13 posts tagged “usf”
Vince Esteves
Miki Downes
Initially I had trouble narrowing down my personal history in to one conceptual idea. my first thought was to base the project around my family history. i created the smaller circles first visualizing some type of mobile. . . after sifting through pictures, journals and my junk drawers i gathered materials that i found symbolic or importamt to me. . . I have been dealing with a lot in my personal life recently. Not getting in to my personal turmoil, the mounted stress has had such a negative effect on me inside and out. The mirrors symbolize a reflection of the angst, anxiety and illogical worrying. I framed my piece with them to symbolize my struggle to recapture the inner peace I have lost within in myself. . . The logical side of me is able to understand what is important but is so easily distracted and possesed by the frustration that lurks around me. Inside the frame is a picture of myself on a transparency which overlaps a flood of colors that symbolize the rich content that makes me who I am. Connected to a print I made of a heart I have images of the people who are most important to me: my boyfriend, my best friends and my family. These are the people who have really enriched my life and helped to mold me in to the person that I am today. In essence, this project became for me a desperately needed self-reflection.
Carlo Tagal-Lachenal
Erick Perez
29 March 2007
Artist Statement: “Untitled”
“Untitled” is a linoleum block representation of cross-cultural traditions hidden to main stream society but understood by those who have inherited the cultures of two or more different ethnicities. For this project, I wanted to bring together two well-known traditions and have them operate as one.
This idea of cross-cultural traditions, what was inspired this art work, however, after the process of making this began, I was able to make more and more connections between the culture of Mexico and the culture of Northern San Diego, primarily a white inhabited community. It was not my intend to present myself as being of mixed blood, both Mexican and Caucasian, but of a Mexican-American who has been heavily impacted by the traditions of the white, high-middle class community.
The dialogue that these two groups create is what inspired me for this project and other projects. To better communicate my ideas, I used blended two different colors using a technique better known to linoleum block artist as “rainbow rolls.” These “rainbow rolls,” conceptually depicts the idea of two becoming one, and that one, being an unpredictable result of two colors that does not completely fit into either original color.
LaTisha Jones
Philippine American Arts
March 25, 2007
This booklet is about my life. And it portrays my family and good friends who have played a major role in shaping the different stages of whom I have become.
I chose a cream cover for my book because my personality is very calm and serene by nature. The texture symbolizes the rough times I had to endure and the red ribbon represents my passion for life and the people who I love.
Chapter one covers my family. It all began with my mother and how she raised my siblings and me as a single parent. Watching my mother gave me the determination to pursue my goals in life. It is from her that I draw strength. The photo of my sisters represents our true friendship and our unchanging love. The last few photos symbolize the powerful men and foundation which influenced my spiritual growth in life. And finally, my father—while absent during the most critical time of my development, I love him and he is proud of who I have become. And if it weren’t for both my parents I would not be here.
Chapter two speaks about my tough times in life and the people who inspired me to make it through. If it were not for God putting these individuals in my life, my life may have taken another direction. These were the growing years that shaped my life and made me who I am. I owe everything I have accomplished to the love of God.
The final chapter is about how I fell in love. When I first met him I knew I would love him. The first picture is shaded from a rich orange to red, which characterizes how our friendship grew into love and formed an everlasting bond. The proposal consummated our friendship and moved our love to the next level. And finally, he guards and protects this love and I feel safe with him.
Charles Daulo
Pause for a moment and think about what I’m trying to say,
Listen to the words between the words that lie deep in the innermost of your mind and come to find
The story of a young boy who found a dollar bill and the red pill
And reality that it came with…
Sitting in the midst of my adolescences where I found and lost my innocence.
Pacing at a speed to which life blurs and images can no longer be seen.
Then stop.
Restart.
Reboot.
Then shoot out words to describe the words to make phrase upon tiny frays of cloth that has stuck to my body.
Omit any feelings that may cause pain and replace it with a checkbook.
Invoke the past in the future then revoke the maternal ideal with a paternal deal that makes my reality surreal.
I’ve done my best thinking while sitting
On the can taking a shit
I’ve done my best to never quit
No thanks to you, who found the quality of life with a dollar bill only to instill the notion that anything can be bought.
You, me and us, for days we fought
Discovering that I was for sale, upon a land that was cold and pale
Thank you, my childhood, forever impaled
By what you taught dear mother
There are no vacancies here because your love is like a vacant sea.
Dear child you are young and do not know about life. But it was life that taught me all that I needed to know.
Now it’s too late, I’ve grown up to understand, tears have fallen like a cold bitter storm of hale
Life taught me…
I am not for sale!
Eliza Doeschl
Fil-Am Arts
Reflection on Studio Project 2
This is a painting of the San Francisco Bay with the Golden Gate Bridge in the background. The San Francisco Bay leads out into the Pacific Ocean where on the other side of this ocean is the Philippines, where my mom’s entire side of the family lives. Despite the vast distance between the United States and the Philippines, we are still connected like a bridge, for example the Golden Gate Bridge, because the ocean touches both sides of these countries.
I painted this landscape because San Francisco has become my new second home because I live here during the school year in the dorms. I wanted to paint my Lola (grandmother), my mom, and I walking down the sand however, due to a lack of time I did not paint them. I plan to do so some time soon. I wanted to do this because my mom and I have always wanted to bring my Lola to the United States so she can see how we live and can vacation over here. However, now she is 93 years old and is very frail so it impossible for her to come here now. I love my Lola very much and I wish I knew her more because she is my last grandparent left alive. I only get to see her once a year and when I do see her, I cannot really talk to her because I do not really speak her dialect and she only speaks a little English. This painting, when finished, will be a tribute to my Lola.
