Systematic Destruction

Well, the term is over and my final project was publically viewed at Lawrence University today. Jinglie and I worked extremely hard for ten weeks to construct this music video. I truthfully think the ending result was beyond amazing. It was a joy to work with Jinglie, he really is stylish in everything he does. To Azati Williams and Corey Torres, the artists who helped create the song, I thank  you as well. This video was such a major collaboration assignment and I enjoyed every moment of it. The rendering on Final Cut Express was not always fun, but it was worth it.  

Gentrification

Strikes our nation making it,

Better? No. Far worse.

“Systematic Destruction” is the title the music video Jinglie and I showed for our final piece. The video begins with a poetry slam between myself and Azati Williams. During the poetry slam, we chose to keep the background black and have different words that were being spoken appear in the background. I think this aspect of the video was captivating, intriguing and creative. Once this part of the video was over, we entered into the actual music video section of the video. Throughout the video we showed various parts of Chicago along with different alleys and graffiti images. The video was very stylish, full of color, and still delivered the overall message. Check out the video on Youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZYdQju6Bus

Hype and Us

This week I researched an artist that related to my final project. Harold “Hype” Williams is a well known music video director today and has been for close to twenty years. He was born in Queens, New York in 1970. Hype attended an art and music high school and completed some of college. There is not much background information on Hype as a child. However, the work he has created through the years is absolutely incredible! His style and concept he places in all of his videos are intriguing to watch. As a student, I can only wish and hope to be as successful as Hype is today, seeing that I want to pursue the same profession.

In class, we presented a brief presentation about our artist we chose to research. I chose to show this video by Hype that stirred up some conversation among my peers. I chose this video because it related the most to the concept of out video. Gentrification is a serious issue, and so are the Blood Diamonds in Sierra Leone.  Check it out.

Hype is also known for directing singer/actor Aaliyah’s last video titled “Rock the Boat”. Shortly after the shoot was over her plane crashed as she was heading back to the states from an island on the Atlantic coast. Here is her last video before she passed, directed by Hype.

Another aspect that Hype did really well was market himself through artists’ videos. I think this is really clever. Here is a video where his name constantly is flashing through the production.

I can go on and on with videos by Hype. Research says that he has made 196 videos in counting and that is not including some of his most recent work, like “Turn off the Lights” by Kanye West ft. Rihanna and “Not Myself Tonight” by Christina Aguilera. He is truly a remarkable artist. I only wish our work will turn out just as successful.

On another note, I thought that Kristen was a great guest earlier this week. She was perfect for many of us to hear from, especially the seniors. I have had trouble trying to decide what my next steps would be once I graduated from Lawrence. It was great to get some insight from an alumni that is just getting her foot in the door. She gave great advice, and was just an overll cool person.

Gentrification video

This week I did not look into any major artists. Instead, I focused more on my own project that will be premiering March 11, 2011 in the cinema at Lawrence University. Jinglie and I have had an entire week of editing, but for some reason I do not feel like we are far enough in this process. However, I am currently in Chicago getting some more shots for our video. All together we have about two more studio filming sessions with the green screen, and one day to do straight shots of different scenes. Jinglie really has this massive, stylish vision for our music video. I do as well, but I focus more on the content than the style. We both have a similar vision; we are just focusing on different aspects of it. I think our ideas are creative and inspiring. With both of our intellect combined, we will create a video that makes a statement and is still full of style.
On a different note, our product is complete and on sale at Zazzle.com. We are selling posters online for 9.95. Please go on to this website and check out the design we created on Photoshop. Here is what the poster looks like, with the exception of a few titles.

 

The Internet Exploding

So this week I read articles by Jorge Borges, Bill Viola, and Tim Berners-Lee. After reading their points of view of the Internet, I was not at all in shock. What I received from the readings was that the Internet would soon power our society. Were they wrong? Think about it. At Lawrence University, when the network is down for hours, students and faculty both are loosing their minds. Sad, but it is true.

