Last Class..

Well, we made it through the semester!! I was sad that our class with Santiago had to come to an end. I absolutely loved this class and hope to be able to have Santiago again in the future because I really admire his teaching style. This was by far the most open minded class I've ever taken but I truly feel as though I've grown creatively as well as gaining new technology skills. There were definitely days when I thought some of the things we watched were a little crazy but the world would be a better place if everyone could be more accepting and view things from the eye of an artist. Have a good summer everyone!!!

Final project!!

This is my video art project...first let me say wow..I can't believe it all came together(Cat and Sam understand;) I have been a competitive figure skater for most of my life. Now that I have retired from competition and decided to go back and get my degree, I often feel as though I'm a fish out of water and can't express myself the way I used to in my sport. This class has helped me find a new sense of creativity and I'm so glad I was able to combine my skating and art for my final project.

The first camera angle is taken from my skate. I used masking tape to keep my camera attached..which was a little bit of a challenge and most of my friends thought I was crazy! The second camera angle is being filmed by one of my students,Aidyn Gangemi. I'm skating the same pattern on the ice that I did when the camera was attached to my skate in order to try and duplicate what my blades see and what the audience would see. Also, I used Garage Band to create a special soundtrack for the background which I had never done before. I hope you enjoy it!!

Photo:Recensie Cremaster Cycle from Matthew Barney

I thought both of the documentaries we watched in class wers so interesting and a nice change of pace. I really enjoyed Bill Viola's work! I thought the work of his mother's death was extremely moving and incorporating birth into the piece was a perfect combination. I loved the two scenes that projected his dying mothers face opposed with the face of his new born son. What an incredible way to express the circle of life. The work that he did underwater was especially creative and to know that way he viewed being underwater because of almost drowning as a child made it even more powerful. The way the water looked with the light and a body falling through was beautiful. As a contrast, I also enjoyed Matthew Barney's work. It was a little strange at times but it also dealt with life and creation. I thought the Ram and the bagpipes was very cool but a little comical to think about. One of my favorite pieces was with the athlete who had prosthetic legs. He really represented her strength along with her sexuality and power. Very interesting and captivating artist!!

Pipilotti Rist

I found a lot of Pipilotti's video's to be tough to handle but she did have very interesting combinations of music and video art. Starting from the beginning, I thought that "I'm Not the Girl Who Misses Much" was strange but at the same time, I liked the way she used different recording speeds to alter her voice. I didn't really understand the point of "Sexy Sadi" but I did see, in a number of her pieces, the way she was drawn to using body expression as her main focus. I could barely watch the one with the mountains in the background showing what I believe was childbirth and surgery. I understand that it's video art because of the technique that she uses but her concepts were not very enjoyable to me. I have to say, the videos that I was entertained by the most were "You Called Me Jackie" and "Lullaby". I really liked the way she incorporated music into the video and I thought her use of a blue screen was very cool. I also really liked Aujourd Hui! I thought the angles that she used were very creative and the super impossed image gave the peice more depth. I'm glad we were able to view her videos as a reference for our upcoming video art!

Television Delievers People

When you hear the music in the background of Richard Serra's video art piece, it sounds as though you're going to be reading a light and happy message, but the reality of the words are anything but light. The message that really struck me was the fact that the viewer is being "consumed" and during the time of Serra's piece, 20 million people are exposed every minute. I'm sure, now 30 years later, the numbers have increased dramatically because consumers are constantly bombarded with advertisements and hidden messages in their programming. I thought the way in which Richard Serra relayed this message was fantastic. He delivers his messages in detail with almost bullet like statements that really get your attention. The main point is that the consumer is not really making their decisions but rather the advertiser is putting the ideas in the consumers head. I feel the best example of this would be the News stations such as Fox and MSNBC. The more a consumer watches the news program, the more they might be likely to buy into the advertisers and that station's views.

I wanted to combine technology with art in some way for my performance art piece. I also wanted to show the connection that society has been able to gain through technology in general such as social networks, cell phones and skype. My idea was to sit outside on campus and let people contribute to an interactive art piece that everyone could add to and connect with. The final product will be completed in class. Enjoy!

Brilliant vs disjointed

I was in awe of Nam June Paik, I thought his work was so innovative yet at the same time some of his performance art pieces were very simplistic. I really enjoyed the performance art where he was "playing the violin". The way he decontextualized the violin and showed that it could be played just by dragging it down the street was brilliant. I also loved the T.V. Buddha, combining a video installation with one of the most spiritual figures of his culture. The Residents on the other hand were not my favorite. Although, It was hard to be impressed after watching Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody....Amazing! I felt like the resident's music was very strange and hard to listen to. I also did not like the concepts behind their music video. I also REALLy disliked their version of "We Are the World" it was pretty creepy. I do give them a lot of credit for their jump start into the music video but their overall style was not appealing to me.

NY Times article

To answer the question why... I think there is more of a connection physically when you have a human being standing in front of you as the artwork. There is more of a human urge to naturally touch and have the sense of connection. I think we are accustom to understanding that when you walk into a museum or gallery you do not touch artwork, but when the artwork is a person the rules don't seem to apply the same way to some people. When an artist is expressing their work physically, I think certain people are overcome and use that as an open door to be able to take advantage of the expression.

Art after Dark and electronic music

On Friday night I went to the Tampa Museum of Art for an event called "Art After Dark". I would highly recommend going if you have the chance!! They had live music and artists paired up with different charities to display their work. The funny thing was, when I walked in the DJ was playing the BLUR song "Someone You Really Love". It was cool to be able to make the connection from class. I have really enjoyed learning about electronic music since I have such a strong passion for music in my life. One of the most impressive ways of creating early electronic music, was the clip we watched of the Japanese scientists using the laser to create sound going over dark and light shapes. Amanda Galas was a little tough to listen to, but I admire the boundaries that she pushed creatively. It was funny to hear the ways in which a synthesizer could be used...incredible to hear Walter Carlos recreating classical pieces. The transition into house music was also interesting to learn about, and the fact it was created in a warehouse and that the entire movement was considered illegal. I have always liked Felix the Housecat's version of Sinnerman. I remember hearing it in the movie "The Thomas Crown Affair". Getting into some of the later artists such as Blur and the Gorillaz is a little more my taste. I love the concept of the Gorillaz and think their music always has an awesome beat. What really stood out the most to me was the Latin beat music that we listened to toward the end of class. I LOVED Side Stepper and the way he integrated the drums and repetition!! It made me think of being on vacation and the reality that we only have about 3 weeks left until the semester is over...wow time flies!

Creative Minds!!

It's so sad to think how many wonderful artists were lost to AIDS, and what an awful way to go during the 80s! Hard to believe the voice coming out of Klaus Nomi was actually real. His voice was so beautiful and I found the connection to Ferinelli to be interesting. The risk that he took by combining opera and pop during that time was great, but proved to be worth it. I loved the last clip we watched in class that was supposed to be his last performance, it was very moving! After researching The Wooster Group, John Jessurun, Squat theater and Troika Ranch, I have to say my favorite was Troika Ranch by far. I loved the concept behind their group. The three pieces that make up Troika are dance, music and media. Combining all three of these art forms provides a unique viewing experience as well as giving each performance a signature touch. I thought the choreography in their work was very modern and fresh as well as the sets they created. I also really enjoyed John Jessurun's work. In the age of computer and social communication, what better way to display the actors than from behind the computer screen?! The expression on the actor's faces were blown up and impossible to ignore. Incredibly eye opening!!

Body Image

I thought Stelarc was pretty amazing! His early work with body suspension was incredible and beautiful. Being able to use the body combined with open space was ingenious. His concept was that the body is obsolete and I think he proved that with "the virtual arm". Not only was it an amazing example of art/ technology replacing the body but also very useful for people who have lost their limb. The implanted ear grossed me out a little bit. I don't think I would really take the time to listen to the internet feed that he was trying to implement into the ear.
I was really moved by the documentary we watched in class today called "Sick"! Bob Flanagan really used his ailment in the most creative way possible. At times the film showed how negative he could become about his future, but for the most part he did a lot of good with the destiny he was given. I was so overcome towards the end when his wife was in the hospital with him, comforting him in his last hours. I admire the connection they shared in work and in life!!

