Seduction and Deception

These works are by Miss Yun Bai

Yun Bai is a contemporary artist born in Beijing, China. When she was six, she moved to Tallahassee, Florida. This fusion of culture has led Bai to call herself a "Southern Asian." She grew up in a traditional Chinese setting, and has experienced both Asian and American adolescent cultures. This is definitely something I can identify with. Furthermore, Bai's work, albeit this work is from 2005, is similar to large portion of my recent work. The work leading up to my thesis portfolio dealt with my sexual identity.



Click here to here see my Blow-doll series, or visit my website.

In these collages, Yun Bai takes from pornographic magazines - cropping genitalia, faces, mouths, and limbs - and illustrates a whimsical flower or delicate foliage. Her connection between flowers and females is not a new idea. But her approach - the attempt (and I think, her success) at creating a beautiful, non-threatening image of these severed pieces of women is very fresh and creative. After the initial "I Spy" moment one has when first viewing these pieces, the soon to follow moment always becomes why?




I think what Bai is trying to turn something "ugly" back into something beautiful. Pornography has removed the humanness from the woman - lifeless, grotesque, dismembered body parts used for gawk and pleasure. By re-purposing these images into a pleasing composition, she gives them life again - and they are still coveted, desired, and loved. Or maybe she is trying to support the idea of decoration. The body parts are "decorated" with trendy feminine palettes and graphic, arabesque line quality. By repositioning the body parts, the actual figure is demolished. There is no true recognition existing, but rather the parts become building blocks to a flower-like shape. Paintings of flowers recalls women artists all throughout history , i.e. Georgia O'Keefe.

What do you think?

Honeycomb

Honeycomb is a new work of mine that is essentially two "stanza sonnets".
This is what I originally wanted to title my blog,
but of course, it was taken (Probably because honeycomb is a beautiful word).

Honeycomb

Honeycomb, come

Brush my kinships.

Untangle and

Sing my worry-

Wart glad, too.

Don’t sink yet.

I’ll clean you and

Tuck you in

The tapering

Tarmac.

No trains will

Pass over

The ocean

Tonight.

Honeycomb, oh

Please thank

You The ocean

But be nice.

Those jam jars

Tried calling

Your rick

Rack last

Night. Please

Welcome your

Don’t slouch

I’m sorry ok?

No trains will

Pass over tonight.

reckless talent.

Juan Francisco Casas is ridiculous.

This Spanish artist works in primarily blue Bic Ballpoint Pen. His hyperrealistic drawings are very large scale (as you can see in the photograph above) and are usually of the human figure. These figures depicted are both candid and posed - as if the viewer is going through his/her digital camera trying to remember the night before. Casas draws a lot of women - in bed, in the shower, posing in a flirtatious manner - and some reoccur in several of his drawings. Some see this as a way for the artist to highlight their beauty, charisma, and free spirits. And others see this as a way to prey on their vulnerability. What do you think?


Here are some of his pieces:




Why can't it be both? I see all of those things - beauty, vulnerability, free spirits. What I get out of these pieces is a glorification of the present. The "right now". All of these romanticize the feeling of spontaneity. And because the craft and likeness are so tight, the images teeter between fact and illusion. This style of drawing juxtaposed with such a simple medium, ballpoint pen (a tool for doodling), supports this idea of ordinary - or maybe equality - it's no better or worse than anything else. It's human.

It's funny how that works.

So I just posted that blog, and then I wanted to feel better. So I was searching for the poem "The Whole Mess... Almost" by Gregory Corso, my favorite beat poet, because it makes me feel better. The first link I found serendipitously brought me to this other Corso gem:

I Am 25
by: Gregory Corso

With a love a madness for Shelley
Chatterton Rimbaud
and the needy-yap of my youth
has gone from ear to ear:
I HATE OLD POETMEN!
Especially old poetmen who retract
who consult other old poetmen
who speak their youth in whispers,
saying:--I did those then
but that was then
that was then--
O I would quiet old men
say to them:--I am your friend
what you once were, thru me
you'll be again--
Then at night in the confidence of their homes
rip out their apology-tongues
and steal their poems.

