Photo shoot day

ABOVE IS MY FINAL IMAGE <3

ah very much tiring day!!!

I had to reshoot for my photo project numba 2! It was real fun but alot of effort/time/care/work...... Thank you Susie for being my ever more awesome model!!! I had to face paint her face and set up little details in the frame and even then it was 30 more minutes of pain for her!!! SORRY AND THANK YOU AGAIN! without u this would not have turned out so nice!!!

It was a mess too!!! I mean look at that mess!!!

This is my raw image!!! May have to do some layer masking, and adjusting different things... but this is my proud babe!!!

As Always, I, as an artist, leave my artwork up to my viewers. You can decide to draw meaning from it or not, make your own associations or inferences, listen to my own personal take or motivation in creating this work or not, or, even, look at my artwork or not. This is because we are all a holistic result of many many things that happened in our lives and what something means to me will not mean anything at all to you. You may even reject our tendencies to derive meaning from anything. In such case, you may opt out to judge my work only in terms of aesthetic merit! In any case, I hope that my work and all the future works that will come in the future provide intriguing experience to you!

Anyways, this is my story. WARNING! If this may ruin your artistic experience please do not read ahaha. For me, I always thought that hearing about an artist's inspiration and intended message is always very interesting. It helps me grow as an artist too.

This is my rendering of the story of the Elmer the Elephant. If you want to know the story that inspired me, watch an animated version on youtube! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AanMEwexKX4

I was going to re-write my statement but just decided to copy and paste my project proposal. Enjoy~!

Project 2 Narrative Proposal

Elmer the Patchwork elephant is the clown - the odd one, in the children’s story book by David McKee. In the world of elephant grey, he has the patchwork of colors to brighten the day. Elmer likes to make others laugh.

“Elmer was different. Elmer was patchwork. Elmer was yellow and orange and red and pink and purple and blue and green and black and white. Elmer was not elephant color.”

“But if there were even a little smile, it was usually Elmer who started it.”

> The animated version of the story can be found here

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AanMEwexKX4

Elmer one day was in a deep contemplation. “He was tired of being different. Whoever heard of a patchwork elephant? He thought. No wonder they laugh at me.” He felt sad.

Our culture’s reliance on the visual perception and the focus on the appearance are prevalent even in this children’s story. Elmer, being the people pleaser he was, can be compared well with the clown analogy. I felt like Elmer was feeling something like a clown. Both love and enjoy making others laugh, acknowledging the funny and visually loud appearance they have. But one can get tired of such difference. Elmer could be sad inside. This goes with the idea of what is shown on the surface vs. reality inside. He is a joyful and funny looking elephant, but is saddened by the fact that he stands out so much.

In the story, Elmer goes and finds a bush of elephant-colored berries and paints himself in the elephant color and hides his patchwork skin. The story goes on in a happy ending, but this part is where I got my inspiration. People often try to fit into the society by erasing or suppressing their uniqueness. I thought the scene of Elmer painting himself in the elephant color was very visually powerful and symbolic. I want to reenact that scene, adopting it into a human reality. In some sense, I think I am doing something similar to Mike Kelley and Paul McCarthy’s Heidi.

I want to have a ‘patchwork colored’ model in a bathroom, concealing her patchwork skin away with a grey elephant colored make up and clothes, while others (in normal elephant grey color) laughs and are amazed at her natural colorful appearance. The ‘normal’ models will be wearing different, but same colored clothes. I hope to bring out the uneasiness in the face of the patchwork model for being different. Such props and colors refer directly back to the story. However, I want my work to stand by itself without the aid of David McKee’s story. Color association should make the viewers realize the message even without my work’s association with his book. I want to take a photo of the mirror instead of the actual – I think it adds onto the idea of the visual representation and image, rather than the real. I think I will photoshop myself out of the reflection if my chosen angle includes me in the picture frame. I am not so set on camera angle or composition except that I want to focus on the patchwork model’s action and put her in the middle. I want to try multiple different angles and composition and see what works the best. I am very excited to start shooting for this project! The first (and only I hope!) photoshoot will be this weekend.

Works Cited

David., McKee,. Elmer. New York: Lothrop, Lee & Shepard, 1989. Print

One of the line I like the most from the story book is something like...

"Oh Elmer, it did not take too long to show your true color!!!"

Everybody has their own unique color. Sometimes it is a hard struggle between showing off your color but at the same time finding that balance to fit in. Getting along with others, along with being who you are, is a very hard balance to find. I thought the name of my foundation was clever in my work. It's called "Intelligent Balance." We all strive to find that smart stable point in the see-saw.

This photo has been a very inspirational piece fore myself too. I think it comments on the reality of make up too. Is it about expressing your color or fitting into the beauty image? Why are so many so upset about the notion that make up is covering ur imperfections away? I mean is that true? Or what is wrong with doing so? How is make up then is different from wearing clothes? Or putting earrings on? These are deceptively big question for us to answer. Also I thought that the medium of photography was very appropriate for my project. Photography is all about what is on the surface too. It is a representation of the physicality, and we are forced to think about the unseen or the underneath or the above... It is deceptively real and we are forced to believe it as real... I am only beginning to explore this whole new arena of art!!!

wow what a long post!!!!! I wanted to write everything down that was on my brain so that I can come back to this maybe long long time later. I am still a budding photographer so I promise to get better and better each day!!!

Love you all and Have the most amazing day!!!!!!!!!!!

When you are feeling low, don't forget that I'm here for you!!!!!AND DON'T FORGET TO SMILE!!!!!

Love, Angela

p.s. addition to the post on Aug. 26th.

This is the piece that I won $3,000 scholarship with, from the Sacramento USC alumni association art competition. THANK YOU SO MUCH! It is such an amazing honor for me, and especially significant since I have never earned a winning recognition from any art competition before. I am truly thankful!!!