Thursday, November 24, 2011

Bearing Fruit


StarApple
Star Apple, Caimito. Found in Central America and the West Indies. Some species are found in Africa too. It's a custardy delight!

Monstera deliciosa! The fruit may be ripened by cutting it when the first scales begin to lift up and it begins to exude a pungent odor. It is wrapped in a paper bag and set aside until the scales begin popping off. The scales are then brushed off or fall away to reveal the edible flesh underneath. The flesh, which is similar to pineapple in texture, can be cut away from the core and eaten. It has a fruity taste similar to jackfruit and pineapple. The unripe green fruits can irritate the throat and the latex of the leaves and vines can create rashes in the skin, because both contain potassium oxalate: that's the reason why the fruits have to be consumed when the scales lift up. Cool huh?


Some hanging fruit ...

Fruit carry seeds to spread their influence.

How my "fruit" opens. There is a seed inside.

How my fruit will present itself when it falls.

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Biomes




http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/world_biomes.htm

Each passing day the world changes as our climate begins to change and evolve. We see these different kinds of natural phenomena as self-sustaining, living communities, also called biomes. Biomes have changed and moved many times during the history of life on Earth. More recently, human activities have drastically altered these communities. Thus, conservation and preservation of biomes should be a major concern to all. There are many ways to categorize the types of climates found around the world (Some climate combinations more unique to certain parts of the world) and these biomes exhibits and explores the ancestor/descendant relationships which connect all organisms, past and present.




What is a biome?

A method to classify the Earth’s terrestrial communities as ecological units that correspond with regional climate types. Also seen by writers, artists, as the natural world’s major communities. Though because of human movement and activities, they are been altered from their original states. Farming and irrigation are two examples.

Biome derives from scientists Frederic Clements and Shelford were both studying communities, groups of organisms living together in the same place or habitat. Plants and animals worked together in a self-sustaining unit formulated by S.A. Forbes while studying lakes.

Some places are devoid of life, sandy dunes, new lava flow, and a new glacial lake. A predictable series of plant communities would come to occupy the site, one replacing the other until a final stable assemblage of plants would develop and persist until a major change in the climate occurred. This is called a climax community. Endpoint of succession!


Typically there are 7 Terrestrial Biomes (There are actually more, but these are the 7 main ones):


Tropical Rainforests – Amazon Rain Forest, Ranomafana National Park; Costa Rica

Savannas – Kenya, East and Central Africa, Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela

Deserts – Sahara, Great Basin, Gobi Desert

Temperate Grasslands – Great Plains; US

Temperate (Deciduous) Forests – Basically, the forests of Michigan! Pretty much Northern United States

Boreal Forests – Forests in Stockholm; Sweden, Central Canada

Tundra – Newfoundland; Canada, Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska

Marine Biomes (Basic Idea, there are so many)

Coastal – zone of transition between land and sea

Coral Reefs – Great Barrier Reef; Australia, Florida Keys,

Continental Shelf – 7.5% of the world’s surface area

Deep Sea – 2/3s of earth’s surface.


Where people live determines what is most important to them.

Alaskan Tundra:

In the Northern most city in the United States, the people of the city follow tradition. The Iñupiat Heritage Center was designed to serve as an inspirational facility to promote and protect Iñupiaq culture, history, and language through exhibits, classes, performances, and educational activities. Things like Whaling, sewing skins to cover boats, carving whale bones, and storytelling. They do not have television, computers or smartphones, but radios to communicate and listen. Whales give themselves to whalers who respect them and treat them properly. As part of this reverence, we offer the whale a clean place to come to. We store our whale meat and blubber in underground ice cellars that we clean out each year before whaling. This their connection to nature and use of their environment. They seek only what is necessary and important to their cultural value and that is keeping their bond to the animal life and adapting to the cold weather for their survival. They know their weaknesses and strengths and yet they have managed to strive as a society for thousands of years on their ancestral lands.



http://www.co.north-slope.ak.us/departments/planning/IHCsite/PoW/index.html



In Northern Siberia/Mongolia:


In a land where the ground is always frozen, one creature has nourished man both physically and spiritually. Author Piers Vitebsky tells Debbie Elliott about The Reindeer People, his book about the Eveny herders of Siberia. They are called the Evenki.

