Fall in Milwaukee

the first changing tree
Originally uploaded by sarah.holden

Fall is here! I passed by this tree earlier this week and it is the first tree changing colors. Now I see them everywhere..and I just have to stop and try to enjoy this weather now, but I know its going to drop soon and I will learn what a real winter is all about. But for now, I am excited that fall is here!

Michelle Feder-Nedoff and the Coppersmiths of Santa Clara, Mexico

On Wednesday we had a great visiting artist. Michelle Feder Nedoff came to UWM to talk about her work with the Mexican coppersmiths of Santa Clara. She brought along with her some amazing examples of the work that is done by these artisans. Starting at the age of 5 these artisans are taught how to construct copper pots from small to very, very large. It takes about 20 years to become completely versed in their field and Michelle has been working with these artisans for the lat 11 years. She brought along some great images, a huge book full of interviews, images and the history behind the coppersmiths of this area, and a wonderful video documentary and she created. It was interesting to hear her talk about how she learned spanish and metalsmithing at the same time, and she learned from an 80 year-old master in the area, that she was able to live with while she was staying in Santa Clara. It was very interesting and Michelle was great. I also found this clip from last year when she was able to bring a few of the artists up from Santa Clara along with their work and bring them to demos and workshops in the Chicago area. If you are interested in getting the book, seeing the documentary, or supporting these artists to continue their work and support their families visit www.cuentosfoundation.org for more info.

Videos

So, what an amazing week it has been. I apologize for not posting before now, but when it rains it pours! And this week was there was A LOT going on. So this posting will be extra beefy (although I'm not a meat eater, so lets just say its full of protein) because I have been thinking about a lot of things that I have wanted to add. Also, I have been trying to figure out exactly what type of Blog I want to have. I feel like it should have some goal, whether that be academic and discuss scholarly subjects, or personal so I can offer a form of contact with the family, friends and peers that I don't have a chance to speak with all the time. I guess the question is, can it be both? Right now it is resting somewhere in between with me, which I am comfortable with, for now. I would also be nice to know who is reading, so please feel free to leave me some comments so that I know I am interacting with someone out there.

Ah well, so besides my week of running around because my car was broken into and several things destroyed and vandalized, I have been putting together research to decide what type of work I want to make for my studio practice. I've been thinking about the body, and it's reaction to stress in the form of reactions to the organs. Loss of appetite, sleeplessness, and even getting a cold can be a result of stresses placed on your body. I am interested in how these symptoms are related to organ function and I'm in the process of making adornment that functions as protection devices against the symptoms, or at least that is what I am working on now. These things always tend to change and I don't have an official statement yet, so I won't say too much about it, but I found this amazing video of another artist dealing with something similar.

His name is Ralph Borland and he is a South African Artist who together with Margot Jacobs and Jessica Findley collaborated to make "Front," a pair of sound-activated, ceremonial conflict suits that expand and contract in response to auditory aggression offered by the wearer. Only the first 2 minutes or so of this video talks about the collaborative project, but it's very interesting.



Borland also has another project that was part of his thesis exhibition at NYU that he called "suited for subversion" which is a suit created to protect the wearer in large-scale street protests. The suit itself is amazing. It just looks like a big red shape on the top half of his body, but it has a heartbeat monitor inside and an amplifier which amplifies the heartbeat, so when the wearer gets excited everyone knows and hears that. You can check it out on his website.

http://www.ralphborland.net/

He thinks of this work as playful, but it makes me think as an activist and think about politics and the ridiculousness of the media which reminds me of another amazing video someone showed me last week by Omar Fast. Omar Fast works with film, video and television footage in an investigation to discover how we all communicate with each other.



In thinking about how we communicate with each other I am brought back to this Blog and how this is my means of communication with you, my audience. I know that I will become a hermit soon and as it gets colder outside I will lock myself up in my studio, only coming out for food and occasionally for sleep. I will continue my quest for deciding how much or how little information about myself and my work I choose to reveal here, but for now I think this blog will serve as a documentation for me to archive what I am seeing and what I am interested in at this critical stage in my life.

Eleanor Moty

What a cool lady! Today I went to University of Wisconsin-Whitewater to watch and listen to Eleanor Moty as she gave us some really great bench tricks. She's been making jewelry for such a long time, so really had some good ones lined up for us. Like chopping off the end of a sewing needle that is the same thickness as your metal (say 20 guage) and then you have an automatic scribe for the exact thickness of metal! What a great day. I also got a chance to see the "Women in Metal" which was a great show put together by the faculty at UW-Whitewater, Susan Messer and Teresa Faris, celebrating women who make jewelry and metal artwork and are educators in Wisconsin. Not only is my current professor in the show but my undergrad professor was in the show too. AND I heard she was there last night, but I missed her because I had to work for my assistantship hours, so I missed her, which is a total bummer. However, today was great and the show looks amazing! Great Job Ladies!!

