Community art event #3- 01 SJ Biennial

I was able to explore the 01 festival with my roommate who attends San Jose State University. When he told me that his class had the opportunity to visit the festival before it was open and talk to some of the artists about their pieces, I had to tag along. It was a good decision. There were many astounding and remarkable large scale pieces such as a giant robot that resembled a mix between a centipede and one of those squiggly air-puppets you see outside of car dealerships. This machine could be moved in any direction through the use of a computer interface and air pressure. My favorite piece however was the replication of a drive-in movie theater. This installation transformed 25 wrecked cars into a drive in movie set. the stereos in the cars were also renovated and played the audio from a movie that was playing on a large screen in from of the tent. The film was about the artist and their adventures creating working things such a rafts out of recycled materials. There was also a popcorn machine...BONUS!

Community art event #2- Illuminted Alchemy

I saw this performance art at a 3-dimensional art show in Oakland. While most of the art seemed a little...shallow to me, there was one performance piece that stole the show. A woman dressed in a very vivid gypsy clothes, for lack of a better description, danced to transient yet up-beat music while her husband used a computer drawing tablet to create live images that would sync both the music and the woman's beautiful choreography. At certain times it was as if technology, drawing and dance were woven together so perfectly that to recreate the effect seems impossible. you can see clips from the performance here : illuminated alchemy

A Monument to Neglegence: In Memory of the Kyoto Protocol

By nature humans are negligent beings. From leaving a dog in a car on a hot day for a little too long to choosing to forget about bigger problems in our world as a result of a stressful job or too much school work. It seems as though humans turn to neglect for comfort from our own stress and guilt. Understandable when thinking about genocide, deforestation and the death of hundreds of cute cuddly polar bears can turn even the most optimistic person into a 'glass-half-empty' type guy.  This, however, doesn't mean that the dog in hot car gets water any time sooner. The planet is in steady decline and if we aren't going to be around to remember where we went wrong, I propose we create a memorial to where we might be very soon.

Global warming is an issue we are all too familiar with. Does it exist? Some scientist say it doesn't? well then let's just forget...The Kyoto Protocol is a perfect example. On Dec. 11, 1997 the United Nations brought forth the Kyoto Protocol (named from the city in Japan where the campaign was first conceived) as a means to recognize that humans are doing things that contribute to the effects of global warming. This bill targeted 37 industrialized countries by limiting carbon emissions in the Earth's atmosphere. The US however, did not pass this bill in when it was proposed in 1997. When the bill came around again in 2001, it was again denied. There is still debate as to what the real reason for not signing the bill twice, however former president George W. Bush claimed that while global warming issues are important, but our nation’s energy shortage and economy are more important. The US is still  leading the race in the most Co2 emissions of any other country. While alterior motives are obvious in the situation, if this isn't a prime example of negligence then I don't know what is. This is why I chose to use the Kyoto protocol as a vessel in order to make this monument take flight since using the term "global warming" has lost any emotion response at this point.

The physical representation of my monument uses many different elements; The act of negligence slowly melting our planet and the effects that Global warming has on our bodies.  This monument will be abstracted human forms slowly and silently burning. The forms will be made of human fat so it as if they are not only forms but human candles that slowly melt away. The forms will also be floating to give the impression of ghosts. It will be as if this event (global warming) has already happened and we did nothing to stop it so now we are haunted by our past. I chose to put this monument in Buena Vista park in front of the main fountain. This park is a very transition place for many people to relax and enjoy the sun after or in between busy work shifts. It is a place to forget about the real world and soak up the suns rays. The perfect place to reflect on how we use our down time. Also the contrast between the fiery forms against a  flowing waterfall will give the impression that the solution is so close, yet none of the forms are willing to move into the cooling water. Furthermore, if this flaming sculpture was in the middle of a fountain, it would be much less accessible, eliminating the temptation to play with fire.  The method in which I would use to make these forms burn for centuries as well as float is what makes this monument improbable, and although I still haven't figured out the logistics of how to make something burn and then rejuvenate itself, through the use of a strong enough magnet, there would be potential to make these forms float. These magnets would have to be electrically charged in order to ensure that they could hold up the forms with atleast three feet between them and the water, which would mean more money to power the monument, however, after construction and maintenance, it seems as though this project would be pretty expensive anyways.  My main goal for this monument is to capture the silence found in both monuments as well as the silence of neglect in a way that triggers an emotion response from a issue that seems to have lost relevance in our daily lives.

monument proposal: The invention of sunscreen

mon·u·ment  (mny-mnt)

n.

