Illustrate a Story

"It's not just a tattoo."

Dawn Maestas. 

                           

The reason why I chose this story is because all the stories I saw included two people in the pictures. This was one of the few that only had one person. The title also caught my eye because it makes the reader interested in what a tattoo means to her, Dawn Maestas. After listening to the story you realize how much she has gone through. 

The hands on top symbolize the relationship she was in. She compares the "ex's name tattoo" to a car accident so that's why there is a car. The hand in the middle is a hand of a tattoo artist. The pills around are the drugs that the ex took which then lead them to be violent towards Dawn. The jail bars represents how Dawn was basically locked down, during her relationship of. Lastly the background represents the long, 28 year journey Dawn had to take. 

((Transcript))

                                        Audio 1:

Anonymous Participant (AP): I was with a guy for five years. He was much older. He was really abusive towards me. After a while when I tried to finally end it, he kidnapped me, held me hostage, and tattooed his name all over my body against my will.

Dawn Maestas (DM): Every time that you had to get dressed and undressed, you would have to look at that tattoo and know where it came from.

AP: Yeah. That's when I called you.

DM: I do laser tattoo removal. When you walked in my office, it was déjà vu. I knew the loneliness, the embarrassment, and I was so angry that life had done to you what it had done to me.

You know, I myself had a tattoo of my ex's name. And he'd make constant references to it all the time--that he owned me. This is a person who locks his arms around your legs at night, and you have to ask for permission to use the restroom. So, you know, it's not just a tattoo it's … it's like being in a car accident--every time you pass that intersection you remember the impact.

How do you see yourself today versus the very first time you came in my office?

AP: I don't feel like this prisoner in my body anymore. You just helped me in so many ways. You are my counselor, like, my mom, my big sister-- you already know what I'm going through.

DM: I'm extremely honored that you let me be that person. You know, I can be thankful that I walked out with my life, but I've lost time that I will never get back. I spent 28 years living in violence. I think if she can do this faster, then she gets to enjoy so much more of her life that I lost. And I hope you know how much I care for you.

AP: To be honest, I'm just like Who am I for her to care about so much--I'm just a nobody. But you remind me that I am somebody. And I don't feel alone.

DM: That's all I could ask for. We're gonna make it. I refuse to let us fall.

Audio 2:

Dawn Maestas (DM): He was very charming, promised me that he would never hurt me, and then drugs changed everything. At first it was just a lot of cheating, being mentally abusive, and then the physical abuse started to come in. 

He had a sawed-off shotgun in the top of the closet. So I thought, I am going to take the shells out just in case. And I thought, Ok I'll put them in the hamper, he'll never check in there. And so he had come into the house that night, and he was high. He was looking for money, so he had dumped out the hamper and came across the two shells. I got yanked off the couch and put on all fours. And he has that loaded shotgun to the base of my head with it cocked. 

And I remember thinking, he is as high as a kite, he is going to twitch, and he's going to blow my head off. He's telling me all the reasons that he should kill me. And I keep telling him how much I love him. "Don't do this. The kids are only two rooms away, and they're going to hear the shotgun blast, and they're going to wake up, and they're never going to forget that my brains are all over." And I kept telling him it. And what seemed like forever, which could have only been seconds, he finally put the gun down, drug me to the back room, and beat the hell out of me. 

And then afterwards I remember him telling me, "The kids are going to wake up, I'll go get us breakfast." As calmly as if nothing had taken place. Time and time again in some of the most horrific situations when I thought that I was at the point of losing my life, I used to tell God, "If you let me survive this, when I'm strong enough, I won't leave anybody else behind, I promise."

Chelsea Galleries

Chelsea Galleries Reaction

     On October 2,2013 my class & I visited the Chelsea Galleries. There was so many galleries to chose from. After visiting a few galleries as well as seeing and exploring The High Line, I have noticed some art works that stayed in my mind in a good way as well as some in a bad way. The gallery that contained art work that I liked was the Jim Kempner Fine Art Gallery located on 501 West 23rd Street. The gallery that had art work that didn't catch my eye was the Freight + Volume Gallery located 530 West 24th Street.

Carole Feuerman
"Shower Print with Pink (Frontal View)
2012

     I do like this piece of art work for several reasons. For one I like glitter which in person, this artwork contains. Another reason is the color (pink) which is another thing I like. The silkscreen on canvas with diamond dust is 45 x 39" which I also think is a perfect size. Not to big and not to small. This would be a good investment because it is something that will stay in style. People will always adore woman and their beauty. I would display this artwork because I like all aspects of it. I think work that you like should be displayed and not just kept in storage. A storage room is meant for things that you don't like anymore or are not planning to use anymore not for keeping good art work there.

Jeff Koons
"Puppy"
1998

Another art work that I like is the puppy. I always wanted to be a vet so any animal will always catch my eye. The "Puppy" is a porcelain measuring 18 x 13 x 17 1/4". I would gladly display the art work in my house, the size isn't too big and it would show my guests a little something about me. I also think that this would make a good investment. As years pass people will still love animals also many people are interested in porcelain objects.

