Art Show Reflection 2

Yesterday I went to see Bonnie Veblen's SMP presentation on her artwork.  First of all, I was deeply impressed with the artwork itself, which I got to look at for a few minutes before her presentation began.  The depth of the detail, maybe not necessarily accurate to the scene itself, but to the painting, and what she was trying to augment was very impressive.  I definitely connected with her when she was talking about how art, for her, is about trying to experience the world anew, to reexamine the beauty that is present all around us, especially in the seemingly mundane or everyday things that we no longer notice.  When she mentioned how children have no problem doing this, and that we are too busy to any longer take notice of these exquisite wonders, it struck me that also, maybe it was because, for the children, these things were not yet mundane, everyday things, that they had not been here long enough to be able to forget to appreciate them.  I also really identified with her answer to one of the questions, which, if I remember correctly, had to do with her mentioning the privateness of the vision that is then manifested on her canvas, and how she reconciles that privateness with sharing it with the rest of the world as a work of art.  She said that she is not trying to keep this vision of hers to herself, but wants other people to understand and appreciate it.  I think this is one of the main reasons and characteristics of art, much less the human experience.  It reminded me of a scene from "Into the Wild", where the hermetic youth is dying of poisonous berries, and jots the note "happiness is real only when shared" in the space between paragraphs of the book he is reading.

Art21 viewings 2

Looking back at the work of Sally Mann, I am struck by her determination in her medium, at least concerning her photography.  I was reminded of Robert Frank's work, in how the "mess-ups" and scars on the photographs are not at all hidden, and truly seem to be on purpose a lot of the time, seeming to add grit and/or some type of authenticity to the photographs.  But Frank did actually have limited resources, at least more so than Sally Mann, whose work is featured in the Smithsonian among others.  But she chooses to shoot in black and white, and not just in black and white, but with a camera modeled after those used in the 1800's, using her hand for a shutter.  At first it would seem as if these choices are just creating unnecessary difficulties and obstacles.  On the one hand though, it probably makes it that much more rewarding when the result a beautiful picture.  And on the other, even if the specific individual scratches and light blots aren't purposefully placed, it definitely seems the methods taken in order to develop the film to appear that way is on purpose.  And the ghostly, ethereal images that are produced are really beautiful. 

I find Mel Chin's work to really inspiring, in the way he intelligently assimilates so many disparate disciplines, as in the case of KNOWMAD.  In doing so, he stretches the notion of what an artist actually is, what an artist makes or does.  I think that even if his "works of art" can't or wouldn't normally be considered as works of art, that there is something very artistic in the very act of asking these questions, of stretching those bounds.  If art is about taking the viewer away, of forcing them to look at something in a new way, then he is doing this.  Not only in his projects, which seem to me to be directed at making the world a better place by bringing attention and aid and art to hurting corners.  And this is to be highly admired whether or not it is art.

I have been out West once before, but when I go again, I will go to the Roden Crater, built by James Turrel.  His work with light is really fascinating to me, like the corridor of light, called "The Light Inside", where the block's of light appear to be solid, but are not.  And of course, the crater, a visionary work, to be able to turn such an empty place, to build a place where light, natural light can be so viewed.  Light itself is such a beautiful phenomenon, and to be able to create such interesting ways to look at it, that in turn allow us to look inwards, and upwards, is inspiring. 

I feel like I can probably relate most closely with Gabriel Orozco, out of this group of artists that we learned about.  I identify with and admire the way he uses any and all mediums not only to give answers, to tell messages, but to ask the questions, so many questions.  Like Mel Chin, sometimes I think that it is in asking the questions that the true art, the true human experience comes through.  I can relate to this exploration and asking because that is where I am right now in life.  Sometimes I feel like I'm not even sure what the question is I'm asking, that I'm trying to answer.  Perhaps by making these works, by exploring these questions through such a cathartic process, one may hope to register the actual questions being asked, and may hope to find the answers.

Reflection on the 4 Levels of Meaning and Little Red Robin Hood

According to William Irwin Thompson, there are, especially in regards to fairy tales, four levels of meaning and understanding that are contained within a story.  He identifies these four levels as: literal, structural, anthropological, and cosmological.  The literal level is exactly what is written on the page, the immediate meanings of the present words, according to the context of the words as a whole group.  In his article he uses the example of the story of Rapunzel.  The structural level gathers patterns between the present words, matching themes and lines, looking for things that repeat or might be related, while still on the literal level.  Here he points out the repeating image of the window, the wall, and the many differing pairs of characters.  The anthropological level is the process of organizing these seeming patterns into a coherent whole, the exploration of alternate story lines contained within the literal words of the story.  Here he analyzes the possible meanings behind the purpose of the name Rapunzel, the significance of the witch, and the importance of the way it is translated from German, where it is closer to "sorceress," as well as the significance behind the different pairs, and how it points to the old matrilineal world in the figure of the sorceress, and the power she has over the different men, as well as the newborn babe.  The cosmological level further expands the possibility of interpretation to the very construction of a world view, pertaining to the relationships between sexes, planets, and different forms of life.  Here he continues his examination of the Rapunzel plant, pointing out that it has the capability of reproducing with solely itself, just as the maiden does in the story.  He goes on to discuss how this could relate to the issues of pregnancy, and then takes Rapunzel as an allegory of the movements of various celestial bodies through the night sky, as seen by those who originally told the story, through their geo-centric orientation.

In regards to the story of Little Red Riding Hood, I'm not sure there is as much to say, of course I never would have guessed there was so much to say about the story Rapunzel.  It was really awesome and impressive actually.

As with most fairy tales, there are multiple versions, as well as translations available, and obviously, many different meanings and understandings can be derived from the stroy simply by which version one chooses.  If one were to take the Brothers Grimm version the discussion might follow as such:

Literal: link to Brother's Grimm Little Red Riding Hood

Structural: I would point out the recurring image of the cap, the one that the girl wears, and the one that the grandmother, and then the wolf wears.  The recurring image of the path as a place of safety and assuredness, straying from the path will bring dire consequences, even if you get flowers first.  Like in Rapunzel, there are several pairs: the mother and daughter, the girl and the wolf, the wolf and the grandmother, the girl and the grandmother, the wolf and the hunter. 

Anthropological: The case of the cap is difficult, because the color of the grandmother's cap is never specified.  However, the red cap of the maiden could very well signify a coming of age, the beginnings of menstruation and the reaching of womanhood.  As this tale was being told in pre-Renaissance Europe, the path could have easily resembled the way of Jesus, or more specifically, the way advocated by the Church, that being purity and avoidance of evil; what that evil is, or was, is another discussion.  The flowers signify the temptations that can lead one farther and farther off the path, from the way.  And this falling away will hurt not only you but those you love.  

Cosmological: Just as the red cap could signify the beginning of womanhood, so does the popping from the wolf's stomach, that was so dark and scary.  And not only does this signify a coming of age, but it implies a new birth, the spring or the dawn.  This makes allusions to the Norse myth of where the sun is swallowed at the end of this age (Ragnarök), to begin the world anew.  In connection with Thompson's analysis of Rapunzel, present here is the triad of the maid, the mother, and the old woman, supporting the matrilineal perspective of the sexual awakening and growth of the woman, as represented in the caps.  In terms of the relationship between the girl and the wolf, it may be interpreted, also from the matrilineal perspective that males are the interlopers, that the wolf is symbolic of a man, predatory man taking advantage of young maids.  In the Grimm's translation the wolf is referred to as an "old sinner" and "greybeard."  

Self Portrait Reflection

I think I usually prefer art that is more along the figurative line, where some things are shown and some are left out, some exaggerated, and so forth.  I think this is more interesting, because it implies a story, a history of how, and possible why the artist views the subject in such a way, and why he should choose to share this version of it with us.  Of course this affects our view of the subject, and perhaps isn't as wise if it is our first encounter with said subject.  But in my experience, I make art concerning things that concern me, things that I have an opinion about, and I usually try to communicate that impression or message through my work.  

Even in the work of photographer of Ansel Adams, who and whose work I think is spectacular, is if not figurative, altered in order to portray the awe with which he views his natural world.  

Then there are times, like in the paintings of early Chuck Close, whose awesome objectiveness and ability to render exact detail is just incredible.  And I think what makes these paintings so awesome is that in his ability to render such fine details, he removes the need to add any type of impression or message of his own.  He simply lets the power in that face, in those eyes, speak for itself.  

As far as my objective portrait goes, I didn't want to simply take one picture of me, straight on, and print it out and paste it on the wall and call it art.  That's not art, and it was boring to me.  I knew I couldn't draw or paint anything like Chuck Close, though before I saw his work I considered myself to be rather good at drawing faces.  I decided to take a picture of my head from each side, except the back, because I couldn't see where my head was in relation to the camera in the computer then.  The idea was that I would be able to combine the three images into one, by blurring the divisions between the different curly sections of hair, to make them appear unified.  To make this work, I later realized I'd need to combine the necks as well, and this makes the image look a little awkward.  However, since it is meant as an objective portrait, there is no real significance behind the unified neck.  It is possible that a viewer, might gather a message anyways, possibly that, figuratively, I look in many directions at once.  

For the subjective portrait, I wanted to totally abandon any outward appearances.  I did construct the symbols in the formation of a head however, in order to identify the picture as a portrait, as well as to communicate the idea that it is these things that combine to form a unified whole: me.  I did retain one outward vestige: the eyes.  Eyes are very important to me, because they are what most honestly express a person's sentiments.  They are unique to the individual, and I think that they, more than anything else, are what give animation to the face. All of the other images included in the subjective portrait were things from my life that are immediately special about and to me.  Obviously I left a lot of important things out, which I may add. 

Digital Pictionary Reflection

I was really excited about the Digital Pictionary project, when I heard about it.  Back when I was at home, my family used to play that a lot.  Of course, when you are playing the game, you want your partner to be able to guess whatever word or concept you are trying to describe through images, so that you can win.  This project was so exciting for me, to be able to try be more ambiguous, and clever. To present a solid stash of information that in context would obviously point to whatever word I was given.  But hopefully, out of context, would be much more unclear.

When I learned that we were supposed to make three different takes on the project, so whoever was guessing would have a wider base off of which to guess, it worried me a little that I wouldn;t be able to make that many.  However, I realized that, though this presented a challenge, it was a very good challenge, and forced me to work and think outside the box.  In the end, I lucked out, with the word "ironic", which, in regards to English and grammar, actually has exactly three different types of manifestation: verbal, situational, and dramatic irony.  This was perfect.

Of course, in trying to represent these three different aspects through images, the lines were no longer so sharp: I could not actually represent verbal irony, truly, without audio.  So I used the picture of the guy with the fingers crossed behind his back, implying a lie.  But then, whoever is looking at the picture knows he is lying, and the guy he is lying to doesn't, and so it becomes dramatic irony.  

It took awhile for concrete ideas to start formulating, but once they started it was easy.  I made the situational irony one first, then the verbal, then the dramatic.  One of the first ideas I had was of the curbside prophet actually witnessing the end, whatever that was.  I couldn't find any suitable picture of one (I looked through a lot of Non Sequitur comics), so I drew one.  After that it was easy to assemble common images from an imagined apocalypse.  Again, my concept for the verbal irony image centered on the fingers crossed behind the back and the silver tongue to signify lying.  Hyperboles are a common form of verbal irony, and so I included the image of the snake that had eaten a horse, rather than just stating "I'm so hungry I could eat a horse!"  The dramatic irony was really simple actually, with the audience watching as the thief snuck up behind the unsuspecting girl.  It was interesting because, in terms of the three images as a group, this one seemed to throw people off the most.  In the background of the third one, was the text "this year?" and then "nope" repeated 8,000 times.  Ideally it would have been able to fit 1,000,000 times, to represent the hyperbole "not in a million years."

Robert Frank Exhibit Reflection

I really enjoyed the visit to the Robert Frank exhibit.  I had heard of his work prior to this class, but I had never actually studied it, or learned about Frank himself.  It was really interesting to learn of his earlier work in Peru, where he began focusing on the people, and the everyday living of the everyday person, rather than the grand scenery or famous monuments, and how these orientations and experiences informed his later work, specifically "The Americans".  I was drawn to his work because of how raw it is, and how simple.  The shots are not set up or conceived at all, but truly spontaneous photography, capturing things that he saw that interested him.  It is amazing how much you can observe and learn about people by just sitting back and watching, and his work exemplifies this for me.  

He is not actually showing us anything new.  He is truly just a passerby, a nobody, and is not taking pictures in places where anybody couldn't go.  He is merely taking the time to point out that those things are there to see, and that maybe they are worth taking second look at.  By taking the time to photograph such "mundane" or "marginalized" things, he is immediately giving them worth, and asking if maybe they should be given more as it is.  This is, I think, why the work has had such lasting affect.  It is easy to forget what you are not looking at.

Another thing that struck me was the way they were not essentially individual pictures, but a group of and groups of pictures.  Rather than immediately hitting you with a message, Frank's or not, (although there were some that did, for me at least), whatever that message was seemed to slowly wash over you as you took in the whole exhibit, or at least the different sections.

Whether it was intentional or not, this seemed to me to imply the grandness perhaps of the human life, these pictures of little, overlooked, everyday places, slowly combining to allow us to form a new vision of America, those little, overlooked, everyday things, making up the essence and foundations of our lives.

It was also really cool to learn that Jack Kerouac wrote the Introduction to the book.  Last semester I read The Dharma Bums and On the Road, both by Kerouac, and this led me to have a deeper admiration for Frank's work, after seeing the way Kerouac appreciated it, myself greatly admiring Kerouac and his opinion.   

