When looking back on the things I’ve made, people I’ve encountered and experiences
I’ve made, there truly are no words to describe how incredible it’s been and how much
I’ve learned from it. Even though this semester has helped me get closer to the person I
dream of becoming someday, it would be nearly impossible to name every single thing
that I’ve learned this past few months, but, there is one thing this semester has taught
me, and that is, how magical art can be. I’ve been lucky enough to have the chance to
experience things I’ve never thought I would. Seeing so many different artists
showcasing their wonderful work and seeing how passionate and proud they were of
what they’ve created, made me realize how life-changing art can be. I’ve learned why
art has been so loved and such an important part of history. There are so many people
out there and all of them have their own way of seeing art, of feeling art, each one of
those artists had a special relationship with art which helped them create masterpieces.
That is what art is all about and that is why it has changed so many people’s lives,
including mine. Art is a form of expression; it shows the world who we truly are. 

As previous mentioned, art is a way for people to express themselves, but to me, it’s
much more than that. Art is a part of who I am. I am nowhere near as experienced as
others or as familiar as others may be, but these past few months I’ve gotten so much
closer to art. Drawing is something I’m very fond of and luckily I’ve had the chance to
do it more often which has helped me get closer to art and better at understanding it. I’m completely in love with the beauty of nature and when drawing some of the beautiful creations that this earth has to offer I’ve learned not only how much I enjoy drawing and creating but also how I can incorporate this in the future and use it to my advantage.

I’ve always thought of myself as someone who appreciated the beauty of art. Now,
looking back to my thoughts on art at the beginning of semester to now, it is clear to me
that I’ve learned so much more and my way of seeing art has changed because of it. I
find myself paying attention to the little things and always asking myself several
questions when looking at an art piece. I often think of what the artists must’ve been
feeling when creating their art, or if there is a hidden meaning to their piece, I also think of how others must feel when looking at it. I’ve learned to not just admire the beauty of an art piece but also admire the meaning behind it, the time that it took to complete, the thoughts going through the artists’ head while creating it, how the artists poured their heart into it and many other things that didn’t cross my head before this semester. Economics has been the field I’ve wanted to study for as long as I can remember. For years I’ve been reading and researching and doing everything I can to gain more knowledge on my field.

Even though it’s been very beneficial to me, that is not all that’s going to help me in the
future. Being creative, treating people with respect, thinking outside of the box, taking
risks, observing and analyzing, are some of the many things that are crucial for when I
start working in the near future. All of these skills are learned through art. By thinking
outside of the box and doing things that have never been done before I can help my
future business thrive. Creativity gets people’s attention, trying out new things that have never been done before get people’s attention as well. Being extremely observant and making sure to analyze even the smallest things is very helpful when it comes to creating a successful business or helping an already successful business stay on top. The world of business extremely competitive as well as insane, in every way you look at it, which is why it is always incredibly important to take many things into consideration and to use as many skills as possible.

To conclude, art may not be seen as the most important field to be familiar with
when studying business but the knowledge that comes with understanding art can
impact a business for the better. It can give people an advantage that others who do not
care for art may not have.

In the year 3589, the human species joined the galactic federation to maintain peace with other planets and obtain advance technology to continue its evolution. Regular humans are not allowed to visit earth according to the galactic federation since it means destruction for living beans within it. The earth suffered from climate change over the past centuries, and without the help from several planets, humans would have died along all the animals and ecosystems they killed. Humans now live in Mars, and Earth is only used as based for governments, galactic meetings, farming and research and study. Only specific organizations/businesses can be on earth with the purpose of sending meat to mars for the current population, but they cannot take advantage of animals for their own benefit. If a human kills a tiger, elephant, or any other animal that is not within its farm, the galactic federation will kill the human. 

It was seven in the morning when the president of Terra was heading to his spaceship. Traveling to Earth takes 15 hours, so the president’s crew was making sure everything within the cabin was good. The president, Steven Marshall, who was sitting in the couch, remembered how his daughter begged him to take her. After hesitating for 10 minutes, he called Katie and told her to pack her clothes. When Katie arrived at the spaceport, she went directly to her father’s ship to not delay him. Katie did not believe she was about to be on Earth, she has been dreaming about this moment for more than nine years. It was all she ever wanted, and she was about to discover a great place. 

