Tijuana through my Eyes

MOCA

I really enjoyed Viva la revolucion excebition. I loved how the artist went out in to the city and displayed there art throughout the urban setting of San Diego. I attended MOCA last month on there TNT event. There was live music and printing of t-shirts from some of the art work. I really enjoyed the night life vibe this event gave the city. The work that captured my attention the most was the face that was outline by a white shock sheet behind bricks. I though it was a brilliant idea to be able to show art through different objects. It goes way from the traditional drawings or photography.I feel it has a strong presentation when the art is still trying to show an image. It really set the higher standerd in my perspective. That there are other ways to express our art. I liked this particular work for its creativity. I personally would have never thought to combine those to materials to create an art piece. Unfortunately when i visited the museum at the time I did not think of writing down the information of this artist. But I was able to find an image of it online.

MOPA

The photograph that most captured my attention was by Jerry N. Uelsmann. It was a gelatin silver print and there was a nude woman laying down on what seemed to be clouds near the ground. It seemed as if she was floating. The rest of the images are narrow trees that draw you in towards a mysterious path.I was not able to find this photograph online but it was called Room #1 1963. I did find a similar one where he uses the clouds and the nude women just that there was different scenario in the background. I notices that most of his photography gives you a sense of mystery. Even some of the images gave me the creeps. I really loved how his work can give you that sense of mystery and intrigues you to learn more about it. I was also inspired by the middle room where it displayed work from different children of different ages to express themselves and who they are. It was interesting to see how the different ages displayed themselves or who they are.

Continuation of Project

On my last visit to Tijuana I came across different problems while I photographed different things. As I crossed into the Tijuana I captured a picture of a sign, the Mexican customs sent us to inspection and they asked me to erase the photograph I had taken. He then informed me this area was restricted for taking any photographs. Good think they did not catch me the first time around because I was able two photographs that I have included in the documentary. I was also trying to take a picture of a pharmacy and they told me the owner does not allow it. So I was not able to get away with that one. I visited Tijuana on three different occassions, the first one I went to visit family , the second I went to the dentist and the third time I went to eat with my sister and run errands. The photographs in my documentary reflect what I saw on my visits there. The heart of my story is showing others what I saw and the places I visited in Tijuana. I was able to capture photographs of people working as I visited a Market. It was fun interacting with these people they were very friendly and willing to get photographed. I really think that food reflects a culture and their way of living. As I visited my family one can see the conditions they live in and just imagine the hardships they go through on a daily bases. These images speak for themselves as I visited Tijuana and captured them.

Patrick Farrell

This documentary displayed very shocking images. I really liked how Farrell told us about his experience and reaction to the images he captured. The tone of this documentary was serious as he described the tragedy this natural disaster left behind. These images conveyed pain and  emptinessnas these people were left with nothing but each other.   it was very interesting to hear that Farrell used his camera as a shield, and he doesn’t know how he did it. We can see hoe this project impacted his life and how he was able to separate from it all as he captured the images.

Project

I began capturing photographs for my project and questioned what the heart of my project is. When I presented my project proposal it was commented that student do not really know Tijuana. They know the tourist side of it. The nightlife and the dangers they hear on the media. So I realized that there is high crime and corruption in this border town but I want to demonstrate that there are innocent people that live day by day around these dangers. So I feel like presenting everyday life in Tijuana.It will take me a couple visits there in order to organize my story. It took me two hour  of line to cross back into the U.S this past Friday. That is the biggest inconvenience I have experienced so far.

Edward Burtynshy

It was interesting to see how this photographer displayed his work on electronic waste. He demonstrated how many families live among the rubble and work to sort out pieces.This really does make you critically think how the average American does not care or considers to think about what happens to our electronic waste. well as the documentary stated fifty percent of it is transported to China. I found it inhumane to see people in another country living outside of these electronic waste fields. it is not only a health hazard but also disrespectful to dump your trash or waste into someone else’s land. The photographer did not present any possible solutions. he only seemed to photograph what he was and stated some facts about it. I would have liked it if he took an activist approach to this topic. After analyzing this segment i can depict the negative and dark sides of globalization. How waste is transported across the world to be dumped on another countries land. I did like how Burtynshy photographed the people at work on the waste fields.

Don Bartletti

Don Bartletti is a photographer who captured images for the LA times. These photographs where of the thousands of boys who travel by train from Central America to the United States. He captures impacting photographs of the dangers these children face while riding the tops of trains illegally to head North to the promised land. He followed a young boy named Enrique. The boy’s story was later created into a book by Isabell Allende. Don Bartletti captures the struggles young boys from Central America have on a daily bases on their pilgramiage to the U.S. we see the migration of people is illustrated. It is important for people to be able to view these images in order to understand  the struggles people face when they are headed to the U.S. They are fighting hunger, thirst, gangs and la migra. It seems that everything is against them, yet they have a strong sense of determination of reaching relatives in the U.S or simply start a better life for themselves. It is really important to know that there are photographers that are successful in capturing photography on these issues. In my work I will demonstrate the struggles of the Tijuana people as well as their daily life routines. How family’s live in a border town which has a diverse group of individuals from all over Mexico and Central America. Even when you cross into the United States one can see the rich integration of cultures.