When looking back at my life, I was very confused about my identity from a really young age. Although I was born and raised in a traditional Korean family, I immigrated to America at the age of 3. As I came to another country at a young age, I had no prior memory of my experience and life in Korea. At the age of 3 and so forth, i was largely exposed to the American culture through education, friends and media. Although I slowly started to conform to the American culture through the constant exposure, there are also many parts of the Korean culture that I hold onto, though my memory of Korea is bleak.

There are many parts that make up an identity. In this collage, I chose to pick out few aspects of where the crossing of two cultures can be seen in my life. For example, in this collage, there is a picture of the two languages, Korean and English. Korean is in the colors of black and white whereas English is represented with bright colors. This was intentionally done to deliver the idea that although, by blood, I am a Korean, the language that I speak is English. Language is a very important indicator of one’s culture and identity, which further explains the diffusion of both cultures in my life.

Despite the many aspects of my life where the crossing of two cultures can be seen, I wanted to signify that the culture that I find my roots, is as a Korean. Although there are many parts of the Korean culture, in which I can’t identify with, I believe that deep down, I identify as a Korean. The reason to this is because my family, more in reference to my parents, have only been exposed to the Korean culture. Due to their deep roots in the Korean culture, that culture has been passed down to me even though America was my physical home for a greater period of time. The values, mannerisms, goals, dreams and other influential factors of my life has been largely influenced by my parents. I suppose this is because I confide in my parents a lot and the bond that I have with them has been impactful. Even though my identity is not only composed and limited to one culture, I strongly identify as a Korean.

CONCENTRIC KIRIGAMI

AESTHETIC SCANNING

In Luke Dubois work, Acceptance, he uses the acceptance speech of two major-party presidential candidates given in the years of 2012 and 2016. The first screen depicts the video of the acceptance speech by President Obama and Governor Mitt Romney and the second screen shows former secretary Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. This piece works to match the two candidates language so the speeches of the candidates may be conveyed in a synchronized pace. I believe this was done to show the viewers the difference in the candidates physical deliverance and tone rather than the words and meaning of the speech itself.

The colors that are used in this piece automatically draws the audience’s attention. Dubois used a very bright background, which naturally draws the viewer’s attention to his piece.

However, the background is a blank canvas with no patterns or designs. I believe this was done in order for the audience to center their focus on the video rather than on the intricacy of the background. In addition, this piece is very simple in terms of lines, shapes, and textures. There are very symmetrical lines and shapes, and lacks texture. This portrayal of simpleness in this piece helps the viewer shift full focus on the video rather than the complexity of the piece itself. In addition, there was a noticeable contrast between the bright colors in the screen and the dark, blank background of the wall. This contrast also allowed for the viewers eyes to be naturally drawn to the screen.

I believe the author’s intent in this art is to reveal to the audience about the qualities in political leaders that the public is naturally swayed to. Although this piece shows an 75% overlapping of what the candidates were saying, there was a big difference in their impact and deliverance. The tone of voice and constant hand gestures may have led to President Obama and Donald Trump to sound more convincing and passionate about a given issue. When looking at this art piece, both Trump and Obama used a lot of hand gestures and their tone of voice was more charismatic and passionate. By cancelling out the confounding variable of words in the acceptance speeches, I believe that Lubois is depicting the idea that people are naturally more drawn to charismatic leaders, which may be resembled through physical gestures and tone rather than words itself. In addition, this piece gives the audience the space to interpret the piece. There is no bias or judgement in his work, but Dubois is allowing the readers of the piece to interpret it for themselves. The simplicity and the editing to synchronize the speeches reveal that Dubois is simply providing the platform for the viewers to interpret the piece through their own lenses. He gets rid of confounding variables by matching up the candidates speeches in synchronicity.

