Interview

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The following images explore a more primitive expression of humans - females - representing motherhood, protection, love, oxytocin and the ancient/traditional use of psycho-actives to evolve human consciousness and aid enlightenment.

An idea which inspires me here is the super normal stimulus - otherwise known as hyper stimulus - 'if some is good then more must be better!' which I feel leads to an contemporary issue and an imbalance in most aspects of human behaviour.

I've paralleled this idea to courting rituals of some birds.

Our primitive desire for large breasts and wide set hips - how much of our behaviour is programmed by our primitive gene expression, evolution and our purpose to reproduce?
What about hyper stimulus food - like McDonald's for example. Is this creating a naturally drug induced state on our brain by selecting and eating large amounts of what our brain rewards us with, based on our primitive modes for survival such as fat salt and protein?

My RMIT interview for Fine Arts is tomorrow. I'm really excited. Although I think I'll end up choosing to go to Monash- Caulfield.

Rather than making new artworks, I settled for ones I didn't plan on using because I ran out of time. This is okay, but I wanted to avoid using them because I didn't think they were of a high enough standard ...but now I don't think it'll really matter.

:)

Fine art interviews, life drawing, self portaits and virtue

I received two letters in the mail recently telling me that the two fine art courses which I applied for have shortlisted me to the interview stage. This means I need to bring appropriate work. Monash are asking me to provide 12-15 pieces (paintings) with development work (sketches etc). I don't think I have 12 pieces lying around. I did some figures and need to paint three to seven more paintings, with development work by the 24th of November.

And I'm pretty happy about this because it gives me more reason to live in my studio. Sometimes I feel like I spend too much time in here for no real reason. I always enjoy having a commission to do, projects to finish for a higher purpose rather than my own self indulgence. Every body wins :D

So I've been thinking about painting red heads as I stated previously. I'm a red head and I had an unfinished painting from earlier this year which I decided to work on for the third time.

So it went from this:

To this:(ew I really dislike this one)

To this:

I like this one the best so far. It's not finished, I'd still like to add to her hair, lips, skin complexion and obviously clothing. I'm thinking lace details but I haven't really got time for that :P

The whole point of this portrait was to do a painting about who I am and what I'm about. I wanted to focus on virtue and what I believe the "right" way of living is for me, finding an overall balance between two extremes of two negative qualities.

From wiki:

"For example, courage is the mean between cowardice and foolhardiness, confidence the mean between self-deprecation and vanity."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtue

But I don't really know how to go about this. So I'm gonna just share my thoughts here with you and leave it at that for now.

Here are some life drawings I did the other day in the city with a friend. It was a dude! A really skinny one. Not used to working with men. But his bony-ness was lovely to draw.

This one's from a few years ago. But I thought I'd add it in too. I don't think I've improved much since 2006..

Here's a self portrait I did.

That'll do.

Night!

Some more hair clips I've been working on.

I'm planning on changing the face of this one (above) as I don't really feel as though it's to a standard which I'm happy with. Sigh. I make life hard for myself. There's only one attachment on this which I bought :) The rest is from op shops and recycle art warehouses.

I really like this one, I enjoy the tribal head dress I gave her :) The simplicity of her face is rather effective. I know it's a little asymmetrical but I don't think it worries me too much and if anything adds to its effect. 100% recycled materials for this one :)

All of these hair clips do sit in hair, as there is a clip attached at the back.

Oooo very exciting!

Artist Statements, White Tea, Limerence Clothing Line and their Philosophy.

I just sent through my artists statements to Limerence which will be displayed on the wall next to each painting.

Symbiosis -

I belong to these trees
They are my family
my homes, my sisters, my brothers.
For I grew and evolved from what
They once did, too.

Here is a representation of human's ideal relationship with nature. A woman displayed religiously, as a personification of Mother Earth, completes the cycles which surround her with her nurturing eyes in the direction to her growing children. The golden circle stands ambiguously, suggesting the representation of a halo or a sun. Clouds in the background illustrate the circle of life, raining down to the Earth, creating a river down into the ground to the tree's roots. Mushrooms on Mother's head symbolize new creation growing from decomposed life. Each element of the painting has a niche to fill, balancing a mutual circle which enables the homeostasis of the Earth; but is human's contemporary relationship with its mother symbiotic? Or is this a cry to save ourselves from the parasites we've become?

