My Video Art Project - "Bon Appetit"

My video art piece is titled "Bon Appetit"

My attempt with this video is to make a powerful statement about the cruel and harmful ways in which humans consume meat and fast food.  As a vegetarian and animal rights activist, this video is close to my heart.  I just hope to make a difference in someone's life with this film.  Enjoy :)

Last Class

Our final actual class was comprised of learning more about music and the evolution of it with technology.  I was especially pleased to see Indochine included in this class, as they are a extremely well liked by me.  It's interesting how musical group dynamics can change so much and so easily when there is a death or conflict between members.  This can be seen through Joy Division's change to New Order.  House music was also interesting to learn about.  I for one hate house/techno music, but it was interesting to learn about its origins and historical impact on the music world.

As for my final thoughts on our Art and Technology class...I loved every minute of it.  This was unlike any other class I have been in over the last four years at the University of Tampa.  With graduation only a few days away, I can leave this place knowing I learned many new and necessary things about art and culture.  Being in the art field, this class definitely gave me a strong stepping stone to begin a career in the advertising/production world.  I am so grateful for everything Santiago taught me and will never forget all the crazy classes we had over the semester.

Digital Music

The synthesizer was quite a ground-breaking instrument for the music industry.  From what we viewed in class I would say that it was first introduced into the world by a bunch of nerdy guys.  This definitely turned the typical musician image upside down, changing a great deal about the music world alone.

Looking at the image I posted of a synthesizer above, makes my head hurt thinking about how to use all of the buttons and keys.  This is also a much older system, a lot less sophisticated than the synthesizers we use today.  How people are able to operate and create amazing musical pieces with this equipment is beyond me.  I am nervous enough as is about using programs like GarageBand for my own video art project.

Music is the core of so much in this world.  Especially relating to art music changes and defines everything.  Video art would not be where it is today without music, especially digital music.  None of the popular music we hear today would be the same without, that's for sure.

Video Art (Continued)

Video art is an interesting art form.  It's odd to see how seeming mistakes can create unique and creative art.  Effects like visually going out of focus and messing with sound quality can produce these works of art.  Video art is like watching a moving painting and interpreting what you see for yourself.  Distortions are a commodity in art and we definitely have seen many amazing examples of this during the last few days of class.

I found the videos we watched of "The Residents" to be particularly interesting and amusing.  Each song and video seemed to have very powerful statements and messages tied to them.  It was definitely experimental music and video.  They remind me slightly of the band "Gorillas" and how they are not about their own individual images, but more about the music and message they are sending.  True artists.

The Beginning of Video Art

Well I have to say that the video art pieces we watched today were not what I expected.  To be blunt, they were a little boring and juvenile.  "The Kiss" used the Paint Box program to draw doodles and what looked like finger paint drawings over the singers and in the background.  I found this extremely dull and repetitive in a way.  

Not to lie, but it was tough staying awake during the first few videos in class.  "Dave's Bike" was a similar film in my eyes to "The Kiss".  It seemed pointless and that the creation of it took little to no skill or talent.

One of the few videos that really caught my attention was the one by William Wegman and his infamous dogs.  I have one of his photography books and immediately recognized his work when it was shown on the screen.  I am an extreme animal lover, resulting in my devout vegetarianism, and Wegman's work is simply lovely.  It makes me happy and warms my heart.

Other than that, I was a little disappointed in what we saw today.  I understand that with each art form comes progress and has to start at the bottom, but these films were just too long and simplistic for me to understand.  I hope to see more progression in the future :)

Performance Art

My Performance Art Piece is titled "Blind with Technology", fitting for the lyrics to the song playing to the video.  When thinking about my relationship with technology the first thing that came to mind were cell phones.  It is rare to walk around this campus or anywhere else for that matter without seeing people talking, texting, or looking at their phones.  It has become a complete human dependancy.  I have sat in my dorm room and texted my neighbors regularly and talked on the phone to my friend who lives right below me for hours.  Why do I do this through an inanimate object instead of seeing these people who I love and care about face to face?  Cell phones have taken away our human identity.  We no longer look each other in the eye, we look at a phone.  

With this concept in mind I thought, why not put my friends in a costume where they are literally walking, living cell phones?  Why not film this and the interesting reactions given by other unknowing people around them?  Well here's my video depicting just that.  Hope you enjoy!

Oh ya and we did get kicked out of the mall for doing this...what a world we live in these days.

Cremaster Cycle

Matthew Barney's Cremaster Cycle pieces and exhibit were quite a different breed of art.  I find it very interesting that his work was displayed in the Guggenheim museum in New York.  I can't imagine seeing such work in a more conservative setting.  8 years to create the videos and sculptures seems like an insane amount of time, but Barney seems very satisfied and took the time to create the best work he could with his ideas.  

His reoccurring themes of ram horns and football goal posts to represent gender identification is very unique and fascinating.  A quote I found extremely poignant in the documentary was "the world is our prosthesis".  Definitely a quote to remember.

The Life and Death of a True Supermasochist

Bob Flanagan was quite a man.  I never really learned about or understood the masochistic world that is so hidden within our society before this class.  Although I find many of the things he did to be extremely disturbing and way too much for me to handle at times, I applaud his individuality and ability to do what made him feel whole and satisfied.  He also embraced his illness and long-lasting battle with Cystic Fibrosis and included this struggle within all aspects of his art and performance shows.  

What disturbed me more than all the gross mutilation he did to himself, were the photographs and videos his wife took of him while he was on his death bed along with after his death.  The images and final video moments were so powerful and heart wrenching.  His suffering and fear showed through his eyes in a way that was almost too real to watch.  I am amazed as to how she was able to document these time periods and images the way she did.  It almost makes it more disturbing and difficult to see knowing who took the pictures.

Sophie Calle was another artist who was extremely interesting to me.  I honestly wanted to run out and buy her book the second we were done with class and still plan on doing so.  She is unique in her visions of romance and all human relationships in general and lives her life in a very different way, one in which she has more control and power over.  Her photography is also powerful in context with her writing.  Her French-ness also bleeds into her artwork and personality in a way that I love, being French myself.  She is a romantic who sees the world through her own, very unique eyes.

The Walking Art Form

Two words... Leigh Bowery.

What a crazy, creative, unique, one of a kind, wild, boundary breaking, out of this world man.  The way he used fashion to make a plethora of strong statements and hardcore visual expressions is unlike anything I've ever seen or heard of.  The extent he went to use art through his clothes and body is truly astounding.  He was a "beautiful monster".  Leigh spit on cultural and fashion norms and embraced the bizarre and horrifying.  He used shock as he primary means of reaction through the public eye.  He loved to be seen and be the only one looking the way he did.  He was a neo-romantic who lived for beauty in the way he saw it.

He is definitely an innovator and I envy his ability to do what he wanted and not care about what anyone else thought.  He grabbed life by the balls and never let anyone fall in his path to self-expression.  Leigh was a character who acted his way through life.  My only concern for the life he led was how thin the line was between the real-Leigh and the art piece-Leigh.  When was it just an act and when was it reality?  Overall he was truly amazing and one of a kind, again unlike anyone or anything I have ever heard or seen before.

Flux Films & Performance Art

Well from what we've seen as performance art in this class thus far, I have to say it is all more than a little disturbing.  I get the significance and time-related importance of the pieces we viewed, but am still a little shocked by how far people are willing to take their bodies in the name of art.  A video that can't seem to leave my mind is "Expanding in Space" by Marina Abramovic.  It is so disturbing and yet fascinating at the same time.  I only wonder what effects the piece had on the performers after.

Chris Burden's "Shoot" film was also one that displays pain and endurance.  I found this one to be a little too ridiculous in my mind.  Just turn on the news or an action movie and you can see a man being shot in the arm any day.

Aside for all of these older performances and artists, the documentary "Beware Live Art" that we viewed gave a much easier side of performance art to watch.  This displayed art that is a little easier to understand and much less about hurting yourself, and more about showing endurance and making a statement out in the public eye, instead of in a theater or on just on film.

