Research Project

I have long been looking at work through collage and have still been hitting a road block in which how I would like to begin my project. I have stumbled across some interesting research and have not gotten to the two 100 page medical resources I have printed out sitting by my bed waiting, more like begging, to be read.

I have several thoughts. Over the course of this past year I have kept all of my medical printouts along with my receipts. I saw a show about a year ago that had long strips of paper hanging down from the ceiling creating this beautiful curve. I also thought about doing this with my medical reports. What does everyone think?

Or collage? Cutting out letters to form a poem on an interesting background? I am not the best at poetry but the medications and procedures I have gone through are quite poetic if you look and inspect them.

Let me know thoughts! See you in class!

Media and Research

This chapters we have been reading over the course of these past two weeks have been extremely interesting. Using media such as video to represent a person's or self culture is a very successful way of giving your audience a glimpse into their lives. As she mentions throughout her chapter technology is always expanding and becoming more advanced, so in order for a researcher to present his/her material they need to have a vast knowledge of how to edit and capture the footage. Another thing that is of key importance is the subject and the audience and how you portray them. As a researcher portraying your audience you are walking a very thin line on how you are doing it.

Her research with working with dance, music, and graffiti artists was extremely interesting. What I found amazing is that most were very open to share their skills and talents with her in order to get the word out. She mentioned that capturing the relationship between people and their surroundings is essential in research, but to do that successfully is the key. One problem she also mentioned was that a researcher may tend to hide behind the camera more often than she should. A think to remember is not get caught up in the filming instead of the moment in front of you.

Throughout the chapter she really seemed to know her stuff and how to clearly communicate it unlike some other chapters in the book. At some point in time I would like to explore video and editing, but the vision for my research is not through video (let alone my technical difficulties).

Using Bolgs as new media is not new to any of us, considering we are doing that right now. I really enjoyed this chapter also due to the fact that I could see myself someday using a public blog for research and or awareness of Celiac. Today there are many out there that I have been following let along all of the facebook groups I have joined.

Here are a few:

http://glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com/

http://www.triumphdining.com/

And many more on facebook.

I mostly use these blogs for random advice, but can stay on them for hours doing that.

I could see myself using a Blog for two purposes. One being a way to communicate with other individuals or groups who were diagnosed. The other being a researcher and compiling all of my informations in a way that is organized and dated. To be able to access things through a bolg anywhere that has internet, which is practically everywhere today if you want it to be. Once again as a blogger I need to be aware and cautious when posting and how I got about posting such things. (but if not that may be the fun of it)

Also to let a Blog be used as a tool for others to critique your work. I have never thought about this, but it certainly makes sense. One of the great tools for a blog is people to be able to comment and give advise through your Blog and you are able to see/ comment upon their responses. This I suppose could create an amazing dialogue.

Zines, I could also see as a potential for my research, but would that reach my audience. After constructing several zines i am not sure if i have been successful in creating one that has been a break through in my mind. Overall I enjoy the idea of photocopying and giving the zine a handmade look that I desire. Being able to collage and do it successfully is key and that is where I am running into my problems.

Sharon Bridgforth’s Performance

Sharon's performance was an experience I was really glad I got to be a part of. Her language and how she performed her piece were very unique to her style. I, like so many other people in the room, did not always understand the slang and other terms used in the presentation, but the stories flowed so well that without knowing all of the language I was able to understand the key points or ideas.

After this performance a few students spoke about culture and how important of a role that plays our lives. When speaking about our own, it didn't seem as interesting as what her culture was or as strong as hers was. This really got me thinking about what culture I come from and how I celebrate it. Ha the main thing that came to my mind, due to my family being Irish, we celebrate St. Patricks day, which doesn't say a whole lot about us besides we like to get together and drink.

We have our traditions during group gatherings, but nothing comparable to traditions such as hers. It is kind of a sad thought, but needless my family may have a few small or minor traditions but we take the small traditions to the extreme. One would feel overwhelmed to walk into dinner on the Sill side of the family, and probably turn and walk the other direction. (This has happened several times with cousin's boyfriends/ girlfriends. It takes a special person to handle our group!

Inspirational artist

I was looking through art axis, a ceramics website, and I found a woman named Carrie Longley. Her artwork is extremely interesting! Check it out!

http://crafthaus.ning.com/profile/CarrieLongley

New York to Philly!

I feel a little lost due to the fact that I have not been in class the past two weeks! My trip to the east coast was wonderful! I was able to stay in a beautiful neighborhood and see a ton of amazing artwork. The one issue I knew would be a problem for me was eating! I was very fortunate to be staying down the street from an organic grocery store! I was able to get a few snacks and some very interesting bagels (If anyone has every had squeaky cheese, these were very similar, none the less, I ate them).

