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The human condition offers a wide spectrum of emotions and feelings. Dormant within our bodies, absorbed and filtered by our senses, and reconstructed by our minds we carry the ability to experience being alive. From my point of view, the job of an artist is to evoke what already exists inside. In my case I want to make you aware that life is mostly a lost game, we are breaking up at all times, from the moment we are born and well beyond the moment we die. Do not call me a pessimist, because I am not. I just celebrate life and death and my metaphor is the fracture. 

Classic greek philosophers agree that the purpose of existence is the search of happiness. If that assumption of the purpose is truth it implies that you and I live in a constant state of angst for change. Which in my experience is not too far away from truth. My theme, comes from observing my thoughts after profound life events and moments with important people in it. Sometimes miracles and some others a curse, these events shape who I am. 

Born to be wounded. Oh so human. And in the mind, defense mechanisms: the masks are shaped. The heartbreak, the mind-break, the grieve and the mourn. Like a vicious cycle. Encaged in skin, flesh and bone. Prisoners of the body. Until we loose it.

“The closure” is a psychological self portrait, a moment in my life representing the voice of my mother. This image is inspired from a conversation I had with my mother while she was recovering from a delicate surgery at Stanford Hospital three months ago. Her words illustrate a profound perspective about existence and perception, although my mother did not complete elementary school, she was an extremely intelligent person, not afraid to have intense philosophical conversations about reality, perception and the universe.  “Time is absolutely nothing, we are merely a reflexion of an image that exists in our memories.” five minutes later, and with me as a witness, she has a massive stroke that ultimately ends her life.

First thesis draft. Boy!!!!!

Ernest Mundt explains in ,Three aspects of German Aesthetic Theory, that post-Kantian philosophers dealing with the issue of “pure form” realized the concept of empathy theory

. Originally developed in the 18th century by the German philosopher Robert Vischer, empathy theory and its iterations, offer avenues of reflection and discussion about the connection and the universality of emotions in the life of the human mind. The aim of this paper is to develop a critique on contemporary art using empathy and embodiment theory, taking a stand from the art practices of the Colombian sculptor Doris Salcedo and the American artist James Turrell. I plan to reconcile their approach to space, materials and symbolism (or lack of it) to my own art practice.   I hope to understand how the emotional and mental mechanisms of an observer are affected when they are confronted with the image of a fracture, a fissure, or a crack. I seek to explore the idea of a fracture as something mutable from abstraction to empathy by the use of metaphor and light.  

To understand Robert Vischer’s work on empathy theory, we have to take as starting line the notions of beauty and form of Immanuel Kant. This Prussian philosopher of the 18th century changed the course of intellectual history by developing profound ideas that would change the philosophical paradigm of the renaissance into modernity

. Pre-Kantian ideas of beauty revolved around two seemingly conflicting schools of thought. The first one was the Intellectualism of Leibniz and Baumgarten. Although, Leibniz was a great influence in the development of Kant’s ideas about aesthetics, there is a realization on Leibniz work as only representing a small fraction of the human capacity, because, Intellectualism contemplates beauty merely as an intellectual exercise. One word: cerebral. In contrast, Burke’s sensualism.  Sensualism assumes the position of explaining beauty exclusively based on feelings of pain and pleasure, a rather visceral avenue

. Kant is revolutionary in aesthetics, because he is able to reconcile both intellectualism and sensualism advancing a comprehensive discussion of pure form. 

Within Kant’s context we begin to understand the notion of empathy theory. Vischer adapts the transcendental critiques proposed by Kant and finally develops empathy theory saying “We will have to assume that every mental act is brought about and is at the same time reflected in certain vibrations and neural modifications, in such a way that the latter represents its image, that is to say that they produce a symbolic picture inside the organism.”

  In other words, empathy theory posits that we are born with a conditioned and intuitive ability to assign emotional content to all the objects we observe. Sensorial input creates mental representations of objects as they become an internal analogy of the outside world.  