1. A structure, such as a building or sculpture, erected as a memorial.

2. An inscribed marker placed at a grave; a tombstone.

3. Something venerated for its enduring historic significance or association with a notable past person or thing: the architectural monuments of ancient Rome; traditions that are monuments to an earlier era.

When I think of the word "monument" a certain stillness is brought to mind. Although monuments are usually put in place to commemorate an action, an idea, or an event, monuments carry with them a silence that seems to cut through the motions of everyday life. They remind us that, although we might get caught up with the day-to-day 9-to-5, these bronze sculptures, sky scrapers, or tombstones never forget as long as they are still standing. There is something poignant in the psychical manifestation of the act of forgetting. like tombstones, monuments signify death. However monuments are put in place to represent not only the death of a person, but the death of an idea or an even so that these memories can resonate long after they are printed in the history books and put away in the dusty shelves. In a way, monuments bring history into a public place almost as if it is warning us not to forget. Yet so often do we find ourselves so absorbed by our busy lives that we walk away from the boiling pot only to find, hours later, that the water is gone, the pot is ruined and the teabag sitting in the cup as a monument to how you will never have that tea. I am fascinated by they way humans are so easily distracted or even choose to ignore bigger encompassing problems until it is too late. Much of the time it seems as though a monument speaks volumes through a solid bronze mouth warning, ' its too late now, but you better not let this happen again.'

For my proposal, I would like to take a problem that the human race is currently facing and create a monument to it as if it had already happened. I think this will be much more affective because it will give us the opportunity to recognize the problem as it is happening so that we will never have to see this 'future monument' in years to come. I have playing around with many global issues to represent yet I am afraid that the bigger encompassing issues will loose all meaning because they have been thrown around so much that they loose emotional value. However in order to avoid this, I will make the idea vague so that the onlooker can create deductions. This is why I have chosen to take on the problem of the ozone layer in a monument to Sunscreen. Also I've been inspired by America's infatuation with bronze skin and the affects of continual sun exposure on the body in order to become attractive. These pictures have given me a lot to work with:

For my monument I would like to create a sculpture of a a melting sun bather with this resemblance. This sculpture would sit on a platform with a plaque that would give the directions on how to apply sunscreen. I would make the sculpture from paper mache and then cover it in latex paint to give it a fleshy quality. i would then cover her in bee's wax so that when set in the sun, it would give the appearance that she is melting. here are some preliminary sketches: 

Illustrator project I: "peanut Butter and Culture Jam

Responce: mark Dery "culture Jamming"

 
Having grown up in America during the technology boom, culture jamming has had a large impact on the way I see the media today. Although in the article "Culture Jamming" Dery makes it very clear that the media is calling the shots as far as what we buy, what music we like, and which type of cola to drink, I can't help but feel that since I have been around the media so long, I am getting use to their tricks. I know this is hard to say since the media has become as ubiquitous as God, but it seems as though culture jamming along with many warnings from the Internet, friends, family members, and college professors have helped me to take whatever I gather from the media with a grain of salt. This may However, have something to do with the fact that I live in San Francisco, the city where you can find Adbusters magazine in grocery stores and where culture jamming has made its way off the streets and into fine arts gallery space. Like most young adults who have grown up with a cell phone in their hand, it would be hard to imagine life without an electronic umbilical chord connecting me to my computer, yet due to this constant exposure, it has become easy for me to see how maniacal the media has become. I feel that the problem doesn't lie with our ability to recognize when we are being manipulated, its how to get the population off their couch and become more motivated and demanding. However, until the America can come to an agreement on what we want from out leaders and our news source, there will be no revolution where people stop buying useless items and start throwing their televisions into the tire fire.

Culture Jammin

I saw this image in Reno as I stepped out of the theater after watching The Dark Knight. After being affected by the movie, thoughts of Heath ledgers death and the up and coming elections, this image stirred up a lot of confusion. Although I was never able to make full sense of the poster since the joker isn't exactly known for his socialist ideals, the timing of this poster could not have been better. Although I don't necessarily agree with the image, I think that using the hype from an extremely popular movie to create anti-Obama propaganda was genius.

