It was like watching a slow motion car crash this morning. I’m exaggerating but harsh criticism is a bit amusing to witness. The thing about art school is that it’s all subjectivity and often people are waay too nice to your face about your work. Backs turn, they could be ripping, questioning, wondering what the fuck you’ve tacked onto that wall for critique. If you were the one being ripped, wouldn’t you need to hear that harsh criticism to re-frame from throwing vomit on a wall and actually grow and understand your “mistakes”?

is it May yet?

Photography by Shane Lavalette

When I first came upon Shane Lavalette’s photographs was from Alice’s blogpost on his Hey, Hot Shot! submission. His website has a large impressive cohesive body of work, and well, his blog is definitely worth reading. What surprised me most was that he is only 19! His eye is very mature partially due to his deadpan way of shooting. From his blog, you can tell this guy does his research and feeds off every inspiration that presents itself to him. Very admirable considering some graduating seniors here lack his professionalism.

If you’ve been living under a rock, the Hey, Hot Shot! winners were announced on Monday. It’s exciting to see such great work every time. The lovely opening reception is Wednesday, March 7 from 6-8pm. The showcase will be up from March 8-11. I will definitely make my way back to the gallery to see the show and say hi to the lovely Jen Bekman.

Another from the Frat shoot.

I’ve started a “good advice” folder in my email.

The semester is quickly flying by and the reality of entering the working world is very much evident in my mind. Meg said that I’d very much be likely an gallery artist. I don’t know what to think of it. On one hand, it’d be so open and free.. and on the other hand, it’s so open and free. No boundaries, no rules, nobody really to please but myself and my bank account. Of course, there are real boundaries in being a gallery artist on the business aspect of things.

Deciding whether to go to grad school seems to be very one sided at this point. I definitely do not think hanging in school for a couple more years is healthy right after you obtain your BFA. I don’t know how doctors do it; going to school for so many years consecutively.

So far, whether I hate the projects/classes/professors/ etc, it’s all a learning process. It’s literally just learning the process of working.

I should really buy http://janetam.com soon.

(someone called me Janet Am one day.. It never occurred to me someone can split my name up that way. I do not like it.)

another from my Frat House shoot.

i should stop procrastinating.. start updating my CV & cover letters and get those suckers out there. the goal is to get an internship and a job.. by the end of summer, I want to be the owner of a medium format camera.

From a Frat House.

Amazingly classes were canceled today thanks to the snow storm in the area.

I’ve joined Uber, so if you’re an artist, join the new trend of artsy “Myspace” web communities.. I’m also on Stuart as well.

A break from everything would be ideal at this point. It doesn’t help that I cannot stand the Photography program, the people, and this campus. I just want to continue my “home” series, start my “grandparents” series, set my own pace, and be in familiar surroundings. My mind can do vicious things when exposed to repetitive situations– you start to get nitpicky and people get way too slow for my pace. It’s horrible the things I say.

There’s no drive here.

Photography by Ben Murphy

I have found the difficulty in producing beautiful interior photographs is the lack of personality or charm of a room. My photographs of home interiors all have this 70s quirky charm or some interesting color combinations. My question is how do you make generic office/dorm/institution-like spaces worth looking at?

I came across Ben Murphy‘s photographs of the UN Building. The rooms itself is nothing of the ordinary but with lighting and the way Murphy composes each image, it pops. Make the generic the focus of the room.

My somewhat sadistic photo professor (who knows about this blog….i still dont know how i feel about that) is making me shoot at a frat house. Indulging me in my voyeuristic tendencies whenever I go to people’s homes, this project will be tough…snooping thru frat houses and individual rooms of people i have never met (or even avoid)..and finding time for friend’s to find friend’s in frats to let me in.. I’m somewhat socially inept when it comes to people completely on the opposite end of me so it’ll be a challenge.