Empathy theory, however, can be a blurred and freed it from the strict optical sense. August Schmarsow explains in The Emergence of Architectural Space that in 1709 George Berkeley established the concept of “experimental or associational perception.”

 These two terms refer to the haptic and the optic combined elaborating  raw materials for perception. Berkeley argues that eye movement and/or physical movement in space is fundamental to perception. And that motion in space will dictate how objects or even space itself is perceived. His argument was based on the issue that we see three dimensional objects with a pair of eyes that record two dimensional patterns of light and color. Berkeley argues that we cannot understand the world with the eyes alone and to form mental images of distance and magnitude we require the sense of touch

. In other words, Berkeley realizes that human beings are more than a stationary relations of eyes to the brain. Human beings are participants by the merit of the movement. The three dimensions and the objects that exist in it, including pictures an two dimensional objects, require motion as  a mechanism to approach in or out  the experience to produce a physical reality. Movement is an intrinsic quality human existence  therefore, perception is altered by the interaction of the space with both touch and sight.  And by deduction of my observations, its within this space you experience the universality of the self. These elastic and revolutionary ideas of empathy theory three hundred years ago are at the hearth of the investigation of the American artist James Turrell. Point in case, Turrell’s Wolfsburg Project is a continuation of this conversation between perceptual phenomena and spatial relationships; between science, art, and philosophy. And according to Markus Bruderlin, the director of the project, “The Wolfsburg is the largest walk in installation ever created anywhere in the world in a exhibition avenue.”

 It is composed of two Ganzfeld Pieces. The work is based on experimental space travel and psychology during the nineteen-sixties. Turrell aims to make light a “tangible” phenomena and on his own words “Light is a charged substance that we have a primary connection with. Situations in which you notice the presence of such a charged substance are fragile. I mold it... So you can feel the presence of the light in the room.”

   

I recently visited Turrell’s Skyspace at the de Young Museum in San Francisco and had very interesting ideas about being, time and purpose. I actually felt a strong connection to Turrell, I admire his vision and the execution of his work. And Indeed, I am grateful to School, because I am able to think about space, meaning, glass, and light.    Even though I am not I am not a linguist, I like to think about the function of words and how they translate different meanings in different languages. For instance Spanish does not difference between heaven or sky. For us there is only one cielo; or himmel in German.  I became aware of that logic, by reading Turrell.  I empathize with the work that alters the perceptual relations of space by the use of light. If I could string words and ideas like pearls in a necklace I would string deatached-non-cognitive-sense-of-oneness-and-perceptual-awe. 

Giving form to materials like glass and light is a particularly meaningful experience for me as it forces me to examine events and places staged in between my memory and my imagination.  I am a glassblower and installation artist with a strong interest in architecture, architectural glass and lighting.  My work explores multiple social, political and personal tensions, mainly inspired by events that took place in Colombia in the decades of the 80’s and 90’s when it was arguably the most dangerous place in the world.  With my work, I attempt to evoke a feeling of empathy for my generation by merging symbolism and medium with collective memory.   Central to the theme of my work is the symbolic meaning of cracks, fissures and fractures. I explore the metaphor of these elements and their relation to the human condition.  I  define a crack as the split of a surface, the space where things separate. In other words, fractures alter the integrity of a unit.  In my work, cracks embody the emotional and/or physical scars we carry in our skins, memories and hearts.  For me, fractures reveal the tribulations of geographic displacement, as I have lost connections to my native environment, emotional relationships and cultural practices. 

 Empathy theory explains the universality of emotions when a viewer is confronted with an object. In contemporary art, empathy is fundamental, because, the heart of the artistic endeavour is to explore and to materialize the emotional and mental life of the artist with the world beyond the self. In other words, as an artist I am trying to create a sense of unity and universality between my emotions and viewers. I can do this by the use of light and glass engages the viewer to investigate the object as a reflection of him or herself. Light is one of nature’s way of transmitting energy through space. In many cultures, it symbolizes justice and truth.  In my installations, I celebrate both the symbolic and physical powers of light because without it no life, growth or healing would exist. In my art practice I seek to engage the viewer in a conversation in which the feelings of a large group of people are merged into the image of a crack. Im my work, empathy exists in the intention and in the metaphor, and not in the abstract quality of the images. For instance, in my installation “The Siege” I confront the viewer with the calamity of a historical event that divided the history of Colombia in two. During the siege of the Palace of Justice 93 innocent people died, most of them related to the high ranks of the judiciary system in Colombia. My gesture as This is the glass plate being projected onto the wall- and Hand written on the plate. but invisible in the projection the first paragraph of the Report of the Special Inquiry Commission on the Palace of Justice. "At dawn all was desolation and ruins. Among the rubble lay the incinerated remains of hostages and guerrillas, their weapons, also calcified, beside them. Few of the bodies retained their human form. The air exuded an unbearable, penetrating stench, record of the destruction of human life.” Light reverts the abstraction of the fractures and makes the images dramatic, emotive and empathic. As a natural phenomena, a crack is the result of forces operating against the unity, light and glass shelter empathy. 

Dealing with the same conceptual issues as my previous installations, but taking a more loose approach my ATC show is largely about experimentation and risk taking. I am using a 3 dimensional object and transposing it into an image of photographic qualities. Light is nature’s energy carrier through space. What is relevant about this work is that glass becomes an sculptural lens allowing me to activate the space by the use of light. What interests me is the ability for a non tangible energy to alter a physical space. Space is not a place. space is an idea. I have chosen  ambiguous faces as the because its neutral features that in turn makes it approachable to a more universal audience. The cracks on the face allude to past experiences and the fragility of the human psique. I allow the viewer to bring their own interpretation. And the piece becomes succesfull when they apply their own scars. 

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Mundt, Ernest K. "Three Aspects of German Aesthetic Theory." JSTOR. Blackwell Publishing. Web. 14 May 2012. <http://www.jstor.org/stable/427810>.

Vischer, Robert. "On the Optical Sense of the Form." Getty Center for the History of Arts and Humanities. Web.

Turrell, James. Foreword. James Turrell, the Wolfsburg Project: Kunstmuseum Wolfsburg, 24.10-2009-05.04.2010. Wolfsburg: Kunstmuseum, 2009. Print.

Schwarzer, Mitchell W., and August Schmarsow. "The Emergence Of Architectural Space: August Schmersow Theory of "Raumgestalung"" JSTOR. The MIT Press. Web. 15 May 2012. <http://www.jstor.org/stable/3171125>.

     

Mario Botta’s San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.

Located in the Yerba Buena district in San Francisco, and designed by the Swiss architect Mario Botta, The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art is a center of urban focus materialized in the Modernist architecture of the Neo-Rational style. The aim of this paper is to discover the impact of Botta’s monumental work in the San Francisco’s architectural landscape but at the same time reveal the relevance of museums as institutions fostering regional, national and international cultural movements. I hope to understand how Botta’s style morphed from the seminal context of Ticino’s vernacular architecture into the construction of the a high profile museum on the eclectic environment of San Francisco. This paper also aims to create concrete ideas about formal and symbolic relationships between material/structure/style and the programme of the building, in other words, finding out why the volumes and spaces designed under Neo-Rational paradigm make sense for a museum built in a metropolis like San Francisco.

According to a printed biography provided by the museum, Mario Botta was born in 1943 in Mendrisio, Switzerland, he has practiced architecture since the age 15, when he began a three year apprenticeship with the architectural firm of Camenisch in Lugano. Then he went on to study with Carlo Scarpa at the Instituto Universitario di Architettura in Venice, becoming a professional architect in 1969

. During his four years in college he had the opportunity to work with Le Corbusier and Louis Kahn, they marked a profound influence in Botta’s formative years. The design of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art in 1988 was Botta’s first building in the United States and his first major museum

. 

