Absolut Net.Art (2001) by Eryk Salvaggio RESPONSE

http://rhizome.org/artbase/artwork/1690/

This week's art work actually made me laugh a lot.

I think Salvaggio really captured the essence of new media art (according to my definition anyway) because he found multiple ways to change a simple image of a very recognizable product. He used references to other artists, like Mouchette I wrote a blog entry on her a couple of weeks ago and it was satisfying to understand the reference to her and her work. One of my favorite representations of the bottle is this one :

~!        ~~~~~!!!!!!!!!MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM$$M$$$MM!!!!!M$$M$M$MMMM!!!MM$$$$M$$$$$$$$$M$MMM$$$MMMMMMMMMMM!!!!!!!!!!!!!~~~~      ~~
~~        ~~~~!!!!!!~~~~~MMMMM~~~~~~~~~!!MM$$$MM~~~~~~~!!MM$$$M!~~~~~~~!MM$$$!!!!!!!$$$$$$M!!MMMMMM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!~~~~      ~!
~~        ~~~~!!!!!~~~~~~!MMMM~~~~~~~~~~~~!M$$~~~~~~~~~~~M$$M!~~~~~~~~~~~!$$$~~~~~~!M$M$$M~~~~~!MM~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~!!~~~       ~!
 !        ~~~~!!!!!~~~~~~!MMMM~~~~~~~~~~~~~~M!~~~~~~~~~~~MM$~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~MM~~~~~~!MM$$$M~~~~~!MM~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~!!!!~~      ~!
 !       ~~~~~!!!!~~~~~~~~!MMM~~~~~!M!~~~~~~M~~~~~~!MMM!!MM!~~~~~~!MM~~~~~~~$~~~~~~!M$$$$M~~~~~!MM~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~!!!!~~      ~!
 ~       ~~~~~!!!!~~~~~~~ !MMM~~~~~!MM~~~~~~M~~~~~~!M$$$M$M~~~~~ !MM$~~~~~~~M~~~~~~!M$$$$M~~~~~!MM~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~!!!!~~~     ~!
~!       ~~~~~!!!!~~~~~~~~~MMM~~~~~!M!~~~~~!M!~~~~~~~!M$$$!~~~~~~!M$$~~~~~~~!~~~~~~!M$$$$M~~~~~!MM~~~~~~MMM~~~~~!!!!!!!!~~     ~!
~!       ~~~~~!!!!~~~~!~~~~!MM~~~~~~~~~~~!MMMM!~~~~~~~~!M$!~~~~~~!$$$!~~~~~~!~~~~~~!M$$$$M~~~~~!MM~~~~~~MMM~~~~~!!!!!!!!~~     ~!
~!      ~~~~~!!!!!~~~~!~~~~~MM~~~~~~~~~~~!!MM$$M!~~~~~~~~!!~~~~~~!M$$!~~~~~~!~~~~~~!M$$$$M~~~~~!MM~~~~~~MMM~~~~~!M!!!!!!~~     ~!
~!      ~~~~~!!!!!~~~~M~~~~~MM~~~~~!M!~~~~~~$$$$M!!~~~~~~~!~~~~~~!$M$~~~~~~~!~~~~~~!M$$$$M~~~~~!MM~~~~~~MMM~~~~~!M!!!!!!~~     ~!
!!     ~~~~~~!!!!!~~~~!~~~~~MM~~~~~!MM~~~~~~MM$$$$$!~~~~~~!~~~~~~!MM$~~~~~~~M~~~~~~!M$$$$M~~~~~!MM~~~~~~MMM~~~~~M!!!!!!!~~     ~!
~!      ~~~~!!~!!~~~~~~~~~~~MM~~~~~!$M~~~~~~!!!!$$$!~~~~~~!!~~~~~~!$$~~~~~~~M~~~~~~!M$$$$M~~~~~!$M~~~~~~MM!~~~~~!!!!!!!!~~     ~!
!!      ~~~!!~~!!~~~~~~~~~~~!M~~~~~!!~~~~~~~!~~~!!!~~~~~~~MM~~~~~~~!!~~~~~~!M~~~~~~~!!!!!M~~~~~~!!~~~~~~MM!~~~~~!!!!!!!!~~     !!
!!      ~~~!~~!!~~~~~!!!~~~~~!~~~~~~~~~~~~~!!~~~~~~~~~~~~!$$!~~~~~~~~~~~~~!M$~~~~~~~~~~~~M~~~~~~~~~~~~~!MM!~~~~~!!!!!!!!~~     !!
!!      ~~~~ ~!!~ ~~~!~!~ ~~~!~~~~~~~~~~~!!MM~~~~~~~~~~!M$$$$M~~~~~~~~~~~!!!M~~~~~~~~~~ ~M!~~~~~~~~~~~!MMM!~~~~~M!!!!!!!~~     !!
!!      ~~~!~~!!~~!~~!!M!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!$$M!M!~!!!!!!MM$$$$$$M!!!!!!!!!!!!~$!!!!!!!!~~!!M$!!!~~~~~~~!MMM$~~~~ ~!!!!!!!!~~     !!
