School is finally over until the end of winter break. I'm hoping that I get a passible grade considering that I didn't do as well as I could have. I think it woud be a good idea to not take anymore philosophy classes for a while. I will need one more philosophy class for my minor in Women's Studies (I decided to declare women's studies as a minor, instead of computer science, because anyone can go to a community college and get computer skills. I came to this conclusion considering that the school I go to is not really the most prestigious). I think writing about how social attitudes toward art and how art affects the standard of beauty in every culture can't be that bad. I should have written my research paper on women in art instead of prostitution. Considering that I didn't do the best on my paper, I got a good grade on it. I turned it in raw, uncut and uneditted. That works for shooting a dickflick, but not for academic research. I think from now on, I'm going to work on my papers early so another pair of eyes can look at them for me. I'm a procastinator, so I think setting a fake early deadline will work.
Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood...
I beat the game and it took about three weeks of interrupted gameplay. Assassin's Creed 2 took about a week. Overall, it's not a bad game. It goes back to what I posted about sequels, though. I believe that Brotherhood is the end of the series. I don't believe that Ubisoft is going to make another Assassin's Creed game. If Brotherhood is the end, it still left alot of holes in the plot. There is a love interests between Ezio and Christina, but the story does not answer for Desmond being Ezio's descendent. There is no emotional growth from any characters. Overall, I expected more from the storyline. I like Assassin's Creed 2 more than Brotherhood, because the storyline and gameplay are more thorough and fluid. I plan on making a review on both games soon.
Friday, December 17, 2010
Monday, November 8, 2010
Caprica Review
I know that the show is cancelled, and there might be a good chance that they won't air the remaining eight episodes, or even the series on Syfy again. I just thought it would be nice to write a review anyway, because of the circumstances the show faced.
First off, I am a BSG fan. I fell in love with the series and I plan on watching it again. Everything works for that show. Caprica is the prequel to BSG and it's supposed to explain how the Cylons came to be and why they hated the humans ( revenge for their enslavement, just like in Terminator and Matrix series). I think for this reason, it's a cliche. I'm not saying that the series is not good. It's well written, but it's not written for the BSG fans. The writers were looking for a new fanbase. This whole situation with cancelling shows and writing crappy movies and such are reasons why I play videogames. In some cases even the game developers can fall short at times. Unlike the movie and television industries, the gaming industry actually does a good job listening to the fans and try to create a fanbase with gamer who otherwise passover the said genre. Caprica failed to bring in a different fanbase for its show. There are fans, but like more famous science fiction series (BSG, Stargate and Star Trek), they are cultbased.
The Good: Caprica so far has a good set of actors, futuristic settings and a nice plot for character development. I find the philosophical aspect of the series to be deep and the show brings up issues that someday humanity will face as we advance scientifically and technologically ( artificial life, the idea of creating an afterlife from virtual space).
The Bad: This show is not designed for BSG fans. I do not expect this show to cater to them, because most BSG fans are male and they want more action and less back story. Not to mention that some people feel like there is a "gay agenda" when the creators chose to have Joseph's brother be a masculine gay man who has a stable relationship with his husband. Personally, that's where the viewers began to be alienated. When a marginalized group is portrayed as stable and accepted, the American people of mainstream culture do not like it, especially when they show gay men in a loving relationship. I personally like that the creators chose to show Caprica as an accepting society. They also portray Clarice Willow as a head of a plural marriage household and a the future leader of STO. The focus on Clarice and the religious aspect of the show alienated viewers.
The Ugly: I give the show a 3 out of 5. Not only because they cancelled the show before it had a chance to establish a plot, but because the series had too many story arcs, they waited too long between season one and 1.5. Common sense would tell these producers show the whole season and then see what happens. Instead, they used the same tactics that made BSG successful and it backfired. What works for one show, may not work for another. I read some comments that said that advertisers played a role in getting the show cancelled. That's partially true. I think that Americans do not know good television. We cannot see anything on TV that makes us think. When it comes to taste, we have it backwards. This is the real reason why the show got cancelled. I also blame Americans for allowing corporations to take over our lives. We have ourselves to blame when it comes to entertainment and influence.
Conclusion: They are making a show based on William Adama's younger years in the military. I do not think they should make another series based on BSG. There are too many sequels out there in movies, books, tv shows and videogames. Unless it was intended to be a series from the beginning, there should not be any sequels or prequels. If it's over, then it's over.
