I'll bring some candy.

Munchkins

I can bring some munchkins :)

Cookie goodness

I'll get some kind of baked cookie-ish item :-)

I'll bring the beer

food/drink

i can bring some chips

I'll bring some beverages too

I will bring some beverages.

Exam Week: meeting time and foods to bring!

A reminder we are meeting 5/6/2008 7:30 pm - 10:20 PM in HH374A where you'll
present your DVD for final critique. Project 3 (video) is due next Tuesday!!!!!
Please sign up for food/drinks you'll be bringing:

Crystal__________
Jeff___________
Emma__________
Andrew__________
Keith _________
Kev __________
Irene ____________
Allison __________
Kerrin____________
Brandon ___________
Tom______________
Iber ______________
Matt _____________

Proj. 2

This project, however annoying probably yielded the best reaction from me once I was finished with it. There were a couple key concept that I included that were deliberate and I hoped achieved their goal. First off, to cure the boredom of the standard slide show, i staggered the images. I also knew i didnt want all the images to be shown at once, so i brought them in one at a time however i DID want the viewer to see the magnitude of the number of pictures so i left them all on the screen at once at the end of each slide so the viewer could see how many there were. The trick w/ the pictures was to make them small enough for one slide but big enough for people to take note of the places they were took. There were two parts to the visuals, the first concept was to see exactly how many cigarettes I was smoking, (hence showing them all at once) the second was to make a sort of time line depicting the scenes of my life through cigarettes. Being that I had a pretty good view of all the paths to my classes on their respected days i think this goal was also achieved.

Proyecto Uno

Now that I've performed project one, I am glad that I got to organize it by myself, it gave me the chance to enforce my own ideas. Crystal's comment about how the performance was closer to the original idea reminded me of this fact. This way I was allowed to play more with things like sound instead of worrying about getting my own idea across to the audience. What I found most interesting about my project visually was the play w/ the streetlights. Being the brightest bit of color in the projected backdrop, the light also illuminated the person who was standing in it just like a real streetlight would if someone was standing in it. It gave the backdrop a sort of 3D feeling due to the light that appeared to be shining over the people performing. Sound wise, I played with two forms of sound, the first being street noises such as cars and people, the second being rainfall. Because the scene included a hobo which would most likely be found in a more industrial area, I opted to use the street corner noises. When I played the rainfall noise, the scene seemed too peaceful for the type of scene I was trying to portray. Acting was fun as well, working with Kevin kind of allows for a little improv because we both know the idea, and changes can come from all sorts of different things, such as having to act at the front of the computer lab rather than an open area.

what unreal world?

I feel as though Jennifer Pozner is stereotyping reality TV as she is discussing the flaws in this form of entertainment thus making her article a very hypocritical statement. Now I am not saying in anyway that reality TV as a whole is quality television, but not all of it is degrading women and creating this “unreal world” she speaks of. There are those cases in which we see the evil in our society; however, this is not true for all reality TV. The idea of a reality show is to be entertaining and in most ways they succeed in that. The amount of women that watch these reality shows would not be there if they felt as though they were being bashed. The fact is that our society loves to see chaos and people in trouble. Show such as the ones she speaks is exactly what people want to watch and like I said they definitely entertain most of the viewers that watch them.

Cruel Reality Shows Don't Play Fair (is a weak article title)

Regardless, the article itself makes some interesting points even if it doesn't pose them with the clarity and coherence of a scholarly journal. In fact, the most insightful part of the article is the last sentence ("unless it's really funny"). When it comes down to it, anything can be passed off as long as it's funny enough. And it's the goal of the creators of these shows to put out the most funny with the least effort: enter reality tv. What cheaper way to gather ratings than blatant exploitation. It's been happening for years; old grindhouse theaters pandered to the mass' need for sex, violence and monsters while keeping the budget low. Really, reality tv is just the evolution of this cheap (economically and morally) entertainment. The problem is that the creators and participants in these shows seem to have forgotten the limits of common humanity and are willing to go beyond the ordinary in order to earn a buck. But then again, they wouldn't make that buck if people were watching. The blame for reality exploitation lies in the culture that cultivates and supports it.

reality tv and moral lines

I thought the msnbc commentary on reality tv shows presented an interesting deliniation of the two major "groups" of reality tv shows there are - those on which all the participants are volunteers, and those on which some of the participants have no idea they are on tv. I never before considered this - probably partially because I am not a heavy tv watcher, and even less a follower of reality tv shows (though I am at least familiar with my fair share). I definitely agree with the opinion presented in this article. People who willingly sign the contract binding them onto a reality tv show should be well aware of what they potentially are getting themselves into. However, it is wrong to subject unwilling and unknowing people to the same antics.

I think reality tv in general displays a degradation of culture in America. Since the "domestication" of television - when it found its way into the majority of American homes - culture has always been modeled after what people see on television. From stereotypical commercials in the 50s portraying "modern" home conveniences and the housewives who wield them, to the family oriented and other comedy sitcoms of the 90s. But now, with the onset of reality tv, the people themselves are the stars - and in a sense we see the cultural disaster television has created by instilling traditional stereotypes, etc.

Blog

Hey guys here is a link to my blog. I would really appreciate comments and feedback. Please let me know what you think :)

http://finalaccessory.blogspot.com/

The Unreal World

This article definitely struck a sore-spot with me, as the amplification of the discussed stereotype(s) is precisely WHY I refuse to watch reality television.

Having kept my head in the proverbial sand for years concerning this particular genre, I was alarmed to read about many shows that I had not yet heard of: Married by America, Meet my Folks and The Swan being a few such examples.

First of all, as a gay woman I'm severely disgusted with shows such as "Married by America". In most places, it's either not legal for me to marry my partner, or if it is- then the marriage most likely won't be recognized elsewhere. This is a fundamental right that I and my homosexual peers have to struggle for, yet here is a television show that binds people legally for the mere entertainment of vapid Americans everywhere. So essentially, our culture bars me from sharing my health benefits or being able to visit my partner in a hospital, but will gladly grant certificates of marriage that are doomed to be annulled only days, weeks or months later... solely because it is undervalued as an entertaining gimmick.

The analogy that Jennifer Pozner makes to the Stepford Wives is frighteningly accurate. Whatever steps women have made to gain equality as coworkers, peers and family members are being hacked to pieces by the stereotypes that are being enforced.

The whole reality show genre is destructive in nature and sets up horrible expectations of women in our society. Concerning shows such as The Swan, do I even need to reiterate the mantra of "plastic surgery is painful and dangerous?" These individuals risk complications and even death for the sake of feeling worthy of acceptance, yet television viewers are shown a glorified, edited "faux-reality" that fails to promote the slightest awareness of such issues. Why? Because it would harm ratings and *gasp* be the "right thing to do."

...For this reason, I'll continue to keep my head in the sand and choose not patronize such shows, thank-you-a-very-much!

long live the new flesh

I'm glad I watched Videodrome by myself. I think that had I watched it with friends,  we would have passed it off as a medium budget, gory eighties flick. Watching it alone, it had more resonance. Videodrome comments (quite effectively) on the carnal, lecherous nature of mankind and how television caters to and encourages those traits. In a more provocative turn, Videodrome also argues that the only way for "them" (the government or those faceless/nameless/numberless entities running the world, here portrayed as the purveyors of Videodrome) to eliminate these negative traits of humanity is not only to capitalize on them, but also utilize them by encouraging mindless murder. 

Another bragging point for Videodrome is that it addressed the entire torture porn genre well before it was hip and edgy in the 00's. It also manages to do this far more tactfully and intelligently that those movies exploiting violence and sex currently. In fact, Videodrome accurately predicted mankind's preoccupation with the entire torture porn genre. If some hallucinatory virus could actually be projected through "inappropriate" video content, I'm confident in saying that 75% of the population would be growing video-tumors.

Ed TV

In the movie Ed TV Ed agrees to be fallowed around by a camera crew and has every moment of his life documented. I was a big fan of The Truman Show with Jim Carey where he doesn’t even know that he is on TV as the center of a huge reality show. The differences between the films are that Ed willingly chose to be on the show whereas Truman was on the show from birth without any consent on his part. Both films seem to merge together though since they both slowly become aware of the effect they are having on the masses of people and it begins to change their actions and the actions of those around them.