The journey was not long for Katie, she admired the stars and everything around. Meteors around, coronal cloud from far away, and the planets near hers. It was 11:00 pm when the spaceship arrived in its destiny. Steven carried Katie in his arms and took her to the car that was waiting for them. As soon as Katie lays in the car, she wakes up. “Are we here? Where is the ocean? Where are the craters?”. Steven laughed and said “Don’t worry my girl, sleep. Tomorrow I will send someone to take you to all these places you’re telling me”. Katie didn’t want to sleep but she was tired, so she did. The next morning, she heard someone knocking at her door. It was a human robot named Morty. “Good day Ms. Marshall” the robot said. “Can you give me an hour to get ready please?”, “Of course Ms. Marshall, I will be back at 10 am”. Katie went to the window and could only contemplate what she was looking. A forest as green as she has never seen before, red, yellow and blue birds flying high in the sky, and mountains at the back of the scenery. “Everything is just perfect” she said. 

Katie loved to draw and paint, so every time the robot took her to some place, she stopped to appreciate the landscape’s beauty and draw. It was getting dark, but Katie did not want to stop. The last stop was the ocean, so the robot drove the car while explaining to her some things about Earth nowadays. “What do you want to be when you grow up Ms. Marshall?”, “I don’t know Morty, all I want to be is happy. My dad is important in Mars, that is the only reason why I am here, however I don’t know if I want to follow his steps. I love drawing and painting, but that is not consider a profession in Mars. Everybody wants me to be a leader.”  Morty did not say anything for few minutes. “How old are you Ms. Marshall?”, “Fourteen” she said. “It is not late for you to decide what inspires you to become better. Sometimes we don’t understand people’s wishes, but we must support them if we love them. I think your dad will support you no matter your choice, so don’t get frustrated by it right now. Enjoy the view”. 

When they arrive to the beach, Katie start crying. “It is so beautiful” she said, “I cannot believe this place exists, and my kind destroyed it”. “You should take your shoes off Ms. Marshall, they told me the feeling is unique”. Katie did what Morty said, and as soon as her feet touched the sand, she laughed. She screamed and started to run towards the ocean. “Be careful Ms. Marshall, please do not go further because you can drown”, “It is okay Morty, I’m not dumb”. After minutes of running and jumping, Katie decided to sit down to contemplate the ocean and stars in the sky.  She contemplated the beauty within the darkness, and recognized shapes and patterns all over the place. Katie took her notebook out, but did not drew anything, instead she wrote down “To have come this far is not to have made it without a few craters on the surface of the heart. When shit hits the fan, when a meteor strikes the desert, when we find ourselves in the vast and unknown spaces that will come to shape our lives, all we can do is keep going. The dirt is part of life, and for me, painting is just about as good as laughing and crying”. 

For this week’s activity we had to do some sketches to practice our drawing skills. I find the experience really entertaining and satisfactory since it reminded me of my childhood. I like drawing but it takes me a really long time to make something good. My drawing skills are not the best, but I will definitely try again so I can get better. 

This activity will be hard to apply to my major since it is Economics and it usually involves math. However, this could help me to maintain my graphs organized.  

The exposition to be analyzed was created by Amy Williams. The artist graduated from the College of Liberal Arts in Illinois and is currently doing her master program on ceramics in Long Beach State. Williams explained how her intended major was photography at the beginning, but after taking a few classes on ceramics she changed her mind since she realized she enjoyed the process more and switch to the other program. 

Williams tells us that the materials used are unfired and fired ceramics, altered foam, 3D modeled and printed forms, reused fabric and paper, steel wire, rust, and salt. Moreover, we can notice that the art pieces take the form of interconnected, precarious installations that active the floor, ceiling and walls of the gallery. It is hard to specify the formal qualities since it varies from undulating lines to straight lines, and from pastel colors to vivid colors.  

The artist demonstrates how her process was impacted by the concept of vital materialism, which proposes that both organic and inorganic non-human matter have a much more lively and influential presence than humans often perceive. Williams inspiration to the body work was the Colorado mountain peak where she examined natural objects and environments in both macro and micro contexts. 

