Video Art Project

Miku Hatsune

Wow. The future.  Falling for Miku Hatsune is not unheard of.  She is a virtual celebrity. A Japanese Icon.  Whether she is in a fully animated music video, or a 3D performance, she is perfect in every way.

This engineered star is not only appealing, but she is dependable.  Some wonder why many would pay to see a cartoon dance on stage to an automated song.  I asked myself the same question before looking into this character.  However, it seems as if the music, other than the lead singer audio, is all played live. The quality of these performances are perfect and seem very fun.  I would most likely purchase a ticket just for the experience.

The interesting thing about Miku Hatsune is that everything about her is fabricated.  Her voice is even software generated.

The entertainment aspect, is what the patrons pay for.  Miku Hatsune has become a celebrity in Japan. Just like a real person. But she is more perfect.

Kraftwerk

Kaftwerk is an interesting electronic music band.  Their sound seems so advanced for when it was released.  The idea that this song came out in the 1960's is bizarre.  Obviously, this band became the foundation for not only songs that were released in the 1980's but also what is still being created today. The sounds made in this song have been converted into easily accessible loops.  However, the creativity of this group is unparalleled in its own way.

Mapping at a Festival in France

Scopitones

The early examples of music videos embodied the true motivation of the music industry.  The sneak peek into a performance made consumers want to own the music displayed in the videos.  This gave listeners something to remember while listening to the record.  This also gave the listener the illusion that they were seeing a live performance.  This money maker enhanced the experience of music for everyone.

Advertising vs Propoganda

   

     We all know what advertising is.  We see television ads, bilboards, and pop-ups daily.
     But how do we define propaganda? What do we think of when we hear that word?  The first thing that pops up in my mind is political campaigning.  The propaganda that we have just been relieved from in this last election has given us all a headache.  The negative and generally incorrect ads displayed about the presidential candidates did not encourage positivity, it encouraged negativity.  Thusfar, advertisements show what is positive about a product, person, or event.  Propaganda, whether negative or positive, pushes an opinion on a community or a group of people.  We were just unfortunate enough to be recently bombarded by their negative side. 

Sex on the Beach - Flash Mob

This is my favorite flash mob because of the scenery.  The crowded beach was not expecting a multitude of dancing spurring from one colorful character.  The first character is another reason why this flash mob is so amazing.  This is the only one that I have seen where one of the dancers is obviously out of place from the beginning of their appearance.  Not to mention the dynamite performance.

Performance Art

My performance art piece captures how I feel technology has influenced me. I had my friend Jacy bind herself with wire in public. The idea was that she knew exactly what she was doing and how the connectivity of technology physically bogs us down. Regardless of what gadget we have, we always need another. Whether we are weighed down by a laptop, cell phones, ipods, or a gps, we always crave for something more. But what happens when we pile on too much? How can we harness technology without tying ourselves up? Even though technology has gotten smaller physically, I feel mentally caught up with some form of technology all the time. Thats why I chose to go to the beach. Despite the idea that many go there to relax, most are still connected to the virtual web somehow. If our mind is tied up, how can we explore whats really in front of us?

Eva and Adele

These artists are incredibly influential to not only the art world, but also the expansion of conciousness in general. Eva, who is biologically male, who legally was able to be married to Adele, made it known that they were to be married as two women together. The idea that these two people are inseperable is not only incredibly romantic, but also a form of art in itself. Their appearance at a gallery is automatically a performance in itself. The research that I have found on this couple brings the reality that love and romance  can be artistic. The unbridled expression is admirable.

Brion Gysin

This is well known for using the "cut up" technique. This was an interesting movement because it questioned and gave words in a paragraph new purpose. While this was coming around, the pop art movement had begun. The hybridization of these two methods take pop art and create meaning with typography.
Gysin is also known for his creation of the dream machine. This device allowed someone to experience art with their eyes closed. His innovative way if thinking is what inspired many contemporary artists today.

Xerox battle

Iconoclasm

While researching this subject, I immediately related iconoclasm with the art created by Orlan. Iconoclasm is  the purposeful destruction and reconstruction of religious icons.  Even though Orlan was not intending to offend any particular religion, her self hybridization portraits emphasize beauty in different cultures.  This would be considered iconoclastic because it makes the viewers wonder and criticize those cultures.

