COOPER UNION HOMETEST

MOST OF MY COOPER UNION HOMETEST AND EVERYTHING ELSE I'M SENDING TOO
I just have one hometest piece piece to go!

My question to everyone: how are you submitting your portfolio aside from the ones you physically send to Cooper? On a disc, or are you sending actual prints? The directions really point towards sending actual prints but that doesn't make a whole lot of sense and it fairly uncommon for art schools...

Okay, I've been Googling often to see if someone else has blogged about his or her hometest and I've only found one and I thought it was EXTREMELY helpful so I decided to post mine too. In this post I have my hometest pieces (each followed by their respective explanations), my essays, a link to my photography portfolio, and my regular drawing and painting portfolio (some of which have explanations). Fair warning--I write a lot!

HOMETEST QUESTIONS, SOLUTIONS, AND EXPLANATIONS

1. Three drawings of different utensils/tools from observation. Design and define the use of a new tool using the observational drawings as source.

Title: Meet the H8M8

With this prompt I decided to take both a typical and conceptual approach to effectively rendering the piece so that some parts have an immense aesthetic value and some parts demonstrate more of a thought process. Of course, I am referring to the observational drawings as the aesthetically pleasing portion and the cartoonish rendering of the H8M8 as the more thoughtful portion. Though, I would argue that my choice in subject matter for the observational drawings—a canine nail clipper, hut glue gun, and tape dispenser (literally chosen because they were the nearest objects to me)—is unique in itself, as these three objects are commonplace but not necessarily contemplated regularly.

At the time the idea for the H8M8 came to me, I was listening to talk radio. I automatically associate talk radio with the talk show hosts I most passionately despise and thusly Rush Limbaugh came to mind. In a matter of seconds I had my idea fully formulated in my mind and had begun putting my ideas on paper.

I decided to illustrate the H8M8 in a cartoonish manner because it fits well with the humorous premise of its design: to tape shut the mouths of those we dislike most. On the poster of the H8M8, I included a brief summary of how it works as well as an advertisement for the wicked nifty new colors. All of this is a political statement, exemplifying how people so strongly dislike others because of their political or religious affiliations, sexual orientation, or color of their skin. The “Supremacist White,” for example, would be a version of the H8M8 meant for use by those who wish to silence white supremacists.

2. A feral self-portrait.

Title: Self-Portrait as Feral

For this solution, I drew much of my inspiration from René Magritte’s Dangerous Liaison, parodying the painting in a humorous manner while at the same time incorporating a portrait in self with my signature high-contrast shading in charcoal. Again, I have produced a highly conceptual solution to the prompt—the majority of the concepts lie in color choice as well as the incorporation of a tail.

I chose to render the background in orange because it is a highly synthetic color, representing manmade fortifications, industrialization, and certain human attributes (such as eccentricity—I have always thought of orange as being a relatively eccentric color).

The background color of what is reflected in the mirror is rendered in green because green represents nature, and is in stark contrast to the vivid orange. I added leaves to enhance the idea of nature reflected in the mirror.

The tail indicates that the individual in the portrait (me) is undoubtedly wild, yet it is attached to a body that is standing, in part, against a synthetic orange background. Thus, because the individual in the portrait was clearly at one point domesticated, the tail also indicates that the individual in the portrait is not only wild, but unnaturally wild as well. This exemplifies the definition of “feral”.

4. A sequence or series of multiple rhythmic forms or notations.

Title: Last Breath of the Broken-Hearted

This solution needs little explanation as to the concept behind it but it is nonetheless deep and meaningful. The rhythmic notation is the EKG rhythm seen in the background—I deliberately rendered them subtly because had I made them darker and more blatant, the aesthetic value of the piece would have been diminished because it would have been so busy. I made sure to make the EKG rhythm just noticeable enough so that one can easily notice them upon taking a closer look, and upon realizing its presence, one realizes that I have actually depicted an individual’s death.

The dark brown splatters and drips of ink of the bottom of the piece are trees, as identified by the subtle green leaves at the tops of them. The trees, barren and somber-looking, are meant to convey a feeling of despair and classic winter blues. Thus, the trees are meant to complement my intended conveying of a broken heart.

