Stephanie Midterm Slideshow

 https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1jHDZPOlrgQq5ft431Il2QS8duuSWfG7NktCxIKgf-mk/edit?usp=sharing

Jesse- Midterm

 https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/10szsZ-KnHUpfu810YCmuLJNOJPmsDMGKWdYz0xOOiqE/edit?usp=drivesdk

Midterm Presentation

 https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/17hfq7AlrZtwW4uzG1Aaxj1OYY6W3HH-djR9y2uHwrVQ/edit?usp=drivesdk

 Shayna Pullo presentation 

MID.PRESENTATION.SHAYNA 

Midterm presentation (Judah)

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/18JZ4k_TmVWWgUZYy1m4Ih48iUruwkaXl-wqrMnJWgjI/edit?slide=id.g35f391192_00#slide=id.g35f391192_00

Midterm presentation and Message - Andrew Diaz

 https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1CRTHriN-1QGFsdJg2qx8YFL4mtxe3kdmOlgQCl_TlnY/edit?slide=id.g3954876a12c_0_517#slide=id.g3954876a12c_0_517

Midterm Presentation - Christopher Cruz

 https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1j8k0shYeVTA9PBz5z1RMjN8dpyZ3adFM9vzHUgrVgI4/edit?usp=sharing

Midterm Presentation - Ashley Robinson

Midterm Presentation Link:

 https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/12hvCpC98T_zLZN0OLUMBfNfuVXlgGn5r-Lnqi8-bw-o/edit?usp=drivesdk

Influences and Messaging: Amber Perdigon Presentation

( ˘▽˘)っ~   Presentation 

Mid-Term Presentation

 https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1GfRwDF1O6IOhzZRc_I39vheLfEZxpIiIk-IfytoeAXk/edit?usp=sharing

Influences and Messages - Ishmael Adams 2/26/2026

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1YLsqoPkD-VVWJDJ9qMbGxo6C7fbGk_6OfVw01RdBvyI/edit?slide=id.g3cb422be80d_0_30#slide=id.g3cb422be80d_0_30

MIDTERM PRESENTATIONS: INFLUENCE and MESSAGE for studio research 1

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1hEk_IfgUtOrpOAum3tzCl_AQ21Obv67amCoHlg3jJY4/edit?usp=sharing

Midterm Presentation - Margie Tabora

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1Cg5WdwJmQyEYhNi1NHsVp86eYoyJFWcCA9MSUqlSGjY/edit?usp=drivesdk

presentation :’)​

Midterm Presentation - Diana Saintilme

 https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1Ewx9FTB2AWWdWqVgz_u_LdxKmMLzomaolEgcUIAPZSA/edit?slide=id.g3954eb01f9a_0_117#slide=id.g3954eb01f9a_0_117

MIDTERM PRESENTATION-CHRISTOPHER MCVICAR

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1TkzKVmwCFMdWuAm-HbljB6hQdge3Wb7Y/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=111213064054932030068&rtpof=true&sd=true

MIDTERM PRESENTATION - VALENTINA PENA

 https://www.canva.com/design/DAHCGFmJ9Go/yniB1wdqZrJCVsLV0ZhTkQ/edit?utm_content=DAHCGFmJ9Go&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link2&utm_source=sharebutton

Midterm- Arizabeth Baez Flores

Midterm Presentation

https://www.canva.com/design/DAHB-2tLJiQ/gb206mtsb2nJ9AKJNd5BZA/view?utm_content=DAHB-2tLJiQ&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link2&utm_source=uniquelinks&utlId=hec9a923921

https://www.canva.com/design/DAHB-2tLJiQ/JWv3isb_-5Sq2oNfnmejNA/edit?utm_content=DAHB-2tLJiQ&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link2&utm_source=sharebutton

Midterm Presentation-Samantha Rivera

 https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1MxFbCZ02Cq_69tjrOXf_QXpGvfSBwnhUvaLCfANdNnU/edit?usp=drivesdk

Lina Ouifak Hamrane Midterm Presentation

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1sy3SpJY1u9NhUcggWEnWhwVRa2-aWL37OmJkvy0aVL8/edit?usp=sharing

Midterm Presentation-Javier Morales

 https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1K31q1itZpuPAv1uwh-TRhNtbMc05BwZb4EBqWa86Lu4/edit?usp=sharing

Influence and Message

Influence and message presentation 

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1ySLMIDs7dbo1IMjld8d24xlhIP9qyMQtTowgeue3VxM/edit?slide=id.p#slide=id.p

