Things not to do:
You should probably not be a student in a foreign country unless you are absolutely sure of the facilities and faculties of those in charge. As it stands, I spend half my time either waiting for instruction or facilities, like a computer, or a printer, or some other piece of frustrating, unreliable technology.
I know I'm not the only one. As I'm writing I'm watching my instructor hurry around the room trying to help six different people at once while also trying to clean the only good ink roller, and explaining over and over again how to make solar and lithography plates. He didn't know what he was getting into, signing up for this, and neither did I.
I'd try to come up with someone to blame, but around here if something goes wrong or is inconvenient the general consensus is that it's supposed to be that way.
It's supposed to be that way.
...
Respectful to toward all who prescribe to some sort of organized religion, I am one who leaves very little up to fate. Death sure, even love when it hurts is better left in the capable hands of time. But school supplies?? Fuck no.
Other than that, and a small bout of insecurity driven depression, this has been one of the most provoking experiences I have ever had. Not only am I in another country, sampling all the goodness my meager pocket can manage, I am on the cusp of a new phase in my life. The time I've had here perusing the architecture and eating gelato has given me the opportunity to sort out some very important guidelines that should pull me through the next year or so. At least, that is the hope.
In any case,
Here's to it and to it again. If you don't get to it when you come to it, then you won't get to it. So here's to it, and to it again.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Monday, July 27, 2009
Killing mosquitoes
So I'm trying to be less of a failure. Here is an example of that. I made this in photoshop, tomorrow I'll shoot solar plates and make a print with ink and paper. I like this; photography made out of ink and paper. It speaks to me. Yeah.
Anyway, Italy is hot and one thing I can't do here is sleep. It is currently 1am and my roommates and I are camped out around the dinner table telling stories from behind our computers. Tomorrow I'll get back to it. I should really go to bed, sometime.
The House of the Rising Sun
What have I learned so far...
It's hard to make art without communication +
I am painfully but unabashedly an English speaking American +
I am not an artist without words which means visually, I'm shit =
I am a shitty American artist
It's hard to make art without communication +
I am painfully but unabashedly an English speaking American +
I am not an artist without words which means visually, I'm shit =
I am a shitty American artist
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Frottage
N: a technique in the visual arts of obtaining textural effects or images by rubbing lead, chalk, charcoal, etc., over paper laid on a granular or relief-like surface.
AKA, not the middle school version of the definition.
In an effort to get myself back on track with this printmaking gig, I decided to go back to basics and follow my instincts, my mentor would be proud. I've been following this street artist named David Baptist Chirot for a minute now and recently had the pleasure of making his acquaintance in my home-base. He's an interesting sort, you can find his blog here:
Anyway,
he uses several different processes to accomplish his pieces, including making prints using a variety of stamp techniques and rubbings. I dig this low tech method, as I dig all low tech methods and I decided to give it a try.
I chose a variety of infrastructure emblems (they're so cool here!) and juxtaposed them against one another with a little momento mori just to keep perspective.
This is just the original collage, the real deal will be in print later today:
Cheers and beers to the American way, I'm going to visit a cemetery today.
Results to follow...
AKA, not the middle school version of the definition.
In an effort to get myself back on track with this printmaking gig, I decided to go back to basics and follow my instincts, my mentor would be proud. I've been following this street artist named David Baptist Chirot for a minute now and recently had the pleasure of making his acquaintance in my home-base. He's an interesting sort, you can find his blog here:
Anyway,
he uses several different processes to accomplish his pieces, including making prints using a variety of stamp techniques and rubbings. I dig this low tech method, as I dig all low tech methods and I decided to give it a try.
I chose a variety of infrastructure emblems (they're so cool here!) and juxtaposed them against one another with a little momento mori just to keep perspective.
This is just the original collage, the real deal will be in print later today:
Cheers and beers to the American way, I'm going to visit a cemetery today.
Results to follow...
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
FLORENTINIAN STREET ART
I promised myself I'd get better at this. Good thing I'm more patient than I am active, I guess.