To conclude, I would like to say how these art pieces really get you thinking. Amy Williams encourage her audience toward a careful attentiveness amidst the current complexity of our culture, leading to a deeper consideration of how our actions impact our surroundings. The art pieces demonstrate a n excellent balance between slow change and natural process.  

Stevan Dupus created an exposition that caught everybody’s attention. The artist graduated from Long Beach State with a BFA in Studio art, and he’s currently working in his master program at the same university, which he will finish this summer. Dupus was unhappy after working with computers and financial planning but working in the art industry was a monetary problem as well. Regardless, he decided to major in art and he’s planning to teach it in college. 

We can notice that Dupus’ art has straight lines and human shapes. The main material in his paintings were oil and glitter. Dupus explained that it took him between 2 – 3 months to do a single painting. Moreover, the exposition was big since he wanted people to see from the distance his art and acknowledge the theme. The main colors used in the exposition were the same within the LBGT flag. The pallet reflects the bars dark and alluring atmosphere while unusual highlights and heavily saturated color reflect neon lights and filters found in night clubs. 

Furthermore, the exposition focusses on the LBGT community night life. Paint variation between thin paint and impasto cold wax medium symbolize time, movement, distance and intoxication. Dupus explained that his collection seeks to illustrate the erosion of these social landscapes over the years though both social media apps change on the way gay men are finding partners and well as societies acceptance of the LBGT community.  Common themes explore joyful human interactions refuting the underlying theatre of loneliness and depression.  

To conclude, I would like to describe Dupus’ art as inspirational and delightful. He explores contradicting emotional responses as well as the influence of queer coding on the LBGT community. I am happy of being able to assist to their expositions since it was a unique experience and it is a theme that I care about. 

Mi visit this week was to the University art museum. I was able to see an art piece from Graciela Iturbide. She is a Mexican photographer, and her work has been exhibited internationally including San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and the Getty. Iturbide was born in Mexico City in 1942, to traditional Catholic parents. She turned to photography after the death of her six-year-old daughter, Claudia, in 1970. The artist studied at the Centro Universitario de Estudios Cinematográficos at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México with the intention of becoming a film director, but she realized how drawn she was to photography later. 

I would describe Iturbide’s photography as wavy but straight at the same time. The photography is gelatin silver on print paper. he pieces are big, so you are able to identify the shape from meters. The gelatin silver process is the photographic process used with currently available black-and-white films and printing papers. A suspension of silver salts in gelatin is coated onto a support such as glass, flexible plastic or film, baryta paper, or resin-coated paper. 

According to Brooklyn Museum (2019) The images in this gallery represent series from different parts of Mexico, of which the most important is her breakthrough photoessay Juchitán of the Women (1979–86). In a documentary style notable for its humanistic grace, the series focuses on the indigenous Zapotec people in the town of Juchitán, in southeastern Mexico, where women dominate all aspects of social life, from the economy to religious rituals. The most emblematic image of the series, Our Lady of the Iguanas, shows the power and dignity of a Zapotec woman, who carries on her head live iguanas that form a bizarre crown. 

I would like to conclude saying how related I felt with these photos because of the culture, the Hispanic. Iturbide portrays Catholic traditions intertwined with pre-Hispanic rites and superstitions, showing a culture in constant flux. Approaching her subjects directly and frontally, Iturbide represents a dreamlike reality with great compassion, or, to use the artist’s own word, “complicity.” 

The exposition to be analyzed was created by Savannah Paul. The artist is a senior in Long Beach State where she will obtain her BFA in metal this Spring. Paul explained that she wants to seek a Master but not at the moment since she wants to grow more as an artist and have more experience. So, she will look for a job in a gallery or will try to work for another artist. She also said that she has been working for years in her pieces. Metals wasn’t her first choice since she knows how to draw and paint but after taking a class, she realized she enjoyed the process more and switch to the other program.

I will like to describe the artist’s work from my perception. The metals’ shapes are mostly undulating. She didn’t paint most of the art pieces, but some had colors such as gold and white which she related with her main theme. The pieces are big, so you are able to identify the shape from meters. Paul did sketches before forming the body, so her work is influence by her drawing and painting and informed by her time studying the human figure. She also commented that she used her own body as a reference to make the pieces. 