Midterms Presentation - Sara Kolenovic

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/13Ws5osl4R6CNULlT-dzUMizd3JH8PGftFIIhvLnyBHY/edit?usp=sharing

Midterm Slides- Joann Nunez

 https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1klaGBNKoxE7FLmngjFj8FZ6s44k2j8-Og2P6cusqs2o/edit?slide=id.p#slide=id.p

Post 1 - Introduction to the class - Ashley Robinson

 1.) “Art historians are fascinated by moments in history when people destroyed, defaced, or buried works of art, since the destruction of an image is an implicit acknowledgement of its tremendous power and meaning. Art history uncovers just how significant we understand and feel images to be now and through history. ”

The first explains that when people destroy or damage art, it proves the artwork matters to them. People do not attack things they feel are meaningless. Destroying an image shows that it has strong emotional, religious, or political power. When a piece of art is defaced it shows people anger and what made them emotional.

“ When we try to “explain” art, to find a single, narrow meaning, we risk closing down possibilities for empathy with others and with the past, and with aspects of our own humanity. In the Humanities, we seek out multiplicity, complexity, and ambiguity, as difficult as that can be.”

The second quote says that art should not be explained in just one simple way. If we try to give art only one meaning, we miss its complexity and the different ways people connect to it. The Humanities encourage us to accept that art can have many meanings. Together, these ideas show that art is powerful because it affects people deeply and can be understood in many different ways. Both quotes show how powerful art really is.

2.) Lothar Osterburg, I like his use of photography and sculpture. I’m not that into art history personally but it’s interesting looking into the past sometimes. I would like to explore more modern art and art pieces, and digital art.

3.)

Digital Photography 
No title 

Digital Photography 
Paper sculpture 
No title

Digital Photography 
Metal sheet sculpture 
No title

Van Dyke Photography 
No title

Wood sculpture 
No title

4.) I’m a photographer, I love making sculptures, ceramics, clothing, etc. I’m mostly inspired by cinematography with tv and movies. I like artists like Beili Liu, Maria Zherdeva, Alina Sobolevska, Nao Saito, Christian Zajicek, and Maia Hirsch. If I had to describe my artwork I guess it’s just whatever pops into my head and doing the best with what I have to make it a reality. Different projects don’t look or feel similar to me so I can’t say something that describes it all. At the moment nothing motivates me to keep going. I care about human rights, when I was in high school I was very inspired by Lewis Hine, to be able to show people what they want to forget or not see, and to use a camera to help people really inspired me. It’s one of the reasons I choose photography over other art majors. I don’t feel a photo carries the same weight today but in the past it did help children and workers rights. With the artists I chose that inspired me, I saw their work online and really liked their art, technique, and message. I am studying Photography, Fine Arts. I make photos and sculptures. My artwork usually doesn’t have topics or meaning, it’s mostly what’s visually appealing or interesting. Some of my work is personal and about growth after depression.

Post 4- Arizabeth Baez Quotes

 Quote 1: 

"Your own body plays a role in your work both as a medium and a surface."

I got drawn by this quote because it relates to what I am currently doing, photos that focus on using myself as the object to tell the "story" through the photos.

Quote 2: 

"Some of the things I like to consider when creating my work are: who is looking, and how can I get them to slow down enough to consider themselves in that gaze?" 

This reminded me of when I focus on photos, I try to put myself in people's shoes and how they would see my projects and photos. I want the audience to focus on what they are seeing and enjoy it. 

What inspires her?

After reading the article, I realized she got inspired by grief, happy moments, and the people around her. She focused on what people would see and how they would see it. She wanted them to slow down. Life events are more to take into account when she does her projects. 

On the other hand, what inspires and motivates me when I am doing projects for most of them, they take my life events and personal events into consideration. The materials that I use are my camera, tripod, and lighting tools. For my aesthetic, I tend to be more on the black and white side, more than anything, because I see it as people taking the photos more seriously. The audience tends to take black and white photos more seriously if it's on a documentary side.

Post 4

What inspired LeSeur? Compare what motivates you to create meaning in your work.

LeSeur is inspired by using her own body as a source and language. The killings of Black People in America also inspire her. What I find interesting was that when she realized that reflecting trauma back was causing more pain. She switched to using a more nuanced practice making room for tenderness, joy, and love even in the midst of grief. What motivates me is exploring the ideas of innovation itself and how that changes our understanding of reality and society. I focus more on the idea of Superpowers thanks to the AI wave affecting society on a global scale faster than we can figure out its ethics.

