jungblut

starting from scratch

2011-07-18T03:32:00.002+01:00

this blog is dead to me - unless of course i change my mind, but i doubt it.

i am currently working on my own website, which is gonna be so much sexier than blogger anyways!

goodbye for now,

alessa.

heimweh

2010-11-20T00:45:00.005Z

working hard, missing home, collecting inspirations for my final year project right here
love,

alessa

wet 'n' wild

2010-11-08T00:55:00.002Z

more process work for my photography book

love,

alessa

anamnesis

2010-09-24T23:19:00.005+01:00

i'm back in london now and just started my final year of study. what with dissertation and minor and major projects i'm not sure how much time i'll be able to spare for this place, but here are some photos (courtesy of sophia christie) from last semesters convergent media project nonetheless

this was a group project which i produced in collaboration with sophia christie, sotiris tsakirakis, daniel bourne and eyoseyas alemayehu. we put together a video installation based on the idea of false childhood memories to which we each contributed a one-minute video and sound piece which were played separately from one another and at random in order for the viewers to create their own, false memories from our real ones.

here are my video and sound pieces:

much love,

alessa

picking insects off plants

2010-09-02T23:17:00.002+01:00

just a quick photo post for your viewing pleasure.

much love,

alessa

nhm

2010-09-01T00:52:00.006+01:00

just before leaving london i spent a day wandering about the natural history museum with the lovely claudia, which reminded me that i was going to post these from an earlier visit (the colours seem slightly off on blogger though)

much love,

alessa

writing 'bout the book(s) i read

2010-08-23T18:26:00.001+01:00

after recently reading rilke's "letters to a young poet" i felt the need to compile a list of the books that have had the biggest impact on me up until now

this was pretty helpful too at one point:

and this was the book that made me fall in love with reading and illustration:

much love,

alessa

harlem night song

2010-08-21T17:17:00.006+01:00

here's something i put together in a typography course taught by the wonderful catherine dixon that i took during summer at central saint martins

it's a poem about two lovers that roam the streets and roof-tops of harlem together at night and only ever stop to say 'i love you'. here's my attempt at visually interpreting it in a way that the text mimics the actions of the two lovers - climbing from roof-top to roof-top, running, catching up with each other etc. etc.

this was done by hand with graphite on layout paper and i've now made an attempt at digitalising it with photoshop since the scan looked too rough, which is why some of the text is a little askew etc. but i really need to be done with this thing!

much love,

alessa

blogger resurrection

2010-08-05T00:14:00.003+01:00

i've officially decided to return to this blog and i mean business! the design that's on here now is just temporary (i seriously couldn't stand the sight of the other one anymore) and i'll be coming at you with loads of new updates too so if you haven't given up on me yet, it'll soon have been worth the wait! here's a little sketchbook snippet to keep you happy in the mean time...

much love,

alessa.

upcoming exhibition!

2010-04-26T01:52:00.002+01:00

We invite you to an informal evening of evocative art to celebrate the opening of Mail Me Memories. The exhibition showcases young up-and-coming international artists, focusing on the theme of childhood memory.

The Private View starts at 6 p.m. where you will have the opportunity to appreciate the work and support the artists. From 8 p.m. onwards, the evening will descend into a cocktail-fuelled party with Gary Powell‘s (of The Libertines) own The Invasion Of... & Kid Champion bringing the evening to a head!

tumbling down

2010-02-22T21:35:00.004Z

i've always been big on organisation and somehow it doesn't feel right to post random inspirations on this blog, but i have also been meaning to find a safe place for all the stuff i find online and elsewhere, so i finally hopped on the bandwagon and got myself a tumblr account right here. if anyone still reads this thing then feel free to go have a look. this blog feels so dead to me i'm not sure there's much hope for it - i might change my mind though...

cubanacan

2010-02-15T23:25:00.003Z

i found some old film the other day and finally got it developed today

here are a few gems from my cuba travels (summer 08). unfortunately the people at the photo lab wiped the other film i had found of any photographic evidence - it was a very upsetting moment.
i'll post some more soon enough. until then,

alessa.

what's your type?