For thousands of years, man and beast have co-existed in a brutally cold environment where human life would simply not be possible without reindeer. Vitebsky has studied them for two decades, emerging with a moving profile of a people "who know how to be." Evenki had moved out from their previous homeland in northeast China and spread for thousands of miles across forests and tundras, swamps and mountain ranges, from Mongolia to the Arctic Ocean, from the Pacific almost to the Urals, making them the most widely spread indigenous people on any landmass. Even today, elders can tell stories of journeys that make young people, tied to their villages and dependent on aircraft, smile with disbelief. The old people achieved this mobility by training reindeer to carry them on their backs and pull them on sledges. The endless succession of short migrations from one camp site to the next, which they have shared with me, gives no more than a glimpse of the power of reindeer transport and of the way in which this creature has opened up vast swathes of the earth's surface for human habitation.


Transportation

Fresh milk



In Bhutan "Where Nature & People Live in Harmony":

The tiny nation of Bhutan ranks among the most biodiverse in the world.

According to Wikipedia: Bhutan is seen as a model for proactive conservation initiatives. The Kingdom has received international acclaim for its commitment to the maintenance of its biodiversity. This is reflected in the decision to maintain at least sixty percent of the land area under forest cover, to designate more than 40% of its territory as national parks, reserves and other protected areas, and most recently to identify a further nine percent of land area as biodiversity corridors linking the protected areas. Environmental conservation has been placed at the core of the nation's development strategy, the middle path. It is not treated as a sector but rather as a set of concerns that must be mainstreamed in Bhutan's overall approach to development planning and to be buttressed by the force of law.

The southern part of Bhutan nearest to India is warm and supports wildlife that is usually associated with a tropical-jungle climate. As one progresses north, the wildlife changes according as the elevation increases. In much of Bhutan, it is quite cool - even in the summer. High in the Himalayan mountains, there is snow year round and this is an area inhabited by incredibly hardy animals and plants.Innumerable rivers wind through the valleys of Bhutan. Waterfalls are everywhere, tucked in between the cliffs and draining into the rivers and streams. Currently, 72% of the country is covered with forests (or other communities of native vegetation), and the Bhutanese government policy is that this percent must never fall below 60% in the future. The forests that grow between the riverbanks and the mountain peaks include a variety of trees, such as bamboo, cypress, and the rhododendron. The rhododendron forests are of special interest, as Bhutan has over fifty species. The entire country is composed of several types of biomes -- Tropical Forests, Temperate Forests, Subalpine Forests, and the Alpine Tundra.

"Taking things from nature has a cost, and it will be paid by future generations when they lack the natural resources that we have today. Always remember that we do not own the earth. We are only minding it for our children."


The rough terrain makes it difficult for homes to be built -- but the Bhutanese have managed to make their way around these natural phonenomena.
Unique flora managed to grow in a preserved environment.
Trekking around the mountains can allow you to see the country's national flower, the Blue Poppy. A rare find in the country itself and a rare color of flora in the world.


http://www.conservenature.org/learn_about_wildlife/biodiversity_in_bhutan/bhutan.htm

Friday, November 18, 2011

IP Weekly Progress -- #10

What I did:

Sunday: (6 hours) Measured, cut, and scored roughly 10 large petal/leaf forms. Started tearing paper for weaving Cliff Sparrow homes.

Monday: (2 hours) Tried to hang some pieces up, practicing installation technicalities. Tried a new technique for nest weaving.

Tuesday: (4 hours) Nest weaving and some research on natural forms similar to nest weaving. Looking at unique pieces made from nature.

Wednesday: (1 hour) Finished “weaving” cliff sparrow homes and folded petal forms.

Thursday: (6 hours) Built a “roof” with chicken wire to help support future installations and hung pieces from it. Tried hanging forms around to see how I wanted to create my “experience.”

Process:

My techniques are improving and I’m starting to identify different qualities of paper out there. Ultimately trying to find the paper that suits me the best is the 100 lb bright white paper – but right now I’m conserving them while I wait to order a new batch of them. I’ve been finding scraps of paper all over the art school so my artistic abilities are not hindered by the lack of paper. I’m getting close to a point where I’ll be pumping out work once I have a better visual of this “paper” world.