How does your choice of material, process, aesthetic, content, etc. reinforce your message?

I'm using Superpowers as the material for it as a metaphor for AI advancement. We gain powers without considering ethics and morality. If the world is constantly shifting with new rules and ethics than it reflects uncertainty about the future and our survival as a human species. The aesthetic would focus more on the future of how our society would function based on these new innovations.

Quote 1:

"In most cases, I’m working with two primary colors: blue and red. These colors first came to me as symbols of a freedom I couldn’t quite grasp or manifest."

 

I find Red and Blue to be unique when it comes to the symbols of freedom. I mean in real life Red is synonymous for Passion and Action while also Rebellious. Anarchy and socialism is an example of using symbols like these. For Blue it's responsibility, loyalty, and trust. Liberalism is an example of this as well especially for Sonic as blue is represented for freedom.

Quote 2: 

"If something is slowed down and repeated, does this open up a synonymous space where two experiences can coexist, and does that in turn allow for the viewer to become an active participant in the work it takes to be present with themselves and with another person in that space?"

 I find this really difficult to grasp but I can say that if you slow down and repeat then it opens up the coexistence of two experiences at once for the artwork. You must feel the presence of yourself and another person in that space almost like having some sense of connection in order to understand.

 

Post 4 Creating Meaning

 “Understanding that in moments of pain there can also be glimmers of joy and tenderness, that beauty can persist- the nuance of being human.”

I relate to this quote a lot because when my mother passed away, I felt this wave of sadness and rage that mixed into this emotion that was difficult to describe, but knowing in the back of my mind, I know she’s not suffering anymore and there’ll always be love surrounding me. With the way LeSeur shows her experience with grief and joy around the unjust murders of black people in America.

“I always say that I believe we die everyday. What I mean by this is that parts of ourselves have to be released in order for us to grow, evolve, and continue becoming who we’re meant to be.” 

I love this quote and it’s something I live by everyday. We’re never the same person we were 20 minutes ago, kind of like how a reptile sheds its skin. It’s not growth unless we change something about ourselves. 

What inspired LeSeur? Compare what motivates you to create meaning in your work? 

I believe she was inspired by a lot of things: grief, joy, the human body, rage, the gaze. She pushes a lot of herself to be vulnerable in her work, to create this experience of perpetuated trauma and reverting it right back to the audience. 

What motivates me in creating my work is kind of just capturing things in the moment or drawing or journaling my favorite moment or not-so-favorite moment. I try to evoke joy and whimsy to my art pieces, but with the current state of the world we live in now, I’m tipping close to existential dread. So maybe in the near future, my pieces will embody rage and grief like how LeSeur perceives it. 

How does your choice of material, process, aesthetic and content reinforce your message? 

I almost exclusively use digital art as my main medium, using programs like Procreate. I also animate, which I plan on using more often since I love how crazy and creative you can get with this medium. So many amazing and touching stories use animation, I’d love to one day create a piece that’ll inspire and touch hearts.

POST 4 - CREATING MEANING

 Shayna Pullo - Post 4

Choose 2 quotes from the interview and write a short response for each quote. Then answer the two questions below.

"Understanding that in moments of pain there can also be glimmers of joy and tenderness, that beauty can persist—the nuance of being human."

LeSeur with this quote is basically saying that she learned that even when she was going through a lot of pain and grief, there were still small moments of love and softness in her life. I think she created this work because she didn’t want her art to only reflect trauma, but also the healing and tenderness that can exist at the same time.

"My work has taken on a form of truly moving through and from the body, and language for me is embedded in the body."

In this quote, LeSeur is explaining that her art doesn’t just come from ideas in her mind, but from her actual body and lived experiences. When she says language is embedded in the body, I think she means that emotions, memories, and even trauma are physically carried within us. Her work feels personal because it comes from what she has actually lived and felt, not just from thoughts in her head. It shows that for her, art is connected to her body and real experiences.

What inspired LeSeur? Compare what motivates you to create meaning in your work. 

LeSeur was inspired by her personal experiences, especially her rage and grief over the unjust murders of Black people in America. She was also inspired by how her body holds emotions, memory, and language. Instead of separating art from her life, she creates from what she has lived and felt. Her work comes from processing pain, questioning her purpose and trying to find space for joy and tenderness at the same time.