The World Wide Web is so much more advanced today; it can link so many different themes in one passage, like a blog. I sit here and think about the different social networking spaces that are available to the world, and how hypertext and HTML have both contributed to the Internet exploding the way it has. For the purpose of my final project, we have to come up with a product and sell it. Jinglie, my partner, and I have decided to create posters and T-Shirts and sell them at a launch party. In order for any of this to be successful, we desperately need the Internet. The web is this cycle that our society tends to rely on. 

Ray and Mary Jane Jacob

Ray Johnson and Mary Jane Jacob both struck me as impressive artists in the 20th and 21st century. In my previous blogs I have explained how I can appreciate experimental art, however some pieces I can not connect with on a personal level. With Johnson and Jacob's work, I can relate to many of their pieces, which makes their work more enjoyable for me.

After watching, "How to Draw a Bunny", a documentary about Ray Johnson, I took a trip with my class to Depere, Wisconsin to visit a "Ray Johnson Art Gallery" in a man's bathroom. Bizarre? Yes, it seemed that way to me as well. However, after taking the trip I was excited about Ray Johnson all over again. I enjoyed Johnson's collages that he formed through silhouettes of different artists and ordinary people. He was extremely talented, but some of his work, I couldn't understand. I am starting to be more understanding to art that I do not understand, but some art still is just way out there.

Mary Jane Jacob is that artist I have been looking foward to reading and hearing from all term. Jacob came to Lawrence University to speak about different collaborations she has done and her experiences as a whole in the art industry. I particulary found her work with the Charleston area to be really touching. Basically, she collaborates with different artists and they express different emotions that are still present post Civil War and Civil Rights Movement. She spoke about a plantation home that still has its space in that town, yet other homes are being torn down. This related first hand with my project. The issues of gentrification in Chicago has its similarities to some of Jacob's work, which made it more interesting to listen to.

Life Is Art

Allan Kaprow is an interesting character that I learned about this past week. Last week, I briefly discussed the fluxus movement and what it meant to be a fluxus artist. I have not come across many fluxus artists in my studies here at Lawrence, but I can say I enjoy it. It is something different, and outside of “the box”. Some people may wonder how could I possibly enjoy Kaprow’s work and not like Bueys from last week. Honestly, there is something about Kaprow’s work that is intriguing in a way, involving his audience in his pieces. Bueys was just simply disgusting. I understand that his work was relating to his emotional pain from being imprisoned and involved in WWII, which possibly is why I cannot relate to it. One piece I didn’t like of Kaprow’s was the housewives licking the jam off of the car. I personally think it’s entertaining and captivating, but I am a firm believer in things being sanitary as well. Art can be beautiful and magnificent without being gross.

Kaprow is a performance artist in a different way. When you think of performance art, one would think of some sort of action being done by the artist, like in my piece. In my final project, Jingle and I are piecing together a poetry performance piece with a music video. In both of those pieces, we have artists performing for the audience. In Kaprow’s pieces, the audience is the art itself. I find that to be intriguing, but I think it can only be done once. If another artist was to try to duplicate Kaprow, I wouldn’t consider it art.  

Here is an example of some spoken word poetry, and the type of performance art we will deliver through video.

Beuys Art

Joseph Beuys is complicated. There is not one word that can really describe him as a person, or his work. The idea of Fluxus is basically any and everything in life is art. As an artist, I can appreciate other artists and their works, but the idea of Fluxus is hard to accept as true art. Perhaps I look at life like I am human first, and an artist second. The very things that humans take for granted in everyday  life is what some consider to be art. I can appreciate this idea, at the same time I firmly disagree with it.

What is art to one person can be complete garbage to another. Take for instance my project; Many people can agree with me that a music video and poetry are both pieces of art. The type of music that I recorded for this project is Hip-Hop. Some people truly admire the music and really enjoy it, while others can not stand the very sound of it. Similar to Beuys, although some do not enjoy Hip-Hop, they can not deny that it is a form of art. Outside of this, there is not much of a connection between my piece and Beuys's style of art.

Beuys has my respect as an artist, but I dislike his work. One piece I just could not wrap my head around is the "Dead Hare" piece. I did not see any point at all in this piece, and it was rather disgusting. Here is a picture.    

