Wassily Kandinsky

Kandinsky’s work is very intricate and interesting to look at. I find it fascinating how he works with his sensory issues, how he heard music when creating art, or saw colors when listening to music. While looking at his art, I like to imagine what he might have heard or saw when he created the piece. It was something different to see, other than the usual portraits or paintings of landscapes you may see. Very open to interpretation.

Time Magazine’s Top 100 Photos

On the list of Time Magazine’s top 100 photos of 2021 was a photo shot by Hector Vivaldi of a terrible train crash in Mexico City about 7 months ago. A train fell from the collapsed overpass of a subway, killing 26 people on May 3rd of 2021. This photo had an emotional impact on me mainly because of the photographer’s choice in composition. My eyes traveled from the top of the photo to the bottom. I took in the beautiful city scenery and the night sky, and as my eyes slowly traveled down and saw the crashed train, it sent a shot of guilt and remorse through me. I felt sort of bad for admiring such a beautiful photo after seeing the chaos below my gaze. It was almost like drinking something sweet, only to suddenly taste something sour or bitter at the end. The train then captured my full attention, overpowering the formerly gorgeous and calm scenery. Even while knowing it caused the death of so many, I couldn’t look away from the crash. It was such a strategic balance between beauty and chaos that defied my expectations for the photo, as the scenery seemed so calm and peaceful, and the actual subject brought feelings of danger and mourning. I was very fond of this combination not only does it fit what I stand for (balance), but once I realized, it immediately changed my views on the photograph. I believe Hector Vivaldi did an excellent job with his photo. It was very inspirational, as it is something I would like my photographs to look like one day. Finding that balance and making things impactful in creative ways. I have never felt that guilt for appreciating beautiful scenery before, as most of the time, the true chaos is not “hidden” in plain sight much at all. The list of Time Magazine’s Top 100 of the year was filled with many diverse events. Happy moments, moments of justice, simple moments, moments of chaos, moments of truth, and mostly moments of vulnerable humanity. So much has happened these past 2 years and much like the list, it was full of ups and downs, but photography will always be there to capture and preserve each moment as it arises. Whether the metaphoric wound is still fresh, or left and forgotten about, moments of vulnerability are always precious because of what they can teach.  Hector Vivaldi has completely captured my interest and I would very much like to see more of his work. I can learn a lot from him and his photography. I’m very satisfied that I got to see this image as it taught me to not take anything for granted and to appreciate the whole picture before making any hasty judgements. That was my favorite photo out of the entire list of 100 photos because of all the differing emotions it sent through me all at once, none of the other photos did anything of the sort, at least not in this unforgettable way.

Birds Eye Bugs Eye

  • The subject of my Bird’s eye/Bugs’ eye is are my kokeshi dolls, a Shinto good luck statue that represents friendship and are believed to protect the souls of children. These are very important to me, as I feel they bring me good luck and keep a mini kokeshi doll charm with a bell on my wallet for wealth. Bells are considered to call upon the kami, or Shinto deities, to watch over you. I used a red sheet of paper and flash light in order to add a pink tint to the photo which I brought out through editing. The bug’s eye is my favorite of the two, as I spent quite a while on it.

Toy Photography

Using my Kotori Minami and Shoto Todoroki figures, I took a few action poses of Kotori at the beach and Shoto in a fighting scene. I wanted a more exciting photo with a firey background, but didn’t get around to doing it, so I settled with his ice instead. Kotori is enjoying a nice time at the beach, I wanted a splash of water as if she is splashing, but I could not do that without a huge mess afterwards.

Conceptual Self Portrait

  • To me, the word conceptual is a very vague word. I take part in a lot of conceptual activity such as poetry and art. I convey messages of significance through these things. In this photograph, I convey a message I think about a lot. Even in the dark, you will find beauty. In evil, there is kindness, and in kindness, evil. Though a look into my mind and you will see, it is a barren place, yet if you dig deep enough you will find something extravagant. I always see things on a deeper level than the surface, a deeper meaning in the simplest things, and I convey this through my art oftentimes. The world is a dark place, yet you can find beauty in that darkness if you look hard enough. Turn it around, ad look from another angle. Seek a lesson in misfortune, and find beauty in the dirt and grime and simply be truthful and transparent, as the truth is usually ugly, but sometimes it is what you need to hear.
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