Sonya Rapoport

Sonya is an American conceptual and digital artist who is best known for her computer- assisted interactive installations and web-based work. She attended many colleges, but her passion has been focused both art and technology.  Her variety of interests began with the human figure in abstracted form in 1940 and in 1950 moved toward an abstract expressionist and watercolor. In the 1960's she experimented with bringing in a science aspect by incorporating scientific illustrations, graphs, and three dimensional abstract expressionist constructions. In the 1970's she began to use electronic media to start work on interdisciplinary and cultural studies. In the 1980's and 1990's her projects became large scale and very complex. They had very specific messages and were exhibited often in many stages.

"The Transgenic Bagel is a parody on the recombinant gene splicing theme. The genetic formula of a desired trait is engineered and impregnated into a bagel which serves as the transgenic (gene transfer) vehicle. The bagel physically resembles a plasmid, a circular DNA molecule which contains the genetic information. A section of this loop can be excised and another portion of the DNA inserted." This piece is well thought out and the more you look at it, the more of the parody you see. For example, the snakes   intertwined in the tree are shaped like reproductive organs (penis and uterus) which contribute to irony of the situation because the organs are out there, yet the characters in the image seem to prefer the indirect method of reproduction (eating a bagel).   It is interesting however that she really does do her research when it comes to the science aspect of her art.  The bagel plasmid, for example, does include adenine, guanine, thymine, and cytosine in the way the are supposed to be placed. Also, mentioning Watson and Crick, the co-discoverers of DNA, helps the viewer identify what aspect of genetics she is attacking. 

The Transgenic Bagel Explanation

I am not a fan of Sonya's work mostly because I do not find it initially visually appealing. Her concept behind her work is what makes it interesting to me, but not the work itself. For example, this image is pixelated and the text is in all different colors that don't fit in to any color scheme.  I also find it difficult to understand her work without a thorough explanation and background on the subject. I do, however, still admire the fact that she is poking fun at science because it is a very serious subject that doesn't always adhere to human reasoning.

Kal Gajoum

Kal has professional experience with oil painting and watercolor. He has traveled the world learning different styles and finding inspiration for his works of art. Although he has had a wide range of interests he now focuses on cityscapes and still life's using palette knife techniques with oils on canvas. His works have been featured in at the Royal Fine Art Gallery, Center of Britain Art Gallery, and City of Carlisle.

Gajoum appeals to me because he has an abilty that I lack in my painting style.  I lack the ability to give the illusion of smooth water. Although the majority of the painting is broken up into his palette strokes, the waterline is smooth and beautifully crafted with reflections that go for a greater realism aspect.  The water in his paintings sometimes seems to be the only real part of his paintings which is amazing because, once again, I find it to be hardest part to paint.

Gajoum also does a great job creating a mood in the painting with his use of color. The painting above shows a summer- like cheerful setting, while the painting on the right is interpreted in a calmer setting. What is interesting about the painting on the right is his use of orange and yellow to change the normally depressing greys and browns to give off a warmer tone. My only critique would be that his signature and out of focus strokes seem to distract the viewer from the main scene in the painting.

His website: http://www.kalgajoum.com/artist/

Celebrity Mashup

This is my combination of Johnny Depp, Harry Potter, and Amy Winehouse. I focused mainly on making my additions seem real and blend in with the picture.

Before and after Bad Photo

Before 

After

Sadly this was taken on an old camera so there was only so much I could do. I never seemed to completely eliminate the green on Derek's scruff, but everything else was pretty easy to correct.

Photoshop Collage

Scanned Images

The scanned items I chose are either from my dorm or from my class Japanese Art of Self-Cutivation.

Wax Paper

Slipper

Scarf

Mario Party Backpack

Leather-like bag

Wooden vase

Copper lining in vase

Cardboard box

Bracelet

The Empty Mirror

Pixel Attempted Post

So creating my animation was pretty easy for me, but then I discovered the struggle in posting it. I learned about .psd's .gif's and .jpg's all to bring you the tiny little still image that you see above.  In my actual animation there are three major moving parts. The "little red guy" drops from the pipe into the water creating a splash. He then moves across the screen and down into a stair case leading him into the next level. In the mean time the yellow toxic waste was repeatedly spewing from the pipe.  I was very disappointed that I couldn't show you its full potential, but at least I learned a lot in the process.

Pixel Animation Post that wouldn't upload correctly :(