Today's Art World...

Can be found on the internet. Technology has grown exponentially to the point where anyone can be an 'artist' in their own respect. Whether its taking pictures with your camera phone or making Hollywood blockbusters, technology is a gift to anyone that feels they have something to express and gives them utensils to do so.

Journal #3

In the vector ‘Nation on the move’ it exploits common economic, social, and cultural norms on the mass production of Oriental carpets. It looks at concepts such as ‘Mediation’, ‘Orientalism: Old and new’, ‘The Market Place’, ‘Commodity’,’ The Work Force’, ‘The Female Subject’, and ‘Carpets and Computers’. With each subject having a proverbial thread that tie together different concepts concerning Orientalism and carpet production. A thread that grabbed my attention called Commodity describes historical trends on and the creation of ‘needs’ and formulating its own market demand with the use of advertising, and social/cultural trends. The rugs are spun to depict natural sanctuaries, a timeless capture of life forms, vitality, and geometric pureness yet their eastern qualities are subjected to Western consumer ideals. It describes colonial/postcolonial decisions to not only create a stable trading partner with foreign prospects, but to create a demand from a ‘use value’ and ‘exchange value’. Iran’s second important export (next to oil naturally) being Persian carpets are renown symbols of wealth, luxury, and as an art aesthetic despite its production, economic, and gendered demeanor. Furthering on that note, other threads speak of womens’ roles in the production of the rugs, representing the orientalism,’ and the marketing of them. The general attitude of Persian rug making is ideals of women bonding, individualism, work ethic, supporting of a local tribal trade; yet the truth is far from it. Women in these regions have little or no choice of their vocation, yet their social and economic efforts are suppose to mirror middle-class western ideals of women. In addition to this, women are used as marketing tools that give Persian carpets “Feminine erotic exotic” undertones, a Westernizing vision. In one of the bubbles it state women "do not inhabit history proper but exist in a permanently anterior time within the geographic space of modern empire as anachronistic humans…the living embodiment of the archaic "primitive." (McClintock, 1995, 30). Personally I didn’t know too much about the foreign exporting of Persian carpets, yet this vector proved that every consumer product has deep roots. Through the mediation of political and economic diplomats, really anything can be marketed for a demand. I realize that the Persian carpet market is not as large as say computer technologies (in the United States at least) but it makes me wonder of all life’s oddities that price tags can be put on.

Another vector that grabbed me was the ‘Guantanmobile Project’ which describes the case of Murat Kurnaz, a 19-year old German who was detained in Pakistan and later sent to Guantanamo Bay where he resides to this day. The vector continues with details of his mistreatment, abuse, and humiliation by American authorities and the mis-documentation of both his ‘crimes’ and intent that keep him there today. The Guantanamobile is a van that drove around the country in 2004 to various cities asking people series of questions in public assembly. The questions were simples for example ‘What do you know about Guantanamo?’, or ‘Do you think we are at war now?’ and were collected in series of interviews. Accompanying these bystanders, experts discuss Constitutional rights, government interventions, due process, and other laws in reaction to not only Kurnaz’s case but other detainees as well. A subject that interested me was the idea of national security and its trends. “Alien Threats” of other nations or ethnicities have their mark in American society dating back to the Native Americans. The Red Scare, McCarthyism, Racial Profiling, the list goes on; these are all ways the government have formulated ideas into the public to fear the “other”. With this, governments can dictate foreign policy, markets, and relations through these ideals. It’s interesting reading about Persian carpets in the “Nation on the Move’ vector and their Eastern qualities despite their home being one of the most notorious regimes in the world. I find it ironic that most fear the idea of ever going to Iran, or being associated in seemingly ‘primitive’ lifestyles, in some far off land, yet at the turn of a hat buy products from them. The site states that it cost $118 million a year to run the facility, and has spent $110 million to subsidiaries of Halliburton Co to build cells and other prison necessities. I realize both Persian carpet making and Guantanamo Bay are loosely related, but both vectors have provoked similar thoughts to me. Our view of foreign countries, lifestyles, religions, and people themselves are manipulated by money and fear, all while the government not only has a hand in it, but is watching and acting intently.