A Gilbert and George picture...

More Performance Art...

Gilbert and George made me laugh with how formal they were in their business suites during their performances. Turning themselves into "living Sculptures" was a creative idea, however I didn't really see the point. I thought the song "Bend It" was cute but I couldn't understand the purpose. I understand the concept of turning yourself into the art work but it didn't really move me. I thought most of their art work was a little too over the top, but still made me think they had a great sense of humor. I did enjoy all of the color that they used in their pictures. Even though Orlan was very extreme and pretty disturbing in some cases, I thought her photographs were beautiful. I really liked the ones where she is coming out of the frame, I thought that was a cool concept. When she started getting into the plastic surgery/performance, it really grossed me out and I thought she went too far. I don't think she should have risked mutilating her own body to get her point across. When Orlan started transforming herself into African women and other cultures, I thought she looked beautiful and it was hard to tell she was the same person in some cases.

Xerox project

Here is my Xerox... I was going for the theme of See No Evil, Hear No Evil, Speak No Evil. I had never done a collage or Decoupage before but it was fun experimenting! I liked working with the wood frames but should probably have used more images to cover the empty space. I don't know if anyone else felt the same about creating their project, but it was a little creepy cutting my eyes out of the pictures.

Fluxus and performance art

I liked the way Santiago described the FLUXUS movement in class as "everything in permanent motion". I thought the best example was when Yoko Ono sat in the gallery letting people cut off her clothes. Even though it was not in her hands, the movement flowed and it was an on going piece of work. After researching another important fluxus artist Joseph Beuys, I found it interesting to learn that he had a science background in medicine. Understanding the reason he used the materials he did, such as felt, was also very eye opening. To be able to use felt as a major part of his art because of the significance it had to him gave his pieces more of a connection. I thought the work he did with lard was also interesting becaue he knew they would eventually loose their shape over time. The most amazing thing to me about the performance art we have seen so far, is the endurance! I can't get over how long some of the artists will commit their time and effort into the performance. The one that impressed me the most was Tom Geoghegan's "Strange Fruit" being suspended from a tree for over 8 hours! Unbelievable!! Now the challenge will be coming up with something half as creative for my performance art:)

An example of Andy Warhol's work!

Inside the Factory..

I wonder what it would have been like to have lived a day inside Andy Warhol's factory? From what it sounds like, there was a lot of wasted time on sex and drugs but also a priceless environment of creativity. I'm not sure how many of the people who were there realized it at the time, but the fact that Andy Warhol would allow people to be around him while he was creating art was incredible! I think a lot of his persona was an act but in some of the interviews I've seen with the actresses he worked with, they did say he came across as hot and cold. If he liked you, you were his best friend for that time but the second you were not a superstar in his eyes he would drop you. Even though he was constantly surrounded by a lot of people it seemed like he lived a very lonely life because he never let people in completely. As far as his art work, I thought it was genius! To take items that people would use in abundance everyday, deconstructualize them and turn it into art was amazing! I found it so interesting to see the comparison between Andy Warhol and Marcel Duchamp. Someone brought up in class the fact that people may have been unaware that Andy Warhol was mocking everyday life...well, maybe now 30 years later his art work might make some of us remember to be thankful for the everyday things we take for granted!!

example of Bauhaus design
Bauhaus had the idea in mind for their designs that whatever you created you could use in the real world. The "Barcelona chair" which we all now and love today was created using the Bauhaus's style. I would like to go back and watch the entire documentary on this interesting architecture. I thought it was so sad, that as with many things during that time period in the 1930s, the Nazi's took over the Bauhaus building and destroyed the modern beauty that had been created. I thought their designs were so clean and fresh...they definitely looked as though they were the inspiration for IKEA.
I also enjoyed learning about the "beat" group today. I had heard of Jack Kerouac before but didn't really know his full story. It was definitely a depressing lifestyle but they made the best of it and did create their own form of art. I thought the "Thanksgiving Day" poem was the best by William Burrows! Ok...maybe it was just me but I thought the movie "The Naked Lunch" was REALLY weird! Between that and "Un Chein Andalou" I hope I don't have nightmares. I think it's great though that Santiago exposes us to all different forms of art, this way we can form solid opinions:)

L.H.O.O.Q

Marcel Duchamp had a unique way of deconstructualizing art. He was one of the pioneers in claiming art to be what he declared it to be, as well as producing objet trouve which was claiming a found object as art. One of his most famous pieces of objet trouve was L.H.O.O.Q. which was a postcard of the Mona Lisa with a sketched moustache on it and the abbreviation L.H.O.O.Q at the bottom. The abbreviation translated from french to English was "her ass is on fire". This showed that not only did Duchamp have a sense of humor but that he was trying to get the viewer to see a bigger picture. If most people were to view the "classic"Mona Lisa in a gallery, they would have a similar opinion about the fact that's it's beautiful art. When Duchamp put such a controversial title on it, it forced the viewer to see the famous painting from another prospective. Instead of taking art so seriously, Duchamp looked to find another meaning from most of his work and take the risk of going against the grain.

Grid Art

Here is my Mrs. Packman grid art. I found it difficult to glue the paper on behind the yellow pom poms and I didn't realize the glue would dry so visably but in the end I was happy with how it turned out. I was trying to bring the packman grid from video games into a different form. It was definitely a time consuming process but I fun learning experience.

I thought it was very interesting seeing some of the famous piontillism paintings and how they were connected to the grid art we created. I love looking at the paintings up close and then standing back to admire their beauty.

Triumph of the Nerds

I thought the documentary was pretty interesting. I loved hearing about the start up of Bill Gates and Steve Jobs's careers and how Steve Jobs and Steve Wazniac started off in a garage. I liked Apple's approach to their work environment...layed back and california style. It was interesting to hear about the all of the details that go on behind the scenes and the competitiveness with companies. IBM seemed almost like a cult...very strange that they had a song book! I thought Steve Jobs seemed like he was very ego sentric and very bitter when he split with Apple. It blows my mind, at the creativness and intelligence the inventors of new technology posses! I thought the funniest part of the movie was toward the end when Steve Jobs made a comment that Microsoft stole ideas. Previously Steve Jobs made it clear he was interested in success and it didn't matter how he achieved it, he also quoted Picasso by saying "good artists copy, great artists steal". haha that's the pot calling the kettle black

After looking over the "History of the Internet" website, I found myself surprised at how much I remembered from last class. To be honest.. growing up in a world where a computer has always been so accessible, I was feeling a little spoiled for the wonderful technology we have. This has not been the most fascinating topic to me but none the less very informative and thought provoking. It was interesting to see pictures of some of the old machines and to be able to follow along a timeline. Much like the history of the television, my mind is boggled with the brilliant, ground breaking creations that were developed and continue to be developed today by people such as Steve Jobs.

T.V. history

All I can say is...I'm glad I didn't work for Sarnoff! He seemed like a pretty tough guy. Very interesting to hear how the original television models were created. To think a 14 year old came up with the first drawings of how a television set would work was pretty amazing. Also,to see all of the politics that were involved was unbelievable. I looked at the MZTV website and I love how interactive it it. It's nice to be able to view a timeline of television history and to be able to re visit it whenever possible.

Tom Igoe

I went to the lecture with Tom Igoe and was so impressed. I didn't understand some of the concepts that he discussed but it was very interesting to see some of the creations that he and his colleagues have created. I liked the way he compared physical computing with a Wii controller. That made it a bit easier to follow along. I really enjoyed hearing about Hannah Pemer Wilson and seeing some of the knitted bracelets. It will be interesting to see how her product will grow over time. My favorite was Tom Gerhart and the way he transformed material from nature and using their abilities. The firelight that he created was awesome, taking the light from a candle and having it transfer onto a wall sconce...AMAZING!!! I'm so glad I went to the lecture, it really opened my eyes to the endless possibilities that lay in technological design!

OTR- I also listened to some of the old time radio shows. I enjoy hearing the mystery stories and the use of sound effects. I used to listen to a radio show on CD called "Suspense" from the 1940s and 50s. It had guest appearances by Vincent Price and Orson Welles. It's great to listen to on road trips:)

Flipbook!

