Labels don’t make the fashion

 

What an old idea and who would know that people are still stupid enough to not realize it. As I am doing my usual scroll down my facebook I noticed something that is horribly unsightly. Apparently some of my mutural friends have the money to own several Louis Vittion products, too many overly priced boots, unneeded make-up, and apparently drinks and parties a lot? I won’t judge on the drinking thing but i can say that is not the most flattering thing to post on your wall if colleges are considering you as a future student. Back to my point. As a person who has been exposed to a bit of the fashion design world I understand a bit about the quality work that brand name takes on making there most expensive products. Also I do understand the idea of keeping the type of “quality” people purchasing these items so the company won’t get a bad rep.

Firstly applaud for my friend who is in high school being able to purchase these items. Frankly, I don’t believe in the need for labels so early in life since we are just kids. Kids don’t need expensive brand names, we only need the look. Yet this is besides my point. The point I am trying to convey is the sad combination of expensive things that he thinks is flattering or visually interesting in anyway. Firstly, rule of thumb, layering of obvious labels is an horrible clash. Its the same concept of putting too many patterns on top of each other with no running constant or having a dominating pattern. You are not doing you are your purchases any good if you are wearing it just for the sake of wearing it. If you look closely at most top brand name fashion shows there is little clash of labels on the looks. Usually the pursue, bag….whatever that has the label within the pattern is the correlated with the outfits by the means of style, colors, scale… not by on the sheer fact of that its the same label or something in equal value. Having these clash of things completely canceled the whole worth of it and just makes you look cheesy, cheap, and visually unappealing. Who in the world will be attracted to overly materialistic people who obviously don’t understand the visual consideration of you ,your purchases, and even as far away as other people.

Its the exact same concept as me being a disney fan. You don’t see me wearing everything disney related having a visual clash with everything on me. Or in my art,decor…having things compete with each other for attention. To really showcase anything that prized to you is to really take into consideration of the overall tone of the piece. For me LV is a sign of luxury, glamor, classic, tailored…so with that I would consider dressing in a nice pressed neutral button up, playful bowtie, leather braided belt with rubbed brass details, slim dark pants, and maybe some tougher looking boots. Then having your LV bag adorning your shoulder will look more part of you instead of caking yourself with labels. As a visually active person this is a growing problem for the 1% population.

2012
02/11
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Chinese New Year 12′

 

Anyways here is just a little photo montage I put together for our Chinese New Year decor for this year. The idea of decoration for such a foreign holiday in a very colonial home is very intriguing. The style of the home orginating for a very Europe style where the buildings have no trace of any Asian influences contrasting with the very specific style of Chinese New Year gave me an interesting task to battle every year. To be frank about it is more difficult to decorate for Chinese New Year then Christmas. Since Christmas is a Western holiday the decoration naturally fit into this style of home. Columns, railings, fireplaces…key elements or places people usually deck the halls at but with the New Years things are a little different. The ornate vivid styles of the Chinese New Year is decor can get a bit overwhelming we need to figure out to incorporate it into the current layout of the home.  We wanted to gear away from the “lazy” way of just sticking a bunch of randomly places “posters” and lucky symbols everywhere. We wanted to work with the architecture and make it fit into the Western format. The contrast of the two things created a very unique look to it with a lasting impression for people who were never really exposed to this holiday. We wanted to give a very sophisticated yet warm overall tone. We wanted to get rid of the stereotypical idea of an Asian home with poorly placed decor.

2012
02/04
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Music Quarter- Artist Statement

 

Disquieting details. The illusion of the real world. In this piece “Music Quarter” this is an recreation of an harpsichord in grave detail.

 

 

2012
01/28
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Chinese New Year at Disneyland: The visual and cultural perspective.

This year’s lunar new year celebrations have been on a rise and Disneyland won’t give up an opportunity to monopolize on a cultural celebration. In a visual perspective its quite pleasing to the eye. Frankly, it’s nice to see Chinese decor in such a well manicured location.  Don’t lie, most of the time Chinese American communities can be a bit gritty and not in the most cleanest state so sometimes the sophisticated designs on the decor can be covered up by the attention of the dirt around it. Not dissing on the Chinese but just generally speaking sometimes.  Having a beautiful background to display the colorful decoration is a nice overlay to the minimalistic area of the “its a small world mall.” The creams and hints of gold with the trimmed up greenery is nice to contrast with the vivid bright red satin lanterns, glittery dragons, and bountiful cherry blossom trees. Really having nothing competing with the attention its a nice showcase of these cultural treasures. Even better is the images that occasionally pop up from Disneyland Hong Kong of the Lunar New Year decoration especially in Main Street. Having the very Western Victorian architecture of Main Street with it’s ornate ,pastel detailing of the building overlayed with garlands of cherry blossoms is a very Western but still welcome approach to displaying the greenery. The idea of using to highlight rooflines,doorways,windows is a nice change or addition to the traditional tree display.  The trees lining the road are decked out with larger then life wooden lucky envelopes creates a new Western idea of ornaments. And with the “fu” symbols basically plastered in every window,door,column…I very much enjoy this almost Victorian approach to this very Chinese traditional look. Also to add the very drapper orange trees trimmed to still fit the Victorian landscaping with keeping the Chinese vibe.  And I can’t help but love the firecrackers flanking every window…

