Journey: Jose Alvarado

This video was for my 2D Digital Studio Course. I wanted to experiment with perspective and scale by using the camera lens as the entry point to a surreal like environment. This alternate reality would trigger a psychological relationship to the viewer due to the familiarity of the environment. The colors and manipulation of the video represent this subconscious state were our minds wonder and yet possess a conscious awareness of its surroundings. New Media Art is intriguing and I am inspired my several artists like Bill Viola, Javier Roca, and Char Davies work. Although I am a studio artist by heart I believe New Media Art presents a unique form of perspective.

Final Project

For my final project, I decided to create somewhat of a commercial based piece. I study illustration a lot and I've seen how some illustrators use text in their work so I decided to experiment this approach. I was not trying to accomplish an ad for Coca Cola, but after I drew the woman, it's as if the two went with one another and so I combined them for this last project.

Video 1 response (Art 21 Pierre Hyughe)

Pierre Hyughe is a fascinating artist, to say the least. His ideas of working with film are phenomenal. I am interested to see how he relates these ideas to a strange relationship with reality. He often will mix fact with fiction. This led to to make some correlations to my own work, in which I will make connections or draw conclusions from two or more completely unrelated ideas or objects and create a unified concept. The text that he uses is interesting in how it is so simple, yet when viewed, it becomes very complex and the viewer yearns to know more and to figure out what it is the artist is really saying.

Response to Digital Technologies as a Medium

My response to this article can be found at

http://public.iwork.com/document/?a=p275951931&d=Response_to_Digital_Technologies_as_a_Medium.pages

It can then be downloaded as a variety of file types.

walking pages

Repetitive Action

The following video was for the repetitive action project. In it, I spray paint along a banner for a length of time. The video shows me doing this from different views. I echo the theme of the movie Before Night Falls, the story of writer Reinaldo Arenas. The soundtrack is a reading of his poem The Parade Ends.

Jose Alvarado: Deconstructive Circles

I wanted to demonstrate a repetitive, yet simple action that results catastrophically. As well as to destroy its initial identity to become something more. In other words creating and revealing the beauty in destruction. The charcoal and conte overlapping application imprints a mark on the paper which presents information; however the interchanging of the medium destroys the initial information to become something even more. The more layers applied the further the paper becomes worn-out revealing new layers. My repetitive motion and the pressure of the medium against the paper creates a push pull effect of how information becomes manipulated and destroyed to create something greater then its initial identity.

Transformation: Jose Alvarado

This drawing is related to my biomechanical portrait. However, this drawing demonstrates a transformation and bond between organic and mechanical instead of one form having dominance. I used texture to represent the physical transitions or transformation that the central figure is undergoing within its environment. I wanted to explore an implied form of movement and "self-creation" with the use of line, texture, and light.

Assignment 4: Digital Drawing Using Textures

For this project I decided to use a character that I created a while ago and I tried to create somewhat of a comic book hero theme. At the same time, I was trying to incorporate textures throughout the image, such as in the character's outfit and the way I decided to present the city. Also while trying to create somewhat of a comic book theme, I wanted it to be like a Pop Art piece.

Texture

In this piece, titled Transcendence, by using texture and line, I attempted to show the path of transcendence through meditation. I wanted to show movement upwards through the layers of earth, building, and atmosphere by stacking the layers upon one another. To the right, there is a narrative of a man looking upward to trees. The trees begin to expand as the mind transcends reality.

this is a digital drawing tha we did after are self image where wew had to draw things using the pin tool or we could input things that we drew and scanned in. we also had to use texture in this drwing so that is another thing that we had to take into account.

Over Saturated from end of the World Scenarios

The year 2011, we are over saturated with end of the world scenarios. We are on a collision course with the planet Nebiru, global warming, solar flares, aliens, earthquakes and how did the dinosaur go extinct. People abuse the earth, but yet we are concerned and scared over the next catastrophe. The earth is a living organism and if it could say something to us it would probably raise its middle finger.

Self Portrait 2

The second self portrait that we did and I chose to put myself in a different environment. This idea came about because the day that I created it, I realized that there are times where I like to be by myself and try to take some time from all the noise that surrounds me. Although there are times where I'm around my friends, I still take time to be somewhat independent and stay by myself.

