Banner project (includes images, live links or videos, description and notes)
Notes on Neil Postman chapters – Amusing Ourselves to Death
Presentation of video references from the internet for your project
Field Trip Blog Post
Comprehensive blog posts contribute to getting the full grades for your assignments. The blog in general (especially articles and notes) will be evaluated at the end of term to contribute to your participation grades.
Discuss Field Trip:
Charles Campbell, How Many Colours Has the Sea?Lap See-Lam, Floating Sea Palace – The Power PlantLiquid Gold, Alex McCleod – Harbourfront Centre
VIDEO EDITING DEMO with Nathan
Video editing refresher, using found footage and found sound from the internet
Begin collecting footage, research and work with partners in class.
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 if you insist!).
PART ONE: Research presentation and discussion DUE in class Jan 22
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 of this genre.
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 DUE WED JAN 29th
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 your wider perspective on the material, and/your artistic twist?
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 – FEB 10-12th.
WEDNESDAY
DUE: Internet video presentations and proposals in class
REMINDER: FRIDAY JAN 24th EXPERIMENTAL FIELD TRIP
9:30 AM to 6PM – Toronto Museums
Here is the eventbrite link for students to purchase tickets:
Mandatory: Create a FIELD TRIP blog post illustrating, describing and responding to two art works from each museum. How are these works relevant to your own research interests and practice? What did you notice, learn, or take away from the experience of the works in the gallery?
Note: Students who are not able to attend the field trip must visit one of these Toronto museums, in addition to the AGG exhibition and create a blog post based on this field research.
Lenka Clayton, “An Everyday Tragedy,” 2016. Billboard text. 36 x 30 feet. Written for The Last Billboard, visible during May 2016. Photo courtesy of The Last Billboard.
Review on how to post to blog BLOG Deadlines and expectations:
All blog posts should be up on the blog ONE WEEK after final critique, reading assignment, proposal assignment or class activity/trip.
Include work in progress, research and references to support your final projects.
For final projects, include the artwork, artists names, a title, and a short description of the work – why did you choose to make it this way? What does it consist of? How did you complete it? How might it work in the gallery or other context?
It’s your blog/portfolio – do update and improve content after critiques, make it useful and feel free to share from the blog.
Note:
You must have at least one final blog post for each project, and you will not receive a grade (or a grade with a significant reduction) if a post is missing. Rich evidence of engagement with course materials will increase your grades on your work.
REMINDER:
FRIDAY JAN 24th EXPERIMENTAL FIELD TRIP
9:30 AM to 6PM – Toronto Museums
Here is the eventbrite link for students to purchase tickets:
Introduction, forward and Chapter 1 from Neil Postman’s Amusing Ourselves to Death
Make notes summarizing the material, and include THREE quotes for analysis and reflection. Are some of these ideas from more than 40 years ago applicable to our own historical moment? Did Neil Postman predict the age of television/video media personalities in positions of great power? How does he argue that the overflow of accessible, 24/7 information and entertainment might make us less wise, healthy, and safe? How might these ideas influence how you think about the effects video culture of our own time?
NOTE on the reading: This is a classic media studies text from 1985 – where references to the sophistication of communication technologies of Indigenous people, or references to different body types and their tv appeal are from a less informed, just, or considerate time. If desired, you can use your note space to take on the problematics of his metaphors, or describe ways video culture has changed – or not – in terms of the values the medium implicitly imparts.
In next week’s class we will have time to work with partners and discuss/research presentations.
Note all blog posts are due ONE WEEK after date introduced. At mid term and end of term – there will not be any late blog posts accepted. Always keep your blog up to date!
Joi T. Arcand, Northern Pawn, South Vietnam, 2009. From the Here on Future Earth series. Courtesy the artist.
STUDIO ASSIGNMENT: Make your own GARLAND BANNER*
Explore the reading, Dirty Words by Tammer El Sheik from Canadian Art. Read for meaning, and read like an artist looking for text as material for a new work.
You will excerpt a fragment of text – at least two words in order, up to a full sentence – to create a banner, and hang it in a context that will expand/alter/transform its meaning.
Use the blog to show/make notes and plan your work. Always show work in progress on the blog.
Make, install, and document your banner. Post an image of it with a project description on your blog page.
Consider how artists use conceptual strategies to use text in public/context-specific sites:
Text that gives instructions to the public to act/think/etc.
Text that speaks to the site, transforming perception of it
Text that presents personal information in a public context
Text that manipulates private feelings in public
Text that goes against expectations of commercial messages in public
Text that befuddles, beguiles, creates poetic insights
Text that calls for activist/disruptive action
We will have some time in our next class to print, and craft banners.
Bring all relevant materials on WEDNESDAY! Some paper and printing will be available.
Consider fonts, design, scale, and colours for your final banner.
*Final BANNERS DUE FOR DISCUSSION ON MONDAY NEXT WEEK! Post the final picture of your banner on your blog page.
–
WEDNESDAY
Draft banner ideas, text samples, and site possibilities on the blog.
Remember to BRING materials for banner making today!
Fonts design and printing demo
Printing and cutting and taping and stringing banners….
Work time in class, discussions in progress.
Final blog post with one image of your banner installed in the world due for discussion on MONDAY next week.
Tattoos are symbols of identity but for decades, Western tattoo culture has borrowed Chinese characters without understanding their history or their true meanings. I created four different tattoo designs of Chinese insults using the font that is typically used for these “cool” Chinese tattoos to expose the irony of aestheticizing a language one does not understand. Through this series, I challenge the casual exotification of Chinese script, where words meant to carry wisdom, strength, or spirituality are often mistranslated or stripped of context. Not to mention people who mistakenly get Chinese characters that mean something completely different from what they think. The people who wear these symbols believe they embody something profound, yet they may unknowingly brand themselves with nonsense or ridicule. By reclaiming the visual language of tattoo are and embedding it with unexpected meaning, I want the wearer or viewer to think about what it means to wear a language you don’t speak. I wanted to turn this form of cultural appropriation into a parody. The process of these tattoos only allows the wearer to learn what the tattoo they have chosen really means. This project is not just about humour or shock factor when you realize what you are wearing, but a reflection on cultural literacy, respect, and the permanence of choices made in ignorance.
Translations: 傻笨蛋 shǎ bèn dàn – “stupid idiot” 狗屁 gǒu pì – “bullshit” 混蛋 hún dàn – “asshole/scumbag” 小白脸 xiǎo bái liǎn – “little white face” slang for calling someone naive
PARENT VIDEO ART
This video art piece examines the intersection of cultural identity, humor, and intergenerational relationships through the reactions of my friend’s mom. She watches a curated compilation of humorous videos that exaggerate stereotypical portrayals of Asian parents—depictions of strictness, high expectations, and unconventional expressions of love. But rather than presenting these clips in full, the video is edited so that their context is fragmented, leaving only her reactions, spontaneous commentary, and the slight shift of facial expressions as the primary focus. I specifically chose to request this specific friend for this piece because her mom is very different from the stereotypical characteristics and behaviours of older generations. By obscuring the full scope of what she is reacting to, the piece shifts attention away from the stereotypes themselves and toward her personal experience—how she engages with, resists, or embraces these narratives. The interaction between her and her daughter becomes central, revealing their history, inside jokes, and moments of dissonance. Laughter and knowing glances give way to unexpected reflections, exposing the ways cultural expectations shape familial bonds. This work invites viewers to consider how media representations influence personal identity and family dynamics. It questions how humor can both reinforce and challenge stereotypes, and how meaning shifts when context is removed. Ultimately, it is a meditation on the evolving relationship between parent and child—one shaped by cultural memory, generational gaps, and the intimacy of shared laughter.
BRAINSTORMING:
my parent’s journey of having me
immigrated to Canada to evade the one child law
doctor said the chances of my mom having another child are extremely low, close to zero
my mom got pregnant with me
my dad was a heavy smoker but made a promise to quit smoking if I was a girl
spoiler alert I am a girl
stereotypical asian parents
found footage from the internet
tv shows, movies, social media
My Golden Kids — episode 169
(talking about his mother) “I think she doesn’t like me”
start as a compilation of “stereotypical asian parents” relatable humorous videos
ends with the golden kids clips — the sad outcome of these stereotypes
INTERNET VIDEO ART
“Rage Quit” Amelia Matthews, Kathryn Zhang
“Crashing out” or raging to the extreme over some pixels on a screen is unfortunately a very prominent aspect of the culture and community of video games. Amelia and I explored the internet for video clips of these extreme negative reactions of Twitch and Youtube live streamers playing video games and compiled a handful of chosen clips into one overwhelming and frankly terrifying video. On the surface level, these videos are often seen as hilarious and entertaining, gaining millions of views for this performative violence. Whether or not these raging reactions are genuine or faked, these kinds of violent behaviours are often normalized in the gaming community and written off for being funny and entertaining while ignoring the serious connotations behind their actions. It is even more worrying to know that these live streamers are individuals with a large platform and millions of youth and children are able to watch these live streams and Youtube videos. The younger generations who grow up watching these kinds of content creators are extremely impressionably and will inevitable learn from these people and act in a similar way. This video emphasizes the absurdity of these behaviours without the full context of the video games they’re playing and honestly begins to seem like content that should be age-restricted, but all of this found internet content is not age-restricted because of this common dismissal of violent behaviour.
