WEEK 10 - Rubí Danielle - PASSION

 

Lights are absolutely amazing. What they can do to enhance one's art, is incredible. I have an immense passion for lighting now, and I feel so drawn into lighting whenever and wherever I see it. The use of lights is constantly all around us, and the way lighting is used in the setting we are in, determines so much of how our experience in that setting will be. Effective lighting in a space, provides me with a better experience that would have not been the same without a successful use of lighting. I have developed a love and excitement for lighting, that has encouraged me to view lighting designs as another way to impact people through art. I want to continue developing my new passion for lighting, and utilize it as a way to enhance the performance art that I create. My new interest in lighting has allowed me to think more creatively. Lighting has expansion and depth, that is capable of provoking emotions in someone. Light is more than a color or shade, it has purpose. Without beautiful lighting, art and life would not be the same.

Week 10 Blog Anna Medina Passion

 

Since the original prompt for this piece was passion I decided to keep it up and post a picture of Whitney goring through her new slate piece notes before our second dress rehearsal. 

I admire all my peers for the beautiful work they create and I believe what makes their work so great and moving is the level of passion they put into it. I saw them reflected in their pieces during the show. I love this picture because you can see the light behind Whitney representing so many things. Her ideas in a lightbulb moment, her bright future ahead of her, or the light  simulating a shinning sun during a night sky. Glad that I got to be part of this beautiful experience and also part of this moment.

week 10 - ws - shifting shadows

 

Spending a lot of time on campus this week really offered the opportunity to see shadows shifting throughout the day. It is amazing what the shadow can tell about the form. I experienced the shadows changing of form to be both predictive and surprising depending on where exactly the direction of light was coming from.  I loved the composition of the light/shadow that was created through the blocking of light from the buildings. 

Week 10 - Amber Morales - Passion

I am proudly stating that I have a passion for lighting! Throughout my time this quarter I have experienced the beauty and richness of this dynamic art form. Light is present in our everyday lives and I am so grateful that I had the opportunity to explore its endless possibilities. I have fallen in love with the level of intensity and strength that is required for becoming a lighting designer. Every design I performed transported me into a world of timeless creativity, where art and science meet. It was a sensation of complete gratification and never ending aspiration and ambition. I plan to continue developing my skills and explore my new profound talent in the world of everlasting light. 

Week 10 - FH - New Slate

 

    I thought it would only be fitting to use a picture from this glorious weekend spent on stage. I did not take this beautiful picture, but couldn't help myself and had to use it. This dancers name is Maya and here we see her skin glowing in a what seems to be a two toned blue and pink hue. 

    What I love the most about this design we see here, is that the lights accentuate her physique and musculature. There is just enough light to see her very clearly, but there's also enough shadow to accent her features. 

    Overall this lighting captured the very essence of my dance and of Maya's beauty. 

Week 10 - JB - [Passion] - Ebullition

 Week 10 - Ebullition

Growing up, cooking has always been essential to family time. Both my parents are incredible home cooks, and they've passed on that passion to me as I've moved away from home (shameless advertisement for my food Instagram, chick.please). I've always cooked on an electric/coil stove before moving here to Irvine, so I'm experiencing a gas stove for the first time. I was definitely a bit scared of them at first, but I've grown to love the speed and efficiency of cooking on an open flame. The flame itself is blue, signifying its heat, with flickers of cooler oranges and reds. I often watch the little dance of the tongues of fire as I wait for my water to boil.

-Jeevika

Week 10 - Bradford - Chanukah

 

With the overwhelm of Week 10 and finals week next week, my partner and I have not been good about observing Chanukah and lighting our menorah. Of the eight days thus far, we've lit our menorah twice...

Last night, we celebrated Chanukah with our friends. They made a completely vegan Chanukah meal (complete with vegan brisket!). Especially with our friends' kids present, it was really cool to both say and sing the Chanukah blessing while lighting their menorah (much prettier than ours). And even more cool that they placed their lit menorah on the windowsill to share it with the rest of the neighborhood.

Chanukah is a celebration of light. In keeping with the origins of Chanukah, the evening was lit primarily by candles and supplemented by dim artificial lamp light. This felt particularly appropriate for discussing the significance of certain Chanukah traditions and the inspiration of light with the kids and, in a sort of ironic way, watching the menorah slowly burn out into wisps of smoke with the littlest one.

The evening continued into games and me falling asleep, but not before we humorously noted how the candlelight flickering on one of the game props looked like a cheap, low-quality effect from a dated film.

Chag sameach!

