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Ah, the day of heart shaped chocolates, conversation hearts, disdainful people that despise Valentine’s day, and an exchange of love notes… Truthfully, I absolutely love the day (YES, EVEN when I was single). I just never (ever) really thought of it as a day for couples. The history itself and all the believed legends of what makes Valentine’s Day, well, Valentine’s day has very little to do with romantic love between two people (but I can see and understand where…
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Writing letters, drawing, doodling, and even your handwriting can become art. The documentary 1000 Journals includes interviews with individuals who have received and/or given away blank journals. The creator of the project, Someguy (yes, this is the name he goes by) is based in San Francisco thus tugging a bit at my heart-strings since I call this great city home. The distribution and circulation of the journals has been ongoing since 2000 and it has expanded to 1001 Journals! The…
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1000 Journals / community art / doodling / drawing / journaling / painting / participatory art / postaday2011 / thoughts / writing¶¶¶¶¶
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Life has been incredibly draining past few days. I had to post one of the little things that makes me happy and reminds me to keep my head up and move forward (always). One of my favorite pastimes involves walking along the Valencia corridor in San Francisco’s Mission District and take pictures. With a lot on my mind and busy (like everyone else), I wanted to post portraits found on the store front of one of my favorite book stores, Dog Eared Books. What…
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Unfortunately, my mind is completely blank, my body limp, and my heart numb due to some unforeseen circumstances. Somehow, looking at art always makes me feel better. Even if it forces me to be contemplative. Thanks for making me think Kara Hearn. If you ever read this, Kara, just know, today, although sad, surreal, and a mixed emotion kinda day,well, it all made a lot more sense to me after looking at your art. I mean that in a…
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The Working in Series studio class with artist Pamela Lanza at the UC Berkeley Extension through the Art and Design program was one of the most wonderful experiences in 2010. It was a difficult year, to say the least. Yet, through the class, I learned so much about why I create art and why it is a huge part of my life. More to follow…
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Over the weekend, I went to Needles and Pens located in the Mission District of San Francisco, CA. It’s one of my favorite spots to get a an art pick-me-up. From doodles to zines, Needles and Pens reminds me that DIY is a wonderful and necessary art movement. It’s, certainly, an important one. There’s a lot of value in other people’s visual musings of this chaotic world. Sometimes, all I really need is something straight forward and inspires me to pick up my journal or…
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It’s All a Blur is far from a blur when you consider the show’s theme does not really have much to do with temporality. Walking through the exhibition is nothing like walking through a flurry of sales at the mall or a bustling city block. The Blur artists take what is often fuzzy in our lives and sharpens our focus. Each experience finds its way into the crevices of our subconscious. Individually, each work reconfigures and re-contextualizes American history and Western culture. Although the pieces are seemingly…
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Went to the Art Murmur in Oakland, CA last Friday, September 3rd. Specifically, I went to the Other Other opening curated by curatorial collective, OFFSpace. It was a great show about, well, “otherness”. I won’t get into it right at this minute but since a few more people (yes, thank you, dear friends) are keeping up with the blog, I wanted to stay connected. For now, take a look at these artists…they comprised The Other Other show… The show will…
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I know, I know. I should be writing about an artist I don’t really care for or agree with because that would make for an interesting piece of art writing but this is an art diary (of sorts) and, well, I can write what I want (for now)! I’m sure my writing will go into varying directions in the next month or so with a studio class on the horizon. I digress (per usual). For those that know me well, I preface…
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african american / beauty / consumerism / contemporary art / drawing / feminism / Feminist Art / painting / printmaking / re-appropriation / vanity¶¶¶¶¶
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writer | artist | scholar
Dorothy R. Santos, Ph.D. 