Is this 4D?

A tumblr blog created for my 4D Foundations class. Let's see what happens.

[thisis4d]

An interview with Ai Weiwei – Clarissa Sebag-Montefiore – Aeon

Ai Weiwei is back in production with his Fake studio and his team of assistants. What does art mean now to the dissident?

[thisis4d]

[thisis4d]

Performance Art - What's next?

Reading Response to Performance: A Hidden History by Roselee Goldberg

Roselee Goldberg describes the history of performance art as a diverse radical medium which accompanies and even ushers in the avant-garde of social, political, and artistic change. Artists who wished to challenge the establishment and its role in determining artistic values took their message to the public. Some of the early examples in the article show that often times, this "public" was limited to other artists and their colleagues and friends - small cafes and theaters were popular venues. However, in later examples, it seems that this audience is expanded to the more general public, who most likely has a varied knowledge of and relationship to art.  

Despite the difficulties in evaluating this ephemeral art form, it has now made its way into the official art world as an important medium worthy of study and "exhibition". Goldberg believes that this won't change performance's essential character as a cultural catalyst. I think this is possibly true - for a while. However, once the fringe is accepted into the establishment fold, it loses much of its power and outsider perspective. I think it is more likely that some other medium will develop and evolve as artists continue to search for new radical ways to express the art of the future.   

[thisis4d]

Twenty Verbs & 3 Drawings

To see

To observe

To watch

To judge

To mimic

To pose

To perform

To objectify

To react

To project

To empathize

To fear

To feel

To shame

To hide

To free

To release

To blind

To hide

To be

[thisis4d]

Here's my little video.  Time, both implied and actual, speeds up... coffee helps.

Artist Statement:

Video is a perfect medium for playing with actual and implied time.   It can capture that compelling feeling that time is moving at a glacial pace or flying by faster than we can handle.  I wanted to experiment with creating that feeling using sound and images as well as a subject matter that in and of itself has the effect of enhancing speed – caffeine.  I think human empathy is an essential part of how we experience visual imagery.  When we witness another person experiencing an emotion or in state of mind that we ourselves have experienced, our brain actually responds as though we are in their same state of mind or feeling that same emotion.  I relied on that capacity for empathy in the hopes of connecting with the viewer.  It has been scientifically demonstrated that when humans see another person yawn, most unconsciously yawn in response.  That was meant as my hook – draw in the viewer and force a yawn before hitting the caffeine.  And, hopefully the coffee scenes made a few mouths water in anticipation of the inevitable dance-inspiring buzz.   

[thisis4d]

Reading Response - Time & Motion

One of the most intriguing aspects of art which utilizes time and motion is the ability to imply the passage of time or motion by consciously choosing techniques which alter the viewer’s experience and perception of the piece.  A piece like The Quintet of Remembrance by Bill Viola, which explores the human expression of strong emotions, is a compelling example of the potential impact of implied/actual time and motion.  The artist recorded one minute of people’s changing facial expressions as they experienced emotions such as joy, anger, and fear.  Through film manipulation, he created a sixteen minute film, slowing down the actual motion to the point where the changing movement in the faces is barely perceptible.  The viewer can’t experience the piece just by walking by.  He or she must actually stop in order to perceive the changing expressions.  One minute of footage – the actual time – is stretched to sixteen minutes which successfully implies a longer passage of time within the piece as well as creating an actual length of time for the film.  Such extreme modifications of familiar expressions force our brains to re-evaluate the images before us.  The emotions of the faces, in their slowed state, are accentuated and our own empathetic experience to them is extended.  A long, slow-motion event which sharpens our perceptions is unlikely to be forgotten very quickly.  

[thisis4d]

Baptism by Lava

fun with photoshop

[thisis4d]

This is a happy hippo dancing to Brass in Pocket.  I hope it makes you smile.

[fylatinamericanhistory]

Manuel Álvarez Bravo (February 4, 1902 – October 19, 2002) was Mexico’s most prominent artistic photographer and is considered one of the most important figures in 20th century Latin American photography. 

[zahnoir]

[pixiesandpaisley]

Where do you think you’re going young man

[cheapwineandsixbucks]

I tried so hard and got so farrrrr. But in the end, IT DOESN’T EVEN MATTERRRR!!!!

[lumberjackgentleman]

[thisis4d]

Project 3: GIFS (Series 2)

Water Series - Artist Statement

I like the way water moves and wanted to try my hand at some animation. My goal was to design simple and clean gifs that worked in a loop.  I learned a lot about how to use Photoshop but still felt limited by my minimal skills.  The more complicated I got, the less I liked the results.  I think a whole series with the rubber ducky would have been perfect. 

[augustinbarbosa]

[augustinbarbosa]

[ambrosehad]

[thisis4d]

hilariously mesmerizing. :)

[thisis4d]

Project 3: Artist Statement

Long Shots Disrupted

The long shot in film is a classic mechanism to heighten tension and anxiety. I tried to distill each of these scenes down to their essential moments.  The story is there but all the tension is gone.  GIFs tend to be reductive: they reduce moments to a few bare seconds.  The beauty and drama is gone.  We should slow down more often. Avoid the gape-mouthed trance that comes from re-living a moment endlessly.  This would be good for us.

[bakervillia]