Peter Allen Hoffmann
"Outer Space"
2013

This piece of art work on the left doesn't catch my eye because it is too plain for me. Yes it is colorful and does contain "happy" colors but it doesn't speak out to me. It just has plain stripes of pink, red, orange, yellow, green and blue going from left to right three times. This wouldn't be a good investment because the work can be copied by any person. Of course if wouldn't be the exact thing but it is somewhat an easy aspect.

Daniel Ranalli
"Big Bang-Yin Yang"
2008

Another piece of art that I don't like is the one shown on the right. I don't like it because it just looks like a messy blackboard background with two other boards in front with chalk writing on them which is also unclear. I don't think this would make a good investment. Personally I think a better idea would be to invest in a chalkboard and then doodle on it as you please.

MoMA

Art and Identity: The Museum of Modern Art

Pac-Man.

MoMA.  

On September 25,2013 my class and I visited the MoMA (Museum of Modern Art). The Museum is located at 11 W 53rd St, New York, NY 10019. MoMA was established in 1929. During our visit we were asked to consider the topic of identity in art. MoMA opened my eyes to see that there is so much more of the art world. The paintings, sculptures, videos are not only there to look at but also to think what is behind it, like the meaning. My most memorable moment visiting the MoMA was when I found the Pac-Man game and found out that it was invented by Toru Iwatani (Japanese born 1955).

HISTORICAL.  

The Flag by Jasper Johns (1954-1955) in an encaustic, oil and collage on fabric mounted on plywood, three panels which measures 42 1/4 x 60 5/8" (107.3 x 153.8cm). Johns is mostly known for this painting of the flag, his idea came after having a dream of the American Flag. The painting is historical because it was done in 1954 around Flag Day in which Dwight D. Eisenhower was our president. On that day he signed an amendment to the pledge of allegiance to add the words "under God". 

CULTURAL. 

Still Life #30 by Tom Wesselmann (American, 1931-2004) an oil, enamel and synthetic polymer paint on composition board with collage of printed advertisements, plastic flowers, refrigerator door, plastic replicas of 7- Up bottles, glazed and framed 

color reproduction, and stamped metal measures 48 1/2 x 66 x 4" (122 x 167.5 x 10cm). This art work seems cultural to me for several reasons. For one looking at the year 1963, around that year the kitchen did look like that. Meaning that pink refrigerators did really exist. As well as the sink, cabinets and kitchen stove. Secondly, the food on the table seems old fashioned to me like the way the food is packaged and how they are packaged. The walls are in bright colors, which they could still be today but in my opinion people now stick to more neutral colors.

PERSONAL. 

The Basic House by Martin Ruiz de Azúa (Spanish, born 1965) is polyester. The Basic House is something personal because you can fold your house and place it into your pocket. It is meant to keep you dry from the rain, cool from the sun and warm in the winter. The house is also a personal thing because it is for one person. Yes, it probably would be possible to fit more but that would be dangerous as it already is for one person. Clearly this isn't an American Dream house but it is possibly a little shelter that could be useful at desperate times or even for a day of camping out. “Have it all (freedom) without having almost anything”.  Martín Azúa, 1999. 
 




Never would I imagine that MoMA or in fact any other museum contains such art work. The trip has made me realize that museums are more than just admiring or criticizing someone's painting on the wall. Viewing art work through "personal", "cultural" and "historical" lenses is actually a great mind set to have before entering a museum. "Outside museums, in noisy public squares, people look at people. Inside museums, we leave the realm and enter what might be called the group-mind, getting quiet to look at art" Jerry Saltz.

“That Reminds Me of the Time When...”

Animal Candy Land Fantasy

Clearly, my collage isn’t realistic but pure fantasy. This collage still tells a story about me because I love sweets and that is what the whole background is. I am also obsessed with animals that’s why there is so many of them. When I grow up, I would love to become a veterinarian. The only problem is that I don’t know if I could handle all the medical things that come along, like taking blood or checking an animals temperature. Another reason why I decided to have animals and specifically cartoons is because I love drawing simple, cute things and animals is one of those things. Basically my pure fantasy collage is animals taking over candy land. 

Good Art vs. Bad Art

"GOOD ART" 

The picture on the side, I consider "good art." This piece of art makes me want to me in the picture. "Good art" should speak out to you, it should make you wonder about it, of course in a positive way. It doesn't always have to be realistic. Even if the picture was abstract, it could still speak out to you and make you want to be there. Not only pictures of places are "good art," perhaps a piece of art that has a ballerina, or a ballroom dance couple can speak out to you as well. Seeing pictures of ballroom dancing, just makes me want to dance. That is what I consider "good art." Something that makes you want to be there, to do something, to smile and/or think about it after you have stopped looking at the photograph or the piece of art.  

"BAD ART"

This picture on the left side is considered "bad art" in my opinion. Why? Well, there is several reasons. For one, this is supposed to be a religious picture that symbolizes The Last Supper.  In my opinion, something religious shouldn't be made fun of as this picture is doing. For instance having a clowns face in the same picture as Jesus, doesn't appeal to me either. As a Catholic, I think religious views should be respected. The same way sexuality, nationality, political views and so on should be treated with respect. Honestly, I have never considered any art "bad", I always thought that art "good" to at least one person in this world, so it shouldn't be put down in a bad way. That was until I saw that a picture could offend someone, and I don't think art should make someone feel bad for what they believe in or stand for.