2010-02-14T17:06:00.006Z

i found this link at the something's hiding in here blog and successfully procrastinated doing my work for another five or so minutes.
mine's archer hairline by the way - emotional, understated, progressive and disciplined.
enjoy!

alessa

innovative times

2010-02-03T22:58:00.011Z

here are some images of my dancing machine at the "innovation" exhibit last month - special thanks to anyone that came out to see the show and my friends nasreen and umit for the photos!
i never quite got the whole thing completely finished the way i wanted to, but i was able to prove that the concept worked, which was all that mattered in the end.
i'm busily working on a convergent media project now with four other people - it will be absolutely epic! i'll post some process work soon.

until then,

alessa.

upcoming exhibition

2010-01-14T01:29:00.005Z

i just finished designing the poster for the group exhibition that i'll be showing my dancing machine in. i was a bit pressed for time, but i'm hoping it still looks half decent! if you're in london this upcoming week then please do stop by because it is so worth it - we will be showing photography, film, video and new media work from last semester's "innovation" module. private viewing is on friday 15th january if you want to hang out with me and my classmates.

hope to see you there!

alessa.

dance dance revolution

2009-12-07T20:36:00.009Z

i've been busily working on my final new media project for this semester so i haven't posted here for a while. i also have to keep two blogs for some classes at university so i've gotten a bit confused as to what i'm posting where. anyways, this is what i've been doing with my time:

in case it isn't obvious (which is most likely the case), i'm building a machine that's going to turn peoples physical outputs that occur during dancing into real spin paintings. it's going to be presented as an arcade machine and i'm using an arduino to program the whole electronics/robotics aspect of the project.

i've been having a really good time woodworking these past few days, but i still don't understand the whole computer programming aspect of the whole thing and i don't know if i'll ever wrap my head around it - i really wish i could though! there are just so many possibilities to put this technology to use in my future installation work!

i'm not even sure i'm going to be able to finish the whole thing on time so things are quite stressful at the moment. it'll all be over in a week though - i have to keep repeating this in my head in order to keep myself up and running.

i hope to get back to you soon with more work,

alessa.

illustration god

2009-11-13T22:43:00.011Z

so i went to the ica today, where james jean was giving a talk about his work, influences and inspirations. oh yeah and tara mcpherson was there too, but i'm not really into her stuff to be honest (maybe if i was like 10 i would be).

it was uh-maaazing! he briefly talked about his upbringing and his inspirations, which are so obviously referenced in his work, i can't believe i never saw them before. he also showed a lot of work that isn't available online and a lot of his very early stuff. it kind of makes you want to curl up in a ball and die because he was already pretty much a genius at age 19 and his work just keeps getting better over the years even though it seems impossible!

oh yeah and then he also signed stuff, like these two fables covers:

or my sketchbook:

i also had a nice little chat with the man himself and he flicked through my sketchbook (this was the point when i was pretty sure i was hyperventilating and would have highly appreciated the ground below me opening up and swallowing me) - it was probably one of the best moments ever!

i would totally be his groupie anyday!
love,

alessa.

p.s. my presentation went over fine and dandy!

reasearch time

2009-10-12T18:33:00.004+01:00

so after about a week of class and a brief visit here in london by my mum, new media suddenly doesn't seem quite as daunting as it initially did - it kind of feels as though i've joined the university's techy/robotics club and they happen to be making an art project. it's actually been quite motivating to realise that i am able to deal with technology on this level too and i am pretty excited for the project that i have in mind - i just hope it get's approved! so here's some interesting bits and bobs i've come across during my research (for similar music-based new media projects check out this place):

first person to guess what my project is wins a special prize!...maybe

alessa.

the best things in life are free

2009-10-05T12:17:00.004+01:00

...apart from the glorious internet.

the current state of things: i'm back in london, at university, have moved into my new flat near notting hill, i'm spending the majority of my time at ikea, i just started my new course, it's raining and i'm having to write to you from the university library since we haven't managed to get the internet running in our new home yet.

my flatmate sara got me hooked on this site recently. keeping with her original instructions for me: close your eyes and let your cursor guide the way to great photographic discoveries. these particular gems are by peter sutherland.

until next time,

alessa.

