mixed goods

untitled (whence)

2010-08-16T19:03:00.000-07:00

Untitled (Whence), Impossible Project Color Shade PX 70 Instant Color film, 3.5" x 4.3", (2010)

untitled

2010-06-02T12:47:00.000-07:00

Spelunking at the age of twelve. to the city and back back to the city and back-over ocean- and knees- and asphalt- a child dreaming. it's all underneath everyone's eyelids- I kid you not.

"Where Is Prince Philip, Which Way Is Home?", acrylic & mixed media on wooden panel, 14"h x 16.75"w

BACK TO THE GOODS!

2010-06-02T10:42:00.000-07:00

It's been awhile... here's what I've been up to. Chk-chk-chk-chk-chk-check it out:

Philadelphia Mural Arts Program Muralist in Training Exhibition Opening

5'x5' acrylic and mixed media (found Philadelphia street trash) on parachute cloth. This project was completed within the one month training session.

a note to ray johnson

2010-04-24T19:54:00.000-07:00

sun showers on the green

2010-04-22T21:14:00.001-07:00

a sun came after the rain, maganda gaya ng lagi.

mermaid parade

2010-04-13T17:35:00.000-07:00

collage book continuation

2010-04-08T21:26:00.000-07:00

" Re: Where's My Eggies? ", mixed media collage (found pieces of Philly street trash), 10.5"w x 8.5"l, (2010)

such and such

2010-04-08T07:32:00.000-07:00

to the river; take me home

2010-03-29T12:16:00.001-07:00

listening to new Jónsi; world is glowing in the rain

and it is: golden gray and green.

lost and found

2010-03-24T10:38:00.000-07:00

now we're cookin': muralize it!

2010-03-18T07:04:00.000-07:00

plywood & paper

2010-03-16T09:33:00.000-07:00

"Refuge", mixed media on found plywood, 16"w x 18"l, (2010)

2010-03-13T08:57:00.000-08:00

"Gerhard Richter: The Daily Practice of Painting," MIT Press, 1995:

Notes, 1973--

' The centre cannot hold': accept this willingly, along with the loss of consensus and attitude and individuality.
Be a reaction machine, unstable, indiscriminate, dependent.
Sacrifice oneself to objectivity.
I have always loathed subjectivity. Even failure, poor quality, opportunism and lack of character are a small price to pay in order to produce something objective, definitive, universal, right.

February. One has to believe in what one is doing, one has to commit oneself inwardly, in order to do painting. Once obsessed, one ultimately carries it to the point of believing one might change human beings through painting. But if one lacks this passionate commitment, there is nothing left to do. Then it is best to leave it alone. For basically painting is total idiocy.

collage book continuation

2010-03-09T15:56:00.000-08:00

happy springtime weather, y'all! let's hope it stays like this. here's a little something i finished up this afternoon... now, get outside and enjoy the day!

"Say Something Beautiful", mixed media collage, 10.5"w x 8.5"l, (2010)

from croatia with love

2010-03-02T08:36:00.000-08:00

Kolocep Island, Croatia, acrylic on canvas, 18"l x 25"w, (for Parker Whitney, aka BIG)

Philadelphia Mural Arts Program

2010-02-24T09:26:00.000-08:00

The Muralist Training Program starts tonight! Twelve muralists in training, including myself, will learn how the Philadelphia Mural Arts Program continues to keep its city blossoming with murals.

Check out the MAP's latest project, "A Love Letter for You". A series of 50 rooftop murals along Philly's Market-Frankfurt elevated transit line. New York artist and Philadelphia native, Stephen Powers, collaborated with the community to collectively express a love letter between a guy and girl, from residents to their West Philly neighborhood, and from an artist to his hometown.

modest living

2010-02-18T10:22:00.000-08:00

go build yourself an igloo!
in celebration of the record breaking snowfall, i shoveled into a new home.

congratulations, soon-to-be mr. and mrs. diaz!

2010-02-17T07:53:00.000-08:00

amanda and pedro are getting married.

not saying, but i'm just saying- these bridesmaid dresses would be baller.

Happy St. Valentine's Day

2010-02-14T12:00:00.000-08:00

favorite things [kate's books]

2010-02-10T21:03:00.000-08:00

acrylic on bristol board, 12"l x 8"w

Clockwise: Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace, Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut, The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner, The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz

procrastination

2010-02-01T08:54:00.000-08:00

Procrastination is Johnny Kelly’s graduation film for MA in animation at the Royal College of Art. Procrastinate by watching it.

updated goods

2010-01-31T18:51:00.000-08:00

Hello friends and lovers!
It's been two weeks without a post.
It has also just recently snowed, and snow news is good news.
... And though my blog has been inactive, I have not!

palette painting, acrylic on paper, 13.5"x 11"

family portrait II (in progress), acrylic & ink on butcher paper, 3'w x 5'l

(detail)

singing sloppy wall drawings, (or: what you can do with some spare time)

