressure and doing things that I shouldn’t be doing and allowing others to control my life. I was the small one in my class, the skinniest and the shortest, people called me “babysara”. It was always easy to be pushed around or made fun of. 

As I grew up and went through high school, I became more mature and I started to realize that it’s not okay. So, I stood my ground and started to express to others that I wasn’t going to allow them to continue to control me.  I began to control my own life, because it was becoming unhealthy for me.I branched out to different friends, I was striving to improve and starting to maintain my own independence. I learned that people cannot take away our self-respect if we do not give it to them.

Today, I am completely a different person. I have my own morals and opinions, I stand up for what I believe in and don’t give into peer pressure. I have respect for myself and if you don’t like me for who I am, then you don’t have to be in my life. It’s your choice not mine. I live life to the fullest and I take every opportunity that I can. I respect my actions, what I say, what I believe in and that is who I am. I do not change for anybody, but myself. Although I am still known as “babysara,” I continue to have self-respect.

Self Respect isn't bragging about how great you are. It's more like quietly knowing that you're worth a lot. It's not about thinking you're perfect because nobody is, but knowing that you're worthy of being loved and accepted for who you are. Respect your efforts and respect
yourself.  Self-respect leads to self-discipline.  When you have both firmly under your belt, that's the real power.

Sister Love - Journal Entry.

This is my little sister Sydnee and she is my one and true best friends. We are 10 years apart, but are so close at the heart. Since my mom and dad were working a lot during the summers, i spent a lot of my time raising my little sister. My parents were there a lot for her and raising her to -  but people say that i am like a second mother. She is my flesh and blood and can't imagine what i would do without her. There are times where she can be annoying and i don't want anything to do with her, but there are also times where she is the only one that i want with me. I know that sometimes she doesn't understand everything, but she has always been there for me giving me hugs when i'm crying or defending me or even rubbing my back while i fall asleep. She is only 8 years old, but since she grew up with 2 teenagers in the house -  she is 8 going on 21!


This year is extremely hard being away from her. She is now an only child in the house. It's hard for me because i feel a sense of guilt that i am not there for someone that she can look up to. When i was growing up my older sister was there living at home until i was 16. Sydnee is only 8 and all her older sisters' are gone. I wish i could be there for her soccer games, dance recitals, or christmas programs but i am not and that is what hurts the most. I am not there with her while she is growing up. I love her so much and i thank god everyday that i have her as my little sister.

Christmas. - Journal Entry

Christmas Break is coming, but not fast enough -  i cant wait to get home and see all my family and friends that i have been away from for so long. It's going to be so nice to sleep in my own bed and as long as i want because i wont have to worry about homework or class. I am especially excited about this christmas because my Uncle Chris and cousin Alicia are coming to town to spend it with us and i have not spent a christmas with them since i was 2. It is going to be so nice and relaxing with them here. About a year ago i had reconnected with my uncle chris on Facebook - i hadn't seen nor talked to him since i was 2 and so, its been so nice to have him back in my life. It's really been a joy and blessing. Since i connected to him, that means that i found my cousin alicia. No one knew where she was at living wise and what she was doing so it is nice to have my cousin back in my life. Overall I am so excited to see my family and friends, but also make this christmas one to remember.

12-7-10: Journal Entry.

Today in class my group was very productive with getting our project installed. During the day Lauren and I went to the dollar store to get our "ingredients" and then we typed up and printed the labels and title page. The labels had the name of the potion, description, and the ingredient inside. We printed them on card stock and cut them out to place next to the bottles.

During class we divided the bottles up and went through the ones we got and put the ingredients inside them. The ingredients were: fingernails, soap, lizard tails, peanut butter, glitter, coco beans, raisins, rotten teeth, onions, fish eggs, hair, cat whiskers and more. It was very interesting and kindof fun putting them all together and see what they looked like.

We then started to display them in the cabinet. As we stood back and looked at the display we realized that we needed a light on each shelve because it was kinda dark. The light is going to help the viewers see the bottles and ingredient better and it will just make the overall product better.

Journal Entry.

"When you photograph people in color you photograph their clothes.  But when you photograph people in black and white, you photograph their souls!"  ~Ted Grant


I love this quote because it is very true -  when you take pictures in color of people the color is used to show their clothing off and brighten the picture because of the clothing, really when a picture is in color you tend to focus more on the appearance of the people. When you take pictures in black and white, yes you see the people and the different contrast between the two shades -  but that isn't what draw your attention. What draws your attention is the expression of the faces, you see the inside and focus more on the people. You get more of a connection and really study the person. 


Here are two examples.  - 

You look at this picture of me and my friends at graduation and it is in black and white -  you can see the joy and excitement in our faces and you can really get a sense of who we are because you are more focused on the bright part which is our faces. Don't get me wrong you would still be able to see our expressions if it was in color -  but your eyes would have drawn to our royal blue cap and gowns. So, being in black and white you can see inside the people.

Here is another picture at graduation, but this time its in color -  When i first looked at this picture my eyes immediately went to the gowns because it's the brightest part of the picture, the boldest part and the biggest part. My eyes didn't go to the people or their faces. So, before you see their expressions and you see blue.. the gowns.

Annette Messager.

Annette Message works with everyday materials such as plush toys, stuffed animals and fabrics. She likes using the stuffed animals because she says that they are genderless and flexible. Her works represent the universality in society which comes from her personal interest and experiences rather than focusing on specific people, cultures, race, nationality or gender. From her small figures to her bug computer operated installations there is always a common "playfulness" no matter what the size is. It could play a role of game, word plays, imaginary tales no matter what her work will never bore you.

Remains - She likes to tell stories especially children stories and this installation is based on childhood toys and stories that she has collected through the last four decades. There is a wave of material that takes over the wall, there are pieces of colored wool hanging down from the wall with clothes and objects that become the decoration. The landscapes of the plastic and synthetic fur are dominating the stuffed animals. This is an icon of French Art. 

The Secret Room of the Collector - She really played with issues of identity and the secret room is a small section of the gallery which people cannot enter. It is full of diary notes, images cut from magazines, terms for women that are embroidered on fabric, black and white photos that are showing barbaric forms of beauty treatment. There are also displays of her "best" signatures written over and over again when she was a little school girl practicing her name in the back of the text book. 

Them and Us, Us and Them- The red billowing, illuminated silk creates a lost world. The sparrows in knitted capes and bonnets, you find yourself in a fantasy world which swings between nostalgic, funny and nightmarish. In this one you can tell she likes cliches and our entire society is lost in fairy tales. You can tell that she has been interested in them just by her work and the fairy tales are open of the the subject points of her work.

Conclusion - I enjoy that she uses objects from everyday life because it allows her work to freely move between coexistence of opposing ideas like humor and fear, pure and vicious or reality and imagination. They all seem to give off an impression of a pure yet fragile work. I also like her work because the unique "playfulness" or humor that she uses is one of the main reasons why she is very popular to people of all ages and genders. I feel that there are only question and no answers and that is what makes the work engaging.

Langdon Graves

Langdon Graves  creates drawings and sculptures with a slightly unsettling knack for blurring the line between the imagined and the  physical  -  her approach leave more room for the viewers to leave wondering. I like her drawings a lot better than her sculptures. Her drawing's seem to be more personal and i can really connect easier to his drawings. They are very detailed and vivid - she uses sharp detail and since they are all in black and white it makes them stand out more. Plus, not all of them are "reality" some of the drawings that she has done are ones that you would never see.  Her drawings are very poetic and almost always in black and white though there are a few with a tint of pink or yellow. I like that she uses her own style: a soft mood and detailed works that are very eye catching pieces.

