Experimental samples for my Material Embellishments class. Stitches: Turkey, Chain, Back, Straight, Leaf w/ beads and sequins 

I am taking a class at SAIC this Fall/Winter session. I am very excited about the time to experimental and explore new ways of making. Course description reads "Through handwork and machine stitching, this course will cover a variety of traditional and experimental techniques for fabric embellishment and manipulation. Technical processes to be explored may include embroidery, cording, applique, trapunto, pleating, tucking, smocking, gathering, darting, and ribbon work." Katie Vota is my instructor.  

Paper Performance #2 is my response to an article in The Atlantic​. Are We Trading Our Happiness for Modern Comforts? As society gets richer, people chase the wrong things.
ARTHUR C. BROOKS
OCTOBER 22, 2020

What hooked me was this section about a study that followed hundreds of men who graduated from Harvard from 1939 to 1944 throughout their lives, into their 90s. The researchers were curious to know who thrived, who didn't, and what were the decisions that the men made that led to a sense a well-being. 

'What this means is that anything that substitutes for close human relationships in your life is a bad trade. The study I mentioned above about uses of money makes this point. But the point goes much deeper. You will sacrifice happiness if you crowd out relationships with work, drugs, politics, or social media. The world encourages us to love things and use people. But that’s backwards. Put this on your fridge and try to live by it: Love people; use things.' 

​I made stickers instead of magnets. 

https://www.theatlantic.com/family/archive/2020/10/why-life-has-gotten-more-comfortable-less-happy/616807/

Untitled (Freedom is it!), from Inflammatory Essays, 1979/82
Jenny Holzer

© 2016 Jenny Holzer, member Artist Rights Society (ARS), NY

The answer is clear. As Jenny Holzer writes, “Free people are good, productive people.” Elections give us the opportunity to improve our democracy by exercising our right to vote. I have voted since I turned 18. Some years, I have maximized my involvement in the process. Other times, I have not, but I always feel the obligation. I want to be actively involved, even if my team doesn’t win every time. We don’t wait for the perfect system—we work to improve the flawed one we have. Voting is one of democracy’s great levers that, when pulled, can effect real change. 
Be motivated!
Despite the circumstances, activate yourself for this hard-earned right. Face it with an ‘ALL CAPS’ attitude. Face it like lives depend on it because they always do. We have seen it laid bare this year. We all know it is well past time to “MAKE AMENDS.”
​
—Frances McMahon Ward, volunteer coordinator, Visitor Experience
​
https://www.artic.edu/articles/870/vote-now-five-points-of-reference

I challenged myself to a daily drawing practice and now I have about 300 self portraits. Before I moved to Chicago, I used the scanner in the Digital Image Lab at Xavier and scanned them all in order to have a digital image of each. I wonder if they need a show life or if they will just be the residue of the daily practice of drawing. 

This film is a tribute to all of the brave, bold girls who came out during their teen years, despite fears of how family, friends, school culture and society might react. With this film, I hope to  capture some of their stories.

Experimenting with Vertical Video. I wanted to capture and contain a moment in the life of my daughters. I simply asked them to stand in front of the camera and do what they want to do for five minutes. Each video contains elements that remind me of them individually and when placed side by side, I love the spontaneous interactions between the two. 

The 2-Channel Video Installation was installed for the Xavier Annual Faculty Show. You can see a video of the video here.

Working on my next video project and experimenting with vertical alignment. Madison sent me this from her media theory class and I was blown away. 

'Interesting that the directors of Kendrick Lamar's music video King Kunta decided to do vertical framing. That vertical framing is becoming more popular and it signifies that it was filmed by an amateur instead of a professional.  It gives it authenticity.  Interesting that the music video is high quality but vertical...maybe he wanted it to be authentic looking to bring about a stronger message...
Here is a video essay about vertical framing, if you are interested.

https://vimeo.com/99499627 (Links to an external site.)

Here is her written essay

http://refractory.unimelb.edu.au/2014/08/06/ross/ (Links to an external site.)