Selfie: Us and Them

     The art exhibition, "Selfie: Us and Them" was absolutely breathtaking and amazing, and those are understatements. I have never been to an art exhibition quit like this one, from the moment that I walked in I was diffidently in awe. When i first heard the name of the exhibition, I assumed that the gallery would be full of a bunch of women taking different types of selfies of themselves with different backgrounds and angles. I didn't think it would be boring or a waste of my time, but never in a million years would I have thought that it was going to be as beautiful and original as it turned out to be.
  
    When I first entered the exhibition, walked into that tiny room in the back of the Art gallery, I was hit with pure, raw, intense talent. I was not only amazed by the originality and thought that was put into the artwork, but I loved how in-depth and how much honesty, pain, intensity and so many other emotions were put into their masterpieces. (173) I was absolutely floored by the raw beauty in each and every piece. I had the honor of speaking to the extremely talented women who created and put together this exhibition, and felt honored to be able to gain a deeper grasp and better understanding of how they created these objects of pure beauty.
All of the artists were so amazing in so many different ways.
   
     As soon as i walked into the art show, I was absolutely taken aback with the pure talent in all of the artworks that were being presented, but there were two artist who stood out to me the most. It is not because their artwork or skills were any better than the others, it was because there was so much mystery, yet familiarity in the pieces of artwork. The two exhibitions which stood out the most to me, were the video piece by Mediha Sandhu and the statue of an upper torso, which was located on the lower right hand corner, when entering the exhibition (I am not sure of the artist's name). 

     Upon entering the "Selfie: Us and Them" exhibition, the first piece of artwork that instantly caught my attention was (374)  an exquisite and emotional video being displayed on the right hand side of the gallery. It was the artwork by Mediha Sandhu. The video was full of pain, anger, loneliness, vulnerability, confliction, and most of all, frustration. Her video showed different images of herself  expressing so many complex emotions.  As I stood there, and watched the images changing on the television screen in front of me a whole bunch of different emotions ran through me. I actually felt the urge to cry, because the artist was clearly at a crossroads, and the pure frustration jumped out from the exhibit and touched me. In the piece, Mediha wore her Hijab. The video had static and image noise, as you see the young lady in the pulling at her Hijab, holding her face while screaming, holding her head while looking down, and at one point her face is blanked out. Words cannot begin to explain how much this artwork touched me.
    
  I have many friends who are Muslim and who have struggled with the abuse of society. They've told me how utterly painful and frustrating it is to be abused on a daily basis just because of their Religion. I had the pleasure of actually meeting and  speaking with Mediha, which gain a better understanding of what she endures from society. She explained tome that this piece was based on the emotions that she feels when she is faced with bigotry and pure hate from people who take one look at her Hijab and assume that she is an evil terrorist.
    
    Mediha and I spoke about politics and how this presidential election is making it even worse for Muslims. We spoke about how Trump being so vocal when being racist and hateful, allows people who were racist to feel justified and now they are acting out towards certain groups of people worse than they did before. We spoke of how apparently now a days is totally okay and acceptable to be a huge racist. We spoke of how this happened to Jewish people, Japanese people, Italian and Irish people, and so many other groups in the past.
    
    This piece of artwork allows the viewer to momentarily feel what Mediha feels on a daily basis. By putting herself out there the way that she did was an act of resistance in itself. She is bringing awareness and importance to her cause by exposing her raw emotion the way that she did. Both Mediha and her fascinating art piece opened my eyes in so many ways. The point of an activist piece of artwork is to bring and spread awareness to others about a certain cause or problem, and that is exactly what Media did through her inspiring artwork. With such an influential art piece, it allows people to feel and gain a deep understanding for what the artist is feeling, and then the audience is so moved and inspired that they talk about the problem on hand with others and possibly even looking into additional ways to bring awareness. Mediha's Artwork has done that for me. I have been talking to many, many people about her work and about how badly Muslim people are treated and how they are even ignored by society due to Racism and fear. My daughter and I (yes, my 10 year old daughter) have been brainstorming on different ways we can bring awareness to this huge issue. For now, we are just being very vocal and putting the topic out there in conversations with different people. One person can make a difference, just my touching and getting through to just 1 person, and Mediha has done that!
     
     The other piece of artwork which I loved, though at first I didn't even notice it was there, was the statue that was placed on the floor in front of a mirror. Once I noticed it, I was confused as to what the meaning of this piece of artwork. I stared at it for a while in awe, there was something about it that engaged me, it was intriguing and drew me in. The statue is not the most beautiful thing at first glance, but once one really looks at it, the beauty is found in its imperfections. After speaking to the artist ,i learned more about the piece and found it even more beautiful.
     