This photo was catching to my eye because as you can see her hand behind her back she is crossing her fingers. Since you can only see the back of her and her hand you question what she is crossing her fingers for.. Is she crossing them for luck, crossing them by pinky promising something, but crossing your fingers. Its along the saying.."Pinky Promise..? No Cross's Count" - I know that i did that when i was little and still do so i think that, that is why this photo caught my eye.


This was a photo that i also had so many questions running through my head when looking at it -  you see that it is a male, he has his shirt off and you can tell that he is in pretty good shape. You see his fingers almost like digging into his chest.. So, i ask myself -  "Is he angry?" "Did he get his heart broken?" "He is hurting inside from a loved one lost?" But all these questions aren't just there because of his hand, you can also tell by the expression on his face -  its very blank and he is looking down almost in grieve or depression.


This isn't much of a picture, but it could have a bold meaning. You look at it and you see a one side of a man's face-  just one ear, and one eye, and a little piece of his hair and with glasses on. I wonder why just one side is showing complete detail and not the other side. The other eye piece on the glasses has a red/pink tint to it. I wonder if that side of the face isn't showing is because he is a ashamed, more maybe there is something such as a scare or burn on that side of the face that he doesn't want to show.

Peter Land

Peter Land used be known for stripe dancing videos and performing art -  now he is know for his most famous piece which is of a young with a water foundation with flowing water out of her mouth. Things like this not only make me wonder but the people around us of how much back story or examination is necessary for the enjoyment of a single piece. Peter is a Danish artist and is well known for his humorous and self-ironic work. Peter works between video, photo, performances and installation works- but also the more traditional work of drawing, and oil paint.

Snapshot -  When looking at the full view of this monument i took a "double take" because i wasn't sure if the little girl was balanced on the rocks or maybe what cause my eye was the background that pulled me in and that is when it connected that this piece was really a "snapshot"

Untitled - This installation is of a older man laying in bed and it shows that his arms and legs are extremely large and go past the bed. He is too big for the bed -  It's like trying to put a shoe on that is too small -  its just going to be uncomfortable.

Playground - This installation is of a young girl and a young boy playing i the playground and is passing the ball back and forth. There is a white picket fence that is surrounding them.


Conclusion-  I liked peters work because he had a wide variety of work -  and i liked his sculpted ones because they were real like "snapshot" or more of them where and he took those photo's studied them and then made a life six replica of that. There was not really a lot of information on this works so i couldn't really get the background and inspiration that he had on his work - so therefore i couldn't write as much as i could.

Fred Wilson

Fred Wilson has no desire to make things with his hands. He gets everything that satisfies his soul and by that he brings objects together that are in the world and manipulates them by working with different arrangements and the way that he presents them. Fred's exhibitions are contexts for the display of the artifacts where they are found in a museum collection along with wall labels, sound, light and pairing objects together. I have found that his installations lead the viewers to recognize the changes in the context and creates a meaning.  He maintains the subject view of the museum environment with all the work that he presents.

Mining the Museum  - This piece highlights the history of slavery in America. He created the mixed media parts, focusing on Africans, issues and representations of black and white. With that he included a suite of black glass sculptures, a black and white tiled room with wall graffiti that was the text of African-American slave narratives. This installation is very popular and an influential installation. Fred takes social justice and uses that has his subject for this piece.

Beauty & Memory -  In this installation Fred thinks of beauty as ultimate visual experience. He shows that he is interested in the beauty in that it can hide a meaning, the visual experience can sometimes be so overwhelming that you sometimes allow yourself not to think about the meaning of beauty. He says that beauty and ugliness are not necessarily separate, but we as people tend to separate them. The memory part he says about this installation is to look at it this way, he likes to think that objects have memories or no as much as they are imbued with memory. So, the way that i see that is if you go to a place that is really familiar to you is in a totally different context - you then realize how much you have imbued from an "object" or "place." The more you know the more you are able to understand about something, and the more you know the more you have to work with.

