Week 10

Monday:

Lecture: Artist Tattoos

Assignment: Artist Tattoos

Sarah Hernandes, Circle around an Embrace, 2019.

ASSIGNMENT: Make an Artist Tattoo

RECOMMENDED MEDIA: Tattoo transfer, drawing for the body, performance, video

Due: See schedule for details

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Human beings have been tattooing themselves for thousands of years. For religious and spiritual reasons, for beautification, remembrance, for rites of passage, for sex, as expressions of identity and belonging; of protest, of love and sometimes – of possession and hate.

Artists have explored many of these ideas in artist-tattoo projects, utilizing self-conscious, and conceptual strategies in designing and applying tattoos. The resulting works are sometimes surprising, provocative or difficult, funny, or emotionally moving.

Students will create a tattoo piece. You can use the transfer paper or other print and drawing techniques to make one, or multiple tattoos. You can also consider ways to present your work – on a body, in a performance, or in a video. Finish your tattoo somehow – to present to the class and on the blog as a finished artwork.

**** While your work may be a proposal and sample of a permanent tattoo, I would recommend you do NOT apply a real permanent tattoo/mark on yourself or others to complete this assignment. After critiques you are free to do what you like with your own body – but for class, you will not make a permanent body alteration, please.

Consider artist tattoos by:


Jana Sterbak

Douglas Gordon

Catherine Opie

John Murchie

Shannon Gerard

Artur Zmijewski

Michelle Lacombe

David Shrigley

Jordan Bennett

Santiago Sierra

Alethea Arnaquq-Baril

Students will document finished works for addition to the blog. Include a title, a short description and one to two images or video of your work.

Works must be posted on the blog ONE WEEK after final class –  with a title and description to receive a final grade.

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Prep for in class exercise on Wednesday – SHOW US YOUR TATTOOS

Wednesday:

Complete late critiques for Parents Video – LAST CHANCE

All updated blog posts for Parent’s videos will be due next week on MONDAY.

In-class exercise – Make a collective video montage of community tattoos called:

SHOW US YOUR TATTOOS

Week 9

Monday:

Critique of Parents Video

Wednesday:

Critique of Parents Video

Time to revise and improve videos, update blog descriptions

Visit to AGG

Week 8

Monday:

Critique of Parents Videos

Wednesday:

Complete critique of Parents Videos

Revise and post videos with description on the blog

Visit to the AGG

Week 6

Lecture: Parents Video

https://x23.experimentalstudio.ca/2022/01/video-art-about-our-parents/

Assignment:

Make VIDEO ART involving your PARENTS*

Videos may be up to 10 minutes MAX. They may include original and/or found footage.

Ideas and work in progress must be discussed in class before critiques.  See schedule for details.

Consider your parents. You may choose to work with one or many of the individuals that are your parents.

*This does not have to literally be your mother or father – you may work with the idea of parents, with remembered parents, with other people’s parents, with dream parents. Interpret this theme as widely as needed. You may also be a parent – and want to explore what the role means to you – and work with your children. It’s up to you.

Who are your parents? What are the quirks that distinguish them? What is your relationship with them like? What are their relationships like with others? What are they into? Who were they in the past vs. the present? What are their strengths and their weaknesses? Do they understand what you do? Do you understand what they do? Think about what you want to discover, or bring out about your parents, and/or your relationships. Think about something really unlikely for your parents to do. How do the attributes and concerns about your parents reflect truths about you or your family, or about a wider world?

You may consider*:

Interviews

Voice-overs

Using still photographs

Truth vs Fiction

Documentary style observation

Use of sound/music/dancing

Taking your parents by surprise

Instructions for parents to perform

Task for you to perform with your parents

Performances by non-actors

Working remotely with parents

Absence of parents

Past vs. Present

Using found video/film/audio

Artists:

Michelle Pearson Clarke

Basil Alizeri

Janine Antoni

Gillian Wearing

Jim Verburg

Lyla Rye

Evergon

Sarah Polley

Patty Chang

Aleesa Cohene

Steve Reinke

Aislinn Thomas

Mona Hatoum

Lee Walton

Rajnar Kartansson

Adad Hannah

Sheilagh Restack

Lenka Clayton

*Reminder: Always create works that are safe and respectful for you and others at all times. Discuss your ideas with the instructor.

Demo: Camera recording and lighting in the field

Reminder: Field Trip on Wednesday! See you in Toronto!

Week 5

Critique for Post-Internet Video Art

All blog posts – including titles, finished video, notes and description – are due on the blog one week after critiques.

*Remember to pay for the bus trip to Toronto! Go to the eventbrite link in your email.

Daniel

Week 1

After doing some research on John Saksai, I found his Killing One Bird with Half a Stone very interesting with the way he connected the coved experience with the plugs as being disconnected but connected at the same time. This for me made me think of how we were disconnecting but made more effort for the human connection with loved ones and at the same time was hindering us as I feel that it made us more disconnected at the same time with having difficulties coming together now that the lockdown has subsided. Another piece liked in the installment was the motivation piece where he would assist the light by fidgeting with it to turn it back on. Almost like helping someone that is broken to help them back to their feet.

For my idea with text, I want to use the phrase “Nothing to see here “with a box and a hole, and if they happen to look into the box write” see I told you “Please write your first name and see if this method will record people that do look. I feel like the human urge for curiosity is fascinating. On the weekend I was in Ottawa, and I stopped to go to the grocery store as I parked beside a car, I saw a white bag on the windshield of the car. At first, I was curious as to do the owner of the vehicle leave it or did someone random place it there. As I was leaving the store the owner followed not too far from us. We went into the car, and all looked back to see what the owner would do. As he pulled up to his car, he looked confused slightly looking at us and then around to see if it was only his car. Then proceeded to open the package to see what was in it. This package could have been harmful or even a prank and or even money. This to me was so interesting and we had a whole conversation as to what we would do and some of my friends said they would investigate the package.

Week 2

For my video, I wanted to focus on the expression that anime uses to relate to everyday things which we go through. Growing up watching anime, I’m almost numb to the use of sexual acts with female and male characters in these. With the noise bleeds, females being groped, and age gap differences, one may see why this might be problematic. Growing up I will say I notice people tell me I animated. The use of the sounds with scream and body gestures are, and I never thought that maybe it is because I have watched anime my whole life. Another point that brought me to use anime was the relatability to real life for me watching Pokémon gave me a sense of persistence as Pikachu never gives up, as well as in Hunter x Hunter with the main characters Gon and killua. With all these crazy worlds they create in animation, they still find a way to give these characters human emotions in ways we can relate to but pull humor on sexual acts. It is weird to me and I hope to dive more into this and put together a series of clips showcasing that.

Part 2

After watching the example video shown in class, I decided to change my initial focus and show pieces of my culture from my prospective. I feel like the social media culture shows a lot of injustice in our society due to systemic racism which I do understand why it needs to be addressed, but on the other hand, I feel like there are so much more pro the cons and it has shown as African people continue to push forward. I hope to convey this message in my video. For me I call this the solution.

When making this piece, I wanted to focus on a nuanced picture of Blackness that embraces a full range of Black life. More specifically, I want to highlight Black people overcoming everyday adversities centering their achievements. On social media, Blackness is constantly depicted as a spectacle of oppression through “black-on-black” violence, police brutality, and broken homes. This framing of Black life denies the full depth and breadth of blackness thwarting other ways of reading it. By no means am I denying the realities of Black life, however, these experiences are not all-encompassing. Black life does not always end in these moments as Black folks must move through these daily obstacles to survive. From my perspective, for most, adversity yields high results. I want to showcase other capacities of Blackness–positive elements of Black culture; the heroes and icons that galvanize youth to chase their dreams whatever they may be. The system as it is currently structured functions to exclude and oppress Black folks and I believe that it will continue to present its problems until it is reformed. However, in the meantime, if we, Black folks, focus on building trust, respect, and hold our values to a higher standard, we can build an ecosystem from within as I believe that ultimate change happens when a foundation is set. I call this the solution because it starts with love within our community. This is my message to you.

Week 8

For my purposal I had two ideas. one was inspired by Damian hirst I would set future date and this would be the day you die. I thought of this crazy theme as Damian hirst artwork for the more parts challenge the way we think as artist and question our day-to-day moral such piece called “A thousand years” a thousand years is and art piece that Damian hirst did in 1990. The piece was a installation that caused controversy was A Thousand Years. This conversation starter and gruesome piece was showcased in a large glass case containing maggots and flies feeding on a rotting cow’s head where within the box was a UV light. Inside the box, maggots hatched and then turned into flies feeding on the cow’s bloody head. Hirsh’s inclusion of the UV light is another play on death. Here the flies were given the “choice” to either eat on the rotting head or accidentally fly into the UV light which instantly killed them. This once again speaks to Damien Hirst love for death and science and controversial concepts as he states that people kill flies all the time and as such what difference would it make if it was showcased? Again—he is having his viewers engage with the cycle of life and death as put to the forefront the ways that we as humans also engage in “questionable” behaviour that is naturalized as “normal.

For my idea, I wanted to play with like it. In today’s life before meeting someone the social construct which we use to pick who we are even attracted to is in teams of looks and other biases based on preference. My first idea was to play with death itself and give a tattoo of a date the date would give you 100 years. My reasoning would be would it matter how we look at life, or would we be pressed to work if we knew how many days we have left? My second deal would be to accumulate daily essentials which we use. Tattoos are almost permanent in today’s world except for laser removal which still leaves somewhat of a mark. My other idea was to make a series of daily essentials and even one you use and/or relate to would be what you pick to be tattooed as these daily items we can’t live without are almost permanent in our lives as we can’t leave the house without and over time make a connection

Week 3

1. Presentations on Video Culture and discussion

Workout videos: The Joy Workout

Wednesday:

Video Editing demos, ripping/appropriating footage and sound.

Week 2

Critique of Banners on blog.

Lecture:

https://x23.experimentalstudio.ca/2022/02/the-internet-is-video-art/

Assignment:

Make POST INTERNET VIDEO ART*

Using a mix of found footage (video and or sound) from YouTube or other social media video channels, create an original work of video art that responds to aspects of contemporary video culture, intended for gallery exhibition. Videos may be up to 10 minutes MAX.  

Videos will be made in groups of two (or solo).

PART ONE: Research presentation and discussion

Forage through the internet for the tropes of popular video culture you would like to explore more deeply. We’ll discuss possible options in class, so a pair of students can each present a video genre. The presentation should take up to 10 minutes MAXIMUM including video time.

Prepare a presentation on your blog page – of one or two examples of internet videos.

Give a general description of your videos/video genre they are representative of. Consider these questions and others relevant to your selction:

  • What are some of the key features that define this genre? What are some weird variations on it?
  • What are some of the reasons these kinds of videos are compelling or useful in this historical moment? Use quotes from published sources to back up your arguments and analysis.
  • How do you relate to it?
  • How is it shot, and framed? Where does the material come from? What is the quality of the footage?
  • How is it edited, and does it flow from clip to clip?
  • What does it sound like? How are sound or image manipulated and transformed from original footage?

PART TWO: Show proposed samples/work in progress for discussion

Together with a partner – prepare some samples of footage and approaches for a final piece to discuss with the class.

Consider some of these questions:

How does your video document a historical moment – in internet culture, and in the wider world?

How does what you want to do amplify, deconstruct, or subvert what is already happening on the internet?

How is what you are doing something new?

What is the kind of experience you want to create for viewers/users?

What is the ideal way for the video to be presented?

What are some of the technologies, software, or technical experiments and gimmicks you may need to achieve? Do you want to use avatars? Live stream? Rip music and video from YouTube? Prepare your ambitious technical goals for Nathan, and we can design demos to support your ideas.


PART THREE:  Present your final work for critique – see schedule for details.