Week 9 - JB - Silhouettes on the Horizon

 Week 9 - Silhouettes on the Horizon

As always, I am in awe of sunsets. I spent two back to back days at the beach this weekend, staying just past 5pm to savor the watercolor beauty of the sky. The first photo is from a cloudless day, with a lone paddleboarder silhouetted against the horizon. The video, which does not capture the richness and intensity of the painted sky, features the silhouette of San Diego's Coaster train. I thought about the aesthetic of shadows and silhouettes, as I was very drawn to the emotional image of the paddleboarder in particular. The images give me a sense of hope, yet longing, loneliness, yet the prospect of new beginnings.

-Jeevika

Week 9- Colors in motion - TA

 I found this very colorful Wall while wondering around Vegas and asked my friend to move infront of it. It was interesting of how some of the colors made him disappear and some brought him to life. This was my favorite since he is wearing black and he faded into that deep red color. Also his movement changed according to the color change. With deeper colors he got more grounded and mysterious and brighter colors he was more energetic and interactive.

 

WEEK 9 - Rubí Danielle - Dark Moon 

This is a photo I took of a Navajo Native American Indian, who was giving a presentation on the history of the Navajo Native American Indian Tribe. During his presentation he played music and sung songs of the Navajo Tribe, and performed a few dances such as the Eagle Dance. He also shared the wisdom that his ancestors passed down to him, about our relationship to all things around us, such as the earth, sky, and moon. This performance/presentation was especially meaningful to me, being that I am Navajo Native American Indian. When I reached adulthood, that is when I began to feel uneasy about the Thanksgiving holiday, as this holiday is revolved around the White man slaughtering my ancestors. So I am grateful that I was able to see and hear someone speaking of my people with great honor, during this holiday when so many of my people are dishonored. I was immediately drawn in, not only by the music and haunting voice of the performer, but also by the striking lighting that was utilized throughout this demonstration. The tones that were used in this lighting design, created a mysterious atmosphere that allowed me to feel and see the mood that the performer was evoking. There is a combination of deep blue, purple, and amber tones, that altogether create a natural, yet saturated environment. The performer talked about the moon, and the lighting definitely matched the narrative he shared about the moon. It felt and looked like I was under the deep blue moon that was in the story that was being told. The lighting most certainly added to this performance, and without it, it wouldn't have been as magical.

Week 9- Food Coma- KM

 

Is there anything better than an afternoon nap after having way too much food?

What I appreciate most about this photo is the way the light from the window is contouring the shape of Arlo's body. Because the light is coming at a downward and slightly sideways angle, the light really accentuates the shape of his muscles the same way side light  highlights the form of a dancer onstage. I also appreciate the golden glow off his fur which is emphasized by the warm afternoon light. There is also some cool shadowing showing up on his body and uninteresting light streak on the wall to the right. Overall, a very pleasant and cute image. 

Week 9 - Joey NM - The Net of Dreams

I miss being a kid, and I could sit and wonder all of the time. Yet, I am grateful for the gift of hindsight and age to afford, do, and buy the things I want because of my ability to mobilize quickly. 

Lately, I've been amazed at people's ingenuity in creating beautiful creations out of ordinary or straightforward things. 

When I initially saw this image, it was as if I were looking from a bird's eye view onto the stage. I thought it was a large sheet with teacup lights installed into a transparent netting or sheet. (It also didn't help that the window was a bit dirty). When I looked closer, I realized that regular string lights were meticulously strung in parallel rows to appear like a sheet. Perhaps it's my overactive imagination or my appreciation of dream interpretation from my nightly sleep. Still, this image looks like a dream net or a stage set to make the scene aetherial. 

If I had the money or the extra time, I'd play with filling the space with fog. I imagine the scene would appear more dreamlike. Or, perhaps If I carefully laid out sheets of a mirror or mirror-like material and lit the area in blues, from the sides and some from the diagonals, it could become nebulous. 

Again, I think a good artist allows himself to sit and wonder. Yet, he has to put imagination and motivation into action. Although I would love to sit in one place longer than the other, we can't heavily exist in one extreme all of the time. Given this is still real life, the beauty of scene design is that you can be in real life and still be in the dream or wander through the nebula with the proper stage setup.

week 9 - ws - light shaping form

 This week I have noticed more how distinctly shadows can capture the essence of human form. I am almost more captivated by shadows rather than seeing all of the other details with frontal light. Body expression and attitude is almost heightened because the viewers mind can "fill" in the gaps of detail that are not seen. The interaction of shadow on the surface creates another storyline of the shadow form and the texture it is "dancing" with. Seeing multiple silhouettes really makes me think about the relationship between them all. The space between them is exaggerated and the shapes are more noticeable. 

