Opening Reception Images - Dec. 12, 2013
Thursday, December 19, 2013
Monday, December 16, 2013
Controlled. Uncontrolled.
Control: kənˈtrōl/
noun: the power to influence or direct people's behavior or the course
of
events.
verb: to determine the behavior or supervise the running of.
Response: riˈspäns/
noun: a verbal or written or acted answer.
Control is an illusion. So one must ask, what do you do when
things fail? How do you react when there is nothing else you can do? How do you
respond when the challenge is to restart and restart again? Are you willing to
fix damaged things? Are you willing to allow change in yourself?
Life brings situations and circumstances into being that we never wanted or expected to face. It can be a thrilling or a terrifying experience. Control is the myth our human brains long to be true, so as to organize our existence. One cannot control the day or night, the passing of time, life or death and yet we try to everyday. We can control the light and the camera, but not always the subject, the weather, the day, and this life unfolding can become the chaos one frantically tries to avoid. Artists work for control of a medium or subject, when in reality, the work is a process and journey through the absence of control. The response to this lack of control is everything.
This series of black and white portraits represent the different
human responses to the controlled and uncontrolled in life. The subjects have
either walked through life situations beyond control or represent those
circumstantially without control. These portraits are intended to create a
dialogue with each other, and with the viewer, of facing the uncontrollable in
life.
Sunday, December 15, 2013
a.jpg)
Monday, December 10, 2012
Redirection Exhibition
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| Our exhibition poster |
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| Exhibition description |
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| My label |
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| My "room" - exhibition space |
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| Other half of my space |
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| Work in the round... |
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| Work in the round two... |
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| People viewing my work. |
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| People in our gallery, viewing after artist talks. |
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| Giving my artist talk! |
Held
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| "Despair" Shaina Sieh © 2012 |
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| "Fear" Shaina Sieh © 2012 |
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| "Inferior" Shaina Sieh © 2012 |
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| "Forsaken" Shaina Sieh © 2012 |
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"Shame" - Shaina Sieh © 2012
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Held
For this body of work, I sought words to create images based on a transcribed word and to treat the literal text in a photographic manner. Through layering and collage, I wanted to explore this age old relationship of text and image. The text is based off of certain words, the images are based on the text, and the words then title the image.
Five words were selected and given to five chosen writers. Each writer took their own interpretation of the word and the letter they then sent me. Depending on the word, their character, and experiences, I received very different responses and yet there were common themes to a lot of the expressions in these letters, a bit of an old-fashioned means of communication. Their intent, purpose and reason for writing what they did is still their secret.
In reading the letters, I allowed them to conjure images to collaborate the idea in the text as well as my overall theme in choosing the five words. The idea of a mummy, bound, held in death, restricted and unable to be free was the image that repeatedly came to mind when I read these letters. I used this symbol to pull the different threads and ideas together.
People tend to hold on to things in life. Sometimes these things are unpleasant words or ideas, such as depression, loneliness or not feeling significant. These images are meant to connect the text, the visual space and play of light to the experience of these issues all humans go through.
Everyone can recall a time or experience when they were affected by such ugly company as regret or terror of the unknown. Reading the text is not essential to viewing the work, but even skimming the text for key words changes the work as one enters different levels of participation with the images. By tying the images to the text, the proverbial voice of experience, it binds the verbal expression, and the image into one piece.
Shaina Sieh © 2012
For this body of work, I sought words to create images based on a transcribed word and to treat the literal text in a photographic manner. Through layering and collage, I wanted to explore this age old relationship of text and image. The text is based off of certain words, the images are based on the text, and the words then title the image.
Five words were selected and given to five chosen writers. Each writer took their own interpretation of the word and the letter they then sent me. Depending on the word, their character, and experiences, I received very different responses and yet there were common themes to a lot of the expressions in these letters, a bit of an old-fashioned means of communication. Their intent, purpose and reason for writing what they did is still their secret.
In reading the letters, I allowed them to conjure images to collaborate the idea in the text as well as my overall theme in choosing the five words. The idea of a mummy, bound, held in death, restricted and unable to be free was the image that repeatedly came to mind when I read these letters. I used this symbol to pull the different threads and ideas together.
People tend to hold on to things in life. Sometimes these things are unpleasant words or ideas, such as depression, loneliness or not feeling significant. These images are meant to connect the text, the visual space and play of light to the experience of these issues all humans go through.
Everyone can recall a time or experience when they were affected by such ugly company as regret or terror of the unknown. Reading the text is not essential to viewing the work, but even skimming the text for key words changes the work as one enters different levels of participation with the images. By tying the images to the text, the proverbial voice of experience, it binds the verbal expression, and the image into one piece.
Shaina Sieh © 2012
Friday, November 9, 2012
Cherished No More
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Cherished No More
Every
year 3.3 million reports of child abuse are made in the United States.
In 2010, Wisconsin had 26,452 investigated abuse reports. Minnesota
reports show that of the 4,742 actual abuse cases in 2009, 70% suffered
from neglect. The U.S. Department of Justice's National Crime
Victimization Survey averages 207,754 victims, ages 12 and older, of
rape and sexual assault each year. One in four women will experience
domestic violence in a lifetime, while 15% of domestic violence victims
are male.
My
interest in the issue of abuse started with volunteer work with
children in the Minnesota social system, as a camp counselor.
Repeatedly, the tragedy, the injustice and damage inflicted on humans by
other humans staggers me. This issue awakens within me an instinct to
protect, help and care for the unwanted in our society.
The
goal of this work is to meld portraiture with a psychological
representation of the effects of abuse upon men and women, young and
old, to create a visual experience of what abuse does to mankind. This
is represented in the posture, expression, negative space and the
emphasis on certain lines. This pictorial collage is one way to channel
my passion and heart for the mistreated and unwanted. In a very minor
way, it is my resistance to abuse and the complacent acceptance of it in
our society.
The
16 figures used for this project are models only and not actual abuse
victims. A special thanks to all of them for their collaboration and
assistance.
Shaina Sieh
University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire, Department of Art & Design Fall 2012 ©Shaina Sieh 2012
Statistic Resources: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; Child Welfare League of America; Prevent Child Abuse, Minnesota; Domestic Violence Resource Center.
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