Cultural Event: Ann Marie Gardens

Ann Marie Gardens offers a place where nature and art can come together. Many of the pieces that you can see walking through Ann Marie are permenent pieces but there are also a fair portion of artwork that is loaned to Ann Marie Gardens so that it can be displayed for the pulic to come see. The artwork that is displayed there exists with the nature that surrounds it not on top of it. Ann Marie Gardens bring art and nature back together and shows how the environment can enhance the function of a piece. Most of the artwork also reflects nature itself in some way. The garden serves as almost a meditative space and the artwork that lives there supports this purpose. The Council Ring was constructed to serve as a place for reflection and refuge as well as a place for artists to gather and present their work to one another. The Surveyor's Map moves in and around the trees and reflects that zigzagging path of memories. This piece offers another way for viewers to experience the wonderful way in which art and nature work together to enhance the purpose of a piece.

Cultural Event: Proof

The play "Proof" revolves around a girl and how she is coping with the death of her father. The girl spent that last couple of years caring for her father who was a well known genius of the Math world. At the end of his life he seemed to slip away into a state of insanity. The girl fears that the same fate awaits her for she has inherited her father's genius. The play seems to reference the beauty of mathematics and how it all around us and how there are still mysteries in mathematics waiting to be explored. Though the play also seems to look at the fine line that exists between genius and insanity and how maybe to achieve great things you have to be a little bit insane. One sometimes needs to think outside the box in order to see things as they really are.

Artist Lecture: Mark Cooley

Mark Cooley's work is somewhat based in the political world. He focuses on ideas that surround the US Government and foreign policy, the linking of the Government and corporations. A descent portion of his work as been installation and interactive pieces. The interactive process allows viewers to think about the subject they are presented with in a different way and really start communicating their thoughts on the work. Some of Cooley's work such as that found in the "Bad Dreams" collection are meant to remove the viewer from the outside world and transcend their current state of being so that they may interact directly with the art. Cooley's work really seems to concentrate on providing viewers with a different way of looking at the world and the things that go on within it. It also seems to attempt to bring people together so that a dialogue may take place and release an abundance of ideas and various point of views. One of Cooley's projects titled "Calling America" asked viewers to keep a journal and call into a site to leave a message. This project was very interactive with the viewers and it was actually the viewers who were the work. They transformed from being viewers to being subjects. This project also provided a common ground for people from all over to share and communicate. Cooley's work seems to work as an information tool which provides viewers with a new way of looking at the things and as a place from which conversation may grow.

Artist Lecture: Melissa Dean

Melissa Dean spoke about the focus of her art work and some of the things that drew her to the subject. Dean concentrates mostly on consumer products. She displays the images in such a way that she strips away the function of the product and leaves only its form behind. Dean takes the outline of the products and overlaps them so that in the end each piece is barely identifieable. By doing this she is in a way showing the overwhelming effect our own consumerism has in our lives. This process has become a way to look at people and to use objects as a way of representing a person. It also shows a persons own taste and how minimalist or extravagent they are. Dean uses her work to not only explore how objects can be abstracted but how they are absorbed during our everyday lives and how they represent the saturation of visual media.

Puptopia Web Page

http://www.smcm.edu/users/aamiller/PuptopiaWebPage/Index.htm

Web Page Layout

Web Page Photo Collage

Photo Collage: http://www.smcm.edu/users/aamiller/WebCollage2.jpg

Ten Word Association:
1. deafness
2. Martha's Vineyard Sign Language (MVSL)
3. utopia
4. hereditary
5. island
6. isolation
7. american sign language
8. Pet friendly
9. Dog of the Month
10. vacation for pets

Five Choices for WebPage Project

1. http://www.nps.gov/yose/
2. http://www.marthas-vineyard.com/
3. http://www.npg.si.edu/
4. http://www.victoriassecret.com
5. http://www.fandango.com/

First Website Creation

http://www.smcm.edu/users/aamiller/Website%20Intro2/Websiteintro.htm

Reading: Michael Mandiberg

Michael Mandiberg uses the internet as a source or a medium for his art project titled Oil Standard. In artwork we typically expect there to be some message that comes across in the piece. Today we see artwork as a means in which to teach people about something or to move them emtionally and sometimes they do both. Oil Standard is not just an information site that spits out a lot of facts and figures. There is a clear voice and position being taken in the piece. The artist is making a point in reference to the oil industry and the financial and political aspects of it. He is displaying images that reflect the point he wants to make and is showing the audience the information in a way that gives them a new perspective on the topic.

Michael Mandiberg takes advantage of the internet as a medium by presenting the information in such a way that it seems like you are looking at a traditional or typical web page. The aesthetics and layout of the page resemble the aesthetics and layout of any corporate web page which makes the viewer believe that Oil Standard is a trustworthy and factual source. His content is purely artistic but the way in which it is represented is typical of most internet web pages. His work could only really be presented in this fashion because of its interactive quality and its desire to look official. All web pages give the viewer a sense of control by allowing them to click into different sections of the web page. Web pages can also be set to allow viewers to experiment with different settings so that they can see information in a different way. Mandiberg uses that quality in his piece so that the viewer can see the connections that he is making bewteen oil and money. Also Mandiberg wants to present his work an a somewhat official environment. His topic has an official quality to it and he wants his audience to take the information he is providing seriously. Most people take information that is presented on the internet as fact just because it is there. So by putting his work in this form Mandiberg is already getting his audience to take everything he is presenting as important information.

This work fits into the history of the internet by using the internet to voice information that is educational as well as opinionated. Mandiberg is providing information to viewers but there is a clear opinion or tone behind the piece. He is using the internet space to get is voice across to a multitude of people. The internet was intended for long distance communication but then it transformed into a center for people to gossip, exchange ideas, and be heard. Mandiberg is getting his thoughts out there to anyone who is willing to receive them.

The features of the piece that let the audience know that is was made in 2006 is the current version notification in the Installation Instructions section on the Download page.

Studio SMP Critiques

Reena: Sculpture

Reena's sculpture is made up of a series of wooden, rectangular plains with red paint on selected edges. The plains connect and disconnected on a diagonal slant with some projecting out into the foreground while others remain flat. Reena's work before this project dealt more with box shapes but now she is focusing more on the surface plains. She wants her work to reflect a sliding movement and to approach the ideas of color and space. She is working on a larger scale in order to capture more of a sense of movement. Sculpture deals with movement from side to side but not as much from front to back. Work appears to be contained in it's space and the artist might want to think about displaying the wood panels in such a way that they appear to expand beyond their borders.

Ashley: Fiber/Portraits

Ashley displayed a series of three pieces. The first one represented spoons and the gradual tarnishing of the metal surface. The second piece had multiple impressions of the bottom of a muffin mold with oil cans stitched on top. Then the third piece had multiple stitch outlines of buttons ranging in size and style framed by paper shadow boxes. All of the work was stitched with thread. The idea behind the pieces is that of personal collections, how they develop, how they are displayed. Ashley tried to establish a personal and precious quality to the work by making the pieces small and intimate. The viewer has to stand closely to the work in order to see the detail. One of the main issues with the work is in its presentation of the pieces.

Tom: Photography

Tom created a photobook that contains image pairs. His intention is to focus on the connection or relationship between two things whether those things are people, places, or objects. He captured all of his images from his environment, nothing was staged. He originally wanted to create a 12 x12 book but has decided on a 8 x 8 book instead because it seems more intimate and friendly. Some pairs appear to be more successful than others. Tom separates the two images on the page with the white space of the paper. In some of the photos this works in creating a more spacial and linerary play on the eyes while some of the other images have more of a distinct break. To achieve overall success Tom might want to think about what direction he wants his images to take and how to express a common idea across all the images.

Vanessa: Drawing

Vanessa's work was a layout across the wall that contained drawing, magazine cutouts and household products. The pieces came together to reflect the journey of a young fox who reads a Cosmopolitan and follows the instructions provided in order to discover herself. The fox follows four steps in order to achieve this task. The steps were 5 religions one has to experience before they die, self-expression through fashion, how to find the man of your dreams, and how to find a great job. The images show this process and conclude with the everything backfiring. The intent is to display how female reading material tells women what they need to have the perfect life but in the end after they have done everything listed it can all still fall apart because there is not guarantee for a perfect life. The presentation was the biggest issue with the piece. The concept was interesting and the imagery and text was humerous but the display looked unpolished.

Postcard Proposal

" LADY DAY "

"If you hear a song in blue like a flower crying for the dew. That was my heart serenading you. My prelude to a kiss. "

Prelude to a Kiss

By: Billie Holiday

For my postcard project I want use Billie Holiday and Adrienne Rich. The images above are some of Billie Holiday herself and I have included a short lyrical clip from one of her many songs. I will use these as inspiration for the imagery that will appear on the postcard. I have not found as much information on Adrienne Rich that I want to use yet. I hope to pull from some of her poems and to use imagery that reflects the ideas presented in her work. Both of these women lived during the same time period and had a cultural impact on society. I have not fully decided on what kind of relationship I want to develop between them but I am leaning towards the idea of expressing their success in setting an example of what women are capable of despite the obstacles.

