Narrative: Destination Comic #2

The second lecture/reading was at 2:30, and this one was titled “Play to Win: Graphic Novel Games”. In this case the comics had a particular relation with the world of video games. I have to say that I am not a big fan of video games, but I did find this lecture/reading surprisingly appealing because is another approach to make comics that I never thought of. The concept here was to make interactive comics either solving a problem or figuring out the way to get to the end of it. I think that these types of comics are fun in design and in some way instructive, and can definitively have an interesting narrative.

The first author was the charismatic Gene Luen Yang, who presented his book “Secret Coders: Paths and Portals”. I have to say that this is a really smart book, which is totally instructional because it introduces you to the field of coding. As he said, the book was thought to be in a series of thin books because in that way the reader will have time to code that is written at the end of every chapter. In this way the book becomes totally interactive and instructive at the same time. The second author was Ryan North, who was presenting the book “Romeo and or Juliet”. This book functions as a choice story, where that the reader can pick the direction of the narrative; guiding the same to different or same outcomes. The beauty of these books is that they work as puzzles to be solved.

Narrative: Destination Comics #1

Since on weekends I normally work, I decided to go to the early lecture/readings on Saturday. The first lecture/reading that I went to, which happened at 1:30 pm, was called Teenage Riot: YA Reality with a Comics Kick. This one in particular was really interesting because since the authors were females, it had that feminine perspective about comics. I liked that each of them shared their different styles, experiences, work process, and points of view as comics makers. They were an amazing example of the empowerment of woman in the society with an accentuated heroism.

The first author was Margaret Stohl, who was presenting the book “Black Widow: Red Vengeance”. She has always worked in coordination with Marvel and, as she repeated saying, is a great fanatic of super-heroes. I enjoyed how she shared things about her childhood and the great connection that she felt with Batman’s story. The second author was Jessica Abel, who was presenting the book “Trish Trash: Rollergirl of Mars”. It was stimulating to hear her work processing using In Design program as her rough draft without images, since everybody has so many different approaches. Last but not least, was the third author Maggie Thrash, who was presenting her recent book “We Know It Was You”. Thrash is better known by her graphic memoir “Honor Girl”, where she reveals her first lesbian experience during the summer at Camp Bellflower. I found really interesting her different concepts about writing and drawing, which sees writing as an easier way to lie and drawing as a better way to be truthful with yourself and others.  

Action/Mood-emotion/Topic

Narrative: Comics/Poetry

What is Comics Poetry: An Essay by Alexander Rothman

I have always found incredibly intelligent how comics have the power of telling stories through image and text with a fragmented narrative. I think that this fragmented narrative is the relationship between comics and poetry that Alexander Rothman was talking about. In the same way that we semiotically try to convey images in a comic book, we semantically try to link words or phrases in a poem. They both have in common the capacity of leaving that space of imagination for you to knit the puzzle. I think that although they are different of expressions Alexander explains very well the place where he sees that they relate to.

I have to say that I have never thought about comics and poetry to have a connection until now. I really like how Alexander generates questions in the essay making the reader analyze things from another perspective and look for an answer. I love the concept behind comics poetry because is one of the many ways to approach to art. Also just like Alexander says at the end of the essay, comics poetry is not something, like many things nowadays, that you quick consume and is totally meaningless.  Its complexity and subjectivity forces the consumer to think and figure out how the reading travels.    

Landscape: Invisible Cities

 Making the mirror. Materials: glass, vinegar and water, and silver glass mirror spray paint.

 Cutting copper pipes to make the piece's structure and gluing the pieces with industrial gorilla glue (I have to say that after hearing several opinions of how to assemble the pieces, I was extremely skeptic with the use of this glue because I didn't know if it was gonna be strong enough to resist the weight of the sink, but the result was beautifully effective)

My piece is based on the city of Armilla. This city is described as unfinished, demolished, or abandoned because it doesn’t have ceilings, walls, or floors. The only things that have been left are the water pipes, which go vertically and horizontally where walls and floors should be placed. Lavabos, showers, bathtubs, mirrors, and some porcelain objects are the ones that remain more importantly for the author. Young naked woman recreate themselves showering, perfuming, and combing their hairs. Like nymphs, they sing and find new ways of enjoying the water.

I wanted, with my installation, to reflect that enchantment and surrealism that this city had. I created a new metaphor from my own interpretation of the reading. Instead of recreating an entire city, I focused on using elements that the author mentioned to build a fragment of the city, but that still will transmit the city’s essence. I wanted the elements to be dirty and old to give that sensation of abandoned or forgotten. The idea of having hair coming out of the faucet instead of water was to give the piece a surrealistic style, like if the nymphs were inside the pipes. I really think that the choice of adding sound to this piece was a successful one because it extremely helps the viewer to experience the magical essence of the city. For the sound I made different layers of running water and melodies with my own voice.      
In the following link you can hear the sound of the piece:

https://youtu.be/7bSO8hxlRXo

Landscape: The Garden

While making the mirror. I used silver glass mirror spray paint with water and vinegar.

After finishing the layers, I scratched drawing the surface with a dentist tool to make the living organisms.

            After my experience at Fairchild Garden, I had the idea of recreating the life inside a pond. I think that when we encounter with “nature” either manipulated by men (garden) or not, there is always a reaction of surprise and deep contemplation. In “nature”, we can be ourselves and find a connection with every living thing in it. We feel that we are all part of the greatest creation ever made. Being a drawing-mirror, my piece tries to keep the viewer in an act of contemplation and reflection. Its details attract the viewer’s attention more and more. I like the way the piece seems to be, at first glance, only a mirror, but when you pay real attention you find something else. This, in some way just like in “nature”, works as a camouflage. I wanted to show what is invisible to our eyes, but that is there and everywhere: organisms.  

Mirrors are so hard to photograph. This piece looks better when seeing it in person.