Mix Up Xiran Luo
1
002
Mix Up Xiran Luo 2019 - 2020
MICA Illustration Practice MFA ‘21 Idea Book
003
Foreword / 006
Conceptual Projects / 008 Image Harvest 009 Laser Cut 016
Material Exploration / 020 Ceramic 021 Sewing 028 Art Market 032 Pattern 038
Narrative Training / 048 Paper Cut 049 Riso Print 058 Sketch Book Project 066
004
Poster Everything / 072 WBS 073 Hand Lettering 082 Film Branding 088
Motion & Sound / 096 Stop-motion Animation 097 Sound Design 102
Self-Directed / 107
Other Practices / 124 Sculptures 125 2020 Calendar 134
005
Foreword
006
Hi, this is Xiran. You can also call me Lobod. I was born in 1997 in Changsha, a city in the south China. Drawing is my major in the undergrad program in Beihang University. However, I was “tired” of illustration after graduation in 2019. I love exploring multimedia: film making, animation, installation art, performance... That’s why I came here, MICA. I want to embrace various disciplines, and the first year studio classes in ILP really refreshed me. The title “Mix Up” tells everything I went through in this year–– break, start, and reconstruct.
007
Conceptual Projects
008
Image Harvest Why We Wear It 2019 Mixed Media Digital Painting, Fresh flowers, Resin, Wood Board
009
fig.1 Mind map for 10 ideas.
K
im let us share 10 ideas that we want to develop. Mind map is always an effective tool to contemplate myself in a higher view. Skimming through my previous works, I found myself interested in human rather than nature. Especially human behaviors and appearance. Black humor is also my preference.
fig.2 Two pieces of prototypes related to “Ikebana” and human body. I draw hands in a branch shape. However, they are to abstract to be recognized.
010
For the Image Harvest show, I turned to my new friend – Zewen Liu, a first year student in Rineheart Sculpture MFA program. He almost helped me the whole process of installation making. I planed to design 3 posters and make a series of sculptures to combine the cruelty of Ikebana and social constructed beauty. The posters are visually beautiful but abnormal. All the plants are compared to parts of human body. They are distorted, wrapped, restricted, just as some ritual behaviors in human society, modifying the nature appearance to cater the dominant, patriarchy aesthetic. I have tried using foil and wires to make “roses.” The molds are supposed to be uniform, artificial. But the wires and foil are too “organic” to shape the molds. So I chose resin as the final material to finish the cast.
fig.3.1-3.4 Installation making processes in MICA Rinehart Studio.
011
fig.4 Red anthurium & neck rings of Kayan people.
012
fig. 5 Tulips & European corset.
013
fig.6 Succulent plant & foot binding in Ancient China.
014
fig.7 Image Harvest show
Ikebana, “arranging flowers” or “making flowers alive”, is the Japanese art of flower arrangement which I am drawn to. However, what seems paradoxical is that people shape the plants in cruel ways (cut, twist, burn...) to highlight their intrinsic beauty. This contradiction reminds me of body modification in different cultures—Foot Binding (ancient China), Neck Rings (The Kayan, Myanmar), and Corsets. The drawings reveal the life force of plant / body. The organic creatures are restricted, but they still find their way to get out of the limitation. Below the drawing, various flowers torturing themselves voluntarily to fit the rose model, just as human modify their body to the aesthetics of so-called mainstream. Beauty exists in nature and yet is socially constructed.
015
Laser Cutting Anti-glasses 2019 Cardboards, Elastic Bands, Mobile Phone Screens
016
fig.8.1-6 Anti-glasses
L
eser cut is totally a new technology for me. Compared with cutting with blades, laser cut offers much more efficient, clear and precise approach to get the complicaed profiles or hollows. I wanted to make something functional, or wearable. So I drew some weird shapes of glasses just for fun. After individual meeting with Kim, she asked me what’s the purpose of the funny glasses, what do I want to communicate to the audience? I can’t answer. Then, I began to consider the function of glasses in the opposite way -- limiting the field of vision.
