Goodbye Blogger.

Hello,

To the few who read this, I thank you. I'm now moving everything you see here to tumblr. I will continue to do very small dog and pony show over there, with a much nicer look and more options. Now come along children, off to a new world!

- M.

Snapping around town with an accompaniment.

I've got some pretty good tunes to share as well as some new and old photos.

The first play list is essentially a little electronic music that makes me think of feeling a little provocative. Its fun mash up of some newer finds and some old favorites.

This next one, I'm particularly happy with. I've never really been that into the 80s, but I like the trend of electronic music taking on the role of reinterpreting the era's music. This collection is a gem. It'll be playing in the lesbian lunchbox for awhile.

Last week I found myself just meandering around the artist hovels in the Jersey City and finding my favorite thing to document--urban decay. Rife with it! Have a look:

These are from the print shop I work in. Its a rather dreary place to be, but the shadows make it interesting. I decided to use brown and white for these--just for a little change. Zero black can be a bore sometimes. I think I still achieved my overarching style of strained coloring.

Video Game Classics

My first RPG was A Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, on the SNES. The drama seethed in the opening theme--you could practically smell the moldy old tombs, the dank caves, and the evil that had permeated the land. It was at this moment that I knew music and word could make or break a game for me. More recently a beloved franchise, the Final Fantasy series has led me to complete disappointment. With the loss of Nobuo Uematsu, the chief composer for the music, I had nothing left but some fanboy glee that the 13th installment would revitalize my interest. No such luck.

In any case, I'd like to share a trip down memory lane with some tunes from a couple games. These aren't from in game. They are the original pieces of music and played by a full orchestra, sung by a soprano, etc. For anyone who truly enjoys something, I believe knowing something about the past about whatever you enjoy will only heighten your enjoyment and understanding of the given subject. Music, for example, comes in many genres and sub-genres. But they all come from classical music and even that comes from something older.

The first track, Horragath, by Matt Ulemen, who is of Diablo notoriety. The expansion for Diablo 2, The Lord of Destruction, featured an entirely orchestrated soundtrack. Horragath is the first that the player hears. It embodies the frigid heights of Mount Arreat--ripe with struggle, pain, but the sound also has a familiar tone of happiness and the hope for survival past the coming strife. The climax at 3:40, is without a doubt my favorite, meshing all of these emotions into one. It begins with a low guttural bassoon, coupled with light winds, and eventually ending with timpani ablaze and the brass breathing a sighed crescendo. Not found in this particular piece, but Ulemen takes influence heavily from Gustav Holst, especially from Mars.

Second is the theme from Castle Hyrule, from A Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, by Koji Kondo. The sound is very eastern--Japanese to be exact and regal. I'd go as far to say with slight Argentinean influence. The backing syncopation could easily be used in any tango. Either way, the combination is foreboding and interesting. Again, the ending is my favorite. Its loud and sounds as if some emperor is about to sit and everyone is waiting.

Everyone knows Mario. My personal favorite incarnation was Super Mario World, from which the next track is from. It was also composed by Koji Kondo. The music from this 90s classic, was influenced deeply by the 1930s-1950s swing music. The piece is just fun and a little over the top. The brass and the percussion dominate this track with very little need for the strings at all.

Switching back to basics, Secret of Mana 3 was never released in America. It was one of the first games to ever allow choosing party members. In addition to this, the characters would always face different obstacles depending on who was chosen, reacted to events contradistinctly, and grew in a unique way. The track titled, Meridian Child, is characterized with strong crescendoing of the brass ala Leonard Bernstein and tinged with bits of medieval decorum throughout. The middle and ending are without a doubt the best parts of the piece.

Chrono Cross was one really screwed up sequel to the much beloved Chrono Trigger, an RPG engaging in extreme time and dimensional travels. This piece isn't really classical, but just listen to that violin solo and you'll understand why I included this. Its breathtaking, even after ten years of listening to it. The track was composed by Yoko Shimomura.

Nobuo Uematsu in my mind is a great composer and worthy of any accolades that come his way. Anyone who can give a game a distinct sound throughout and mimic a period so impressively, is amazing. Aria de Mezzo Carattere or Aria of Half Character is an homage to Italian baroque opera. This piece is sung by Svetla Krasteva, a Bulgarian mezzo soprano. The strings are practically lulling to the harpsichord to keep the them in beat as it is the only essence of percussion available. The song really doesn't need an explanation. The sound speaks for itself--something I can't say of much I've heard lately.

An opening always needs to have something to grab you. Legend of Mana, has a great title theme. Starting with a foreboding piano and opening into an inviting psalm, just before releasing a passionate exhale into chaotic banging. That oughta get your attention. This piece is a little soulless compared to the others I've talked about, but it did catch me off guard. Again by Yoko Shimomura.

Organs. I've loved the sound of organs since I heard Bach's Passacaglia and Fugue in C minor. It was a real treat for me to go to morning mass in London and hear it played at Westminster Abbey. The stone halls reverberated with the bass of an age old instrument. It was astonishing.

Kryie, in muscial terminology is a "musical setting of sets of petition and response." It is also the title of the organ and soprano based track from Parasite Eve. The organ originally begins both the call and response in the piece, but as the soprano enters about midway, she begins to call. Although she only sings along in a rather breathy vibrato, there are no words.