Lee Jones

Project 4

The assignment was to put an object in a foreign environment. I always thought about the contrast and relationship between cartoons and reality. Such movies as "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" or "Cool World" made me think about the relationship between the two and how neither can really fit with each other without one being on top of the other. At the same time I wanted to use something fictional with something non-fictional and create sort of a playground for these characters; a big city such as Paris is my view of a playground.

It is amazing to be inside a portrait. When I started to work on this project, I didn't know if it would actually turn out. I wish I had that body, but OK. I really like that period of Art, and also the colors in this painting are appealing to me. It is a dream portrait to be in that era.

This painting was originally done in 1781-1783.

Self Portrait: Jose Alvarado

I wanted to approach this self portrait in a way that demonstrates the surrounding idea in my current work which contains a psychological and philosophical relation to the development of identity. I am intrigued by how emotions and experiences effect our perspective on life and how those elements create our identity. However I wanted to experiment the affects of "identity" by adding a mechanical element. In philosophy there is an idea that our actions could be labeled as mechanical, where a mental task only goes from A to B with no detours. This idea interested me because we as humans find ourselves very organic and not machine like at all. Not long after I began looking into biomechanics and the functionality of such a combination. I thought about what would be the dominating factor; would it be the mechanical or the organic. For this project I wanted the mechanical element to take authority creating the dominating identity. I enjoy how the facial expression in the subject could suggest several emotions like anger or fear. Therefore I leave the viewer questioning if the subject is truly in agony or is engaged in a very emotional mental state.

Self Portrait

For the self portrait assignments, I began by taking a simple photo of myself and drawing on it. I had in mind a sort of topographical map. I just created the layers in my head as I was drawing them on the photo. After I had applied all of the lines, I scanned the photo and used illustrator to trace the lines using my Wacom tablet. I left the image very plain with a white background because I felt that it was reflective of my nature, peaceful and calm. In the next self portrait, I continued to work with my original image. I made it more of a map by adding color for levels. By looking at the image as it was, I determined that it was a very serious and contemplative pose. This may be great for a self portrait, but for me, I felt I should add something more playful. Although I am very peaceful, contemplative, and thoughtful, I am also fun and playful. The quote behind the image reflects that idea by throwing in a strange and funny feeling to the overall image. However, there is also a seriousness within the quote that deals with the issues I have with growing up and fitting into adult roles.

On this project we had to create a self portrait of ourselves and it didn't have to actually resemble ourselves at all so i came up with the idea that it would be cool to do a composite of pieces of pictures that I have taken and make it look really kind of creepy and monstrous.

Then i added the ying yang sign cause it something that I think has some inportant ethics to it and i also decided i would add some wing because I think i would be cool to fly. then I also added some quotes that i have come across in my fiction books that I read that I bleive there are some important truths to.

On this image are objective was to impute an object into a foreign environment. i choose a cow because I work on a family Dairy farm and I just thought I would make it kind of funny and make it surfing.

 Then like those redundant posters about milk I added the got milk phase. you always see those really cool poster with famous acters saying got milk so i thought I would input my Take and make it funny.

Self-portrait exercise: Jose Alvarado

I used Illustrator to experimented with line form and how shapes develop according to the line placement.

Self Portrait of Lee Jones in Adobe Illustrator.

Jose Alvarado- Foreign Environment

I have a fascination for the perceived idea of future development within our environment and the interaction with technology. Therefore, within this project I experimented in creating a mechanical and futuristic landscape. I used a shot of an elevator shaft I took and converted it into a directional path way for these futuristic aerial vehicles. Although the original picture of the elevator shaft is dramatically changed I was intrigued in how the proportion of the background transformed to fit the objects in space. In other words the elevator shaft looses its initial identity and becomes greater in functionality.

This is myself potrait. I have alot to learn.

This is Rasputin on the top of Walmart, Rasputin was known as a mystic in Russia he was the Czars guru, but he did many under handed deeds. The Amercan guru is Walmart were we can all get a bargain at the cost of child labor(children making bricks in the parking lot).

In the first image, Obama's True Thoughts, I placed a quote in the image that obviously, in the minds of the American people, should not be there. It does not belong. I felt that the assignment, to place something in a situation that it does not belong, was difficult once I began to work on it. This is because the art I try to create deals more with ideas rather than actual images and placement. It was easier to conceptualize a piece like this. I created the piece in a Lichtenstein type of style in order to simplify the image and to bring the focus on the man and the quote.

