Sophie's 4D Intermedia Blog

  Windows allow us to see into or see out of a space. When translating this to something of meaning, I question "how can a window allow me to see into one's life and perspective? In our piece, we see the animals being transported in boxes across seas, referencing the movie, Madagascar. But, when we created this piece, we wanted to touch on deeper issues, our current crisis at the border. By adding humans into these spaces or boxes, we are representing how these humans are being treated like animals as they're "shipped" out of the country during the immigration process. Our piece invites people in passing to look or step into these boxes, imagining what that experience would be like. By looking through these "windows" we can see into the inside of what is really happening, and reconsider our thoughts. 

Since 4D art is a completely new medium for me, it was vital for me to research and see other artist's 4D work to take inspiration and begin a thought process for what I want to create in this class. Two artists in particular caught my attention as I thought about creating 5 different pieces. Artist 1: Mark Patch Mark Patch took a creative approach to 4D art as he created "A Colorful Dream." Patch wanted to create a large exhibition, displaying Van Gogh's paintings from below and the sides, giving the viewer a greater idea of what it may have felt like to be experiencing one of Van Gogh's dreams. I thought this was an extremely thoughtful and creative approach to 4D art, something that I wouldn't have thought of before. This helped me realize that not all 4D art is ugly, and that it can be aesthetically pleasing.  Artist 2:  Sarah Sze Sarah Sze is an instillation artist who often combines ripped up pieces to create a larger instillation piece. Her work is ofte...

PART FIVE: Now that I had a newspaper temporary painting, I wanted to explore how else I could use the newspaper. So, I made an origami flower out of the newspaper and then placed it into the jar, transforming the former coffee cup into a vase. 

PART FOUR: Now that there is a marking on an object, can we turn it into further art? Or is it put to waste? Here, I took the ring left from the jar and transformed it into a flower to represent the flowers on the jar. This has become a project with emphasizing reducing, reusing, and recycling.

PART THREE: How can new objects make imprints on existing things? Is this ruining the object? Or adding to the object?

PART TWO: Now, I wanted to give my newly painted jar a new purpose. It was exciting seeing how having the jar filled up with liquid (coffee) transforms the color and feel of the painted flowers.

OBJECT #1: Flowers on mason jar  I use mason jars for everything, from food storage, to vases, to glasses for my coffee. I find them easy to use, multipurpose, affordable, and good for the environment. And, they aren't made with plastic, so  I don't have to worry about that affecting the quality of my food or beverages. In this project, I wanted to explore mason jars and their multi use process as I work to cut out single use plastics in my day to day life. These flowers represent life and nature that comes with sustainable steps. 

Imagining Kailea's childhood object came with many different thoughts. It is easy for me to reflect on my childhood and how I saw things through my own eyes. However, I often forget that other people also reflect on childhood through a different set of eyes. As I prepared to make Kailea's snow globe, I wanted to make sure it had several key details. The first thing that was necessary was the water that allowed the objects to move freely. I wanted to make sure whatever I used could hold water effectively. At first, I considered using a plastic bowl I had, however, I knew it wouldn't mimick the feeling of glass. So, instead I grabbed for a glass jar.  .    I remember what it was like to have snow globes as a child. While I don't have an exact photograph of what Kailea's snow globe looked like, the emotion she used to describe it and the lit up smile on her face help me understood the feeling behind this snow globe. And as she recreated my night light, she gave me the ...