For me, what motivates me to create is different but also personal. At first, I made art as a way to disconnect from my sad thoughts and feelings. When I was painting or drawing, I could fully immerse myself in the process, and that focus allowed me to step away from everything else for a while. It helped me feel calm and in control. Later, I became inspired by different art styles often described as “clean,” “aesthetic,” “minimalist,” and “maximalist.” Seeing those different approaches pushed me to reflect on my own creative direction and develop a style that felt more personal and intentional. I didn’t just want to follow trends, I wanted to create something unique, recognizable, and original in my own way.

POST 4 CREATING MEANING

     Quote Responses

1. Growing and Evolving

"I always say that I believe we die every day. What I mean by this is that parts of ourselves have to be released in order for us to grow, evolve, and continue becoming who we're meant to be." 

This quote resonated with me and had me hooked once she said that we die every day. In my faith Jesus says we have to deny ourselves and pick up our cross and follow Him. I believe denying ourselves is like what LeSeur said because it's a constant putting the things of your fleshy desires to death, and growing more in the spirit, and getting closer to God. It might not be exactly what she said, but it is pretty close. Yeah we are not dying and coming back to life every day, it is a figurative speech, but in the faith, putting to death your fleshy desires, (which is the mind and what it wants) and growing in the spirit is like becoming something more spiritual.

2. Eyes to See

"If something is slowed and repeated, does this open up a synonymous space where two experiences coexist, and does that in turn allow the viewer to become an active participant in the work it takes to be present with themselves and with another person in that space?

I always get that feeling that when you slow down, not speak, or think your own thoughts, you can see more and perceive more. At first, it's your first thoughts, but when you actually take your time and consider what is you are perceiving, you actually start to see something different. When this happens, this could be the two experiences that LeSeur was talking about in this quote.

3. What inspired LeSeur? Compare what motivates you to create meaning to your work.

One of the things LeSeur said is "Coming back to the body as a source, the way I can create almost feels limitless." I believe this can be possible, because the body can be transformed and changed in many ways. People even tattoo themselves to put a form of art on themselves, and the body itself is already created uniquely with each person. There's so many ways I can see someone make art out of their body like LeSeur, and it could be limitless, the only thing is death would decay the body.

What motives me to create meaning in my work is the little details, and a lot of it. I love the emotional aspect behind details, and how everything in a art piece can be intentional. I feel like at this point in my life, and everything I've learned I can see art in everything, and what motivates me is how hard can I touch the heart of someone when I am making my piece, and how good it looks aesthetically. 

As a graphic designer, I would want the designs I make to be vibrant, pop, and to have life. I'm not really into things that are desaturated, and maybe it's because it reminds me of death when there is black suits being worn, and the body starts to turn pale, because of the lack of blood. I also use more red in my art than blue, probably because of that being warm feel, and my favorite color is orange. My message is reinforced in the story of the art piece, and I would like to introduce making art and also having poetry written for it, that is something I incorporated recently, while learning Hebrew poetry, and revisiting Shakespeare. 

Jesse- Post 4

 "These colors first came to me as symbols of a freedom I couldn't quite grasp or manifest."

I kept coming back to the moment she said this because it's so interesting to me how we can each take certain things, such as colors, and interpret them so differently. When I personally think of red and blue, I think of the opposite of freedom, and granted, that can be because of everything going on currently. I think for a while now that meaning goes a lot deeper, so to see that she thinks of a type of freedom coming from those colors, I guess, takes me by surprise.

"If something is slowed down and repeated, does this open up a synonymous space where two experiences can coexist, and does that in turn allow for the viewer to become an active participant in the work it takes to be present with themselves and with another person in this space?"

I was fascinated by this quote because I think slowing down and allowing repetition creates a space where past and present moments can exist together, almost allowing you to reflect rather than make a quick interpretation. It forces the view to also slow down, making it all so much more intentional. I believe this makes the art more meaningful in a way because of the emotional participation.

What inspired LeSeur?

LeSeur was inspired by the human body and her personal lived experiences as a black queer woman. She explored topics of greif, joy, rage, pain and more. 

Post 4 Article Response

Quote Responses

1. On the Power of the Silhouette

> "The silhouette is considered an outline, a shadow... a space where I can control what is being taken in and also push someone to question how they are looking."

I find this deeply relevant to my work in comedic comic strips and character design. In a comic, the silhouette is the first thing a reader "consumes"; it establishes the character’s energy before a single line of dialogue is read. For me, the silhouette isn't just a shadow—it’s a boundary of intent. By refining an outline in my digital work or inking a bold shape on paper, I am deciding exactly how much of a character’s essence the viewer is allowed to see at first glance. It’s a tool for mystery, ensuring the audience looks at the character’s form rather than just looking through them.

