Second Life

I had more problems with the second life project then any other project.

Representational Avatar/Self
Problems: The PhotoShop file for the cloning became corrupted. Working to re-clone the model.  

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The outfit is one that I wear very often, jeans green sweatshirt. There were some limitations I can into with using the program. I was unable to find away to add a logo or hood to the sweatshirt. When trying to add a logo, over take the whole body. I was unable to find a way to add a hood using the build tool. The backpack resembles my work bag, black with green stripes.

:Build Tool Item:

 

Elmo breastplate.
The item I made using the build tool was a breastplate. I used build tool to make a square, and then change the sizing to make it fit best to my body. The depth of the object is big enough to when it is attached to the body it is obvious that is an attached object. Using the texture tool, I added an Elmo face.

:Second Self:

 

For the Second Self, I wanted to try and recreate Elmo. I stared with the monkey avatar because it had the closest body make and size. I tried to add red fur to the body and change the head but ran into many problems. The fur would not stick to the body and the head would not render.

Cup of Coffee and the Special: Recording

Grad Project: Blurred Lines on McCarran

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Blurred Lines on McCarran
Video and Soundscape By Timmy Chatwood
There are always two sides to a story in any situation. Even with all the facts, the second side can be blurred by the other story. McCarran Boulevard runs around the city of Reno and Sparks. You can be driving and not even know that you have entered Sparks. As a result of the other side of the story, a boundary line was drawn around Sparks and parts of McCarran Boulevard. The film shows some familiar parts of Sparks that many people drive everyday. The blurry frames depict uncertainty of an area. The soundscape for the film gives the viewer a sense of fear or panic about simply being in a place where you feel you have every right to be. This film shows how blurred lines can be drawn for the wrong reasons. All video and natural sounds were filmed or recorded on areas of McCarran Boulevard.

BLM-Final from Timmy Chatwood on Vimeo.

Project 7 3D

Made into 3D Model
Hands of Technology is an assemblage sculpture made out of items that every stagehand uses daily. Technology of all kinds has become an integral part of our lives. PowerPoint slide shows are the preferred way to give presentations. A live concert is not complete without a breathtaking light show. To have all of this technology work, skilled stagehands/AV Techs are needed. Like any profession, there are tools of the trade. The sculpture is centered around a work glove. The glove has a green stripe. The significance of this is, I work as a stagehand and green is the color of all my tools. Wrapped around the glove is an RCA to 1/8in cable. This is a commonly used cable in the AV industry. Between the cable is a small flashlight. Stagehands/AV Techs often work in the dark, so a flashlight is necessary tool. Around the glove is black tape. This tape is gaffers tape. What makes this tape unique is that when placed on a floor, it does not leave any residue. This makes it an excellent tool for taping down cables. Around the glove is white tape with handwritten words. The tape is a special tape used to mark consoles and controllers. The words are those commonly found on a sound mixer. (Kick, Bass, Vox, and Gux1) Another thing written on the white tape is a date and location. (July 11 to 16 N.J.) The significance of this date is, it is my next touring event. Stagehands are often traveling and away from their families. The next time you are at an event or concert, remember that it would not be possible without the hard work of stagehands.

:Problems with making the 3D model:
One of the main problems I had with this project was trying to recreate the real Hands of Technology. The model is made up of many items that are straight black. When I first made the model, it looked like a black box. To fix this problem, I used different colors to show the construction of the model. Different shades of gray are used for the body of the glove and flashlight. Black is only used to show the cables and the gaff tape. In the original model, the labels are on white tape with black writing. In the 3D model, the writing is white. When black was used for the text, it was lost in the model. To help the text be seen, there is elevation. These are the changes that were needed to be made to make the model work in a 3D environment.     