Atlas - This shows his take on the greek god atlas -  but inside of holding up the plant, with his version god holds up the classical books that define the worlds greatest art even though sometimes people tend to ignore almost everything outside of Europe and America.

Dark Dawn -  This is an example of Fred work using a series of large black droplets that trickle down the wall into a "pool" of black glass. When i look at this i wondering if the droplets are tears or rain, or maybe he wants you to think that they are all liquids.


Conclusion -  I love how Fred's work forces the viewer(me) to question his work, the shape, historical truth, the artist value and the language of display but also what kinda of biases do our cultures express. When looking at his different works i start to ask questions about my own thoughts and really have to work because he is not telling me everything. I like that just by having the experience by looking at his art without knows that not many artist created it -  but just one artist.

Giorgio de Chirico - Journal Entry

A quote by Giorgio de Chirico "To become truly immortal, a work of art must escape all human limits: logic and common sense will only interfere. But once these barriers are broken, it will enter the realms of childhood visions and dreams."



I really like this quote because i believe that it is 100% true. If your work is like everyone else's and is boring it wont be interesting to the human eye, there will be no engagement when viewing your work. You must think outside the box and really expand your imagination. If you come up with an idea and say "Wow, this is crazy. I've never see it done before" or "this is beyond my limits," it's really not -  you may think that but it could become something amazing and someone other than yourself can connect to it. 


When i take pictures i think about my connection to the picture. I think about what other people are going to say and i also think about the uniqueness in it. I want people to ask question like "How did she do that" or "what was her inspiration." My inspiration is nature and my eye. I love nature and when taking picture of nature, families, children or really anything i really try and tie nature into it.The beauty of nature that i see through my eye really is inspiring to my photos

Janine Antoni

Janines work is a blur distinction between performance art and sculptures. She transforms everyday activities such as eating, bathing and sleeping into art. Her main tool that she uses is her own body. She has chiseled cubes of lard and chocolate with her own teeth. She has also used her brainwave signals that are recorded while she dreamed at night as a patter to weaving a blanket. She is one of the only artists that i know, that uses her teeth to sculpt things. She says that "the process of using her own body is sort of gentle and loving, there is a self-love. Its like trying to come to terms with that surface of being you."

Lick and Lather - She worked with the tradition of a self -portrait. She took the mold directly from her body, and she used a material called "alginate." It gets every little details even the pores, and she even molded her hair. She melted down 35 lbs of chocolate poured it into the mold that she made of herself and re-sculpted her image by licking the chocolate. She did the same exact thing for soap -  the soap piece is about trying to be on the outside of herself and have that relationship with her own image!

Moor - This piece is made out of fabric and hair -  Janine's hair. When you look closely at the rope, it looks like it is braided together, but it actually isn't. Is is twisted so tightly together. Then they twisted the strands back on themselves then released and it naturally created a kind of lock into each other. When Moor was being created Janine went back to her birthplace, and there was where she developed the relationship between concept and reality of her piece.

Saddle - Tanned cow hide. She draped cow skin over her body as she was couched on the ground in a crawling position and sat there while the skin hardened in that position. The sculpture is mysterious i think, its like asking yourself "why is someone hiding under there not only that by why is it in a ghostly form. The quality in the work is very strong .

Conclusion - I like her work because it can be very hyperbolic and can sit on a historical levee. Her end results are engaging, appealing and provoking. I like that her work shows a constant wide variety of mediums that she uses, i like that rather than seeing a certain style in her work i recognize a voice, and that is what i believe is to be very important.

Beth Rekow

Beth Rekow -  Her artwork focus's on the challenge of process, the beat of change and also the importance of the thought and assumption within the visual landscape. She wants to be able to attract the viewers attention and allow them to be able to see the beauty that she has made just by recycling and rue produces that people seem to often think are useless. She really focus's on interior design also.