Another similarity between the two movies is that the directors of the shows have input on the daily events that happen in the characters lives. In Ed TV the director has a future love introduced to Ed, and she knows so much about him from the show so she is likely to seduce him. On The Truman Show the main character is also introduced to a heavily scripted love interest who begins to make him suspicious since she knows everything about him.

Both movies are very interesting as they deal with issues of surveillance and voyeurism and seem to take them to the extreme. Both characters end up having break downs and break out of their surveillance since they won’t accept it as being a true reality. The Truman Show was a bit more interesting to me since he has no idea that he is being watched and that his whole life has been a fabrication of a television station. This applies quite well to the topic at hand, what is reality TV, especially if the characters know they are being filmed, they will act differently and unrealistically.

VideoDrome

Videodrome was not what I expected. A tasteful 80's flick to say the least. This movie was captivating, suspenseful and mysterious. It kept me glued to my seat, as I could not take my eye off this disturbing film. Much like a bad car accident. In fact my roommate found himself addicted after 20 minutes of listening to it in the background. When the main character, the president of a porno business, accidentally discovers Videodrome by tuning into a pirate satellite he doesn’t realize that his life will change forever. Videodrome basically opens the viewers mind by its disturbing content allowing its tumor causing frequency. The tumor makes the viewer hallucinate and realize that what they believe is actually reality. The main character enters a world of nightmares as he tries to save himself from Videodrome. This movie touches on th concept of reality and television. It made me consider the question of reality by suggesting that if something exists somewhere, there is some sort of reality associated with it. The movie quotes the phrase "There is nothing beyond our perception of reality." This made me wonder how TV distorts our perception of reality by documenting reality itself.

Videodrome + The Unreal World

Videodrome is about Max, a president of a TV station that receives signals of a snuff program Videodrome. Upon investigating further into Videodrome’s origins, Max begins experiencing its effects and having strange, violent hallucinations. Over the course of the movie these hallucinations and reality merge and become indistinguishable from each other. Under this influence, Max acts out in violence to those around him and then himself.

The movie presents an exaggerated view of the dangers of violence on television and reality programming. Although snuff is not part of the mainstream, this kind of media does exist and has an audience, which is a disturbing thought. The film also shows how television has the power to control its audience and affect its thoughts and actions.

Unreal World discusses the manner in which women are consistently portrayed on reality television programs. In pretty much every case, they are shown as dumb, catty, and existing solely for the purpose of making a man happy. These shows also enforce racial stereotypes and degrade men as well by placing their worth in merely their wealth and looks. By constantly broadcasting these shallow images of “beauty” and “love”, reality TV creates a reality all its own where neither of these things truly exists.

"EDtv"

This comical movie presents a lot of good ideas about reality TV, especially since it was created before the huge boom and hype around reality shows. The main plot to the movie is based on Ed's character. Ed signs on to have is own reality tv show, all cameras, all the time. It is interesting to see how Ed's life changes once the cameras and producers are involved. His relationships with family and friends begins to change.

When Ed tries to quit the show, he finds himself in a fix. It isn't until he digs up some juicy dirt on the producers that he is unable to stop the show. It's almost as if Ed's life isn't his own anymore. It now belongs to America and the producers.

It really makes you think about how reality tv would affect a person's life, and whether or not everything being presented is real.

Videodrome

Videodrome is about a man name Max who is exposed to the videodrome signal which caused him to see hallucinations. Only he can interact with these hallucinations because they eventually become his reality. Later on, the ones who control the videodrome signal attempt to control Max to kill other people with the videotapes they inserted into his abdomen but is stopped by Bianco Oblivion. He then kills the antagonists and removes the "old flesh" so he can ascend to the next level of videodrome.

The whole movie seemed weird and surreal because of how the television became reality to Max and was able to control him. It is a more extreme take of how much television has an influence on our lives to the point where some of us would schedule our lives around a certain show time so we wouldn't miss any episode. Or in some cases, people would try to emulate what they see on TV but because they aren't professionals, would get hurt or killed. That is sort of what happened to Max where the television controlled what he saw and did until it told him to kill himself.

Reality Television

While viewing The Truman Show I was confronted with some disturbing thoughts about what reality television is coming to and what the possibilities are. The concept of having a main character in a show that doesn’t know that he is being watched is not that far-fetched. The difference between this and the reality television that we see now is very slight. The hidden cameras are what people love about this world of reality TV. When people as a whole sees something they feel like they are not supposed to we love it. It makes us feel like we are part of the drama and not just lazing around on our couches. To get a high rated show there is no telling what people would do. It would not even have to be a very well scripted show in order to sell. Some of the junk that is on television isn’t “good television,” however, it still manages to sell and make millions of viewer satisfied. Throughout the movie we see how the viewers of the show obsess over Truman. Their lives seem to revolve around what in going on in this fake studio world. This is something that we see in our world today. This film came off as slightly disturbing in the fact that we could possibly see something along this line someday.

The Unreal World

Since Survivor, reality has kept spiraling out of hand, taking mankind and exploiting its problems for other viewers enjoyments."Why woman on reality TV have to be blind desperate and dumb" can only further support this idea that reality tv isn't quite reality. We are all aware the celebrities have quite the impact on how people act in society, they look up to celebrities, wear their products, dress like them, and reality celebrities are no different. They get to serve as the temporary model representing the rest of their sex. For women in this case, their gender is being exploited as "blind, desperate and dumb" as well as selfish, catty, gold-digging whores just to name a few. What i found to be the worst part about this is that even when a woman challenges this stereotype, they are shot down for it. The article talked about the model on Tyra's show who was told that her intelligence was intimidating. It seems like reality TV is all about conforming imagery to something that no normal person is. Black women have been told to fix their hair, Asians to soften their eyes. Producers even use tactics to make everyone seem a bit different, like cutting off individuals from society and filling them with liquor to promote outrageous behavior that will support the stereotypes they fall into.
I had looked into the effects of reality television in the past and came by something that I thought was astonishing. I was reading a piece on how America is entertained by watching the suffering of other individuals, this source of entertainment was then compared back to when people didn't have radios or television, back to the days of ancient Rome and the Colosseum. It was speculated that America might be heading back in the direction of the gladiator death match. Think about it, as far as suffering goes, we get no better than the death of a fellow human being.

EdTV

EdTV is a comedy which portrays the scenarios in which an individual may be placed in when his/her personal life is exposed to the entire world. This movie exposes the pressures which reality TV can have on a person's life and the drastic changes or problems that can occur from this. Moreover, it exposes the idea that reality TV may not be 100% authentic by presenting the idea that its producers may "stage" potential situations that its "characters" may endure. Thus, leaving the audience to wonder whether all reality TV is truly scripted or is indeed reality as such programs claim to be. Lastly, secrets, lies, betrayals, and truths are all portrayed with a comedic and entertaining twist.

On Videodrome...

Well, when I plopped down in my sofa-sized bean-bag-chair with my cat and a glass of wine, I can't say that what I saw was what I expected. At all.

Personally, I found Videodrome to be disturbing, entertaining, nostalgic & thought provoking all at the same time- which suits me just fine. If one could take A Clockwork Orange, mate it with Naked Lunch, and perhaps dash a springle of Requiem for a Dream into the mix- it would be this film. With its absurd "over-the-top-so-you-can't-ignore-it" machinisms, it seemed clear that one message it was sending about mediation is that it influences people; that with enough mediation, we can no longer distinguish what is "real" from what is "fantasy". The only thing I could gather from the tag-team style mediation warfare towards the end of the movie, is that mediation has the power to turn us into pawns, even if we think we know what is being inflicted upon us.

Certain references were comical in their directness: How we are introduced to the film by an "alarm video" that purportedly assumes the role of the alarm clock... How Max, the main character, assumed that brutal torture, rape and killing scrambled from an obscure frequency MUST be scripted, and couldn't possibly be *real* torture. No "real" harm could be inflicted. Not if it's on television... especially if it's pirated! Another gem of a moment was in the beginning, when Max attended a panel show with a host and another guest who opposed his controversial broadcasts... the other guest literally went from being critical of his work to being coy with him- which perhaps suggests that even "objective" mediation is never truly objective.

Overall, what I gather from Videodrome is that mediation is now an integral part of our technological lives, but it has softened the lines we hold between that which is true, and that which is imagined. This film seemed to address this issue with no small amount of irony and absurd humor.

"The Unreal World"

Personally, this article spoke the most to me, maybe because I'm female and I have felt the repercussions of reality televisions depiction of women. After reading through the article, I felt that someone had invaded my brain. The author, Jenifer L. Pozner, brought up many points and opinions that I have often said. She briefly discusses the different kinds of reality shows that have degraded women and caused society to desire these unrealistic women including America's Next Top Model, The Bachelor, Joe Millionare, The Swan, and The Real World.

Society has such a distorted view of how a women is supposed to look, think, and act. She tells us that people claim reality TV isn’t sexist because women aren't being forced to join these television shows, unfortunately, this is the sad part. Women have allowed this to happen. We see these "real" women on TV and realize that they are so far from the truth, yet women still continue to apply for these shows and let society see us this way. No wonder society doesn't respect us. Why should men respect women if they are calling each other sluts. How is anyone supposed to take us seriously when we are gallivanting on TV with half a brain and playing the role of who we are "supposed" to be. It's a shame that a child's image of a perfect woman is the one where she is stick thin with no mind of her own. Where being composed of fake elements on the outside is what determines us to be a worthy catch.


Reality TV is affecting womens' mental health.
http://psychologytoday.com/articles/pto-20030303-000003.html

Videodrome

"Videodrome" was a very disturbing movie. The main character was subject to a video format called videodrome, which shows torture, and apparently corrupts the brain. When it corrupts the brain, it causes a cancerous protrusion that causes hallucinations, however it is not clear if those hallucinations are real or not. It is not clear if any of the movie is supposed to be real or not. At one point, the main character has his hallucinations taped, but they are not showed, thusly no mediation. Apparently, the videodrome was never shown on tv at all in the movie. If it was though, it would be: Man wears contraption, thoughts are recorded, tape is put on tv. This would be a form of mediation, which actually may be possible in a few decades. Even though the videodrome was not boradcasted, lets assume it was: tv is reality, man watches tv, tv and man interact. I guess this was the premis of the movie; loosing track of reality. If what is inside the tv screen is raw reality, what is going on outside of the tv screen? By incorporating the hallucinations, this theme of loosing track of reality works really well, and as a result, we only know for sure that the main character killed himself.

the unreal world

“The Unreal World,” by Jennifer Pozner is about how reality tv misrepresents women. She states that reality tv only accepts skinny, dumb, white women, and thus sends a message to it’s audience (which is mostly young girls) that women should be extremely skinny, slutty, and compliant, or else they won’t get the man. By being all of those things, the women won’t have to work for a living or be independent; they can just leach off of their rich stud. Pozner is correct; most reality shows do impose this type of person on the public and the young girls who watch take lessons from it. The Swan is a show about women getting unnecessary plastic surgery to look ‘pretty’, Top Model is a show about dumb women with eating disorders that want to walk and pose for a living, even a feel good show like Biggest Loser is about people who must loose weight to stay on the show. The image is taking over.
This article related to my project more than the others because it also talked about how reality tv likes to show arguments, name calling, and embarrassment. Pozner talked about how the producers choose dumb, ditzy money grubbers because they know they will fight each other, especially over the “rich stud.” My project is about arguments and/or fights because, to me, that’s what reality tv is all about. People want to see controversy, or at least, the producers think people want to see controversy.

Some evidence that the image of women being created by reality tv has had a large impact on the youth:
http://www.missbimbo.com/
…what?! Bimbobucks? Thanks, Paris Hilton…

Women on Reality TV

I thought "The Unreal World" was the most interesting because of how ridiculous the women are on reality TV. It described the stereotypes that the women portrayed and how the producers hand picked those people to simulate drama in the show. Just by the fact that they prey on women's insecurities about their appearances based on revealing clothing and weight is ridiculous because those women are perfectly normal in our reality.

What I think is also interesting is that they don't mention one of my favorite reality shows, "TLC's What Not to Wear" because they take average women and revamp their wardrobe in order to make them look beautiful. Although the beginning of the show trashes on the participant's looks, the end result requires nothing like intense diets or surgery. Also, what's really interesting is that a majority of the participants tend to already be comfortable with their personal image and by going through the show, they start to become conscious of what others see as their visual flaws. So is it really their personal change to become more fashionable or others imposing their ideal look onto them?

Then again, TLC also had a show called "Miss America: Reality Check" in which the "standard" of femininity was being "revamped" through a reality show. So if even the most "beautiful" women in America need improvement physically and mentally, what does that mean for the rest of us?

Reality TV

Reality TV is the latest trend in television although precursors to this type of entertainment have existed for years. The publics' fascination with this genre stems from the curiosity to see others and not be seen. This brings up the topic of surveillances and using the camera as a medium. It is way to experience a situation without the drawback of having to be involved. All kinds of situations are represented in Reality TV, which supplies the viewer with a number of different scenarios to choose from. Surveillance has become a topic of discussion since the passing of the controversial Patriot Act. Americans are becoming more aware of the fact that they are being watched. The victim never knows the watcher but the watcher can always see the victim, giving the watcher in some cases an uncomfortable amount of control. Now by turning on the boob tube, you can be the watcher and choose to invade whoevers life you choose. People also love to see the exploitation of stereotypes on TV. We are fascinated by other peoples problems and challenges. I personally am not a fan of reality TV as I don't like to gander at other people's situations. I almost feel intrusive, and nosy and I would be disappointed in myself for caring about other people in an obsessive manor. I think this is why Reality TV has become the guilty pleasure of many.

Project 4 Link

Hey everyone! Since this blog seems to be collecting a little dust, I thought it'd be nice to put up the link to my blog project. It's on the same blog that I've been keeping since 7th grade, so there's a nice tag to sort out the blog project portion.

Anway, Check it out here:

http://wizardofkitty.livejournal.com/tag/7+years

Feel free to leave comments! :D I still love them seven years after!

Project 4 Blog Proposal

My project 2 photos required me to document the clothes I wore every time I went for a run (almost every day). It seemed like a boring idea at first, but I noticed some interesting trends begin to develop as I collected pictures - patterns I didn't expect to see. And I'm happy with the results. So, I think I'm sticking to my initial running-themed idea for the blog project, in some form. I'm getting a little bit of a late start, but all the information I need for the blog is already collected and recorded every day elsewhere, so if necessary I can backtrack a bit. I plan to essentially create an online blog-style running log. This will probably include an (almost) daily entry consisting of information including distance ran, time, what kind of run it was (i.e. workout, recovery run, long run, etc.), comments, and possibly weather if relevant. I will document each run in some form - GPS data, photo(s), and/or otherwise, to be further discussed. I may even continue what I was doing for project 2 as part of this documentation, to shoot the clothes I wear on every run.















(from project 2)
link to full project here.

Project 1 Documentation

Project 1 Film Still

Project 1 Still: The moment that starts it all.

Project 1 film stills (Kerrin)

Our project involved displaying religious imagery on a large screen while the audience was "branded" or "labeled" by a second projector that displayed the names of different religions on them.

Projection showed multiple religious icons/scenes from the world's largest religions...


Audience members became part of the performance by being labeled with various beliefs...




In the corner, there was a spotlight that was used to represent the higher ideals that all of these religions share. It also served as a focal point for the audience's attention, helping to direct traffic in the desired manner.

Project 1 [Documentation]

Project 1 Video Still
A dainty spray of perfume for the potential customer










Project 1 Photo Still
"Mmm, mm, mm..mm, mm m!"

Project 1 Image: Kieth, Iber, Matt

This is our image for Project 1. It captures Iber on the screen and Matt to the right overseeing the sales presentation.

Project 1 afterthoughts

Our performance would have been ten times better if we were able to do it in the case as we had originally planned so that the audio wouldn't seem as weird that it didn't match the words of the video which would have been inside the case as well

The audience was well placed since it was a pretty straight forward piece as far as the audience was concerned.