The reason why I absolutely adore this look perspective is that it is a very view on a old look. Having people that have never been exposed to the traditional look of the holiday it creates a much need renewal of how to display this very specific look. Unlike Christmas ,Lunar New Year have very specific colors that can’t be messed with. It only constant of red,gold,pink,yellow, and hint of black. The very limited color scheme creates an difficult problem of how to decorate with these colors without it being overbearing. Too much red can be a bit jarring but just adding very vivid hints and focal points is just a perfect balance to keep it sophisticated, festive,…. It combines both of my loves, the love of the Victorian and the Chinese. It kind of echos the looks of Hong Kong and Southern China of the 1940s…Having the finest in Chinese goods and European goods in the same room working together…not visually fighting for attention. The subdue details of both parties work together to create an harmonious and glided look of that time period.

Culturally, having the background of the Victorian era, the time of Industrial Revolution, Europeans beginning to “trade” with China, immigrants being abused… The idea of that time period completely contradicts the whole idea the the Asian culture on the rise in the past few years. The idea of un reserved celebrations, no true social boundaries of who can or can’t we talk to. Having the idea world working side by side is a nice change. Chinese just adding a new foreign touch to the very domestic and familiar atmosphere of Disneyland. Having it seep into Disneyland allows everyone to embrace it with comfort and allows everyone to easily relate to the whole foreign celebration.

2012
01/25
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You Must Be Real Important.

 

There are two clear categories that most people fall in in my head (exceptions is with family.) There is the “Yes, you are going to Disneyland with me” and “No, you will kill the magic for me.” Now here me out, this might sound a bit strange and almost cynical  but let me explain myself before you go judging..

Through my more mature and vivid ideas and concepts that literally hold up my sanity is the my drive to create atmospheres and out of this world places which stems from the intensive interest i have for Disneyland. For me it the idea of bringing so many different elements and fields of work  to sync into something that is completely mind-blowingly beautiful just shakes the very bones of my body. As my brother said from our most recent Christmas visit with our family ” this is your Mecca.” And in a less religious since yes, I religiously go to Disneyland every year during the summer to refuel why I do what I do. For me it is a safe haven and a dangerous patch to strive for something so familiar and friendly yet it is built up on something that is so progressive and constantly evolving so there is no set title or major I should do as for schooling.

The development from just a dream or idea to an actual want to be made me driven to do something more then just art for a lifetime. It made me want to make something of myself even if that me myself won’t be in the spotlight (since usually the more current Imagineers are unsung artist of the parks.) I want to be part of something bigger then myself. Just visiting the parks for the holiday season visually refreshed my senses and really re-inspired me to approach things in different perspectives. Sure it is just a man made place but the idea of man can create something that we can’t as a society can’t even truly understand, emotions, just interested me to push myself evoke more of this to  my everyday daily work and in the grander scheme in my body of work as an artist.

Having such a emotional and work driven attachment to this place made me to extremely selective who and why they (for me) can come enjoy the one of the single reasons I do what I do. I do believe many of my peers don’t really understand why I do things the way I do it for example my brother, He is one of the most encouraging people that I am lucky to be related to. Even though he doesn’t really know what I am doing but him just visiting the place gives him at least a visual to understand the basic understanding of my thought process.

Here is just a basic steps I have when making something

What- with my more current project the what is more like what will this do with the current storyline of my art pieces

Why- why is this part needed and how can it intensified the emotion factor of this body of work

How- more of a progressively changing process when I visually figure how to build little things can how to create illusions of textures with other mediums.

Not to get too ahead of myself but really, Disneyland for me as an artist and just a person lives in a very dear place in my heart. It is one of the driving forces of why I do things. I try to literally do more can I really handle. I am currently doing a very labor intensive collection of rooms, RVA fashion line all the time. Might not sound a lot but pile on top with just everyday annoyances it tends to add up to a very busy schedule.