“Crashing out” → extreme rage – explore Youtube and TikTok for “viral” videos of these video game rage moments – order the clips so they increasingly get worse – multiple ongoing videos at once, maybe 4? → inspiration from the video art of parents filming their children crying – max 5 minutes, 2-3 minutes probably enough since the video content is very intense throughout the entire video
BRIDGET MOSER
MY CROPS ARE DYING BUT MY BODY PERSISTS
After watching a couple times, I am still unsure how I feel about this work. Moser’s performance is both incredibly unsettling and comical. The gestures and facial expressions are extremely exaggerated, making the work seem disarming but slowly reveals its deeper intentions. The entire exaggerated performance conveys her physical and emotional exhaustion as a display of the tension between fragility and survival. She is able to blend absurdity with dark humour as she explores themes of resilience and decay. The title also contrasts the dying crops with the persistence of the human body as a metaphor of the inevitable collapse of the environment and humanity’s stubborn will to survive. The visuals and audio together provide a sense of isolation between the human body and the natural world, reflecting the dissonance of our current ecological crisis. Overall, this work serves as a reminder that even as the world crumbles, the body will continue to persist. Moser challenges us to reckon with the paradox of our own resilience. What will we do when the foundation beneath us falls apart? Will we persist? Will we endure? There is a lot to think about in relation to our world’s environmental state and this work.
PIER 2 ART CENTRE, TAIWAN
Unfortunately, I had to miss the Toronto art galleries trip because of my trip to Taiwan. I was able to still surround myself with art at the Pier 2 Art Centre in Kaohsiung. This beautiful boardwalk has many incredible art pieces all around and it was so amazing to see. From huge murals to sculptures, this Art Centre had so much to offer. I really loved the piece titled “Thousands of people lock screws” because of its creative approach to bring awareness to Taiwan, and specifically Kaohsiung’s significance in the production and exporting of screws to the world. A screw is such a small module on its own, but also such an integral part of architecture and engineering. I found it very beautiful that, although the work was created in 2004 and the interactive aspect of the work was done over a decade ago, the work is still up for everyone to see and for the future to see.
NEIL POSTMAN
AMUSING OURSELVES TO DEATH
Although published in 1985, Neil Postman’s ideas and arguments in this book are still very relevant to our current decade, if not more. He writes about how television and entertainment culture have fundamentally reshaped social discourse by prioritizing amusement over intellectual thought. He argues that modern society is controlled by distraction and pleasure rather than oppression, which is still heavily prevalent in our current society as we reach newer and more advanced levels of technology. He discusses how we understand information through the way it is delivered. In the past where print dominated over technology, society valued complex debates and logic. He states“Typography fostered the modern idea of individuality, but it destroyed the medieval sense of community and integration.” However, as television rose in that decade and as advanced technology and the internet rose and still rises in ours, the information we consume has been transformed into shallow entertainment. As technology evolves, individual intellectualism fails to maintain itself in society. Serious topics like politics, religion, and education are presented as spectacle, negatively impacting society’s ability to engage in deep, critical thinking.
The decline of meaningful political discussion is a big point he makes. He argues that political debates have become about style over substance, where candidates are judged more on their appearance and charisma than on their policies. Television viewers often focus more on the appearance of the subject while radio allows listeners to focus on the arguments and dialogue. This idea is also extremely relevant in our current political situation but in a different way. Because of our advanced technology and specifically the internet, many citizens can and will learn about politics through social media platforms in which most of that information is not fact-checked and often does not come from credible sources. However, this information is easy to access and easy to digest, so as today’s society grows lazier and lazier, they are strayed away from intellectual analysis and research. Instead, it is unfortunately significantly more common for people to just believe whatever they see on the internet, specifically on social media platforms. “Television gives us a conversation in images, not words”I really liked this quote because, although it was meant to speak on the advancement from radio to television, it still applies in our current technological state. However, instead of it being a result of the television offering images instead of just words, it is a result of ignorance and lack of individual intellectualism of society itself. Neil Postman definitely predicted this new age of media personalities in positions of great power, as you can see in the US presidential election.
