texture

The photo above was taken at my grandparent's house (Chicago, IL). I adjusted the colors, as you may imagine. Please do not use or change without my permission, thank you.

DNA poem 12.08

Above image shows a fragment of a poem I am working on. It is inspired by DNA, or Deoxyribonucleic acid, which is made up of four bases: Adenine, Thyamine, Guanine and Cytosine (hence "ATGC" is the title of this poem).



Above is the complete poem. I intentionally left Microsoft Word's underlines (indicating a misspelling or fragment) on the image. Also note that in the previous post I wrote about VAS: An OPERA in Flatland--thus the opera theme of this somewhat logically follows. Also, I recently saw the opera: Porgy and Bess.

Favorites

I am rarely audacious enough to pick a favorite of anything. A proud assertion that I "have no favorite [color/song/genre of anything]" is far more likely to escape my lips than a sweeping preference selection. I feel like that could 'pigeon-hole' me into some category. That somehow I would be a less interesting individual if I picked favorites.

Putting my worries of lacking dimensionality/interest aside, I actually asserted a "favorite" last night. At a small holiday gathering with friends, I endorsed a book so strongly that I uttered the phrase: "probably my favorite." Even I was stunned by my (contextually) grand gesture.

With all that to preamble my grand endorsement, I will not delay the disclosure any further. VAS: An Opera in Flatland is the book that, above all others, I would want to share, discuss and to emulate. The text is a collaboration between Steve Tomasula (let us call him the author in the traditional sense) and Stephen Farrell (who did a brilliant job with the graphic arts and design). The book has excellent art and writing; a beautiful balance is struck between the two in a way I have never encountered in all my years in school (I read this my senior year in college for a Postmodernism course). This opened my eyes to a book's potential. It is a stage for multiple modes of communication; this makes the book more relevant in our increasingly technology-driven age.

(Somewhat tangentially) I am currently a volunteer at the International Museum of Surgical Science (IMSS). VAS enters the territory of science, eugenics, and surgery from an creative perspective. My propensity to view the history of medicine, surgery and science as inspiring and thought-provoking was what drew me to contact IMSS.

Let's have a Picnik

Picnik is the newest of my entertainment site bookmarks. A friend referred me to it and I am hooked. It is a free and intuitively configured site. It shares many features with Photoshop and makes me feel like a creative genius. Here are a couple of things i've made so far.




Here are some other things I am working on...please let me know what you think!!

And rainbow versions...

™All images are property of Elizabeth. No copying/using for any reason. Thank you.

Chicago's AGC (with Sarah Elizabeth)

Off the orange line Pulaski stop is a small beacon of hope. The Academy of Global Citizenship contract school has less than 100 students, but in its first year, it is a symbol for hope and change. As the fall season in Chicago is having its last days in the 70’s, change is certainly on the horizon. I visited The Academy on the day after the 2008 Presidential election— the notion of hope was part of the zeitgiest. Optimism pumped through the 100,000+ Americans who gathered in Chicago’s Grant Park last night.

In the faces of the kids I saw this morning at the AGC, I saw promise. With the curriculum of the International Baccalaureate Program, the environment of sustainability, caring and intelligent administrators, and encouraged proactivity, I do not know how to see anything else but budding individuals. I truly hope that these kids someday recognize and appreciate what a wonderful and supportive atmosphere they went to school in.

One particularly sweet story that Sarah Elizabeth Ippel, Founder and Executive Director at the AGC, shared with me today is that one of the students went to the office to sit down for a bit because he had a headache. After a few minutes, the women in the office saw him assuming the “tree pose” (a yoga pose which is calming). See it animated here. This was not only a heart-warming display of what the school hopes to foster (that is, a self-starter attitude), but it speaks also to their cross-pollinating/ cross-disciplinary approach. Finally, this example serves as a microcosm for what the students will be learning to do: creative problem-solving. Needless to say, I am thus far impressed not only with this young student, but with the Academy.

Not long after I walked out of the school, my little bubble of hope was put into perspective. I walked back through the parking lot, around broken glass and up to the El station. Outside the station were two cop cars—one of the officers must have been using a megaphone for the crowd of teenagers; I didn't stick around to see what the commotion was about. I jogged up the stairs to the platform, and it was filled with teens (and this was 11:30am). This scene served as a reminder: although these preschool-aged kids in the AGC school not 500 feet away had a bright future (in my mind’s eye), many issues facing urban education persist.

