Self Portraits and Medical Complaints

So the reason, dear nonexistent reader, that nothing much has been going on in Ret-spih world here is that I have gotten my damn wisdom teeth removed. And it sucked. Almost as much as the fact that Bolin is not real and I will never marry him and have his adorable fox-raccoon thingy, Pabu, as a pet.
In any case, if you yourself haven't gone through the horrifying procedure of having some dentist NOT anesthetize you when you were fully convinced before that you would be put to sleep before they drilled into your FACE, and then watched as the dentist braced his foot against your seat so that he could attempt 5 times to yank your tooth out, while your mother worried aloud you if you were dying from the next room because she was too disgusted to watch me, then BOY are you in for a treat!
And though I had hoped that with my newly enlarged cheeks I would be looking like this...

Lindsey Wixson, gorgeous model with beautifully swollen cheeks

I'm pretty sure I was looking like this. Because I'm Asian...

"Mango Pudding!" (Eyeshield 21, some anime that I know because, again, I'm Asian.)

Some other wonderful after-effects that I experienced after the surgery (if you can even call it that because, not meaning to complain, but I was awake the whole time) include, but are not restricted to....

• talking like my dog, which is to say, not at all, because my dog is an idiot and not even close to those adorable talking dogs on Youtube.
• choking on my own blood and staining my bed and pillow with my bloody drool, because I can't shut my mouth correctly
• having to ingest barfy banana, cucumber, and carrot smoothies every morning
•  being the closest to stoned that I will ever be with ingestion of *gasp* TWO different types of pain medication.

Well, the good news is that, despite my parent's orders to sleep all day (which they think is a good thing because that is their favorite pass-time), I managed to drag my underfed, weary, and frail butt out of my bed and paint a self portrait. And I had to cut about 2 inches off my cheeks to make them look like their original size. And while we're on the subject of self portraits, I have also included the other ones I did in the past year and a half, just because I think that self portraits are the best reflections of artistic improvements, and because I love myself.... 

underpaintng (just though it looked kinda cool)

"Departure" 6/30/12

 

"Investigation of Beauty" series, the body and the face 5/14/12

"The Flies" 2/25/12

"Untitled" 10/28/11

"Creeper Status Avatar" Color Pencil 3/24/11 

Givenchy Spring Couture 2012

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Prada Spring 2010

 

Ok, so last week, I FINALLY got my ears pierced. It kind of hurted. Wow , I mean it kind of hurt. (I really need to work on my grammar-cursed SAT! Well, AT LEAST I don't get your and you're confused. I practically cringed every other passage when I was reading my little high school yearbook because I don't OWN nice or smart.Like seriously people, we learned that in 2nd grade) 

 So speaking of piercings.. wow those earrings are just... wow. And this makes me want  to get a septum piercing, but I know I will regret it and my Asian parents would never let me: they think that piercings are for "bad girls". Their words, not mine. Yeah, come to think of it they would probably tackle me and sew my nose back before the moment I got home...

Every single season Riccardo Tisci does the most elegant and delicate and beautiful couture gowns. I mean, with those dresses, you don't even need to look at the model's front to know that she is a strong and beautiful woman (and that she is incredibly rich). I could stare at these all day because the detail is just that impeccable- I'm guessing a few people probably went blind after sewing these...And the basketball!I love that juxtaposition, but at the same time... it's just there...

It is quite scornful how Californian women are bound by stupid stereotypes of shallow "beach babes". Sing along if you must:

 California Girls, We're undeniableDaisy dukes, bikinis on top!Sunkissed skin,So hot we'll melt your popsicle!California girls, we're undeniable,Fine, fresh, fierce,We got it on lock!West coast represent, now put your hands up!Sex, on the beach,We don't mind sand in our stilettos!We fre-e-eak in my Jeep,Snoop Doggy Dogg on the stereo!  

Sound Familiar? Can someone PLEASE tell me what is wrong with this picture?  

So this is pretty hilarious, but WHY WHY WHY, are young girls (who are eagerly awaiting a role model to copy ) exposed to such degrading, sexist, objective crap? Mainstreeming sex seems to be ok now. So this is what I listened to when I was 5... Compare!

Why do we let sexually charged pop and fashion trends convince us to throw away any signs of classiness or decency?When our only question when dressing is "Does this make my boobs and butt look good?" I feel like we are defining sexual attractiveness as the sole measure of our worth.  