First off, I am a BSG fan. I fell in love with the series and I plan on watching it again. Everything works for that show. Caprica is the prequel to BSG and it's supposed to explain how the Cylons came to be and why they hated the humans ( revenge for their enslavement, just like in Terminator and Matrix series). I think for this reason, it's a cliche. I'm not saying that the series is not good. It's well written, but it's not written for the BSG fans. The writers were looking for a new fanbase. This whole situation with cancelling shows and writing crappy movies and such are reasons why I play videogames. In some cases even the game developers can fall short at times. Unlike the movie and television industries, the gaming industry actually does a good job listening to the fans and try to create a fanbase with gamer who otherwise passover the said genre. Caprica failed to bring in a different fanbase for its show. There are fans, but like more famous science fiction series (BSG, Stargate and Star Trek), they are cultbased.
The Good: Caprica so far has a good set of actors, futuristic settings and a nice plot for character development. I find the philosophical aspect of the series to be deep and the show brings up issues that someday humanity will face as we advance scientifically and technologically ( artificial life, the idea of creating an afterlife from virtual space).
The Bad: This show is not designed for BSG fans. I do not expect this show to cater to them, because most BSG fans are male and they want more action and less back story. Not to mention that some people feel like there is a "gay agenda" when the creators chose to have Joseph's brother be a masculine gay man who has a stable relationship with his husband. Personally, that's where the viewers began to be alienated. When a marginalized group is portrayed as stable and accepted, the American people of mainstream culture do not like it, especially when they show gay men in a loving relationship. I personally like that the creators chose to show Caprica as an accepting society. They also portray Clarice Willow as a head of a plural marriage household and a the future leader of STO. The focus on Clarice and the religious aspect of the show alienated viewers.
The Ugly: I give the show a 3 out of 5. Not only because they cancelled the show before it had a chance to establish a plot, but because the series had too many story arcs, they waited too long between season one and 1.5. Common sense would tell these producers show the whole season and then see what happens. Instead, they used the same tactics that made BSG successful and it backfired. What works for one show, may not work for another. I read some comments that said that advertisers played a role in getting the show cancelled. That's partially true. I think that Americans do not know good television. We cannot see anything on TV that makes us think. When it comes to taste, we have it backwards. This is the real reason why the show got cancelled. I also blame Americans for allowing corporations to take over our lives. We have ourselves to blame when it comes to entertainment and influence.
Conclusion: They are making a show based on William Adama's younger years in the military. I do not think they should make another series based on BSG. There are too many sequels out there in movies, books, tv shows and videogames. Unless it was intended to be a series from the beginning, there should not be any sequels or prequels. If it's over, then it's over.
Monday, November 1, 2010
Syfy pulled the plug on Caprica
On Oct 27th, a few days before making the previous post, Syfy announced that they are cancelling Caprica. At first I was a little disappointed. The network could have sold the rights to the series to another network. They could have also hired better writers and make the series more coherent. Instead, they pull the plug on the show. It reminds me of why I do not like American television. On the other hand, I can understand why the show was pulled and the BSG's fan's disappointment in it (I'll be doing a review on Caprica). BSG fans expect the show to be like BSG. They do not understand that Caprica is a prequel, but it's also a whole different type of science fiction show. What I learned from this is that most Americans (myself included) love action films. We do not like shows that actually make us think. I watched a review online about Caprica. I do agree with the reviewer that in the second half of the first season, too much attention was placed on Clarice Willow and the religious aspect on the show. What they should have done was place more attention on Zoe and Tamera in New Cap City or they should have less story arcs and reveal the soul plot of the whole series. To me it was a good show, but it seemed like it wasn't getting anywhere. It was nothing like Odyssey 5 (Showtime pulled the plug on that show in 2003 just before the last episode).
The show is an example demostrates the frustration that the audience have with the creators of shows, movies and videogames. It also shows the disconnect that writers and producers have with the audience. I feel like the writers and producers present what they want in a show and not so much what the audience wants. It makes me glad that I'm a gamer by hobby. If I feel a game might fall short, I just won't buy it. I remember Halo ODST fell short compared to Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2. I borrowed the game from a hallmate, played it and was seriously disappointed. It's not like that with TV. Shows get pulled or get another season based on concensus. I kind of wish they gave/give Caprica another chance by hiring another writer/director. They could expand plots in other areas. If advertisers are pulling their products from this show, I can see why. Battlestar Galactica fans dominate syfy and are their main viewers. They will be replacing the time slot that Caprica held with wrestling. Networks such as Syfy, USA, and G4TV are geared toward American men between the ages of 18 and 35. Caprica is too slow for their attention spans. Maybe if they tied up loose ends in another possible prequel to BSG (I heard they are replacing Caprica with a story about William Adama in his younger years) then the mistakes with Caprica won't happen in another scifi series.