Stroszek Similarities

Last week I briefly discussed Werner Herzog and one of his many films, Stroszek. Last week I had seen majority of the film with commentary. This week, I viewed the film in its entirety without any commentary. It had a different affect, however, I couldn’t help but remember side notes the director said in the commentary when I was watching the film throughout. The ending of the film was quit clever to say the least. The impact that Herzog left on viewers, both American and to other’s worldwide was out of the ordinary. It was far from horrible, but not necessarily your “fairy tale” ending. I say this is brilliant because of a few reasons. Americans are known to be accustomed to the “happy ending syndrome”. We love it when two people fall in love and live happily ever after, like in Notebook.

We admire films when fathers are willing to sacrifice their life to stand up against the system like in John Q.  

What Herzog said was, No! America is not all peaches and cream. Sure, it is the land of the free, and the perfect place to go from “rags to riches”, but life does not always happen that way.

In my project, I can relate to the message that Herzog was trying to convey. Gentrification is a serious issue, but some do not look at it as such. People have certain ways of thinking that tearing down buildings and homes in poverty stricken areas is a good thing because the new buildings will help those communities. That is not always the case. Building new buildings and raising taxes creates the issue of people not being able to afford their homes, and being evicted. Some people get a little money from the government, but that money is only going to go so far.

Influences from Herzog

Werner Herzog is a German filmmaker with a different style of directing. As a potential director myself, I find Herzog to be rather intriguing, to say the least, particularly with his approach in the film Stroszek. A few days ago I viewed this film with the commentary and discovered so much in depth of his vision. There are major sections in the film that is improvisational, completely off script. There are different locations in the movie that Herzog decided to capture in the spare of the moment. To put the cherry on top, out of all places in America to film a movie, Plainfield, Wisconsin was where he shot much of the film. Why not Chicago, Illinois? Why not Los Angeles, California? Why not New York City? I think Herzog had a perception of America being this place where immigrants come for that typical “Rags to Riches” story. Interesting enough, our main character’s dreams of success in America didn’t come true.

  In chapter 5 of a reading titled, “Herzog on Herzog”, Werner said, “Musical influences have always been very strong, maybe the strongest. He went on by saying he does not read much, but when he does, it is always a very intense experience. He especially likes poetry by Holderlin. I thought that was ironic because I too am influenced by music. For the purpose of my final project, both poetry and music are deep elements to the entire project. Music and poetry does not just influence the piece, it is my piece. Herzog collaborated with magnificent artists, such as Bruno S, so will I. Jinglei Xiao, who is a classmate of mine, has agreed to collaborate with me on this project. With his extraordinary editing skills, and both of our creative minds, there’s no telling what the finished project will convey. However, I can say this much, it will be revelating.          

Do Everything - Andy Warhol

Andy Warhol is an artistic genius to so many people worldwide. His witty intellect and stylish domineer influenced so many artists during his time, as well as now in the 21^st century. I recently viewed the last hour or so of a documentary about Warhol’s life. His life choices were daring, risky, and I am convinced that that mindset rewarded him with successful films and paintings, as well as the issues that come with being famous. Like many famous people, Warhol experienced a near death experience that briefly blocked his creative juices. After Warhol was shot, he created a project that accumulated millions of dollars. In his early days, he created the painting for the Campbell’s soup Ad. 

He made money from simple art people take for granted. Later in his career, after he was shot, he used a similar pattern, creating famous celebrity paintings that reined at the top of pop art culture. He made 100 million dollars for a 1963 canvas titled Eight Elvises. Pablo Picasso and very few other artists have only reached that mark. 

Warhol said, “Do Everything”. He said it, and firmly stood by it, as he created paintings, digital pieces, films, worked with rock bands, and more. My digital project is a lot like Warhol’s “Do everything” theme. For approximately five minutes I plan on presenting a poetry performance piece about different issues I think are significant in America, then it will fade into a music video related to the same topic. In my short video I will have directed, produced, performed, and edited a project that the world could view on the web.  Warhol said everything, my project is very close to that.