Marriotts Ridge High School
Leslie Lin
Grade: 11 Course: Art 4 AP Title: Fishing for Compliments Medium: Acrylic and oil paint Instructor: LaVerne Miers-Bond Artist Statement A large part of my work as an artist focuses on the lives of everyday people and the connections, we foster with those around us. I believe that art does not need to be revolutionary or groundbreaking in order to hold meaning, as most of the moments that make up our lives are fairly mundane and routine. In my art, I strive to capture how these moments, both positive and negative ones, can be valuable and just as important. Fishing for Compliments is a painting that stemmed from an interaction I had with a friend when I realized a pet peeve of mine was when people tried to elicit praise through self-deprecation, thus the name “Fishing for Compliments”. This painting takes on a somewhat conceptual interpretation of that idea, using loose brush strokes and a chaotic composition. I aimed to describe the process of fishing for compliments, from the person doing the action to how it is received by others. Despite being a seemingly inconsequential topic, it is an experience simultaneously personal and relatable to many. |
Amanda Windsor
Grade: 11 Course: Photo II AP Title: Man Cave Medium: Digital Instructor: Josh Sinn Artist Statement: This project was about environmental portraits and how they capture a person's identity and what makes them who they are. An environmental portrait is usually of someone in their typical setting or doing something that they love. In this photograph is my grandfather with his golf ball collection with over 80,000 golf balls. My grandfather has built himself a man cave in his basement with his golf ball collection, photos on the walls, old jerseys and helmets, and many more things. I wanted to capture him in his environment that he built for himself because everything in the photo makes him who he is today. |
Kyla Erman
Grade: 12 Course: Photo III AP Title: Caged Medium: Digital Instructor: Josh Sinn Artist Statement My work explores time, lighting and patterns. I experiment with lighting during long exposures of repetitive content. I also use fast shutter speeds to get shots at the decisive moment. “Caged” is a long exposure of a shadow of a girl on her phone with window panes and tree branches. It reflects how my generation is caged behind their phones. We neglect nature, the tree's shadow, for technology. I have been influenced by Abi Rice’s shadow photos. I admire how she incorporates different lighting sources. I have also been influenced by Henri Cartier-Bresson because of his ability to take street photography at the right time. |
Seungeun Hyun
Grade: 12 Course: Art Studio AP Title: Coexist Medium: Fabrics from old clothes Instructor: Laverne Miers-Bond Artist Statement My work investigates the relationship between fashion and the environment as a future-oriented focus. Those two, fashion and nature, are the essential elements in our lives. However, they have been in the contrary position where one should harm another to survive. And it has always been nature who gets affected by the fashion industry. My work suggests the way both can coexist. I collect old clothes from neighbors and family members to make a new pattern of the fabric. The inspiration of the skirt's design is from a puzzle, and the theme color is from the ocean. Back pockets are made with sleeves of the T-shirt, and they are connected in a curved line with other parts for balancing the shape. The top is made with satin and flower pattern of linen to give a fancy vibe. It also keeps the outfit from becoming too sporty. My experience with thrift shops helps me to choose the correct fabric and have unity in my work. We often think that sustainable fabrics or clothes are hard to be blended in daily life. It might feel hard to approach because many brands have a separate category for sustainable clothes and even costs more. I want to break the stereotype with my work showing that using sustainable brands is not the only way to save nature. I hope at least one person will see the possibility in their old clothes and reuse them. Our clothes have a lot of potentially more than we might think. |
Montana Ignacio
Grade: 12 Course: Art 4 Title: Orikami Medium: Digital Instructor: LaVerne Miers-Bond Artist Statement This piece is based off of a story I made when I was younger. I imagined a boy being able to give life to his origami creations and I wanted to depict the scene where he discovers his powers as if it were in a children’s storybook. The gift of creation is a powerful one in life. Even if it is exaggerated in this piece, one can still bring their thoughts to life with their mind and actions. Stories are able to be told after they are created by something or someone, highlighting this gift that humans are blessed with. |
Youna Kang