Scrap Book 22

I found this light-switch in my hallway, 2nd Dorch left.  It has only looked like this for a few weeks, and I'm not sure of when exactly it was changed, but I would assume that it was a Friday or Saturday night.  First I just noticed it because I wasn't used to a light-switch looking like that.  Then I noticed how the break was nearly straight down the middle, and the symmetrical appearance of the smooth side contrasted with the the gaping naked side reminded me of the story of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, which I actually just read yesterday.  Mr. Hyde describes the persona of Jekyll as the cloak under which he hides to preserve himself from judgment.  If I named this photograph "The Doctor's Mask, Reflecting, Broken, Reveals the Dark Hyding Within" the poetic nature of the title would render the photograph a metaphor, and therefore, art.  But I have not named this photograph in such a way, but merely "Scrapbook 22" and it remains purely objective, and unsentimental.  The light-switch itself is not art, but it is possible for a human being to take virtually anything, and by putting it in a new, strange context, adds a figurative layer of meaning that could manifest his creativity, and/or take the viewer away.

Scrap Book 21

This is a coat hook, to be found on the stall door in the bathroom in Dorch, 2nd left.  It seems to me to resemble a face, and specifically the face of an elephant.  I've been tempted quite a few times to draw ears around the sides.  That of course would have made it art though.  This coat hook is not art, however, because it was designed purely for the purpose of functioning as a coat hook, and was most likely in no way intended to resemble an elephant's head.  It was manufactured in a factory, made by machines, and was not the manifestation of a creative impulse to create of some individual.  The fact that I see it as an elephant head is, from a psychological perspective, due to a process I believe is called projection, the tendency of human being to see patterns or make connections that might not really be there.  

Scrap Book 20

These three marks are found on the floor of the bathroom in Dorch 2nd left.  I was struck by the symmetry of the marks, and the way that they balanced with the congruent tiles.  It seems to me that, even though these marks were assumedly made by totally random processes, their symmetry, for some reason, implies an order, a non-randomness.  And perhaps even more than that, some sort of designer, or sentient being behind the marks, responsible for the symmetry, to account for the coherence of the marks.  But then again, Nature presents us with some of the most beautifully symmetrical, patterned things in the world, and it is usually man's attempt to create such beauty, or at least an ordered pattern of his own, that leads him to adapt these patterns that he finds in the natural world.  They are not always geometrically sound or applicable, and this gives force to the argument that it is all in fact random.  These marks on the floor were assumedly random, and are not exact in their symmetry anyways.  But they are close enough to appear somewhat aesthetically pleasing, which is why I noticed them.

Scrap Book 19

This is a picture of the floor in the hallway of Dorch, 1st left.  The trail of dried blue liquid actually extends all the way down the hall in front of me, and all the way down the hall and all the way up the stairs behind me.  I am not sure what the liquid is, or was, but it reminded me of the paintings I saw of Jackson Pollock's during the museum visit.  The blue is actually a lot easier to see when present in the hallway.  But the trail is very wandering, even down the narrow hallway, it weaves around, sometimes little drips and sometimes bigger ones and sometimes huge splashes like the one in the foreground.  However, even as it winds and weaves, it remains on the white tiles, never touching the blue border tiles.  This seemed very artistic to me, in the simplicity of the materials, how the growing and shrinking drops seemed to imply a narrative, the length of the trail, and the way it remained on the white tiles.  And even though the trail was certainly man-made, this does not inherently imply any intention or design behind it.  I must assume that whatever substance was dripping on the floor was not dripped and wasted on purpose.  If the drips were in fact intentional, then I would definitely consider them to be art, again, in the way of Jackson Pollock.  However, until that intention is known to me, I must believe that the drips were an accident, which would not be art. 

Scrap Book 18

This is the RA bulletin board in Dorch second left.  This is what it looked like Saturday morning, whereas on Friday afternoon, it had been covered in papers talking about political issues such as illegal immigration, abortion, and such things.  Assumedly, this was the quasi-intentional work of a few people having a good time.  I'm sure there are movements in art that center on themes of reduction and maybe even destruction, such as this is an example of.  But again, the intention, to me, is all important.  I can look at this bulletin board and see art, project an image onto it by forming patterns between the little white bits of paper and the huge brown gash sliding through the black.  But that does not mean it is a work of art.  A work of art requires an artist, an artist who creates or changes the appearance of his media in order to convey a thought or emotion, or any other sentiment.  I of course do not know for sure, but I would assume that whoever tore down the bulletin board was not intending to make art, but rather just destroy.  Because that is fun sometimes.

Artist 11

This is an image from the Electronic Disturbance Theater, an internet based group that organizes large scale protests in support of the Zapatista movement in Chiapas, Mexico, following in the example of the sit-ins of the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960's.  They are not able to make their presence so immediately physical, and so several figurative measures have been taken to allow these electronic methods to hit just as hard.  When the participants run the "bad URLs" on the targeted web sites, whoever is trying to log in on the other end (whether that be the President of Mexico, etc.) is presented with the name of one of the innocents killed during the massacre in the village of Acteal, as well as the site possibly overloading, or at least loading extremely slowly.  I was very drawn to this mission, and the work that this group does. I am very interested in issues of human rights, and methods of protest and so forth.  However, if this group were not present on the list of New Media Artists, I would probably label them as an activist group, which they surely still are, but not an artist or group directed at creating art.  There definitely seems to be an art in the act of organizing the protests and properly executing their objectives.  And the manifestations of those objectives and aspirations would be the realization of the dignity due to all humans.  And that would surely be a beautiful, moving thing.  It seems to me that this is actually beyond art.  This is a question of the human experience, of life.  Art is the description of a message, a vision, of what that life should or may or did look like.  Well, perhaps then the EDT is truly creating art.  A fluid and somewhat intangible, ever changing work of art, that definitely takes us away.

Artist 10

This is a still from one of the animation projects that artist Vuk Cosic created using ASCII, adapting the screenplays from select films into black and green pictures made up of numbers and letters moving rapidly across the screen.  I think this is a pretty cool concept, because it inherently forces a new perspective on the film, whether that be ambiguity or something else.  This is exemplified in the image to the right.  Without the context of the rest of the film, it is almost impossible to decipher what is going on in the still frame. 

In the New Media Art article the pointlessness of the ASCII format is repeatedly referred to, and I'm not sure what he means when he says his experiments with ASCII are carefully directed at their full uselessness from the viewpoint of everyday high tech and all its consequences.  I don't know how to go about adapting film into ASCII format, but I imagine that it is not that easy, or else I think he would have done more than five films so far.  And if this takes that much work, than why do it if one's view of of it is that it is pointless and purposeless.  This seems contrary to the whole point of art to me, that one creates art because one is driven to build, to create, and this inspiration is a purpose in itself, much less whatever kind of message that that creation emits.  Perhaps that message in regards to Cosic's art is purposelessness. 

Artist 9

This is the title page image for the project "Brandon", created by Shu Lea Cheang, in memory of, and in contemplation of Teena Brandon, sometime known as Brandon, who was raped and killed in 1993 for posing as a man.  Through the simple, black and white imagery, the rather short loop grabs at the essence of Brandon's story, biologically a woman, but identifying more closely with the female gender.  Without the context of Brandon's story, the image becomes much more ambiguous, and could be taken for many different things than it was intended to mean originally.  However, to a certain extent this even furthers the whole mystery and ambiguity that is gender.  By making the transformation in the animation so fluid, it seems that Cheang is implying that the divisions between genders are not as formidable as popular culture has had it in the past, and usually still does have it.  

