Vector Quotes Piece

Quotes:

"How about becoming my desciple? And with that fabulous offer, you get an outfit like mine!" ~Dan Hibiki, SVC: Chaos

"What doesn't kill me, makes me stronger." ~Common Idiom

"Walk softly, and carry a big stick." ~Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt

I really like all of these quotes, but at first, I failed to see how they could fit together, and deliver a singular message. Simple answer: They don't. However, they do seem to support the ideas expressed in each. Wherein a person may walk silently, they are prepared to overcome any challenge presented, and make themselves stronger. Conversely, the stronger one becomes as they make through each challenge, the more they may realize it is foolish to seek out confrontation. Strength is a malleable idea. The thing people tend be to seeking through becoming stronger, is to be looked up to. Everybody wants to prove themselves so that they can be immortalized by the actions of others in the future. Others who wear the same "outfit" will be recognized as the disciples of the first to wear it.

Vector Exercise

It's a simple composition, with a strong image. The lone sword backed by negative space gives a feeling of solitude, and invokes the question, "Why is it there?" There are many possibilities, it could be the blade of a fallen warrior, or the discarded instrument of death that the warrior must leave behind to find a new life. Cheesy? Yes, but I'm allowed to be the fan of a cliche every once in a while, right?

Unit 1 Project: Photomontage

This will not appear to be a building, because it's not. It's not even a form of architecture. What it is, however, is an image that holds my thoughts and interpretations about a single place: the Memorial Union at ASU. The piece shows the progression of a single match of SVC: Chaos layered upon itself. Externally it portrays all the things that occur within the single space of the arcade cabinet screen, from the intro video, title screen, and character select, to the pre-game text, fighting action, and victory screen. The match is the CPU controlled Mr. Karate, and a secret character that requires a special input, my personal favorite, Dan Hibiki. Now what does this have to do with the MU besides location, you ask? Well, that's where the internal reason comes in. It appeals to me as a representation of the MU on a personal level, because, on average, I spend anywhere from 3-8 hours in the MU per day, and this game is often my sole scapegoat against boredom. One token worth 25 cents gives a player 16 credits, allowing ample playtime for even inexperienced players. The cabinet is old, with instructions written in spanish, off-axis joysticks, and randomly unresponsive buttons, but the game remains fun through all its disabilities. Not only is it a simple and enjoyable pastime for oneself, but can be a rewarding multiplayer experience as well. Most of my friends in the "dungeon" (arcade in lower level of MU) have played me, and probably beaten me since Dan is a joke character. Regardless, it comes down to the simple idea that when I think of the MU, I don't think of a building, I think of my home away from home, and that single arcade cabinet whose slit-jaws have devoured so many of my hard-earned quarters.

Book Cover *Under Construction*

So, here's an interim version of my EC book cover. The background image is not final. It is, however, an artistic work of my own created in Photoshop CS3 with the help of my Wacom Bamboo USB tablet.

On to the content. This is the pending title for a fan-novel I've been writing, and would like to get licensed. It's the story of a young man named Falcon, who lives within the world of Minegarde, the realm in which Capcom's game Monster Hunter takes place. Falcon experiences several traumatic incidents as he grows, and resolves to become a "Monster Hunter". Initially, the title is thrown upon him, but he quickly learns to shoulder the burden, and decides to prove himself as an unparalleled fighter. Monster Hunters are brave men and women who combat "monsters": beasts of every nature, who are requested by a guild to be exterminated, or who's body parts can be salvaged and used for anything from everyday needs, to crafting rare and powerful armors/weapons for taking on more ferocious foes. These include docile herbivores, rampaging simians, tenacious crustaceans, carnivorous dinosaurs, for lack of a better word, and incredible beasts such as wyverns and other immense dragons. The list of creatures is vast, but hunters rise to meet every challenge thrown their way, and it's Falcon's determination to prove he's the best, take vengeance on the beasts that took away the ones he loved, and protect the comrades who have taught him why life is worth living.

Chapters 1-5 are complete, and available for reading on my DeviantArt page:

http://baka-saru89.deviantart.com/

Comments and critiques are appreciated!

DeviantArt

Feel free to visit my DeviantArt page! Got one of your own? I'd love to see it. Don't have one? Make one.

http://baka-saru89.deviantart.com/

A Portrait of Self

Art is a circumstantial term based on individual interpretation. I would be so bold, too bold perhaps, to say that anything has the capacity to be art so long as a single person can identify it as such. So how does one identify something as art? I believe if something conjures a degree of contrapasto thinking, or inspires contemplation, it could be identified as art. "Art" is not art so long as a person does not perceive it as so; conversely, "art" remains art so long as any one person believes it deserves to be recognized as such. Only the individual has a right to define art, it is not a collectively definable term. I believe the piece of art that most effectively portrays my point is "This is not a Pipe" by René Magritte, pictured below.

Some Demotes

A great way to waste time in class... also, they're very, VERY, dumb, but I was hungry, and if you had seen Viewtiful Joe, it's way more appropriate than it sounds... don't judge me... screw you, I'm gonna go find somethin' ta eat. Also, Monster Hunter \o/(>_<\o/)

Started Class Today

It's going well...