Video Art

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kuwzCIU6zpc

Performance Art

In another one of my classes, we read an article about how it's healthy for your brain to take a time out from technology every once in a while.  I drew inspiration from that to make my performance piece.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Maea87aabDA

Xerox Project

To do this project, I went to Kinkos and photocopied my hand a bunch of different times, moving it slightly and changing the position each time.  I used the different shapes my hands made to create tree roots.  I wanted to add some texture and color so the top portion is made out of real leaves.

ORLAN

Orlan directed a number of videos in which she is getting surgery.  If you watch these videos, you will quickly notice that these are not regular operations.  Orlan is awake during the whole process.  She wears costumes and reads from Michel Serres, "Le Tiers-Instruit".
When asked why she stages her surgeries, this was her response:

"The operating room would be my artist studio and its aesthetics had to be transformed to change this place in colorful and humorous ways.
I wanted to make a film, videos and photos from these surgical performances.

Each operation was designed from of a psychoanalytic text, literary, philosophical as La Robe by Eugenie Lemoine-Luccioni, or Le Tiers Instruit by Michel Serres. "

ORLAN

OPEN your EYES!

When watching Vito Acconci's "Pryings" in class, I have to admit that I didn't get it at first.  The whole time Vito Acconci is trying to open a woman's eyes.  No matter how hard he struggles, he can't seem to force the eyes open.  It made me really uneasy thinking about someone doing that me, and how uncomfortable it would be having someone doing that to me... OUCH.  Still, throughout the whole twenty minutes, she stays still.  

After watching the video again, I'm still unsure to the exact meaning of it.  I thought about it for a while and this is what I came up with:  No matter how hard someone can try to make you see something or force you to do something you don't want to, it is ultimately your decision if you want to be exposed to it or not.  I think that says a lot about today and the media.  You're exposed to so many different opinions, ideas, and images, but you decide what you want to take out of it.  I don't know if this is making much sense, but it's just a thought.

WATCH Vito Acconci - PRYINGS

Bauhaus

Bauhaus was a school of art that was most influential to modern design and architecture.  Designs were characteristically geometric and showed good craftsmanship.  It brought a new approach to architecture that integrated artistic design and modern technology.

Un chien Andalou - An Andalusian Dog

Un Chien Andalou is a French film released in 1929.  When we watched this film in class, I honestly had no idea what was going on the entire sixteen minutes.  It didn't seen to have a plot and even though it was really weird, the images were captivating and kept my eyes on the screen.  It starts out with a razor cutting an eyeball (which I later learned was a calf eyeball), and progresses into a series of well edited scenes.  Another scene that stood out to me was when ants were crawling out of a hand.  It was kind of disturbing and weird, but memorable nonetheless.  I think the editing was impressive and showed that it was ahead of it's time.

WATCH "UN CHIEN ANDALOU" ON YOUTUBE!