our first draft^^^^^

BTS on Cheyenne’s page 🙂

DELETE YOUR INSTAGRAM- Internet Video Artist Statement

(/response to Andrew Postman’s foreword as I think the writing below functions as both)

If you were to make a list of all your friends and how you’ve met them, I would wager that the places you met them were largely either work related or school related. If not one or the other statistically speaking, and especially if you are or were a teenager in the last 10 years you would also say the internet.(1) In sociology, the concept of a “third space” refers to spaces that a community can meet and mingle outside of your job or a class.(2) Historically these spaces where you could meet individuals with similar interests would be cafes, gyms, parks, libraries ,etc. these environments although categorized as similar spaces historically differed in a degree of severity. In other words a bookclub in Mississauga would be distinguished in perspective comparative to one in Missouri.  As Andrew Postman puts it in his forward to Amusing Ourselves to Death  “Comunities have been replaced by demographics. Screen-Time also means hours spent in front of the computer, cell phone and hand held. Silence has been replaced by background noise.”

In the contemporary landscape of our western society, we would argue that much of these third spaces have been/will be co-opted by internet spaces. Whether it be gaming, crafts, humour etc. the fear we address in this video is that when algorithms lump together people of similar tastes and interests on mass pockets of diverse culture and perspective are lost. This is especially troubling when applied to social Justice and political movements.

The oversaturation of regurgitated rhetoric amongst social media users leads to relatively uneducated and surface level takes on important issues. Even in the case of activists who devote their lives to causes and commit their time to creating content that breathes life into an issue in an eloquent and informed way the message is often over time misinterpreted, watered down and then regurgitated by influencers. This often goes on I would argue until it means almost nothing and serves little to no use beyond virtue signalling.

In this piece, we have taken the simple and potent message that subscribers of social media accounts should delete their profiles. A la Gil Scott Herons “The Revolution Will Not be Televised” we truly believe that real change cannot be made on apps owned and surveilled by fascist billionaires but we also aim to lean into the irony of proliferating that statement via the medium of social media itself, Video! Throughout the video the sentiment is layered, changed and shared by different voices and superimposed angles of our faces until the message is so diluted and disorienting that one might struggle to interpret its meaning. Much like the ghostly and minimal aesthetics of our video the message dies and leaves nothing but its ghost when duplicated so excessively . We hope that viewers are called to consider the capabilities of social media through a revolutionary lens.

1

https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2015/08/06/teens-technology-and-friendships

2

https://esl.uchicago.edu/2023/11/01/third-places-what-are-they-and-why-are-they-important-to-american-culture/

Favourite Piece AGO Reflection

My favourite work at the AGO was MOTHER! by TEXAS ISAIH. I felt pride, belonging and recognition looking at this piece. It is built into the very fabric of our history, beliefs and culture to admire and honour woman as sacred. Our ancestors honoured and centered woman in our theological and spiritual practices long before The Virgin of Guadalope. Today our communities have melded the two worlds of Roman Christianity and Indigenous wisdom together into a beautiful union of tradition. As Natalie Alfaro Frazier writes in her article My Latina heritage has given me a spirituality of the feminine “For me, it was a meaningful syncretism, the intertwining of ancestral symbols and traditions with our Catholic faith. We offered gratitude to Creator for nourishing me and the baby throughout my pregnancy. We venerated La Virgen de Guadalupe, thanking her for her prayers through labor and delivery. My midwife shared with me that she asked La Virgen to guide her and bless us before she entered my home the morning of the baby’s birth.”

Although the Women of Meso-America often carry on this tradition of feminine honour in many respects, there is a strange relationship between men and their views of woman retrospectively. I have seen the Madonna-Whore complex (or perhaps the Guadalope/Putana complex haha) firsthand in the manifestation of Machismo as it is known colloquially. Much like the concept of “Toxic Masculinity” in the west it leads our men to act in sexist homophobic, ultimately destructive ways. Femicide, abuse against women, children and especially Queer, Gender-Queer and WOC is repulsively high. (1)

As a Trans, Queer Afro-Latina I cannot emphasize to outsiders of the Latin American Diaspora that it is for TEXAS ISAIH to center herself as a mother figure through the lens of her identity. Although it is dangerous to be any of these things anywhere in the world ISAIH’s choice to integrate spirituality via prayer candles and altar,(2) deconstructs cultural norms and understandings of the divine feminine in a way that both honours the practices and critiques them.

added thing just because??????

( I am at a strange place in my identity where I don’t want to center myself on discussions of race and culture as I recognize my privileges as someone who looks and dresses the way that I do. I was recently diagnosed with amongst other things, Bipolar disorder. Although it is a permanent disability it is an invisible one. I am again reminded of this in-between place. I am bisexual, biracial and bipolar. There is a kind of poetry that addresses the nuanced identity boxes I have found myself in. Although I recognize my privilege, I am learning also to accept my right to expressing experiences of exclusion, oppression, pride ,and belonging in these spaces. )

1.

https://www.cepal.org/en/pressreleases/least-11-women-are-victims-femicide-every-day-latin-america-and-caribbean

2.

speaking from personal experience, the altar of a Latine household often represents both Indigenous and Roman Cath0lic Imagery. i.e. Guadalope Candle nest to an offering of salt for the spirits.

These are my comments on the discussion of whether or not the exhibit centered materiality within the Black experience too heavily. I am not Black and so I cannot fully understand or comprehend every point but from the perspective of Black history I would like to add these

Bridget Moser Response

1.

The Swing
ca. 1766-69 (one of the most famous rococo paintings about a manage a trois (AKA a threesome) with an aristocratic woman as central, note the pastels.)

 Bathers, 1763-64 (More group sex and pastels amongst rich people, you can tell their rich from the fabrics.)

The Garter, 1724 (horny rich dude grabbing at rich ladies garter. Very scandalous! Garters are soooo hot! Amirite Ladiessssss)

2.

Reclining Girl
1752 (a salacious painting of a woman reclining on a recliner. there were MANY of these. This woman specifically is a mistress of Louis XV. There were MANY of them too…)

3.

Embarcation for Cythera 1717 (Although some read this piece as a group of wealthy young people heading out to a party Martina Meyer shared her take on the piece in my Early Modern Art course some time ago that she views it as a group leaving a party or as they called it a fete gallant. meaning a hedonistic bender of needless relaxation and partying. )

B.

Another example of this in the rococo era that one could gather from this is Marie Antoinette’s affection for wearing maid costumes, farming clothing, milkmaids costumes etc. essentially cosplaying the poor. Less poignant but worth a mention!

A.

A Mothers Hunger -2025

• (The Video is updated please Watch 🙂

Accompanying Poem – The Fantasy That Feeds Me.

I was Born of Something Most Rotten, a prophecy written long before I ever was. 

I promise that for you things shall be different.

I promise that when you ask to go camping we will go camping 

I promise that when you ask to take karate lessons, I will take you to karate lessons 

I promise that when you ask to go to Disneyland, we will go to universal studios

I promise that you will never know the feeling of my torment

I promise that the air will never blow past you whilst you tumble down cold concrete steps, 

I promise that you will never hide behind locked doors and baggy sweaters, 

I promise that you will never study my face in search of a lit fuse,

I promise that You will never know to fear the familiar creak of my footsteps nearing your door. 

I promise that I will never teach you resentment, deceit or fear.

I promise that when are a child and you ask me about my life I will tell you about the toys, games and books I loved

I promise that when you’re a teenager and you ask me about my life I will tell you of the classes, the people, and the music I loved 

I promise that when you are older, when you are wiser and when you are full enough to share your plate, only then will you bear witness to my hunger.

I promise that I will understand when your friends, your teachers and loved ones ask about me that you may be embarrassed for I am strange, you may feel resentment for I shall have to protect you from things that may hurt you, and you may not always appreciate me as children often do.

I promise however to ensure that when your friends, your teachers and loved ones ask about me, that you will never in turn have to pick away half truths until you hit bone.

I promise that you shall be fed such plentiful heaps of me that you and your children and their children and their children shall never want. 

For the prophecy I have written you is not one of fortune, fame or absolute perfection but of love untainted and pure.

Artist Statement

My mother put her desires and necessities before the mental and physical safety of her children. Although my mother is not solely to blame for the trauma of my youth, some of her choices I can try to understand, others are unforgivable. My mother has her own history. She’s a complex multifaceted woman and I cannot pretend to hate her for the pain she has caused me despite her cruelty. Until my last dying breath I will call out for my mother. I learned a long time ago however that her abuse is not a substitute for the aching in my chest. I wish her peace but not at the cost of my own.

I had to grow up fast. Without a proper Mother or Father I relied on coping mechanisms to get me where I am today. Some were positive and gave me the life, family and optimism I have today. Others were harmful and I’m still learning to recover. A coping mechanism that sits in the gray area for me then and now is my relationship to manifestation. It is good to have goals that drive you and keep you from apathy especially when you struggle with PTSD. For me that has always been a quaint house, a partner, and two kids. Although it sounds like harmless fantasy, and it can be, the relationship I have to this daydream can be inappropriate. Since I was 15 I’ve been researching mortgage rates before bed and eyeing pension plans on insurance sites. The hope I have for a bright future easily shifts to obsessive worry if I’m not careful. I’m sure you’ve gathered that this is out of fear that I will carry the tradition of generational trauma and curse my children to a life of pain and suffering, as the old story goes! (An over exaggeration for comedic effect if that wasn’t clear.)

This piece represents a selfish mother gorging herself, and a starving child taking nourishment into her own hands as no one is there to do the job for her. This piece is both myself and my mother satisfying our hunger by means of our children, both literal or fantastical.

MFA Open Studios Experience

(I didn’t take many photos at open studios. Volunteering for the event made it a little difficult to get away long enough to take any. Luckily I can still tell you about my experience with what little photos I do have!)

There were two moments that stuck out to me at open studios. One was the fancy gallerists in all black that wouldn’t meet my gaze, the other experience was the conversation I shared with the MFA student Clea Christakos-Gee. Sometimes I doubt my aspirations in the art world. As much as I’m comfortable speaking in group conversations sometimes it feels like I must be the weirdest person in the ever known because I so often feel like an outsider in a school full of outsiders. I’m lucky to have friends who understand and appreciate me as well as professors I can look up to and admire. I can’t however get over the fear completely that I always say the wrong thing, I never know how to make people comfortable and I always come off too intense. In some ways this exchange with the fancy gallerists confirmed a lot of my suspicions to a degree, that I am not suited to talking with serious people with fancy art jobs. On a purely practical level this isn’t the most ideal situation. My art is too silly, my personality too quirky and my people skills too poor. I felt slightly gutted that they were so dismissive as I was trying to perform my role of handing out programs and welcoming guests to the event. I understand that they were busy and didn’t have any reason to talk to me on a deeper level but it felt so dehumanizing and for a time I really internalized it that day. In hindsight if I ever get to the place where I have serious important art roles to perform as they did, despite my deficits, I pray that I remember to remain kind.

In talking with Clea however I was reminded of what made me come here. I am not afraid to admit that I’m a total nerd when it comes to art. I’m sure it’s not surprising that I often admire the MFA’s as they are such fancy “REAL ARTISTS” and I dream of nothing more then getting to the place where I can get to my own MFA program. (From my naive understanding of the art world that is a very helpful stepping stone into the major leagues so-to-speak. ie making money off of art a bit haha.) With all my anxieties stemming from personality and my belief that I’m an ugly duckling amongst swans, you can imagine my surprise when Clea was about as awkward as I am upon meeting her and maybe even a little shy. I have admired her work since she first entered the MFA program! I’ve never seen collage take on such a reserved, delicate and subtle appearance. Much like Clea, there are often layers beyond first glance that whisper stories and insight intrigue to an otherwise simple and unassuming appearance! Clea seemed surprised and touched to be asked so many questions about her work. Since Diane showed us her book “twenty twenty” last semester I have gone to her website often to meditate on her poems and images much like her piece intended. Learning that the meditations were based on her grandmother led us down a path of conversation that really enlightened my understanding of her work conceptually and connected us at least momentarily.

Both Clea and I didn’t have an instant chemistry. Art was the catalyst for deeper connection. In concluding our conversation, Clea gifted me a free copy of her book! I feel very honoured to have a physical token of our exchange. I am awkward and sometimes that makes me feel alienated in such a social industry. Within the art community at large and amongst artists specifically, I believe it is my admiration, dedication and intense love that confirms my belonging. This was a good reminder of that.

Below is the copy of her book that Clea gave me, the book of meditations from her late grandmother that it’s based on. 🙂

Tattoo Party 🥳

My contribution to the Tattoo Party Project was fish tattoos!

A play on the trope of men showing off their greatest catches to allure woman on dating apps.  I call my game “Plenty O’ Fish”. The idea is that you get either an image of a fish or the red silhouette of a fish. Once you find your matching image you’ve found your “fish soulmate”. 

        As a 22 year old young woman who has been in a loving committed relationship since I was 17 years old, I haven’t had a ton of personal experience with traditional dating. Although I would be lying if I said I’ve never been curious, myself and my partner have both agreed that we would regret losing what we have much more than the greener grass we might find on the other side. I grew up with older sisters who I watched gossip all the time about boyfriend drama and hot dates. I think that the way I admired my sisters and envied their “grown up” dating lives, full of drama, yearning and elaborate dress up, always made me look forward to ✨casual dating✨ when I was a little girl. Having heard the full stories from their perspective with fresh eyes as a young adult now however… I don’t think I was or am completely missing out. Love is hard, but the road to get there is not for the faint of heart. Nonetheless I still love the idea of soulmate hunting! I am always trying to set my friends up to no avail. (Thus resulting in many friends who now refuse to be set up by me ever again! I am worse than Emma.) I suppose this project is a manifestation of my childhood and current fascination with romance, casual dating and really all the stuff from Sex and the City that I am so naive about. Thank god for my greatest stroke of luck: Benedict Hobson who I very much believe to be my family, the love of my life, and my soulmate. I hope one day I end up in someone’s wedding speech for finding them the love of their soulmate. For now I can only hope to find ones matching fish….

In conclusion, Fish! Beautiful, nourishing, hard to catch. As is love.

Week 1

Banners adapted from Dirty Words by Tammer-El-Sheikh, from Canadian Art

Upon reading the article a couple of times many fragments of the text caught my interest :

• Overused in artists
• Thirteen Years
• Picked out at novelty
• Aesthetic of Powerlessness
• Performance-driven conditions of the workplace
• I can not be bound to them
• The Exhibition is interesting
• Architectural Detail

In the end, I decided on my last choice *ARCHITECTURAL DETAIL* and I chose to print the letters in a dark blue, so it would look similar to a blueprint. I liked how it is not perfect and a bit messy, as that goes against the norms of architecture and its need to be perfect and calculated. The choice to hang it under the map of Zavitz was intentional; in my opinion, maps or blueprints are the most apparent details showcasing the building in its entirety. I did think of different locations, but due to weather, I could not hang it elsewhere, despite that, I am happy with the outcome.

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Week 2

Reading Reflection – Amusing Ourselves to Death by Neil Postman

Introduction

• “These fine minds are, as my father’s was, of a bygone era, a different media environment, and their biases may make them, as they made him, hostage of another time, perhaps incapable of seeing the present world as it is rather than as they’d like it to be.” (Page viii, Introduction to the Twentieth Anniversary Edition)
• “Where once it stood for a single generation, now it seems to stand for three”  (Page xiii, Introduction to the Twentieth Anniversary Edition)
  • This quotation captures the dynamic nature of modern society, in which new trends emerge at an unparalleled rate, constantly modifying the cultural landscape. Each generation develops and adopts its own lifestyle, inspired by technological breakthroughs, social movements, and shifting societal values. However, these changes are becoming more frequent, hastening cultural development.

Foreward

• “The roots of liberal democracy had held.”
  • Despite difficulties that have tested its stability, I believe liberal democracy has mostly preserved its core values. While some components may have eroded or destabilized over time, the essential principles and institutions remain intact.

Chapter 1 – The Medium is Metaphor

• “Indeed we may have reached a point where cosmetics has replaced ideology as a field of expertise over a politician must have competent control” (Page 4, Chapter 1, Amusing Ourselves to Death)
  • Unfortunately, this statement has been true regarding politics and almost every aspect. People have the right to look as they want, but choosing to look a certain way because someone else does should not be in our minds, but it has come to be.
• “It’s form excludes the content” (Page 7, Chapter 1, Amusing Ourselves to Death)
• “Iconography thus became blasphemy so that a new kind of God could enter a culture” (Page 9, Chapter 1, Amusing Ourselves to Death)
• “Eternity ceased to serve as the measure and focus of human events.” (Page 11, Chapter 1,  Amusing Ourselves to Death)
• “Light is a particle, language, a river: God (as Bertrand Russell proclaimed), a differential equation; the mind, a garden that yearns to be cultivated.” (Page 14, Chapter 1, Amusing Ourselves to Death)
• “Our Metaphors create the content of our culture.” (Page 15, Chapter 1,  Amusing Ourselves to Death)

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Week 3

Field Trip

Art Gallery of Ontario

The bolded and capitalized lettering of the word ‘TRIBUTE’ when one entered the installations captivated the eye. It drew me in, and my curiosity to explore urged me to go further into the exhibition. It certainly was a Tribute to the past, in my opinion, a tribute to the artistic textiles, symbolic pieces, and memories of the great hip-hop artists of today and yesterday. This exhibition was not only a tribute to the musical artists but also to artists who helped them create their artworks.

My favorite work would have to be this one. I loved how the artist gave depth to the piece despite using one singular shade with a hint of gold accents. The details in this piece force the viewer to look at it from different angles and longer.

Moreover, it was inspiring to have an opportunity to view Indian artists like Kavi Gupta achieving success and recognition. I am eager to visit AGO again to view Sarinder Dhaliwal’s work.

Power Plant

• The folktale of Lo Ting, a mythical human-fish character thought to be the ancestor of the Hong Kong people, serves as the basis for Lap-See Lam.
  • In her works, Lo Ting’s needs to return home – Frangernt Harbour – and the unintentional calling of the dragon ship, is portrayed beautifully.
  • The dragon ship serves as a metaphor for the confusing elements of displacement and diasporic identity, as well as cultural misinterpretation.
• The complexity of seeking belonging using imagery is depicted excellently by the artist with the help of cultural narrations.
  • Lam is known for using traditional form of storytelling as a structure for art. These narrationes are a depiction of her family’s history of immigration from Hong Kong to Sweden.
  • These allow her to navigate the conflicts between preservation and change within diasporic memory, both asserting and complicating cultural legacy.

Week 4 & 5

Internet Video Art – Quinn & Vanni

Video Art Ideas and Inspirations

To begin creating the foundation of our video and this research presentation, we methodically compiled a comprehensive list of the many types of videos and information we frequently watch on YouTube and TikTok.

• The millennial pause
• Fitness Influencers 
• MSA videos
• Eating everything/muk bangs

We have decided to focus on Fitness Influencers and their unrealistic life choices and advice. The video will contain clips from their TikTok and Youtube videos of their routine commonly labeled as ‘A day in My Life’, and ‘Healthy Eating Habits’

Finally, creating a “One whole day in the life of an unrealistic lifestyle“.

Some videos we might clips from:

@sandsxfitness

watching this back u wouldve thought zara made the workout, idk how the girl masks her pain like that i- my full fit is oner active kiddos, shop through l!nk in bio to support this egg 🤍 PRIDE preworkout ofc u can use code SANDS for $$ off hehehehe #fyp #GymTok #coreworkout #abs #abworkout #browngymgirl #girlswholift

♬ Get Low VS Gasolina by 917Josh – 917Josh

Final Internet Video – Quinn & Vanni

In our video, we wanted to depict social media’s toxicity of fitness to its extreme. The content influencers market as effortless and healthy are not always the best options for everyone, especially for adolescents. Our video might not be perfect, but we wanted it to give a rushed kind of gruesome aesthetic to the video to emphasize the gravity of the issue.

Furthermore, we did face challenges with our schedule and most importantly technology. We had another version, that had some more edits, which unfortunately did not save, hence, this is our final internet video.

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Week 6

Reading Reflection on My Crops Are Dying But My Body Persists

Bridget Moser uses memes, YouTuber clichés, and online culture in “My Crops Are Dying But My Body Persists” in a way that is both recognizable and unnerving. Her use of absurdity is significant as it emphasizes the peculiar fusion of materialism, discomfort, and humor that characterizes much of digital society. She takes use of the way that superficial, processed aesthetics—such as those of lifestyle vloggers or beauty influencers—are frequently the foundation of internet content, making them strange and uneasy.

Moser’s choice of costumes and props recalls the staged but manufactured settings common to online influencers. Her use of French manicures and blush-colored earplugs, for example, evokes the carefully prepared images that are common in lifestyle and beauty vlogs. These components “lead to processed foodstuffs as points of contact between sculptural stand-ins for idealized people,” as Charlene K. Lau points out in Artforum, underscoring the monetization of individual identity in digital environments.

Similar to the minimalist aesthetics of social media, Moser’s scenes’ monochromatic color palettes convey a feeling of homogeneity and sterility. This selection highlights the shallowness frequently inherent in online self-presentations. The boundaries between object and person are blurred by the props, which include packaged foods and ornamental accessories. Moser “establishes each gesture within monochromatic fields that hold space through color and serve to still them momentarily,” according to Lau. The transient nature of digital personas is suggested by the statement, “But they cannot hold.”

The video still evokes a mixture of physical anguish and amusement. Moser engages in both sensuous and unnerving relationships with objects, such as massaging a couch or stroking a skull with a baked bean-filled glove. The parodying of internet comfort genres like ASMR deprives them of their calming impact and instead incite anxiety.

Moser discusses the pursuit of belonging, consumerism, and whiteness. A critique of privilege and complacency can be seen in her character’s longing for security and comfort. Lau points out that Moser’s art highlights “the narcotizing effect of consumerism,” making spectators consider their involvement with these structures.

In Moser’s work, absurdity is a major theme, acting as a medium for revealing the inconsistencies and shallowness of contemporary existence. The absurdity of navigating modern society is reflected in her embrace of the nonsensical, which encourages viewers to discover meaning amid the turmoil.

A closer look at Moser’s other creations, such as her videos and performances, demonstrates a recurring theme of identity-building and consumer culture blunders. Using comedy and absurdity as instruments for critical engagement, her work asks viewers to consider their experiences within these frames.

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Week 8 & 9

Video Art about Our Parents

Ideas for Video Art about our Parents

• Not really parents, but there is a video of my sister when she was 2, and my dad, who is fond of photography, trying to make a video of her, but she just wants to play and it is such a sweet interaction between them. Though the video is in Hindi and my dad is the only person my sister would communicate with in Hindi, hence I wanted to recreate that video – But got rejected.
• I do have a bunch of childhood pictures with my mom that I could recreate, as once again my dad would take lots of pictures of us, some candid, some trying to capture the perfect angles.
• My parents had gotten married when my mom was really young, and then she had to move continents. I have seen pictures and heard stories from my cousins about how she would dress up and spend time on herself and do goofy things like straightening a doll’s hair or volunteering on their school trips. Over time, she got busy and started working, and now she works 7 days a week and has no time for herself. Hence, I wanted to ask her if she could dress up as they used to and record her doing her makeup and hair, as she had a huge collection of lipsticks back then, which I know because she still does.

Final Parent Video

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Week 10

Open Studios Visit

It was incredibly exciting to visit the Capstone and MFA students’ Open Studios. I was truly fascinated by the wide range of art created by other artists—each piece had its own distinct style and story.

Unfortunately, I didn’t get opportunity to take any photos. I was so focused on knowing about their creative processes and interacting with them that it entirely slipped my mind.

I’m already excited for next year, when I can to share my work at the Open Studios as well!

Week 11 & 12

Artist Tattoos

For our artist tattoos, initially, I wanted to create a tattoo that was more literal or maybe even too conceptual. It would represent the struggle of student life and their ongoing relation with the hardships in education, with the moon being the student and chains depicting educational hardships. I wanted the moon to be spinning, entangled, and entrapped in chains.

Upon receiving feedback that the idea was a little too vague and metaphorical, Yasmin and I chose to design our artist tattoos together, so the design would work with one another. We wanted to create something fun for our last experimental assignment.

Thus, we chose to design template tattoos inspired by drag makeup, specifically Trixie Mattel. Some other fun makeup designs we did were heart-shaped blushes and wavy-colored eyebrows.

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—->BANNER ASSIGNMENT<—-

Diversity Matters, in collaboration with Ana : )

For this first assignment, Ana approached me with the idea of working together to create a banner that addresses the lack of diversity, especially among the faculty, here at the university. We started by visiting the OPIRG office on campus to find resources we could use to include in our banner. We ended up finding a census from 2015/16 that includes statistics about the overall representation at the school. After reading through the census, we picked out lines that we thought could be interesting to use for our banner, some of which include:

• “ It is our intention to include all”
• “Prefer not to answer”
• “Of the 2,520 eligible employees, 1.0% answered yes to being an Aboriginal Person.”

After some thought, we thought the title of the census itself was quite ironic, considering when you look through the results, there is not much diversity at all. We chose the phrase “Diversity Matters” and I had the idea to place our banner over the plaque in the Zavitz lobby where the names of the faculty in SOFAM are displayed. We played with some other ideas as well, and decided to add “no” with a checklist next to the plaque to reference the original census. After our critique, we ended up removing that part and just left the “Diversity Matters” banner at the top.

Original Diversity Matters Census:

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Neil Postman – Amusing Ourselves to Death

Summary:

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POST INTERNET VIDEO ART

Research and Discussion

Video Essays/Commentary Youtube:

(below is only one example. the video is likely not going to be specifically about plastic surgery.)

• although there is variance in the quality of content and perspective on this topic we have criticisms about the oversaturation of similar rhetoric and the effectiveness of commentary versus “real world action” i.e. does this content inspire action or further performance?

• through the lens of our perspective on meta in the current political landscape we will reframe this

• “the revolution will not be televised” meets video artists. what is our role. how can we “activateeee” video protest. what is the role of social media in this reframing.

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TORONTO TRIP

In the first part, David Elsewhere performs a contemporary dance consisting of both fluid and sharp movements while a traditional Tlingit song plays in the background. The title of the song is the same as the title of the work, which translates to “We Will Again Open This Container of Wisdom That Has Been Left in Our Care.” In the second video, Dan Littlefield performs a Raven Dance while wearing traditional regalia. In contrast to this traditional dance and attire, he dances to a heavy electronic beat. This artwork reminded me of the deep sense of solidarity I often see between Black and Indigenous communities. As someone who is both Black and Indigenous, I recognize the shared histories, the resilience, and the strength that have carried us through generations. While reflecting on the piece, I came across a beautiful article written by a Black-Indigenous author that helped me articulate many of the thoughts I had when I first saw the work at the AGO. She weaves together personal stories, historical context, and the complex dynamics between these two communities. I highly recommend giving it a read!

Some additional pictures from The Power Plant and the Harbourfront Centre!! ^^

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POST INTERNET VIDEO ART

work in progress:

While in the process of creating our video, the final vision would warp and change as we moved along. Originally, we were going to make a bunch of video clips featuring a wide range of people saying the same line that we repeat in the final video. However, after filming our clips, we decided that that was enough, and we would instead record the voices of others to dub on top of our clips. We did stick to the minimalist aesthetic in the clips we shot by wearing white with no makeup and our hair tied back. In contrast, the editing of the video is quite overwhelming and certainly not “minimalist.” We experimented a lot during the editing process which led to a strange, almost ethereal final product.

final video:

Statement provided by Ana:

If you were to make a list of all your friends and how you’ve met them, I would wager that the places you met them were largely either work related or school related. If not one or the other statistically speaking, and especially if you are or were a teenager in the last 10 years you would also say the internet.(1) In sociology, the concept of a “third space” refers to spaces that a community can meet and mingle outside of your job or a class.(2) Historically these spaces where you could meet individuals with similar interests would be cafes, gyms, parks, libraries ,etc. these environments although categorized as similar spaces historically differed in a degree of severity. In other words a bookclub in Mississauga would be distinguished in perspective comparative to one in Missouri.  As Andrew Postman puts it in his forward to Amusing Ourselves to Death  “Comunities have been replaced by demographics. Screen-Time also means hours spent in front of the computer, cell phone and hand held. Silence has been replaced by background noise.”

In the contemporary landscape of our western society, we would argue that much of these third spaces have been/will be co-opted by internet spaces. Whether it be gaming, crafts, humour etc. the fear we address in this video is that when algorithms lump together people of similar tastes and interests on mass pockets of diverse culture and perspective are lost. This is especially troubling when applied to social Justice and political movements.

The oversaturation of regurgitated rhetoric amongst social media users leads to relatively uneducated and surface level takes on important issues. Even in the case of activists who devote their lives to causes and commit their time to creating content that breathes life into an issue in an eloquent and informed way the message is often over time misinterpreted, watered down and then regurgitated by influencers. This often goes on I would argue until it means almost nothing and serves little to no use beyond virtue signalling.

In this piece, we have taken the simple and potent message that subscribers of social media accounts should delete their profiles. A la Gil Scott Herons “The Revolution Will Not be Televised” we truly believe that real change cannot be made on apps owned and surveilled by fascist billionaires but we also aim to lean into the irony of proliferating that statement via the medium of social media itself, Video! Throughout the video the sentiment is layered, changed and shared by different voices and superimposed angles of our faces until the message is so diluted and disorienting that one might struggle to interpret its meaning. Much like the ghostly and minimal aesthetics of our video the message dies and leaves nothing but its ghost when duplicated so excessively . We hope that viewers are called to consider the capabilities of social media through a revolutionary lens.

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☆☆ PARENTS VIDEO ☆☆

Message From the Ether, 2025.

My video for this assignment is titled “Messages from the Ether” and features me standing still with my mother’s face edited onto mine. While I stand there, robotic voices read out the last messages that my mother sent to my family. Since my mother and my family are estranged, I wanted to portray that relationship in a strange and uncomfortable way, which is how I typically feel about the situation.

I chose to use space as the background and the AI voices to demonstrate how my relationship with my mother feels distant, as if she were a stranger sending messages from a place I do not know. The memories I have with my mother are sparse and many are not very positive, but she will always be a part of me, hence the combining of her face with mine. I also chose to use a more robotic sounding voice to read the messages due to the interesting way that my mom writes. She has a distinct style that almost sounds like it was written by AI. Below, I have attached the picture and the software that I used to create the video for this assignment. Although the processing took 4 hours, I’m happy with the results.

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MFA OPEN STUDIOS

This year for Open Studios, I had the opportunity to volunteer and help facilitate the event. I explored artwork from the Master’s students in Blackwood, Firehall, and Alexander, and even managed to grab some free prints during my shift! It was incredibly inspiring to see what other students at the school are working on and to hear about their creative processes and daily lives as graduate students. Meeting new people and being surrounded by so much art made the experience even more rewarding.

I also had the chance to attend Candace Hopkins’ lecture and it was truly unforgettable. Her ability to speak about her work and artistic practice was nothing short of captivating. She answered every question with such ease and intelligence, and I came away feeling like I had learned so much in such a short amount of time. I really wish I could take a class with her as the professor!

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–TATTOOS–

For my final assignment, I chose to research common ingredients found in skincare products and present them as temporary tattoos. I’ve dealt with acne for most of my life and have tried countless skincare products over the years. But only recently did I start paying attention to what’s actually in these products and how they affect the body. One ingredient that stood out to me was retinol, which is often praised for its anti-aging benefits. While it can be effective, it also makes your skin more sensitive to the sun—something that isn’t always clearly communicated in marketing. Products like these are frequently targeted towards women, playing on insecurities without fully addressing the risks or long-term effects.

There’s a lot of misinformation out there, especially from influencers and companies more focused on selling a lifestyle than promoting real skin health. I think it’s important for anyone who uses skincare regularly to be informed about what they’re putting on their skin, rather than just following trends or trusting marketing at face value.

Week 01: Banner text inspired by Tammer-El-Sheikh, Dirty-Words

Pieces of text I considered

• I take what I love
  • What is interesting 
• Don’t be shy
• Depend on the feminist 

What I chose:

I TAKE WHAT I LOVE

• Personal context
  • For an artist (I take what I love and make art)
  • Could be commercialized depending on installation (I take what I love… out of this vending machine) 
• Bold letters
  • to stand out on red cardstock
    • playing with shades of red
  • White letters hand cut
• Love →red → hearts 
• overall I think this a funny and fun take on commercialism, commentary on mass production and mass consumption.
  • I have a love of pop art ironic in the case due to the name brand “pop” machine.
  • “I take what I love” could be seen as a threatening statement rather the comical

Postman reading

 Quote #1

“Another professor noted that “kids come to the conclusion that TV is almost exclusively interested in presenting show business and sensationalism and in making money. Amazing as it seems, they had never realized that before.” 

• Many popular competition reality shows of the 2000s presented this idea (of “how business and sensationalism and in making money”)
  • MTV 
• If we are specifically talking about the past 10 years I think this quote can be applied to kids and people my age watching and wanting to be YouTubers or tiktokers. With the entertainment of social media people today seem to be more aware of making money from content/ videos online/ and going viral 
  • I feel people today are more aware of the money-making of show business in a way (or at least that is how it appears in this text)
• On this subject of sensationalism in making money and going viral, I think about America’s Funniest Home Videos, many home videos submitted to the program feature the same content as funny videos on social media (ex. A dog waiting for their owner to say grace before eating dinner, a dad playing a harmless prank on a child.)
  • On AFV you are purposefully submitting for the chance to win a cash prize but on social media, you are posting because “hey this funny thing could be viral!” 

Quote #2

“Some disagreed with his assessment that TV is in complete charge: remote control, an abundance of channels, and VCRs and DVRs all enable you to “customize” your programming, even to skip commercials”. 

• Documenting the changes from 1985- 2006
  • 2006-2025  the same distance 
• When I was a kid my relationship with TV was very as described, I remember when my parents switched from strictly cable to Bell. I also remember recording my favourite shows and watching the same episodes over and over. DVDs were also popular in our household but didn’t have many, still we constantly watched them (I was obsessed with Disney’s The Little Mermaid, and my younger sister watched Wreck-it Ralph every day for months). 
• I remember being even younger than that (pre-2006). We had a VCR, and I used to watch VHS tapes of Beauty and the Beast, Monster’s Inc., and Blues Clues
  • Over winter break my parents got a Disney+ subscription. So, I rewatched some childhood favourite shows and movies, for example, Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas, and watching it weirded me out, because I remember watching the VHS of the movie as a kid. I also have a snapshot of a memory of being very young and watching the tape by myself alone in a room and I was alone re-watching this movie via Disney+ in 2024 (not 2004-5). 
  • Also watching the movie in 2024 I was looking at a flat screen (one my parents probably purchased in 2013) but in my memory about 20 years before then it was a tiny Tobisha tv (which my parents still own and use thanks to a Rogers box). 

Week 3: SART 4810- video art idea & notes

★Vintage cartoons + tik tok content (that I tend to consume)★ 

• A subset (?) of video culture is making videos compilations of funny moments in, for example, a particular sitcom (compilation or clip show of a topic in a show)
• Tik tok: grwm videos, skincare impressions, transitions set to viral/ popular audios/sounds/ music
  • Creators to pull from: Xowie Jones. Jasmine Le, Ryan Bailey Potter, Anna Vu/Glossy Gurl, The Lipstick Lesbians, Ivan Lam
  • Grwm for school – TikTok compilation 🎀 #13
• Cartoons: Betty Boop, Minnie Mouse, Silly Symphony, Loony Tunes, Pink Panther,
  • Vintage cartoons were originally produced to be shown as a “short” before a feature film (20s,30s, 40s,)  
• I was thinking of this idea in relation to the student example of Tiktok grwms alongside the dog video 

★Mixing video with old sitcoms ★

• Sitcoms: Threes Company (1977-1984), The Golden Girls (1985-1992), Growing Pains (1985-1992), I Love Lucy (1951-1957)
  • Threes Company & The Golden Girls are known for “adult comedy” 
    • Threes company often makes jokes about homosexuals, sex, sexual liberation, 
    • The Golden Girls also tackled these topics
      • was revolutionary for being a comedy about single middle-aged women, and for episodes dealing with topics of the time such as homosexuality, AIDS, etc 
        • The Golden Girls & Gay Marriage
        • Dorothy’s Most Savage Moments – Golden Girls
  • Streamers and podcast guys making derogatory jokes or statements about the same topics that Sitcoms reference
    • ex mentioning women being housewives
    • being against pronouns etc

★Materials and References★

Web series: UNHhhh (Starring Trixie Mattel and Katya Zamo)  

• fan made UNHhhh best moment comp
• UNHhhh Ep. 142: The Weather
• Trixie and Katya quoting movies/tv shows on UNHhhh (part 2)
• “It’s a show about nothing and yet it’s everything” 
• “A show where we talk about whatever we want to talk about because it’s our show and not yours”
  • They are assigned a topic and humorously tackle it 
  • and veer off-topic most of the time
• For free on YouTube
  • Production Company: World of Wonder
  • Main editors: Ron Hill and Jeff Maccubbin
    • Jeff Maccubbin’s video editing/ mixing on Youtube
• Green screen
  • Much of its beauty and appeal is in the editing of the show 

 ★Example 2? 

•  

★The process & final produce★  

Rip music and video from YouTube 

• Layering of audio and video
  • Moments of overlapping clipped audio from the older piece of media the on-screen visual being the more modern/ current video clips
  • Clips of the older media playing alongside new videos/ Tiktoks
    • Example: A cartoon character getting dressed vs an outfit check on Tiktok
  • Clips playing at the same time on the same screen 
• It’s also possible to find clips for audio of moments from tv or cartoons that become popularised as a stand-alone clip yet many do not know the source imagery 

Sart 4810 field trip blog post

The AGO (feat The Culture: Hip Hop and Contemporary Art in the 21st Century) & The Power Plant

Sonia Boyce

The Culture: Hip Hop and Contemporary Art in the 21st Century

One of the first things I saw in this exhibition was titled TRIBUTE written in bold gold letters. Comprised of clothing, tributes, respects to reference, honour, influence and “create networks of artistic associations”. Notable artists and styles of hip-hop canonization reference moments of artistic excellence and historical impact through artworks, songs, and rappers.

Alvaro Barrington, They have They Can’t (2021) hessian (burlap) on aluminum frame, yarn, spray paint, concrete on cardboard, bandanas.

• one of my favourite pieces of the day

Yvonne Osei, Extensions (2018) single-channel video (colour, sound, 8 min 4 sec, looped)

• communicating a historical group identity
  • geography
  • a political form of self-presentation
• Hair, length, braiding
  • braiding in historical context (within slavery on North American soil, the transatlantic slave trade etc)
  • weaving knotting
  • The sitter engages and poses for photos with passersby, verbally and nonverbally
  • being with the land of Ghana and the self-representation of

Devan Shimoyama, Cloud Break (2022) materials: Timberland boots rhinestone, silk flowers, epoxy resin, chain. Courtesy of the artist and Kavi Gupta Gallery

• an intriguing take on portraiture (by a queer black artist!)

Craig Boyko, Snoop Dogg 213 (2004) archival pigment print

Graffiti art and Language

The Power Plant (Feat Lap-See Lam, Floating Sea Palace, 2024)

• Lam draws on the folklore tale of Lo Ting, a mythical human-fish hybrid, who is believed to be the ancestor of the Hong Kong people. 
  • Lo Ting longs to return to his former home Fragrant Harbour and appears to, unknowingly summon a dragon ship
  • The ship embodies the mistranslation inherent to experiences of dislocation, and the complexity of searching for belonging. 
• Lap-See Lam often draws on traditional storytelling form to create works
  • simultaneously reflecting on her own family history of migration from Hong Kong to Sweden, both to claim and complicate cultural heritage.

Other favourite pieces from the AGO

Left: Guido Molinari, Multinoir (1962) acrylic on canvas. Gift from the McLean Foundation 1963 Middle: Barbara Kruger, Untitled (Jam life into death) 1988, photographic screenprint on vinyl Gift of Ydessa Hendeles, 1998 Right: Andy Warhol, Campbell’s Soup II (Tomato-Beef Noodle O’s) 1969, screenprint on paper, Gift of Morton and Carol Rapp, 2007

In the Thomson Collection of European Art we saw many pieces we’ve been looking at in Art History Italian Renassiece including a portable triptych altarpiece which was likely originally positioned in a bedroom say on a nightstand or dresser.

Video art project:

H/W Bridget Moser “My Crops Are Dying But My Body Persists”

From the video 

• “… I want any type of feeling that will distract me from-”
  • In the dialogue Moser intentionally cuts herself off 
  • This particular quote really hit me in the moment as I found myslef watching this video (and attempting to complete this post/assignemnt) as a way of distracting myself from just having a rather annoying email while attempting to still be productive in my day. 
  • video/ art/ modern media/ social media as a distraction from the now
    • As a distraction of the now it could allude to the negligence of social and political issues as they come across the news, social media platforms, and discussions where a person avoids the topic at hand  
  • Indulging in human pleasures in multiple forms to distract an individual 
• The couch → couch potato 
• Is braiding spaghetti also a distraction from the now? 
• Does beans in glove on a skull statue another distraction or does it symbolise human touch and human intimacy? 
• Roses and hot dogs→as the artist/ performer runs the tips of her fingers over this alludes to sexual connections of human genitalia and stimulation
  • Again emphasizes human touch, intimacy, and false touch/stimulation 
  • Touch which induces shame 
• “Does this look like some kind of joke to you?”
  • While demonstrating a classic yet phallic joke to the viewer 
  • Appropriation of “modern art”
    • The minimalistic sort of HomeSense finds  
  • “My intentions are literally always good”
    • Another performance of false human action/ belief 
    • Insincerity 
  • “What do you like about me?” → alluding to social media, accusatory 
  • The colouring of the nails, clothing, background and props create a perfect cohesive colour palette which could invoke an idea of the pleasantness of peace, yet the content is shown in rather absurdist and uncomfortable/ unconventional 

The article review of “My Crops Are Dying” highlights a culture of privilege, […]. To those who enjoy the comforts and privileges that whiteness affords—open your eyes”. A sentiment expressed throughout the video in several iterations from white on white, protruding whiteness, and referring back to the white fragility and privilege.

• White on white→ to be unseen and unheard
  • Poking and prodding at white privilege 
  • A mask → a facade, the act of being someone else, social media presence, presenting falsity  
• “I don’t know what I’m feeling but I’m feeling something”
• Maybe I’m the problem I’m trying to solve
  • The human body, the physical and the metaphysical  
  • Highlighting a culture of white privilege 

In the article, the author states: “Some of these odd visual comforts might recede after one has plumbed the video’s depths, the absurdity remains”. Some of these moments are best represented by the taking of and reconsidering tropes of internet culture. 

• Slime moment/ oddly satisfying
  • Appropriating or directly using Internet culture 
  • Slime or shaving cream or food items moving or being moulded in a certain way to present a visually appealing or oddly satisfying outcome
    • A search for  “a dopamine hit” 
  • The crocs also present a modern internet culture moment, once seen as ugly (And unsupportive shoe) the croc is now a regularly and unironically worn shoe
• Appropriating food videos
  • The creation of food as aesthetically pleasing as a mouth-watering image is ruined by loonies and fabric softener 
  • The otherwise visually appealing set up of the backdrop, dishes, cutlery, and other food and drink items in the foreground 
  • The La Mer cream being spread on bread→that particular cream probably cost around 100 cad the idea of beauty products and food both being expensive and desirable commodified goods
    • White on white→ presenting the idea of whiteness as commity or as desirable. White fragility, whiteness, white white white. 

VIDEO ART

• the idea of The Golden Girls being able to talk about issues about the lgbtq community and having a fan base that is made up of queer people/ homosexual men
• consuming queer media/ podcast
• the contextualization of classic sitcoms in today’s age.

A Portrait of Parents

• The idea stems from childhood cartoons, specifically pre-school age cartoons focusing on clips about child-parent interactions
• Sweet clips and partly about child-parent interactions I don’t have the experience of having.
  • showcasing young children and their own personal problems in the world.
• Shows used Dora the Explorer (first aired in 2000) Caillou (first aired 1997, 5 seasons) Little Bear ( first aired 1995) The Berenstain Bears (first aired 2002) Franklin (first aired in 1997), Timothy Goes to School (2000), Arthur (first aired 1996, 25 seasons).
  • I felt I had to choose Dora as the first clip because I was obsessed with Dora as a young child, seriously I had a Dora table, chair, towels, talking dolls, and my third birthday party was Dora theme. I chose to have the Dora clip include her asking a question and waiting for the audience’s response. As children we excitedly respond to the boxy TV in our living room, in a room full of people in their twenties we chuckle to ourselves nostalgically.
  • Something I thought about a lot while working on this is that I remember turning 7 years old and looking over my birthday cake candles about to make a wish and thinking “I have to be grown up now, I can’t watch Dora anymore and I can’t call my parents mommy and daddy”. I remember that so vividly yet, I don’t remember anyone saying anything to me about having to do these things at the age of 7.
• here’s another story that I think sums up my project pretty well: I think about standing between my aunt and my dad outside the Sunday school classroom when Dad asked what we talked about. Auntie Anne, my Sunday school teacher and my dad’s oldest sister said we talked about idolatry/ false idols, the idea that nothing should be worshipped instead of God. My dad said to me (something along the lines of) “That means you shouldn’t worship TV”. And that always stuck with me. As kids my younger sister and I weren’t allowed to go out to play by ourselves and weren’t allowed to go visit our friends even if they lived down the street. As a kid, my Mom worked part-time so when she was home she was usually busy running the household. My dad (still to this day) rarely helped her, he also worked full-time. So I watched a lot of TV. I came across a short video essay about a year ago about how lonely children gravitate towards watching TV for a sense of comfort, connection, or friendship. The speaker in the video admitted that as one of these children, now in her Twenties she always has TV or music or a Podcast droning on whenever she’s home alone. I find myself doing the same, I listen to the same Podcast episode over and over and re-watch TV shows, or at least have them on while I, for example, do the dishes or clean my bathroom.

Artist Multiple Tattoos

Demo/ preview to tattoo design day

Taking inspiration from the provided artist Micah Lexier our group thought it would be funny to do I can be wrong crossed out as a tattoo on clear paper. We did two versions one about four inches and the other about two.

Inspired by Drag Queens like Trixie Mattel, Bianca Del Rio and Tammie Brown we decided to create a set of tattoos to look like Drag makeup. I thought a lot about Trixe’s eyeshadow/ eyeliner look and her signature contour/blush style, as well as Tammie’s signature eyebrow shape and the way Drag makeup artists over-draw their lips. I also liked the idea of a heart-shaped blush and that you could “be kissed by a Drag Queen”!

Drag makeup seems to be a lot about exaggerating makeup styles, drawing contours can be done in a straight line, anyone can overdraw their lips, and maybe people enjoy wearing huge winged eyeliner. It can be an over-exaggeration of makeup trends which reinforces the gender f*ck of drag, of drag queens men dressed as women.

If I’m not mistaken I think we were the only ones to experiment with the white tattoo paper which gave a white/ pastel overlay to the tattoo design which I was surprised by. I think clear is the way to go but using the white on the hearts gave the hearts a more lilac colour instead of the original magenta colour.

Tattoo designs and in-action

Trixie Mattel

Bianca Del Rio

Tammie Brown

Tattoos

Statment

Parent Video

Title: Mother Daughter Bonding

To start off I have a step dad, my bio dad was a complete and utter asshole, I’m surprised he isn’t behind bars. My step dad is lovely, I consider him my real father, however one person has been with me since day one and that would be my mom. This assignment revolved around her and myself and our bond with each other, she is my person, she has supported my decision with everything since day 1, that includes this profession. Love you mom.

I thought it would be fun to take her to a rage room, reasons being if you’ve ever seen her mad and or just driving. we have comments back and forth about wanting to hit something or someone just because how stupid people can be, some comments also refer to the water in our area like “what is in the water, did everyone drink it today and become incompetent!?”. On top of that the topic of a rage room has come up many times. when getting this assignment I called her and asked “wanna go to a rage room? great? we have a reason to go now!” when I got home to do this assignment I found out that half my family and my moms childhood friend would be joining us. This made it difficult until I found out that there was 2 rooms in a technical sense, my brother and step dad were in room 1 and myself, my mom and her friend were in room 2. We each got a crate of breakable items but for the video I bought an extra item, being an electronic for my mom and myself. My mom and myself are in many ways similar, sometimes in a scary way, this was just another interest of ours that we got to do and an experience that we got to share together.

This was extremely therapeutic and my mom says so in the video. We had to much fun and honestly wished we had more crates so then we didn’t have to leave right away. In the end I got a small clip of everyone walking across the screen, they were supposed to stay in frame but that’s a small conversation that can also be heard. When getting in the car I made the comment about us needing to make this a family tradition, maybe sometime around Thanksgiving or Christmas, my mom loved that idea and I can’t wait to go back.

Side note: we wen’t to a bar after and got drinks, not my bother, he was left at home.

people involved: My mother, Aaron | My step dad, Jay | My moms friend, Sabrina | My brother, Jaxon | Myself.

music in the background consisted of Grandson, Joost Klein and ______

A.G.O/ Power Plant Trip

In the first part at the A.G.O I looked into (enter gallery name here) I loved the visual elements that it gave and in was very immersive. The only thing I found hard was the audio, I know it’s a part of the installation itself, however, personally I couldn’t take the audio. Not that I didn’t like it, it was interesting.

The second part of the A.G.O was more favourited than the first part, I loved the colour, all the visuals, with texture, the sculptural elements, mixed media, the audio rooms, ext.

(put more info here please)

when arriving at the Power Plant, I wasn’t expecting the immersive installations with colour and sound that I was about to walk into. The first one I visited was (name here) and that was my favourite out of the 2, the dark ambiance with the accents of multiple colours and shapes… continue

lastly my upmost favorite part of the trip: As much as I loved seeing everything at the AGO, seeing as it being my first time there. I found these piece’s and other’s like them to be my favorite part of the trip and out of all the art work we got to see. I felt at home in these areas, calm, and really happy. I didn’t go to picture crazy because there are so many of these on the internet, but I wanted to commemorate the firsts, the first Rembrandt, Monet, Picasso, etc. I was so close to tears.

video Assignment #1

Title: Internal

Edit: I took the advise from crit and took out the audio and replaced it with subtitles, I don’t know why it isn’t popping up.

This is my stolen video art.

For my video I went with a “day in the life” video genre, however its just a few minutes in the mind of someone that has ADHD. I wanted something to show to people what can really be happening in ones mind and that ADHD isn’t all on the outside, it never is. This video is meant to reach people who don’t have ADHD, but it doesn’t mean it’s targeted for them to be the ones to understand what is happening. The people targeted for understanding is other people with ADHD/someone that might know another. This may not pertain to everyone with ADHD, but it will reach a good amount.

The idea for this came about when I didn’t fully understand what the project was supposed to be and when talking with Diane, she said something that made my mind jump to “All videos are like a representation of our own minds” however I have ADHD, I thought it be funny to make the video and the intention was to have it be lighthearted. In the middle of editing I opted on doing a voice over and make it a 50/50 in laughter and sadness. I also wanted the voice over audio to be a bit worn and not top notch for it to represent it coming from my mind, it is not clear and shouldn’t be as such. I enjoy the end result of the voice and think of it as myself stuck in my head, maybe in a glass bubble or metal box just trying to pick a fight.

This would be my very first exceptionally personal Art-Piece. Growing up not knowing I had ADHD didn’t help with school and other things in my life. At some point I genuinely thought that I was lazy and was going to have nothing in life, many situations left people in the same thought process. I want people to see what might be going on in the mind. Someone might look like they don’t care or want to do the task, but they might just be fighting with themselves internally to do the most simple thing, standing.

NOTE: The video is not coherent, it is supposed to be a mess.

These 3 videos would be my inspiration for my ADHD video.

Banners: Standing And Falling

Artist statement:

When reading through the article, I found multiple words/small sentences that I could have used. However for some reason this one called out to me more. I constantly feel myself put together but in reality I find myself falling apart, when reading the words “standing and falling” I knew that this was the banner I would make, its just to relatable.

You’ve stumbled upon my blog! Enjoy your stay 🙂

Banner Assignment

Possible Phrases:

• “depend on the feminist” – put on a pro-life ad, pro-life clinic, politically relevant and asks the viewers to depend on the feminist for women’s rights
• “praise and a kiss of death”
• “meditation on vulnerability and dissimulation”
• “safe and exposed positions” – a commentary on sexuality and intimate parts we share about ourselves
• “I am not bound to them” – talking about personal traumas, the location reflects that and gives the viewer an insight into my trauma. I am not bound to the individuals who have caused me trauma
• “conspicuous individuality” – put in front of a mirror, a comment on how we are all unique and have individualities that are recognizable to others but not to us – hence the mirror asking the individual to look at it and ponder their individualities and things that make them unique

Conspicuous Individuality, Carys Bishop, mixed media, 2025

The phrase I chose from the reading Dirty Words: Tammer-El-Sheikh, from Canadian Art, was “Conspicuous Individuality.” This phrase stuck out to me because I enjoyed the sound of it, it wasn’t until I brainstormed a deeper meaning behind it that I selected it as my piece for my banner. The word conspicuous means something obvious or that stands out, so I wanted to look at features about ourselves that make us unique and individual. Nowadays I find we are so wrapped up with social media and comparing ourselves to the cookie-cutter ideal person society wants us to be. We may not notice unique features we possess that make us who we are or point them out as bad. The phrase “Conspicuous Individuality” combined with the placement of the banner, intends to get the reader to step back and think about the obvious and beautiful individualities that make them who they are. So long we spend in front of mirrors perfecting our appearance, but what if we just stood there noting all of the things that make us unique that we may not notice but others do? That’s exactly what I aim for the banner to beg of the viewer.

In making the banner, I cut unique shapes out of foil paper, ensuring each shape is different. As our individualities are unique, so are the shapes of paper. The choice of material was made to resemble a mirror, echoing the calling for looking at oneself. The warped and wavy shapes and fonts that make up the banner are intended to represent a warped sense of self, as many of us experience for numerous reasons, especially social media as I mentioned.

Neil Postman’s Amusing Ourselves to Death, 1985

Notes regarding the summarization of the material:

• Though certain elements of the book are outdated, many of its messages about the consumption of information through media such as television, political trends due to television, and the absorption of our minds into television allowing us to neglect things in our lives
• The world of television requires a level of complexity that previous forms of communication could not provide
• The accessibility of television has had arguably negative effects on our society, such as decreased attention spans, fragmented information, social isolation, less exercise in children, an overreliance on the media for information
• Language and how humans communicate are what frame our worldview
• Media directs how we see the world 
• Society becomes overreliant on technical innovations such as the clock and now the television 
• Language is our media, and through media are metaphors, and through the metaphors we create our cultural content

Quotes for discussion: 

“As [Aldous Huxley] saw it, people will come to love their oppression, to adore the technologies that undo their capacities to think” (Foreword, Page xix)

• This prediction mentioned by Postman I don’t think has ever been more relevant. In an age where most of our media consumed is mostly short-form content, we are controlled by our phones, by our constant need to consume and scroll. Children spend less time outside, people are more isolated, conspiracy theories are rampant, and we consume fragmented information, all effects stemming from what Postman warned about, which is now more relevant than ever. With the rapid and consistent consumption of media, we are rarely questioning what we consume, how it affects us and how we think. In a way, it is making the consumer dumber, not allowing us to think critically about what we consume and allowing the television to just lead us in whatever direction. People are inclined to believe whatever they are told by the person behind a screen without any facts or sources to back it. With media as accessible as it is now, anyone can have a say on anything and may or may not be taken credibly. Despite seemingly making us as consumers dumber and media being the cause of a lot of our distress, we love it, we can’t get enough. These days, we have our media right at our fingertips, ready to consume at any time, continuously; we don’t care how it affects us, we’re addicted. This prediction mentioned in the foreword is not only a great lens to look at the book through, but also our modern society.

“Whether we are experiencing the world through the lens of speech or the printed word or the television camera, our media-metaphors classify the world for us, sequence it, frame it, enlarge it, reduce it, color it, argue a case for what the world is like.” (Page 10)

• This notion of the media we consume frames the way our world view is like is very prevalent in our modern day society. In a world of not only television but also the internet, the content we consume frames how we think about the world. Especially now, in the age of TikTok, we are seeing waves of political ideologies reach us in ways the TV never could – it all feels more personal on our handheld devices, as if they are talking to us. A good example of this phenomenon is the misogynistic right-wing content many young boys are consuming on TikTok and YouTube. It is through consuming that content that they learn how to engage with the world. It also directly affects their views on women, queer people, people of colour, and politics in general. In an age of rampant disinformation and conspiracy theories, notably on right-wing media circles on TikTok, YouTube or even TV shows like Fox News, we are seeing more than ever the creation of cult-like ideals formed from this media. This is talked about a bit in the Interview with the author’s son, Andrew, but it’s even more prevalent now amidst Trump’s second term as the US president. The right-wing governments heavily rely on the visual and digital media to shape the world view of voters, all to feed into any ideologies shared with them. 

“What is peculiar about such interpositions of media is that their role in directing what we will see or know is so rarely noticed.” (Page 11)

• At this age, we are so used to consuming media that we rarely notice when we are directed to believe one thing or another. It is so easy to get lost in something and not notice the subtle nuances that are directing our worldview or way of thinking. One example is the use of language on a political news TV channel; a left-wing channel such as MSNBC may use negative language against right-wing ideals and politicians and positive language regarding progressive ideals. As consumers of the left channel, we may be inadvertently directed to be more tolerant of progressive ideas and less tolerant of ideas rooted in traditionalism, White nationalism or sexism. A right-wing channel such as Fox News may use negative language against left-wing ideals and politicians and positive language regarding traditionalist, sexist, White nationalist and Christian ideals. As consimers of the right channel, similar to the left channel but opposite, we may be inadvertently directed to be more tolerant of ideas under the guise of traditionalism and less tolerant of progressive ideas. This brings forth the idea of how the language used in our television shows and media consumed could be biased, thus causing the viewer to be directed to a biased side of a world view instead of thinking for themself. Television itself is meant to inform or entertain the consumer, so often we don’t think twice about the media consumed, hence, it is so easy for the show creators to skew our worldview in certain ways.

Internet Commentary Video

• Analog horror videos – indie-made horror content in short-form videos, a huge trend on YouTube in and out of the horror community
• Drama videos – an exposé of sorts
• Video essays – more consumable forms of information

Analog horror video

• Inspirations: Mandela Catalogue, the Backrooms, FNAF VHS, The Walton Files, Local 58, Gemini Home Entertainment
• Main idea: Use horror media to showcase real-time and present horrors
• Documents the current horrors of the world in the present time – the USA is currently experiencing several historical moments
• Showing things we are experiencing in real-time, in real life (a lot of news content with what’s happening with Human rights right now, especially in the States)
• Often with the constant news that someone’s rights have been revoked, one becomes desensitized to it all, it’s the only way for some people to survive day-to-day.
• I want to make viewers uncomfortable, and scared, how I feel when I think about the uncertain future of LGBTQIA+ people
• Heavily will rely on visual and audio effects to make normal videos seem horrific
• The analog horror genre normally relies on self-made or distorted images/videos/models to get their niche ideas across, my artistic twist is sourcing everyday things we see on the news and online

Open to the “breaking news” and announcement of crash, static overtop, distortion and black screen. distortion, footage of inside plan, flashes of black and maybe red to make it scary, “we’re going down” or something similar playing overtop. explosion. flatline sound or ringing opening into Trump’s initial mention of the plane crash.

Parental Video – A Picture of An Imperfect Family

A Picture of An Imperfect Family, Carys Bishop, Video, 2025

This parental video was one of the most difficult pieces in my artistic career, not because of technical difficulties but because of the pure emotion and passion that went into this assignment and dealing with its complicated subject matter. I had originally planned to do a video interview with my mom, similar to The Stories We Tell, but after conferring with Diane, I decided to go in a different direction.

I was going to use pictures from my childhood to tell the story of my imperfect family, giving the audience a picture of what my life is like. I wanted to speak to the idea of the nuclear family dynamic, especially in a time where traditional family values are promoted. Instead of showing the perfect family, I wanted to turn that on its head and showcase a family that did not fit traditional standards. I was hoping it could speak to a larger group of people whose family life doesn’t fit that perfect box, especially those with abusive or absent family dynamics.

I had my mom pick from a collection of pictures from photo albums and Facebook, photos she thought could tell the story of our family best. We mostly aimed to look at the relationship between my father and me. I chose a setting that was comfortable to her, my home; that way, it felt less manufactured and she’d be the most comfortable. Despite her wanting to do this project with me, it was going to be difficult for both of us due to reliving memories. It was an incredibly therapeutic experience for both of us, though. I got to explore our family in ways that I had never seen before, through her eyes, and our relationship grew even closer after that.

Before the video gets into the segment with my mom, I implemented a home video of my dad and I, just to show our dynamic when I was younger before my mom explains it.

I understand that there may be better formats in which to present this and the photos, I could go the route of having the photos and her side by side or making her a voice over instead, but I wanted to focus on the raw emotion brought up by these photos and am happy with the format I chose.

I am incredibly proud of what I created, and so is my mother. I’ve spoken privately with class mates as well about how it resonated with them. I achieved the goal I wanted – wanting to resonate with those who have irregular and abusive family dynamics.

Tattoo Assignment – My Body My Home

My Body My Home, Carys Bishop, Temporary Tattoo, 2025

Creating a tattoo to go on people’s bodies was an entertaining assignment, although I was initially met with idea paralysis. I had so many ideas and no idea which way to take them. I could go for something funny, or I could go for something meaningful. I ended up going with a phrase that means a lot to me and pairing it with a small graphic. The tattoo consisted of a phrase I always say to myself, especially amidst my sexual trauma healing story, “My body my home.” It is a short and simple phrase to remind myself that this is my body, and it is my home, so I should treat it with love and respect. I also liked the notion of tattooing this on people – directly signifying that the tattoo receiver is echoing the phrase.

The initial sketches consisted of my rough idea, trying to come up with a format for the house graphic and the text. Eventually, I decided on two formats and provided the two options when tattooing; that way, people can pick what fit best on their bodies.

Field Trip – The AGO

Kalmplex, Zanele Muholi, Gelatin Silver Print, 2008

Kalmplex by Zanele Muholi was one of my favourite pieces in The Culture exhibit at the AGO. The photograph of visual artist Kalmplex is very well done. I enjoy the framing, the use of blacks and whites, and how natural it feels. Muholi did an excellent job of capturing Kalmplex in a natural position; it feels as if they’re just standing however they’re comfortable, and Muholi captured that, giving the piece a certain authenticity I wouldn’t have felt if it was posed differently. The silver print and the use of blacks and whites in this photograph increased the experience of viewing this piece for me, I could look at all of the intricate shapes and forms of Kalmplex’s outfit. I also picked out this piece due to my interest in 2SLGBTQIA+ artists and individuals, which Muholi is, and highlighting in the Faces and Phases Series. Recognizing my privilege as a White queer artist, I actively seek out Black queer artists and their works to uplift, especially since the at art world itself is so heavily whitewashed – so, finding the work of a Black queer artist depicting another queer artist at The Culture exhibit gave me serveral great artists to look at. It’s important to recognize the impact of Black individuals and artists on the queer community, after all it wouldn’t be what it is today without the help of Black transgender women. So much of queer language and phrases too, have stemmed from AAVE, mostly from Black drag queens and trans women. Overall, I enjoyed this piece and the look it gave me into Black queer culture, fashion and the importance of Black culture and how it’s interwoven with queer culture.

Don’t Talk To Me About No Significance Of Art, SHIRT, Inkjet on Canvas, 2021

This piece first stuck out to me at first due to its use of text as art, which we learned about this semester. This piece poses a very important question, interwoven with the deep colonial ties in the art world, begging us to consider what can be considered art: “Can a rap song have the significance of art?” A rap song is indeed art, but those who do not consider it art should consider the rules of what we consider art. The notions and rules of who can be an artist and what art is are deeply rooted in racism, elitism, and colonialism, so to answer the question posed by SHIRT and the artist, we must remove any biases art has historically presented. This piece and what it represents are powerful, given just the medium of text. Seeing this piece and questioning a rap song as art also allowed me to look at some of the pieces in the exhibit in a way I had not before. I feel this piece intertwines with my artistic practice because I also enjoy challenging the notions of what art is, especially as a queer disabled artist whose communities have been often excluded from the artistic narrative. Overall, I enjoy this piece, the simplicity of the text art itself and the important question it has me consider.

Field Trip – The AGG

Making a b-line to HaidaBucks, Salmonberry Frap #ftw #starbucksfail #lol, Digital Intervention, 2016

Making a b-line to HaidaBucks, Salmonberry Frap #ftw #starbucksfail #lol is a digital intervention print by Sonny Assu on a painting by Emily Carr. This piece first drew me in due to its vibrant use of colour – especially the large shape added in digitally by Assu. The shape looks out of place but it fits the painting so well. Through this series of works, Assu takes paintings by Indigenous artists or inspired by Indigenous art (Like Emily Carr’s works) and transforms them by altering them digitally, creating a blend of science fiction and traditional art, a perfect cultural hybrid. Through this, Assu injects his narratives into the piece, challenging how the viewer thinks of traditional landscape paintings. I really enjoy artworks that add things on top of preexisting artworks and have even explored that idea in my artistic practices, hence why I was so drawn to this painting. This makes me want to go even further in playing with the idea of adding or removing from already existing artworks to add my meaning to them.

https://www.artistrunwebsite.com/inspiration/1743/Cultural+Hybrids%3A+Art+by+Sonny+Assu

Cyborg Hybrids, a series by KC Adams, Digital Print, 2005

Cyborg Hybrids is a series of photos by Indigenous artist KC Adams. Adams herself explores technology in relation to her Indigenous identity, which is exactly what this series aims to do. The AGG exhibition of the series not only had the photos but also the accessories worn by the models in the photos. Adams wanted to create a mixing of two cultures, including Euro-Indigenous artists as her models. Each of the models dons a shirt with a humorous phrase on it, like “FORMER LAND OWNER” or “INDIAN PRINCESS,” all of which add a commentary to certain aspects of Indigenous culture, stereotypes, and humour. They each post stoically, framed in a way that mocks the photography of Indigenous individuals in the 19th and 20th centuries. She also digitally altered them to make the figures appear like they are in a fancy magazine. Per Donna Harroway’s Cyborg Manifesto, Adams views a cyborg as “a creature in a technological, post-gender world free of traditional western stereotypes towards race and gender” (KC Adams) and implores the artist to view this work through that lens. I was first drawn to this series for the striking way the photos are framed and how I felt as if I was being watched by each of the models with their stoic gazes. As I looked into the piece further through Adams’ artist statement, I found myself falling in love with the notion of the Cyborg. Our world nowadays is so binary and has Western stereotypes heavily embedded in every fabric of our society. This series allows me to think of a world beyond all of that, a marriage of culture and technology, transcending all Western stereotypes. As a nonbinary person, I like to explore the notions of breaking free of stereotypes towards gender in my art, hence my love for this completely different perspective of a practice I already engage in. I wish to explore more of her works because I find the concept of technology and its relation to cultural identity fascinating as we move to a more technically advanced world!

https://www.kcadams.net/art/photography/Hybrids/hybridmain.html

MFA Open Studios

Visiting the MFA studios was very enjoyable for me, it opened up new possibilities for me that I had never quite experienced before. Going to university for art and building my artistic career, it’s easy to feel lost amongst it all. I’m in my third year and I feel like I still haven’t found my artistic niche, something I specialize in. It gives me a sense of imposter syndrome, like I don’t belong here with all of the other amazing artists. Seeing all of the different artistic practices in the open studios allowed me to realize just how broad the field of art is. There are so many ways to interpret and create art, I shouldn’t try to confine myself to a box. I enjoyed every studio I visited but I’ve detailed some of my favourites below.

Visiting Eunice Luk’s studio space, I was immediately enamoured by her works, especially the large bird’s nest and the spider sculptures. The use of natural and found materials was really beautiful and added a comfort to the space I didn’t expect. Upon entering the space and removing my shoes, Eunice immediately asked me to add a stick to her large bird’s nest sculpture. It’s shocking to think that every branch or twig was carefully selected by individuals like myself to create this labour of love.

I remember visiting Clea Christakos-Gee’s studio so vividly, the sun was shining so beautifully through the windows of Blackwood Hall, creating the most beautiful shapes as it refracted through all of Clea’s stained glass pieces. Clea and I spoke for a while, I looked through all of her collage materials. I have been enjoying collages in my practice, so seeing just how far you could take it widened my horizons. I especially liked going through her daily collage journals where she’d force herself to create one collage piece a day, It’s such a cool concept and what a way to not let artist block get the best of you! I don’t have any pictures because I was enjoying my conversation and exploration of Clea’s works too much!

Bridget Moser, My Crops are Dying but my Body Persists

Charlene Lau’s Review: https://www.artforum.com/events/bridget-moser-247483

Watching Moser’s My Crops are Dying but my Body Persists through the lens of Charlene Lau’s review, instead of my initial confusion and discomfort, I was able to more closely examine the themes Moser had intentionally left in the video. Moser makes us uncomfortable, both with her body language, prop humour and use of erotic imagery. All of the actions are rather absurd, yet Moser has her reasons.

The pairing of certain objects and scenes feels almost like a “GRWM (get ready with me)” video, a common trend on YouTube and TikTok¹. She dons silk pyjamas, shows off a set of in Lau’s words, “consumerist, bourgeois junk—such as a rose-gold makeup mirror, white and gilt decorative ceramic objects, and a bottle of pink Himalayan salt—parodies displays of “haute” consumerist taste,” (ArtForum, Lau) the high-end face cream, the pasta hair braiding, and the emphasis on nails. I find both of these items very reminiscent of the influencer culture on YouTube and TikTok. It feels almost as if she is parodying the women, so obsessed with consumerism and how they look that they create these fake GRWM videos to idealize their life to their viewers. Like these videos, there’s an inherent loneliness in them, and I think Moser highlights that quite well. She craves intimacy, she craves touch, and she showcases that through her erotic movements or use of props. Another theme Moser highlights is that of white supremacy, white fragility, and white privilege. Historically and currently, in the Western world, whiteness is treated as an ideal, especially by white supremacists; they think everyone should want to be white. She shows herself embodying the white supremacy in a very unexpected and uncomfortable way, buttering a piece of white bread with an expensive moisturizer and sinking her teeth into it. It is through her dialogue that we gain the insight into her intentions to sink into white supremacy in the video, “This is where I come from, or anyways I think you can see the resemblance. We’re all a bit soft and not always digestible. We’re just used to certain comforts.” (ArtForum, Lau) She slowly becomes complacent to these thoughts, submitting to the notions and becoming complacent. As Lau puts it, “As if slowly awakening to white supremacy, the narrator begins to process it as a disease. Moser’s sardonic tone—with a hint of creepy innocence—exteriorizes these innermost thoughts, which turn into an earnest declaration of complicity.” (ArtForum, Lau) I think notions of white supremacy, fragility and privilege are very prevalent in influencer culture as well. These individuals, mostly white women, are very privileged for their place and following, most of them directly reaping the benefits of complicity in white supremacy – like Moser did in the performance. On the internet nowadays, we see so many women get famous simply because they’re pretty and white, yet when women of colour do the same thing, they don’t always get the same amount of views. There’s an inherent power white influencers have on platforms, and that’s highlighted in our society and Moser’s video.

Furthering my point of influencer culture, I also believe in influencer culture, there’s this need to have everything you do be constantly “aesthetically pleasing.” There are hundreds of “aesthetic” GRWM compilations all across the internet. People put on this perfect facade to present the perfect life to viewers. I believe Moser put in a lot of effort to make her sets aesthetically pleasing and clean, much like these influencer sets and rooms, directly parodying them. The influencer culture is so bad that there are even children as young as 4 trying to emulate this successful and ideal life. I will not include video references of the children to retain their privacy, but the number of impressed young girls wanting this idealized life supported by white supremacy is scary. I’ve found a video, however, from a creator I enjoy that delves into the topic of these young girls trying to copy these older, successful, white women influencers. ²

Examining her colour choices when going through this lens of white privilege and influencer culture, the colours chosen by Moser feel dainty and feminine – which is exactly how these influencers want to appear. In the video I’ve linked below ³ of a GRWM Tiktok compilation, almost every influencer dons white, pink, and dainty colours as worn by Moser.

In the final part of the video, Moser fully embraces all aspects of her white privilege, rubbing it in the viewers’ faces in a way. Like these influencers, her success and triumph are “built at the expense of others,” (ArtForum, Lau) as Lau puts it, and Moser is completely oblivious to it, much like these influencer figures. The video ends by telling those who have white privilege not to benefit from it completely obliviously but to actively take action against it, something many of these prominent white celebrities and influencers need to understand.

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2:

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Notes from watching before reading review:

Notes from reading and watching after:

Watch the video again – in light of the commentary by Charlene Lau –

and comment on the ways Moser appropriates internet tropes, youtubers, pop culture references, and/or memes in this work.

• Enyaesque music, almost hopeful, feels very out of place with the uncomfortable imagery
• A parody of consumerist clutter with her choices of props
• A mix of oddly relaxing content and ASMR and erotic comedy
• notions of white supremacy and fragility with the bread that carries further into the video’s climax
• hot dog fingers meme

What are some of the things her colour choices, and/or her props and costumes remind you of? How do you experience the video physically?

• The colour choices almost remind me of a hospital, like in a hospital, pale colours are meant to bring calming energy, but to me it feels uncomfortable and sterile – this could connect to her themeing of the virus and COVID-19

What are some of the ideas Moser is playing with, including questions she is raising? What is the role of absurdity in her work? In your discussion of Moser’s work, you should quote the art forum review twice.

• Moser is playing with themes of intimacy, of discomfort and white privilage
  

Critique of Minimalism: Banner Project

My banner is called Critique of Minimalism. My banner is a statement on the commerciality of minimalism, pointing out how minimalism has been used by many brands to sell products to consumers and trick them with pops of colour and fun fonts. Minimalism has begun to make all brands look dull and the same because minimalism simplifies artistic integrity. In response I went to my local Metro and put up this banner in front of the cereal section, I chose the cereal section as a metaphor for spoon feeding capitalism. I also chose to make the banner and the photo itself maximalist to further express my frustration with minimalism, as the minimalist brands melt into each other as they fill the photo with detail.

Video Ideas:

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRQkV6jhBco
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OvWeI1R3fAs 6:21
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Puz90nUVCyk
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FzbmekrfhYg 4:05
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kyzjzGAwwW0

Ludonarrative dissonance: When the narrative and the gameplay contradict each other. Critiquing how a video game might completely ignore the violence in its own game and end up contradicting itself. Also shouting out games that subvert Ludonarrative dissonance.

The Good Kid M.A.A.D City piece in the AGO really struck me as it takes the album and enhances the story by showing the songs stories and messages visually. The visuals shown are all of Compton as the videos and music paint a portrait of systematic racism and poverty. I really liked how well the video piece went along with the album as the album itself plays out as a film. Especially the blend of newer and older pieces from Compton and Kendricks career like the Compton Courthouse being shown from the Not Like Us video by Kendrick Lamar.The Good Kid M.A.A.D City piece in the AGO really struck me as it takes the album and enhances the story by showing the songs stories and messages visually. The visuals shown are all of Compton as the videos and music paint a portrait of systematic racism and poverty. I really liked how well the video piece went along with the album as the album itself plays out as a film. Especially the blend of newer and older pieces from Compton and Kendricks career like the Compton Courthouse being shown from the Not Like Us video by Kendrick Lamar.

Neil Postman: Amusing Ourselves to Death

Today technology surrounds us everywhere. Our everyday life has been completely consumed by devices, weather it be our phone going with us to meet friends, watching TV, or doing homework on a laptop, in today’s climate we are surrounded by an ecosystem of metal and software. This writing predicts the outcome of a human world consumed by screens as it plainly explains in its title Amusing Ourselves to Death.

This information cycle has caused humanity to flatten the value of information as they are strung together in an incoherent and almost psychotic fashion. A rape of a women being reported cheerfully by an announcer, followed by Janet Jackson’s nip slip on live television and a Coors Lite commercial. This has also sprung a phenomenon of television in a way raising the youth, many college kids would feel attacked by the books thoughts on television, feeling as if they have to defend their “culture” or “parents”.

It becomes impossible to properly digest and breakdown information and stories shown in the news cycle because of how quickly this cycle moves and how it gives no room for intellectual conversation or thought. It becomes impossible to possibly deconstruct and understand a topic especially one with sensitive or political material, instead we get drivel that is posted throughout socials and the news until it moves to the next story. Perpetually putting the internet in a cycle of misinformation and misinterpretation, where being correct is not important but posting first is.

This book is extremely accurate and has a lot to talk about in todays climate, and as time goes on I believe this writing will only become more and more relevant as humanity dives deeper into our own amusement and finally be the death of us.

Spider-Man

Spiderman is playing his new game Spiderman PS4, as he becomes more and more frustrated defending the actions of his in game self. This video highlights youtube let’s play and twitch culture while also pointing out the ludonarrative dissonance present in many video games throughout time. Spiderman is supposed to be a non violent hero who doesn’t kill or brutally injure his enemies, although throughout the game Spiderman is shown to continually beat up and harm the people he fights and the game itself is littered with explosions and death. Spiderman as a content creator Spiderman has very little emotion, instead he ends up flattening the meaning of everything in front of him as he become nulled to the violence and dialogue around him. Begging for subscribers and likes while the screen is extremely concluded with different gameplay screens and chats. This is a spoof on the lets play and streaming culture that has become heavily intwined with video game culture.

I was raised by tv:

When my family first moved to Canada I was very very young (around 1 or 2 years old) and as a response to this new world around me I would look to the television. To a young me television was the closest thing I had to real North American culture (or so I thought). Many of the lessons I learned were ones stated to me by television in a very unhealthy manner. This project stitches together harmful messages or beliefs that the television advocated for while paralleling it with zombie people staring endlessly and eating up these messages (like a young sponge taking in everything around them). Don’t get to close to the tv, it will make you cruel. A sentence that in my mind perfectly describes what happens to young minds when ingesting this black tar and how it will change you and make you a meaner person.

MFA:

Neil Postman:

• Aldous Huxley is an english writer and philosopher who wrote Brave New World where he imagined a frightening dystopian future not too far from our own
• One where people are distracted by superficial quick pleasure like drugs and entertainment, while forgetting what is important and real
• He argued that capitalism and this society we harboured is one that controls people through instant pleasure, happiness, and diversions
• Neil Postman agreed with Huxley in his thoughts about entertainment and control, but he focused primarily on the media and especially television
• He argued that television would be used to distract and entertain. That politics, laws, and news would become more a form of entertainment than anything else

Introduction

Huxley feared that what we love will ruin us.

• This quote encapsulates what Huxley feared
• A society that is controlled not by repression or fear, but by indulgence in shallow pleasures and distractions
• The television and media that we consume and love to consume is our downfall, we are so attached to our screens that we never think to stop and… think
• Critical thinking has dissolved as the media evolved to become quicker and the news cycles become shorter and shorter

Chapter 1

The problem is not that we are being controlled, but that we are being entertained to death.

• This stands as the world state’s motto and the values held by this dystopian society that Neil predicted
• Control is achieved through keeping people isolated and distracted on their phones and the news
• Control through dopamine
  • When politics and entertainment become one in the same, it’s not that the books are censored which is a concern
  • The concern is that nobody will want to read any intellectual books

My Crops Are Dying But My Body Persists – Bridget Moser:

In My Crops Are Dying But My Body Persists by Bridget Moser, the author explores the contrasts between physical decay and inner resilience. Using the metaphor of dying crops, Moser reflects on personal struggles and the endurance of the human body in the face of adversity. The piece highlights how external circumstances can deteriorate and slowly whittle away at the will to survive. Although the need to live will persist, it remains strong. It delves into themes of vulnerability, personal growth, and the tension between hardship and the strength to carry on despite it all. Even when it’s time to give up hope and let go, they stay and fight through and through until the dark and bitter end.

Tattoos:

Mark Zuckerberg’s Watch was the first tattoo I made, this tattoo is the exact replica of Mark Zuckerberg’s NINE HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLAR watch that he wore at his Meta connect conference. For mark the FP Journe Centigraphe Sport (his watch) is not for telling time nor is it for any other functional use. It’s mainly because it looks nice and pretty on his rist. Like a hellenist king making decorated arches for the purpose of flaunting their wealth. If he can wear a watch on his rist for no reason then so can I! This way we can all be Mark Zuckerberg with our nice watches that arent meant to actually tell you the time (: This tattoo basically serves the same function as Mark’s watch… To look nice!

Stickman Tattoo was the second tattoo I made, the tattoo goes on your two front figures and now you can have a little stickman with you at all times. The stickman is a representation of community, eternally saying hello and greeting old and new members alike. When multiple people have a stickman they become a community. This tattoo advertises the importance of community and unity in a world so divided.

PacMan Tattoo was the last tattoo I made, pac man is on multiple arms and serves as the protagonist in the middle of their own adventure. When you see a pac man on your arm or someone else’s it is a pac man on their journey through life.

April 2 – tattoo party!

The idea I have is creating tattoos of the Minecraft poem as a nostalgia piece. The End Poem appears on the players screen at the end of beating the final boss, the dragon, in Minecraft. In one of my culture and technology classes we are looking at nostalgia and hauntology, a concept by Mark Fisher regarding the phenomenon of longing for the past and an unfulfilled promise of a good future. Nostalgia is so prominent while living in unprecedented times and looking back on “better” times, such as childhood, is not only desired but preferred. Using the Minecraft poem as a medium allows for the exploration of digital archives to be integrated into artwork. I think for a lot of people in my generation, Minecraft holds so many memories and this idea of hauntology. Companies profit off this with commodification of Minecraft and things like the Minecracft movie (which looks terrible but will receive popularity anyways due to nostalgic associations). Merchandise will be made, money will be regrettably forked over. Companies will profit over hauntology and this longing.

Printing the Minecraft poem as a one-time tattoo with each line only being tattooable only once will resists the commodification of nostalgia, as the lines of the poem will only be appreciated once rather than mass producing one line many times. There is a sweet feeling from the words of the poem and the context of a video game so many people have grown to know and love. Appreciating the game as an art form allows for it to be understood under a different context rather than for the purposes of capitalism.

March 31- tattoo planning

• Spine tattoo
• Tattoo about living
  • Made from nothing but milk and love
• Minecraft poem^ ?
• DNA sample tattoo (tagc pattern repeated)
• Letter from dad tattoo

March 26 – Tattoos inspired by Micah Lexier

Micah Lexier, Arrow Piece, 2007, laser-cut steel, painted walls.

March 17- “parents video “love piece”

For my parents video I used old footage of my brother and I, recorded by my mom, that my dad helped me find over a Facetime callr. He has a lot of old family videos saved and as we went through them he emailed me the ones I thought could be of use for my project. Unfortunately, most of the files could only be played on Windows operating systems, and I would have had to either convert the files or use Resolve on my own computer. However one video, the one of my brother and I spinning, miraculously worked. After discussing with Diane my project ideas, I figured that if this was the only video file that worked, it must be for a reason. I spent careful time editing the loop video and setting up the tv’s for the Juried Art Show with the very generous help of Nathan. I had a lot of fun with this project and am very pleased with how it turned out. My parents and brother even came to see it in the show.

I think that this video means a lot under the pretense of parenthood. Not only is it a reflection of time but a reflection of the love my parents have for each other. My parents have made a great effort to ensure closeness between my brother and I. My dad is very proud of the sentiments he hears from friends and family about my relationship with my brother. He doesn’t boast, but I know it makes him very happy. Its nice to know that through anything in life I will have my brother with me. The sweetness of the moment of my brother and I, happy, as kids, lasts forever in the video loop. Theres something beautiful about the digitization and looping of footage that will eventually, run out of power, if it persisted through time, just as we will grow up and grow old. The laughter is almost sickeningly sweet as the repetition over and over only lets you listen for so long before your heart aches. Videos don’t last for ever, and moments with kids are very fleeting, especially as parents say, your children grow up right before your eyes. I’m not a parent, and I don’t know if ill ever be, but the looping video gives me a bit of a glimpse into the longing for sweet memories.

March 05- parents video planning

• A L E X song in background
• found footage of videos on my dads computer
• (are we really separate)
• video call, showing how to do something
• make parents read brainrot
• photos with voiceover
• talk about pieces in the house
• redoing dads videos for work
• videos about singing, videos of me and my brother
• “how is it that we talk and talk without saying what we really want”

Feb 26- bridget moser video

After reading the article by Lau and watching Moser’s video, I was able to see the work as an incredibly personal yet universal, uncanny, and poetic portrayal of living at home during the pandemic. Although eerie and lack of literal meaning, there was some sense of understanding. Particularly, the scenes of her body contorting on the couch, almost as if she was trying to fulfill the impossible task of getting up, and the scene of her buttering bread with facial cream.

I think that the reference to mass consumption in Moser’s video is very prevalent as a theme. In the article, Lau points out ” [the] tableaux of consumerist, bourgeois junk—such as a rose-gold makeup mirror, white and gilt decorative ceramic objects, and a bottle of pink Himalayan salt—parodies displays of ‘haute’ consumerist taste”, which are some examples of common trends in beauty products and décor. The usage of tapestries in the video, such as the sausage fingers and the anatomy body suit are almost seen as advertisement-like, as she observes them before she wears them herself.

The colours she uses throughout the video reminded me of a recent trend called “clean girl aesthetic”, which was the idea that less is more, and beauty comes from a clean, polished, look. Practices such as minimalism, “no makeup-makeup” looks (which is the process of applying makeup to appear like you aren’t wearing any makeup), were quickly criticized as people online debated over conceptions of beauty and cleanliness. Seeing this in Moser’s video shows how almost unnatural the clean, tidy, meticulously curated lifestyle is imperfect.There is some visceral experience when watching the video, she adds depth to what would be incredibly flat scenes. A familiar feeling comes from the large empty rooms, being very reminiscent of the pandemic. Although there is a lot of discomfort in some scenes, such as the sausage fingers, the focus of each clip being so singular, and the length of the clips, allows for you to sit with your feelings as they arrive.

I think that allowing for people to think about their own experiences and see themself in such ambiguous footage gives opportunity for many interpretations. Especially because the audio is not necessarily directional or relational to the scenes themselves. Lau says, “While Moser’s work has been described as prop humor, it also fleshes out the relationship between comedy and sex through an exploration of objects with fetishistic appeal”. While I was watching the video, I could see some allusions to sex, but it wasn’t on the forefront of my mind. The scenes on the couch are similar to a well known meme about pornography and its scripted nature. Its interesting how after understanding there could be sexual connotations, I was able to see how differently the video could be interpreted. The delicate intricacies and her empty expressions kind of act as a foundation for people to find pieces of themselves in, whether its comfort, disgust, or shame.

Feb 07- recipe for brain nurturing

My internet video piece, titled recipe for brain nurturing, is a commentary on the current climate of social media trends and reoccurring meme formats. In recent years, media known as “brainrot” swept the internet, including perpetual images of un-educational, useless, dry-humored memes. Through this trend, emerged “hopecore”. These media formats include the font Papyrus and  filter Rio de Janiero, both having oversaturated, angelic effects. Hopecore memes and posts rejected and critiqued the vast, endless abundance of terribly strange, absurd, and oftentimes annoyance of brain rot content. My video, recipe for brain nurturing, showcases the hilarious media that has gained popularity from this genre. The video’s length also goes against the norm to cater to short attention spans, feeding to the pre-existent depth and emotionality behind the satirical, comedic memes. The ways online culture has dealt with unprecedented times has changed over the years, and by navigating through an era of media that literally, rots your brain, we have created a beautifully ridiculous genre of hopeful, whimsical memes. Showcasing how this ties in with real topics and discussions of life and happiness, highlights the importance of “hopecore” as a means of finding the good in everything.

vidfinal.mov

Jan 24 – Field Trip !

Aaron Fowler’s, Live Culture Force 1’s (2022)

I think that Fowler’s work was a complete masterpiece in terms of cultural relevance and execution. There in an immense attention to detail from the steering wheels inside the shoes to the way the laces thread. I really aspire to have a creative eye like this work demonstrates; being able to see connections between life and art and material objects is something I aspire to do. Mixed media sculpture is very interesting to have displayed in galleries but I think the use of objects that have a different purpose, such as these autobody parts, has a shock factor that goes beyond what people see on their own. I think that Fowlers work not only holds an important place in the Culture exhibit, but as a piece that radiates creative inspiration. Seeing this piece made me want to create art, to get my hands dirty, to bend and reconstruct materials through my own eyes. Placing this in the centre of one of the many exhibit rooms made it stand out as a piece of time in humans history and the impact on brand culture. 

Sarindar Dhaliwal, Indian Billboard (2000)

I was really sad about missing Dhaliwal’s exhibit, When I grow up I want to be a namer of paint colours at the AGO, because of how much I loved the title of the exhibition. It spoke to me so closely and gently, and so when I found that a few of her pieces remained on display I was elated. This piece was so bright and colourful and beautiful to see in person compared to the pictures I had seen on their website. Uncovering every detail the longer you look is what makes it such a beautiful piece. This piece also provided me with  inspiration to create new works that can sing as beautifully as it does. I often work with collage materials and so being someone that notices many different things at once, it was beautiful to see this work in such a large scale and masterful technique. I think that the AGO holds many amazing historical works which are always fascinating to look at and learn about, and works that hold place for deep, narrative experiences which are crucial to be viewed in a gallery setting, but every now and then it’s interesting to stumble upon a piece that you can see parts of yourself as an artist in.

Jan 22 – Amusing ourselves to death

Postmans ideas are definitely relevant to todays age of media consumption. I think its really interesting how he can view television from a completely external lens, not only as a consumer but as an observer. He manages to discuss many ways how profit and production are everyones top priority when it comes to television and how not looking at it from that standpoint is very detrimental to ones perception and intake on information. I also really enjoyed reading Postmans son’s Introduction and found his perspective really interesting because he accounts for time being very critical of the piece but also its transection being crucial to acknowledge especially from younger generations.
Some quotes I really liked and highlighted from the text I placed below,

When Postmans son discusses criticism and the views of television being a very important and fundamental part of many newer generations lives, it reminded of a podcast I recently listened to with Duncan Trussell and Pendleton Ward. They talked about animation and television and how so much of whats being released is “garbage” content and merely produced for immediate entertainment and pleasure, yet still, there are cases where beautiful, thought provoking, intelligent, art pieces of media are released into the sea of hellish content and have the capability to bring enlightenment, and intellectual prosperity to an audience (in this case, discussing Ward’s show, Adventure Time).
I think this is a very solid argument against Postmans beliefs especially because of how much television has become so influential on culture and livelihood that its bound to fall into the hands of very talented people.
Postmans quote about IQ and intelligence being categorized and numericized is very relevant in the discussion of social constructions, which we discussed in another course I am in, Data and Difference. Knowing how much people are fir into categories and labelled and how it has become such a necessity and habitual process where in reality there is not much real humane truth behind any of it. Similar to video culture itself, where its so innate to consume and believe and watch when a screen is turned on even if we know what we are consuming is rooted in falsehoods.
Postmans sons quote about consumerism and the flow of media becoming incoherent and psychotic is incredibly relevant today as well as the work we are looking at in class and the criticism of dramatizing menial information and the “flattening” of emotionality. The ability to recognize ourselves falling into these patterns of consumption is important but inherently, changes how we view all media, even if it is approached through an aesthetic, artistic eye. If everything is marketable then how are we expected to watch traumatic news reports or absorb any information when so much of it is false? How can we consume when we are only marketed towards as a profitable source? Things haven’t changed since the introduction was written. Its hard to imagine ways of turning back from what has existed for so long.

Additional quotes I saved:

Jan 20 – Project Planning

• Idea 3: Creating a “affirmations” video
• Idea 2: Using windows 96 to explore old meme culture
• Idea 1: Hopecore video

• Meme culture
  • Vines and referencing vines reoccurring
  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sdkwu2FvFfI
• Old windows desktop
  • Screen with pop ups
  • Navigating the desktop
  • https://windows96.net/
• Rio de Janiero/Papyrus memes
  • https://www.instagram.com/p/C_tKyvdsqXT/
• Affirmations
  • #affirm claim to affirm
  • type in the coments to affirm
  • https://www.instagram.com/afffirmations/
  • https://www.tiktok.com/@destinydeck/video/7377090653638970667
  • https://www.tiktok.com/@mindsetvibrations/video/7259764776862059782?lang=en
• Minecraft memes
  • https://www.tiktok.com/discover/reddit-minecraft-parkour-stories?lang=en

I chose the quote “safe and exposed” because I like to believe that people could find their own interpretation in the intimacy. Often, only under the most safest conditions do we feel the freedom to be ourselves. Feeling exposed typically holds a negative connotation where safe usually is seen as the opposite, and so together they could be a variety of juxtaposing settings or personal experiences. Relationships with people are often safe and exposing, becoming used to the comfort of another person. Being at home or in the shower lends the privacy of closed doors and walls as safety, safety to be alone, completely unfiltered and exposed to ones most private thoughts or actions. The safety of friendship or a familiar face allowing you to laugh the most naturally. “Safe and exposed” becomes a statement as a state of feeling rather than an observation or question.
I thought that choosing bright colours would oppose the quote’s dramatic and ambiguous understanding. Bringing reminiscence of childhood and a playful, toy-like banner I hoped would allow for comfort in the piece in a home setting. Given the opportunity to remake this project I would use thicker markers to stand out on the paper or maybe even a larger banner style.

Tattoo Project

After watching the documentary in class, I was really moved by the traditional practice of Inuit women tattooing their inner thighs. The idea of a newborn baby being welcomed into the world and having these beautiful markings as the first thing they see as they transition from the womb to the world is comforting, beautifully symbolic, and intentional. This made me consider what it means to be a vessel as a human and what it means to adorn oneself. Initially, I wanted to recreate this literally and thought about what a meaningful thigh tattoo could look like. I thought about how art on the thighs could be imagined as a portal, as a passage of welcoming, or as an adornment. Considering the human body in this light reminded me of a sentiment I often heard growing up in an evangelical church: “My body is a temple.” I thought about how this related to the theme of the body as a sacred space or a site where worship occurs and what this could mean in the context of a tattoo. Does tattooing add to its sacredness, or does it have the opposite effect and desecrate it? I chose the motif of various temples to adorn the multiple rooms and wings of the human body. This signifier reasserts the body as a temple and causes us to consider its function and purpose, what is housed inside, who has access to it and under what circumstances. As different religions and cultures interpret these ideas differently, so do the many different bodies these tattoos were placed upon.

Open Studios

Although I could not visit the MFA studios due to time constraints, I made it to the Capstone Studios, which I found beneficial as I could see how our program culminates in our final year. It was inspiring to see how classmates discovered their niche and how the various directions of their practice have transformed. Seeing how their works came together as a unified voice was also lovely. Some seem to have given themselves a rule and parameters to form a method that applied all their works, such as repeated motifs or altering the traditional support of a painting to a stretched clear canvas, reimagining what a painting looks like and what that means in the context of portraiture. Overall, it reminded me of how unique each of us entering this program is. After visiting these studios, I gained a deeper appreciation for being in Studio Art. Being here not only gives us foundational knowledge but also helps us to recenter and, at times, reframe our artistic thinking, encouraging us to reflect on our creativity and helping to foster and nurture the mindset of moving toward creating the art we want and need to make. It was wonderful to see the variety of ways my peers have been able to find their artistic voice.

Parent’s Video

This experimental video is about my father’s scattered legacy. It is told through the voices of his children and snapshots of spaces and memories. It centers on a man whose presence was defined as much by his absences as his moments of connection.

Throughout the video, fragmented memories abruptly cut in and out between blackness and various landscapes. His ringtone begins to be heard at the end of the video, a sound that, for many of us, symbolizes his sporadic appearances in our lives. Scenes of movement—through Portland, Jamaica- mirror how my father moved through our lives: at times present, but never fully.

Each sibling’s voice carries a different piece of him, whether it’s a moment of joy, a gesture of care that arrived too late, or the silence where a father should have been. Few memories are tender, but most are weighted with disappointment, and some, like my brother’s unfinished paintings, speak to what was never fully realized.

This work is not just about one man but about the generational ripple effects of absence, fractured fatherhood, and love that exists despite everything. It is about what remains in the absences – stories, places, unanswered questions, and the phone ringing that he may or may not pick up.

Fragmented Frames

Process:

When making this video, I aimed to piece together scattered places, conversations, and memories of my father.  I reached out to all of my siblings to ask about their experiences with our father. Some chose to share, and others decided not to, which I completely understand and respect.

A few siblings responded to me via voice notes that I used in the final video; one brother chose not to speak about him, and one brother, though he decided not to speak, sent me an audio clip of our father’s ringtone, which I ended up incorporating into the final edit.

 As I heard my siblings speak, I recounted the stories, some of which I knew before and others I heard for the first time. When I reached out to my brother, who lives in Vancouver, he told me about the one time he met our dad when he was 8. They played soccer together. Our dad told him soccer was his favourite sport, so my brother played for the next ten years—because that was the only thing he had to hold onto. That story stuck with me, so I had my son, Zion, reenact the soccer scene.

My sibling, Nicci, helped with the practical process of doing this project by allowing me to locate the exact location where our brother Ian was shot and killed by the Toronto police during a mental health crisis. Being there in person for the first time and acknowledging the weight of how much Ian trusted our father despite never truly being around it was incredibly painful and instrumental in setting the tone and intention for the project.

I had hoped to use footage and audio, all sourced from my siblings, but was unfortunately unable to coordinate with my 12-year-old brother for the shots I was hoping to have in Jamaica, so I ended up using footage I found on YouTube of someone driving through the parish my father lives in. This ended up working well with the overall themes of movement, distances and location.

For other shots, I was able to travel to myself, such as McMaster Children’s Hospital in Hamilton, where my brother Cory was admitted when he was diagnosed with a brain tumour at age 16. This was an important location for me to include as it was a stark example of our father’s inability to show up for his child.

Coupled with the voices of my siblings heard in the video, the images stitch together a portrait of who our father was and is to us.

Bridget Moser, My Crops Are Dying But My Body Persists, 2020

Throughout the video, imagery like the scene where the high-heeled white mannequin’s foot is inserted into the Crocs, pushing what appears to be whipped cream through its holes, is reminiscent of “oddly satisfying” videos where items are crushed, squeezed or destroyed and filmed. The imagery here produced a similar effect. The amplified sound effects of the movement of the props are also reminiscent of ASMR videos, where sound is purposefully amplified.

Her colour choices all seem muted, and after reading Charlene Lau, I see how this is likely an intentional choice referencing Moser’s complexion as a White woman. The glove filled with raw meat reminds me of the term “meat sac,” sometimes used to reference humans. The face mask she initially places over the sculpture of a bust, then herself, the notion of individuality, pretending to be someone you’re not or an interchangeable identity.

This video was interesting but also equally unsettling and uncomfortable to watch. I found the scene of the meat sac hand rubbing the skull with the background of cinematic music to be particularly absurd and difficult to attach meaning to. Lau states that “the sequence is pleasurable and calming to watch,” which I would have to disagree with. Although some scenes could have been arguably described as meditative, perhaps, such as the braiding of the spaghetti hair, I found the effect less calming and more unsettling.

The themes that stuck out the most were a general sense of distaste for one’s own identity and behaviours and a redundancy in continuing in the activities that bring this dread. She has a longing for a sort of intimacy or an exploration of desire when seen rubbing the hot dog bouquet. She then turns to leave and appears to have moments of self-reflection as she looks to the palm of her hand. She abruptly returns to the hanging hotdog banner despite appearing increasingly perturbed upon each return, as if she cannot help or control herself.

Other moments hint towards a longing for intimacy when seen caressing the furniture and through various phallus imagery and gestures that insinuate penetrative intercourse. Lau notes this theme in her commentary: “Even before the coronavirus whisked away touch, intimacy and real connection eluded so many.”

The themes surrounding Whiteness found throughout the work were seen through the use of colour and pale hues throughout the piece and voice-over. There is a common tendency, after being called out as racist, for the perpetrator to defensively retort that it was never their intention to cause harm. The phrase, “My intentions are literally always good” reflects this deflection.

When calls are made to remove a Black person from a space or report an activity, it is often under the guise of safety, whereas here, there is honesty in that the concern is raised less so for safety concerns and more so for one’s comfort. She is honest when she says, “I would like to feel safe and when I say safe, what I mean is comfortable.” At the same time, there is seemingly a shift towards moments of self-reflection: “Maybe I’m the problem I am trying to solve.” However, it is clouded by echoing sentiments of deflection, guilt and inaction to move out of this. The automated voice also comments, “The antidote to guilt is action.”

The absurdity in her works makes it uncomfortable to watch. Just as it is painful to watch the absurdity in the behaviours operating within a realm of White fragility. The first time we see a change in expression is when Moser sees the muscle suit filled with packing, sprawled with packing peanuts, falling out like a bleeding corpse on the ground. She removes her white clothing, revealing the same muscle suit as she performs an impassioned dance. Whether this performance refers to acknowledging the human under or underneath her skin, she is just the same as the “corpse” on the ground; the absurdity and theatrical nature remain, as Lau says the work is “embarrassing to watch.” The revelation of one’s privilege only entering a space of understanding after a tragic event such as a death, if that was the intended portrayal, moving into acceptance is an embarrassing journey to take part in.

Post-Internet Video Art

For this project, we focused on apology videos found online. After studying and watching several of these videos, we discovered that many, if not all, seem to follow a similar pattern or formula. The videos often begin with a seemingly genuine desire to take accountability for whatever they’ve come online to apologize for. But as the video progresses, their tone shifts back and forth between apologizing and attempting to minimize or excuse their actions.

Similarities between the various apology videos found online became even more evident when we spliced and stitched them together in the final version of our video. The most abundant category we found cross-overs was an overwhelming sense of self-victimization, as they shared personal information and context where the individual would position themselves in a state of vulnerability or apparent ignorance at the time. This would often segway into defensiveness where they passionately refute claims against themselves, stating things like, “This is not who I am” or “This is not true,” and then circle back into more excuses, sometimes with tears, ending with the assertion that they have full intentions to do better in the future and are committed to learning and growing from their mistakes. Undertones of ingenuity are evident as the statements are repeated and rephrased with the same underlying message, sometimes by the same influencer later in life.

Bringing all these videos together situates the singular voice of the ‘apologizer’ into a continuous thread of pleading and crying into the void of the internet. It pleads with the entity responsible for resurfacing these past actions to forgive and forget their shortcomings. Despite the apparent effort to reconcile with the internet and denounce their previous racist, predatory and exploitative behaviours, their actions will unfortunately be forever attached to their names. The final video reflects the broader themes of self-preservation, the permanence of the internet, and the performative nature of online apology videos.

Final: Post-Internet / Apology Video

Examples of Apology Videos / Brainstorming

For this project we are going to focus on the phenomenon of celebrities and influencers posting public apology videos online. Often presented as a way to “take accountability” they often come off as insincere. The controversy prompting public apology videos online is often a last ditch effort to preserve their careers and social status after their alleged wrongdoing has come to light. 

Repetitive tropes and phrases can often be found in these videos. 

“Setting the record straight”

“Taking accountability” 

“I do not condone this”

The Culture: Hip Hop and Contemporary Art in the 21st Century

One work that immediately caught my attention was John Edmonds’ photograph titled “Ascent.”

The subject of this work includes the upper torso of a figure with its back facing the viewer. The figure is wearing a white du-rag and white fur over their shoulders. This photograph, printed onto silk, projects slightly off the wall it is mounted on, causing the material to flutter and slightly distort with each passing movement.

Often, but not always, worn by men as a protective covering for afro-textured hair, the durag insinuates a masculine figure. Though the figure’s identity is withheld from us, given the context of the exhibit and the cultural understanding of the purpose of wearing a du-rag, it can also be deduced this figure is Black.

Using silk as the support for this photograph amplifies the themes of softness and delicacy. The silk also mirrors the actual materiality of a du-rag, which is often silk-like or satin.

The visual and physical softness and delicateness of this piece operate in direct opposition to negative stereotypes of Black masculinity, which is so often seen as aggressive and threatening.

Like the distortion that occurs with the movement of passing viewers, the inherent nature of Black masculinity is obscured as it continuously responds to the external influence of onlookers. This speaks to the potential internalization and embodiment of prevalent stereotypes of Black masculinity and the impact this can have on one’s true identity. In our present reality, where society does not always offer the space for vulnerable Black masculinity to prevail, this work actively rejects and instead celebrates this softness. It stands as a reminder that the stereotypes of Black masculinity are not inherent and is a call for ascension beyond these biases.

The stereotypes projected onto Black men exist well before they reach adulthood, which is why this work is particularly relevant to me as a mother to a Black boy. It is a reminder of how all Black men were once young Black boys. Like my son, they enter this world curious, seeking affection and with complete capacity to express all versions of themselves. The ability to remain and operate in this softness, as well as for the broader society to shift their perceptions of Black masculinity, is in need of nurturing and, when showcased, as in Edmonds’ work, in need of celebration.

ARTIST: Robert A. Pruitt
TITLE: “For Whom the Bell Curves“
MEDIUM Twelve gold chains in thirteen lengths

This work consists of 12 gold chains affixed on the gallery wall, protected by glass. The accompanying text provides additional context, including a map of the common routes transporting enslaved Africans during the transatlantic slave trade.

For Whom the Bell Curves by Robert Pruitt uses gold, a symbol of wealth, to contextualize the historic and ongoing exploitation of people of African descent. The chains map out the displacement and movement of enslaved people brought to the Americas in bondage. Beyond standing alone as a visual representation, it also examines and critiques wealth accumulation and its implications.

This could be interpreted as a reclamation of the chains now worn to symbolize wealth by those historically oppressed. It could also be further analyzed to deepen our understanding of the ongoing legacy of slavery as several countries in Africa continue to be exploited for their resources, resulting in harm to their people and land.  

Within the context of slavery, chains reference the shackles and bondage of stolen and enslaved Africans. Their forced labour was the foundation upon which their enslavers built their wealth. In hip-hop and Black popular culture, gold chains are often associated with status and excess. Positioned after the adornment section of the exhibition, this piece stands in immediate contrast.

Black popular culture, which encompasses various forms of expression such as music, fashion, and language, is often exploited, as artists are usually paid unfair wages, used as tropes in mainstream media, and ultimately profited off of. The success of many hip-hop artists often does not reflect the communities in which they come. The chains worn now may be of gold, but they are still worn where the success of some does not always reflect the community’s success.  

The systems of oppression that operated during the trans-Atlantic slave trade continue to exist; they have now simply taken on a new form and those who seek to overcome this do so by operating within the same system that was inherently built against them.

This work is relevant to me as I reflect on the ongoing struggle of resistance and continue to question and interrogate the notion that oppression can genuinely be overcome within the same environment created as it continues to reinforce and operate in the ways it was initially designed. Pruitt’s work brings these types of conversations to a gallery space, making the audience an integral part of the critique and discourse.

The Power Plant Contemporary Art Gallery 

ARTIST: Ron Terada
TITLE: “JESUS GUNS BABIES”
MEDIUM: Print

This piece was one that I almost missed. At first glance, it looks like a solid black print, but once you approach, bold uppercase lettering can be seen reading the words ” JESUS GUNS BABIES.”

Given the context of the current socio-political climate in the United States and the recent inauguration of President Donald Trump, I understood this piece as a reference to the rhetoric of right-wing politics, as Christian values, gun policies, and abortion seem to take precedence in these discussions.

The work’s darkness could represent the abyss of politics and the government under Trump. The inability to read what is being said could also speak to the failure to see any clear, coherent messaging amid all the rhetoric. The discussions surrounding religion are often used to reinforce arguments that assert that life begins at conception, which then is used as the basis for making abortions illegal or inaccessible. However, ironically, the passion for protecting their Second Amendment right to carry arms, coupled with school shootings, prevent children from growing into adults, thus ending their lives prematurely.

It is all-encompassing of a society that has become so muddled in its own messaging that it contradicts itself and essentially becomes an abyss of illegible arguments blurred into oblivion where, when standing back, all you can see is darkness as people continue to suffer.

This piece is relevant because it is a snapshot of our current world. Although we are under a different government, it is closely connected and influenced, and in a lot of ways, mirrors the United States. The practice of making art and using it as a means to a political end is relevant as it is one of the ways I hope my own art will be able to accomplish this.

ARTIST: June Clark 
TITLE: “Untitled”
MEDIUM Photo etching, collage

This work was particularly fascinating to me. It is an artist’s multiple-piece displayed at the Power Plant’s entrance. Each work is a printed image of a young girl. I learned from the gallery’s website that this is a photograph of the artist herself. Alongside her portrait is text adhered to the support in a sort of scrapbook-like configuration. The text reads:

witness/n. [OE]

[wit-nis] noun

1. a person who has seen or can give first-hand evidence
2. a person serving as evidence
3. a person who testifies

I understand this piece as the artist asserting herself as the witness of her own life. Her presence on this earth is the physical evidence of her existence, and this alone gives her the authority to testify and tell her own story.

This work is relevant to my interest in exploring themes of identity. It allows me to reflect on my own sense of self. I witness the world around me and the moment I exist in and often wonder, if not me, who will testify to my existence? When thinking of my life, I think of the people I have allowed to see me in my various forms and who I have allowed to bear witness to me as I navigate the world.

This four-piece multiple allowed me to notice how seemingly small or less intricate works of art can cause us to take pause. I connect the themes of June Clark’s work when engaging with other artists’ work. The practice of using art to bear witness to others not only connects us to others but also informs our sense of self.

Neil Postman’s Amusing Ourselves to Death

“…the phenomenon whereby the reporting of a horrific event – a rape or a five-alarm fire or global warm – is followed immediately by the anchors cheerfully, exclaiming “Now ….this,” which segues into a story about Janet Jackson’s exposed nipple or a commercial for lite beer, creating a sequencing of information so random, so disparate in scale and value, ad to be incoherent, even psychotic.“ (Postman, 1985, p. xi)

This quote makes me reflect on the vast array of content on our social media feeds, where the algorithm shows funny and light content sprinkled with distressing images and news such as forest fires, genocide, or other humanitarian crises. The flipping back-and-forth between stand-up comedy, excerpts and viral TikTok dances to clips from war zones and dead children in Palestine is, as Postman says, “beyond incoherent and teeters towards psychotic” (Postman, 1985, p. xi). This almost certainly is detrimental to our collective psyche. We must compartmentalize what our screens present and become apathetic because engaging with all the content presented to us would be so overwhelming to our psyche that it would impede our ability to function correctly. Part of our brains must desensitize to exist in our digital world.

“People like ourselves may see nothing wonders in writing, but our anthropologists know how strange and magical it appears to a purely oral people – a conversation with no one and yet with everyone. Could be stranger than silence when encounters when addressing a question to a text? What could be more metaphysically puzzling than addressing an unseen audience, as every writer of books must do?” (Postman, 1985, p. 12)

This quote critiques how we don’t often consider the medium of written text and how it differs from oral speech. The nature of writing differs vastly from how we converse; because of this, so does the message. Therefore, conveying a message electronically differs in that it is a different mode of information sharing and the interpretation changes as a result of the medium change.

“’ The clock,’ Mumford has concluded, ‘is a piece of power machinery, whose ‘product’ is second and minutes.’ In manufacturing such a product, the clock has the effect of disassociating time from human events and this nourishes the belief in an independent world of mathematically measurable sequences. Moment to moment, it turns out it’s not God’s conception or nature’s. It’s man conversing with himself about and through a piece of machinery he created.” (Postman, 1985, p. 14)

This dialogue centred on the concept of the clock explores the commonplace understanding of our world and each other. It is an example of how our brains process and conceptualize through modes of our own making. We’ve collectively decided the terms and measurements that we widely acknowledge and use to process and understand our realities. Although they serve a function, they also shift us further from our innate ways of knowing that predate these forms of interpretation. By this same measure, when looking to the future, it is possible we will continue in this direction, shifting further away from our current modes and further into inventions of our own making, which can further skew our perception and understanding of reality.

Banners: “space that it claimed“

After brainstorming and trying out a couple of other ideas for this project, I finally settled on the phrase “space that it claimed.”

I initially wanted to place this banner on a fence in the school parking lot close to my home. Whenever I walk past, I notice a raised and warped area in the cement that appears to be getting larger each time. I assume it to be a tree that is now forcing its way through the cement. Unfortunately, the day I walked over to this area to hang up my banner, the parking lot was covered in snow and very hard to visualize.

I didn’t remember until later in the day I needed an alternative location for my banner. I vaguely remember seeing a tree growing out of a stump in Royal City Park back in the spring. I decided to see if I could find this tree, and because I still had the banner in the car, I hung it up and tried to take some photos. I soon realized that my phone was not equipped for quality nighttime photography, so I returned the following day with the banner to capture it in the daylight.

This tree could have been cut down due out of necessity due to illness or because it posed a hazard. Regardless, it reemerged, reasserting its place on the earth. It is a reminder of nature’s capacity to regenerate itself despite human interference and destruction. This banner in this location implies that the tree has agency in claiming its space.

Progress:

The initial phrase I had gravitated towards was “a recurring motif.” For this banner, I had planned to hang it up at a graffiti wall downtown Guelph. This space is continuously painted over white. However, graffiti art is repeatedly sprayed and stencilled over the white paint in an ongoing tug-of-war between the property owners and the various graffiti artists. The strong winds and my struggle to get the tape to adhere to the wall contributed to this idea not working out.

Another phrase I considered working with was “not the best.” I was first excited to use this phrase in an ironic location, but I also considered crumpling the banner, hanging it up and then photographing it alone or beside a celebratory or positive sign. I also considered using this banner to critique something, like a business that had unethical practices or did not make good products. Ultimately, I could not find a location that I was happy with.

Although I did not use this banner for the final image, I plan to keep it in my car and continue to passively look for a location to hang it up. I am sure I will find a space for it, but in the meantime, it will have to take up temporary residence at the end of this blog post, which is a reasonable place…just not the best.