Stelarc, although a current performance artist, he is still one that chooses to work with pushing his body to harmful limits.  Using hooks to keep his body afloat or installing a third ear on his body just truly boggles my mind.  I think it is just taking it too far and asking for a lot of unnecessary attention.

Xerox Assignment

For my Xerox assignment I decided to use different images of my face and hands in a flip book-like interactive way.  I xeroxed 5 different expressions of my face using my eyes and mouth and then cut the image down the center horizontally, giving the viewer the ability to give my face different appearances with the flip of a page.  The same principles apply for my hands as well.  I also used highlighters to color my lips pink and my eyes blue, giving my project more contrast and life.  I hope you enjoy :)

The Beatnik Generation

Well this class was definitely one for the books.  I have to say I was most excited to learn about the 1960s relating to art and culture, but wasn't prepared for the extreme intensity and rule-breaking passion that was behind these artists.  It is unfortunate how drug induced the beatnik culture was.  Although these mind-altering substances could be said to have played a big part in the creation of artwork that was created by geniuses like Andy Warhol and Yves Klein, it was also what killed most of these brilliant artists and caused them to hurt themselves in ways they wouldn't have otherwise.

I find it truly fascinating the way Andy Warhol made his artwork and the recurring theme that can be find throughout them.  His vision of pop culture, media, advertising, and pure consumerism was truly brilliant for that time period.  He took these negative societal trends and embraced them to make his art relatable and ground breaking.

Yves Klein's fire paintings were truly magnificent as well.  The way he would use the creation of these pieces as performance art was definitely a first for that time period.  He displayed the human body in a new and beautiful way, one which had never been done before.

Gilbert and George were extremely comical.  I am still a little confused by their perception of art and how it was perceived back then, but I found them to be very innovative and funny.

As for the brief moment we touched on the Vienna Aktionists... I had nightmares.  The Otmar Bauer vomit film was disgusting and the idea of a man cutting his penis and bleeding to death on a stage for art baffles my mind.  That is way over the edge and breaks a few too many boundaries in my book.

Bauhaus

Thank goodness for the Bauhaus era!  Honestly without it we would be in such a different place in art, architecture, and design.  The whole evolution of typography really interests me as well.  I can't imagine a world without different fonts and use of space other than linear to write letters.  The photo of the chair I uploaded above is an example of the Bauhaus furniture, and believe it or not my father has that chair!  He also has several other related pieces that I can definitely see coming from this time period.  Being an artist, everything he owns exudes art in every way so this doesn't surprise me.

As for the film we watched at the end of class.  HOLY CRAP!  I definitely had nightmares after that.  It was extremely disturbing, but also had a huge impact on viewers of the terrible effects of drugs and self-mutilation.  I feel like I really need to watch the rest of that to get a grip on what we were seeing.

William Burroughs was also extremely influential.  His ides of the "Cut-Ups" is truly brilliant.  He clearly saw all the flaws in society and had no problem expressing them through his words.  Everything he did seems to be politically and societally-related in some way.  He had no fear and changed the world, one word at a time.

Grid Assignment

This is my grid assignment.  I used the netting sac you buy oranges in as my grid, and took a picture of it on top of an orange folder as a background so you can see the image of the face better.  I used sharpies and paint to create the image of a female face on the netting.  She has full, slightly opened lips, eyebrows, eyes with blue irises, and freckles on her cheeks.  I found the most difficult part of this assignment to be the initial task of finding an actual grid to work with.  I also tried to be extremely precise when creating the face on the grid.  I used rulers and even counted the spaces on the netting to be more exact when drawing each feature.  I think it came out OK, but I now wish I had created an actual background for the piece myself to better enhance it and make it easier to see the image.

Pong and PacMan and Tank, Oh My!

Before the creation of these fabulous games that I still, to this day, would chose to play over any modern day game, was the invention of the computer.  The census was what initially sparked the need for a device that would be able to compute mass amounts of numbers with flawless mathematic equations.  This resulted in the creation of the first, most primitive of computers, known as the Tabulating Machine.  Next, World War II sparked the next generation in computers.  This was created in order to break German Nazi code through radio airwaves.  Next came ENIAC and then UNIVAC.  Although this is the dumbed-down version of the evolution of the computer, it is what later led to the invention of interactive video games.

