Week 2

So classes have started. We've gotten into the semester pretty quickly, and the last week or so was spent on our "gathering" project. It was a really nice opportunity to get to explore the city a little more, and document some of the interesting things i found. Through this process, and our in-class exercises where we narrowed down our findings, I found that I am really interested in the bizarre and things that are not entirely what they seem. I became really obsessed with the freakishly small cars here, as with the unique vegetation. In my ink drawings, I played with the perception of such topics through the use of distorted size (for the cars) and morphing the trees into weird creatures (a variation on a theme which seems to have begun during my freshman year). Anyway, can't wait to see what Florence has in store for me next.

~ Rachel Cunningham

http://www.flickr.com/photos/74598054@N00/

Windnie Pan

My thoughts are not very organized this week. For our in-class project I focused on the motor vehicles i've seen around Florence and how they all seem to have individual personalites and convey a sense of humor. I'm particularly attracted to their bright colors and position within their surroundings. On a completely different note I also focused on the way clothing falls or is draped on the body (whether it is on an actual person, in a painting, or on a sculpture). The way the fabric moves in reaction to the body's movement is of particular interest. But none of that seems to have anything to do with the idea of "home". The thing that has made me feel most at home so far is humor. I think that being able to laugh out loud means being comfortable. That's all i've got right now.

Sam Washburn

What a week! I have finally started to get used to Firenze, but now I'm sick. Anyway, The photos this week correspond to the work done in class. I feel that this work was very productive. I never thought I would have so much to write about concerning a dead walrus, my first topic. It was so engrossing, I got into metaphor, the idea of someone stuffing this massive blob, the fall from the from the top of the food chain, etc. I was very surprised at the amount of information I was able to fit in about myself relating to the dead walrus. Actually, I think I may have invested a little too much effort in that respect. But oh well. The exercise was fun and the week ended well, with trips to 4 museums. Good times.

Katey Albro

So this week we explored some concepts in class. I tried to expand a bit on my interest in all of the amazing doors that I've seen since coming here, as well as the beautiful flowers. As far as the doors go, most of my thoughts ended up heading toward the idea of mystery behind a door, life/death (heaven/hell, etc.). With the flowers, I seemed to find myself very interested in the concept of the life cycle. Anyway, I've put up some pictures of the mind maps and visual explorations that I did during class.

(in case the link doesn't work:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/14603674@N00/?saved=1 )

Ciao, Katey

Amy Scott

This week in class we explored two things we found interesting in our gathering project. I chose to brainstorm about a group of old men that I had observed in Piazza Republica. I then began to explore the social life in piazzas. I'm so intrigued with the street life here because it is nothing like in the states. The second topic I chose to explore were the doors. They are so fantastic here. I feel so very small compared to them. I find myself wondering what the history of the doors were and how they came to be used for what they are today. So basically right now I'm doing a lot of comparing of Florence to the states.

Kelly Diehl

In class we made mind maps of two ideas from our gathering assignment. I chose to map the smell of Florence and the sculpture in the Piazza d'Ognissanti. The sculpture is of a man wrestling with a lion. Rather than violent, I see the connection between the two as desperate, as if the man is clutching the lion for dear life because he doesn't want it to leave him. Looking at it inspires a physical reaction in me and brought up associations with heroism, sex, and desperation, among other things. Jana summed it up, telling me to focus on 'connection and difference'. The smell map explores cause, states of matter, and color. It was easier to make the ink drawings about smell, since it is formless to begin with. If I made pieces from these ideas, the sculpture would have to be sculptural, maybe constructed with large metal sheets. I don't know what form it would take--something that would make the viewer feel heavy in the shoulders, which is how the sculpture makes me feel. The smell would perhaps be an installation, a pathway with tons of the dangly, anxious squiggles (from one of ink drawings) hanging all around you from the ceiling, denser in some areas to translate how the smell here hits you in waves, cycles. I also thought about displaying containers of each of the substances that I think make up the smell here: urine, mildew, dog shit, cigarette smoke, and sweat. Sorry to be verbose.

Meredith Nelson

In class we took ideas from our moleskins and developed on them. I choose lavender, because the smell resonates with me, and keys, because i deal with them so much here and because they have a lot of connotations about home, living spaces, etc.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/30039363@N00/?saved=1

Cassie Hamrick - Week 1

These six photos were taken within the past week and a half.
The clouds, chairs, and cityscape are from a day spent hiking through the towns of Senignanto and Fiesole in the hills north of the city. The dog is a friend I made when I was in Arezzo this past Sunday. We were in a park where people let their dogs run free, which was nice to see. Much different from the city. The writing is on the top of a wall running along the Arno. I liked the Italianization of "dig".

Abbey Teller

I have really enjoyed walking around Florecnce. These pictures were all taken from places that I pass every day on my way to class from my apartment. I don't mind the long walk, even when I get lost, becuse it is so great to see different parts of the city. Also, I can almost always find my way back by looking for the red dome of the Duomo or for the green dome of the synagogue, which is right around the corner from where I live.

