final - SMORGASBORD! loud things and bright screens

part one, marclay and tinguely walk into a bar... 

 

Rough Concept Sketch

     When presented with the assignment, I knew there were two considerations I had to personally abide by: the incorporation of kinetics and the idea of fragmentation. In order to carry out the kinetics, I recruited the assistance of a Lego NXT to control the speed and number of rotations for the record, as well as control the needle point so that it is not fixated on a single location of the record. Fragmentation found its way into the aesthetics of the work, where all of the forms were of the most basic of shapes—triangles and squares.

 Left Profile of 3D Modeled Bust

     Aside from the general triangles that encompassed the base of the work, a paper individual carried the aesthetic and support of the work. Both the character's bust and hand were created in Blender and were later produced as paper models.

 3D Modeled Hand (Designed to Hold the Needle/Horn in place)

      Unfortunately, a majority of the intentions that had been set forth in this assignment had to be eliminated due to time or consequence of an action. The rotation that was intended to maneuver the needle closer to the center of the record as it progressed was eliminated due to time, whereas a majority of the aesthetics were obliterated due to the weather. With the amount of time remaining, I did not have an adequate time frame to restore the features that had been lost, but rather try to the best of my ability to repurpose what was before me so that it would function for the show. Although a mock up was available of the figure, it stood at 1/3 of the scale and did not possess the same presence that the former character had possessed. The paper that covers the exterior surface of the work was utilized as a method to unify the work, as there was a great deal of variation present from the colors present, to the materials the triangles were created from.

Presentation of Work, 4/12/13

     In the manner of Tinguely, my piece had a theatrical element in the sense that it "exploded," ...but it just chose the wrong time to do so. The show had to go on and the above image is the work that was presented during SMORGASBORD! Alongside a wintermester class, I'm planning on revisiting this work, but I'll have to develop a new method for it's activation as the Lego NXT that I had been utilizing must return to it's rightful owner.

part two, BYOB holiday party

The Twelve Terrors of Christmas by John Updike (Author) and Edward Gorey (Illustrator)

     When considering the holidays and the nature of the assignment, I was interested in transforming a physical book into an animation. Ironically, the first tale to come to mind was The Twelve Terrors of Christmas, a short text that carries a reader through an anti-Christmas narrative and sheds light on the less pleasant aspects of the holiday season. Some of these considerations are the unsettling idea of Santa, to the fear of giving too little. The pages were treated individually so that the images and text would fade in and out in a timely manner, meanwhile maintaining a consistent aesthetic throughout. The audio that accompanies the work is Uncle Charlie by Clint Mansell, an eerie and hypnotic instrumental track.

part three, homage to marclay: record manipulation

      When prompted with the task to manipulate a preexisting record, I was fascinated by the idea of forcing the needle to maneuver in a non-traditional manner as opposed to deconstructing the record itself. With this notion set forth, I created a spiral guide for the needle in AutoCAD and printed it in ABS plastic. All of the points were specified at 0, 90, 180, and 270 degrees in correspondence to the dimensions of the record and were referenced during the creation of the 3D drawing. The guide stands at 0.02 inches tall and is permanently adhered to the record.

lecture reviews

Crystal Willis
ART 345, Sound and Image
Lecture Review
Due 10/12/13

David Carter, Visiting Artist Lecture Series, University of Nevada

     After sitting in on David Carter’s artist lecture and viewing various samples of his work, what resonated with me is the manner in which he problem solved by. When faced with an innovative idea, he would go through a series of mock-ups and simply play with the medium until his desired aesthetic was achieved. As a student who has completed a book arts course over the spring semester and has begun experimenting with paper as a medium, I’ve come to acknowledge paper as a medium that isn’t necessarily the most forgiving. It’s a unique medium as it can infinitely be adapted to serve purposes that it was not intended for, but at the cost at its fragility. It takes an immense amount of patience, as well as attention to detail to handle a project with such care, meanwhile attempting to cut out shapes, folding it in certain ways and then finding a method to hold the model in its current form. What fascinates me the most is that after the desired aesthetic has been achieved, the artist must take the form apart in order to better understand its composition. This understanding allows for the artist to regenerate his work in programs such as Adobe Illustrator so that a consistency will be present if and when the pages are sent off to be mass produced; as a guide, they will limit confusion as to how the forms coexist with one another, as opposed to being interpreted by the individuals duplicating the work.  This method of adapting the work into programs also presents the opportunity for the artist to scale his work, if he so chooses. Although a majority of his work has been in regards to the construction of pop-up books, the artist has also created large scale models and installation work; from one project to the next, the artist approaches the task at hand with the same work flow, creating a likeness and continuity throughout his body of work.

Crystal Willis
ART 345, Sound and Image
Lecture Review
Due 10/12/13

Tony Allard, Visiting Artist Lecture Series, University of Nevada

          Upon attending Tony Allards’s artist lecture and observing a brief overview of his work, I was most interested in his interpretation of performance art. Allard transforms himself into a masked character as a method of shedding positivity on the populace of California by participating in questionable but harmless activities in public settings. These activities consist of the refusal to verbally communicate with those in the vicinity, but instead, allows for the artist to acquire a time capsule that commemorates the space at that given point in time as participants of the community place anything from notes to trash in the mailbox adhered to his back—this is the manner in which Allard chooses to communicate and more importantly, understand his audience. This take on performance art is interesting in contrast to what is traditionally displayed and expressed in contemporary art history courses. Several artists that are referred to in our contemporary age (but are not limited to) are Carolee Schneemann, Chris Burden, and Marina Abramovic. These contemporary artists often address concepts such as the mortality of the artist, or display an artist’s disposition towards a political phenomenon in their works, but Allard’s pieces contradict these expected intentions. Rather, the character isn’t present to cause any sort of conflict or create a sense of discomfort for those in the vicinity. When assuming the role of the character, Allard obeys not only the laws, but also the commands of those around him; if asked to depart a particular site by an official or employee of the location, he does not hesitate or retaliate. Instead, he acknowledges and obeys the restrictions that have been placed upon him to maintain equilibrium in that particular location.

Crystal Willis
ART 345, Sound and Image
Lecture Review
Due 10/12/13

Rafael Lopez, MFA Thesis Lecture, University of Nevada

     Without any previous knowledge of the artist, I attended Rafael Lopez’ MFA thesis lecture absolutely blind sighted. It wasn’t until I was sitting in the lecture room and looked up at the projector that I realized that all of the posters across campus with American paraphernalia and a man with his back turned towards the viewer were advertisements for this very exhibition. What has continued to resonate with me since the lecture is the artist’s openness to discuss the events of his culture’s past, his upbringing, and his dreams that ultimately led him to the United States. As he began to speak of his work and its intent, I couldn’t help but to be taken back by the perception and impact America has left upon him. It isn’t everyday that an individual coming from the outside in is able to articulate your nation in such a way that you begin to realize that you have personally overlooked many of the opportunities and privileges this nation has provided. When viewing the work, it was surreal how deeply the artist was able to push in order to convey such emotion when his subject matter primarily composed of materialistic objects that were accented by red, white, and blue. It wasn’t until viewing the colorless flag that I was able to begin to understand the purity this nation has produced for its occupants. Although the flag was intended to investigate the composition of the American flag and whether or not it has the ability to remain as effective with an absence of color, I perceived it as a blank canvas that allows a viewer to interpret the path, objective, pride, and journey America is able to provide them. This interpretation essentially allows a viewer to “paint” the flag with their own aspirations, creating a more personalized attachment to the work.

project four - audio tours

CLASSIFICATION
Syllabification: (clas·si·fi·ca·tion)
Pronunciation: \ˌkla-sə-fə-ˈkā-shən\
noun:
   systematic arrangement in groups or categories according to established criteria:

Classifications is a compilation of journal entries accumulated over the course of a year. These entries are abbreviated and are represented by incomplete sentences, quotes, or poems. Each entry depicts an event of the artists life as either being pleasant or unclassified. It should be noted that the artist has not written all of the proceeding passages and credit remains with their respective authors; they are solely mentioned in reference to the memories of the artist. 

The intended location for the work is within Rancho San Rafael, at the wetlands region of the Evans Creek Trail. The location was selected on the basis of abandonment; not only is the space isolated from the populace, but it carries a narration for what was once there. With personal entries of an individual resonating in the right audio channel from the past, the space allows for the memories of the artist to be revisited, as if they had occurred and lingered in the vacant and deteriorating location from a time long ago. 

The work was created as if it were to be installed in the space and continuously played, as opposed to leading a viewer from one location to the next.