Scrap Book 17

It's kind of hard to decipher what is written on this white board (located in Dorch 2nd left).  I'm pretty sure that "SAVE ROY D" was recently erased from the board.  Now, at first glance, the blue markings on the board seem to form some sort of abstract and ambiguous shape.  The marks were made by human hands, and were blurred and abstracted by human hands.  However, this was not part of creative experience, and as far as I can tell, there was no manner of artistic inspiration that induced the marks to be made on the board.  They, and whoever made the marks, are protesting whatever happened to Roy, after an incident I think occurred last semester.  This slogan has turned up on boards and posters all over Dorchester.  I noticed these markings because at first I could not tell what they had said, and the blurred marks looked cool and interesting to me.  After going through the museum of modern art last week, and seeing some of the things that they were displaying as art, I'm sure that this could be considered as such.  However, I don't think I would agree with that conclusion.  At least the displays in the museum were intended as art.  I doubt that when whoever wrote "SAVE ROY D" on the board they were intending it to be a work of art.  I think this in itself removes the possibility of something being art.  If it was not intended as art, then placing it in the art category is marring its identity I think.  Whatever that identity is.

Scrap Book 16

This is a picture of the tiles on the floor one step outside of my dorm room in 2nd left Dorchester.  The yellowish blob in the lower left corner of the picture is a crushed goldfish that actually managed to stay in that very place for over a week, till one day it was gone.  I noticed it because the contrast between the blue tiles and the yellow crumbs seemed rather artistic to me, and the picture captures that contrast pretty well I think (minus the glare from the ceiling light of course).  Of course, the fish was there by total accident, assumedly, someone dropped, coming or going, and its presence there was not the result of any creative process.  Even though it did fall nearly equidistant from the perpendicular blue tiles, using them as a sort of frame, as creating a very modern art image.  Again, after seeing some of the things in the Modern Art Gallery last Thursday, a painting of this photograph could surely be considered art.  But as far as this scrapbook entry goes, I am solely concerned with the fish itself.  And the fish itself was placed there by accident, was crushed by accident (i know this for a fact), and swept away because it was trash.  The trash itself is not art, but art can be created out of it.  Depending on where you put it, and how you look at it, you can make it art.  But then it is your material that you are using for your artistic creation.  The paint itself is not art, the picture you create with the paint is.

Scrap Book 15

I happened upon this decrepit car while frisbee golfing in Seneca Park, Gaithersburg, MD.  It is almost entirely covered in rust, and the leather on the seats has completely disappeared, along with the items on the dashboard and so forth.  However, the engine remains, fully present, and again, totally decrepit.  I actually found the car because my frisbee actually went into the engine compartment, as the hood has slid partly off the front, as you may be able to tell.  Yes, it was a horrible throw.  Anyways, that's how I found the car.  As far as art goes, I would not consider the car, at least in its present state, to be a work of art.  Perhaps at one time, newly manufactured in some long forgotten year, the car was truly a thing of beauty, and the craftsmanship could have been held above mere functionality, and it could have been art.  But now it has endured countless years of oxidation, and though a fascinating specimen, that might truly "take us away" in our wondering about what it used to be, and how it came to be there.  But as far as I know, this car that I found was not the manifestation of any creative process.  I think maybe the very photograph could be considered art, but not the car itself.  Rather than a process of creation, it is the manifestation of neglect and decay.  I could certainly see it in a historical museum, but not an art museum.  

Scrap Book 14

 This is a guitar string that I actually found in the trash can in my dorm room.  It caught my attention, because, as a guitar player, I have a tough time not considering the strings of a guitar to be works of art.  However, according to the definition of art that I have been espousing through these entries, a guitar string is not in fact a work of art.  I may in fact be wrong, because I have never met anyone who makes guitar strings, and am ignorant to the process of how they are actually made.  But it seems to me that guitar string are analogous with paint brushes, in regards to music and painting, respectively.  Is a paint brush a work of art? Or is it the instrument that allows one to more effectively create those works of art?  This is difficult territory, when it comes to craftsmanship and the making of tools and such things.  I think many of these said craftsmen would quite understandably argue that the tools they make are in fact works of art.  And I believe I would agree with them that the tools they make are tangible manifestations of a creative force working uniquely through each individual.  However, the tools themselves do not take you away, they do not inherently inspire.  They are the means by which one can execute an inspiration, and paint a song that can take you away. 

Scrap Book 13

 These are a bunch of shells that I collected on the beach directly across the water from The Point.  We went kayaking and just started picking up shells and rocks that looked cool. My favorite one is probably the one in the lower right corner, which is a triangular rock with different stripes of color, ranging from red to dark brown to a yellowish shade.  I think, at least for me, I don't usually even think about shells unless I'm at the beach, and so unless I'm involved in that environment, these shells and rocks become insignificant.  However, once at the beach, especially one so filled with rocks and shells (there was little actual sand), it becomes almost natural for me to start skipping rocks, and collecting cool rocks and shells.  These are not art because they are not the result of human craftsmanship.  They are the result of countless years being washed and beaten by the sea and the various shores they have washed upon.  They are certainly beautiful, and may have the capacity to take us away from here, but they are not the tangible manifestation of a creative force working uniquely through an individual human, or group of humans.  However, the fact that these shells and rocks are not art does not take away from the fact that they may be very important to our lives: I do not know as much about climate change as I should like, but it wouldn't seem too far fetched to me to say that such shells and rocks could possibly be indicators of such climate change.  

Artist 8

This is an image from the project UMBRELLA.net, created by Jonah Brucker-Cohen and Katherine Moriwaki.  The concept was to visually represent the technological networks established by cell phones in everyday life.  Umbrellas seem to have been one of the original inspirers for the project, and so they have been incorporated as an important part of the project.  The blue umbrellas represent those individuals who are connected to the umbrella network, while those with red umbrellas remain isolated.  The image itself is interesting to me, because the huge gray backdrop makes the people and their umbrellas seem very small.  It seems to me they are commenting on the way that technology is changing the way people interact, at least those with such pervasive access to technology, just as the Frontline documentary we watched earlier in the semester did.  Perhaps the huge gray backdrop signifies that these technological connections are very important, so we will not be left alone in that empty gray world.  Or perhaps it means that we are in fact isolating ourselves, collectively, from the world and each other, and with our increasing dependence on technology, the world outside is fading.  The questions relating to the pros and cons of technology are deeply interesting to me, and I appreciate the questions UMBRELLA. net is asking.