Skin -  This installation is a piece with renewal, recycling and reuse of just ordinary materials. She reuse plastic, glass and lights. The plastic bags are woven into webbing wrapped like spider webs around the exterior of the building.  The neurons are made from the woven plastic, and solar light are fused together to produce the trees of glass. This is really the only installation piece that she has done. But, below are other example of building that she designed.


Conclusion -  I real love the concepts behind Beth's work. It is very interesting that she comes from a background in architecture. I am impressed with the passion she has for her work and the ability that she has to fully explain for process and work clearly.

Liza Lou

Liza Lou uses beads for her work instead of paint she is a collector and curator. While she was working on this peace she started to develop acute tendinitis in her hands because she places each bead individually using tweezers. Her work process is unique and different from other artist. She doesn't really do anything of small scale. Her installations are true labor of love and countless hours of effort. Her work is timeless representations of domestic life and are definitely worth seeing when the exhibitions travel around the world.

Super Sister -  This is a Charles Ray Revolution. Its a tall African American women that is made again completely out of beads. This was her first human form creation, and is one of her most famous human creations. It's a life size, spangled sculpture of a shotgun - toting African American super heroine. 

Kitchen - She used over 30 million beads - It took Liza five years to make, its a life size replica of a kitchen, she glued beads to things from water, to appliances to dirty dishes. This piece is a monument to women's work within the home. Kitchen is a 168 square feet of fully equipped appliances, breakfast cereal and sink water flowing.


Backyard - She wanted to produce her own landscape being different from those who painted or drew or sculpted. Liza wanted to be unique and different and she certainly is. With this piece she didn't work alone like she did with the "kitchen" piece. She invited anyone to help, senior citizens, neighbors and others, they each provided a flower, blade of grass or tiny insects. This piece made an impact not only because of the dimensions but because of the craftsmanship and the questions each viewer has. 

Conclusion -  I really LOVE Liza's work her work embraces the American visionary tradition and relates to Pop Art figuration. I was actually looked at someone else's work and i came across her work and immediately saved her picture and when i was done with the other artist i started to look at her work. She uses vivid characterization in her display and performance. I love her technique, and she really puts a lot of time(years) into her work along with love and perfection and i think that is what sets her out from the other artist.

 

Sally Man - Journal Entry.

I really enjoy this picture because it shows how cigarettes used to be just passed around back them, it didn't matter the age it was the "cool thing" -  This picture shows a young girl, looking kinda of raged and hold a cigarette. She seems to have a "I don't care attitude," and looks about the age of 12 or 13. This picture captures the confusing emotions of developing adolescent girls. Candy Cigarette is an example of distinctive combination and careful planning and serendipity. The picture has a bold and dramatic mood.

I also like the technique that that she shows -  its very old fashion and like distorted/destroyed pictures. She makes scratches on the lens and uses her own hand as the shutter. It is very unique and is also a good effect on her pictures.


Today is very different -  there are age limits that you have to be to be able to smoke, you have to be more mature. A cigarette isn't just "candy" anymore - you cant just go and buy it at a store like "candy" there are rules and age limits now. Not only this photo, but other photo's by her show the troubling themes of intimacy and the passage of time back then. The picture shows the change from back then to now.

Kiki Smith

Kiki Smith work is sculptures, drawings and prints. Her subject matter is the body as a receptacle for the knowledge, belief and storytelling. Later on her work she started a figurative tradition in the sculpture works by turning it inside out and creating objects and drawings based on the human organs, cellular forms and then human nervous system. Her body of work involved incorporating animals, domestic objects mythology's and folk tales. Life, death and resurrection are in many of Smith's installations and sculptures.  She uses materials ranging from wax, bronze and paper, her sculptures are often metaphors for deeper issues




Lying With The Wolf - She take the inspiration of life with communing with a wold, she took shelter with its pelt and being born from its womb. Her character embodies the complex, symbolic relationships between humans and animals. She was inspired by this work when she saw a picture of Genevieve sitting with the wolfs and lambs. She wasn't making images of people for a couple years and just wanted to make animals, but when she saw this picture she thought it was really important to put the two together. She didn't like the lambs so she stuck with the only the wolfs. 