This book has definitely influenced the way I see visual and video culture in my everyday life. This concept relates closely with the fast-paced “brain-rotting” content that most people experience every single day. Social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram offer perfectly curated and often invaluable content available for everyone to consume thoughtlessly. This overflow of accessible information and entertainment makes our society less credible, healthy, and intellectual. Current technology is an incredible advancement for society and humanity, but will ultimately be humanity’s downfall and has already proven that.
BANNER ASSIGNMENT
BRAINSTORMING:
– MORAL BOUNDARY – PASSAGE OF TIME – SPOT THE DIFFERENCE – LOOK OR MOVE
“MORAL BOUNDARY”
For my banner text project, I decided to use the words “moral boundary” found in the article we read. I chose it because I really love art that can be versatile and used in many different places (similar to my artist multiple project in Experimental II). I chose to use a bold Arial font in all caps for simplicity but also because the simple and large bold letters create the impression of a warning sign as if there really is a physical boundary there. I also used a dark red colour to go with this theme of danger and caution. As for location, I hung the banner up in the hallway of Zavitz (floor 3) at the end of the hallway but facing the shorter end in order for the length of the hallway to be see behind the banner. This way, the boundary feels much more compelling as it allows the audience to feel like there is more past this so-called boundary, rather than the banner just being hung on a wall.
This banner explores the interplay between simplicity, context, and meaning through the statement: “The Piece Begins and Ends in a Simple Sentence.” It is photographed in four distinct locations-an abandoned building, an abandoned school, a church, and a library -each adding unique layers of meaning to the statement. In the abandoned building, the sentence takes on a haunting tone, reflecting forgotten narratives hidden within its deteriorating structure. The stark simplicity of the phrase contrasts with the building’s decay, evoking a sense of untold or abandoned stories. At the abandoned school, captured in video format, the setting resonates as a place once defined by beginnings-where knowledge was cultivated-now left empty. This juxtaposition amplifies the theme of endings, reinforcing the cyclical nature of the statement. Displayed outside a church, the banner invokes themes of faith, purpose, and existential cycles. Beginnings and endings are deeply rooted in religious teachings, and the phrase serves as a meditative focal point for reflection on life’s transitions. Finally, when hung in front of the library, the banner reflects its phrase in a literal sense. Libraries, as repositories of words and knowledge, are symbolically reduced to a singular essence: holding words. The banner invites viewers to consider the relationship between complexity and simplicity in the pursuit of meaning. Overall, I enjoyed discovering and experimenting with locations that could infuse the banner with new interpretations, demonstrating how context profoundly shapes meaning.
Internet Videos: POVs
Neil Postman : Amusing Ourselves to Death
Computerized and digital era turning public life into entertainment
Overwhelmed with information glut because of bottomless appetite for TV and everything meaningful will become meaningless
College kids have the ability to understand if this book is still relevant today
No more ability to sit by oneself to think without the need for digital distraction
Desensitisation of news outlets because of the need for sequenced information ex. Global warming followed up by a cheerful news anchor talking about moving on to the next segment which may not hold the same value as the very serious story discussed before. (the sequence is random which associated with incoherent/psychotic)
In a professor’s class of 25, 23 will write papers about the information in this book and two would be uninterested in it
Students disagree and are defensive over negativity on TV presented in this book. TV was seen as a “parent” and an important part if their culture
Amusing ourselves to death is a call to action
Since the book came out; news consumption in young down, network and entertainment are mashed together
This led to Jon Stewart’s valid point: “that serious news and show business ought to be distinguishable, for the sake of public discourse and the republic”.
Communities collapsing: people not participating in club meetings often, families reduced sit down dinners, friends don’t come over as often/ know their neighbors
Computers “necessary” for school with administrators pushing this notion
Average 4.5 hour TV day in America
The book prompts insightful questions such as ‘what happens when we become infatuated with technology?’ and ‘does free time imprison us?’
Postman was not pessimistic, assessed technology in a way that was cautious to open future surprises not necessarily to condemn it
The book was “ahead of its time” with the information resonating more so now then earlier decades
1985 ABC Nightline Postmans discusses how TV’s focus on brevity and feel-good content undermines meaningful discourse
Different american cities have symbolized cultural and historical shifts ex Boston 18th century:Political radicalism
Las Vegas= society where public discourse becomes entertainment ex. Politics, religion, news education have been transformed into show business
Entertainment has impacted politics and leadership with politicians focused on their performance not ideology
Media prioritizes visual appeal: candidates with less visual charm are not considered. Cosmetics and image management have replaced substance
Several other things have now been shaped by entertainment such as journalism and business
Cultural decline with public being dominated by entertainment values
Media shapes content ex. Smoke signals cannot support philosophical discourse
News of the day is a product of technology
Decline in print culture has reshaped politics, religion, education, and public discourse with television emphasizing entertainments, ultimately transforming the content and meaning of cultural conversations
Book was influenced by McLuhan’s concept: “the medium is the message” and ancient sources such as the Bible’s second commandment, which prohibits graven images
Suggests media forms influence cultural and intellectual life
Speech and language structure influence worldviews
Media as cultural shapes: writing shifted from auditory to visual language processing which enabled abstract thinking/critical analysis.
