Week 10 lecture

Our week 10 lecture discussed the internet, and the connection between the personal and the public.  We looked at a book called “Windows & Mirrors”.  We talked about how the book dispelled some myths about the internet, things like, how people think the computer is not there, explaining how we actually look through it, like a window, hence Windows aptly entitled name,  this lead on to us discussing, Microsoft Kinect. 

Microsoft Kinect is a motion sensing input device for the Xbox 360.  It’s based around a web cam based add-on, it enables users to interact and control with the Xbox without having to touch a game controller through a natural user interface.  This has made a huge change to the internet and the way we use it, because normally manufacturers don’t want the consumer to change or modify there product, but Microsoft have embraced it, and have even set up a forum were people can post and share there ideas and thoughts, this is a very smart idea, because it basically has the consumer doing their work form them.

We then went on to discuss internet art and the definition of internet art.  We talked about three main points, they are; the computer has become a new medium, to design a digital artefact is to design and experience and Digital design should not try to be invisible.   These three points I think are very important, the point that the internet is a new medium is a subject point, because, it’s hard to call something new when it has been around a good number of years,  But  I guess it’s only recently that it has moved into daily global usage. 

We then began to talk about internet art and the link between the personal space and the public space.  We talked about how your experience when viewing the web is normally a very personal one, at the same time it is completely public, especially when we post anything online.  We talked about the dangers of posting things online, and the problems with it.  One of the things discussed was the “Free Floating Signifier”. Floating signifiers is a term used in semiotics to denote signifiers without referents, for example a word that doesn’t point to any actual object or meaning.  In our discussion, we talked about this in the context of facebook, and how when we post things on facebook, a lot of the people viewing it don’t know the context of it, hence many people taking different meanings.   

We were then shown a piece of art by a performance artist called Stelarc.  We discussed his 2007 piece of performance art, in which he had a cell cultivated ear surgically attached to his left arm.  Apparently he did it so he could hear is IPod.  Quoting Stelarc, he said that, “The biological body is not well organ-ised.  The body needs to be internet enabled in more intimate ways. The ear on arm project suggests an alternate anatomical architecture, the engineering of a new organ for the body: an available, accessible and mobile organ for other bodies in other places, enabling people to locate and listen in to another body else where.”    To be honest when we looked at this piece of art I didn’t know what to think, and to be totally honest I still don’t.

Week 9 lecture

In week 9 we began the lecture by watching a video by Christian Marclay.  Christian Marclay is a visual artist and composer, whose work involves exploring the connection, sound, noise, photography, video and film.  He was also one of the first pioneers of using records and Turntables as live instruments. We watch his piece called “Guitar Drag”.  This Video starts with a 40’s style pickup truck out in mid-west America.  In the video he ties a plugged in Electric guitar to the back of the pickup truck and proceeds to drag it down the road.  The way the guitar is dragged down the road is a torture technique that was used against Black people in America in the 40’s and 50’s, hence the old pickup truck.      The video is supposed to show how race relations in America haven’t really got any better between White people and African American people.  The reaction trying to be provoked from this video is that people would still be more outraged if a Vintage Fender Stratocaster was dragged down a dirt road, than if a black man was.  Personally I thought it was quite a good video, but to be totally honest my first reaction was that I couldn’t believe they were dragging a Vintage guitar down a dirt road, But it wasn’t because of my views on slavery and America history, it was basically because I didn’t understand it at the start, and I just reacted to what I saw.

This lead on to use discussing the three main points of a moving picture; they are: The story doesn’t have to be obvious, It should always be an aesthetically experience, and it should be emotionally crippling or visceral.  We were then shown a video by a previous student, this video was supposed to show how attached he was to his drums, and it was a just a very aesthetically pleasing video, with close shots of his drum kit.  Now it looked brilliant and was very well marked and received, but personally I just did not feel anything nor did it provoke me in anyway, which is two of the main things a piece should do, but I guess everyone has different views and opinions. 

