Chris Beach - GMU Blog

MindTouch

2009-12-08T09:38:00.000-08:00

A project by Camille Baker of the Smartlab Digital Media Institute, MindTouch is an ambitious dream of sorts. Its overarching background principle, according to the artist herself, is to deal with themes such as presence, in such audacious ways as exploring the idea of shared dreams during and after sleep.

Of course there are other more conventional project objectives such as collaboration and networked performance, and by themselves would make a fine project and artwork. I'm not sure how she's going to accomplish the primary idea, since a dream is so personal and difficult to understand for outside observers, but it's respectable simply because of how interesting and daring the project goals are. It will be great to see where the artist takes these projects, and if she is successful, what it means for our culture.

For more info check out SmartLab's coverage at: http://smartlab.uel.ac.uk/2projects/mindtouch.htm

Almost Perfect...

2009-11-30T18:54:00.000-08:00

The project, "Almost Perfect Co-Production Residency" is about locational art. The Banff National Park's Rocky Mountains are the setting, and the project aims to decouple us from our harried technologized existence and face a more elemental side of life. The project aims to explore many forms of locational art using the medium of outdoor space. Led by Jeremy Hight, Fee Plumley, and Laura Silver, this project takes our ability to craft from the desktop to a much larger canvas.

The quintessence of creativity lies in the unconventional. As such, projects like this are key, not only to understanding their contexts (which, in this case, may be context itself), but to understanding the very nature and fabric of what it is to be an artist. It is one thing to reproduce a painting flawlessly, or to construct a photorealistic portrait. But similarly in stature and equally in creativity - and perhaps moreso - is the skill and craft of generating a new concept or pushing an existing idea to its next evolutionary step. This project is praiseworthy because it takes itself out of the conventional media on which we are all so accustomed to being the only way of doing things.
More info here: http://aranar.blogspot.com/2008/11/almost-perfect-banff-new-media.html

Frontier

2009-11-30T18:46:00.000-08:00

The project "Frontier" by Doug Aitken is a spectacle of screens contained within a room to produce a powerful effect that would not be accomplished by a single monitor. The goal is to blur the line between fiction and reality. On the Turbulence post is more information.

One of the coolest elements of this project, in my opinion, is the fact that the entire enclosure contains no roof. This omission of an enclosed space gives a sense of what I imagine would feel like transience to the environment. Should the artist have included a roof, the entire structure would feel wholly artificial (Matrix-like) but in this form, the project should appear much more realistic and immersive to the participant/viewer.
More info at the artist's site here: http://www.dougaitkenworkshop.com/

Subvertisement

2009-11-19T09:26:00.000-08:00

This project is about taking an ad and visually creating some kind of commentary which disputes or impugns that ad.

After some consideration I found a topic that I thought would be a good choice. The title of this work is "The oPhone." As was suggested in a previous class, I've focused on one specific element rather than on a large topic. The project is about how President Obama's choice to appoint a large number of czars appears almost like he has created a personal toolbox to handle situations without the oversight of a collective set of advisors. Some people see this as an overcentralization of power, and while it is probably only an organizational effort, perhaps it could have been approached in a different way.

Black Shoals Planetarium

2009-11-16T09:02:00.000-08:00

Again, Turbulence delivers a fascinating story. The Black Shoals Stock Market Planetarium is, at first glance, merely a pretty star chart. Upon closer inspection, this work by Lise Autogena and Joshua Portway not only reacts to a huge influx of publically traded companies, but does so in such a way that causes the stars to cluster into groups which have similarities. On top of that, the display is programmed to generate artificial life forms which feed off of the light of strong stock-representational "stars", which form communities, devour other lifeforms, and interact with the "universe" on the whole.

This is the first turbulence post I've seriously wanted to visit, unfortunately due to its location in Denmark, I doubt it will happen anytime soon. Regardless, the technological and artistic innovation in this work is amazing to me. To combine The Game of Life with a planetarium that's reactive to our own "corporate monsters" is a very relevant topic to this week, but is just flat-out awesome regardless.

More info here.

Subvertisement: John Berger

2009-11-11T08:23:00.000-08:00

John Berger, our focus for the topic Subertisement, is a grand master of its practice and theory. If the image above is as sinister as I've made it out to be in my perception, the catchphrase, "Things happen after a badedas bath." becomes a message of fear, even terror, as this strange man outside peeps on, and perhaps stalks this woman in what we see as her own home.

I'm looking forward to exploring this topic, it will be fun to use sarcasm in the form of our in-class movie, "The Corporation" not, mind you, to insult aimlessly a corporation which we consider an irritant, but to create a real cultural, functional, or marketing-based critique on how a given entity, represented in advertisement, conducts itself on a daily basis.

