Sunday Reflection over Green Tea

Levi'-s- Opioneers! (Go Forth)

Walt Whitman's Poetry 26 four line stanzas used in a series of Levi's commercials directed by Cary Fukunaga and M. Blash in late 2009: http://youtu.be/HG8tqEUTlvs. I have been obsessed with this ad, not for its marketing ploy aspect but the beauty of its cinema, fashion and style.

Against the backdrop of such a powerful voice, using Whitman's words as direction for plot, placed in some of the most beautiful places in the world, in less than a minute such naturalistic, free beauty is depicted. This to me is video art.

Performance Art Project

Originally when brainstorming for a Performance Art idea It was my intent to utilize both a gorilla and chicken suit with some outlandish scene in the middle of campus that would force people to stop and stare, however this comedic act was shallow in meaning and I knew I wanted to dig for more.

 

Then it hit. Monday, April 15th, the Boston Marathon bombings. In the middle of class, the story broke, flooding all social media and news sites, jarring everyone's hearts and minds- from there everything was shaken. Nothing can be related to 9/11, the grandscale of death, pain and tragedy, however in the fourth grade, the depth of the matter was over my head and the fear and pain millions felt from that day and years after, struck a similar chord as I learned Boston, my home, had been attacked. The streets I've walked countless times, the very own marathon I've grown up watching, but most importantly and most chilling of all, the proximity to friends and family. Thankfully my racing mind was relieved with the news no loved onces had been injured, however my heart remained weak and I knew I needed to pour out my passion, love,pain and fear into a performance piece that could pay tribute to the lives lost, the heroes and not only those in MA who had been mentally and physically affected, but the rest of the country, brewing in fear and uncertainty over the multiplying acts of terror. I wanted to remind people of the good in society, the hope, love and peace that we must keep strong to combat the evil.We can't let them win. We need to love harder, live with more appreciation and make it our personal mission to help as many people as possible, to make this world more beautiful so in trying times we're reminded not to give up. We're strong and united and should be encouraging peace. Which is exacty what I decided to do.

Inspired by the culture of the 60s and 70s with protests involving pacifist hippies circling a tree holding signs, I decided to make a big poster board collaged with newspaper clippings of images of the victims of Boston, headings detailing the events and overall, articles, words and pictures that captured the overwhelming amount of ugly in this world. I then decided a symbol, an image would have more effect, capturing attention from the distance so I painted a peace sign, in a cool light blue shade and within the sign included brighter, blissful images that encapsulated serenity and the beauty of life. Within these images I collaged quotes from the Dali Lama and song lyrics promoting peace and love.

I nailed this to the tree directly in front of Sykes, a middle point of campus I believed would capture attention and directly below I left a shoe box with post its, pens, tape and scissors instructing people to leave their own messages of love and support- either in ways they could change the world or how we should live ou lives daily. Once everything had been set up I took a seat on a nearby bench and scouted for close to thirty-forty minutes. The videos are a bit boring besides two segments that show two different sets of girls stopping to leave their mark. Many people, frustrating enough, walked right by completely overlooking it because they were too glued into their phones. I visited again a few hours ater and a couple more post its had been added, and then to my absolute PLEASURE, the next day as I was walking by, fully thinking security would have taken it down already, everything was still there and this time, the tree had a noticebaly greater amount of incredible, heartfelt notes.

This performance art was a more introverted type of reflection, not outlandish and dramatic with costumes and makeup but the idea greatly appealed to me because it related to something I am incredibly passionate about, beyond Boston even, something everyone can share. I wanted people to take a second out of their days, stop and think about the lives they're living and the current events in today's world and what we can do to enrich our lives with peace and love to fight the terror and not curl up in fear. I wanted to convey a sense of support, an outreach and outlet for those in pain, and although the videos aren't highyl entertaining, the build up of notes showed positive feedback and a clear reaction matching my original intent.

