9.11 Memorial Site

The Saturday before Easter Sunday my sister and I took a trip to view the 9/11 Memorial Site. It is now available to the public via online where you can reserve a free ticket. Our visit to this beautiful memorial was not a pleasant one. I found it very difficult to tolerate the numerous tourists and people posing in front of the names that should have been respected and quietly viewed. In my mind, there should always be a level of respect and mindfulness not only for a memorial (and what disturbed me the most) but the actual site of the horrendous event of that day. There were parents allowing their young children to mess up the rocks that surrounded the future tree spots and letting them climb over the memorial names, just to name a few. I was frustrated to say the least because of how emotional I was simply being there. I did not know anyone personally who passed away on that day; yet it did not take away the amount of love I had for all those strangers who prove everyday that everyone is connected. The memorial itself was beautiful and is still a work in progress—I could only imagine how wonderful it will be in the fall time. The two waterfalls are the imprints of both towers with each name to its respective places of passing. It was a windy spring day and the water did a wonderful effect; it would spiral in a circular motion within the footprints and even a few rainbows were visible. I sat on one of the benches to simply take in the site and pay my respects. I wish everyone had done the same.

NICK JOJOLA READ THIS!

Nicholas Jojola is a photography student that was chosen to jump out of a plane at 126 MPH for a HTC commercial. He was a “free falling” fashion photographer trying to get the right shots for the new HTC phone. This commercial was released in the UK a couple of weeks ago and will be released in the States in mid April. I have the absolute honor to know this young man—he is my closest male cousin and good friend.

I find myself being drawn to young artists in contemporary art. Photography has the best visual effect for me artistically. So naturally I was ecstatic when Nick was chosen for this gig. They filmed in the skies of Arizona and my cousin had to go through extensive air training as well photography training for HTC. I have included a Q&A format to really get a feel for what this amazing young artist had accomplished for himself. This interview took place over the phone and my usually laid-back cousin had to deal with a screeching girl cousin on the other line.

WATCH THE COMMERCIAL AND DOCUMENTARY HERE! 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yszp0vE_Sj8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwGGdM3Nj08

Samantha Granados and Nicholas Jojola:

Q(S): NICKKKK!!!!! I just saw your HTC commercial. I am so proud of you!!!!! (More screaming)

A (N): Hey Sammy! Ha-Ha. Thanks.

(I could hear the smile in his voice.)

After a little catching up on personal levels, I began asking him about his experience and what is next to come.

Q(S): Nick! What was training like and knowing that you would be falling at a speed of 126 MPH?

A (N): I was truly scared and excited. I mean I never thought an opportunity would happen like this for me and honestly I was scared to sh**. It was just really insane dude.

He laughs some more.

Q (S): Nick, I can’t even tell you how proud I am of you. Like this is insane! I can’t even imagine how you must have felt. I mean WHO ARE YOU?

A (N): It was so crazy Sam. The intensity of falling and not only all the training but having a job to do as well. My objective was to capture the picture of the model while falling and it was just so crazy but an awesome experience.

Q (S): My mom told me you are using the money to go to London! OH MY GOSH COME VISIT ME IN NEW YORK.

A (N): Ha-Ha. I would love that man. Damn I really want to see New York but I think I’ll wait for the summer for that.

Q (S): I have to tell you the very ending of the commercial…you just have to know everything about you to understand the last smile of yours when you land on the ground. It was a mixture of relief and simply just: “HOLY CRAP I SURVIVED!”

A (N): Ha-Ha. Yeah I was just…words can’t even describe it dude. Just so awesome. Now I wait for London!

Q(S): Well ‘cuz’…I am extremely proud of you and your talent. You deserve all of this. I love you and I miss you!

A (N): Love you too. See you on the flip side! 

Ar-TIST

Erica Granados

Photographer
http://www.flickr.com/photos/53942766@N08/

My sister Erica Granados is younger, yet bolder than I could ever hope to be. She is one of two of my current favorite artists. Although she will never just be "current" to me, she is expanding and will continue to grow as a photographer. She was always the "black sheep" of the family but always so beautiful. She has the ability to capture people in their most vulnerable moments; yet vulnerable in this sense does not mean weak. Erica just captures the "realness" is everything she sees. While I am obviously bias, this does not take away from her talent nor does it not mean I am critical. I do not have to be though. Erica is her worst critic but her work speaks for itself. It is honest, breathtaking, and simple in a way that I adore about every artist that I have particular taste for. It makes perfect sense that she will be attending the San Francisco Art Institute in the fall. :)

All of her work is copyrighted so take a look.

Tibi Clenci

Fashion Photographer 

http://www.tibiclenci.com/

Tibi Clenci has a modern classiness that I am beginning to respect more and more. Almost similar to John Rawlings, I do love the modern touch to his work. He is a famous Romanian fashion photographer and his images are clear, concise, and the colors are bold yet not overwhelming. I am always searching for newer and better fashion photographers that I could love; however my heart is set on the past. 