Narciso Hilo
Fil-Am Arts Exploration: Reflection on Project #2
3/26/07
This project meant so much to me because it was therapeutic. It provided another opportunity for me to reflect on negative past experiences and gain further closure in my life. The story that I chose to investigate/retell was my Christmas of 2006, specifically, the events that involved my mom and dad. After a long fall semester, I was looking forward to going home in Santa Clara to spend time with my parents, sister, brother-in-law, and their kids. But the series of unfortunate events that followed led to an entirely different outcome.
When I got home, no one was there so I decided to start on my laundry while waiting for everyone. After I started my third load, my parents finally arrived. With a dismayed look on my dad’s face, he sternly looked at me and told me that we needed to talk. My mom, dad, and I gathered around our dining table and began to talk. This was the first time I explicitly told them that I wanted to pursue Physical Therapy as a career instead of Dentistry, which they were hoping for. So after about a half hour of my father bashing my career goals and tears (mainly on my part), I decided that I should leave their house and return to my apartment in San Francisco as a recluse.
This story was the inspiration for my project. As I walked around Michael’s, the possibilities for depicting my experiences seemed endless. It took about an hour of wandering around the store for me to finally decide what media to work with. My girlfriend, Ces-Marie, suggested using a birdhouse to depict the concepts that I presented to her earlier. I wanted to color half of the house nice and neat while the other half would be poorly colored and “darker” to express the emotions I felt.
The “cleaner” side of the house was supposed to express my ideal Christmas and Birthday scene while the “darker” side was supposed to depict actual events and my emotions. In the cleaner side, I placed little happy characters: my mom, dad, and me surrounded by presents and happiness. The single balloon on the wall was representative of my birthday, three days after Christmas. I also found stickers of grass and flowers that I thought would bring warmth into the scene. The fence surrounding the house symbolized protection; in contrast, the fence also symbolized the hold or barrier they had on me to choose Dentistry as my career.
A wall separated the different sides of the house, which I colored to match the emotions of the scene. The darker side of the house was supposed to be a scene from me in my apartment – alone. There were fewer and smaller presents under the Christmas tree (visible on both sides of the house) in this side and I also placed a single balloon and a cupcake with a single candle on it to show that I celebrated my 22nd Birthday mostly alone. The angel on the wall behind me was supposed to represent Ces-Marie since she tried her best to spend time with me and make my Christmas/Birthday less depressing than it really was. She was my angel through my adversity.
Last, the parol on the side of the house was inspired and executed by Ces-Marie to add Filipino culture to the piece.
Nancy DiCianni
Nancy DiCianni
Filipino American Arts- Worlds in Collision
Artist Statement- Project 2
28 March 2007
The Path
This piece I simply titled “The Path,” is a visual representation of the different alternatives we face in life. Specifically, my work reflects the life changing decision I made to transfer schools, leave all of my closest friends and family behind, and move to the other side of the country.
Like a menu of dinner specials, this 3 part piece is symbolic of my life’s trajectory. The first part is a pencil and pastel self portrait juxtaposed with various options conveyed by different colored pathways. The rather self explanatory phases I utilize are all part and parcel of my personal course. “The straight and narrow” represents the path on which I was steadily gliding along, but decided to veer away from. “Alone” conveys the emotion I felt in making this arduous choice.
The second part, on the opposite side, is a color photograph I took of the golden gate bridge from a crouching position on baker beach. Here I utilize the dichotomy of the dual meanings behind the iconic structure. On the one hand, it is the quintessential symbol of San Francisco, and on the other hand, the infrastructure is a means of transportation from one place to another. It is also important to note that this was one of the first photos I took upon my arrival to my new home.
The third part, though I did not intend it to be view, is the blank and barren inside, which was left so intentionally. I did this to express the notion that I am a work in progress, and my pages have not yet been filled. It symbolizes what I’ve yet to experience. The phrase included on the inside inquires, how did you get here and where are you going? These are questions that I am still pondering in a rhetorical self examination of the path I am on.
Charleston Daulo
“All Roads Lead Home”
This piece is my depiction of the loss of innocence at a younger age. In today’s society, young children are bombarded with images, sounds, media, music, and many other things. Their innocence is stripped away from them before they can realize it. When these kids grow older, they are at times more violent and more prone to premature sexual encounters. The age that children begin to think about women, sex, and violence is quickly decreasing. Manufacturers are constantly releasing products that will appeal to a younger demographic. In the end, they are simply trying to get new customers that will buy their products. They are not mindful of the types of media/games they release. Although there is an age rating for each game, most parents do not pay attention to them or the children will somehow find away to play them. I am not saying that children should not participate in these types or media I am simply stating a fact of society that has no current solution to the issue.
But, it is never too late to find oneself. All roads lead home simply means that wherever or whatever one’s home is, there will be a path that will lead to it. The baby in the piece is my nephew and he is in fact, relocating to the Philippines and the picture that he is attempting to grab hold of is his roots, and the road that he is being pulled away from. The empty chair represents the emptiness that one feels when they have come to the realization that they are far from where they began, but nonetheless, all roads lead home.
