An Artist's Book Example

I have created this blog for you so that you can have some idea how to make it look. I used other students words and images and mixed and altered them a bit to protect identities. You can see that it is basically a visual journal. Of course you will create a first page with your name, class number, Date, and title if you have one.

You should create your pieces first in powerpoint and then upload them in a backwards order. In other words, upload your last self-generated piece first and your first assignment last so that they are in order from 1-15 and then the self-generated ones last. Just like this blog your blog should have extensive notes of explanation.

#1 Parameters

I enjoyed Annette Messager’s use of pantyhose in her sculpture. When considering my artist book I could not keep the idea of pantyhose out of my mind. The basis for my book is the idea of family: the difficulties, problems, love, hate, death, etc. Pantyhose are made to help hide any imperfections like blemishes, bruises, and even scars. I thought about my family and other families and how we all try to hide the imperfections within our family from the rest of the world. Therefore, I covered my book with pantyhose, included a doll (innocence, growth), and then I painted it with white acrylic paint. A viewer would have to cut open the pantyhose to view the inside, personal pages.

#2 Self Exploration

Line is the record of a movement. The lines on a map are a record of the cartographer’s exploration.

Coffee cups, receipts, wristbands and ticket stubs are records of my movement. When examining the residue of my life, the things I leave behind as I move forward, it is clear where I have been.

#3 Notions of Home

1. Michael Raedecker’s work was truly inspiring and one that I enjoyed out of the lectures. Playing on his ideas of home and its comforts and then making them eerie, I thought of family photographs. Every family has their photographs that act as mementos to remember certain times, moments, or those we have lost. We all have these photographs and put our own memories to them. So I took photographs and cropped the heads off. While this may seem eerie it shows how anyone can associate a memory with these photographs.

2. I have always had a somewhat rocky relationship with my home environment. To me it is a puzzle based on stress and anxiety. I have always been extremely independent from my parents and have chosen to lead my path separately from my family. This image explores this idea. From my first step, I have always been somewhat on my own. To me, home is only a state of mind – something that I consider negative and almost haunting. My childhood is something that I have always explored within my art.

This is a drawing of a baby shoe.

#4 Where do We Come From and Where do We Land?

Women in America are forced to deal with their bodies imperfections. Everyone wants to be skinny, have big boobs, big lips, and etc. The sad thing is that when a person makes these changes (and some do go too far) they are changing their traits that have been passed down from their parents.

Also, you see an image of an ideal woman in heels. Her head is replaced by a television, and she is laying eggs. This is a direct quote to the body wars in America. Because there are so many social issues concerning body images and media expectations, we have lost touch with reality. Instead, television, celebrities, and reality shows consume our brains. Even our kids understand that there are rules and taboos of which to live by – and most are scared to stray. We have brain washed our generation and have fried their brains like eggs. Speak out against conformity, and instead leave us alone that are trying to survive.

#5 Art and Life

Facebook has entered the homes of young teens to elderly adults. The new ability to keep in touch with friends or people (you do not even know) is just a click away. In fact I feel that people are all too willing to share personal information. Going through other people’s Facebook pages I see a lot of posts about what a person is doing each second of the day to inappropriate photos. I think that people do not see that just by revealing this information they are allowing other people to judge their character (sometimes this can lead to wrong judgments). More importantly they could lead sex offenders or murderers to them. For me my Facebook is simply a way to keep in touch with friends and a way to sell artwork. However, following the concepts of Sophie Calle I could see combining art and life through my Facebook page. I could make viewers my “detective” by bringing them into my life, showing them what I want them to see, and see what they interpret.

Extending the idea of art and life through a person’s Facebook page I could play on the idea of too much information. I think it would be important to display a person’s pictures (blocking faces) as well as their posts. Then viewers would be given the opportunity to sketch out their idea of what this person looks like. I would hope that this work would show people how the information they share on Facebook would lead other people to draw wrong conclusions about them

#6,7,8 3x3 Collages

Each of these images is a teeny collage- 3×3 inches square. I scanned them a little larger than life to show the detail and texture of the paper.

#9 Two Handed Drawing

I absolutely loved this idea of two hand drawings, and will continue to create it within my personal art.