Finally, I end with a real personal favorite. Fighting, from Final Fantasy VII and a real piano masterpiece, by Nobuo Uematsu. This is one of the most complicated sounding pieces. Imagining the fingers moving this quickly is simply too much of a conundrum for my mind to handle. So I'll show you how someone else does it.

The energy in this song in deniable. I love the drive behind the keystrokes, powerful and unabashed at any ounce of dissonance. Its about wiping the floor with whatever is in front out and the sound is direct at allowing you understand that.

I believe that'll do for now.

Return: Fashion Friday #5

At the request of this lovely young woman, I have decided to write something about the world of clothing, as I see it. Over the past year I've decided that I really have no interest in popular trends or what I see in magazines. Having not actually been able to purchase new clothing, the situation has made me have to be much more resourceful with the things that I already have and make new ideas out of the old. I find that I tire of the typical and quite overbearing nature of what it is to be a stereotypical homosexual. I don't care for the music, the shimmering softness, or whatever it is that's in. I simply like what I like.

Now before I continue on my path of hatred for everything (especially people), I give you: Evil Stick Man.

Listen to this as you read:

I love neutrals. Black, gray, beige, silver...with just a dash of red--as if you couldn't tell from my dated layout. This combination is all about dramatic straight lines. It's sharpness at its finest. Anyone who knows me knows I like tight fitting clothing. Not obscene gonna bust the seams and look similar to a can of popped biscuits before brunch on Sunday afternoon, but, tight as in, its as if my clothing has been tailored to my body.

Let's start from the bottom up. I'm vain. I love to hear myself walk and clicking is essential, if not vital to my daily routine. I got my first pair of wingtips from a Steve Madden when I was 22. Wingtips can dress up anything--even some ripped up jeans.

Slim fit dress pants are nice, when you want add a little flair or if you dislike the regular boxy shape of a basic chino. They are much more body conforming than a skinny jean, which means you can breath and still look like you have some sort of shape.

Ties are only for for work and court. When you're there and have the audacity to wear this, a tie can at least say, "I'm here to work."

The military fit of the black shirt adds to the overall straight line effect. If one has relatively good posture, this would flatter the male figure with ease. The grey cowl-neck jersey is to be work under the black military shirt, with the first few buttons undone. What's the point in having detail if it's covered up?

Accessories. The bag in the picture, is a Ben Sherman messenger. I actually got this very one for my birthday this year. Its fantastic, roomy, but overall a little heavy. It is not good to carry electronics in and is basically all for looks, unless you need to carry papers or a light change of clothing.

I like sunglasses. The bigger the better. I have never really cared much for being without them. When you can't see someone's eyes, it makes you wonder what's underneath. These particular shades really make the outfit. Being only thing to really have a slight curve, it is offset by the rest of straightened nature of the ensemble.

Now this watch I picked arbitrarily. I like large faced watches, because I have relatively small wrists. If I could, I'd make it white or black..maybe red? And go with a black wallet. I'd also not make it BVLGARI and $7500.

Hair. My hair has gone through a bit of evolution as of late. Leaving me with a bit of an apache mohawk.

Little face paint never hurt anyone as far as I'm concerned--gives you that dash of character your television father always talked about. However, after a week of sulking to my man about my woes, (Yeah, that actually happened.) I learned how to do a slicked back conservative do. Similar to this head strong Chihuahua-faced douche:

And there you have it. Straight, clean, and little frill-- and shaved to boot.

Photo Adventure

Been awhile, but I've just updated my FLICKR and here are the results from a fantastic weekend. Also, enjoy this music. It will make you feel both loved and relaxed. Have a drink with it. Even better.

Enjoy.

Words of the Elderly: Ep. 1

I've been lucky enough to be included in a club of sorts that makes funny shorts. These shorts are made by way of Xtranormal. Its quite simple to use. All you really need to do is put in your text, choose your characters, change some camera angles, and your setting. That simple. Anyways, here is what I am considering doing a running series of.

Words of the Elderly.

Real Mountains

Living in Jersey has taught me many things: People are out for themselves, survival of the fittest, and how to have an alcohol tolerance of godly status. However, something that these people have a misconception of is what a mountain looks like. Everyone clamors on about how the mountains of Watchung are grand and such a beautiful sight to behold. They are simply some big hills in my opinion. So what if they're tree covered and have a couple rocks sticking out of their Frankenstein stitched bases made up with suburbia to cover Mother Nature's blemishes?

Take a look, these are real mountains.

Knowledge.

Wrangler Provocateur.

This was more or less an attempt to show what happens when I listen to a good grouping of music. I usually play some story out in my mind and for once in my life, I actually wrote something down. Almost a month later, here it is. Each story part is punctuated with the song name in italics.

Wrangler Provocateur

Personal Jesus

Mother warned me about the snow this evening. She said it would turn into a storm—said it would cause me to catch a death of a cold.

Her voice lingered in my head as I stepped out of the shower. The street lit snow reflects through the window onto my wet skin. I pick up the orders with damp hands and let the mission sink in. Since when did the feds want to know what the fags were up to?