2010-01-14T12:06:00.000-08:00

"Ooh Wee", first cut/ unedited
original music by mn: guitar, snapping, clapping, stomping, spiral notebook scraping

video: mixed media

p.s. disclaimer: the video/audio format on blogger has made the audio sound like it's underwater. i assure you the original version was not recorded by a fish.
if you would like to hear the (better sounding) original, drop mixed goods a line; i will send it over!

family portrait (animals), in progress

2009-12-27T19:53:00.000-08:00

1/12 selected pets

HAPPY HOLIDAYS

2009-12-23T12:43:00.000-08:00

WHICH ONE WILL YOU RECEIVE THIS SEASON?

project#13: impossible (it could be worse)

2009-12-18T13:16:00.000-08:00

project#12: postcard from the big rock candy mountain

2009-12-09T19:12:00.000-08:00

"The Big Rock Candy Mountain", 4"x6"
3-D pop-up postcard, mixed media, acrylic, found paper, sequins, inkjet prints, cotton balls

project #11: acrylic on canvas

2009-12-06T10:10:00.000-08:00

"untitled, northern red oak", acrylic on canvas, 20"x20"

project #10: [updated]

2009-11-20T13:24:00.000-08:00

project #10: study for we are the moth kings (pt 2)

2009-11-15T20:46:00.001-08:00

"That looks like a path.
Is that the way to reach the top from here?--
Not for this morning, but some other time:
I must be getting back to breakfast now."
(Robert Frost, "The Mountain", line 34-36)

project #9: collage (silvia finds alphabet mt.)

2009-11-08T20:47:00.000-08:00

"Just look at all of these letters! Oh, the endless words- the endless possibilities!" she exclaimed.

"Silvia Finds Alphabet Mountain": mixed media collage, 8.5"x 10.5"

project #8: manufactured landscapes #2

2009-11-01T20:51:00.000-08:00

manufactured landscapes #2, digital print, 24"x 24.5"

screening demons: join the wolf pack

2009-10-27T08:30:00.000-07:00

WOAH! LOOK!
An exciting How-To video!

Do you like wolf T-shirts? How about wolf T-shirts with glowing red eyes?
Even better, what if I told you that you could MAKE these wolf T-shirts with glowing red eyes AND howling sound effects?
Bre Pettis (MAKE Magazine) and Matt Stinchcomb (Etsy.com) show you how:

project #7: for dana king, tree hugger

2009-10-25T20:53:00.000-07:00

I went to my friend (Denise Belz)'s birthday party last year.
Everyone was dressed up in black dresses and suits- this was on purpose so that the birthday girl could stand out in her awesome birthday dress-- and awesome it was indeed!
But who showed up like a moron wearing a bright white t-shirt? Me. Where was this "all black apparel" memo?... probably on the event invitation... but does anyone ever really read all that stuff? Anyway, Dana gave me something to change into.
She only asked for one thing in return- "Make me a shirt with trees on it."*

And so I did:

personalized t-shirt, for dana king
acrylic, sewn fabric

* Do you have a request?
Become a part of the Mixed Goods: Fresh Production Art Challenge.
Ask me to make something for you, and maybe, just maybe, it'll make it's way on here!
Stick that in your twitter and tweet it.

project #6: video: we are the moth kings (part 1)

2009-10-18T16:17:00.000-07:00

very rough animated creatures... still much work to be done...

we are the moth kings:

the world is so full of a number of things
i'm sure we should all be as happy as kings
someday
weary of the weather, steering by a star
we've got our youth, i've got the sun
growing out of my heart-
i'm not a afraid of the dark

the moon shines- guides my way throughout the night
the tall pine- he lets us sleep under the vines
it all falls- into place like sand and stone
we all long- for the sweet smell of home

original music, "we are the moth kings", guitar, bells, fabric, paper collage, desk, lamp

art:21: season 5

2009-10-15T20:47:00.000-07:00

Season Five is here!

Episodes 1 (Compassion) & 2 (Fantasy) are both available on PBS's convenient Video Portal. What's even more convenient is that I've provided you with the link, so you're just a click away from some of the best stuff Public Broadcasting has ever had to offer.

project #5: manufactured landscapes #1

2009-10-11T19:14:00.000-07:00

manufactured landscapes #1, digital print, 24"x 24.5"

project #4: home

2009-10-04T17:52:00.000-07:00

home is happiness, happiness is home, pen & ink, (30" x 22")

project #4: home (for real this time)

2009-09-28T21:32:00.000-07:00

Pen & ink, in progress... (30"w x 22"l)

home is happiness, happiness is home

What's the Word, Bird?*:

Michelle (12:01:26 AM): ughhh i don't know what i'm doing with my life
Joe (12:25:40 AM): you're doing something aren't you?
Michelle (12:26:05 AM): what do you mean by something...
Joe (12:27:31 AM): you told me 90 things you were doing last night
Michelle (12:29:38 AM): yeah, but i don't feel like i'm really doing anything that will make a difference in anything
Joe (12:33:52 AM): i'm sure you'll figure something out
Joe (12:34:04 AM): just do crazy things
Joe (12:34:17 AM): people eat that shit up

And then this got me thinking.

