"I love you as certain dark things are to be
loved, in secret, between the shadow and the soul." - Pablo Neruda



JENNIFER GUZMÀN






10.29.2009

Spring Semester 2009

This past spring of 2009, I have had the opportunity to study abroad in Florence, Italy, at SACI. It was a surreal experience, and took some getting used to, that I was going to be living on via dei neri, 2 blocks from the Arno, the river, a block from piazza della Signoria, which hold a palace, figurative sculptures, and a Chanel store, ,and the world famous uffizi, a block from my apartment as well, which hold some of the world's most precious of art. I've also visited Rome, Naples, Sicily, and in Spain, Valencia, Benidorm, and Sitges. Spain is gorgeous. The possibility and jump to this opportunity was possible to me after the lucky opportunity last summer of 2008, where I did a summer study abroad in Greece, and visited the city of Athens, and the beautiful, surreal island of Santorini, and the more quiet, traditional town of Karpathos, Olympos. I would love any opportunity to travel again, especially in Spain; it was only a 4/5hrs worth of a coastline, there's still the rest of the country, and Madrid!
What I got out of the experience of the semester is more personal experience, as opposed to the familiar setting of back home, focused more on assignments. I've taken an art conservation class, and a fresco painting class, an art history class, and 6 credits MICA independent honors. These are some of the images I've created for that semester .


Frescos: Super fun class, I had an amazing teacher named Mario:






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These are 2 self-portrait oil paintings.
[These are quick snap shots]
This top one is Caravaggio inspired, and I did this one first. I just couldn't get myself to actually paint, although I did have the desire to; surround, with every step by beauty, and art hiding in any building around the corner, that would end up being palaces, filled in riches with paintings. I couldn't figure how to place myself; be comfortable, I guess really embrace this new life/what is around me, and my spirits weren't as cheery as usual, and so, this incomplete painting documents that.





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This painting is Salvador Dali inspired, and definitely in a happier state, also still Caravaggio inspired; perhaps the lighter side of him; more like his Bacchus paintings. This painting came as it went; more into the process. I had Dali in my head after seeing his amazing shrine of a museum in Barcelona. I felt, could see his love of life/art, it seems so automatic, I admire greatly his imagination, and ability to create what my come to mind without questioning.
This painting is in a more spiritual side; positive. I tried to bring illustration more into the painting; more of a free world, no restrictions.





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