Pong was one of the very first of these primitive video games.  Initially it was played using a plastic monitor consisting of a grid that was taped onto the screen to simulate a playing field.  This later led to the integration of this playing field being programmed directly into the game,  gradually becoming what it is today.  This led to more modern and updated video games that we see and use now.

The creation of a virtual enemy first began in Space Invaders and sparked the platform for the majority of games now used.  Because of the massive popularization of these games, people, especially kids, became utterly obsessed.  Society and even the government began to get worried and attempted to control the situation by setting curfews and local laws. Just another situation that the government saw fit to monitor and attempt to take total control of.

Color TV

I found the video we watched on the evolution of TV, followed by color TV, and then later the Internet, to be very interesting.  The amount of collaboration involved in the invention of television is truly astounding.  The legal technicalities that come into effect with these major inventions was also quite a hurtle to overcome for creators like David Sarnoff and Filo Farnsworth.  

The mechanical aspects of television involves things I had never heard of or known before.  What I found truly interesting is the concept of using lines to project and image on the screen.  How we have come to regularly use TVs with 1,080 lines of resolution from a mere 450 is amazing.  We definitely take for granted all the technological advances that have developed over time.

MZTV.com is an amazing website.  It is visually stunning and the website navigation is unlike anything I have seen yet.  The site is also extremely informative and to the point with what topics it is explaining.

RuPaul's Drag Race was fabulous!  Truly hilarious and unlike any show I have seen yet.  I love how progressive and innovative it is.  The contestants are amazing and the whole concept and idea behind it is wonderful.  I give it an A+ !  

Christina Nguyen Hung

Christina Hung is definitely a pioneer in art and technology.  Her work in biotechnology and information technology is unlike anything I have ever seen or heard of before.  The way she uses and manipulates cells and biological matter to create art is unbelievable.

I especially enjoyed the themes of her work.  The way she uses these petri dishes as a way to portray her political activism through her art, is simply genius.  The part of her lecture in which she discusses Steven Kurtz and the effect that the government in the aftermath of 9/11 had on his artistic freedom and ability to work, really moved me.  It is truly unbelievable the strong hold the U.S. government still has on the art world and what is allowed to be created and displayed.

Christina's U.S. border piece was one of my favorites from what she showed us.  I found it particularly interesting the ways she created it and what she used to create each part.  The outer border of the U.S.  is made from a different substance that contains no nutrients, unlike the inner part portraying the United States.  This is significant in showing her political views on border control and how lacking it is in so many different ways.

I am extremely interested in how Christina's work will progress in the future and how she will continue her research and work in the field of biotechnology.  She is definitely an artist I will choose to continue following and learning about in the future.

Flip Book Animation

My flip book animation is a simple and silly one.  It begins with eyes watching a present cross over the page and then disappear.  Next, grass begins to form on the page resulting in the growth of a leafy tree which then turns into a leafy monster.  The monster growls with his wide open mouth and devours two small fish who are swimming by.  Two balloons then appear and float off the page after slightly bumping into one another.  Next the sun comes out and then descends, followed by a cloud that finally ends the story.  

Let me say that drawing is not one of my fortes and I ended up choosing pictures I knew were easy for me to create and ones that would be legible to readers.  This project was interesting and extremely time consuming, but it was definitely an experience that had an enjoyable final result.

Radio

Radio has had an immense impact on the world since the beginning of its creation in the late 1800s.  The large collaboration of inventors that aided in its development is extremely extensive.  Every small advancement and addition to the machine led radio to be closer and closer to what we know it as today.  

H.G. Wells' broadcast of "War of the Worlds" on October 30th 1938 was a mile stone in the evolution of radio.  Wells used a brilliant approach to this particular show by creating a series of extremely realistic news reports played over a regular music broadcast from inside a studio.  The news broadcasters continue on to report a martian invasion in the United States, resulting in mass death and horror.  The show was so realistic and new to typical radio formats that it was mistaken for real news and caused widespread hysteria and panic.  Truly brilliant.