2. On Language and the Body

> "My body has become this recorder of sorts, and language has become a space for me to reveal the things that I’ve absorbed with my body..."

LeSeur uses her voice and movement to regurgitate what she has absorbed; I use my collection of materials to manifest the mystical and fantasy worlds I’ve absorbed through my imagination. This mirrors how I view my interactive beadwork. When I embellish a painting with beads from my collection, the process feels like I am "recording" a physical history onto the canvas. Each bead is a small, hard fact of my existence—something I’ve collected and held. While LeSeur uses language to regurgitate what she has absorbed, I use physical materials to manifest the "mystical" and "fantasy" concepts I’ve absorbed through my imagination and studies. My art becomes a body in itself, one that the viewer can literally reach out and touch.

LeSeur's Inspiration:

LeSeur is driven by the lived experience of being a Black, queer woman, specifically navigating the intersection of "grief and joy." She is inspired by the need to challenge the "violence of the gaze" and to reclaim her body and identity from external definitions. Her work is a transformative process of "self-baptism" and evolution.

My Motivation:

While LeSeur is motivated by a sociopolitical and personal reclamation of identity, I am motivated by world-building and the preservation of the mystical. My drive comes from a desire to make the "unseen" tangible. I create meaning by constructing narratives where the supernatural and the comedic coexist. I am less focused on the "gaze" of the world on me, and more focused on inviting the world to look into the fantastical dimensions I’ve built and exploring the mind of my stories by bringing them to life in whatever way I can. My motivation is to take an abstract feeling—like a "fantasy" or a "mystical" encounter—and give it a permanent, physical home through my art or invoke different facet of emotions through storytelling.

Reading through Le’Andra LeSeur’s interview, I find a striking resonance between her conceptual "body as a recorder" and the way I physically construct my own multifaceted art. As someone who jumps from the tactile world of beadwork to the fluid transparency of watercolor and the crisp lines of digital character design, I see my creative process as a similar way of navigating and controlling how my stories are perceived. The "language" in my work is a visual and textural one—a dialogue between the soft wash of watercolor and the hard, reflective surface of a bead. My body physically embeds these stories into the artwork, making the internal external.

Post 4: Creating Meaning

 “I think about material as memory… fabric holds history.”

This is a quote that resonated with me because LeSeur speaks about materials as if they have emotional and historical significance. She’s not just selecting fabric because it’s pretty; she’s selecting it because it has to do with memory. This makes her art seem complex and rich. It made me realize how important it is to think about the significance of even simple materials if we want to tell a story through them.

“I’m interested in how abstraction can hold emotion and history at the same time.”

I appreciate how she links abstraction with storytelling. Sometimes abstract art can seem like it’s just random, but she says it can also be full of meaning. This is something that I do in my own art sometimes, when I’m not necessarily trying to tell a specific story but the emotions and colors still have significance.

What inspired LeSeur? Compare what motivates you to create meaning in your work.

LeSeur is inspired by history, ancestry, memory, and the experiences of Black women. She uses her work to explore identity and generational knowledge. Her inspiration feels deeply rooted in research and personal reflection.

For me, I’m inspired more by observation and feeling in the moment. I don’t usually start with a strong political or historical theme although recently I've been intrigued to do so because of the current state of the world. I’m drawn to still life, design, and whatever visually interests me at the time. But like LeSeur, I realize that meaning can still come through intention like how I arrange objects, what I choose to highlight, or how I use space and color. Even if it’s subtle, it still reflects how I see the world.

How does your choice of material, process, aesthetic, and content reinforce your message?

LeSeur’s use of fabric, layering, and stitching reinforces ideas of memory, connection, and history. The physical softness and texture of fabric connects to care and ancestry, which strengthens her message. In my work, when I use graphic design, I think about clean layouts, typography, and balance. That reinforces clarity and communication. When I work with hands on mediums like drawing or ceramics, the imperfections make the work feel more personal and human. The aesthetic choice whether, minimal or detailed, helps shape how the viewer feels. Even if I’m not working with one big theme, my material choices still communicate mood, personality, and perspective.

Creative Meaning - Andrew Diaz

 1. “My work has taken on a form of truly moving through and from the body, and language for me is embedded in the body. I like to consider language as something we ingest and regurgitate as we become.”

