Addressable Memory

Addressable Memory, by Michael Takeo Magruder, is an exhibit portraying the landscape of the digital world using it’s own instruments. Magruder installation deals with the mash-up and composing of video feeds, mobile phones, video screens, news feeds, computer image processing and virtual reality. He blows up the images until they are pigmented and pixilated in order to really examine our connection and dependence on these tools.

The project consists of three rooms. The first room has large-scale prints and projections of pixilated video and camera phone images. Words are blown out and the images are severely abstracted. The color is divided into grids. Even the placards are made from small video screens. This is a nice effect. The images themselves are quite pleasing. Some are still recognizable, yet others have taken on a completely different persona.

The middle room has generative art prints that are created by software that produces compositions from “reprocessed digital imagery.” This room represents the meshing of sound and image, a “microcosm of both social and media networks.”

The third room is only lit by projections and screens that remix the audio and visual imagery that represent the mass media. The media “re-maps” the facts accordingly, and in this piece Magruder turns the attention back onto the media. Addressable Memory is an interesting look into how the average person relies on digital technology. It is rare that you will find someone that does not own or use a cell phone, computer or other digitally based technology daily.

In many ways, these devices keep us connected; yet Magruder exposes the disconnections that make up these forms of communication. Addressable Memory “re-presents the representations of the personal and institutional products of this machinery in a more contemplative and more contextualizing way, intensifying the use of technology to the point where the presence of that of that pervasive technology is again visible but the content and operation of that technology is defamiliarised and contemplatable.”

too bad he got reelected...

Check out the journey...

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I am reviewing the Bikes against Bush Campaign that occurred live, during the Republican National Convention, in NYC during 2004. The protest was interactive. The participants used wireless Internet enabled bicycles that were rigged with custom-printing devices. The messages were printed with water-soluble chalk on the sidewalks of the city as the volunteers rode their bicycles. The chalk naturally  away within fifteen days, so it should not be considered graffiti. The text messages came in live, via the net, and each rider had the final choice of what which would be used in the project. No profanity or obscene language was used in any of these. There was only one “printing” bike, but other cyclists rode in support.

Apparently the creator/activist, Joshua Kinberg, was under surveillance during the protest. He was later charged and spent five months in court. The case was eventually dismissed around the time that George W. Bush was being inaugurated for his second term. It was a bittersweet victory for Kinberg.

I think this is a very provocative way to protest one’s political views. Since the messages were printed all over the sidewalks, it is inevitable that thousands of people will read them on their respective journeys. The messages plant the seed that get the average joe thinking about the issues important in any upcoming election. Hopefully, this will stem valuable conversations and debates between people from all parties. This was a very socially conscious protest aimed at encouraging people to look into the reasons why Bush is not fit to run this country. I bet it was a lot of fun to do too.

DISTANCE by Tina LaPorta

I am writing about an online art experience I found on turbulence.org.

It was called Distance: Disconnecting…

The series consisted of snapshots of the Tina La Porta's online communication. Text accompanied the images leading the viewer on a voyeuristic journey of the exploration of communication. This piece was interesting to me because we are doing a project in class that deals with the same topic. While the artist’s images seemed a bit outdated and uninviting, I think the concept works. The work investigates the “disembodied and dislocated nature of on-line communication”. To me, the disconnect between technology and people is getting wider every day. While the Internet is very instrumental in bringing people together, this work shows the loneliness one can feel when “connected”. Because the Internet is so readily available to most people, the opportunity to connect with others all over the world is virtually endless. When one is chatting online with another you are completely dependant on the other’s response for gratification. If they sign off before you are finished expressing yourself, you might feel a bit disappointed. There is also a sense of anonymity when on is communicating via the net. In some cases, individuals are only identifiable by codenames, outdated photos and so forth. La Porta distorts and pixilated some of her images to express this “disconnected” feeling. 

The online piece required the viewer to click through all the images. I think the artist utilized this instead of a streaming video in order to drive home the meaning behind the entire experience. I felt slightly disconnected from the entire piece. The images made me feel as I was a voyeur. This is a nice effect that La Porta captured through her work. 

Simon Kavanagh

Simon Kavanagh’s snapshots of photos from his extensive travels are a wonderful group of work. He does not let on to which country any of them are from, but invites you to see if you can guess. He utilizes both a manual and digital camera for these pictures. No image is enhanced or altered from the original. The photos represent architecture, signs and people that inspired him along the way.  

I appreciate the wide range of content in this series. Kavanagh also takes advantage of different elements of the camera and film to compose his perfect snapshot. The use of slow shutter speed to accentuate the city lights at night is very effective. As a photographer, living in DC, I did an entire dedicated the magical quality these lights take on when blurred and splashed across the film. They truly do seem to vibrate like musical notes. 