*Every other week, mixed goods will have excerpts of dialogue (formal and informal conversation) pertaining to art, culture, society, and it's direct or indirect relationship to the mixed goods: fresh production challenge.

project #3: collage bits (a stand in for "home")

2009-09-27T20:35:00.000-07:00

1. I started interning at Independents Hall, a co-working space in Old City, Philadelphia last week. It's a really cool and innovative working environment for designers, game developers, writers, artists, composers, musicians, et. al of creative minds. If you work at home and are tired of watching Judge Judy all morning by yourself (or with your cat), check this out.
2. I also started working on a video/sound project to do when free from IndyHall daily tasks.
3. Interning has introduced me to a daily routine... but by the time I get home, all I want to do is crash.
3a. ... hence my "home" project is not completely finished.
4. Yet I managed to create collages (10.5"x8") for my ongoing collage book!

project#3: home

2009-09-21T21:16:00.000-07:00

Week Three: Draw happiness...

project#2: cockfighting toile wallpaper study

2009-09-20T20:25:00.000-07:00

Week Two:

I've been drawing a lot of birds lately...

Cockfights are illegal and legal.
In the Philippines, it's a national sport called "Sebong". Even the great Filipino boxer Manny Pacquiao owns and fights a cock called "Pac-Man".
Legal cockfights are held on cockpits every week.
Illegal cockfights, called tupada or "tigbakay", happen any time in open areas.
In both types of cockfights, knives are used.

My mother grew up outside of Manila where cockfights were a tradition. A glorified blood sport within the Philippines, how does Filipino cockfighting fare with Western and European past times? I've taken the popular french toile wallpaper, usually depicting vignettes of bucolic pastural scenes with men and women frolicking throughout (often seen in red, blue, or black print), and modified it to cater to a controversial cultural event. For now, this is a study for future prints. I intend on drawing more intricate fight scenes to mimic decorative toile scenes.

Future Plans: Silkscreen a more detailed and linear version to print on paper in a wall paper motif.

Happenings and Homing Pigeons

2009-09-15T11:15:00.000-07:00

The World Outside of Mixed Goods:

Hello blogworld, 'sup?

Last Sunday, I helped out Philly artist and 2008 Pew Fellowship Grant recipient, Mauro Zamora, with the Fringe Festival's "Muralmorphosis" Check his work out! To put it simply, Mauro is awesome. He gave me a lot of great
advice in regards to grad school, making art, and applying to shows. I will be working for him again tomorrow, as well as meeting Sara Selepouchin, the founder of girlscantell.
I'll get to see her studio and embark on a part-time unpaid internship, and in return, learn some mad printmaking skillz. I'm hoping this will get me more familiar with screenprinting, and help me decide whether printmaking is something I would like to further pursue. I think you can purchase some girlscantell products at Terrain
At Styers Garden Center in Concordville, PA. It’s the latest brand edition to the Urban Outfitters family, and the company plans to add 50 more stores across the United States over the next few years!
In other news, I am going to see The Books tonight at the First Unitarian Church. I highly recommend them. They're pretty swell.

In the World of Mixed Goods:

My next project is going to be either a video for the ICA open call, a
painting to put towards the Princeton Community Fund's Thomas George
Artist's Grant I received, or an installation having to do with moths.
I can't decide. Once I do, picture posting will commence. For now,
please enjoy this silly "twitter" video I made.

project #1: "Al Aaraaf"

2009-09-14T14:34:00.000-07:00

"Al Aaraaf" is the longest poem Poe wrote, inspired by Tycho Brahe's discovery of a supernova back in 1572. Poe identified this nova with Al Aaraaf, a star that was the place between paradise and hell.
Al-A`raaf (Arabic الأعراف, alternatively transcribed Aʿraf or Al Orf) was a place where people who have been neither markedly good nor markedly bad had to stay until forgiven by God and let into Paradise, as discussed in Sura 7 of the Qur'an.
As Poe explained to a potential publisher:
"Its title is "Al Aaraaf" from the Al Aaraaf of the Arabians, a medium between Heaven and Hell where men suffer no punishment, but yet do not attain that tranquil & even happiness which they suppose to be the characteristics of heavenly enjoyment."

A little while ago, I found out about Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction's Open Call for "The Tell-Tale Heart Exhibition" (in celebration of Edgar Allen Poe's 200th birthday).
I had initially wanted to draw imagery from a selection of Poe's poems and incorporate them into his notorious portrait, but realized I had something worth working on that could indeed be relatable to one of his writings... Project #1.

