Feb 3 2010/ "Tourist" 38 minutes compressed into 7 seconds.

Time Lapse 38 min compressed into 7 seconds. This is a time lapse using pencils,pens,markers,ruler, and circle stencil.

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STRIPES

I asked friends to pose as models and wear stripes. Instead of a normal photo shoot I wanted them to take the pictures themselves. I did this because a photo shoot would be unnatural for most of them.

Currently the social networking craze has affected most of America. Taking new profile pictures is as natural as breathing to avid users of such sites. I wanted to go where the subject matter is. This series is based how the internet can become habitual. The method I asked for photos for the most part was the Internet. I wanted to go about getting the photos this way because it shows how connected and disconnected we are at all times. The reason I chose Stripes is prisoners used to wear them in the early 20th century.This series is still in its collection phase and I am currently adding more work. (A special thank you goes out to those willing to model and assisting me in this series)

We are sometimes trapped in a a routine or a habit that we become a prisoner to whether it is the internet, smoking, food ect

abopp 2010

A+B=

This series is based in geometrical sequences and chaos. Throughout my life I have have been fighting mathematics. In grade school my dislike for math and geometry grew. I hired tutors and stayed after class to gain some clarity on the subject to no avail. I attended summer school 5 years in a row in 6th,7th,8th,9th, and 10th grades. During the summer sessions I would draw in class constantly and pass by the skin of my teeth. I would fill my notebooks so much there was no room for notes so I decided to get a sketchbook. Much of the frustration I had during that time was released by drawing. This left me with a calm state of mind and the ability to focus.

The work in this series is combining the early confusion of math with the new respect for math I currently have. I created this series listening to Jazz because the first time I heard Jazz it was very chaotic, after listening for a while the expertise of the musicians comes to light. I feel this sums up the relationship I have with mathematics at first it was all chaos until I realized its elegance. I began to study sacred geometry and the work of the masters this showed me importance of mathematics and geometry have in, creating visually pleasing work.

The past year I have been combining my early chaotic methods then adding my new found appreciation for elegant mathematic formulas.

abopp 2010

Stone "Land Art"

This Spiral is created with river stones, shells, glass and gemstones. I have been hiking Breakneck Mountain in Cold Springs N.Y. for many years. I have wanted to create some artwork on the summit. I collected over 200 river rocks from the Catskills in N.Y. after returning home I weighed them altogether about 160 pounds of rock.

The shells are a combination of shells from the Atlantic and Pacific oceans from 10 years of summer vacations. The gemstones are from deep within the earth and a gift from a friend. The medium I chose is to reflect the environment. My thought process was that if I were to leave this at the top, would it be considered garbage or not fit the landscape? These materials all seem to blend in and if scattered they would not effect the experience.

Breakneck Ridge can be quite challenging due to the steep incline and areas of rock crawling. The trail upwards is constantly shifting from erosion. The grade is very steep over 45-60 degrees. I assembled all of these mediums at home and created a preliminary version. This was so I could create the piece quickly and efficiently. I chose a sunny day filled a backpack with the materials which I weighed on my bathroom scale about 50 pounds. My cousins joined me and assisted in carrying the bag to the summit. Once at the top I assembled the spiral then took some quick photos. I left everything up there. So I felt not only a figurative but a literal weight off my shoulders. The purpose of this piece to hopefully inspire those who walk by, and create art that does not destroy the location that has given me so many wonderful experiences. I also thought it would be interesting to see smooth round river rocks and sea shells at the top of a mountain in this configuration. People will be intrigued about how they were placed there. Most likely those who see this, will be strangers which takes me out of the equation and leaves the creator to the viewers imagination.