BEHOLD! MY MASTERPIECE~
Rain Angel, 2021
I am sure you have seen this picture and post already on my Instagram (if you haven't click here). BUT in this blog post, I will post more pictures and go into more detail because I want to. Please enjoy :)
Down here, I speak to the public about the art piece, where I did it, my inspiration and process, and how it is tied to the organization's current theme. This occurred at ArtSeed, a non-profit organization focusing on working with children from low socioeconomic backgrounds and exposing them to different art styles, methods, and materials. My art piece is currently hanging in the Tides Converge in the Presidio for the organization's annual art exhibition titled Earthseed, Undergrowth, and Afterlife til September 25th, 2024.
I discussed that the photograph was taken during the Northeast Pacific bomb cyclone atmospheric river rain storm in 2021. In San Francisco, the forecast predicted the rainstorm would bring 1 - 2 inches of rain. However, the intersection between Bush and Gough flooded because the leaves and other debris clogged the street drains. At the time, I was hanging out with my photography mentor and friend (it was because of him my photograph made its way onto these walls, so I can't thank him enough!) and his daughter. It was a weekday, and she was there because the school was shut down due to the pandemic, but he insisted on creating a routine of taking his child outside to get her away from screens and Zoom school, regardless of the weather. So, I went out with my rain boots, and we stayed out there enjoying the rain. This was when I took this picture.
Regarding the process and size, I got inspired by Lou Stoumen’s 1940s photograph Times Square in the Rain. The photograph was featured in Reality What Makes Them Dream: American Photography 1929 - 1941 in the Cantor Arts Center at Stanford University. I fell in love with the photograph's symmetry and the flooded streets, and I saw all the details in the picture. The Cantor Arts Center at Stanford University also had a blown-up version of the gallery’s walls that I was captivated by as I wanted to stare at its details all day. The photo was a gelatin silver print, which was what I also used to create the piece to give the specific black and white look that I enjoyed in Stoumen's piece.
Returning to ArtSeed's theme of EarthSeed, Undergrowth, and Afterlife, rain generally has a lot of emotional and symbolic meaning. In Earthseed, one of the central tenets of the fictitious novel’s religion is confronting how nature is fragile and constantly changing. When I think of this, I think of climate change and how, at times, the rain ebbs and flows from harsh atmospheric river weather to a calm mist. Rain can also symbolically represent renewal, rebirth, and spiritual connections. That hits me because when I need to recharge or get a clear head, I shower if going on a walk doesn’t help. I also experienced this when my boyfriend and I drove cross country from Washington, DC, to San Francisco in May of this year, visiting Niagara Falls. We went on the Maid of the Mist, a Niagara Falls boat tour. We were given these blue plastic ponchos before getting on the boat because we would get wet, but I was not ready. It was ridiculous how much mist hits you because of how close we got to the Falls. However, I still feel something has changed about me since having that experience, like it was a ritualistic experience.
Honestly, I was pretty nervous as I never spoke to people about my photography before. I even looked up details about that day, the artists I was inspired by, and the methods used to create the piece because I wanted to be prepared in case anyone asked me questions (and boy, I'm glad I did that!). Someone even said they would like to purchase it if it were for sale. Another even went down close and talked in depth about how the raindrops' details spoke and touched them in some way. Hearing this feedback made my heart grow and my confidence soar, as that's what I always wanted to hear: my art has merit and can impact another person.
I also was goofing off with my childhood best friend, who also has his piece in the showcase too (right to mine).
One of my best friends is in the orange button-down and green feathered scarf, a person who is more like family since we have been friends since elementary school; he also had this artwork on display in the ArtSeed gallery. We also were teenagers when we got involved in ArtSeed as participants, volunteers, student council members, and even employees once we were in college. We grew up in and with this organization. So it was great to come full circle from being a participant learning from presenters to being one myself. Thank you, Josefa, the founder of ArtSeed, for planting the seeds of cherishing and appreciating art as we have sprouted and bloomed to become artistic people.
Lastly, I wouldn't have gotten this far in life without my wonderful support group. I thank them for being in my life every day and am so grateful for what the future holds for me.
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