It's funny how that works :-)

Everything is going to be fine.

It is such a rainy, rainy day.

This weekend was so weird. I kept calling it my "grown-up weekend" because I had my sister's wedding on Sunday, and the night before I had my 5 year High school reunion. I went to an All-Girls Catholic high school - Notre Dame Academy, in Park Hills, Kentucky. The time I spent there was unforgettable. The education I received from NDA was amazing, but the best thing I got out of that school was the strong bond I still have with my best friends Ashley, Maggie, Erin, and Lauren. Other than my girls, I still keep in contact with a lot of people from high school because:

1. This is Northern Kentucky - the place were nobody "truly" leaves. If you were born and raised here, you're bound to come back.

2. I am one of those people! I've lived here all of my life, and it's hard to get away.

I am fine with living in this area, too. Sometimes I feel a pressure to go and experience other places, but I have a lot of growing up to do before any of that can happen.

It always seemed like five years wasn't enough time to grow or change. Five years ago I was 18... and I haven't changed that much. I am once again living at home, I do not have a steady career, and I am in a 4 1/2 year long relationship with a guy in my same boat. I have a degree, but I still want to go back to school and earn my Masters. And getting married and having children are definitely not on my to-do list in the near future. I've got to learn how to take care of myself first! I am only 23! I've always kind of thought it was too soon for a reunion - some people are still in school, some people are getting married, some people have children, and some people haven't changed at all. But I guess everyone's going to be in a different spot at every reunion, right? Everyone is different - different goals, different problems. Everything is going to be fine.

The Happy Newlyweds!

I guess I've been thinking a lot about this stuff lately because my sister Lauren just got married, and I couldn't be happier!

[Side note: check out her awesome blog @ Mixie Studio]

Her and my brand new brother-in-law Mark are perfect for each other, and I love them both so much. And they are expecting a baby girl in late October! Lauren is 18 months older than me, and our whole lives we have been very close. It's been weird because our whole lives I've kind of been a few steps behind her. We went to all of the same schools, we started dating the same people we are with now 4 1/2 years ago, and now we are going completely different directions. Lauren is a talented designer, starting a new family with her husband and baby on the way. She is in the right place in life for all of that. I am so excited for this new chapter in her life. I feel like I should be doing something! I guess subconsciously I have been using Lauren as a template to base the path of life off of - she's been an amazing role model and sister to me my whole life. But where her life is taking her is not where I am ready to go. So what now? Now, I need to continue doing what I love - make some more damn art work. I'm living in my head too much these days. I just have to keep reminding myself. Everything is going to be fine.

Me and My Boy at the Reception

Welcome to I am: Already

Hello and welcome to my brand new blog. My name is Sara, and I am a recent Art Academy of Cincinnati graduate. Being a visual artist, I think it is so important to start interesting and inspiring dialogs with other creatives whether it be through writing, drawing, painting, singing, dancing - anything! And so I think blogging is a great way to express, explore, and share these creative ideas. I will be posting thoughts, poems, and works of my own art in hopes of any feed back or critiquing. In addition, I will be posting works of other writers and artists who inspire me in hopes of inspiring you, too!

Thus, the title of my blog, I am: Already, is derived from a poem I wrote:

I AM: ALREADY

I am sweating F-150s already.

Too bad my heart chose peanut butter instead.

Instead of boiling I’m lukewarm and Tuesday.

I think it’s still Lent will I eat meat today?

If we went fishing, I’d bring my file cabinet.

And organize, organize, and organize and sit.

I am sweating sheet music already.

And steady, steady, and steady and garbage.

If we went skiing, my file cabinet would go.

Instead of freezing I’m tepid and Thursday.

Too bad my tongue is still whining at the moon.

I think my watch battery died, did it go in it’s sleep?

And complete, complete, and complete and return.

Too bad my bad is ugly and guiltless.

If we went yachting, and life-ing, and jacketing,

Do Would you care if my cabinet came along?

Instead of steaming, I’m bland and last night,

I am sweating control pantyhose girdles already.

Too bad my shins split pea soup today.

There will be more to come. Thanks for stopping by!