Catherine Hite

Here are the first few shots i took for the gathering asssignment

http://www.flickr.com/photos/28154351@N00/sets/72157594492601434/

-Catherine Hite

Alessandra Perez-Rubio

My first two weeks in florence has marked a sort of detoxification period, where I am finally given a break from the high intensity of my winter vacation in the Philippines, and the almost claustrophobic environment of Wash U in st. Louis. I have currently been existing in this inbetween state, of not feeling stressed out, yet not feeling completely restless, and it is absolutely amazing. The images of the city that catch my eye are the dimly lit streets at dusk. There is something about the way that the lamplights glow at dusk that makes the city seem so cozy and alive. There is so much more that I have to explore, I can't wait to find out all the little secrets that florence is keeping from me, I know they will eventually unfold as time goes on.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/70666118@N00/?saved=1

Lee Graf

The first two weeks here have been beneficial for walking around the city and just getting to know certain areas bit by bit. Through my first day of "gathering," I have found myself particularly drawn to people's facial expressions and how so much can be discerned from an expression regardless of the language. I have especially liked sitting in Piazzas (Piazze?) and people watching, though it can be a rather invasive process. These first few pictures show my attempts at "discreetly" capturing interesting expressions.

Allison Glazer

After waiting to go to Florence for so many months, I can't believe I am finally here. Every day has brought about new experiences that I never could have encountered in St Louis or my town in New York. Since I walk everywhere within the city, I pay more attention to my surroundings and discover new things around every corner. With our first project, I had a reason to roam around and take in what Florence has to offer to find a true sense of the city life. I have been paying close attention to people and their interactions with others and with the city itself. As well as learning about Florence, I'm excited to travel to other places in Italy, both the big cities and the countryside.

Enjoy the pictures:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/17278144@N00/

Fairytale lala week

I decided to go to the Edison bookstore and ended up falling in love with children's books illustrator Lisbeth Zwerger's work. One thing that caught my eye was how she found subtle ways of alluding to animal forms within the costume of the characters. So, I began to search for hidden animals in Florence and her outskirts. Aside from that, I purchased a little mole/gnome whom I hope to get Amelie- esque with (i.e. photograph in random but touristy places, bringing attention to the miniscule world of wonders around us). Further, I wandered into Alice Atelier, a mask shop on Via Faenza and after drawing one of the bunny masks in the store, the owner invited me to sit down with him for the day and draw on an actual mask. This is the kind of exercise they should give us in an art school= super tough to do. However, it might become something of a weekly thing....At least my visits to this incredible 'negozio' will become more frequent. I made an Italian artist friend! SOMETHING UNEXPECTED CATEGORY I also made a trip to the cemetery here vicino Piazza Michelangelo and the subtle faces on tombstones there were deemed worthy of documenting. Many lovelies here....
Nicole Serize
flgirlie
http://www.flickr.com/photos/73636715@N00/?saved=1

Kelly Diehl

Time passes slowly here, which I suppose is a good thing. I can't believe we've only been here 16 days. I'm still trying to discern my realtionship with the city, something that is likely to change with each day. Thusfar, I am impressed with the age of the city and am baffled by the easy integration of old and new. I also love the combinations of color, texture, and geometry that I've found. Jana's first project has been a good excuse to look for these juxtapositions, though I think artists are naturally more observant than most people anyway. At the moment, the Arno is my favorite part of the city. I say hello to it like an idiot every time I see it. My least favorite part of Florence is the smell(s) I encounter everywhere. A mixture of mildew, urine, sweat, smoke, and occasionally, dog shit. Though I guess the food makes up for it. My homestay family is great, if a little loud. Jane and I are becoming more comfortable with everyone. I look forward to getting to know the people and the city better in the coming weeks.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/64174014@N00/
(pictures pertaining to first project of compilation stage)

Meredith Nelson

I've been here for a little over two weeks now. It's a little startling to live in such an urban area after champaign and the washu campus. I don't really notice it unless I go somewhere where there are trees or open spaces though. The streets here are narrow and dirty and there's always a lot people and of noise from traffic. I walk everywhere here, so I notice these things more. It's difficult to find a lot of things in this city, partly because of the way it's layed out, and partly because shops are so specialized, there aren't really convenience stores or anything like that. The upside is that I've seen a lot of the city already, unlike at WashU, where I almost never left campus. It's easy to walk here and end up at an old church or a museum or something interesting without trying to.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/30039363@N00/?saved=1

Jane Philipps

After a slightly delayed arrival in Firenze and some days of adjustment I've begun to settle into the daily routine of life here. In the begining, I did a lot of exploring on foot - found a Saturday market near my homestay and a little park where lots of children were playing. There was also a young man selling colorful balloons. I live in San Gervasio, about a block away from the stadium. It's a bit of a walk to school, so I've been riding the 17 bus everyday. The bus ride is always an interesting experience. So far I've enjoyed trying to find my way around the city without a map - my sense of direction is improving greatly. My other pictures mainly show different views of Firenze, with varying weather patterns. It's been unseasonably warm lately, but very pleasant.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/janephilipps/

Jessica Rogen

Katey Albro

My experience so far in Florence has simply been that I am completely overwhelmed by the intense beauty of everything here. I am completely amazed by the huge old doors and intricately carved facades of buildings. Everything here is so old and all of the architecture is so well considered. My only disappointments have been that smoking is incredibly popular, and the streets are quite filthy. This, however, is a minor concern compared to the incredible beauty and charm of everything else around me. I haven't taken a whole lot of photos yet, but here is a little taste of some of the things I have been looking at so far.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/14603674@N00/

Ciao, Katey

(ps. i hope the link works, technology is not exactly my strength)