One Kilometre

For my Kilometre assignment I simply walked a kilometre in my neighbourhood. I took pictures of things for each colour of the rainbow, documenting colour on Imperial Road, Guelph, ON. To keep my process more accurate I picked a location exactly 1km from my house and followed Google Maps. I included a screen shot of the Google Maps path I followed with the photos I took.

Turning the Gestures of Everyday Life into Art – Reading Response

1. Describe the work discussed in the article and the unique challenges – as well as the unique gifts- that come with attempting to archive personal movements? 

The work focuses on archiving the unique movements of a body of individuals. Such movements are studied and then later choreographed. The work is ongoing, always accepting new volunteers. Dancers continually acting out the movements. The dancers work with a large body of volunteers, assuming the movements of multiple people per dancer. As well, once a dancer retires from the project another dancer takes on all the movements previously assigned to the retired. 

2. Discuss one or two examples of movements in the article – what strikes you about them?

One of the movements that striked me was the description of knuckle cracking. In elementary school I remember some of my friends laughing at me for becoming uncomfortable when someone cracked their knuckles. Within the article it is described that the person who cracks their knuckles does so to relieve stress or when they are uncomfortable.

3. Describe the habitual movements/unconscious gestures, tics etc. of 3 people you know well. How do individual body parts move, and how does the whole body interact? What about facial expressions, and emotional valence of the movement? How does body type inform the movement?What do these examples of small movements mean and imply?

My mother will rub her pointer finger along the side of her thumb nail when she is relaxed or trying to sleep. She will have her hands close to her face or on her chest when she does this. Sometimes, if her cuticles are dry, you can hear the rubbing of skin. I think she does this to soothe herself. She told me as a child she enjoyed rubbing the edges of blankets to fall asleep. I think this is a more accessible version of that. 

My boyfriend, Evan, will have his eyes twitch when he is anxious or when he doesn’t take his ADHD medication. His face is the only part that moves. His cheek comes up a little as the eye quickly closes. I don’t think he notices half the time. He used to be insecure about it but I think he has come to terms that he can’t control it. I think having mental illness related tics are something not a lot of people talk about. Especially since a lot of medications cause tics but aren’t essentially recognized as a serious side effect. 

My sister is deaf-blind. Since two of her senses are disrupted she often relies on her sense of touch to receive information. Something she has done since childhood is put objects up against her lips or into her mouth. It’s very similar to how an infant or toddler explores the world. She unconsciously does this. That being said she also has compulsions to sanitize things so she’s not really worried about germs in her mouth as she has to wipe things down before she touches them. 

AGO and The Power Plant

Jan Albertsz. Rotius. Portrait of a Young Girl with Carnations, c. 1663. Oil on canvas, 118.1 x 96.5 cm. Art Gallery of Ontario. Gift of Miss L. Aileen Larkin, 1945.

This work was in the European Art section at the Art Gallery of Ontario. The European Art Section is my favourite by far. I have always loved the works created during the renaissance, almost as much as the medieval time period. Portrait of a Young Girl with Carnations initially attracted me because of how lovely the carnation flowers and red trim of the young girls dress match. I also immensely appreciate the illumination the dark back ground gives this piece. Within the gallery, the piece has been placed into a picture frame with a glass cover. Due to this, the piece picks up glare. Initially the glare made me miss the detail of the peacock within the background. It was a lovely surprise once I did spot it. One of my favourite things to do while at an art gallery is to step as close as I can and look at all the paint strokes. I feel like by doing this it humbles a realistic painting as it really is just swatches of colour. I also really enjoy analyzing the flower formations within the young girls patterned dress. I’ve always gained inspiration by repetitive patterns, especially ones that use natural imagery.

Franklin Carmichael. Wild Cherry, 1938. Oil on hardboard, Overall: 75.7 x 91.5 cm. The Thomson Collection at the Art Gallery of Ontario, 2017.

This piece can be found on floor two of the AGO within the Thompson Collection of Canadian Art section. I was attracted to this piece because of the floating dots, representational of leaves, around the light green bushes. I really enjoy the lighter colours used within this piece. I am very much so attracted to art based within nature. This piece had a huge amount of paint used, resulting in a large amount of texture which was lovely to see within the galleries lighting.

Charles Campbell, How many colours has the sea, 2024.

This was my second time seeing “How many colours has the sea” by Charles Campbell at The Power Plant Contemporary Art Gallery. Out of this exhibition my favourite was this sculptural piece. I really enjoyed the shadows made up against the blank wall of the gallery. I believe it is supposed to be representational of waves. That being said, the theme of the ocean paired with the white metal material of the sculpture led my mind to associate this piece with whale bones. I felt like this exhibition needed to be within a smaller space as the works themselves were not as large as expected. There was an awkward empty space from the door to the back of the room where the main sculpture sat.

Lap-See Lam, Floating Sea Palace, 2024.

This was also my second time seeing “Floating Sea Palace” by Lap-See Lam at The Power Plant Contemporary Art Gallery. I really appreciated the traditional aspects of story telling imbedded within the piece. The focus on shadow puppetry was very prominent. This played well with the thin screen the video was projected on. Something that particularly peeked my interest within this piece was the voice of The Dragon. It very much so sounded stunted. Like it couldn’t reach its full potential. Almost like trying to scream but not having enough breath. It was very eerie. I appreciated the comfortable seating supplied while viewing this piece. I don’t think it would’ve been as enjoyable if I had to stand the entire time. One thing I didn’t understand within this piece was the use of an icy landscape. Since the tale of Lo Ting, the mythical human-fish creature within this piece originated in Hong Kong, I was expecting a subtropical climate represented.