So to really sum it up, if you can go to Disneyland with me you are with me for life. XD

2012
01/09
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Thanks to everything I got so far.

Since the year is coming to an end my brain automatically begins thinking about all the absolutely amazing events of this past year. Firstly, I am so thankful to even know the people I interact with everyday! Each of these people have opened my mind to totally different perspectives to life that I would never think of.

My dear friend Emily, she has enlightened me about the true understanding of Christianity and even though we agree to disagree on what we both choose as our main drive I feel knowing her I have learned more about the thought process of a actually good Christian person. She let me know that being Christian is not evil , unlike every young person said. I think its just a sad happening that there is just a majority of bad or narrow minded people that are just ironically Christian. Personally I feel bad for the overall face of that religion. That is the flaw in humans.

Jennifer, I have been so blessed to have someone right next to me literally from the 1st to 12th grade. It pains me to think that we might be separated in the near future due to schooling. I worry that without the one constant in my life I might just go a little insane. Our totally different yet strangely similar minds help both of us think in create and down right silly yet totally useful solutions to everyday problems. Obviously we are both leaning towards different careers but I do hope to never lose touch with her. We just have a disorganized friendship but I will never want it any other way.

My experience with the last VMFA Teen Stylin’ New York trip. Literally! I can’t get over how enjoyable it was. I can say I will never forget that I dropped that free condom in the train station in front of family of toddlers and there protective mother. Oh the silly things I do. I will never get over the silly conversations we and really let loose for just a few days while pretending to not look like tourist in NYC. For Caroline, I hope your second trip will be equally yet differently amazing as the one I went with you.

Gov School! It amazing how much this still effects me everyday of my life. I literally still have urges to go back and just replay every single day of that amazing summer! Sure it was like being in a beautified prison since the parental control was set on SUPER HIGH but from this experience I have met so many talented people around Virginia. Also for me I learned more social skills and hopefully this will make me less awkward..hahaha. I can see so far from this I am much more comfortable with interacting with guys in general. I met my absolute best guy friend I will ever meet in my whole life. Oh DJ. Literally he might just be my long lost family member so something. He can tell you how I am just too comfortable with him. I think emotionally I just longed for some guy friend that I wasn’t interested in to be there for me and the same I will do for him. The emotional abuse I get from him is just what I need to keep myself from getting to soft XD

I can’t get over how blessed I am in this lifetime. In just a year I have gotten so many chances to experience these amazing things that molded me into a more confident and social person. My art is finally speaking for itself. No need for me to vocally speak about it. I am always striving to keep my work true to myself so I will be a correct representation of me as a person.

2011
12/13
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“Sublime Oxidation” VMFA Teen Stylin’ piece

Photo of “Sublime Oxidation” modeled by :P aulina Eap next to the original inspiration piece  “Bacchante”

Artist Statement:

The inspiration piece was a bronze casting of a Greek Goddness skipping happily with grapes held high above her head in one hand and a child in other. The inspiration I took from this was first the actual material it was cast in (metal.) I wanted to create a similar visual translation which lead me to use the mosquito netting which read as a metal like material from far. The material reacted like it was a stiff fabric but still held it’s shape like it was a metal. Also it reference back to the Greek and Roman mythology I try to recreate the draping loose layers of clothing similar to the typical clothing of the gods. I tried really emphasis each fold and to recreate the more metaltic reflection I highlighted the strongest folds to reflect exactly like the highlights in the skin of the sculpture.

More metaphorically, since this was made in the American Gilded Age I wanted to create a critique of the wealthy society of the time. I wanted to create the idea of the waste of wealth and how the wealthy literally used there money like it was nothing, hence the “dripping” jewels. I wanted to critique the upper society and their selfish waste of money. And to go along ,I want to create of carelessness which is also seen in the art piece. I wanted to create a dress that looked natural, soft, and even a little whorish to refer back to the Greek and Roman gods and how they basically slept around with everyone for pleasure. This idea of easily translate to whore in modern definitions hence the short length,translucent material,and revealing back (not seen in this picture.)  My intent of this piece was to only capture the essence of the art piece and what the viewer could possibly think when viewing this piece.

 

 

Photography thanks to: Curtis Gauntt

2011
12/09
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“Narrative,Baroque,Nostalgia,Victorian”

Yes! Yes! Yes! Thanks to MICA they made the most flattering comment about my art and me in general at the most recent National Portfolio Day at DC. So basically for each school we wanted to meet with we all stood in line for hours on end to have portfolio reviews with admissions of each school.