In addition, the title of the work may explain the artist intent by simply displaying the event as it is without any bias. To be more clear, Dubois names his work, “Acceptance,” because it derives from the acceptance speech of the two major candidates, showing that he is displaying his work just as it is. I selected this work because I was amazed to see that I was more drawn to the charismatic leaders without even hearing the deliverance of the actual speech. To further on, I didn’t even pay attention to what the candidates were talking about but was rather swayed by how they presented themselves. In conclusion, I want to learn more about the reason to why Dubois chose to use very simple designs and colors other than that it draws more attention to the video. I wonder if Dubois had other intended purposes for his simplicity in creating this art piece.

VIDEOGAME STORYBOARD

The video game storyboard will be targeted towards third grade students and will be focused on teaching fractions. This game will empower learning by allowing students to customize their own character which will give them the feeling of being in control. By choosing what characters they want to be, students will be able to try new skills, new goals, and new possibilities. They will see that that all characters in the game have different goals for their career but all require the knowledge of fractions, which will emphasize the importance and reason to why learning is necessary. The goals will be specifically stated for the character that they choose. For example, when students choose to play as a baker, the goal will be to bake a cake in the perfect temperature, shape, and proportion through the use of fractions.

This game will also show problem based learning because there will be  three different levels, each composing of varying difficulty level. For example, this game will compose of fractions, improper fractions, and mixed fractions, the latter being more difficult. Students will have to succeed in the easier levels as the later levels require the skills of the prior. As students progress through the levels, they will be given coins as an incentive to try harder and creates a sense of safe competition. Students will not be required to move on to the next level right away but can stay within the level that they completed. This is for students to be able to explore the current level and reflect on it. There will also be deep understanding because students are becoming the character of their choice. By engaging as the character and progressing in levels, they will be able to associate their experience with the knowledge of fractions. By virtually becoming the character and using fractions to complete a certain goal, they will be able to understand fractions in a more personal matter.

VALENTINES SWEETHEARTS TINT AND SHADE

SPOOF AD

This spoof ad was to show the negative effects that coke can have on one’s health. Coke is a very common soft drink that is purchased in wide rates. Coke is sold anywhere you go and many consumers are not very aware of the negative effects that this drink can have one one’s body.  However, as this spoof ad shows, there are health risks that can result from this drink. The high rates of sugar, along with a lot other ingredients, that are contained in the small bottle of soda can actually lead to health issues such as diabetes. The polar bears in this ad are actually injecting insulin in their bodies. This is to create a sense of humor to the coke advertisement by relaying the message that one bottle of coke equates to diabetes. By stirring humour in this ad, I believe it can relay a strong message about health in a easy and friendly manner. It is also spreading more awareness about how one bottle of coke can affect one’s health.

BRITO INSPIRED ART

A UNIQUE DRAWING EXPERIENCE

Museum visit, performance, workshop or UCI Illuminations event

On February 26, there was a UCI drama performance called “Hold Steady” at the Claire Trevor Theater. This performance was held in one compact room, which created a closer connection with the audience and the actors. I chose this because the description of the performance really intrigued me because it seemed to be relatable to what a lot of college students feel, regarding the fear of debt and unclarity about the future.

This performance was centered around eight actors who gather for a high school ten year reunion. As the performance went on, the actors can’t help to think back to the times when they had dreams and passions that they chose to leave for a safer and financially stable route.

I learned that art is such a beautiful thing that can connect people together. As shown in this performance, there are many forms of art such as being a writer, dancer, sculpter, and musician. Although they are all different careers, the beauty in art is that it really brought a sense of unity within the actors, and feelings of joy, passion, and remembrance. However, as the actors saw that they left their passions behind for a more stable route, they began to scatter. In addition, as the audience of this performance, I saw the beauty in how art can communicate and relay messages in profound ways. There was a sense of struggle within the characters that the audience could feel. This performance was connected to what we learned in class by delivering the message of the importance of art.

After seeing this performance, I can’t help to wonder about how many people gave up their dreams for pursuing art because of the fear of financial stability and what could have been if they continued to pursue what they loved.

COUNTOUR DRAWING

Thanks for joining me!

Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton