Saturday, April 27, 2013

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.

Saturday, April 20, 2013

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.



Saturday, April 13, 2013

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.

Friday, April 12, 2013

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.

Monday, April 8, 2013

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.  

Wednesday, April 3, 2013

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.