On the Window of Espresso Royale Caffe at 736 Commonwealth Ave.

The task is simple: Use a continuous line to draw a complete stranger.  Draw anything about that stranger: his or her face, hands, entire body.  Draw anywhere: on toilet paper, on post-its, on windows or chalk boards.  From that one line, a shape is created, then a face, and at last an entire drawing and performance project on BU’s campus: Portraits of Strangers [PoS].

“If I could think and dream as big as I wanted to, I would get a grant and take people around the world…and just go outside and do this in public places,” said Natalie Turturro, a CFA Theater Design and Production senior and the creative force behind PoS.

As a project designed to encourage consistent drawing in everyday life, PoS consists of volunteer participants joining in to draw unfamiliar people.

“The purpose of PoS is to see if I can get everyone drawing on their way to work, in the elevator, on the train…everyone can draw, and everyone should draw, because it is a basic skill like math, reading, or writing. Drawing is learning how to see shapes within shapes created by lines intersecting or parallel to other lines,” wrote Turturro on PoS’s website.  In Turturro’s view, drawing teaches people to concentrate and develop cognitive and social skills.

Turturro said she has been drawing since she was a baby, and apparently hasn’t stopped since.  From the paper feet, teeth, and eyes attached to the shag rug clawing at the floor to the neon colored shopping list on the refrigerator to the countless array of sketchbooks scattered about her StuVi2 apartment, nothing has escaped Turturro’s aesthetic attentions.

Turturro said she began to focus on sketching strangers specifically during her commute to and from internships in London and New York City.  Though she has been developing PoS since summer 2008, Turturro turned PoS into a full scale project through her Site-Specific art class last semester.

“It’s all about bringing art to the people and making it accessible to people who usually don’t have art around them,” Turturro said.  “I just want to do it naturally and what’s fun is when there’s nothing required of me to do it.”

Taylor Ashbrook works on a portrait for Portraits of Strangers in Espresso Royale Caffe

“Art is put on a pedestal a lot of the time…[people] get this impression that you have to have a lifetime of experience to make anything aesthetically pleasing,” said Taylor Ashbrook, a collaborator of PoS.

But the reality that PoS tries to bring is that “anybody can do it if you just sit down and do it,” according to Katy Whistler, another PoS collaborator.

Both Ashbrook and Whistler met Turturro when the three started at BU as costume design majors.  Though they have all branched out to separate CFA fields, they have remained a source of creative inspiration for each other.  In addition to helping organize PoS, they all share ideas including Ashbrook’s maps for aliens, discuss projects like Whistler’s sustainability efforts on campus, or just chit-chat about the latest “Jersey Shore” episode.

“They’re my favorite friends,” Turturro said.

“Luckily, we can draw,” laughed Whistler.

Since the creation of PoS, Turturro has hosted two events, both last December, and advertised through the PoS website and facebook group.

PoS’s first performance was held at BU Central on December 5, Turturro said.  Taking over the chalk board outside of BU Central, Turturro, Ashbrook, Whistler, and a few of their acquaintances were the only ones to attend specifically for PoS.  Together, they invited anyone and everyone to join in and managed to attracted an estimated 100-plus participants during the night.  Most often, the people who contributed were the subjects of drawings and consequently decided to join in.

“I think Portraits of Strangers brings people together because you’re trying to interact, you’re trying to be here now and what that the project is about,” Turturro said.

PoS’s second event occurred the following day at the Espresso Royale Cafe on Commonwealth Avenue.  Once again starting with Turturro, Ashbrook, Whistler and a few other PoS fans, the small start was able to draw in most of the Cafe’s customers to contribute to the project, Turturro said.  Using neon markers, the expanded group drew customers sitting inside on the store front windows.  Most portraits were drawn on cards of recycled paper and given to subjects, but some were drawn on post-it notes and pasted over an entire bench.

“The important thing to me is not the actual drawing, it’s just doing the drawing,” said Turturro.

For the time being, Turturro said she has no future plans for PoS events on campus.  However, current plans are set to display Turturro’s PoS collection in Espresso Royale Cafe sometime this month.

For more information about PoS, go to portraitsofstrangers.wordpress.com or check out their Facebook group “Portraits of Strangers”.

Boston University Central Collaborative Drawing 12/05/09

Creative Submission: Jonah Lundberg Rediscovers His Epic Self by Gabe Stein

Melissa Prieto (COM '12) models a shirt designed by Amber Vittoria. Photo by Nicole Cousins

Amber Vittoria is a graphic design major in the College of Fine Arts (CFA’12) and owner of the company Pyrotechnic Display at Celebrations (P.D.A.C). Her company offers unique t-shirts that are the product of the creative process.

How did you get started?

Over the summer (2009) I started producing and the website just went up.

I started doing all the designs based off of photography. I took the first pictures right before I got to college. I’ve spoken to many graphic designers and they always seem to have a side project and I decided that this would be my side project. Originally, I thought to do posters but then I decided that clothing would be better because it moves just like people move and travel.

What other forms of design/art do you do?

I’m a graphic design major; so I do pretty much any type of art. I paint. I draw. Related to the t-shirts, I photograph light. I’ve always been interested in light. I’ve used light in magazine spreads I’ve done for internships. I don’t know what’s going to happen when I don’t love it anymore, even though I doubt that will happen. Light and travel is mainly the basis for majority of my work.

What inspires you?

One of my favorite graphic designers is Stefan Sagmeister. He is amazing. He’s very much interested in exploring different aspects of the little details. He had to do this brochure and the whole thing was based off of the rubber band that held it together. As for me, my art is all based off of light—it all comes back to light. Picasso once said, “you must pay attention to everything around you,” (paraphrased) and even though I admit sometimes I block out the world with my iPod, I always try to pull inspiration from everything that surrounds me.

