Toothpicks with Artist Statement

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We eat toothpicks when there's nothing else




I initially had not intended to continue the zombie theme. I had shot footage of my parents home, my father, and a cat. I was going to juxtapose the comfortable situation I had as a child, with the situation i am in now; a little broke and in school. It was highly exaggerated, I don't eat toothpicks obviously, but I have always been afraid I won't have any money when I need it. The scene with the three poor men is also my hyperbolic take on the current economic recession. We don't eat a lot of filet mignon in my house.

Final Assignment

My final assignment and artist statement:

http://www.simplymelissa.com/art/TimeBasedMedia/

Artist Statement

Most of my work exhibits layout, color, and design. Throughout college my art work leaned towards painting or drawing people and still lifes. Color and contrasts of lights to darks have always fascinated me. My work captures things in my surroundings.

For the final project in this class I chose to revisit my composition of Transformation. The definition of Transformation is, "A marked change, as in appearance or character, usually for the better." I have always been on the print end in the art world. I feel my life is in transformation. I am now going back to school to learn the digital end too move forward and change some direction in my life.

I have read how artist's should write their statements by analyzing all of their work and then talk about what inspires them. Since I am in this "time of change" I felt this piece symbolically shows my life now.

Final Assignment

Artist Statement

I have enjoyed photography for over 20 years; discovering digital in 2005. The program at Northeastern has allowed me to further my artistic vocabulary in the digital arts. Several years ago I acquired a collection of family slides dating back to 1958. I’ve wanted to incorporate these slides into my artwork through collage to explore themes of family, memory, and culture.

WBUR recently aired a segment about a special exhibit from the State Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow, at the Russia at the Museum of Russian Icons in Clinton, MA. I was able to visit with my parents over Thanksgiving, and later interview my Mother about the exhibit, and our family history with the Russian Orthodox Church. My personal history with the church was intermittent and I never became grounded in the religion, but certain aspects of the culture are inescapable.

With this collage of video, family slides, and music I explore an important element in the cultural backdrop of my childhood and our family history.