UPDATE: i just found out that i got into my 2nd choice media pathway for this semesters practical module, which happens to be new media (my first choice was video). i'm currently trying to get myself excited about working with motion/heat sensors, writing algorythms and programming robots - i'm struggling to say the least.

homecoming

2009-09-19T21:08:00.008+01:00

i just went to see new york, i love you and it's made me even more impatient to return to my metropolis of choice tomorrow. i'm mostly excited and a tad scared for what this new school year has in store for me. seeing as i'll be moving into my new apartment and starting school within the next two weeks, it might be a while before i'll be able to get back to you. don't feel neglected - i'll try and hurry up!
see ya!

alessa.

cheese, chocolate and culture

2009-09-16T20:52:00.006+01:00

i'm currently still in my hometown basel (switzerland). here's what i do with my spare time here:

go to the local art cinema once a week

take a day-trip to germany and visit the vitra design museum

enjoy making all things paper-related at the paper museum in basel

discover the loewenbrau areal in zurich and visit all the galleries and museums in it

spend a day walking through strasbourg, exploring its oldtown and discovering all its secret little patisseries
i'm heading back to london in just 4 days - i can't wait to get back!
love,

alessa.

colour orgasms

2009-09-14T21:16:00.005+01:00

so today i was lucky enough to have a friend of mine's spare ticket for the basel premiere of the film pepperminta with a follow-up q&a session with the director pipilotti rist, some of the cast and the producer bestowed upon me.

in order to somewhat confine my praise for piplotti, lets just say that she has been one of my favourite artists for several years now and is definitely a role model to me. she usually does video and installation work for galleries and museums such as the MoMA and this is her venture into the world of feature film.

as i'd already seen some of footage at a talk of hers that she gave at the tate modern this past june, i was pretty excited to say the least. this sort of got me worried about whether my expectations were too high, but i was so wrong. it was brilliant, visually spectacular and quite unlike other experimental films i've seen it actually managed to maintain a simple narrative that could easily be followed and was definitely satisfying. words could never do it justice - so if you can, catch it in a cinema somewhere near you or get it on dvd. if your interested in broadening your film-horizon, i strongly recommend that you do.

i personally only have one criticism to voice and that has more to do with my personal dislikes than anything else. i just don't particularly appreciate artists using shock and provocation within their work in order to receive media attention (watch the film or read some of the press on it and you will know what i'm talking about). now, i do not mean to say that this is the case with pepperminta (i believe pipilotti's work to be beyond such juvenile intentions), but that has been the way i have been perceiving shock-art ever since it has risen to popularity within the art world. i was so glad to see that trend simmer down (particularly once it seemed to become a competitive matter) and i really do not want to be see it return to the big screen now.

this screening and the q&a afterwards however, have to be one of the highlights of my summer (especially since i got to actually talk to pipilotti afterwards!) and i think pepperminta will end up being my personal film of the year and one of my top 5 favourites of all times (if i ever develop the ability to narrow my film list down to that i will let you know).

goodbye now though pretty people.
love,

alessa.

PREcollege

2009-09-14T00:37:00.009+01:00

so i haven't posted in maybe a week for reasons i will be posting about quite soon, but i made a little discovery today that must be shared. i think it's quite funny actually. i found a stack of cd's in a drawer that weren't labeled or anything. so thinking that i might be able to use some of them, i went through them on my computer and believe it or not i stumbled upon the long-lost cd with all my work from my summer at ringling precollege back in 2006! i must admit, i had a little flashback of some treasured memories, but anyways, here's the interesting part, which some of you might not know (and this may come as a bit of a shock actually haha): i used to want to be a computer animator and work for pixar some fine day. yes, it's true. looking back at these two quick animations now i think it was a good idea for me to not go into that industry (even though, keep in mind, i was only 16 at the time)...