President Roosevelt was also a major proponent in radio expansion.  During WWII, he addressed the nation to explain developments.  He also used radio as a tool to calm the U.S. during the depression and instill optimism and hope in its citizens.

The wireless proponent of radio has led to the cell phone and wireless computer that we use today.  Radio has truly impacted technological growth and expansion and led to the invention of many other machines and devices we have grown so reliant on today.

Bruce Wands

Bruce Wands came to speak and present his work and ideas to UT students on February 12th.  He flew from New York City where he works at the School of Visual Arts.  He is an artist, musician, writer, and creator.  He wrote Art of the Digital Age 3 years ago, encompassing a wide variety of digital works of art and artists. 

The work he showed of his was quite interesting.  His Buddha Light Paintings was fascinating to learn about.  The explanation and inspiration behind the pieces is unique and original in itself.  

Wands' take on contemporary art and its definition was intriguing as well.  It's so interesting how one word or phrase can be interpreted in so many ways by such a wide range of people within its professional field.  Although I am not a huge fan of powerpoint presentations, Bruce Wands made his lecture both interesting and unique, teaching us all something new within the field of digital art.

Singin' In The Rain

1939 began a whole new era in the film industry.  Color was first introduced and the possibilities seemed endless to film makers.  Movies like The Wizard of Oz and Gone With the Wind hit the big screen and showed the potential that films had to be both interesting and beautiful.

The 1952 film titled "Singin' in The Rain" turned into an extremely well-known movie classic.  The main song performed by Gene Kelly is still known of today and can be heard throughout different TV and media outlets.  It is one of the most recognizable songs known to date, all due to the historic impact the film had on society and film culture when it was first introduced almost 60 years ago.

This next led to the introduction of special effects in the 1960s.  Alfred Hitchcock is seen as a pioneer filmmaker whose work was both groundbreaking and electrifying.  He is still considered one of the most well-known and best filmmakers of all time.  His film "The Birds" is one of my own personal favorites, and one that will always pop into my mind whenever I see a flock of seagulls or crows.  His use of color, special effects, and stunts were truly monumental for the 60s and remains a true classic and widely appreciated film to this day.

The final film we viewed in class was "A Clockwork Orange".  Even though I have already seen this movie in its entirety many years ago, watching clips from it still truly disturbed and nauseated me.  The film was released in 1972, after the drug-induced sixties had come to an end, showing the repercussions of narcotics and social deviancy.  This film really pushed boundaries and told stories no one else was ready or willing to do at the time.  It kept no limits and exposed all the evils of the world in one 2 1/2 hour movie.  

All of these films were truly groundbreaking for their time and changed media to be what is it today.  Without these risk-takers and boundary-breakers we wouldn't be able to see and experience what we take granted for today.

A Sixth Human Sense?

After reading an article titled "TED: MIT Students Turn Internet Into A Sixth Human Sense" (wired.com), I finished feeling curious and slightly concerned of the potential advancements of technology in our everyday world.  Although this new invention seems like it could be extremely useful, I can also see how this might cross some lines of privacy and personal space.  

It also appears  to be more trouble than it's worth to me.  It seems like a lot of work to figure out and produce these images on different surfaces, and also seems a lot less private than looking at a personal computer or PDA.

I am interested to see how this develops and hope that it turns into a product that creates life a little easier, without compromising personal information and human contact.

The Birth of Photography and Film

It's funny how it only takes one or two people to truly make history and change our world with one invention.  Creators like Edison and MuyBridge came up with the idea of photography and moving pictures, later developing into the movie film and digital cameras we know and use so well today.

I definitely found the whole phenomenon of people filling in the gaps that photography would leave in order to give the illusion of motion, with images in their minds that had been burned in their retina.  It is truly fascinating how big of a role psychology and other related theories play into the invention of photography and film.  It is also interesting how these ideas are still used today in animation and other forms of entertainment.