Clocks redefined time: detachment of time from nature and human events and promoted efficiency, diminishing timeless viewpoints
Media functions as metaphors and frame how we see reality with clocks suggesting time is a measurable sequence. Writing reimagines the mind as a tablet, the telegraph transforms news into a commodity
Tools shape understanding of bodies, minds and intelligence ex terms like biological clock derive from tool-based metaphors
Intelligence quantified (ex. IQ) because of tools that imply measurability
Are some of these ideas from more than 40 years ago applicable to our own historical moment?
Quote for discussion: “how the image is undermining other forms of communication, particularly the written word; and how our bottomless appetite for TV will make content so abundantly available, context be damned, that we’ll be overwhelmed by “information glut” until what is truly meaningful is lost and we no longer care what we’ve lost as long as we’re being amused.”
Yes, the information provided by Postman remains highly relevant today. He critiques the shift in public discourse driven by entertainment, where individuals no longer prioritize the meaning behind information. Instead, the constant consumption of media has made everything seem meaningless. With the rise of social media platforms such as TikTok, attention spans have been further impacted, as we now rapidly consume short videos on a variety of topics within minutes. This aligns with Postman’s notion of society’s “bottomless appetite for entertainment.” Moreover, news outlets often overwhelm viewers with a fast-paced flow of content, desensitizing them to important issues. Postman illustrates this with examples of a news station discussing a serious topic such as climate change and then abruptly switching to a lighter, less significant topic, preventing viewers from processing the information. This approach reflects the challenge of digesting information when entertainment-driven formats dominate. Postman’s critique of the prioritization of entertainment over information is even more relevant today, as algorithms on social media and news platforms now push sensational content to capture attention, further blurring the line between meaningful discourse and mindless consumption.
Did Neil Postman predict the age of television/video media personalities in positions of great power?
Quote for discussion: “Our politics, religion, news, athletics, education and commerce have been transformed into congenial adjuncts of show business, largely without protest or even much popular notice.”
Postman accurately predicted the rise of media personalities assuming powerful roles in society. He critiques the transformation of public figures into entertainers, where charisma and the ability to perform for the camera are valued more than competence and experience. In today’s political climate, particularly in the United States, politics has increasingly become a form of entertainment. This is evident in events such as Donald Trump’s rallies, where the focus is often on entertaining the crowd rather than providing substantive policy discussions. The emphasis on spectacle over meaningful content reflects Postman’s concerns about the growing dominance of entertainment in areas traditionally driven by expertise and informed discourse.
How does he argue that the overflow of accessible, 24/7 information and entertainment make us less wise, healthy, and safe?
Quote for discussion: “Prior to the age of telegraphy, the information-action ratio was sufficiently close so that most people had a sense of being able to control some of the contingencies in their lives. What people knew about had action-value. In the information world created by telegraphy, this sense of potency was lost, precisely because the whole world became the context for news. Every- thing became everyone’s business. For the first time, we were sent information which answered no question we had asked, and which, in any case, did not permit the right of reply.”
Postman discusses how the overwhelming amount of media, often filled with trivial and fragmented information, diminishes individuals’ ability to engage in critical thinking. This leads to shallow engagement with content, where television, for example, prioritizes image over substance, distracting viewers from serious issues. People are entertained by what they see, but they are not truly informed. As a result, the constant stream of content leaves individuals ill-prepared to tackle societal challenges or make informed decisions. Reading ahead, Postman also explores the concept of the “information-action ratio,” explaining how media makes everything feel like everyone’s business, even when we have not asked for it. This idea, though unsettling, is highly relevant today, as algorithms interact to curate personalized feeds that cater to our tastes without us needing to take action. The line between what is private and what is public is increasingly blurred, creating a sense of constant exposure.
How might these ideas influence how you think about the effects of video culture in our own time?
