How we survive

My last post was about a little zine I made to go with my comps.  Recently I also helped make another zine called “How We Survive” through the GSC.  We made it for the SpeakUp! Against Sexual Violence, which was held here at Carleton last Thursday.  There was a really lovely article about it in the Carletonian that came out today.  The event involved students submitting written pieces about their experiences with sexual violence (with the option of submitting anonymously) and the pieces being read by students (some people read their own piece, some read anonymous submissions, some read submissions by students who didn’t feel comfortable reading their own piece).  It was extremely moving.  We had a much larger turn out this year than last, which really gives me hope about the number of Carleton students committed to ending sexual violence on our campus.

The zine we made to go along with the SpeakUp! is a book about the continuing process of survival at Carleton, made entirely by Carleton students/survivors.  We put a call out to all of our friends asking for tips about their process of survival, especially relating to being at Carleton.  The submissions we got back were really stellar and I think the finished product is really beautiful and powerful.    You can check out the publications page on the GSC website for more information about all of the office’s publications, including information about BODIES which comes out next week.

View or download How We Survive:
How We Survive (Online Book) | How We Survive (PDF)

Zines forever

I don’t think I’ve written about the 2010 senior art show, DIMENSIONAL VISION, yet.  The experience of hanging the show and getting all of my work ready for presentation was exhausting, but entirely worth it.  As part of my presentation I made a small zine to go with the ceramic work.  It was my little way of combining the things I love most (books and ceramics) into one adorable little package.

I uploaded said adorable little package, and you can view the online book (link below).  I have also uploaded many images of my comps project to the Gallery section of this site!  It’s the most brand-spankin-new part of this site and I’m pretty jazzed about its potential.

Since the website for DIMENSIONAL VISION is hosted by Carleton, it will be up until the end of time.  If you want to see images of my project later or see the work of my peers, you can just mosey on over there any time you please.

View the zine here:
Sexual Dimorphism (Online Book)

Zigzagging

This is only my second post about paper.  I plan to post mostly about printmaking, drawing, and so such the like, but instead I am going to post about Manuel Munoz.  He is an author of two collections of short stories (Zigzagger and The Faith Healer of Olive Avenue) and he recently spoke at Carleton for our Pride month.  He writes about the intersecting experiences of LGBT communities and latino communities.

I love short stories so much.  There is something about a good short story that cuts right through me.  I love reading them, but even more I love hearing author’s read their work.  Last summer I listened to a podcast where Miranda July read an excerpt from “Mon Plaisir” (part of her book No One Belongs Here More Than You).  I did some scouting and I think the podcast is part of the iTunes Meet the Author series.  The story is so beautiful, but hearing the author read, hearing her say the words like she hears them when she wrote them, it makes the experience magical.  And that was even listening to a podcast.  When Munoz read part of his story (he didn’t want to read all of it, for fear that we’d get bored), I cried.  It was so beautiful and moving.  His stories have such earnest portrayals of characters, especially ones that are split between the LGBT community and the latino community.  When he was trying to get his first book published, he had a lot of trouble because publishers couldn’t put it into one category or another.  Gay publishers weren’t sure if it would sell, latino publishers weren’t sure if it would sell, despite the fact that many of his stories had been published individually in big name periodicals.  When he spoke to us he talked about the period where he wanted to give up, but thank god he didn’t because he is so talented and his work is remarkable.  I highly recommend picking up Zigzagger of the Faith Healer of Olive Avenue.

Exquisite pots

At NCECA Kelly moderated a panel on a collaborative project coordinated by the Northern Clay Center.  Six artists (Margaret Bohls, Sam Chung, Deborah Schwartzkopf, Andrew Martin, Maren Kloppmann, and Andy Brayman) that worked in cone 10 porcelain created a series of works, shipped them off to the other artists, and glazed the other artists’ pieces.  The project is based on the exquisite corpse idea that originated with those goofy cats the Surrealists.

Our NCECA group trekked out to the Perkins Center for the Arts in Collingswood, NJ to see the second iteration of the exhibit.  It was wonderful.  The artists collaborated so beautifully and responded so exceptionally to the other artists’ forms, applying their style in response to someone else’s object.  It was so interesting to see a spread of the same form glazed in vastly different ways.  Many of the artists’ styles are easily identifiable, and it was fun to go through the show and track different artists’ approaches.  It was also great to hear the artists’ thoughts about collaboration.  Andrew Martin glazed one of Margaret Bohls’ pots, which was so jarring because their styles are radically different.  She initially hated it, but eventually it grew on her and became one of her favorite pieces.   We also had the opportunity to talk to the artists, which was definitely the best part.  They were all super nice.  At first most of us were too timid to talk to them (it felt like approaching a celebrity), but Kelly introduced us and then there was no stopping us.  Being eager ceramics students, we had a lot of questions about construction and glazing.  We could ask Kelly or make guesses of our own, but nothing compares to being able to approach an artist and ask them about their process.   Visiting this exhibit was a really wonderful experience in so many ways.   It was also my first time in New Jersey, which is cool too.

Bodies

I submitted a print to the upcoming Bodies publication from the GSC (my current place of employ).  It is an intaglio  print (an engraving specifically) I did in intro printmaking two spring terms ago.  It was part of a book called “These Things Are Formative”, portraits of bodies with text about an experience that influenced their life/body.  I did a self portrait about me + narcolepsy which I have retitled for Bodies “I used to be a morning person and now I have narcolepsy”.  It’s loosly based on a photo that a friend took of me when I had accidentally fallen asleep while sitting in a chair in the KRLX record library.

I used to be a morning person and now I have narcolepsy, intaglio print, 2008

Bodies comes out soon.  Check out the publications section of the GSC website to read our previous publications, When I Knew and Drag.