017
fig.10.1 Lasercut machine fig.10.2 Folding the cardboard into the glasses shape. fig.10.3 Gluing the printed texture on cardboard.
fig.9 Handmade prototype
fig.10.1
fig.10.2
Cardboard is the most accessable material I can get. Cutting is much quicker than I imagined. I spend lots of time designing the shape and texture.
018
fig.10.3
As you can see, the box shape of glasses determines the user experience. Blocking the vision from up,left, and right side, the audience only have limited view if they don’t turn around their head hard. But it doesn’t mean the audience can’t see anything around them: the patterns glued on the inside of the glasses form another interior world: the Windows classic wallpaper “Bliss”(fig.7.2); a flood of “like” icons from Instagram(fig.7.4); news about Hongkong Protest 2019 from Chinese mainland media(fig.7.6)... What’s on the exterior
side of the glasses? The Hex color codes of the image “Bliss”; logo which looks like Instagram and sentences about suggestions and disagreement; the news from the media outside of the “firewall” established by Chinese government... 、The inside and outside form contrast or reveal a different angle seeing the same things. Just like the glasses, you hardly know the “real” or the “outside” of the world if you can’t get out of the “box”(glasses).
fig.11 Bliss (Windows wallpaper)
019
Material Exploration
020
Ceramic Weird Phone Support 2019 Clay, Glaze
021
C
eramic is my favorite material in the first semester. I enjoyed seeing how the 2D sketches turn into 3D objects. This workshop ended fast and we all rushed to make pieces due to the process of ceramic making: we have to leave enough time waiting the clay dry. After the sculpture I made in the first day broken, I designed small phone supporters afterwards. I found my self really drown to product design, which combine the sculptural aesthetic and utility together. These ceramics are full of whimsy and humor.
fig.12.1-4 On the first class, after tutorial, I used clay to build the “banana pants” which comes from my previous sketchbook. After 2 nights, when I came back to it, it broken as soon as I lifted it up -- the weight is too heavy for the weak joint. So I changed my mind instantly, I decided to make three phone supporters in small scale.
022
fig.13.1-7 These are the process images of phone supporters. First, I built the sculpture using clay. After they were dry, I painted underglaze on them for the first fire. Then I drew color on the ceramics and brushed with clear glaze. The final step is the second fire!
023
fig.14.1-2 “Sexy Butt” supporter.
024
fig.15.1-2 “Elephant with Two Trunks” supporter
025
fig.16.1-2 “Long Braid” supporter
026
fig.17 Painting on a given vessel.
I was surprised by the final version of these ceramics. The shiny glaze highered the quality of ceramics immediately. Although the color seemed darker than the underglaze pigments before firing, the texture of the meat looked closer to the real one.
The most charming thing about ceramic is the uncertainty. You never know what the final look will be. All the experience and tricks hiding in the repetition of training. I will dedfinitely make ceramics again in the future.
027
Sewing Origami Face 2019 Nonwoven fabric, Cotton
028
fig.18.1 Kim was doing the demo of digital sewing. fig.18.3 My prototype.
fig.18.2 In MICA Art Tech Center, fabric printing lab. fig.18.4 I was sticking the canvas because my sewing skills was unable to hold it...
I
n my childhood, my mom always gave me the cold shoulder when I do the handcraft. I was not good at sewing or weaving, because I hardly have chances to do it! This workshop offered me a opportunity to explore how the sewing machine works. More important is, I took a peek at the world of fabric, and I found making costumes just as making the sculpture: based on some basic techniques and building a 3D objects in various way. The difference between inside and outside of the fabric also intrigued me so much. This time I made a functional product again, like the ceramic project. I saw the pictures of origami bag on Pinterest, the folding process looks easy, but for me, things never goes easy at the first time.
029
030
fig.19.1-2 Document of Origami Face.
fig.20 Original sketch
The final piece almost close to my sketch, if you don’t notice the details... I tried several different fabrics and some of them failed to sew on them because they shrink badly. There are some tricks hiding in this bag. I glued the non-woven fabric on the black cotton using adhesive fabric tapes. I kept making bags for 20 hours in studio without eating anything and stayed up all night in studio for the first time. I was totally obsessed with craft. Facing the problems and finding alternative ways to fix it makes me feel proud of myself. But I do want to higher the techinique skills in the future.
fig.21.1-3 Me and my bag.
