some final images

here are some images from my final this semester, i am still working out some kinks but i am excited about where they are going

work in progess

up late working on some final prints and finally putting them together
trying to make some final decisions
images to come

caliat

im just thinking about the time when i met you
and now im thinking about how i cant forget you
you have my heart from the start but it faded
i needed space, wanted someone else
i had to leave you just to realize that i miss you

now i dont know what i did
im running around baby
im running around without you
im running around all over town
but i look everywhere
and no one compares
because nothing is as good if i am without you

i am hoping that you try to forgive me
maybe we can fall  in love again completely
you had my heart dont you ever forget that
im coming back boy i promise you
i had to leave you just to realize that i need you
now im changing
i cant take this

do you think that i
could have one more try
i promise you that i will always stand by you

final and counting

well it has been forever since a post
part i am busy and mostly because i dont know what to say
things in life have taken a 180 (as usual) and its been a little rough

all i know right now is i dont even have two weeks left of school and things are choatic as ever
somethings i have to finish with my complete attention, and other things i just cant seems to let go
this might be the hardest finals week in my life
not the work, but the circumstances that i face.

life is such a---heart breaker

                    i cant help but think that this is not going to end well.
                                     the choices we've made the things we have said has placed us here
        that we might not share this life
               we might not have those wood floors or share those painted walls
it all is so fragile
                   i might be stepping out on this one alone

how could one thing tear you so apart inside?

HumanScapes

found some really interesting artists for inspiration in some upcoming work. check them out! Some new. some old artists

Robert ParkeHarrison

Lisa Korkin

 

Martha Madigan

DYI! :)

this Monday night i had a little downtime....well i made down time. so i thought id get crafty and creative. made this usb film canister out of a old usb i had laying around.1 Gig of photographic memory!

night fall

MODshop Gallery

As I walked into the Modshop gallery I was firstly greeted by some architecturally ravenous furniture, enthralled I took a seat in the slinky chair only to whirl around and be met with an immense, masculine, color print of someone else’s home from the inside looking out. Outside there were scattered people looking as though they were all on their own secret mission; hunting for bargains, in search of another mans trash to become their own treasure. With a tilted head I look again, these are not just scattered people after all, they are all looking for something to call their own, but they have even more in common. On top of almost every head in the crowd is a black sort of hat; coupled with the beard and the hair, instantly the Amish culture pops into my mind. But why are all these Amish gathered at this one place, this particular home, sorting through valuables on this side lawn?
I have entered this new little gallery in downtown Dallas, I only know of it from some UNT graduate friends who have recently finished their MFA and now are showing at this site.  Three graduates are showing, Julie Barnofski, Angela Patterson, and Tom Leininger. I’m interested in Tom’s work mainly because it was what I was first confronted with when I walked into the gallery, and because I have heard mish mesh of stories and information about this one artist in particular. I wanted to see if his work matched his description by other people. All I knew about Tom before walking into this gallery was that he was a straight shooter, no B.S. kind of guy. I knew he did documentary type work and that he was a former hard-ass graduate student from UNT, who made critique brutal for his peers.

Interested in where this view from this house would take me I continued down the gallery wall. However, the photographs that follow left my questions unanswered, more interior shots of this mysterious person’s home. Some worn down calendar strung up on a dirty wall, a remnant left behind on the stained carpet of the left over house, and one Amish man hauling a pile of treasure away so great, he needed a forklift. The prints are easy to look at, they are a large 44’ scale and the subject matter is always straight on, much like many documentary pieces -much like I have heard about this artist- except I cannot make out what exactly is being documented. Is it about the cleaning of this house, or maybe the Amish culture? Maybe that is not an important question, but when I hear “documentary photographer” I think the importance of the photographs subject matter is vital.
This is when my background knowledge is referenced, I know Tom’s family is connected to the heritage; and as he says when one Amish member dies their house is cleaned out and auctioned to the community, as in Tom’s pictures of his grandmother’s home. I think without this prior knowledge I would be a little lost in his work shown at the gallery.

