Author: fabro.5

Elle Perez

Who are the subjects in Elle’s photos? How do they choose their subjects? 

Their subjects are friends and family, people that they have an emotional connection to.

What does Elle point out as important in a portrait? How does this deviate from typical ideas around what a portrait is? 

Elle says that “emotional authenticity” is most important in a portrait. Traditionally, portraits are meant to record a person as handsome or pretty, and not go below the surface level.

How does Elle connect their identity as a queer artist with the way they make work? 

They connect their identity as a queer artist by focusing on their personal connections and experiences.

 

Minerva Cuevas

How does Cuevas expand the definition of drawing in her work?

Cuevas expands drawing to the painting on a landscape, like she did when she marked the US-Mexico border across the river.

In what ways does she shift typical ideas around political activism and social change? 

The traditional idea of political activism and social change is that you have to actively go out of your way to make a difference. Cuevas argues that, because we have agency, political change is an everyday, almost subconscious thing that we do, far from the “out of our way” mentality the earlier terms seem to imply.

How does her work open up ideas for you about your own civic engagement? Do you find yourself agreeing with her or wanting to challenge her ideas? 

I think that I mostly agree with Cuevas. Political change is a sustained act; nothing will happen if there is one protest and then everyone forgets about it the next day. Following that line of thinking, the only way to spark change is to integrate it into your own life through sustained action.

 

Section Two

One artist that resonated with me was Barbara Kruger. I really enjoy vaporwave, and her work makes me sort of think of the same thing: the idea of “reclaiming” pop culture, and turning it on its head. Kruger’s work points out the soullessness of today’s consumerist culture, epitomized in one of her works I stumbled across for another class: “I think therefore I am.” Vaporwave does a bit of the same thing, pointing out the absurdity of 80s and 90s consumerist culture, but also basking in the hopefulness of a new era that came with it. They both reject traditional culture, reclaiming it and turning it on its head.

 

Section Three

How have your ideas changed around what drawing is/can be? If so, explain. 

I guess that they haven’t really changed. I always knew that a drawing could be anything. The fact that I hate this sunflower smiley face drawing that somehow ended up in a museum doesn’t change the fact that it’s a drawing. It’s art, even if I think it’s terrible art.

What has been the most challenging part of the class? 

Not necessarily the most challenging in the conventional sense, but I’ve actually taken a figure drawing class at OSU my senior year of high school (I’m a freshman with a Fine Arts major now), so so far I’ve kinda felt like I already know all this stuff. I feel a bit like I’m stuck with the training wheels on a bike that I already know how to ride perfectly fine.

What aspect/assignment/part of the class has been the most relevant to you/your life?

Nothing so far really. I want to be able to express myself more and draw more of what I want, but I don’t really know if I’ll have the chance to do that with a beginner-level art class. I’m kinda scared that I’m gonna go way out of the assignment rubric to do something that I personally want to do and enjoy, but then I’ll get a bad grade for not doing what the assignment wants me to.

What aspect/assignment/part of the class has been the least relevant to you/your life? 

Everything, I guess (see above answer). I am getting kinda excited for the self-portrait project that got mentioned for the end of the semester, though.

Where do you want to most improve in your drawings going forward (can be in terms of technique, concentration, understanding of art, anything)? 

Definitely anatomy, and being able to draw outdoor and indoor spaces better (like proper angles and perspective, that sorta stuff).

I actually did this on week 5, because I realized that I hadn’t done a sketchbook page for week 3 yet.