The black towel drops from my waist as I pull up a nicer, daintier pair of underwear. I lotion my legs, wrap them tightly in denim, and outfit my feet with motorcycle boots. I choose a t-shirt from the sea of white inside my drawer. I pick up my hooded leather jacket from my doorknob and kiss the dog goodbye.

My car is already waiting for me. It’s just snowing.

I tell the driver, “take me to 14^th, between 1^st and 2^nd”.

Want’n Her Again

The gents line dance back and forth upsetting the layer of bar smoke—a sea trying to calm amidst an ailing and thrashing floor. Laughter coupled with synchronized wooden stomps, dry claps and I’m watching and half impressed—half happy.

I’m broke and drinking the swill they call whiskey. It’s why I’m half happy.

An hour passes, three more shots drank and seven more songs play, four people leave and five people enter.

Someone touches my shoulder. I don’t turn or look surprised or excited. My eyes shift to the side and then up. He asks if I’ve been waiting long. I don’t answer and he laughs asking me if I’m a mute. He laughs again, pointing out my furrowed brow. I haven’t even said hello and I’m already being picked apart. I hate this. Why did I agree to this particular job?

He asks for a dance. I get up to leave and he grabs my arm and with a discretely forceful tug in his direction, reminds me I have an objective and I agreed to do the job.

Talk to Me

We’re waiting outside the bar for the car. It’s still snowing. The sidewalks are covered in busy footsteps and glimmer in shades of flutter brushed rusty orange and pale green. His swept back blond hair shifts in the breeze and catches snow.

He’s talking about his trip here. I’m not paying attention. He moves closer. I can smell whiskey. I wonder if he can smell me.

The car arrives. Essex and Grand he tells the driver. He continues talking. He tells me about his objective. He’s lying. I’m looking out the window, no longer interested and wishing he’d been drunk enough to spill his knowledge. Instead here I sit listening to him shoot the shit about the woes of his very matter of fact lifestyle.

He’s quiet. I welcome the silence, but it’s broken by the sound of skin meeting skin at an alarming rate. The sting sears my cheek and it’s the first thing I’ve felt since I left the house.

He comes closer, quickly, sort of like an oafish spider with an eleventh leg—demanding that I tell him about the mission and that I if I cannot give him the respect he deserves, to at least cooperate for the means of success. I tell him he talks too much and that I’m here to discuss the whereabouts of Alistair. He calls me callous and cold. I ask him when he became the caring sort and I get no reply.

The car slows and we’ve arrived.

“Nice to see you again too.”

Fresh Blood

The car drives away in a black mist and left us in front of a dilapidated cathedral.

“These your digs?” I smirked. “Just the top floor.”

The doors were recently painted, a vibrant blood, not like classic Dracula, more like the way lips used to look when your grandmother was my age—the kind that meant oblivion and sex wrapped into a secretive piece of paper left next to a half empty martini.

He unlocked the door and holds it open for me, gesturing for me to enter. He leads me up a spiral staircase into a large loft with high wooden beams and ancient unfinished floors. A clean kitchenette sat in the back left corner, an ivory tub with large feline feet in the upper right hand corner, and a faded purple fainting couch in the middle of two stained glass windows.

“Make yourself comfortable, you’ll be here for awhile.”

He’s walking to the kitchen and undressing as he goes. I watch him take out a bottle and two glasses and fill them with surprising care.

I remove my boots and jacket and take a seat on the couch, awaiting the warmth of whatever fills the glass. A naked limb weaves into my eyesight and offers me the drink. Whiskey. Real whiskey. I can be happy now.

He lies behind me on his back and lights a cigarette. He has no intentions of talking business, Alistair, or of anything. His heat already branding my back and I can feel his eyes tracing my spine. He’s moving closer now; his breath is hot and laden with alcohol. He ashes and blows the last of the cigarette’s life into our atmosphere.

He’ll have me tonight.

More Adventurous

His hair covers his eyes as he lies in a satiated slumber.

It always amazes me how you’re never the same thing in the spring or never the even the same person by summer. Last spring. I wasn’t taking these types of jobs nor would I have allowed this fool within two feet.

I brush the hair from his face and finish dressing myself. I’d stolen his mission statements in the car. It was time to go.

The red door makes a hushing noise as I shut them quietly—carefully. The car is waiting for me silently. The snow is picking up with the wind. It feels colder now, dryer, and darker. Before I get in, I take a moment to notice the vanity of this rare moment: the red doors, the white cathedral, snow, and my spot of black.

“The piers, please.” Goodbye, cowboy.

Atticus/Running Up that Hill

I can see Alistair on the edge of the boat. His back is turned, but I can feel his smile. I remember the last time I saw him and thinking his teeth looked like glass. So unnaturally white. I need to see how long I can last. I’ve got to get to back to the cathedral.

He turns before I’m close enough to say hello. The wind is too loud now and snow stings my skin and my tears are freezing. I stop for a moment and look at his figure being little more than a tracing against the snow and the speeding winds. My eyes are transfixed on watching him and I’m startled to feel a hand reach from the spectral background.

“Its really good to see you again”, he whispers into my ear.