Tom’s photographs do display a clean straight shot, but I think that there are some pitfalls through his work. Walking through the gallery his work does stand out because it is large, but that I do not think is always effective. These images are so private and they are just displayed in a large informal manner. I also think that there is some details missing in the pictures themselves, some of them have a single focus spot and then it falls off. This usually looks o.k. but does not match the straightforward manner he is shooting in; for example the photograph of a vintage wallpapered wall, an opening to a bathroom with a light on, and Jesus’ portrait next to the bathroom door, nothing is in focus except the vintage wall. Almost everything in this picture is on the same plain, but why did he choose to focus there? This type of “tunnel” focusing makes the photograph seem to be more about that wallpaper, than the emptiness of this gutted house. I also have to question whether or not the full explanation of this event is captured here in these five shots? If I knew nothing about the artist before hand I think I would leave unfulfilled about the event I just witnessed, I think the audience would like to see more shots. If this documentary is about the auction of the artifacts in this home, it is just as equally important to display these Mennonite individuals with their pieces or bidding on pieces. Printing more intimate might allow the artist to show more shots, and more pieces of this story. I know it is the obligation of the artist to edit what they want to show to the audience, but as a documentary photographer it is also their duty to show the full story portrayed accurately; which brings up another discussion about the reality of documentary photography, (which is a large topic for discussion at a later time).

There is always going to be a difference in the viewers translation of the artist work, but overall I think a stranger to this artist one would be curious in not only seeing more images, but possibly seeing them shot more meticulously than just a 35mm negative. In my opinion, documentary is clean, straight shots, but the tiny details captured in the image are the most important. I would have liked to see this work done with a larger format, to really convey this crisp, detailed images he is trying to attain. In this event seeing Tom Leininger’s work I can say that I was interested, but left unsatisfied.

in the window light

come to me
watch the shadows fall against my skin
watch the highlights flare
merging, blurring, from within
watch me
capture yourself within a stare.
follow the trails of shoulders and backs
tend the cheeks and peaks
fill the voids from where you lack

Grey Skies Bring Grey Rains

Spent a long needed weekend with my boyfriend and friends. some interesting things are always happening in Dallas/Denton.
Spent saturday night at a new little gallery close to downtown Dallas called ModShop. it was a neat little gallery with some awesome art!...then after some wine with some really good conversation. It was so different being in Denton all week, it really is a place that i would like to be, it just feels right already. I know that for a while I will finally be happy to be stuck in one place.
The trip was long but my friends Micayla and Kevin took me on the alternative route. Very good. so pretty (besides the lack of sun); when i got back to Lubbock i was so happy to see the sun for the first time in four days! its so hard to tell time without the sun. Micayla and Kevin are just like me, in that they love to travel and go on road trips. Planning one for the summer maybe after i graduate; Mick and I share the love of eating in the car; she told me when she was young she would pack her lunch and go eat it in the car in the drive way. this really made me laugh.
On a serious note, sunday I lost a friend from back home. I found out monday morning and the horrific details surrounding his death came throughout the day. As soon as i saw his facebook post i broke down into tears. Im really not sure why it made me cry so hard. He wasnt a BEST friend or family, just a friend i would see occasionally in Cypress, and if i was hanging out with the right friends. Maybe it was because he was a best friend of my best friend and i knew that it was going to upset him a lot, not to mention that he is "out of touch" serving in Afghanistan for the next several months. How long would it take for him to find out? Or maybe just the fact that he was my age, my age, really young and the circumstances could have been prevented so easily, he was so smart, smarter than most, with so much potential and so much promise....how could he die from something so unitelligent? i dont know but i know that for some reason its really haunting me. when i got back from Denton and got back to sleeping in a bed alone i couldnt, i could barely sleep the nights before with Irby and now it was way worse without him. I spent a lot of time tossing and had to eventually turn on my side lamp jsut to get some peace. And last night i had a dream that i saw my best friend David and i told him, and he told me he knew, his mom had told him over the phone and that he couldnt believe it happened, and happened while he was gone.
Michael's funeral is being held tomorrow in Spring, i really wish i could attend.
Its unfortunate, but when faced with death i know that it is important to remember the good and great things in life. Not only in the life of that person, but in your own life as well.