LUDO street art
  LUDO is a Paris based artist who uses real advertisements and then creates art over them to create a narrative which hits consumerism and nature head on. I like how he incorporates the brand names from the advertisements underneath the artwork. It makes it seem as though these companies are sponsoring anti-capitalistic commentary.

signs

  A 'sign' can mean many things. From a stop light to a facial expression or gesture, it is impossible to be devoid of signs in any culture. signs tell us when to go, when to stop, what to buy, and how we interacted with certain people. However, when I think of the word 'sign' I immediately think of advertisements. So much of what we perceive as basic ads are actually complex signs designed to get some sort of reaction, whether it be to buy a certain label or donate to a worthy foundation. They might be subtle, but they are still signs. When most people see a red hexagon, stop is their first reaction. This same method is used in advertisements but in a way that might be a little harder to notice at first. Beautiful women in designer clothes signs success, beauty, and sex appeal if you obey their rules. This is why it is important to understand all signs and how they can affect you on a very personal level.

Indeterminant art

Indeterminant art

Instructions:
1) buy a disposable camera
2) From 11am to 8pm locate the horizon (or where buildings, trees, etc meet sky) and take a picture every hour on the hour no matter where you are or what you are doing.

3) develop your 10 photos
4) attach you pictures together in order (from 11am to 8pm) by the horizon line so that there is one continuous thread connecting the pictures

Extended body research: 'blue tooth?...blue molar' and 'the three eyed man.'

"blue tooth"

this new piece of technology has been recently exhibited at the Science museum in London and due to its simplicity and low cost installation, is said to be on the market shortly. Essentially this micro technology will turn your blue tooth device into a "blue molar" in which you will be able to internalize sound and receive calls through bone resonance. Imagine being able to hear your alarm clock without waking up your partner, or being able to walk around speaking non stop like a crazy person when really you are on an important business call with Donald Trump. The installation procedure is comparable to getting a filling which isn't too bad and lets face it, everyone loves laughing gas. My main concern with this product would be a sort of combination between Y2K, that Steven king movie Christine (where the possessed car comes to life), and that terrible M. Night Shayamalan movie, The happening, that no one saw. we would be living in a world where our teeth dictated our every move. The Hershey chocolate factory would be the fist to go. people would be squeezing tubes of toothpaste down their throats as if it was the elixer of life. main cause of death in this dental-driven future: spearmint overdose.

imagine this shit in your mouth. its on in 2012

 

camera man

    Another art project that I found to be equally as terrifying is the work of artist and photography professor at NYU,  Wafaa Bilal. By surgically implanting a camera into the back of his head which will take a picture every minute, Bilal has created a sort of commentary on how our privacy has been compromised by technology. Binal explains that with this new generation comes a level of comfort in having our picture taken unknowingly at any given time. These pictures are streamed live to an exhibit in Mathaf Arab Museum of Modern Art in Qatar for the entire year that the camera is attached to his dome. I'm not sure if compromising my sleep for an entire year would be worth countless pictures of blank walls and pillows but I understand  the point that Bilal is making and I applaud the extent to which he has gone in order to exploit his surrounding to the fullest. However, I fear the day that overbearing mothers catch wind of this operation. There will be no hope for the hand in the cookie jar. 

Extended body: ibody

With Apple dominating the technological world with its sleek design and user-friendly interface, it is easy to see why most Americans own at least one product that Steve Jobs has blessed with his gift of outstanding marketing. Apple products have dominated technology in my life so much so that I dont even think twice when I ask myself the question 'where is my Apple USP cord so I can plug in my Apple iphone to my Apple macbook and update my itunes.' gross. So I have proposed a revolutionary idea that may be as useless yet as shinny and sleek as the ipad: the ibody. With this new body make-over you will never have to be away form any of your Apple products again because you will become one. Built-in speakers will be implanted in your head so that you can listed to itunes internally or play Beethoven's concerto no. 4 for the friends around you. A remote control on your right arm will quickly and efficiently monitor the volume of your speakers or can be synced to other electronics around you, such as your television or microwave oven for your own convenience. In your left forearm you will have access to a 3 USB ports so that you can share and store information such as reminders, as well as an ethernet jack just in case the 3G network you are currently standing in isn't loading pages at the speed of light. These will all operate from a large 9x7 inch touchscreen which also acts as a projector to show movies or simply project your screen onto a large surface for more work space. Hurry and get your body-update now because like most Apple products, it will be obsolete in 2 months!