I can barely hear him, my heart is racing, the wind is howling, and snowflakes are blades to my skin. I part my lips to respond and a gloved finger hushes them.

“I wondered how long you’d play both games, being good sometimes and reveling when you were bad”, he continued. His face never stopped smiling, but his anger was apparent.

“How long have you been sleeping with that common bounty hunter?” His comforting finger had transformed into two leather-gloved hands around my throat topped with a Cheshire cat smile. “You were my agent before you turning into his whore.” He sounds almost as if he were about to cry. His grip tightens and I can’t breathe. I’ve got to make it back to the church. He lifts me off of my feet, I can only see his teeth, glass-like shining through the weather. My vision is blurring and my eyes are darting in a slowed fashion, but to and fro nonetheless. It from this reaction that I noticed the shine of a small firearm, a Browning, I believe and newly polished. It fired a single shot, it rang through my ears, the bullet burned inside me, and I was on the ground just as suddenly as I was airborne. “Give this to him”, Alistair said as he dropped an envelope on me. My vision fades.

St. Augustine

Alistair was gone.

Blood came and stained the perfect white of my shirt. I got myself to my feet and stumbled to my car. I tell the driver to get me back to the church as fast as he can. The green streetlights are flickering with my vision. I can’t speak any more; I’ve got to make it back to the church, got to give him the orders.

“We’re here sir”, the driver announces. I wake up startled and in pain. I wipe the blood from my mouth and try to walk to the red doors again. I fall to my knees immediately and crawl to the doors. I bang three times on the bottom of the door. He’ll find me here and he will take this letter.

I need a nap.

Black and Red all over.

Several weeks ago, I attended a car show and most of what I saw was pretty amazing--narrowing my shots was easy. I feel like I'm getting more and more discerning of what work I like to show and what I feel is good. I was lucky enough to have a muse of sorts nearby this weekend to give me a little shove to finally get back in the groove of doing what I do. I'm an artist, I love Brazil, men, Paris, London, and cigarettes. What else matters?

The photos below were taken with a Sony A300 DSLR with a custom lomography lens.

Music Alert #2

I've been listening to some off kilter stuff as of late. Its been keeping me in some kind of weird sexual-artistic-hopeful mood. I don't know what's up, but I thank the stars for Genius, Pandora, and odd friends. Enjoy.

Change.

Its interesting how quickly things can change. If you can't read between the lines of my last post, then you probably have no idea of what I'm talking about. Power to the intelligent. In the duration that has been the month since that time, I've gotten a new tattoo, taken pictures, joined the Jersey City Artist's Group, moved, and gotten a job. I'm not a teacher, but I'm a researcher for a newspaper. Its boring, but it pays.

Anyways, enough about personal scheiße. If you want a real gander, listen to this:

My newest piece is based on a wallpaper from artist, James Jean. The piece itself was commissioned by the Prada fashion house. I love his style of monochromatic schemes with feminine details splayed as focal points. The piece itself is enormous, 17x200 feet. See the image below.

This is the portion I chose for myself. I chose this part because I have a running theme of knights, birds, and overly dramatic dark imagery and wording--something I suppose I've come to be known for.

Here is the finished product.

The words that are above the design read, "Notre amour est le plus silencieux ombre du fort." Or, "Our love is made of the quietest shade of loud."

I feel a little rejuvenated now. Its good to be back.

Writing Exercise #3 and Music.

Writing Exercise 3: Define danger and its possible repercussions.

Listen to this and read.

I have been a taintable light since as long as I can remember. A fawn in the guise of a leader—a follower, through and through. I was set to be the prince of a vast empire of wealth and love and yet, the desire you awoke in me caused me to single handedly destroy the kingdom for which I thought I was destined to rule along side a gracious and magnanimous lord. You have stolen what is mine and replaced it again with the uncertainty that is life.

What have I done? I was lured by your voice, your actions, the contact. You released my desire and in turn….released the undoing of everything that was my stability. You are danger epitomized without even knowing.

Unknowing destroyer, fed by lies and sustained only by the guilded tales of a silken tongue, soaked and bathed in the fruits of inaccessible embarrassment and toil. Danger. Foiled. Uncomfortabilty and unrequited—I chase, I want, I follow…into peril and self induced anguish.

Rome has fallen and burned; time and time again. You are not the sole cause, but you were, no, are, the desire that behest my death and rebirth.

Danger, you breath it. Exude it. Embody it. I bow before it and accept the bed for which I have created. I am undone, as you are danger.

Behold, for I have brought much body art.

This was a terribly vain idea I had a while back. I told another fabulous artist friend of mine about it months ago. I decided to take pictures of my tattoos in sort of a grimy dark way. To achieve this, I used some petroleum jelly mixed just a tiny bit of black eye shadow. I also had help from someone near and dear, this was certainly a joint project. Here are the results:

In the meantime I'll keep on those promised storyboards.

Story Board Idea

The Duke of Dual Bewilderment


The idea of this story board came to me because its hard for me to just talk about the random ideas I have—especially those regarding music. When I listen to music my imagination goes into overload and I see elaborate stories and pictures unfolding and being created. So, I decided to undertake the project of showing you what can happen when I group a decent amount of music under one semi-cohesive idea.

