research essay due 12/10/13

project 7: i made great art

my gif was inspired by glitch, color, and movement. the picture that is in the frame was made by me, i stole a photo from matthew quick and added my own spin to it (the pineapples and apples), i wanted to create something that i could be proud of and i am very happy with how this turned out. there is a genre of music that is gaining popularity now called 'vaporwave'-- from the computer software vaporware (a software or hardware project that fails to be released to the public) vaporwave alludes to a disconnection or separation from reality presented through its original form, heard by a song's manipulation vs. its original source.

 the music is primarily made up of samples of contemporary r&b, smooth jazz, and exotica with heavy synthesized and processed sounds. there are lots of glitches and pitch-bendings in these songs and it inspired me to create something that could go along to that genre of music. the sounds of vaporware are dreamy and hyper-real which is what also draws me to creating this type of art because the music videos for a lot of the artists are dreamy, funky, and captivating in a weird way.

listen to an example here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=boJ0bOS9GoA&list=PL-Hcnw9yvGihZKBULxNssVtt4wDkFHlTA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BgiGpTcoP40&list=PL-Hcnw9yvGihZKBULxNssVtt4wDkFHlTA

youtube mixers:

youtube mixers is/was an exhibit put on by the digital media class art 345 at unr, the exhibit features student's multiple youtube videos playing at the same time--it created a chaotic atmosphere but it was very intriguing to see each artist individualize their work, no two pieces were similar (in my opinion any way).

one student's work that caught my eye was that of patrick zbella, his youtube mixer featured a bunch of people, a bunch of instruments, and a bunch of random places. these videos caught my eye because they were all very imaginative, the style of the videos were also interesting because they featured one person playing an instrument in a bizarre location (on train tracks when a train drives by, that is terrifying)i  was drawn to this piece because although the videos were taken in different locations and different instruments were used, they all seemed to kind of go together--there was a genuine cohesiveness about them that made me focus on them more so than the others.

going into the gallery i had no idea who the artist was who made those videos that i liked so much so i hopped on line and found the link to his student blog for that class! turns out i actually know patrick, he is in my photography class and it was really interesting to see his digital moving image art because i was used to seeing his photography in class. i knew something about his mixer seemed familiar, and it is because patrick has a consistent style in the way he makes art. it was really a cool experience for me to be able to see that, so i am very glad i entered that chaotic, hot, little room.

what new media is not

as more people seem to be interacting actively over the internet and other digital connectors, is the rapidly growing digital art realm diminishing the appreciation/need for the art that is physical, able to be manipulated in meat space, and how does this affect the way we see things outside of the digital world? is value lost or just being overlooked by something that is changing the definition of value all together to something that is more equipped to fit the needs of a digital society?

digital divide

fascination with analog (but not really analog)

this part of bishop's essay was particularly interesting to me because as she stated, there are apps that give off an analog feel without actually going through the analog process. one app that came to mind when she brought this up is the iPhone app called "Hipstamatic". Hipstamatic is a mock analog camera app where you purchase different "lenses" and "films" (even flashes) to create a nostalgic look and feel that is readily accessible through your cell phone. The app also has a feature where you can order prints of your photography and they range in all sizes/paper forms/ect... It is really interesting because it takes all the art out of the analog photography process, in the dark room you are able to make both accidental and deliberate art because of the way you manipulate your work, with this digitized way of making these images, all we are in control of is taking the picture, and adding more filters to it through other apps.

What I am trying to get at is, does this excessively easy way of "making art" actually count as "real art" when it isn't actually ~created~ by you?

project 5 - interventionist media

Pope Francis is currently the 266th pope of the Catholic church, and is well known for being "with the times." Pope Francis actively uses twitter, and is a very liberal thinker in such that he believes in many contemporary ideas. He has spoken out about the importance of woman-involvement in the church, and that they have an important role when it comes to spreading faith; more ideas that he shows understanding for are unwed mothers, homosexuality, and abolishing the abuse of children.

The reason i chose him for this assignment is to make a parody of what it means for someone of his stature to be "with it" and using his twitter page was the best medium for me to use because majority of the social sphere today revolves around different media sites, and twitter just happens to be one of the biggest.

I changed Pope Francis into Pimp Frankie, and translated his tweets into ebonics.

This was not intended to offend anyone, simply because the use of slang can imply that someone is with the times. I also photoshopped Pope Francis' face onto Slick Rick's, for comedic effect...

I was challenged with this project because the idea of me offending someone kept popping up in my head, and that was something i had to kind of ignore in order to achieve what i wanted to.

I may have gone a little overboard, and it kind of looks like a lame parody account, but i think i can fix that by taming the background of this image a little better.

project 4: video reenactment

the video i chose to remake was done by John Baldessari, an american conceptual artist known for his photographic art. the video is titled: "Six Colorful Tales: From the Emotional Spectrum (women)" initially, the run time for the video is 17:10, so i took the first (and most uncomfortable) story from the video to remake.

the excerpt i chose is called "Caught Red Handed (Shelly)" and it was so bizarre to me that these women would just sit in front of a camera and tell random, yet pivotal, stories of their past to a man with a strange beard.

http://www.ubu.com/film/baldessari_six.html

my reenactment:

project 4: video reenactment (caught red handed) from Alexx Jaramillo on Vimeo.

Q for reading 3

The chapter explains that there is kind of a difference between video and film, this is because film has to be treated and processed, and video records and reveals instant time... But don't modern digital media artists who use video as their central medium process and essentially treat their footage as well? They use computer programs to edit and mix sound instead of doing it the original way where film is cut and and put together to make a scene.

So is the distinction between the film maker and the video maker, their use of innovation and idea?
Because this is confusing, many of the artists that are brought up in this chapter use film because it was the prominent way to record footage.

Q for reading 2

What is so different about the painter and the cameraperson? Aren't both artists essentially altering the way they perceive reality, just through different mediums?

The cameraperson "penetrates deeply into (the subject's) web" ~~~ just an interesting idea that was proposed by Benjamin that i'd like to hear responses from.

project 3: Animation + Audio

Animation + Audio (Project 3) from Alexx Jaramillo on Vimeo.

project 2: animation

ANIMATION PROJECT from Alexx Jaramillo on Vimeo.

As my first ever go with After Effects, i'd have to say that i played it a little safe. When I first opened the program, I sat in the lab for 2 hours just staring at my imported diptych and i wanted to cry.
I was really inspired, however, by the video we saw in class Bonobo's "Cirrus"

I like the concept of turning something old into something new and disturbing, and i tried my best with this project. I feel as if my first animation was somewhat of a success, I definitely strayed from the original composition of my piece and it may seem like it has a lack of a sense of direction, but i think that kind of portrays who i am as well.

I was nearly in a fist fight with After Effects and I could not figure out how to end my video at the  actual ending which is at 12 seconds, not 30.. i need to go back in to Ae and figure out how to end it when it is over.

Q's for reading 1

Basic Animation Aesthetics
by David OReilly

Question 1:

Does the use of simple geometric shapes in creating the worlds in which we ~animate~ put a limit on what we can produce because it is such a simple tactic and so easy to manipulate?

Question 2:

Keeping the content of our animations consistent and coherent is a good thing according to OReilly because it creates a sense of reality within the animation, but because of that does it make it awkward and tacky if you were to take a risk and include something that seems realistic rather than geometric and obviously computer animated? (for example, my pizza picture, if i made that fly through a night sky like an airplane and my subject matter consisted of things that only felt real but didn't necessarily look real, would it be too off putting?)

project 1: introspective dipychs

BOHEMIAN:

a person, as an artist or writer who lives and acts free of regard for

conventional rules and practices. 

 by Alexx Jaramillo

“Bohemian” a phrase that describes a lifestyle of free thinking, earthiness, and creativity. As one who believes whole-heartedly that art is a way of thinking creatively, this word was the primary focus of this project.

Dissecting small aspects of what it means to be bohemian helped decide on the photos used. Each picture was picked out because it represents what the bohemian lifestyle is to my partner and I.

Good music, good vibes, artistic influence, and warm earthy colors are what helped this project unfold. I had no prior Photoshop experience before this, so I thought I’d try to put myself in the best “bohemian” environment I could to accomplish this task.

I sat inside my room with the curtains drawn and the windows wide open, I listened to the sounds of outside, and my music to create a good mood for working in, and then I just got to it.

Art isn’t supposed to have any restriction that is why there are so many different forms. I believe that being a bohemian is about a lot more than a person who doesn’t follow the conventional way of doing things, I believe that being bohemian means you are in touch with many things that only influence and inspire your creative works, be it music, poetry, photography, or art.

by: Jessica Dorado

 It wasn’t a week before I began this project that I was called “earthy,” however, I’ve been addressed before with similar references. I have a group of friends who still call me “Flower Child,” and I’ve had more than one person tell me I give off a “bohemian vibe.” It’s not that any of these references are rude, in fact most of the time they’re said lovingly (if not also with slight exasperation). Yet still, I can hear some underlying negative associations with the phrases. As if they believe me to be naïve. And though I’ve never been angered by these comments, my curiosity has intensified regarding the subject.

So I looked up the meaning of a Bohemian It’s “a person, as an artist or writer, who lives and acts free of regard for conventional rules and practices.”

I am a writer. And a photographer, which I suppose makes me an artist as well.  As for they way I live and act – I’ve been happier with the decisions I’ve made based off my own morals and thoughts, as opposed to those I’ve made based off what’s deemed appropriate by those around me.

So maybe I am a little bit of a bohemian at heart. But maybe we all should be. After all, everyone only has so much time in this world. We might as well dance to beautiful music, paint beautiful art, write beautiful words, and live in a way that ensures we’re content with the only person we’re entitled to live with for the rest of our lives – ourselves.