The Fireside Chat was an enjoyable experience. It may have been my favorite assignment of the semester. I initially worried that the night would drag on, however I found it to be very entertaining and revealing about my peers. Hearing their stories and experiencing their various methods of storytelling was enlightening and bond-forming. It reminded me in many ways of the Pinkhassov Portfolio in the sense of the potential for such a wide interpretation of a singular notion or idea. In the case of the text, it was a wide view of communication with deity.
I chose to share an experience I had while living in California. At the time it felt like a rather small experience, but with time and evidenced through repeated reflection, it has proven to be quite meaningful to me. It developed into ideas that eventually led into beliefs.
I think this class has been very useful in helping me understand previous experiences with storytelling. It has made me reevaluate the art that I have created in the past and consider it in new contexts. More importantly, it has influenced the way I feel a story can and should be treated.
In a way the experience reminded me of a comment made by Ross McElwee while he was visiting us. He explained that revisiting his films is a strange experience for him, almost as though they are no longer really his own, but someone else's story. When we shared our stories and beliefs, they became communal and part of a whole, no longer isolated.
Monday, April 15, 2013
Monday, April 1, 2013
Concerned Citizen
The filmmaker has a unique vantage point of community and society. This vantage point comes from the benefit of having an object, such as a camera, to obscure himself. It makes it easy to observe and learn about those around us. With a heightened or perhaps even privileged view of community, the filmmaker should, as should any artist, be engaged and concerned as a citizen of a community.
We found that many of the community members who were most active and concerned about the welfare of others, were filmmakers. Particularly we found that filmmaker Dean Duncan and collaborators have made significant contributions to the Latter Day Saint community with their series Fit for The Kingdom. Dean privileged us with an interview where we asked him more about his decision to make the series. We discovered that his motivations came out of a sincere interest for the ‘neighbor’ and the importance of using documentary film to help promote positive self-reflection.
The reading by Arlene Goldbard, entitled Human Rights and Culture, says, “Everyone has the right freely to participate in the cultural life of the community, to enjoy the arts and to share in scientific advancement and its benefits.” I feel our video coupled with Dean Duncan’s voice over relates to the reading because it represents that we should be involved with our neighbors. The video also shows art and the advancement of technology from the beginning of filmmaking to the present.
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
Protest Poster
My poster addresses what I have found to be a very odd part of the contemporary American experience. I don't feel that I am isolated in the experience of forgetting that our country is in the middle of a war. It seems the only time I hear about it is when a politician is promising to tone it down and roll back the thousands of US Soldiers. On any news network the war seems to be largely forgotten. I find it very strange that American involvement in past wars occupies much of our history classes, yet when we are living through a war we are encouraged not to think about it.
My poster emphasizes the role of media in making the American occupation of Afghanistan a reality for Americans and the message that these media organizations are sending through their silence. It is a dangerous message to be sending, especially when one considers the risks of 'a single story' discussed by Chimanda Adichie in her Ted Talk address.
I enjoyed the protest art of Alexandra Clotfelter, and felt that her pieces were extremely well aesthetically designed, whilst being quite functional. My experience of posting this to Facebook was mild. It received few comments, most being humorous. I was able to witness my co-workers reactions, who glanced at it, asked me if it was serious, then continued scrolling through their feeds.
Monday, March 18, 2013
Webspinna: Retrospect
The webspinna experience is a culmination of a wide spectrum of prior texts. It is serendipity mixed with perhaps a small amount of resourcefulness. It isn't an isolated moment, but is rather a pervasive experience. The resulting remixes, though focussed by interest, were distilled through many years of engaging with the internet. I found that as I began engaging with the internet, not for mere consumption or research, but as a mine with maleable material, the internet became much more of a living environment. I've always thought of the internet as being an organism of sorts. However, by using it for a live performance, it felt more of a living and moving repository, much more like a community of individuals with voices, than a library of knowledge I've usually associated with it. The communal aspect of sharing our internet remixes with our peers was revealing. It exposed our engagement with internet media, and its influence on us. The Webspinna became engaging when we as an audience were aware of the origins of the sounds and the juxtaposition of these familiar items with the obscure and unexpected. The experience promoted conversation with peers that explored our aspirations and vulnerabilities as artist and creators of media.
My particular remix was comprised with voices of artists and writers that have been large influences in my life. Additionally it featured sounds from other artists who have been influenced by people of interest to me. For instance it featured music and performances inspired by H.G. Wells, and Stanley Kubrick. There was a nuance that emerged when I juxtaposed these sounds. It was a collection of contemporary artists engaging with artists from generations past.
Thursday, March 14, 2013
Monday, March 11, 2013
Medium Specificity
There are many things in our world that add credibility to the notion that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. I feel that this is particularly true with Film. When treated with care, film may be the culmination of all art mediums. After reflecting on the medium-aware films of Stan Brakhage and Maya Deren, I have concluded that the following is what I consider to be the medium specifics of film: firstly the capturing of motion through recording light, and secondly, the ability to manipulate time by use of 'cutting' and editing. I created this short piece to give a nod to film's technological parent - photography, as well as the ancestor of all light recording: the camera obscura. All three of these technologies are included in my film. The camera is used to direct and focus the light inside of a camera obscura, and my digital camera records the motion. It is edited together emphasizing the ability to manipulate time. Music and sounds have been included to help further the notion that film is particularly adept in enveloping other mediums.
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
Textual Poaching
For decades, Ernest Hemingway has been a definitive example of the male American writer. He has become in a way a male role-model, exemplifying many traits that Americans consider to be masculine. Many of his stories explore the struggles of masculinity and self-worth, and many argue, give insight into the man's personal struggle with defining what it means to be a man and a father. His work has been very influential, particularly to male artists. It is arguable that Wes Anderson in many ways pays tribute to, as well as explores, Ernest Hemingway through his character Steve Zissou. Steve Zissou has become an iconic figure of masculinity struggling to define self-worth and manhood. His beanie has become a subcultural symbol of his character. When I think of the way that masculinity is portrayed in modern media, I am typically confronted with a womanizing action-star, or a muscle enraged fighter. Wes's approach to portraying men, though error ridden and vice afflicted, has been much closer to my experience of what it means to be a man. His character's redeeming traits are always that they eventually acknowledge their flaws and confront them. Similarly to Ernest Hemingway's characters who would confront their oppositions bravely and nobly. When crafting my textually poached image, I was inspired by the Kalman photos found in our text. I thought they were particularly effective at questioning our view of the male celebrity and femininity. My piece explores the relationship between Hemingway's legacy as an artist, and the subsequent results of his influence on the definition of masculinty, both on Anderson, as well as on me as a young male writer and filmmaker.
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