Narrative: In depth project- Container Proposal

Zine Container

The container for my zine will be a box,very beautiful in the outside and all dusty and stained on the inside to resemble the damage oil companies produce on the amazon rain forest and create a contrast between the untouched amazon vs.  man touch amazon. 

Details of inside of box

Details of outside of box

Color palette for felt

Narrative: Outside Visits- Book Fair "Destination Comics Response #2 (Play to Win: GN Games with authors Ryan North, Gene Yang and Box Brown)"

The books and authors from this panel

Play To Win : GN Games

What I liked from this talk was the fact that the authors made their books interactive. These books include puzzles to be solved within their chapters. Gene Yang book Secret Coders:Paths and Portals is about computer science and I found very interesting how kids reading this type of books might get inspired on studying coding and computer technologies while learning the fundamentals of game theory. Other interesting approach  is Ryan North way of writing, were the reader choose the destiny of the story. Personally I enjoy the idea  of the authors of teaching young readers thru their books. 

Extracts from books Tetris, Romeo and/or Juliet, Secret Coders:Paths  and Portals

Other important thing that the authors of these books mention was the "struggle of the making process". This comment make me feel better because I realize everyone trying to make art goes thru frustration and doubt, believing your art or creation is not worth it is part of this process. During this semester, especially in WARP I've been debating if grades define your talent or how the audience will love or hate your artwork. As well as if  working hard, experimenting, trying something completely new and building work ethics to become a better artist really matters? Other useful comment from these authors is how they use comics to tell a narrative and the tip of using computer software to make the organization of the narrative more tangible. I found these suggestions might be useful on the moment of putting together the zine. 

Reflection on Building 8

Narrative: Outside Visits- Book Fair "Destination Comics Response #1 (Teenage Riot: YA Reality with a Comics Kick with authors Margaret Stohl, Jessica Abel and Maggie Thrash)"

Maggie Thrash, Jessica Abel and Margaret Stohl

 Teenage Riot: YA Reality with a Comics Kick

This conference make me very happy, I was glad to hear that now days authors are starting to put female powerful characters in their novels. I was surprised with the background of the authors: from someone very known in the comics world going to a young writer that is self-taught. Also, I was very interesting with how Maggie Thrash, Margaret Stohl and Jessica Abel have a deep connection within the characters of their novels, the  hidden secrets, the way they to come out  and their own personal lives. How they write because they want to see themselves through their novels and the way they used  writing to reflect on their own situation. I love how Maggie Thrash used her book We Know it was You to reveal her sexual orientation to her parents even when her parents did not realize at the first moment what her daughter was trying to say. Also, I enjoy the fact that not  all the writers in this panel had the same interest in comics and the fact that they like different genres of literature. I am glad authors are portraying minorities  in a positive way, acknowledging us on their books.

Presentation before the start of the panel

Other interesting aspect from this talk was the way teenage oriented books are actually more read by adults. Personally I am part of this group, by some weird reason I am more attracted to teenage or kids literature. Authors like Roald Dahl, Dr. Seuss, Beverly Cleary, Judy Blum or John Green are in my top list and sometimes I prefer to re-read one of these books from my childhood than reading something new and more related to my age.  Also, authors agree with comics as a successful way to communicate non-verbally and to introduce more people into the lost hobby of reading. I felt very inspired by the ways writing as art are a tool to take power back and to make a change in our community. Also, how literature give us strength to be proud of ourselves and to empower who we are. 

On the street fair

Narrative: Small Works - Depressing Running Discrimination

Depressing Running Discrimination

For this small works exercise I was inspired by the racist atmosphere going on in the country. I decided to take the challenge of drawing  and mix it with a little bit of collage to complete the artwork. I used the same type of paper and magazines cutouts to make it continually.Other challenge was creating the sentence without including the mood,action or topic word itself, that required thinking outside the box in order for the sentence to make sense especially when English is your second language. 

  Mood/Emotion : Depression 

                                     

   "Drowning in the most deepest sadness and loneliness."

  Action: Run

      "At full throttle in the hypocrite limits of love and hate."

     Topic: Discrimination

      "Rejecting everyone that thinks, believes or looks differently."

      Place: The City

       "In a non outlet road at the residential area. Surrounded by parks and streets. Where life and death play on the same space."

