My Life…..in a Box
For some, texts are what defines a piece. For others, the art explains it all. The box itself is a physical manifesto of my life up to this current point, with different stages/objects representing certain parts of my life.
I will not talk further. I will allow your eyes to feast upon what is presented in front of them. And from there, you can decide what my story is all about….
****UPDATE****
WHAT IS ART.
Art is a form of expression.
Art is a tool to create.
Art is a visual representation of an idea.
Art is a creative activity in itself.
These words that define art are all correct in their own rights. However, there is no definite nor universal answer that would describe this broad topic. Art is what you interpret it to be; art is your views. If you wish a particular object you created or already existed to be a visual representation of art, then so be it. If you wish for a particular activity to be your form of expression to portray art, then let it be so.
Drawing.
Painting.
Sculpting.
Music.
Beatboxing.
Paper.
Box.
Even a toilet seat.
Anything can be left for your interpretation of “art”.
In the end, though, art should be something that brings forth your innate creativity and deepest emotions. It should not expressed in a manner that does not require direct translation to what you are feeling or thinking. It should be a product forged from your two hands. In the end, art is something you love to bring forth from your knowledge and ideas, to share to the world with an expression of joy, sadness, or even anger. Learn to cherish what you have made, and be open to the views of many that will try to interpret your art piece in various manners.
WHAT IS ART.
ART IS WHAT YOU MAKE IT OUT TO BE.
LET’S LEARN THE EDGE REFINEMENT TOOL!
First, get a picture and import it into Photoshop (for demonstration purpose, the hairier the better). For example, we have this hairy dog.
Next, make some effort with the magnetic lasso tool to wrap around the basic body structure of doggy here. Right after, click the “Refine Edge…” button on the top tool bar.
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Oooooo, now we have this interesting new window opening up along with the lassoed body. Let’s see what it has to offer, shall we?
First up, the Edge Detection Tool. It allows you to reveal more of the original edges as you go further down the size of the radius toolbar. Don’t put too much, else everything becomes too blurred and less pixelated. The Smart Radius checkbox fixes this alignment as you control the radius, but gives you less leeway on the amount of defining of edge.
For a more personal highlighting of edges, there’s the Refine Radius Tool brush. Acting like a brush, you go over the areas you want to have more defined edges, and it will appear like so. PRESTO! The Erase Refinement Tool has the same function BUT the opposite result AKA erases edges.
The Adjust Edge section has many functions that act to customize your edges, such as:
Smooth: Gives a clearer and less sharper edge
Feather: Gives a glowy and faded feel to the edge
Contrast: Gives a sharper look to the edge
Shift Edge: Moves the modified edge boundary inward towards the center or outward
And there you have it! The basic tool to help you highlight those pesky hair details without spending hours lassoing every single stand. Hope you enjoyed this tutorial. Now go PHOTOSHOP!
Michelle Jaffé, Wappen Field (2003)
The first thing that popped in my mind when I saw this: ooooo, medieval helmets or welding helmets. As I approached it, I became more intrigued by the sounds emanating from the helmets themselves. When I put my head into one of these pieces, I was thrown into a new world.
This installation caught my attention, as the goal of this piece was separating audio sounds from the outside world. Michelle Jaffé, the artist behind this work, used the idea of helmet to create a singular boundary in which the participant can focus on the sound coming from within rather than the distractions outside. One thing I noticed off was the peep hole slit along the helmet, which I view to be a slight contradiction to the work as it gathers some attention for the outside world. Despite this, the combination of dark isolation and a particular focal point of audio creates a new dimension in which the participant is no longer part of the real world, but in fact in their own.