Success and Exhaust

I also have enough left over to put up my online shop which I will try to officially open and list items December 22, 2008. That way I can worry about that after finals and I am home to take my time with it. Also I can be able to get packaging and shipping items while I am hope.

All Nighter

I am soo exhausted because I have been soo busy lately! The art market started today and I just finished setting up my items. I was working all night long and got no sleep to prepare the price tags for all 109 items

Mount Royal Avenue

(click image for full view)

Zoom

(click image for full view)

The Beginning

The new layout for the website is finally up! A lot of the pages have been revamped and I will have to modify some more pages eventually. A link to my online shop on etsy is also finally available! Check it out soon to see some of the crafty products that I will have for sale! ;) Some things that I will be selling are jewelry, handbags, gift boxes, art, Christmas ornaments, and other random goodies.

Meanwhile I have been quite busy with college work, and our finals are coming up so it has been hard to manage my time for this and the shop. Besides the large amount of homework load, I also have workstudy and other activities around campus to attend. Next week during December 10th through 13th is the big Artmarket which I have been preparing for. I made so much jewelry, jewelry holders, ornaments, handbags, and gift boxes to sell during this event. The extras will be put online and I will make more to add online. Hopefully the market will turn out to be a huge success because I've put soo much time into making things! I feel like I am going to go crazy from all this crafting! So I will try to keep things updated as best as I can!

New Normal Exhibit

One work from the New Normal exhibit in the Decker Gallery that interested me the most was the Presidential Downtime Requirements for Dick Cheney. Usually I do not see setups of rooms to be regarded as an art piece in museums or other places for exhibition. Nowadays it is hard to find privacy in the world because anyone could easily take your information from you. Dick Cheney's information about his hospitality requirements, for example, was leaked out by an employee of a hotel he stayed in. An invasion of his own room is such a violation to privacy, and his note for special requests seems almost scandalist. Even though the note isn't information that offends, or affects anyone, it is still a piece that should only remain exclusive to him and the hotel employee responsible for the setup. Imagine if there were other valuables or classified information in his room that were not meant for the world to see? What if he had classified notes regarding our nation, world affairs, or other important documents that should not be left in the wrong hands? A simple curious employee of a hotel was able to easily make fun of his downtime requirements. With the growing amount of technology, the information we give out to the public must be taken with caution because sometimes it can get into the wrong hands.

New Normal Exhibit

One work from the New Normal exhibit in the Decker Gallery that interested me the most was the Presidential Downtime Requirements for Dick Cheney. Usually I do not see setups of rooms to be regarded as an art piece in museums or other places for exhibition. Nowadays it is hard to find privacy in the world because anyone could easily take your information from you. Dick Cheney's information about his hospitality requirements, for example, was leaked out by an employee of a hotel he stayed in. An invasion of his own room is such a violation to privacy, and his note for special requests seems almost scandalist. Even though the note isn't information that offends, or affects anyone, it is still a piece that should only remain exclusive to him and the hotel employee responsible for the setup. Imagine if there were other valuables or classified information in his room that were not meant for the world to see? What if he had classified notes regarding our nation, world affairs, or other important documents that should not be left in the wrong hands? A simple curious employee of a hotel was able to easily make fun of his downtime requirements. With the growing amount of technology, the information we give out to the public must be taken with caution because sometimes it can get into the wrong hands.

A New Age of Music

The creation of electronic music is a very different approach to making a lot of interesting new sounds. Almost any noise or random sounds around the world can be used in a music composition. Sampling sounds rather than just creating music from instruments seems fun and easy because you don't really have to learn how to play and read notes for the instrument. Instead of using a real guitar, nowadays people can play an electronic guitar on their computers or laptops. This is very useful because learning how to play the strings and putting the music together is a lot easier and more convenient. Laptops are light and portable and easier to bring to places for music entertainment rather than hauling huge equipment, instruments, etc. There are still several talented people who know how to play regular acoustic music, instruments, etc. But now there is a growing amount of people who can easily use software like Garageband to create their own music. You don't even have to be a huge music professional to make music, to cut, to slice, and remix music. Just having some computer skills and creativity can make anyone a music artist.

A New Age of Music

The creation of electronic music is a very different approach to making a lot of interesting new sounds. Almost any noise or random sounds around the world can be used in a music composition. Sampling sounds rather than just creating music from instruments seems fun and easy because you don't really have to learn how to play and read notes for the instrument. Instead of using a real guitar, nowadays people can play an electronic guitar on their computers or laptops. This is very useful because learning how to play the strings and putting the music together is a lot easier and more convenient. Laptops are light and portable and easier to bring to places for music entertainment rather than hauling huge equipment, instruments, etc. There are still several talented people who know how to play regular acoustic music, instruments, etc. But now there is a growing amount of people who can easily use software like Garageband to create their own music. You don't even have to be a huge music professional to make music, to cut, to slice, and remix music. Just having some computer skills and creativity can make anyone a music artist.