To preface this, as if this were to be unfolding in front of you as a movie, it would be very much like Fantasia…pictures moving with music. Although instead of each piece of music and pictures having a separate idea, this will be streamlined.

The overall plot/idea was, and I quote from an email I sent a fellow artist, “I want to do a story board for one of my playlists, the Kingdom Story playlist specifically. It'll be about the double life of some duke who is a part time bureaucratic/aristocratic foolhardy mess and a part time crazy who lives a secret life of go-go dancing and incognito excursions into interesting parts of a city I haven't chosen yet.” I obviously needed to refine this a bit.

Here goes…In the present times, a 20-something man has just found out he’s the Duke of Essex in some undisclosed city. The man is whisked from what he has known and thrown into a head of state role for which he has no training whatsoever. For the first couple weeks he finds himself walking around his new estate, finding the constraints of being a figure head terrible boring and lonely.
The Duke decides to ride his horse out of the city to the outlying fields alone. There, while frustrated and reading he hears someone laughing at him. A masked man, (think gilded mask) approached the Duke. They exchange words, even flirt, and decide that perhaps they will meet again.
After meeting someone who is fairly normal the Duke cannot begin to concentrate on the reality of being a dignitary. He tosses and turns in bed and decides to leave the his estate and go into the city as the Duke of Addison, a deceased person from hundreds of years ago, who apparently had an affinity to live on the more interesting side of things. The Duke of Essex makes this transformation by wearing common clothing paired with regalia of his state nature. The focus of transformation will be around his eyes. The usually nude eye will suddenly be glazed and golden, circa Iggy Pop but more of a Sailor Moon sort of thing, but less sugary.
While roaming the city the Duke runs into masky again. Although donning the new persona of Addison, this is a bit awkward and Addison/Essex withdraws from the conversation—at which point masky asks if they’ve met and eventually to come to a ball, Addison simply turns the corner and gets into a black cab. Inside he changes back into Essex and roams the streets looking for masky, but he is nowhere to be found.
On the way back to his estate Essex decides he needs to make Addison more of a character in the scheme of outside life. The transformation is much more elaborate this time. Addison is now found at a bar dancing caged as an armored cowboy and engaging in various debaucherous events.
After a day of crazy Essex returns to find the Lord Suffolk waiting, who then extends an invitation to a ball. Essex thinks something is familiar about the man.
The day of the ball arrives, the first half consists of Essex talking and dancing with Suffolk. As the musicians take a break and the lights return, the guests clap, Essex slips out and transforms into Addison. To his surprise masky is waiting for him. They dance and talk. The lights go out and Addison is gone, leaving masky once again.
The next day the Lord of Suffolk returns to Essex’s estate. They meet and while tea is being served he sits the a familiar mask on the table.


Fin

As contrived and weird as it is, this is what my story board will be about. Now I’m off to start drawing this out.

Welcome to my version of "Apartment Therapy".

Its been a long while since I've written. A lot has been going on. I just finished student teaching and finally got my home together. There is also a new addition to my family--she's a ten week old pug named Maleficent, or Millie for short. Any way here are the results of my home:

Let me know what you think. I'll be back soon, I have some music I'm dying to talk about.

Color is all around me.

Its been awhile since I had some inspiration. Sometimes it just takes taking your supplies and walking around until you find something worth working with. I'm not usually into working with color or plants, but it was such a nice day and I felt in love. I don't know why, but it was just a wonderful day.

Here's a musical reflection of my day:

I just took it upon myself to walk around the lower east side of manhattan and DUMBO. Milling around can be fun sometimes. Below you'll find some dazzling colors, much to your and my surprise. Also there are some leftover pictures from my trip to a local graveyard I never got around to posting. First I want to show you my favorites of the day:

Godbuns? This is apparently some graffiti tagger, but I think his/her name is hilarious.

Red, ruby, crimson, sanguine. This is one of my favorite colors and I'm not a fan of taking pictures of flowers because I think it's a bit cliche. The color and the sun drew me to this lily. I love its texture.

I consider this to be my first successful life in motion shot. The line of color and the separation of the lone subject pleases me.

There's just something about a 40 year old, half buried car that has flowers growing out it. I tinkered with my camera settings to achieve a bit more of a dramatic effect.

I'm not sure about whether I like this picture more in color or b&w. Go to my Flickr, to see the larger version. The texture really pops in either one. The detail of the age and chipping paint stands out fantastically.

Finally my favorite of the day, which always seems to be a fluke. The colors make this shot so cartoony. I feel like the Wal-Mart face could come flying around at any moment.

Enjoy the rest of my pictures on my slide show:

Happy Monday!

Happy Pride Week from NYC!

Happy Pride Week! Enjoy some tunes to keep you cool in the 105 degree sun.

Research Proposal: Art Therapy

Disclaimer

Names of people who are subjects in this study have been changed or left out all together in order to keep their identities anonymous and to protect their privacy and livelihood.

Introduction

Art therapy is a medium of therapy that is utilized by many public schools in the United States in an effort to achieve non-verbal and verbal communication between student and therapist—these interactions come in the form of expressing one’s problems through an art medium. The purpose of this study is to find out what art medium utilized by art therapy would be better suited for a public school setting—be it in a more traditional medium, such as implementing painting or drawing, or a more experimental approach using photography or another medium as an outlet for interpretive expression.

