HWXX: DRAWING WITH A STRANGER

After proving what we all suspected, that the public space is the playground where our intimacy is revealed to the big brother, "el ojo que todo lo ve", like we say in spanish, I decided to draw my experience with a stranger. I got inspired in the design of the, so loved, American flag. How the flag is used inspired me to make this project. I thought about the symbols behind the flag and how national pride is used as a way to create the society of the fear. -If you want to be a good patriot, show me what you have in your bag- kind of thing. How the fear of terrorism is perpetuated using the flag as a symbol of protection.

So, I created a design with the stars and strokes of the flag, using its colors. I tried to see if the stranger could recognize the flag. So i asked them to make a drawing using the shapes in the design I made. I just tried it with two people. the first one, Fabio, who was an italian citizen visiting my friend. the second was Pati, the woman who works at the Deli across the street. I´d like to do it with american people.

My design

Fabio´s

Pati's

HWX. WALKING ASSIGNMENT

Well, after promising during two weeks that I would upload all the work I have been doing for TaeYoon, i finally got the strength and the time to really do it. As you guys knew, I decided I would create a set of rules to critique the notions of control and surveillance that define society now. We live in a society that functions around the concept of fear. It is the reason under which governmental control uses different techniques of alarm and propaganda.   

RULES:

1. Initialization: Start walking, from Union Square, to Ground 0.

2. If subject sees policemen or firemen, subject walks on opposite direction.

2. If subject sees suspicious bag/container, subject follows object 2 streets. Then subject walks direction Ground 0.

3. if subject sees or hears "terrorism", "protect/protection", "alert/alarm", police/policemen", "save/safety", subject turns and walks opposite direction.

4. If subject sees American flag, subjects turns left, 

5. If subject doesn´t see/hear anything for during three streets, subject walks Ground 0 direction

6. Program lasts 120 minutes. 

The first image illustrates the path were the rules brought me. I find interesting the shapes of the drawing that is created on the map. The squares represents any symbols of nationalism founded or symbols of controls. Most of them were flags (I never, never in my whole life I had seen such amount of flags. We know they are out there, but once you pay attention to them, they appear everywhere)...Not to talk about the policemen and firemen...

The blue line, pictures the shortest walk to my objective, Ground 0.   

These next images are some of the documentation done during the process. 

Union Square

This two next images. In them, me, getting certainly pissed while not being able to get out from drawing squares in the city.

One wasn´t enough...two, just to make sure nobody missed it...

Next image, Relocated ad, a reality show about the witness protection program.

A sign between the Lower East Side and Chine Town...And in the other corner, a surveillance camera...They must be pretty safety hanging out in the corner...

After, two hours of walking ...my prize: A wall reminding me that even thought some governments might have forgotten it, we do have rights. We have the right of intimacy, and freedom.

HW_9. FOR TEMPT FROM ANNITA

I created a brush for Tempt. I got the inspiration from observing some of his graffiti...I observed that in some of them he uses three different layers of paint to create shadows and volume...Three dimensional effects to his bidimensional graffiti. I also added some dots inside the type as well as outside, since I saw that he uses this technique in some pieces. I had funnnnn!






Of rocks when I can make it work...



Hope you guys enjoy it!!

Tempt, if you see this, I hope you like it!!!Of course we will never do it as well as you but, we try hard...Enjoy it!!!

Annita

HW7_DRAW UNTIL YOU CRY

I made some drawings last week...sorry for my delay...my thesis is taking over my life, I guess. I have uploaded two of the drawings I made. I am an easy cryer...I am a really nostalgic person and I cry from emotion a lot, remembering Barcelona, my family and my friends...I tend to idealize the past. Whenever I think about my grandparents, I always cry. They are all alive, but they are 85 years old...I cry thinking that they, one day, die. I cry because I am here and I can not enjoy their company here. I cry because they cannot visit me because they are too old. I know that rationally, coming to nyc is really good for me and I love being here, but everything has its pros and cons...not seeing them is definitely a con...So, I know I didn´t do the required homework, because what I did was making an effort not to cry while drawing my grandfather who lives in the countryside and the little town where he was born...deep flat Spain.

HW8_GET WASTED IF YOU CAN

For my walking homework i tried to walk from Montrose (I would take the subway to union Square) to World Tread Center...if I can... I titled it "Get Wasted If You Can"...Eventually one could be able to get to the World Tread Center, where our insanity and obsession for protection an being "safe" started...In an ideal world, we could get wasted with my drawing tool...I suspect, it is not gonna be able to happen...