The final noteworthy aspect of this solution is the materials of choice—ink washes, splattered ink, bleach, and charcoal on coffee-stained watercolor paper. Through experimentation, I found that bleach dyes coffee-stained watercolor paper as well as ink, but does not dye watercolor. I also found that when layered, ink washes look much better than watercolor. In the past I had never done anything in a style such as this but am considerably satisfied with the outcome.

5. Harbinger.

Title: The Change

This solution is an illustration of the many HARBINGERS of spring. Again, I used my newly discovered favorite mix of media: ink washes, splattered ink, bleach, charcoal, and coffee.

In this solution, I have shown a woman standing nude in what is presumable a field or open area where moderately tall trees and bushes exist. The woman is nude because the weather is warmer, (hence the melting snow, shown seeping into the ground at the bottom of the piece). On the woman’s chest, there is a scarlet “W” (yet another reference to literature in my artwork—The Scarlet Letter) which could stand for anything the viewer would like to believe it stands for, however, I have intended for it to stand for “winter”. Also note that the “W” appears to be melting or somehow dripping off the woman’s chest; this is meant to indicate that winter is receding.

Perched on one of the several bushes or trees depicted in the solution is the silhouette of an unusually large bird, which is a common indication of spring. I made the bird unusually large and conspicuous because I wanted to emphasize its presence.

There are also a number of instances in which harbingers are seen in the sky. The stars, for example, exist in the piece for two reasons: one, to indicate nighttime, and two, to indicate a certain constellation seen in the springtime, Cassiopeia. Also note the color of the sky—it is a red to blue gradient, which illustrates the traditional weather proverb “Red sky at night, sailors’ delight; red sky in morning, sailors take warning”. Thus, the red sky at night is a HARBINGER of good things, especially good weather, to come.

6. A method and mode for the deinstallation and transportation of an existing monument to be re-erected on a specific site of your choice. (Include working drawings, materials, and site specifications).

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Title: A Monument of Mine

This was perhaps the most challenging prompt to respond to in the hometest, and certainly the most time-consuming and demanding of a creative response. I feel as if my solution epitomizes creativity, as my approach to the hometest in general, especially for this piece, was to take the literal definition of the keywords in the prompts and redefine them so that I have technically responded to the prompt, but not necessarily in the way that the individuals who came up with this prompt had in mind for potential solutions. Thus, when I thought to redefine a monument, The Sound and the Fury—a monument of immense sentimental value in my eyes, as well as a monument in American literature—came to mind.

I chose to render my solution in the form of a book because my choice for a solution required quite a bit of information to be conveyed. The only negative result of this decision is that book-form took away, perhaps substantially, from the aesthetic value of the piece. I made sure to incorporate illustrations as well as words to tell the story of how I broke down, or DEINSTALLED the novel’s ideas and then used analysis to RE-ERECT them, in the form of my own words, on paper. I was also careful to include a diagram of the 8 ½’’ x 11’’ paper, an indication of the materials used for deinstalling and rendering the ideas on paper (the brain and ink cartridge, respectively) and have therefore answered all components of this prompt in a unique but technically correct manner.

ESSAY QUESTIONS

1. List all visual study courses you have completed or are presently taking in pre-college, after school, or summer programs.

I have completed the Open Studio course of fall 2008 with installation artist-in-residence Kirsten Reynolds, the spring 2009 Open Studio course with illustrator artist-in-residence Tracey Carrier, and the fall 2009 Creative Studio independent study course. I have already committed to the spring 2010 Creative Studio independent study course as well. In addition I have been a member of National Art Honor Society since 2007 and will continue to participate in the various extracurricular visual arts activities in which the organization engages.

2. Describe any work experience which you feel relates to your artistic goals.

My work experience is limited, but I like to consider my extraneous activities in volunteering and work for no pay as valuable assets to my résumé, especially because they are all art-related.