And Project #1's sprawling web of brown coffee spill and gray tree bark needed something.
So I read and re-read Poe's work, and I stared and stared at Project #1.

Project #1 needed another element.
Color? I dabbled in watercolors before I moved- mainly because it was the most accessible medium while working in a small workspace. How could I apply those techniques to this work?
More volume? My small collages were packed with different elements, but how would that carry over to something much larger?
Project #1 needed life. It was flat and communicated (though barely audible) through a net of abstracted words within mangled 2-D branches. Thus the addition of paper collage came into effect. Blooming flowers in vibrant colors (though when completely dry, became paler versions of their younger selves) were added to the canvas alongside transparent songbirds. Project #1 slowly transformed into a whimsical and ethereal forest with dark undertones.

Then I read "Al Aaraaf", and it was a match made in literary art heaven.

Project #1 is now entitled, Al Aaraaf, as an homage to Poe's poem, as well as a visual interpretation of what Al Aaraaf might look like... where dark mysterious abstracted forms coexist with bright promising life in an environment where men suffer no punishment, but yet do not attain heavenly happiness.

project #1: completion

2009-09-13T23:37:00.000-07:00

week one, a haiku:

week one has ended
too tired to blog right now
will write tomorrow

project #1: finish what you start

2009-09-09T10:13:00.000-07:00

The challenge begins!

The title of this week's project is "Finish What You Start". Why? Because I made something months ago and still feel guilty for not finishing it. This happens to a lot of people. It is only human. For example, my roommate used to put off folding her clothes after they came out of the dryer. In consequence, she would yell at inanimate objects like her dress for giving itself wrinkles, and the iron because, well, "just because".
Maybe that wasn't the best comparison, but we can all relate to the frustration of putting something off and knowing you should probably complete it.
Sometimes it's great to take a step back, leave your work for a bit, and work on something new. This might help you find what your preexisting/unfinished work needs. Having done this, I think it's about time I tie up some loose ends.

So week one's project isn't brand spankin' new... But it will be revitalized and rejuvenated by next Sunday.

The first two photos show the painting's state in April.

Medium: spilt coffee and tea, acrylic, graphite... recently added medium: watercolor on paper collage, pencil on translucent paper
Size: w: 52" x l: 50.5"

the fresh production challenge

2009-09-03T12:31:00.000-07:00

Ryan and I used to be the “art kids” in college. Well, Ryan still is, I’m not sure what I am now.

In May, the nation’s Class of 2009 received diplomas, threw the caps up, and was ushered under scholarly trellises towards the looming cloud of America’s recession. Some graduates were able to hold off on the real world for another two to five years via graduate school, while the rest of us were commiserating with each other in the brave new world of unemployment, or doing this: (http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?section=news/local&id=6928163).

Before graduating from college with a bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts, I applied to master programs up and down the East Coast, (in hopes of obtaining a Master’s degree to become a college professor.) While coordinating, fundraising, and working towards my senior fine arts thesis exhibition, I would receive phone calls from my dad that went like this:
“Michelle, we got a letter in the mail today… [insert prestigious art school name here] didn’t accept you… Do you want me to read you the whole letter?”
“No. It’s cool. ”
“I’m sorry… You did the best you could.”
“Did they happen to say why?”
“No… But just remember that doing your best is all anyone can ask for.”
“Mhm.”

This happened four more times.

So, what now?

Philadelphia. Ryan and I moved into the City of Brotherly Love. He’s going to Tyler for his Masters in Printmaking, and I’m…

CHALLENGED

Yes, it’s true! Well, sort of. Here’s what I mean:

Starting from September 6, 2009-September 6, 2010, Michelle Duria Nugent will produce one piece of artwork a week.

Hours of work may vary, but she will have to begin and start each piece of work (in a variety of sizes and/or mediums- albeit a painting, drawing, performance, video, collage, sculpture, installation, etc.) on every Sunday. There will be no exceptions.

It is to be understood by the artist that she must truly dedicate herself to her work under such strict and short time limits in order to produce each work. This challenge is not meant to devalue progress, but invigorate new ideas and motivate an invested and vigorous work regime.

What makes art “good”? How do you know when you’re finished with something? Do deadlines and timelines help or hinder? How do you become an “artist”? How do you become a good artist? What is a “good artist”? This “fresh production” goal is to produce 100 pieces of artwork while initiating discussions on art and the art making process. The artist’s relationship with her work through this time period will be recorded through the “mixed goods” blog, as well as documented through regularly updated photos. The artist is also required to post every piece of work, whether she thinks it is successful or not.

Constructive criticism from fellow colleagues and former teachers are also encouraged.

… because failure is not the worst thing in the world- the very worst is not to try.