Web Identity

Austin De'Rosa

     Sometimes I forget how easy it is to manipulate aspects of your identity online. By simply censoring and combing through the things you make public in your life, the friends you have online and the pictures you post, you could seem like an entirely different person. I completely understand how people can become addicted to social networking websites like second life because it give an otherwise shy and introverted person a chance to explore being social in a non threatening, non confrontational atmosphere. However, It is easy to see the dangers in social networking sites since a web identity can carry as much presence nowadays as our physical presence. Today there are more than 500 million active users on facebook, which is why it didn't surprise me when I received a friend request from my mother, cousin, aunt, uncle and many others who I thought were completely web illiterate. Although I didn't invite most of my family to snoop around my pictures, It makes me uneasy to think how virtually anyone can see my profile if they wanted to. My profile which I thought was as harmless as an email account now has become a window into my personal life for anyone who owns a computer. My profile is now on permanent lock-down via privacy settings.

  I really enjoyed creating an entirely new web persona because it gave me a chance to explore aspects of my life simply by taking some pictures and setting up a profile. My identity was Austin De' Rosa, the flaming Macy's makeup counter super-star who moved to the big apple to explore life outside Redding California. Although I used certain aspects of my life to create Austin, I wanted to create an identity that represented parts of me that I might be afraid to show. Though me and Austin are both gay males, Austin never has to hide from his sexuality, where ever he goes people automatically know that he watches sex and the city with his "girl friends" and listens to Lady GaGa. I, on the other hand, am out but struggle with making my sexual preference apparent since most everyone assumes that I'm straight. This is why I thought it might be good for me to explore being able to live the stereotypical gay life style. Although it was fun to dress up and do a photo shoot as a different person, it was also astonishing to see how easily I could project this aspect of me in the Internet realm. Also, I was under the impression that for our final class with Liz we were supposed to dress up as our persona. It was apparent that I was the only one who had this impression when I showed up for class, however, making my way to school from Powell station in jean hot pants and a tray full of sprinkle cup-cakes was a experience in itself. I was surprised to find that people were much nicer to me than usual. Maybe it was because I seem much less threatening...or maybe because everyone wants a token gay friend in San Francisco. Either way, SF truly is the place to be whoever you want with minimal judgement. This assignment has thought me to explore parts of myself that I am still uncomfortable with and let my inner weirdo shine though.

Unheard of...

this is the best thing that has ever happened to anyone who doesn't have a CD player in their car and has to listen to that catchy crap on the radio. you're welcome :)

unhear it

"You Were a Landscape In My Dream" a mountian conquest in Google Earth.

Mountian Conquest Movie

...The title might sound a little dramatic, but don't let it throw you, its from an Of Montreal song. One of the most incredible aspect of Google Earth is the ability to visit the highest peaks to the lowest points in the sea with no more effort than typing your desires coordinates into a search bar. Both of these places might not be rendered more than blurry geometric figures, but the idea of creating a pseudo-realistic world in which you can fly between continents in a matter of second leaves one with a sense of power, almost as if in a lucid dream state. This is why, for my project, I propose to use my dream ( and most everyone elses' dream) of flying and couple it with visiting the highest peaks I have ever been, stopping by to see the view, in a matter of minutes, much like a real dream. This dream will start from my bed in the small town of Truckee California, fly through downtown and up into the sierra Nevada Mountain range I know so well. From here my tour becomes a little more fantastic as I stop by The Italian Alps, Mt. Vesuvius and finally the Rif mountain range in the small town of Chefchaouen in Morocco, supplying a view from Google earth and a picture that I have taken from each one of these mountain ranges. These are all mountains that I have already visited so my ties to them are clear. With help from Google I will attempt to make alllll my dreams come true. 

Art inspired by google earth/ maps

google maps art progect

http://www.streetwithaview.com/

Pittsburgh based street artists Ben Kinsley and Robin Hewlett use google maps to create a world of their own. In may, Kinsley and Hewlett teamed up with google by staging unexplainable and wild scenes that would then be photographed by the google maps van and put on display for anyone who googles Sampsonia street, Pittsburgh. By photographing scenes such as two 17th century swordsmen in battle, or an escape from a window using knotted bedsheets, Kinsley and Hewlett attempt to make people "...question the notion of reality in something that we perceive as a factual representation of our world." this piece was inspired by the random moments of real life that seem mundane until they are isolated by google maps, such as being able to read your name on a wall or someone breaking into a car.