If at any time a viewer feels discomforted, do not adjust the volume of the work; instead, remove the right headphone.

project three - live streamed performance

AMBIGUITY

Syllabification: (am·bi·gu·i·ty)

Pronunciation: /ˌambiˈgyo͞o-itē/

noun:

     uncertainty or inexactness of meaning in language:

Ambiguity touches our lives on a day to day basis. This performance challenges the notion of what we see figuratively isn't always equivalent to the materials we anticipate. When viewing a humanistic figure, one can imagine the internal anatomy - but when considering the material the form is composed of, the expectations based on aesthetics are disregarded and replaced with solely the material composition. In place of the joyous treats associated with the selected medium, the internal components were challenged by their literal expectation. This concept continues with the incorporation of the protagonist. Assuming the role of a beast of a similar aesthetic, the protagonist destroys the figure, though the reason is left unclear. Could the figure be an extension of the protagonist's self that they wish to destroy, or is the protagonist solely following the expected behavior one would anticipate when faced with the provided medium?

project two - triptych video with six audio channels

Artist Statement:

DEPARTURE
Syllabification: (de·par·ture)
Pronunciation: /diˈpärCHər/
noun:
      the action of leaving, typically to start a journey:

We are submerged by the art of routine. Our lives are constantly in a state of stability that when the unexpected arises, we are placed out of equilibrium. Departure was formulated as a response to the passing of a loved one. Organized by the five stages of grief, the events fostered within the composition serve as memorandums that commemorate the late individual. They are fragments of conversations and phenomenons that have been reinterpreted and are carried in place of their physical presence. This is how they shall be remembered.

project one - video mixer

Artist Statement:

RECOLLECTION

Syllabification: (rec·ol·lec·tion)

Pronunciation: /ˌrekəˈlekSHən/

noun:
      the action or faculty of remembering something:

We all hold the ability to leave a lasting impression on the strangers, acquaintances, and loved ones we interact with on a day to day basis, but there's something unique about the first interaction; it lingers into the crevices of each and every encounter thereafter, almost like a strong fragrance that cannot be mistakened. Recollection is designed on the principles of repetition and explores the different depths of impressions that have been left upon ones self. The sequence is governed by three tiers, each reaching a new surface:

• tier three: consistent comments made towards ones self on a first impression basis; videos appear thrice
• tier two: aesthetic and fact driven knowledge towards ones self that are developed through observation and time; videos appear twice
• tier one: single interactions that are often reflected upon that touch beneath the surface; videos appear once

These are minute components that have become a sense of identification for ones self. Each individual tile is kept veiled to protect its content, in the same sense that during a single interaction, one cannot accurately depict the experience that has yet to occur.

reading one - key points

one, Sound in Art by Caleb Kelly

• "Critics from a visual art background often have trouble describing sound' their lexicon does not include an ongoing dialogue with audio concepts. Thus mainstream writing on art of recent decade has tended for the most part to avoid critical discussion of sound" (Kelly, pg. 13).
• "It is already there, because all audiences, except  for those who cannot hear, attend to artworks with not only their eyes but their ears as receptors; often they may not be open or attentive, but every audience members is continually processing information gather through the sense of hearing. It has often been remarked that we cannot close our ears," (Kelly, pg. 13-14).
• "However,  rather than a movement or genre, 'sound art' simply describes a medium, much like 'oil painting'... they simply describe what it was created from," (Kelly, pg. 14).

two, The Art of Noises by Luigi Russolo (1913)

• "In antiquity, life was nothing but silence. Noise was really not born before the nineteenth century, with the advent of machinery," (Russolo, pg. 22).
• "...machines create today such a large number of varied noises that pure sound, with its littleness and its monotony, now fails to arouse any emotion," (Russolo, pg. 22).

three, The Future of Music: Credo by John Cage (1937)

• "Wherever we are, what we hear is mostly noise. When we ignore it, it disturbs us. When we listen to it, we find it fascinating," (Cage, pg. 23).
• "If this word 'music' is sacred... we can substitute a more meaningful term: organization of sound," (Cage, pg. 23).
• "...Thereministes act as censors, giving the public those sounds they think the public will like. We are shielded from new sound experiences," (Cage, pg. 23).
• "The composer (organizer of sound) will be faced not only with the entire field of sound but also with the entire field of time... no rhythm will be beyond the composer's reach," (Cage, pg. 24).
• "THE PRINCIPLE OF FORM WILL BE OUR ONLY CONSTANT CONNECTION WITH THE PAST," (Cage, pg. 24).