Wunderkammer - Includes plants, animals minerals, coins religious relics, prints, anatomical models, body parts and medical instruments. It looks as if her gathering the of the items were always captivated and shows the new relationships and means that can surface when things are assembled. This is an example of a free-form collection of all things that can be rare and but marvelous. It is for sure a unusual rock and crystal formation. The goal with Wunderkammer's is to gather the knowledge that you know and explain it to the world, it's not just art but its the wonders.






Rapture - When i look at this picture i picture -  little red riding hood defeating the wolf. The women is standing over the wolf as "look at me, i have concurred the wolf, i am proud." Looking at this piece and studying it it shows violence and to an extent gender roles. She looks at fairy tales and looks at the possible differences. The girl and the wolf are joined at one and at other times they are companions. This piece may represent the sexual women release from the wolf's belly and presents the metamorphosis of the wolf into women, but we aren't sure so it leaves us questioning. 




Conclusion: I really like her work because it is a interconnected thread if work. They focus on a broad range of her pursuits from body parts to animals, and abstraction to self- portraiture. I love that her inspirations are the breath of art history and the decorative arts. I think that i like it so much is because i am really interested in the history of art and where it comes from but also the background behind it. 

English Essay - Journal Entry

Our Essay in English had to be about a subcultural -  that you believe is one thing but someone else believes the opposite, or something that you want people to understand more. I wrote my essay on Equestrian Riding and how people don't believe its a sport. So, here is my essay.

Rider 251

3, 2, 1 and you’re off! “Now on course rider 251 -  Sara Brookshire and  You’re So Fancy”. I feel the wind running through my hair, adrenaline racing, praising my horse, smiling and having the time of my life. I go over jump after jump, hearing the announcer say “Rider 251 cleared jump.” As I get to each jump, I hear my family and friends cheering me on. They are all my inspiration. I hear my mom because she’s the loudest one screaming my name while crying at the same time. She tells me that she is proud of me and to keep up the good work.  I get to the finish line, I hear the announcer say “Rider 251 clean ride with a time of 6:32”. I am in tears of joy that I finished another course. I jump off my horse, the veterinarians and volunteers are taking my helmet, jump vest and boots off. They rush to take off Fancy’s tack, taking temperatures, sponging her down and cooling her off.  When I finished the course I have never felt so happy, relieved and proud of not only myself, but my horse as well. 

Throughout my equestrian riding I have heard so many peoples’ view on it, and they seem to think that it isn’t a sport, just like snowboarding, rock climbing, and dance aren’t sports either. They are truly wrong for something to be called a sport doesn’t always have to mean that you are on a team, that you practice everyday, or that you always have to win or lose each time.  The truth is in this sport, its not about winning or losing, its about finishing and having the time of your life. To succeed in the sport of equestrian riding and gain skills you must ride and practice each day, just like any other sport. You must build strength and confidence in your riding and the only way to do that is through experience, commitment and time. When competing you are normally a single rider, but you have friends and family that are competing right along side you.


There are three stages in equestrian riding that you must prepare and train for. Dressage is the first: this is the elegant part, where you memorize a pattern with letters and are judged on flow,balance, rhythm, and staying on course.  The second part of the competition is x-country: this is the endurance part and is completed at a fast pace, therefore this stage is the one that you mainly train for.  You have a course of multiple jumps all spread out in an open field or a forest like  environment with many twists and turns, going up hills and down. In this part you are only allowed to have three refusals during the time on course. If you get three or more refusals or fall off,  then are you eliminated from the event. The third and final stage of the event is show jumping: you memorize a course of jumps in an arena usually no more than 14 jumps, you must finish in a certain amount of time and try to complete the course with out knocking down poles or your horse refusing to jump. This stage is just like x-country you are only allowed to have 3 refusals. 