During the summer of 2009 I was asked by Van Otis Chocolates, a gourmet chocolate shop in Manchester, New Hampshire, to photograph their products. It was explained to me that their previous photographer was always busy and demanded outrageous pay, and since I had offered free photography services in exchange for full rights to the pictures and thus an expanded portfolio, Van Otis decided to have me take pictures of their products as an experiment. To say the least, this experiment went well. The pictures demonstrated a higher level of mastery than I had previously imagined I possessed and have since served as some of the strongest photographs in my portfolio. Van Otis has since asked me to take pictures for them in the spring, and even offered to pay me.

In addition, I took senior pictures for four of my friends this fall. Again, I surprised myself, and probably everyone else, when these photographs demonstrated a high level of mastery and understanding of color, composition, and the importance of capturing one’s personality. The senior pictures I took for my friends catalyzed my sudden gain in popularity at school and I soon became a reputable photographer, recognized by many as such. In November of this year, the student council hired me to take pictures at the homecoming dance, and in December of this year, the computer graphics teacher at my school, an individual with whom I had had limited interaction with in the past, asked me to take pictures for next year’s program of studies. This is a project I am still working on.

All of this work experience has contributed greatly to the development of my photographic portfolio, and I recognize it as monumental progress in my growing level of confidence as well as social and artistic aptitude.

3. What are your goals after graduation from The Cooper Union?

My goal, as mentioned several times throughout these essays, is to be a communicator through art. My medium of choice for communication is tentatively planned to be photography; I want to expose social issues and make statements, much like a photojournalist does. Yet, nothing is set in stone except my desire to pursue a major in photography—with a degree in the field, I could do any of a number of various specific career choices. Again, my one unwavering criterion is that it will be a career which entails the communication of ideas or subtle commentary in the form of art.

My desire to be a communicator also comes with the desire to change the world. I do not necessarily want to be famous—however, I would like to be an individual who stirs up a considerable level of controversy by exposing societal weaknesses, corruption, and the like. Consider the likeness of my career goals to the accomplishments of George Orwell—they are virtually identical for a reason.

4. Explain specifically, what other professions have you considered outside of the visual arts?

I would like to think that it is relatively evident from reading these essays that I write well and possess a higher understanding of syntax and diction as well as grammar in general. It should therefore come as no surprise that up until 2008, I was prepared to go to college and major in English education to become a high school English teacher. My mother was an English major and writing skills, along with musical and artistic skills, run in the family and a major in something having to do with English seemed sensible.

I changed my mind when I joined Open Studio, an exclusive teen art program that works with a different artist-in-residence every semester. In Open Studio, I came to realize that I am far more talented in art than I had previously imagined—I fell in love with the unofficial recognition I received as being “the best” in the program; this, along with endless encouragement from the program director Linn Krikorian, compelled me to seek a post-high school education in art.

5. What books, works of art, and/or persons have inspired your interest in the study of art and why?

I am inspired to do art, as well as write, by the great communicators in history. I have a special interest in writers of satire and critical commentary, especially Mark Twain and George Orwell. Orwell’s essays, especially those found in his collection All Art is Propaganda, have especially helped me to develop new perspectives on topics which I would have likely never contemplated otherwise. Moreover, Orwell is the most compelling communicator I have ever known, and I strive to eventually be a communicator as distinguished and unique as he. It is for this reason that I recognize him as being the most influential writer over my artwork.

There have been a number of individuals who I have known and who have encouraged me to continue to communicate, either with writing or art. My mother, for example, encourages me every day to never give up on my dream. A number of teachers are also monumental contributors to my goal of being a communicator through art, especially a man called Matthew Crosson, whose significance I have explained in essay number seven.

6. Explain any trivialities in which you engage.

I have found that this year I am always doing artwork or schoolwork. The limited time I have available for trivial activities is often spent either sleeping or occasionally engaging in activities that somehow contribute to enhancing my intellectual capacity, whether it be watching the History channel, visiting museums, reading, or playing an instrument (Yes! I am also a woman of music). I am also an avid Red Sox fan—the only greater passion of mine than the Red Sox is art, though the Red Sox are a close second. I suppose one could call me a collector of Red Sox items, as virtually everything I own has a Red Sox emblem on it.

