world in flux sequence ideas

sequence 1: Skateboarding. I plan to use various clips of me skating around campus and clips i've taken in the past. I want to use black and white shots and some slow motion. I plan to make my editing very close to the hip hop music i've chosen for the section.

sequence 2: DJing. I plan to take various shots of me djing and combine them with some still shots and lots of effects in photoshop. Perhaps a cool filter in final cut as well? I have some great music chosen for this sequence too.

sequence 3: Friends. I plan to film me with a bunch of friends hanging out maybe playing frisbee or something. I could use some cool filters in final cut as well and good music. Backwards slow motion?

sequence 4: Nature. I've always loved nature and it has always been a big part of my life. I plan to take some footage of a walk through the woods and maybe combine it with some still photography I took on my month long backpacking trip to Alaska a few years back.

sequence 5: This is section is going to intertwine all of the previous sections. I plan to use clips from my other sequences along with new media. I want to transpose clips of me in places I wouldnt normally be, perhaps djing in the woods, or skateboarding in my apartment...Along with this idea, I want to mix the music from the previous sections as well.

How similar are virtual reality and the hyperlink?

After reading about Hershman's work, I had this question. When she discusses Lorna's room inside the virtual reality, it is the same idea as Borroughs had with the hyperlink- completely non-linear and controled by the viewer. I thought this was a cool connection simply because of how much more complex virtual reality is vs. a simple line of blue text we know as a link. Though one is so much more complex, they are based of the very same concepts.

Final Project First Idea

I want to play with still and moving pictures. I like the aspect of seeing moving video pausing on a still image. It is interesting to see where images derived from. The idea that if you didnt see that initial video before the pause on the still image, you would have not known how that picture came about. Music will be a big part of it. I want to either write or find some music with a mysterious mood, strong beat, and something with lots of pauses. An idea may be to take video capturing the club experience...maybe from a dj's perspective? How the dj's choices influence the mood and energy of the people dancing. I think it would be cool to incorporate the still images of the club, with the fast paced dancing video would capture-intertwining the experiences.

Political Ad

Midterm Critique of Jason Freedman: Sound Artist

Jason Freedman's work is truly one of a kind. Not only has he brought many new definitions to the word artist, he has turned imagination into reality. Artists such as John Cage and William Burroughs could only conceptualize the ideas behind the projects Jason Freedman has created. Freedman uses technology to his advantage in the three works Flock, Flou and the I-Tunes Signature Maker. All three of the pieces are ground-breaking in what can, has, and will be done in the user-generated art of the future.

Using this technology, a never before seen world can be entered in Freedman's Flou piece, where immersion is just the beginning. Freedman connects the viewer’s senses, putting them behind the controls of a small space ship, free to explore a virtual environment. Entering a sphere looking shape of color, the viewer’s ears are stimulated with your space craft engulfed in the world of Flou. The user is free to fly around and create their own artwork, from sphere to sphere, or sound to sound.


This idea Flou uses is similar to Burroughs’ idea of non-linear fiction. With Flou, Freedman takes Burroughs’ idea to a new level. Here, the user has 100% control over where they want to go, where as Boroughs cut and pasted directions for the user to go. Not only that, Freedman gives his user multiple types of media all at once, contrary to Burroughs’ text, once again, Freedman exploring new realms of art. Freedman’s work fascinates the mind, as I moved on to Flock.

Flock takes some of the ideas Flou uses, and brings them to life in a totally new way. Again, completely user-generated like Flou, Flock uses real world group of people in an enclosed space to create art. This time the “artists, users, or participants,” whatever one may call them, by moving and dancing with lights on their heads, create musical notes, musical notation, and a video animation all in real time. Once again, Freedman successfully creates a piece of art that is a 100% different experience for each viewer. Flock is revolutionary and is something that not many artists can or will ever achieve. Something interesting to think about: What is the art in Flock? Is it the final product? Is it the installation of Flock? Is it the individual experience of the creators/participants? I couldn’t find myself with a better answer than all of the above. The art is everything. That’s what’s beautiful about Flock.

