The aesthetic value of the chaos theory

I've been learning about the chaos theory recently, put forth by a scientist named Edward Lorenze, who coined the term "butterfly effect" and became identified with a phrase which described his theory:

"Can the flap of a butterfly's wings in Brazil set off a tornado in Texas?"

This theory basically states that our world is an unpredictable place,with the tiniest changes in its environment setting off chain reactions that we cannot plan or predict. Patterns can be determined by the smallest irregularities.

This video I found illustrates this theory. It is the flight patterns of Starlings as they fly home to roost for the night. The beautiful, elegant patterns they form are an example of the complexities of our universe being determined by the smallest facets.

Catherine Ulitsky is an artist who has used this pattern in her artwork. Her paintings of birds, with colorful lines connecting them to each other is a fascinating glance into the interconnectedness of this enigmatic display.

Catherine Ulitsky
Hadley Starlings (Flock #10)

The Interconnectedness of Everything

In my academic and personal pursuits, I have become aware of a phenomenon that astounds and excites me. By watching nature documentaries, films about the universe (thank you, Carl Sagan), and skimming through the Internet I have found that there are several forms in our universe that echo each other. These forms are repeated regardless of scale- for example, Jupiter’s storm patterns remarkably mimic the cross section of a tilia plant. This repetition of forms throughout our environment- from a tiny atom to an inconceivably large galaxy, create a network that connects everything we are aware of. Artistically, this understanding motivates me to find forms and patterns that are part of our world- the Fibonacci sequence (or Golden Mean) is an example that several master painters have used as a structure for their paintings. Even in music, patterns are repeated throughout cultures, such as “Pachelbel’s Canon” also known as “Canon in D Major” which is mimicked in rock and even rap songs!

This astounding interconnectedness leads into my personal artwork, because even before I started thinking about these repeating forms, I was trying to connect people with my work. I frequently utilize emotion, personal experiences and memories as subject matter, in order to connect with my viewers. John Dewey, in his book Art as Experience says this: “That art weds man and nature is a familiar fact. Art also renders men aware of their union with one another in origin and destiny.” By creating aesthetic experiences through my work, I strive to connect my viewers to myself and to each other. It is similar to the universal concept of repeated forms: if we recognize the similarities within each of us, instead of focusing our energy inward and seeing everyone else as “others” or “different”, we can push forward as a progressive society, or even species. 

Semi Gloss 2010

Come one, come all to the SemiGloss 2010 free for all!
Join us for a night of art, people, mingling, live music, groovin' and gallery hopping.

Check out art from locals and non-locals, students and non-students. Drawings, sculptures, performance, sound art, photography, paintings, installations, video, and more! I've got a photo from my coffeehouse series in the show, so I'll be there for sure! Come see the show!

1225 Main St (formerly Base Gallery)
6:00pm-9:00pm
Space Dock Gallery, 13th and Jackson (above Tucker's)
8:00pm-2:00pm

In the same vein

It can be tough to get through those bad days.

Student teaching placements are in!

So it looks like I will be teaching at two different schools for my student teaching in the fall:

SCPA (School for Creative and Performing Arts)

(Photo from Cincinnati.com)

Taken from Cincinnati.com:
"It will be the home of the nation’s first public K-12 arts school when it opens to 1,350 students on Aug. 18, joining students from Schiel Primary School for Arts Enrichment in Corryville and the old SCPA on Sycamore Street. The unique project is a result of a nationally unprecedented partnership between the private sector and the public school system."

So basically, I'll be teaching in a brand spankin' new creative and performing arts mega school, which is one of the most heralded schools in Cincinnati!

I will be teaching first grade students, which I did at Schiel this past quarter before they combined with SCPA. I enjoyed it a lot. First graders are the bomb. You feel like a rockstar every time you walk in the room!

For the second part of my student teaching, I'll be at Princeton, teaching high school students. (though still pending at this time).