McCarthyism

The crucible, a historic witch hunt brought about by chaos and horrible accusations. The Salem witch trials conducted in America's dark corner of history emphasizes the hysteria that Americans are so susceptible to. McCarthyism is the term which defines the suspicion in the air from the early 1950's. Neighbors turned against each other, isolation of anyone who voiced alternate political opinions. 

We all know that as Americans, we should be able to comfortably voice our beliefs. The insane hysteria displayed at the salem witch trials, and in the era of McCarthyism, is even apparent today. With the evolution of the terror scares in the USA, I have personally seen anyone with muslim heritage not only be shunned by the population, but also discriminated against by the government. It is no coincidence that we generally see a certain type of person searched extra carefully in the TSA line at the airports. I have heard it personally from people that I trusted.  The suspicion exemplified in the McCarthyism era is still happening, we have just shifted our focus to make an entire culture our scapegoat. 

Bauhaus

Bauhaus was an incredible influence on the art world during the first world war.  While he not only nudged art toward the future, he also greatly defined modernist architecture. His efforts resulted in multiple schools for the arts in Germany and an irreversible change to the dynamics of art.  His style embraced modernism and pushed it into something that had been slow moving for a long time.  The way that he constructed buildings was similar to the cubist movement that was happening in traditional art. 

His biggest struggle was with the Nazi rule. However, with their defeat in WWI, censorship was abolished and art could really leap forward.  Bauhaus has influenced architecture everywhere and has made incredible art functional. 

Shy guy. Grid art.

Grid art made from Legos.

Dada manifesto

Dada is a deconstruct from art. It is so unique because it questions the whole idea and theme behind classic art. Anything can be art.

Video games and bullying

Call of duty calls to children. Video games are fun. Anyone who has ever battled the goombas or played Wii tennis has felt the exertion of video game competition. But are these video games becoming too violent? Are American children being brainwashed to believe that shotguns are normal and grenades are cool? Probably a little. 

There is always a crazy person that screws everything up for everyone else. Video games are a media medium. They are rated, controlled, and hopefully supervised by parents. T here is no difference from the horror and gore on the television or  movies and video games.  The respinsibility resides with the parents as to what a child is exposed to. Therefore, if a child is susceptible to being bullied or actually bullying, a good parent is meant to notice and control the atmosphere.

Gameplay is intense. I have personally been put off by foul mouthed players over the internet. However, their pointed remarks of my emminent demise only reminded me that I was playing a game.  Those susceptible to bullying online are probably bullied elsewhere. Exposure to both video games and innapropriate movies can desensitise anyone.  The ability to control exposure is the most important thing.

Adobe in 1985, John Warnock

Adobe's relationship with Apple made the Macintosh computer valuable.  Mac was able to pair with Adobe to create a visual editing and printing process which altered the paths of graphic designers, photographers, video editors, and other media professions for years to come.

With Adobe's editing process and it's ability to print exactly what was on the screen, Apple was finally able to make progress in their fight against Big Blue.

Why is apple called apple and when did Steve Jobs come back to Apple?

Google! Steve's own nemesis gave me a very quick answer to why Apple is called Apple. On Apple's news website, OSXDaily.com, Paul Horowitz explains the name origin.  Steve Jobs was inspired by his experience working in California in apple orchards when he was younger. He described the word as "fun, spirited, and not intimidating."  He also ties the symbol of the Apple with Isaac Newton's discovery of gravity in his first apple logo.

Steve Jobs, after dabbling in Disney and Pixar animation, returned to his rightful position with Apple in  1996. With his promotion, he ousted unnecessary branches and developed what we know today as the most influential computer company of our generation. 

Raymond Kurzweil

The future, as described by this innovative mind, will be a synthesis of human power with technological progress. He believes that technology does not evolve linearly, it evolves exponentially.

His explorations include nanotechnology in medicine, artificial intelligence, and brain scanning technology. For example, he believes that the ideas from the minority report are not too far-fetched.
Hopefully, some of his ideas come true.  He predicts that by 2050, nanobots will greatly extend the human lifespan.