 

 

Grid ART- Nitty Gritty Body Image

The extremes of body image and society's role in building norms has always been an issue I've found incredibly interesting. From a personal stand point, I identify with this back and forth identity struggle and the pressures of a woman in today's society to fit a certain standard. We see curvaceous figures like Beyonce's and Shakira, model bodies like Adriana Lima and Gizelle and then, there's the rest of us. The majority of America, overweight due to a culture obsessed with over production and mass consumption.
The idea for this grid art project stemmed deep within my own passions and self doubts. Making up the 900 object grid were countless food wrappers, majority 'fun size' chocolate candy wrappers- purposefully used to pit the irony of their size against their substance. Along with the candy wrappers I mixed in other junk food scraps including friend's food casings from McDonalds and Starbucks. Here and there I placed healthy wrappers from green tea or whole grain pasta, creating an almost 'Where's Waldo' like effect, in search for what's left of the healthy in society, attempting to find middle ground. The food wrappers represent one extreme of society- the over consumption, the lack of self control, and my own sweet tooth, a weakness and craving that I deal with in waves.

Juxtaposed against the backdrop of wrappers, I created the side silhouette of society's 'perfect' woman: slender shoulder, big breasts, small size zero waist and curvaceous behind. At first, I started building this woman, still following the grid structure. Her abdomen made up of a magazine cut outs of the perfect abs, toned and taut or the tiny tummies in advertisements. Building and building, it was difficult to determine the exact dimensions. I would crouch down on the floor for hours on my knees, then get up, look from a different angle, then get back down and re-address the image and keep building. This was my favorite part. I used all magazine cut outs of women's different body parts- it felt like a meat market, how society picks us apart and rates us depending on our parts-" oh, GREAT ass..she's a 10" "did you SEE that rack?!" "motorboat haven" or even worse, the comments made regarding weight, curves v.s. cellulite. I specifically started out piece by piece then as the body got bigger, I start cutting out just portions of different skin tones, curves of the body, and collaging them in segments, placing them to create the lines of the hip or breast bone.

Video Installation: Magnetic Recording

h2g2

The art of oral tradition evolving over time, technologically expanding to improve rich details and vast capabilities, specifically in concerns to magnetic recording shaping the way we use video today.

-sound recording improves post WWII
-rapid recording/playback (two essential tools)
-big names in early development:Oberlin Smith andValdemar Poulson
-1951 magnetic tape for data storage begins
-optical recording: primary competitor

FLASH MOBS

FRIENDS WITH BENEFITS MOVIE
http://youtu.be/sMsLKir1_LI First flash mob scene in Times Square NYC

http://youtu.be/goPvYeQwlPI Second and Final Flash mob scene in Grand Central Station

Pop culture became infused with flash mobs once popularity spiked, as movies and television shows found ways to incorporate the radical mass group dances. In Friends With Benefits, the flash mob ties together the entire romantic storyline with the beautiful mystical back drop of two NYC's most beloved and well known destinations. Another plus about FWB's usage of flash mobs? The ingenious GQ marketing design. I unfortunately couldn't find the video segment after prolonged searching, but in the movie, a TV screen is filled with a mass amount of ant like looking people, different colors, all dancing in a flash mob like motion until the people evaporate until they only make the shape of 'GQ' lettering on a solid white back drop. Eye catching, creative and technology infused.

 PROPOSAL
http://youtu.be/WCM9GOzL9T4

Second example, also tied to romance- a very unique proposal-boyfriend surprises girlfriend at 1:50 by jumping into the flash mob and joining along, dead center and by 2:50, pulling out a ring and proposing, 3:40 she says yes. A little shaky, certainly not professional but LOVE the idea

ORCHESTRA - BREATHTAKING.
http://youtu.be/nmxDRnFRhdk

The faces of all the bystanders, especially children, bewildered by the beauty. Musicians coming from all sides of the streets, congregating in the middle, all in response to one little girl dropping a coin in a hat.

1:34 goosebumps
3:09 my mouth drops open, re-occuring goosebumps
3:39 child shown having climbed on pole to get better view
3:58 the boyfriend motioning with his hands to his bewildered girlfriend
4:24 women lined up singing opera
4:40 little boy dancing and waving his arms overcome with excitement
4:55 picking up tempo dramatically to end- AMAZING.