Here is a link to info about the show:

http://www.artjewelryforum.org/grants-and-donations/ajf-awards-1500-grant-to-u-of-wisconsin-whitewater/

Workshop with Eleanor Moty

Today is an exciting day! I am traveling to the University of Wisconsin Whitewater with all the other advance metalworking students that can make it and we are doing a workshop with Eleanor Moty. Eleanor Moty retired in 2001 after teaching for 28 years at the University of Wisconsin Madison. She grew up on a farm in Illinois and her work is subtly influenced by the horizon line which she feels was commonly visible and something she looked at a lot as a youngster. I'm not really sure what we are going to do for the workshop but I am super excited to meet her!

Graduate School Readings

Last night I had my first Philosophy and Concepts class, which is my introduction into the world of theory in the art world. Every week we are required to read between 75-150 pages in addition to watching videos, listening to lectures (online in addition to our class time) , we make 2 individual 20 minute presentations, and 1 group presentation, as well as writing 3 papers ranging from 3-5 pages upwards of 13-15 pages. WOW. I am going to be busy. What I like about this class is that all the first year grads have to take it, so we have a variety of people, and because of that we are studying the gamot. Everything from photography to performance. Although it seems like a lot of work, I feel like I will really grow after this class. But wow..what a reading list... Well, I've always had a problem with reading slowly, so now I will get a chance to practice! And of course as I am reading and seeing cool stuff, I will post about it.

New Studio

Look at how amazing this workspace is! I think I've finally got all my tools and things unpacked into this amazing space. This is the graduate studio at University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee and I love it. I can't wait to get into my work and start getting this place dirty and full of work. Since I'm the first graduate student here there are some things that still need to be setup, but I am ready to set it all up. I have a cube with shelves on one side and my bench in the middle, then there are spaces for 3 more graduate students. Those funny grey arms with yellow bits on the bottom are the ventilation hoses. Aren't they amazining and futuristic robot looking? Those soldering spaces have never been used. This building is only 2 years old, so it's been waiting for me. One other amazing feature is that there is a back door that is right next to a bike path that rides right down along Lake Michigan. There are also three big windows so there is plenty of natural light here. I'm so happy to be here because I am finally starting to realize that this is my life now. Everything has changed, and this is where I will be living, learning and growing for the next three years. I'm on my own now. I've got to used to that.

Still Meeting and Greeting

So many meet and greets! I swear I don't remember anyone's names. They will come with time I suppose, and once I actually start working with everyone. First Day of Classes! I assume that most first days, at school or in any new environment are not too busy. This was also the case for me. I got to school early, did some management of my new bench area, ate lunch with some new peers, went to a class that we just went over the syllabus, toured the new facility a bit and came back to the studio and finished unpacking my last few boxes. I've been working on drawings and models since yesterday and it is not working out exactly as I would like it to, but I have time. There is no need to freak out. It's nice because I know I can come back in here early tomorrow and just make some samples. I've got a lot of work to do in this studio though. I need to familiarize myself with where everything is, and set everything up. I am the first grad student here, so it's hard setting everything up, but I'm happy to get the experience. Once the studio gets pretty close, I'll be able to get all that new work started. I'm excited to make a new piece, there are so many shows that I would love to enter, but I'm going to take my time. The shows will always be there. I want to be ready. I feel a little guilty leaving at 8:00, but I know there will be times in my near future where I will be here much later. I don't think I'll have a problem staying later either. This studio is very comfortable, except that I'm the only one here. That will probably get old, but I can always wonder around and find people. It's nice to be able to get away. On the body front, I'm feeling better today. Not as sniffly, but it's still there a little. Hopefully it should be gone in a few days. My stomach still won't let me each much, but I'm thinking that is just because of all the nerves..those should go away soon.

It all begins

Here I am. I am here in Milwaukee, ready to begin my MFA graduate program. I met so many people last week, both professors and graduate students. I feel welcome with this community so far. Although I have met with everyone mostly for the first time, I feel like everyone is interested in getting started and learning about each other.

I am very excited to get dirty and start getting into my work. I have been reading, looking at images and drawing for the last week now, and I have some great beginnings. I have been in a steady relationship for the last 5 years, actually living with him for most of that time, and this is the first time we have been living apart and it's hard for me. I feel very expressive and I am eager to put my energy completely into my work.

These beginning ideas discuss my desire to be with Dave, missing his closeness and contact, as well as how my body is reacting with being in an entirely new place--completely void of family or long term friends (at least for now). My appetite is dwindling, and I woke up with swollen eyes and a runny nose this morning, so a cold is only days away. It's very interesting to me how changes in my life, even just being away from someone, effect how my body works.

That is all for now. I hope to start writing everyday, so please keep coming. Until tomorrow!