Fundamentally, a museum is a shelter to the human creative enterprise, and these expressions embodied in the art attempt to solve key questions about humanity. Almost unequivocally, meaningful works of art consider transcendental and universal problems. For instance, the most basic of all problems we humans face is the fact that we do not know where we come from, and most urgently! we do not know where we are heading to. With that in mind, the architectural challenge for the construction of any museum, and in this case, the SFMOMA, is to create a space to encounter in the present moment the vision of a culture in variety of artistic manifestations such as painting and sculpture. In other words, a museum provides a fertile ground for serious introspection and reflection about who we are as individuals and as a civilization. According to Justin Henderson, in his book San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, the selection process for the design of the SFMOMA brought into competition architects of the caliber of Frank Gehry and Thomas Beeby. But Botta’s work was so close to the expectations of the selection committee that in 1988 the Chairman if the Board of Trustees, Brooks Walter, Jr., Announced Mario Botta as the designer for the new SFMOMA.

Mario Botta’s ability to develop simple geometric forms at a monumental scale come from his early experiences working in projects in the canton of Ticino.  What makes Ticino different than any other place is its geographical location, this city is grounded in the Swiss alps but it is very close to the Italian border, Ticino is a witness of the middle age and Baroque period

. During this time there is an evident connection to nature by the liberal use of stone in its architecture. However, and according to the book Mario Botta: Architectures 1980-1990, what sets Botta apart from the rest of the Swiss architects of his time is that he studied in Italy with Le Corbusier and Kahn, by doing so Botta earned a very eclectic vision of design and architecture

. The formal aesthetics of Botta’s work can be described as a blend of geometries between modern and medieval, bold, functional and with ample and fluid circulatory system of the structures. When you walk around the SFMOMA you feel a symbiotic relationship between the art and the people moving around space. In the words of Botta “The works of art require optimal spaces to be completely enjoyed and, likewise, the gallery spaces need works of art to acquire their full dimensions. In museums, the real challenge is to discover that perfect balance where the architecture and art enrich one another.” 

At the formal and symbolic levels we can compare the work of Botta in the SFMOMA to the architecture of Le Corbusier’s roofscape of the Parliament Building in Chandigarh

; the use of spatial references and volumes are very similar. Particularly in the tall cylinder funneling light to inside of the building using the path of the sun as it orbits the outer space. Symbolically, large accesses of natural light on a monumental geometries express transparency, egalitarianism and democratic institutions characteristic of thriving societies. Formally, massive natural light sources improve the display of the art and the aesthetic experience for the viewer. In other words, Neo-Rational architectural style makes sense for the SFMOMA because it relates the symbolism of the geometry with the individual and social perception of the museum. 

Continuing with a formal description of the materials used for the construction of the museum’s bold symmetry: brick, glass and stone are rhythmically recessed and angled creating multiple textures on the facade of the building. The exteriors advantage point is from across the front entrance on third street; standing next to John Roloff’s sculpture the Deep Gradient/Suspect Terrain and facing the SFMOMA you can observe the building interacting with the rest of the San Franciscan skyline. There is an immediate relation of spaces between the buildings standing next to museum. The SFMOMA feels wide, horizontal and squatted in comparison to the vertical references of the  architectural background. 

The 20.900 square meters of the net floor area are divided in five floors with multiple galleries can be rearranged adjusting the configuration of the space to the particular need of the different exhibitions

. The monumental atrium, parallel to the tall and wide ceilings of the galleries provide a sense of amplitude the interior. Inside, White walls, wooden and marvel floors frame the works of art on display.   

After a conversation with a docent giving a tour to the permanent collection, I learned that an massive expansion of the SFMOMA is scheduled to take place in summer 2013. This project will be executed by the Norwegian architectural firm Snohetta

. This expansion is a response to the necessity to make room for a growing permanent  collection. According to the Director of SFMOMA, Neal Benezra, since 2005 the collection has grown from 12000 to 28000 pieces

. Making SFMOMA a relevant in the circuit of museums of contemporary art in the world. 