Lastly, I wanted to include a picture of my lunch that I had the day of the field trip. I went to Ciao Pizzeria located right cross the street from the AGO. I got the linguine bolognese and it was amazing. The pasta and sauce were both homemade. Not to mention the vibes were immaculate and the owner was a sweetheart and very obviously a hard working chef. 10/10 will eat again.

’Bon appefeet!’, ‘Mouthful’, and ‘All you can eat!’

For this project I worked with Madi. We were interested in exploring fetish culture. Specifically how food can be easily sexualized. We looked at what makes food sexual and felt the contamination from another persons body was often means of sexuality. We used body parts that have been known to be used in fetish content such as feet, mouths, breasts, and butts. We felt the inclusion of both female and male bodies adds to the accessibility and inclusivity of sexual content. As well, exclusively using female bodies in this type of scenario could be associated with sexual violence which is not what our intentions were. The foods we used within the videos can all be considered breakfast foods. We did this for aesthetic reasons and continuity throughout the pieces. We also did this as we wanted to emanate the serving of a continental breakfast in ‘All you can eat’. We dressed in button up shirts and slacks to model how a waiter would dress. For ‘Mouthful’ we dressed in lingerie to model how sexuality is ingrained in everything we do, down to our pyjamas.

I had a lot of fun with this project and really enjoyed working with Madi. I felt we collaborated brilliantly. I appreciate how brave and confident Madi is when exploring new ideas. Thank you for being such a great partner. 🙂

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1270C8uTXiKObjy5WzKP50nQBp7dfDRYw

Bridget Moser, “My Crops Are Dying But My Body Persists” – Video and Reading Response

Within this video the acts of appropriation of pop culture that I could identify were the use of a technological voice, one that resembles Siri, food pillows, beauty products such as the moisturizer in the video, and the use of the song “We Are Young” by Fun. I believe that because of my age, I am unaware of some pop culture references as they have become so ingrained in daily life that I do not recognize them as a trend. With that, after reading the supporting article by ArtForum, it came to my awareness that Moser’s “displays of “haute” consumerist taste” that I simply recognized as decor. As well, Moser references “cribbing internet video genres known as “oddly satisfying” and “autonomous sensory meridian response” (ASMR)” which I did not recognize within the video.

The colour choices within the video remind me of a clean, modern house. They could also be interpreted as flesh tones of the artist. The props and costumes Moser uses/wears reminds me of what a typical, upper middle class, middle aged woman would own. I think that the choice of pyjamas Moser wears is supposed to reference how many people wore pyjamas during the pandemic, which is when this art piece opened.

I didn’t really have a physical experience while watching this video other than having feelings of boredom. I felt the visuals were not interesting and the monotone voice used during the narrative points was contemplative but again uninteresting.

Within the ArtForum article, it is explained that Moser explores “white fragility”, “fetishistic appeal”, “white supremacy”, and “political and social upheaval”. Personally, I did not recognize any of these themes. Maybe that is because I am the oblivious audience she is speaking to. The ArtForum article explains “to those who enjoy the comforts and privileges that whiteness affords—open your eyes”. That being said I feel like she doesn’t express these themes in a clear way. In order to show privilege, it needs to be put within a context that recognizes it as unusual or the odd thing out. Instead this piece just exhibits acts and objects of a privileged life within normalcy. I think for this message to be more clear, a contrast needs to be present.

I feel like Moser uses absurdity in cliche ways. Creativity isn’t present within her attempts of making viewers uncomfortable. The use of lunch meat and awkward dancing has simply been used way to many times by way too many artists that it has become boring and ultimately annoying.

Audio Art Project

For my audio art project I decided to record the sounds of wood carving. I used wooden handle carving tools and carved into a block of cherry wood. The cherry wood was scraps from a cutting board I made in my sculpture class. I wanted to record the sounds of wood carving because I find the process of the craft very relaxing. I wanted to try this as I have seen crafting videos delivered in an ASMR format and find such very nice to listen to.

MFA Open Studios

MFA Open Studios was such a lovely event! I am glad the weather was so nice during the tour times as well. I photos I included in this post are from Lagomorphhh. They were located in Blackwood Hall. Blackwood and Fire Hall had such lovely studio set ups. Both had big windows for lots of natural light and an industrial vibe. Lagomorphh’s work was the one that most interested me throughout the whole event. I was specifically interested in their use of patterns made from natural forms and textures. They also had handed out mini tags that looked like plant markers. The tags were scented with essential oils and almost scary antidotes on them along with the artists name. I was also able to pop over to Alexander Hall and see a couple of my friend’s studios from Capstone. I am looking forward to possibly being apart of Capstone and having my own studio space when I am a senior student. All in all this event was great! Although I may be a little bias as I was apart of social media advertising for this event via the SOFAM social media accounts.

Conceptual Portrait

Above is a digital copy of the poster I made for my conceptual portrait. The poster is of the 20 moons I have celebrated each of my birthdays under. Starting in the top left corner is the waxing gibbous moon I was born under on November 14, 2005. In the bottom right corner is the most recent moon I celebrated my birthday under on November 14, 2024. In between is the other 18 moons I have celebrated my birthdays under.

The moon has always been a significant guide, healer, and nurturer to me and my family. My mother had established in me the practice of moon bathing as well as using the moons energy for healing and spells. Every birthday since I was born, I would moon bathe, absorbing her energy and asking for a prosperous year to come.

Some things I found while creating this project was that I had multiple moon phases repeat during my birthdays. The waxing gibbous, waning crescent, waxing crescent, and the waning gibbous, all presented 4 times. A first quarter moon, new moon, last quarter moon, and full moon presented only once. As well, I think it is interesting to see the diagonal pattern stripes within the layout of my poster which is reflective of the repetition of moon phases. I included a photo of the moons arranged in a linear formation as well. This formation also exhibited an interesting pattern.

For some time now I’ve struggled with emerging into my adult years. This project was a reality check for me as I realized that 20 is not a big number at all. I am excited to see how this project will develop as I get older and what patterns will emerge.

Buttons

I have always associated buttons with activist movements. For my series of buttons I decided to create ten buttons exploring ocean conservation. Each button speaks to a different issue or relation within this bigger theme.

Two of my buttons are the logos of ocean conservation organizations. Sea Shepherd has been an organization my family has supported for a long time now. Sea Shepherd advocates for the elimination of animal captivity as well as the whale and shark fishing industry in the east. Sea Shepherd’s captain Paul Watson was become a wanted individual in many countries due to his unorthodox methods of activism. Project aware is a movement of scuba divers dedicated to projecting the oceans. They do this by means of education, activism, and action. They hold a special interest in pollution clean up and shark conservation.

One of my buttons displays one of many Water is Life poster designs done by Christi Belcourt and Isaac Murdoch. The pair are Indigenous artists and activists who started the Water is Life movement in response to the Grassy Narrows mercury poisoning. The series of posters have been used in multiple protests and are free to download via their website.

I made two buttons that represent the two whales who have historically been subjected to captivity the most; a beluga and orca whale.

Another two of my buttons have anatomical drawings of a whale and sea shell. This is intended to represent the historic malpractice of anatomical drawings and scientific study.

One button displays an image of a coral reef. This is intended to represent the impact of pollution on the oceans reefs.

lastly I have made two buttons displaying activist phrases concerning the ocean. “Boycott Captivity” and “If the Oceans Die, We Die” are phrases that have been associated with Sea Shepherd.

Kilometre Project

For my kilometre, I chose to show a kilometre of words. I used pages from a book called “around the world in 80 dates”, because I wanted it to have a travel theme. I measured the length of each line for many ‘normal’ looking pages and averaged them out to count for all normal-looking pages. For any pages that weren’t average looking, I counted them and added them to the total, until all of the words in the pages would stretch to reach 1 km in length. The sticky notes show some of my calculations.

NYT Dance Article

1. Describe the work discussed in the article and the unique challenges – as well as the unique gifts- that come with attempting to archive personal movements?

One of the challenges that can happen with archiving personal movements is in the interview process itself, when individuals want to pt forward the best version of themselves, but really its just important that they be themselves so that the dancers can observe them. But it comes with so many rewards, including the individuals who ‘donate’ their movement learning things about themselves. Another really interesting part is the significance it can have for individuals dealing with loss, and how it can serve as a goodbye and almost a memorization of movements of someone that they’ve lost. 

2. Discuss one or two examples of movements in the article – what strikes you about them?

Some of the movements in the article that stood out to me were the ones that are specific to certain expressions, like pain (wincing), ecstasy (dancing) and terror (paralysis). I find these so interesting because they’re so common, and yet everyone has a different way of doing them. Of course, there’ll be little gestures that are so personal to each individual, but i find it so interesting to think about these sorts of expressions which are common, but still different in each person. 

3. Describe the habitual movements/unconscious gestures, tics etc. of 3 people you know well. How do individual body parts move, and how does the whole body interact? What about facial expressions, and emotional valence of the movement? How does body type inform the movement? What do these examples of small movements mean and imply?

One of my roommates has an interesting unconscious gesture that she does where she twirls pieces of her hair and then pinches all down the length of the hair. This is usually accompanied by a sort of bored or indifferent facial expression, and I believe that she does it unconsciously when she is focused on something. Another great example is my friend who twirls her rings when she is bored/anxious or just waiting for something. It’s almost like a nervous tick, and she says she doesn’t even realize she’s doing it. Also, my boyfriend tends to sing, hum and generally make noises when he’s bored or anxious. I think it’s interesting to think of all of these gestures together as different ways that people respond to boredom or anxiety, and realize that everyone’s responses are so different to the same feelings. 

Gallery Field Trip

During the field trip to Toronto, there were so many interesting pieces at the AGO and at The Power Plant! In hip-hop and contemporary art exhibition I loved the piece of video art by Nicholas Galanin entitled Tsu Héidel Shugaxtutaan 1. This piece included a dancer performing incredibly fluid movements in a simple room with white walls. I found his movements to be quite mesmerizing and just so interesting to watch, as someone who is very interested in dance. Another piece in this exhibit that I really enjoyed was by Jayson Musson, entitled Knowledge God. This was a massive textile piece with intertwining colours, patterns and textures that I felt like I could stare at for hours. I loved their use of colour and its definitely something I am going to take inspiration from to use in my own work.

At the Power Plant, I loved the work by Charles Campbell entitled, How Many Colours Has The Sea, which included a large-scale sculpture that is inspired by the measurement of the depth of the Atlantic ocean. This sculpture was massive in size and positioned in the middle of the space, forcing your attention. It was really cool the way it was hung so that you could walk under it and view it from many different angles. The artist also included these really interesting colour panels on the walls which blended different colours in a really interesting way, and added to the ambience of the entire space.