Surveillance

I think surveillance is right for society because it can stop and reduce crime. Surveillance really helps detect and deter theft. Even in stores it is useful to record the movements of customers to improve their sales. For security purposes it is also a great tool for stopping people from trying to terrorize the country and enforce the law. It can convict suspected murders. I find that its a useful piece of technology that can track down people and events almost anywhere in the world. Although it does intrude with a person's civil rights, it can be a privacy issue. But the surveillance tracks people to make sure they are doing what they should be doing (like in their jobs.) The only thing wrong about it is if the information of your location gets in the wrong hands. People could find you and take advantage of you. It kind of reminds me of the movie called Eagle Eye where these people were called by this intelligent computer that wanted to overturn the government. They were forced to go on these missions and kill people, steal things, etc. or else they would get killed. Its creepy to know that they can be controlled like that. The advancement of surveillance technology is scary in some ways because of the power that people can have to steal your personal information for destructive purposes. Identity theft is a huge concern about the use of surveillance devices.

I feel that it can be a civil liberty infringement. It is hard to believe that this technology exists almost everywhere - through our own cell phones, printers, etc. I find it scary to know that several companies could gain access to my personal information, my movements, my history, etc. Our society is such a paranoid society and having this kind of technology builds more security to the nation, however it still adds paranoia about these devices tracking people down. I feel paranoid sometimes about other people having knowledge about my whereabouts, and the possibility of taking that knowledge to use against me. Usually I don't have a problem in places like stores because I understand that they use it for security. But having my information tracked on the computer and things like that, kind of makes me feel eery. I would not want my credit information to be stolen. It violates my right to privacy.

The use of surveillance is even extending out to the art world. I find it really entertaining that it can be used to make things like GPS drawings. Its like watching a live performance movie of people which is quite entertaining.

Surveillance

I think surveillance is right for society because it can stop and reduce crime. Surveillance really helps detect and deter theft. Even in stores it is useful to record the movements of customers to improve their sales. For security purposes it is also a great tool for stopping people from trying to terrorize the country and enforce the law. It can convict suspected murders. I find that its a useful piece of technology that can track down people and events almost anywhere in the world. Although it does intrude with a person's civil rights, it can be a privacy issue. But the surveillance tracks people to make sure they are doing what they should be doing (like in their jobs.) The only thing wrong about it is if the information of your location gets in the wrong hands. People could find you and take advantage of you. It kind of reminds me of the movie called Eagle Eye where these people were called by this intelligent computer that wanted to overturn the government. They were forced to go on these missions and kill people, steal things, etc. or else they would get killed. Its creepy to know that they can be controlled like that. The advancement of surveillance technology is scary in some ways because of the power that people can have to steal your personal information for destructive purposes. Identity theft is a huge concern about the use of surveillance devices.

I feel that it can be a civil liberty infringement. It is hard to believe that this technology exists almost everywhere - through our own cell phones, printers, etc. I find it scary to know that several companies could gain access to my personal information, my movements, my history, etc. Our society is such a paranoid society and having this kind of technology builds more security to the nation, however it still adds paranoia about these devices tracking people down. I feel paranoid sometimes about other people having knowledge about my whereabouts, and the possibility of taking that knowledge to use against me. Usually I don't have a problem in places like stores because I understand that they use it for security. But having my information tracked on the computer and things like that, kind of makes me feel eery. I would not want my credit information to be stolen. It violates my right to privacy.

The use of surveillance is even extending out to the art world. I find it really entertaining that it can be used to make things like GPS drawings. Its like watching a live performance movie of people which is quite entertaining.

EAT

The Experiments in Art and Technology (E.A.T.), consisting of the 9 Evenings of Theatre & Performance, the Open Score was a fun looking experience. I love playing Tennis myself and I thought it was cool that they included art & technology to make a physical sport fun. Even the audience of 500 people had fun being "super stars" of the piece. I enjoyed watching the fun people had, even though today it probably wouldn't be as "wow-ing" because we are already used to this technology. These artists and engineers work very collaboratively together and they have such tremendous amount of imagination for their time. The way they think of these ideas are inspiring and very stimulating. I loved how they said that "art should have no direction" and you can be "open to infinite possibilities." They definitely look like they had a lot of fun in their time, it was like "opening up a window to a whole new world." Their surprising reactions about this new technology can be compared the to the amazement of the Ipods & Iphones of today. 