031
Art Market Vibro Vibe (Acrylic Earrings) 032
2019 Acrylic Sheets, Metal Hooks
T
his is a new studio class that Whitney begin to teach to the first year students since 2019. “Entrepreneurship” is quite an unfamiliar term for me. In this class, we designed our brand logo, sent email to our favorite artists, and made products for the MICA Art Market. “Cold Call”,“Elevator Pitch”, “Creative Brief”... These were the first time I have heard about the items. I only sold postcard in the campus festival in my undergrad college, not as systematicly as what I did in MICA. Whitney really guided me to the “Art Market”. I designed namecards in the first week and met my favorite artists -- Sun Yunfan and Dave Liang ( Shanghai Restoration Project) in their solo exhibition in New York City! This used to be on my todolist when I arrived in the US! My name cards were sent to my idols, like Yann Kebbi, and Lisk Feng.
fig.22.1 Whitney’s first class fig.22.2 My namecards fig.22.3 Me and Sun yunfan. fig.22.4 Me and Yann Kebbi in book fair.
033
fig.23 Cold call to Leilei.
Artist Cold Email & Internship Offer! 034
fig.23 Got internship offer from LxU studio!
fig.24 My turning point. I bought some colorful foam stickers and made some collages. My previous version was organic hollowed shapes, which is technically hard to achieve and not recognizable.
fig.25.1-6 Prototypes and documents. Incredible model: Peishan Huang
035
fig.26 My acrylic sheets are cut in lasercut machine.
fig.27 I put my processed acylic pieces on Jackie’s balcony. They were frozen after raining.
fig.28 Peishan taught me how to make earrings. This was the first portrait earring I’ve made.
fig.29 Cool earrings / pins / key chains with abstract and geometric shape, vivid color. They are influenced by various African American profiles in Baltimore. Every product is one-of-a-kind! Here is my display card with a earring.
fig.30 My handmade display shelf for ILP Art Market booth!
036
fig.31 I didn’t sell very well at the market. 14 out of 68 items were sold. Even not enough to cover the cost. But I found my customers are exactly what I imagined -- young, cool, and confident. I exchanged the IG account with some of them.
fig.32.1-4 My timeslot shared with Jin and Xiaohan. Wrap up time! Whitney’s treat!
037
Pattern Shall We Dance? 2020 Digital Drawing
038
W
hen I first saw Japanese film Shall We Dance? , I decided the theme of my pattern project directly. The 90s Asian dance club, retro, romantic, and vague vibe. I have never touched on romantic illustration before, and this was the opportunity for me to try something new: not only the theme, but also the decorative pattern design.
fig.33 Poster of film Shall We Dance?
We learned how to make repetitive pattern by papercut in the workshop. The original edges, balance, negative space, lines and dots... Changing every single elements can make huge difference! I realized pattern is not as easy as I thought.
fig.34.1-2 Two papercut patterns made in workshop.
039
fig.35 In this pattern, I challenged the “grid” in pattern design. Usually people break the grid to make the pattern more consistent. I divided the characters bodies into different panels just like comics. The idea was inspired by Marion Fayolle’s graphic novel The Tenderness of Stone.
040
fig.36 I created a vague, dim, and melting scene of dance club. People in different gestures looks like models in small scale.
041
fig.37 This is the dazzles in the club.
fig.39 Vans shoes mockup
042
Mockups, Mockups, Mockups!
fig.38 bathroom curtain mockup
043
fig.40 Virtual advertisement mockup.
044
045
fig.41.1-2 CD cases and cover mockups. Putting those pattern in proper scene and products makes more sense.
046
fig.42.1-3 Drinking can mockups.
047
Narrative Training
048
Paper Cutting Here Comes the Rain 2019 Paper Cutting, Accordion Book
049
fig.43 Motion Silhouette is an interactive Japanese children’s book by Megumi Kajiwara and Tathuhiko Nijima that includes pop-up silhouettes in-between pages. As a light source is directed toward either side, a different moving image is projected on the page to help tell the story.
