A Taste of Something Different

genART Final

2009-03-13T14:35:00.000-07:00

For the final we had the task of creating a moving image to go along with the sounds recorded by our class via an answering machine. In choosing videos to compile, I felt it was appropriate to find Youtube's best. While listening to the compilation of messages I reflected on the Youtube culture and what some of the most infamous videos in the past few years have been. The 5 people in the Film group all contributed different moving images and compiled a video with a great deal of subconscious social commentary. Concluding with a journey of seemingly unfamiliar places, and then the grand finale of Single Ladies. Combining these videos put a different twist on the audio compilation that I feel created an unanticipated product.

Self Destruction

2009-03-13T13:57:00.000-07:00

With our third project, I wanted to play with the products of emotion and thought through a process using contrasting images and sounds. I put together a video that incorporates different themes and images people can relate to and how they survive on the edge of destruction daily. The video clips are all moving images from various wars and major disturbing events in history such as the execution of Saddam Hussein. In between these video clips is a flash of a photograph, 1/12 of a second to be exact, of different forms of life. Some of them are peaceful, some joyous. All have a positive connotation. Played along side the movie is a Meredith Monk music piece called Walking Song. I cut the silhouette of a body out of muslin and set a television up with two speakers on either side to simulate a head. These connected to my computer and I set the system in motion using a remote control. Sharpies were placed on the body and the class was asked to draw or write on the cut out. Most of what was drawn was in fun, such as a tie, but something was written to the extent of "It's amazing how long our race has survived with such destruction." Based on the reaction of the class, or more so, lack of reaction, I think the themes and goal weren't as obvious to a first time viewer like they were to me after watching it 30 times.
I wanted to create a process that leaned more towards interpretation than steps. I feel I achieved what I wanted to in my final product and I enjoyed putting it together.

And now for your viewing pleasure.....

Crazy Humanists!

2009-03-13T09:53:00.000-07:00

The British Humanist Society launched a project simply called "The Bus Campaign"

"The Atheist Bus Campaign began when comedy writer Ariane Sherine wrote a Comment is Free article in June 2008Christian adverts running on London buses. These ads featured the URL of a website which said non-Christians would burn in hell for all eternity. Ariane suggested that atheists reading her article could each donate £5 to fund a reassuring counter-advert."

I am thoroughly amazed and entertained by this.

John Cage

2009-03-09T12:49:00.000-07:00

John Cage has some of the most interesting concepts about music and sound. He's stated that when he hears "what we call music" he hears people talking. Talking about how they feel, what they think. But without the music, the natural sounds in one's environment, he sees as sound acting. Cage composed "4'33" which is a piece in which not one member of the orchestra plays a note. The sound produced in the concert hall is the piece. I can understand why some might find this atrocious and be offended by it, but I think these people are the same folks that don't stop to smell the flowers and curse the bird chirping outside their window at 7AM. To me, John Cage applies a process in generating art specific to him to produce a result that will enlighten, or inspire his audience in an unconventional way.

Mark Here

2009-02-27T17:11:00.000-08:00

For our second project, we were asked to create a machine that produced a mark. After Lego Music, I wanted to present something that was more of an in class process than a personal process. Using a notepad with a massive Sharpie attached the class was instructed to "Mark On Me" and "Mark With Me". The notepad circulated around the class well and made its way back to me intact. Some of the marks were humorous, others were simply words. I intended for my project to be an idea that started in my brain and translated itself through others. In my opinion, the essence of art itself follows the same chain of events. An artist thinks, creates, and the audience translates that original thought into their own language. This language then goes on to possibly influence an action, another person, a future piece of art, or maybe it dies right after the viewer moves on. Regardless, the transfer of thought to interpretation is a process that can change fail or succeed and I'd like to work based on this in the future.

Raptors? For Realz?

2009-02-08T15:03:00.000-08:00

In addition to Brook's highway signs.....

¡Cuidado!

2009-02-08T13:21:00.000-08:00

I stumbled upon this site and it made me think how easy it is to make yourself the authority we questioned in class.

A question that intrigued me was, why does a sign "make it official"? Would Robert's caution tape project have been as effective if he stood at the door and told people they couldn't enter there? I think maybe the presence of a sign takes away the argumentative side of authority. You can't ask a sign "why not" but you can definitely ask a person "Why the hell can't I go this way". People don't question authority enough in my opinion and the result is the acceptance of rules that are unnecessary.

Eddie Mac!

2009-02-08T13:06:00.000-08:00

Eduardo MacEntyre is an Argentinian painter from the 1950's. Trained in technical drawing, he later became the "founder" of geometric abstraction, calling this art at the time "arte generativo"... generative art. His main focus was on the complexity of an incredibly simplistic concept, the curved line. I couldn't find a great deal of information on his process or more about his life or work, but his paintings are all so intricate, you can see for youself his fasination and work with the process and evolution of curved line and it's relation to a neverending circle.

Lego Music

2009-02-08T10:54:00.000-08:00

Greg Jalbert suggests a definition of generative art as...

"art where the main technique of development within a piece or series of pieces is an evolutionary process, like biological or physical evolution, or the evolution of ideas. This might mean that the intent of the work is to make evolution the primary message. Evolution involves a complex process of development with many possible influences. Much of art involves generative processes of development, selection of work for various reasons. These reasons include everything from emotional impact, to beauty, to commercial appeal, to personal fullfillment, to social propaganda, and more."

I think this a an excellent start to explaining generative art. With this definition in mind, I wish we would have ended our first class period with more of a solid opinion as to what generative art is. With such an opinionated group of people, the arguments and discussions we engage in are always interesting and insightful, but I feel that we never come to a closing point with anything.

Anywho, I would have liked to have the understanding of generative art I have now when we were given our first machine assignment. Although there was definitely an evolution of my Lego sound producing machine, I don't feel I thought about the bigger picture, or the process of the whole project and not just how to make my machine work, enough. It was a good starting point though, and I did take into account what I would do differently and the different aproaches that can be taking to our generative art.

The difficulties I encountered with my Lego Music machine were, for the most part, little additions and subtractions to the Lego structure itself. Process wise, my thoughts were quite simple. I knew I needed to use objects in my house due to low budget issues. The symbol was the first tool I decided to use. After a series of trial ramps, nothing seemed to be the right size or have the ability to become more structural to ensure my lack of involvement in the piece. Out of an insane coincidence I realized Legos would definitely be the best tool to complete my project. Think about it, you can make ANYTHING with Legos!! After many slight additions and subtractions it was a consistently working machine. I totally concerned myself more with the "rules" than the outcome, the effect, or the significance. It was a good starting point, and I saw many more factors that I considered in my second project.