... an important reminder:
Document ALL of your work on the blog, including:
~Collaborative Portrait
~~Site Sound
~~~How To ~ a process video
~~~~Processing Sketch
~~~~~Independent Project
~~~~~~Artist Presentation
~~~~~~~Reflections on Exhibitions & Readings
file:///private/tmp/untitled39712.tmp/sketch_may12a/applet/index.html
One of my early ideas (which I posted as a proposal) was an autobiographical montage based on the title "wild poppies." I changed my mind on this and my final project, like a plot of daisies, relocated to a different piece of ground.
The new title of my final independent project is "ephemerals." This project uses appropriated home movies and amateur videos in the public domain to create an experimental montage that traces the idea of ephemerals both literally and metaphorically. The ephemeral nature of human experience, decay, and decomposition as part of the process of growth, blossoming, and dying are explored through an attempt to understand personal and universal continuities and change through the concept of metamorphosis. The main track is a home movie that was found in a basement which is called "decomposed carnival" interrupted with other footage of caterpillars, and family vacations. This video project is also "about" my personal journey to learn more technically about Final Cut Pro by using and experimenting with different effects. The images are layered to simulate the psychological journey through space and time. The sound track is kept minimal, somewhat meditative and repetitive. It is two tracks layered and combined from public domain footage of a thumb piano and alpine cow-bells.
I am also somewhat dubious and skeptical about the use of appropriated footage. Not so much in others' work as my own. I respect the ingenuity and ideas of ready-made and yet there is something about them that causes me worry and doubt. I wish to examine this closer.
/Users/willow1/Desktop/anitasprocessingsketch001.jar
This presentation is an exploration of the work of Charles Woodman whom I met as an undergrad at Ripon College in the 1970s. Charles Woodman is an electronic artist who teaches at the University of Cincinnati. This power point presentation examines his work in the context of his artistic family comprised of Betty Woodman, George Woodman, and Francesca Woodman.
To see more of his work visit: http://www.videosavant.org/viDEO_sAVant/main.html
Here are some Photoshop/Illustrator pieces I made to make up for missed classes. The concept for this project was to incorporate three photos I had taken recently into a three panel series of abstract/non-representational, drawing like pieces. This is what I made.
-Tom W.
Also, here is one of two Make Up papers. This one is on the process I went through on our How To video assignment.
Before
After
Processing 1.0
Coding for My Project
PImage img;
int pointillize = 16;
void setup(){
size(800,700);
img = loadImage("Tulips276B.jpg");
noStroke();
background(255);
smooth();
}
void draw()
{
float pointillize = map(mouseX, 0, width, 10, 18);
int x = int(random(img.width));
int y = int(random(img.height));
color pix = img.get(x, y);
fill(pix, 126);
ellipse(x, y, pointillize, pointillize);
}
// Learning Processing
// Daniel Shiffman
// http://www.learningprocessing.com
// Example 5-10: Zoog and conditionals
float x = 250;
float y = 250;
float w = 150;
float h = 150;
float eyeSize = 30;
// Zoog has variables for speed in the horizontal and vertical direction.
float xspeed = 5;
float yspeed = 0.5;
void setup() {
size(700,700);
smooth();
}
void draw() {
// Change the location of Zoog by speed
x = x + xspeed;
y = y + yspeed;
// An IF statement with a logical OR determines if Zoog has reached either the right or left edge of the screen.
// When this is true, we multiply speed by Ð1, reversing ZoogÕs direction!