Art therapy is becoming more prevalent in public schools. Knowing which art medium yields the most pertinent information is key to gaining insight into what may be keeping a student from attaining the confidence they need to succeed or even a clue about a turbulent home life.

Statement of the Problem

The issue at hand is to find out what art medium will yield the most information. While tried and true, painting and drawing are known to address and give answers to therapists about their patients. In schools, art therapists could be working with lower functioning students, who may not be able to express themselves through a more kinesthetic art medium such as, photography. Or, they may have average students who would rather choose another more modern medium, like graphic design. Taking these thoughts into consideration, it is possible to say the art medium could vary from student to student, simply based on personal opinion or preference and by physical and/or mental limitations.

Purpose of Study

The purpose of this paper is to find what art medium used by art therapy works best in public schools settings. This could change based on the socio-economic level of the area the school is situated within—therefore determining whether a school could afford to employ such activities; and if they can, what art mediums they could afford to utilize. The focus of this study will be based on the experiences of different schools, art therapists, books and articles authored by art therapists and school art programs in North America.

The argument is whether the streamlined use of basic art materials such as: pen, paper, pencils, crayons, markers, and paint yield better information about a student—as opposed to letting a student choose their medium of choice and taking into account whether or not the student has more expressive ability in another chosen art medium. There is also the matter of dealing with students who may have physical or mental limitations, and perhaps having to determine what medium would work best for the given student’s situation.

Primary Research Question

What art medium implemented within art therapy is the most promising to gather information for public schools?

Hypothesis

If students or patients are allowed to choose their art medium of choice, then psychological findings will increase—this is based on if they have the ability to choose and the physical and mental capacity to work with their chosen medium.

Subsidiary Research Questions

Is art therapy something that public school systems view simply as an extra expenditure?

Do public school systems view art therapy as giving information, which is experimental vs. concrete?

Do students reap benefits from art therapy?

Definition of Terms

Art Therapy: a mental health profession that uses the creative process of art making to improve and enhance the physical, mental and emotional well-being of individuals of all ages. It is based on the belief that the creative process involved in artistic self-expression helps people to resolve conflicts and problems, develop interpersonal skills, manage behavior, reduce stress, increase self-esteem and self-awareness, and achieve insight. (American Art Therapy Association, 2009)

Art: the conscious use of skill and creative imagination especially in the production of aesthetic objects; also: works so produced b (1): fine arts (2): one of the fine arts (3): a graphic art. (Merriam Webster, 2009)

Medium: material or technical means of artistic expression. (Merriam Webster, 2009)

Psychotherapy: A treatment method for mental illness in which a mental health professional (psychiatrist, psychologist, counselor) and a patient discuss problems and feelings to find solutions. Psychotherapy can help individuals change their thought or behavior patterns or understand how past experiences affect current behaviors. (Biological Sciences Curriculum Study, 2005)

Expressive therapy: known as expressive arts therapy or creative arts therapy, is the use of the creative arts as a medium of therapy. Unlike traditional art expression, the process of creation is emphasized rather than the final product. Expressive therapy is predicated on the assumption that people can heal through use of imagination and the various mediums of creative expression. (Expressive Therapy Concepts, 2008)

American Art Therapy Association: (AATA) is an organization of professionals dedicated to the belief that the creative process involved in art making is healing and life enhancing, Its mission is to serve its members and the general public by providing standards of professional competence, and developing and promoting knowledge in, and of, the field of art therapy. (American Art Therapy Association, 2009)

Significance of the Study

The study of which art medium is better suited for use in schools within the realms of art therapy will yield information that is pertinent to the therapists currently in schools—helping them to decipher what could help them to better understand when and what materials to use. The study is also an effort to bolster confidence in art therapists to be more experimental and break the mold by introducing newer art mediums and materials. This study will show the correlations of art mediums based on the level of benefits received from students and their expressive ability or inability.

Limitations of the Study

The limitations of the study include the time frame, opinions, and experiences of established art therapists. The time frame is roughly scattered from the 1940s up to the present decade. The opinions are of those who are either deeply involved in the arts or are removed all together. Statistics are from the earlier part of the decade and do not reflect the current trends in the rise and/or fall of art therapy in public schools.

Organization of the Study

The study will begin with a brief art therapy history. From there, entering into its use in school and branching into what art mediums are used most. Between points, the subsidiary questions will be addressed. The conclusion will be a concise measurement of the study’s findings.

Literature Review

The first article to be reviewed is a report about the success of a Montreal based institution at Concordia University, titled: Brief Report: Development of a Creative Arts Therapies Center for People With Developmental Disabilities. This particular piece cites the benefits of having such a program in place. According to Suzanne Lister, Denise Tanguay, Stephen Snow, and Miranda D’Amico, all founding members of Centre for the Arts in Human Development, or CAHD, state, …the community of developmentally disabled adults have all benefited from the creation of the center. Furthermore, the Montreal community at large has witnessed creative expressions through publicly promoted art shows and plays. Feedback has documented that viewers and audiences leave the center’s art shows and plays with a new, positive awareness of people who have developmental disabilities. (Lister, Tanguay, Snow, D’Amico, 2009) They go on to list their challenges-mainly focusing on funding, saying government grants and philanthropists are always the groundbreaking financiers of such a project, yet future funding is the real issue. The team at CAHD solved this problem through charging admissions to their various art galas and productions.