Week 9 - FH - Sunset & Street Lights

     I was initially intrigued by rays of the sun hitting the industrial buildings and bridge; although the camera just doesn't capture it the same. And when I turned the bend and saw the incoming traffic building up and starting to turn their headlights on with the sunsets early arrival, I thought it would be nice to try and catch the tiny red and white dots weaving all the way up to the hills. And of course I'm always interested in the dirty specs of my windshield adding texture. Honestly, the idea of the textured tiny light with one large focal point gave me a lot of inspiration for lighting design ideas as well. 

Week 9- LA- Conflicted

 

A thin line of neon blue highlights a female-presenting astronaut as beautiful, sexy, and desirable. Does this lift up women or put them down? Does she have it all? Are brains in a woman exalted only if she looks like a model? Does exoticizing an intelligent woman make her less threatening in a man’s world? Imagine different faces in this circle and how that might affect meaning. Imagine your own; how does that feel?

Week 8 - JB - [Obsession] - Do it for the 'Gram

Week 8 - Do it for the 'Gram

Lately, cafes attract customers mainly by decorating and creating particularly instagrammable walls. Every I go, I see aesthetic arrangements of plants, succulents, neon signs, lights, flowers, which are often paired with frustratingly mediocre food. This particular neon message struck me as ironic - since everyone standing below the sign to get their pictures for the Insta stories were oxymoronically not at all living in the moment. I thought about our growing obsession with social media and how without check, it can restrict us from living our lives to the fullest. I am definitely an avid social media user myself, and I found myself wanting to take a photo of this moment for myself (even if I didn't have this blog assignment), but it made me think regardless.

-Jeevika

Week 8 - Amber Morales - Obsession

 

I am obsessed with GREEN. I have had an obsession with Green since I can remember. The color green has so many meanings, represents so many things, and displays so many emotions. Green holds endless possibilities. 

Green is kind, peaceful, and safe. Green brings tranquil to one’s day. Green saves us all from toxins and delivers us to good health and well being. However, Green has a sinister side. Green creeps up at any moment. Green is disgusting and sickening when discomfort arises. Green is mysterious and frightening, and builds curiosity for those watching. Green is a lot of things, but never goes unnoticed. Always capturing one’s eye and crave for revelation.

Week 8 - Bradford - Obsession

In a sickly sense, obsession communicates an intensity that is larger than life and all-consuming. This photo (no filter) encompasses all of those attributes. The color alone, while beautiful in some regards, can be perceived as intense, sickly, and all-consuming. The dancer in motion doesn't communicate anything particularly obsession-related. However, the dancer's shadow projected onto the wall is larger than life, and the profile view shadow almost looks like the dancer is choking and reaching upward for air.

Obsession-week 8-AM

Obsession is a very strong word. It reminds me of addiction, lust, fixation, passion. I think for many of us in this path our obsession is quite clearly something we keep returning to, something that ignites our soul and gives us a sense of fulfillment like nothing else: the stage. The feeling of performing, the result of so much time spent rehearsing, learning, teaching, creating, all for a few minutes under the stage light. The interaction with the audience, the relationships that are created with the crew and everyone else on stage with us, there is nothing quite like it. The truth is that art is transforming and the stage provides an opportunity to share it with others. Those that dedicate their livelihoods to the practice of their art can often be seen as risk-takers, but i like to think that it's a combination of loyalty, love, madness and obsession. After more than a year of staying away from it, we finally get to return to our stage, only to continue this lifelong obsession.

 

Week 8 - Joey NM - (Obsession) Nimbus Clouds

I used to love staring up at the clouds, especially when I first entered undergrad. Anytime I had the chance, I'd go outside and stare up to see what images the universe would show me in the sky. Thinking back at it nowadays, I think it was a protection mechanism from the loneliness I felt being separated from home for the first time. It feels like it became a bit of an obsession to distract myself from the newness of college.

Nimbus Clouds on 2nd Street

Instead of photographing the sky, I saw this hanging near my house this weekend. Those long fall, winter, spring, and summer memories of 2010 rushed back into my mind. I couldn't help but be in awe of this fixture's construction and how realistic it looked to me. Besides the hanging tassels, the way the cotton envelopes the lighting fixture is like when the clouds would envelop the sky and reveal to me endless pictures to daze into for hours. 
This past obsession with cloud gazing and the campy ingenuity of this fixture reminds me of the magic one can make on the stage.  It is mind-blowing that the magic they can make with a bulb, hot glue, cotton stuffing tassels, and an electric cord. 
Although I may not have the same process I once did before, I often find myself staring up into the clouds at my most vulnerable moments. It reminds me of the endless potentiality that life can offer us at any given moment.
But stop to Imagine 20 or 30 of these on stage and at different heights and depths; that'd be a piece I'd love to stare at for hours!