I like this quote because it really does tell us who LeAndre LeSuer is as an artist. A person who is poetic in a way with her art and how she expresses her feeling and passion and how she uses her body and language to carry over her different forms of media.

2. “What I mean by this is that parts of ourselves have to be released in order for us to grow, evolve, and continue becoming who we’re meant to be. But those parts that are released don’t necessarily go away. They are still with us. It’s just a matter of how we integrate them into who we are becoming as we continue on our journey.”

This quote demonstrates how LeSuer says how her journey gave her room to grow and knowing who she’s meant to be. Her advice is truly inspiring and that there are still parts of us that need to be let out to continue our self journey and who we want to become. 

1. The violence and unrest murders of Black people in America caused a stir of grief and rage in LeSuer which lead to creating art that exists perpetuation of the same things that caused her so much pain. My motivates to create meaning in my art is that I want to draw pieces that create story that mean a lot to me and what it’s about, whether if it’s personal or fiction.

2. My choice of material mainly consists of a tablet and a pen, I mostly draw fun things that bring me joy. But in some occasions I due tend to let out some emotions into my art to get my point across and letting everyone know what bothers me and what I’m passionate about. Like I said before, whatever kind of material I use I will create a piece that has a story that’s really dear to me.

Post 3: Exhibition

    I had the pleasure of visiting HOME HERE at the Visual Arts Gallery, curated by Lucy Rovetto. This exhibit showcases women artists living in Jersey City and explores ideas of history, place, and memory through a site-specific installation. The installation is designed in such a way that the artwork bleeds into each other without any boundaries. One of the first pieces that caught my attention was “Something Happened Here” by Jin Jung. This piece incorporates a variety of mixed media components such as ceramics, a sculpture of a small house, and a map. The way in which the historical markers were layered on the map, in addition to the three-dimensional house sculpture, made this piece seem both informative and intimate. I learned about several different historical events that occurred in Jersey City, a place where I have lived but never knew much about.

    Another work that caught my attention was by Cheryl R. Riley. Her piece features a simple shopping bag enclosed in plexiglass and positioned separately from the surrounding works, almost like an island. That physical separation makes it immediately stand out. The plexiglass elevates the object, giving importance and value to something usually seen as disposable. On the outside of the bag are collaged images representing powerful stories of Black women, highlighting strength, history, and resilience. When looking inside the bag, the imagery shifts to white women, representing what was actually “bought.” That contrast feels intentional and critical, questioning whose stories are publicly honored and whose are truly valued in society. I chose these works because both made me reflect on visibility and history, one through mapping and education, and the other through symbolism and contrast.

    As someone who works in graphic design but also enjoys hands on mediums like ceramics and sculpture, I feel inspired by how both artists combine concept and material to communicate deeper social messages.

Post 4_Margie Tabora

Creating Meaning

• What inspired LeSeur? Compare what motivates you to create meaning in your work.

    

    - LeSeur's inspiration comes from the human body. She explains how she interprets the body and how it's used day to day and how it evolves. 

• How does your choice of material, process, aesthetic, content, etc., reinforce your message?

   

- I would like to consider my aesthetic as "nostalgic futurism" where when we think back to the times of Y2K, we imagined how technology would advance and have this great impact in society, with it's metalic chrome color palette as futuristic elements. I like to use a mixture of photographs and digital art to create collages and, at times, posters. My content represents the illusion of what the future could have been. How the feeling of a bright and a positive technological future was an illusion to how technology is currently being used and produced. Unfortunately, I don't have any current works complete, but down below are works that were a starting point for what my current preferred style is now. 

Creative Meaning - Ishmael Adams - 2/19/2026

 

    Ishmael Adams

    Professor Doris Cacoilo

    Studio Research 1 

    2/19/2026 

    Creative Meaning : LesSeur Interview 

    "My body has become this recorder of sorts, and language has become a space for me to reveal the things that I’ve absorbed with my body; but it carries over into things outside of language as well, allowing me to explore different mediums in art-making."

The variety of experiences that life brings I believe allows LesSeur to be able to communicate those experiences in different art forms, in effect bridging the gap between both the art and material world. Art is all about using your experiences to create something that anyone can understand no matter the language or time period and using different mediums just exemplifies that even further. Mediums of art have an untold amount of potential to reach people and with every new medium people interact with it expands the ideas on how people are able on a new and undiscovered scale.     

    "These colors first came to me as symbols of a freedom I couldn’t quite grasp or manifest. They then became even more, as I started letting myself dive deeper and deeper into their theory and what being engulfed in them made me feel. Blues for me have become a way to tap into the cerebral while still holding space for the emotional, and reds have always been bodily for me."