How are the designs made?

"I try to articulate what I want from my designs in words, which helps immensely when I am coming up with designs."

I start off with a bunch of photographs and I do a few sketches of the specific point I want to focus on. Then I sit on it for a while. Then I go into Adobe Illustrator and edit it. I tack it to my dorm room wall and see which direction I like it best. When I alter the photos I kind of like the shape of them and that’s how I got the idea to make them into t-shirts. When I do color it’s pretty much I pick a different color shirt, white, black, gray, I really want to do blue. I like to do one color, I think many colors are too confusing. I like to pick a bold color, something that’s aesthetically pleasing. Really bold colors that kind of shout out the shapes themselves.

Right now I have a silk screener in Chicago do them and I want to learn how to silk screen myself. I feel like I’ll have a lot more freedom doing the colors myself. If I do the silk screening I feel like it fully becomes mine. That’s my goal this summer, to set up a silk screen studio in the basement, if my dad lets me.

What are the light sources?

As of now they are mainly fireworks, and flashlights. I would sit the camera on the tripod and leave the shutter open and run around with a flashlight. As of now I’m only doing man-made lights but hopefully for my senior thesis I will do natural light.

"I am drawn to the shapes they make more than anything."

What are your goals for P.D.A.C.?

Aside from monetary goals, I want it to be somewhere that I can fully create. Sometimes people are limited by superiors, whereas in this I can make my own decisions and fight with myself over what I want to change. That’s my goal–to be able to have a dialogue with myself instead of solely having other people telling me their opinions.

Who works with you?

It’s just me. My friends are a big help, they model for me, they help me bounce ideas off of them, and listen to me ramble for hours. I consider them a part of it, even if they don’t want to be, they are.

How many shirts have you made?

As of now I have one design printed but I want to print more soon. I have about 13 sketches for this batch, but I don’t know if I’ll be able to print them all at the same time.

How do you advertise?

As of now, I pretty much email a bunch of blogs and fashion magazines outside of BU world. Within the first week a lot of people responded. I printed off a bunch of flyers and my friends and I are going to post them around the dorms. As of now

Photo by Nicole Cousins

it’s really guerilla marketing.

How do you want people to feel when they wear your shirts?

The word that comes to mind is liberated–to have the confidence to do anything. When I first started this project I was afraid that people wouldn’t receive it well and wouldn’t understand it. I thought: “Are they going to get it? Are they not

going to get it?” A lot of people have received it well. I feel when people wear it, they should have the confidence to go and travel and move just how light bends and changes and travels. I guess because I went out there and I did it, I hope that people can also do the same thing in their own life.

Last thoughts?

I would just like to thank everyone that has helped me with this so far. I hope that its going to be expanding really soon. It’s been a lot of fun, to work for myself and to fully explore my own ideas.

Check out her website: http://shoppdac.com/

Creative Submission: Jonah Lundberg Rediscovers His Epic Self by Gabe Stein

TV on the Radio’s ‘Nine Types of Light’ Review by Tara Jayakar

‘Midnight in Paris’ Review: A Love Letter to the City of Light by David Braga

"Gluttony #1" by Khaled Mahd

A native of Jordan, Khaled Mahd came to Boston University just last month after completing his undergraduate degree in Fine Arts at Indiana State University in Terra Haute, IN. Originally an engineering student, this scientist-turned-graphic artist brings a talent for graphic design and vivid photography to the CFA graduate program. Khaled submitted his photo Gluttony #1, which is part of a 14-part exhibition on the seven deadly sins called Elementum that was originally shown in Terra Haute, IN.

Quad: What inspired the exhibition?
Khaled Mahd: The entire exhibition, actually, was conceived on a smaller scale for graphic design class back at Indiana State University. The program in my previous University was very commercial, and I asked my professor if I could do something a little more conceptual. It’s still a realistic depiction, and these turned out to be very marketable photos, but the entire idea was that I don’t want to do a project for corporate use or to promote something. So, the idea developed to become an exhibition. I took it further, I did lots of the costume design for the exhibition and the makeup sketching.

This photo is named after gluttony, but the model is almost seductive in this pose, not grotesque at all.
The idea of this show is that the seven deadly sins have all been bad things that people always commit and hide, or feel and hide. The idea for this show with this glamorous makeup and exotic outfit is basically to glorify the seven deadly sins and think of them as more of a positive channel of self expression. So, they still look dangerous and they still look threatening, but at the same time it’s like an alter ego for the models or for whoever is looking at them. They’re so beautiful and they’re so attractive to a point that people want to look like them. So the fact that they are this gorgeous and this flamboyant overshadows the fact that they are sins and they’re supposed to be hidden.

What is the model doing in this photo?
She’s crouching. The idea of the pose and this perspective, it’s a little bit distorted, so she looks larger on the front, and that way the photo looks a little bit more confrontational and more threatening. She’s looking at something outside the photo, at something she’s going to attack. This is the gluttony concept of it.

Talk about the production that goes into a photo like this.
The lighting was pretty dramatic, but it was retouched in Photoshop. The color saturation was all photoshop-made, but the basic colors and basic lighting was actually there. Lots of the shadow were painted on her fingers to make her look more grotesque. On the face, I lost some detail for the sake of shadow, which was a good thing.

Any plans to bring these photos back out?
This exhibition is called Elementum, and I’m trying to get it to have more exposure here in Boston.

In addition to photography, Khaled also does illustration and graphic design. His online portfolio can be found here.

The Migrant Record Release and the Beauty of House Shows by Tara Jayakar

The Best of All Possible Shows: Candide at the Huntington by Amalie Steidley