The sound would have been great if like I said it were projected separate from the video, but since they were in the same room it gave the viewer an uneasy feeling which may have worked in it's own weird way.

Project 1 - Photo Documentation (Emma, Jeff, Andrew)

Project 1
Image: Emma and Jeff

Blog Performance Proposal

My performance blog will be a project incorporating graffiti stenciling into it in some way. I want to create a stencil that allows me to graffiti a place that is visible and not hard to see in plain view. The point is to create graffiti in a location that will cause some kind of conflict and to see how long it takes for someone to act on it. Whether the action it is to destroy the art or to add onto it the project progresses in some way. The progress of each piece will be documented every few days on the blog.

Project 4 Proposal

I have been cultivating a couple ideas for the blog project. I want to show growth over time as a result. I have chosen to chart myself and that of a bamboo plant twice a week. I will include both pictures of the plants growth and my physique along with measurements of consumption and a running journal that describes the influences on each of us that week.

Project 4 Proposal

For my blog project (Project 4), I want to create a blog that discusses the current trends/ music of the time. I would pick a song (that is popular on the charts) 2-3 times a week, and describe it by using color, images, and words. Through this, I could describe the meaning of the song, how it made me feel, emotionally, and any other aspect. Furthermore, if I hear the song on the radio or anywhere, I could take a picture of my surroundings or those surrounding me. It would also be interesting to see whether or not the song charts change from week to week, and also see what genre of music is most popular.

Project One Assesment

1.What spatial changes would you make when performing your performance again?
I think one of the biggest spatial changes I would make when performing the performance again would be the space we were standing in. Rather than stand alongside the projector screen I would like to have the entire group placed inside the actual gallery glass cases. This way, we would appear as though we were actually on display for the crowd to see. Being inside the case would have given each of us our own little space and thus allowing the viewer to understand our different roles more easily.

2. How would you change the placement of the audience in your performance?
I would change the placement of the audience so that they interacted a bit more with the performance. Instead of having them just observe in a crowd, I would have them view the performance in chronological order. Thus, they could view the performance in the order that the product would be created. So, they would start with the engineer, move on to the sales man, then to the customer, and lastly to the commercial. This way they could experience the creation of a product from beginning to end.

3. How would you reconsider the use of sound in your work?
I would change the use of sound so that instead of playing the audio track from the iDeck, we would have it playing from large speakers surrounding the audience. Using these speakers would allow the audience to hear the audio better and at a louder volume.

Project 4 Proposal

For project 4, my idea is based on the mood ring. I would wear a mood ring for a certain amount of time. Every day at a set time or at least 3 times a week, I would check the color and see if it matches my mood. If I feel like the ring is accurate then I will take a picture of it on my finger and try to somehow create a design that would execute the emotion using images and words. Or maybe take a picture of someone else or an event that I feel portrays that emotion. I am still trying to develop the idea a little more.

Performance Project Assessment

1) I feel that our performance would have been more successful if the projection was in now way on a large enough scale. The streetlights would have been more effective if they were much larger than our bodies on the projection. A room with a very large white wall with less clutter would have been more suitable.

2) I would have rather had the audience in more of a theater setup. The view of the performance was definitely best from directly in front. This being the case we need to have the audience positioned directly in front of the performance in standard seating.

3) I am completely content with our use of sound. The sound clip of rain that we used fit the feel of the performance perfectly. It had a sort of mechanical quality that reemphasized the message of the performance. The mysterious quality of the lack of voice was exactly what we were going for.

Project Four Proposal

For my blog project, I was thinking of making a blog that discusses the common, trivial and embarrassing moments that happen in life and addresses the self-consciousness of a person. I'll make a list of them and 2-3 times a week, I'll perform one of them in a public space. I'll ask someone to document it through pictures and the post them on the blog. The thing is, I don't know if I should make these incidents realistic and make people feel uncomfortable and embarrassed for me, or if I should parade around doing something embarrassing clearly acknowledging it. Some examples of trivial things that seem to bother people: Umbrellas flipping inside-out during windy weather. A dab of food smeared on the face. Something stuck in the teeth. Toilet paper trailing from the shoe. Etc.

I. I think I would want the projector out of the way instead of in the middle of the room. Maybe projecting from the ceiling, or something. Other than that, I think the installation was a good size for the number of people that was viewing it. I would also want the room to be completely black or white without any of the clutter.

II. I like the idea of squeezing in some couches or comfortable armchairs for the audience to sit in to get the feeling of sitting back, lounging around and watching TV -- that sort of thing. Otherwise, I thought the placement of the audience was fine.

III. I think the use of sound in our project was effective, but I realized that they all have a similar and consistent rhythm. I would consider re-recording with more variation in speed in the voices.

Performance vs. Photography

While reading this article, it seemed relatively comparative to the last blog I posted talking about "performing the moment." In fact, the artist I talked about in that post had been stated once more in this new article. (Chris Burden) All these accusations against the camera capturing the action of a happening all come down to one point, the viewers reaction. Isn't that what an artist is aiming for anyways? He wants to achieve a certain revelation from his viewer or explore the reaction he receives from them during their happening.
While sure, I COMPLETELY agree that looking at documentation of a happening is nowhere near the same as the impact that viewing one in person would be, however that is not to say that their is no impact. In order to explore this idea, I went to do a little experiment of my own, since we were required to review one of the artists anyways, I searched for Stelarc's meat hook experiment. The result is probably the same as the one I would have if I was viewing the action in person, I really want to vomit. However it is quite possible that if I was there in person witnessing him hanging by hooks piercing his skin I might just have vomited because I can't stand the site of body mutilation. While looking through Stelarc's "official" website, it seemed that most of his experiments were designed to test the body and its capabilities. I'm not sure if this means he was able to hang himself comfortably but to be able to hang in a cross-legged position doesn't seem like it should be all too stressful.
All this argument brings up is more questions about photography versus live performance. Does the existence of a camera ACTUALLY influence the viewers perception of whats going on in front of them? What if they don't know the cameras there? Does the artist have to repeat the performance in order to show it to more viewers? If so, is it still achieving the same effect the second time around? If pictures don't do justice to the performance, what is to be said about the reaction it does create for its viewers? I feel as if the existence of photography needs to just be accepted however acknowledged that it is not and will never be the same as viewing something in real life. Just as movies are different from plays and reality, there all have different ways of achieving the reactions they desire.

The T is for The

For the blog project, I was thinking of taking something that was significant that happened in the day and illustrate it on the blog everyday. I think it would be interesting because it doesn't have to be funny and lots of interesting things can happen in a day. I'd figured it would be interesting for people outside of our class to read and comment on the blog too so I could get some feedback or interesting thoughts.

The only thing I'm not sure about is the external linking because what would I put up relating to something that randomly happens in the day?

Project 4 proposal: Playwithyourfood.

As I was taking pictures for project 2 I came up with my idea for project 4.
In coming up with a method for taking pictures, I found myself gravitating towards taking photos of items I consume on a daily basis. Over the course of the next week, I'm not allowed to eat, drink or generally consume anything without photographing it first.

Well...
While in a rush between work and school, I found myself precariously trying to photograph my Wendy's double cheeseburger much to the confusion of a neighboring car. I made it do an apologetic little dance and thought "jeeze. I really need to be carted off to the loony bin sometime soon." BUT- it did get me thinking that I could create a livejournal community called "play with your food."

In this community, I could post regular photographs of food that I played with and created into some kind of "food art." (for example: Mondrian inspired fruit roll-ups.) I would then ask other members of the community to post similar photos and to share if their work has any meaning/influences/implications. It essentially would be a food art gallery with a tongue-in-cheek sense of humor (hopefully) :)
The best part would be if participants would approach it with any sense of seriousness - which I will promote by playing moderator and critiquing their work as well as my own.

Revisions for Project 1 (by Kerrin)

As Brandon mentioned, the concept of our project was difficult to get across in the space we had to work with. If I were able to make any changes without regard to money or resources, there are several things I would consider.