2 x 4

4 photo duos

portrait of an architect

A portrait of Rob Vagnieres, Jr. in front of a painting by his father.
Taken 10/10/08

Architects: Overview

Over the past couple of weeks, I have conducted five informational interviews. All have been with Chicago-area architects. Collectively, they span the profession’s full spectrum of office size, personality, and area of specialty. Architect One is currently practicing out of his basement, while Five works in an office of approximately 150 people.

I cannot yet use any information from our particular conversations, because my drafts are pending their approval...and of course my drafts are not even written, yet. Still, I can provide links to their sites for you to browse.

Architect One
Architect Two
Architect Three or the firm
Architect Four
Architect Five

The juxtaposition of each site gives a window into what each firm is 'all about.' After my interview experiences, I am left wondering whether this picture was accurate. I think overall the picture was not inaccurate, but to be honest...some of it is a bit of a stretch.

The development of an image for marketing purposes is an integral part of the corporate world today. Billions of dollars a year go into marketing, PR and other areas of design. Furthermore, I met with architects, whose profession spans from engineering to art. An ability to design is crucial for most of the architects I spoke with. Still, the technical side of architecture is unavoidable.

Sneak Preview: This coming week I am meeting with a noted “green” architect on Thursday, and a woman in an administrative office for the Shedd Aquarium. Wish me luck!

Changing my mind...(that's a double-entendre)

I intend this post to join two things that have been on my mind, lately. The first is neurogenesis/neuroplasticity. The second, choosing a career/life path.

For neuroplasticity, I have been re-visiting the ABC Radio National Podcast: All in the Mind's 2-part series on the subject during my commute. Click here for Part One and here for Part Two. Some salient quotes: "by thinking and imagining, even by those activities, we can change the structure and function of our brains." -Dr. Norman Doidge

"When you understand how the brain works somewhat better you can use that information to literally enhance your own perspective, broaden your own sense of your capacities and, with that awareness, learn to, as Norman is saying, focus on other things knowing that if you focus on other things consistently you can change what's there. You can change the way that [cortical] real estate is used." - Jeffrey Schwartz

Natasha Mitchell is one of the best interviewers, in my opinion. I have been avidly listening to and recommending this podcast for over a year. She also interviewed Jonah Lehrer, author of Proust was a Neuroscientist. I am currently reading the book and am consistently impressed. He relates George Eliot to neurogenesis, and he writes: "neurogenesis is cellular evidence that we evolved to never stop evolving" (pg. 43). Lehrer synthesizes the arts and sciences (gesamtkunstwerk) admirably and I would recommend his book.


Now, a personal note on how I am still a work in progress (indeed, the second part about "changing my mind"). I have been conducting interviews with architects in order to explore this profession and see if it is a good 'fit' for me. At this point, I can say with some certainty that it is not. I have no regrets about the time I invested in the process of exploration, because (to sound new age-y), I am in a 'place of power,' now as I move on.

I made a pros and cons list, and the latter category was longer. Still my passion for the built environment remains. On the Pros side, I was glad to discover that you "don't really need to be good at math," and that architects are a diverse group. Still, the career ladder did not appeal to me. Also, and perhaps most importantly: though the conversations were extremely convivial, I found the way the conversations resonated with me (on a professional, not personal level) was more negative.

Architecture involves years of 'grunt work,' and architects are often called late bloomers (and most of the ones I interviewed did agree with this characterization). Although I could imagine myself taking this path and being quite happy, I cannot confidently say that it would be a great fit for me.

Alas, an affirmation after such a potentially discouraging finding: I have many other passions and skills that I would love to use in my career path. Also, I am an incurable optimist when it comes to the possibility and omnipotence of change. I am empowered as I am wrapping-up some more interviews with architects with the knowledge that I am truly more of an architecture groupie, than anything. My next places to explore? Musuems, Higher Ed (administration), and Educational Leadership! ...and away I go!

Labels: An Architecture Groupie?*

I finally realized that I am just an architecture groupie. I decided to amuse myself and searching with the google query: "define: groupie".