     The artist used her own mother for this spectacular piece of artwork. She gave her mother art plaster and had her mother incase her entire upper torso in it, including her head and face. She explained to me that the reason that she did this is for people to realize their imperfections, but yet there is beauty in every imperfection. I just looked at her as she spoke and realized how true that is, yet we tend not to see the beauty in our own imperfections because everyone is concerned about fitting into society's mold of what's "beautiful".
     
    The statue was lumpy, one breast was larger than the other, one arm was larger than the other, the head was a bit misshaped, and yet its was absolutely stunning. What made this statue even more meaningful to me, was that it was made of and by the artist's mother with the supervision and direction of the artist. I fell in love with everything this piece stood for.       
      What made this piece an act of resistance is that the artist is forcing us to look at all of our "imperfections" and embrace them. Everything that way hate about ourselves and find "ugly", are actually beautiful. Our uniqueness is what's beautiful. As a society we must love ourselves and all of our "imperfections", and stop judging ourselves and others on beauty and ugliness. This piece really touched and inspired me because I have such low self esteem and always find fault in my imperfections ,I hated even looking in the mirror. Now, I look in the mirror and I can find beauty in what I see, because its my imperfect body, and I love myself!
    
    The whole exhibit and all of the Artists opened my eyes in so many ways. The "Selfie" exhibit forced me to look at myself, love myself, and appreciate my whole self, not just certain things about myself like I did before. The whole experience was so amazing and I felt truly blessed to be able to experience such a powerful movement. All of the people involved in this exhibition are incredibly talented and true leaders. Thanks you all for inspiring me and helping me to grow to be a better person. I will diffidently keep all of their lessons alive through my daily routines and experiences.

           

 

Selfie

The Selfie Exhibit, an art exhibit out of Newark is an interesting assortment of artistic pieces. My favorite piece was a series of photos that used memes to send a message about how women are forced into certain roles into society. She uses photos of herself plastered with a background of black along with other various colors. I find her choice in using this type of background also very interesting because while it is meaningless in a meme format since it is a piece of art that type of design has a different meaning.
When creating an image in realistic perspective artists often rely on using a vanishing point. This primarily but not exclusively is used in man-made scenes A vanishing point is put into practice by choosing a central point from which your work will revolve around. It creates an alternate point often opposing the actual point from which the image appears to be viewed from. The artist then uses that point in relevance to all the other straight lines going in that direction giving the piece a good perspective and allowing for a level of symmetry that is appealing when viewed. Doing an exercise in vanishing points then takes all the lines used in accordance with it and connects them to the vanishing point giving the viewer a spider web like image.
In the pieces under analysis the vanishing point is covered up by an image of the author at various points in her life. In the exercise of vanishing points the goal is to make the scene unfold around that point and make everything seem like it is revolving from that point. In the case of these pieces rather than a scene to which physical perspective is added instead the picture of the artist who acts as the vanishing point is surrounded by assumptions about her based upon her gender. As the scenes of pieces using this method surround the vanishing point traditionally. Also the point of using a vanishing point is normally to add physical perspective, however in this case you are given a perspective over the situations that the artist feels surround her.

SELFIE: Us And Them

Some years after the invention of photography, digital electronics have given infinite power to the appearance of self that has modified our personality and our relationship to the image of ourselves forever. Throughout any survey of art history one must observe the self image of the artist. It is in this seeming accountability and act that artists have given themselves to the audience and established occasions where we can glance their relationship to themselves. Selfie is a photograph one has taken of oneself either on a smart phone or webcam and share it on social media and in this generation technology has taken over our lives. We all do it. Some more than others. Now that everyone has an HD camera in their pocket, “selfies” are quick and easy.When we post a selfie for the World to see, we eagerly await for the likes and comments to show up from friends and strangers.Those same likes and comments also make us feel accepted. We want to feel loved and accepted. Taking selfie has made us all an Artist because while taking the picture we want to make sure the picture speaks to the viewers which at this exhibition the women spoke through the galleries to us. Each artist had their own meaning of selfie and how its identity was expressed at the exhibition. They presented their art in a unique way which made everyone's different. It was amazing to see an NJCU student was there and her name was Stephanie. In all people paint themselves because they know who they are. with this exhibition the artists felt connected, accepted, and loved as women

Selfie: us and them

The art exhibition "selfie us and them" was a new a highly enjoyable experience.After going to the " selfie." Exhibition I can finally understand the saying " a picture can say a million words." One theme of the exhibition was nurturing. Stephanie Quispilaya a Njcu ( New Jersey City university student showed her art work  " growing up" witch was one of the best pieces there her art work was truly  was amazing, wile speaking to her she was explaining to me how long it took her and inspiration. Quispilaya said " in college as you grow up women will have to learn how to be a mother to your self, as for men they will have to be a father to themselves." In life you need to do things that your parents once did for you. I especially learned to survive on my own, being the first generation to be in college. "For Stephanie growing up means learning to become a mother to herself learning to how to tend to each of her needs ( her children) and learning how to take care of her whole self." 

