I recently got a copy machine, given by my mother, that have a scanner in it. The scanner allows me to scan the images or objects, which can be sent into my MacAir laptop wirelessly. Henceforth, I was able to create two new graphic art projects. I used PhotoShop to manipulate the work after they were scanned.
The first is titled "Forlorn Woman". I scanned the picture of a female model (who was indeed a model for RIT art classes when I was a graduate student back then). I had a digital camera, provided by a professor in Painting class, and asked the model to pose the way you see in the picture (be forlorn with her face in her hand). I then put the picture of the model into RIT's Mac computer in the painting studio (back in 1995) and added computer chips, smoke stacks, building with windows, and etc around her in PhotoShop. I then printed it out of the printer that had wax colors in it. That print-out had been left untouched in a folder. I rescanned it in my current scanner and put that into MacAir laptop. I then scanned the objects, which were 4 small mirror circles and 2 bluish glass circles. I then added them to the image of the model/building. It was a challenge to blend them with transparency, color matching, and so forth. I then added PhotoShop's one pattern I like, then added "glass" effect on the pattern to distort them more plus match the color. Here is the completed work below and you can click on the image to make it bigger.
The second project is titled "Hands Tree". I had a print out of the amazon female person in a tree with hands as leaves above her. It was left untouched in a folder, too. I created that work a few years ago for a lobby design project at the National Technical Institute for the Deaf for their one theatrical production. I scanned my hand and copied them a lot to make them become leaves. The body of the tree and its roots/branches, I just drew them in PhotoShop. The amazon female was found online, but I changed the shape of her, her color, and so forth. It's not exactly how it looked originally found online. I scanned this picture into my MacAir laptop then cleaned up a few things in the photo in PhotoShop. I then scanned an old hearing aid I no longer wear and got it into MacAir. I matched the color in PhotoShop's "Color Balance" tool, made it more transparent, copied the image of the hearing aid and flipped it around. Henceforth, two hearing aids exist, one on the bottom left and the other on the bottom right. I also spray painted the white glow on and around the hearing aids to make them glow. Here is the image below and you can click on the image to see it bigger.
On Saturday, February 28th, 2015, I performed as DJ WildPoet at Lovin' Cup in Henrietta, NY (Rochester). It was for the 7th year of Def Meets Deaf Poetry Jam, which enables deaf/hard of hearing and hearing poets/performers take turns on stage throughout the event. The unique approach of the performances, using American Sign Language and English, the deaf and hearing worlds together, appears to become popular. The audience was jammed. Great poets and performers such as Vicki Norquist, John Roche, Eric Epstein, Dangerous Signs (ASL performance group), Lori Nolesco, and more plus few more joined during the open mic at the end of the event.
As regards to my performance, I DJed the music during the warm-up when the audience came in from 2 PM to 2:30 PM - mostly playing famous musicians like Blondie, Daft Punk, and etc. Afterwards, when Dangerous Signs were called, I jumped in and performed my original electronic music/poem titled "Blade Grey Sky" through my DJ device, but there were no sound manipulations or tricks, just regular playing. The group acted and did physical movements while I translated the words along the tune.
Here is a photo of myself and Dangerous Signs during "Blade Grey Sky" performance.
When I was up to perform by myself, I translated my original poems titled "Rebellion" and "Where's Molly?" into ASL and manipulated the sound effects with my DJ device. Lastly, I translated Bjork's "Pluto" song into ASL and did the DJ sound effects. To my surprise, the DJ device or my laptop, somehow, messed up the playing and I had to stop. I informed the audience that I will return to do that song when it gets fixed. Later, I returned with a solution and was able to perform the whole Bjork "Pluto" song successfully.
Here is a YouTube video of my DJ-ASL performance of two poems "Rebellion" and "Where's Molly?":
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC--8Y0Cb1tGGhm1Nj2ewPHQ
All in all, the president of Just Poet, came over to me and asked for my contact information. I gave him my DJ WildPoet business card and he gave me his business card. He is interested in contacting me for future performance. This is a good networking opportunity.
I shall thank Lovin' Cup for providing the space for the show and John Roche for collaborating with me. I also shall thank Miriam Lerner and the interpreting students for interpreting the hearing and deaf/hard of hearing performers' work throughout the show. Lastly, I shall thank the hearing and deaf/hard of hearing performers for taking their time to show their creative work.