The show is an example demostrates the frustration that the audience have with the creators of shows, movies and videogames. It also shows the disconnect that writers and producers have with the audience. I feel like the writers and producers present what they want in a show and not so much what the audience wants. It makes me glad that I'm a gamer by hobby. If I feel a game might fall short, I just won't buy it. I remember Halo ODST fell short compared to Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2. I borrowed the game from a hallmate, played it and was seriously disappointed. It's not like that with TV. Shows get pulled or get another season based on concensus. I kind of wish they gave/give Caprica another chance by hiring another writer/director. They could expand plots in other areas. If advertisers are pulling their products from this show, I can see why. Battlestar Galactica fans dominate syfy and are their main viewers. They will be replacing the time slot that Caprica held with wrestling. Networks such as Syfy, USA, and G4TV are geared toward American men between the ages of 18 and 35. Caprica is too slow for their attention spans. Maybe if they tied up loose ends in another possible prequel to BSG (I heard they are replacing Caprica with a story about William Adama in his younger years) then the mistakes with Caprica won't happen in another scifi series.
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Science Fiction Shows and Games/ Things Going On In Life
I haven't been posting here for a few weeks, partially due to my focus on my other blog, but I thought it would be nice to mix things up a bit.
Scifi Shows and Games
The second half of season one of Caprica is airing. I heard that the new episodes were going to be available in January, but I guess this show airs every fall. What I do like about it is that there are more female characters heroic roles than in Battlestar Galactica. I also like that it seems to cater to a female audience a bit more than BSG. I do not like that the show falls a bit short in some episodes. Later episodes will fix that. For some reason, I do see a bit of cliche in all the science fiction shows and movies. It seems like every last one of them has a sequel, a prequel or a major corporation is the source of all the problems humanity has with technology. I see this in the Matrix series, Terminator, Battlestar Galactica and some videogames. The whole sequel/prequel problem is in videogames as well and what makes videogames worse with this is the whole expansion pack turned full fledge videogame. I understand why Caprica/BSG fell into the cliches. Science fiction is a broad genre, but a writer/director can only go so far with it for the audience to understand the plot. I remember in the late nineties and early 2000's that movies and tv series about hackers and hacking were popular. When 9/11 happened the shows and movies about hacking such as Antitrust (movie), Matrix, Odyssey 5 (tv show) and Jake 2.0 fell out of popularity, movies and tv shows about terrorism became more popular. Directors of science fiction films and designers of science fiction videogames have been incorporating religion (cults), ethics and the apocalypse into their storylines. In Caprica, the religious themes and the question of ethics in a technologically advance society are common. It gives it a sort of Terminator reminiscence to the series. I give the show some credit for answering plot holes that the BSG reimagined series left.
Speaking of sequels, prequels and science fiction in the gaming world, I got a glimpse at the gameplay of Halo Reach. It was released on Sept 15, 2010. So far, out of honest, I want to say that the game is the most different from all the previous Halo installments by Bungie. I said by Bungie, because the real time strategy version of Halo is not made by Bungie but another gaming company instead. When school is over, I will post the history/ review of the Halo series and I will lend commentary to each game to determine which one is the best and the worst in the series. Halo Reach distinguishes itself from the other games because it is a direct prequel from the previous installments. I do not understand the whole idea of prequels and side stories to games. There are some gamers who love storylines. I understand. I am one of those gamers. I read the books also, except for the recently released books and the graphic novels. I still do not see a need for a prequel to a series that is almost eleven years old. I could be wrong about that. It could be the best videogame in the series.