Gorilla Girls: Guerilla Warefare

 

Who can ignore someone dressed in a giant gorilla costume? Let alone four women broadcasting powerful feminist artwork challenging the public to think differently, making everyone more aware of creatively presented facts that are far too troubling to ignore. These fiesty women are educated and powerful with the sole goal of empowering women, educating society and making CHANGE.

The genius, modernized graphics in sync with pop culture and buried with intelligent political references range from all different angles. A few examples of work I found not discussed in class I've added below:

Such a UNIQUE approach, I've never seen an artist mimic and attack the government in such a creative way. The usage of the scale represents everything the Guerilla Girls work towards. By shedding light on ignored issues, often making hefty political statements and using logos that immediately capture attention and promise reaction.

 

"Bitches, Bimbos and Ballbreakers" ...what more could you ask for?

By shedding light on the stereotypes of females they're empowering us with knowledge to fight back and break the mold. I absolutely love not only the alliteration and word choice but the graphics: bright bubblegum pink with juxtaposed spinning terms all too often used to brand women in society: "girl next door", "stage mom", "catholic school girl", "gold digger"...  If I saw this in a store I wouldn't be able to walk away.

 

Here we have an example of the Guerilla Girls using statistics, a method they often incorporate into their work which is absolutely brilliant because no one can disprove the numbers. It's not just opinion or exaggerated hyperbole as I'm sure those threatned by the art activists would say; by presenting the facts the audience can't argue. In fact, more respect should be given, for these women TRULY care- they do their homework, they're passionate and they fight for what they believe in, hoping to make a change in society.

Abstract Xerox: Look Right Through Me & This Is What You'll See

For this abstract project, the sole point was to decontextualize xeroxed body parts. The process itself was nearly 10x as entertaining as the actual finished piece. Going in, I really had no precise visions, just like the flip book I had ideas wandering through my mind and wanted to allow myself the freedom of free thought.

The most intimidating part of the project was finding a location to xerox my body. With limited options, I decided to use the library. Early morning, I made my venture, thankful to see a fairly empty environment. The only scanners available were at the front of the library so I was forced to confront my ego's pride and paranoia and jump right in- starting first with my hands, then, in between checks to see if anyone was looking, attempted scans of my chest and face.

Miraculously, not even ten minutes in, the nicest woman, Meril, who I later discovered was the library director, acted as my abstract art guardian angel. (I intend on surprising her with much deserved thank you flowers!) As I took just a moment to describe the project to her, she immediately became intrigued and invested in helping the cause, offering to bring me to the back room location where I could not only use the scanner for free, but in PRIVACY.

Here was a woman who knew full well what I needed to do and without question, only genuine desire to help, aided in a process that would have been near impossible otherwise. Left in a room alone, with the occasional one or two faculty coming through, I embarked on my creative escapades, remaining sneaky throughout so as not to get caught mid strip.

Surprisingly, it became difficult to stir new ideas of body parts and positions to copy- even lifting myself onto the copier to scan my behind took strategy to avoid the possible nightmare of breaking the glass and/ or being seen.

After being so exposed to nudity in class and seeing how embedded it is in the art world, I pushed myself outside of the box, beyond my comfort zone, to include my own private parts. The inclusion of my breast, nipple in clear view specifically,  was something that although it appears small, represents a deep vulnerability and bravery- openly revealed to the rest of the world.

As I scanned different parts of my body, I couldn't help but recognize the distinct clarity of freckles, hairs and shapes that are normally overlooked or easily hidden. In a way, once again, it was a reflection of vulnerability as I saw different parts of myself, in their natural state flawed.

Putting the entire piece together, I decided to build upon a wooden crate from Home Depot left over from our grid project. Bound by instinct to make compositions symmetrical, I started out, inspired by PansLabryinth, putting ears on hands as eyes, hair flowing freely from the top, but then I just broke free from the shell and started setting limbs extending out of the box, groping curves and flowing freely with a growing theme of carnal freedom and sexuality. The parts pasted include lips, fingers, hands, arms, breasts, my bottom and hair. I think the image strongly reflects free movement and femininity. The piece is so decontextualized it at first appears entirely chaotic and random but it only takes a second longer to recognize and decode the images.