Colors throughout human history and especially in the art world has had a variety of differing connotations depending on the person. Due to the freedom of interpretation I believe the symbiology of colors as a medium has it allows LesSeur to reach more people than she otherwise would. Though LesSeur uses colors in a mostly emotional medium, it could also reach people who see colors in a smell or a piece of music that could further find another audience for her to reach. 

LesSeur's inspiration for her work is her body first and foremost. How LesSeur's body is used and viewed by herself and how it's viewed by the audience and the people who view her work. If it's one medium I would associate with LesSeur, it's her body given how much and how expertly she incorporates her anatomy into her work. Inspiration for my own work is a bit different however as I mainly work in graphite or charcoal as my preferred medium. I tend to get inspired by seeing the stories I hear or think about whether that be fantasy or fiction, fabrication or reality outside my door. 

My choice of material reinforces the messages my art brings depending on the story or theme I feel interested in telling. If I feel the aesthetic or theme of the medium is happy, cheerful, sincere or any number of other emotions I feel it probably requires an art piece that matches that feeling in kind to communicate that message effectively. I feel if an art piece doesn't communicate the message of the piece effectively, assuming there is a message behind it, the piece hasn't done it's job.  

  

Post 4 - Creative Meaning - Christopher Cruz

 “This work pushed me to question my “why.” While the work was valid in everything I was experiencing, it perpetuated the trauma I was experiencing right back to the audience. I really had to question if that is how I wanted my work to exist: as a perpetuation of the same things that caused me so much pain. In 2018, I responded to that work with a project titled brown, carmine, and blue, which for me was a way to speak to what I’ve now learned to be disenfranchised grief while also still making space for the ways in which I process that grief and exist within it by creating glimmers of joy, and love, and tenderness.”

My process is similar to her in the fact that I do not like perpetuating pain to my audience. I like creating work that expresses my emotions and during that creation, process it.  Similarly, I like the fact she processes that grief while simultaneously creating a space for joy to exist in the same space which creates a complimenting and contrasting juxtaposition.

“Some things I like to consider when creating my work is: Who is looking, and how can I get them to slow down enough to consider themselves in that gaze? What happens beyond the capture in the before, during, and after of looking? Can I create an autonomous space for myself and for anyone in the space that considers themselves in my likeness? I believe all of these questions push me to consider the impact of process and duration.”

I like how each question builds off of each. LeSeur is taking her ideas and pushing it by asking these questions which are the perfect way to make an idea for an artwork even greater. Some people who aren’t artists would look at this kind of work and may say “That she’s easy, it's because she’s talented” or for whatever x,y, and z reason but not really fathom the chalking process of what goes into creating a work of art.

For LeSeur, the body is the source of her inspiration and is the medium to express and explore her experiences. Compared to me, my motivation comes from subjects that interest me and through the exploration and greater understanding of the subject do I then create meaning in my work. Sometimes, my work has not meaning because it was created with no intention of meaning.

My choices of material, process, and content reinforce my message by being a supporter. Each choice is connected to that message. For example, my artwork titled “Pussy a weapon” message was sexual autonomy. I chose to design the piece by thinking about what items and objects can support my idea and message of sexual autonomy.

POST 4: creating Meaning (Lina)

 Quote 1: " My work has taken on a form of truly  moving through snd from my body, and language for me ie embededdd in my body....as long ad I continue coming back to the body as a source, the way I can  create feels limitless" 

LeSeur explains that her creative meaning begins with the body as a source—not just physically, but as a recorder of lived experience. Language becomes embodied, and different mediums (poetry, video, performance) grow out of this physical understanding. This choice gives her work a deeply personal and visceral quality: the meaning she creates isn’t abstract, but intimately connected to how she feels, remembers, and exists in the world.

Quote 2: "Understanding that in moments of pain there can also be glimmers of joy and tenderness, that beauty can persist—the nuance of being human.” 

LeSeur intentionally resists presenting only trauma or only joy. Instead, she embraces their coexistence, acknowledging that pain and beauty can be intertwined. This approach deepens the meaning of her work by refusing simplistic emotional binaries, and encourages viewers to experience the range of feeling—joy, grief, tenderness—at once. This complexity becomes part of her creative message.