Here is a double image of a man o war jellyfish. Again, I am keeping with the theme of coastal Florida. I also chose the man o war jellyfish because it gave me a chance to play with the word ‘war’. At the top I scribbled ‘man of war’, representing the war that men bring to our helpless environment. Because the I am right handed, the left jellyfish seems more juvenile. Therefore, I decided to outline it in red, magnifying the way the animals were hurt by the spill.

#10 Found Materials

The Dirac Science library keeps old reference cards by all of the computers for note taking, so I grabbed a few from the C section and ended up with a variety of topic.

#11 Perceptual Cramp

This assignment asks me to consider the intersections between art making and my life, as if the two are separate entities. I am an artist, that’s that. Not to say that I’m on my creative A-game all the time, but this question suggests that I’m a ‘person’ most of the time, and occasionally I put on my artist pants and get to work.

My real life is my art life. Not an hour goes by that I don’t think of what I could be doing to advance my experience as a working fine artist. It is, in every literal sense of the word, constantly on my mind.

This can actually be an obstacle for me sometimes. Because I want to make it as an artist so badly, sometimes I panic at the idea of creating insignificant work. Then I just freeze up and don’t do anything at all. Counterproductive, but no one’s perfect right?

Over thinking is the biggest barrier I’ve faced in art making. This happened last year in my photo bookmaking workshop. I came up with one idea, scrapped it because it was dumb, then spent two weeks hyperventilating because I just couldn’t think of anything. The problem ultimately was that I was tapping my head saying ‘think think think’, rather than just letting ideas happen naturally. I whipped out a great project at the 11th hour, but my (favorite) photography teacher has permanently labeled me as an extreme slacker.

So I learned from this. I got into the habit of thinking like an artist all the time, instead of right before an assignment is due. I also learned to relax a little, I am a student after all, and I think that the lessons learned from producing dumb art can be more valuable than the rewards of creating profound work.

Another obstacle is something I complain about all the time- the lack of fresh inspiration. Artists are charged with the task of creating fresh sights, even if working with old materials. Taking this Survey class has really helped me push though my initial lack of motivation and make new habits.

#12 Collecting

I keep my thoughts, experiences, and even memories recorded on scraps of paper, cigarette boxes, letters, etc. When something is troubling, exciting, or even nauseating I like to reflect by jotting it down. I keep these papers inside a gold box in my room – something that is sacred for me. This box represents all that I cannot speak to the world. It is all that I am inside. These are represented by one of my recorded thoughts and a brain being unleashed from a zip loc bag.

Furthermore, there is also a picture of a bottle cap. I collect bottle caps from the Pabst Blue Ribbon Beer company. Specifically, these have card suites labeled on the inside. I use bottle caps labeled “J” to sign my name on some of my art pieces.

#13 Self-Portrait

This is one of my self-portrait ideas. However, it is on a more personal basis. My dog, seen in the bottom middle is my life! She is more important than anything on this planet and to draw her was exciting. It is rewarding to see her in my images, considering my extreme passion for her. Also, there is an image of a railroad track, representing the distances that I have come and the miles I have yet to travel.

Most importantly, the middle scene captures people playing in the water. Something that is extremely important to me. I have always been an avid swimmer, and the ocean is my home. From playing in the sprinklers, to surfing, to even boating I have grown up on the water. To see it polluted with black gunk is somewhat horrifying.

#14-Graffiti

This graffiti page is explicit in its meaning and somewhat obvious. I have always been a firm believer in laissez faire and the understanding that politics should leave us alone. This is the same idea, we must rage against the machine – the government. Instead of believing their lies and manipulations, we must unite to overcome the brain washing of our nation. If I could tell anyone anything in a time capsule, it would be to rage against the machine.

I drew a bike juxtaposed by a bike to complicate the issue at hand and yet make it obvious of the good vs. evil.

#15-Identity

This is a direct reflection of the hardships of my childhood and the loss of my soul. As a child, I lost a very important person and could not understand how to cope. I was angry, lost, and violent as a young teenager. Finally I moved to Florida to escape my troubles. Everything from birth until this move has been somewhat of a dark hole in my life where there are few memories and positive experiences. Therefore, a baby rests within this dark hole and the light appears only from the airplane and state of Florida.

Self Generated 1

This is an example of what I do if I am experiencing a ‘perceptual cramp”. I begin with a line that I scribble all over a blank sheet of paper. From there I see images from the lines and create other images. For example, from these specific lines I formed a lamp, duck, shoe, boat, and even a walking cave man!