3D

Original

Digital Media: Destructive Acts

Digital Media: Destructive Acts

            Since the beginning of art, artists have been finding new ways to be creative. This could be experimenting with new colors, different materials, or making art out of something never done before. Artists are always looking for new outlets to express their ideas. With the invention of the computer, very few thought creativity could come from it. The early computers were used for solving complex problems or for military activities. As the technology and computers improved, new programs were developed. Soon a tool once used for solving math problems was being used for creativity. Artists soon began to use computers to construct new works of art. This new age of anything and everything digital infiltrated every part of our lives. People that were once unable to make art by drawing could now create art on a computer using programs such as Photoshop. Some artists embraced these new tools, while others preferred to keep the nostalgia of doing things the old fashioned way.  No matter what tools are used, digital media is art and shows creativity from its artist.

            Bill Viola and Jean-Paul Perrotte are both digital artists that produce works of video and sound. Even with the similarities, each artist has a different way of doing things. Bill Viola uses older techniques when producing his works. Analog editing machines, tape video cameras, and reel-to-reel tape sound recorders are used instead of modern hard drive capturing devices. Jean-Paul Perrotte is the opposite. He utilizes modern technology to its fullest potential. In his works, modern digital audio workstation programs such as Logic and Final Cut Pro are used. Whenever he has a camera, it certainly has a digital memory device in it. Even with their differing opinions of tools used to create art, both produce high quality digital art. Sometimes even on the same topic. That topic is sadly about destructive disasters.

            Bill Viola was born in New York in 1951. His birthplace would play a major part in the creation of one of his video pieces. As a child, he had a fascination with television. During high school, he was a member of the TV Squad. Viola attended Syracuse University where he was a member of the Experimental Studios of the College of Visual and Performing Arts. In 1973, he graduated with a Bachelor in Fine Arts in Experimental Studios. His first job after his undergrad was as a video technician at the Everson Museum of Art in Syracuse, New York. He then spent time in Europe and was involved in a number of projects. Viola was invited to be artist-in-residence at the WNET Channel 13 Television Laboratory in New York from 1976-1980 where he created a series of works, many of which were premiered on television.  Like artist Jean-Paul Perrotte, he was also involved in experimental music/art. Viola performed with avant-garde composer David Tudor as a member of his Rainforest ensemble from 1973-1980. The group was later called Composers Inside Electronics. He was also involved with modern rock group Nine Inch Nails composing a three-song video suite for their world tour in 2000.

            Disaster that one of Bill Viola piece is related to is one that no one will ever forget. On September 11, 2001, the city of New York suffered the most tragic terrorist attack on U.S. soil. In 2002 a video work entitled Observance was premiered. The work is thought by many to be in response to the September 11 attacks. Him being a native of New York, many believe this to be true. An attempt was made by me to contact Bill Viola to obtain more information for this report. No response was received. After more research, Observance is actually apart of a larger series of works. It is not a stand-alone piece. Observance is the third piece apart of a series of The Passions. The Passions was made for exhibition in Los Angeles, London and Munich. Observance is based upon Albrecht Dürer's pair of altar wings, 'Four Apostles', 1526 (Bayerische Staatsgemäldesammlungen, Alte Pinakothek, Munich.) The painting is a spiritual evocation of shared grief. With this explained, the idea that the piece is a base off grief felt by the people of New York was formed.

            Observance is made up of eighteen performers spanning all ages, genders, and race. The actors were arranged in a narrow row. Viola would asked them to step forward to look at, “something they'd rather not see...to say goodbye to someone who'd left them”(Viola). During casting Viola red a poem by Rumi: “The human shape is a ghost made of distraction and pain, Sometimes pure light, sometimes cruel, Trying wildly to open, This image held tightly within itself.” The piece is presented in a single screen with a composition of even greater depth. In the compressed view because of a long lens and narrowly confined by the ends of the screen. This mix presented a richer picture of continuous movement and change. Across eight takes, each of one hundred seconds, Viola encouraged the actors to stay within the frame. As each person moves to the front they pause, overcome with emotion. They look downwards, out of the frame. Sometimes a figure glances out at the viewer, as if to seek a shared response, others are more solitary. Some touch or exchange glances, offering physical or emotional support. There is no jostling, but they appear to be driven by an urgent desire to be at the front. That the figures are trapped in this cycle of grief serves to make the experience all the more heart-rending.