To conclude, the SFMOMA creates a space to contemplate the vision or our civilization supported by bold and symmetric designs of Mario Botta’s Neo-Rational style. Botta’s work in the SFMOMA develops a symbiotic relation symbolically and formally to the work of art being displayed, as well as the vision of museums as institutions serving a reflective minds of individuals in thriving societies. 

Bibliography.

"About the Project." San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. Web. 14 May 2012. <http://www.sfmoma.org/our_expansion/expansion_project>.

Botta, Mario, Pierluigi Nicolin, and Emilio Pizzi. Mario Botta, Architectures 1980-1990. Barcelona, Spain: G. Gili, 1991. Print.

Curtis, William J. R. Modern Architecture since 1900. [London]: Phaidon, 1996. Print.

Henderson, Justin. San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. San Francisco: San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, 2000. Print.

Jodidio, Philip, and Mario Botta. Mario Botta. Köln: Taschen, 2003. Print.

Teaching Philosophy

My quest as a teacher is to foster lateral thinking by supporting the exploration of the three dimensional world. I offer the student my experience with processes and materials as well as my own cultural perspective, with that in mind,  I invite them to take a challenge and to experiment solving their own universality.

The physical world can be explored in terms of the objects occupying the space in which they exist. These objects have formal and symbolic characteristics intrinsic not only to the objects but also to the minds of the makers and observers.  One of my goals as instructor is to direct in the student the transcendental methodology to assign effective meaning to these objects. My preferred instructional methods are in nature experimental, based on problem solving and situational approaches that relate to their own experiences.

Esteban Salazar

Neo-Icarus Assignment#1

The Neo-Icarus Assignment #1

Greek mythology tells us that Daedalus had been imprisoned by King Minos of Crete within the walls of his own invention, the Labyrinth. But the great craftsman's genius would not suffer captivity. He made two pairs of wings by adhering feathers to a wooden frame with wax. Giving one pair to his son, he cautioned him that flying too near the sun would cause the wax to melt. But Icarus became ecstatic with the ability to fly and forgot his father's warning. The feathers came loose and Icarus plunged to his death in the sea.

With that in mind, this assignment will demonstrate the advantages of mold making as a process for reproducing multiple objects from one original.  We will be making a two part plaster mold of a small (no larger than a bottle of water) inexpensive mass produced object. Depending on your necessities, we will cast as few as two or as many objects as your highly detailed design require.

After you have completed the mold/casting part, you will treat the surface of your positives. Perhaps you want to resemble the original surface of the object; maybe you want to make a personal statement. You are as free as the flying Icarus to alter the “skin” of your wings, just remember to use the two dimensions to your advantage.

Parallel to the previous steps,  you will muster a functional structure, a backbone, a shelter to support the assemblage of the casted pieces as if they were the feathers attached to the flesh of a bird. Creatively complete this exercise and earn your own pair of wings!

Materials:

A SKETCH BOOK with LOTS of drawings, ideas and most importantly questions!!!  water and oil clay; murphy’s oil and a small brush; plaster; acrylic paints; wood and metal in multiple formats, E6000 glue.  

Learning Objectives:

• How to use mold making to create a tangible record of the presence of matter, and how to make a “positive” that has the form of the original object via “substitution.”
• How to use a set of parameters and a desired outcome as a means of generating ideas
• How to communicate ideas through form, color and surface alone, without resorting to clichéd symbols or text.
• Specific technical skills that should be addressed in 3-D Concepts classes include simple joinery in wood (using bandsaws, drill presses and sanders,) an introduction to “cold” metalworking (using bending brakes, shears, pop-riveters etc.), an introduction to moldmaking, (“substitution”,) and other constructive/ subtractive/ manipulation techniques appropriate to the presentation of the concepts being taught.
• Asymmetrical balance

• Rhythm and repetition

A bit of Greek Wisdom: The flight of Icarus could be interpreted as a lesson in the value of moderation. The danger in flying "too high" (i.e. melting of the wax wings) or in flying "too low" (i.e. weighting down the wings by sea-water spray) were advocations for one to respect one's limits and to act accordingly.

