Visual Essay Presentation

This presentation was an interesting project.  It was much different than a usual essay, however, that did not make it easier.  Putting together photographs in the form of an essay is not a skill that I have ever used before.  Creating a "story" with photographs is a complicated task, especially when we also have the task of developing our own topic, which can be any array of themes.

In addition to taking and arranging our own photographs, the presentation itself presented another task.  This was the first presentation that I have ever done that required me to be extremely concise.  It is usually the exact opposite, where as much information as possible is best.  I realize that the method we used for this project is much more effective for both the audience and the presenter.  It forces the presenter to chose there words carefully, and make sure their points are concise, this also allows for the audience to be less likely to lose interest in the presentation.

There were also a number of themes that I had not even considered when I was choosing my theme.  Themes like, steps, benches, lampposts, or the contrasts of art and its effect on us.  These different themes gave me a different perspective on public art.  The concise nature of the presentations also made it much easier to understand the core of the theme, and make it interesting.

Coffee Art

I found this video on youtube the other day.  It is a very interesting concept:  combining cream with a latte, and sometimes chocolate, to create images in the cup of coffee.  This is both an interesting example of food art, and temporary art.  I believe that it bears a relation to the sand mandalas, in a much less impressive and meaningful sense, but still at the core is impermanent art.

This, as well as the sand mandalas, are examples of how art reproduction allows others to view art that only a select few would normally be able to see.  In addition, the filming of the creation of this art is almost as interesting as the result.  The quick, fluidity of this coffee art makes it interesting, and surprising to see the result, whereas the sand mandalas are viewed generally in a time lapse because of the painstaking effort that goes behind the placement of single grains of sand.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZDZs__m5iAI

Washington: a city of public art

Washington D.C. is a city that, I believe, has one of the largest collections of public art in the United States, as well as some of the most impressive.  In terms of the reasoning for the creation of this public art, the majority of it was created in memory of an individual, such as a president, or a group of individuals, such as soldiers.  Having been to the city myself, I believe that the public art vital to the city, and it's abundance at our nation's capital inspires nationalism to visitors from around the country.

Visual Essay - Public Art

When I started looking for pictures for the project.  I was initially frustrated because I could not find anything that I myself would normally call "art."  As I broadened my view of art, I decided on the idea that there are pieces of public art that we use everyday, and just do not think of as public art.  Like we read in class, public art can be considered anything that is not in a museum or a gallery.  Things like street signs are designed in a creative way that makes them practical.  Things like bench swings at the park, or even fire hydrants can be "sculptures" of public art.  That is why I have decided on my theme for the project to be:  Practical Public Art.  Basically, public art that we use everyday, and do not normally consider art, even though they have artistic value.

Art's effect on the world - War of the Worlds

As discussed in the Mirzoeff reading, art can have a profound effect on the world, especially in terms of politics, and "truth."  Through the example of the Serbian news cast, and the CNN news cast, the "truth" of the broadcast came into question, and the mere inclusion of the CNN logo convinced many that the video must be the truth.

An extreme example of people believing news sources too readily is when Orson Welles read an adaptation of the book The War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells on a radio broadcast.  This happened on a radio station in 1938, and caused widespread panic.  People heard the accounts of the martians invading the earth, and people called the police, and some fled.  Most of the listeners did not here the portions of the program where it was said that this was a story, and many of them believed whatever was on the radio.

This is an example of how art had a direct influence on people, and their actions.  Much like the case with the Serbian and CNN stations, too many people believed whatever they heard on the radio.  However, now, what types of news should we trust?  And what types should we question?

http://history1900s.about.com/od/1930s/a/warofworlds.htm

The Art of Horror

I was watching the Halloween remake by Rob Zombie last night, and as I was watching it, I realized the other dimension of horror films that make them interesting.  Horror movies are designed to make you have a specific reaction to them, fear.  Unlike certain paintings that we have discussed, which can have varying reactions, horror films have one basic aim.

On a basic level, all horror films are trying to make your body feel so much fear that your heart rate increases, and your body responds with the "fight or flight" mechanism, releasing adrenaline, and causing some people to scream.  One characteristic of a good horror film is the ability to not only give you a window to another world, but also bring you into the world, and convince your brain that it IS real.

 This is an interesting concept, because everyone knows that your T.V. cannot physically harm you (in most cases), yet our body reacts to horror films as if there is an imminent physical danger.  This phenomenon seems to be created through an easing of our minds into the world of the movie.  This allows for the context of the film to dictate our primal reactions, and if the filmmaker is talented, draw us into the world completely.

Much like some paintings we have viewed, horror films require complete attention for them to take their full effect on us.  If our minds slip out of the "reality" created by the film, the effects of the movie are lessened, or non-existent.  However, if we turn off all the lights, and watch a horror film by ourselves, we are much more likely to feel the full effect of the movie, and become engrossed in the movie's "reality."

M.C. Escher

I know a number of other people have been posting about optical illusions as art, and I thought I would contribute.  M.C. Escher was a dutch artist who was known for his strange patterns, and architecture in his art that was impossible.  When I was in 6th grade, I went on a field trip to see his work, and this was the first time I had ever heard of him.  His work interested me, because instead of the conventional artist who portrayed, and explored emotions in their work, Escher explored the limits of visual computation by bending the laws of physics, and reality with his artwork.  Some of his most famous works include:


Drawing Hands


Relativity


and Hand With Reflecting Sphere.

I find Escher's works to be unique, and extremely interesting.  They require complete attention, and really work your mind as you think about them in the context of the real world.