This entire process was incredibly unique and rewarding and most of all, a push in a new, bold direction to feed my more adventurous self. Art truly is all about self reflection and the power of it's therapy and poetic nature ceases to amaze me. I feel so much more in touch with myself, comfortable and curious, after spending so much time on these projects and studying different movements and periods in class. It's often difficult to make time, but just like writing, art is a passion well deserving of attention, that will only enrich every one's sense of worth and connection to life, at least my own, that I'm sure of.

Tom Geoghegan & Live Art

"Rubbish" & "Strange Fruit"

Decontexualizing, placing himself in bizarre locations in situations and positions that can't help but stir controversial questioning reactions. The city, the park, these areas themselves become Geoghegan's gallery when he inhabits the space with his out of context work.

"Strange Fruit" based of Billie Holiday's song

Instead of a black body, he's dressed completely in white, head to toe, hanging still from a tree in a desolate park. He remains in the pouring rain, an all day endeavour, not moving a muscle, showing the extreme dedication he has to his work. The depth of this symbolism only intensified for me after hearing the original lyrics to the sad, sad song. Geoghegan puts an entirely different spin on a very influential, historically painful time period that applies to everyone. You can tell he chooses what issues to cover wisely and stylizes them in his own unique way.

 Even as "Rubbish" when people pull, poke and kick at his limp body, he remains still. His personal connection to the work is quite inspiring considering his cluelessness to how many people will actually witness his excursions. Geoghegan defines Live Art, far from performance, solely for attacking the audience with a visual that promises a challenge almost as provoking to the mental state.

Live Art: Sheryl Oring's Inspiring Projects

Oring's: iwishtosay.org

LOVE the visually enticing home page setup of Oring's blog and  the overall theme of her works, set to engage the most random of society, stir their deepest thoughts and create feedback to issues by breaking big things down piece by piece, person by person. It's almost as if she tackles the invisible wall between head haunchos and the rest of society by providing outlets to respond to those in power who dictate much of our general well being and the entire state of the U.S. as a whole.

"The Birthday Project"

Such a simple yet ingenious idea! Oring set up a nomadic, portable birthday party for parks and flea parties, dressed in a 1960s party dress and convinced people to send birthday wishes for the president's 60th.
When viewed in class the letters were much more centered on the presidency itself and the turmoil of the county, projecting a more hateful than heartful vibe, nonetheless the idea itself creates this creative intimacy between passerbyers and the country's highest figure.

"Creative Fix" stemmed from 2008's "Birthday Project" as Oring was inspired to ask people what they would do to fix the country if they could do anything at all. In a series of one minute responses people were given the chance to voice their deepest concerns and passions.

People are introduced by name, occupation and location. Some of the videos are overwhelming with people unleashing everything, then again, that's what makes this so powerful and full circle, defines live art, when something isn't being done for performance but for the individual and the questioning of life itself.

Three of my favorites that really stood out from this project were:

"Ryan Alexiev- ban technology on Sundays, the idea: go out and engage with the world and real people"
"Jessica Ingram- encourage the country to slow down"
"Amy Mooney- one of the most immediate things we should do is honor our teachers"

One woman focused her change on the idea of more community dinners, more time with friends, family; an increase of focus on the rich quality of life not the quantity of materialistic goods.

I adore this overall genre of work because it forces people to take a step back and really think about the issues. Two years ago I did a project where I went out into the streets, stopped random students, homeless men, working women, and I asked everyone the same questions, the most important of all, and entire center of the project, "how would you define happiness?"

Such a broad, big picture idea, meant to stir up questioning and reflection, I was excited to find many people, no matter the age or place in life, focused on the same defining answers- the simple things and rich, loving relationships. A few examples of younger generations responded with feedback shallow in comparison to middle aged mothers with children and a greater depth of life experience, but all in all, this project reminds me of Oring's self indulging style of digging deeper and questioning every day life, re-focusing, examining and then responding, sharing words and thoughts that benefit strangers either in sync with your thoughts or completely separate, now with inspiration to think differently and see a new point of view.

Self reflection and awareness of the world we live in leads to much deeper appreciation and in return, far reaching happiness. It's all we can do to connect with others and remain open minded and curious about life like Oring and her subjects are.