T
he first time I saw the book Motion Silhouette is that I was a volunteer in a pop-up books exhibition in Beijing. I was amazed by the moving silhouette and narrative interaction. So in this workshop, I decided to make a book which has similar form but totally different from it. Since I have made papercut pop-up books before, in this project, I mainly focused on how to combine the silhouette and narrative.
050
My work always begins with some intuitive sketches. Just like doodles in fig.42, the woman’s veil and raining “cats and dogs” under the umbrella jumped up to my mind. Then, more and more pop-up figures caming along, I gathered and put them in order -- in this way, a peaceful street and the heavy rain were set up.
fig.44 Papercutting workshop
I drew with pastel, scaned the drawing and arranged the positions in photoshop. This is the drawing process that I’m comfortable with. In the first crique, I displayed seperate spreads on the wall. Without text, my classmates were confused about the story. Also, Laura suggested me to make a sound design for this book. I went to the writing studio and found some support writing poems for the book after the crique. Besides, I printed it again and made an accordion book. The sound design for this book became my final project in my elective class.
fig.45 Original sketch
fig.46 Pop-up veil
051
fig.47 The full image of the book without pop-ups.
052
053
fig.50 The fishbowl.
fig.51 Raindrops
054
fig.52 Literaly raining “cats and dogs”.
fig.49 Butterfly.
055
fig.53.1 The covers of the book Here Comes The Rain.
fig.53.3-6
056
fig.53.2
057
Riso Print Crush 2019 Riso Print Zine
058
A
cne is the skin condition that have “accompanied” me for more than ten years. So I hid my bizarre fantasy about self-awareness on social media in the short comic.
fig.54 Cover
The main goal of this project was not riso print technique, but narrative skills. In narration workshop, Kim let us divided in groups and transfered some specific text into short comics. My intuitive drawing habit making troubles again. I spent a whole weekend drew a comic, and I was proud of it until midterm meeting with Kim. She said she was quite confused about the second half of the story and misunderstood the ending.
059
fig.55 P1-P2
Then I realized my interpretation might not clear enough to express my intention. We discussed about the layout, pace, and the order of each panel. Although I already have riso printed the story, I revised the story and made it more reader-friendly. Never rush to final; always do more sketches and prototypes; edit, drop, rearrange the elements, these were Kim told me.
060
fig.53 P3-P4
I always don’t have patience revising my old work. But this time I was willing to do that, because Kim’s feedback was very convincing. I should change my thoughts and habits: not enjoy finishing, but process.
061
fig.53 P3-P4
062
fig.54 Back side
063
Ben is a sophisticated tech in our printing lab. His high professional work hapled me save a lot of time.
fig.55
I chose red, yellow, black and cyan. The richness of color was attributed to overlay of red and yellow. The only thing that I was not satisfied with is the mismatch of different layers, which really disturb the reading, especially the text.
fig.56
fig.57
fig.55 Ben fig.56 My previous back side fig.57 Masters in Riso machine fig.58 printing process fig.58
064
fig.59.1-6 Physical riso zine.
065
Sketch Book Project Four Panels Mini Comic 2019 Sakura Pigma Micron Pens, Marker Pens, Label Maker
066
T
his is a collaboration project with Brooklin Library. We recieved 14 sketchbooks and 14 topics. Each one of us choose one topic to make cover. Then we shift sketchbook each week till the end of the semester. I drew a series of short comics according to each topic. This is the most relaxed and improvised training I have done in the first semester.
fig.60 Page67-71 Sketches of 14 topics.
067
068
069
070
071
Poster Everything
072
WBS Project Writers in Baltimore Schools 2020 Project Posters for Poems 2020 Digital Drawing
073
W
riters in Baltimore Schools 2020 project is a collaboration project with high school students. The process of the whole workshop just be executed as commercial projects: Research, sketches, final, revision, jury.
