Artist's Statement

So.
I'm hoping to use my project to say something to a number of people, and to give them something to think about. I'm still developing my ideas but I think I'm pretty set on using love and commercialism (what love really is vs. the consumerism of Valentine's Day) in my main idea. I may talk about self-love/self-esteem.
I'm pretty sure (though my idea may change a bit in the next few days) that my goal is to get people to examine their definition of love and maybe how that relates to themselves.
I'm going to make Valentine's Day cards for my message(s). Since it's fairly close to Valentine's Day and I will be talking (or writing) about love, it will all kind of tie in together and I think that will make my message stronger.
A big challenge for me (after working out exactly what it is I want to say) is actually SAYING IT -- putting my words out in the public for others to see.
I'm not sure how it will affect people or if it will at all, but I know that by following through with the project, coming up with what to say and distributing my work, I will have succeeded greatly.


I also may consider this data when writing my content:

NRF 2005 Valentine's Day Consumer Intentions and Actions Survey, [by BIGresearch] found the average consumer will spend $97.27 on Valentine's Day, down slightly from $99.24 last year. BUT 61.8 percent of consumers plan on celebrating the holiday, which is up from 59.8 percent one year ago. February, these stores sold $2.1 billion in merchandise
In all, 2005 Valentine's Day spending was forecasted to reach $13.19 billion. Valentine's Day Average Spending
The average male plans to spend $135.67.
The average female plans to spend $68.64.
Combined male and female consumer spending is expected to average $100.89, $3.62 more than last year.
Consumers aged 45-54 plan to spend more than any other age group, at $128.78 each, up from $118.11 last year and $88.96 two years ago.
Consumers aged 18-24 plan to spend $81.89 this year, a decrease from $83.50 last year and a dramatic drop from $154.65 two years ago.
62.0 percent of consumers plan to purchase at least one greeting card. 47.1 percent of consumers plan to buy candy. 42.1 percent plan to spend on an evening out. 10.9 percent of consumers plan to give gift cards or gift certificates. 52.3 percent of men and 14.9 percent of women plan to buy flowers this Valentine's Day. 22.4 percent of men and 7.3 percent of women plan to purchase jewelry. 5.3 percent of men and 12.6 percent of women plan to purchase clothing as gifts this Valentine's Day.
Consumers purchased an estimated 180 million roses for Valentine's Day in 2005 with 74 percent of rose purchases for Valentine’s Day being made by men, according to the Society of American Florists. Valentine's Day is the number one floral market holiday, capturing 35 percent of holiday transactions and 34 percent of dollar volume, also according to the Society of American Florists. In February 2005, jewelry stores in the United States sold $2.4 billion worth of merchandise, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Approximately 180 million cards are exchanged industry-wide (excluding packaged kids' valentines for classroom exchanges), making Valentine’s Day the second largest holiday for giving greeting cards, according to Hallmark. More than 36 million heart-shaped boxes of chocolate are sold for Valentine's Day, according to the Chocolate Manufacturers Association and National Confectioners Association. Valentine's Day is the fourth biggest holiday of the year for confectionery purchases, after Halloween, Easter and Christmas, according to the National Confectioners Association.

GBP180,000 Spent on Beauty Products in a Lifetime

More than 40% of all women do not feel comfortable describing themselves as beautiful
Only 2% describe themselves as beautiful
5% feel comfortable describing themselves as pretty
9% feel comfortable describing themselves as attractive

Erasure poem (#2)

Among the secrecy of music
The trouble went on, lightly
Glance upwards and
Fumble For Words
Tell a story to pass on to the next still heart.
Good lord,
The last few hours fled, eagerly
Enthusiasms that betrayed this moment
Turn back to the deep, resonant tones and rippling notes
Don't you want to know the words?
The confusion that was overwhelming her, numbing her senses:
The circle of light
Glimpse the quizzical eyes.

Schizometric Writing #1

Starting NOW: Dust in the air cold air Can’t wait til tomorrow >< STANDS FOR HURLEY stupid logo fucking symbols Sandals STENO, toxic YELLOW Torn tore page out Dark room Breathe again DARK-ROOM closet Waiting waiting WAIT FOR ME No, don’t never mind! Flash batteries mind always running ALWAYS RUNNING and yet (and yet) ‘have yet,’ not ‘am yet’ grammatical errors couldn’t care less APOSTROPHY (sic) E that felt good to say unnecessary running ALWAYS RUNNING out of time squiggles where did he go in skinny letters Where am I going need want have MORE TIME broken, it’s okay.
There’s always tomorrow (with one m and two rs).

Voice

My voice.
When do I use my voice?
I use it to laugh
Or to cry
Usually to laugh.
And say “I love you,”

Often
I don’t use my voice at all.

Silence.
It’s not always useful.
I tend to use it when I don’t
Feel the least bit
Useful.
Like I have nothing to say.
When I'm too scared
To use My voice.

Bones

Fragile pieces of skeleton
Light dependable sticks
Building and rebuilding
Our internal support system
Cartilage that thickens
Darkens
Here to stay
(for a while)
Fragile pieces
Porous inside
Falling apart with time
Bone-eating
Bacteria
Skeleton
Falls apart
With age
Stiff, straight channels
Hold us above ground
Suspension
Then we fall
Pushed out
Withered hands, curved spine
Bones destroyed.

Senses

“Taste”
Candy.
In bright colored wrappers
Bright blues and greens
And pale pink bubblegum
Blow bubbles
Growing
Growing
Going
Pop.

“Vizual”
Smiles. Braces.
Metal on my teeth.
Dark hair
Short and shining
On pale skin
Short legs.
Big smile.
Bright colors
Decorative
Memorabilia in my room.
Shiny things, flashy things
Posters and bottles
Street signs, cones
And other things stolen
From the city.

“Soundz”
Laughing.
I am always laughing.
It doesn’t take much to set me off--
And I can stay that way for nearly ever.
I sing, too.
But only when no one’s around.
Music is always pouring
From my room
Drum beats like rain
Guitar solos sharp and quick like lightning
And terrible singing -- a tornado siren
Coming from my room.

Beauty Head piece

Face of plastic, tinted wax
Pink lips with bleached white teeth
A complex figure of inner strength
A lawyer, a doctor
An actress.
A woman going places in the world
With perfect hair, a business suit
And a matching briefcase, too.
Curlers in synthetic gold strands
Cheap, plastic jewelry
And pretend lipstick modeled after those in the real world,
Made of fish scales and whale blubber.
Barbie the activist ©
Polluting the air with her hairspray
And convincing girls everywhere that huge tits and no waist
Are all that make a capable woman.