When I have time to do whatever I desire, sometimes I am naturally inclined to seek relief from having to always think critically and logically. However, these moments are rare, because even if I did have time to engage in unproductive activities, I believe that any period of time in excess of a few hours is far too long to spend doing something unproductive. The only exception to this is spending time with friends, because time spent with my friends is even rarer than a moment of free time.

7. Describe an event or idea that has been very influential in your life.

Without doubt, the most influential event in my life was my experience as a student of Matthew Crosson, who was my sophomore English teacher in high school, and who I commonly refer to as simply “Matthew” because he has become more to me than a teacher.

I feel in love with Matthew, despite my avid maintenance that I have no interest in men. He knew everything about me that was of any importance. Of course, we were never intimate, and the intimate feelings were never even declared to be mutual. But I was nonetheless his number one fan, and I doubt that I will ever encounter another individual who can match Matthew’s charisma, intelligence, and faith in me. Matthew taught me as much about myself as he did about English—he did not teach me how to write (though he helped me improve my writing immensely) but he did teach me that I can write. He gave me more than enough private recognition as the most gifted and perceptive writer of both his two sophomore English classes.

The most influential advice Matthew ever gave me was that there is such thing as life after high school, and that even thinking to take one’s own life because high school is so excruciatingly painful is a waste, as after high school, life gets better. I took this advice to heart and have kept it in the back of my mind since the moment he said it to me, and I thusly credit him with having saved me. I stopped questioning the value of my life after that.

Matthew was also my first source of encouragement to tie art and literature together, and with his help I came to realize how much more powerful a piece of artwork can be if it is tied to literature or a strong concept. My first really conceptual piece of artwork was done shortly thereafter, and was unofficially dedicated to Matthew.

In addition, Matthew was one of a small handful of individuals who consistently supported me in my pursuit to develop myself as an artist. My portrait of Leonardo DiCaprio, called Enter a Messenger, was actually done in Matthew’s name as well—in the bottom right corner of the portrait, there is a quote from Shakespeare’s Macbeth which has strong ties to the sentimentality of my relationship with Matthew:

Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage
And then is heard no more. It is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing.

This quote is significant because it serves as the derivation for the title of William Faulkner’s epic novel, The Sound and the Fury .I read The Sound and the Fury and did a research paper on it in Matthew’s class, and this paper, according to Matthew, was beyond impressive. The Sound and the Fury, therefore, ties me and Matthew together, and the aforementioned quote seemed more than appropriate. I gave the portrait to Matthew, and he displayed it in his classroom for the next year.

But as I have explained in essay number ten, I was prepared to leave Central High School and enroll in another for my senior year due to my plaguing emotional problems. When I informed Matthew of this at the end of junior year, I thought he was going to cry. I also told him to keep the portrait and that I would be back to visit him sometime next year. Over the summer though, I decided against switching high schools and on the first day of my senior year, I went to share the news with Matthew. I was then informed that Matthew had left teaching and moved to Seattle, but he had left the portrait behind for me. It was then that I realized how much this man had meant to me and that I truly loved him.

I still think about Matthew every day, and cry for him often. But his absence has also helped me to become more resolved in my goals to succeed; a great deal of the reason that I try so hard in school this year, and aim to attend the most prestigious art schools in the country, is to make Matthew, and myself, proud. I know that if I work hard enough and always strive to do my best, Matthew will again hear of me and my artwork, and he will remember me, and he will cry too.

8. Why do you think it’s important that artists speak or write about their work?

Given my desire to become a communicator of ideas through art, there is therefore nothing more important in art, other than the ability to formulate a concept and effectively render it, than the ability to speak or write about one’s work.

Often, my work requires explanation. In my Advanced Placement independent art study, in which I am currently enrolled, the students in the class have come to notice that the teacher gives us higher grades if we can articulate a cohesive explanation for any deeper meanings that may exist in our work. This makes perfect sense, to me at least, because I understand that the ability to explain a deeper meaning in my work makes the piece all the more thoughtful and impressive overall, and also indicates to the teacher that I have taken the time to actually think about my work and have thus put forth more effort, despite the aesthetic value of the piece, than it appears.