The most exciting part was visiting Baltimore Sun newspaper. We saw the physical archives about the history of Baltimore. I was stunning by the huge amount of clips of news, and some of them could dateback before WWII.
fig.61.1-10 Pictures in Baltimore Sun, Kim and teacher from Baltimore writing school.
074
075
fig.62 Poster for Who Do You Want to be?
076
Who do you want to be? By Madyson Bassett Grade 9, Western High School
I want to be a bird Sitting on the branch of a tree. Listening intently to what everyone says. I want to be both the sunrise and sunset. The ones you stay up for just to watch. I want to have the same color scheme as it. I want to be the listener of thoughts. I want to be a surprise, So no one sees me coming. I want to be the melody trapped in your mind. Floating in the air as you hum the tune. I want to be the movie That you stay up all night watching. I want to be a book so I can be Smart. I wish to be a diamond. Shiny and new, Something no one’s ever touched. Pure, In a box, With people guarding it. Leaving it to be left alone, Forever.
077
fig.63 Poster for Epidemic
078
Epidemic By Madison Hall Grade 12, Bard High School Early College
Existing. They are here, but why? Teenagers with their bottles of window cleaner I have so many questions leafing Through old yellowed clips Standing shoulder to shoulder in A warm room. It Feels like history, but the pieces are missing The questions there and the answers Mixing with soapy water, tossed out at the end of the day The news says one thing Patrols try to deter aggressive panhandling, After several incidentsA squeegee crackdown. But there remains a city divided Forced to confront Baltimore’s poverty on their way to work Called low intensity extortion or an entrepreneurial spirit But they’re still here and draw a heart on a driver’s windshield. They exist. They are here, But where in history? How can they just appear on the intersections like cabbage patch children out of intersections Like roses out of concrete
079
Is that why they were missing from the pages? Expectations too high that they could get theirs Because someone deemed them Menace to society and unworthy as They exist in pursuit of spare change If we could make change to spare. Why are they missing they’re history? There’s plenty of fault to go around.
I personally love the first poem so much. If the pandemic wasn’t happening, I should make friends with her and meet in person. I can feel such a delicate, sensitive soul through her poem. In What Do You Want to be?, there are various imageries in the text. The emotion of the poem is hard to define, which is a combination of sad, loneliness and hope to be loved. That’s why I didn’t depict any imagery in the poem, I made up a fictional scene where two people can’t see each other, and they are expecting and hesitating to be touched. Although it wasn’t selected as the final poster for this poem, I like it very much.
080
The Epidemic was picked as the final poster. I appreciate this collaboration giving me a chance to know “squeegee boys” more. I also learned a lot from my classmate Xi. she did further research such as rap music, documentaries, current news about squeegee boys in Baltimore. fig.64 Poster on billboard
I combined the clock and windshield together, trying to question the existence of these people.
fig.65 Sketches in the middle stage.
fig.66.1-2 First sketches.
081
Hand Lettering Sex and the City Character Poster 2020 Digital Drawing
082
fig.67 Poster for Samantha
083
fig.68 Poster for Miranda
084
fig.69 Poster for Carrie
085
fig.70 Poster for Charlotte
fig.71.1-3 Not successful trying
086
H
andlettering is what I began to do long time ago. But I’ve never learn the typeface systematically. After this workshop, I want to have a typography class in the second year. “Sex and the City” is the TV series that accompanied me for 2 months in this semester. So I designed posters and typeface for the 4 characters according to their personality. The poster of Carrie and Charlotte are not consistent to the Samantha and Miranda at first, but I really love the first version. As Carrie always says in SATC: “I couldn’t help but wonder”: what is the typeface of me?
fig.71.1-3 My handlettering in workshop.
087
Film Branding Film Posters for 2020 Film Branding Collaboration 2020 Digital Drawing
088
fig.72 Invitation email from Whitney.
This project is not included in the studio class. Since we had WBS project, learning how to cooperate with people who have different background and conduct commercial posters, this project supported me going further in poster design and visual communication.
Beginning & Ending Email fig.73 Wrap-up email from Kirsten.