Video Art Project- Censor

One Shot: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_qQX-qZijMU

For all of our videos, we wanted to play with the idea of censoring. We did this through the use of banned books, using The Catcher in the Rye by J.D Salinger, and To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. For the one shot, we censored each other by reading the books aloud, and holding the books for each other, creating a further obstacle to reading and understanding the books.

Loop: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-U7NLzDppI

For the loop we wanted to play with physically censoring the words and phrases that we thought were “bad” on a given page of the book. I think its a nice way to visually see the censoring, and I like the idea of trying to read the book with the words left over but it makes little to no sense. We chose to frame this shot as a close up, so that the viewer could read the words we were blacking out and attempt to read the book as it is being censored.

Sequence: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7uJzVOC9ifQ

In the sequence, we wanted to play with different ways of physically destroying and therefore preventing the subject from reading the book. These things include putting on black paint and tape, ripping out pages or cutting them up, and pouring water on the pages. There is a sense of urgency in the person doing the censoring, mixed with the calm flip of the page from the reader which creates a nice juxtaposition.

Bridget Moser- My Crops are Dying but my Body Persists

In the piece by Bridget Moser entitled “My Crops are Dying but my Body Persists”, the artist uses various props to create a series of gestures. The items vary from hotdogs to fake nails, a plastic mouthpiece to a golden ballon animal statue and a plastic glove filled with beans to a suit printed with skinless muscles. A lot of the props are incredibly absurd and seemingly random, but there are some things that felt familiar, like “satisfying” videos online of a croc filled with shaving cream or various objects that feel like the kitschy, useless garbage you see at home stores.

At one point the artist slathers moisturizer on white bread, detergent on waffles and eats loonies with milk as cereal. This evoked quite a physical, visceral reaction for me, best stated by Charlene K. Lau in the art forum review as “I am perversely seduced and simultaneously disgusted”. Her usage of white bread not only slathered with expensive moisturizer but as pillows she cuddles on a couch represents whiteness and the privilege it affords. Her usage of music also plays into this, using “We Are Young”, described by Charlene K. Lau as an “anthem of youth entitlement, i.e., whiteness another way”.

Audio Art- A Change in Frequency

For my audio piece, I decided to manipulate classical music. First, by playing it through the pickups of a guitar, and then using guitar pedals to alter the pieces. The two classic pieces I chose are both by Ludwig van Beethoven, entitled “Für Elise” and “Symphony No.5” respectively. The guitar pedals I used included a WAH pedal (which alters the EQ and frequency of the sound), an overdrive pedal (to boost signal and give grit), a distortion pedal (more grit, aggressive tone),and a modulation pedal (which alters the sound waves and make them vibrate in different ways).

Open Studios

I had the opportunity to walk around the open studios on wednesday and I thought it was really cool! It was so interesting to be able to walk into the artists’ spaces and talk to them about their work. Everyone was really kind and excited to talk about their work, and it was lovely to hear it! I loved the variety of different styles that we saw, everything from hyper-realistic paintings and drawings to collage to carpets and sculptures. It was really cool to see the undergrads’ work and their studios, as I can picture myself being in one of those studios in my fourth year and I started to get really excited!

Conceptual Portrait- “Just a Small Selection: 40 Pictures of Flowers Taken By My Grandmother”

For my conceptual portrait I wanted to do a portrait of my grandma. She loved to take photos of everything, and when she passed away began to look through boxes and boxes of photos that she’d taken and collected, and I noticed a lot of images of flowers, which made a lot of sense since flowers were one of her favourite things. I loved the idea of representing her with flowers with images that she took herself, to see them through her own eyes. I collected the images of flowers, scanned them and arranged them into a poster size which I printed on 24×36 poster paper. The paper gave the images even more of a vintage look, which I really appreciated as it was on brand with the idea of it being a portrait of my grandmother, and made the images all look a bit more uniform.

Artist Button Project

For the button project I wanted to create something that was sort of a look inside of the wearer. My original idea was to do images of cells, but shortly after I realized that X-Ray images would read better. So I found X-ray images online of different parts of the body including the wrist, ribs, elbow, collarbone, shoulder, hip, knee, leg, arm and spine, intended to be worn on that spot on the body. I love the way that this acts as a look of what’s inside of the wearer. Upon discussion in class, I feel that this came across well, and I was really interested in some of the things my classmates had to say, specifically feeling a bit of discomfort in thinking of and seeing their skeletal system in that way, which I thought was really interesting and understandable.

1 Kilometer Project

For the one kilometer project, I chose to record the audio of running for 1 kilometer on the treadmill at my local gym. I decided to name this project ‘EXP. 1K Interlude’ as it is the first work of many in This Experimental I class I will create. It represents the beginning of an album of works that will be recorded, filmed, built and completed in this class.

Gestures Discussion

1. In the attempt to recreate the movements and in inputs gestures of another person it is almost impossible because of our physiology, so even if it looks almost identical there are slight differences in one’s body that is required to replicate the movement. I think it is a unique gift as this replication is from one’s personal perception of a human being to another, there are also intimate replications like hugging or snuggling which symbolize the human connection, by replicating this, it’s possible that the dancers could feel the same.