-Michael your life was taken too soon.

map it

ugh its ealry morning blog, i cant believe how freaking cold it is here. we are trying to save money with no electricity, but man last night i slept in two pairs of sweat pants, a tank, a thermal and a hoodie with socks....was still cold.....thank god for the dog haha my own personal space heater
this morning after some blog hoppin, some lucky charms, and some chai tea, i am off to Denton again. some friends were heading that way and offered me to join, id do anything to get out of here...even if its just for one day...anyways, should be fun. taking the sony and the holga with, hopefully i can shoot some.  Julie also has a MFA show tonight in Dallas...some gallery....2000 or 2010 or something like that, should be interesting, havent ever seen most of her body of work in person. ohhh and first time to leavemy pup home alone...i hope this goes well....god...shes like my child... im sure shes in good hands with my roomate. :( but i have more news later, next time i blog ill be in Dallas!!!

el fin

so i FINALLY finsished a pillow project for my own bed that i started a few weeks ago. Btwn everything it has taken so long to complete,but i bought these awesome cloth napkins at world market for about $2 each and i finally sewed them into some pillows....i also finished my first portiable drive case and some pottery this weekend, got to get the vase and cup glazed. Which speaking of, if you dont already know....soon, hopefully in the next month i am going to start my own store on Etsy.com...really cool site and if you want to add me my user name is Artsy999, same user name for Lomography.com/homes!

Denton Trip

So a few weeks ago i went to visit my boyfriend who is a grad student at UNT, we were thinking  of things to do....ahh the state fair, what could be better. A interesting mix of people to say the least but it was fun. plus I got to ride the biggest ferris wheel in the western hemisphere, and that is all i cared about.

422

really like the way photobooth scrolled through photos....so here is a years worth of Photo Booth Photos.
hope you like.     ;)









text-align: center;

linger

i can still smell him.
right away i know hes been there.

pipe dreams

dreams steam
aching to be released
cognitive thoughts
seep from the gaps
over flowing and under linning
the need to act

Blush My Soul

my corkscrew has done the most work it has done in years. opening a sweet bottle of Llanno Estacado Blush, i cant believe its finally happened. it took me a second to notice, the shrine pyramid of Budwieser in the sale isle of the grocery store. i literally stood there for minutes staring upon this foriegn red box, like my brain really needed that extra time to process what exactly was in front of me. and when i did realize what this distant object was, my mind awoke.
its happened, its finally happened. this great place of west texas has finally taken one step into the current melinium. i even saw my first wine and beer corner store on my drive home, its amazing how long people have been waiting for this.
so now i sit here, part in celebration, part in releasing some of my weeks stress, and sip on my favorite local pink wine.
its hard to recall how i got here, in this city if you will call it that, in the first place. i know i know, it had something to do with a boy, but what did i think i wanted here for myself? i dont think i was really thinking about it at all.
i try so hard to exhaust all my possibilities of life here. ive got a job i really enjoy for money, i love the major im in, i try as much as possible to utilize everything i have here at this school. besides that its still really hard to get through just a day. not only am i exhausted, but my mind drags the whole day.       
                  "why are you here, what are you doing...you could be so much happier somewhere else"
but, i must drag on. i remind myself 220 days...you can be out of here in 220 days...and not only out of here, but out of here with a degree..............its the only thing that keeps me around here these days. because with out that one paper i would be out of here, id be driving across the nation, trekking every inch of soil. or better yet in some country somewhere else, where i do not know anyone or anything. a life of a nomad, that's where id be. but its that one paper, that little, small, very very very expensive, little paper that keeps me chained to this city.....................at least for another 220 days.

NEW BEGINNINGS

ok for all who know,
new blog
me.
making it through 225 days.
"l'arte d'arrangiarsi"
*the art of making something out of nothing*

Little Bit in Love with You

So quick update....if you haven't noticed, i think that "art on a string" is a clear winner for a web domain. Still some adjustments being made though and site pages are still coming together. Prob have more time to do some work during spring break tho. Thanks! to everyone for voting!

secondly, i want to congratulate Irby on getting accepted to one of his grad schools!(UNT) all his hard work will pay off, and I am sure he will make some great work, where ever he goes.

i promised a picture of the finished products of my photography lamps....i love the way they turned out and the produce the perfect amount of light over my bed!

Im so excited for the upcoming weeks, i got a lot planned next week is the last week of school and i finally get to go home again. I was thinking about it and I barely ever get to go home to see my family, not near enough. Just the few given holidays, if even that. Spring Break, Summer, Christmas....Thanksgiving (not this past year). So i am really excited!
The following week i have a HUGE photgraphy conference in Dallas (SPE).... should be fun, another excuse to get out of LBK.