Self Generated 2

I used Styrofoam to create this image. In the upper left hand and lower right hand corner are Styrofoam cutouts of wheat plants and purple mountains. This composition was somewhat playful and exciting to create. Once again, nature is plagued by the industrial revolution.

Self Generated 3 (Two handed drawing)

I am using the inspiration of the coastline when picking this cute little bird. My left image is darker and his feet are covered in splashing oil. This bird appears to be somewhat wonky and scribbled. Therefore, this is the bird affected by the oil spill. The other bird shows the images of how things used to be back then, before the spill – healthy and normal.

Self Generated 4 (Art/Life)

This is the exact opposite of the idea of having life without art. Here, promotes the idea that with art, life is so much better. There is an image of a brain feeding art as the rollercoaster of life becomes the main idea. With art, everything is better. To me there is no separation of art and life. Even when I shampoo my hair, I am creating art. Art is for life and life is art.

Self Generated 5

Once again this is a direct quote on the body wars in America. There is a picture of a little girl putting make-up on, while one eye accidentally leaks a tear. Below her is an image of a lady, vomiting into a sink as she looks in the mirror at her ‘obese’ body. She wishes that she was thinner – almost like the size of the black outline on her skin, showing her ribs.

These images are frightening, especially because they are somewhat true in essence. The media has robbed us of our confidence. We must put down the blow dryers and magazines and instead, enjoy each other and ourselves.

Self Generated 6 (Notion of Home)

I have only memories of my father as a child. They are mostly distant memories, and I can barely remember his face. Here, the same idea is explored. There are several ambiguous men, could they be my father? Even out of the womb I am vulnerable to the idea of coming from a mystery. I have drawn a golden, faceless man, also in a fetus position. He is unknown, just as my father. I have drawn myself grown, still in fetal position, with no direction of where I belong. Arms and legs missing from not being whole. The images are cramped together, just like the feelings I hold for my notion of home. I still struggle with this.

My only home is the ocean.

Self Generated 7 (Parameters)

Here, there is an image of a sweatshirt, with nature flowing from its extremities. Once again, the idea of human vs. nature. Here, however, nature prevails, The gold touched leaves are a reminder that nature is our purest form of love. No matter what is done to it, it will not die – it is immortal. We will all fall and fade, just as this sweater, but nature will prevail and keep growing, no matter the ages.

By speaking out against waist and pollution through art, we communicate its horrific nature universally. Hopefully, we can make a difference.

Self-Generated 8

This is made from recycled materials including newspaper, brown paper bags, and even thrown out paper. Notice that the handles of a paper bag are still visible. Because the individual pages are of separate recycled materials, they are not attached.

The image is of a lady, cramped and entangled. Her nude body is twisted and almost unrecognizable. Her limbs are made of vines, spewing from her wrists and nurturing her body. The dark black smudges represent industrialization and the suffocation it has caused on our environment. It magnifies the intensity of the entrapment and creates tension. The woman is faceless, covered with thick dark paint – oil. This juxtaposition of nature and humanity is a common theme within my book. I am visually quoting industrialization and the recent BP spill and its impact on mother earth.

Self generated 9

Painting method: I’ve never really practiced water colors but I have really been enjoying playing with it on my own. This picture was just a free flowing painting, I didn’t have any real intention on where it was going to go. I just went with the flow.

Medium: Water color paint.

Self generated 10

This page was special to me because I immediately saw the phrase “That Someone Keeping This Forever And (Ever)” It reminds me of all the memories, stories and secrets that will be with me and my close ones for a lifetime. I followed through with a little signature initial on the bottom and then a little flower embellishment.

This page really was meaningful for me. I started off wanting to write out the lyrics to my favorite song. This song appears a lot because it is really like a part of me. The process of stitching the yarn into brown paper was quite difficult and took a lot of time. But it was like a journey of life. The kite represents me in that pursuit, bouncing in the wind, experiencing different settings trying to find my final destination. I didn’t want to just end the yarn somewhere so at the very end of the page I kept feeding the yarn through eachother to create this sort of unknown entanglement, representing the future to come because I don’t know where I’m going to end up or how I am getting there.

Inspiration: Taken from the ideas of other artists and using yarn as an uncommon material used to express themselves and create art.