In a few hours I will fly out to New York along with 27 other students for the
Whitney Biennial. During the day we’ll be visiting artists, studios, museums, and other cool artsy things. At night, we’re free to go about the city on our own. I still don’t quite know what I’ll be up to in the evenings, but I intend on having a good time. As always, I will document my adventure in photos. I’ll be back on Sunday night. Good night!
Being a Fine Arts major has its perks. We’ve officially hit the middle of the semester and there are no essays to write or special quizzes to take. Essentially all we’ve got working for us (or against us) is our attendance, class participation, and our completed projects. A few other relieving bits of news:
- I know what I will be presenting for my Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) show coming up in April . I’m excited and anxious to do it.
- I leave to New York next week with my graduating class. The beauty of the trip is that it will be completely free. Two prominent art collectors donated $10,000 apiece to make this trip possible. What a blessing!
- I aced my History of Graphic design quiz this week. That’s three in a row. I feel pretty darn good about myself. Especially after trying to remember all those European designer names. Rodchenko, Marinetti, Apollinaire, Mallevich, and on and on.
- My graphic design class will focus the rest of the semester on preparing for our BFA show.
This last point is a huge relief. We designers need all the time we can get for this show. You see, Graphic Design is the step child of the fine arts community in our school. The nature of our profession is that we use our creativity and skills to communicate for a client. In a sense, we’re interpreters for some one else’s message. Well our BFA show requires us to make our own message and put it on a wall. Many of us have been in a panic for the past months trying to find our own message. Now that we can focus our class time on this, we’ll be able to flesh out the ideas and pieces better.
I still have quite a load to carry before the semester is over. It’s time to get back to it. I’ll post the BFA show details soon.
I’ve noticed a strange trend in the music I’m listening to lately. Most of the musicians and albums getting the most replays on my iPod fall under the category of Adult Contemporary. I’m drawn to acoustic guitars and songs about disenfranchisement or lost love or spiritual journeys. I’ve been paying more attention to politics. I find myself being more comfortable with long sleeve button-up shirts, pants, and nice shoes without laces.
My Netflix queue is suspiciously filled with documentaries, classics, and art house films. My mornings start off with hot mugs of coffee. I vote. I organize my workspace and my room. I’m reading books about Capitalism and Foreign Policy. I’m listening to lectures about Greco-Roman Moralists and talking about men like Lucian, Epictetus, and Philo. I look forward to signing contracts, setting meetings, and updating my calendar.
This is the grown-up world I find myself in. And yet I still feel like a kid.
That’s a good thing, right?
I’ll be presenting this large scale illustration to my class today for a critique, among other political pieces. I wanted you all to get a glimpse of it first.
It’s been a rough few days. I’m overwhelmed with the tasks at hand. In particular, I’m trying to figure out what kind of work to submit for my Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) show in April. I’ve been going back and forth with doing hand-painted pieces, digital works, illustrated social commentaries, and all other possible solutions. I feel boxed in and it’s terrible.
I’ve made a list called Things to Worry About which highlights all the deadlines and obligations haunting me right now. It’s actually quite therapeutic for me to face all these demons in a single text file. Now the strategy calls for addressing each one. I’m attempting to find a place for each task in my calendar so I can eventually get rid of them. Next thing I need to do is turn down every other offer* that comes my way. I’ve committed to too many things now and it’s finally come back bite me in the foot. Well no more, I say! I’ll be politely declining invitations to work on projects until I can get things under control again. Just thinking about it makes me more anxious. I’d better go to sleep before this monitor feels the wrath of my jab. Good night.
*If you want to buy me lunch, that’s cool. I’ll try not to turn that down. ;]
This Miami weather is interesting. One day it’s boiling hot and then all of a sudden it’s a cold Tuesday. It’s fun seeing all these Floridians outside with their jackets and thick sweaters. We’ve been waiting all year (fifteen days) to take these coats out of our closets.
Latest update:
- Steady amount of homework so far. Manageable.
- I’ve been watching the Republican debates like a football fan, yelling and cheering at the T.V. with a foam finger and a beer hat.
- Working on an energy drink design for my packaging class. It’s gonna be a good one.
- Working on a movie standee for an upcoming local film. There’s a short deadline for this one but I think I’m moving in the right direction so far.
- Went back to the gym after a long hiatus. Problem is, I ate too much before I went. Barely made it through the workout.
- Despite the sad-looking cartoon above, I’m feeling quite well.
- This week my good friend Rey flies out to Kentucky. I’m planning on seeing him before he goes.
- Olga, a friend who graduated last semester, dropped by the class and said hello today. Made me feel good, ya know?
That’s it for now. Maybe next time I’ll have something exciting for ya.
Every Friday night, I attend a philosophy discussion hosted by my pastor and his wife. Our latest course of study consists of weekly readings of
The American Century and usually two dvd lectures from different professors in the
Teaching Company catalog. In the past we’ve gone through the history of Christianity, history of America, and history of the 20th century, focusing particularly on where different schools of thought have emerged and dominated modern thinking.
As of last week, we were discussing the emergence of psychoanalysis at the beginning of the 20th Century. After reading about the work of Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung I was inspired to draw the above sketch. What started off as a professional relationship soon became a bitter rivalry. I wonder who would’ve won in a mixed martial arts fight. My money would have been on Jung because there’s a lot more face to grab on Freud, him having a beard and all. I can also imagine Jung in a press conference after the fight saying something like, “Maybe Freud was right, I’m the biggest, baddest, mother****** of them all.”
History deserves a lot more outrageous quotes like that. Students would definitely pay a lot closer attention.