What I accomplished/discovered/encountered:

After doing some sketching this week, I discovered a whole new way to sell my installation in a new light. I’m starting to finally think of the “why” factor and how I can incorporate it with the installation. I will design large-scale abstractions of plants and animals and install them in an enclosed space, like a corner or a small room, to create an experience for the viewer. These abstractions will be sculpted with large sheets of white paper using scoring, cutting, and advanced folding techniques. My audience will walk into a paper world made entirely from my imagination. To recreate a sense of wonder that has been lost my installation will be interactive like a life size pop-up book you can open and explore.

The reason I want to pursue a subject of nature is because I want to establish a lost connection with mankind and the natural world. Rather than just create an experience I want to go further and have people be able to interact and make an experience for themselves. The project is for me to gain an understanding of how flora and fauna function together in the world through constructing my own paper world while for the audience is to look at the world I’ve created and look at my work in awe. Plants and animals look similar – deep-sea creatures like jellyfish, coral, and sea anemones resemble plants and by combining creatures we see people can look at my abstractions as a way of identifying the elements creatures they may or may not recognize. All living creatures have symbiotic relationships between each other even when we don’t know it. Within many of the paper pieces will be equipped with small LED lights to represent bioluminosity found in deep-sea creatures which use their natural lighting to attract, lure, or hide.

In December I will have small paper folded drafts of flora/fauna forms completed. There will be a mini model of the entire space and what I plan of make for a good idea of scale for the IP consultation and myself to visualize the use of space in the gallery. By January I will convert these drafts into finalized life size forms with large sheets of paper and test lights inside of them to figure the use of power required for each piece. By March I will have all the paper sculptures finished and ready to install by the beginning of April. This installation will take a significant amount of space, requires an area where light can be controlled, and has no windows. With my LED lights in a dark space they will have a glow to “lure” and “attract” like deep-sea creatures. Chances are I will have to start looking into places – but I’m considering WORK gallery downstairs as a great place. I do not think my installation would do well in Slusser because of how congested the room tends to look with everyone’s work trying to fit in one place. Though an off-site gallery space would be nice. I wonder what the process of getting a gallery space is ..

What I think I should do next:

Continue to make and install!

Sunday, November 13, 2011

Natural Inspiration






These are Red-tailed cliff dwelling sparrow. When I went to the Southwest for a couple of weeks with EcoExplorers I saw these nests tucked away in the cliffs at Chaco Canyon. I never saw birds inhabit them, but when I first saw them they were hard to miss. There were hundreds of these nests clustered together like a natural society. I felt intimidated by the vast number of these nests because these particular nests were abandoned and looked very fragile. Their empty holes all stared down at me like a collection of ominous eyes. How cool would it be to fill an entire corner with many of these figures ...




Thursday, November 10, 2011

IP Weekly Progress -- #9


(Note: For some reason my Blogger hasn’t been posting my full posts on the first try. This happened last week too. Sorry everyone!)


What I did:

Sunday: (2 hours) Developed a draft for a pitcher plant. (MADE A MILLION OF THESE AND NOT QUITE THERE)

Monday: (2 hours) Sketches of possible flora figures for the installation.

Tuesday: (4 hours) More drafts of this pitcher plant and tried another variation of the petal forms. Worked on decorating my second studio to prepare for hanging forms up.

Wednesday: (1 hour) Picked up more paper and some grant work.

Thursday: (5 hours) Finished sketches, grant work, and better drafts.

Process:

I have a second studio, which makes a big difference! It feels a lot better having more space. I don’t feel quite as overwhelmed nor as crowded. It’s nice to have an open space only to become my canvas. I’m making drafts like crazy this week and I’m pretty happy with the amount of work that I created this week. The grant took up more time then I originally intended and I felt a little distracted by the All Student Exhibition. So much too do, so little time. Overrall, this is a rough week and regardless I’m happy with the amount of work I did even though it was sketches and drafts – I feel I’m super close to bursting out some really nice pieces this week.





What I accomplished/discovered/encountered:

After doing some sketching this week, I discovered a whole new way to sell my installation in a new light. I’m starting to finally think of the “why” factor and how I can incorporate it with the installation. I will design large-scale abstractions of plants and animals and install them in an enclosed space, like a corner or a small room, to create an experience for the viewer. These abstractions will be sculpted with large sheets of white paper using scoring, cutting, and advanced folding techniques. My audience will walk into a paper world made entirely from my imagination. To recreate a sense of wonder that has been lost my installation will be interactive like a life size pop-up book you can open and explore.