I was required to explain my work for the first time when I joined Open Studio and did a scale model of an extremely conceptual installation. My explanation helped me to earn the regard as the deepest thinker and most talented in the class, and I have been writing about my work ever since. Because I am now able to write about and explain my work, my grades in the Advanced Placement independent art study, a completely different class than Open Studio, are stellar, in part because I habitually contemplate and write about my work.

9. Why are you applying for Early Decision?

I chose to apply for Early Decision because it was recommended that I do so when a Cooper Union admissions representative reviewed my portfolio in Boston. In addition, The Cooper Union is my number one choice for college, and I thusly seek a response as to whether I have been accepted or deferred as soon as possible. According to my research, 60% of all accepted students are Early Decision applicants—that it a statistic that I could not turn down, as I need every bit of a leg up that I can get in order to be accepted to The Cooper Union.

10. Considering the obvious limitations of this questionnaire as a one-way interview, provide us with an answer to an important question we have not asked.

My initial plan was to send Cooper Union two recommendations—one from my high school guidance counselor, to help justify my poor GPA, and one from the program director at the Currier Museum of Art’s Art Center, to convey my passion for art and natural talent when it comes to such. But I quickly abandoned the idea, partly because Cooper Union asks for only one recommendation, and partly because I feel it is my duty, and not my guidance counselor’s, to explain this myself.

My GPA is low. I will admit it freely and point no blame toward anyone except myself. However, my actions that lead to my poor GPA—abandoning my schoolwork and giving up on myself and everyone who tried to help me, simply because I hated myself with every ounce of my being—can be explained, and perhaps thusly provide some level of reassurance that there once was a time when I had no future but that time has passed, and I have augmented into an individual with a promising future and perceptive take on life’s tendency to always turn out okay.

It took me seventeen years to realize that depression did not have to dictate the quality of my life. But before then, depression did in fact consume me in every way. I was diagnosed with depression at the age of seven or eight and my condition was treated with medication and consistent therapy. As I got older, especially late in middle school and throughout high school, I became resistant to therapy and medication and consequently sent myself spiraling downward into a world of self-pity and close calls. Six hospitalizations (for simply being depressed to the point where I was virtually immobilized and unresponsive to help), one rape, and one eating disorder later, I had had enough with the constant drama and suffering, and I made a conscious decision to make a turn for the better. And I did.

This conscious decision to make a turn for the better was actually more of a subconscious and gradual spiral upward which entailed an eventual apogee—a defining moment in my life to say the least—in which I realized that a dramatic change was needed. This spiral upward began when I joined Open Studio. As a result of joining Open Studio, I learned that art was an appropriate career choice for me, and have not looked back ever since. Now, I live for art.

During these years of hospitalizations and medication complications, and especially after I was raped, schoolwork became completely unimportant. Absence, illness, and apathy catalyzed a GPA completely unreflective of my intelligence and true academic fervor. By the end of junior year, I was prepared to drop out of high school.

By the beginning of senior year, I had essentially become a new person, determined to do well academically in senior year and attend art school afterward. Presently, I hold a strong GPA of 4.0, which I plan to maintain and offer as proof that when I am not plagued by depression and illness, academics are my top priority and accurately reflect my intelligence and conscientiousness. My SAT scores are also a reflection of the intelligent individual that I am, though I would argue that my true intelligence has still not been properly evaluated, and never can be. Common sense, intuition, and a perceptive nature cannot be measured, and therefore my intellectual capacity cannot be quantified.

Not many people know of my past struggles, because I am extremely selective in regards to with whom I share this information. Throughout the past few years I have come to notice that it takes a lot for an individual to fully comprehend the nature of my situation and how serious it truly was; not everyone possesses the necessary intuition and insight. The only people who fully understand are the people who matter; I matter, my family matters, a few friends matter, and the admissions office at The Cooper Union matters.