!!      ~~~!~~!! ~!~!!!MMMMMM$$M$M$$$$$$$M!~!$!~M$$M$$$$$$$$$$$$$MMMM$M~~!!MMMMMM!MMM ~$M$$$$M!!!!!!MM$M$M~!!!!!!!!!!!!!~~     !!
!!~     ~~~!!!~ ~!!!!!MMM!MMMMMMM$!M$!!$$! ~M$ !$$$MM$$$$$$$$$$$M!!!$M~~!!$$!~!!M!~~!~!$$MM$$MM!!M$MMMMMM~!MMMMM!!!!!!!~~~     !!
!!     ~~~~!!!~ !!!MMM!!!~!! ! !!!! !! $!~!$!!~~$M!! MM~M$$$$$!~MM~!! !M$$!~$$$$$~!~M !!M!M$ !~~M!~!!!~! !!~~~! ~~~!!!!!~~     !!
!!     ~~~~!!!~ !!!M!! !!~!!!!~!!M~!M ~!~!MM!!~!!!!~!!~!MM$$M!~!M!!!~~MMMM~!$$MM!MM!M !M!~M!!M~~!~!!!~!!~!~~~!!~~~~!!!!!~~     !!
!!     ~~~!!!!~ !!M!!  !~M~~! M!M!!$!!M ~M!!! M!MM !M ~!!M$$~~!M!!$~  ~!M$ !$M!!M$$M~!$~~M~ M!M! MM! M!~M!!M~!!~! !!!!!!~~     !!
~!     ~~~~!!!!~~!~!!!~!MM!!M!!M!!$M!!MM!!MMM!!M$M~! ~!$$$!M$!!!$$!~!~M$M$M~!~M$$$! ~$$!!!!~!M$M!!!M~!!~!~!!M! !~!!!!!!!~~     !!
!!~    ~~~~!!!!!!!!!MMMMMMMM$M$$M$$$$$$MMM$M$M$MM!! ~M$$$$$$$$M$M!~M$!$$$$$!!~!!!!!MM$$MMMMMM$$$MMMMMMMMMMMMMM!M!!!!!!!!~~     !!
!!     ~~~!!!!!!!!MMMMMMMMMMM$$$MMM$MMM$MM$MM!!!!!!~M$$M$$$$$$$$! ~$!M$$M$!!M$$$$$$$$$$M$$M$$$$$$$$$MMMMMMMMMMMM!!!!!!!!~~     !!
!!     ~~~!!!!!!!!MMMMM!~~~ ~MM$M~~~~~~$M~~~~~ ~   M$$$~ ~~~~~~~  !!!$$$!~~~~~!$$$M!!!!!!MM$$$!!!!!!!MMM!!!MMMMMM!!!!!!!~~~    !!
!!     ~~~~!!!!!!!MMMMMM~~~~~!$$!~~~~~!!~~~~~~~~  ~~M$$~~~~~~~~~   ~!$$$!~~~~~!$$M~~~~~~!M$$$$~~~~~ ~MM!~!!!MMMM!!!!!!!!~~     !!
!!     ~~~!!!!!!!!MMMMMM!~~~~!$$~~~~~~!~~~~~~~~~~~~~~$$~~~~~~~~~~~~~~!M$!~~~~~~$$! ~~~~!$M$$$$~~~~~~~!M!~!!!MMMM!!!!!!!!~~~    !!
!!     ~~~!!!!!!!!MMMM$$!~~~~~$$~~~~~!!~~~~~!MM!~~~~~!$~~~~~~~!!~~~~~~!$!~~~~~~$$ ~~~~~M$$$$$$~~~~~~ ~$M!!~!MMMMM!!!!!!!~~~    !!                      
!!     ~~~!!!!!!!MMMMMM$M~~~~~$$~~~~~!~~~~~~M$$M~~~~~~M~~~~~~~$$!~~~~~~M!~~~~~~M!~~~~~!$$$$$$!~~~~~~~~MMMMMMMMMM!!!!!!!!~~~    !!
!!     ~~~!!!!!!!MMMMMMM$~~~~~MM~~~~~!~~~~~~$$$$~~~~~~!~~~~~~~$$!~~~~~~!!~~~~~~!~~~~~!M$$$$$M~~~~~~~~~!M$MMMMMMMM!!!!!!!~~~    !!
!!     ~~~!!!!!!MMMMM$MM$~~~~~M!~~~~!!~~~~~~$$$$~~~~~~!~~~~~~~$$M~~~~~~!!~~~~~~~~~~~~$$$$$$$!~~~~~!~~~~MMMMMMMMM!!!!!!!!~~~    !!
!!     ~~!!!!!!!MMMMMM$$$!~~~~!~~~~~!!~~~~~~M$$$~~~~~~!~~~~~~~$$M~~~~~~!!~~~~~~~~~~~~M$$$$$$~~~~~!!~~~~!MMMMMMMM!!!!!!!!~~~    !!
!!     ~~!!!!!!!MMMMMM$$$M~~~~!~~~~!M!~~~~~~$$$$~~~~~~!~~~~~~~$$M~~~~~~!!~~~~~~~~~~~~!$$$$$$~~~~~!M ~~~~$MMMMMMM!!!!!!!!~~~    !!
!!     ~~!!!!!!!MMMMMMM$$$!~~~~~~~~!$M~~~~~~$$$M~~~~~~!~~~~~~~$$!~~~~~~M!~~~~~~M!~~~~~!$$$$M~~~~~MM~~~~~MMMMMMMM!!!!!!!!~~~~   !!
~!     ~~!!!!!!!MMMMM$$$$$!~~~~~~~~M$$!~~~~~MMM!~~~~~!M~~~~~~~MM~~~~~~~M!~~~~ ~M$~~~~~~$$$$!~~~~~~~~~~~~MMMMMMMM!!!!!!!!~~~~   !!
~!     ~~!!!!!!!MMMMM$$$$$$~~~~~~~!$$$M~~~~~~~~~~~~~~M$~~~~~~~!~~~~~~~~$!~~~~~~$$~~~~~~!$$M~~~~~~~~~~~~~!MMMMMMM!!!!!!!!~~~~   !!
!!     ~~!!!!!!MMMMMMM$$$$$!~~~~~~M$$$$!~~~~~~~~~~~~!$$~~~~~~~~~~~~~~!M$!~~~~~~M$!~~~~~!M$!~~~~~~!!~~~~~~M$MMMMM!!!!!!!!!~~~   !!
!!     ~~!!!!!!MMMMMM$$$$$$!~~~~~~M$$$$$!!~~~~~~~~!!M$$~~~~~~~~~~~~!!$$$!~~~~~~M$$!~~~~~!M~~~~~~!M$!~~~~~!MMMMMMM!!!!!!!!~~~   !!
!!     ~~!!!!!!MMMMMMM$$$$$M!MMMMM$$$M$M!!~ ~ ~!!M$!M$$!!!!!!!!!!MM$$$$$!!!!!~!M$$M~!~~~~!~~~~~~MM$M!~~~~~MMMMMMM!!!!!!!~~~~  