If you havent been able to get a hold of me, my phones been broken...got dropped and stepped on my some big bouncer.....but everything is up and running now...Apple sent me a brand spanking new phone!!! doesnt get much better than that

:::::I LOVE APPLE!::::: :-D

p.s. current music i cant get out of my head Little Bit by Lykke Li

PINK!

This birthday was a good one, not only for the awesome gifts i got/needed, but for the fun i had. Spending time with old and new friends made it soo good! I cant wait to go home for spring break and celebrate with my family.
p.s. my mommy and daddy got me a new digital pink camera!! wayy cute! ...first point and shoot digital i have had in almost 3 years!...get that, a photographer without a point and shoot...how ironic.

CMY HOLGA

OMG!!! i just got a HOLGA for my bday CMY!!!! sooooo cute! IT IS AWESOME!!!!
i know i am going to be taking a lot of pictures with it! i cant wait!

BFA

I am going to be in the BFA show this month up at the gallery in Art Building, yes that's Bachelor of Fine Arts! Here is the tryptic piece I will have hanging. Come by and see!!

PINKtastic!!!!

WOW!!! just found out they released a new diana!!!! sooooo freaking cute! Its the Diana F+ Mr. Pink on Lomography.com....glad ive waited to get one!!!.....AND my birthday is coming up this friday!!! ooooooh how it would be the perfect bday gift!
as well as any of the rest of the items i am saving up for....this new lomography grey sidekick canvas bag, a CMY holga and these stellar BOOST headphones I cant seem to find anywhere....I'm a dreamer, i know!

JRiverArt.com

it has been brought to my attention that JRiverArt.com is available.
leave a comment under this post if you like since i cannot add it to the poll!!

VOTE!

hey everyone I am having a really hard time picking a new domain name for my new Website!!! its gonna be legit, but there are way tooo many jrives, jessica riveras, jriveras, and riveras alone!!! very annoying!!! i wanted a name that would be easy to remember and not just about my photography, but all my art that I have done and more to come.

So in short, PLEASE VOTE!!!!

p.s. - my fav is ArtOnAString.com

even got a layout coming along

Wowieee!

Getting creative with a room re-do!!!....here is a easy but awesome lamp I made....just some velum prints of a twin lens I took and some hott glue....plan to make another one...ill post pics of the final result soon!

Some More ART please!

Hey guys, hoping for another update? well here ya go, stayed up late to finish this one, little digital assignment...been sick for the past week so Ive been dying to get my work done. In progress Installation piece pictures coming soon!
Will have new art up to view real soon also!

Studio Gallery

Hey Everyone! Just wanted to update. There is a new show up in the Studio gallery at the Art building on campus. We exchange pictures for poems with an poetry class, and then illustrated their poems and they wrote about our pictures. The show turned out pretty nice if you get a chance go by and check it out. Here are my two pictures that are up in this show.
Forgive the quality, it was taken on my iphone.

Jan-Tosh Gerling
Senior, English, Dallas, Texas
17th Street Lubbock, 1070

Jan-Tosh Gerling
Senior, English, Dallas, Texas
Salvation Army Thrift Store
(1420 Avenue J)

Do Not Touch
says the sign protecting
out of tune piano keys
stained like dirty fingernails.
Dented file cabinets lean
on each other’s shoulders,
jaws out with ancient tax returns.
A Coke machine hums,
cool insides like lake water.

Pristine mirrors
echo broken bed frames,
cabinets and an art deco toaster.
A pearly typewriter missing G
sleeps in its clamshell coffin
like an orphaned button in a pine armoire.

On dusty bookshelves
stickered with prices,
wait the porcelain angels and salt shakers
of dead grandmothers.

HeLLO WOrLd!!!
Yes i am back for anyone listening out there.
Hope everyone had a great break and now its back to the mind twisting work. Schedule is fairly light this semester....or so it seems.... haha we will see
just wish i was still at home, i miss it.
take it or leave it, im stuck here in this tiny town.
I am really looking forward to my independent study where i can actually get some work that i want to do done. Exciting!
New picture posts soon...promise.
Its really different this semester. really lonely without some key people, but hopefully everything will pan out as planned.