Finally, after being blown away by Freedman’s imagination I tested out his I-Tunes signature maker. Not surprising, it a completely individual experience. In fact, one of the coolest parts about this piece is how it interacts differently with the viewer than both Flock and Flou. Instead of the user creating the new artwork, this piece creates the artwork from the viewer and about the viewer. Since the final piece is created from the viewers custom music library, the final piece says something about the viewer, in terms of their musical tastes, similar to how a painting may show something about how an artist views nature for instance. This is just another type of immersion Freedman is exploring, immersion similar, but very different than in his other two pieces, Flock and Flou.

Freedman is using Art to explore technology and how humans and technology can interact, becoming artistic partners in the creation of a piece. When will the line between humans and computers intertwine? I would be extremely interested to see what Freedman comes up with in the future. He is completely crossing lines and creating what has never before been created. The best part is the fact that the creation will never stop with Jason Freedman. With each piece, he hands the creation to us. The artwork of Jason Freedman is just the beginning of his legacy. The beauty only starts with his tools. That is revolutionary.


Make Music with Light...
A new angle...Going A Step Further...
In action!

John McCain is to OLD!

John McCain is too old!

John McCain is more of the same old politics, and more of the same old politicians that have plagued Washington for pretty much my whole lifetime. We need a President who can stand on his own (not in a wheelchair) and lead us out of our current crisis! Who knows, McCain could develop Alzheimer's by the time he gets in office.

We need a President who can STAND for our country!

"Art, if you want a definition of it, is criminal action"

After reading John Cage's essay again, I really found it interesting. He's right, art is criminal in how it "conforms to no rules". Continuing on Cage's ideas, into the future, art is going to become even more criminal with the help of the computer. As we know, the creation of "4:33" was revolutionary in the sense that the composer wasn't just one person, or one artist, but the audience as well. This is huge. The computer will go on to show us how much of a criminal art really is - and how badass it can be. Artists are going where they have never gone before with digital artwork, sometimes completely user-generated. Rather, the person viewing the art, creates their own 100% personalized experience branching off only in a direction the original artist pointed them in. This creates for endless boundaries that Cage only began to conceptualize.

Dream Sequence Sound Project

I used a hand recorder to record sounds such as the tv, snoring, doors opening and closing, cell phone ringers, etc. Then, I paired them with a variety of sounds from AU's Audio Tech sound library to really make the dream come alive. Be sure to turn it up loud, and listen through a speaker system or headphones to get the full experience. Enjoy!

Burroughs invents Hypertext? Kinda...

I had to read this essay twice. After the first time, I didn't really understand the cut-up or fold-up technique because of the complex language he used to describe such a simple physical thing. Then I realized, that these techniques are just physical techniques to create the same effect that a hypertext does online. Or at least that's how I perceived it. One must keep in mind that these guys were working in the 1950s and 60s so their ideas were pretty innovative as well as never before seen. The way they connect it to space and time is very interesting. Clearly, they had bigger visions for the idea than hypertext, but I'm sure that they would be satisfied with its unlimited boundaries on the internet.

What is the artist's final goal?

When first walking down the stairs and recognizing the installation, I became quite curious. What was the artist trying to achieve? Surely he wants to engulf the viewer in his artwork. Though, I thought the artist must be seeking something deeper. With the ceiling creating a round dome over you, lights could potentially be placed anywhere in the final product, creating literally anything the artist could imagine. I am really excited to see the final piece, as I believe it will truly be one of a kind in form and in mind.

Situational Tour

The rustle of the metro calms in the distance,
gravel crunches with each step,
the sun slaps the back of your neck.

Looking back, you are one of many,
the Capital, so powerful in the distance.

Approaching,
Sweat rolls down your cheek,
a smile widens.

Some sit to relax,
others continue the journey
attracted, envious.

The base coming into view...
follow the path...
you're almost there.

The tallest point in the city,
So meaningful, powerful.
So insignificant, powerless.
Freedom roars in front of you,
ever so quietly.
the flags wont stop waving,
You wont forget.
You continue.
Your shadow lengthens.
The beat of your heart quickens.

Shes behind you now, but shes made her mark.
her beauty nearly touches your feet.

