"art, objects, or design considered to be in poor taste because of excessive garishness or sentimentality, but sometimes appreciated in an ironic or knowing way."
Kitsch is the German word for trash, and is used in English to describe particularly cheap, vulgar and sentimental forms of popular and commercial culture. Related terms and concepts.
I enjoyed learning about a new artist in class on Monday, Petra Cortright.
When I was doing my own research on Petra Cortright, I came across this quote: "I hate being dependent on one thing. As an artist, there are always ways to accommodate your creativity — you just have to work it out."
I relate to this quote for a variety of reasons. Something that seems to be a recurring theme as I continue to pursue art- being increasingly involved in the art world, is the tension of creating art for yourself or for the consumer. As a professional artist, there is a tension within creating artwork as an outpouring of your own creativity and desire... and knowing what the public is looking for. For a field and career that is rooted in self-expression and creating invention, I find it interesting how the art world can be quick to put artists in boxes. Or at least encourage developing ones "style" and distinctive work. Something that stands out easily recognizable as "insert artist name." It seems as if there is a balance of exploration, creativity, and invention... and doing what you know works, brings money, and demand.
This quote by Petra Cortright can be applied to a variety of relevant issues within art practices. But I think it sees this issue in a positive light- where she recognizes there is often pressure as an artist, but it's almost never completely limiting. I would agree with her that as an artist, there is always an opportunity to be creative. Maybe it's not in your preferred medium, but we can be creative in problem solving, thinking, and life. The mind of an artist extends beyond the tangible art form- and impacts areas of your life. This can be used for good and to make positive change.
Pieces like this and artists like Petra Cortright inspire me in many ways. Contemporary artists offer unique perspective that is relevent and modern. As I continue to pursue an art career of my own, conversations and advice from experienced artists are helpful and informative.
These images are of my (almost) finished book. This is attempt one at binding the book. I enjoyed learning more about this method of book binding and found it relaxing to do. After finishing, I really wished I had remembered my covers that I had left on my printer at home... so I look forward to adding those to the book as I think they'll make a great addition and really finish the two books off. I used the light blue embroidery thread because it matched my eye color, which is prominent on the front cover. Along with blue tones, which are seen repeatedly throughout the books.
After reading this article- https://www.booooooom.com/2024/05/20/omote-by-artist-miya-turnbull/
I was inspired by Miya Turnbull and her unique practice. I appreciate how she talked about how she works across a variety of mediums. For me, I feel that sometimes it seems I should be limiting myself to one art practice- becoming as trained and good at that medium as possible to find success. I appreciate how she talks about the culmination of all the things she was interested in and how that brought this project to life. Supporting this, is the quote at the end of the article- where when asked what advice she would give to other artists, she talks about the importance of play and to not limit yourself. I personally felt this impacted me as I reflect on my own practice and how I so often, without realizing, put restrictions or limits to my own creativity in hopes of pleasing those around me.
This idea and time to reflect inspired me as I think about how I can use this in the book project- embracing play and limitless creativity, without pressure or the approval of others. Something that can be for my own enjoyment and mind to run free. Recognizing this lifts the pressure of perfection and encourages me to stop thinking and start creating.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-wdNrbi8Kmo
For this project I was drawn to the theme of “documentation” and keeping record of moments or processes in our lives. In a fast paced, constant world- the act of slowing down to enjoy quiet moments is something I believe is key we preserve. Documenting such things in the form of video was important to me to ensure that the mundane moments of life are highlighted. I wanted to capture myself doing something I love in real time. Often when I film myself painting I choose to speed up the video, creating timelapses and short form content for others. With the goal of capturing their attention and gaining views on social media. This project created an opportunity to slow down and do something I love, while documenting it in a way that I hope gives insight into the patient, long, slow, process of painting. This is hopefully communicated in the still shots of my hand holding the brush, or by the parts where my full body is seen within the context of my desk and where I spend hours creating each day. Additionally, this video highlights only the beginning of a painting that I anticipate will take many more hours. The lack of satisfaction of a finished piece is something I find interesting in a world where we are consistently satisfied while consuming video content. The slower pace of the video and the absent dopamine hit once watching a complete painting come to reality gives insight into the reality of art creating and the world we live in. On a slow Saturday afternoon I don’t find myself rushing to finish art- instead I am reminded of the peace found in slowing down and analog hobbies where I am creating with my hands and without pressure of deadlines or other people. I used simple transitions and different angles to show all aspects of the painting session. Myself, the paint, the space, the painting- are all seen in hopes of the viewer getting a comprehensive understanding of what was going on. I used apps like Canva to add text and iMovie to edit video clips.
Ultimately, I hope this simple video of an afternoon painting inspires others to slow down and create for themselves. Without pressure, rush, or the world demanding something new and satisfying.
Light: https://youtu.be/KwN0-oEN6FU
Camera: https://youtu.be/0XszTvpn8CU
Color: https://youtu.be/_wQag_1JRjk
Frame: https://youtu.be/VAfDP1t1YPU
Shot with Canon sx740 camera
“The image is liberated from the vaults of cinemas and archives and thrust into digital uncertainty…”
When thinking about this essay and project, I thought this quote by Hito Steyerl was a great starting point and captured the message I wanted to convey. The photo I chose was something unlikely to see the light of day. It has sat on an old computer for over 15 years and through this process- was “liberated” as I extracted it from our own family “archives” and shared it with those around me. In the essay, Steyeri discusses how the poor image is “a copy in motion” and the I tried to embrace this idea as I copied and manipulated the image. Resulting in a tattered, worn, grainy photo. It seems to have lost value, the appearance is worse in quality, details supposedly lost in the process… but to me, the value has only increased.
The value of this image increasing involves the story that was already present. The image is nostalgic and wholesome to me. But as the photo was uploaded onto that first edition MacBook computer- the story paused. Its movement came to a standstill as it was tucked away among thousands of other images of my childhood. This was however, until recently- when I rediscovered this picture and set it back on a path where it would be shared and connected with people. Bringing it more value as it connected me with those around me and my past self in ways a stored photo on an old laptop otherwise may not have. What started as physical copies of the image, printed, folded, held… eventually evolved into a file. Sent, screenshots, jpegs, scans… the image went from something telling a story of life back then- to now being an image that connects deeply to life now.
I think that when considering the relationship to the Hito Steyeri essay, this image does “serve as a reminder of it’s older self.” a reflection of what once was, and who I am now. And how as I have grown up, so has technology and ways of sharing images and memories.
For this project, I started by uploading the original image from our first edition MacBook computer to a hard drive.
On my laptop, I took the image from the hard drive and printed it on my home computer- creating a physical copy.
From there I was able to carry around this image in my pocket for a few days before scanning the printed photo using our photo scanner.
I took the scan and saved it on my computer- emailing it to myself and screenshotting the email to save it onto the iCloud. From this process I had a much grainier, bent, photo where the folds from carrying in my pocket were evident. It tells a story through the journey it went on but also the physical content of the image.
To finish this project off, I sent the image copy to close friends and family that I know would appreciate the image. Further encouraging the story this image was part of.