What inspired LeSeur? Compare what motivates you to create meaning in your work.
LeSeur is inspired by the body, language, personal experience, and the nuances of emotional life. Her work responds to and reflects on grief, joy, identity, and how through art she can reframe how viewers perceive and engage with these things. Her inspiration is both reflective and relational: she thinks deeply about the gaze, presence, duration, and how art invites interaction.

In comparison, I  am motivated by  My culture and heritage as a Moroccan as well as trying to tell a story with my art I try to push the boundariesof storytelling. The materialI usally work with is digital programs l I ke adobe illustrator but I have also worked in the physical mediums like paint and canvas.  Like LeSeur, I try to create meaning through  emotional art  but my inspiration might differ in source or focus for example, I draw inspiration from my culture heritage and background  as well personal connections in my life. 

How does your choice of material, process, aesthetic, content, etc. reinforce your message?
LeSeur uses embodied performance, silhouette, color, sound, and time-based media intentionally to reinforce her message. For example:
• Silhouettes challenge how we look at identity and gaze.
• Color and light invite viewers into emotional states before they engage with content.
• Performance and duration slow the viewer down and make them present rather than passive. 

Similarly, in my work , my choice of digital programs like adobe illustrator. 

Assignment 4

Choose 2 quotes from the interview and write a short response for each quote. Then answer the two questions below.

1. "...I started letting myself dive deeper and deeper into their theory and what being engulfed in them made me feel. Blues for me have become a way to tap into the cerebral while still holding space for the emotional, and reds have always been bodily for me."

I think that it is interesting how she uses light and color as an extension of her work. To make her viewers make a decision which is to either stay or avoid interacting with it. While it still makes the viewer think, she wants them to also feel something by the hues of light. I think that it's compelling how she uses blues and reds to evoke emotions and how she sees those colors as freedom. 

2. "With performance, process and duration become tangible mediums that I look to in challenging the act of consuming. If something in slowed down and repeated, does this open up a synonymous space where two experiences can coexist, and does that in turn allow for the viewer to come an active participant in the work it takes to be present with themselves and with another person in that space?"

I believe that with how things are on social media and how it has ruin people's attention spans, that this would help. Meaning that the viewer would become an active participant in a work. That if two people experience the same work at a different rate, it would be compelling.

What inspired LeSeur? Compare what motivates you to create meaning in your work.

In 2017, LeSeur was creating works of her rage and grief around the unjust murders of Black people in America. This reason pushed her to question how she wanted her works to exist. In 2018, her project brown, carmine, and blue, helped her understand in moments of pain, that there is glimmers of joy and tenderness. When I create my work I try to incorporate metaphors or if there is an emotion I want to convey I will use body language and color to help. Also, I try to tell a story or add hidden messages to make my work feel more personal. 

How does your choice of material, process, aesthetic, content, etc. reinforce your message?

The things I do in my work is to make it feel personal, with how you can see texture but it's still rendered. I want to create works that is a love letter to the things that I love and I try to apply that knowledge into my work. I want to be able to tell a narrative through other people, so that the audience can find relatability through them. 

Post 4-Christopher McVicar

    “I think of language as something we absorb and then express back out as we grow into ourselves.” That idea resonates with me, especially when considering the work of Le’Andra LeSeur. Her practice challenges dominant norms by resisting imposed ways of seeing and pushing back against social control. What stands out most is how she expands the notion of visual language, reminding us that each artist develops a distinct way of communicating. I admire how she stretches this concept beyond comfort, using her work and body to question power, perception, and who gets to define meaning.

    Her reflection on primarily working with red and blue also caught my attention, particularly her view of those colors as "symbols of a freedom" she once struggled to access. It highlights how deeply personal color psychology can be and how it shapes creative decisions. While she describes blue as cerebral, my own response to it is almost the opposite; I associate the hue with a sense of calm, even a kind of thoughtless ease. Still, I relate to her process of using color as a record of lived experience. The act of choosing and applying color becomes a way to claim autonomy and translate internal states into something visible.

    In my own work, I explore the human figure within isolated environments, usually myself, family members, or close friends. I paint those closest to me to feel connected to myself and others. I draw heavily from emotional intake, using painting as a means to process intensity and release what cannot be spoken. I’m also interested in how viewers engage with the imagery and interpret its metaphors. The physical act of painting, through varied strokes and layered applications, provides relief and clarity. Every section of the canvas becomes a trace of feeling, documenting emotions that resist language but find form through mark-making. My conviction settles as motivation to create a cohesive autobiography. 

My stuff: Spray paint on Cardboard

Inspired by: Chris Stain