That Neon Kid. Visual Artist.: December 2011

Saturday, December 31, 2011

2011 Scraps.

1. For the piece mentioned below($3 clearance piece), i'm having trouble finding specific parts for it..will get back to it next week.

2. Happy New Year

Newest sketch..what a wonderful way to end 2011..ok. 9"x12" Ballpoint Pen 12.21 - 12.24.11

As with most of my recent sketches..this one representing change, but more reminiscent of the past. This bridge is again pictured(i'm obsessed, tell me. i'll miss this place), with its West wall being transparent, as you can't really get this view from standing inside that spot, or anywhere else in reality. Anyways, this girl and i are drawn both younger than we are, the same age, how we always have been and will be in our Hearts. I was wanting her to finish the drawing by adding something in the middle..guess that won't happen- in a positive sense it opens up the drawing for interpretation, a sense of mystery for what is going on between the two figures, the rock that appears to be illuminated, and why i look so weird..? then again when don't i..? Fortune added to enhance mystery ooooOOOOoo, jk. - i thought it reflected the piece/my current state perfectly.//

truth is, i was going to tell you..
that every night i dream of being in your arms again,
and every day is the reality of not having that warmth in my Heart.
because an angel knows love, sees love, feels love, it is not needing to be heard.
you are not an angel.
you are human.
you are here on earth, here with me.
i can feel you, feel you inching the knife into my chest.
and for you, i rehearse this feeling,
my illusion full circle..

Thursday, December 22, 2011

Check it Check it

Completed 12.21.11. Newspaper, Spray paint/caps/guts.

Still workin on that other one..

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

You just wait..

Bought these last year on clearance, $3 a piece(I follow closely after my mother).
Already took care of the first one, watch what becomes of the other..

Bought this the other day on sale,
I guarantee you what I put in there will be better than the stock wedding photo

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

'Ark of the Covenant' one year anniversary..

Yep.. this mural is still standing after its first year in the basement of the St. Paul Center, Naperville, IL. Surrounded by Christmas lights(thanks for taping right on the mural guys..thanks), I guess we can say it's the last this youth group will see of us. We visited tonight to check up on everything..couldn't have been more awkward..probably won't happen again. The description to the far right reads//

Joseph Mazzone (1991)

Ark of the Covenant, 2010

Gesso and Acrylic on cinderblock

With early on help from friends and SSPP alumnus David Bakke (1991, class of ‘05) and Anna Graham (1992, class of ‘06), this parish consented mural for the Teen Zone took all but 8 months (March 15, 2010 – November 11, 2010) to complete. Starting with the collaboration of two crude sketches and restricted to ONLY brush paint with limited days, this work marks the endurance and will of the young artists involved, through tireless effort and an accumulation of at least 215 hours. Ark of the Covenant utilizes artist Mazzones’ personal style and continuance with color experimentation through the influence of Graffiti, and parallels it to that of the boldness, emotion, and power of the Book of Revelation (verses and idea of Rev. organized by Mike Lewandowski and David Bakke). Based around the original wall hanging of the Crucifix (center), Mary is pictured on the left agonizing over the death of her son Jesus, while opposite John is pictured cradling the Bible embossed with the Mazzone shield. The reason for the monochromatic schemes was to emphasize the emotional tension between Mary and John; the cold, loneliness, etc. of Mary’s losing her son (and of her always pictured with blue), and John being red for the justifying comfort which the Bible may provide once truly understood. ‘Tech-style’ rays come forth from the Crucifix to not only signify the obvious glory, but also tell of how the Biblical stories and its typology have thrived and inspired through hundreds of years, and continue to do so(time).

Although this was a new subject matter for Mazzone, the style and technique can still be related to his past works

This mural is protected by the ‘Visual Artists Rights Act’

Acrylic on Cinderblock. Mind the glare.

The 'Mazzone' family coat of arms pictured on the Bible

Monday, December 12, 2011

Computer Art Final Portfolio - Proposal, Artwork, Artist Statement

Since the boom of graffiti from the late 60’s through the 90’s, it appears as if this particular art form has paralleled the life of a notorious celebrity; stardom, the minor fall, slow progression, the major fall, and now the attempted redemption aka selling out. With this present day ‘selling out’ comes the deep integration of street art into our society via advertisement/marketing, certain forms of media, etc. This paints a picture so skewed and publicized that it tends to question where the line is drawn: do we still call this graffiti if it’s displayed in a gallery, used by major companies to catch an eye, or for any other mainstream legal purpose? My six works of art will narrow down on the shift of graffiti from a crude, primitive form of notoriety into prized art worthy of gallery standards, and focus on the repressed meaning behind street art; the integration and acceptance of graffiti into the mainstream world through highly selective standards and surfaces. What does this shift mean? What may become of graffiti art if this transition into mainstream society continues? I aim to express the dynamics of graffiti as the hidden art, or ‘what used to be and what now is’ in present day terms, and express that line.

The street scene background and 'Cope2' framed artwork were taken from the 'Cope2' Blog on 12ozProphet.com, and is not my property(http://www.12ozprophet.com/images/sized/images/bloggers/cope2/Bronx-20111101-00014-664x498.jpg http://www.12ozprophet.com/images/bloggers/cope2/Cope2_Rise_Invite_3.jpg). The 'Stak' framed picture is not mine either, found on Bombingscience.com.

Forgot the the target on this one, but the picture I laid on top of the canvas is also from 12ozProphet I believe..NOT the fill though, I replaced the fill to suit my theme.

For my six works, I chose to explore two heavily contrasted areas in art currently. The battle of street art versus fine art has always held a place in my heart, and makes subtle appearances in many of my outside (of the classroom) works. Because this class focused on using mediums relatively new to me (Photoshop, Corel Painter, etc.), I felt it would be interesting to ‘update’ this ongoing theme and incorporate it via computer art. Inside these six works, I aimed to not keep separate the idea of gritty street art and fine art, but more so to fuck with the space where the two collide and controversy emerges.

By doing this it was first necessary to define what each side puts on the table and break down the elements of each. For street art, I had to make evident the culture and passion, and essence of crime and amateurism that is derived from the art form. For gallery art I had to keep in mind the high-class style with its clean/professional presentation, and confidence which brings that art to that higher level. I was then able to distinguish the two, explore the stereotype of both sides, and begin collaborating ideas of how to mesh the two while creating visually appealing work that still maintains their individual dignity. After this, I focused on creating works revolving around the idea of street art that is transferred into a gallery setting, in other words, ‘selling out.’ To emphasize this, I kept in mind the strong and dramatic lighting, interesting compositions, and subject matter which requires some degree of prior knowledge. These features are apparent in most of the works. Where my line of work introduces a new subject however, is the newspaper article piece. This particular work steps away from the ‘gallery appeal’ of my other works and brings it to the most basic street level, where most people considering graffiti vandalism, contrary to the graffiti artist seeing an object as an open canvas. I felt this piece was necessary because the flow of the works seemed to focus solely on gallery art, and by incorporating this work with its strong ‘graffiti as art’ perspective, it would help to shift the mood to center on the actual intentions of graffiti as a pure art form. This also helps to open the door to many possible works to come, and even transition the perspective completely.

While retaining their visual appeal, the end products create something unsettling, a subtle hint of tension without losing their sense of unity. And by creating a minor shift in the style of works, the viewer is almost forced to understand the actual intention of street art, while never having to pick up a spray can. Still, both sides remain intertwined in harmony, competing for the viewers’ attention, fighting for who is staying true to the art.