Fianl Meeting in Second Space

Second Avatar construction

First Avatar and Construction of Object

Avatar Skin

Research Paper

Digital Media Artist Comparisons

                Since the creation of digital media as an art form the medium has splintered into different avenues of interests and developed many new forms of self-expressions from within the same mother industry. I am looking at two digital media artists that I have found, that have some similar approaches yet contrast each other as they represent their own separate aspects of the digital media. Looking through the list of artists I decided to look at Digital media in the market place, and the interactive form of media expression Projection art. The two artists I have chosen are Katie Torn and Mike Hall. 

                 From her bio, Katie Torn graduated from the Art institute of Chicago and lives in New York City. She is professor and an artist involved in the digital media medium. She has performed in live video exhibitions VIA Music and New Media Festival in Pittsburgh. She has a two-person show coming up this fall at Roots and Culture Contemporary Art Center in Chicago.

                Katie has explored several mediums and has settled in to the in the area of hyper realism. Most of her works including her videos along with her prints focus on the everyday routine of life in the industrial age. Her work has been inspired from the roots of futurism and cubism. She uses computer technology and to up to date computer software similar to that used in Hollywood in film production to create her body of art. Her latest project called “Dream House” is a 3D animation of a “Woman biomorphic architectural structure”. The animation structure slowly builds up with consumer products over a seven-hour period. The piece of art is a representation of how the main stream media floods the public with a desire to possess more than what we need. Yet at the same time tries to cater to the wants, desires, of the consumer and the waste created by the modern market place.

                When looking at the use of digital media in the market place you can see the use of this medium in several areas of marketing directed with in consumerism. Katie Torn’s art work represents how we have been bombarded with digital ads ever few seconds. Going back to our readings I can compare this to some of the first multimedia form relating to film. Using film for propaganda purposes such as like this group and don’t like this group for whatever your agenda dictates. Digital media has the ability to define social and political reality for some time to come.

                This may have been the basic ground work that established a basis for marketing any form of product or service. When applied to marketing we can see that the message is still the same. Katie has a more subliminal way of getting her message out. Within her work “2013 Eyebeam Fellow Katie Torn’s Dream House on view in the Eyebeam”, she is trying to tell us; look at all of this that we buy and throw away because we are told to. We live in a disposable world that is supported by main stream media from a global economic system. As mass consumers we need to start to be more interactive in offering the general body meaningful alternatives to the main stream bombardment. We need to support independent sources of media that breaks away from the normal flow. We need to invite different more revolutionary forms of business models to establish a new wave of consumerism that uses moderation or even limited consumerism as a standard form of consumer response.

                I believe that the newer form of marketing systems using digital media gives the consumer more selections, more items, and more choices than ever before when it comes to available products. Young entrepreneurs believe that we must do everything to keep the cash flowing into our business, possible without a set of moral guidelines. Katie’s body of work tries portraying a possible urgency to become realistic and responsible for the massive push of products onto the consumer.

                From his Bio, Mike Hall is a projection video artist who operates out of his studio in Brooklyn, New York. His main body of work has been created from a unique form of light processes. “The process involves the creation of optical feedback reactions in which the form, color, reflectivity and texture of the projection surface causes the generation of imagery upon the surface itself”. The technical background of Hall's work based within a 20-year career in software engineering. One of his passions in life has been the lifelong study of music and how it has led to the development of his acoustically reactive software.

                Currently he is finishing the development of a cloud-based web tool called media Frame, which features the ability to create “Complex, database-driven online media applications, written in a proprietary XML-based language”. His work has required him to develop the specialized mechanical harnesses and staging elements which helps makeup this complex optical reaction. In addition to abstractions generated on uniform surfaces, Hall works with movement artists to interact with the optical fields, producing a luminous quality to the skin which suggests that the light is somehow emanating from the body in all directions.

                We have seen in our readings that digital media is allowing artist to use a wider range of their artistic talents. The use of digital processes has opened up a wide variety of possibilities for creating new forms of art. Mike Hall is creating a form of art using light wave and light patterns projected onto a live undressed human body. His work that I am looking at is “ Mike Hall Studio, Lines In Flux (2011)”. The light patterns add contrast between the color of the human figure and whichever color and pattern being portrayed. As a projection artist he has pushed the boundaries’ a bit with his techniques.

                In comparing these two artists I would have to say that two are similar in the sense they both use top of the line update software. I believe that they are both addressing the subject of consumerism in two different ways. Katie Torn uses her background in futurism and cubism along with the use of three dimensional programs to create an almost abstract form of hyper realism. Focusing on the industrial problems in consumerism and post-consumer waste she uses the digital graphics software used in Hollywood to create video animations and high resolution posters. Mike Hall uses his experience with light sound and computer software development to create objects of art. Even though Katie has done some participation in her videos as a solo performer for the most part her art is flat 2 dimensional.