The use of sound would be effective, but I think it would have to be very specific to the visual stimulus provided. If this were to be a piece that included sound, I personally would deem it appropriate to drastically alter the setup and perhaps the overall intention of the project. For example: if I had a large, rectangular room as a working space, it would be great to play with the idea of using not one, but several video installations. The walls could be white and in order to represent the many religions being addressed, I would like no less than 6 televisions: 3 set into each length-wise wall. Each television could represent one of the world’s largest religions: Islam, Judaism, Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism and perhaps Atheism/Secularism as the 6th installment. Visual representations of these beliefs could cycle through their respective television and headphones could be installed directly next to each one.

There would be 6 corresponding “soundtracks”- snippets of mantras, prayers, verses and speeches – that would go along with each individual video installation.
So theoretically, if I went to the television displaying Buddhist imagery and donned the headphones, I would hear the meditative chanting of Buddhist monks while watching the movie/slideshow.

Meanwhile, to maintain the aspect of having the audience becoming part of the performance, it would be ideal to have 6 different projectors. They could be attached to the ceiling and directed at the installation on the opposite wall, projecting “BUDDHIST” onto the person viewing/listening to the Buddhist installation. This would apply to all 6 “stations”.

In this manner, the viewer who is experiencing the religion by viewing the imagery and listening to the corresponding sound- they would be “labeled” by the projector as having subscribed to that particular religion. Passers-by who walk though would see the installations and then the labeled participants.

A little complex- but I think it would be neat 

Insofar as the unifying light goes, I would like to have one spot light in the center of the ceiling projecting downwards to a circular chase lounge that would invite viewers to sit. The rest of the room should be dark and illuminated only by the installations and the peripheral shed of the spot light. If an overarching sound throughout the entire room would make it more effective, I would suggest a vague humming or chant that can’t be identified as belonging to any one particular set of beliefs. If Atheism/Secularism is introduced as one of the installations, then the “light” would represent the idea of belief, mystery and answer-seeking rather than just meaning “god” or “godliness.”

Project 1 -Assessment

1. What spatial changes would you make when performing your performance again?
If I were going to make spacial changes for this performance I would try to attain a bigger room. I didn't anticipate how crowded the room would be with all of the tables and equipment. I would try to set up the project in a room without the tables and equipment surrounding the audience. I think it would have been more effective it the only thing in the room was the white-board.

2. How would you change the placement of the audience in your performance?
If I were to change the placement of the audience members I would probably spread them out more. A majority of the viewers were sitting on one side of the projection because there wasn't enough room on the other. I think it would also be interesting if the viewers could not see where the projection was coming from. If we had a bigger room, we could almost hide the projector and have the audience spread out more around the board and projection. I also would try to somehow get the viewers to take a step back and observe what was occurring between them.

3. How would you reconsider the use of sound in your work?
I think that our original idea for sound was really innovative, however it did not work as well as we had hoped. Unfortunately, the wireless mic was too bulky to attach to the dry-erase markers. I think if we could have had the sound of the marker and eraser project throughout the room it would have made a difference. The audience would have been more aware of their use of the markers.

Project 1 Assessment

1. I think the performance could be better if the projection was larger because then there would have been space between the two performers and the light would have been able to cover their entire body. Of course that would mean that we would need a nice clean white wall or a larger projection screen for that to happen.

2. When we were coming up with our concept, we were thinking the audience would be seated like a theater so by watching our performance, they felt like they were watching a movie or television show.

3.If we had our third person, one of us would have been making the noise of a water bottle being filled so the audience would automatically associate the sound with the action. That way, the bottle seller would not look so awkward holding an empty water bottle to the sky.

Camera/Action

"Performance art and photography are radically different mediums, but both define a non-ordinary space by imposing parameters on it — a space that depends on the viewer to make it come alive."

Traditional performance from a conceptual point of view has a lot to do with immediacy and the view of an action in the present moment. Some artist's take this credo and with it denounce the authenticity of the camera as it relates to the documentation of a performance. Artists like Allan Kaprow were outspoken about their unfavorable opinion of the photograph in art as they thought it took away from the beauty and concept behind the live performance. These antagonists did not like how the camera forced parameters on a performance or action by its frame and capturing of only one moment to describe and entire work.
This school of thought was challenged however by the 60's and 70's when artists began to rely on film to document their work and spread their ideas to larger audiences. The question then asked why film was not significant, when art came after the experience in the first place. The camera gained credibility as it started being used as a part of the performance by artists such as Ma Liuming and Marina Abromovic. Tehching Hsieh used the camera as evidence of his extreme works of endurance which often counted on documentation to prove his work credible.
I think that the use of the camera is at the artists discretion. I believe it can be an awesome medium, but it can also distort the work. Use of the camera should be specific and well thought out but never taken out of context.
This link will take you to a site where the camera is used for documentation and actually frames graffiti as art.
http://www.picturesofwalls.com/

Performance Project Assesment

1. With regards to space, I know exactly what I would have changed. We had initially intended to perform in "The Case" in Holman in which each performer would get a separate window as their space and would play the role of a live mannequin. This would also display the transitions of the product as it developed. It would have given a different effect to view the live performance from a point of separation and also draw attention to the TV commercial that parallels this idea.
2. The placement of the audience would have stayed the same but the interaction would have been totally different. The audience might be more willing to approach the performance with the glass barrier in between as they did not interact very much when the performance was right in front of them.
3. I would not reconsider the use of sound because I feel it was one of our strongest attributes. The fact that the audio and the commercial were sending the same message at the same time but out of sync, really added a new layer to the performance as there were multiple forms of media and expression that added an appropriate level of confusion among the audience.

performance assessment

Space: The space we had was a little bit cramped. If the projector did not have to be so close to the white board, and the teathered tables werent in the way, it would have been perfect. Also, if we used two projectors, each with the same picture, perhapse the audience could have split up and not got in eachothers way as much (not that they were in eachothers way).

Audience: The audience had enough seats even though they weren't sitting for very long, but I would have liked, if we had the space, for them to have been sitting on either side of the projector, rather than being all bunched up on one side.

Sound: I think that if we could have used the wirless mikes, and if we could have had small ones that could be taped to a few markers, that the sound would have been perfect. We wanted the only sound to be the markers and erasers, but without amplifiers, it wasn't as prominent. The chatter of the audience at work seemed like a good thing to me and i think it made up for not having the mikes.

project 4 proposal

My proposal is that two to four times a week, i will choose a current event article and design a logo for it. This will be somewhat akward since logos are for companies, sports teams, tv stations, events and the like, but i will make it work. for example, one ive already done: the current event was about Kosovo being recognized by the united states - i designed basically a clothing style logo "Kosovo, since feb. 22, 2008" and i created a flag for it.
By the way, i noticed on the examples just now that some one also named jeff had an almost identical idea, but he drew his events instead...since ive already spent hours making logos, i've decided to stick with my idea. (He stole my favorite number too).

Performance Assessment

Unity of World Religions

1. Spatial Changes: I liked the scale of our piece - that is, the size of the projections and thrown "spot" light. I think the environment we had to work with and install these elements into however, left much to be desired (as an understatement). Given a more controlled environment, mainly as far as lighting is concerned, would have vastly improved the piece, and possibly made its intention more evident. (Though I do think however, that a piece such as this requires either some prior knowledge, or explanation after the fact, for the viewers to fully understand the message being conveyed.)

2. Placement of the Audience: The placement and movement of the audience in our piece went as intended, but given our more controlled environment I think some tweaking would be required in order to coax the same type of movement, since ideally the audience would not so obviously see the sources of light and therefore why they should move in a particular direction.