Grade: 12 Course: Photo III AP Title: Crafting the Culture Medium: Digital Instructor: Josh Sinn Artist Statement My sustained investigation focuses on the unique Korean culture. After creating a list of colors, items, and designs that represent Korea, I crafted them out of paper to show the detail and uniqueness as much as possible. I focused mostly on colors and objects that most people don’t recognize as a part of this culture. Hoping to capture the details, I used different lightings, textures of paper, background, and props to allow the viewers to fully focus on the item. The Korean sushi (kimbap), traditional fan, old Korean letters (Hangul), and traditional lantern (Cheongsa chorong) all represent Korea in their own unique styles. So I hope people can view this quadriptych not only to see the details but also to recognize them and understand that these are part of the unique Korean culture. |
Isabel Kendall
Grade: 12 Course: Art 4 A/P Title: Ambedo Medium: Ink Instructor: Laverne Miers-Bond Artist Statement This piece was created in response to my feelings towards the pandemic and especially being creative during the pandemic lockdown. I have struggled with creativity during this past year, I feel as though most artists have. This past year has been incredibly draining, especially on creativity. One thing I have been focusing on and trying my best to do is to be present, to enjoy the small things that are wonderful. Doing this helps fuel my creativity even in the hardest of times. The word Ambedo describes this feeling well. Ambedo is described as, “A kind of melancholic trance in which you become completely absorbed in vivid sensory details—raindrops skittering down a window, tall trees leaning in the wind, clouds of cream swirling in your coffee—briefly soaking in the experience of being alive, an act that is done purely for its own sake.” Sometimes this trance is not always intentional, sometimes it happens when I am completely drained of every ounce of creativity, and this is just what happens. This kind of trance can happen at both sides of the creative energy spectrum, completely drained, or filled with creative energy. That is why this feeling is so interesting, and representing it in a piece was so important to me. |
Alexa Mulroe
Grade: 12th Course: Photo III AP Title: Implicit Bias: An Introspective Reflection Medium: Digital Instructor: Mr. Joshua Sinn Artist Statement Over the past year, I have become increasingly more cognizant of implicit bias and how that plays a role in our actions, thoughts, and overall life experiences. From the deep-rooted racial profiling towards Asian Americans exposed during the pandemic, to the growing Black Lives Matter Movement as a result of profiling and police brutality, bias is something that cannot be eliminated. My sustained investigation project focuses on the perception of other people towards an individual vs. what that individual actually thinks of themselves or wants to be portrayed. Through the series, I capture the implicit bias that each and every one of us has and experiences, to demonstrate the accuracies and inaccuracies in our everyday assumptions and judgements towards other human beings. The guiding question I follow is: How do our perceptions and biases towards others line up and reflect who the person actually is? This particular photo utilizes a diptych style where the subject, my sister, conveys how many often assume that she is fully Caucasian. After speaking with her, she felt that it was important for others to know her true identity which is half Filipino. This assumption about her undermines who she really is and the beautiful culture which out mother came from. I hope that this photo will give my audience a moment to reflect on their own biases and consider what they may assume to be “true." |
Alyssa Peffall
Grade: 12th Course: Photo III AP Title: Captive by Blue Light Medium: Digital Instructor: Josh Sinn Artist Statement This photo was taken as a way to demonstrate how technology has captured our attention. For many people, we find ourselves on our phones or laptops more than we should be, especially with this pandemic. I took this photo in order to illustrate how easy it is to get drawn into the blue light of our phones or other devices and how it causes us to miss out on life. Over the pandemic, it has become apparent to me how much time I spend on my phone or computer. I have realized that many others feel this way to and I wanted to capture a photo that conveys this. An LA photographer, Matt Doheny, influenced my work with his unique use of colored lighting when taking portraits. My photography teacher, Mr. Sinn, also influenced my work with his photos documenting the pandemic and use of long exposure photography. This photo was a reflection of how I feel about technology; of how dependent I am on it for entertainment, but how I resent that. Since taking this photo, I have been more conscious about the time I spend on my phone and have been attempting to spend more time present in the moment. |