089
Hear No Evil A Film by Xuan Cui
090
fig.74 Hear No Evil poster
fig.75 Hear No Evil banner
W
hen I met my friends who are studying in MICA filmmaking program, I said I can design film posters for them. Surprisingly, my words came true – they highly recommanded ILP joining the collaboration project. I collaborated with 3 students, whose films are very distinct: Documentary, suspense film and cult & thrill film. Drawing different genres explored my potencial energy, and I never thought I can handle the suspense film before.
091
Welcome to the Party A Film by Logan Hamrick
092
fig.76 Welcome to the Party poster
fig.77 Welcome to the Party banner
All the directors respect my art. I want to thank to Antonio Alcala & Eduardo Corral especially. They guided me and encouraged me to enhance the quality of poster design. Antonio as a graphic designer, who taught me to give up the unnecessary image and only leave the most eye-catching and crucial imagery. He said my poster looks like Poland posters in 1930s. I didn’t aware the coincidence, but when I did more research about Poland posters during the war time, I found myself was already familiar with them long time ago.
093
Her Summer A Film by Yunye Chen
094
fig.78 Her Summer poster
fig.79 Her Summer banner
Eduardo, as an ILP alumni, also a MICA illustration faculty, encouraged me a lot. He gave me some friendly suggestions about the illustration details, “making beliefs”.
Information hierarchy, eye-catching elements, creative use of typeface... these are what I’ve learned from the three posters. Since I have filmmaking background, I might understand the director’s demand throughly. I think it’s my first professional crossover, looking forward to collaborating with more film directors.
095
Motion & Sound
096
Stop-motion Animation Bless You 2020 Zippers, Paper cut, Stop-motion Animation
097
fig.80 Storyboard
B
less you, the first culture shock I’ve experienced after I came to the US. Coincidently, my partner Em is the only one student who would say “bless you” after other people sneezing.
fig.81 Stephanie is doing demo.
I bought a bunch of zippers for the sewing project last semester, but I didn’t use them. For not wasting these materials, I planned to make a stop-motion animation by zippers!
fig.82 My zippers. fig.83 Stop-motion working space.
098
I have animation background, so it was not quite a challenge for me to make animation. I really appreciate Kim and Stephanie’s effort to offer us a set of professional and efficient equipment. Without them, we can’t make it in only one day. We’ve tried different materials: sand, acrylic, pastel, papercutting... I enjoyed sand the most, because it is perfect to express the random and abstract shapes, also the delicate sketches. Working with Em was a surprising experience. I didn’t know her well before the workshop. We both work very fast, and I became the “math” person counting the frames all the time. We didn’t have full plans for the whole animation, and basically we just worked intuitively and let new ideas came up naturally. It was good and bad – we were the last group who left the studio.
fig.84 My partner Em.
fig.85 I’m painting.
fig.86 My hand in Dragonframe!
099
fig.87 A frame of my animation.
The animation shows intercultural reaction to sneeze. We turned the zippers into people, tree, door, elevator... I wanted the audience wandering in multiple space, so I spend lots of time editing the sound. An unexpected outcome was that when I showed my animation to my friends in China, they associated it with the COVID-19 in Wuhan. It was not a international pandemic at that time (Feburary 9th), the feedback was totally difference between my classmates in the US and my Chinese friends. If
100
fig.88 Scan the QR code and watch it on Vimeo.
fig.89 A frame of my animation.
we see it in pandemic view, it is not lighthearted, playful anymore – it’s serious.
fig.90 My sound art teacher Andrew Keiper in ILP!
I invited my teacher in “sound design for animation” class – Andrew Keiper to hold a sound workshop for ILP. We planed this collaboration in the early last semester, and it was so nice to see him in ILP workshop! Hope it will benefit our classmates.
101
Sound Design Instructor / Andrew Keiper 2019
102
T
aking this class was one of the most correct choice I’ve made this year. I was the only international and grad student in the class (which made me nervous). Talented undergrad students surprised me all the time. And I enjoyed hearing their critiques. We learned how to do the foley, recording, redesign, and create music. Even though these are just basic skills of the sound art, I felt I step my foot in the sound world. I can still remember I took the recorder in the subway of New York City and got a baby’s crying. And when I showed Andrew my demo for the final project, he said “I’m proud of you”.
fig.91 My cute teacher Andrew Keiper
fig.92 Co-work with talented undergrad student Caity.
