The video portrait I have created is entitled 'Self Portrait, One Hour', which is exactly what it is. Myself sat in front of the camera for an hour. I wanted to explore how conscience we are of the camera and ultimately watch myself back and see how I felt about the footage. The first half an hour there is people in the room with me and there is general conversation going on, I did this because I wanted to know how unaware I could be of the camera if distracted by other people despite the fact it being right in front of me. There was no strict plan as to what unfolded or what we spoke about, it was completely unscripted. On contrast to this, the second half of the footage is me by myself, alone with the camera. I wanted to get a juxtaposition and see how it looked also.
When looking back at the footage I found I couldn't watch it at first and was embarrassed of what I was seeing. It didn't seem plausible in my mind that that is how I looked. This is exactly what I wanted to happen, but to understand why we felt like this. The people whose voices are featured in the film, but you never see, also said they found it distressing to know that is what they sounded like. I had my anxieties, as such, playing out in front of me.
The piece itself is very simple and I like the idea that you can only see me when other things are going on and that the idea of a picture in the viewers mind is being built. I found when sitting in front of the camera time went by slowly and I was always aware I was being filmed, and make an effort not to look into the camera. What I found most fascinating from the footage i collected was in the last few minutes, there is only a second, where I am not conscience of the camera, and you can really tell, but seconds later I snap out of it. Different layers have appeared to come out of the footage that I wasn't aware of at the time but I am really pleased about.
When getting tutor feedback, they suggested I cut the piece for the exhibition show, and that people will definitely not watch the whole entire hour. To me this wasn't important as it wasn't about what the audience thought or picked up just as yet. I wanted to keep the footage raw.
Tuesday, 23 November 2010
Thursday, 18 November 2010
Self portrait Artists
Following on from our Cross Course Crit today, I got some useful information and ideas for my video portrait I am currently working on.
Marc Quinn has created a series of self portraits but has done them in a different unconventional sense. His piece entitled 'Self ', is of his head made out of his own blood, the exact amount that is in the human body. He took it from his body gradually over time in order to create this sculpture of his own head, which is encased in a freezer.
I was also suggested to look at the work of Cindy Sherman, who creates portraits in different outfits to portray different characters but they are always initially of herself.
I found looking at different suggestions helpful, but as I am working on my video piece at the moment, I want to find out how it looks from there, and that will give me more of a defined direction that I would like to take it to.
Images taken from : http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_s6gpY93_ouE/TNOQJLK_YFI/AAAAAAAAANE/PrNT-2QQ-r8/s400/MarcQuinn_self1991.jpg
http://www.heathercuriel.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/cindy_sherman.jpg
Marc Quinn has created a series of self portraits but has done them in a different unconventional sense. His piece entitled 'Self ', is of his head made out of his own blood, the exact amount that is in the human body. He took it from his body gradually over time in order to create this sculpture of his own head, which is encased in a freezer.
I was also suggested to look at the work of Cindy Sherman, who creates portraits in different outfits to portray different characters but they are always initially of herself.
I found looking at different suggestions helpful, but as I am working on my video piece at the moment, I want to find out how it looks from there, and that will give me more of a defined direction that I would like to take it to.
Images taken from : http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_s6gpY93_ouE/TNOQJLK_YFI/AAAAAAAAANE/PrNT-2QQ-r8/s400/MarcQuinn_self1991.jpg
http://www.heathercuriel.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/cindy_sherman.jpg
Tuesday, 16 November 2010
Tuesday Talks: David Batchelor
David Batchelor's talk was one of the best out of the Whitworth talks this term. His work is very much about colour and he talked about different ways he explored to manipulate colour. One of his biggest inspirations that he described as defining colour is in the classic film 'The Wizard of Oz', which I couldn't agree more with, even for it's age, the way colour has been expressed in the film is still one of a kind today. It was also quite reassuring that he said he found himself not working as an artist for over 10 years, and now he has books published of his work. This is inspiring because it shows that ideas and opportunities can come at any time and rather than wait around for 10 years, keep on working.
His work visually is stunning to look at but I liked the idea that it came from simple things, colour itself is such a simple thing but has so much power. He created sculpture work out of cheap toys he had bought from £1 shops and that just showed that it is so easy to go out there and find these things we see everyday and ignore and turn them into something we notice. He definitely seems a voyeur in the way that he is always looking out for new things around colour he can use in his work.
As a speaker, I found him very engaging, funny and also easy to follow and understand. It's becoming very clear through these talks I am attending it's very important on how you sell yourself as an Artist.
His work visually is stunning to look at but I liked the idea that it came from simple things, colour itself is such a simple thing but has so much power. He created sculpture work out of cheap toys he had bought from £1 shops and that just showed that it is so easy to go out there and find these things we see everyday and ignore and turn them into something we notice. He definitely seems a voyeur in the way that he is always looking out for new things around colour he can use in his work.
