For my artists choice assignment, I chose to improvise to one of my favorite songs by Mac Miller, a rapper who passed away recently due to an overdose. Mac Miller is one of my favorite rappers by far so it was intimidating to express movement that felt adequate to the way his music has impacted me. I improvised instead of choreographing set choreography to force myself to be present with the music and create raw movement on the spot. I thought a lot about what an impact artists make on the world and how when they pass they will always have their music/art to live on forever. Something I am especially grateful for after an artist I care a lot about passing away.

Exhibition Information:

Artist: Kimberly Burciaga

Media: photography, graphic design

Gallery: CSULB student art gallery

Website: no website

Instagram: @kimberlyburciaga

For this weeks artist conversation, I spoke to Kimberly Burciaga. She is a current undergrad student at CSULB working towards earning a BA in graphic design. She is also interested in photography and illustration as hobbies. Kimberly is drawn towards creating art that is for herself and does not look for validation from an outside eye. She does not even have a website for her art because she prefers creating art for herself and close friends and family to see rather than exposing her art for the world to see. She enjoyed creating a piece for the in-between because it was a macro idea that she could take and interpret into her own specific meaning.

The in-between showcased art from many different artists that are current undergrads in the School of Art at CSULB. This concept was created by Chris Estrada and Edith Contreras. The idea of being in-between was interpreted as literal or as abstract as each artist created their own work of art showing an in-between state of mind, point in life, conflict, contrast etc. Kimberly’s piece was a graphic design work that showed 6 different polaroid looking pictures that had been put into a graphic design that looked as if someone had hand drawn the original polaroid pictures. The background of the pictures were each a different color of purple, blue, orange, green, yellow and red. The colors had a muted pastel tone to them and the people in each picture were not in color. the overall picture was traced in black and white and the pictures were placed all together almost like a collage. From a first glance at Kimberly’s work, you are able to see exactly what’s going on however, the more you look, the more detail can be spot out in each of the six pictures. Two oil paintings caught my eye as soon as i walked into the in-between exhibit. Specifically this black and white image of two people holding hands. You could clearly see what the image was from a first glance but it was the intricate detail you could take in from a closer look that really caught my eye. The two heads were colored in white with black detail but the bodies were contrasts of one another. One’s detail in white and the other in black.

Kimberly took this big idea of the in-between and created art off her own abstract idea of in-betweens we go through in life. Specifically insignificant memories you don’t remember but when reminded you realize the big impact those little things have created on your life. These in-between life stages or moments you forget that have helped shape you to be who you are. Each of the six photographs in this piece is from 6 different old family pictures in Kimberly’s family. The color in the pictures is there to add a feeling of nostalgia and help bring back more of memory from the day represented by the pictures. Kimberly explained to me that one of the pictures is of her sister when she was young dressed as a cowboy playing guitar. Although her sister does not specifically remember that time when she was that young she was able to relate to the image because it brought back the feeling of her youth and helped her reflect on the span of time in between her youth to where she is at now in her life. The artist of the oil painting that caught my eye was not there however, i developed my own interpretation. The body with black detail shows more of an emotional connection in the face than the body with white detail and black. Both bodies have white with black detailed heads although their bodies are contrasted. This could represent the idea that the one showing more of an emotional connection, invests more energy into the other person which is how the one in contrast has the same head design. The contrasted individual does not feel the same connection because they keep all that is within the white detail to themselves.

I thought a lot about what I had learned from this weeks artist conversation and one thing stood out to me. Kimberly was very set in her ways about creating her art for herself and not caring to expose her work to others. In a way, I totally see where she is coming from but at the same time I can’t help but think that is somewhat selfish. I really do see both sides. Not sharing your art allows for no impact on the creative process of your art to come from outside factors. This can be a beautiful thing, especially if you are one to face lots of doubt, uncertainty and trouble with comparing your art to others. Those can be huge battles to face as an artist as I know for myself. So potentially Kimberly’s mindset comes from that place and she gains clarity in her direction as an artist to create only for herself. At the same time, a friend once told me “if you have a talent you must share it otherwise you are being selfish to a world that needs what you have to share”. Art can be so eye opening because often times, it speaks without words. Art can have the most powerful connection between one another when we let it. I can’t help but think that what I am typing is completely cheesy, but it is true. The world needs art. With that being said, we should learn to let go of feelings of doubt or comparison to one another because those feelings are only as real as we make them out to be (easier said than done) and know that everyone’s art is enough and everyone’s art deserves to be seen and impact one another.

Thanks for joining me!

Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton