5.27.2010

Video compositing; psychological states & circumstances

     Finished the first and most important part of my thesis (Global Proposal for a New Emoticon) which is the 400-video stockpile of daily banalities captured via web cam. (Okay it's at 399, but I am kind of having anxiety about the last video, so give me a minute). Next step is to merge them into one massive video mosaic. FUN! (Or headache?)



     Been reviewing the footage every month or so since the project began last November. It's as if the psyche sees everything before we do, acts on everything before we do, knows everything that's about to happen before we do.

     The videos are part of a multi-sensory experience constructed from video documentation of growth and development within my own psyche from the last 7 months. Self as study.

     On another note...

     ...I picked up my Jung books recently. Better than even the thickest of his original writings and concepts, is Jung's Memories, Dreams, Reflections, 1961. Here, Jung was talking about the end of his mandala period.

"The years when I was pursuing my inner images were the most important in my life-- in them everything essential was decided. It all began then; the later details are only supplements and clarifications of the material that burst forth from the unconscious, and at first swamped me. It was the prima materia for a lifetime's work."

5.26.2010

"this thing we did" net presence, net art

     A group of artists gathered 'round an internet table and discussed practically nothing... fulfilled as it was, in that moment... eagerly consuming, and gracious to be spoon-fed a delicious philosophical and practical diet from the hands of an energetic professor. The last time I was that entertained while simultaneously challenged was when Prof. C.C. taught Understanding Visual Language. Oftentimes the best are the most provocative.
     Still, being busy with heavy class loads and a variety of end-of-semester burdens, we all pulled off this little stunt. Created a collective web presence for each members' solo digital art exhibitions. The kind of exhibitions that never happened. But now they have. Get it?



     "...the video projections exacted onto select walls and spaces within the Denver Art Museum's Frederic C. Hamilton Building. The projections were plotted and integrated into the geometric architecture, constantly streaming and sourced from a real time feed of the artist's web cam. The anti-performance took place via two IR motion sensors that tracked the artist's movements from room to room in her Denver apartment. The sensors were networked into 5 laptops, one for each major traffic area, and triggered a public access internet channel to switch it's broadcast from one area to the next, thus tracking the artist during the museum's hours of operation throughout the duration of the exhibition."
   

     "...from some random gallery. I was compelled by the natural light's effect within the interior. Nevermind the seating that was never pointed in the right direction. Coincidentally I just finished video recording one dozen instances of relieving myself of pee (potty time) over several weeks and I had footage I wanted to utilize while it was fresh. After doing the math of the 12 videos, I discovered that it takes me an average of 1:23 to go from pants down to pants up (including full flush). The numbers of 1:23 add up to 6, which is the number of videos I chose for compiling into multichannel video projection. In the end, I noticed the fountain in the courtyard. Like I really noticed it. And I called it the Fountain of Piss."