As a speaker, I found him very engaging, funny and also easy to follow and understand. It's becoming very clear through these talks I am attending it's very important on how you sell yourself as an Artist.
Thursday, 11 November 2010
Self Portrait Video
The image above seems to have been inspiration for what I would like to experiment with next. I was really struggling with where to go next, but I knew I wanted it to be around the idea of a self portrait which follows on from our group discussion when ending the Shelter project. This quick drawing seems to have been a door opening for what I would like to do next. I would like to create a video self portrait. I have gained inspiration from Andy Warhol's Screen Shots and how nothing really happens in them but at the same time are quite powerful. Also I want to try a different medium away from mark making and illustration as I feel that I have done all I can with that and it doesn't inspire me at the moment.
The basic idea I have is sitting in front of the camera, just myself. I want to explore the relationship with have with a camera and how we have an unconscious perception of ourselves in our minds, which when shown in reality is not what we want to see. Why is it we have a totally different perception in our minds? and why does it make us uncomfortable when watching ourselves back to see what we really are, which is what everyone always sees us as anyway? This is something I would like to explore, using myself as the experiment.
Thursday, 4 November 2010
Experimental Video
This term I have been attending the 'Alternative History of Film and Video' Lectures and have come across some interesting video work already:
This video by Bjorn Melhus, is quite ambiguous in its theme, were not really sure what is going on when watching it, but it seemed to draw me in, I got the idea of aliens from it, or travelling down a blood stream. I liked the song also and how bizarre it is along with the costume and everything else. What we were discussing in the lecture is how to talk about film and how do we make sense of experimental film.
This piece is by John Smith and is called 'Girl chewing gum', I liked the idea that it is filming in a documentary style but has been narrated with a director as if he is directing the whole thing, and as we watch it we begin to realise how this is not the case as the things he directs get more ridiculous.
This video by Bjorn Melhus, is quite ambiguous in its theme, were not really sure what is going on when watching it, but it seemed to draw me in, I got the idea of aliens from it, or travelling down a blood stream. I liked the song also and how bizarre it is along with the costume and everything else. What we were discussing in the lecture is how to talk about film and how do we make sense of experimental film.
This piece is by John Smith and is called 'Girl chewing gum', I liked the idea that it is filming in a documentary style but has been narrated with a director as if he is directing the whole thing, and as we watch it we begin to realise how this is not the case as the things he directs get more ridiculous.
Wednesday, 3 November 2010
Nelly Ben Hayoun
After working with Nelly I researched into her a lot more, she is a graduate of the Royal College of Art after studying a masters in Design Interactions. Her work seems largely based on science but she is able to create her own reaction to it and a lot of her work involves the viewer first hand. As an Artist, when meeting her you can understand why she is doing so well at the moment, she is very hard working and inspirational and from looking at her different pieces is not scared to try different experiments, whether they go right or wrong.
http://www.nellyben.com/
Here is a video of her work that was featured in the Design Disorder Exhibition:
http://www.nellyben.com/
Here is a video of her work that was featured in the Design Disorder Exhibition:
Tuesday, 2 November 2010
Tuesday Talks: Jenni Lomax
Jenni Lomax is the director of Camden Arts Centre and discussed her role as a curator and how she managed to get to the position she works as today. She spoke a lot about working with people and artists that I had never heard of, so I found it an effort to pay attention when she spoke. She seemed to enjoy what she does, but it wasn't always clear at times.
When discussing her as a group, it seemed she didn't enthuse a lot of the students along with myself, but it was important to know what kind of relationship you have when working with a curator or wanting to work with a curator. On paper her record seems quite impressive and she obviously has a lot of power in the London Art scene at the moment.
When discussing her as a group, it seemed she didn't enthuse a lot of the students along with myself, but it was important to know what kind of relationship you have when working with a curator or wanting to work with a curator. On paper her record seems quite impressive and she obviously has a lot of power in the London Art scene at the moment.
Monday, 1 November 2010
SUPER K SONIC BOOOOUM!
Networking is a key part of this year, involving yourself in different areas, from working with an artist to doing a placement at a Gallery.
Over the past couple of weeks I worked with an artist called Nelly Ben Hayoun and her team in creating her piece that was part of the Science Festival.
I originally saw her work at the Designed Disorders exhibition at the cube gallery of the rocket chair, but sadly did not see it live. From a fellow student I heard she was looking for volunteers to help her put together her 'SUPER K SONIC BOOOOUM' piece for the Science Festival held on the MMU campus. The process of finding out how to help was quite exciting, especially when you got a reply asking you when you could start. I emailed my details of who I was and that I was a student studying Interactive Arts and would love to help out.
Not fully knowing what I was volunteering for, I knew it was a good opportunity and from images I had seen, I thought it looked really interesting to be part of. On the first day, I painted and waterproofed the bottom of the boat that was going to be used in the piece. At this point I found I still wasn't sure as to what 'SONIC BOOOOUM' was all about, I was just there to help out.