First Photoshop Contest Entry

I entered the Inanimate Object World contest. I wanted to take objects that we normally see on people and have them participate in the activity that people normally are participating in. I love dancing and it is such a physical and involved activity that I thought it would be interesting to see how it would look without the bodies behind it. Also it seemed like something relatively simple for me to do for my first time. Here is the link to my contest post. If you vote for me or make comments please be nice. lol : )
http://www.worth1000.com/view.asp?image=304132&contest_id=14275

William S. Burroughs "The Cut-Up Method"

The "cut-up" method that Burroughs talks about in this article lends itself to the idea of collaging and using existing work to create something new. It also suggests a way that everyone can get involved in the process. Anyone can take a favorite poem, type it up then cut it into pieces and rearrange the words to form a new or revamped piece of work. The "cut-up" method seems to be a way to take what we already have and improve upon it or give it new life. It also creates a randomness that opens up a flood gate of multiple possibilities. Burroughs writes about how many artists, photographer and writers say that some of theier best work happens by accident. The "cut-up" method provides the stage or opportunity for those accidents to happen. The whole idea relates very closely to human nature. People always have the desire to take the old and make it new again. This process gives everyone the ability to do that. I think the "cut-up" method frees up the creative minds and gives it room to randomly explore other posssibilities that may not have been attempted or stumbled upon in another incidence. I wonder though if this process provides validation for the theory that there are no truly original ideas left in the world?

Image for Photoshop

Man Ray: Dadaist Photographer

Man Ray was a Dadaist who used photography to express his ideas. He displayed images in an abstract way that allowed people to see things differently than they would normally in their everyday life. In this image of the female violin to the left you can see where Ray is displaying a woman in a way one would not normally see her. The images on her back could have been double exposed or drawn on for the photograph. Here a woman is being used to reflect an object, an instrument. Looking at the image one may think the woman is the instrument but the intrument for what? Images such as this one and many others were capable of making people ask those questions. The same questions they asked themselves when they looked at artwork hanging in a gallery. Man Ray along with other photographers found new and radical ways of using photography to capture images of the world around them.

The image below of the woman with her hands to her lips is an abstraction of the body. The image looks simple but Man Ray chose how to represent this woman. He cropped out her face from the top of the lips up and cropped her body from the wrist down. The lighting on the face, the gesture of the hand are all intentionally and meant to say something to the viewer. Just as other Dadaist used things that were not constituted as art to make their own art, Man Ray used photography to make his art. He took a medium that was seen to only have mechanical qualities and made art with it.

Dadaist Movement

I apologize for the delay but I have not been able to post my blog because the site is down and I have not been able to continue reviewing the Dadaist work.

The Dadaist movement shows an interesting twist on traditional works of art and started a technique or way of working that has continued into the present. The Dadaist work was new and experimental during its time but now I believe that this type of work is becoming more widely accepted and used today. The abstraction that is found in the work makes viewers think more about what the piece is really supposed to be saying. I think that is a concept that people want to see in artwork and that is why we are still seeing such work being produced. I think it is interesting how Dadaist never wanted to fall into the category of a movement or be tied down by labels yet anytime you start something with a goal or intent it will naturally come with labels. Also if it is meant to be continued by generations to follow there has to be something for them to follow in the first place. The Dadaist wanted to be free thinkers who were not hindered by the things that held back artist of the past but during that process they themselves created an art movement just as had been done many times before them.

Project 1: Sound Journey: Rainforest Photoshoot

http://www.smcm.edu/users/aamiller/rainforest.mp3

For this project I created a journey that captures the movements of a photographer traveling through the rainforest to get a shot of some of its amazing wildlife. The journey starts out in a canoe out on a river along the rainforest. The canoe meets with land and the photographer makes their way through the dense forestry. The footsteps are slow and accompanied by the sounds of rain dripping, frogs, and birds. As the photographer moves further into the rainforest the natural background sounds begin to increase in volume and move more to the middle ground. Briefly the walking ceases and listeners can hear the shutter of the camera going off. After the photographer captures their image they continue on to a new destination and all the sounds gradually fade out. Below is a list of the sounds I used in this piece and who the original creator was:

water paddling/canoe meeting land(crunching of underbrush):13792_reinsamba_canoe_in_flooded_forest

