Normally, each semester, in my Communication Graphics class I have my students work on an introductory typography project called the Letterform/Counterform Project. This project’s goal is to take two different letterforms and combine them in such a way as to accentuate/highlight certain interesting and/or aesthetically pleasing elements of these letterforms while also considering the overall composition in a rectangular format. This semester my Communication Graphics students will be doing this project, but instead of choosing arbitrary letterforms, they will each be given 5 or 6 of the elements on the periodic table of elements to use. When completed, they will be printed, and displayed in frames in the hallway of the 2nd floor of the Hoeffner Science and Technology Center, directly opposite of the Chemistry Analytics labs. The frames will be arranged in the same order and configuration as the periodic table of elements, as pictured below. This is the first step in (hopefully) a few more collaborations between the science and art departments.

The location:

The first work that has been accepted to ‘Innovations’ is a digital print intervention titled: Mapping the Probability of Archetypical Configurations of Elementary Particles in Thought-Space and will appear in Bowers Hall (the science building) on the campus of SUNY Cortland.

In case you are interested in some of the jargon on this poster, here are some details:

The other piece that was accepted is Transmeanderation Helix (Parts 1, 2 & 3) and will be installed in the Dowd Gallery. Here is Transmeanderation Helix as it appeared at the William King Museum in 2010:

A much more ambitious alternate arrangement.

A sample conscious/subconscious line drawing on plexi-glas.

When searching for images for the Unfinished Project series I came across the image below. I have no idea what it was intended for. All I know is that I spent a great deal of time on it and I never used it for anything!

Studio Montclair Inc (SMI) announces its 14^th annual juried exhibition, View Points: A Contemporary Survey which opens on June 1, through June 25, 2011, at Aljira, a Center for Contemporary Art in Newark, NJ. An opening reception will take place on Thursday, June 9^th, 2011 from 6 – 9pm and is free to the public.  View Points: A Contemporary Survey features the work of 68 visual artists of international backgrounds who explore how the choice of subject shapes perception.

“Seen together, these works explore a broad scope of abundant conceptual, visual, and expressive themes.” writes Rocío Aranda-Alvarado, Ph.D. who juried the exhibition.

Aranda-Alvarado explains: the exhibition encompasses a broad spectrum of works that touch on a number of themes relevant to contemporary life. Works in this show reflect the personal and the universal, the organic and the abstract, the mundane and the extraordinary. Aranda-Alvarado cites three core themes that inform the personal views embodied in the show: the landscape, human nature and the abstract.

Ever present, the landscape is an important player in the development of the narrative around the idea of a view point. In the works seen here, the landscape is approached as the subject of a botanical project, an object of romantic admiration or a backdrop to the experience of the everyday … Direct and intimate views of plants that fill the picture plane are offered by Gary Paul Stutler, while more playful, conceptual and fantastic views are presented in the paintings of Charles Geiger.

Human nature and the effect of humans on the landscape are represented by ghostly figures and family snapshots; by race and social class with their effect on modern society’s landscape and by sparing figures and silhouetted forms and how struggle is a powerful, but essential, part of the human condition. Laara Cassells’s whimsical painting is part “Jersey Shore” and part fairy tale. As a young girl leaves behind the fantasy of the white horse, her sullen figure is embellished with early teen concepts of beauty.

Lastly, abstract forms and concepts look at human emotions: Playful shapes and powerful juxtapositions of color beg the viewer to investigate the depth and breadth of a wide range of emotions. Kurt Dyrhaug presents us with enigmatic and suggestive propositions, playful objects that beg our interpretation.

Rocío Aranda-Alvarado is the Associate Curator of Special Projects at El Museo del Barrio in New York City.

Studio Montclair Inc. is a non-profit organization of professional exhibiting artists who promote education, culture and the visual arts.

Aljira, a Center for Contemporary Art is a co-sponsor of View Points: A Contemporary Survey and is open to the public from Wednesday – Friday 12pm – 6pm, Saturday 11am-4pm.

This program is made possible in part by funds from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts and
administered by the Essex County Division of Cultural and Historic Affairs.

Studio Montclair’s 14^th Annual Juried Show

“Viewpoints: A Contemporary Survey”

Featuring the work of 68 national and international artists

Exhibition Dates: June 1 to 25, 2011

Opening Reception and Awards: Thursday, June 9, 2011 from 6 – 9pm

Program: Saturday, June 11, 2011 from 1 – 3pm

Juror: Rocio Aranda-Alvarado

Gallery: Aljira, a Center for Contemporary Art

Gallery Hours: Wednesday – Friday 12pm – 6pm, Saturday 11am – 4pm
Address: 591 Broad Street, Newark, NJ  07102; 973-622-1600

In other news, I am looking forward to posting some new artwork on this blog-site very soon. The semester is over and I want to get to work!

I’m looking forward to experimenting with different media (other than just graphite) for my next figure drawing sessions.

Moving beyond the whole ‘poop cloud’ concept, I decided to bring it back to being more representative of actual body parts embracing one another. This drawing is a mass conglomeration of those drawings. The final dimensions of this graphite drawing are approximately 4 1/2 feet x 3 feet (a work of art unto itself!):

An additional drawing to the one above:

And, since I cannot resist the idea of developing a good drawing — I proceeded to do some inks and markers over the graphite drawing to see what I would come up with. I really like how this came out (though I didn’t really use it for any of the final drafts of Embrace):

The next image is an example of what I like to call ‘dynamic linear mapping’ in which I use tracing paper (or a light box) to draw with a brush pen on top of my own graphite drawings to highlight the movement and forms in the drawing using only linear elements:

Then I decided to invert the ‘dynamic linear maps’ and use the negative spaces instead of the positive black lines to what it would look like — and I liked it!:

The purple color looked great in the concept stage, but, in reality, it would make the wall and that whole corner of the room too heavy. So, I decided to throw some white into the mix to make it lighter. Getting closer to the final piece, but still needs some tweaking:

The purple just wasn’t going to cut it, so I resorted to all white and decided to make the framed pieces glimpses into the original graphite drawings that were completed:

And, voila, the final piece! I hope to have some details of those graphite drawings soon (as they are barely discernable in this picture):

A view of the site before my meddling:

A few images (of the many) of the poses (of TJ & Jessica) I referenced while developing the imagery for the installation:

My first concept drawing based upon the figure drawings of TJ & Jessica:

A little Photoshop magic used to superimpose that first concept drawing over the actual space (I didn’t think it looked too good — so, back to the drawing board!):

I redrew the original drawing in a more fluid, cloud-like style. Unfortunately, some referred to it as the ‘poop cloud’:

Still liking this drawing, I plugged it into a scaled vector file (in Adobe Illustrator) to see how it would look. This is where the idea of using frames on top of the mural worked its way into the plans. But, what to do in those frames had not yet been decided. I also toyed around with the possibility of extending the imagery onto the windows via paint or vinyl, but that got scratched in succeeding sketches. Overall, though, I couldn’t help but see a ‘poop cloud’, so, back to the drawing board!:

End of Embrace Process Part 1.