The Open Score was a rare moment and done in its time. As they said, when its over, its not over. You have it in your head for the rest of your life. I think the piece can be done again today but with more advancement in the technology or with additional features that are outside of our own vocabulary of today. Maybe then the piece would have a lot more interaction, more advanced lighting/projectory, better rackets... or maybe the rackets don't just trigger lighting now.. maybe it could signal to people's cell phones and do something crazy with it. However way it could be done, it is exiting to see artists and engineers push to be creative rather than remaining "practical" to their resources.

EAT

The Experiments in Art and Technology (E.A.T.), consisting of the 9 Evenings of Theatre & Performance, the Open Score was a fun looking experience. I love playing Tennis myself and I thought it was cool that they included art & technology to make a physical sport fun. Even the audience of 500 people had fun being "super stars" of the piece. I enjoyed watching the fun people had, even though today it probably wouldn't be as "wow-ing" because we are already used to this technology. These artists and engineers work very collaboratively together and they have such tremendous amount of imagination for their time. The way they think of these ideas are inspiring and very stimulating. I loved how they said that "art should have no direction" and you can be "open to infinite possibilities." They definitely look like they had a lot of fun in their time, it was like "opening up a window to a whole new world." Their surprising reactions about this new technology can be compared the to the amazement of the Ipods & Iphones of today. 

The Open Score was a rare moment and done in its time. As they said, when its over, its not over. You have it in your head for the rest of your life. I think the piece can be done again today but with more advancement in the technology or with additional features that are outside of our own vocabulary of today. Maybe then the piece would have a lot more interaction, more advanced lighting/projectory, better rackets... or maybe the rackets don't just trigger lighting now.. maybe it could signal to people's cell phones and do something crazy with it. However way it could be done, it is exiting to see artists and engineers push to be creative rather than remaining "practical" to their resources.

What is a hacker?

After viewing the documentary my idea of a hacker has opened my mind about who they really are. I used to think hackers were just horrible people that wanted to break people's computers for fun, steal identities, or to steal confidential information etc. But after watching the video, even Net Artists are hackers because of their altering, subverting, repurposing, re-creating, redefining of whatever someone says you're supposed to do with something. Hackers are very experimental, innovative thinkers that have definitely pushed a new medium to develop new things. I have been so used to seeing them in only negative ways but after watching the video, I realized that without hackers then the creation of home computers would not have existed. Hacking led to these new computers, and additional features like making games, programs, and graphics. I never knew that it all started out with an era of "phone phreaking." Whistling and making sounds into phones to make free calls is very ingenious. Not only is hacking thought of as just an outlaw profession which can violate the right of privacy for many, but hacking is a profession that has greatly sparked the computer revolution. However, hackers are still a great threat to society because they can find information from people- which can be a powerful thing in my opinion. Although copying information from people isn't necessarily "stealing," I feel like it is wrong sometimes because the original doesn't belong to them. I hate it when people try to steal graphics or codes of my site layouts or something, and try to put it on their sites without my consent. But then again, I might be hypocritical when I take parts of other people's codes for my site too.. but I just alter it to fit my site. I usually give credit too.

As for "hacking," I am not sure how to define what I made as "hacking." I used to own my own forums/bbs, however you wanna call it. I would install codes provided by XMB Boards and I would customize everything myself. I was the Super Administrator and I had the power to alternate and change the board to my own liking. There were features you could add to the boards, besides the basic message boards, members lists, etc. Features such as "shops," theme/layout changes, additional live chat rooms, games, additional forum pages, portal systems, and random little changes for the boards. These features were called "hacks." Depending on the version of the XMB Board you had, they had different hack releases available for you to use for your own boards that people created, or you could create yourself. A friend and I created live chat rooms and additional pages for an old board, but we closed it down after a while of inactivity. It was really fun having people our age come to our boards and have contests, random topics and games, chatting, sharing pixel art & other art, and so much more.

The forum is still actually sorttaa up, but its been really dead and dying the past like 2 years. A lot of code is just messed up and gone because I haven't updated it in aggesss. I made our Forum a fun theme, "Bandaid BBS." Adminstrators/Moderators were like "Doctors/Nurses" while members were like "patients." It's such a shame it's down now though. You can see it here at a subdomain of my main site: http://bbbs.simplyaesthetic.net. (I warn you it looks really horrible now, and there are missing images and backgrounds and codes... ew. And it was reallly pink- at least the default theme was pink.)

What is a hacker?

After viewing the documentary my idea of a hacker has opened my mind about who they really are. I used to think hackers were just horrible people that wanted to break people's computers for fun, steal identities, or to steal confidential information etc. But after watching the video, even Net Artists are hackers because of their altering, subverting, repurposing, re-creating, redefining of whatever someone says you're supposed to do with something. Hackers are very experimental, innovative thinkers that have definitely pushed a new medium to develop new things. I have been so used to seeing them in only negative ways but after watching the video, I realized that without hackers then the creation of home computers would not have existed. Hacking led to these new computers, and additional features like making games, programs, and graphics. I never knew that it all started out with an era of "phone phreaking." Whistling and making sounds into phones to make free calls is very ingenious. Not only is hacking thought of as just an outlaw profession which can violate the right of privacy for many, but hacking is a profession that has greatly sparked the computer revolution. However, hackers are still a great threat to society because they can find information from people- which can be a powerful thing in my opinion. Although copying information from people isn't necessarily "stealing," I feel like it is wrong sometimes because the original doesn't belong to them. I hate it when people try to steal graphics or codes of my site layouts or something, and try to put it on their sites without my consent. But then again, I might be hypocritical when I take parts of other people's codes for my site too.. but I just alter it to fit my site. I usually give credit too.

As for "hacking," I am not sure how to define what I made as "hacking." I used to own my own forums/bbs, however you wanna call it. I would install codes provided by XMB Boards and I would customize everything myself. I was the Super Administrator and I had the power to alternate and change the board to my own liking. There were features you could add to the boards, besides the basic message boards, members lists, etc. Features such as "shops," theme/layout changes, additional live chat rooms, games, additional forum pages, portal systems, and random little changes for the boards. These features were called "hacks." Depending on the version of the XMB Board you had, they had different hack releases available for you to use for your own boards that people created, or you could create yourself. A friend and I created live chat rooms and additional pages for an old board, but we closed it down after a while of inactivity. It was really fun having people our age come to our boards and have contests, random topics and games, chatting, sharing pixel art & other art, and so much more.

The forum is still actually sorttaa up, but its been really dead and dying the past like 2 years. A lot of code is just messed up and gone because I haven't updated it in aggesss. I made our Forum a fun theme, "Bandaid BBS." Adminstrators/Moderators were like "Doctors/Nurses" while members were like "patients." It's such a shame it's down now though. You can see it here at a subdomain of my main site: http://bbbs.simplyaesthetic.net. (I warn you it looks really horrible now, and there are missing images and backgrounds and codes... ew. And it was reallly pink- at least the default theme was pink.)

Survival Research Laboratories

The video from class featuring the Survival Research Laboratories did strike me with horror with the destruction and violence of the technological pieces. If I was to actually witness the place in person I would definitely feel threatened, more so frightened, by the mechanical chaos of the environment. The artistic technicians who created these robotic mechanisms are extremely creative geniuses. I am surprised they would even let their hard work and dedication destroy themselves. These are some of the most dangerous events I have ever seen. I also never considered them to be a work of "art." However, after thinking about it, these machines are very structurally made, and are very innovative. This creativity is in fact a work of art. Even though they look very destructive, it is an art, and art does not have to be aesthetically pleasing to the eye. Art does not have to be limited to pieces that can only fit in museums.

The scenes just seemed so chaotic and out of control. I wondered if the future consisted of many more machines like those in the video. If that ever happened it would be like a huge apocalypse, which would be pretty scary. The video also made me think, what if machines ever start to take over the world and cause destruction. As technology these days seem to move fast, and people become more dependent upon it, we seem to lose all our traditional and manual ways of surviving. Technology could possibly take over our lives, cease our existence in reality, and make us feel incapable of doing things. I was reminded of a movie called "Artificial Intelligence" where intelligent-thinking machines were constructed. In the movie, the human race advances so quickly, it reaches to a point where robots think and serve intelligently. They become so threatening to human society because of the possibility of robots taking over the world. Another movie that is recent called, Wall-E, has also made me think about the technological future of the world. The possibility of robots and technology taking over the world would result in deplorable outcomes that are a disgrace to humanity. Seeing gigantic, obese, super lazy humans in the future with no physical reality except within computer screens show how the increase of technology makes humans deteriorate.

Survival Research Laboratories

The video from class featuring the Survival Research Laboratories did strike me with horror with the destruction and violence of the technological pieces. If I was to actually witness the place in person I would definitely feel threatened, more so frightened, by the mechanical chaos of the environment. The artistic technicians who created these robotic mechanisms are extremely creative geniuses. I am surprised they would even let their hard work and dedication destroy themselves. These are some of the most dangerous events I have ever seen. I also never considered them to be a work of "art." However, after thinking about it, these machines are very structurally made, and are very innovative. This creativity is in fact a work of art. Even though they look very destructive, it is an art, and art does not have to be aesthetically pleasing to the eye. Art does not have to be limited to pieces that can only fit in museums.

The scenes just seemed so chaotic and out of control. I wondered if the future consisted of many more machines like those in the video. If that ever happened it would be like a huge apocalypse, which would be pretty scary. The video also made me think, what if machines ever start to take over the world and cause destruction. As technology these days seem to move fast, and people become more dependent upon it, we seem to lose all our traditional and manual ways of surviving. Technology could possibly take over our lives, cease our existence in reality, and make us feel incapable of doing things. I was reminded of a movie called "Artificial Intelligence" where intelligent-thinking machines were constructed. In the movie, the human race advances so quickly, it reaches to a point where robots think and serve intelligently. They become so threatening to human society because of the possibility of robots taking over the world. Another movie that is recent called, Wall-E, has also made me think about the technological future of the world. The possibility of robots and technology taking over the world would result in deplorable outcomes that are a disgrace to humanity. Seeing gigantic, obese, super lazy humans in the future with no physical reality except within computer screens show how the increase of technology makes humans deteriorate.

Fluxus

The Fluxus movement, which is like the 20th century Dada movement, consisted of a group of artists revolutionizing the concept of art. The meaning of "Fluxus" seemed strange because it does not have one set definition, and it did more than just one thing. It's connection and dedication to life and looking at life is thought-provoking. Examples of the movement, such as Allan Kaprow's Happenings from 1958-60's changed the meaning of art in such a way by looking at its outlook on life. The art events he hosted, uniquely distinct from traditional gallery events, included active audience participation that varied each time. In the video we learned about the one who started this revolution- George Maciunas. The concept of Fluxus in relation to challenging people through various art events, non-rehearsed, was definitely idiosyncratic. Their revolutionary movement was clever in thought, trying to break the stereotypes to do something different, in order to "purge the world of burgeouis and tradition for all people." It was inspiring to know they supported beliefs that anyone can do art by "curing people of stereotypes." They created things called "Flux Medicine," which I thought was kinda funny. A lot of Fluxus events made people laugh and have fun. The Fluxus influence of playful experimentation influenced the development of sound art, commerical art, and text play which revolutionizes how people use art today for productiveness in society. Not only did it influence art as being interactive, but it opened the mind of many people and after watching the documentary, I myself recognize that art is almost everywhere and anything. Apparently walking through a door is considered an art, or the dripping of water from the sink is art. Strange sounds such as blowing, spitting, screaming, crying, were all art. Although I do not find most of the Fluxus art aesthetically pleasing, it is more intriguing that the Fluxus philosophy played an important role in appreciating life around us. Sadly, the movement slowly dwindled down when George Maciunas died of pancreatic cancer in 1978. His huge influence in pioneering artistic concepts and catalyzing new ideas really challenged his public and views on art- and he had a lot of fun in his life doing so. I loved how he emphasized that Fluxus was not just a movement, but a way of life. Even though George Maciunas passed away, Fluxus will always live on, and he left his philosophical ideas with us. We are always in fluxus, always changing. We are always going to be challenging, expressive, and have new ideas that connect with our life.

Fluxus

The Fluxus movement, which is like the 20th century Dada movement, consisted of a group of artists revolutionizing the concept of art. The meaning of "Fluxus" seemed strange because it does not have one set definition, and it did more than just one thing. It's connection and dedication to life and looking at life is thought-provoking. Examples of the movement, such as Allan Kaprow's Happenings from 1958-60's changed the meaning of art in such a way by looking at its outlook on life. The art events he hosted, uniquely distinct from traditional gallery events, included active audience participation that varied each time. In the video we learned about the one who started this revolution- George Maciunas. The concept of Fluxus in relation to challenging people through various art events, non-rehearsed, was definitely idiosyncratic. Their revolutionary movement was clever in thought, trying to break the stereotypes to do something different, in order to "purge the world of burgeouis and tradition for all people." It was inspiring to know they supported beliefs that anyone can do art by "curing people of stereotypes." They created things called "Flux Medicine," which I thought was kinda funny. A lot of Fluxus events made people laugh and have fun. The Fluxus influence of playful experimentation influenced the development of sound art, commerical art, and text play which revolutionizes how people use art today for productiveness in society. Not only did it influence art as being interactive, but it opened the mind of many people and after watching the documentary, I myself recognize that art is almost everywhere and anything. Apparently walking through a door is considered an art, or the dripping of water from the sink is art. Strange sounds such as blowing, spitting, screaming, crying, were all art. Although I do not find most of the Fluxus art aesthetically pleasing, it is more intriguing that the Fluxus philosophy played an important role in appreciating life around us. Sadly, the movement slowly dwindled down when George Maciunas died of pancreatic cancer in 1978. His huge influence in pioneering artistic concepts and catalyzing new ideas really challenged his public and views on art- and he had a lot of fun in his life doing so. I loved how he emphasized that Fluxus was not just a movement, but a way of life. Even though George Maciunas passed away, Fluxus will always live on, and he left his philosophical ideas with us. We are always in fluxus, always changing. We are always going to be challenging, expressive, and have new ideas that connect with our life.

The Art of John Cage

What is music? Apparently any sort of sound around our environment, whether it is structurally organized into rhythms or not, is music. An important composer and musical thinker, John Cage reshaped aesthetic thought about what music was. John Cage enjoyed experience of sound in the environment. Increasing one's enjoyment in life, keeping an open mind to appreciate all art, adoring it rather than just expressing it, were important beliefs. It is inspiring that he tweeked the sensibility of others, and believed that art wasn't just about creativity. He is not only a sound artist, but also a visual artist who loved painting and drawing. While experimenting with sound, he is accredited for pioneering the "prepared piano" by putting nuts, bolts, screws, and other random things inside of a piano which created a variety of sounds. One such work he wrote, In the Name of the Holocaust was an intense piece with nails tacked between the strings. Another work he created was 4 Minutes and 33 Seconds or 4.33 which consisted of conceptual and environmental work he made in New York. Basically the audience was a part of his orchestra because they created noises which "...are as useful to new music as different tones, for the simple reason that they are songs." His appreciation for all sounds as music and unique way of thinking is intriguing. He felt no harmony was necessary to create music. Music was his passionate devotion in life.

The strange and indifferent music he created did not seem to interest me and I thought it was really weird. His music was like a whole new language, especially his notation. However, I was rather drawn by his philosophy in music and the eccentricity of his work where he freed himself from biases by taking chances. John Cage wasn't afraid to take different and free risks in his music. From his experimentations depicted in the video, he opened up my own mind and realized how humanity has limited perceptions on music. It is hard to free myself from my likes and dislikes, and be openly free like John Cage. I applaud his unique musical thinking. I think the definition of music differs for various people, depending on the type of structured or unstructured "noise" they prefer. In my opinion however, some of his un-harmonious, strange noises, are not very aesthetically pleasing music to my ears.

The Art of John Cage

What is music? Apparently any sort of sound around our environment, whether it is structurally organized into rhythms or not, is music. An important composer and musical thinker, John Cage reshaped aesthetic thought about what music was. John Cage enjoyed experience of sound in the environment. Increasing one's enjoyment in life, keeping an open mind to appreciate all art, adoring it rather than just expressing it, were important beliefs. It is inspiring that he tweeked the sensibility of others, and believed that art wasn't just about creativity. He is not only a sound artist, but also a visual artist who loved painting and drawing. While experimenting with sound, he is accredited for pioneering the "prepared piano" by putting nuts, bolts, screws, and other random things inside of a piano which created a variety of sounds. One such work he wrote, In the Name of the Holocaust was an intense piece with nails tacked between the strings. Another work he created was 4 Minutes and 33 Seconds or 4.33 which consisted of conceptual and environmental work he made in New York. Basically the audience was a part of his orchestra because they created noises which "...are as useful to new music as different tones, for the simple reason that they are songs." His appreciation for all sounds as music and unique way of thinking is intriguing. He felt no harmony was necessary to create music. Music was his passionate devotion in life.

The strange and indifferent music he created did not seem to interest me and I thought it was really weird. His music was like a whole new language, especially his notation. However, I was rather drawn by his philosophy in music and the eccentricity of his work where he freed himself from biases by taking chances. John Cage wasn't afraid to take different and free risks in his music. From his experimentations depicted in the video, he opened up my own mind and realized how humanity has limited perceptions on music. It is hard to free myself from my likes and dislikes, and be openly free like John Cage. I applaud his unique musical thinking. I think the definition of music differs for various people, depending on the type of structured or unstructured "noise" they prefer. In my opinion however, some of his un-harmonious, strange noises, are not very aesthetically pleasing music to my ears.

Pipilotti Rist

I'm Not the Girl Who Misses Much, a video from Pipilotti Rist initiates obscure insanity, but a sense of flexibility and liberation. The way the girl dances and sings with Chipmunk-fast-forwarded tones, while boldly showing off her nakedness, gives off this sense of freedom. The song she sings provokes a liberation from something or someone because of the way she dances and waves her arms around freely through the blur. As for the blur, it gives off mystery because we do not know what specific details of her faces look like. Maybe she wants to remain anonymous.

Honestly, I do not know what the true intention Rist is trying to portray with this video or what is going on in her mind when filming it. The film just feels so strange,weird, and slightly disturbing because of her crazy behavior. This was even more confusing than Matthew Barney's The Order.

Pipilotti Rist

I'm Not the Girl Who Misses Much, a video from Pipilotti Rist initiates obscure insanity, but a sense of flexibility and liberation. The way the girl dances and sings with Chipmunk-fast-forwarded tones, while boldly showing off her nakedness, gives off this sense of freedom. The song she sings provokes a liberation from something or someone because of the way she dances and waves her arms around freely through the blur. As for the blur, it gives off mystery because we do not know what specific details of her faces look like. Maybe she wants to remain anonymous.

Honestly, I do not know what the true intention Rist is trying to portray with this video or what is going on in her mind when filming it. The film just feels so strange,weird, and slightly disturbing because of her crazy behavior. This was even more confusing than Matthew Barney's The Order.

Reaction to Matthew Barney and Glass Jaw

The documentary of a contemporary storytelling artist who considered himself a "sculptor," Matthew Barney, struck my attention in a sketchy, but captivating way. As a phenomenon of athletic training, he believed "Change cannot happen without struggle." I never heard of Matthew Barney before the video we watched, so I could not fully understand what his motives were for his Cremaster 3 video, The Order. His video was deliberate, full of symbols and events that happened for a reason; but I could not understand what it all meant. Like many other people who have never heard of him, I was confounded at the waste of time put into the video. His language was just perplexing. I tried to open my mind from the obsurdity that I thought made no sense. However, as I continued to watch, in conclusion to the video I started to think about the aesthetics and design of the video making. I listened to the comments made in class and started to realize how this was really a work of art. It was interesting to see how he focused on different sets of characters on different degree levels of the Guggenheim. It was like a surrealistic, dream-like game about overcoming obstacles towards a task or goal.

This dream-like, obscure video contrasts with that of a powerful, journal-like film called, The Glass Jaw by Michael O'Reilly because of his deeply intimate, ghostly perspective. After being beaten up in shock, he suffers anesthesia in a graduate hospital where medical reform was needed. He video tapes his whole experience in such a compelling manner, that viewers can almost feel his anguish. By video-taping in close ups and sharing all of his inner thoughts and feelings, it made the viewer see through into his own eyes. From the description of his blood soaked baseball-stitched head, 38 staples, the effects with sound as if to hear voices, all contributed exemplifying the stream of conscious he felt through the video. Pity and awe was expressed, because of the intensity of his pain in such instances where he described that even "thinking [was] like brail in butter."

Reaction to Matthew Barney and Glass Jaw

The documentary of a contemporary storytelling artist who considered himself a "sculptor," Matthew Barney, struck my attention in a sketchy, but captivating way. As a phenomenon of athletic training, he believed "Change cannot happen without struggle." I never heard of Matthew Barney before the video we watched, so I could not fully understand what his motives were for his Cremaster 3 video, The Order. His video was deliberate, full of symbols and events that happened for a reason; but I could not understand what it all meant. Like many other people who have never heard of him, I was confounded at the waste of time put into the video. His language was just perplexing. I tried to open my mind from the obsurdity that I thought made no sense. However, as I continued to watch, in conclusion to the video I started to think about the aesthetics and design of the video making. I listened to the comments made in class and started to realize how this was really a work of art. It was interesting to see how he focused on different sets of characters on different degree levels of the Guggenheim. It was like a surrealistic, dream-like game about overcoming obstacles towards a task or goal.

This dream-like, obscure video contrasts with that of a powerful, journal-like film called, The Glass Jaw by Michael O'Reilly because of his deeply intimate, ghostly perspective. After being beaten up in shock, he suffers anesthesia in a graduate hospital where medical reform was needed. He video tapes his whole experience in such a compelling manner, that viewers can almost feel his anguish. By video-taping in close ups and sharing all of his inner thoughts and feelings, it made the viewer see through into his own eyes. From the description of his blood soaked baseball-stitched head, 38 staples, the effects with sound as if to hear voices, all contributed exemplifying the stream of conscious he felt through the video. Pity and awe was expressed, because of the intensity of his pain in such instances where he described that even "thinking [was] like brail in butter."