Narrative: Small Works - Poem/Comic " Be Eco Friendly"

Final Small Work " Be Eco Friendly"

For this small works I decided to do recycle paper because my poem was about being eco friendly. The process of making the paper was a learning experience, it was the first time I do it so it was a process of try and error and ruining the paper on the drying process until realizing when it was ready to use. I have to be super delicate when adding the text with the marker cause it will start to break the paper as well.  I did not feel comfortable drawing so I decided to use felt and recycle materials to complete the images and at the same time practice what I preach in the poem.

The images of the process of making the paper:

Paper ready to be transform into pulp

Paper with added color ready to use

Paper in tray ready to dry

Improvising the drying of the paper ( rainy outside)

Gluing felt on the paper

Adding the lettering and details on paper

Narrative: Reading - What is Comics Poetry? An essay by Alexander Rothman

Marvel Comics Characters

Honestly for me is difficult to see a relationship between comics and poetry, maybe because I see them as individual forms of literature. Yes, I agree both can be used to tell a story. Also, I agree with the idea of comics being more easily to understand rather than poetry and other pieces of reading. Also, people might have  a prejudgment or stereotype against comics. I remember this Chilean comic character known as "Condorito"; this character was really popular in Ecuador during my childhood years but people reading this comic were perceive as uneducated, if you liked "Condorito"you will be associated with low class or construction worker. Other memory from my childhood was the comics placed on the newspaper in the same section with the obituaries, I was reading Mafalda and then 5 minutes after the condolences to the family of an unknown human. 

"Condorito" by Pepo

Now days I believe comics have become more popular and is slowing breaking with the negative associations probably thanks to superheroes and their entertainment production. Comics can be useful to introduce kids to literature, changing the typical idea of readings as something boring. I cannot see comics as a foundation of poetry; it is true that comics and poetry have a similarity on their structure like the shortness of the narrative and the process of repetition but that do not explain the connection. In the other hand I agree that the job of an artist or creator is to make work, it does not matter the way or medium you choose to used to communicate as long as you do it. I was grateful of how at the end of the essay Rothman acknowledge how the term "comic poetry" really is not important, the essential is to work on something different and creative in order to make it attractive. Also, I love how he describes art as an "empathy engine" and how making art create an attachment with the world opening the artist/audience mind. 

"Mafalda" by Quino 

Landscapes: In Depth Project- Andria ( Invisible Cities)

Representation of Andria

For this in depth project I decided to choose the city of Andria from Calvino Invisible Cities. Andria call my attention because of the connection the inhabitants of the city have with the stars,planets, moons and constellations. I feel connected and a little influence by the phases of the moon as well.

Other thing that interest me was the personality of the citizens of Andria, the posses two great virtues:

1. Self-Confidence

2. Prudence

They not only think in themselves but in the risks and advantages of their actions in general.

At the beginning I thought of creating a type of planetary system/ constellations with stained glass but then I was afraid it might look too planetary system.

I focus  on the description of the city been artfully and in how the firmament change colors from orange to yellow. Also in how the city and the stars corresponded perfectly. 

The process of covering the lampshade

It was a challenge to stop thinking 2-D  and start working on 3 D stuff. 

I am proud of the process because I've been  experimenting with different techniques  and doing things that I never imagine before. Also, I been searching for different materials and trying to work bigger.  I really enjoy working with the yarn, the duck tape and the tissue paper because they are simple and colorful materials but you can used them in many ways and the result is eye catching. The most complicated part of the piece was the decision of how to arrange the lights so they resemble stars.

The process of adding light

Landscapes: Small Works- The Garden

Sketches and Drawings at Fairchild 1

Sketches and Drawings at Fairchild 2

Sketches and Drawings at Fairchild 3

Sketches and Drawings at Fairchild 4

For the garden assignment I went to Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden. As soon as I enter the garden I started exploring the space and observe to decide the subject of my next project. I started to starred the trees and I realize all the hanging roots and plants coming out from the trunks of the trees, immediately I knew I wanted to focus on those hanging plants/ roots. 

The process of the hanging tree

 For this small works I decided to used a mixture of new materials, new techniques and material I feel comfortable with. I wanted a relation between my street piece and my garden piece that's why I choose to used 14x17 Bristol paper for both works. I used the felt in my first in depth project but was the first time mixing it with other mediums like the hemp fiber and the yarn. I did not wanted to glue the hemp to the paper so I decided to experiment needling the fiber to the paper. I used the yarn to fill the spaces and to give the sensation of hanging. 

Hanging Tree