In the second image, Ac-130, I attempted to use the same quote, but ad a level of realism that wasn't achieved with the first image by using a real bomber aircraft. I again used another comic strip effect. I cannot quite put into words why I used this effect, but I suppose it was to create a sense of disconnect that I feel American's have from the realities of these absurd and cruel thoughts and activities that are not necessary and do not belong in todays world.

In the third, final image, Cabinet, I went back to the original assigned project and simply placed a mustard bottle in my bathroom cabinet. I used a bit of dodging to make it fit in with some of the shadows. When I look at this piece, I feel aloof. I have no real connection to it as I do the other two images.

This landscape was supposed have some red but, I am ok with the result. This is many photos composed together and the color changed.

Lee Jones: Landscape 2

Another part of Oklahoma City; it seemed somewhat flat to me so I wanted to add images that were overwhelming compared to the city. The tree adds to a somewhat new in environment, maybe to make a significance on plant life or just to make our world smaller than it already is. Although the giant robot contributes to a change in environment or the setting, giving it either a futuristic or a different world aspect. For me, it's almost like a representation of the "big brother" system due to the robot being somewhat invisible and that it's a machine with a weapon in its hands.

Thursday 2/10 Class

Today we watched videos about artist Pierre Huyghe, Jenny Holzer, and Mark Dion. I have asked you to respond on blackboard blog to information about one of these artist. We have started our object in a Foreign Environment assignment and I have asked you bring two media sources to class that you can share with the class. This can be in the form of a website, search engine, software etc. You can post links to the sites here as well.

One site I suggested was  www.visualcomplexity.com

The digital photo is a depiction of graffiti in the cities. If you look closely there are familiar images. I believe there is a beauty in graffiti art, the artist is communicating his story on a building, fence and walls, this is there museum.

Snow Day

No Class Tuesday 2/8
due to inclement weather.

Project 1- Jose Alvarado

The top image has a psychological relation with the minds thought process. I'm intrigued by the tensions and reliefs that conflict with our minds perspective on the world. I wanted to break that structural element displayed by the intertwine fibers in the background with something more fluid and organic. Therefore the more organic part in the center is overcoming the structural elements, like a virus eating its way through.

The bottom image refers to the whole notion of the light at the end of the tunnel. However, the light as a organic characteristic which is transforming from its environment and moving toward the viewer. The light/object is alive and aware of its surroundings.

Lee: Landscape 1

Landscape 1 is a recreation of a part of Oklahoma City. Taking the buildings of the city and putting them into a new environment. The leaves covered with snow representing the sky and the neon colors were used to create somewhat of a cartoon setting. Reality and cartoon aspects combined in this image.

Project 1 - Aaron Rivera

In the first image, I tried to capture a sunset behind a mountain, while a forest and mist sit in the foreground. In creating this image, I used five different photos. I used the eraser, magnetic lasso, dodge and burn, and smudge tools. I also used the layer multiplication and opacity to make layers not appear so opaque and to change layer contrast and dominance. I was trying to achieve high levels of contrast and experiment with color in this image.

In the second image, I had in my mind no clear plan. Once laying down the first and second layers, I immediately recognized a radial sun in the image. To highlight this, I used the dodge and burn tools. I then used the lasso tool for the remaining three images and finished by using layer multiply, changing opacity, and adding in highlights.

I found that this project was a little challenging in that I do not frequently work with landscapes. I found it hard to conceive and idea of an imaginary setting. Also, working with so much color and found objects was difficult at first because you can only go so far with what you have. In the end, I found that it was not so difficult once I began to through things together and find what works and what does not. Since I have made these, I have revisited these images and changed things slightly.

This piece was created to be an artificial landscape that we had to create using many different pictures that we took around are central environment. The blue dream landscape that I made most of the pictures that i used came from object in my room and images of of my phone. This landscape was made to be more of a fictional piece that has a lot of things that dont really make since.

The next landscape image i created was made using the same methods as the one above but I made it using a more realistic image in mind. i wanted to create something that seamed a little more centered in reality but used basic pieces from pictures that i took from thing in my environment. I think that I did accomplish what i wanted and to me it does have more of a realistic feel to it.

Projects 1 & 2 Digital Landscapes

SPRING 2011

Welcome to our Wichita State University Spring Semester Digital Media Blog.

Our new student blog members are:
Aaron Rivera
Joyce Adcock
Melissa Doll
Lee Jones
Cheryl Lewis &
Jose Alvarado