What a contrast! First grade to High school, SCPA to Princeton! I will be getting a well-rounded teaching experience, and I'm so excited. It will be a whole lot of work, but I am so ready.

Shepard Fairey comes to Cincinnati!

A bit of old news, but about a month ago was the opening for Shepard Fairey's retrospective show at the Contemporary Arts Center, where I used to work! All month I'd been getting teasers from the staff about the wonderful works that would shown, along with a clip list of all the work that was going up. I'd done projects with schools around Cincinnati, letting students know about Fairey and his artwork. He and his team had been putting up 12-foot murals all over Cincinnati. So by the time it rolled around, I was just a psyched-up ball of excited!

And let me tell you,
It did NOT disappoint.
This was THE best art opening I have ever attended.
Let me show you why:

 

  

  

 The first image is Fairey himself DJing for a whole crowd who came out for the art and the jams. Video here (beware of language in the songs he uses). This was not the ordinary opening crowd. Since Fairey is a street artist, he attracted a following of skateboarders, taggers, rabble-rousers and mosh pit-inducing punks. In fact, at the entrance to the museum, there was a sign that said, "All skateboards must be checked at the front desk." It was a unique and inspiring atmosphere, and the casual way in which Fairey was dressed and discussed his show was quite refreshing. The last photo is a mural up on the building right next to the CAC, which greeted the hundreds of attendees to the museum that night.

The art was inspiring, to say the least. Images ranged from album covers of Shepard's favorite bands ("I don't play an instrument, but I'm going to rock it as hard as I can.") to giant collaged murals. Huge artwork of US currency-inspired collages were a stunning feature to his show. His topics were blunt and confrontational. He challenged popular views on capitalism, propaganda, world leaders and war. His original OBEY posters played a part, as well as his famous HOPE poster. (Which was displayed despite a current legal battle over copyrighted image rights).

You can find information about Fairey's OBEY poster campaign at his website here.

This show is truly a sight to behold, and will be up through August 22nd at the Contemporary Arts Center.

Shepard will be back in town on May 22nd to put up more posters and have another DJ session in the alleyways behind the CAC. 

 

(Go here for details on this upcoming event!)

Check it out!

If I were a giraffe

I have always associated myself with this gentle animal. I am slightly aloof at times, and more than a little awkward. I am slow moving, methodical and quiet. Most of the time.

This is a 35m project investigating one object through film.

How artists identify.

While driving home from Bowling Green today, I heard Herbie Hancock on the radio doing an interview. He was explaining how his music had progressed recently, and he said something that stuck with me.

He said that before, he had considered his identity as that of a musician. Now, he says, being a musician is what he does. His identity belongs to humanity, though, and he uses themes in his work such as environmental change and whatnot to emphasize this.

I have heard something similar coming from the Dalai Lama. He says:

"In general, I always state that I have three commitments in life. Firstly, on the level of a human being, my first commitment is the promotion of human values such as compassion, forgiveness, tolerance, contentment and self-discipline. All human beings are the same. We all want happiness and do not want suffering. Even people who do not believe in religion recognize the importance of these human values in making their lives happier. I remain committed to talk about the importance of these human values and share them with everyone I meet. Secondly, on the level of a religious practitioner, my second commitment is the promotion of religious harmony and understanding amongst different religious traditions. Despite philosophical differences, all major world religions have the same potential to create better human beings. It is therefore important for all religious traditions to respect one another and recognize the value of each other's respective traditions. Thirdly, I am a Tibetan and carry the name of the Dalai Lama. Tibetans place their trust in me. Therefore, my third commitment is to the Tibetan issue. I have a responsibility to act the free spokesperson of the Tibetans in their struggle for justice. As far as this third commitment, it will cease to exist once a mutually beneficial solution is reached between the Tibetans and Chinese. However, my first two commitments I will carry on till my last breath."

We all have groups we associate with our identity, and as an artist, I believe my identity should be shaped first by my commitment as a human, and second as an artist.