2. Some of the movements in the article like the woman pulling her hair behind her ear and the man rubbing his eyes, I feel that there is a sense of awareness of perception by the camera. I perceive them differently than the one where there are two separate videos one of the dancer and one of the other person where she is imitating him, it seems a bit more natural in the relationship between the person and the camera  

3. When I speak to my mom, she is very communicative with her hands, little movements she does to emphasize the words that she’s saying or sometimes in a way to illustrate characteristics in a story. If the story is more intense or there is frustration behind her words the hand movements become quick and short, in a more calm, or dramatic story her hand movements become elongated and slow. When I have a conversation with my father, he is more expressive with his facial expressions, brows raised or furrowed, slight squint or pout are typically indicators of emphasis in a story or conversation with him. My best friend when she talks emphasizes her voice more than anything but, she still shows micro expressions with her face most typically with her eyebrows, such as a slightly furrowed brow or a single raised brow – expressing interest, frustration, joy or whatever she may be feeling in the moment.

Field Trip Blog

My favourite art piece in the hip-hop exhibit was ‘ Z E L L A’  by Murjoni Merriweather – I have been following her artwork on social media since 2017 so seeing a work of hers for the first time in person was very special for me. She creates portrait like sculptures of people of colour, specifically Black people, normalizing and highlighting the beauty of  Afrocentric features in art using mixed media such as hair weave, jewelry and clay. She also highlights aspects of black culture such as hair, grill and nail culture. 

In Dionne Alexander’s work at the exhibit – Lil’ Kim’s Magazines and remakes of her Wigs, showcases the creativity and versatility of hair as a form of expression and its impact on popular culture, particularly hip hop. 

Throughout the last five years, I have been creating videos, prints, zines, photos and sculptures that have similar aspects of highlighting aspects of black culture, particularly hair. This has been a topic that has informed my practice for a long time and by seeing the work artists (one I have been following for such a long time) in the AGO, it is encouraging to me to continue to explore this kind of artistic expression in a multitude of mediums.

Audio Art – Shedding

For this project I chose to emulate the experience of overstimulation in the process of grooming ones hair. Through layering audio of brushing, cutting, plucking and shaving this work intends to evoke hyperawareness, exhaustion and self awareness of daily, weekly and/or monthly grooming activities. Having an emotional resolution to the audio intends to evoke liberation of sensory overload.

Conceptual Self Portrait

For the conceptual portrait, I decided to share a vulnerable piece of an experience I have been going through over the past year. This work is very personal, as it reflects the emotional weight of being the victim in an ongoing criminal harassment case. Throughout the semester, this situation has remained a constant source of anxiety and fear, impacting my ability to focus and feel safe in everyday life. The continuous stream of worries by court updates, unexpected messages, or simply walking through familiar spaces, has changed how I move through the world. By channeling these emotions into my art, I wanted to convey the invisible anxiety I carry, while facing such an invasive and distressing experience. This portrait is not just about worry, but also about reclaiming my narrative through vulnerability and creative expression.

Button Project – Anti-Social Buttons

For my Button project I decided to create anti-social buttons. Inspired by Adrian Piper’s calling cards, using formal language to divert human interaction. By using ready made construction signs and alerts – ‘Detour’, ‘Risk of Explosion’, ‘No Connection Available’, ‘Do not Touch’, etc . Contrary to the intention of buttons made to start conversation or interaction, these buttons are perfect for when you have a low social battery, need no distraction or just flat out not in the mood to have a conversation!

Turning The Gestures of Everyday Life Into Art

1. The goal of this piece is to mimic the specific motions and behaviors that identify each person. Performing a gesture or movement that is not natural to the performer was one of the difficulties due to the fact that personal movements, tics, or unconscious gestures are frequently formed over time as a self-soothing, repetitive action. This performance has an added benefit in that it offers an interesting way of studying habitual movements from the perspective of someone who has seen them externally and is attempting to recreate them consciously rather than in the subconscious state in which they were first noticed.

2. The examples in Heitmann’s study where people kept the gestures of deceased loved ones struck me as particularly moving. Small details about the deceased gradually disappear from memory, but witnessing these movements, which may seem insignificant to others, can feel like a last glimpse of them and provide a very intimate opportunity to say goodbye. For example, the young Belgian woman’s mother and boyfriend made sure that a piece of her lived on in the archive by donating movements on her behalf after she passed away. Heitmann also provided secondhand movements that she connects to her father. His tax returns and bank statements were all that were left after his death, creating what she called “a very one-sided picture” of his life. She regained a closer, more personal relationship with him by keeping his gestures, demonstrating how movement may act as a powerful emotional bond with lost loved ones.

3. When my girlfriend is intoxicated she starts to blink excessively and the blinking intensifies whenever she tells me a story. Whenever my roommate is at a loss for words or is thinking about something he’ll rub his hair really aggressively and depending on if he’s trying not to laugh or can’t remember something he’ll rub it more aggressively. My younger sister is someone who talks with her hands but depending on how intense or invested she is in what she’s talking about she’ll use her entire body when she does these gestures

Field Trip

At the AGO, walking into the hip-hop culture exhibit, the Air Force 1s made from car parts were the first piece that caught my eye. The intricate design and the way the materials were repurposed complemented each other so well. This piece did a great job of showcasing the connection between sneaker culture and innovation, which really resonates with me.

Another standout was the durag exhibit. It was incredible to see an entire space dedicated to highlighting the cultural significance of durags in Black identity and fashion. The way the installation was presented made it feel immersive, emphasizing how durags have evolved beyond functionality into a symbol of style and empowerment. Both pieces captured key elements of hip-hop culture in a way that felt authentic and impactful.