so yes, with no further delay, here's a ball (or head?) bounce:

and one of the guys from the blue man group trying to sneak out...of jail, maybe? haha i'll leave it up to you to interpret this mess:

maya kicked my butt so badly on this last animation to tell you the truth - it deleted more than half of it mere hours before the deadline! what a jerk...i fear our relationship suffered so much from that particular incident, that i decided not to ever go back to computer animation again. finding this though, has just made me realise once again how much of a turnaround these past three years have been for me. it's pretty insane how quickly everything changes around and within us during these particular years of our life. it's as if the rest of our life is being defined right now - it's quite an exciting thing to consider and it just makes me think how true it is when people say you have to treasure every moment of it all.
well, thats it for tonight!
all the best,

alessa.

it's a hairflip

2009-09-02T17:46:00.007+01:00

just a quick post of some older work (the colours went a little off once posted to the internet).
love,

alessa.

in retrospect

2009-09-01T10:23:00.006+01:00

as i’m about to head back to london to start my 3rd year at university and as i’m currently at the half-way point of finishing my degree, i can’t help but reflect back upon all that has happened in the past two years.

it’s been quite strange really. before starting university, i had envisioned a completely different path than i have ended up taking for myself. i expected to stay the full four years at ringling doing film, but life is just never as straightforward as you’d like it to be i guess.

in a way i was more prepared for my first year in london to go the way it has gone than i was with ringling, but it didn’t make forcing myself through a whole year within a degree i did not want to do anymore any easier. on top of that life outside of university within this past year has been pretty harsh on me with certain friends turning out to be pretty big letdowns and an unusual amount of deaths within my family and circle of friends, which i haven’t even had time to process properly yet. i don’t want to depress anybody with this, but at the same time it needs to be said.

what’s really gotten to me the most however, was how the past year within a commercial film and television environment affected my creativity and spirit. after getting out of university for summer holidays i literally felt brain-dead. my photographs were empty, i could barely hold a pencil – let alone sketch anything decent nor could i conjure up a single creative thought. the evil spirits of the entertainment and mass media world had just sucked me dry – at least that’s how it felt. everything that i had achieved and improved upon during my year at ringling was gone and i wasn’t sure there was a way of getting my art-mojo back really. the result of this was that by the end of the semester i felt bitter and resentful towards the film course and my mum for making me "give film one last chance". i couldn’t stand being around people that loved the thing that had killed my creative drive and was probably what had prevented me from getting accepted into the fine art course I wanted to transfer into. but what do you know? 2 months away from all that, a bit of travelling here and there and some peace and quiet by the seaside and i feel back on track!

i’m excited to go back to london actually – i have an amazing flat that i’ll be sharing with an equally amazing, inspiring and wonderful roommate and i have managed to transfer to a new course (contemporary media practice) within my university without having to go back a year or anything. though the course isn’t what i wanted when i initially decided to transfer, i actually really believe that things couldn’t have gone any better for me. when i look back at the application and interview process i had to go through at the beginning of this year, it is quite obvious why i didn’t get in and why it’s better that way. the people that interviewed me for the fine art course seemed almost disgusted when i told them that i wasn’t opposed to the applied arts and the crafts and that i could see myself working in these fields after my graduation and that i kind of hated shock-art and those who constantly seek to provoke others with their work (they seem pretty immature to me to be honest). yeah, i guess some of my views and opinions just weren’t fine-artsy enough for them, but that’s okay. i really am just over it.

my new course has developed out of an art school and therefore is much more open-minded than the film course. you choose just how experimental you want to be, whether you want to work alone or in groups and what mediums you want to work with. you can be anywhere between commercial and fine art/installation work (personally, i’m tending towards the latter). there’s also the option of working in a much broader range of mediums. anything that is contemporary goes. that includes film, video, audio, animation, new media and photography. i really want to use this opportunity to work with all those mediums (particularly new media, as I have no experience with it at all) and i’ve had quite a few good ideas that i hope to visualise in this upcoming semester.
i’ve also picked up my sketchbook again for the first time in months and have gotten back into the habit of working in it on a daily basis. so overall i’m quite pleased with myself right now – i feel back on track and i think everything else will fall back into place too.