Give My Regards to Broadway

The birth and history of Broadway and musical shows is quite an extensive and interesting one.  It began as Vaudeville, the voice of the city, allowing people to experience the forbidden; may it be sex, women, the human body, language, or promiscuous clothing, all of it was suddenly exhibited on stage for the world to see.  

New York City was the birth place of musical theater and the birth of a new era in entertainment and popular culture.  Being a true New Yorker myself, I am truly proud and thankful for being immersed in such a cultural melting pot.  

The main documentary film we watched on Broadway, explains it as an American musical.  After learning who the historical founders and primary contributors to Broadway were, I found it extremely interesting to find that they were immigrants from all over the world.  This is truly how the United States was primarily built and founded on; the idea of bringing people from all walks of life together to live in harmony.  Racial boundaries were also broken and contributed greatly in striving towards ending racism and ethnic stereotypes.  

Art and freedom of expression also truly came into play during the Broadway vaudeville era.  It broke free from conservative art forms and let musicians, dancers, costume artists, and all contributors, express themselves in ways they never thought possible.  This was truly a time for freedom and happy living.

Kill the Wabbit

Our class discussion was an extension of our previous class on the topic of opera.  Here we focused on more modern operas and the lyrical music and stories behind the shows.  

One film excerpt I found especially interesting and humorous was from a Bugs Bunny cartoon titled "Kill the Wabbit".  This definitely showed the cultural significance and influence opera still has on popular culture today.  This particular episode attempted to encompass all different elements involved in a typical opera, including technology.  Elmer Fudd and Bugs Bunny go through a series of violent, romantic, and tragic duets to well-known opera music with comical lyrics relating to the characters' relationship.  Elmer Fudd uses his magic helmut to strike lightning and create a thunderous storm to harm the rabbit, using technology in his favor.  Costumes were also used by Bugs Bunny to give the illusion of being an attractive female to distract Elmer.

We also focused on tragic romances with somewhat perverted twists within them.  "Carmen", "La Traviata", "Aria", and "Salome" all exhibited this.  Aria and Salome used violence and mutilation as well, showing the insanity that love can cause during hard times.  

All of these operas were definitely different from what one normally thinks of when classic opera comes to mind.  This shows how time and society influences music and what is acceptable to produce in public entertainment.

Opera

Day 2 of Art and Technology class was primarily based around opera and the influence it has had on culture and society worldwide.  The Baroque era was one that brought out music and performances that is still heard and used today.  Bach and Mozart were two extremely influential musicians we discussed.  

Movie clips from "Amadeus" were shown for a large portion of the class.  As one of my favorite movies, I was intrigued and extremely interested in what we learned of the film's historical contexts and social representations from that time period.  I found it extremely significant that Opera was to that time period, what films are viewed as today.  

The technology and deus ex machinae that was used in the operas we viewed in class was fascinating as well.  "Vatel" especially exemplified this with the overuse of elaborate fireworks and special effects.  

With the progression of time and excessive greediness on the part of the elite during the baroque and neo baroque era sparked a new form of popular entertainment for the common people.  This was also exhibited well in "Amadeus" and showed the immense socioeconomic division between people during this time period.

I truly have a newfound interest and respect for opera now and hope to see and learn more about this form of art and music in the future.

First Thoughts...

I will start my first post by giving a little introduction about myself.  I am currently a graduating Senior at the University of Tampa, majoring in Communications and minoring in Advertising.  I have just begun this honors course, titled Art and Technology, and am extremely excited for this upcoming semester, although the thought of graduating in May is not a happy one.  

Art has always been of great importance and significance to me in my life.  Growing up with two very artistic parents, who are both also in the field of advertising, has given me much to see and learn throughout the years.  I have always been open to new and different forms of art, no matter how extreme or abstract, adding to my intrigue of this class.

After having our first introductory class of Art and Technology, I left feeling immensely interested and curious of lessons to come.  I found both movie excepts we viewed to be extremely riveting and significant to the topics discussed and to future lectures and assignments in the class.  Learning about multimedia and its historical evolvement was also very pertinent to the learning process of art and technology.

In sum, I am extremely excited about this class and can't wait to experience and learn more throughout the semester.