This article in particular relates to two of my subsidiary questions. One, is art therapy something that public school systems view simply as an extra expenditure? Two, do students reap benefits from art therapy? The article also extends to my main research question, which questions what medium of art would best be suited for public schools? Concordia University is a public school and this article suggests that they employ a wide range of art mediums to provide a therapeutic atmosphere to improve student’s “self-esteem, confidence, social skills, and general quality of life.” (Lister, Tanguay, Snow, D’Amico, 2009)

The second article, Mediumative Evaluation Research of Art-Based Supervision

in Art Therapy Training, is Barbara J, Fish’s observation of her student’s observations of art created during their clinical residencies. These observations garner pertinent information about the students’/patient’s current psychological standing. Fish is a professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago, another public school. In this article Fish explains that the evidence of psychological imbalances can be accurately determined through supervision of created artwork at the time of therapeutic work. Thusly, pertaining to the subsidiary question: is art therapy viewed as giving concrete or experimental information?

Methodology

Subjects

There were a total of five subjects included in this study. The age ranged from 20 to 55. Four of these subjects were students in the Fortune Society, in Long Island City, Queens, which is a social rehabilitation center for former offenders and people with developmental disabilities. The other was a therapist who focuses mainly in using creative arts for therapeutic purposes. Three of the students were African-American and one was of Hispanic decent. Two of the African-Americans were male, while one was female. The Hispanic was also female. The therapist was male and Caucasian.

Apparatus

The materials used in this study include and are limited to: Macintosh laptop, Microsoft Office, pencil, notebook, ERIC, and various sources.

The Macintosh laptop and Microsoft Office were used to type this study as well as search ERIC for more data. ERIC or Education Resources Information Center is a database of millions of research reports within the realm of education.

The pencil and notebook were used to write notes during the observation that occurred on June 2, 2009 at the Fortune Society, in Long Island City, Queens.

To support the study’s findings, sources include pieces of literature from the American Art Therapy Association, Art Therapy in Schools: Effective Integration of Art Therapists in Schools by Daphna Moriya, and documents from the Educational Arts Team of Jersey City, New Jersey.

Procedure

According to the American Art Therapy Association (2009), using art in one of it’s various forms ranging from music to painting, has been used long before the institution of art therapy, which began in the 1940s. “In the early 20th century, psychiatrists became interested in the artwork created by their patients with mental illness. At around the same time, educators were discovering that children's art expressions reflected developmental, emotional, and cognitive growth. By mid-century, hospitals, clinics, and rehabilitation centers increasingly began to include art therapy programs along with traditional "talk therapies," underscoring the recognition that the creative process of art making enhanced recovery, health, and wellness. As a result, the profession of art therapy grew into an effective and important method of communication, assessment, and treatment with children and adults in a variety of settings. Currently, the field of art therapy has gained attention in health-care facilities throughout the United States and within psychiatry, psychology, counseling, education, and the arts.” (AATA, 2009)

Starting from a significant historical base, it became of interest if one particular art medium sufficed or if a mix of varied mediums based on the subjects interest and ability came into play. From there several sources of information from various public schools in North America who published reports within the Art Therapy: Journal of the American Art Therapy Association. Taking bias into account, other information was gathered from art therapy programs that are not related to the ATAA.

This study is based on an observation in the field of creative arts used within the realms of clinical therapeutic nature. On June 2, 2009 at the Fortune Society, in Long Island City, Queens, which is a social rehabilitation center for former offenders and people with developmental disabilities, an observation of an art therapy procedure occurred. This psychological testing is done to evaluate the standings of long-term students who have been in the institute for six months to a year. During this observation it was noticed that each student was given color pencils, crayons, makers, and white paper. Nothing else out of the ordinary happened, except that the therapist asked the students to draw. Why had the therapist asked them to draw instead of create something that was a reflection of their inner workings? This led to the primary research question: What art medium implemented within art therapy is the most promising to gather information for public schools? This question is posed because choice is negated immediately. When the therapist says, “draw”, it is seen as a command or instruction, therefore robbing the choice of medium from the students. Dafna Moriya, a respected art therapist and educator and author of Art Therapy in Schools: Effective Integration of Art Therapists in Schools, believes “…to receive accurate quantitative data from a patient of art therapy a certain level of trust between therapist and patient must exist. This can be achieved through allowing patients the freedom they wish within self-expression or art….” (Moriya, 2000.) To further her point the Educational Arts Team of Jersey City, New Jersey, focuses on using varied art mediums based on age and educational level. For example: Grade levels three to six have the option of putting on a play they write and act out with hand puppets. While grades four to eight can choose to put on a certain hat and tell a story pertaining to the type of hat they are wearing. (Education Arts Team of Jersey City, New Jersey) These are options that are given to the students, instead of being given a tool and instruction on a one-dimensional level.

