Objectify (Common Object)

In this series of work I focused on the idea of utilizing materials that people do not consider art or does not appeal as art-like to people. First, I used illustrations of utilitarian objects such as kitchenware and mechanical tools. I chose these objects because people do not consider them art. People do not see utilitarian objects as art. But if people leave their preconception about what art is then they can see beauty in these forms. I used these objects because I see that beauty what people do not. They may be cold and lack artistic or visual aesthetics, but there is more than the aesthetics. Art is beyond aesthetics. These objects have interesting forms, subforms and quality to them.

In these pieces I magnified the objects because the details are interesting to see - at least to me. People tend to neglect details of these interesting forms because they just do not understand and grasp the concept. There is beauty in small things, and the details make those object more beautiful. Understanding and opening one's eye to many levels of aesthetic form is the key to seeing what art and beauty is.

The second step I took to make this series is by applying those object on another unart-like material. I chose a texted substrate. In this case I chose a dictionary page that is more than 40 years old. A dictionary page or any text related substrate is never considered as art-like material. It is uninteresting, monotonous and unart-like. This is another reason why I chose this material. I found a texted page interesting to work on while a lot do not. The visual appeal that I saw in text form added to the effect of the illustration. The overlaying of the illustration on the texted substrate defied the tradition of art making which made it visually interesting and logically challenging. Challenging the conventional is what I deem to make as an exploring artist.

Lastly, I adhered the illustrated substrate on a more uneasthetic material. The material is a compound recycled wood materials. I chose this material because I found the random patterning very exciting and beautiful. It is in its own natural state of randomness. Where I find beauty people do not. People consider this wood purely ugly. This is another confounding reason why I did this series. I wanted to challenge the 'norm' of what people think is beauty and art.

'Art is what you make of it'. This saying is very true. Everything and nothing can be art. This may seem ridiculous and circular but it is true. Once people leave their preconception behind and be open to everything visually and conceptually, then they will understand what beauty and art is.

(*Below are some example from this series - Common Object: Utilitarian)

                                                                             

(*Details of the illustrations.) 

(* for more samples: http://www.zhibit.org/paolomejia/objectified-utilitarian )

People-Power

This particular show was about anything human-powered transportation related concept. It was a group show held in a quaint gallery located nearby downtown San Jose. Located near San Jose State University, neighboring cluster of art colonies and adjacent to the heart of San Jose's art action and First Fridays. Art Ark Gallery hosts multi-dimensional shows every year.

In this show I entered these three pieces. These pieces were drawn on printed maps. The idea of this drawing fits the theme of the show because it showed detail studies of a child's tricycle, which is human-powered. This is how the illustration related to the show.

 

 

 

The illustrations were drawn on a map to offset the tangibility of what a map is; it disrupted that conventionality. A map is not a traditional drawing paper utilized in art. So, by utilizing a map as an art material it created a different effect visually and logically. By overlaying a study of a still on an unconventional art material defied that tradition of map making. The idea of cartography becomes integrated with illustration making it an interesting art. The pieces became contemporary somehow.

 (*below were pictures from the reception on Friday, May 4, 2012.)

Duality

The Duality show reception had a great turn out. There was a live band and plenty of food and drinks that made the night delightful, fun and entertaining. It was a must see.

Live band

This particular solo show was held in an alternative venue in San Francisco. The show covered two floors of sizable commercial business area which was an opportune to have been utilized. Forty plus pieces, in different sizes and presentation, were shown in this facility. The body of works in this show conveyed few themes that led to the title "Duality".

One theme dealt with the idea of Industrialism creating Globalism, and Globalism creating Capitalis, and then Capitalism creating consumerism and consumerism ultimately creating materialism. So, one theme the art show conveyed was materialism being the ultimate production of Industrialism. Materialism concept was shown by the imagery within the collage patterned pieces. As I conveyed in my previous notes on the same subject matter (see Convolution 10).

A second theme played in the show was the idea of balance, which I used an Anthropological term in my previous notes. Binary opposition is the Anthropological idea of one thing needing another to balance each other, like yin-yang idea. This was represented by the achromatic colors of a gray scale that complemented another real well. The achromatic color of black and white were a great contrast implying the concept of binary opposition. Also, the idea of simplicity becoming more complex was visually expressed in the art show. Hence, this idea created that 'duality' link. In nature, reciprocation is needed, for what you take away from nature you must return in nurture. I conveyed this by utilizing recycled materials that I have collected over ten years. I am a person who recycle, so being 'green' is important to me. Being 'green' became endemic in the last few years, so I incorporated this Socio-anthropological concept as another theme for the show. I used natural and recycled materials to make the art in contrast to the materialistic visual imagery on the art. Therefore, this is another link to the 'duality' concept - recycling the materials we collect and turning them into art.

The last theme that I utilized in the show is the idea of time. I utilized collage pieces that were 10 to 40 years old and presented them in a contemporaneous concept. This created that 'duality' concept where the old amalgamated with the new.

These themes presented in the show were concepts that needed to be explained because one cannot fully interpret how things were without a retrospect from the artist. 'One cannot judge a book by its cover' as a saying say. So, hopefully these informational concepts and themes of the show helped explain the reason for the title 'Duality'.

(below were pictures from the show...)

Passage

(*This was a wall sculpture that I incorporated in the show. It was made to be a floor piece but space for 3D pieces was not allowed due to spacing and safety factor. So, as an alternative I hung it on the wall. This was a quasi impromptu design different from its original design. The sculpture also added dimension or a different feel for the show.)

Cut By A Whim

(*This was an alternative to presenting an art piece(s). Contemporaneously, art are now being hung in different ways, away from the conventional framing methods. It's simple and industrially contemporary.)

(*These pieces were presented in a different way. I have been experimenting different ways of framing art from the traditional. What I did was I hung the pieces on invisible line using a very transparent synthetic line, thinner than a fishing line. As a result it appears that the pieces were floating on top of the metal structures. In addition to the pieces were the unexpected effect of the shadow play behind the pieces. That addition made the art more dramatic and interesting.)

Convolution 53

(*This piece is a corner piece. I did this piece because it's unconventional in terms of presentation. Going away from conventional making and presenting has been something I have been working on to make things contemporary and original. So, I thought I would try it and see how it went. I believe it was successful.)