The first piece that caught my eye was the installation incorporating a bamboo structure. The way the light seeped through created a sense of immersion, making you feel connected to the piece. The addition of pillows was a thoughtful touch, enhancing the comfort and allowing you to fully absorb the soft, calming atmosphere created by the lighting and space.

The second piece was centered around waves, which I found really fascinating. What struck me first were the colored aura panels surrounding it—they stood out as the only source of color in an otherwise completely black room. This contrast made stepping into the space feel like entering a different world, adding to the depth and impact of the artwork.

One Feat Three Ways

One Shot

Loop

Sequence

Filming

“Habituation”

Habituation is the process by which repeated exposure to a stimulus leads to a decreased response over time. In daily life, routines can become so ingrained that we perform them without conscious thought, blurring the line between action and awareness.

What you’re hearing now are the sounds of my daily routine, from brushing my teeth to walking to class, all presented in the order they occur. Layered within this is the same routine reorganized and played in reverse, symbolizing how constant repetition can become mind-numbing, distorting our sense of time and experience

Conceptual Portrait

My conceptual portrait is made from the contents of my wallet.

At first glance, a wallet might seem like just a practical object but for me, it’s actually a time capsule. Receipts, notes, old IDs, random cards I don’t use anymore, every piece in there holds some sort of story or memory. As I laid everything out, I started to realize how much of myself lives in these small, overlooked items.

This piece is about how identity isn’t always loud or obvious. Sometimes it shows up in the things we carry every day without thinking. Things we forget we even have. The messiness, the randomness, the personal value that wouldn’t make sense to anyone else, it all came together to represent me in a way that felt really real.

I liked the idea that a portrait doesn’t have to be a face, it can be the stuff that holds your day-to-day life together. This project let me look at the ordinary and find something personal in it.

Open Studios Images

Artist Multiple: Buttons

For this assignment I wanted to poke fun at, and subvert, the overly sweet, sometimes hollow nature of inspirational merchandise. These aren’t your typical “live, laugh, love” slogans slapped on pastel backgrounds. Instead, each button offers a twist: something that feels like it should be inspiring, but instead reveals a more honest, ironic, or even uncomfortable truth.

I was inspired by the way inspirational merch often tries to simplify complex emotions with generic positivity. I wanted to flip that narrative and create buttons that make you stop, laugh, cringe, or think twice. They’re wearable contradictions, tiny rebellions against the pressure to always be “doing great” or “staying positive.”

These buttons aren’t meant to uplift but they’re meant to disrupt. Think of them as little reminders that not everything needs to be wrapped in glittery optimism.

ARTIST MULTIPLE/BUTTON PARTY

For my artist multiples, I created two series of buttons that could be used in a party/gallery setting. I wanted them to to spark interaction between strangers, and would love to eventually test them out in a social space.

FRIENDSHIP BUTTONS are two buttons connected by rope of various lengths. The concept is that you would be paired randomly with a stranger and select a length from a bin. You’re destined to either hang out at a comfortable distance, be directly and intimately face to face (or crotch to crotch), or have an absurd length of rope between the two of you. I was happy to see McKenna and Paiten/Lamiss and Jay testing them out.

DISCO TITS is a series of disco ball buttons accompanied by two lights. The light buttons are meant for one persons chest, and the disco ball buttons are meant to be worn in surplus by another person. The concept for this is a party where you are randomly assigned to wear a bunch of disco balls or be the bearer of light in a dimly lit setting and to have impromtu disco moments among conversations with the complimentary button-wearer. This is also meant to be a piece worn to clubs for impromptu disco flash mobbing.

I loved seeing my classmates’ ideas for their artist multiples and was so happy to trade with them and start my own collection of artist multiples. I particularly liked Carter’s embarassing achievements and Tumi’s eerie positivity buttons.

CONCEPTUAL PORTRAIT

a mosaic of everyone I have ever loved: a conceptual portrait of myself through the love i’ve received from others in my lifetime, displayed through printer scans of the many items i’ve kept in shoeboxes in my room over the years. 

this was definitely the most emotional thing i’ve ever done in the name of art- reflecting on the different ways i’ve been perceived by those i love, the experiences ive had with others, and the items ive deemed worthy of keeping (which is a LOT- im a sentimental gal, this is just the stuff that i was able to shove under a printer scanner). sifting through YEARS of birthday cards, trinkets, tickets to events, random pieces of paper and receipts, among other things, made me reflect on the love i’ve received from close friends, family, people who aren’t in my life anymore, lovers, strangers. 

this was inspired by a quote that said “your room is a museum/mosaic of everyone you’ve ever loved”.

AUDIO ASSIGNMENT

For my audio assignment, I decided to piece together clips of my mom’s voicemails. She always tends to start and end them the same, with “hello m’love” and “love you. bye bye”. She has a pretty prominent East Coast accent that shines through in some of these. I thought that piecing them together to compare the start and end’s would be a wholesome idea with a sprinkle of guilt about not calling her back.

ONE FEAT, 3 WAYS

For all three of our videos, Tegwyn & I wanted to explore the abject concept of using body parts to serve different food items. We wanted them to be a hard, uncomfortable watch, but also something that you can’t quite look away from.

The One-Shot

Our one-shot was inspired by shaving-cream ASMR videos with bizarre foot-fetish undertones. We were both pleasantly surprised that the peanut butter and jelly erupted out of the holes of the crocs so well- it turned out to be so disgusting yet satisfying. We realized after that the crocs were kind of dingy and dirty, which added another layer of uncomfortability.

