Field Tripping: Jurassic Museum of Technology

Los Angeles' Westside neighborhood Culver City boasts some of the best venues for art in the city. It's Washington and La Cienega Boulevards are speckled with galleries showcasing both fresh urban art well as ultra-conceptual conteporary work and pretty much every sort in between. While that spectrum provides plenty of room for surprise and enchantment, one of the most inspiring spots for viewing art in Culver City is slightly off that particular beaten path. The Museum of Jurassic Technology, a self-described "educational institution dedicated to the advancement of knowledge and the public appreciation of the Lower Jurassic," is essentially a quirky house of oddities whose name is just as puzzling as the mysterious wonders you find inside. While the museum isn't quite the space you'd imagine finding visual art in the traditional sense, the curiously beautiful and eccentric items it holds have turned it into a cult destination for artist folk and the everyday man alike.

I recently made a visit to the museum and found it an incredible source of inspiration. Between the carved fruit stones, tiny "European mole" skeleton, dioramas, cyptically written framed letters, and eery videos, there's a lot to take in. Don't try to make too much sense of it as the beauty of ths place is best seen when you are able to just appreciate its eccentricities. As a testiment, I leave you with these equally mysterious (and purposely without caption) images I took on my recent exploration. For me visting was like joining a secret club. I'll choose not to tell and show you everything I saw. If you're as curious as I was, you'll just check it out yourselves. Besides, I'm not sure I could describe it if I wanted to. :)

Sirens & Songbirds

One of the most amazing parts of living in Los Angeles is being able to discover so much emerging talent before anyone else. Bonus points when the one harboring such talent is a friend or loved one. It is both exciting and inspirational to be surrounded by people who, too, have creative passions and dreams to share them with the world.

That said I am beyond happy to use my creative energies to support their craft. Recently I had the pleasure of photographing two different friends, Emily O'Halloran and Jessica Woodward aka Raelux, both of whom are local songstresses. Fingers crossed, you'll see some of these photos lining jewel cases at your local record shop or in Rolling Stone some not-far-off day (A girl can dream, ok?). I could go on and on about my love for these talented women but instead I'll just tell you to click on their names for music and info and save the space for more pictures. And how could I possibly forget to mention the artistry of Jennifer Morgan and Erin Dudley who worked (respectively) their brilliant makeup magic on these shoots? Oh, the talent pool that is my group of friends!

The following images are a combination of 35mm, medium format (Holga), and Polaroid (via my SX-70 camera). If you or anyone you know has interest in working with me on a future photography project, please feel free to comment or email. Insert shameless plug here. :)

Raelux




































































Emily O'Halloran

Art History 101: Saul Leiter

When I first discovered the photography of American artist Saul Leiter my first thought was, "What took me so long?" The fact that Leiter is considerably lesser-known that his contemporaries (think Jackson Pollock and Mark Rothko) is what makes him a perfect candidate for our latest I Make Picture series, Art History 101. As someone who studied the subject in college, I fervently explore the history of visual art and am frequently distressed about the general lack of exposure the public has to so many talented artists. Too often the ones who get the most recognition are those who had the most salacious and temultuous personal lives (and sometimes rightfully so, as insanity and brilliance are often divided by a fine line) and work itself gets overshadowed in favor of personae in pop culture. As my gift to you, Art History 101 will give an introduction to artists you might otherwise be unfamiliar with by was of a brief biography, highlights, and of course, lots of pictures. At the very least it could give you something much cooler to discuss at parties than politics. :)















Saul Leiter's major contribution to the world of art was his role as a pioneer of color photography. In New York City during the mid-20th century, the art world was dominated by Abstract Expressionist painting. With his innovative eye, the Pittsburgh-born artist translated similar abstractions onto film, creating photos of city life with breathtakingly modern and deceptively stylized compositions.















What is so admirable about Leiter's work is that, just as the Abstract Expressionists pushed the boundaries and limitations of the physicality of paint on a canvas, he toyed with the idea of photography as a medium which was used most traditionally as a means to capture reality. Instead, Leiter manipulated (long before the invention of computer-aided manipulation tools) images to relay mood over pure naturalism. While his work with color was most notable, even his black and white works feature a brilliant eye for abstraction in creating photographs often considered quite painterly.

