Warning: Artist Under the Influence!

For the second lesson post over at develop: on fridays, Jefra wrote all about how art influences art, artist influences artist, etc.  I loved her beginning ponderings:

"We’re all influenced by someone and/or something. Usually lots of someones and somethings. And about that - this is the bottom line- art doesn’t exist in a vacuum. Even the first artist ever was influenced by something in the natural world.

Is it wrong to have influences? Is it wrong to be influenced by other artists?"

She spoke distinctly about influences vs. copying and concluded that in the end, "all we can do is create".

Our assignment was as follows:

Part 1 - make an individual inspiration file of not only your favorite photographs/contemporary photographers but also paintings, old photos, works of the old masters, etc.

Part 2 - review these artists and works and define WHAT it is that you love about that piece of artwork, or that style of art.
Part 3 - make a specific photograph based on that influence. Explain who your influence was in for this piece and what you learned / incorporated from that artist’s work.
Here goes......

#1. I like mermaids.  There - I said it.  I really do - you can ask anyone that knows me super well and they would tell you, "Yes, indeed, Ali wishes she were one!..." as they shake their head and roll their eyes. 

But most of all, I really do just love being in my imagination.  One of my all-time favorite books is "Alice in Wonderland" ~ in fact, I watched the Disney version  for the 1millionth time today!  I love classic literature in general but "Alice" really is something special - it's almost indescribable. Linda Sunshine, in her book "All Things Alice", writes, "...please leave your sense of logic and your grown-up attitude at the door.  They are not needed here." 

I love feeling transported to a wonderland of talking flowers whenever I read it, or see a piece of infamous "Alice" artwork.  This is one reason I love photographing children - their innocence moves me, their undying love inspires me and their magical faith empowers me. I also love to incorporate my love for fairytale-ish things into my photography, as if my lens were a looking-glass and the world on the other side were make believe...

#2. I wish Zooey Deschanel would come croon on my front porch! 

Her singing voice, seriously ya'll, it kills me!  It lifts me up, even if she's singing about her heart breaking into a gazillion pieces, I feel like flying.  It's good for all things : roadtripping, bathtub soaking, early morning powerwalking, late dusk garden loitering, slow dances in the kitchen, sparklers after midnight....the list could go on.  When I listen to her sing while editing my photos, it makes me a very light and floaty editor and produces such things as this:

#3.  Just Dance! That's my motto.  I heart dancing - I've been dancing since I was 4: ballet, jazz, modern, praise, lyrical, hip-hop, you name it.  I especially love modern dance.  Like Audrey Hepburn in "Funny Face" :

And Martha Graham - mother of all modern dance:

And the Alvin Ailey dance company:

Dance is so much more than just movement, which in itself is a lot; dance is storytelling.  There's a giving and a taking in a relationship with dance, you're never truly good until you've let down all your boundaries and made yourself the most vulnerable you could be.  Watching dances, whatever kind they may be, inspires poses & movement, passion and emotion.  The best photos come when you've entirely let go: