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.