The Edit

“All You Can Eat” was meant to be a buffet-style sequence of several different ways to serve food with your body. This also somehow ended up verging on fetish content (for some freak out there), especially with the spitting of the syrup and the bacon. The white dress shirt was used throughout the video for continuity and formality, despite the non-formal essence of the video. We decided to do an overhead shot of the plate at the end with the accumulation of gross body foods, and thought that taking a bite out of the ass toast would add another layer of abject. The use of both male and female bodies in this video was useful in expanding the idea of sexual content and steering away from the use of explicitly womens bodies (we communally agreed that hairy butts are more effective in provoking the “eugh” factor)

The Loop

Our loop was intentionally meant to cater to fetish content, and we decided to wear silk slips and place the camera as a chest-shot on Tegwyn (two girls no bowl?). The visibly stressed rise and fall of my chest and the calm manner of Tegwyn while she leisurely scoops cereal out of my mouth are so contradictory, which I found entertaining. This one is especially pretty abject to me because of the spoon scraping on my teeth, and the experience of doing it and knowing that my uvula was being shovelled.

Overall, this project was so much fun to produce, and I’m incredibly happy that Tegwyn was able to match my freak (and beyond) and was not only so open to bizarre ideas, but already had them fired up and ready as soon as we sat down to talk about what we could do for this project.

Katja Heitmann: Turning the Gestures of Everyday Life Into Art

1. This work aims to emulate the unique gestures/actions that define an individual. One of the challenges might have been performing a gesture or movement that is not instinctual to the performer themselves; personal movements/tics/unconscious gestures are often developed over a long period of time as a habitual, self-soothing action. A unique gift with this performance is that it is a very interesting way to study habitual movements as someone who has externally observed them, and is making an effort to replicate them consciously as opposed to the subconscious state that they’re originally observed in.
2. I thought that Katja impersonating the child was super interesting- it seems as though the kid is dissociating, zoned out, in another world, etc., and would have a different perception on the work as opposed to adults. If you ask an adult if you could record them, they may become a bit more aware of their actions, but a kid is more likely to just do whatever they were going to do anyways. To me, it seems like the most genuine.
3. When my brother laughs or is really excited about something, he rubs his face up and down with both hands really fast, one or two times. My boyfriends mom pulls on one part of her hair when she is planning or talking in-depth about something. My roommate/best friend tilts her head down and looks up above her eyes when she is telling a story, while sticking one hand out and “talking” with it.

KILOMETER

I decided to do a skit on taking an unassuming, leisurely walk to the beach, which happened to be precisely 1km away from the characters house.

(In reality- the true kilometer was from the entrance of the Speed River Trail to the Guelph Lake Dam).

Bon appetit!

KILOMETRE – 1 km walk

I began this project by reflecting on how I spend most of my kilometres; either in cars or walking. At school, walking is something I do a lot: AirPods in, playlist on. Like many people my age, I move through my day with headphones on, listening to music.

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/35ERgu9Aoocqdg31yNt8iu?si=47a2a91fd3fb4d3a&pt=29b27ae1c026cdf5dcfb4b502343d109

I enjoyed reflecting on how small choices, like a playlist, can add humour and creativity to an otherwise mundane and ordinary distance.

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HIP-HOP EXHIBITION – Field Trip!

The Culture: Hip-Hop & Contemporary Art in the 21st Century was organized around six themes: Language, Brand, Adornment, Tribute, Pose, and Ascension, each of which highlights a different aspect of hip-hop’s cultural reach. Walking through the gallery, I was captivated by the way artists used hip-hop as a medium to discuss deeper social issues. Two pieces, in particular, stood out to me: For Whom the Bell Curves by Robert Pruitt and Anointed by Carrie Mae Weems.

For Whom the Bell Curves by Robert Pruitt (2004)

When I first saw this piece I thought of how it fit the aesthetic of hip-hop, the shiny gold chains. However, when I read the blurb beside the piece I found a deeper meaning. In Pruitt’s work the intricate gold links take the shape of the transatlantic slave trade routes.

It made me reflect on how hip-hop, while often celebrated for its extravagance and success stories, also carries the weight of a complex and painful past. Pruitt’s piece reminded me that the roots of hip-hop are deeply tied to resilience, struggle, and the ongoing fight for justice.

Anointed by Carrie Mae Weems (2017)

Carrie Mae Weems’ Anointed immediately captured my attention with its striking red tones and regal composition. Featuring the legendary Mary J. Blige receiving a crown, the piece celebrates her status as the “Queen of Hip-Hop Soul.” However, Weems takes this idea even further by placing Blige within a historical lineage of Black women icons, such as Dinah Washington.

Weems notes ”And of course, there’s Jean-Michel Basquiat’s constant use of the crown in relationship to jazz and music, and African American cultural utterance”

Weems’ positions Blige in a way that shows the importance of Black women in shaping music, culture, and art. Seeing this piece at the AGO made me appreciate how hip-hop is not just about music, but a constantly evolving cultural movement with deep artistic and historical significance.