Visiting Nervi's Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Assumption.

Embedded in a typically windy San Franciscan hill, the Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Assumption materializes a particularly important event in the Roman Catholic history. The Assumption of the Virgen Mary marks the moment in which Mary's physical body meets god in the heavens. The symbolic and architectural challenge required a sort of timeless but also visually unearthly solution: a godly idea of harmonious eternal life in the heavens. A plaque at the front entrance of the structure reads "Saint Mary Cathedral Dedicated to the Glory of God, in Honor of Mary, Our Lady of Assumption." written also on this plaque, the names of the architects Pietro Belluschi and William Schuppel, as well as celebrated Italian building engineer Pier Luigi Nervi.

The neighboring panoramic landscape is framed by more than a dozen vertical structures, including modern commercial and residential buildings, a number of apartment complexes, parking lots, busy streets filled with pedestrians walking near Japantown San Francisco, as well as other visible worship buildings; all these elements describe the relevance of the location in which the sanctuary shares the urban backdrop of a sophisticated metropolis.

As you approach the Building from the corner of Geary and Gough you cannot help but notice the monumentality of the building. This feeling is expressed in the structure at multiple formal levels. First of all, to access the cathedral the visitor is forced to cross a piazza, focusing all visual clues to the transition of scale on the exterior spaces, by placing the volumes of building off the street the cathedral gains magnificence because the structure becomes perceptually massive. Another feature of the symbolic monumentality is the soft but visible distinction of the two main volumes in the structure. As the viewer faces the building, the first volume can be described as a rectangular prism in which the walls are a juxtaposition of glass panels and concrete walls flanked with thin marvel veneers. Both sides of the corners including the entrance of the cathedral are dark tinted glass panels that go from bottom to top of the wall. It is a very solemn and calmed image. 

The front entrance of the church is protected by a bronze bas-relief of Jesus in the Cross. Growing from within the first volume the roof is projected to the sky, implying a sharp sense of vertical movement. This second volume is a talll structure that references the merging of a cross and a cone. Due to the nature of the roof's curvilinear shape there is constant play of contrast, blending and shaping light and shadow in different "S" directions.

Once inside the building the space becomes visually complex, some elements of space resemble wall structures of cellular organisms. As any other catholic church a large octagonal holy water fountain receives the visitor bouncing off the view to the vibrant (neon like) stained glass panels running along the vertical structure. Almost imperceptible from the street, the graduations of warm and cool colors of the stained glass become active inside the building, highlighting not only the height of the but also the shape of a large glass cross. Next to the stained glass panels, on the roof, arrays of triangular modules of architectonics mix with the curved lines of the ceiling. 
On each corner, the Cathedral reveals the ground structure that sustains the roof. This structure, however, feels different. The perceptual sense of lightness in the Cathedral is sharply contrasted by the structural base of four heavy, low, and wide arches. Nevertheless, as the eye scans the assumption the heaviness becomes eternal with the roof's light conical shape elevating to the magnificent sky.

TA'ing a foundation on 3D design.

Helping Yvonne Escalante to teach a Foundation Class in 3D design (or Art13) has been an AMAZING experience. During the course we will challenge the student to solve four main assignments. The student will learn concepts of design as well as the vocabulary necessary to navigate issues in the three dimensions. One learning outcome of this class is to present the student to materials such as: plaster, plasticine, clay, wood and glass in a variety of contexts. We will be doing sand castings of glass and aluminum; free sculpting plasticine and clay to make ceramic tiles; mold making in plaster, ideal to translate forms into different materials; wood as a structural material for an exploration of three dimensional planes.

First exercise: Buy at the 99cent store one item. Make a plaster mold from that item. Duplicate it. In the next set of images you see a sample of the work made by the students.