                Mike has come up with some unique ways of creating technical creative works of art. One of the first digital works came from an experience using a digital camera a projector and a simple flash light. He would shine to light on the wall the video camera would record the image and then project it back on to the wall creating a feedback loop. The ever increasing image would leave a longer tail on the spot of light as he would move it. His current work is not too far from that by utilizing similar techniques he uses images of light and pattern to create his body of work. He now uses the human figures to project his art onto allowing them to become the canvas and along with it they become the piece of artwork

                They are different or in contrast of each other in the way that most part Katie Torn creates art that the audience simply observes. Mike Hall is creating a form of interactive Art. The audience can become the art by participating in the patterns of light and shadow being projected across the room. . Looking at a possible metaphoric meaning one might think that he is making the statement that everything has a price and everything is for sale. Someday someone may just become the piece of art that they just bought at auction. The goals of both artists are heading in different directions as far as what I could determine and I will try to keep track of them and see where they go. I could not find out if the two know each other but it would be interesting if they did a collaborative project.

                In conclusion both artists use aspects of the medium that we studied in our readings. Both have used film and video to develop their separate and unique forms of art. Using the newest technology and concepts both are creating forms of expressionism that may accelerate interests in digital Media. I sent e mails to both artists to see if I could set up an appointment but it was unfortunate that I did not get to chat with either artist. I will send out invites to chat on Face Book or Skype to see if I can get a hold of them using that avenue.

Citations

Works Cited

Torn, Katie. "Dream House | Eyebeam.org." Web log post. Eyebeam Front Page. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Dec. 2013.

Torn, Katie. "Katie Torn." Weblog post. Katie Torn. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Dec. 2013.

"Katie Torn Plus." Weblog post. Vimeo. Vimeo, n.d. Web. 13 Dec. 2013.

Hall, Mike. "Mike Hall Studio." Mike Hall Studio. Wordpress, n.d. Web. 20 Oct. 2013.

Hall, Mike. "Lines of Flux." Weblog post. Vimeo, Your Videos Belong Here. Mike Hall, n.d. Web. 22 Nov. 2013.

Reading 5 questions

With the standard pixel  set at a specific size.  Will we be able with the help of fractal geometry or other algorithms be able to sub-divide the pixel or are we stuck with just finding new ways to stuff more pixel into an inch in order to gain higher resolutions not dream of before?


As analog has been replaced by digital in creating new forms of quality. What do you think the next logical step would be in replacing digital, and have you seen any indications of this technology?

Artist Statement Project 7

In this Project I tried to use all that I have learned in Digital Media. I edited a video that I shot in Italy.  I thought it would be interesting to reproduce some of the effects from videos I have previously viewed on line. Manipulating frames and images I created my GIF video with the help of a friend of mine. Utilizing Photoshop I tried to incorporate several techniques in order to create this video. Flipping frames changing colors adding effects and filters for the final version. Trying to manipulate the source code I was only able to slow down or stop it all together. I was able to create a grainy appearance to the overall image giving it a look as if the video was shot with older film. This was an interesting way to create art using Digital Media  as a platform to my audience.

Project 7 GIF Video

Review Survey Submission: Course Evaluation

 

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User	William Johnson
Course	Course Evaluation (FALL 2013) - ART 245.1002 Digital Media I (Whittenberger, Peter)
Survey	Course Evaluation
Started	12/5/13 6:24 PM
Submitted	12/5/13 6:29 PM
Status	Completed
Time Elapsed	4 minutes out of 1 hour.
Instructions

Thursday, December 5, 2013 6:55:31 PM PST

 

Motel Life Response paper

          This was a semester that came with many surprises for me. I was privileged to be one of the few that were able to see the special viewing of the film Motel Life.

This film was created based on the Novel by Will Vlautin. Will Vlautin has written several novels and is a former student of the University of Nevada, Reno. It seemed appropriate to have the premiere of the film be located on campus. I was not fortunate to be among the few that was involved in the question and answer period after the first showing but I heard it had a very good attendance.

The film was produced by Alan and Gabriel Polsky. The main cast consisted of: Emile Hirsch, Steven Dorff, Dakota Fanning, Joshua Leonard, and Kris Kristofferson. The basis behind the plot is based on two brothers that are down on their luck and stuck in Reno after their mother dies.  Several scenes involve gun stores strip clubs motels and St. Mary’s Hospital, the same hospital I just happened to be born in. It give us a look at the underdogs in life. Those individuals who just scratch out a living day to day finally get center stage.

While writing this paper I find it somewhat difficult not to be a film critic and stick with the genera of media production and digital media outlines. The film was well thought out and I appreciated the fact that I did not read the book first. There were several technical glitches I uncovered in the editing and initial filming. If you do not come from this area you will never know what they are so I will not mention them after all it is Hollywood that we are talking about.