Assassin's Creed Brotherhood will be released in a couple of weeks. This is a game that I plan on buying, more so than the newest Call of Duty Modern Warfare game. I decided to rent games, instead of collecting them due to financial costs. I am just too cheap to buy a new game that I may not play in a long time due to school. I think I chose this game to buy brand new over other games, because it's the most compelling. When I play Halo, I love the idea of shooting aliens on a planet in a remote part of the galaxy, but I also want to learn something. Videogames already have a bad reputation for being a time waster. Why not add a good story to a game? When I play Assassin's Creed and I watched the gameplay to the second installment, I was interested in its history. I wanted to know who the assassins were and the lives of the characters in that game. Fortunately, there's something called Wikipedia. Majority of the characters except for the main playable character and the npc Masayif are real people who once lived. Assassin's Creed 2 also has characters that once lived in real life. I did some research and the most interesting character so far is the womanizing Pope Alexander (Rodrigo Borja/Borgio). Answers.com said that he died of a severe cardiac arrest due to possibly being poisoned, but he was a Spanish pope, who acknowleged all of his illegitimate children while being in a position that requires celibacy. He was not considered to be a good person, nor a good pope. I'd guess he probably died of an unknown STD or something. Spaniards in history are portrayed in a bias light due to the influence they had on Western Europe and the discovery of the New World and their role in the Inquisition. The Spain was not the only country to have an Inquisition, because France, England and countries as far east as Poland and Russia had an Inquisition or something similar. I think Spain is also an easy target for bad portrayal because of influence on the House of Tudor and the English monarchy during Henry VIII's rule.
I will be placing a game review for Halo Reach, Assassin's Creed 2 and Assassin's Creed Brotherhood when I get a chance.
What's Going On In Life
Life is that four letter word that can have a strong, weak or neutral meaning. Today it's going to have a weak meaning, because not much is going on. Living in this city still sucks. Living off campus sucks balls, because of the place I chose to live, which made me hate this city. I went from loving this city in Spring 2009, to feeling indifferent and thinking it's better than living at home in Fall 2009 to actually loathing and considering moving back home when I stayed here over the summer a few months ago. Now I hate living here. Maybe if I lived closer to campus and/or had a roommate, I'd be a little happier. I have a kitchen where I live that I share with others, but also these walls are thin. My neighbor can hear my tv from the next room even on low decibel. Not to mention that I have evening classes and walking home can be a challenge because it's dangerous when you're a single woman alone at night.
If I could find an artist community here, in this city, I'd live there until I graduate from college. I considered going to another university at home and still live with my mom when she moves. There is an artist community in LA. I thought about trying to go there. What I really need to do is start making more artwork and present what I make to various galleries. Then again, I'm a very competive person. I have to stand out, because if I don't, I'll lose a sense of identity. The only problem I have with the artworld today is mediocre work is accepted because there is a need for an artist to make a name for himself or herself. I want to do work that is more compelling than what is in the average museum. I find pop art to be annoying. It's everywhere. Outside of school, including this winter I'll be working on my portfolio.
About going home to visit- My grandmother annoyed me so much that I'll only visit home as long as if she's out of town. She does not know this because if I told her, then she may never leave. She may end up staying home just so I would be forced to visit. I understand that there is this unwritten code of honor in most cultures and respecting your elder or the elderly is one of them. It's not that I do not love the older members of my family. It's the fact that I am now 25 years old and they still see me as someone incapable of making decisions due to them being way older. I think that if I start calling people out on the way they act toward me or the way they treat me then I'll feel better. I will be empowered. I think I'm going to start doing that.
10/30/10-10/31/10
I did not understand why I sleep in during the day until today when I had to get up early so I can pay the rent. The post office was closed, so ended up going to the bank for a money order. Professionals think that a chemical imabalance is a cause of depression, but I think it's boredom and loneliness. I know psychology majors who believe that changing a person's behavior is the be all end all cure for everything. That's like saying tea heals everything or water heals everything. I hope to get over myself soon and make my life more productive. When I feel bad, I sometimes go to an outing on my own such as the movies or a restaurant. I think on Wednesday or Friday I'll go to the movies and my favorite restaurant after (if they will still have me. I left my debit card in there, came back to get it and I'm not sure if they still want me there. Long story) instead of celebrating Holloween. Like Fourth of July, Holloween can be a dangerous holiday. If The Town is still playing, I'll watch that. If it's not, then I'll watch something else.
Scifi Shows and Games
The second half of season one of Caprica is airing. I heard that the new episodes were going to be available in January, but I guess this show airs every fall. What I do like about it is that there are more female characters heroic roles than in Battlestar Galactica. I also like that it seems to cater to a female audience a bit more than BSG. I do not like that the show falls a bit short in some episodes. Later episodes will fix that. For some reason, I do see a bit of cliche in all the science fiction shows and movies. It seems like every last one of them has a sequel, a prequel or a major corporation is the source of all the problems humanity has with technology. I see this in the Matrix series, Terminator, Battlestar Galactica and some videogames. The whole sequel/prequel problem is in videogames as well and what makes videogames worse with this is the whole expansion pack turned full fledge videogame. I understand why Caprica/BSG fell into the cliches. Science fiction is a broad genre, but a writer/director can only go so far with it for the audience to understand the plot. I remember in the late nineties and early 2000's that movies and tv series about hackers and hacking were popular. When 9/11 happened the shows and movies about hacking such as Antitrust (movie), Matrix, Odyssey 5 (tv show) and Jake 2.0 fell out of popularity, movies and tv shows about terrorism became more popular. Directors of science fiction films and designers of science fiction videogames have been incorporating religion (cults), ethics and the apocalypse into their storylines. In Caprica, the religious themes and the question of ethics in a technologically advance society are common. It gives it a sort of Terminator reminiscence to the series. I give the show some credit for answering plot holes that the BSG reimagined series left.
Speaking of sequels, prequels and science fiction in the gaming world, I got a glimpse at the gameplay of Halo Reach. It was released on Sept 15, 2010. So far, out of honest, I want to say that the game is the most different from all the previous Halo installments by Bungie. I said by Bungie, because the real time strategy version of Halo is not made by Bungie but another gaming company instead. When school is over, I will post the history/ review of the Halo series and I will lend commentary to each game to determine which one is the best and the worst in the series. Halo Reach distinguishes itself from the other games because it is a direct prequel from the previous installments. I do not understand the whole idea of prequels and side stories to games. There are some gamers who love storylines. I understand. I am one of those gamers. I read the books also, except for the recently released books and the graphic novels. I still do not see a need for a prequel to a series that is almost eleven years old. I could be wrong about that. It could be the best videogame in the series.
Assassin's Creed Brotherhood will be released in a couple of weeks. This is a game that I plan on buying, more so than the newest Call of Duty Modern Warfare game. I decided to rent games, instead of collecting them due to financial costs. I am just too cheap to buy a new game that I may not play in a long time due to school. I think I chose this game to buy brand new over other games, because it's the most compelling. When I play Halo, I love the idea of shooting aliens on a planet in a remote part of the galaxy, but I also want to learn something. Videogames already have a bad reputation for being a time waster. Why not add a good story to a game? When I play Assassin's Creed and I watched the gameplay to the second installment, I was interested in its history. I wanted to know who the assassins were and the lives of the characters in that game. Fortunately, there's something called Wikipedia. Majority of the characters except for the main playable character and the npc Masayif are real people who once lived. Assassin's Creed 2 also has characters that once lived in real life. I did some research and the most interesting character so far is the womanizing Pope Alexander (Rodrigo Borja/Borgio). Answers.com said that he died of a severe cardiac arrest due to possibly being poisoned, but he was a Spanish pope, who acknowleged all of his illegitimate children while being in a position that requires celibacy. He was not considered to be a good person, nor a good pope. I'd guess he probably died of an unknown STD or something. Spaniards in history are portrayed in a bias light due to the influence they had on Western Europe and the discovery of the New World and their role in the Inquisition. The Spain was not the only country to have an Inquisition, because France, England and countries as far east as Poland and Russia had an Inquisition or something similar. I think Spain is also an easy target for bad portrayal because of influence on the House of Tudor and the English monarchy during Henry VIII's rule.
I will be placing a game review for Halo Reach, Assassin's Creed 2 and Assassin's Creed Brotherhood when I get a chance.
What's Going On In Life
Life is that four letter word that can have a strong, weak or neutral meaning. Today it's going to have a weak meaning, because not much is going on. Living in this city still sucks. Living off campus sucks balls, because of the place I chose to live, which made me hate this city. I went from loving this city in Spring 2009, to feeling indifferent and thinking it's better than living at home in Fall 2009 to actually loathing and considering moving back home when I stayed here over the summer a few months ago. Now I hate living here. Maybe if I lived closer to campus and/or had a roommate, I'd be a little happier. I have a kitchen where I live that I share with others, but also these walls are thin. My neighbor can hear my tv from the next room even on low decibel. Not to mention that I have evening classes and walking home can be a challenge because it's dangerous when you're a single woman alone at night.