The artist clarified that during this pivotal socio-political moment in the US, it is extremely important to examine what it means to be a woman. Her art work takes on a social commentary that has been emboldened by the many powerful women who have participated in the #MeToo movement and bound women together in an unprecedent way. Paul wanted to portray the different issues women have to face daily such as rape and abuse in order to create conscience. 

To conclude, I really enjoy Paul’s work since I felt connected to it. She did an excellent job by pointing out the role of being woman. We can see ourselves in these objects so as the artist. It is amazing how Paul examined the figure aesthetically in order to see the beauty of the form. And as she said, “as a woman I see the struggle and the strength that accompany the body I was born with”. 

I find the experience really satisfactory since it reminded me of my childhood. I couldn’t do an amazing painting since my skills are bad, but I believe it was an easy exercise to do. I did it with my sister and we were having fun when trying to do something presentable. It was liberating to just do whatever we want in the paper without any expectation.  

In my opinion, other abstract paintings have completely different meaning and aspect than mine. Most artist try to do an inspirational abstract painting by choosing the colors and other possible shapes. I just choose any color without taking into consideration anything.  

The gallery visited was exhibiting the art of Soim Par. The artist transfer from los Cerritos college to Long Beach State to finish her BFA in ceramics. She’s currently in her fourth semester and plans to graduate in 2020 spring. Ms. Par explained how she always wanted to do art, and the ceramic was a random pick since her teacher get her into it. Something important about the process, is how it took Par a lot of time to make the first ceramic taller since it was hard, and she just learned the strategy.  

I will like to describe the artist’s work from my perception. The ceramics’ shapes are mostly undulating. The artist said she had to use more than 25 pound of clay in order to do the base of the art work. Par also explained that the falling pieces are from grace, but most pieces are from lace. The colors were randomly picked in order to see what matches because the artists didn’t want to dictate what the audience perceived. Nevertheless, most art pieces have a combination between muted pastel and vivid colors like yellow, pink, blue, red, etc.  

Par explained how she wanted to portray herself first, because she felt that it is necessary to understand herself from the beginning to later create art work that captures the audience feelings. So, she expressed what she feels and what she has been through. The main theme that capture the audience’s attention is women empowerment, and it was demonstrated through little details such as flowers or colors. The art work also demonstrates the process made by the artists and how the wanted to go higher and bigger with the ceramics because they were confident enough to keep on going.  

To conclude, it is important to highlight the effort and excellent job made by the artists. Soim Par along her mates were able to grab our attention by designing a unique exposition. I loved the idea of portraying ourselves first, to later know what the audience want since it is how the real world works. I found interesting the way of portraying several themes with little details that led the audience decide what the art work was about.  

I had the opportunity to visit two different galleries and discuss with each artist what they made. To begin, Johan Coloma is a senior in Cal State Long Beach, and he is doing a minor in photo design, but his major is graphic design. On the other hand, Jillian Thompson got her degree from Michigan, but she is currently working on her MFA in Long Beach State. Both artists are trying to get an MFA in order to be successful in their industry.  

Furthermore, we can see how Jillian’s art is very different from what we usually see. Thompson uses materials such as skill, prints, hairy wigs and spray.  We can also notice how she uses bright primary colors like blue, orange, yellow, green and red. The colors are based on posters located in her neighborhood. On the contrary, Coloma made photos with undulating lines creating an abstract piece. He uses two main colors that contrast each other because of the meaning they have. White and blue are very light and ephemeral, and red is seems as bloody.  

Thompson explained how she relates with her African American culture and she portrays her experience as a black woman along with her music taste. By taking traditional craft techniques and applying cultural cues to these mediums, it expands a conversation between the different objects. Thompson said that was inspired by her favorite artist, Noname and that’s why she can relate her music and style with the vibrant colors. Moreover, Coloma explained how he doesn’t like attachments, so he portrays loneliness. But Coloma also said that his work doesn’t dictate the audience response because he tries to make the audience feel something regarding the art. The artist studies of light and form are ephemeral while discussing the intangible of intimacy. 

To conclude, I would like to say how these art pieces really get you thinking. Thompson and Coloma did an excellent job portraying their ideas and feelings. We can differentiate between both art pieces that Thompson’s art demonstrates the struggle of African American women more explicit while Coloma expressed materiality but did not dictate what his photos mean, leading to an implicit message for the audience. I am happy of being able to assist to their expositions since it was a unique experience.