My Bali Portfolio
- Aug 8, 2017
- 3 min read
Bali! We’re going to Bali! These words danced around only a few weeks before we were in Denpasar seeking a taxi. We had made the lengthy trip to Shanghai, China for a layover and then a shorter flight to our intended destination. Passports were accounted for and wallets were somewhat secure in our pockets... the only thing missing was an itinerary.
This was a trip sprung up in thought by two of the world most ridiculous people . The trip came at a perfect time to leave the United States. November 2016. The U.S was chaotic with the newly elected president. Although our escape was quick, it surely wasn’t an entire blackout. The whole world was gossiping about our election. A common lie on the excursion was our Aussie upbringings just so we could avoid Trump conversations/debates. Despite the political drama we were able to release some energy and take Bali by storm.
If you couldn’t find us on the beach, then we were most likely in search for noodles and orgasmic peppers and if we weren’t doing either of those then we were playing with monkeys in temples. No matter what we were doing or where we were, the three of us were always bantering of who's winning rummy. The argument is still in session.
At the time I was finishing my last semester as an undergrad and I was taking an Asian history class as well as an advanced digital course. Coincidentally, I found it easy to mix my two studies as I played around in Indonesia when my classmates did their best to stay awake in Williamsport, PA.
My Bali portfolio consists of three separate portions. Colored photographs, black & white photos and the third portion are two woven sculptures with photographic elements. After my year of monochromatic paintings and living in black coated rooms I craved lively colors wherever I could and Bali was the perfect remedy. My photos range from landscapes with volcanos standing tall, animals blankly staring off or glimpses of us on holiday. The heart of the collection are multiple images overlapping each other. I followed a basic formula to on how I wanted to pair each photo together. I examined all of my photos for bright color, content and composition. I needed great content but enough negative space so a second photo would can be overlaid. They were printed large scale so you feel as if you were in Bali just looking at them.
My favorite photo is a one where I was able to sneak up on a family of monkeys and steal a snapshot. I felt lucky enough to have been granted access to such close proximities when the babies were so young. The monkeys became a staple point of our adventure and gave us tales to tell for the rest of our lives. I had taken a second photo of two other monkeys distanced from each other looking around and I knew they would be perfect to overlap the family of primates in the first image. Through Photoshop I was able to bring both layers together which created a ghost-like effect.
The sculptural portion of this portfolio are all of my Bali photos woven together by wire. I brought the visuals of the wildlife we saw, the colorful fruit we ate and the textures from the walls or even the ripples in the water. They reminded me of dreams that couldn't be pieced together. No photo is in full portion and there is no set order. They are all just woven into two separate beautiful memories shaped like clouds.
After every trip, I come home excited for the next adventure, unknowing of when it may be or where I may go. More importantly I come home feeling grateful that I was given the opportunity to have gone somewhere. After trips like Italy, Vietnam and now Bali, I am ever so motivated to share my experiences with all of you. I have done this through my art but now I have unleashed parts of my travel diary through this blog. Again, I’m not sure when or where I will go abroad next but for now I am excited to begin my graduate studies in D.C.. Stay tuned for next month's blog where I write about my personal experiences/connections with art and my fears as I move on forward focusing on what I love the most!
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