Museum of the Moving Image

     The  exhibit that caught my attention the most was Behind the Screen where they portray the way in which film editing, aesthetics concerning moving images, and optical instruments helped develop and contribute to the moving image itself.

     One of the many features that the exhibit Behind the Screen displays is the makeup aspect of making a film. The numerous masks that the museum displays are countless and intriguing. The mask of Jim Carrey from the movie The Mask, 1994, is one of my favorites because of the details involved in the creation of the mask such as the wrinkles and shape of the nose, which make you feel like you are staring at something more than just a mask. I also admired the life mask of Marlon Brando from The Godfather, 1972. Dick Smith transforms Marlon Brando into an aging Don Vito Corleone in a way that you have to remind yourself, as you're watching the movie, that Brando is only in his late 40's. The mask of Quasimodo in The Hunchback of Notre Dame, 1923, is exquisite considering the fact that it is only the 1920's and makeup artists such as Lon Chaney are creating monsters already in such a unique way. For this mask, the primary ingredient was mortician's wax that Chaney used to apply to his face in order to become Quasimodo. There were also a segment of various masks of aliens and monsters with sharp teeth and slimy skin that fascinated me the most. One look at these realistic masks and you feel as if they're right there and you're in danger. One can be amazed by the fact that these special effects that were arising during this time is partially the reason why we love horror movies. Masks like these can transport us to a world of the unknown and make us believe that we are in that world. Creativity cannot even begin to describe what these artists have made. It's something much more magical. It's imagination made a reality.

Artist Statement

     My goal is to never stop reaching for one. I'm inspired by and hope to create art that grabs peoples' attention and evokes the emotions that make us human. It amazes me when any form of art is able to achieve a chaos that is somehow balanced perfectly. Intense and contrasting colors are a constant obsession of mine that I come across randomly everyday, like in architecture lighting or music videos on youtube, because they have a way of waking you up and invigorating your senses. I respect art that steps outside the boundaries of real life and shows what the imagination is capable of, like the band Gorillaz, with illustrated characters as the band members blending in with the real world. I like bold images and sounds that break the constant cycle of New Yorkers, walking straight ahead and hurried everywhere they go, such as performers in the subway or graffiti when I walk around Brooklyn.

    My main focus is web programming and graphic design. I love the way that precise coding can create so many things and make a blank webpage come to life, and the way that Graphic design gives me the ability to construct any image or idea in my head into an actual visual design.

    Everything is always a learning process for me because I never want to stop creating. I believe that people as artists live in a constant cycle with creativity that never ends, but nurtures them. Every time we create, we evolve and our imagination becomes overflowed with a new stream of ideas. We never reach our goal because we are always reaching a higher state in our creative minds. Our surroundings, the people we meet, and our experiences re-inspire us and the evolution continues. Everyone is limitless by nature, that's the message that I'm inspired by and hope to inspire others with also.

    This Intro to film class is a learning experience for me since I've never done anything involving film before. My TA from last semester showed us the video Baby, I'm yours by Breakbot, and I remembered it because I thought it was a perfect blend of graphic design and video, and a direction I'd like to go in with this class.