So I went to the sound club in the second semester. Although the club was interrupted by the pandemic, I will learn furthur in sound art in the future. This is my elective class in 2019 fall. Without sound design class, I would not directed my stop-motion animation to a sound based project. So I line up these two projects and you can see how I explore moving image and sound art.
fig.93 Our foley studio!
103
fig.94 QR code of my redesign project.
fig.96.1-3 I collaborated with Peobody New Media freshman Wenyun Liu for my final project. He composed for my video. It was the first time that I went into a musical school. Very impressive experience.
104
fig.95 QR code of my final project.
105
Independent Project
106
Self-directed Project Rules 2020 Short Comic, GIF
107
fig.98.1-4 Research of “Mold Making” (P109)
fig.97.1-7 Mind-map and sketches of comics.
108
D
ue to the COVID-19 outbreak, we have been required to self-isolate at home since spring break. Online zoom meeting changed the form of class drastically. To be honest, I became less productive and can hardly catch the time schedule in this project. My initial idea was making a series of minicomics and GIF about “MOLD MAKING”. This project can be regarded as my alternative way to develop my mold project in “introduction to sculpture”class since I don’t have access to the shop during quarantine. I was excited about this term, and developed a bunch of ideas of the conceptual extended meaning of “mold making”, like “reproduction”, “manipulation”, “chain effect”... Then, I tried several GIF and comics in final version, I was really enjoying drawing in this loose and consistent style. However, my research presentation made Kim and my classmates confused -- it contains too much and what I want the audience to get is not clear. I started from scratch in the middle of the project. Thanks to my partner Kiran, she said the term “rules” after she saw my “hunchback chair” comic. “The chair rules me,” she typed. I suddenly found that I love observing human behaviors and I’m good at finding humor from the absurdity of life. I changed the topic into “rules, discipline, restriction.”
109
fig.99 Hunchback Chair You can see my GIF on www.lobodluo.com
110
111
fig.100 Relaxing Book
112
113
fig.101 Museum Express
114
115
fig.102 Oasis
116
117
fig.103 Running Star
118
119
“Wacky, whimsical, humorous but also sad and heartbreaking.” My classmates typed these adjactives in Zoom chatting box after my final presentation. I was glad that their feelings were just what I want my audience to have. But I didn’t make enough time to let them reading through my comics, I still doubt that the audience can’t get my point without descriptions. I used to work intuitively, which means if I have an idea, I will draw them immediately without plan and research. Looking back to my previous works, I can hardly find what’s in the middle, always the finals, except the picture books. I seldom do sketches, moodboard, and schedules. So my projects usually end in a short time. When to end the project usually depends on when my passion fades away. But in this independent project, also in the thesis for the second year, I have to change my habit: doing sketches, making mistakes, editing my works and following the scheduels.
fig.104 Museum Express previous version
120
I was obsessed with the endless artist research and can’t decide a specific topic of my project for almost one month. After I decided the topic, I realized the GIF might be not neccessary: I should focus on visual communication, narration skills. Kim suggested me not to think about 12 panels and format, and I might play with different panels and let the most natural arrangement comes out. In the end, I made two GIF which I think they might be helpful to clarify the ideas. It was also the first time I tried to combine the GIF and comic. I discussed the relationship between rules and human behaviors. Hunchback chair regulates “my” posture; Relaxing Book guides the movement of “my” head; Museum Express exchanges the position of “high art” and “low art(selfie)”; “Oasis” reflects “my” OCD in the action checking itself, and the “Running Star” is made out of a step cheating machine...
fig.105 Running Star previous version
121
fig.106.1-3 GIF
fig.107 The best selling shoes in quarantine.
