Phase I Proposal

Phase I: Materials Exploration

For the First Phase, I want to make books. I want to learn different techniques and styles for book binding.  I want to explore a variety of materials (different papers, fabrics, etc) to use for making books. I will look towards traditional and more contemporary methods of book binding.
Last semester, I was in a Handmade Paper and Book class, but I only made two books, an accordion book and a simple binding technique. I can contact my teacher from this class for more techniques to try.

I searched on Google Images for some photo reference ideas for handmade books:

Inspirations, spring 2012

I started blogging to discuss my process and inspirations, and I found that what my inspiration, motivation, and most inspiring people are all connected, as well as working process and environment. Human rights is a common link with all the aspects I am identifying.

Inspiration, Motivation, Most Important People 
I am motivated by the constant need to bring justice to those who are affected by these injustices. I am motivated by the idea of speaking up for those whose voices are silenced.

Troy Davis-
Martina Correia- For staying strong in the fight to abolish the death penalty and for her work to bring justice to her brother Troy.
Other Human Rights Activists- As a member of Amnesty International and working as a Student Area Coordinator for AI, I have meet many activists and people that are passionately working to provide human rights for all people. I an both inspired and motivated by these people and the work that they do.
Vik Muniz-
Mrs. Judith Murray Smith- She has been an amazing teacher, mentor, and friend to me since my sophomore year in high school.  She is an incredibly smart and inspiring art mentor.

Working Environment and Process
I work best in the studio with music and good friends, especially Sarah. I like getting feedback on work while its in progress. I talk through the majority of my ideas and/or issues in the studio with Sarah either before, during, and after each project. My studio walls are most useful to me when they are covered with inspirational things, AI posters, photos, etc. We usually have either Big Band Theory playing, or Adele or country music on loud. All of these things make the studio environment a great place to work.

Reading
I use Amnesty articles, blog posts, and case studies for reference and inspiration.

Studio visit

Aung San Suu Kyi
Pen on paper

This is a portrait of Aung San Suu Kyi, a democracy leader in Burma. This portrait is completely filled in with quotes from Aung San Suu Kyi. When I made the drawing she was on house arrest in Burma. She was released on November 13, 2010.

Bookmark (see Field Practice website)

Bookmark (see Field Practice website)

I was in a class called Place: Site Responsive. In this class, we researched and studied the history and current state of Mission Hill. We proposed our own projects in response to what we learned. I worked with the Parker Hill Library, which at the beginning of the semester was facing closure. Originally I was trying to work with keeping the library open. Throughout the semester, the future of the library continued to change, eventually being allowed to stay open. With this exciting news, my project shifted to raising awareness for the importance of the public library in the neighborhood. I set up questionnaires which were left at the entrance of the library. From the answers I received, I created bookmarks with people's responses on them, and I placed those bookmarks throughout the library. For documentation of the installation:  http://www.fieldpractice.org/bookmark/

Paper letters for Amnesty International
Handmade paper: cotton and abaca, pen

Paper Countries (Thailand, Japan, Philippines)
Handmade paper: Thai Kozo, Japanese Gampi, Philippine Gampi on cotton 

China final
Pen on paper

China final (detail)
Pen on paper

This piece is my final project for the China travel course. It is a large drawing of a Buddha from the Longman's Grotto in Louyang, China. The smaller drawings are all inspired from my trip to China and referenced from photos that I took while in China.

The death penalty claims innocent lives. Since 1973, 138 people have been released from death rows throughout the country due to evidence of their wrongful conviction. In the same time period, more than 1,200 people have been executed.

Ink on canvas

"The struggle for justice doesn't end with me. This struggle is for all the Troy Davises who came before me and all the ones who will come after me. I'm in good spirits and I'm prayerful and at peace." -Troy Davis
Ink on canvas

Ken Robinson, TEDtalks

One of the first points that Ken Robinson made was that people are being educated toward unpredictable futures. The children in schools are supposed to become prepared for the future, but who knows what the world will be like or what to actually expect when they get out of school. 

Another interesting point is that children are born artists, and it is a struggle for them to maintain their artistic ability. I agree with this point. I feel that we live in a world where creativity is not always used to its full potential. A lot of people are too focused on the economic state of the world, ad too focused on money. With that mindset, creativity is often limited. Art forms are not often thought of as successful ways to earn a lot of money, so pursuing art is not often a path people take. Most people go to school to major in business or fields with the pursuit of finding 'good' jobs. This idea limits the creative mindset. 

Kids that do not do well in school or don't apply themselves in certain areas may be in the wrong direction in terms of what they are learning. Creativity should be encouraged in all aspects of education, within art classes and brought to other areas of study. Educators should provide students with the opportunities to find what they are good at and encourage them to follow that path.