Kavanagh’s perspective is quite interesting. He continually crops out elements leading one to focus on only what he saw. One picture is even taken from an upside down perspective. All of the pictures capture a mood. He achieves this through his use of available light, film choice, angle, depth of field or time of day. Even the blurry images convey a sense of urgency. The images, as a whole, were a delight to view.

 The images can be seen at:

http://www.mediartists.net/

Joseph Joy

I am reviewing Joseph Joy’s Paintings. His style has a pop art feel. His paintings seem to comment on the important issues within our culture. The work touches on sex, politics, pornography and fast food just to name a few. His seems to interpret his own experience involving these subjects into his work.

The paintings themselves are simple and straightforward in their content. In most of his work he uses vibrant and muted colors in contrast. The subjects are not very detailed. His line detail is minimal. The color has more impact. His work has a cartoon feel to it.

A few of his pieces deal with homosexual/transgender content. He has a painting of a woman in a pool that could be interpreted to have a male profile. Another one of his paintings reads, “God Said Kill Fags”. I interpret this as a stab at the religious right that believes homosexuality is a sin. I think this is an absurd statement. Joseph Joy could have been expressing his own disgust at this by painting this extreme statement.

I enjoyed his paintings because although they are simple, the content invites one in to dig for the deeper meaning behind each piece. America is overwhelmed with fast food, over consumption, politics and sex. It is always enjoyable to see art that comments on relevant issues.

*these paintings can be found at:

 http://www.furtherfield.org/jjoy/caribbean_sunshine/index.htm

Interview with Charles Cohen

This interview discusses Charles Cohen's Buff series. In this series he utilizes the cutout effect. Cohen explains that the viewing experience is divided into three effects. The first is the initial recognition of the cutout.  The viewer notices the void straight away.  The second effect is the abstract effect. He explains this as any intellectual activity that the viewer goes through after noticing the void of the cutout.  The abstract effect is the time when the viewer is deciding how to comprehend each picture. This is the time where one might recognize what the cutout was before it was removed. The results might vary depending on who is actually deciphering the piece. 

In the Buff series, some viewers assume the images are pornographic.  Despite the fact, that it is unclear whether the cutout parts are clothed or nude.  The title of the series suggests that they are nude, but it is obvious that Cohen is interested in pushing the question: What is pornography?

Is it created in our minds or is it a tangible issue. I believe it is formed within our minds. Society instructs us to what is acceptable and what is not, but how is this determined? Who is the authority on the manner? What makes one person uncomfortable is not necessarily offensive to the next. Pornography is a booming business, so why are people reluctant to admit they buy it?

In the Buff series, the pornographic element is created within the subconscious of the each viewer. This conclusion sets up the third element of the viewing experience, which is the reflexive effect. During this stage, the viewer combines all viewing modes and constructs the meaning of the entire experience.

This is when one might “assume co-authorship with the artist.” Cohen's theme revolves around the absence of presence. His work encourages people to explore bigger issues than the actual cutouts. Without this exploration, the series would not be so interesting. It is effective because the shapes are recognizable to every viewer. The final reflexive effect will vary depending on each participant.

*This information was taken from an interview between Mark Cooley and Charles Cohen on September 28, 2006

Tagged in Motion

I am reviewing Tagged in Motion(watch) for my first blog entry.  The project combines the two-dimensional art of graffiti with a 3-dimensional virtual depiction.  The video shows graffiti artist, DAIM, creating a piece in the middle of a large warehouse.  His strokes are being tracked by three different cameras strategically placed around him.   DAIM is able to switch colors, textures and size of any stroke through a Bluetooth controller.  He can see his work, in real-time, through a head mounted display.  Upon conclusion, the final image is shown on the video in all of it's 3-dimensional glory.  

Traditionally, graffiti is found anywhere an artist can navigate their spray cans onto, into or up to. Just to name a few reoccurring haunts, there is the always classic, subway, street signs, billboards and tunnels. There is always exceptional depth within the pieces even though they are created on flat surfaces. Depending on the the artist, a viewer might have to spend a little extra time deciphering the message within each piece.  This definitely adds to the mystique surrounding the graffiti scene.  Many times, artists will have numerous pieces up all over their city and sometimes the world, yet there identity is limited to their tagging name. This anonymity is crucial when throwing up pieces in public places. Having the ability to create these pieces in 3D opens a lot of doors, all the while keeping artists out of the back of squad cars. The final 3D pieces also have the potential to be way bigger and more intricate using this new technology. There really are no boundaries.

That being said I do not think this form of graffiti will ever catch on within the scene. Furthermore, I do not think it should.  Maybe I'm old-school, but I want to see these pieces when I'm in any city. I enjoy being amazed when I notice art in places I cannot fathom anyone getting to.  3-dimensional pieces take all of this away. To me, this is an essential part of the graffiti scene. Something that should not be left out in the cold.  While the video was interesting, I see it more as novelty than an art from that will make a lasting impact within the graffiti world. 

*Project was found off Networked Performance website