Here I am in lovely Firenze, Italy, spending the month of July (Luglio) getting fat and taking an art class. I'm determined to make the most of it. Somehow I ended up in a photo printmaking class, when I know nothing about printmaking. I can do photo fine, but the facilities here are kind of hard to access and get around and well, I'm just not a printmaker, not in this sense.
Anyway, I'm playing with this printmaking stuff. It's ok on the surface, I just lack the finesse and I can tell the instructor is getting as frustrated with me as I am with this class. I intend to make some darkroom prints, tracing certain elements of those images onto polyplates and making collages. Sounds rad, but so did the last idea I had and that might as well be at the bottom of the River Arno.
Current score is: Printmaking 3, Me 0
Upside of it all is that I'm taking way more pictures and that always makes me happy, even if I can't use them. This city is full of art. Every kind of art. Check this out:
This kind of thing is illegal where I come from (for some reason). Sorry for the blur, one day I'll either be a better or artist, or start selling insurance.
Here I am in lovely Firenze, Italy, spending the month of July (Luglio) getting fat and taking an art class. I'm determined to make the most of it. Somehow I ended up in a photo printmaking class, when I know nothing about printmaking. I can do photo fine, but the facilities here are kind of hard to access and get around and well, I'm just not a printmaker, not in this sense.
Anyway, I'm playing with this printmaking stuff. It's ok on the surface, I just lack the finesse and I can tell the instructor is getting as frustrated with me as I am with this class. I intend to make some darkroom prints, tracing certain elements of those images onto polyplates and making collages. Sounds rad, but so did the last idea I had and that might as well be at the bottom of the River Arno.
Current score is: Printmaking 3, Me 0
Upside of it all is that I'm taking way more pictures and that always makes me happy, even if I can't use them. This city is full of art. Every kind of art. Check this out:
This kind of thing is illegal where I come from (for some reason). Sorry for the blur, one day I'll either be a better or artist, or start selling insurance.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Engagement with the Real
In Simulations and Simulacra, essayist Jean Baudrillard engages in a discourse in what it means to be part of reality today. He argues that we as a society are in essence experiencing the after effects of reality. He terms this the experience of hyper reality. “It is the generation by models of a real without origin or reality: a hyperreal. The territory no longer precedes the map, nor survives it.” For film 319 I took an in depth look at Steven Spielberg’s 1993 blockbuster, Jurassic Park, and Gordon Douglas’s 1954 film Them and compared these two movie greats in terms of how each presented a disrupted reality and how the directors succeeded in conveying that reality.
In Jurassic Park, genetically engineered dinosaurs escape a specifically designed containment facility during a power outage and additionally are discovered to be breeding outside of the engineer’s knowledge though previously believed to be strictly female; The opening statement itself breaths of a simulation of another reality for several reasons. First of all, humans and dinosaurs obviously would never inhabit the same location, let alone time period, (whether be it over competition for resources or being a food source). These two species were not meant to co-exist.
“The world is changing so fast, and we're all running to catch up. I don't want to jump to any conclusions, but look. Dinosaurs and man... two species separated by 65 million years of evolution, have suddenly been thrown into the mix together. How can we possibly have the slightest idea of what to expect?”
Secondly, the majority of the film takes place on an island in the Caribbean, already removed from general society. The island setting is hyperreal in its essence for being so removed and often inhabiting species not found elsewhere, as is the case in Jurassic Park. Additionally, there’s a storm on the way, and Dennis Nedry happens to be on a mission this night to steal precious embryos from the genetics complex. Both of these factors contribute to the remainder of the film to ‘not of your normal everyday’ variety. Combining these factors results in the charging of a reality or situation that would not otherwise exist.
In reality, people only dig up dinosaurs. Doctors Ellie Sattler and Allen Grant are some such types and they are the bridge between the real world, and the simulated world of Jurassic Park. John Hammond lives on the other side; he inhabits a world where dinosaurs can exist. Doctor Ian Malcolm, on the other hand, is important in pointing out this bridge and the paradox it presents: two realities may not exist at the same time if the factors within them are volatile toward each other. This film further contextualizes simulation in a monster movie context by removing the monsters and bringing society to them. Society becomes part of the hyperreal by consenting to be part of the experiment, i.e.: John Hammond’s control group.
Them on the other hand, introduces society to the hyperreality of its experiments. In this film, giant radio-active ants infiltrate the lower southwestern states causing havoc and with the military down there while everyone involved tries to keep things a hushed up as possible. The ants, said to be abominations of nature, are thought to be the result of nuclear testing that occurred in the area around 1945. Since Them takes place nearly ten years later, the creatures would be the manifestation of mutations in earlier generations of its species. As Dr. Medford Sr. proclaims: “We may be witnessing a Biblical prophecy come true - 'And there shall be destruction and darkness come upon creation and the beasts will reign over the earth.'” Nuclear testing was still a nascent science at this point; these people had no idea what they were dealing with.
In this film, the southwest already brings to mind another reality due to its proximity to Hollywood and the movie industry in general. In Simulations and Simulacra, Baudrillard makes a point of indicating that Anaheim CA, also prescribes to this hyperreal recognition by being the birthplace of Disneyland, the granddaddy of all romantic pastiches. The threat of tampering with nuclear elements was new to the public’s conscious, adding to the sense of altered reality. Fear of this unknown was a key element in this time period and the Cold War was going on ten years, which additionally contributed to the sensitivity the nation conveyed in the film would have to its new monstrous enemy. Finally, the presence of women in male roles is conveyed in this film. At this time in history, many male dominated work places were beginning to take on or recognize women in their fields. This strange new development, in addition to the paranoia many men suffered in response to the perceived threat nuclear sickness posed to their reproductive systems, also contributed to the altered state of this reality.
Society in Them has created the hyperreal by engaging in nuclear testing, a field many people at the time knew nothing about. The public then becomes frightened by the results of this reality and searches desperately for a way back to the way things were. These fears are quelled by the good old fashion victory of American military forces over the dangerous ants.
Both of these films were state of the art in their time with regards to special effects. As Telotte writes in his essay on special effects, the arrival of technology that could effectively bring to life things we had just before only imagined was a milestone for the science fiction film.
“The development of special effects has lately been crucial to the form’s development. Although trick photography and image manipulation have always been central to cinema’s fantastic vision- from Melies editing tricks in A Trip to the Moon (1902), to the stop motion animation of The Lost World (1925) to the computer controlled linkage of models and cameras in Star Wars (1977) to the creation of convincing digital dinosaurs in Jurassic Park, computer generated imagery, CGI, is a relatively recent yet also quickly dominant influence on the science fiction film.” (Telotte pg 252)
Curiously enough, The Lost World is one of the primary inspirations for Spielberg’s Jurassic Park. Them too dealt with special effects and was noted for its large animatronic versions of the monstrous ants.
Baudrillard say that “the real is produced from miniaturized units, from matrices, memory banks, and command models…” Nowhere is this more true to life than in the artifices of film. Designers and model makers on the sets of Them and Jurassic Park created sensational representations of the creature they were desired to make and in doing so, became part of the hyperreal themselves.
“It no longer has to be relational, since it is no longer measured against some ideal or negative instance. It is nothing more than operational. In fact, since it is no longer enveloped by an imaginary, it is no longer real at all. It is hyperreal.” (Baudrillard pg 170)
Spielberg was one of the forerunners of this age to push on digital technology to help blur the lines differentiating reality from its mirror. These images that skate on light and glass are pastiches, variations of our own histories and experiences. Once these creations meet the light they exist in a reality of their own. A reality we engage in most often with the push of a button.
Bibliography:
Simulacra and Simulation, translated by SF Glaser, J Baudrillard - Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 1994
Telotte, J.P. A Trajectory of the American Science Fiction Film. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 2001. Pages 116-118
Jurassic Park, 1993, Steven Spielberg
Them, 1954, Gordon Douglas
In Jurassic Park, genetically engineered dinosaurs escape a specifically designed containment facility during a power outage and additionally are discovered to be breeding outside of the engineer’s knowledge though previously believed to be strictly female; The opening statement itself breaths of a simulation of another reality for several reasons. First of all, humans and dinosaurs obviously would never inhabit the same location, let alone time period, (whether be it over competition for resources or being a food source). These two species were not meant to co-exist.
“The world is changing so fast, and we're all running to catch up. I don't want to jump to any conclusions, but look. Dinosaurs and man... two species separated by 65 million years of evolution, have suddenly been thrown into the mix together. How can we possibly have the slightest idea of what to expect?”
Secondly, the majority of the film takes place on an island in the Caribbean, already removed from general society. The island setting is hyperreal in its essence for being so removed and often inhabiting species not found elsewhere, as is the case in Jurassic Park. Additionally, there’s a storm on the way, and Dennis Nedry happens to be on a mission this night to steal precious embryos from the genetics complex. Both of these factors contribute to the remainder of the film to ‘not of your normal everyday’ variety. Combining these factors results in the charging of a reality or situation that would not otherwise exist.
In reality, people only dig up dinosaurs. Doctors Ellie Sattler and Allen Grant are some such types and they are the bridge between the real world, and the simulated world of Jurassic Park. John Hammond lives on the other side; he inhabits a world where dinosaurs can exist. Doctor Ian Malcolm, on the other hand, is important in pointing out this bridge and the paradox it presents: two realities may not exist at the same time if the factors within them are volatile toward each other. This film further contextualizes simulation in a monster movie context by removing the monsters and bringing society to them. Society becomes part of the hyperreal by consenting to be part of the experiment, i.e.: John Hammond’s control group.
Them on the other hand, introduces society to the hyperreality of its experiments. In this film, giant radio-active ants infiltrate the lower southwestern states causing havoc and with the military down there while everyone involved tries to keep things a hushed up as possible. The ants, said to be abominations of nature, are thought to be the result of nuclear testing that occurred in the area around 1945. Since Them takes place nearly ten years later, the creatures would be the manifestation of mutations in earlier generations of its species. As Dr. Medford Sr. proclaims: “We may be witnessing a Biblical prophecy come true - 'And there shall be destruction and darkness come upon creation and the beasts will reign over the earth.'” Nuclear testing was still a nascent science at this point; these people had no idea what they were dealing with. In this film, the southwest already brings to mind another reality due to its proximity to Hollywood and the movie industry in general. In Simulations and Simulacra, Baudrillard makes a point of indicating that Anaheim CA, also prescribes to this hyperreal recognition by being the birthplace of Disneyland, the granddaddy of all romantic pastiches. The threat of tampering with nuclear elements was new to the public’s conscious, adding to the sense of altered reality. Fear of this unknown was a key element in this time period and the Cold War was going on ten years, which additionally contributed to the sensitivity the nation conveyed in the film would have to its new monstrous enemy. Finally, the presence of women in male roles is conveyed in this film. At this time in history, many male dominated work places were beginning to take on or recognize women in their fields. This strange new development, in addition to the paranoia many men suffered in response to the perceived threat nuclear sickness posed to their reproductive systems, also contributed to the altered state of this reality.
Society in Them has created the hyperreal by engaging in nuclear testing, a field many people at the time knew nothing about. The public then becomes frightened by the results of this reality and searches desperately for a way back to the way things were. These fears are quelled by the good old fashion victory of American military forces over the dangerous ants.
Both of these films were state of the art in their time with regards to special effects. As Telotte writes in his essay on special effects, the arrival of technology that could effectively bring to life things we had just before only imagined was a milestone for the science fiction film.
