Gabriella+Morris+Spring+2018

**Gabriella Morris **
//ABOUT ME//

I am majoring in Interior Architecture. where I have learned to use the Adobe Suite, more specifically Photoshop, InDesign and Illustrator. My experience with art ranges from art history classes to my school work and viewing art at galleries //exhibitions. I am most interested in post 20th century contemporary art, sculpture and photography.// Some of my favorite artist are Marcel Duchamp, Santiago Calatrava and Botticelli. An interesting thing about me is I am an architecture major that can't really draw.

//HOMEWORK 1 //

The comic “Bound by Law” depicts the rules and regulations of copyright law and the changes throughout history of the law by which all people have to abide by. A relatively recent example of an artist using copyrighted material was Robin Thicke “Blurred Lines,” in which Marvin Gaye’s children claimed that the artists stole one of his Gaye’s hit songs “Got to Give It Up.” After a ruling was made, Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams had to pay almost 7.4 million to Marvin Gaye’s Children. This is a good example of the copyright law in action, but both of these artists are popular. Copyrighted law arguably more important for artist with a small following.

Copyrighted laws can be seen as useless when the user is using a popular song or featuring art work by an extremely popular artist because it is easily recognized as not the makers work. Copyrighted laws come into importance for artist who do not have a large following. Since the invention of the internet the ability to steal content has become extremely easy. For example, Kylie Jenner was accused of copying the art work of Sara Pope’s Temptation Neon. Artist who are not “mainstream” or well known can protect their work from someone similar to Kylie Jenner, who has a large following and was able to make millions off of someone else’s work without anyone really noticing besides the artist.

I think an example of good appropriation of artwork are students using other works of art as inspiration. I think students should be able to explore artist works and pull from works to create their own work. Students are usually not selling their work and only using it for educational purposes. I also think it becomes are to credit someone’s work if a student uses it as a jumping off point. It isn’t directly copying an artist work, only using some of the elements to extract ideas from. I also think all art work, to an extent, is a copy or response to the work that is considered popular for the time. One could argue new piece of work, such as contemporary art work, is good appropriation of work.

One large issue I see with copyrighted material is that there are no regulations of how much one can charge for the use of their work. Small artist or like comic “Bound by Law” highlight filmmakers, it becomes almost impossible for them to use someone else’s work because of their inability to pay for the fees large corporations charge. The fair use law makes it a bit easier to use someone else’s work inadvertently, but even this law can be used unfairly. One may claim fair use but purposely put something in the background and claim fair use because it is not the subject of the shot. Another issue with copyrighted work is when YouTuber’s are using a mac computer but simply cover up the logo. It was easy to recognize that it is an Apple computer. Although they are abiding by the law to cover up the logo, it doesn’t really stop the viewer from knowing it is an Apple computer or from any usage the Youtuber may use the computer for.

//EXERCISE 1 PRESENCE ABSENCE //

For my choice photo, I decided to take my doodles or graffiti that I often do in class and put them in a location where graffiti is the norm.

Colorized Image

Original Image Colorized Image

PROCESS

IMAGES USED:

NEW IMAGES

UPDATED IMAGE

My concept is highlighting the creation of a new culture and society that is not based off of ethnic discrimination. But, once the two children land on the moon, they are surrounded by space junk. Not only have we ruined the environment on earth, but we have ruined the space surrounding us. Humans can not escape our wrong doings whether it is in relation to our society or our environment.

FINAL IMAGE



//SCAVENGER HUNT//



IMAGES USED: BOOKS USED: FRESH-WATER BIOLOGY -- HENRY BALDWIN WARD BYZANTINE TO MODERN POTTERY IN THE AWGEAN -- JOANITA VROOM ARCHITECTURE IN THE TWENTIETH CENTURY -- PETER GÖSSEL //GABRIELE LEUTHÄUSER// //SURREAL THINGS -- GHISLAINE WOOD//

//IN CLASS GIF//

//SHORT VIDEO PROJECT//

media type="vimeo" key="263924850" height="360" width="640" //CONCEPTUAL VIDEO RESEARCH//

//**WOLFGANG TILLMANS**// //Wolfgang is a photographer who captures all genres of photography. He is known for documenting and photographing the punk rock, drug fueled scene all over Europe and specifically London.// //I think this piece is about perspective and scale. What happens when you zoom up on a crab? Can someone recognize what it is? Does it make you stop and stare for longer than you would in an exhibition that is all photographs. A lot of his work revolved around capturing everyday life in a way that makes someone look at it differently. Right away it is not easy to see what the piece is. There is a moving living factor about the art. The in the top corner, partially cropped out almost makes the moment in time seem as if its moving.// //This piece is almost an investigation in human life. He is quoted saying, "he pictures to see the world." Someone can almost feel whats going on, the sounds that someone would hear tying the band around your own arm. Does one make up a story of whats going on in this picture. He focuses on the arm and slightly blurred the background, this strategy forces the viewer to look at one thing first and analyze the background last.// //This image was made by experimenting in a black room. Instead of just developing the photos, Wolfgang uses the chemicals to create images that one would never be able to document in real life. He uses one medium in another way, which creates a fluid piece. The piece transforms the traditional notions about what a black room can be used for.//