The information in this book has led me to reflect on the negative effects of video culture. WHile it provides a platform for collective communication and creativity, it often results in oversimplified content being consumed at a rapid pace, which in turn reduces our attention spans. Personally, I have been reflecting on how much my media consumption in my spare time has contributed to my own reduced attention span. After reading this, I am more aware of these effects and am actively making an effort to counteract them by choosing to read more whenever I feel the urge to pick up my phone and “doom scroll.”
AGO Art Trip
The Culture: Hip Hop and Contemporary Art in the 21st Century was an incredible exhibition at the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO). The diversity of artistic styles and mediums showcased in the exhibition was striking, yet the pieces complemented each other seamlessly, creating a cohesive and thought-provoking experience. Among the many works on display, four pieces stood out to me: Nation, Live Culture Force 1’s,DJ Screw in Heaven, and Don’t Talk To Me About No Significance Of Art. Nation, created by Deana Lawson in 2018, is a pigment-based inkjet print collage that delivers a powerful visual statement. The piece depicts two men seated on a couch, gazing directly at the viewer. The man on the right has his mouth held open by a dental tool called a cheek retractor. In the upper right corner, an image of George Washington’s dentures is included- a chilling reference to the brutal history of American Slavery, as Washington’s dentures were made using teeth taken from enslaved Black people. This work forces viewers to confront the uncomfortable reality of how historical figures like Washington continue to be glorified despite their deeply troubling legacies. Another standout piece was Live Culture Force 1’s by Aaron Fowler (2022), which was constructed from recycled materials in honour of the artist’s late brother. The sheer scale of this piece was breathtaking, and the effort behind sourcing and assembling the materials was evident in its meticulous craftsmanship. DJ Screw in Heaven by El Franco Lee II (2008) also caught my attention. Created using acrylic and vinyl record on canvas, this piece serves as a tribute to the legendary DJ Screw. The artist’s comic book-inspired style adds a dynamic and engaging element, drawing the viewer into the scene and reinforcing DJ Screw’s large influence on hip-hop culture. The final piece that resonated with me was Don’t Talk To Me About No Significance Of Art by Shirt (2021), an inkjet print on canvas. This work stood out for its bold use of text, directly questioning the authority that determines what qualifies as “significant” art. Shirt based this piece on a 1922 issue of the experimental arts journal Manuscripts (MSS), a publication that featured debates on art and photography. By responding to this historical discourse through a text-based artwork, Shirt challenges conventional artistic hierarchies, particularly regarding rap music’s place in the art world. Overall, this exhibition was both visually and intellectually stimulating, showcasing how hip-hop continues to shape contemporary art in profound ways. I thoroughly enjoyed it and look forward to exploring future AGO exhibitions.
Internet Video Project: Rage Quit
This internet video art piece explores video game streamer culture, specifically the phenomenon of “rage quitting.” Rage quitting occurs when a player, frustrated— often by having to restart a level or other in-game setbacks— reacts with anger, sometimes violently. The video begins with mild expressions of frustration, such as swearing or lightly hitting a table, and progressively escalates to extreme outbursts, where gamers destroy expensive equipment in fits of rage. The piece is structured in a four-screen layout to heighten the sense of overstimulation. This format prevents the viewer from focusing on a single screen, creating a chaotic and immersive experience. The videos are also in constant flux, further intensifying the overwhelming effect. A striking aspect of the piece is that every individual featured is male or male-presenting. Watching these men erupt in destructive anger-breaking not only their gaming setups but sometimes even harming themselves-becomes both unsettling and difficult to ignore. In this context, the work serves as a commentary on male rage, particularly in the current political climate, where discussions around masculinity and aggression continue to evolve.
Response to Esais’s Internet Video:
The video’s cyclical structure mirrors the act of breathing, alternating between disembodied breath sounds on a black screen and fragmented footage of individuals inhaling and exhaling. This repetition highlights both the presence of the body and the shared nature of breath. Breath has been a recurring theme in art, explored by various artists. This work, for example, recalls Bill Viola’s The Passing (1991), where breath serves as a bridge between life and death. It also shares elements with Marina Abramovic’s Breathing In/Breathing Out (1977), which explores the intense intimacy of shared respiration. In a similar way, this piece connects the personal and the collective-while the black screen and layered voices create an intimate and individualized experience, the introduction of fragmented video clips transforms it into something shared and universal.
Beginning with a black screen and isolated breathing immerses the viewer gradually, forcing them to listen attentively to the rhythmic, intimate, and sometimes uncomfortable qualities of breath before linking it to a physical body. The shift to human figures makes the act of breathing more tangible, yet when presented on-screen, it also takes on a performative quality. The editing reinforces this theme of “universal breath,” balancing intimacy and emotion with the physicality of breathing. The transitions between clips feel smooth rather than jarring, and the variety of shots some close-ups of mouths, others showing full bodies adds depth to the experience. By presenting breath from multiple perspectives, the video allows the viewer to consider it both as a personal, bodily function and as a broader, collective act.
One question that arises is what aspect of internet culture is being referenced. The emphasis on isolated sounds makes me wonder if the piece is drawing from ASMR culture, which similarly heightens awareness of specific bodily noises. However, if you intended a different connection, I would be curious to know what other influences were at play.
My Crops Are Dying But My Body Persists:
After watching Bridget Moser’s My Crops Are Dying But My Body Persists and reading Charlene Lau’s commentary in Artforum, it becomes evident that Moser appropriates various tropes from internet culture. She draws on ASMR trends, incorporating common elements such as handling a rubber or silicone mouth while wearing gloves and speaking in an exaggeratedly sultry voice – distinctive elements of the genre. Additionally, her use of soft pink tones, a minimalist interior, and a centered camera framing her in silky pajamas amid rose-colored decor evokes the aesthetics of influencer culture, particularly “get ready with me” videos. However, rather than creating an atmosphere of relaxation or aspirational beauty, Moser subverts these tropes. She contorts herself uncomfortably on the couch, moving and touching it in a way that Lau interprets as an attempt to “feel something” in a world where intimacy and connection were already elusive even before the pandemic (Lau, 2020).
Moser also critiques whiteness throughout the video, notably in a sequence where she handles white bread and sticks bandages onto it-a moment Lau describes as a “sly joke on white fragility” (Lau, 2020). At the same time, she ridicules the grotesque self-exposure of whiteness while examining the performative nature of guilt and activism. This is especially apparent in her re-creation of Robbie Williams’ Rock DJ music video, where she dons a skinless muscle suit as a robotic text-to-speech voice declares, “The antidote to guilt is action.”
Physically, the video provokes discomfort. Moser’s sensual interactions with objects-stroking a couch, caressing a skull with a prophylactic glove filled with baked beans- made me feel both amusement and unease. Her ability to take familiar internet comfort genres, such as ASMR and influencer-style videos, and strip them of their intended soothing effect is striking. Lau characterizes Moser’s work as “parodies of ‘haute’ consumerist taste” (Lau, 2020), exposing the artifice behind luxury aesthetics and revealing them as little more than carefully orchestrated illusions.
Lau, C. K. (2020, September 1). Bridget Moser. Artforum.
This video features a voice recording of my father recounting his experience with a medical scare and resulting surgery– a story that, until now, was largely hidden from me and my sibling. I was too young at the time to fully understand what was happening, and this recording marks the first time I have heard his full account. In the video, I sit still at the center of the frame, lip-syncing to my fathers words– as if his voice is coming through my body. I act both as a vessel for his story and a stand-in for his presence. At the same time, archival footage of my father, sister, and me playing and laughing together is projected over my face. The footage shows us happy and unaware of what my father was going through. In a way, it feels like I am speaking to our younger selves– still playing, still unaware. Within this footage, there are small, fleeting moments– like a glimpse of my father’s bandage on his arm as he reaches across the frame to tickle us. This detail feels like a quiet confession, revealing the truth in subtle ways, even though it was never spoken aloud. The difference between my father’s calm narration and the innocent archival footage highlights the gap between what we remember, what was kept hidden, and what we absorbed without realizing. Overall, this video piece shows how both archival footage and the body can work together to release stories that have been hidden or left unspoken. Once the full story is known, the footage itself begins to change– shifting from something purely happy, fun, and blissful to something subtly marked by my father’s hidden pain.
Tattoo brain storm:
Shoe prints walking along back turns into a sculpture when placed feet on parts of body
Tape
Door (different doors) open or some doors open some doors closed
Tattoo bra straps
Tattoos: Bra Straps
For this project, I created temporary tattoos of my own bra straps, inviting people to apply them to their bodies however they chose– some matched the colours, some mixed them up, and others chose to wear just one. It was a playful and participatory piece, but also deeply personal. Seeing people of all identities walking around with what is often considered a private part of my daily wear was both strange but impactful. The tattoos looked surprisingly real, creating the illusion that participants were actually wearing bra straps. That realism, combined with public visibility, turned the piece into a subtle act of protest. Visible bra straps are often judged and linked to words such as “slutty,” “trashy,” or scandalous.” This project reclaims that visibility, questions those labels, and challenges the way everyday parts of femme-presenting bodies are policed.
This banner works through several possibilities within the phrase “appear neutral”. I am interested in the idea that something or someone may not necessarily be neutral, but be forced to appear neutral out of necessity, fear, protection, or a desire to hide their true intentions. I chose an extremely un-neutral font but made it white and glued the letters to white bunting and placed the banner in a white setting to express an attempt at ‘appearing’ neutral.
White textile bunting was used on ships as a way to call for a truce, ceasefire, negotiation or surrender. In that context, appearing neutral is much more important than being neutral.
The space my banner occupies is a neutral environment. Often spaces of neutrality are the places that people who wish to appear neutral may want to position themselves for several reasons.
APPEAR NEUTRAL is just an attempt at expressing the several layers to such a short but hefty phrase.
Hold for Four
Hold for Four
Found/stolen footage
(best enjoyed at high volume with headphones or ear-buds)
Cold Water for Honesty
Cold Water for Honesty
This spot on Lake Ontario has been an important one for most of my life, and we’ve been swimming here for close to eight years now. The beach is also a hydro corridor, and while you swim under the towering power lines, you can see the factories, the massive steel lift bridge, the Skyway, and, on a clear day, even Toronto in the distance. It’s unlike any other beach I’ve ever been to—it’s possibly the most “industrial” beach in Ontario, maybe even in Canada. This makes it a space that feels completely unique, distinct from other beaches, standing in its own category within memory.
I wanted to document my parents in this space because it is equally as important to them as it is to myself. The cold forces a genuine reaction that i think is hard to get from people who know they are being filmed.
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.
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. )
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
The themes of being uncomforted with discomfort, sensuality, pale pinks, and beiges of a relatively light tonal key remind me a great deal of the Rococo movement of early modern art in Europe. The Rococo era was littered with paintings about sex, food, parties, just generally how cool it was to be rich and have a bunch of time to relax.(1) Similarly throughout this piece one might read a striking resemblance in themes of comfort and small luxuries through the perspective of a middle-to-upper class white woman. Correlations to dieting regimens and pills, lip enhancers and an amusing number of press on nails of course, or as it was put in Charlene Lau’s Art Forum review of this work “The scene, followed by 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.” Much like a woman reclining in a beautifully upholstered and plush chair in the rococo era, Moser is posed laying in a chair of identifiable resemblance(2). Unlike the comfortable and unabashedly sensuous aristocratic women of 16th Century France however Moser finds herself uncomfortable in the level of discomfort she finds herself in. Despite the group’s specifically targeted by racist ideals of beauty I read this as Mosers own struggles to meet the mold, standards of weight, face shape, nose shape height etc are after all based around racism. (A) Another reading is her discomfort with the privilege of whiteness. I will be focusing more on that lens.
Similar to the privileged minority of the Rococo upper crust she then seeks comfort from the discomforted. (3)(B.)This is maybe the first piece I’ve ever encountered that deconstructs the discomfort of privilege, more specifically white privilege in such a detached and monotone way. “We’re not always soft and not always digestible. Were just used to certain comforts.” In this case Moser both claims to empathize with non-white individuals for the struggles whiteness offers racialized groups. She doesn’t apologize however and instead pointedly places her perceived right to “certain comforts” above said acknowledged discomfort. (3) Moser’s thesis as I interpret it is that those in positions of privilege cannot truly enjoy said privilege without some level of reflection interfering eventually. As Lau puts it “Moser’s sardonic tone—with a hint of creepy innocence—exteriorizes these innermost thoughts, which turn into an earnest declaration of complicity.” there is often a desire to prove to those of dissimilar privilege that you understand and/or empathize with their woes while also recentering the privileged party.
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.
Banners adapted from Dirty Words byTammer-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.
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)
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“.
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
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.
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.
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
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.
Designs – Vanni (Left) and Yasmin (Right) Carys with Our Full Face Drag Tattoos
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.
While creating the banner, I thought of different ways I could call back to the census. I tried my absolute best and took way too long copying the font of the title in the census document. I also wanted to include the colours associated with the university (red, black, white, gold) without it being too much.
Neil Postman – Amusing Ourselves to Death
Summary:
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.
TORONTO TRIP
During our trip to the AGO, one of my first stops was the exhibition titled “The Culture: Hip Hop and Contemporary Art in the 21st Century.” There was so many beautiful and unique works to explore, but one in particular caught my eye.
The work is by Indigenous artist Nicholas Galanin, titled “Tsu Heidei Shugaxtutaan 1 & 2.” It is a two-part video featuring breakdancer David Elsewhere and Tlingit dancer Dan Littlefield.
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!! ^^
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.
☆☆ 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.
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!
–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.