“The development of special effects has lately been crucial to the form’s development. Although trick photography and image manipulation have always been central to cinema’s fantastic vision- from Melies editing tricks in A Trip to the Moon (1902), to the stop motion animation of The Lost World (1925) to the computer controlled linkage of models and cameras in Star Wars (1977) to the creation of convincing digital dinosaurs in Jurassic Park, computer generated imagery, CGI, is a relatively recent yet also quickly dominant influence on the science fiction film.” (Telotte pg 252)
Curiously enough, The Lost World is one of the primary inspirations for Spielberg’s Jurassic Park. Them too dealt with special effects and was noted for its large animatronic versions of the monstrous ants.
Baudrillard say that “the real is produced from miniaturized units, from matrices, memory banks, and command models…” Nowhere is this more true to life than in the artifices of film. Designers and model makers on the sets of Them and Jurassic Park created sensational representations of the creature they were desired to make and in doing so, became part of the hyperreal themselves. “It no longer has to be relational, since it is no longer measured against some ideal or negative instance. It is nothing more than operational. In fact, since it is no longer enveloped by an imaginary, it is no longer real at all. It is hyperreal.” (Baudrillard pg 170)
Spielberg was one of the forerunners of this age to push on digital technology to help blur the lines differentiating reality from its mirror. These images that skate on light and glass are pastiches, variations of our own histories and experiences. Once these creations meet the light they exist in a reality of their own. A reality we engage in most often with the push of a button.
Bibliography:
Simulacra and Simulation, translated by SF Glaser, J Baudrillard - Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 1994
Telotte, J.P. A Trajectory of the American Science Fiction Film. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 2001. Pages 116-118
Jurassic Park, 1993, Steven Spielberg
Them, 1954, Gordon Douglas
Monday, May 4, 2009
T-minus 11 days
So as graduation is eminent, I thought I'd take a sec or two to get a few images up to signify my presence as an arTEEst in the interweb realm. I am a photographer, I'll graduate with a BFA in film with an emphasis on photography. This means I have a niche in narrative. After I graduate I'll be living in the digital age with no sort of digital camera of any kind. I have a Canon AE-1 from the 80's, an Olympus point and shoot from the 60's, and a Poloroid 600 that I got at Goodwill for $3.00. What a fun adventure this will be!
As this venue is to be a kind of log of my achievements/ failures in the real world, I will not be posting any work from my tender undergrad days here, besides this:
That was fun! The real deal is hanging in the Kunzelmann Esser Lofts Gallery ( 710 W. Historic Mitchell St. hours 11a-4p) until May 30th. This little diddy is one of ten, so check it out if you're curious. If not, have fun with your boring safe life you wanker. Just kidding.
In addition to my photographic explorations I would like to add that when I graduate I will also be recognized as having a second degree in creative writing. All the fun of words without the grammatical restrictions! Ok, not really but in a sense kind of. My portfolio as it is is due this Friday after which I'd be delighted to post a sample of my latest story right here at the waterpark. Until then!
(Brief mandatory disclaimer: this blog thus far and until next Thursday is "officially" the site where I post my science fiction film class blog assignments. After this it will be English and Arts all day all night every time. So for now, you'll just have to put up with my extensive knowledge on Jurassic Park, mmK?)
As this venue is to be a kind of log of my achievements/ failures in the real world, I will not be posting any work from my tender undergrad days here, besides this:
That was fun! The real deal is hanging in the Kunzelmann Esser Lofts Gallery ( 710 W. Historic Mitchell St. hours 11a-4p) until May 30th. This little diddy is one of ten, so check it out if you're curious. If not, have fun with your boring safe life you wanker. Just kidding.
In addition to my photographic explorations I would like to add that when I graduate I will also be recognized as having a second degree in creative writing. All the fun of words without the grammatical restrictions! Ok, not really but in a sense kind of. My portfolio as it is is due this Friday after which I'd be delighted to post a sample of my latest story right here at the waterpark. Until then!
(Brief mandatory disclaimer: this blog thus far and until next Thursday is "officially" the site where I post my science fiction film class blog assignments. After this it will be English and Arts all day all night every time. So for now, you'll just have to put up with my extensive knowledge on Jurassic Park, mmK?)
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