Film as a medium has a long established foot hold when it comes to entertainment. Digital media has been gaining ground in the entertainment Industry for several decades now. It has been blending in but has not been able to fully replace film and I do not feel that it ever will. Creativity is human based and will not be replaced by machines. Technology has the ability to reproduce and manufacture what has been created and in some way allowed the artist to be creative in an unlimited new way. This technology has allowed film makers to continue forward in a new way, using AVATAR as a prime example. This film was a pleasure to watch because there were no technical or special effects created by computers. This is a great example of a script well written with actor who actually now how to act. Go see this film it is worth your time, I just hope it gets the recognition it deserves.

 

Media Response Fall 2013

                                       Hidden Cave Documentary showing

                  I got the unexpected opportunity to attend the showing of Hidden Cave here on the University of Nevada campus. I was in the overflow group that viewed the film in the Dynamic Media Lab inside the Knowledge Center.

Hidden cave is a documentary of just one of the best archaeological sites within the state of Nevada. The cave was initially created some 23,000 years age from the actions of waves hitting the shoreline from Pleistocene Lake Lahontan as it was rising in its own formation. Over the centuries the site has been flooded and reviled several times. It eventually became a place that could be used for human occupancy. This site has become a prime historical Archaeological record of the American Indians here in Nevada. The local tribes used it as a place of safety for many different reasons.

Now days the use of video, film and digital media has become imperative in recording historical facts. The actions and care taken by the creators of this documentary shows the caring and wisdom needed today in order to keep the process going without creating a negative reaction for the indigenous residents. In the past videographers and research teams would simply storm the door so to speak film and dig and destroy in order to obtain that special shot or in gathering the information they wanted.

Being involved in media production at one part of my life I really appreciate the way in which the program was edited assembled and shown to the public. I especially appreciated the involvement of the researchers and the acceptance of help from the Fallon Paiute-Shoshone Tribe members which were allowed to share their stories about the history of the site. The University of Nevada should be very proud of their efforts, responsibilities in the caring that was taken in the final production and editing of this documentary. Keeping each clip to only about 10 seconds worked very well it was a pleasure watching this production.

Media event responses fall 2013

Tony Allard Media lecture

          The media event was held here on the University of Nevada campus in room 107 of the knowledge center. About 37 people attended the Visiting artist lecture that evening which was titled; Drawing in the media stream workshop.

Tony Allard is a Performance artist, Electronic and media Artist and Writer. Tony Allard made the transition from 2d in art drawing and painting into Trans media post studio work which he calls Performance with single channel studio work. Allard taught at Kansas City Art Institute for 2years and then relocated to San Diego where he now teaches at California State University, San Marcos. His most famous installation was called 1995 corpse and mirror, performance montage 2003 street art. He is currently on campus with his interactive project called Bio art or UNR dims (drawing in the media stream) project.

Allard created an alter Ego named Heckety in response to the Bush administration and the right wing practices. Heckety is a mask that does not talk and derives its creation from mythology, Coyote the trickster god of several Native American cultures or Loki the prankster god from Norse mythology. He walks the streets with his mask on and a mail box on his back. Allard said; “His goal is to uncover the things that the eye will not normally see, whether hiding an object or opening the unconscious” He said the mailbox “Is an entity that make things disappear”. When asked about the meaning of that he said “That what is visible becomes invisible and it makes invisible, what is visible again and goes against normalcy”. He is unaware of what the public places into the mailbox. What is placed in the mailbox disappears then at the end of the evening it is emptied and it all becomes visible again. He studies the objects statements that people place inside.

I found most of his quotes and statements quite interesting in response to the normal flow of art or the description of things. Such Quotes were. “Artists put things in places they do not belong, like using Rembrandt for an ironing board”, “bad tools require more skills to operate”, and “Rational though is an experiment that should be phased out. I enjoyed the presentation and made me think in a different way about media and how I could possibly utilize it with my art.

Digital Divide Reading questions

1.  Do you feel that with every step towards new technological processes in art is it a process of with each advancement forward we never want to go back to the original form.

2. With the introduction of 3D printing, virtual reality and holographic imagery, will the physical art simply disappear in favor of digital storage.

Digital Media 6.2 Assignment 3D rendering

Artist Statement

In this assignment I rendered in 3D a cartoon character I drew in high School. The name of the strip was "THE VOID"

The Void was in response to several events in my life that led me down a dark path in life. I used the character to create an escape for my feelings towards every day life. I used the strip to convey my feelings about politics religion and life in general

.  The void is a place in everyone's mind were we go to hide and heal ourselves from the public and stresses from ever day complications. The Void is a friend to all of us and is a good listener. This sculpture also represents my desire to take things apart both physically and mentally, it is our choice to put them back together or not. It represents my analytical side, for as we get more advanced we may represent complexity however we strive for simplicity.