Derek Jarman 'Blue'

I have been asked by student Marcin Wozniak to start a film group. His idea was to make it slightly different. The idea was to show a film each week but with limited space around the university, adapt to that. For example one week a film could be projected in the studio, the next in a lecture theatre, or even on someones laptop. Each will work around the style of film, and how many people should wish to attend. Having both studied the lectures 'Alternative History of Film and Video', and working with video it is clear it is a common ground and something that we are both influenced by.

The plan was to show a film every thursday and throughout the week it would be planned where it would be shown. It is open to all students and hopefully the outcome will be that a dedicated group would form.

Everyone can bring it films they find interesting and after the film a discussion would commence.

The First film that was shown was Derek Jarmans 'Blue'. Jarman himself was dying of HIV and when making the film he lost his vision. It was said that this the colour blue was all he could see. The hour and a half film is just the colour blue, nothing happens and nothing changes. There is narration from different characters as you follow Jarman's journey which gets more and more delusional and harder to follow.

I was expecting my eyes would begin to play tricks on me and that I would imagine shapes in the blue. This didn't seem to happen and I felt I began to lose interest in the dialog no matter how hard I concentrated.

The Discussion after was very helpful as everyone had an opinion on the film and why. Also parts people were unclear about were made clear by others. I had no idea there were blatant references to sexuality during the film. I found that the language was hard to follow.

This was just a practice run as to how the video group may work and it seemed successful.
Due to it being a very busy term the video group has not been a main priority but it something that will hopefully be hosted every week next year.

Berlin Gallery: Edmund Clark

Edmund Clark's work was shown at the Berlin Gallery and was the most powerful work that I had some across when visiting Berlin. His Photography was of Guantanamo Bay and photographed the different areas. His work was set out so that there was a contrast between each photograph, highlighting how different the surroundings seemed to be but on purpose. The photographs from the cells to the homes that the American army base lived at were very different.

What I liked about the work was how shallow yet deep the photographs seemed. They were very bleak due to the subject but was it also because I was aware of what I was looking at it was bleak, that is was of Guantanamo Bay. The items he photographed are something that I could see everyday but because of their location it changes their meaning somehow. There was something about his work I can not quite figure out but it seemed to move me still. The images were very powerful.

The colours in his work are very stale in their lighting which visually I think is quite nice.


Image from: http://www.culture24.org.uk/asset_arena/6/31/01/310136/v0_master.jpg

Belated Berlin Post: Berlin Gallery

Working through notes to put on my blog I have not mentioned the work I saw at the Berlin Gallery.

Nan Goldin's photography work was currently being shown featuring photos from stages in her life, including close friends and places she had lived.

I think her work was very interesting to look at and it would seem that it was very different at the time it was taken, but I think today the style her photography has is very popular and fashionable.


Image from: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8zYPrypSBSEy7y6wjaZAupJVDS5H-XKItCtYoz51V2coProl0DA4vXP7jknOTqxtpQVk6gFjaHbR07UiDlGj8fRwefsDJzScPTCZRSlNjthqGHa80duYXupQtC39laJcjMrWuH2fgSyBP/s400/goldin3.jpg


Image from: http://krystiandata.files.wordpress.com/2010/05/nan_goldin-battered.jpg

Experimenting

Some experimenting with a few screen shots of my expressions from my Self Portrait Video.

Paul McCarthy

The piece I saw of Paul McCarthy's titled 'Rocky' at the Hamburger Bahnhof seemed very performative and very an extremity of someone putting themselves in their work. In the video McCarthy wears a mask and pummels himself with boxing gloves. As I watched it it was evident that he was actually hurting himself. And what I did enjoy was the phone ringing right at the end making him stop.

When looking into other works of his, it is very performative and stage like. He uses costumes within his work and plays characters.

I find at the moment I want my work to be more honest and not play a part, but was my work performative to begin with? I definitely am finding that my work is more honest and an exploration for myself at this time.

Hamburger Bahnhof: Bruce Nauman

Others works at the Hamburger Bahnhof that stood out for me were the sculptures by Bruce Nauman along with his video works. They didn't stand out for me in a postive way though, its funny how I remember the name and work but didn't like it. Why is this? Is it good anyway that it has left an impression on me be it a negative one?
I can see a connection of him using himself in his work as I have been keen to use myself as a subject within my work.




'Four Pairs Of Heads', Bruce Nauman, 1991.

Hamburger Bahnhof: Philipp Lachenmann

There was a lot to see around the Hamburger Bahnhof but only certain work stood out for me.

Philipp Lachenmann's video installation entitled 'Shu' was really interesting. When entering the dark room styled similar to a cinema with rows of seats you were able to sit for as long as you liked to watch the piece. To begin with I wasn't sure what was going on in the video and it appeared to be of shooting stars in the sky. The longer I watched it it became obvious they were aeroplanes flying over what I thought at the time was a housing area in the desert. Not being sure of the details didn't matter when viewing the piece, it was so relaxing and peaceful to watch. It struck me how some so simple could work so effectively and it really left an impression on me.

I did however find that the curtain used was not helpful at all and very distracting when people were entering and leaving the space letting light in.

When I read about the piece and looked into it, I found that it was filmed over looking a prison and that Lachenmann was influenced by different styles of films from the Disney logo to Science Fiction films. This was very clear in the piece.

It was nice to think that there was a juxtaposition of the peace and calm of the filming of the planes against the scenery of a prison which ordinarily would strike in our minds as something negative and ugly.

I found myself enjoying video pieces more so when looking around galleries, and giving me ideas for my own video work.


'Shu', Philipp Lachenmann, 2007

Image taken from:
http://thecarriageheldbutjustourselves.files.wordpress.com/2010/11/philipp-lachenmann-shu.jpg

BERLIN!

I went to visit Berlin with the course from the 31st January to 4th February. It will definitely be a trip to remember. Despite it being -6 for most of the week and still feeling cold to the bone no matter how many layers were worn I got to see a lot of galleries and do different things.
Galleries and places I visited were:
Hamburger Bahnhof
The Berlin Gallery
The Jewish Museum
The Jewish War Memorial
Brandenburg Gate
East Side Gallery on the Berlin Wall
Television Tower in Alexanderplatz
and many others.

I found that at the time it was very cold and found it hard to enjoy myself. Looking back though it was well worth the experience and in the short time there I walked a lot and saw a lot. When visiting the different Galleries there was some work that really stood out for me.

I did enjoy stumbling across photo booths that only cost 2 euros.



More information of Galleries and Artists to come...