Amelia Bauer

~Get to Know Me~

I decided to join this program because art has always been a passion of mine, whether its the act of creating or learning about it through history. My goal is to eventually step into the field of art therapy as a way to help people in ways that aren’t necessarily “conventional”, while strengthening creative minds.

Some fun facts about me… I’m a plant mom. I’ve worked at a greenhouse for a few years now, and have a huge (and ever growing) collection. I also enjoy music of pretty much any genre, drinking tea, spending time outside, hanging out with friends, and reading.

Flower Watch: Kilometer

My Process

When I think of a km, I mainly focus on the journey rather than the measurement itself. I believe that it’s all about living through observation and experience rather than focusing solely on the destination. The media that I selected was photography of nature, which was taken randomly on my journey. I focused on what drew my attention from the task of “travelling”, and what sparked creative insight for me. My final arrangement is detached from one another, meaning that it can be altered at whatever point seems right.

My initial plan was too open ended. For starters, I was going to select different landmarks within a kilometer distance and draw them as representation. However, pre-selecting them made too much of a “set plan” and defeated the exploration that comes in this experience. I also felt that the drawing would have been too permanent and personalized. It would have been my own style with no way to alter it, and there would be no freedom in shaping the pre-made landmarks. After some thought and discussion, I changed the media to photography and didn’t go in with any sort of plan.

Gallery Proposition

I believe my work could be displayed in a gallery as a photographic series, as well as an interactive. Having information posted around each of the items (the collection above) would give the audience insight of what was specifically grabbed and where. For the interactive portion I would have preserved pieces of my gatherings and have them accessible to the audience to make their own pieces/collages. Applying these factors would strengthen my idea of detachment and change within creativity.

Post-Presentation / Self-Critique

My kilometer reshaped measurement for me because I don’t just see it as a number or distance. I’ve learned that measurement is made through observation and appreciation of the small things that go unnoticed, and how mindfulness can help me see these things. Choosing to document flowers and leaves forced me to be present in everything. It allowed my mind and focus to wander freely. Measurement in this sense is a starting point, while everything else was free. None of my documentations were pre-planned and weren’t taken at exact checkpoints.

For my own grade, I would mark myself an 8/10. While my presentation could have been more tied together, I do feel that my process was hitting the mark. I had a personal connection in my work yet found a way to convey it so that others could have their own connections. I didn’t tell others how to feel, but instead let them have a gateway into imagination. One thing that I could have improved on is my proof of a kilometer. While my collections were made within this measurement, I should have made the connection clearer.

Gestures of Art – An Essay

Question 1

In this essay, Katja Heitmann conducted an experiment of sorts, which she called Motus Mori, where she observed and mimicked everyday gestures while keeping the authenticity and individuality alive. She had volunteers do certain gestures of their choosing, from small facial tics, to bigger gestures like hugging one another and moving around. After a series of demonstrations, she documented her versions and findings into an archive of bodies. The struggle with this project is that no two bodies are the same, no gestures are perfect, and no one can perfectly replicate individuality. While she was able to recreate these movements to a certain degree, there were some small quirks which were only expressed through the volunteers.

Question 2

What I found intriguing about some of the gestures discussed is how minor and unconscious they were. One of the volunteers talked about how he caught himself hiding his thumbs periodically by flattening them into the palms of his hands. Small tics like these make me more aware of what I’m doing. Another person absentmindedly fixed posture while in the interview with Katja, something that I also do when my awareness is heightened. Overall I just like how these small gestures automatically made me focus on myself.

Question 3

One that automatically comes to mind is something my mom does, which is pick at the skin around her nails. It’s something she does to fidget when her mind is very active, which I always notice but she never does. Sometimes she does it while driving, other times it’s when she’s having regular conversation, or even when she’s watching television. Something so minor for her can hint at how she’s feeling mentally, providing a non-verbal signal for everyone else

Another example is something I do, which is bouncing my leg or tapping my nails together. I’ve caught myself doing it many times over the past few years, which can come when I’m stressed or simply bored/daydreaming. If I’m listening to music these gestures can follow the beat of the song. I find it interesting that these movements can be triggered by a variety of things, both positive and negative.

I’ve noticed this over the past 2 years, but one of my closer friends will let out little hums. This isn’t a physical movement, but it’s just something that she has yet to notice. Sometimes it’s when she wakes up, or when she’s having her coffee, and sometimes she will do it randomly

Shuffled : 3-Part Stack

One-Shot

The Sequence

Animation

Animation credit – Hailey Pudnick

MOCA Review

The main art display that stood out to me is part of Bharti Kher’s Bones collection. I absolutely loved these pieces, using glass and shattered mirrors to create these crystal-like structures. Using materials outside of the traditional medium isn’t always easy to do, but using that talent to reference the rarities of the natural world is far beyond what most expect. As someone who is still learning to branch from common forms of art, such as drawing and painting, these pieces inspire me to utilize what’s around me, and to find value and beauty in the mundane.

This piece is from Bharti Kher, a brain dump of future inspired theories regarding society, technology, and medicine. Virus references many concerns while being open and voiced with some levels of intrigue, even though the topics aren’t necessarily beneficial for everyone. Conspiracy theories have been prevalent for a long time, and I always enjoy listening/reading about them, often pulling me into a deep rabbit hole in the internet. The fact that something all about controversy can be turned into such a fun and interactive piece was surprising to me. It’s interesting how a simple brain dump can connect to so many people and spark such deep reflection, inspiring the audience to make their own theories about the years ahead as well.

Silent Sensitivity: Audio Assignment

Silent Sensitivity is a personal project using a mix of homemade and found audio clips. It consists of a series of heartbeats and breathing, with sounds of light sorrow and muted chatter in the background during scenes of higher tension/buildup. This piece is meant to portray the physical reactions to stress, anxiety, and some of those “deeper” emotions that everyone dislikes to confront and/or acknowledge. It portrays what it means to suffer in silence: the fast heartbeat, uneven breaths, all while your mind is fuzzy and racing with all of that pent up emotion.

My initial plan before discussion was to focus on the stressors themselves, to create a piece about the idea of time and having too many tasks at hand. However, using audio surrounding clocks can seem a bit cliche. Instead I took that Idea and transformed it into a more personal piece, focusing on the human experience rather than the tasks/activities at hand. Making this piece and swapping my idea forced me out of my comfort zone and to really dial in on my own body and headspace during those darker moments.

Self-Critique

I faced a number of setbacks while creating this piece, both in the recording and editing stages. Capturing quiet breaths while trying to block out any background noise was a challenge and required me to boost the audio majorly with assistance from tech/sound profs. Some of the sounds didn’t even show up, such as the heartbeat. For that I ended up focusing on how the beats were throughout the day and re-created the sounds tapping my wrist. While the sound itself isn’t an actual heartbeat, the rhythm reflects my own. It was difficult to decide how I was going to express what was going on in my head. I decided to use the idea of dissociation by adding a slight ringing/fuzzy background noise. When it came to editing I had some slight issues simply surrounding navigation. Overall, I do believe my piece conveyed what I was aiming for since I was able to find ways to express those reactions.