a selfie can help promote a business or can be a person picture on a obituary. This is the era  of social media , I remember a girl was exposed on social media and she killed her self because of the embarrassment. People was leaving negative comments and threats under all her pictures and videos. Another example of social media taking over is a teen that posted a selfie of her self in her house and was  verbally harassed because of her flaws. Teens in this era don't realize that it's your flaws that make you different and who you are. A selfie can also promote a business. On Instagram there's a few comedians that have over 30 thousand followers that  take a pictures with someone or a video doing something funny and business owners give the comedians money and  pieces of clothing so he or she can promote they business.

Group Presentation: Michael Rakowitz and Krysztof Wodiczko (Christina and Robert)

What’s wrong with homeless people? What’s wrong with wanting to help homeless people? Why are we so afraid of homeless people? Artists Michael Rakowitz and Krysztof Wodiczko had much sympathy for the homeless community. Wodiczko created a “homeless vehicle.” The vehicle is a hinged metal unit that is able to fold in half. When extended completely, the homeless person is able to lay inside of it. Another feature of it is that it is able to fold in half. This way, the homeless are able to walk around with the vehicle and collect plastic and cans inside of the compartment that is created in the vehicle also. Wodiczko created this in hopes of making a better life for homeless people.                

A student of Wodiczko, artist Michael Rakowitz, felt their pain due to the fact he used to be homeless also. One of Rakowitz’s known projects is “paraSITE.” (Parasitism: A relationship in which a parasite temporarily or permanently exploits the energy of a host). This project was created to help homeless people stay warm during cold nights. This shelter would be hooked up to an outside ventilation system, and inflate and heat up the shelter. Rakowitz created these shelters completely out of ziplock bags, trash bags, and clear tape. Coming out to a total of about an easy five dollars to spend, this shelter was easy to create and maintain.

               

Selfie Gallery: Response to Works

                                                              Samantha Garcia
          When I first went to the Wonder Women X Selfie: Us and Them gallery I could not find the room and I thought that I had probably passed the room and hadn't even realize it was there. In the end, I found the room and I admit that I am glad I did. It's theme was about women, and the views imposed on them by society. It fascinated me the idea of taking the Selfie and turning it outward and into a piece of art. Astonishing and creative are not enough to describe the idea. The artist and the curators took the idea of the self, the internal being of a person, and encouraged the world to see how things looked through their own eyes. 
         From my eyes the gallery was full of pieces dedicated to showing awareness to all things ranging from judgement impressed onto women to pieces about self-image to pieces about motherhood. These themes were impacting because of how hard they hit women. It isn't every day that you hear an artist call to attention this fact but when it does happen, one tries not to ignore it and look away. Being as the purpose of the gallery was to put on expose the works of artist who have a goal. There are two pieces that truly tugged at me.
         

        The first piece was a piece by Mediha Sandhu called Static Friction. It filled me with a sparkling sense of familiarity. It made me think of the way voices can have such an impacting part in your life. There are certain things people say to you that you will remember. May it be small and insignificant, it was still significant to you. At first the static confused me. I had to wonder what she meant when she made it. Why choose those specific images? But after a while I got it. It's not only about the message, its about showing it's inner turmoil. Mediha's piece showed her soul as well as how the world looked like from her point of view. 
                As a young woman, this is impacting to me. Having a voice and saying what you need to say is good. Being an artist and depicting a feeling about something is grand. Creating a documentary about activism is great, but when an artist combines everything to say something, I find it to be stupendously superb. 

                 There is a second piece that I loved a lot. The piece by Jennifer Marie Torres called Aesthetics of Anguish was my absolute favorite. i don't even know why but from the instant I saw it, it made me think of a reflection. Not the reflection in a mirror, which this piece makes you believe, but the reflection of light upon water.  Before I read the plaque, it symbolized the world that lay underneath the surface, the gaze that looked back at us each day and the millions of thoughts that crossed our mind each second. It surprised me how similar my thoughts had been to the original intention of the piece. The artist, Jennifer Marie Torres, had made the piece to represent the way the body is used as a "vessel". 