Perhaps not completely about Subvertisement, but I noticed an article on Berger at Turbulence. You can read more on the topic here.

Happiness Hat

2009-11-03T09:10:00.001-08:00

In this post on turbulence, one Lauren McCarthy has devised a hat containing a "smile detector" and a metal spike which drills into your head if you begin to frown.

This was too bizarre not to write about. Can you say coercion? This headgear unintentionally (or perhaps intentionally) speaks to elements of society we don't fully notice, where people are perhaps forced or at least coerced by society to wear a smile at all times. After all, if you smile at the world, the world smiles back. What happens if we stop smiling?

More info here: http://lauren-mccarthy.com/happinesshat/

Montage

2009-11-03T08:46:00.000-08:00

This week I've integrated the video and still projects under a project I'm calling Priorities. I'm still not sure how to compress my video such that the audio will work, so I have refrained from uploading any corrupt animations until this issue is resolved in class. However, the two stills are available.

First, this realistic image, entitled "Pleasant Obfuscation" seeks to contrast the disparity between what we see on a daily basis, what seeks to hold our attention (usually for monetary gain) and how these things exclude the more dire elements of life, especially poverty. We really are a culture with our heads in the sand in regard to third world life.

I call this next image "My Generation" because I think that people my age tend to have, in a macroscopic sense, an inordinate amount of selfishness and an extreme sense of entitlement. I don't mean to say that I'm not selfish at times, or that I don't ever feel entitled to things, only that, to me, this seems like a large enough cultural phenomenon to explore artistically.

Images updated and reduced to fit web format. Full resolution images are available upon request, and were used for printed copies.

Norman White: We Fix Toasters

2009-10-27T23:59:00.000-07:00

Comically, and poignantly, White's work exudes the true sense of art in this post on Networked Performance. The intent seems to be to create whimsical gadgetry out of ordinary objects, hence the title of the series. White describes himself as an 'expert in doing things the wrong way', and values displaying his creations in places not normally expected, as in, places where art 'should not be' in the eyes of the casual observer.

From my perspective, I can't tell whether it's more appropriate to laugh or ponder at inventions such as a "helpless robot" who ends up being a complete jerk, and a demanding one at that! Moreover, robots performing noisy sexual acts or, one other piece involving a mechanical eye popping out of a painting leave one to wonder where this inventor gets his crazy ideas. Regardless, it is quintessentially creative, and his choice to display these machinations in the oddest of places leaves one with a feeling of high regard for this artist motivated so strongly by the desire to create.

For more information, check out White's Art.

Brian Knep: Exempla

2009-10-19T16:31:00.000-07:00

In a half-depressing, half-enlightening commentary on contemporary society, Knep uses cartoonish drawings projected onto walls to make statements about how he sees the world. From Turbulence, The pieces are more about futility than emergence. The works use child-like drawings to examine the illusions that drive us, in a humorous way. The creatures, with their huge, exaggerated faces and skeletal legs, are caricatures of the endlessly cycling everyman. You can find the original story here.

I appreciate the type of artwork that simultaneously laughs at itself and at the people around it, though often I find that it is much more palpable to laugh with others, it is undeniable that there is a great social impact to laughing at ourselves now and then. This undertaking seems to exemplify that attitude, and is therefore worth at least some attention. Hopefully Mr. Knep will achieve his desired result, despite the dreary nature of the meaning behind these works being rather somber, and pensive. More information can be found on Knep's work at his website.

2009-10-10T00:44:00.000-07:00

Anybody with the following conditions should not attend ZEE: photosensitive epilepsy; asthma, breathing and heart problems; abnormal blood pressure; migraine & headaches; all kinds of eye & ear diseases; claustrophobia or anxiety. Pregnant women are also advised to refrain from attending. Or so reads the Turbulence Post about one Kurt Hentschläger's half-installation, half immersive experience, and half something I can't put my finger on. This artist uses light and shadow with fog to create a dramatic personal experience, not for someone who could even be called a viewer, so much as a participant.

This display/installation pushes the bounds of what art is, it takes a normally passive experience and turns it into something engaging and dynamic. I think that pulling the viewer into the work in this way is exceptional, and that more art of this form would be welcome in a world where so much of what we do and see can sometimes reach a state of monotony. I hope that art like this is well-received, as it shows a daring on the part of the artist that is worthy of some respect indeed.

More information can be found on this artist at http://www.kurthentschlager.com/

Virtual Choreography in Second Life

2009-10-05T17:59:00.001-07:00

In this Choreography has always been a fundamental medium of artistic communication throughout the ages. Today, may I direct your attention to a more futuristic, and perhaps slightly more lighthearted implementation of this visceral art form: a dance simulation over the internet. One Alan Sondheim will produce a choreographic display utilizing the medium of the Second Life online gaming engine.