// Identical logic is applied to the y direction as well.
if ((x > width) || (x < 0)) {
xspeed = xspeed * -1;
}
if ((y > height) || (y < 0)) {
yspeed = yspeed * -1;
}
background(0);
ellipseMode(CENTER);
rectMode(CENTER);
// Draw Zoog's body
stroke(3,205,252);
fill(2,10,90);
rect(x,y,w/5,h*2);
// Draw Zoog's head
fill(3,204,252);
ellipse(x,y-h/2,w,h);
// Draw Zoog's eyes
fill(0);
ellipse(x-w/3+1,y-h/2,eyeSize,eyeSize*2);
ellipse(x+w/3-1,y-h/2,eyeSize,eyeSize*2);
//Draw Zoog's mouth
fill(0);
ellipse(x-w/3+40,y-h/4.5,eyeSize,eyeSize);
//Draw Zoog's arms
stroke(3,204,252);
line(x-w/12,y+h/5,x-w/1,y+h-50);
line(x-w/-12,y+h/5,x-w/-1,y+h-50);
// Draw Zoog's legs
stroke(3,205,252);
line(x-w/12,y+h,x-w/4,y+h+10);
line(x+w/12,y+h,x+w/4,y+h+10);
}
PImage bg;
int a;
int b;
int c;
int d;
//
PFont f;
String message = "I slowly paused in the quiet chamber.";
float theta;
//
void setup()
{
size(1000,744);
frameRate(50);
// The background image must be the same size as the parameters
// into the size() method. In this program, the size of "milan_rubbish.jpg"
// is 200 x 200 pixels.
bg = loadImage("PETscan2.jpg");
//
size(1000,744);
f = createFont("HiraKakuStd-W8-48", 30, true);
//
}
void draw()
{
background(bg);
a = (a + 10 + 5)%(width+100);
b = (b + 10)%(width+200);
c = (c + 10)%(width+400);
d = (d + 50 + 20)%(width+600);
stroke(126, 50, 50);
line(0, a, width+25, a-50);
line(0, a-60, width, a-100);
line(0,b, width,b-50);
line(0,c, width,b-50);
line(0,d, width,b-50);
//
textFont(f); // Set the font
translate(width/2,height/3.5); // Translate to the center
rotate(theta); // Rotate by theta
textAlign(CENTER) ;
fill(50);
// The text is center aligned and displayed at (0,0) after translating and rotating.
// See Chapter 14 or a review of translation and rotation.
text(message,0,0);
// Increase rotation
theta += 0.05;
//
}
// Learning Processing
// Daniel Shiffman
// http://www.learningprocessing.com
// Example 14-16: Simple solar system
// Angle of rotation around sun and planets
float theta = 0;
void setup() {
size(750,750);
smooth();
}
void draw() {
background(50, 150, 135);
stroke(0);
// Translate to center of window to draw the sun.
translate(width/2,height/2);
fill(200,200,55);
ellipse(0,0,370,370);
// The earth rotates around the sun
pushMatrix();
rotate(theta);
translate(50,0);
fill(50,133,137);
ellipse(0,0,250,250);
// Moon #1 rotates around the earth
// pushMatrix() is called to save the transformation state before drawing moon #1.
// This way we can pop and return to earth before drawing moon #2.
// Both moons rotate around the earth (which itself is rotating around the sun).
pushMatrix();
rotate(-theta*4);
translate(15,0);
fill(50,255,200);
ellipse(0,0,35,35);
popMatrix();
// Moon #2 also rotates around the earth
pushMatrix();
rotate(theta*2);
translate(25,0);
fill(255,0,0);
ellipse(0,0,30,30);
popMatrix();
popMatrix();
theta += 0.01;
}
Just in case you wanted to hear it
Sorry about the size!
Can I just say that David Morneau's work is mind blowing. The way he uses video and photoshop to create a beautiful network of a moving picture is breathe taking. He is a head of his time....
Call me old-fashioned, but I was disappointed in the MFA Thesis exhibition I for one main reason. Most, if not all, of the artists did not post an Artist's Statement or narrative for the cohesive whole of the body of work that they were presenting. Yes, we are all supposed to come to it fresh and interpret it in our own way. However, I think after spending three intensive years in the MFA program with studio practice in an academic research university I can at least expect a student to write a cohesive narrative of what their objectives were. I purchased the catalog hoping that I might find that in the slim turquoise volume. I did not. In fairness, in the catalog there were some of the artists that wrote about their goals and objectives. But, why could these not be printed out on a sheet of paper and posted as part of the exhibition? Why must a person have to purchase the volume to get a context for the work in a show that is open to the public? The second MFA exhibition had more Artists' Statements posted which I appreciated. Not everyone had them, which is a little disturbing, because one wishes to obtain more context and background (at least I do) when viewing an exhibition of work which is a culmination of a three year tenure in a program.
That said, I thought that there were many innovative and experimental things going on in the work of the graduate students in both exhibitions.
Travis Freeman: I had spoken to Travis about his work while working in the digital arts computer lab so I was excited to see how his metaphysical work would be presented in a physical space. Each of the experiential pieces toyed with space and time --I thought very successfully. I was wary to place myself into the experience of laying my head on the lap of a stranger. However, I believe that it was an experience of deciding not to do it and to question of myself why I made that decision. His work is very thought provoking--one conjures some sense of the Emperor's New Clothes narrative along with the truly philosophical artist participating in the present moment of fleeting time. His work left me wondering and questioning the physicality of art and the nature of the aesthetic experience. To me the key thing in work of this nature is the whole question of documentation: how and what to do about it; whether to do it. The transience of it feeds into my interest in the notion of the ephemeral and our desire to hold onto the physical when it is impossible, and our way of infusing value and meaning into physical things and our working and reworking of our own experience through memory and imagination.
Laura Corcoran-Mahnke: I was quite impressed with the prints and photographs of Laura Corcoran-Mahnke in the MFA Exhibition II. The two long mural like mono prints reminded me of Asian rice-paper screens with their intricate detail and mixture of natural and urban visual elements. The contrast of the birds with the telephone wires and skyscrapers which they encounter on their annual migrations reminded me of the film "Winged Migration" which I enjoyed very much. The execution of the prints was at an extremely high meticulous level and standard and I appreciate the effort, time, and skill that requires. I am interested in work that examines nature in the urban setting and brings into focus what we encounter and see in our everyday lives.
This presentation is an exploration of the work of Charles Woodman whom I met as an undergrad at Ripon College in the 1970s. Charles Woodman is an electronic artist who teaches at the University of Cincinnati. The power point presentation examines his work in the context of his artistic family comprised of Betty Woodman, George Woodman, and Francesca Woodman.
To see more of his work visit: http://www.videosavant.org/viDEO_sAVant/main.html
Decasia is a 2002 found footage film by Bill Morrison, featuring an original score by Michael Gordon. The film is a meditation on old, decaying silent films and is similar in spirit to Lyrical Nitrate by Peter Delpeut, a Dutch filmmaker. It begins and ends with scenes of a dervish and is book-ended with old footage showing how film is processed. Some of the deterioration was enhanced with computers to create more meaningful abstract imagery in the manner of Stan Brakhage. Nothing was done to the actual film prints, most of which were borrowed from facilities such as the Museum of Modern Art, to accelerate their decomposition. The film's musical soundtrack features several detuned pianos and an orchestra playing out of phase with itself, adding to the fractured and decomposing nature of the film.
(from Wikipedia)
To view film go to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=08gr2EYTc1Q
I am fascinated with the effects of the decomposing film from an aesthetic viewpoint. However, from the preservation and conservation perspective it is a bit alarming that they would borrow films from facilities such as the Museum of Modern Art to "accelerate their decomposition".
Collaborative Self Portrait (Andre/Wallace)
Sound Project: Pandora's Box
Collaborative Video (Ed, Susan, Anita): Eye
Artist Presentation: Charles Woodman
How To Video: Portrait of Tasha: How to be 12 years old
Processing Projects I and II: headline poem and small universe
Independent Project: ephemerals
MFA Exhibition Thesis I and II
Spark Festival
Digital Arts Parts I and II
Exhibition blogs
announcements/notifications