Greetings, and Welcome!
Welcome to elevare (ey - lehv - AHR -rey). This site, centered around 6 computer graphics art pieces and filled with writing and quotes, was made as a project for a course I (Jen aka eternallyblue) took called "Liberal Studies 1: Human Dilemmas." For my chosen dilemma, I decided to focus on the following (*deep breath*): how modernity and society can contribute to individual isolation and discontent, and how this issue may be coped with. I came across the word "elevare," which is Latin for "to lift," when I was looking at words such as "elevate" and "progress." I originally meant to refer to the communal sense of progress, as well as an individual's ability to rise above the evils and ills harbored by such progress. However, it appears that the actual meaning of "elevare" is slightly different. My mythology professor explained, "It can mean 'lift' in the sense of lighten or alleviate; it also apparently has some negative connotations -- make light of, and hence disparage. ...The initial e is crucial -- means 'out of,' so the word has suggestions of lifting something or someone out of a current situation" (Curley). Not quite what I was originally going for, but close enough! Haha. (Plus, it's a pretty word, don't you think?)
This site is meant to be interactive--... As you look at these artworks and read through these concepts and quotes, let your mind wander and explore the presented issues for yourself. When looking at the art, maybe take a moment to think about what it means to you, before you read my take on it... The hope is that this little corner of the internet may be some sort of inspiration to at least one person out there. Oh, and by the way, if you haven't already gathered, I don't plan on writing all formal-like just because this is a school project... haha.
Navigating this site - Oh and just a quick note, that this site is designed to be explored as a "walkthrough." In other words, I recommend that you go through the topics in order, starting with "conformity" and going through (using the handy-dandy "next" links I put on the topics pages) until you end up at "imagine yourself." Ideas are likely to build on each other and refer to previous ideas, so... yeah. That's all on that...

About the theme:
My topic, stated in the above paragraph in bold lettering, is really an enormous idea to tackle. Because of this, I've split it up into areas that I can relate to or am particularly interested in. On the "dilemma" side, I chose to deal with conformity, vices, and isolation; on the "remedy" side, I take a look at outlets, oneness, and envision[ing]. My questions about these areas go something like this: What are the downfalls of "going with the crowd" and indulging in things such as drugs and violence? How can we feel alone when we are surrounded by and connected to so many others? How are we "trapped" or "locked" into our current situation, and how may we start to break out of this deepening mold? What things really make us feel alive, and how might we reach them? What are true connections with others, and how are these allowed to happen? How does one's vision of his/her future affect his/her path of life? I explored these questions through abstract and symbolic art, in attempt to find ideas more encompassing than situation-specific. My goal was to find some deeper meanings than the simple, superficial answers we are often given. This means that the things I've come up with are not immovable or complete, but it is my belief that nothing truly worth it really is...

Who/what inspired me to explore this topic:
My choice to focus on this particular theme was largely inspired by Blue Man Group, a musical performing arts group that uses a bald and blue character to entertain, enlighten, and excite audiences across the country. [Hey, I think I did pretty well there... FYI, they are practically impossible to describe to anyone who's not seen one of their shows.] One thing that makes them unique is their attention to culture and society. In their recent CD and Tour, The Complex, they took a bold step by more obviously exploring concepts of urban isolation, personas, and similar topics. The show was really an eye-opening experience for me (and countless others), and made me think more deeply about the progressive and communal world I live in. I will be referring to Blue Man Group throughout this website, for many of their underlying ideas go hand in hand with the ones I am presenting here. ...I really could go on for paragraphs about how amazing Blue Man Group is, but seeing as this is a school project (whether I want to admit that or not), I'll stop before I get too carried away.
Another inspiration for this project was quite simply Nature herself. I have become fascinated with the juxtaposition of her beauty and human-made structures, as I walk around campus. There is something special about how unbeatably lovely nature is, even when she is surrounded by humanity's industrial creations.
And of course, I've been inspired by a list of individuals who have prompted me to look at the world in different ways from what I'm used to, or in ways different from the cultural norm.. see the credits page for more on this.

Technical Information:
It is highly recommended that this site be viewed in 1024x768 resolution. With 800x600, the art pieces displayed here lose some of their cohesiveness, and may not even fit properly on the screen. Also, you will need Explorer 5.5 or higher to see the decorated (black) scrollbars--although I suppose that's not incredibly important.
About the Art - I used Adobe Photoshop 7.0 and its various painting tools, filters, and effects to create the graphics on this site. All of the art pieces are done mostly from scratch--the only existing materials I used were a few clips from nature photographs (for texture purposes), which ended up pretty much indiscernible in the finished works. Each piece of this style takes anywhere from 2 to 4 hours, but some take longer.
If you have any questions, comments, compliments, or complaints, feel free to contact me with the following information:
E-mail: eternallyblue152@yahoo.com
AOL Instant Messenger: eternallyblue152
Yahoo Messenger: eternallyblue152

Thanks for visiting! I hope you enjoy your stay...