Journal #2

In VectorJournal there are a handful of topics that one can chose from ranging all over the social issue spectrum. For my first vector project, I chose 'Deliberative Democracy and Difference,' 'Nation on the Move,' and 'In the News.' The journal itself is not an all inclusive sum of articles but smaller snippets and phrases that prompt thought. A section of the ‘Deliberative...' issue talked about politics and debating and how the rule-bound nature is both helpful and hurtful. Furthermore it discussed how arguments, logic, and evidence can be skewed and dominated by aggressive deliberators. Some of the projects you can click on where they have things such as time-based interfaces. Some include surveys on elections, public polls, etc. A project I looked into was the ‘Killer Entertainments’ vector. Here was a streaming-clip based project specified on clips from the current conflict in the Middle East. Here you can watch Air strikes and soldier-filmed videos that one probably would not see on CNN. It surprises me what can be found on the internet with the accessibility and simplicity of being an amateur filmmaker. Though I didn’t see anything on ‘Killer Entertainments’ that disturbed me, it was insightful and visually appealing in regards to current war footage. There are a wide range of issues and volumes within these that cover a wide range of topics. I am looking foreward to delve into these at a later date.

Field Report #2

I feel my Act/React experience was greatly dampened by the fact that we saw everything beforehand in class. I found the video we watched in class to be interesting and insightful but I feel it would have been more effective after the fact. The one installation to me that surprised me was actually the one I had the least expectations for. Brian Knep’s Healing Pool installation was the one that is advertised for the exhibit, and went into depth on the video in class. Out of all the installations I think I spent the most time on this one and its spectacle held me longer than any others. I spent time trying to spell things out and jump around; the other installations just didn’t hold me for too long. As I was walking on it, other people saw this and joined in as well, I feel this is where these pieces are most effective. I went on Scott Snibbe’s Boundary Functions with one other person, and it was non-enticing to say the least. I could see how the experience would be amplified if say ten people were interacting.
Again the fact that all the wonder of the installations were taken out and I felt my opinions were already made on the piece’s even before I saw them. One piece that I found to be one of my favorites was Daniel Rozin’s Peg Mirror. I found myself to move at different distances and tested the reaction speed of it, which was insanely accurate. For the most part, I feel uneasy about standing and staring for an extended period of time, but for some reason art captivates and asks me to do so. These installations added to my contemplative staring as I reacted to them; there were no extended readings on them and it was up to me to decipher what to get out of them. Snow Mirror was probably my favorite because I was either unaware or unclear on the piece beforehand. It took a while for me to figure out the logistics of it, where the camera was, and so fourth. Once I ‘figured’ it out I was held captive for a little over 5 minutes, much longer than any other piece. I was especially disappointed in Echo Evolution by Liz Phillips; I felt for the longest time that something was supposed to happen, and when it didn’t I felt sort of cheated. This was the only one that did not fulfill my expectations. I think Fifield puts the overall experience well with “Through interactivity, contemporary artists mirror, distort, and confuse the audience’s experience, not of representation, but of reality itself.” My entire experience and my reaction are different than the next person that walks in. Afterward I walked around the rest of the museum and had the incredible urge to touch many of the timeless art; from here I realized the importance of interactive art and where the art movement is heading.

Field Report

I recently went to the Robert Schaller event in which he showed a number of his films. First off what enticed me was the installation of multiple projector. Some were projected side by side, some top-bottom; and my particular favorite – overlapped. Before this occasion, I hadn’t seen any dual-projected films, let alone three. There was one in particular in which Schaller captured footage of trees and nature. Granted I felt that anyone that has a little knowledge of operating a camera could film some of the shots. Nonetheless, with the use of editing and the multiple projections, he turned it into a sensational look at common nature. We watched a handful of his films in class and I liked the idea of using other methods on film itself to be projected. Carefully laid leaves, sand, and other materials, Schaller created a whimsical display without the use of a camera. He showed a few films using his homemade emulsions, again a process that was new to me. It was interesting at times when distinct figures would morph back and forth along with the multi-screen display. At times it got drawn out, where I tend to find myself impatient especially without the addition of sound. Schaller said he was revisiting film processes that were done before the turn of the century. Once Kodak became the popular commodity the other forms of films died in the era. Schaller is interested with these processes and has applied new technologies and his own methods to the aged media. For me personally, I like the idea of exploring new techniques in film, which inevitably will be overran with digital video. Film is celebrated as one of the purist forms of motion picture and with today’s technology and progressive filmmakers; I don’t see it falling off anytime soon.

Journal

I have chosen to follow the Vectorsjournal site because of its peculiarity. The USC electronic journal thrives on the mapping of ideas spanning all across the board . With the assistance of video, sound, written word and other forms of media; it explores our existence in an ever-changing digital era. Personally what caught me was the site navigation itself. In the Vector Space, one draws along the blank ‘map’ with different vectors. These vectors hold certain important information in a certain discipline/issue. I found it amusing for a while, even before actually reading anything. An interesting site to say the least.