Meal Ticket

A strong, beautiful woman from a tribal community celebrates her hunt by wearing its skull on their head like an accessory to denote status. This parallels contemporary society's obsession for expensive jewels to provide the wearer with a presumed high echelon. She has filled so many basic drives which the brain rewards for achieving: exercise, achievement, contribution and giving to her community, confidence and the pleasure of food, to name a few. Does our society function so we can benefit from our meal tickets in the same way? Or is currency a poor substitute for the innate pleasure of interaction and contribution to our community. Is the reward of money so psychologically removed from the instant reward hunting would provide? Are we putting too much emphasis on earning rather than the contribution? The way we are currently expected to earn meal tickets, may not provide us with all the psychological benefits that living has to offer.

My Thoughts and Ideas

I've been thinking a lot about my role on this planet and how I want to contribute and how my morals and values influence my thoughts on how to make my contribution.

I think too much.

When I was feeling quite depressed, I was trying to make some kind of fundamental mental health plan based on what I've learned about humans, their environment and their happiness with the aids of my interests in biology and psychology.

So it came to this:

The primitive human drive is to survive. During our daily lives, without even really knowing it, we have many ways of aiding our survival as individuals and as a species. When we succeed in doing whatever it is to survive, our brain thanks us by releasing happy chemicals.

Eating
Exercising
Intimacy, orgasming, oxytocin
Feeling as though you belong to a group
Contributing, gift giving, helping others
Having a sense of achievement.

(I also found a few months after thinking about this stuff, Maslow's pyramid of psychological needs which probably goes into greater details than I just did)

All of these are basic fundamental human drives which makes us happy. For example, when we eat, we get a rush of dopamine to the brain which is the brain's way of thanking you for your behaviour which has aided survival. While having an intimate relationship with someone, often during orgasming or even hugging, oxytocin (which is the chemical that I think makes the world go 'round) is released increasing a sense of trust and bonding, making the relationship stronger chemically. Having a sense of belonging is very important for your self esteem and ego, being proud of where you're from and this motivates people to contribute to it. Contribution obviously aids survival of both the individual and the species. Achieving something, like making a tool for your community's use or even just doing your own washing gives you a sense of achievement, releasing lots of chemicals into the brain (there's been lots of studies about what motivates humans and achievement is probably the biggest one)

I feel as though the human mind is wired around survival, and it makes sense to think as to why we get so much pleasure out of all of these basic drives.

So when I was feeling realllly low, I decided to take time off from everything and wire in these basic foundations into my life, and focus on them. The rewards were great, it really got me back fighting.

However, I noticed that in today's busy contemporary society, it's kinda hard to get a good balance of all of these things done for yourself, and then something clicked.

All of these drives are rather basic, rather primitive. But our contemporary world, through convenience, as eliminated most of these behaviours automatically, which makes them hard to be achieved in the same way they used to be in everyday life.

For example, a man with the hunter role would fill almost all of those drives mentioned above by just going for a successful hunt. He'd get the exercise, the food, the sense of achievement, giving and belonging. And probably because he's such a man and he just fed his community, he'd probably get laid that night too.

While our society still offers a way to get these drives, I feel like the drives have been replaced with currency. So working full time, so you can bring meal tickets to your family is almost so removed psychologically from the instant reward that hunting would provide that it may not provide all the psychological benefits.

I then started thinking about how many people don't want to work 9-5 jobs, they don't know how they want to contribute, they don't agree with the systems, the increase in mid life crisis' and suicide and feeling as though they have a low status, giving them low self esteem because they don't really know how to contribute. Our society has turned our primitive desires into an organized construction of how to life conveniently. Rather than hunting for our food, we can spent $2 and buy a hamburger, removing all feelings of achievement and contribution.

I also find it ironic, that living the way humans currently do, that we're ruining the planet. That money means more to most people than the state of our environment. We're too removed from nature, and as a result I believe we're suffering.

I'm not saying let's go back to basics and play hunters and gatherers for a while, but I think a lot of things need to change. Like all past civilizations which once stood so strong and powerful, ours will be sure to fall, too. I think it was Marx who talked about the improvement of a society though trial and error. I can’t really remember sociology last year :/

I don't believe in the American dream.

So, I guess my role is to make people question their environment and generic expected lifestyles, and I intend to do this through my artworks. I have lots and lots of ideas. I just need to do it.

In Your Head.

Last night, I went to a rock climbing centre.

I've been itching to do this for months and months. I love the sense of accomplishment once you've reached the top of a 30metre climb. The feelings and thoughts that go through your head and the mental control you must have if you want to be successful are empowering. You need to take it one step at a time, it's only between you and the wall, complete focus, a complete sense of flow.