The final video we watched was a piece by a man called Bill Viola.  Bill Viola is a Contemporary video artist, whose work focus on the human experience such as birth life and death, his work is all about evoking emotion.  The piece we watched when exhibited was shown on three the first showing a birth, the second showing a man drowning and the third showing death.  The entire concept was meant to show life and how you basically are born and then struggle until you die, which is a very poor outlook on life, but sometimes I can see what he means.  The video itself wasn’t particularly well shot, and wasn’t enhanced or sugar coated in any way, which I personally thought was brilliant and way head of it’s time. All the footage in the video is real except the man drowning, which I think really brings the message home, and cause a real deep human connection, and although some in the lecture didn’t like it and said the could connect with it, I don’t believe them, because its one of the few things every man and woman have in common. 

Overall this was my favourite piece of visual art, out of the three videos this one blew me away, simply because I connected with it straight away, and also because it was so graphic and real, you just take your eyes of it.                   

Sound Theory – Sound Practice

Our week eight lecture was all about sound, and what we think of sound.  The lecture opened with these two statements; the world of sound is an event world, and the world of sight is an object world.  We started by discussing our favourite sounds, for example some people like the sound of cars, others preferred songs or sounds of nature. This lead on to a discussion on what is sound. The questions asked were; what is sound, how do we hear sound, how do we confront it, what can be done with it, how does it create a reaction and cocktail party effect. This is hearing different in different places, i.e. hearing the person you are talking to in a crowed room. We also discussed the term “Foley”, this is creating a sound that we associate with a particular thing, but is not actually the sound generated by it.  An example of this was the sound of the tanks in the film Saving Private Ryan, the sound of the tanks was actually simulated by students banging metal trays of the ground.  We talked about the qualities of sound; Sound is vibration, it is immersive, it cannot be shut out, it contains depth, it has no directionality and it cannot be frozen.  We talked about how sound can also be physical, this is evident in some clubs, were the sound vibrations are actually fed through the floor, causing you to actually feel the sound. 

We discussed sound and perspective, in this we talked about Figure: which is the most import sound, Ground; The listener’s social world and the field; the physical world around the field, this lead on to sound and distance.  All sound interaction has forms of distance: Intimate, Personal, Informal, Formal and public.  We gave examples of each, for instance, the lecture being given would have fallen into the informal category.  The lecturer then played us a video of John Cage’s 4.33, which as most people know is a full orchestra performance of silence.  This provoked a massive reaction with some people feeling so annoyed that they were ready to leave, which I thought was quite funny.  The whole idea of the performance was to show that sound is music and music is sound.  I personally had a split opinion over the piece.  One the one hand I thought it was very smart and clever in the reaction it provoked, but at the end of the day they musicians actually played nothing, how hard can it actually be.

Overall I learned a lot about sound and music, and I also learned that I had a division between the two that didn’t really make sense.  In an essence the lecture opened my mind to new possibilities and ideas, regarding what sounds I use to make music, and also that humans seem to know what any given sound is, and that the sound it’s self is an event. 

The Mobile Visual Environment

In the week seven lecture the topic was the mobile visual environment.  We began by looking at the iPad, and debating if we preferred reading newspapers, magazines and books in a digital format, or in a physical paper format.  Both had various advantages and disadvantages; personally I feel that having this information online, means that we are free to view many different writers’ opinions, instead of hearing the opinion and view of one paper or magazine. Although one little problem I’ve discovered is that if no one buys newspapers, a simple task like lighting a fire, is going to become more difficult; I would advise burning an iPad,  this lead on to a discussion on the Simulacra. 

Simulacra is a concept by Jean Baudrillard. He suggests that people live there life through what they show or reveal, for example through facebook.  In fact our lecturer believed that if we go for a night out; the night does not exist until we post photos or post comments about it on facebook.  I don’t know if this statement is totally true, although I do believe that some people find a need to show there friends and everyone else how good a time they had, and try to portray them selves as something there not.  This lifestyle or decision to put so much information in the public domain also creates a problem, as it means the line between public and private is getting blurred, it is also blurring the line between reality and virtual reality.  We also discussed Appadurai’s theory on “Scapes”.  He believed that the simulacra is made up of different scapes.   Examples of these include:  Ethnoscape, which is ethnic culture, Mediascape and Einenscape, which is money.  Which discussed Einenscape a little, and specifically the fact that fewer and fewer people handle money anymore.  This in a fact that shocked me,and is something I never thought about before.  Any moey we make goes straight into our bank account, and when we pay for anything we just use our cards, so we very rarely see our money.  One huge problem with this is, if our bank or cards fail for any reason we are basically penniless and stranded, because if accounts our shut down we almost lose our identity.  This is one problem with the modern technology.           

The main point of the class was discussing how mobile and accessible interactive technology has become; mainly looking at the iPhone and the iPad.  They have made information and interaction so easy and easily available, in a way that did not seem possible a few years ago.

Week 6 Lecture

On week 6 we began the lecture by watching Thunderbirds, this seemed very strange but soon all became clear.  We discussed the aspects of the show and at the time, how far out some of the ideas and inventions on the show were, but now a lot of the ideas are in every day use, examples of this are the GPS systems used in the show, and now they are in every car made.  This comparison was used as an example to show us how much ground has been covered technologically in the last 40 years.

We talked in depth about how our visual Grammar has changed over the years, and also discussed the statement that people born after 1985 have an instinct that enables them to use new technology, referring to them as “digital natives”.  I personally don’t believe this is true, because I know several people who were born before 1985, who have a freakishly quick grasp on any new piece of technology that is placed in front of them, were as it would take me a while to grasp certain new pieces of technology, mainly because I grew up without a lot of technology and gadgets.  I also feel that it depends on where you’re from; I feel that people who come from the country are not as bothered about new pieces of technology, whereas people from the town or city always seem to have the newest developments, I also feel it depends on how wealthy you or your family are.      

We discussed how every 2 years the speed of technology doubles, which is a crazy thought and shows just how fast we are moving forward.  This lead on to the topic of social networking sites specifically facebook.  We discussed how the majority of people these days, especially those on a certain age group can live without commenting or posting on facebook.  This idea ties in with our previous lecture on post modernism, as, most people are living this post modern lifestyle, where we believe we are all celebs, or we are all living our own celebrity life.  This can be a dangerous concept or lifestyle, and is increasingly blurring the line between reality and virtual-reality.   

Lastly we discussed the argument; should all primary students have smart phones, and do they help or not.  This statement divided opinion in the class, with various valid opinions for both sides.  Personally I feel that smarts are a great idea and way of presenting students with information, but I also feel that they should be exposed to it a certain age, or gradually taught to use them.  I know if I had of been given a smart phone when in primary school I would not have done any work, but maybe that’s just a generational thing, or maybe it’s just me. 

Overall I gathered from the lecture the technology is developing and moving at an amazing pace, and is changing the way we learn and work.  So technology at the minute is like a fast moving train, you either hit the ground running, and get on board or you’ll be run over. 

Presenting the New – Exhibition and Publication

In week 5 our lecture talked about the importance of exhibition and presentation of artworks.  The lecture started with a picture of the famous “Fountain Duchamp”; which is a urinal called fountain, and is signed “R.Mutt”.  The piece of art was produced by Marcel Duchamp.  We talked about how this particular piece of art released in 1917, asked the question, what is art, and are ideas more important than representation.  In my opinion ideas are more important, as I think the idea is the essence of art and creativity.   

Next we began to discuss site specific art.  This is artwork created to exist in a certain place, and usually the artist takes the site into account when producing the art,   an example of this is Gem Finer and his piece “A score for a hole in the ground” which is basically a hybrid water instrument.  The entire project was based around a large underwater river that supply’s running water to an underground pit.  This pit houses steel discs and blades of different sizes.  As the water from the river hits the steel instruments sounds are created.  These sounds are then put through a large horn acting as an amplifier, when discussing this in class the question was raised was this art, and surprisingly the opinion was divided.  Personally I believe it is art, although I believe for the size of the project, and the amount of money pumped into it, maybe the project could and gave a little bit more in terms of usability.  The other piece we discussed was the piece Paul and Gem Finer about Lough Neagh.  I found this piece involved the community a lot more, and in turn seemed more worth while.    

During the lecture the main theme and recurring point was the importance of choosing the right location for different pieces of art, and also the importance of art presentation, specifically the venue and the way it is consumed.           

Modernism & Post-modernism

Modernism & Post-modernism was the topic in week 4, and at to be honest I wasn't really interested at the start but as the lecture went on I found myself becoming more and more interested in the topic.  We started by discussing modernism, which is a period active up until 1960 and was defined heavily by war.  A definition of Modernism is that it is a set of cultural tendencies and associated cultural movements.  Modernism also strongly believes in the grand narrative that explains why we are all here and always has a strong belief in progression (Marxism).   In modernism I felt that the idea was that everyone would aspire to this ideal life with nice house, 2.4 children etc., which reminded me on the Pete Seeger song little Boxes.

