5 obstructions

Besides the ups and downs of the first week of this project, I had a nice time discovering new media and ways of doing things. I really liked working first in photoshop (as I had done in my Art+Me project). My experimentation in photoshop, replacing all green with other colors (mostly blue) and removing black to leave white negative space, lead me to the concept of this painting. The white spaces reminded me of overexposed photos, and I began thinking of ways that I have felt "overexposed," but in good ways that leave me feeling vulnerable, open, and growing. For example, trying ballroom dance for the first time despite not being a dance. All of the blobs of patterns are taken from photographs of the textures of pavement or grass. There are flowers and small textures and sun rays. The "branches" are actually tar filling in the cracks on the street, leading the viewer around the board and reminding them of interconnectedness and the act of cracking or breaking open to reveal a design. These small everyday things also inspire me to be more open and to pay attention to the present and the things around me. Also included are things that push me and challenge me, as well as nods to my relationships with others, but I believe that explaining everything included makes the piece too specific to me and takes away from this feeling of openness and discovery.

The working title of this piece was Overexposed, but I felt that this had too much of a negative connotation. I thought, "an overexposed photograph- what else does this relate to?" I researched and came across the word aperture, which means an opening. Wide apertures produce overexposed images! I liked this connection again to openness, so I named it Aperture (incorrectly spelling it "aperature" .... embarrassing). This is also a callback to how I solved two of my obstructions (3D element and incorporating the wall) in which I literally opened up the masonite to expose the wall behind. This piece is about the act of opening up, discovery, and joy when becoming vulnerable.