River sounds: 20787_wanna73_River_01

birds & bug: 13791_reinsamba_survicalcamp

jumping into water:22866_victorcenusa_MEN_RUNNING_WATER_SPLASH_3_

rain: 21091_inchadney_Light_rain

frogs: 18930_inchadney_Frogs

tropical birds: 19257_reinsamba_bird_in_rainforest

camera shutter:7128_Bram_camera_shutter_and_rewind_notch_compressor

walking: recorded by me

Janet Cardiff: White Chapel Walk

Janet Cardiff uses sound in a three level spatial structure that provides the listener with a unique and involved perspective of the journey that they are being led on. In the radio interview they discuss Cardiff's ability to make listeners feel as if she is inside their head. By capturing sounds that we hear in everyday life and putting them directly up to the ear forces us to take in every sound and feel like it is surrounding us, swallowing us. During the interview they also mentioned that people tend to block out about 90% of the sound that they hear around them. By listening to one of Cardiff's recordings you become overcome by every sound that makes up the world we know. Since we are hearing sounds that we previously ignored the recordings create a new lush environment that intrigues the senses.
Cardiff not only creates a textural world of sound through her recordings but also a fluid movement through space and time. In the interview it was discussed how Cardiff layers her sounds in the way that our history is layered. There is the present but with portals or windows to the past emerging randomly across the surface. The sounds and voices that exist in the recordings are open ended so that the listeners can make their own connections to what they hear but Cardiff does make implications to events of the past.
To achieve all of these effects Cardiff begins by using her own voice as a guide in the foreground. She tells them where to walk while interrupting to tell the listener about something she sees or feels. Sometimes she will mention a dream or a thought. When she speaks of other people she sees or dreams of another voice will appear in the foreground and will interject a thought or respond to Cardiff herself. In the middle ground you can hear her footsteps as she is walking. Occasionally throughout the piece music will start to play more in the middle ground so that you can hear it more clearly but it does not over power the sound of Cardiff's voice. In the background is where Cardiff plays most of the other environmental sounds such as the ocean, birds singing, and grass rustling. As she moves through the piece she will occasionally stop speaking and let the other sounds come more to the foreground so that they can be more directly heard.
By taking advantage of the foreground, middle ground, and background Cardiff has created a full effect for her listeners. By this I mean she is really engaging her listener into the world she has created through sound. It sounds like you are in an actual place because you can her footsteps and the surrounding sounds that you would normally hear if you were in a garden, or by the beach or on a path.

http://faculty.frostburg.edu/art/fhamiditoosi/audio_files/cardiff_whitechapel_walk.mp3

Sound Journey: Project 1 Experiment

http://www.smcm.edu/users/aamiller/raining.mp3

For this sound experiment I tried to create a journey of someone who gets caught in the rain and escapes into a cafe full of music, laughter and dancing before going to face the rain again. I have always loved the way the rain sounds and I am myself a very social person and enjoy dancing and laughing. So for this little project I decided to just take some of those sounds that I like and create an everyday story behind. While I was putting together the sounds I thought about all the times I've gotten caught in the rain and how nice it was to find my way back into a warm place.

Project 1: Sound Journey

For this project I was thinking about capturing the journey a wildlife photographer would undergo when pursuing a subject. I personally study photography and I always find the journey one travels in the process of getting that perfect shot to be interesting and unique every time. In photography I believe that it is really the journey and the personal interaction the photographer experiences while shooting that gives photographs a life or essence which is so captivating for the intended audience. So with that in mind I thought about three possible locations I would want my wildlife photographer to potentially travel to. The three locations I'm deciding between are Alaska, Africa, and the Rainforest. If the location is Alaska I want to gather sounds such as snow crunching, wind, running water, trees rustling and the sound of the camera's shutter opening and closing. If the location is Africa I want to collect sounds such as hooves hitting the ground, jeep noises, tribal drums/other instruments, and again the sound of the camera's shutter opening and closing. Finally if the location is in the Rainforest I want sounds of rain falling down on leaves, rustling of trees and other plant life, birds singing, feet walking through underbrush, and the opening and closing of the camera's shutter.

Artist Lecture: Melissa Dean "Consumed"

I attended the artist lecture by Melissa Dean on January 22nd at 4:30. Melissa discussed the work she had on display as well as work she had done previously. She explained a little about where the concepts for her work come from and how they have developed over time. I found Melissa's work interesting in its process. The way she uses everyday consumer products to establish a form of art that strips away the original meaning of the object used is in some way reflective of the world of art itself. In the process of creating a work of art many artists start with an idea that revolves around something such as nature, emotional states, material objects, etc. Those ideas are then tweaked, transformed, manipulated and so on until the work takes on a life of its own. Melissa Dean's work starts from consumer products, which we all use everyday but yet the work that comes from that starting point alludes to something more than simple product display. While the work is being molded, twisted, manipulated, etc it begins to take on new meaning, which comes from the process itself more than anything. Melissa herself did not seem to be a hundred percent sure as to what her work was supposed to represent past the initial concept. I believe that this can be true of most artist because it is often the process in which a work of art is made that gives it some of its meaning so sometimes even the artist themselves can still be trying to understand the final outcome.
I found Melissa Dean's work both aesthetically pleasing in its layout as well as mentally stimulating. She creates her work through layers so visually there are multiple layers for the eye to explore but at the same time her work represents multiple layers of meaning that may be different for every viewer.

Sound Art Links

http://ubu.wfmu.org/sound/airwaves/Airwaves_13_ANDERSON_TWO-SONGS-FOR-TAPE-BOW-VIOLIN.mp3
I thought this sound link was particulary interesting because of the journey the sounds create for the listener.

The Use of Forms (Ken Ishii)

http://www.kenishii.com/