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NYT ARTICLE – Notes on Katja Heitmann’s Project “Motus Mori”

1. Describe the work discussed in the article and the unique challenges – as well as the unique gifts- that come with attempting to archive personal movements? The article discusses Katja Heitmann’s project, “Motus Mori,” which collects and archives personal movements, habits, and tics as a form of dance. Instead of using digital or written records, the project relies on dancers to physically preserve these gestures in their muscle memory, performing them in installations. This is a challenge since the archive exists only in dancers’ bodies. If a dancer stops, part of the archive disappears. This archiving of personal moments creates a human connection between donors, dancers, and audiences. For families of deceased individuals, watching their loved one’s movements performed can be a form of remembrance.
2. Discuss one or two examples of movements in the article – what strikes you about them? One example that stood out to me is how Heitmann’s father’s movements were preserved like any other donor’s. He was a dance teacher, and his habitual gestures (scratching his scalp and instinctively pulling in his stomach when passing a studio mirror) were archived through the dancers. This resonates with me personally because growing up as a dancer has shaped my own movements and gestures. The way I sit, my posture, and my instinct to adjust myself when passing by mirrors all come from years of training. Much like Heitmann’s father, dance has influenced my unconscious habits and how i move through the world.
3. Describe the habitual movements/unconscious gestures, tics of 3 people you know well. How do individual body parts move, and how does the whole body interact? My best friend gently spins her nose ring whens she’s thinking or nervous. I notice it especially when she is trying to make a decision. She will also place her index finger on her chin when she is driving and is unsure of where she’s going. I’ve found myself placing my index finger on my chin when i’m thinking. Even while typing this I found myself doing it. One of my roommates does this pose jump thing sometimes when she is about to exit a room. She flicks one of her legs back and like does a little turn hop. It’s hard to describe, but its super distinct. She does it especially when she wants something or has just asked for something I have. A guy I used to work with would always crack his knuckles especially when he was having conversations with people. He would also always fiddle with his lanyard hanging out of his pant pocket. When there was no customers around he would lean and wait while twirling the lanyard in his fingers.

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VIDEO ART – One Feat Three Ways: Peeling an Orange

ONE SHOT – 29

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EDITED – Openers Opening

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LOOP – Over and Over

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Brainstorming and filming progress pics

This project started with the idea to peel an orange. The result was three videos — 29, Openers Opening, and Over and Over. Each video explores the act of opening an orange in different ways.

In 29, instead of peeling an orange in one satisfying piece, we did the opposite, tearing it apart bit by bit using only our teeth. Would not recommend, orange peels taste gross.

For Openers Opening, we tested tools that are meant to open other things to see if they could peel an orange. It turns out a door handle is not the best item to peel an orange with. Most of them didn’t work that well but the bottle opener surprised me.

Over and Over was an experiment in repetition. While one of us peeled an orange, the other tried to put it back together, creating a never-ending loop.

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READING RESPONSE – Bridget Moser’s Project “My Crops Are Dying But My Body Persists”

Bridget Moser’s My Crops Are Dying But My Body Persists is a weird and unsettling take on privilege, consumerism, and existential dread. She pulls from internet culture, pop references, and absurdity to create something that feels slightly ridiculous. Charlene K. Lau’s review breaks down how Moser uses humour and surrealism to critique materialism.

One of the most striking moments in the video is when Moser braids cooked spaghetti to a soft, dreamy soundtrack, mimicking those asmr videos online. Lau points out that the sequence is “pleasurable and calming to watch,” but at the same time, it’s kinda pointless. It made me think of how digital media can be numbing, rather than actually making me think.

Her use of props including all the rose-gold, the pink Himalayan salt, the pink everything, I think captures influencer culture’s obsession with curated aesthetics, and overconsumption. I found it all tacky and excessive. I can’t imagine a house filled with all that type of stuff.

Honestly it made me uncomfortable.

It made me think about how people are drawn to beauty and aesthetic perfection, yet at the same time we recognize its emptiness. That’s probably why I felt uncomfortable watching it. I thought about the absurdity of the things we consume, both online and in real life. I found Moser’s work bizarre but thought-provoking. But maybe thats the point, to build unsettling tension. As Lau puts it, “Although some odd visual comforts might recede… the absurdity remains.”

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AUDIO ART – 4:38 AM: icicles melting out my bedroom window

This is the sound of icicles melting at 4:38 AM.

Sometimes when I can’t sleep I’ll open my bedroom window and just listen. I feel the cool air on my skin and listen to all the noise outside that I usually don’t pay attention to, the drifting wind, animals rustling, rain, thunder, lightening, trees moving and creaking, cars going by, and icicles melting. I found the repetitive nature of the dripping icicles quite meditative. I also thought the melting of icicles illustrated the cyclical nature of the seasons really well.

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OPEN STUDIOS – Images

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CONCEPTUAL PORTRAIT – Love Mom

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ARTIST MULTIPLES: Buttons – wearing your heart on your sleeve

For this series of buttons, I wanted to explore the the way my female friends speak to each other, and to themselves. I’ve noticed that the women I know tend to make more self-conscious comments than the men do. Phrases like “am i annoying?” or “do i look okay?”. Even though sometimes they’re said jokingly, I think that these comments reveal something deeper. My experience as a women, along with many others, was growing up being told to be more likeable or agreeable. Don’t be too loud, don’t take up too much space, don’t make people uncomfortable. I think this instills insecurities.

This is not about criticizing the way women speak at all, it’s more about noticing it and thinking why.

The buttons are meant to be worn on jackets, bags, shirts, anywhere visible.

I really appreciated the feedback from the group discussion. Some people saw it as confrontational, like a way to openly display and reclaim insecurities. I love that perspective, although it wasn’t what I originally had in mind, I think it’s a beautiful approach.

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