If I could find an artist community here, in this city, I'd live there until I graduate from college. I considered going to another university at home and still live with my mom when she moves. There is an artist community in LA. I thought about trying to go there. What I really need to do is start making more artwork and present what I make to various galleries. Then again, I'm a very competive person. I have to stand out, because if I don't, I'll lose a sense of identity. The only problem I have with the artworld today is mediocre work is accepted because there is a need for an artist to make a name for himself or herself. I want to do work that is more compelling than what is in the average museum. I find pop art to be annoying. It's everywhere. Outside of school, including this winter I'll be working on my portfolio.
About going home to visit- My grandmother annoyed me so much that I'll only visit home as long as if she's out of town. She does not know this because if I told her, then she may never leave. She may end up staying home just so I would be forced to visit. I understand that there is this unwritten code of honor in most cultures and respecting your elder or the elderly is one of them. It's not that I do not love the older members of my family. It's the fact that I am now 25 years old and they still see me as someone incapable of making decisions due to them being way older. I think that if I start calling people out on the way they act toward me or the way they treat me then I'll feel better. I will be empowered. I think I'm going to start doing that.
10/30/10-10/31/10
I did not understand why I sleep in during the day until today when I had to get up early so I can pay the rent. The post office was closed, so ended up going to the bank for a money order. Professionals think that a chemical imabalance is a cause of depression, but I think it's boredom and loneliness. I know psychology majors who believe that changing a person's behavior is the be all end all cure for everything. That's like saying tea heals everything or water heals everything. I hope to get over myself soon and make my life more productive. When I feel bad, I sometimes go to an outing on my own such as the movies or a restaurant. I think on Wednesday or Friday I'll go to the movies and my favorite restaurant after (if they will still have me. I left my debit card in there, came back to get it and I'm not sure if they still want me there. Long story) instead of celebrating Holloween. Like Fourth of July, Holloween can be a dangerous holiday. If The Town is still playing, I'll watch that. If it's not, then I'll watch something else.
Sunday, October 10, 2010
When Art Gets Annoying (Random Rant)
On Thursday after my art class, I went to an artist lecture of three sculptors. I left thinking that of the three artists that presented their work, I only like the first one. The other two artists did not have work that I would consider to art. I was disappointed enough not to go to the exhibit afterwards.
I thought about the the digital media classes I was enrolled in and realized that in this postmodern culture, anything can be art. I believe that after the abstract expressionist movement anyone can call anything art. On one had, this would leave me room to create anything and call it art, but on the other hand, it diminishes the definition of art. I do not believe that an everyday household item, like say a spray bottle should be displayed in The Getty's Museum or the Huntington Library.
I am somewhat on an artist block. In my artclasses I'm already feeling a burnout on drawing. Maybe if I go home this summer, I'll have space to create art. I plan on teaching classical techniques used by the Masters.
I know that when I get a studio, no one but students and those interested in displaying my work in their shows will be allowed, especially my mom and grandmother. I know that seems rather cruel, but I feel like everytime I make a nude piece, my mom always has something to say about it like it's a problem. She's say something like "oh, you and your nudes" and "you sure like your nudes". Had it been anyone else, I'd tell that person to shut his or her pie hole and if they didn't like it, then don't look. But because it's my mom, it's a little more difficult. I am very sensitive about art. If I can do anything differently about my early adult life, I'd go into art when I graduated from highschool. Now that I know that I want to instruct in art, I know better now. I'd probably only allow my mom and my sister to go to my gallery shows.
My mom and grandmother won't be allowed in my art studio, because if I had a show coming up, they will try to tell me what pieces I should and should not put into the gallery. My grandmother has very little experience in art. She believed and still does believe that I'm a "beginner" and that I should basically sell my work for crumbs. My grandmother annoys me when it comes to my work. She wants to buy every piece I make for like $20 when I need to build a portfolio. Hence, having a low expectation of my work. My mom on the other hand is the complete opposite. She believes that I should display every piece, no matter how crappy it is and that I should never throw away anything I make. I believe in throwing away pieces that do not work. It's the only way an artist can grow as an artist. Holding on to the past is not going to make someone a better person. It will only make that person worse, because of lack of growth.
