OCADU

I’m sure that not many people have heard about OCADU before. Honestly, I didn’t know about it until I was in grade 10 in art class. My teacher handed out these Contact magazines for photography and I flipped through to a page about the university. From that point, my interest in the school increased.

OCAD

The Ontario College of Art and Design University was established in 1878 and is currently a very well-known art and design school in Toronto. With three faculties, art, design and liberal studies, it offers creative freedom and training into a specialized field of study. For example, the faculty of design incorporates advertising, graphic design, illustration, industrial design, environmental design, and Material Arts and Design (MAaD for short). when my classmates heard about this, some were jealous because it was so specific, even for first year.

The reason why I decided to apply to be a student at OCADU is because the programs there are very specific and very competitive. Not only would I be learning in a creative environment, but also a competitive one to really push myself in the program. I did consider going to York University for the same type of program, but it was another factor that swayed my decision: the student body and professors. I’m not saying anything negative about York because it is a great school; just not the one for me. I felt at home at OCAD and found the new students very friendly and eager to be there. The professors were insightful and encouraged forming relationships between prof and student. I felt relieved hearing this because I know that I would have to ask or help if I need it, so hearing that they were willing to form that connection increased my love for the school more.

I am very excited to begin my first semester at OCAD University! For anyone who wants to apply to a school for anything in the arts or design, OCAD is definitely a school to consider!

Simple, Beautiful, Desirable

Last week at my high school, my art class had its Art Show. the 16 members, including myself, created interesting and diverse works, ranging from fashion to video to drawing to graffiti. I decided to be ambitious and create two …

FlashMob

It seems to me that a very popular form of performance art has emerged as flash mobs.

Flash Mobs are groups of people who assemble suddenly in a public place to perform an act for a brief period of time, then disperse. Usually, the purposes of these mobs are for entertainment, satire, and artistic expression, from mobs doing dances, freeze mobs, pillow fights, etc.

The first flash mob ever was created in Manhattan in 2003, at Macy’s department store, with more than 130 people gathered around an expensive rug.

I’ve contemplated how managing a flash mob is actually possible, but really, it is not that difficult. With social media, it is an effective tool to connect with many many people for a single cause. Think of the amount of participation you could get with adding all your facebook friends in this kind of event. Usually what is included in these invites is the specific task wanted to be achieved and the meeting place and time.

flash mob

Works of Picasso

Pablo Picasso

Les Demoiselles d’Avignon

The summer of 2007, my family and I took a vacation to Paris for two weeks. Before leaving, I didn’t really know what to expect, except for many tours of tourist attractions and museums. During the trip, the weather did not cooperate with rain and cold temperatures each day, but my expectations on the museums were met.I went to Musee du Louvre, Musee de l’Orangerie, Musee d’Orsay, Musee du Luxembourg, and finally Musee Picasso (the most interesting one).

While we were at Musee Picasso, I kept hearing my mom say, “This is something a 5 year-old would make. Why is Picasso so famous?” Apart from the fact that it got very annoying to hear her say this every couple of minutes, she did have me thinking about Picasso as an artist. How did he become famous? Why is there a museum dedicated to his so-called masterpieces? After this year, I learned more about Picasso through my art history seminars and finally understood the secret to his success.

Pablo Picasso was a Spanish artist during the 20th century. Interestingly, he demonstrated extraordinary artistic talent in his early years and a passion for drawing. He received training and was sent to the Royal Academy of San Fernando at the age of 16. His work started as very realistic and technical, then became strongly influenced by African sculpture. While African artifacts were being brought to Paris museums and Picasso experienced a “revelation” while viewing this artwork, later painting Les Demoiselles d’Avignon (considered the first Cubist work). He then developed a style of painting from this called Analytic Cubism with Georges Braque. This involved taking apart objects and analyzing them in terms of their shapes. He later, nearing World War II, moved into surrealism creating, arguably, his most famous work Guernica (a depiction of the German bombing of Guernica during the Spanish Civil War).

Picasso was a very smart artist. He not only knew how to technically create realistic art, but knew the styles of the changing periods and what was popular at the time. That was probably why he became famous because of his ability to adapt to the changing trends of society at the time, almost like he was a chameleon.

Luckily for me, the AGO (Art Gallery of Ontario) is having an exhibition called PICASSO: Masterpieces From The Musee National Picasso, Paris. It will feature 147 works from the museum until August, 2012. I am planning on visiting the exhibition to remember the works I saw 5 years ago. I’m planning on taking my mom (although she may repeat what she did last time) so I can share my new-found knowledge of Picasso. Maybe she will appreciate the artist like I have.

