Backtrack

I always keep forgetting about this. But I guess here it is - works by the artist I chose to write a biography-like report on: Diane Arbus.

Identical Twins, Roselle, New Jersey


Child with Toy Hand Grenade in Central Park, NY

Jewish Giant at Home With His Parents in The Bronx, NY

What makes Diane Arbus one of the most influential photographer of the 20th Century? I guess Diane Arbus' ability to capture the strangeness in what is supposedly a ordinary and normal, and on the same note, capture the humanity of life in something that is so exotic and bizarre would be part of the answer. Through her images, she challenged us to the question of "What is normal" - there is no longer a standard blue print of how families and homes should be like.

It was just too bad, and a loss to the photography world that Arbus' creations ended there, as it was seen as some of the most revolutionary images of her time. However, her time ended just too soon - nearly as soon as it 'really' started.

The End of Holidays

Feeling a little unwilling at the moment, don't think anyone would want to go back to school/work after a nice break. I did however manage to design, despite being preoccupied with cousins and parties.

After some hours of tweaking... I guess I'm quite happy with how my machine montage turned out... though the fingers are a tad odd due to the angle of everything, but due to the lack of time, I'll have to make do for now.


Also another plus was I abandoned my initial idea for my political poster, thanks to the inspiration from my cousins since they're both sick. Out of sheer boredom, I took out their medicine for them and started taking photos of it since they were still eating lunch. I did feel bad about playing with their medicine, I'm pretty sure they didn't get any more sick because of me. However, I was quite happy with the outcome of the photos and decided to use it in a postcard.

Machine

I was brainstorming on all the possibilities on how to create a robotic looking hand. Some of the options I came up with was to draw my own, use an image from movies such as Terminator and a few other not quite feasible ideas. But as I was researching on line about this, I came across some machine like humans where people had used photoshop to 'add' metal bits from machines into the body's ligaments and the likes, and used wires as well.

Here are the images I eventually chose to use in my machine hand. Here

And these are the wires I found for my hand. Here

Dreamy days

As I was walking home one day from the gym, out of boredom I looked up into the sunny blue skies above me. It was an exceptionally beautiful day indeed, the weather was not too warm not too cold, a nice breeze would sweep by every once in a while. Even the clouds were quite amazing as they floated slowly and dreamily in the sky. Perhaps it was because I just finished exercising, but I suddenly felt very calm and very content.

I immediately took out my phone and took pictures of this sight... which eventually inspired me for my political design.

Shades of Blue...

Image taken from here

What does BLUE mean? What does it symbolise?

As many who know me well enough would know, blue is my favourite colour, as it is with 50% the general population. So what makes blue such a significantly loved colour? I looked up the meaning of blue and its symbolism in life, and this is some of the significant things I found most useful for my machine montage.

http://www.livingartsoriginals.com/infobluesymbolism.htm

Blue symbolism & Personality:

"In systems which correlate favorite colors with color symbolism, people who wear light blue are said to be analytical and have a practical approach to life. People who wear dark blue are intelligent and self-reliant and take on a great deal of responsibility. In any case, people are comfortable with blue and return to blue again and again."

Blue Symbolism & Multiple Meanings

"Blue symbolism associates blue with freedom, strength and new beginnings. Blue skies are emblematic of optimism and better opportunities. Blue is the color of loyalty and faith. Blue is power. Blue is also the color of protection. Blue symbolism is nearly universal in meaning."

Blue Symbolism & Language

"Something that happens rarely is said to happen "once in a blue moon." Blue symbolism runs the gamut of emotionally-packed meanings. Something that is the best of its kind is "blue ribbon." A person born of royalty or in the upper class is a "blue blood." However, when someone is depressed, they have the "blues.""

Blue Symbolism & Relaxation

"Blue symbolism emphasizes the cooling and relaxing qualities of blue, reminding us of the peace and calmness of night. Midnight night blue has a sedative effect that promotes meditation and intuition. Clear blue is uplifting, but too much dark blue can be depressing. Navy blue can also be associated with restrictive environments."

Image taken from here

First Entry

Okay... So what do most people say in the first entry anyways?

I guess I've been putting off creating myself a blog for a little over a week now, despite this being an assessment for Electronic Imaging & Design. I don't have anything against blogging as I used to blog as well a few years back, but then I eventually forgot about it and all in all just stopped blogging. Anyways, the reason for putting this off may possibly be because I'm still trying to sort out the clutter that is currently in my head for the first assignment, which is a Photomontage of myself as a machine.

I guess it turns out that I don't know myself very well, or at all. I don't have much passion for anything - this prompts a saying in Chinese, which I'll save everyone the trouble of having to translate by not actually saying it aloud or typing it down in this case. One thing I'm sure is that I'm a bit of a contradiction. And in this process of trying to define myself, it seems my friends and family are having just as much trouble trying to define me. Perhaps I'm a bit of a mystery that needs to be solved - that, or I'm just plain, simple and utterly boring.

I'd stick to the fact that I'm a mystery that needs to be solved rather than accept the fact that I may well just be boring. This of course prompts my first idea for this photomontage of mine, the Rubik's Cube.


Which was something I decided on impulse to learn to solve just last year, after giving up once I solved 2 sides over a decade ago. Another reason I finally brought my lazy self to start this blog was reading the brief of my first assignment for another subject, Web3d Technologies. Long story short, it has something to do with the Rubik's Snake. Yes, it seems that it's a sign that the Rubik's Cube is staying in my montage - though I'm still yet to decide the more intricate details of what to do with it.

But at least it's a start, and hopefully I have an epiphany soon enough as my boring uninspired mind isn't helping me any more....