Artist 7

Natalie Jeremijenko uses various mediums, though mostly computer-related, it seems, to address the issues of climate change and the need to act in order to preserve the earth.  The image to the left is a computer desktop she developed called A-Trees, alluding to the conventional term for artificial life, which is A- Life.  Based on a reciprocating algorithm, the tree "grows" on the screen, depending on the input from a carbon-dioxide meter, which measures the level of CO2 in the immediate vicinity.  Her other projects include a program called Stump that prints out a cross-section of a tree's stump when the amount of paper used by the printer amounts to that area of tree in pulp, as well as a project called Tree Logic, which s a display of six trees hanging upside down outside of MASS MoCa. Apparently they collect sap from the trees.  I think the motivation behind her work is awesome, and I admire the creativity with which she was able to manifest those motivations, especially the desktop one.  I was drawn to her work because I agree strongly with the notion that action must be taken to preserve our planet.  She is furthering these questions and debates by simply drawing attention to it in a new way.  In terms of objectivity and subjectivity, I think hr artwork mostly pertains to the objective.  The desktop tree is about as possibly accurate as digital imaging can get, and the stump images are not enhanced or anything, merely just a basic printout of that image.  And those trees are just trees.  What makes these things so powerful is not the accuracy with which they are portrayed, but the new, sometimes strange manner in which these factual images are presented.  And this gives them a subjective quality, which allows Natalie to convey her message.

Scrap Book 12

It is interesting to me that such beauty would not be called a work of art, under the definition that I have been using thus far in my scrapbook entries.  The beauty of the Earth itself was not created or built by humans, nor was it the manifestation of an inspired human heart.  There are many who would say that it is the greatest work of art of all, created by an omnipotent Being who sought to share his wondrous creation with us, humans.  However, my definition only includes those works of inspiration created by human hands and human will power.  This does not in any way conflict with an ideology that the earth is the wondrous creation of an omnipotent Being.  It merely removes the claim of earth as art, due to the fact that God's hands are not human hands.  Art, I think is a very human thing, because, in my experiences, we create art in order to transcend our mortal bonds, in an attempt to create something lasting and true.  If God is an everlasting and infinite Being, than I do not see how there could be any drive to rise above weakness and mortality.  

This photograph itself, on the other hand, may be called artistic.  I took this picture on the path to the Campus Center.  For its symmetry and the contrast between the light and dark shades, it has many commonly artistic qualities.  

Scrap Book 11

I found this interesting mark on the wall in one of the practice piano rooms downstairs in Monty.  I first noticed it because it was a stark break in the monotonous pattern covering all other space on the wall.  The whole wall is covered in tiny holes, and suddenly there is a crack, drawing a line between two rows of holes, at once separating them from themselves, and uniting them in individuality from the rest of the wall.  I don't know how this crack came to be in the wall as it is, however I find no reason to believe that this crack was intentionally man-made.  Perhaps if Andy Warhol or Picasso had created a painting full of repeating dots, and like on the wall, drew a line through a few of them, then such a painting could definitely be called art, due to the name of the painter, and due to the poetic significance in the unison of "us" against "them".  Because these are in fact merely holes and a crack in the wall, they are not art.  Though, in truth, they do stand out against the rest of the wall, I probably would not have noticed them if I had not been looking for things that were not art.

Artist 6

The above image is taken from a project called "Bust Down The Doors Again! The Gates of Hell Victoria Version", which was created by Young-Hae Chang Heavy Industries. Young-Hae Chang Industries is comprised of two artists, Young-Hae Chang and Marc Voge, who use the Flash program to tell stories set to jazz music. These stories are words that fly across the screen, or merely change position rapidly. Initially it seems that it is a one way experience, but because the words move so fast, the viewer is drawn in, by the mere effort of attempting to read the words. I myself watched the project called "The Struggle Continues" which shouted the idea that we must throw out all inhibitions and just embrace Love in all of its varied and wonderful forms. The expose was presented in simple, black, bold letters, on a plain white background, though sometimes the background was black and the words were white. The way the worods synced with the music was really cool too. This is unlike any of the other "art" that I have explored through this site, but I think I would actually consider this to be art. It is definitely inspiring, and encourages the viewer to come away from there. In terms of the tangible manifestation of a creative force working uniquely through the individual, I think these projects are definitely thr result of an inspiration, to reject the vices they find in the world around them, and encourage other to join them. And this inspiration manifests itself in visual and sonic projects that I would like to call art.

link to the page

Mike V Pictionary

Scrap Book 10

This was an awesome icicle located on one of the lower branches of the eucalyptus tree standing in outside the Campus Center between the two arches.  Obviously, the icicles have since melted, but on Monday and Sunday virtually the whole tree was encased in ice.  It was quite a spectacle, and quite moving.  One might even say that it "took you away from here", for its creatively inspirational qualities.  If a man sculpted something that looked like this, perhaps even a statue based on this very formation, it might be called a great work of art.  However, this awesome formation of frozen particles was created by forces of the natural world, totally free of any direct interference by a human, except perhaps whoever planted that tree there.  If a work of art is the tangible manifestation of a creative force working uniquely through each individual human being, than an entity created by a purely natural force, such as the weather, cannot be considered art. 

Artist 6

John F. Simon, Jr. uses computer programming and software code as a medium to explore the possibilities of visual expression and, actually it ends up being a kind of storytelling. The image to the right is taken from his "A Life" project.  The six orbs are constantly changing, fed by the program he created, following a certain progression that "models the emergent, recombinant processes of living evolutionary systems."  I thought it was really cool how he doesn't really go into it with a solid conception of what he's going to create, but instead just just a general idea of direction.  And, he says, more often than not, he, or the code, does something unexpected, and this too is incorporated into the finished code.  In my experience with art, especially in the musical vein, I have had this happen many times - where I've been working on song, but then may just begin jamming to the general tune that I already had, and all of a sudden I had three really cool parts to the song, and needed to figure out some way to incorporate them into the finished thing.  I think there is a certain freedom in approaching art like that, not to have a rigid conception of what was going to be, but letting the art come out of itself, and maybe changing some things eventually - I find that to be more honest than constraining oneself. 

Scrap Book 9

This photo was a actually taken by my friend Steve Sheridan, down on the water, somewhere near the Point.  The only manmade structure in this photo are the wooden posts located at the center of the photo, which have since been put to use as a nest for a seagull family, presumably.  I think the original objective of the posts was to alert passing boats of shallow water.  The posts in themselves, and everything else in the picture, for one reason or another, should not be considered art.  The posts because they were placed for functionality and not for creativity.  Everything else in the photo is of the natural world, and so could not be a work of art.  However, the photograph itself, is very artistic, in the way the branches frame the posts and nest, and the symmetrical reflection of the posts on the water.  

Artist 5

This is an image from the "Sensorium" project.  This seems to be a collaborative group based in Japan whose mission it is to "expand the potential of the internet as a circuit for sensing the living world."  This particular image is part of their "Breathing Earth" project which contemplates the Earth as more a living, interactive, relevant entity than we sometimes remember to be aware of.  This image portrays any and all seismic activity in most of the western hemisphere from March 14 1998 to March 27 1998.  The dates or on the bottom of the image.  The bubbles represent the actual incidents, and the sizes of the bubbles indicates severity of the incident.  The information was gathered from the International Database Center or IDC, and two days are represented within each second.  Under the definition that art is the tangible manifestation of a creative process, I don't know if this image would be considered art.  It seems to me to be more documentation than anything.  However, if one goes with the definition that art is something that provides inspiration for the receiver, the art is something that "takes you away from here", then I think this should count as art.  For it calls ones awareness to the power of the Earth and how small we really are.  And we are inspired by this project to become so aware, and therefore it is a creative human being that is inspiring us.  It is on purpose, and so is a work of art.