I went back to help the following day and met Nelly. She told me all about the Science Festival and how her piece she had created fitted in and what it was all based on. The piece designed by her was an interactive replica of a laboratory in Japan where they explore and find information about Neutrons. These neutrons are monitored and rarely make a reaction in which creates this giant boom, the 'SUPER K SONIC BOOOOUM!'. The idea was people travel in the boat surrounded by balloons which are in fact neutrons and are given a lecture by a Scientist as it is all happening around them.
When setting up the piece there was a lot to be done, one of the first jobs being blowing up 1200 Gold balloons. I was given a number of jobs to help prepare including:
Picking up speakers
Buying 6 pairs of Wellies
Buying Fish tank sealant
Picking up Gas Canisters
It soon became obvious how things can go wrong but can be worked around and how different people had different roles in the team into putting this large scale show together. As well we Nelly's piece there were other areas of the disused lab in which it was held, being used for different activities. The scale of it as a project was huge and came with so much responsibility. I met many different people who had different jobs, this was really interesting because it was from Nelly networking she was able to get help from different people with different areas of knowledge.
On the first day the Science Festival was open to the public, I had volunteered quite a lot and found from doing this I was trusted and a reliable volunteer. I was asked to be part of the show in which everyone is dressed up as workers in white over alls and helmets and I worked along side Nelly who played the chief warden, and instruct and direct people into the boat for their SONIC BOOOOUM adventure. The idea was the audience had tickets and were abruptly instructed by the chief warden to put on the overalls get into the boat, like they were at the real thing in Japan.
I managed to help out behind the scenes and in the actual piece which was brilliant. From volunteering also I found the piece quite personal in terms of I now understand how much work, effort and planning that goes into something that it only shown temporarily. From this experience, I feel I could contact Nelly again and see if I could work for her in the future. She was very inspirational and it was good to see how an artist brings together such a large scale, funded event. I felt I did get behind on my own practice but I hope to work with Nelly in the second term, so from this it has been beneficial and very enjoyable.
Over the past couple of weeks I worked with an artist called Nelly Ben Hayoun and her team in creating her piece that was part of the Science Festival.
I originally saw her work at the Designed Disorders exhibition at the cube gallery of the rocket chair, but sadly did not see it live. From a fellow student I heard she was looking for volunteers to help her put together her 'SUPER K SONIC BOOOOUM' piece for the Science Festival held on the MMU campus. The process of finding out how to help was quite exciting, especially when you got a reply asking you when you could start. I emailed my details of who I was and that I was a student studying Interactive Arts and would love to help out.
Not fully knowing what I was volunteering for, I knew it was a good opportunity and from images I had seen, I thought it looked really interesting to be part of. On the first day, I painted and waterproofed the bottom of the boat that was going to be used in the piece. At this point I found I still wasn't sure as to what 'SONIC BOOOOUM' was all about, I was just there to help out.
I went back to help the following day and met Nelly. She told me all about the Science Festival and how her piece she had created fitted in and what it was all based on. The piece designed by her was an interactive replica of a laboratory in Japan where they explore and find information about Neutrons. These neutrons are monitored and rarely make a reaction in which creates this giant boom, the 'SUPER K SONIC BOOOOUM!'. The idea was people travel in the boat surrounded by balloons which are in fact neutrons and are given a lecture by a Scientist as it is all happening around them.
When setting up the piece there was a lot to be done, one of the first jobs being blowing up 1200 Gold balloons. I was given a number of jobs to help prepare including:
Picking up speakers
Buying 6 pairs of Wellies
Buying Fish tank sealant
Picking up Gas Canisters
It soon became obvious how things can go wrong but can be worked around and how different people had different roles in the team into putting this large scale show together. As well we Nelly's piece there were other areas of the disused lab in which it was held, being used for different activities. The scale of it as a project was huge and came with so much responsibility. I met many different people who had different jobs, this was really interesting because it was from Nelly networking she was able to get help from different people with different areas of knowledge.
On the first day the Science Festival was open to the public, I had volunteered quite a lot and found from doing this I was trusted and a reliable volunteer. I was asked to be part of the show in which everyone is dressed up as workers in white over alls and helmets and I worked along side Nelly who played the chief warden, and instruct and direct people into the boat for their SONIC BOOOOUM adventure. The idea was the audience had tickets and were abruptly instructed by the chief warden to put on the overalls get into the boat, like they were at the real thing in Japan.
I managed to help out behind the scenes and in the actual piece which was brilliant. From volunteering also I found the piece quite personal in terms of I now understand how much work, effort and planning that goes into something that it only shown temporarily. From this experience, I feel I could contact Nelly again and see if I could work for her in the future. She was very inspirational and it was good to see how an artist brings together such a large scale, funded event. I felt I did get behind on my own practice but I hope to work with Nelly in the second term, so from this it has been beneficial and very enjoyable.
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