Sofia Coppola

Marie Antoinette 

by

Sofia Coppola 

I was incredibly excited to write this blog about this film. IT IS PERFECT FOR THE STUDY OF VISUAL AESTHETICS. While the content and story line of this film is hardly correct to history, that is irrelevant to the beauty of the films' color and scenes. Sofia Coppola the daughter of Francis Ford Coppola (director of the Godfather) has the style of a true artist. 

Marie Antoinette was almost hypnotizing to watch. Everything from the costumes to the scenery to the wine to the food...amazing. Coppola filmed at Versailles, France (which I have had the blessing to visit in High School) and after seeing the amazing palace in real life I felt she captured the essence of Versailles beautifully. I even brought the film with me to Europe because Sofia Coppola set the standard of how I should feel about this magnificent and luscious place. It is amazing what a film can accomplish. I have attached a couple of YouTube clips of the film to completely understand what Sofia Coppola did for me and achieved as an artist. I personally believe this film was underrated as a visual movement combined with contemporary music and sounds.

A scene in the movie that I SIMPLY LOVED was a clip where Marie Antoinette is lazily relaxing in a boat with her friends in her personal garden. The scene is filled with light and nature; I desired to be there in that place and time. 

http://youtu.be/cLJ1vuUWprA

http://youtu.be/Mn3tu3ZxCjw

Metro Part II

The Metropolitan Museum 

Part II

The Storm (La Tempête) is a painting by French artist Pierre Auguste Cot, completed in 1880.

My favorite. 

I would like to expand on my Metropolitan Museum of Art Trip. As I stated in the first blog, works of art that are viewed in books or in computers will never do justice to the work itself in person. One piece that really moved me was, The Storm by Pierre Auguste Cot. This painting first of all was enormous--rather larger than most of the other works in that category. I found it be mystical very much like that of a dream--I almost felt like the young woman in the painting running with her lover. It is liberating and fascinating to view how the artist achieved the motions of the lovers running, something I would imagine would be very difficult to do. The colors in person are deep and passionate with the contrast of the lovers light clothing, soft to the eye. In a perfect world if I could ever acquire this painting it would be put above my bed. For some odd reason it simply makes me feel good. 

Taken at The Metropolitan Museum of Art
by
Samantha Granados 

Red State

Red State

Kevin Smith 

Kevin Smith is well known for his satirical comedies (Clerks, Mallrats, etc) and his mischievous roles as an actor (i.e. Silent Bob). However, his most recent endeavor has surprised fans and impressed critics. Red State, an independent action-horror film, follows three teenage boys’ quest for sex and their unfortunate kidnapping by a religious fundamentalist group. A series of startling and fast-paced events leaves most everyone dead, and the hero Officer Keenan (John Goodman), sitting in a small courtroom briefing with high-ranking government officials.

It is here that I truly admire the humor of Kevin Smith as a director. Despite the disobeying of direct orders to kill everyone within the religious group’s compound, Keenan is promoted. The government officials calmly explain that the prisoners taken will not be killed by the U.S government, then proceeds to turn the recording tapes off and laugh at Keenan’s surprise. One of them calmly states “Of course we’re going to kill them. With kindness. After all this isn’t September 10, 2001.” They go further to explain that since the U.S government has the ability to name and detain terrorists’ cells as they see fit, Abin Cooper, (Michael Parks) the leader of the group, will be stripped of his constitutional rights to due process and locked up without trial. The most sickening, but beautiful part of this scene is the amusement the men show at Abin’s expense, for his view of homosexuality as an abomination will be countered by rape from many of his fellow male inmates. The movie ends with Abin pacing his cell as he sing-songs a sermon to himself until another prisoner (Kevin Smith) yells “Shut the F**k up!”

Fashion Photographer

Fashion Photographer

John Rawlings

(1950-1985)

John Rawlings, a famous fashion photographer for magazines such as Vogue and Glamour from the 1930s-1960s, has an uncanny ability to make his objects classic, stylish, and most of all sophisticated. I absolutely adore his work and put it at the top of my “art list.” For me, art is very similar to the cliché: beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Rawlings photographs captivate me; they may seem mainstream and obviously beautiful, however I think it takes extreme skill to make something stunning and simple complement one another.

I have chosen a handful of my favorite John Rawlings’ work for specific reasons. I enjoy his use of color against neutrals and the way the lighting makes his object look intelligent as well as gorgeous. I believe that is what he is trying to convey for the viewer. He wants or rather demands his model to be respected not merely gazed upon. We want to be the woman or man because their mystique is engaging—powerful. He truly accentuates femininity and respects his work which makes all the difference. His attitude toward whatever it is he photographing makes it a masterpiece. My favorite technique that John Rawlings’ utilizes is the black and white scheme. THERE IS SO MUCH COLOR even though there is not-- if one can understand what I mean. His characters are fulfilling even with a color scheme of black and white.  I am a huge fashion follower and I miss these days where models, actresses, etc . were classically beautiful as opposed to women posing in bikinis on the cover of magazines. His images as one can see have the superiority and pure style that current photographers could only hope to achieve.

I found several blog posts about this artist who I have admired for some time now as I am both a lover and critic about the fashion world.