Scrap Book 8

The primary object in this photograph is the chain mechanism, rotating on the two wheels with protruding teeth.  Most likely this contraption was constructed in a factory, by machines.  The design perhaps, originally, was a work of art, a vision that enabled one man to forever change the world of transportation.  But is a coy of the Mona Lisa printed out on a piece of computer paper a work of art?  Or is it that when we consider the Mona Lisa, and contemplating that computer printout as a work of art, though our language may be understood to refer to the paper in front of us.  However, I believe we are in fact referring to the actual painting itself, and merely using this copy as a reference point, a vantage point.  But in essence, the copy is still just a copy, not in itself a work of art.  In this way I think the bike chain is not a work of art.

Scrap Book 7

This picture should actually be rotated 90 degrees to the right.  It is a crack stretching all the way across the road in front of Montgomery Hall.  It is not the result of any creative process, any force compelling an inspired individual to manifest a sentiment in some tangible medium.  It is the result of years of rain and ice and snow, fluctuations in weather, of hot and cold, stretching the pavement, thinning it, ice freezing and expanding, forcing a gap to form.  It was not on purpose, it is merely the result of passing time.  More likely than not, if a few years the crack will have grown, and then they'll have to replace the pavement.  The crack is only there because we have yet to develop a more effective way of paving roads.   

After Life Reflection

When I think about this film, all I come out with are questions.  Questions like, okay they're here now, but then they leave? Well, where do they go then? And where the heck did all those video tapes come from? And are the camera men and movie production people dead? Where do they come from?  When the girl goes walking in the city, is she invisible to the other "live" citizens?  And what about that sky hole in the hallway?  One day there's snow falling through the open hole, and another day the moon is painted on a hole cover that a weird old man suddenly lifts off, and receives no surprise from the girl?

I thought it was really interesting, and clever in terms of plot line, that those who could not choose a memory, or chose not to choose a memory, were the ones who facilitated the recording of the memories for the newly dead.  

I also really admired the way so much was said without any dialogue, or even music (brooding music when something bad is about to happen; swells of strings when you're supposed to cry) that are such cues in western movies.  So much was said simply through body language, in subtle facial expressions, and in the girl's anger on the snow covered roof.  This was especially prominent in the relationship between the girl and the guy who ends up leaving at the end, having chosen his memory.

And that brought up another interesting thing: well, one has memories after one dies?  And if that memory is all that one has afterwards, can one also remember all of their lives up to that point, for back when they were alive, at that moment, they could recall most of their lives surely?  Or is it merely that one instant and nothing more?  

That seems like it would be a bleak heaven, if that's in fact where they are going.  Although, if one is like that one gentleman, to be able to forget truly would be heaven.

Scrap Book 6

These are divots in the island in front of Dorchester.  I'm pretty sure that they were made by some type of tractor, in order to turn the ground in preparation for the arrival of springtime.  The divots are definitely made in a series of straight lines, and were probably executed systematically.  Again, like the brick laying, there is probably an art, a certain talent that allows one to most efficiently ad effectively turn the earth.  However, these lines of divots, like the brick wall, is not a work of art, because the work was performed in order to execute a job, not the manifestation of a creative process.  Perhaps if the tractor driver had taken the liberty to make some sort of design, abstract or anything, these series of divots could be considered art.  Maybe, my picture, if taken from a more unique angle, and given some poetic name, could be considered art in some circles.  However, still, the actual divots themselves are still just divots, made in order to produce greener grass on the island, made because someone told someone else to make them so that they could get paid.  A job, not a work of art.

Scrap Book 5

Especially here St. Mary's, we have the privilege of seeing bricks everywhere, and they are commonplace and sort of un-extraordinary because of it.  When we observe a good work of art, it is inspiring, as before, it "gets us out of here."  Can overexposure to a medium or a work remove the inspiring force that is present in said work? Yes, as is true of many things in life.  However, does that mean it is not art anymore? No, because the work itself still retains its ability to inspire, even if we are no longer receptive to it.  The difference between this section of brick wall and a work of art is purpose.  Whoever built this wall was working to construct a solid and safe shelter, inside which students at the college might practice their dance steps or something in the dance studio.  In truth, there is most definitely an art to brick laying, and in the act of constructing this strong and safe wall, but the wall in the end, is a wall.

Artist 4

Keith and Mendi Obadike have been creating a certain brand or interactive web-art for a number of years now.  The graphic to the left is an image from their web-game titled "The Pink of Stealth - The Fox Hunt".  According to the description given by the New Media Art link, the work focuses on and investigates issues and questions of race, age, gender, and sexuality.  They do this by weaving simple story lines through a complex combination of the web-based game, hypertext, and an audio mix.  When I visited the site, in order to see actually what it had to offer, I'm not sure I quite understood it.  I think perhaps my computer is not equipped with some of the correct technologies, in order to be able to view some of the aspects of the site.  What I was able to view on the site was the artist's explanation of what they were trying to do through their website, and I was also able to play the game.  Although the description of the game given on New Media Art implied a lot more going on than I saw.  As far as I could tell the trio of the horse and rider, the fox, and the hound progressed right, across the screen endlessly, passing pond, den, pond, den, etc.  If I clicked on the dog, he bit the fox, and the points for "unspeakable" increased by 20.  If I clicked on the fox, he seemed to become invisible, and when he came to a den he went inside, or at the water he was impervious, and "uneatable" gained 20 points.  This seemed to go on endlessly, and I did not see any hypertext floating across the screen as the description implied their would.  I think the idea behind Keith and Mendi Obadike's work is very interesting and important, because the questions raised in these issues is still extremely relevant.  However, I was less than satisfied with what I actually found at the website. link to the website

Reflection on the 20 Lines

It was interesting to think about each individual line communicating a meaning or a sentiment simply through its color and and its "personality." I tried to mix it up and experiment with different colors, and the sentiments of the individual lines by varying the line length and the speed with which I drew these lines.  Even still afterwards it seemed that the lines all seemed rather similar.  I noticed the same thing about quite a few of the other papers on the wall.  A lot of the "B"'s seemed to be congregated around smooth, soft, and mostly thicker lines.  This was interesting because, for me too, these stood out the most usually on the papers - also, these larger, softer lines tended to have brighter, happier colors, which made them more noticeable as well.  The "F"'s seemed to follow the same general guidelines, being attracted to the brighter, more noticeable lines.  However, whereas the "B"s tended to be single direction lines, the "F"s seemed to be more like individual designs within themselves.  i put my "F" next what seemed to be a spider web.  The "NT"s were definitely the most diverse.  It seemed to me that the concept of what was actually traditional was uncertain, at least in regards to this scenario, and so everybody interpreted it differently.  

