artists #10

010011110101101.ORG is an art duo that produced another work revolving around internet security. They made a statement about the issues of placing private information in what can be very public forum if you are not careful. The artists allowed everything they did on the computer to be fully accessible for viewing on the internet. Further enhancements of this project involved allowing heir actions to be GPS tracked and phone conversations tapped.

New Media Art makes an interesting comment that the artists made themselves truly vulnerable and exposed in the name of art. Also, New Media also brought up a valid point that the viewers became voyeurs to some point. This project ties in to Marshall Mcluhan's idea the "the medium is the message". It is not the material hat viewers read or listen to that is the true artwork of the piece, but the way in which it is being presented that expresses the true message of the project.

These artists are prime examples of truly becoming part of your art. They remind the viewer that we are all vulnerable because we are living in the electronic age, and that we should all think twice about what we are putting on the internet...because what if everyone could see it?

artists #9

A group of artists known as Knowrobotic Research developed the above project entitled Minds of Concern::Breaking News as part of an exhibit commenting on art and internet hacking. The project involved an interactive online space in which the user could sample clips pulled off the internet by "port sourcing. Ultimately, this body of work was meant to comment on the ease of hacking on the internet and to remind people of the "big brother" aspect of using such a public source of information.

There is an element of this project that I felt related to our self-portrait project. Because it is so easy to track our use of the internet, hacking and projects of this style could create a sort of objective self-portrait of sorts based on websites visited and other internet activity. However, if unknown to the viewer, the results could be embarassing. Networking websites, such as Myspace and Facebook, create a much more subjective portrait of their users on the internet because you can choose whatever you post and say about yourself.

The Minds of Concern site was eventually shut down because internet service providers claimed it violated their use policies. I think in this case we can all agree that the website was shut down because it was actually making a very valid point about internet security. I found this piece important because it reminds us that as artists we have the right to create whatever we want, but when it comes to public domain and the web there are that many more censors and critics to deal with.

artists #8

I have been doing a lot of reading and research on Matisse this semester and it has made a large influence in the direction of my work in all of my classes. Although not a "new media" artists in the terms of this course, Matisse was very advanced and innovative in his techniques and ideas. In this piece we see his use of collage later in his career, and in terms of visual thinking I think this piece speaks volumes. We can see how the artist's eyes viewed his subject both in shape and color. Matisse stated that "making order out of chaos..that is creation" and I think that carries over into the digital world. Not only do new media artists work with classic artistic elements, but they can now use sound, programming, and computers to express how they see the world.

artists #7

The above piece is entitled "Light Rain" by new media artist Paul De Marinis. I found this work in search of artists who created projects using viewer interaction, be it active or passive. I am truly inspired by artists who produce installations that involve everyday objects and occur in everyday locations. I feel that in order to visualize these projects, the artist must truly see the world in a way that is different from the average person. I have been trying to research this type of art making, because I do not have any experience working this way, and up to this point I had only thought about my art in the 2-D sense. Even when it came to digital art, I had no experience working with 3-D images or animation. However, I don't know that I am very interested in creating art this way. I am much more of a throwback designer, enjoying more tactile ways of creating (collage with scissors, charcoal all over the hands, etc). I do however realize that this is where art and the world in general is headed, therefore I enjoy learning digital techniques and hope to resolve a way to use physical and digital media together.

artists #6

This image is Hunters in the Snow by Brueghel I had studied Brueghel in art history courses before, but came back across them when looking at ekphrastics for other courses. There is an ekphrastic poem written about Brueghel's Landscape with the Fall of Icarus, and I began to look at Brueghel's scenes for their dynamic use of space and narrative. In terms of visual thinking, it seems there is so much going on in Brueghel's paintings. He uses depth of space and placement of characters to create a well-rounded scene that draws the viewer into the story. Other flemish paintings also created dynamic scenes for the viewer by adding elements of symbolism and caharacter interaction.

artists #5

I have done research on abstract expressionism before, but most has been focused on gestural abstraction (Pollock, de Kooning, Krasner, etc). Rothko worked in chromatic abstraction, and I came across him following my readings in "A Reading of Modern Art" by Dore Ashton. I knew of Mark Rothko's work, but I had never tied it to the influence of Matisse. Both of these artists were visionaries in using color as a means of visual thinking. It is amazing how a simple formal element, such as line, color, shape etc. can transform a piece and create a different feeling for the viewer. The 20 lines project was a great example of this. Each line by itself represented something totally different than all the lines combined. 

artists #4

For my drawing studio, I have been doing some research on Matisse and it has carried over into what we are doing in the visual thinking class. Matisse was concerned with painting how he saw the world and creating order out of chaos. his use of color was meant create order in his paintings and express his vision as an artist. However, Matisse also used color to create a pleasant feel for the viewer. At the start of the semester, I looked at art as an expression of the artists with little concern for the viewer. Art should be more of a social expression or controversial. Upon reading Matisse views of his art, I realized that the act of creating a pleasing composition meant to transport the viewer into the artists point of view, but in a pleasant way. However, it is interesting that Matisse intended his work to be pleasing and it was considered so controversial when it first showed.

art 21 videos

Sally Mann - I have discussed Sally Mann before in other classes, mostly involving controversial art and her images of children. It put a new spin on this topic to see and hear from her grown children, and to have a better understanding that the images were just their childhood and family life. As Mann said, she was just creating art to be fun, it didnt have to have some huge meaning behind it.
I liked her use of the phrase "magpie aesthetic" and the idea of using found objects in everyday life. This relates well to our scrapbook assignments. Also, it is refreshing to see an artist simply go with what grabs their attention without some hidden meaning or agenda. Sometimes it is refreshing to create art solely for the purposes of creating.

Mel Chin - His theme of consumption driving our country is absolutely correct. So it was interesting to see him building art to try and counteract some of the negative effects. I am still struggling with the concept of certain processes being considered art. But I guess the ideas presented here focus more on science as art, or construction as art. It seemed to me that the artist had an idea, such as the Detroit Nightcrawler house, and then says "ok, now that's art."
This leads to many questions that have been posed in previous classes about "What is art?" "Who decides what is art?" These questions always make for interesting discussions, because in some ways everyone is a critic and in some ways everyone is an artist.

James Turrell - You can tell that he is really passionate about his ideas of light and how it is viewed. It is a shame that his crater project is still incomplete, you have to wonder if Turrell get discouraged that it may never be finished. It seems like it would be a constantly evolving process, because light and shadow and the cosmos are always changing. Again, we were focused on the idea of architecture and construction as art.

Gabriel Orozco - It was thrilling to see the artist in his process. Like Sally Mann, Orozco sees art in everyday life and found objects. Also, I liked his idea of art being a constantly evolving hobby. Each time he changed his project focus, there was a new process and skills to be learned. I believe that this helps the artist stay on the verge of his talent, his ideas keep flowing. The contrast between his photographic style and that of Mann's was interesting. Mann spent a lot of time working in the darkroom and taking shots over and over until she felt they were done.
Orozco worked much more spontaneously. He did not have a studio and shot images with a simple camera. One shot, and whatever happens, happens.

scrapbook 9

I do not think that most people, especially in today's society, consider books to be works of art. Books are generally regarded as something needed in education, and for the lucky few consider them for pleasure. However, books are made in a creative process just like works of art. There is a high level of visual thinking involved in creating and reading literature because you have to be able to open your mind and create images in your head. I also collect vintage books because I find their covers aesthetically pleasing and I think that they create an interesting visual element when on display. This is a Victor Hugo book that I have on a decorative shelf at home.

scrapbook 8

These are shells found on the beach in Ocean City, MD. To continue the trend of items that were made in nature that I have collected to use in jewelry and crafts. I am very drawn to these types of items because I like the idea of using and reusing items in nature in creating art. There is something very organic and innovative in creating art that showcases nature, and so much of this relates to how you view the world. You have to be able to see beauty in the everyday and look for items in places that most people would not notice. You have to see beauty and art in the everyday world.

scrapbook 7

These are some river rocks left over from a craft project that I did. Again, these are an element of nature that can be used in a decorative or artistic way. I thought that the colorings or lines on the rocks made them very beautiful, and the fact that they are created naturally and in a spontaneous manner makes them even more intriguing. I think that so much of our visual thinking is influenced by nature and the way we see things in the world around us. 

scrapbook 6

I scanned in some beach glass found on the shore in Swan Point, Maryland. I chose these objects because they are not considered art, but they represent something beautiful created by nature. The glass becomes smooth and more opaque/frosted from being tumbled against stones and washes up on shore. In my spare time, I enjoy making crafts and jewelry and this is an element that i came across during those endeavors. This is a simple organic item, that when placed in a piece of jewelry or decorative item it becomes part of a work of art.

scrapbook 4

Again, this is an item that I chose because I thought it would look visually appealing when scanned. It is simply a swirly straw with a skeleton, but I thought that the lines created by the straw and skeleton's position would create a nice composition. This object is used for an ordinary action, drinking, but it is a novelty item because a straw does not need to be designed like this to perform its function. I look at this item as a kind of pop art because it takes soemthing ordinary and makes it visually pleasing and interacts with the viewer.

scrapbook 3

This item was given to me by a friend, it is a pair of ceramic elephant S&P shakers. She purchased it from a home decor organization that provides fair trade products from all over the world. This item draws my attention not only because I like the design, but also because I know that it's purchase helped do some good in the world.

This item is regarded as another mundane household item, yet knowing that it helped do some good in the world means that it deserves a little more of our attention. It may not be art, but I consider it beautiful and it makes dinner a little more fun.

It is interesting that many of my scrapbook items were given to me by other people, I think that makes me look a little more fondly and reflective on those items.

scrapbook 2

I purchased this item (bottle opener) in Greenville, SC at a gift shop downtown. It drew my attention because the aesthetics of the design are pleasing. The rounded modern feel of the silver and the palmetto tree design add personality to a normally mundane kitchen element.

While a bottle opener itself may be a considered a necessity, a designed silver may be regarded as a luxury. However, if using the item or simply having it in the kitchen brings joy and memories to the viewer, than I think it deserves our attention. This bottle opener falls not in the realm of art, but more so of industrial design. However, most industrial designers may tell you that is art.

scrapbook 1

This particular apple was actually mailed to me from South Carolina by my mother, it is a Honey Crisp apple and you can't find them very often up here. The pattern and coloring on the apple caught my attention because the colors were very bright and I thought the contrast would look striking against the black background of the scanner. 

Most simply, we regard this as a piece of food, something to sustain ourselves. However, because it is a piece of fruit it is regarded as better than many choices for food out there. 

An apple is not art, unless you consider the occasional appearance in a still life. But it does deserve our attention because I think when we come across a piece of fruit that was home grown or is particularly fresh, it tends to evoke feelings of goodness and reminds us of nature. Fresh produce, and apples in particular remind me of summers at my grandparents where they grew most food themselves and we could eat apples right off the tree.

artists - #3

Mouchette, mouchette.org

I chose this artist and piece in response to our discussion regarding the film "Growing Up Online". Here is a website created to be the profile for what appears to be a 13 year old girl. However, the artist of this piece is actually unknown. Upon taking a closer look at the subject matter within the website, the viewer realizes (or at least hopes) that he is not dealing with an adolescent girl. Instead, the artist uses controversial material to remind us that things on the internet are not always as they appear. I think this piece is an interesting graphic comment on the falsehood of many aspects of the world wide web. We can never be 100% sure that what we are looking at is real or factual.
It also goes back to our film discussion because it mimics the social networking sites ued by so many people today. And the fact that many of us have a false self-confidence on the web, and make comments or postings that we would not share face-to-face.

1. Social networking was completely different before myspace/facebook. Geography was the constraining factor for social networking. People were mainly interacting with those located nearby, or in a very small travel area. With the exception of the telephone, which doesn't provide face-to face contact, people had little way of communicating in real-time. With the internet, and social websites, people are now open to an audience that spans the entire globe.
2. a)It's a neat little website where we can all make our own pages and keep in touch with each other. It's also a cool way to get back in touch with old friends, schoolmates, etc.
b)It's a website that lets me keep up-to-date with friends. It's a journal of sorts where I can let friends know what's new with me and what's going on in my life.
c)Pretty much the same as above.
d)Combine the television, telephone, and typewriter into one device that lets you communicate visually with people all over the world.
3. Most peoples pages are covered in artwork or designs that signify what they enjoy. I would not be someone's friend unless I knew them, at one time or another, in real life.
4. Facebook compartmentalizes how you present your life into little pre-fab boxes. Each person's page looks very similar in design, you only really have control of the content. Myspace allows you slightly more freedom. But the best online expression would be a website designed from scratch.
5. Facebook allows you to interact, but it does not challenge many of your senses. Also, I think using facebook as a medium to present yourself to the world makes a statement about you as a person.

artists - #2

Fountain was a work created by Marcel Duchamp in 1917. Some critics would say the term "created" must be used loosely in this case. As the piece is simply an everyday object, a urinal, placed on display and signed "R. Mutt 1917". Duchamp was a leader in Dada movement in the early 20th century. Dada art was based around the idea of the non-sense and farce, often charged with social and political undertones.
This particular piece was part of a collection that Duchamp referred to is "readymades". He worked under the idea that everyday objects could easily become art by changing their environment and the way people view them. Fountain caused quite an uproar when it was first exhibited, as did many Dada artworks. The art of the Dada movement pushed the boundaries and went against most beliefs of what constitues art, especially good art.
The scrapbook project reminded me of this piece. The task of identifying art in the everyday world can be difficult, but it is a skill that can be invaluable for any artist. When you can see beyond the everyday, into the realm of creativity and visual thinking, it opens an entirely new world of subject matter possibilities.

artists-week1

This image is aLife, done by John F. Simon. I chose this piece because it shows how technology can influence new media art. Simon was a software programmer by day, and with this knowledge was able to create art using software and program code. This particular piece shows 6 grid spaces meant to mimic the creation and evolution of an individual universe. Even the smallest change in code alters the scene for the viewer. Experimenting with code results in "happy accidents" if you will. It is interesting that software code can be used to create "art" because we think of it as a very precise and analytical science.

An important characteristic on Simon's work, including this piece, is that we will never see the piece complete in our lifetime (or millions of years from now). The images never repeat and there are billions of combinations possible.