Because I live in an apartment that does not allow me to keep oil paint and thinners, It does not allow anyone to use their apartment as any type of work space. Looking for another apartment is so hard, especially if I am only a student that does not have a job. The artists lofts are always full which is why I want to build a community of only visual artists. I rather paint and I don't know what to do. On one hand, I can break my lease and start buying the art supplies, but on the other hand, when I move to another apartment, I don't want the people here to say that I broke the lease and that I'm not a good tenant. This city is nothing like home. At least at home, it seems like I have more options. I can rent a studio in LA for about $500 a month and it would be in a grungy abandoned warehouse. Maybe someday when I go back home I can look for an abandon warehouse and turn it into an artist community.
I guess I can try to paint on paper here. When I do not have any space I usually draw, but I'm getting tired of only drawing. Maybe if I use a different medium it might workout. I don't really know anymore. I'm just completely annoyed.
Another thing I find annoying is that when I tell someone I'm not happy about something and I want to change my condition, they tell me that I need to see something beyond what I see. If I'm not happy in this city because it's not aesthetically inspiring, then I have every right to move. It's not my responsibility to make a place a better place. The people in this city are very small-minded, very redneck, they hate anyone who is different and it's nothing like living in a city like LA or Long Beach where at least everyone is different. I want to go home, but I do not want to move back home. I guess if I have to, then I rather live in my car. I like the idea of having my own space and the freedom to do what I want.
I also find it annoying when I tell someone that I do not like a particular kind of art and that person tries to convince me that it's the only art in the future. I HATE digital art, unless it's videogames. I don't think it should be called art at all. It should not even exist. Period. I am not even close to being convinced that it's the only art that will exist in the future. Without fine art such as drawing, painting sculpting and even ceramics, the digital medium would not be successful. I do not believe that a digital artist can really call him or herself an artist if he or she does not know the concept of movement, color, line or proper placement of object. In my digital media class last year, I knew kids who could work with a computer and can't draw worth crap. Maybe they won't be called artist when technology collapses.
Probably in the future I'll try not to get as annoyed or jealous of others when they say that they are going to paint in their studio, even when they have crappy work.
I thought about the the digital media classes I was enrolled in and realized that in this postmodern culture, anything can be art. I believe that after the abstract expressionist movement anyone can call anything art. On one had, this would leave me room to create anything and call it art, but on the other hand, it diminishes the definition of art. I do not believe that an everyday household item, like say a spray bottle should be displayed in The Getty's Museum or the Huntington Library.
I am somewhat on an artist block. In my artclasses I'm already feeling a burnout on drawing. Maybe if I go home this summer, I'll have space to create art. I plan on teaching classical techniques used by the Masters.
I know that when I get a studio, no one but students and those interested in displaying my work in their shows will be allowed, especially my mom and grandmother. I know that seems rather cruel, but I feel like everytime I make a nude piece, my mom always has something to say about it like it's a problem. She's say something like "oh, you and your nudes" and "you sure like your nudes". Had it been anyone else, I'd tell that person to shut his or her pie hole and if they didn't like it, then don't look. But because it's my mom, it's a little more difficult. I am very sensitive about art. If I can do anything differently about my early adult life, I'd go into art when I graduated from highschool. Now that I know that I want to instruct in art, I know better now. I'd probably only allow my mom and my sister to go to my gallery shows.
My mom and grandmother won't be allowed in my art studio, because if I had a show coming up, they will try to tell me what pieces I should and should not put into the gallery. My grandmother has very little experience in art. She believed and still does believe that I'm a "beginner" and that I should basically sell my work for crumbs. My grandmother annoys me when it comes to my work. She wants to buy every piece I make for like $20 when I need to build a portfolio. Hence, having a low expectation of my work. My mom on the other hand is the complete opposite. She believes that I should display every piece, no matter how crappy it is and that I should never throw away anything I make. I believe in throwing away pieces that do not work. It's the only way an artist can grow as an artist. Holding on to the past is not going to make someone a better person. It will only make that person worse, because of lack of growth.
Because I live in an apartment that does not allow me to keep oil paint and thinners, It does not allow anyone to use their apartment as any type of work space. Looking for another apartment is so hard, especially if I am only a student that does not have a job. The artists lofts are always full which is why I want to build a community of only visual artists. I rather paint and I don't know what to do. On one hand, I can break my lease and start buying the art supplies, but on the other hand, when I move to another apartment, I don't want the people here to say that I broke the lease and that I'm not a good tenant. This city is nothing like home. At least at home, it seems like I have more options. I can rent a studio in LA for about $500 a month and it would be in a grungy abandoned warehouse. Maybe someday when I go back home I can look for an abandon warehouse and turn it into an artist community.
