Tuesday, December 4, 2012

Second Life Avatar

Hello-

This is my real-life avatar after applying the face map. I know this version looks odd and even creepy, but considering I have to create a new appearance for the fantasy avatar, I figured it would be best to finish this one and move one. Here's the snapshot from second life.

As for my fantasy avatar, I got some inspiration from Assassin's creed.; I just tried to modernize it. This character is pretty much like an modern day ninja assassin. This is probably the weirdest idea I came up with, but considering that this is the last project of the semester, I decided to have fun with it. The sketch idea is rather specific, so I'm little nervous on how it will turn out. I'll post the sketch latter tonight.

Monday, December 3, 2012

Final Art Essay


Stormy Lattimer

12/1/12

Paul D. Miller and Paul DeMarinis: critical analysis essay

Digital media has become so incorporated into daily life that it’s hard not to see it; technology, after all is evolving into something new with each passing day. And with that consistent changing, artist now have a vast amount of tools at their disposal to share their philosophy in ways that are somehow more immersive than before. While traditional paintings and sculptures by themselves pull in the viewer with details in both the aesthetic and contextual sense, digital media has a somewhat different effect. Because of this, artist’s works can have a different effect on the viewer that certainly differs from a traditional piece.

 Paul DeMarinis and Paul D. Miller- AKA DJ Spooky- have certainly use these new tools to create pieces that immerse the viewer in ways that more traditional pieces can. Paul D. Miller is an multimedia artist that combines graphic design, film, performance, and music to make an interactive remix. He is also a notable author and accomplished DJ, publishing numerous books and selling hundreds of CD’s. His music though, is the most notable aspect of his pieces for he combines elements of hip-hop and electronica that is often dubbed “Trip –hop”. Paul DeMarinis has also made huge contributions to digital media though his pieces. Like Miller, DeMarinis incorporates sound into his computer installations, making most of his pieces appear like a livening machine. Though the sound itself is considerably different from Miller’s own musical creations. DeMarinis uses more organic sounds, and for the most part, don’t have the musical appeal that Miller incorporates into his works. But nevertheless, these ambient sounds add more to the context of his pieces. Both artist are so similar, yet are strikingly different from each other, that it serves as a example of how dynamic and subtle digital media is.

For a more detailed analysis, one needs to examine the more prominent of the artist’s work and see exactly the philosophy behind then. DerMarinis, has a notable collection of works to choose from, but for the sake of efficiency we’ll focus on his piece The Edison Effect. This piece combined mechanical, electronic, and audio technology from different eras. The piece itself looks like a small ensemble of old record players and other miscellaneous items that are traced with red lasers. What the lasers essentially do- along with other interactive systems- probe the inscriptions on the venial and then turn it into sound. DerMarinis also added sounds form other audio devices, like “March” from John Phillipp in a techno-recording and “Etaion Shrdlu” which makes it possible to hear how a phonograph inscribes sounds of its own machinery into the waltz. Just the structure of this piece and how the artist built these complex sound machines is amazing by itself. But the context gives the piece a beautiful philosophy and context behind this creation. This piece, believe it or not, was the result of an chance experiment that started in 1986. DeMarinis after moving to a area in upstate New York to which he described as “Rural Hell”. During that time, he took a memory chip out of his Apple computer, attached it to an audio amplifier, and though some modifications made it run when light hit it. He further developed this idea, while simultaneously thinking of the first phonograph. This later manifested in ideas about how the impaction the invention of recording had on sound and music, how Thomas Alva Edison laid claim- now you might call this a copyright or patent- to the light bulb, along with some recorded sounds, and in general how it serves as a metaphor to the Edison Effect, which describes how atoms cause that relatively slow transition of a light bulb dimming down. My own thoughts on this piece though, were somewhat different. While receiving the artist interpretation was present, I still couldn’t help but form one of my own. To me the sounds coming from theses’ devices, how the sounds of different objects formed this ambient sound gave the piece an sense of life. The machines served as this metaphor of how technology can take sounds that would on any radio or other digital format would sound so robotic, now have sort of this life-like quality. It’s difficult to explain, but perhaps this is what digital media is bringing to art, a life-like quality that you cannot hear from anywhere else.

Like the Edison Effect, Paul D. Miller’s work consists of combining different sounds and media; but instead of organic ambient sounds, Miller uses elements of hip-hop and electronica to create a audio and visual remix. His approach is relatively new, in that he’s using what most would call “dance club music” to express deep thoughts about the world and human nature. One of his more recent works involves a exploration of man’s relationship with nature through the sounds and aesthetic beauty of Antarctica. Miller’s exhibition Ice Music, is compiled of three different works that center around the same theme. Book of Ice for instance is described as an part science, part art, part history, and part manifesto which explores the current state of the region. Interestingly enough, for all the explorations and research done on this content, Antarctica homes no country or any sovereign nations. While other countries lay claim to some of it’s territory, none have set up a government there. Miller explores this relationship through photos, historical documents, and other resources to illustrate the contents beauty that is disappearing from global warming and resource depletion. Another installment to this is a performance video called Terra Nova which depicts the dynamic beauty of this environment; he also records sounds from the melting glaciers and uses it to create a musical score, one where the viewer can hear the sounds of the content. Another piece that compliments this is Miller’s graphic designs from Manifesto: For a people’s Republic of Antarctica in which it creates a story in which a government is actually forming in Antarctica. What this exhibition highlights Miller’s skill in bringing different layers of media and making it into one coherent whole. Not only, that but it also shows the philosophy and human nature in this remix. Miller’s work is unique from the other artist in that it combines elements of what could be considered pop Culture into philosophy.