Sci/fi and the escape

Well, last class it seemed like the trend in most of the clips we were watching used drugs and alcohol as a form of escaping or creating another world. Now with all of the sci/fi and futuristic films that were shown, there might be a parallel. The main theme is still escape. The line of reality has been crossed and limits don't exists. The fourth wall is something that the audience relates to safety and separating fiction from non fiction. With films such as Videodrome, safety is gone. It is still fiction of course but I couldn't help but wonder, The first time an audience viewed the scene where Debbie Harry seduces James Woods into the Television screen, did the audience have the fear that it could happen in reality? That safety zone was no longer there... kind of freaky! I found it interesting to know that breaking the fourth wall had so much to do with the connection to video games. With the technology we have now, it certainly does make you feel as if you were in the screen actually living out the game yourself. Very similar to Total Recall. The most interesting clip to me was from Minority Report. I really enjoyed seeing that movie in theaters! Hopefully some time in the future some sort of technology can be used to prevent crimes and murders. I have to say Sci/fi is my least favorite category of movies to watch but I did enjoy seeing some of the connections from sci/fi in the 80's and how close some of our technology is today!

When the high was simply from singing...

To look back over the 20 years that went by from the time Singing in the Rain was produced to when A Clockwork Orange came out, quite a bit had changed. I remember watching Singing in the rain when I was little thinking, look at how pretty the dancing is and how beautiful the costumes were. The film seemed pretty wholesome... jump to today, when watching A Clockwork Orange, extreme violence was a main theme in the movie. I had to remind myself that the reason the teenagers in the film were beating a helpless couple was because they were hopped up on drugs. It's incredible to think, that in just 20 years, a large amount of drugs and violence had come to be acceptable on film. There were several things that had developed in society and technology since Singing in the Rain that contributed to the growth of film. Color was becoming more developed leading to clearer and more dramatic images. Film makers started taking chances on the topics of films. With movies such as War of the Worlds and futuristic sci/fi films, people were becoming more open minded about possibilities. Alfred Hitchcock also opened the door for combining horror/mystery films with the excitement of including the advancements in cinematography.
Two of the most important changes were the fact that drugs and sexual freedom were more evident in society and being incorporated into films. LSD and hellucogenics played a big part in the way images were viewed on screen and some people would purposely take drugs to enhance watching a movie. The development of the birth control pill played a major role in the fact women were becoming more comfortable having sex and being sexual considering they did not have to worry about pregnancy. Just to think... those poor women back in the 1800's getting married to have sex... I bet Gene Kelly and Debbie Reynolds would never have imagined the change in film nearly twenty years after the classic Singing in the Rain was made.

Evolution of Film Continued...
The process of the development of sound and talking in movies is fascinating. It was cool being able to see the first Vampire movie Nosferatu and to see some of the effects that were used with shadows and acting. I really enjoyed watching the clip from Battleship Potymkin. The camera point of view changed so much and i felt like it gave the movie a lot of depth by using the camera shots with close ups and from the point of view of the victims. Seeing the form the movie took of the montage was so fluid and made me really appreciate how much sound and music can impact what we watch.
Singing in the Rain is one of my all time favorite musicals and it was really fun to be able to watch it in class. I love Gene Kelly and his dancing skills!! Now that we are watching the development of talking pictures, I have a whole new appreciation for the movie! It was also such a treat to see clips from Casablanca! I have been wanting to see it for a long time and now I definitely will have too, it is definitely on my list for the next blockbuster night:)

Evolution of Film

To think how far we've come with technology... today's videos may not have been as exciting as Monday's class but they were extremely fascinating. Knowing that the start of multiple frame photography was in 1877 by Eadweard Muybridge and to see the transition in just a few short years to actual moving picture was amazing. Even though the short clip of Monkeyshines1 wasn't much to look at, just being able to view history that way was pretty incredible. Some of the other machines that seem like they would have compared with our ipods of today were the zoetrope and kinetophone. I never knew that color was hand painted into films...talk about time consuming!! I especially enjoyed the short of the Golden Beetle, the hand painting was beautiful as well as being able to see the different techniques that were used with transparency. It will definitely be a challenge to put our own creativity to the test with the flip books that are due in a couple weeks, especially after watching the last clip we watched in class!