            Keeping with Viola style of not using any digital technology, only analog editing machines and 35mm film was used for Observance. The film is slowed give a more haunting feeling of grief. Even when the piece is shown at an exhibit, it is shown on film projected on a flat screen. By showing the piece on like this, expressions of the performers are felt. Unlike the works of Jean-Paul Perrotte, none of Viola works can be seen online. There are no excerpt of any of his works on his website. There is some recording of Observance made illegally and posted on YouTube. Viola prefers to keep his works in analog form. As said in What New Media Is Not, “The digitization inevitably involves the loss of information”(Manovich).  This is also the option of Viola. He what’s is works to be shown in the way he wants. Observance, is meant to be shown on a large flat screen, not on a small computer. Even with the lack of digital technology used by Viola, the works created by him warrant awards he has received.

            Jean-Paul Perrotte was born in Washington D.C. in 1964. His path to art and digital media was not a conventional one. It came as a result of his love for another form of art, music.  As a musician, he played guitar. At an early age, he became interested in music technology and recording while playing a variety of music. He went on to study Jazz Composition at the Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA. After receiving his undergrad, he went on to study Composition at the University of Iowa in Iowa City, IA, where he was a member of the University of Iowa Electronic Music Studios. Under the direction of Dr. Fritts, Perrotte began to compose electronic soundscapes and video pieces. His pieces used a variety of digital media technology. During his studies there, Perrotte composed River On A Snowy Afternoon for video and electroacoustic music in 2007.

            River On A Snowy Afternoon was inspired by the views overlooking the Iowa River from the Arts Campus at the University of Iowa. During an interview, Perrotte explained the inspiration for the piece. “While studying for quals in studio 3, sometimes the walls would feel like they were closing in on me. I needed to get out of there, so I would grab my coat and walk down the back stairs. Once out the door, a rush of cold air would hit me and I would see the Iowa River.”  The piece is made up of electroacoustic music and video of the Iowa River. The audio portion of the piece is made up of sounds created using the digital audio workstation program Logic. There is a constant low drone sound that is used as the base of the piece. A leading melody sound adds to the growth of the piece. The chord progressions of the drone sound keep the motion of the piece moving forward. Drone sounds, if not used properly, can hold the piece motionless. Sounds in the higher range add a mysterious feeling to the melody. The video portion of the piece is made up of still images from around the Iowa River and video taken of the movement of water. The still images are interlaced with the water movement. The pace of images changing is slow. This is to portray the calming effect that Perrotte felt when escaping his studies there. The components of the piece are all very simple, but when put together, create a calming feeling of a winter day. River On A Snowy Afternoon was performed at the 2011 Society for Electroacoustic Music in the United States (SEAMUS) National Conference at the University of Miami, FL.

            The disaster that this piece is related to is not nearly as destructive as the September 11 attacks, but devastated the University of Iowa Arts Campus and Iowa City. In June of 2008, six months after completing the piece, River On A Snowy Afternoon, the Iowa River flooded. The natural disaster was declared a national emergency by then President George W. Bush. The flood caused major damage to the Arts Campus. The Voxman Music Building where Perrotte studied had its first floor entirely under water. Because of the damage, summer classes were cancelled.  The communities around the University of Iowa were also heavily devastated. The University of Iowa and the surrounding communities were able to rebuild and reopen for fall semester.

            Both Bill Viola and Jean-Paul Perrotte use very different techniques to create digital media. Both men show a high level of expertise and knowledge in their field of study. I have had the pleasure of studying with Jean-Paul Perrotte at the University of Nevada, Reno. I have taken the skills he has given me and applied it to my own works. I hope to one day see works of Bill Viola in person or possibly meet him. Both pieces discussed have a relation with two of the biggest disasters during the 2000-decade. One was made as a response to a disaster, and the other one has a relation by pure coincidence. No matter how and what techniques you use to create your art, make it the best you can. This is certainly what these two men have done.   

Video Links

River On A Snowy Afternoon

Observance

The Voxman Music Building Flooding

 Works Cited

Manovich, Lev. The Language of New Media. Cambridge, MA: MIT, 2002. Print.

"Observance: Bill Viola." Observance, Bill Viola. Walker Art Gallery, n.d. Web. 26 Apr. 2013.             <http://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/walker/exhibitions/billviola/observance.aspx>.

Perrotte, Jean-Paul. "Jean-Paul Perrotte Biography." Jean-Paul Perrotte Biography.

Web. 26 Apr. 2013. <http://jeanpaulperrotte.com/Bio.htm>.

Perrotte, , Jean-Paul , Jean-Paul. "Perrotte, Jean-Paul." Jean-Paul Perrotte Curriculum Vitae.Web. 26 Apr. 2013. <http://jeanpaulperrotte.com/JP CV.html>.

River On A Snowy Afternoon (Excerpt). Jean-Paul Perrotte, n.d. Web. 26 Apr. 2013.  <http://jeanpaulperrotte.com/Video/Internet%20version%20of%20River%20.mov>.

Pradarelli, Stephen. Voxman Music Building Flooded. 2008. Photograph. Iowa City, Iowa. Iowa  Now. Web. 26 Apr. 2013. <http://now.uiowa.edu/2012/10/homeland-security-reaffirms-federal-funding-flooded-art-buildings>.

Schoon, Tim. Voxman Music Building Flooded. 2008. Photograph. Iowa City, Iowa. Iowa Digital Library. Web. 26 Apr. 2013.  <http://digital.lib.uiowa.edu/cdm/compoundobject/collection/flood/id/231/rec/10>.

Viola, Bill. "Bill Viola Official Website." Welcome to the Official BILL VIOLA Website. N.p.,  n.d. Web. 26 Apr. 2013. <http://www.billviola.com/>

Viola, Bill. "Bibliography." Bibliography. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Apr. 2013. <http://www.billviola.com/bibliogr.htm>.

Viola, Bill. "Bibliography." Bibliography. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Apr. 2013.  <http://www.billviola.com/bibliogr.htm>.

Viola, Bill. "Interviews and Writings." Interviews and Writings. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Apr. 2013.             <http://www.billviola.com/interviews.htm>.

"Observance: Bill Viola." Observance, Bill Viola. Walker Art Gallery, n.d. Web. 26 Apr. 2013.             <http://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/walker/exhibitions/billviola/observance.aspx>.

Two By Land: Review

Two By Land
By Katherine Sandoz & Nicole Donnelly

Two By Land is a contemporary collaboration between artists Katherine Sandoz & Nicole Donnelly. The works are made up of acrylic, oil, and water based on canvas are on display at the Sheppard Contemporary Gallery. Two By Land portrays the experience of landscape. Each different landscape can provoke different responses and emotions. The two artists use abstraction, but each has a different approach in creating landscape pieces. Sandoz is painter of detail. Her landscape abstractions are of actual places invoking in the viewer intimate feelings and memories. Places such as coastal waters and the Deep South are used. Donnelly’s works are of imaginary landscapes depicting chaos and disarray. Using recognizable things in an uncomfortable and frightening manner does this. A tree is overturned. A sky is horizonless, giving the feeling of no end in sight. Each artist uses a similar color palette but different techniques to achieve their works.

This Ship By Nicole Donnelly

This ship by Nicole Donnelly is a landscape piece using oil and acrylic on canvas. The size of the piece plays a big part in its effectiveness. At a size of 44 x 64 in. the piece can be overwhelming and as the artist says “information overload.” The piece is an outline of an old sailing ship. The mast and sails can be seen in a thin white color outline. The body and no other part of the ship is present. The piece is divided in two with two different colors. At the bottom of the piece, a gray green is used. The color is depicting dark mud like water. A darker blue color is used for the upper part of the piece. The blue resembles a storm or coming doom. The sky looks as if lightning could strike at any second. Around the white outline of the ship’s mast, a red color is used. It looks as if the mast and sails are on fire and the ship is going to be lost at sea. The emotion this piece provokes in me is that of chaos and danger. In other works of Donnelly, the same apocalypse and all out disasters are portrayed. Even with this piece’s minimalist approach, this feeling is present.

(Snowscape) Big Moose Lake By Katherine Sandoz

Snowscape by Katherine Sandoz is a landscape piece using water-based media on panel. Unlike the works of Nicole Donnelly in this showing, Sandoz’s pieces are much smaller. Snowscape is only 18 x 18 in. This helps her theme of intimacy and emotion be achieved. The piece used the color palette of grays with a mixture of blue and white. Like other pieces in the showing, the piece is divided. From the middle to the bottom of the piece, a gray-blue water feature is shown. The mixture of colors shows movement of the water in various places. No area in this section of the piece looks the same. Just as with the movement of water on a shoreline or beach, no area of water looks the same. At the top of the piece, a rise in the land is depicted. This could be portraying a hill or mountain. Above that, a cloudless gray sky is present.  This piece could be portraying a number of places. I have no memories of being at a place like this, but I’m sure someone visiting the gallery has. In seeing the piece, the emotion of being there will be remembered. Even with the minimal use of colors, a large amount of detail is present. By presenting this piece in a smaller size, all of the details can be observed. I don’t feel that this piece would be effective in a larger format.

Each artist in this showing presented landscapes of different fashions. Even with their similarities, each are very different is their construction and viewer response.  As with any collaboration, it was enjoyable to see two different depictions of the same theme. This gallery shows that artists can present their own ideas and creativity on the same topic.

Persuasion: Galleria Review

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Persuasion
By Priscilla B Varner

The display Persuasion by Priscilla B Varner shown in the McNamara Galleria is a series of photographs that addresses persuasion with the use of text. Persuasion is “to induce or believe by appealing to reasons or understanding.” Every day people are bombarded with a constant flow of things trying to persuade you in different ways. This is most true with advertising in all forms. How does text add to persuasion? The use of text and its placement can affect the perception of an image.

Each image in this series has a number of words associated with the image. These words are displayed next to them. When viewing the series, read the image titles before looking at the image. This could influence your opinion of the piece. Read each word carefully. Try to picture an image for each word, and then look at the display. See how close you were to imagining the final image.  Word choices can have a major impact on the reader or viewer. Varner has done this with the word selection.

In one of the images, the words shown are: dynamic, formal, luxurious, opulent, strength, and warm. As shown, the words dynamic and warm are in italics. In just reading these words, I would associate them with high society and music. The word, dynamic, is defined as “constant change”. The word is also used in classical music to determine the sound volume of a selection. Classical music is just one activity of high society. People go to concert houses for symphonies or operas dressed in their finest attire. The image portrays the seats in a high-class theater or concert house. The seats are in a dark red with a stitching design around the seams. This combination is associated with formal and luxurious. Seats like these would not be found in a low budget or average theater.  One must be opulent to sit in seats like these displayed.  

In another image, the words shown are, cold dreamy, historic, soft, somber, unhurried, whispers. As shown, the words cold and whispers are in italics. In reading these words, I would associate them with an older part of a town during winter. An older generation lives there and it is surrounded with nostalgic buildings. The image is over a park in Paris, France. The Eiffel Tower can be seen in the background. This is an historic landmark. The people in the park are talking to each other and dressed for the cold in soft gloves and hats. Snow is on the ground and still falling. Even with this, people are unhurried. Children play and the older generation watches. This gives a somber feeling. The image itself can easily resemble a dream or postcard. The Eiffel Tower poking through the falling snow gives an accurate depiction of France during winter.

The display Persuasion by Priscilla B Varner is a great example of how words can be used to depict an image. Next time you’re at a display, read the program/display notes first. This could help influence your opinion of a piece.  Many things can influence a person’s persuasion. Words are just one of them.

Research Presentation Powerpoint

 Observance By Bill Viola

  River On A Snowy Afternoon By Jean-Paul Perrotte

Grad Level Project: Cup of Coffee and the Special.

Grad Level Project
Cup of Coffee and the Special
Animation with Audio.

Cup of Coffee and the Special is an original soundscape composition composed during my undergrad studies at the University of Nevada, Reno. During my undergrad studies, I had the pleasure to study electronic music composition under Professor Jean-Paul Perrotte. During my studies, I presented two recitals of original works. This piece was one of them.

Cup of Coffee and the Special consists of sounds that are common at a diner. The piece is made up of concrete concrète sounds that I recorded in my mother’s kitchen. The piece was inspired by years of visiting my sister as she worked as a hostess at a local diner in Carson City, Nevada. As I sat at the counter, a variety of sounds happened all around me. The piece recreates the environment of any local diner.

To make the piece more enjoyable for the viewer, I put together a slideshow of free domain images. When the piece premiered, the audience enjoyed the work, but my Professor was disappointed in the lack of original creation in the visual aspect. Being a music major, I had minimal experience in any photo/video editing software. That is one of the major reasons I am taking this class. My goal is to attain new skills to help propel my art forward. Using the skills we have learned in Photoshop, I will create an animated visual element to the piece. This will add more interest and depth to the piece.

Original Program Notes.
In every town, there is a diner where all the locals go.  This is a place where you will find people from every walk of life. From the retiree at the counter that is there every morning reading the paper, to the family having brunch after church, everyone feels welcome here.  This piece was inspired by sounds I heard while visiting my sister while she worked as a hostess.  Sitting at the counter, the sounds of the open grill, to coffee brewing, and the juicer buzzing, are some of my fondest memories of Saturday morning.  No matter what diner you are at, you can always order a cup of coffee and the special.
For Megan, you have broken free and achieved all of your dreams.

New Program Notes/Artist Statement
Cup of Coffee and the Special is an original soundscape composition consisting of
concrete concrète sounds common in an American diner. In every town, there is a diner where all the locals go. This is a place where you will find people from every walk of life. From the retiree at the counter that is there every morning reading the paper, to the family having brunch after church, everyone feels welcome here.  This piece was inspired by sounds I heard while visiting my sister while she worked as a hostess.  Sitting at the counter, the sounds of the open grill, to coffee brewing, and the juicer buzzing, are some of my fondest memories of Saturday morning. Supporting the soundscape is a video animation of the activities at a diner. The animation was created after the sound soundscape and is intended to place the viewer at their favorite diner. No matter what diner you are at, you can always order a cup of coffee and the special.
For Megan, you have broken free and achieved all of your dreams.

Reading Questions: What New Media is not?

What New Media is not?

1.What are the benefits of all new media sharing the same digital code?
With all from of new media (still images, visual, audio, and 3D-displays) sharing the same digital code, all of these forms can be presented using a computer. This only became common around the 1990’s, filmmakers have been combining different forms of media (images, sounds and text) for over a century. The use of computers and consumer level software has allowed for anyone to combine different forms of media together with expensive or hard to operate equipment.

2. What are some of the downsides of digital duplication?
Digital technology has made it easier for most forms of media to be duplicated. In doing this, different forms of duplication causes a loss in quality. An audio MP3 is a compressed version of the original AIFF or WAV file of CD quality. The file is made up of 44.1 kHz and a sample size of 16 bits. An MP3 file is a compressed version of that. The compression of an MP3 is not standardized. Because of that, it is very difficult to sync an MP3 file to time code for video production.

Signal Flow 2013 Music & Sound Art Festival

Signal Flow 2013
Music & Sound Art Festival

Every year at Mills College in Oakland, California, an event entitled Signal Flow, is held by the music department. Mills College is a small Liberal Art College with a very diverse history. Their music department is home to the Center for Contemporary Music (CCM) which is made up of the original San Francisco Tape Music Center. The San Francisco Tape Music Center was founded in 1962. The center uses new technologies and offers a place to learn work within the medium of tape music. The medium of tape/ electronic music is a thriving art form. The yearly festival Signal Flow showcases new works both live and display forms from the MFA Electronic Music and Recording Media students. The pieces presented used medias such as analog technology, digital audio programs, video, Max/MSP, and interactive displays. The students at Mills are forced to think outside the box and be as original as possible in their works.

Vantage
Live Laptop
By Nick Henry
Vantage By Nick Henry is a minimal electronic music piece performed on Laptop using the program Max/MSP. Max/MSP is a visual programming language. You start off with a blank slate and using the verity of tools and patches different effects can be created. The program can also be used to control video. UNR Music Professor Jean-Paul Perrotte has used Max/MSP for a video piece Villareal Improvisation. Villareal Improvisation was a featured piece at Electronic Music Midwest, a festival that all Mills MFA Electronic Music and Recording Media hopes to attend as a performer.

The piece forces the listener to hear fields of minimal actively as they shift and intermingle. The basses of the piece are field recordings taken form all over Mills campus and the surrounding areas. By using a verity of options in Max/MSP, the performer Nick Henry is able to bring in and out a number of sounds. The tools of the program allow for a sound to be changed. Because of the options of the program, each live performance can be different. A minimal sound piece just like minimal art requires the viewer to look deeper and fully take in the piece. 


Dust to Dust
Installation
By Shanna Sordahl
Dust to Dust is an installation piece made up of twenty light bulbs. Each light bulb has a different recorded soundscape playing thought it. Shanna Sordahl’s intent is to create a new environment consisting of filtered elements of the original recording. The bulbs are powered by an amplifier going to the filaments with audio signals and sound filtered by the light bulbs. The timing of the light and sound are randomized making the interactions unpredictable. The display was built in the balcony of an old theater. The balcony has all the chairs removed and is not very large. When walking through the display it is hard to focus on a single sound. The bulbs are hung fairly close together from the ceiling. The randomizing mix of sound and light was not overbearing. I visited this display a number of times during my stay. Each time had a different feel and I was forced to forget the feeling from last time. Things in this display change just like in any natural environment.  The use of light combined with the different soundscapes gives the viewer a different experience.

The Signal Flow 2013 Music & Sound Art Festival at Mills College in Oakland showcases a number of new works combining visual and audio forms. Both forms go hand in hand to created new and exiting works of art.

Reading #6 Tactical Media

Tactical Media

1. How can media be used to damage someone?
Media can be used to damage a person or a group's reputation by presenting a false image of an event or situation. Tools such as Photoshop can be used to alter an image to portray a less than truthful account of what really happened. This is especially true in politics.  

2. How has the internet or other technologies made it easier to hurt someone?
The internet and other tools have made it much easier to hurt someone. Event today, a high percent of Americans are illiterate. A video can be uploaded to YouTube and people that had no other way of getting the information can receive it and assume it is true. The internet and social media makes it possible to have information or a cause/protest stretch from coast to coast. Once something is on the internet that is untruthful, it is very difficult to change the perception.  

CADRE at Haldan Art Gallery at Lake Tahoe Community College.

The CADRE display at the Haldan Art Gallery at Lake Tahoe showcases many forms of digital media art. The showing was made up of many artists from the CADRE Laboratory for new Media at San Jose State University. CADRE Laboratory for new Media Academic and Research Program is dedicated to the experimental use of information technology and art. For the past 20 years, faculty and students have participated in the evolution of media technology.

