The Yes Men

I've thought a lot about the Yes Men since last Tuesday when we went over them in class. I never even considered, well, practical jokes for lack of a better term, as an art form never mind a new media art. But a lot of what the Yes Men are doing really resonates me. I've been thinking a lot about how we can reach people as artists, and it doesn't get any better than making your point sarcastically and live on national television. I really like how they sort of used their wits to put the chemical company in a stalemate. They created an action that required for immediate reaction, and by doing so exposed the evils of a pretty important corporation.

I also really liked what Knep was doing with Labyrinths and microscopic worms, but I'm not sure if he wants that information to leak all over the internet yet since he just started working on it. Some artists are weird like that. I'm currently reading a book that has a lot to say about Labyrinths. 

Brian Knep, soulful communicator.

I've been browsing different sources on the internet for articles and information on the artist who will be visiting us next Tuesday, Brian Knep.  He creates interactive pieces with video technology in which the viewer alters a preexisting image. This is not by any means unimpressive, but also not anything that I have not seen before.  He has a series of projections called the "Healing" project that really interests me. When someone interacts with the space the organic cellular shapes divide sharply as if they are being wounded and then once the interruption is over they slowly try to seal together again, but the impression is still apparent. The colors are bright and the cellular forms are almost reminiscent of a lava-lamp. The image is constantly changing. 

To me, what really makes his work special is the thought process behind what the interaction means. In one interview, Knep describes his idea of blending the mathematical logistics of machines with aspects of human nature such as the desire to come together. He calls this "soulful communication" which really struck me as worth noting. He is obviously very technology oriented, but he brings a great deal of human condition into New Media. I'm very interested to see what his presentation will be.

Researching a New Media Artist, Part 1

I began my search at Rhizome.org. After much exploration of these different portfolios I came across the artist Barbara Agreste. I originally gravitated towards her because of the way she blends traditional media with new media in her 2D pieces, such as her collages of giclee, paper, ink, and acrylics in the "Chain," "Blue," and "Blood" projects. She uses what I feel to be a fresh technique to acheive a new quality of images that are unacheivable without the use of new media. Her films, which range between stop motion, computer tequniques, and 35mm animations. The most interesting of these films to me was "The Chequered Tunnel," because of the nod to surrealist imagery and disorienting movement. The longer version is well worth taking the time to watch. Her work is a seamless tie between traditional and new media, and to me this collaboration of work by human hands and by machine compliments the haunting imagery. A more in depth artist's resume can be found here.

Some other points of interest:
I scouted around on her links page to see what projects she has worked on with other artists. I saw that she has been a part of the Rawhead Dance Theatre, which is a really innovated dance group, and while their videos are usually just clips of a bigger piece, their ideas are very inspiring. She also did a piece for the group Disturb.the.Peace{Angry Women}. This website is a collaboration of a number of modern female artists making statements about their frustration as women of this world.

Her biography, listed on her website, Rhizome, and her collaborative projects states that she currently lives in London and exhibits and attends world-wide film festivals. It is also to be noted that she frequently visits Italy, where she is originally from.

So in class last Tuesday we discussed the program Second Life, and watched an interview with the creator of this virtual world.  He had a lot to say about how this type of virtual reality is going to snowball and we won't be able to turn back once it has. I disagree on so many levels. Philip, don't flatter yourself. While the internet has certainly made world-wide communication a reality, there is just no substitute for reality and real life experiences. You can't hide behind an avatar in life just like you can't hide behind a World of Warcraft character or any other video game or hobby. It all seems very materialistic and narcissistic to me that people are actually spending money on virtual clothing and houses while there are people in the world who not only do not have computers, but do not have sufficient clothing or housing. No matter what Philip Rosedale says, I really hope this program does not change the world. I think everyone should stop trying to escape the problems of the real world, and start trying to fix them.

With that said, one potential benefit of Second Life as with any social network is the exchange of ideas internationally. It was very interesting to see that a company proposed a gulf-stream located, wind-powered device and built a model of it to be used and seen in Second Life. Rosedale also mentioned in the interview the use of symbols as universal communication, like how you could either say "chair" or there could be a virtual chair in front of you. This was an interesting concept but it is worthless unless it is pushed further in a way that could benefit the world beyond social interactions. In short, unless people really utilize Second Life in productive ways, it is really no different than wasting your time in a chat room or The Sims.