Author: Nora Frederick

Out of the videos that I watched, I enjoyed Liz Magor the most. While I am not sure how I feel about her art being a mold casting of a paper bag, I liked the way she discussed her process. I liked how her studio almost seems sacred to her. It is her space alone where she can create in peace. I think I relate to the way that she likes to make her art. I also liked the idea that she keeps her studio very basic with the tools that she keeps so that she can pivot if she desires. I would have enjoyed more information as to why she chose paper bags and the story behind them. The page said she is looking at the junk and waste that humans leave behind and would have liked to hear more about that in the video.

Really enjoyed the art that Pfaff makes. I thought it was particularly interesting that she did not want to be a sculpture and that she was a painter to begin. I like how sculpture allowed her to spend more time on her projects, whereas when she was a painter she would finish the pieces almost in one sitting. She likes how a sculpture allows her to step back and spend more time. I like the kind of chaos of the pieces she makes, you can see her process through the final piece and how it has evolved as she created it. 

I was a little terrified of her lack of safety equipment while welding. Her hand was so close to the weld and she had no eye protection.

2. Clarify Topic

In this project I want to investigate the difference between space and ocean exploration. Many scientists believe that we know more about space than we know about our oceans. More than 80 percent of the ocean remains unseen and unexplored. This means that humans have seen and mapped more of Mars and the moon than we have of the ocean. This goes against everything that seems logical. Most people have been to the ocean and space remains this mystical thing that only astronauts (and the insanely wealthy) can explore. How can we have the technology to send people into a vacuum but not to the ocean? 

The ocean covers 71 percent of the planet. With less than 80 percent of that ocean mapped, it seems like we know very little about the planet we live on. The deepest trenches in the ocean are deep enough that if Everest was put at the ocean floor it would not break the surface of the water. The amount of pressure that a vessel would have to withstand to travel that deep is hard to imagine. There is also no light at this depth. The vastness of the ocean means that scientists have no idea how many animals could be living in these deep trenches. To me it feels like these ocean creatures that could exist are as mystical as the possibility of aliens. 

This sort of paradox between space and the ocean has always perplexed me. I grew up around water, visiting the beach and sailing every summer. The ocean is a large part of my life. Despite constantly being surrounded by the ocean I always have been a little wary of it. The fact that you can jump in and not know what’s below you is always a little unsettling.

1. Submarines 

2. Boats 

3. Spaceships 

4. Scuba divers

5. Astronauts

6. Coral reefs 

7. Planets 

8. Stars 

9. Fish/Ocean creatures 

10. Aliens  

3. Barrow a Strategy 

Free Fall (Cast bronze sculpture of a Diver Plunging ceiling mounted) Sculpture by Vya Vya

I really like how this bronze sculpture is hanging from the ceiling.

4. Sketches  

1. Choose Topic

I would like to focus my project on the beauty of the national parks, specifically Accadia. I live a few hours from Accadia and it is one of my favorite places to visit. Unfortunately, many of the National Parks are being put in jeopardy due to politics. These parks are critical for preserving the beauty found in the United States and serve as a place where people can connect with nature. I want this project to exemplify the importance and beauty of Accadia, as this park is very special to me. I would also like to exemplify how the towns surrounding the parks often rely heavily on the park and nature around them. Particularly Bar Harbour thrives on tourists and also on the ocean. Without Accadia this town would be significantly smaller, like most towns in northern Maine, and many of the residents would be unable to make a living. I would like to show how the parks on their own preserve the natural beauty of this country and are critical to the environment while also showing how they impact the people and towns surrounding them. I would like other people to understand the importance of parks like Accadia when looking at this shrine.

2. Visual Research 

3. Barrow a Strategy 

Welded Metal Pine Trees by Rich Crnich 

I really like the way that the artist was able to create the texture of the tree with the welds. I hope to make something similar if I make a pine tree.

4. Sketches

I watched parts of the New York Times keynote and interview with Adam Savage. What really stood out to me about Tom Sachs’ work was his attention to detail. Every piece her created was built with pain staking detail. The project where this is most evident is the Mission to Mars. Him and his team made sure that every part of the project looked realistic to an actual NASA project. I also enjoyed his work concerning consumerism. He spoke about it in the interview with Adam Savage. By turning mundane objects such as a McDonald’s meal into a luxury brand he makes the viewer question how they consume objects.

The object I chose is a camera. In a literal sense the object is used to take pictures, freezing a moment in time. It captures memories, important moments, objects, and the world around us. A camera is an object that embodies the human desire to cherish a memory and freeze time. 

While it has this happy connotation of being able to hold memories, as technology advances I think cameras are also associated with surveillance. In this modern age, there is a lack of privacy with the knowledge that you are being watched by cameras almost all the time. 

I think it is interesting that the camera I chose is more old fashioned. It was created before everyone held a device with a camera in it and security cameras were standard. I would love my project to play with the changing connotation of a camera as technology has advanced. I would like to juxtapose the idea of always being watched with the original use of a camera to hold memories.