3. Use of Sound: Use of sound was considered for our piece, and the sounds made by the audience were not an intended element (though we knew inevitable) of the work. I was a little afraid the use of sound could easily detract from the visual elements. If used as an effective compliment to the visual aspects of the piece, and not as an independent element, the use of sound could probably be very effective.

assessment of your performance

1. What spatial changes would you make when performing your perfromance again?

2. How would you change the placement of the audience in your perfromance?

3. How would you reconsider the use of sound in your work?

Week 4: The Performance Moment

The reading begins by presenting the beginnings of the controversy concerning the immediacy of live performance versus the stillness and permanence of photography. At first the two seem completely incompatible, and some artists would argue that this still holds true. While I certainly don’t think the still image outright replaces the performance, its existence is still essential to our understanding and remembrance of performances of the past. Many artists realized this fact, and as a result now use photography extensively and in many different ways in creating and documenting their performances. For some photography even becomes their central concern in their work. Hayley Newman in particular explores the relationship between performance and photographic documentation by creating photos of performances she did not actually execute. In doing so, she causes questioning of the importance of the actual performance to its documentation. These photographs make the viewer ask how much of a difference there is between her work and the photos of the 60’s and 70’s when there is no viewing experience to refer back to.

http://www.mattsgallery.org/artists/newman/exhibition-1.php

Camera/Action: Performance and Photography

Artist such as Chris Burden, Marina Abramovic, and Vito Acconci use Black and White photographs to document a specific time in their performance. Doing this allows them to write their own history of the piece. Some believe that using to photographs to document a performance piece this is surrendering to the post-modern belief and loosing all the originality that the piece once had. I feel that this statement is completely untrue. The world we currently live in is full of technology and it seems only right that the mediums that are used in the art world should develop with it. This benefit to these photographs documenting the performance is that the photograph viewer is then able to write their own history to the piece. Chris Burden uses photograph in some of his pieces for this exact purpose. The majority of his performances deal with the psychological experience of danger, pain, and physical risks. One of his performances known as “Shoot” consists of a friend shooting him in the arm with a rifle. He pushes his body to extremes to get his point across to the viewer. At the time this was become a popular style of performance. Another piece was entitled “747” is a piece where Burden went to the Los Angeles International Airport and fired a gun at a plane in the middle of take off. The performance is only documented with a photograph of Chris with his gun pointed toward the plane in the sky. This can be interpreted as an artist doing whatever it takes to get to the top or even a play on the horror of death and destruction which would go along with the theme of a lot of his previous work.

http://www.ubu.com/film/burden.html

http://www.orbit.zkm.de/?q=node/73

Camera/Action: Performance and Photography

There is so much to address and consider in using photography and/or video as documentation of live performance that the entire issue becomes controversial. I think many people realize that photographic stills of a sequence of actions cannot possibly express a performance in its entirety, but tends to strive for representation of significant or representational moments. Videos can perhaps give a more complete visual and auditory experience than what photographs can offer. However, it is still lacking in the experience of the physical body being in the space that is offered to the audience. Just as Hayley Newman suggests with her "documents," documentation can be easily fabricated to look as if a performance occurred. Fabrication through video is an odd topic because the performer is still required to perform a cohesive and continuous performance instead of freezing in a moment of it. So what happens when audience participation and reaction is faked in the documentation? It's easy to say that our methods of documentation are not sufficient, but without it, who would ever know what has been conducted and explored already? No one should suggest that images and audio recreate a performance, but act as supplements along with words to describe it. This allows others to refer back to these performances and build on pre-existing concepts, advancing art in different directions, as it is inevitable.
Chris Burden is an artist originating from the early 70's whose idea of performance art involves purposeful danger to oneself, kind of like a stunt. Except stunts usually involve entertaining the audience at the expense of the stunts person while Chris Burden does not aim to entertain the audience, but to focus on the imminent danger and pain itself and revoke emotion from the audience. His performances are unnecessarily tortuous and masochistic.
Here's a link containing short descriptions of performances done by Chris Burden:
http://www.virtualvenice.info/visual/burden.htm
Also, in the second half of this page, there's a cool picture of Chris Burden's Doorway to Heaven where he pushed live wires into his chest and a painful image of him crawling on his belly over broken glass with his hands bound:
http://www.geocities.com/bakija6/artists.html

Performance and Photography

It has been argued that recordings of performance art lose the meaning of the work. However, I believe, (and it has become less valid of an argument since the 60s and 70s) that photography and videography have a definitive place in performance art. It is true many artists' work is not carried over well into a recorded form. Many of these artists, however, will record the work anyway as a means of distribution and for the artists' own records, so long as the original performance is not compromised. Other artists use recorded mediums as their primary and final form of presentation. Artists like Vito Aconcci, Barbara Probst and Jenima Stehli create most of their work in a studio or otherwise privately contrived setting and record it as stills or video. The recorded evidence is the work, and one of its advantages is that the artists has the option of removing some of the serendipity from a piece by re-performing, and the work can much more easily be manipulated to seem more or less believable to the viewer.

Barbara Probst is particularly interesting in this right. Her works involve the photographing of the same subject, scene, or action, from multiple angles at once with more than one camera. The images often are independent of one another in style, angle, composition, etc. and could stand alone as singular photographs. But, they are inherently tied together in their subject, and therefore work strongly as a group.

http://www.artnet.com/Artists/ArtistHomePage.aspx?artist_id=423838881&page_tab=Artworks_for_sale
http://www.murrayguy.com/barbaraprobst/main.html

Camera/Action

This article discusses the disagreements between artists about photography and performance. Performance artists are all about live interaction, and taking still photos of a live action doesn’t seem right to a lot of them. It has been said many times that photographs take away from the authenticity of art, and that is true, if the picture is of a painting or sculpture, however, is the picture is of a performance or the actual picture itself is the art, I think it is fine. Sure, video would be a better choice for documenting a live performance, rather than a few still shots, and better still than no documentation at all. If artists perform and by protesting against commercialism, do not document their performance, it will be lost and a waste of time. The article uses Dennis Oppenheim’s quote “to stretch the limits of what can be done and to show others that art isn’t just making objects to put into galleries,” to support not using photography with performance. Oppenheim is right, but he probably doesn’t realize that [graphic] art is on everything from cereal boxes to vodka bottles, and those things never make it into the galleries. The main problem with cameras in performance art seems to be that people act differently than they normally would when the cameramen show up. The obvious solution to this problem would be to have a hidden camera (video camera) on the scene. I think this would fix all of the inhibitions and objections performance artists have towards the camera.
Artists who do not perform in front of an audience, but only through photography, have a much different situation. They do not have to deal with crowds, only the people looking at the printed pictures. One such artist is Tseng Kwong Chi, who, for example, would dress up as Mao, the Chinese communist leader, and poses in front of American landmarks. The series was called “The Improbable Pilgrim.” ->> http://www.munatseng.org/tsengkwongchi.htm

Photography and Performance Art

Photography plays an important role in performance art. Whether it is the presence or lack of photography in a performance piece, it still affects the perception and the viewers. Photography is beneficial for artists to use when documenting their pieces, however, not all artists feel it is necessary. Earlier artists believed that the direct experience of the work was most important and did not feel the need for, in what they believed was, “commercializing” their work. It wasn’t until about the mid 20th century that artists really utilized and expanded the use of photography in performance art.

Personally, I think that photography can be very helpful to performance art, especially when the artist is not performing in front of an audience. It can really add something to the performance. It can capture any second in time. However, I believe it should be used when appropriate. Video can also be a very beneficial form of documenting a piece, and photography shouldn’t be the only option.

Vito Acconci and his documentation of one piece:
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9A0DE2D71531F93AA35751C0A9679C8B63

Photography and Performance Art

The reading was about the purpose and effects of photography on performance art. It questioned if photography was as effective as experiencing the work or not. Even if it was not, the photograph expands the audience beyond those who were lucky enough to be in its presence. If not for video, photographs is still one of the most effective way to present a past performance to at least as proof that it did indeed happen.

I thought the article was interesting because of the concepts behind documentation. For example, would performance art even be considered art if it happened before the camera was invented? Even then, they would only have words and eyewitness accounts of said performance and its concept would have of had less of an impact.