MY PHOTOGRAPHY POTFOLIO

Can be seen here: http://s24.photobucket.com/albums/c20/iamjohnnydamon18/Photography/

MY PORTFOLIO

Title: Thanatopsis

Thanatopsis is a depiction of society’s demise as a result of drug use (note the detail photograph that shows the source of the blood: a pill). I have shown blood dripping across buildings because drug use is widespread around the world and within communities. Also shown in this piece are bloody footprints which lead to the edge of a certain building and then cease; on the building below the one with the bloody footprints, there is an excessive amount of blood spatter, indicating that the individual who made the bloody footprints has jumped or fallen off the side of the building. It is my understanding that certain drugs can compel an individual to jump off a building or lose control so that he or she falls off.

The title of this piece comes from a poem written by William Cullen Bryant, also called “Thanatopsis”. The poem’s title is derived from Greek, and translates to “meditation on death”.

Title: Enter a Messenger

This is a portrait of Leonardo DiCaprio. It is significant to me in an extremely sentimental way; the fiery yellow background, blue eyes, and shadowy face is what I imagined when I read the following quote from William Shakespeare’s Macbeth:

Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage
And then is heard no more. It is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing.

“Enter a MESSENGER” is the next line in the play, and thusly seemed appropriate for a title. Also, in the bottom right corner of the portrait, the aforementioned stanza has been quoted.

Title: BRADBURY WAS WRONG

BRADBURY WAS WRONG is a challenge to Ray Bradbury’s science-fiction novel Fahrenheit 451. When I read Fahrenheit 451 in 2007, I was appalled at how incredibly unfeasible the concepts were, though I understand that a common thread between most science-fiction literature and films is unrealistic concepts. However, Fahrenheit 451’s concepts were especially unfeasible because they were based upon human behavior that is completely contrary to how we behave in actuality.

Fahrenheit 541 takes place in the future, and illustrates complete government control. It features a society banned from reading or even thinking freely; no one knows how to reason or think logically outside of what the government tells them to think. The only purpose of the fire department (another flaw in the novel’s purpose—who is to say that burning houses or forest fires will be eradicated in the future and there will be no need for a fire department as we know it today?) is to rush to sites where books have been discovered, and burn them. Four hundred fifty-one degrees Fahrenheit is the temperature at which books burn.

My piece, BRADBURY WAS WRONG, illustrates a concept completely contrary to that of Fahrenheit 451. It is a scale model of an installation that I designed myself while working with installation artist-in-residence Kirsten Reynolds. In my scale model, I have shown a room whose contents—moving boxes, sheets, furniture, glass windows, screens, money, playing cards, posters of celebrities and movies, a mirror, and an easel—have clearly been burned and destroyed. In fact, everything in the room except the literature, newspapers, sheet music, and artwork, is burned.

Also note that that which directly encloses the literature, newspapers, sheet music, and artwork, is burned as well. For example, there are several pieces of literature shown to be inside partially burned moving boxes; there are also two pieces of artwork (both by Grant Wood, my favorite American artist who did a lot of satirical pieces which I thought would fit well with the concept of my installation) which are covered by partially burned sheets. This indicates to the viewer that the literature, newspapers, sheet music, and artwork have not been placed into the room after everything else was burned. The message behind all of this is meant to show that literature and the like can in fact survive both physically and legendarily, while other more material objects, such as playing cards and money, cannot.

Title: Self Portrait in Black & White

Title: Still Life in Charcoal I

Drawn from observation.

Title: Still Life in Charcoal II

Drawn from observation.

Title: Leonardo

Title: Still Life in Watercolor

Yes! I know the bottles are uneven. Whatever. Ha.

Title: Self Portrait in Color (Physically sent to Cooper)

Title: Cattle Skull (Physically sent to Cooper)

Drawn from observation.

Title: Still Life in Primary Colors (Physically sent to Cooper)

Drawn from observation.

Title: Woman of Color (Physically sent to Cooper)

Title: Cornstalk Reduction Study (Physically sent to Cooper)

This is actually apiece of black mat board. I drew the cornstalks from observation, then cut the lines with an x-acto knife, and peeled away what is white. The white is just the second layer of paper underneath the black.