Holding their ground,
they occupy,
but I'm sure they'll share.

A family,
undisturbed.

eye contact.
a moment.
then part.

re-united.
that final point.
you've made it.
glaring at you so proud.

Sit back.
Relax.
Take in the moment.
the peace.
the gratitude.
the serenity.

Engulfed in a Different Reality

I found the narrative in the installation A Season in Hell to be very interesting. Upon entry, the installation immediately sets the mood, with the darkness, cool air and audio. Then once one begins reading in the first part, the language used adds even more to this alternate reality being created. One sees things once familiar to them, such as political buildings and figures but this time in a new context, construing their previous impression. These figures and events once familiar, are re-introduced, and in a way re-created by the installation in a way never before seen. I thought this was the most interesting: how the installation took figures and events once familiar to the viewer and re-created them inside this new context to make them once again unfamiliar and new.
With that, the narrative was able to recreate feelings and understandings of political and social conditions during times of crisis through our minds seeing these events in the new and unfamiliar context of the installation. This is very powerful, as once doesn’t expect such a shock when walking into such an exhibit. The artist was able to immerse a viewer in such an environment where their previous outlook could be totally left behind, putting them in this alternate reality.

Situational Tour Idea

The National Mall represents a lot about our country.  History has been made there, time and time again, making this location very powerful in what it represents to people.  Its significance to our country is one hard to grasp, as it means so much for what this country stands for and what our country has become.  It is a symbol of freedom and a symbol of peace.

 

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Birth of a new world

I found the "Birth of a New Medium" piece very informative and interesting. I think it is really cool to think about how these scientists came up with these basic ideas of storing information that would lead to something as complex as the Iphone. This is why I chose my title. Computer memory opens up a new world of possibilities as we, living in this generation, have begun to experience in the wonders of new technology. Its not going to stop either. With new technologies being created everyday, I don't see why this generation of technology wont begin to grow exponentially deeper into the future. The building blocks that these scientists began to construct work only upwards in what can be created next- a computer as complex as the human brain?

Candice Breitz's Mother + Father: What is the goal? Up to the viewer's interpretation?

The piece titled Mother + Father by Candice Breitz really struck me as bizarre. Though, as I watched it more and more, the emotion really struck me. The out of context presentation of these character’s dialog while only capturing their figure against a black backdrop really allowed for the viewer to pay attention to the character and their emotion. Breitz also utilized repetition of certain phrases, sounds, and expressions to further stimulate her audience. I found all of these aspects to be fascinating as the piece was my favorite in our museum visit.
After viewing the piece, I began to try and put myself in the artist’s shoes to see what they may have been trying to achieve, and further, if they had achieved that in me as a viewer. It was clear that emotion stood out. The shouts, the cries, the anger and the seriousness were presented very well, allowing the viewer to easily connect to the characters, sometimes passionately. In my opinion, this was a strength of the piece. I figured this must have been a goal of the artist based of the fact that it was done so well.
Though, the more I reflected on my viewing of Mother + Father, the more I realized how much one could get out of it. How it could be interpreted in so many ways. A Mother or Father viewing the piece could react totally differently than I, as a son viewing the piece. That also brings me to think about the artist once more. Is she a mother? Could that have influenced her to create the piece in the first place?
Mother + Father is a remarkable piece of art to be interpreted by the individual viewer, however that may be. I think this is what makes it so special.

a new generation of digital artwork

Viewing digital artwork using computers has changed how we will experience artwork forever.  Using the program "yellowtail" one can see just how interactive this new generation of art can allow us to be.  The viewer now can be just as much an artist as the creators themselves.  There are no limits on mediums such as these because the content has no boundaries.  The creator of something such as "yellowtail"  only goes as far to set the stage for what the next artist (the viewer) can then create.  

This new experience is dramatically different than for instance a painting in a museum.  The obvious difference is this second generation of creativity that leads to dramatically different content than the first artist may have even aimed for.  This is something a painting can never achieve.  A painting is locked in its present form and only open to interpretation.  This digital art is open to interoperation, then open to transformation through the imagination of the viewer.  This leaves endless possibilities as the power of computers and the complexities of digital art work together.