The reason I want to pursue a subject of nature is because I want to establish a lost connection with mankind and the natural world. Rather than just create an experience I want to go further and have people be able to interact and make an experience for themselves. The project is for me to gain an understanding of how flora and fauna function together in the world through constructing my own paper world while for the audience is to look at the world I’ve created and look at my work in awe. Plants and animals look similar – deep-sea creatures like jellyfish, coral, and sea anemones resemble plants and by combining creatures we see people can look at my abstractions as a way of identifying the elements creatures they may or may not recognize. All living creatures have symbiotic relationships between each other even when we don’t know it. Within many of the paper pieces will be equipped with small LED lights to represent bioluminosity found in deep-sea creatures which use their natural lighting to attract, lure, or hide.

In December I will have small paper folded drafts of flora/fauna forms completed. There will be a mini model of the entire space and what I plan of make for a good idea of scale for the IP consultation and myself to visualize the use of space in the gallery. By January I will convert these drafts into finalized life size forms with large sheets of paper and test lights inside of them to figure the use of power required for each piece. By March I will have all the paper sculptures finished and ready to install by the beginning of April. This installation will take a significant amount of space, requires an area where light can be controlled, and has no windows. With my LED lights in a dark space they will have a glow to “lure” and “attract” like deep-sea creatures. Chances are I will have to start looking into places – but I’m considering WORK gallery downstairs as a great place. I do not think my installation would do well in Slusser because of how congested the room tends to look with everyone’s work trying to fit in one place. Though an off-site gallery space would be nice. I wonder what the process of getting a gallery space is ..


What I think I should do next:

Converting these drafts into large, final forms! And get more large sheets of paper!

Saturday, November 5, 2011

IP Weekly Progress -- #8


What I Did:


Sunday: (5 hours) Made a mini model draft of the giant flora form and planned out individual parts of the form.

Monday: (5 hours) Made a quick large scale draft and started making the large flora piece. Made some creative additions to the piece like papercut and quilling forms for experimental purposes.

Tuesday: (3 hours) Played with small drafts of scoring and cutting techniques to get more “rounded” forms when piecing multiples together. Tried to make some bigger forms, but not quite successful.

Wednesday: (3 hours) Purchased more paper and played with papercut. Looked for ways to install pieces by comparing artists or looking online to hang and display my pieces.

Thursday: (4 hours) Scored large sheets of paper and continued making more drafts on a larger scale. Also thought about paper texture (Scoring) and played with small LED lights to determine lighting capabilities.




Process:

I’m beginning to fill a frame of what to accomplish during my studio hours per week. I minimize my sketching of each subject and play with paper drafts until I achieve a technique I find the most successful. I build off the “technique” and apply other paper forms until I am happy. I merge these shapes together to create a piece of natural, attractive shapes inspired by nature.

What I accomplished/discovered/encountered:

I made a piece and glued it to a sheet of paper on the wall. Once I finished the contrast between both exercises marked the evolution of my process:



The Branch paper form I made was much too literal –the branch is meant to be a whimsical and conceptual representation of a tree branch with abstract leaf forms. People still see it as a tree branch and question what the purpose of making a perfectly shaped stick with abstract leaves is. Why specifically a tree branch?




My jelly flora form became an abstraction of several things found in real life: a Siphonophore, the bud of a flower, and leaves. There is a major difference between the two subjects and I feel this particular piece is an experiment on the right path. My idea of making now is to formulate a shape and strategically place it until I sense inspiration to fold another shape and merge the two together.

This week I tried to combine 2D and 3D (Papercut and Quilling with Large scale folding) – but I found that I was a little too hasty and sensed that I there is still an obvious divide. There is no “inbetween” and I need to figure out a solution to this issue.



These are some pieces I started drafting to try making multiples of. I'm thinking of making a large flower that works as a colony like with Siphonphorae live -- multiple "flowers" of the same species which work together to pollenate, attract prey, and expand in its growth. I'm exploring the Predator-Prey relationship: ensnaring the audience to engage in my pieces and observe them from a closer range ...

What I think I should do next:

Keep doing what I’m doing: making drafts of shapes and practicing folding, scoring and cutting for my forms and keep going bigger. Make a multiples piece that hangs and encourages viewers to engage the plant to the inside of it. Like a predator prey relationship. I'm working on formulating a full 360 degree view of my sculpture and allowing the audience to view the inside of my piece. I also would really like to incorporate the idea of texture (Scales, hair, fur etc). How can I do that?