This last week of school is kind of bittersweet.
I love how much exploration and learning I have done this semester. It's crazy looking back on what I have done this semester and seeing how much there truly is and how much time was spent on these projects! I am super thankful for learning the "creative process" and what that looks like in art and how that is different for different people.
My creative process has brought me to where I am now, with the gummies (not sure if I'll continue on that subject matter or not) along with the human trafficking crate, which I will most definitely be continuing work on. My creative process changes daily I think. I believe it starts off the same, when it comes to choosing my direction and concept and then researching.
Research is a huge part of this process and is huge in general when it comes to creating art; especially art that you want to make people interested in or care about. My research has led me in so many directions, with my crate in particular. It's funny to me to see how topic's/concepts evolve from one thing to another throughout the exploration/experimentation process.

Nonetheless I have learned so much and yet I STILL have so much to do!
I hope to completely exhaust myself when it comes to this topic of human trafficking and know every possible avenue as a means of creating art about this. :D

It's all coming to an end...

This semester has been filled with lots of ups and downs emotionally and physically for myself. I have enjoyed learning what I have in my advanced photo class. My "Drunken Gummies" project was an awesome exploration and the show went very well. Being sick around that time made things a bit difficult but seeing it all come together in the end and having a well thoughtout and planned show, was incredible. I loved our turn out at the show, we had a good amount of people who all gave lots of compliments about all of our photos.
I am so happy I learned how to do an exhibit! I had no idea and Cristhian was so awesome in helping me when I returned from Tennessee. I was extremely appreciative, because I would have had NO idea how to figure out the measurements without him! Now, I am ready and excited to see how my senior show turns out in December.
My crate has been a great experiment/exploration this semester, even though it has been evolving since the start, into a completely different direction, with the human-shaped crates.
I am excited to see how the summer pans out with this human trafficking project in particular.

Oh yes, the Dogwood Regional Art Festival in Tennessee was a great experience for me, especially since I have never had the privilege of having a photo get chosen! Below is an image of me with my photo! :)

Gummies

My gummy and vodka project is coming to an end. I am excited to show my work and exploration through this subject at our student exhibition next week.
I ended up with 8 photos, of different sizes, all displaying a variety of gummies all absorbing vodka and enlargening. I can't wait to see the reaction of the viewers in regards to my subject matter and the awareness I am trying to raise in this underage drinking issue with gummies.
My goal is to show the beauty of the bright, welcoming colors the gummies exhibit themselves versus the beast of the matter, being the kids who are underage absorbing gummies in alcohol and taking them to school on a regular basis and getting tipsy or even drunk. The news shows a lot of interest in this subject, which helped influence me.
It's a crazy subject but I am proud of what I have ended up with in terms of my photos.

My Human Shaped Crate

Sorry it's been so long! My life has been absolutely insane and stressful. Nonetheless, my work is progressing.
My huge 4x8 foot crate has evolved into something much better I think---a human shaped crate.
I was having such a hard time trying to make sense in my mind how I would convey this issue and raise awareness without actually telling the people in person.
Then this idea was presented to me. I loved it. Making a human shaped crate, kind of like a guitar case. A perfect fit for a human. I love the idea that the viewer can see from the shape what this crate is actually for, rather than wondering "Is this for an animal??" Which is what one viewer said when I was taking around the 4x8 ft. crate. I am currently building this human shaped crate out of crate material and leaving room so I can actually fit inside. I am giving the siding a translucent, almost clear material allowing the viewer to see flesh tone through and acknowledge there might actually be a person inside. My vision is the make more than one and give them labels, which give the description of the person inside. The description saying "Gender: Female. Age: 22. Hair color: Blonde. Origin: United States....etc" I plan on creating a crate for male, female, and child sizes.
I am excited to see where this project ends up in the end. It may be an exploration for way longer than I had originally expected and I am perfectly okay with that. :)

Gummies!

For the past couple weeks I have been working on my other project, the abstract series involving the gummies and alcohol, raising an awareness about underage drinking problem; recently happening with kids taking gummies to school absorbed with vodka in them and eating them throughout the day. Here are a couple of my images I have taken! :)

The Craziness of Life!

Sorry for the delay in posting! It's been a crazy couple weeks for me. I have been researching and figuring out all the possible options in displaying my crate, how to photograph it, etc. It's kinda overwhelming not knowing how things will play out, especially the first time I take it out. Speaking of, I am taking my crate to my dad's church this Sunday! I am nervous to see how things play out, how I will present it, how people will respond to it, etc. I am excited as well though! For the past week I have been working on audio of banging on the wooden walls, as if the victims are banging to get out. I have editted the audio and I will hopefully be playing it in the crate for this first public viewing. :)
We will see what happens! And I will blog about it afterwards! :)

My crate!

This past weekend my brother and I continued working on my crate and Saturday night around 9 pm we finished!
Here is my crate that is finally finished! :)

I am extremely excited to take this to different places in Atlanta and Fayetteville, etc. It makes me happy to think about all the possibilities of this project and what potential it has to continue as a piece raising awareness for the epidemic of human trafficking for a long time. There are so many different ways I could go, different directions I could take it and create an array of series/concepts. :)