Second Exercise: Take a portion of your face, abstract it and translate the image into three different materials: clay, glass and aluminum.

This is a composite image taken from the twenty-four students enrolled in the art 13 course at SJSU-fall 2012. The assignment attempts to instruct the student in casting and rendering in three different materials: glass, aluminum, and ceramics. Each student will print the section of his/her own face into a 5" by 5" square piece of paper. Maintaing all proportions to the image, the student will render the 2 dimentional shape into a 3 dimentional form. The student is encouraged to transform and abstract the image to be rendered. What we are giving them is a parameter, a scale, and a theme. What we want is a texture, a volume and a concept.

Encaged

Encaged in skin, flesh and bone.
Prisoners of the body
until we loose it.
Aconscious.

Exploring Metaphor in Glass: Rupert's drops Kaputs.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s51CCHLpYnw&hd=1

This is a joint venture between two students of the digital media lab, a history major and a graduate student at the glass program from San Jose State University. This performance\installation piece describes the chronological pattern of social and political unrest of the last 5 years; pinpointing 17 geographical locations around the world and matching these locations with the explosion of a rupert's drop.

But why revolutions occur? Revolutions not always happen because of the vast power of the revolutionary class, but rather happen because of the instability of the governing class. These weakness usually come from failures of the economic/financial system or from war.

The rupert's drops contains an interesting metaphor for this concept: the larger mass in the head of the drop is extremely strong and regardless of how much pressure is applied to the mass it fails to release the energy from within. It's only when the fragile tail of the drop (the governing class) is snapped, that all the tension is released.

If you want to know more about this project please follow this link http://imagescubed.com/occupyearth/#work

walking down the past: a 15th century approach to glass.

Making a goblet is a 30 minute journey, you walk the imaginary steps of a 15th century venetian glass maker gathering glass from a wood furnace. I am 'gaga' for the beauty of the process and the tradition. When I am blowing glass I seek for a sense of fluidity, a connection between the material and my hands. I think that goblet making is both a challenging and a liberating craft. Making goblets is an art on its own right too, and when people get into making them its like an addiction. A good addiction indeed.

The Goblets on the bottom are made using "the garage." which allows me to make complex and refined shapes.

Made on the pipe.

The trio of goblets above is part of a set of 26 goblets I made "on the pipe" during my third semester at SJSU. I picked up the skill of making these shapes from Chris Taylor and Stefanie Pender at Pilchuck. This Goblets are part of my research on shapes and forms in traditional glassblowing techniques.

On the involvement of children in war.

I created this image in response to the sad reality to the concept of total war. The recruiting of children in armed conflicts is a terrible thing from any perspective.

Please watch this video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4MnpzG5Sqc

"The Elegant Failure" the show.

Pilchuck's furnace crack. Monoprint. 30"X 22".

H.P.L triptych. Monoprints. 11" X 15".

The Fragmented Self (detail). Stoneware.

The Black Gallery.

La Toma "The Siege".

"At dawn all was desolation and ruins. Amid the rubble lay the incinerated remains of hostages and guerrillas, their weapons, also calcified, beside them. Few of the bodies retained their human form. The air exuded an unbearable, penetrating stench, record of the destruction of human life."Report of the Special Inquiry Commission Report on the Palace of Justice.



By definition a crack is the split of a surface, the space where things separate. Metaphorically cracks, fissures and fractures represent the scars we carry in our skins, memories or hearts. This installation is my gesture to the failure of the Colombian state to bring justice to the 94 casualties and the families involved in the Siege of the Palace of Justice in Bogota in 1985. I was six years old when this tragedy happen. I lived with my family a few blocks away from the Palace of justice, I can remember the sound of the guns and the color of the sky as the horizon glowed when the building was burning down. How is it possible that 25 years after the events only one out of the dozens of people responsible for the massacre was brought to justice?

The cracked and broken piece of glass being projected onto the wall.

The projection.

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