I found it slightly surprising that Zhang Huan was included in the list of artists because I actually went to an exhibit of his last semester in NYC. His work was compelling in photographic form, but I found it more effective through video.
http://www.zhanghuan.com/

photoshop made brilliant

Camera/Action: Performance & Photography

This article presents the importance of the collaboration between photography and performance art. Although, it was not always accepted many performance artists relied on the medium of photography to document their work. Photography also allowed these artists to present their works to a much larger audience then was present at their original performance. Furthermore, the article implies the need for an association between live performance and photography, by presenting the notion that performance artists should embrace the photographic style of conceptual artists. Photography and performance art are really not as different as once believed, for they both rely on the viewer to make the piece come to life.
An example of one artist who choose to make photography a main focus of her work was Barbara Probst.
http://www.gfineartdc.com/probst.htm

CAMERA/ACTION: PERFORMANCE AND PHOTOGRAPHY

This article presents an interesting view of the uncomfortable harmony between performance art and photography. Although the two are hugely different and in some ways defeating to the other, this writing proves that the two can be used to defy those preconceptions and excel each other to a different plane. Although photography may seem counterintuitive to a live happening, it is a fact (as proven through the many examples of the article) that it has been and most will continue to be used as documentation and often an extension of the piece. Some may feel that this relationship is inappropriate, but when it comes down to it, that doesn't mean it won't work or people won't partake in it.

The main issue to remember is that all aspects of a work are more or less under the control of the artist. If an artist feels that photography would hinder his/her work, then he/she should find a way to eliminate it from the equation. Photography is not some unstoppable force invading the performance art world. If it is used, it should be used at the artist's discretion to either record or compliment the artist's "vision." True, archiving a performance in some way changes its dynamic, but a talented artist should consider this change and account for it accordingly.

Reaction to Marisa S. Olson's Performing the Moment

In Marisa Olson's essay, she touches upon a number of interesting issues in regards to performance art. The most interesting of those is the evolution of performance art's relation to the camera and other archival tools. The growth of these tools into integral aspects of performance work has been so subtle and logical that it takes an astute observer to point out said trend. Unfortunately, I feel that the author has done little more than point out the trend and its examples where a reader expects some sort of higher realization. True, the materials of performance art have changed dramatically, thereby changing their relationship to art and the art itself, but what does it matter? Olson has created an interesting foundation on which she could form a higher level argument, but she comfortably ends her essay before  anything essay worthy has really been exploited. Is modern performance art more effective than early examples? Has the distance imparted by cameras and recordings taken away from the visceral quality of early performance or is it a powerful comment of modern society? Why has performance art changed in such a way? Has performance come full circle in that some are attempting to regain the original sensibilities of the work? Where will the trend go from here? Where should it go from here? Perhaps it was Olson's intention to inspire such inquisitions, but more likely there is more that could have/should have been written about the issue.

Performing the Moment- "Ready, Set.... Action!"

In this reading, Olsen addresses and expands on Walter Benjamin’s essay: "The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction." While she explains his original concept of "auratic distance," I find myself both agreeing that this is a fundamental truth of today's art world, but in the same token I disagree that it is something inherently associated with the emergence of digital media.

"Auratic distance," without the aid of digital media, is naturally inflicted on older works of art that we may describe as "classic", "aesthetic" or as generally being from any different age and/or era. This happens simply because we as individuals are removed (in both time and space) from the artwork's original "unveiling", it's original place of installation and the social circumstances that surrounded it. We will never experience a classical work of art is it was originally intended to be experienced.

However, I will agree whole heartedly that the use of photography and digital media has exacerbated this phenomenon by showing images in various scenarios, texts and mediums. Instead of describing "auratic distance" as being a degenerative syndrome, it can be argued that there is another aspect of this said aura in which we gain. Rapid replication and the ability to reach out to a massive audience is just another medium for artists to play with. It changes the nature of the aura, but in the same token, it can breathe life into something old and bring a fresh new perspective to art.

For example: Chris Burden's 'Shoot.'
It appears that photography is an afterthought concerning this piece: the photos merely act as proof of a moment that has already past. Supposedly (and hopefully I'm not wrong in assuming this) the action was the true work of art; in true conceptual fashion- the moment, or the "happening", was the pinnacle of art itself. The dematerialization of the object may have detracted from any importance that could be attributed to a physical token such as a photograph.

Later artists would attribute more importance to the mediums of photography and film, allowing these mediums to play a far larger role than merely documenting "proof" of an event. That something *has* happened is no longer the required focus of a work. Care and thought may now be given to the documentation of an event, and how its presentation may influence an audience. If something is installed in a gallery or broadcast indiscriminately over the internet: this will effect how a work is seen and/or experienced. If participation is promoted, the aura of such a work may become mutable and transient with every new contribution or viewing. Something such as this makes the theory of "auratic distance" merely another hue for the performing artists palette.

As Olsen's essay continues, It appears that she is saying the same thing that I'm thinking, here... but is this agreeing with, or contesting Benjamin's original essay?

I began to read his essay here:
http://www.marxists.org/reference/subject/philosophy/works/ge/benjamin.htm

It appears that Benjamin's theory is far more complex than I could originally gather from Olsen's brief rehashing of events.
In fact- now that I've browsed through it a few times, I'm going to go print it out and read it in earnest before I start thinking up any more potentially incorrect assumptions.

Primary sources are awesome- the end.

Performance Actions

-http://www.e-flux.com/projects/do_it/itinerary/itinerary.html

In his piece “Les Ecoliers”, Christian Botlanski has created a work executed by another artist of subjects he has never met for which he receives credit. I think that his idea of using school portraits is a clever one as they are such emotionally loaded objects. Basically, his project recreates a page of a yearbook in a new form (blown up on a wall). I personally appreciate this piece not only for its questioning of the role of the artist, but its ability to discretely and subliminally cull such powerful emotions inherent to memory.

This piece is characteristic of Botlanski in that it deals heavily with memory and loss (two themes characteristic of looking back on school portraits). It also memorializes the anonymous subject by not only enlarging their photo, but deeming them particularly important enough to make into art.

-http://www.e-flux.com/projects/do_it/itinerary/itinerary.html

The backbone of Dan Graham’s “Do-it-Yourself Two-Way Mirror Mylar Window” is the distinction between public and private space and the consequential blurring of that line. By essentially superimposing images from one onto the other or making one a mirror while leaving the other a window calls into question aspects of reality, appropriateness and voyeurism.

Dan Graham’s ability in numerous fields in reflected in this piece. In addition to visual art, Graham is also respected as a music writer and an architect. Clearly, this piece identifies with architecture and the importance of structure in the piece. In addition, the overall concept and poeticism of the work is indicative of his talent as a lyricist.

Week 3: Performing the moment

In her essay, Olson’s main focus is the discussion of decontextualization, “auratic distance”, and telepresence concerning the documentation of performance art via photography. Since photography has long raised the issue of lessening authenticity and destroying a work's "aura", the same line of reasoning is applied to the use of photography in performance. Some performances and their various traces emphasize the increase of these qualities, such as Burden’s “Shoot” in 1971 and more recently Labat’s “Hooter’s Project.” Other performances change the audience’s relationship around by making them instrumental yet distant to the actual performance, such as Goldberg’s “human robot” and the website “Do It” at e-flux.com. In all these cases, the documentation of the work is essential, yet still only serves as a single moment in time of the actual performance. The essay seemed to focus on photography as the main means of preserving “proof” of a performance, but while it can be useful I think that the means of preservation should be fitting and keep as true to the original performance as possible. In my opinion the reproduction doesn’t have the same effect as the actual act of performance, but I think its existence is still critical to the longevity and accessibility of the work.

http://www.berkeley.edu/news/berkeleyan/2002/04/24_tele.html

Photography and Performance

The questioning of photography as an art form is a particularly interesting argument to me. Since the advent of photography, it has been hotly debated as an art - or non-art - form. "Performing the Moment" addresses this, along with the evolving role photography plays in performance art. It is "mechanical" in nature, and thus can only be considered a form of documentation. Yet, photography can have astounding visual impact - oftentimes beyond that of painting and other forms of visual art. Photography has an inherent "realness" that cannot be achieved by virtually any other means. A photograph has the ability to capture detail so accurately that the viewer rarely questions whether the subject of the photo is an actually recorded moment in time. But it is because of this also, that photography as an art form is questioned. Without the apparent hand of the artist present, or his interpretation of a subject physically present, how can the viewer communicate with the artist through his work? The viewer can see the strokes of a painter (as mentioned in the text), but not in a photograph. I disagree with this view - simply because a photographer has the ability to capture his subject in a split second (most of the time), does not mean the elements of color, composition, style, and scale are not just as carefully considered as in a painting. Photography, like many art forms, has many methods. Some are more purely scientific and objective, while some are radically abstract and interpretive. This is one of the reasons why photography will ultimately find a substantiated place in the art world.