Subsidiary questions were devised through study of the topic after the initial observation. The study needed to find out if using basic art supplies such as, pen, paper, markers, crayons, and various types of pencils without encouragement to use the supplies to create anything else was a way to cut costs. Or if the public schools found using these supplies gave concrete information and did they utilize the information given from the therapy sessions. The questions that the study found most significant are:

- Is art therapy something that public school systems view simply as an extra expenditure?

- Do public school systems view art therapy as giving information, which is experimental vs. concrete?

- Do students reap benefits from art therapy?

After reading and researching through pieces of literature from the American Art Therapy Association, Art Therapy in Schools: Effective Integration of Art Therapists in Schools by Daphna Moriya, and documents from the Educational Arts Team of Jersey City, New Jersey, the study was recorded and edited using a Macintosh Laptop and Microsoft Office.

Results

This study will address each of the research questions—beginning with the primary research question followed by the subsidiary questions in the order they have been organized throughout the study. The section will be concluded by the findings of the initial hypothesis.

What art medium implemented within art therapy is the most promising to gather information for public schools?

There is no one art medium that is sufficient for gaining information on the psychological standings of students/patients. People have varied interests and talents within the creative arts, while others have none at all. According to Moriya, “...to receive the most accurate quantitative data from a patient of art therapy a certain level of trust between therapist and patient must exist. This can be achieved through allowing patients the freedom they wish within self-expression or art...” The observation conducted on June 2, 2009, at the Fortune Society made light of the fact that standardizing a way to come up with answers due to simplicity will yield standard answers, yet created the basis for this entire study. Both the Education Arts Team of Jersey City and Center of Arts for Human Development or CAHD, report giving options to their students and receiving positive responses from choice.

Is art therapy something that public school systems view simply as an extra expenditure?

The study conducted research in both an affluent area and a low-income area to determine whether public schools that have available finances would employ these funds into an art therapy program—the same applying to a lower-income area. In both instances neither the affluent or low-income area contributed funds to an art therapy program. The Center of Art for Human Development is located on the campus of Concordia University in Montreal. The CAHD cited finances coming from their own productions, philanthropists, and grants. Though not related directly to Concordia University the services they offer are primarily for the students at the university. Funding from the school stopped upon its creation in 1996. (Lister, Tanguay, Snow, D’Amico, 2009) The Educational Arts Team of Jersey City reports its funding coming entirely from grants even though the organization is heavily active within the Jersey City Public School system. (Education Arts Team, 2006)

Do public school systems view art therapy as giving information, which is experimental vs. concrete?

The results from the CAHD are accepted by Concordia University. All of the diagnoses reported to the university have been accepted and changes were made in the students’ lives and curriculum to better serve them. (Lister, Tanguay, Snow, D’Amico, 2009) In this instance, a school does accept the feedback derived from art therapy as concrete information of their students’ psychological standings. The same can be said for the University of Illinois at Chicago. Barbara J. Fish is a professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago, another public school. In this article Fish explains that the evidence of psychological imbalances can be accurately determined through supervision of created artwork at the time of therapeutic work. (Fish, 2008)

Do students reap benefits from art therapy?

According to CAHD the results from their practice of art therapy “…the community of developmentally disabled adults have all benefited from the creation of the center. Furthermore, the Montreal community at large has witnessed creative expressions through publicly promoted art shows and plays. Feedback has documented that viewers and audiences leave the center’s art shows and plays with a new, positive awareness of people who have developmental disabilities. (Lister, Tanguay, Snow, D’Amico, 2009)

If students or patients are allowed to choose their art medium of choice, then psychological findings will increase—this is based on if they have the ability to choose and the physical and mental capacity to work with their chosen medium.

The study has found only enough information to suggest that this would be correct. There is no direct correlation found in any of the sources only suggestions from experienced persons in the art therapy field. To gain a more in depth answer for this, more quantitative data would need to be produced over a given amount of time.

Conclusion

The point of this study was to find out if there was any in truth to there being one finite art medium that would garner the most information around a student’s psychological standpoint. It became apparent that choice is a major factor in gaining this information. Whether the hypothesis of this study is ever reached or not, it is certain that more funding for art therapy in public schools is needed, the evidence of art therapy giving the correct information is there, and there are benefits from creative arts therapy to be reaped.

References

Carmine, Tabone (2004) http://www.educationalartsteam.org/school_programs.htm. Retrieved June 13, 2009, from Educational Arts Team - School Programs

Fish, Barbara (2008). Formative Evaluation Research of Art-Based Supervision in Art Therapy Training. Art Therapy: Journal of the American Art Therapy Association, 25 (2), 70-77.

Lister, Suzanne, Tanguay, Denise, Snow, Stephen, D’Amico, Miranda (2009) Development of a Creative Arts Therapies Center for People With Developmental Disabilities. Art Therapy: Journal of the American Art Therapy Association, 26 (1), 34-37.

Moriya, Daphna (2000). Art Therapy in Schools: Effective Integration of Art Therapists in Schools. London: D. Moriya.

Woolfolk, Anita (2008). Educational Psychology: Active Learning Edition, 10th Edition. London: Allyn & Bacon.