I guess I can try to paint on paper here. When I do not have any space I usually draw, but I'm getting tired of only drawing. Maybe if I use a different medium it might workout. I don't really know anymore. I'm just completely annoyed.
Another thing I find annoying is that when I tell someone I'm not happy about something and I want to change my condition, they tell me that I need to see something beyond what I see. If I'm not happy in this city because it's not aesthetically inspiring, then I have every right to move. It's not my responsibility to make a place a better place. The people in this city are very small-minded, very redneck, they hate anyone who is different and it's nothing like living in a city like LA or Long Beach where at least everyone is different. I want to go home, but I do not want to move back home. I guess if I have to, then I rather live in my car. I like the idea of having my own space and the freedom to do what I want.
I also find it annoying when I tell someone that I do not like a particular kind of art and that person tries to convince me that it's the only art in the future. I HATE digital art, unless it's videogames. I don't think it should be called art at all. It should not even exist. Period. I am not even close to being convinced that it's the only art that will exist in the future. Without fine art such as drawing, painting sculpting and even ceramics, the digital medium would not be successful. I do not believe that a digital artist can really call him or herself an artist if he or she does not know the concept of movement, color, line or proper placement of object. In my digital media class last year, I knew kids who could work with a computer and can't draw worth crap. Maybe they won't be called artist when technology collapses.
Probably in the future I'll try not to get as annoyed or jealous of others when they say that they are going to paint in their studio, even when they have crappy work.
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
School Today...
The minute I decide not to be lazy the weather ends up betraying me. So much for the shift in seasons. I was hopping that it would be hot enough to go to the movies next weekend, or whatever. I guess I can sit in and watch movies. I keep thinking about moving again. It's a little more difficult to move to another apartment. It's not like living here. If I had a job, it'd be much easier, but because I'm a student it's a different story.
Today the two philosophy questions are due. I don't usually give full answers, but now that I read the material, it should be easier. I don't understand why my computer isn't working when it comes to getting things sent online. It worked on Friday when he didn't post the questions yet. So much honesty, oh well, maybe another day. I don't know what it is about not being able to get up on time. I know I have classes during the evenings, but I want to squeeze more juice out of the day. I think I will starting tomorrow when I get used to the shifting weather. I still have to go groceryshopping...again. If I got the stuff that I originally wanted to get, I wouldn't have to go shopping again.
Class time...
Today the two philosophy questions are due. I don't usually give full answers, but now that I read the material, it should be easier. I don't understand why my computer isn't working when it comes to getting things sent online. It worked on Friday when he didn't post the questions yet. So much honesty, oh well, maybe another day. I don't know what it is about not being able to get up on time. I know I have classes during the evenings, but I want to squeeze more juice out of the day. I think I will starting tomorrow when I get used to the shifting weather. I still have to go groceryshopping...again. If I got the stuff that I originally wanted to get, I wouldn't have to go shopping again.
Class time...
Monday, October 4, 2010
Storm...
I am starting off the semester wrongly. I've been pretty lazy, mainly due to being isolated. I told myself that I was going to break the bad habit of sleeping in,but it's pretty hard when you're a night person. Today, I was going to go to the library to study for a quiz on Thursday and read and turn in the two questions for my philosophy class. That didn't happen. First, while I was sleep I heard thunder and when I got up, I saw a flickering of lightening. I got up around 11:30 thinking that it wasn't going to rain anymore, but I wake up to a hailstorm. I'm like "Really? Did we go from summer to winter within a few days?". Today is one of those days I wish that I knew how to drive and had a car. I would have driven to the library, study for a few hours, groceryshop and come home. Hell, if I had a minivan with tinted windows, I'd live in it. I think I'm going to live in my car when I get one.
I'm not saying that storms are bad. I love rain, storms, lightening and hail. It reminds me of how wonderful nature is. If I had a boyfriend again, I'd want to sit with him on the couch, with dimmed lights, cuddle and listen to the storm.
I'm not saying that storms are bad. I love rain, storms, lightening and hail. It reminds me of how wonderful nature is. If I had a boyfriend again, I'd want to sit with him on the couch, with dimmed lights, cuddle and listen to the storm.
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