Abstract photography - art photography:
http://www.pbase.com/image/76235012
http://www.pbase.com/image/75748008
http://www.pbase.com/williamgruner/image/56433043
http://www.pbase.com/khtaylor/image/57755102
http://www.pbase.com/ctfchallenge/image/52084453
http://www.pbase.com/mrutter/graphic

Week 3: Performing the Moment

Performing the Moment

Marisa S. Olson

The essay begins by explaining a very popular essay entitled “The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction” by Walter Benjamin. He discusses the argument of decontextualizing a work of art as it is reproduced. It is defiantly true that taking a piece out of its context it looses a piece of its originality and no longer has the same effect on the viewer. With the advances in photography and digital reproduction the loss of originality is that much easier. This type of reproduction does not work as well when it comes to performance art. One piece she writes about is Chris Burded’s piece titled “Shoot” consist of a friend shooting him in the arm with a rifle. This piece relies on the shock of the viewer in the moment. The only evidence of the situation are a couple of pictures and the scar on his arm. Photographs are the only piece and can in no way be considered the piece so there really is not a means of reproducing the moment. Any reproduction of the piece would lack the originality. Another group discussed in this essay is the Surveillance Camera Players (SCP). Their performances consist of them using surveillance cameras like television cameras. They perform protest pieces in front of the camera. People stop and watch the performance from the streets. By using camera’s as a piece of performance I feel that they are not promoting decontextualizing works of art, rather promoting the use of reproduction to gain support for their protest cause. On their website they reveal maps of all the surveillance cameras all over New York. This allows other artist to pick up where they left off and reproduce their piece as many times as necessary.

http://www.notbored.org/the-scp.html

Olson-"Performing the Moment"

This is essay begins by discussing the relationship between performance art and photography. She also talks about how crucial and important documentation is for a performance piece. Unfortunately, a majority of performance pieces that have taken place only have photo documentation, which does not do them justice. Personally I think photographs are a great form of documentation, however not always the best choice, especially when it comes to performance art. It should not be the only option. Olson uses Chris Burden’s “Shoot” as a perfect example of this. Like other performance pieces, Burden’s would have had the most impact if seen in person. For those today, however, who were unable to see the piece, I believe they would have benefited if they were able to see a video recording. A video would provide more of a shock than a photo, after seeing a sequence of the photos; the outcome would be pretty predictable. In this case, there isn't even any photographic evidence of the event, only after it had occurred. Olson also brings up a good point when it comes to the idea of how to exhibit a project, such as those at “Do It”. What does an artist do when they are not physically present or affecting the outcome? The artist would have to rely on the participant to document the act and share it.

The Surveillance Camera Players:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RILTl8mxEnE

Performing the Moment

I feel as if as long as I have been attending classes here, that the concept of recording performances in terms of photography or video have always been under fire as whether or not this ruins the relationship between the viewer and the performance. I have come to my own conclusion that while the records do not do justice to actually attending one of these happenings they provide for somewhat of an invitation for an individual to further explore something they had missed. Now pardon me if you disagree but I don't feel as if I should not be allowed to experience Chris Burdens "shoot" partially for the fact that I was not alive in 1971. Now while I look through these documentations of the event I do actually keep in mind that I am missing out on a few important pieces of the performance (ie. the sound of the gun, Burden's initial reaction to the piercing)

As far as old pieces being altered to accommodate for new technology, I see the importance of holding on to original recordings, however I feel that using new knowledge to enhance old documentation is not necessarily a bad thing. The first thing that came to mind as I read this article (and reviewed some of the other blogs) was music. Constantly you will see new cd's come out that are listed as being "enhanced" or "remastered" frankly I find as a listener that I enjoy these new issues a little better however I understand that just like a "remix" some parts of the original are left out destroying the validity of being an original. What this all leaves me with is viewer choice because the bottom line is these performances have a purpose. Whether it is to challenge issues or to entertain these changes or recordings might achieve their goal or they might not, it is up to the viewer to explore all of these options and find out if they can reach the relationship that the author is trying to establish.

http://www.medienkunstnetz.de/works/shoot/

Performing the Moment

Performing the Moment

This reading discusses the various aspects of the photograph and its association with performance art. In previous decades, in which photography served as the only proof of action, corporeal traces were considered ripe and innovative. These performances involved some kind of action and used the medium of photography as a form on documentation. However, some argue that there is some sort of separation between the viewer and the action itself, created through the use of a photographic medium. Olson sites Lobat’s “Hooters Project” as an example of this existence, in which the viewer is separated from those carrying out the action. Moreover, many argue that photography, as a form of art, is adding distance between the viewer and the work of art itself. I would have to disagree agree with this statement because photographs allow a moment of time to be captured as an image. Without photography, we would be unable to recreate these moments exactly as they occurred, or be able to look back on a moment with proof of its action and existence.
http://www.tonylabat.com/the-hooters-project.html

Reading Response 3

Time Based

"Performing the Moment" was about the documentation and significance of performance art done the first time and the reiterations afterwards. It discussed "the distance the viewer and the original work" in which the audience could be a part of the work or observe after the act through photographs and videos in a museum. Also, Olson raises the question of future reproductions of performance art because of old materials being banned and replacing it with newer technology.

As much as I'd love to agree with the idea that seeing the original is better than seeing a photograph of it, I don't think it is the best idea for performance art in the far future. How could one recreate a moment in time exactly if the conditions are not the same? Even if it was, would it end up the same as previous performance? Also, the argument presented in the end of the article makes it seem more likely that photographs and video would become the ultimate documentation of performances because the materials itself could be banned our out-dated in the future.

On a lighter note, here's a link to SCP, because their concept is an entertaining and important one.
http://www.notbored.org/the-scp.html

Performing the Moment

This reading addresses the debate over the decontextualiztion of the work of art due to new photographic media. Questions about the significance of the reproduction of a work's authenticity arise as some claim the reproductions distance the viewer from the pure experience of the original work. The reading recalls the work of Joe Burden in "Shoot" 1971. He had a friend shoot him in the arm with a .22-caliber riffle. Some photographs and scars were the only proof of the performance. The photograph was used as a form of documentation in this case. I feel the photograph could have also taken the identity of the work in which it creates a window into the performance. Regardless of what constitutes the work itself, photographic documentation can prove crucial to the survival of the work. How is photography different than a descriptive artist statement? The photograph actually bares a relationship to the actual performance as a relic that was present at the exact moment that the work was performed. There is a difference between the original and a reproduction however, I do not think credit should be taken away from a medium that offers so much.
http://www.panoramas.dk/fullscreen2/full22.html

Third response entry: Performing the Moment

This article discusses the debate of photographic reproduction as art. Walter Benjamin claims that photographs take works of art out of context, and create a distance of the viewer from the aura and the authenticity of the work of art. This is true. If one were to see the Mona Lisa in person, whether or not behind thick bullet proof glass, they will get a sense of awe and excitement, but when they see on of the billions of photographs of it, they won’t feel a thing.
The article then describes how the term “trace,” (a term for etching upon the body), for photography came from a Chris Burden performance where he was shot by a friend with a shotgun. Then, as reproductions of concept, other artists have done less harmful and less permanent things to their body before taking pictures of it.
The article then goes on to explain the evolution of documentation of art, meaning the video camera. This allowed artists to perform real time. They no longer had to use still shots. One such example of an odd way to do this is from The Surveillance Camera Players, who use New York’s surveillance cameras as their own. Their work is to protest the breaking of the 4th amendment by authority. Photographers, however, have not all succeeded to video. Gerald Slota and Dan Ragland are incorporating performance with photographs in a different way. Instead of taking photos of performance, they are performing actions on the photos themselves. Just by ruining the photos with chemicals and scratches, I don’t think that makes very good art, whether it’s performative or not.

Here is a Q&A about photography and news crews as performance art:
http://www.greenspun.com/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg.tcl?msg_id=0021jB