Artist 3

0100101110101101.ORG is an artistic duo made up of Franco Birkut and Eva Mattes.  Their "artwork" all seems to be geared to the goal of removing the need for privacy that is so prevalent in human society.  And they seek to inspire the world to this destination by providing an extreme example in themselves.  From 2000 to 2003, they programmed their computers to display everything that happened on their computers on their website.  They completely exposed themselves and any and all personal or "private" information to the public, for them to take it and use it as they will.  I think this is all a very interesting proposition, and their work asks a few very serious and probing questions that should be answered.  Most likely answers will differ depending on the individual.  However, I don't know if I can consider this art.  Their is no creation here.  What is the actual "work" of art? A three year long progression of information across a computer screen? It seems to me its more of an expression of principle, an experiment of lifestyle.  And like I said these questions it asks are very interesting.  I think though that I would disagree with them again.  I concede that privacy to an extreme will inherently be harmful, because doubt will lead to many misunderstandings if people are not open with each other.  But we are individuals.  Intelligent beings, with unique psyches all our own, and an extreme in this direction, of utter nakedness, I think should lead to problems as well.  As in many things, I think moderation is the best road.

Scrap Book 4

Well at first it drew my attention because it is a bright red neon sign staring me in the face every time I walk down the hall to exit Dorchester.  Then I noticed it because I realized that, well, I don't think I would call it a work of art.  Though it is the tangible manifestation of an individual's hard work, his inspiration to build this object, I do not think it's art.  Every individual is unique, and so this force of inspiration, that compels the individual to create this work, works through each individual in a unique way.  And so an individuals work, to be called art, will be totally and truly his, perhaps with great influence from another source.  But in some way, he will be able claim it as his work, the work of his laboring hands, as well as the work of his creative mind.  

I do not know how many exit signs are in the world, but I know that there are two in my hallway alone, and besides that one is red and one green, they are completely identical.  Such entities have been made in the millions, all alike, so that they are uniform in their message.  The man who built this did not use any originality, and thus it is not art.  Most likely, they are no longer built by men, but rather by machines.  Even if it is not art, these exit signs are actually very important to the safety of individuals in our society.  Though we probably don't notice them half the time, because they are everywhere, it seems that in time of distress or danger they could become extremely helpful to survival, if thats the case.  

Scrap Book 3

I noticed this crack the ceiling while walking down the hall to my dorm, which is in Dorch, second left.  I noticed it because it just seemed so random really, because the people who constructed the dorm and installed the ceiling tiles probably did not intend for there to be a nondescript gash in the ceiling tile.  Rather, if the crack is not the result of time merely wearing away at the building, it was probably the work of an inebriated individual having fun.  I think most people walking down the hall would probably not notice such a trivial thing, and really I mostly noticed it because I was looking for things to photograph.  But I think that unless the crack either got a lot longer, or became dark and convex, as if swelling up with water, people would tend not to notice.  I don't know what the purpose of the little brown lines in the blank white slates are, but as far as I can tell they have no aesthetic value, and are just meant to be plain.  The crack, since it is most likely the result of time, and wear and tear, and is not the creation of any inspired individual, is not art.  

Growing Up Online - in response to

I think that social networking has not actually changed that much since the advent of MySpace and Facebook.  Before such phenomena, social networking, through technology, extended to phone calls and emails and fax machines.  These were used to contact friends and acquaintances, send information, and perform tasks that had previously been carried out all on paper.  Really, MySpace and Facebook could be seen as the next logical step in this progression.  For that is what it is.  It is not a break from the way things were done, it is merely the result of the incorporation of newer, more advanced technology.  This new technology has made these previously difficult process of exchanging information a breeze, extending the possibilities and creating a more immediate experience for those using these technologies.  Thus, we have virtual worlds.

Friend: It gives you a personal web page where you can basically put however much or little information you want about yourself. Mostly its a way to be able to connect with people, especially people you don't see everyday, like friends who went to a different college or something.

Parents: Its just a really convenient way to be able to talk with friends not going to college; to be able to stay somewhat in touch with them, its good.  And its safe, too, you can set it up so that no one can see your information without you accepting their "friend request."  

Grandparents: It allows me to talk with friends far away, to maintain that contact.  Haha, the world is still getting smaller.

Teen from the 50's: Imagine that chick you dig, right, the one from up town, goes away to college in like California or something, k?  Now imagine that you could still talk to her, every night even, if you wanted to, and she wanted to.  You wouldn't be able to hear her voice, but you would send her a note and she'd see it immediately, and then write back! And she would able to read your handwriting too haha. cool eh? 

Obviously Facebook compartmentalizes the way one displays images and/or info on the page, but that because it is basically a template.  I think this is a good thing, personally, just because it makes the exchange of that information more efficient and effective, because everyone's page is constructed the same.  I think if one wished to alter the design of the page then they should probably make their own actual page.  

Marshall McLuhan's statement that "medium is the message", in regards to a Facebook page, is implying, if I understand it correctly, that this phenomena of social networking through the world wide web will have similar consequences, regardless of the information/images that are or aren't displayed.  For the essence of McLuhan's argument is that it is not what you present but how you present it that makes all the difference.  Now, this has also been said in terms of quality: obviously something will have a different impact depending on the level of professionalism that is put into the work.  But McLuhan is referring specifically to the medium, whether it be film, paper, online, as the ultimate decider of the type of influence whatever is being presented will have.  For example, because communication through Facebook is so relatively immediate, language has been adapted to suit that speed, and thus we have btw, lol, brb, etc.  Not only is the actual communication immediate, but so is the accessibility of the information: birthday, school, favorite bands, email, and everything like that.  This makes everything very open.  Which is interesting because, at least in the documentary, many parents feel that as threatening, a sort of nakedness, if taken too far.  I think if these parents have grounds to argue that point, it is in the proliferation of images and pictures.  These are highly accessible, at least to accepted friends, and in some cases document far-reaching details into the individual's life.  However, in my experience, this openness seems to be largely confined to the web, and the traditional western standard of personal space and everything like that is very much still alive. 

Scrap Book 2

Art is the tangible manifestation of a creative force working in a unique way through each individual.  The purpose of art is to take us away from here.  And usually this means by inspiring us through stimulation of the visual and auditory senses.  If these claims are true, then this electrical box and pole are not to be considered art.  

The only purpose of this electrical box, located next to the path behind Dorchester is to allow an electrician access to the underground wires and cables providing Dorchester with electricity.  They are an essential piece to the functionality of the mechanism.  However, if it was not essential, and maintenance of the cables could be performed some other way, then this electrical would probably be done away with.  In essence, it is only there because it needs to be, not because someone was inspired to put it there.  And as far as I can tell the pole serves absolutely no purpose, except possibly to support the box, which seems to be leaning.  They are not meant to attract attention and are supposed to be and stay out of the way.  

They were not the manifestation of any inspiration, but out of necessity.  And they take us nowhere, rather, they try to avoid our awareness.  But their unforeseen inclusion in the frisbee golf course, they would do so very well.

