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Sketch of Monument Proposal:





Counter monuments are a very interesting and adaptable form of social response and sculpture. It is interesting to note that they are not meant to make people happy, or to bring smiles to peoples' faces, but rather make people remember what happened and why it did. They can be used as a social mirror to show the public and people who visit how people reacted and are still reacting to the event that the monument is correlated to. To me, a counter monument does not have to be wicked or dark, but it can just be. A subtle reminder to a figure or a event but presented in a different way then a conventional monument such as the Lincoln memorial. It should be thought provoking and make you want to stay there and really look at what it resembles, whether it be triumph or death. These monuments tend to be the more controversial but still have a way of impacting those who visit and genuinely go through them. It is also interesting to note that counter monuments have the potential to be altered and changed by the public, whether or not the artist permits people to interact with the piece. Unlike regular monuments, the idea that an everyday person can contribute to the piece gives it more personal and social interaction, forever changing and gaining new meaning (thus the social mirror). The sky is the limit for counter monuments and the endless possibilities and designs are there to keep the tourists and community intrigued, for better or for worse.
 * Counter-Monuments****:**

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 * Krauss "Video: The Ascetics of Narcissism"** **Response**

I believe the thesis of this paper lies within most of the third paragraph, when Krauss is explaining psychological aspect of the pieces and how the medium of video is directly influenced and a reflection of the artist. If Krauss was writing today on the same subject there might be a slight change to how she approached the topic of narcissism. Going with the notion that video from the 1970s is a form of narcissistic art, the whole world of social media would be a stomping ground for her to dig her feet into. I almost feel that if she got wind of the “selfie” and posting that image of yourself to countless sources for anyone to see (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, etc.) I think it’s interesting how she differentiates her two uses of medium. First, the general reception and perception of the image, and finally, the human psyche used a channel. The general reception and perception of social media would be a fascinating subject for Krauss to write on. The fact that so many people post pictures of themselves doing things most of society wouldn’t deem acceptable and how masses of people flock to it in different waves of interpretation of these pictures is endless. I feel that Krauss would have a hard time describing and writing about performance art or mainly video art in the 21st century, since to my knowledge, there is little coverage and demand for performance art in this day and age. There is a vast amount of street artists that are being video taped by bystanders and people of interest but few street painters are videoing themselves, due to the notion that it may be illegal to be a graffiti artist or trying to sell your pieces of work on the street without a permit. As for Krauss’ comments on “Boomerang,” how it displays a mirror altered mirror effect, constantly distracting and changing the way we view the words coming out of the speaker, we start to understand this piece in a different way, forgetting that it was most likely scripted and we fell into the artist’s hands. Krauss’ idea of reflection and mirror imaging to create an asymmetry within video pieces is interesting and could be related to today’s world. Most videos and pictures put out today by the general public don’t leave much to the imagination. They are usually followed up by some dimwitted caption and location so you have a general sense of what they are doing and to some degree you do not have to talk to them to know how they are or what is going on in their life. That can be done through the lens of pictures, videos, and statuses they post on social media. As for artists who use video today, I feel Krauss would be impressed by the advances in technology and what artists are now capable of doing could bring in an interesting new perspective to drawing away from the mirror images of the self in their own work.

Goofy Dunking Donuts Gif



“View of Bozen with a Painter” (1837) By: Jules Coignet (1798-1860) French

Jules Coignet, a painter born in Paris, France, painted “View of Bozen with a Painter” in 1837. The Realism or Naturalism movement was taking off in France during the 1830s and 1860s. This movement put a big emphasis on trying to represent the subject as truthfully as possible. The Realism movement also incorporated supernatural and exotic elements in the pieces generally. Jules Coignet (1798-1860) was a noted French painter who spent the majority of his career painting landscapes. He traveled across the country and created different viewpoints of perspective from his paintings. When looking at “View of Bozen with a Painter” (1837), the realism movement is evident in the painting. The viewer gets a sense that the main focus is really on the mountain range in the background, with very fine details and realistic brush movements creating the depth of the piece. The viewer might interpret this piece in many ways. I could be seen that the painter in this picture could be Jules Coignet himself. The depth in this painting is very grand when closely examined. The painter is sitting on top of a hill overlooking a vast valley that connects to the towering mountain range. It could also be questioned to what the painter is actually putting in his landscape painting. The distant mountain range may allow for some alterations and lends itself to interesting possibilities with Photoshop. The color scheme in this piece is quite simple and not overly complex. It could be interesting to incorporate Van Goh’s or Monet’s impressionism techniques to this piece, making for an interesting contrast between the painter and the mountain. The light and whimsical brush strokes of Van Goh and Monet would play an interesting role in this piece. I also believe that incorporating a mask or stencil on the mountain could bring in a new perspective to the piece and give the painting more meaning then just altering the mountain range colors and brush strokes. Much like the work of Banksy, the stencil is not trying to be anything else then what it is, which falls into line of the realism movement in France, which could tie the piece nicely together. The horizon or skyline in the background of the piece is also very interesting. It has a blue and purple hue to it, which subtly blends into the mountains and bleeds into the town at the bottom of the mountain. As a landscape piece, this painting is generally pretty straightforward. The viewer does not have much room for imagination within this piece, but there are playful aspects of it. The simplicity allows for additional pieces that could really make the painting pop and stand out to the viewer. I think the painter plays an interesting role and can really command the painting if executed properly. Overall, this painting has the “less is more” feel to it and is still a very strong painting. The expertise in the construction of the painting feels life-like and really draws the viewer’s eye to every part of the painting.

Billy goat Fishing Competition Refined Edge

Ball is life Refined Edge

City Athlete Mask

Ferdinand plays Bocce Mask

Wintergreen Weekends

Puerto Rico with the Boys

Phillip Annand and Co. Pt. 1

Phillip Annand and Co. Pt. 2

Wintergreen Fence

Matt Levinmedia type="youtube" key="BoEKWtgJQAU" width="560" height="315" The song "Otis" by Kanye West and Jay Z incorporated a sample from Otis Redding's song "Try a Little Tenderness." Kanye and Jay incorporate specific vocals from Otis' song to be placed in the background to give their song flare and give a throwback feel.