The transition point between modernism and post-modernism came between 1950 and 1960. This was a time when people like Bob Dylan were coming along and breaking the mould so to speak.  A key piece of art of that time came from a man called Richard Hamilton, who produced arguably the first piece of pop art. In 1956 he produced a collage called "Just what is it that makes today's homes so different, so appealing” In the collage it shows various items on the times such as a TV and a famous people of the time.  This piece was a huge statement and change in thinking when it was released.    

Post-Modernism is the period from 1960 onwards.  Post-modernism is routed in contemporary culture, and Is characterized by the problem of objective truth; and it also carries a great suspicion against global culture, it contradicts modernism in many ways, and one of the main ways is the questioning of the modernism belief that there is a grand narrative.  Post-modernism also used images of war as questions against modernism, and unveiled a weakness and darkness in modernism.   One thing I find great about Post-modernism is that it believes text music and poetry can mix, to create something new.   I product of post-modernism was minimalism, and the ability to cut art way back to something more striking and to the point.  

At the end of the class we used various products and inventions as indicators to modernism and post-modernism, key comparisons during this exercise were the old mini to the new mini, the latter being post-modern.  Other comparisons were the TV to the IPAD, and the Brando leather Jackets to the new biker jackets sold now.  Overall all I found the lecture interesting, but strangely I also found myself trying to put my self in one on the two categories, but I couldn’t I don’t know why, I agreed mostly with post modernism but there were a few aspects of modernism that I connected with and that made some sense to me.  So overall I couldn’t really decide which category I was in, but then if I’m trying to put myself in a category then maybe I belong in modernism.

The Art of The Record / CD Sleeve

Our week 3 lecture was about 2D & 3D imagery, specifically concentrating on Album artwork.  The lecture started with short tussle with the computer as it seemed to be as hungover and as tired as half of the students, after all it was Friday morning.  Then we started with a brief opening discussion on the Music industry and how no one really buys CD's any more.  The only time we do is in some special situations such as: your a massive fan of the artist or particularly like the album.  In any case we discovered your decision to buy the CD will be greatly swayed buy the album artwork or extras,  the prime example of this was Radiohead's album, which was sold for free, but the artwork had to be paid for, and was by a lot of people.

Next we were given a challenge; we were asked to listen to a 15minute piece of audio, which played various pieces of music and interviews/speeches by famous people of that time.  This seemed interesting,  but then a £50 bet was introduced to awaken the rest of the lecture theatre.  We listened to the various recordings of music and speeches and interviews of the time, and to my surprise I got a lot of them correct, as well as many others, although needless to say no one won the £50.  But during the process I weirdly started putting pictures  and dates to the sound I was hearing, whether this was the point of the exercise or not I don't know, but if it was then it worked.

Once the exercise was complete a big box of records were produced; and if you ever want a insight into someone's personality, there music collection is the way to do it.  As we looked through the records; some great albums to be honest, we talked about how the artwork was specific to each decade, Genre and movement, from the teddy boys right through to the 70's punk records and artists like the Sex Pistols and The Who's 1970 live album, Live at Leeds.  It also became very clear when looking through the records that as the years past album artwork and presentation became very important, maybe even more so than the music. It also became very clear that no matter how punk a man is or how many cool things they've done, there's always that one record that will ruin there punk integrity, in our lecturers case it was his prized Cliff Richard record.

After we finished looking at the artwork, we discussed Raymond Williams concept that for all cultural movements there are three phases, they are: Emergent; which is like the authentic product, Appropriation; which is the Business, and Historicisation;  which is selling the product again years later, to all those fans are trying to recapture their youth.  The third step has been very relevant in the past few years, with artists    like Bruce Springsteen, Pick Floyd etc.. releasing various material with the remastered albums, than for really no other reason than to make money.

This topic lead on to the final discussion that was the fact that digital music is worthless, which in a way I feel is true, because on my computer I have hundreds of albums, and to be honest there just there and used when needed and that's it, whereas my very small collection of vinyl I would literally guard with my life, just because I consider them little pieces of art from a certain time and place and I can physically hold them,  Even though the digital format is more useful and contains more information.  Overall I released how important artwork is to me and music, and also how it influences the way I spend my money and my perception of the music and artists.