I think this project is very cleaver because it uses new media and pairs it up with installation art and created a piece that is reliant on technology but, in my opinion, maintains the hand-made feel of a painting or installation. I also like this piece because it is the concept that is most important by introducing the idea of making people question their trust in technology as well as reality; the execution seems like the easiest part of this project leaving the idea behind it the main focus.

Google Bible Earth

Australia's own James Dive is a different kinda of "Jesus-freak" as he uses google earth in order to recreate 3D models of biblical scenes. From Noah and the arc to the parting of the Red Sea and finally the crucifixion of Christ, Dive wanted to show events that may or may not have happened seem concrete when seen through the lens of technology. Dive also plays with our trust in satellite technology and wants us not to trust everything we see in a birds eye view, or what Dive in this case refers to as a "God's eye view." By mastering this new medium, Dive pieces together these biblical scene through actual images seen on google earth, for example, using images from parts of the Niagara Falls, various deserts, and the Red Sea in order to recreate the Moses scene. Dive even went as far as leaning secrets of the medium such as depth through shadows and colors schemes depending on the season to make this piece even more realistic

I really enjoyed this work because is makes google earth seem like just as much as a legitimate medium as acrylic paints or clay. It provides depth to a program that many people never thought possible. Also, I think it is very interesting how artist are now able to communicate controversial ideas though new media technology enforcing the idea that these new devices are not only here to help find direction but to make us think a little harder about how we perceive the world around us. Google earth is here to stay. might as well make it interesting.

Hyper-realism

The most incredible paintings ive ever seen.

....This just ruined my day.


Hyper-realism

VooDoo Child

This is a picture of a painting of mine before I got a chance to finish it. Its acrylic on a skate deck...I was listening to a lot of Jimi Hendrix

Community art event #1- Pixar Exhibit at the Okland Museum

After wondering though the Oakland museum and catching up on history lessons from the gold rush which didn't linger much longer than a flash of fools gold in a pan, let alone longer than 5th grade summer vacation, I found the Pixar exhibit to be much more relevant to my life. It was really nice to be able to see the progression of each individual character with every new drawing and how many sketches it took to get the perfect fit. It was kinda discouraging however thinking how none of these amazing drawings, paintings, models, sculptures, etc. are never even seen unless in a special exhibition in a museum. Also, an interview with one of the main animators for the film Finding Nemo, revealed that these films are 90% computer simulation and 10% animation...this pissed me off a little bit because it seems as though the human touch is becoming less and less apparent in new media, especially since I wish to persue a lucritive career in classic animation. I might have to give that one second thought. These are some picture I took of some of the amazing concept designs for different pixar characters. These pictures also led to me being asked to leave the museum...it was worth it.

                                           Monsters INC

                                          Finding Nemo

This next one was possible the coolest thing ive ever seen...atleast in the exhibit. They used the principals   from early cinema devices such as the praxinoscope where multiple images are placed in sequence on a wheel and then reflected through a mirror so that when you spin it the images meld and create the illusion of movement.

 Pixar, however, takes this concept one step further and creates a sequence of models on a large disk so when it spins at a high speed, and with the help of a strobe light, the forms come to life in a spectacular of overlapping images and characters. pretty sweet.

Ape School

flash animation at its finest 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=96fg9N00QX0

Cyborgs in America

Ray kurzweil talks about becoming a robot...but not the kinda robot you feel like when your at work. like a real robot. 


http://www.newsweek.com/2009/05/16/i-robot.html

Designboom

you could spend your day on this site

http://www.designboom.com/weblog/search.php?search=

Sol Lewitt

22. The artist cannot imagine his art, and cannot perceive it until it is complete.

Inspiration comes to me in many forms. An awkward situation on the bus or at work could resonate into an idea or concept which, at the instant of realization, seems so clear and perfect in my head. However, once I touch pencil to paper, the idea becomes much harder to communicate what I see through my mind's eye. Lack of skill or loss of memory fade the original image until all I am left with is a multitude of scribbles and unfinished iterations. Though this process of tuning these images into a cohesive piece is important in creating the final product, my final piece has become so distant from what I first imagined that the original feeling becomes convoluted and hard to recall. Even this final product is simply a highly rendered sketch, another step in the processes of finding that original emotion.  Although I am sure that I can imagine the final piece in its most organic form from the moment of inspiration, the process of portraying this image into the this realm is almost an art form in itself.