                 In end, this gallery surprised me in more ways than one. I didn't expect to bond with the pieces. In regards to the selfie theme, the idea connected with me. Who doesn't think about the selfie?  The direction of the piece also called to attention activism in regards to individual perspective. Each artist tried to show what they felt and saw in there interior in regards to society. They wished to set on display feelings imposed upon them in the reality they live in and they don't stop there, They are wise to include all the other women who may possibly feel the same way. Calling the gallery exhibition, Wonder Women X Selfie: Us and Them was the best thing to do. This exhibition was about the women and their views and the things they have to deal with and the lives society expects them to lead.              

Selfie: Us and Them

In today’s society, technology has managed to find a way to become a part of our personal life. Digital technology plays an important role for many; whether it is used for research or for social reasons. Cell phones have become a multipurpose tool that has changed the way society communicates. Verbal communication has decreased while digital communication is highly increasing. Some of our identity is now published online through a series of images, some of these images are referred to as selfies. These “selfies” alter the identity of the one being photographed, by creating this image they chose how they want to be represented. Throughout history, photography and self-portraits have played a role in the art world. There have been a few artists who only focused on creating self-portraits, but today there are also artists that have found a way to change the meaning of what a “selfie” can be.

In an exhibition by Wonder Women X, titled “Selfie: Us and Them”, the audience is exposed to a few art pieces that demonstrate the similar theme of what a “selfie” means to the artist and how they represent their relationship to themselves. The artist that were exhibited all provided interesting and meaningful pieces. These artists are Lulu Cipher, Hao Feng, Stephanie Quispilaya, Mediha Sandhu, Jennifer Torres, Milcah Bassel, and Meredith Goncalves. Each of these artists presented unique pieces that were different from each other but still managed to fit within the theme. Although the show is titled using the word “selfie”, the traditional selfie was nowhere to be found. They all address the selfie by showing their identity in a nonobvious way. Instead of exhibiting self-portraits that they took themselves they use other types of media other than still images. The pieces shown range from sculpture to video. With these individual pieces, each artist tells a story or describes what identity is to them.

While visiting the exhibition, I noticed that each of these artists critique the meaning and perception of what the selfie is and how identity is expressed. They go against the traditional selfie and create a new form of selfie that still plays a similar purpose. There were many pieces that caught my eye while thinking about the theme, but there were two that really made me think.

One of these pieces was “i.am.meme” by artist Meredith Goncalves. This was the first piece I noticed while entering the exhibition, because of its presentation. Goncalves’ piece included 8 12x12 canvases that resembled a well-known meme. The piece itself was a mixed media piece that was made of photographs, acrylic paint, and wood. With all of these materials, Goncalves managed to challenge the idea of a meme and a selfie by creating somewhat of a narrative. Each piece in this series tells the audience something about the artist through text that was used to describe herself or her family. Although she paints the canvases to resemble the digital form of the meme, she includes pictures of herself to relate it back to the idea of the selfie. Her use of the text and school pictures showing her through the years makes it clear how her identity to others is what is being displayed to the audience. One piece that tells her own perspective of herself says, “PREGNANT, WITH ANOTHER MAN’S BABY”. She also provides a piece that was said by her mother that says, “LAST HOPE, FOR A BOY”. Each of these sayings works to form her identity and role in society. Overall her choice of the text reveals the issues she has with herself and with how others perceive her. I think that this piece is special because it manages to be a form of activism in its meaning. With this project, she could be going against the idea of labeling who you are based on how others judge you. Goncalves’ piece could also work as a form of social activism by changing the idea of what a selfie is itself. She uses real portraits to represent herself in a way someone else wouldn’t want to. She goes beyond the idea of just making it about her identity by making herself a meme.

The other piece that caught my attention and made think was the piece titled “Aesthetics of Anguish” by artist Jennifer Marie Torres. This piece was displayed as a life-casting of the upper half of the female body placed in front of a mirror. With this piece, Torres focuses on how the human body is depicted in society. She describes the human body as a vessel that we often tend to modify just to please others even if it doesn’t satisfy ourselves. At a first glance, it was somewhat challenging to tie it into another theme that was not about identity. I think the use of the mirror helps the audience understand that it’s about how one views themselves. The life-casting is shown positioning her body as if she were trying to find a comfortable pose. I think that the pose of the sculpture represents the difficulty and awkwardness one might feel about their body when it doesn’t meet society’s needs. The mirror also works to allow the audience to view themselves and see how they feel about how they look compared to society’s standards. I also believe that this piece can work as a form of activism because it challenges the idea of what a perfect body might be to society. It brings awareness to accepting how one sees themselves because that is how one’s true identity is formed.

Overall, I really enjoyed this exhibition. All the pieces were interesting to look at and to read about. After looking at how these artists view identities and the selfie, I could come up with my own ideas. I also believe that speaking about identity and how we perceive ourselves could play a big role in any act of activism since it is a powerful topic.