Broadway!!!

Today's class was such a treat! I'm a huge broadway/musical fan and being able to see some clips of shows that I haven't seen before was a lot of fun! I've been very fortunate to be able to see about 10 Broadway shows on Broadway. My favorite show by far is Chicago...I could watch Fosse choreography for hours! As far as I'm concerned, there is nothing more exciting and inspiring than being in NYC, on Broadway, in the intimate setting of a theater that holds so much glamour and history!!!
Something that really stood out in class to me, was the fact that while opera was the springboard for musical theater, the topics and music are very different. That makes a lot of sense but I never really stopped to think about it. I also enjoyed learning about what a "speakeasy" was. It was interesting knowing that many different types of social classes would gather at a speakeasy to escape the prohibition. Even though it was illegal, I have to admit it looked like a lot of fun...I left class secretly wishing I had the voice of Julie Andrews and the ability of a broadway star!

Opera

Bravo!!
First of all, let me just say that starting the class off with a cartoon made my day:) I think that we need more laughter in our lives. I also enjoyed revisiting an old Sesame Street clip that I did in fact remember from when I was little. It's funny to think about all of the information that sesame Street packs in for kids in a fun way...come on, an orange singing opera...how cute is that!!?
It is incredible to me how quickly our class flies by... we have already watched so many interesting clips and heard many unique pieces of music. After spending almost two hours on opera alone, I left the class wanting more which is a very refreshing feeling!!
I think something that stood out to me the most was learning about the sexual connotations behind most of the lyrics. When I think about the 1800s it seems very conservative and refined, but in reality a lot of the songs are talking about passion and sexual expression. It was also interesting to know that most people only get married in order to have sex...imagine if we had those standards now?
My favorite clip that we watched was of Cecilia Bartoli, her voice was incredible. I loved how much facial expression she showed as well. It was interesting to learn that she studied the castroti and the belcanto method, which almost made her sound like she was gargling. I don't feel quit as anxious about our opera paper anymore. I'm looking forward to exploring the stories we are going to be re telling and learning more about this soulful and dramatic art.

Steve Jobs artical
It's hard to fathom the imagination and brain power it would take to come up with one of the products that Steve Jobs has created, let alone the numerous technological pieces of work that are breaking innovative barriers. The new apple tablet sounds interesting but it's difficult to say, with people struggling just to make ends meet is another gadget really necessary? I know there will always be the group of people who need the most up to date technology, but as soon as you think you have the latest product that you purchased for a couple hundred dollars the newest "bigger (in this case smaller) and better" gadget comes along. I think Steve Jobs is brilliant and to be able to come back to Apple with so many successful products to back him up certainly deserves definite props. However, I won't be going out to buy the Tablet. In fact, I have an I pod nano which I'm perfectly happy with and will use until it dies... I also am not an Iphone user. I have a Blackberry which I enjoy using but maybe at some point I will make the switch considering Steve Jobs and Apple may well have the best and technologically superior products.

The world is a stage...
Wigs, makeup and amazing voices were some of the memorable things we learned about the baroque period in todays class. By far, I enjoyed the clip from the movie "Farinelli" the most! It was hard to believe that such a high pitch singing voice was coming from a man. It was a little disturbing to find out the way in which a "castroti" was able to hit that high pitch. I couldn't believe how elaborate and colorful the stage and theater was back in that time period. I also would love to see the movie "Amadeus" sometime soon. My Grandfather was crazy about Mozart and always encouraged me to listen to his music. It would be interesting to learn more about his life and music. I have to admit, I'm a little intimidated to write the three page paper on Opera...

First Day...

After so many classes of being confined to traditional learning and "test taking", I'm SO looking forward to this class! I'm really anxious to broaden my views on not only art, but new concepts I might be able to apply to my comm major. I'm also looking forward to how interactive the classs is going to be and that we will be able to access all of the youtube links out of class...very helpful! I'm excited about the new semester and I think we will all be in for some fun but challenging work.