Artist Statement supplemented with label examples

The College Experience

Rose “Brosie” Broll

I began by working from whatever was inspiring me in the moment. It started with me referring back to an older piece that I completed my sophomore year. As the aesthetics of my piece began to come together, I was able to produce piece that comments on my personal experience with college culture and how my experiences can also be applied to the image of general, American college life.  The piece can be broken down into the smaller themes of voyeurism, alcohol consumption, discovering gender and sexual identity, and self-transformation into finding the ‘true’ self.

In the video and on the bottle labels, viewers become voyeurs by getting an intimate look into how one may experiment with the opposite gender’s clothing and a man’s real-life first experience in applying makeup. The inclusion of alcohol bottles in this piece speaks beyond the well-known frat party binges, but the journey of finding one’s drink limits, picking a favorite brand or type of alcohol, and socializing with peers and people in the community surrounding the college.  Creating a specific brand, “Brosie’s,” I aimed to display the commodity found in the drinking realm of college life by also including cliché phrases one may hear at a party or at the bar.

The vulva and testicle form of the sculpture contribute to the theme of gender identity. The two anatomical parts, typically not seen or paired together, represent the question of gender. This particular combination may represent those who are biologically female, however prize their masculine qualities in order to achieve the androgynous appearance or personality. This is a part of the piece I strongly relate to. In relation to self transformation in order to find one’s ‘true self,’ I believe that one can only know their true self after living a lifetime and being completely honest with oneself, but even then it would be hard because maybe our perception of our “true” self is the most flawed and bias of all.

Wine Labels

      

This is an example of the 'back' label they sometimes include on bottles.

Conor is in most of my big photo projects. Week 9.

Naturally, I asked my coworker and friend, Conor, if he wanted to participate in my Senior Art Project. The pictures indicate his response.

He did the same as Jim did. He changed from the clothes he walked off the street in and into some women's clothes I brought for him. Entertainingly enough, he actually changed into a woman's outfit that was much like his original clothing. Grey shirt and jeans. 

He also experimented with putting on makeup. This was his first time doing it himself I quickly found out when I was directing him how to properly apply lipstick, blush, etc. No matter though. 

 

He seemed to have a lot fun participating in this project and I am sure he is pleased that he got his own three-picture spread on my blog page.

What did I do week 8?

Goddammit, Max! Get serious, for once! What are you going to DO with your life?

Why is it always what will I do? "What will he do", "What will he do," "Oh, my god what will he do", Do, do, do, do, do. Why isn't the issue here who I am?

 Because, Maxwell, what you do defines who you are.

No, Uncle Teddy. Who you are defines what you do. Right Jude?

Well, surely it's not what you do, but the, uh... the way that you do it.

                                         -Across the Universe   

A gift.

the wire and the bootle

 I plan to make the piece 4 feet wide and 5.5 feet long and 4.5 feet tall.

I also did a photo shoot of my last male model. :D

By the end of the term I would like to have a draft of my artist statement and a base constructed for the three large sculptures that are part of my piece.

In an alternate universe it would only be 3rd week.

Week 7.

I did another photoshoot! I had a guy come in an basically do the same thing as the previous female model, except changing into women's clothing. Naturally I was taking pictures and filming.

I worked harder on the labels. This is what I came up with. 

Banners could not be more of an abomination to fit with text, especially when halfway through one changes the font and EVERYTHING is off. I took out a thing or two out of this version versus the last one. I played with font and decided to make them all the same (brand name, slogan, and liquor name). 

I am not sure if I am ready to go ahead and print quite yet.

Some other label text ideas I came up with are: 

-Hold My Beer And Watch This 

"The brave person's summer ale"

-I Bet My Ex Misses Me 

Red Wine 

- I Love You So Much, Like I Am Serious 

Blue Raspberry Vodka

-I Am Just Resting My Eyes 

Stout

"Beer. It's what's for dinner"

-I Only Smoke When I Drink

 Rye Whiskey

-I Am Not Even Drunk Yet

Dry Gin

"It is still 5 o'clock somewhere" 

I also added a bit more to the research bit of my paper.