122
This project never ends. It gives me a chance to contemplate our daily life and to find the paradox in it. These are my trying in this project, and you can check the GIF in my portfolio website: lobodluo.com. I really want to make physical installation of some of the ideas. Especially the hunchback chair and best selling shoes. Illustration and sculptures interwind together and nurture my art.
123
Other Practice
124
Sculpture 2020 Four projects in “Introduction to Sculpture” class
125
I
t was an immature trying in wood sculpture project. This artwork is also my memory about immaturity. When I realized my dad pretended to play the hide and seek games for me and my twin sister over and over again, I no longer stay in that old cabinet. In this miniature, I share the very intimate moment with the audience: hearing the sound of my dad, who is looking for us and calling our name repeatedly. The sound of our heartbeat, chuckle are also included in the sound design.
fig.109 Woodshop making process
fig.108.1-4 Cuddle Space
Wood: Cuddle Space 126
fig.110 Photo of critique
The game was a performance. I used to be the unconscious audience, but now I recur and direct the intimacy to the public. “Grown-up me” observe the small cabinet, where the “tiny me” hid in. fig.111 Photo of sculpture class
127
Metal: Non-ladder
fig.112 Non-ladder
128
I fig.113 Grinding metal sheet
n this project, I made a ladder that is not functional. A ground steel sheet represented an artificial, stationary, permanent water wave. Both objects contain absurdity and paradox in the form and material. “Nonsense” is always the motif of my work. The location of the non-ladder is critical to the sculpture. It bridges different surfaces and spaces. If I can take it out of the studio, I will explore more possibilities through the photograph.
fig.114 Sketch on the ground
fig.115 Photo of Non-ladder
129
Mold Making: Do We Become Stronger?
S
oft, flexible, round shape are the typical adjective to describe female breasts. Bra, serve as the cover or a “mold”, shaping and becoming part of the symbols of the female body. Madonna’s cone bra is one of the most famous feminist designs around the world, which the sharp and powerful shape adds the aggressivity to the body. But it also amplifies the character of the female breasts in some way.
fig.116 Me wearing cube bra.
What I want to pursue is wiping off the feminine character of the breast. The cube, straight and hard edges, “inhuman” materials: cardboard, wires, key chains… all the elements form a rigid mold to contain the cast -- my body, my breast. fig.117 Me wearing cube bra.
130
fig.118 Cube bra
fig.119 Cube bra
131
fig.120 Marks on my skin
Obviously, the red marks on my skin reveal the mismatch and discipline. After removing the most feminine character of my body, what will people think when they contemplate my body beneath the clothes? New sexuality or diminishing sexuality?
132
fig.121 Cube bra
fig.122
fig,123
133
2020 Calendar Unfinished Project 2020 Oil pastel
134
D
uring the spring break, also the self-isolated time, I found a new way to release myself from anxiety: standing and drawing on the wall. I used oil pastel, drawing slightly and wiping the color for many times to make the vague and soft effect. I haven’t drawn totally traditionaly for almost 2 years. Abandoning ctrl+Z and wiping hard really push me into a very concentrated space and time. I enjoy the tired but satisfied moment after finishing each piece.
fig.124 February
135
fig.125 March
fig.127 April
136
fig,126 October
fig.128 July
137
fig.129.1-3
138
fig.129.4-5
Milton Avery, André Brasilier and Will Barnet influenced me deeply in this semester. They are walking on the boundary of realistic and abstract world. Real-life subjects are transposed into dreamlike settings. That’s the direction what I’m always interested in. This project is not related to my studio work, but it witnessed my endeavour – trying to be a painter.
139
fig.130
140
I
admit that this is a tough year for me. New environment, new social connection, new technologies. I keep having conversation to myself through these workshops. What I’ve made reflect my interior world and who I am. Special thanks to professor Kim and director Whitney, and my 13 classmates. Your critical feedback really challenged me and urged me never being lazy to think about “why do I make this?” and “what do I want to convey to the audience?”. Although Kim’s critical feedback always made me depressed, I treasure her neutral and honest suggestions. After all, that’s the reason why I came to MICA: making mistakes, keeping experiments.
141
142
Xiran Luo IG: l_o_boood www.lobodluo.com
143
144