Traveling with a group of college students who don't have a ton of money to spare is very difficult for someone who can not eat cheaply. Pizza, sandwiches, or other quick venues was were everyone wanted to go. Great for them, but kind of a pain for me. Luckily, I was not the only one on the trip who needed to watch what she ate. I was traveling with a grad student who has crones disease, so she was in the same boat as me. One key thing I learned from her was the ability to enjoy smell rather than taste. We bonded in the fact that we could not touch or taste but we could still smell the aroma of pizza and mexican burritos.

3 days into New York I began to get frustrated. I got stuck with salads while everyone was eating these delicious looking meals with sauces and french fries! All I ate were salads with no dressing, if I was lucky oil and vinegar, but mostly very bland. I let myself get upset for a few minutes, but had to be realistic in the fact that I may never get to eat that again and I just have to deal with it. I slowly began to look and eat my salads differently. I ate much slower enjoying the taste of different cheeses, vegetables, and nuts. Reading 'Out of This World' by Mary Swander has really opened my eyes to enjoying the foods we put into our bodies. From the time they are planted in our garden to preparing them and finally eating them. She has really taught me to slow down and enjoy the thing we can have in life.

Anyways, back to my trip. Eating controlled most of my time there. Where and what I could eat, and when would be the next time I could eat. It looks like I have to prepare a lot more in the long run for trips. Packing all my own snacks and GF food.

I did however slip up almost every time I ate out whether it be a salad or just fruit, most likely due to cross contamination. I made it though and a lot of lessons were learned along the way!

As everyone else has mentioned spring has arrived and with it bike rides and planting of I hope to be a garden for myself this summer! Onions, green beans, peppers, herbs, tomatoes, and strawberries, and many items from the farmer's market and the Amanas'.

This past week a lot has been developing with my research. I have gone through another round of blood tests, all relating to Celiac Disease, and have just gotten out a biopsy on my esophagus and my small intestine. Unlike my previous biopsies I ask for plenty of photos and I got them. Not the most beautiful photos but quite extraordinary non the less.

My Lit Reviews have expanded beyond my control with several blog sights, collage resources, and books and articles newly published from Celiac Clinics. It is great to have all of this at my finger tips but getting started on it is the hardest part!

I am off to New York this next week to look at some galleries there and than to Philly to National Ceramics Conference. It is funny and frustrating that my stress about this trip is Eating! I will be sure to journal and paste as I go along!

Right now I taking a break from the University of Iowa Special Collections and Archives. I have visited The Archives in the past with projects focusing on Artist's Books and Cookbooks from the 1950's. Currently I am looking at different collage works that the Archives have collected. All have been very interesting, and some very confusing. What I am focusing on is the construction and different techniques that artists use when creating collage works. I have felt many types of paper and have felt things that were pasted and painted over; each done for a specific reason with the hand of an artist. Some are neat and clean, while others are a little less neat with smudges.

What is amazing to me is that every mark or paste made by an artist is thought out long before the decision is made. I was looking at a JELLO book made of collage and each aspect of the book related to jello from cut out recipes and different boxes used to hold the jello.

Writing Through Sculpture

This chapter was very interesting. After reading it for the first time I was lost. I attempted to dig through it to relate to I am researching. Over the course of the chapter I thought her ideas about text or font relating to the texture of a sculpture were beautiful. To not only write but to compost it in a way that is similar to creating a form for a piece of three-dimensional art.

One quote I loved in there was ' Lying in a hammock may never be a writable position, but it is a sculptural position' This really got me thinking about how I could use her technique in my own research. She mentioned journaling and going through 'flow' by mapping and planning through writing in every day situations. I am able to use this in my own journaling that can be created into a collage with photographs. By journaling I am able to 'sculpt' my everyday and the emotions, thoughts, and events that affect my life.

Over the course of this past week I have tried to regroup and get my thoughts in order about a research project. I have finally decided on researching Celiac Disease through collage and journal work. I have always been inspired by beautiful journals and collages. The overall idea and theme, after talking and brainstorming with Rachel, is the idea of Celiac Disease as a Landscape. My curiosity grew when I was diagnosed with it in August of 2009. Being in college and always on the go it is sad to say that I have not conducted as much research into this as I should have. My love for art and desire to create it in a meaningful and beautiful way, I feel will greatly change my perspective of this new life style.

One thing that is particularly interesting with this disease is it is hereditary. Over the course of the last few months I have encouraged family members who have symptoms such as mine to get tested. It could be interesting to look at family history.

Another thing that I found interesting was that at times this disease can be triggered by traumatic events in a person's life even though they may have had the disease for years prior. Two years ago my parents went through a divorce and it shook my family quite a bit. Along with that many other events could have added to the stress. I would like to look more in depth on how an event may or may not have triggered my disease.

