What a Cute Little Monster!

I have always been fascinated by the art of the Celebrity Inspired Food Parody. Sesame Street does it, and now.....so do I. While learning the basics of Adobe Photoshop, I manipulated images of food to make an image of Lady Gaga.

I think the resemblance could have been better and that the people at PBS would have used a baby, or avoided the topic after the Katy Perry Incident (http://tv.gawker.com/5642979/katy-perrys-boobs-guest-star-on-sesame-street)...but this is still adorable, if I do say so myself.

POSTMARKED MARCH 24, 2011: A Stamp Project

When I was bored in elementary school, I used to write letters to my "future self," a sixth grader and leave them in my underwear drawer. I reread these letters not too long ago. I was a rather strange child. I think that child and her future self, both of whom were probably better versed in world capitals than I am and drank canned Arizona Iced Tea whenever they could, would delight in these stamps. (Its not the same out of the gallon jugs.) What represented then, could represent me now. Perhaps only body and setting have changed. The pieces of my series of stamps, modeled on the concepts of past, present and future, are more alike than not. er her

A Day at Hunter

Up, up and away I go in this vertical campus that I sometimes call home. Some mornings are sharp and my purpose is clear. On other times its rather blurred. I am frequently dazed and confused as I face this world of higher education. Whether you are like me, or not, the concept (and process) of ascension is linked to this 14 story campus. The individual is often lost in the city, but people here get the attention they seek.

Note the shout-out to the Hunter Film Department at the top!

Why I'm Here:

I work with easily available resources, and become an artist by writing or creating photographed, drawn or printed two-dimensional images. My non-photographic visual art is expressive to the point that it borders on abstract, much like the work of Willem De Kooning. Often I’ll accompany writing with a picture, or caption my visual art. New media, especially blogging, fascinates me in its ability to seamlessly combine words, visuals and interactivity while reaching the largest possible audience. I want to converse with many people through media.

But I am most interested in speaking to the young. They are not just our future, but our present as well.

I believe that every well-adjusted adult retains a part of their childhood self. At Eighteen, going on Eleven, I find much of my inspiration comes from my recent childhood in a quiet Long Island suburb. There was no overly dramatic conflict, but I was able to learn from those around me. My household’s lack of cable television could not limit my media access. Public television and the library are truly phenomenal. I hope my projects have Wishbone’s ability to keep timeless stories relevant, Lambchop’s Play-Along and Zoom’s kind, encouragement of creating similar presentations to those displayed, the compelling simplicity of a picture book or a game show and the lighthearted, honesty of Sesame Street.

My recent works include an Art Portfolio featuring 24 works centering around the theme of “Crowded Spaces,” Hunter College centric blog entries for the Macaulay Honors College, the directing of a short in aforementioned school's "24 hour Play Festival" and several articles for the local weekly newspaper that I grew up reading.

I want to inform and inspire the young, so that one day they will be capable of living their dreams.

(I ran out of space for listing sources of inspiration, so here's a few more. Does this make my Artist Statement 1200 words?)