You really get a feel of how strong your body is while hanging from tiny bits of plastic-rock things; it puts it to the test. Pushing up from your legs is powerful, the feeling is incredible. You can't get psyched out, you can't get scared, you must ignore all negative thoughts and feelings and go for it. It really gave me confidence in my abilities, myself and my mental control. It's a must-do for anyone who's doubting themselves, the focus washed away any anxiety.

The state of flow is often talked about in positive

psychology. Other well known terms for "Flow" are "being in the zone" or "keeping your head in the game". Flow is achieved when a person's ability is equal to their challenge. It's the feeling you get when you're completely focused on something, it's very different to most states of conciousness. Time dilates, you don't get hungry, you forget to go to the bathroom. The chemicals released in your brain are similar to those released when a user of cocaine meets their "high". You lose all self conciousness, you have a complete focus on what you're doing and you have a mega sense of achievement and awesomeness. It makes you happier than eating food, doing your usual exercise regime or having an orgasm.

Many musicians, artists, photographers, computer programmers and sportsmen get to

experience this - it's where their obsession stems from.

I believe when an imbalance occurs, most people tend to resort to the easiest way out; when they are anxious they withdraw, or an upset person may eat food to keep them happy and satisfied. These behaviours can often lead to counter productive outcomes such as alcoholism and drug use, obesity and social anxiety.

I often find that if my anxiety is too distracting, I can't draw to the best of my ability. I find I work up a lot of self doubt, insecurity and worthlessness and this can overwhelm my creativity.

I'm a firm believer in the self fulfilling prophecy (that is, how a person's internal thoughts interact with their behaviour, environment and results). Some NLP (Neuro-Linguistic-Programming) techniques enable positive results from recognizing this behaviour and acting accordingly to achieve their values and goals.

For example, when I try to teach my sister how to draw, her fear of failure often leads to failure. While, when she is in a state of "flow", she's quick to embrace her previously learned abilities and improve. I believe a person's abilities have everything to do with their state of mind. Your mind knows no limits, only the ones which you create for yourself from previous experiences. If limits are all you think you know, then limits are all there'll be.

This is why I find breaking out from your comfort zone enables such growth.

But you need virtus, which is Latin for "courage" to overcome anxiety, reach a level of ability which is high enough for your challenge, and eventually, reach a state of 'flow' on which you can improve until you are a master :P

Enough pep talk. To end this post, here's a fantastic video from JK Rowling and her speech to Harvard graduates about the fringe benefits of failure, giving details of her personal experiences.

Enjoy!

J.K. Rowling Speaks at Harvard Commencement from Harvard Magazine on Vimeo.
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Cleaning for a Space.

The other day my sister and I decided to clean out my father's old shed and expand the pre-existing dark room and tiny studio into the whole shed. There was mess everywhere - but it only took us both three hours. I love what a person is capable of when they see the reward right in front of them. Thanks, Skinner.

I'm so lucky, really.

Getting Started.

I've so many blogs which I never keep updated. I have a lot of ideas for this blog, so hopefully I'll maintain the use of this blog with the intentions I made it for .
My name is Melissa Jayne Curtis and I have a few dreams. I've been around for what feels a lot longer than twenty years, although I keep on reminding myself that I am only twenty.

I'm an academic, artist and cupboard philosopher. I like to surround myself with people, concepts and objects which inspire me. I have a lot of freedom.

This brings me to my blog about my artwork. I'm extending my exposure further than the proximity of my physical world and

out into the cyber network of who knows who's sitting behind that computer screen.

The themes in my artwork revolve around what I think passionately and constantly about. Contemporary society and innovation, basic human drives, primitive glamour, contrasts and parallels, human's contemporary self removal from nature, hardwired DNA and selective gene expression, positive psychology, chemicals and hormones, psychoneuroimmunology, neuroplastisity, the mind of God, gender roles, balances, the self fulfilling prophecy and the placebo effect, myths and imagination and sexual beauty - to name a few.
At the age of 18 I had one exhibition. I sold a majority of my artwork. The past few days and in the next few days, I've been and I will be preparing for a collaborative boutique gallery exhibition based shop in Belgrave. The shop is called Limerence and they sell hand made jewelry, clothing, photography and fine art. I'm really excited to get things in the space and see how successful my work is.

That'll do for my first post. Cya!