An area that I would also like to venture is daily frustrations and challenges that I face. Being an on the go person planning is taken into great consideration of meals, snacks, and reading food labels. Things such as shopping in a grocery store for two hours, or the heart attack I have each time I go through the check out line at the store and realize how expensive eating healthy can be.

So the main ideas/ goal that I have for this project is to:

• Research different collage styles/ work of different artists
• Research my family history if possible
• Journal about my every day challenges and frustrations about Celiac Disease
• Look over my medical history over the past year and work that into journals and collage
• Research more in depth on the disease and things that may have triggered it
• Connect with the disease through my art and the construction of it by making aesthetic decisions when creating each piece

As an end goal I would like to have a successful collage piece or multiple pieces and a journal that may tell a story of the first year being diagnosed.

Research Brainstorming

I have had a few thoughts about what I would like to research. Because I am still an undergrad I would like to explore myself more as an artist. Currently what I am inspired by is the Iowan landscape which I have grown up in. I never realized how beautiful it was until I traveled to the central and western part of the state. The hills form wonderful shapes and lines that are reflective in my work.

The other idea I have thought about, mostly over the course of these last six months is Celiac Disease. I have recently got diagnosed with it and still have a lot to learn, and what better way to do so by researching it and maybe the effects it has on me as an artist.

Another thought I had to research is children and young adults coupled with art. What does art bring? What is most successful with students? Curriculum?

One goal of mine has been to journal. I would really like to incorporate that into my research by journaling and collaging creating beautiful works of art of thoughts or ideas.

Research Brainstorming

Groups of People:

Coworkers- Restaurant (The Summit)

BFA Students- The Studio

Roommates- Home

Friends- Out to dinner or lunch/ Bars

Family (mostly my sister and brother-in-law)- Dinner/ Bars

Interests:

Iowan Landscape (or the landscape in general)

Religion

Effects of art on students

Non-for-profits

Myself as an artist

Art Therapy

The Archive

Ceramics

Abstract Expressionism

At-risk students

Celiac Disease

Atmospheric Kilns

Making sense of the world:

Shower- A hot shower always calms me down due to no distractions and my mind wondering. It is me and my thoughts.

Talking to myself in the car- My mind works through thoughts or different dreams that I have about myself or the future. This works because I am able to say my thoughts freely out loud to make sense of everything or understand how ridiculous I sound.

Hand-building/ Throwing on the wheel- This is a huge stress relief when I can go into my own world and forget about troubles or distractions. I get set into a state of flow where I am completely focused.

Lists- I make lists to remember and let my mind relax at night or throughout the day. With this I am able to manage my time and try to get my priorities straight.

Daydream:

In my future I see myself creating an after-school program where I have the freedom to teach courses and programs with just the students in mind and their interests. Along with that I would really like to continue my education as an artist by attending residences and graduate school to really focus on my art and myself as an artist. I enjoy getting lost in my art and do not want to lose that part of me. One thing that I find frustrating about what I would like to do is the stress of funding such a program. My audience is first potential grad schools and their faculty. My long term audience is parents or students themselves who have an interest in art. I want to communicate to them through my talents and goals for the future. I want, especially with my students, to form a bond of trust and openness when in a studio and for it to be an atmosphere of equals. The reason I am so connected to being an artist and an educator is without creating art I would be lost in my day. I can't imagine not working with clay everyday. The other reason is that it is troubling to me that students either do not get the opportunity to explore art or get a small amount of it. Everyone has a talent I just feel like they get hindered or shut off at some point in time. I want to bring a voice inside of a young adult alive and let them explore and understand themselves through their art.

These past couple of year I have worked with juvenile girls in Toledo, Iowa creating artwork and speaking to them about who they are and what they would like to become. While doing that I learned from them and the experience not only in the home but through the drive to Toledo. I began to get transfixed by the beautiful landscape that this area of Iowa has and those hours of driving appeared in my artwork and still are showing their way through. As an artist trying to find her niche I would like to research the Iowa landscape and what it has to offer to me as a ceramic artist. The questions I have are how do I go about taking this route? Am I able to research this?

Landscape. Wood Fired Ceramic Platter. 2009.

This is one of the first may steps in my artwork. Taking a functional object and translating it into a sculpture piece. Functional Sculpture!

Artist Statement

My work is inspired by the vast rolling landscapes of the Midwest that surround me each

day. The tranquility found throughout nature’s landscapes is recreated in the physical

process of both my functional and sculptural art. I try to capture nature’s power and

spontaneity through exploration of clay’s physical properties and characteristics as well

as the process of atmospheric firing.

This body of work explores the subtle beauty of nature that is all too often overlooked

and cast aside in our hectic everyday lives. This combination of beauty and simplicity is

at the very center of my art. I look to and draw from the simplicity of overlapping hills

that form peaceful yet powerful landscapes, along with the raw beauty of natural forms

with in the landscape.