The Look of Love

Happy Valentines Day! This holiday tends to polarize more than any other since it has come to symbolize material things over emotional, but I thought we could try to bring it back to its humble intent: to honor our loved ones. Describing love is as abstract an idea as defining art. You know how they say a picture is worth 1,000 words? Well, I like to think I'm pretty handy with words but what I really know is pictures and while I still haven't figured out how to write about love, I can at least show you what it might look like. Enjoy.

kisses,
Ashley

Marc Chagall
































Nan Goldin































Frida Kahlo




































Paul Klee


















Toulouse Lautrec














Diane Arbus

Eye Candy: Raelux

I don't know if you know this, but "I Make Picture" is not just some clever title. I (Ashley) actually MAKE picture(s). This weekend I am photographing Raelux, songstress and badass chick extraordinaire. While I cannot divulge the details of our upcoming shoot (we'll share the pictures with you at a later date!), I have decided that this would be the perfect subject of the blog's newest segment: Eye Candy. Eye Candy will feature my latest visual inspirations whether they be in terms of work I'm doing, personal style, or just good old fashioned...well, eye candy.

Right now I'm getting really inspired by these stills from and old video "Comic Strip" from Brigitte Bardot and Serge Gainsbourg. Brigitte is disguised as a dark, mysterious, sexy action figure amid a pop art backdrop. What more inspiration do you need? Oh, and plus her eye liner and hairdo's are a constant source of envy ;) Oh, the swingin' 1960's!

























Other inspiration for the shoot comes from the whimsical, magical style of Bat for Lashes frontwoman Natasha Khan and the fierceness and hard-edged glamour of the one-and-only Karen O of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs.


























Wish us luck (and no rain!) for this weekend, and please check out all things Raelux at www.raeluxmusic.com for updates and more! Enjoy the occular pleasures. :)

What's New (Pussycat)

Hello my loyal I Make Picture-ers! I want to take a minute to let you know about some upcoming changes to our blog. Though the core of this blog is the interactive element of assigning and posting art projects, I've noticed that a lull in incoming projects (ahem, this means you lazy bones!) makes for a subsequent lull in my ability to post due to the strict format I created (review, interview, review, interview, etc.). While I still want the assignments to be an integral part of I Make Picture, I also don't want to alienate anyone who may not for whatever reason be able or willing to complete these projects. Thus I have decided to expand the content of the blog to more things "art" in general. Specifically, this will include previews of upcoming exhibitions or visual projects that excite me, inspirations, and short art history lessons on artists and figures whose work may not be as broadly known. As always if you have things you'd like to see I Make Picture cover, please send an email to IMakePicture@gmail.com and let us know your thoughts! This change will enable me to post more frequently and hence give you, the reader, more thoughts, words, and oh yes, pictures to absorb and be inspired by!

Love and Pictures.

Assignment #9: Through the Looking Glass

Because our latest featured artist, Susan Silton, is also among the group of artists in our most recently featured exhibition, "I Feel Different" at Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions, we at I Make Picture thought we'd kill two birds with one stone to create an assignment that relates to both trademarks of Susan's work as well as the broad theme of the LACE show.

As you likely read in the earlier post, "I Feel Different" centers on the concept of feeling removed from society in some way. Appropriately, included artist Silton creates work focused on overwhelming concerns of modern society and frequently does so by playing with the public's perception. Merging the ideas of isolation and perception, Susan and I decided on a fitting assignment.

Assignment #9: Through the Looking Glass

Focusing on a personal trait (internal or external, physical or emotional) that makes you feel "different," create a unique self-portrait using any medium.

Since she has done a similar self-portrait project using digital manipulation (all circa 1995), Susan lent us these images as an example of an answer to this assignment.



































I, too, tried my hand at the assignment. Using this amazing self-timer with my Polaroid SX-70 camera, I aimed to focus on physical characteristics that have caused me much insecurity and feelings of isolation, particularly by other women. My body (specifically its more childlike than womanly nature) has won equal negative attention and curiosity and has at times been a source of guilt and anger. Only recently have I come to accept the things I once viewed as flaws, but these images were taken to capture a voyeristic view of the image I have projected to others before this time of acceptance.





































As always, you all are encouraged to try this assignment with individual interpretation. That is, you can't do it "wrong." The goal of I Make Picture is to provide a loose framework or guideline within which you can explore themes you might not otherwise have considered. Use video, use crayons, draw on a napkin, take a picture, it really doesn't matter. The important thing is to offer others inspiration and new ideas. I can't wait to see you all make picture. :)