much love,

alessa.

venting

2009-08-28T20:09:00.001+01:00

sometimes you just have to...

i really am not as aggressive and resentful as this post is gonna make me seem haha
adios,

alessa.

way back when

2009-08-28T19:20:00.001+01:00

i found these at a market in amsterdam and bought them because they all managed to get a chuckle out of me. i think they are quite charming and worth sharing with you.

you can find higher resolution scans of these here.
ciao ciao,

alessa.

welcome back!

2009-08-28T13:52:00.001+01:00

so i've been away on holiday for quite a while and just got back.

after the last semester was over, i spent a month travelling through europe by train with a friend of mine, then i spent a month on the canary islands with friends, surfing, relaxing and reading. then i was off to mallorca for a few days to celebrate my mum's birthday and now i'm finally back in basel, where i'll be spending some time with my family until i finally return to london in september.
this will be a good summer to look back on - that's for sure!

just to get back into the habit of posting, here's a few special photos from my europe travels that don't quite visually work with the rest:

you can take a look at the entire collection of polaroids from this summer here.

there are so many things yet to be posted i don't even know where to start!
hope you check back in soon though,

alessa.

of time in the city

2009-06-08T01:28:00.001+01:00

i've been spending the last few weeks exploring london and it's been a good time. i'm looking forward to getting home to switzerland and my family nonetheless. here's some documentation of the near past:

yesterday i went to an artist talk involving pipilotti rist at the tate modern, which was absolutely wonderful. she may well be my idol. i dont remember ever having been so excited for a film release as i am for the release of her first feature film pepperminta later this year!

i also went to see a documentary on louise bourgeois at the ica this past week. she's such a fabulous old lady and the documentary is definitely worth a watch.

i need to sketch more - i'll post some of that once i get to it!
goodbye till then.

alessa.

thanks mum...

2009-05-20T00:35:00.001+01:00

sorry to be posting again, but i just got this wonderful package from switzerland today that my mum sent me and i found this in it:

i'm not sure she intentionally included it in the package, but it made me laugh and i thought i'd share it with you - i must have been around 9 or 10 years old when i designed this poster and clearly couldn't spell...unless this was meant to be a play on words (in which case i was a genius! haha).

i think its fair to say my drawing skills have come a long way over the past ten years!

g'night everyone,

alessa.

radio-oh-oh

2009-05-19T22:23:00.001+01:00

i just love ira glass!

if you aren't already avidly listening to this american life then you should download their podcast or work your way through their 15-year archive on their website (start with their favourites!) - i for my part am completely obsessed with it! it's perfect for when your painting, editing photos or videos or just sketchbooking...

thats all for now!
love,

alessa.

pretty little things

2009-05-09T23:46:00.000+01:00

i went wondering around one of the many london markets today and made some lovely findings and just thought i'd share them with you!

like this family of six little ceramic elephants

and a cute little ceramic box

love,

alessa.

under construction

2009-05-09T01:16:00.001+01:00

i know i haven't posted in well, 5 months or so but now that this semester is over i'm redesigning the blog so if your still checking this thing then just bare with me for a little longer!

in the meantime i give you a (very julia pott-esque) lonely lion

and a silly circle straight out of my sketchbook

and as a little bonus, here's me with my lovely new canon 50D

you'll be hearing from me soon so be sure to come back!
bye for now,

alessa.

out with the old, in with the new

2009-01-08T13:27:00.000Z

its 2009 and since i've not been very happy with the way this blog has been going for quite a while i've decided the time has come to start over!
my new years resolution shall be to only post stuff i am really happy with, to ramble less and to give this thing a better design and name.

hopefully i'll have the chance to post soon.
adios,

alessa.