Doodly goodness

It's time for another doodle entry!
These are all from the same sketchbook.
I tend to take my sketchbook with me everywhere I go, so if I get bored, I have something to do!
Occasionally, I'll see something really grand, which I will then put to paper, and so the creation happens.
Regardless, here are some general musings:

This was a fun personal project. I was obsessed with smoke for a while, and I thought I would try to render it in as many ways as I could. This is one of them. I covered the sketchbook pages with blue tissue paper, then stitched the smoke pattern through the paper, and colored on top of the tissue paper.

This is my loving partner, who I adore. He has been subjected to many candid drawings over the course of our five-year relationship.

Halfway through this drawing (done at the cafe I work at), I found myself asking, "Mindy, what the hell are you doing?This is way too detailed for you to be sane!"

Through my relatively short life, the one thing I have found to be true is that change is the only constant.

This was drawn from memory of a Ratatat concert I attended last year. Amazing.

How to stay inspired as an artist

Recently I visited an open-gallery event in my city at a building that hosted art studios called The Pendleton.
While walking around viewing the artwork, I conducted an informal interview with a few artists I could find. I was terribly surprised at their answers to the question "What is your greatest challenge as an artist?"

They all said they had trouble staying inspired!

Now, with every creative discipline, we all struggle to create fresh, inspiring works. Authors have writers block, and artists get artists block. I asked these artists how they deal with these periods of dead air, and these are a few of their suggestions:
-Go to a place that inspires you (suggested by a landscape painter), and just keep trying!
-Change the size or medium that you usually work in.
-Work on other work during these periods, and engage in other creative activities such as gardening, quilting, or sewing- anything to keep your creative side engaged!

This is a hints-and-tips sneak peek at how I keep myself inspired day-to-day:

This is my inspiration wall. It consists of drawings I've made, articles I've clipped, work that people have made for me, inspirational photos, notes about what I need to work on in my art, etc. It keeps me creatively-focused, reminding me where I've been, and inspiring me about where I need to go.

Keep some books around to flip through for ideas, reference, or just to get some creative juices flowing! I keep old sketchbooks around too, to remind myself of my previous styles.

Just keep some things you like around your place- whether it's your studio, or your living space, or wherever you need that comforting aspect added to your daily environment. It's important to feel comfortable in your own space.

Other suggestions:
-Have a slide show of inspiring photos playing on your computer, to the tune of your favorite iTunes playlist.
-Find a great, inspiring website that offers little tidbits of beauty every day! *Cough*likethiswebsite!

I hope this helps you find your creative niche!

A snippet from one of my artistic heroes:
Miranda July

Interview Magazine: "What is the purpose of making art, in your opinion?"

Miranda July: "I'm just gonna go for broke on this one and say that we do it because life is so ridiculously gorgeous, strange, heartbreaking, horrific, etc... that we are compelled to describe it to ourselves, but we can't! We can not do it! And so we make art."

I'm going to start a new art thing.
One day a week, I am going to designate as "Doodle Day."
On this day, I will post (you guessed it!) Doodles!
These will be fun visual aventures into the crazy universe I call my mind.
I know you're on the edge of your seat.
Today: random sketchbook day!

 

  

 

The Coffee Shop Series

An original series from Mindy

I have always been fascinated with coffee shops, though I didn't start drinking the brew until college. For the last four years I've found myself working in coffee shops, and not because I'm a follower of the bean. (Though that has a bit to do with it). I'm entranced with the nature of these laptop-lover havens. I have learned a great deal about people through working at a coffee shop. I see them love, I see them laugh, I see them work, I see them cry. The atmosphere that coffee shops exude is one of comfort and safety. The environment is nicely-designed, and people flock here to relax and to chat. Even if one doesn't enjoy coffee, they will still come, just to feel the aura of the coffee shop.

My goal in this photography series was to capture the sense of rest from the overwhelming monsoon of everyday worries and stress. It is to capture people in their relaxation, when they can finally let their guard down and enjoy that cup a joe.

Created using medium format film, enjoy.