SimplyAesthetic.net - V.2

(click image for full view)

Past, Present, & Future Tense

[Personal response to this article]

Honestly, the first two pages of this reading made me want to dose off and fall asleep. It mentioned the list of artists vaguely to me, and I could not imagine the projects they created clearly in my head. However, when I continued the reading and saw the pictures and brief descriptions, I was able to comprehend what those mixed media artists had done. These projects are like, babies of technology that have eventually grown and developed over time into our 21st century-generation. It is hard to believe that technology, like today's DVD players, were basically born from these early projects such as the VinylVideo. It makes me think of how technology would develop in our future time, and what new media would be introduced next. It seems like mixed media is not only a piece of useful technology, but also it is most definitely a form of art. Technology is a creative, innovation, created by genius artists. These artists are very influential to society, because they have revolutionized the way people think about what art is. From thinking about these list of artists, I feel like I can accept the status that mixed media truely is a form of art. I used to think that only traditional pieces of art such as paintings or drawings were only meant for museums and galleries. These artists have successfully shown otherwise, because of the fascination of audiences to be able to interact with their innovations. Without them, we would not have essential social networking, such as Facebook. We would not be able to watch our favorite TV shows on tapes or dvds . These artists have taken risks to push through and advance their thoughts outside of their limits, to experiment and explore without hesitation, and have extended the parameters of human capabilities. I find it inspiring that their experiments have catalyzed the meaning of art, and introduced new mediums of interest today.

Past, Present, & Future Tense

[Personal response to this article]

Honestly, the first two pages of this reading made me want to dose off and fall asleep. It mentioned the list of artists vaguely to me, and I could not imagine the projects they created clearly in my head. However, when I continued the reading and saw the pictures and brief descriptions, I was able to comprehend what those mixed media artists had done. These projects are like, babies of technology that have eventually grown and developed over time into our 21st century-generation. It is hard to believe that technology, like today's DVD players, were basically born from these early projects such as the VinylVideo. It makes me think of how technology would develop in our future time, and what new media would be introduced next. It seems like mixed media is not only a piece of useful technology, but also it is most definitely a form of art. Technology is a creative, innovation, created by genius artists. These artists are very influential to society, because they have revolutionized the way people think about what art is. From thinking about these list of artists, I feel like I can accept the status that mixed media truely is a form of art. I used to think that only traditional pieces of art such as paintings or drawings were only meant for museums and galleries. These artists have successfully shown otherwise, because of the fascination of audiences to be able to interact with their innovations. Without them, we would not have essential social networking, such as Facebook. We would not be able to watch our favorite TV shows on tapes or dvds . These artists have taken risks to push through and advance their thoughts outside of their limits, to experiment and explore without hesitation, and have extended the parameters of human capabilities. I find it inspiring that their experiments have catalyzed the meaning of art, and introduced new mediums of interest today.

Man Ray: Prophet of the Avant Garde

Man Ray, whose real name was Emmanuel, was fascinating to me. He seemed to have a personality and artistic drive that was different from other artists who were more accepting. Man, however, was scoffed by others, especially when he was in New York. They didn't understand the concept of his artwork and found the functional objects he placed in galleries were not pieces of art. It was interesting to know that he would have rather been "accepted" not "understood." I was also surprised by the number of other well-known artists and photographers of his time such as Alfred Stieglitz, Max Ernst, Pablo Picasso, and Salvador Dali. I thought he seemed influential to have so much passion and drive within his work, even through all his life struggles. He thought "to create is divine," thus, introducing knew ideas were an essential part of his life. His innovative ideas- such as making art out of fashion photography, or creating "rayographs," lead to a new era of modern art.

Man Ray: Prophet of the Avant Garde

Man Ray, whose real name was Emmanuel, was fascinating to me. He seemed to have a personality and artistic drive that was different from other artists who were more accepting. Man, however, was scoffed by others, especially when he was in New York. They didn't understand the concept of his artwork and found the functional objects he placed in galleries were not pieces of art. It was interesting to know that he would have rather been "accepted" not "understood." I was also surprised by the number of other well-known artists and photographers of his time such as Alfred Stieglitz, Max Ernst, Pablo Picasso, and Salvador Dali. I thought he seemed influential to have so much passion and drive within his work, even through all his life struggles. He thought "to create is divine," thus, introducing knew ideas were an essential part of his life. His innovative ideas- such as making art out of fashion photography, or creating "rayographs," lead to a new era of modern art.

Lust/Slut

(click image for full view)

Greed

(click image for full view)

Wrath

(click image for full view)