Scrap Book 1

This is a photograph of a piece of gum that is who knows how old, and its been repeatedly smashed into the pavement out behind Dorchester.  I didn't really know what to look for, in order to find something that wasn't art.  Lately we have been talking about what art actually is, and this seems ingenious, to declare what is not art in order to able to more closely analyze what we could consider as art.  However, as we have been discussing what art actually is, I keep being drawn to the idea that anything, really, could be considered art.  Because if art is the tangible manifestation of a creative force working uniquely through each individual... well that covers a lot of ground.  When I saw the piece of gum, I realized that this was a perfect example of what art was not.  This piece of gum had been used to give pleasure to the chewer, and when the sad piece of gum lost its flavor, it was discarded and forgotten.  This thing is not a work of art, but a work of habituation.  You like the taste of gum, you chew it, it loses its flavor, you spit it out, you forget it.  Nobody would notice if that piece of gum just disappeared, because it is meaningless.  And art is not meaningless. 

OPUS - RAQs Media Collective

RAQs Media Collective is not the work of one or even a group of artists, but rather it is a community of artists and critics, all participating in a communal growth project.  As described in the New Media Art Wiki, it is sort of a Utopian experience.  Artists submit their work, and other artists are free to view, critique, and adjust, or appropriate these works in order to further their own works.  The hindrances of licensing and such have been done away with, and everyone is free to everything submitted.  The creators of OPUS describe it in a genetic metaphor, where the original artwork is the parent, and when the original has been adjusted to produce a child, it not a defacement or anything negative, but a new manifestation, its own work, that indeed drew some of its material from the parent.  In truth, I think this pretty much what has been happening in art since the beginning of time, since the beginning of artistic expression in humanity.  But I think this site has great potential, because it provides an outlet for often amateur and less connected artists, and an extremely direct way to be exposed to the work of peers, of fellow artists, creating a community where everyone can benefit from the communal interaction.  If Art is about sharing ones personal vision with the world, then there should be no selfishness inherent in that, for the creation of Art is the ultimate act of sharing oneself with the world.  This is a brilliant example of this principle, and I hope it inspires more forums that perform similar functions. link to the site

The Purpose of Art

Earlier in the semester we were contemplating what art actually is.  It seems that to define the purpose of art is to contemplate the same question, almost.  Yet for some reason, this one does not seem as complicated.  However, if we can adequately identify what the purpose of art is, we could apply that answer to the actual identity, and perhaps move in the direction of finding a definition for art.  In his article "What is Art For?", Mr. Waldemar Januszczak declares that the purpose of art is to "get us out of here", to transport one from his comfortable, habitual state of being.  To ask a question that may not change his outlook on life, but may indeed force him to reconsider his stance on that outlook, thus making him more sure of himself.  I like this definition, however, I would also include what I mentioned in the above entry: that art is a force working through the individual that manifests itself in a tangible subject.  This subject or object, no matter how abstract, asks the viewer a question, tells a story, does something very unexpected, and in doing so "gets us out of here."

Art21 viewings

After watching the mini-documentaries on these varied artists, I came much closer to a conclusion that I think I've been approaching for a while: that everyone is an artist, and art is a force that manifests itself in aesthetic and more or less tangible form; that rather than just the manifestation, it is the force. And this force courses through the individual who creates these pieces.  Thus the extremely varied takes and choices, the myriad works of what we call art.  For example, Vija Celmins is a painter who paints often repetitive scenes, often from nature, and many times over.  In the documentary she claims to have painted a shot of the night sky, with each and every star, about ten times or so.  She finds a challenge in the level of accuracy she can reach in her paintings.  I know that I'd probably soon go mad taking on a piece like that.  But she is compelled to paint these paintings, and this force inspires her.  Elizabeth Murray, also a painter, takes an almost opposite approach.  She begins with a vague sketch in her book, which is then made into a three dimensional composite of shapes.  It seems that the shapes retain their shape for the most part.  However, she seems to have little idea of how the shapes will be painted.  She just keeps painting it, changing it and changing until she reaches some sort of satisfaction and it's done, and the force compelling her to paint is sated.  Anne Hamilton works in the medium of cloth and film.  I really liked the analogy she drew about the cloth, that even when it is a giant woven fabric, you can still pick out each individual thread, and they are united.  I find her work to be especially poetic, as in the Myein installation in 1999 in the US Pavilion for the Venice bicentennial.  Each of her pieces tells a story, and even from piece to piece, this force of inspiration finds a different pathway through her heart.  Bruce Nauman seems to defy any categorization, in the conventional way, for he too seems to do whatever he may feel.  But that in and of itself is an expression of his soul, a manifestation of some unknown force inside.  Matthew Barney works primarily with film, and these films that he's made actually all flow into each other, and are all part of the same master work.  They are extremely strange, and extremely poetic, and an extremely unique vision all his own, that he is sharing with the world, through the manifestation of his art.

Reading In-Class Images

Today in class we analyzed sets of six pieces, each group united by a common theme.  At first these themes were not so apparent, given the very wide range of styles and mediums that the different pieces used.  However, then it became clear that the messages of the individual pieces shared ideas with each other.  The six pieces in my groups set all commented on the state of pop culture and the western world.  In terms of mediums, these pieces ranged from late 19th Century paintings: The Scream, by Edvard Munch, to a still from the music video for Madonna's song Material Girl, which was in itself an appropriation of a scene from a Marilyn Monroe film as she sings Diamonds Are A Girls Best Friend.  And this was also a common theme within my set, for besides The Scream, each piece made acute and/or obtuse references to another famous piece of artwork, to further the message of the piece: one of the other pieces was a mural depicting 20th Century martyrs who had died fighting for their cause, all sitting around a long white table, as the Last Supper is commonly depicted. 

week 2: artist 1

This is a work by Wolfgang Staehle. It depicts the destruction of the WTC in 2001 in four sequenced photographs.  It progresses from a sky blue city-scape with the Towers holding sway over the skyline.  By the end of the sequence, they have completely disappeared from view, leaving a seeming peace again over the skyline.  I was drawn to this work because of the significance of the event it depicts: one of the most important events, internationally, of my generation.  I admire the simplicity and honesty with which it is presented, which makes it very heavy.  To one ignorant of what is actually going on in these pictures, there may not be much to gather.  They would have no idea that here was the beginning of the 21st Century, the War on Terrorism, and all of the resulting consequences.  Thus the observations made by Buster and Crawford in The Critique Handbook: the differences between denotation and connotation.  Denotation: a pair of towers imploding, collapsing to the ground.  Connotation: The Twin Towers at the hour of tragedy, the death of thousands and the beginning of an era.  This project was conceived to document the changing of the light, and the passing of the day on the two towers.  On that note, it qualifies as art, according to Wollheim, quoted in What is Art?, the artist had a purpose, and so created his art.  On the other, Davidson would probably not perceive this as art, as he does not consider the cave drawings to be art.  I agree that this is more a documentation of history than a creation, the manifestation of an idea.  However, because of the aesthetic presentation, and the sequencing, I think I would consider this a work of art. link to the page

floating clouds reprogrammed from the super mario game by cory arcangel; link to arcangel's website below
http://www.beigerecords.com/cory/21c/21c.html