Guernica

Drawing in Large

Drawing #1

I have always been called a drawer. Even at a young age, teachers and fellow classmates have admired my pictures and early talents. I have won contests, like drawing a bookmark contest held by the Toronto Public Library and design a button contest at my school twice. My talents have also come in handy for making people cards and gifts, helping with school activities and projects, and for pure enjoyment. Lately, though, I have been busy with something quite challenging.

As part of my final project in Art class, I decided to take the ambitious route of drawing in large scale. The image I am drawing, is one with many small details and very ridiculous hair. I decided to use a picture off the internet and photoshopped my face into the image. It looks like I’m actually in the photo.

When it comes to drawing, what helps is to navigate the lights from the darks and work from there. Also, I am drawing this completely upside down so i can focus on the shapes and forms and not how good it looks. It’s hard to draw yourself, so this method makes the process much easier and less time consuming.

The final product will be 40 x 60inches and all drawn in pencil. So far, I have completed the face, hair, and part of the garment. When beginning this project, I initially wanted to draw three portraits, but now I see that it would have been impossible to complete.

I’m glad people recognize me for the work I produce. It gives me something to look forward to each project and drawing in my spare time.

Black Hole of Rain – Poem

This is a poem I wrote for my English class:

 

Black Hole of Rain

 

 

It has been raining mostly,

Clouds hover darkly,                         winds rustle the trees

In constant streams. Distant lights from the street

Flicker and vanish.

Standing by the door, chills creep through its crack

Tickling my spine.

A rumble escalates as it passes overhead,

Pans and is gone,                         then pans again

Till I’m left with patters of raindrops

like ticks of multiple clocks.

 

Here I pray that none whom I once loved

Is dying or lying still awake as I,

Solitary, listening to this rain.

How can I find you

When lightning threatens a safe return,

When waterfalls drench life bare?

This world seems more beautiful,

More luscious, more loveable,

When sun lights, clears this pain

Of uncertainty.

As I wait here, hoping you return again,

I stare into a black hole of rain.

Making Art A Personal Statement

Suicide painting (2012)

This is a painting I completed in February using Acrylic on canvas. The task was to choose a social issue in the world today and create a visual representation of the issue. While people were deciding to do racism, greenhouse gases, sex, etc. I was stumbling on what issue I would portray. For me, I wanted to take the opportunity to express something personal and meaningful through my painting and picking the right issue was really difficult. I initially wanted to paint about Learning Disabilities, but I didn’t think it would create an impact. I needed something offsetting, disturbing almost. So, I decided to use the issue of Teen Suicide.

The idea came to me through a friend I met at camp, who told me that because of his being bullied at school, he started becoming suicidal and started slitting his wrists. I felt very bad after he told me and even started to cry because he is a really amazing person and doesn’t deserve to feel that way. I also was reminded of how I felt in the eighth grade. This inspired the idea of teen suicide.

Below is my artist statement:

Suicide

Have you ever been to that state of mind where nothing makes sense? That no matter how well you piece together the puzzle, there is always something missing? Have you ever been to that state of mind where you wish you were dead?

I can say that I have.

I began thinking suicidal thoughts when I was in the eighth grade. That period in my life is one of my darkest memories. I remember coming home almost everyday and crying alone in my room, wishing I were dead. Why? I had many problems learning academically and socializing at school and was bullied for being “weird”, “stupid”, and was even called “a fat a**”. Having people talk that way about you is difficult to live with. I was isolated, so I felt that if I killed myself, nobody would care and that nobody would stop me. I began to fantasize slitting my wrists, hanging myself, overdosing…

Have you ever realized that this has happened to me until now?

Probably Not.

This is the issue that needs to be addressed; teens that are suffering from bullying may be becoming suicidal and nobody may ever find out until it’s too late. I never killed myself, but it doesn’t mean that I never wanted to.

 

This issue is very important to me. I know this may be a sensitive subject to talk about, but that is part of the problem; lack of communication. I felt like I could go to absolutely no one about my problem, not even my parents. They knew that I had problems about learning and socializing, but they never knew until this year that I was becoming suicidal.

I’m very pleased with myself that I was able to complete this kind of project because I was able to express a very personal moment in my life through my passion of art. If you are wondering if I am ok, don’t worry I am. Through art, I can freely put my heart and soul into my work, and I am thankful for my passion.