Definitions of groupie on the Web:

-an enthusiastic young fan (especially a young woman who follows rock groups around)

wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn

-A person who seeks intimacy (most often physical, sometimes emotional) with a famous person, usually a rock band member

en.wiktionary.org/wiki/groupie

If I am either, I hope to be classified as the former. The latter is a bit creepy--especially in the present discussion.

So maybe I didn't have the experience of being a high school band groupie (though going to 3 The Dog & Everything concerts was close ample exposure for me). I suppose that the making of a groupie for a profession cannot be without its own defining factors. One of the requisites is likely to be the consideration of pursuing the field. Another may be seeking media/information about it (books, blogs, podcasts, newspaper articles, classes, etc). Being a groupie is also more active, so I would vote to include some contacting/networking to architects.

Given these criteria, I am an architecture groupie.

The original idea for this classification is from one of my uncles. He has helped me on my 'job/career search' as of late, and one day he said: "Sweetie, you don't want to wind up just being an architecture groupie." To this I quickly responded "No, of course not." Then I thought about it some more; if I was a groupie for now, and it didn't interfere with my pursuit of other paths in addition, what harm would come? I have since embraced the label and have made some architects laugh (one sly way of being a funny/entertaining groupie).

Being a groupie can occur on multiple levels. A cute quiz posted on The Muse's Muse sheds some light onto this:

6) Finally, you get to meet your [favorite singer]. During your very first conversation, you:
a) Are overcome by nerves and babble like an idiot.
b) Chat somewhat normally and ask a few polite questions.
c) Tell him you want to marry him.

Lucky for me, the closest option would have to be "b." Thank goodness. I don't know what kind of terrified responses "c" would get with architects, but that might be a nice social experiment; maybe next time.

*This post is identical to one on my other blog: Green Brick House

Gorilla Girl

This is a digital photo I took in the London Underground (2007). The poster with Kate Moss (for a National Portrait Gallery exhibit) was ripped in places to reveal a zoo poster below. The dichotomy works beautifully; the shoulders overlap, the rips mimic the arcs of her cheek, forehead, and go to the line of her nose.

Piecemeal Explanation of this Blog (piece one)

My description of the objective of this blog will develop over time. I want to think of the process as organic but not capricious. Let's run with this 'organic' metaphor a step further: I will water it, talk (write) to it, and also keep it domesticated. It will be tame but not watered-down/bland. It will not be a platform for emotional/therapeutic journaling, but a more professional endeavor.

Let's start with me. I am a recent college graduate (May ‘08) with a degree in Art History and Psychology, and am doing a number of interviews for my own networking and career exploration purposes. These interviews will be shard here. They may take audio format, standard interview Q&A format, or be more like an essay in which I reflect on certain points of an experience. What I learn about the professions of architecture, museum administration and/or curation, and higher education administration will be shared here.

The term “haptic” is meant as a comment on technology. Specifically, this blog is being posted online (an intangible arena) but I want to bring something to it that brings texture and a tactile/experiential/”real” perspective. Our 21st century milieu is not unfamiliar with touch screens on technological gadgets such as cell phones, laptops, etc. We are moving at breakneck pace, and I am a mesmerized skeptic--impressed and fascinated by the development, but holding a healthy skepticism. I am an artist, and my works will be shared here, particularly the ones that reach the topics of technology and tangibility.

The post-college world, has eluded me to some degree. I feel like I am managing well. I am hitting the self-imposed benchmarks (I have a good job, traveled (to Brazil) post-graduation, moved out of my parent's house, etc), but I still am trying to break into some more specified arena. I feel I am talented, but I don’t know exactly where to apply said talents, quite yet. If you are reading this blog, you will be exploring this with me.

Starting with an image . . .

Sometimes it is easier to begin without words. This image captures something of relevance to the topic of this blog that I cannot yet convey in words. Appropriately, haptic (in the title of the blog) is from the Greek haptikos meaning 'able to touch or grasp.' I am working on grasping the words to describe what I want this blog to be, at the moment.


Above, a double exposure. This overlays two instruments, two musicians, two times. Touching hands (a haptic connection).

I took this photo for an undergrad photography course. It relates to the topic of this blog because it has a tactile element that digital lacks. I took, developed and printed it myself.