I've always thought that the prospect of living a "second life" without any sort of game objective was a bit strange, but to each his own - perhaps this "canvas" will be a great artistic medium of the future. Other concerns over environment, for instance, will be held in the same medium by Lily Honglei. I often enjoy interesting performances, and this idea is nothing if not intriguing. This up-and-coming usage of new media should prove most progressive.

2009-09-29T00:08:00.000-07:00

The :Tuvalu Visualization Project: is a photographic networked performance intended to acquire knowledge regarding the status of the island, to improve worldwide interest and awareness, and to receive feedback from the rest of the planet. Another goal relates to concern over the possibility that Tuvalu may one day be covered underwater via potential rising sea levels due to global warming.

:On the main site: there are a few goals to be accomplished: first, it seeks to record 10,000 Tuvaluans, in order to further facilitate the project. Next, it works to acquire a vast repository of GPS photography on the island. Finally, :Photosynth: shows the results. This project is certainly a massive undertaking but is truly an intriguing work of art in the realm of photography and perhaps as importantly, in innovation. Google Earth is a fascinating and useful tool, and utilizing it in this way is a great and progressive endeavor.

Absence / Presence

2009-09-22T01:08:00.000-07:00

In this project we are exploring the visceral effect of superimposing one image where we would commonly expect another. I've chosen the following themes, I hope they will be appreciated, and of some interest!

Note: The following links are reduced in size, for the full size images see bottom links on this post.

Series 1) Empathy

Series 2) Dissonance

Series 3) Extras

These images were not sized correctly, so are not intended as part of the assignment series per se, however, since they represent some hours of effort, I've uploaded them as a "bonus" - please do not consider these when evaluating the assignment's requirements. Thanks!

Extra #1 "Thrill of the Hunt" Part 1, Part 2
Extra #2 "Team Spirit" Part 1, Part 2
Extra #3 "Shock" Part 1, Part 2
Extra #4 "Nimbus" Part 1, Part 2

Disclaimer: This project in NO WAY is intended to impugn the hardships or deep and honest feelings of anyone. The choice of subject matter was intended to elicit an emotional reaction in the viewer based on the connotation of the contrasting images, and not as any form of ideological statement.

Full Size Links: e1, e2, e3, d1, d2, d3

Donkijote.org

2009-09-22T00:16:00.000-07:00

At :this link:, there exists a remarkable account of a man and his ass. No, really! Cristian "P.ankh" Bettini has developed a system to use GPS technology (combined with a mobile web-enabled computer and a camera) to create a lasting digital memorial of Asturias. This is a knowledge memorial in many respects, and is an interesting venture into the possibilities available when the organic is paired with our latest tools.

For more information, check out http://www.donkijote.org/ - This idea is quite a blast from the past, it's a sharp contrast between the "packmule" approach and the high-tech buzz on its back, but I thought this might be an especially relevant choice given my subject matter for Absence/Presence. In my opinion, the idea of blending this technological approach with a desire to create a cultural heritage is worth some degree of respectful recognition. Perhaps these videos will become a popular documentary one day!

2009-09-14T17:00:00.000-07:00

Human-Computer Interaction Design is a fascinating upcoming field involving the systematic design of our computational tools to better facilitate human efficiency. One such example of this field can be found in the realm of Augmented Reality, where the virtual and physical worlds collide. At this :link: on Turbulence, one Christian Jacquemin has developed a system blending architecture, computer graphics, and computer science in order to accomplish goals ranging from seafaring digital performances to concerts that can be played between a real organ and its digital twin.

This is an amazing field to me. It reminds me of the Jetsons, but in such a way that it is not whimsical, but practical, solving real-world problems, even if those problems are simply finding a better way to enjoy a performance. I believe that Human-Computer Interaction as a field is set to grow tremendously in the next few years and that these types of projects are the beginnings of a critical cultural revolution toward a holistic blend of technology and "real life," rather than the common way we interpret "reality" and "computer" today.

WoW - Emergent Media Phenomenon

2009-09-04T14:11:00.000-07:00

In :this link:, Turbulence exposits MMO players' artistic works which are derived from the Warcraft universe, specifically World of Warcraft. The article notes that gaming is an activity that encompasses a large population, and that it holds the potentiality for great impact on society.

:Here:, you can see more detail about what works of art made the exhibit. It's not suprising at all that a world as expansive as WoW can act as an influence for great visual design. I find some of the artwork (the sculpture above, in particular) to be rather astonishingly crafted. In my opinion, this is a great business link between marketing, and allowing developers to interact with their playerbase on a first-person level.