With MICA ! it was amazing! It was something that more of giving you more inspiration and less actually only praising or shooting you down. Like some schools MICA is very progressive so they don’t see kids as just kids, they see them as individual voices so their theory is that you can personalize your schooling to fit your need. Since now and days jobs aren’t looking for your title anymore, they are looking at your work. So really they  were really out there to help you out.

What they said about me was first very informative and really eye opening! I haven’t really truly realized how my art is really displayed or photographed. Really they MICA guy was telling me how in my older work, it was very static,romantic,beautified…but what else about you comes through the pieces? They said, there is an clear evidences that you are technically skilled but how can you used that to navigate through to your personal voice? With the more current work like the rooms that i have going right now he can see the more creative,risky side of me. Its less of the “ooo…its beautiful and that’s just an amazingly detailed” to “why is this put there?” it just raises more questions that the viewers can respond more to. Also he made me think more with really me as an artist using my rooms as a subject piece like in photography. He said make photographs showing the narrative like how a viewer would see it….basically really interact with it.

BUT my most favorite piece he told me is how he describe me piece as it has a sense of nostalgia, Baroque, Victorian…. he basically references to my outfit and how playful yet formal it was and how that playful outgoingness should be more evident in my work. Which I completely agree with that statement. So far I felt that I’m just doing things that I know I can do well since our class is graded on how many completed pieces so sadly this stops me from trying risky things sometimes but for MICA opening that option i would love to do that now! Hopefully one day I will be blessed to go there and really experiences what he is telling me but for how..more high school.

2011
12/04
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Within the Details (Artist Statement for Dining Parlor)

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Beckoning in the days of detail and subdue details I wanting to mash the current world of “in your face” and jarring statements with the past of the unseen details that the everyday person will take for granted. I wanted to challenge the viewer to think beyond then just the scene I created in this room. I wanted to grab the audiences attention and make them question  ” why is that placed there?”

The grand scene of everything is that I wanted to convey a story of murder through details.Also you will see in the next rooms(Visually) I wanted to create a visual representation of image development ,something similar that could happen in your imagination when you are reading a novel.  I wanted to convey the feeling of discomfort in a beautiful setting. I wanted the viewer to feel a confusion of what they should think of this. Should they have a positive connotation of it since it is so beautiful but should they be disturbed to current situation of the scene or even more disturbed by the social practices of the Victorian era. How can you as a viewer put together this puzzle? How will they view this? I’m much more interested how the viewer can get past the visual shocker of the over saturation of details and how all these pieces are put together.

2011
11/23
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We waste on average 5 hours every week.

Plenty know of me but few select can say they really know me. I always have my bestest friend since first grade which is the wonderful Jennifer and she is literally a good 1/3 of me. She is always a constant in my life but that’s not who I am talking about today.

I’m referencing to my amazing friend (pretty much a bromance XD) DJ W. We crossed patches during summer and ever since we have been almost in-sync with each other. Truly, I never had a extremely strong male friend throughout my modest time but he is the first. We obviously bonded on first the language of art (which is not the easiest thing to learn) and how we fed off each others’ creatvity. Two some what similar yet totally different people. For me I am a very traditional, subdued, old world-like style to my art. I always refer to the societal structure of the past and the bluntness of it. I tend to convey stories or concepts through details and not through any major point of emphasis.   Contrasting, he does the very opposite.He does epic style (and when I mean “epic” I’m referring the types of Shakespearean literature) paintings of figures. Each have something to say. I don’t exactly know what but that is what the viewers’ job is. His references are much more emotionally connected then my style; I am more of a person who makes art as a response to an event unlike DJ which he makes things relate to things he can emotionally feel. I can say we are both extremely talents in different skills. Frankly, I quite envy his ability to convey emotions through facial expressions.

As a person, he is pretty dope. I thank god that I had the luck to run into him. Not just the aspect that we can converse about art and feed off each other but the fact I have someone I can be truly honest and comfortable with. With most people, I put up a semi-faux personality. Only a select few know who I am. It’s nice to escape to a place where I can be just blunt. No need to force the kindness out of me. It’s not that we are mean but it’s just a relationship where I don’t need to hide and emphasize anything. I have no need to blow-up my so call “slutty” version of me. Sure it’s fun and all but there are definite downfalls about making fun of myself. I can express what I am truly thinking since I know we know each other well enough to understand (or at least I hope he thinks the same.) Overall, I thank god or whatever that we ran into each other and that he is part of my normal life.

2011
11/18
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