After researching and analyzing theses artist work, I found that both had more similarities than differences. Both combine elements of performance, design, and sound into their work to make a coherent whole. They also, through this method, add a deep and philosophical piece. Granted their both have their unique style and signature that stands apart from each other; this is due mostly to how their work approaches the viewer. DeMarinis work, as stated before, uses more organic sounds, sounds that are taken apart then layered upon each other. This creates an eerie but life-like sound, making the aesthetic of the mechanical structure come to life. Again, this seems to have a effect on the viewer, making them be immersed in the piece that is new and unique. Paul D. Miller’s work is immersive as well, but not in the way that DeMarinis is. Miller is more current in a way, because he uses these elements of hip-hop and electronica in his scores. They are not something one would normally expect in an art piece- or at least that’s what the critics say- and it makes the viewer examine the piece more closely. With that said though, the artist methods- the layering and element of performance- are so similar. I myself asked the artist if they were somehow inspired or influenced by each other’s work- Miller never commented back to me though, and DeMarinis’s website is down-. What I find most interesting though is that both their work had an effect on me as a viewer. The way these pieces immersed in in the details and philosophy were different from previous work from different artist. I felt more like a participant than an observer. And perhaps that’s the appeal and nature of digital media; with new technology and tools, will art become more immersive? Will it become something similar to virtual reality? Whichever the case, it is evident that artist will push this boundary more and more as time progressed.
Works Cited
 

Monday, November 12, 2012

Response to Reading

1) The first half of Manovich's reading addresses the six generalizations made about the computer, and when reading this list, I myself couldn't help but point out the flaws in some claims. For one, when one generalization said that digital images keep their quality when converted is wrong; the image compresses than looses some information or quality. My question then is, that with the evolution of the computer or digital media will there be new assumptions about it or still remain the Same?

2) When Manovich talked about the interactivity of digital media, and how this physical activity is present in other forms of media, I can't help but wonder if digital media will keep pushing this? What would Manovich think about the concept of virtual reality?

Monday, October 15, 2012

Vido Project: The Enternal Frame









This project was fun to do but very taxing, due to some unseen factors. But I like My interpretation of this video and working with Final Cut was interesting. Any ways, the video has the same message as the original but Instead of dressing up the actor in a wig and making him shave, I decided to just make him wear a suit. This is suppose to enforce the idea that image is everything, that showing a regular guy who has no previous publicity will most likely be ignored. Hence the line in this video " Without which, I would be nothing.

Here's the link to the orignal.

 http://www.ubu.com/film/ant_farm_eternal.html

Monday, October 1, 2012

Video Art Reading qustions

1. I remember in one part of the reading that said their was a pecking order form cinema to T.v to Computer generated images. I'm more interested about the last category though, the computer generated images. It seems now several artist use these images in almost all of their art; not only that but images and even CGI seems to be extremely involved in the market. My question is that has this pecking order changed to where CGI is on top of the heap? or is it just reflective of peoples opinions and the times they live in?

2. I've noticed that alot of these art video's convey very individual insight and idea's about there contemporary world. I wonder if music video's could be considered that then since they also try to convey meaning not only in a auditory sense but a visual sense? Or is it more for profit, in that they try to use videos as a marketing tool?

Friday, September 21, 2012

Frame animation with audio

 
This is another adaptation from a previous projecct, and considering this was my first time using an audio program I think I did rather well. Though I have to admit, I don;t think the music maches up "perfectly" with the video. I'm problly going to update it since the quality is a little off.
 

Sunday, September 16, 2012

Frame animation


Hello, this is Stormy and the short animation you are viewing is a frame by frame animation of my first still which was previously featured in The Wait. How this as changed my piece, in terms of it's meaning, makes it somewhat darker and almost surreal. To me, the girl fading away and the flowers popping up everywhere implies a relationship between nature and humans. But I love to hear different interpretations so whenever you get the chance, leave a comment, tell me how you interpret it.





Friday, September 7, 2012

Walter Benjaimin: Critical Questions



1) In paragraph one, as Benjamin describes in brief, the history of reproduction, he metions how the ancient Greeks reproduced coins and called them art. What I want to know if the Greek's felt this way about this or if it was just a way of establishing their economics. After all, if it was just coins they were reproducing, then wouldent they have seen them as a currency? Will something we see as mundane be considered art one day?

2) In paragraph 4 of Benjamin's piece, he states "Instead of art being based on ritual, it begins to be based on another practice- politics". What intrigues me is that when you look at some photographic artworks, their main focus is on political issues. Does that reflect the impact of new technology on art? Or have political issues always been attached to works of art?

Monday, September 3, 2012

The Wait



Hi, I'm Stormy and this is my first triptych project done for my Digital Media class. Each panel took about 2-3 hours in photoshop and I'm very pleased with how they turned out. The last panel could use some editing, but that the only real issue I see with this piece. Half the images I used were images from a old philosophy book called Tao Te Ching, while the other half was composed of black and white photos from Google. I used a few actual objects, like a necklace and flowers; I love how they blend in so well with the rest of the image.

What I tried to convey in this piece is beauty through the passage of time, how life is still a wondrous phenomenon even as you age. The first panel represents how when your younger, people have a certain innocence and they look at the world as something strange and new. The middle piece, conveys how time affects everything and how people go through this process of aging, and yet still find beauty in some part of their lives. The last one, is supposed to represent more of the beauty of wisdom, how people lose a little of the innocent but later gain real insight on the world. The text is somewhat ambiguous and could mean a lot of things; what it means to me, though is that the people who live through the hardships of life and live through it are in a way rewarded by just the cosmic beauty of time.While I like my interpretation, I also would like other opinions about the piece. Leave a comment please.