//**Krauss Response**//

// Krauss’ “Video: the Aesthetics of Narcissism,” argues that conceptual video art is a medium of narcissism. Video provides an interesting form of narcissism where the subject can self obsesses without criticism of others. The person becomes an object, almost entering their own world, separate from all other external objects. Video, as a medium, differs from other art forms because narcissism is the only factor left to effect the subject and the video itself. Video becomes its own art form because unlike other mediums, the boundary between the viewer and the artist, is removed and the artist and viewer become similar to a mirror. While the viewer experiences the piece of work, the artist and viewer almost become one but a reflection of the artist. Krauss, also explains that psychological effect video creates and causes to our own psyche is the real medium of art, where the video is the just the means of capturing it. // Krauss uses the example of Nancy Holt’s Boomerang, where the subject becomes surrounded by herself, where he thoughts and speaking are almost suffocating her. The subject is both removed from herself but also forced to experience herself twice. During the video, the subject, herself even admits that she wants to talk to hear own words “pouring back on top” of herself. (Serra,1974) The psychological turmoil the subject feels, Krauss describes it as a therapy session. It is like the first time the subject has ever had to experience oneself, and she almost becomes obsessed with herself; giving validation to Krauss argument that video art is the medium of narcissism. // As video has become more popular of the years, I would have to agree with Krauss’s argument, our entire world is revolved around the obsession of the self. The trend of obsession, I would argue began when photography became mobile and hand held. The invention of the “selfie” is the perfect example of people using art forms to become narcissist, where judgment and criticism is removed in the moment the picture is taken. When someone takes a photo of just them self, with only them self, a similar notion Krauss describes where everything becomes external for that moment of time. This idea is pushed further when camcorders and video, also became more accessible. The obsession of documenting one’s own lives becomes inevitable. In the media today, YouTube offers anyone to easily upload videos of themselves. I would argue that her thesis would not change if she was writing this in 2015. “Vloggers” have become so popular to the extent that people obsess over their lives, and the viewer and perspective is blurred once again. YouTube makes this “blurring” of artist and viewer even more accessible because the viewer is able to experience the “Vloggers” perspective easier. Furthermore, with the invention of Snapchat, there is a blending of video and photo that occurs and people are able to document their lives and broadcast the videos on their story. People want and obsess with following the lives of others and almost only obsess of documenting their own life and broadcasting it for their own self want. Social media provides the easily accessible medium of narcissism and our obsession with self, gives validation that these mediums allow us to experience our self without external stimulus. Although we can do this more than once, we never seem to get bored with documenting our own lives or experiencing our self. This relates to //Boomerang//, where she can not help but stop talking because she becomes obsessed with experiencing her own self.


 * Concept Video**

The artist I chose was Wolfgang Tillmans, he is a German-born photographer who gained his rise for documentation the punk rock scene in Europe, more specifically England. In addition, he is known for his lack of style and he is genre-less. He aspired to document human life and uncover the mysteries around it. One series of work he created was going into the dark room and playing with the chemicals to create an image rather than develop one. This create abstract art without knowing the outcome of the product until it was done. Tillmans’ style inspired me to document some kind of normal everyday activity in a new perspective. Then, use the effects or some type of effect in a way that it would not normally be used.

I filmed my computer screen really close up. So what I was doing became color blobs on a screen, changing as a zoomed, switch tabs and used different programs. While I was filming, I was writing my philosophy on nonviolence paper and started rendering a section for my interior architecture classes. After I took the video and brought the video in Premier I started just randomly clicking on tabs, mimicking his blind approach to his art. While clicking around I found the color tabs, where the colors of the screen get split into RGB. I found this interesting how as the movie played, the colors separated combined into different shapes and elements. I overlaid this on my own video and brought the opacity down. What I found interesting was looking at these “color blobs” in a different perspective, showing the true color combinations around it. I somehow wanted to connect my video to what I was doing. I decided to find the spaced between the colors and treat them as actual spaces. Similar to my architecture projects, almost using the spaced between the colors as a white cube. I exported my project and started to use other parts to of the video and overlay them into the spaces of the project.

<span style="font-family: &#39;Helvetica Neue&#39;;">I thought about how the spaces create a form and as they are overlaid onto other parts of the projects, the different colors created become another color. I blindly chose which parts of the video to overlay into the video. This added to my blinded aspect. Also, I started playing with glitch effects, putting one in the beginning, as the piece is pieced together and to begin the video, and then randomly glitching to some aspects of my project. The glitching effect was my way of added a computer effect without the video becoming overdone and tacky.