Papal Propagation
By Geri Wittig
The piece Papal Propagation by Geri Wittig was the one I enjoyed the most in the gallery. The display is of an old arcade style video game. On the screen, a video piece is being played on a loop. The video game is decorated with an image of the Pope standing tall like an old superhero. Around the pope are babies of different skin color: black, white and yellow. This is also the skin colors of the world. The Catholic religion has a presence all over the world.  By using this unique way of displaying the video piece, the viewer can get a stronger feeling of what the message of the piece is. The content of the video portion could be displayed by itself (projector or TV), but this unique way of displaying the piece only adds to its sophistication.

The video starts with a piece of fruit with flies landing on it. Above that, the words, “Be Fruitful and Multiply” are shown. This is portraying the message given in the Garden of Eden where the lord gave his blessing to multiply.  The next scene is of the Pope praying with a person that resembles a nun. The video then transitions to the Pope holding a large cross while standing tall behind a map of the world. The map resembles the ones shown in the situation rooms during end of the world drama movies. Every part of the world is show on the map. Objects then start flying at the Pope. The cross he is holding then turns into a gun. The Pope then starts shooting at the objects.

After listening to a podcast interview with the artist Geri Wittig, I now know that the objects flying at the Pope are condoms, and he is shooting holes into them to help populate the earth. As a recovering Catholic and someone that disagrees with many of the Catholic Church policies, I feel that the artist is showcasing these disagreements very creatively. This is a great example of using art to show disapproval of something.

Taliban Hands
By Joe DeLappe
The piece Taliban Hands by Joe DeLappe is not the kind of work that most would think belongs in a of digital media showing. Taliban Hands is a part of a larger display, The Terrorist Other.  The piece is a pair of hands made of white corrugated plastic. The hands are approximately four feet in length. In 2011, the piece was created as an extracted and appropriated from the Medal of Honor first person shooter video game.

As said in the display notes, “50% of full time online gamers effectively role-play as terrorists.” Why is that?  You would think that in today’s world of Pro-America that such action would be anti-American. Is this an attempt to better understand the enemy or is this the same thrill that some felt being a bad guy? The ones we hate and want to kill are always the ones we want to better understand.

The use of hands with technology has a certain irony. The same hands used by young boys playing hours of their favorite shooter games are the same ones used in combat. The same finger used to pull the trigger on the game controller is the same one used on a rifle. Are we conditioning our youth for war? As said in the controversial book, Generation Kill, many of the young Marines first reaction to combat was, “it was just like a video game.”

The two pieces I chose to critique vary it their complexity. At the root of each piece is a desire to bring attention to a problem or controversy.   Art has the power in any form to do that.

Project 6: Talisman Sculpture: Hands of Technology

Hands of Technology is an assemblage sculpture made out of items that every stagehand uses daily. Technology of all kinds has become an integral part of our lives. PowerPoint slide shows are the preferred way to give presentations. A live concert is not complete without a breathtaking light show. To have all of this technology work, skilled stagehands/AV Techs are needed. Like any profession, there are tools of the trade. The sculpture is centered around a work glove. The glove has a green stripe. The significance of this is, I work as a stagehand and green is the color of all my tools. Wrapped around the glove is an RCA to 1/8in cable. This is a commonly used cable in the AV industry. Between the cable is a small flashlight. Stagehands/AV Techs often work in the dark, so a flashlight is necessary tool. Around the glove is black tape. This tape is gaffers tape. What makes this tape unique is that when placed on a floor, it does not leave any residue. This makes it an excellent tool for taping down cables. Around the glove is white tape with handwritten words. The tape is a special tape used to mark consoles and controllers. The words are those commonly found on a sound mixer. (Kick, Bass, Vox, and Gux1) Another thing written on the white tape is a date and location. (July 11 to 16 N.J.) The significance of this date is, it is my next touring event. Stagehands are often traveling and away from their families. The next time you are at an event or concert, remember that it would not be possible without the hard work of stagehands.