Project 4

For this project, I strayed away from what I was originally going to do. I had a picture of myself that I was working on and noticed how I could block out different sections of my face into geometric shapes. Then I began thinking how this related to the notion that there are a million factors in our environment that shape us into the person we are in terms of personality, physical appearance, etc. 

Homework 8

  Even though people who take them are made fun of, Selfies are big indicator of representing who we are. We choose an angle and a lighting that makes us feel good about the way we represent ourselves on social media. Sometime we edit our photos to look a certain way.
  There have always been those horror stories of people using photoshop to create a ridiculous looking self representation, but they do it for confidence or even to make themselves look more appealing to others. However with the paintings that were shown in the "Before the Selfie, the Self-Portrait" it was clear that the painters wanted to show off their skills and focus more on representing themselves accurately.
  Yet the painters back then were doing the same thing people who take Selfies do now: they check their lighting, pick an angel to paint from, and choose a color palette that they want to be painted in (warm palette vs. cool palette).

Homework 7

  The main question asked in the article is whether or not video art had become obsolete. Video art is treated differently than it used to, yes, but that doesn't necessarily mean it has gone obsolete. The way it is presented has changed. For example, painting used to done so that it could replicated a landscape or portrait or even represent religious scenes. However once the invention of photographs was invented, the role of painting changed and it became more of an expressive medium.
  Oursler shows us that he is capable of introducing more into video art. Many of his works emphasize the eyes and mouth because he believes those are the core senses when it comes to videos. He also uses organic shapes such as circles, ovals, and oblongs. This brings a new light on how videos can be presented and brings to question the role of video art.
  It isn't a matter of whether or not video art is even relevant any more, but how the role has changed. What can video art introduce now that it couldn't before?

Homework 6

   Although Zines don't seem to be a popular medium, the existence of them is beneficial in the art field. It was discussed in the article that the biggest difference between Zines and magazines is that magazines ask "It's time to publish, what do we say?" While Zines tend to say "I have something to say it's time to publish."
  Zines tend to be privately owned and I feel that because of that it keeps the spirit of Zines alive. Magazines tend to exist to appeal to the masses and eventually, they focus more on the consumer's needs than what they want to represent. In many ways, Zines tend to be more personal and about the creator(s)' voice.
  Zines also often appear to voice some form of activism, however this is not always the case. The entire concept of Zines was started through SciFi fanfiction in the 60s. They have a touch of personality to them since they are almost always handmade as well.
  One is not better than the other, but it is clear that Zines are a rejection of magazines.

Homework 5

  Technology is advancing at a very quick rate. It's only been two years since the last iPhone came out before they introduced a new one. That's not the only thing that has changed though. As a society we interact with technology a lot different than we would in a society without it. As the ArtPulse article stated, that viewer would rather look through their phones at a live event than see it with their own eyes. For instance: when people go to a concert, their immediate response is to grab a phone or camera and start recording as the concert is going on. 

  Our expectation in technology has changed as well. The quality of everything is enhanced in comparison to what we had back then. I believe this is what the author was talking about when he used the term "retinal masturbation." Many people are taking advantage of this new found technology advancements that are made and incorporating it into their own art. 

  Richard Rinehart said in the "Keeping New Media" article that "art is just one professional field that is trying to grapple with the preservation of digital and new media material." Nam June Paik's exhibition is evident of that statement, in that he is experimenting with technology as a form of art mediums. Not only does he use the function of electricity, but he also uses the physicality of technology and includes it into his art. Mansfield says, "Electricity heats up and cools down. It vibrates, it breathes, it powers on and off. Every day it's a new exhibit. And you have to take precautions to care for it daily." 

Homework 3

   GIF's have very quickly become very popular on the internet. They're amazing especially for today's generation since we rate things based on the speed at which they are delivered. A GIF is a clip that loops for a few seconds, and it holds the audience's attention for as long as it needs to before they move on the next one. This way if the viewer missed anything, they can go back and view it again.
   GIF's may hold the attention of the viewer for short periods of time and quickly move on but the same can be said about a painting at a museum. Unless it's a work of art that really speaks to the viewer, they will not be interested in observing it closer.
GIF's tend to focus on the movement of what is occurring in that specific scene. Because there is no audio attached to a GIF, there is no dialogue or background noise that will distract the viewer from the actual actions going on in the GIF. The creator of the GIF can focus on the visual aspect of it.

Project 3 Zine