I have been involved in Equestrian riding since I was 9 years old. I have had my horse for over five years and she has became truly my best friend. We share a bond that not one will never understand. I know I can always count on her to be there for me when times are rough. Even though she can’t talk, her ears have always been open to listen. I just jump on her back and let her take me wherever she goes. On her back I feel like I’m in heaven because nothing goes wrong. She follows me without being asked, she rubs her head on mine, and when I look at her and feel a tingle feeling down my spine, I know that she loves me. Riding allows me to grow in many different ways, I have gained leadership, self discipline, responsibility, and confidence. 

I have been involved in an organization called “United States Pony Club” for over ten years. I have met so many people and I know that those friendships will last forever. I started off at the lower level and as the years moved on, I moved up in my riding and became a stronger rider. The different levels show the abilities in your riding, and your level of knowledge. It is a standard rating system that guides the members into learning more about horses while becoming an accomplished rider. Riding has not only made me a strong rider, but it has allowed me to grow as a person and has been a positive influence in my life. I have been to many different shows, events and even qualified for a nationals.

June 18, 2007, this was the day that I knew my dream was about to come true. I competed in an event so that I could qualify for nationals in Lexington, Kentucky, and I did it! That day I was determined and ready to prove to everyone that “dreams do come true.” I only had a month to prepare and train for nationals, so as soon as I got home I got started. The trip was going to be expensive since we were driving across the country to Kentucky. So with the help of my parents, we asked for donations from many businesses around the community and had many fundraisers.  I trained by riding at the hottest point of the day so my body could adapt to the heat. There were even times where I turned the sprinklers on so there would be humidity along with the heat. I spent over $500 for lessons with my trainers and many hours of my own time studying the dressage pattern and getting all my things organized. 

The day had come where we loaded the trunk with food, clothing, and tack. I washed and loaded my horse up and set on for our 5 day trip to Kentucky.  The days went by with traveling through 11 different states stopping along the way for stabling and sleep after 8-12 hour car rides.  July 21, 2007, we finally see a sign “Welcome to Lexington Kentucky”, my heart dropped and it finally hit me. I am here. I made it.  All I could focus on was the luscious green grass, the beautiful stables and horses. We got to the Horse park, checked in and got my horse all settled in.  The next day I met my team members from New York and then it began, the competition.  I was so excited to start riding and competing, I met so many new people, made memories and experiences that I will never forget. After each stage of the competition, I didn't care if it didn’t go the way that I wanted it to go, maybe I got nervous or had a few poles knock down, all I cared about was finishing and doing my best and that is exactly what I did.  I finished 7th in the nation out of 139 riders in my division and it was the best feeling that I could ever experience. 

In end of all this I took back so much with me. I learned that if you really want to make your dream come true then move forward and do your best to make it happen. Sometimes you have to sacrifice and that is what it is all about. If you want something so bad, then you must do everything that you can to get it, and that is exactly what I did. I worked hard, trained hard, opened my heart, and achieved my dream. There are so many young adults out there that try, but they don’t try hard enough to reach their goal or dream, so they give up. Don’t ever allow yourself to give up until you can’t give anything at all and then that is when you know you tried your hardest. I didn’t ever think that I was going to achieve my dream and goal of competing in nationals and riding on the same course as some of the olympic equestrian riders, but with my faith in God, the help of my parents and the time my trainers spent with me, I did and I wouldn’t change anything.

If you think about it, being an equestrian rider is just like any other sport. It takes time, commitment, faith, passion and love to become the best and to become someone you want to be. Athletes say that sports changed their lives, not the people,  but in my sport my horse changed my life, she gave me confidence and self-esteem, she provided me with peace and gave me hope. The countless hours of practicing and becoming a stronger athlete brought me to my dream. I 

DID practice everyday, I DID win, I WAS on a team and I gave it my all. Therefore, I do 

consider myself an equestrian athlete.  So, where do you stand? Is equestrian riding a sport?