 I feel like I might be accused of being a bit of a hypocrite, since this blog is based on fashion and art, both of which may be sexual or tactless. I must argue that though some art (especially from the Feminist Movement) is based on raw, sexual themes, the artist intends to raise awareness for certain issues rather than promote them.  

So this is pretty mindblowing:
Yoko Ono, a Japanese Feminist artist (and also wife of John Lennon) did this performance called Cut Piece, where she kneels in a traditional female Japanese pose and invites the audience to come and cut off pieces of  nice clothes

I chose the original silent one, because everything seems so calm, but there is still this tension and seriousness that builds up as the performance proceeds. The video itself is an amazing commentary on abuse of women and I think this idea of having the audience be a part of the piece itself is absolute genius in that it supplements to the whole theme of piece.

 Art from Feminist Movement: From 1960s-80s,Most of which are sexually based: 

The Dinner Party: An exhibition with 36 "plates" celebrating each celebrating a different woman in history.
Judy Chicago

Davida Allen was the first to portray a male as a sexual object , which certainly got people talking
"Fantasy of Sam Neill" 1980

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So see my point? There may be other aspects that come to play, such as construction, composition, and technique, but most importantly, what makes something real art is the presence of a reaction from the audience, whether it be good or bad. To me, art is all about influence; I know that my artwork doesn't completely suck when people have something to say about it other than "Ooohh it's prreeetttyyy...DERP".  

Do you guys think that this serves as a justification in pop and culture also? Want to discuss the objectifying present in other pieces of culture? Disagree with me about Dadist Feminine art? Comment!

Not in Season Yet. But Still...MODS!!!!!

I'm not a big fan of summer looks, because I have a bad habit of layering my clothing and wearing long  sleeves no matter what weather. Then I usually have to tell myself that I have high heat resistance.

     But oh! How I eagerly await the transient time in which I may reunite with my gorgeously thick jackets....  

Edie Campbell in W Magazine: Its a Mad, Mod World 

MosmostFamous Mod designer: Mary Quant re

Givenchy Pre-Fall 2012

This is the only time when crimped hair looks edgy. Most of the time one resembles a poodle... just a bit

OMGGG

Twiggy: the ultimate fashion icon.

Gorgeously fake eyelashes

ssoPixie cuts: they used to shape them with a painfully annoying process of heated sugar water . Thank God for hairgel.

soOh the 60's... It's interesting how we can track preceding generations' reactions to past movements in dress and lifestyles. Ok, so I did a bit of historical background research:


So the mods were a part of British subculture who were one of the first to NOT be influenced by the volatile times of post-war Britain in the 50's. Branching of from another movement, the Teddy Boys ( these slick looking guys who liked to sport quiffs and were doing bad stuff in gangs and riots ) the mods were basically a bunch of working class teens who blew their money on sophisticated French and Italian styles. In a contrast with their "rivals" the Rockers, Mods were these prim and proper dudes who liked to dress nicely in an attempt to escape the monotony of typical workers. Female mods had this hypercool image with pixie cuts and androgynous silhouettes, like those streamlined coats and skirts, which I absolutely adore. 


Don't get me wrong,even though I love clothes I'm not a-as some would describe- shopaholic.  And though I hate labels, I do love this idea of being a financially independent youth roaming around the city.( Man, I really really want a job. Too bad no one will hire me because A) I'm too young and B) I have no work experience. Ironically, the more  I don't get hired, the more I don't have work experience. So it basically just goes downhill from there.)


I would say that the Mod 60's were one of my favorite fashion movements. What are you're favorite fashions from history? I don't mean to be desperate here, but please comment! It would mean alot to me and actually let me know that people are seeing this.

Noob is a mean thing to say

      I guess I'll start off with a warning. I am completely new at this blogging stuff and this blog is, most plainly put, a pathetic surrogate for my unproductive hours spent browsing through style.com and tumblr and what have you. Notice I didn't mention facebook because that would be embarassing. Oh wait.

      I have learned (by an advanced  google websearch), that a fashion blog is supposed to be "a reflection of the true you", so I feel like I owe you, beloved reader who has probably accidentally clicked on this page while looking for something cooler and better, an advanced apology for my dumb, 15-year-old-like ramblings and my attempts to sound more intelligent than I am. If 15-year old fashion bloggers are your thing, may I refer you to a more popular, more genius, more whimsical source:   

             Tavi Gevinson's thestylerookie.com

             She is seriously a frickin' prodigy.

i hate all day err day