It's It's Definetely a visual representation using only text. I think it's brilliant.

Project 2 "Cut and Paste"

I think totally failed this project. Not only because I am not technically proficient with Photoshop, but because creatively I could not come up with an interesting enough concept.

Obviously my inspiration were the actual movie poster for Star Wars. I wanted to create one that could tell the story of the next episode in the star wars series... Because I ahve always wondered what kind of world and story it would be after "The Return of the Jedi"

I really don't like the end result of this project. I hope I can do better on the next one.

I was really upset about it, and then my friend reminded me that it is okay to produce crap when we are new in a medium. I am upset about my silly idea, but hey, the first 3 pieces that I ever choreographed also sucked, so yeah.

I think the reason why it's not working it's because the pictures don't relate to each other. they just seem to be there and they don't tell any kind of story, which is what movie posters are all about.  I didn't realize how important it was to have an interesting background. although the all black background made things easier, it also limited the the interaction that the pictures could have with each other.

“Almost Home” by Arturo Herrera 2001 RESPONSE

For this week’s entry, I finally found something like I have been looking for.  Except that I still feel confused by it. This piece is called “Almost Home” by Arturo Herrera. I like it even though I don’t understand it perfectly. The point of the piece, is have the audience, match two different panels with images that hints towards childhood icons. All of the images are altered and at times they seem to be vandalized. One of the funniest, that I found, is just the foot of Donald the Duck, just the foot and still perfectly recognizable.

The images are randomly generated and the user is forced to change one at the time. This make me feel out of control even though I was free to choose which one to change. What I liked abut it though, is that I was forced to look at every combination of images with it’s own composition value.  I think that if the artist had had only one picture at a time, it would have not been nowhere near as effective as it is on “Almost Home”

I had never seen art presented in that way on the web. It’s a really cool idea.

http://rhizome.org/artbase/artwork/1824/

Flesh&Blood (1998) by Mouchette RESPONSE

One thing that I really like about rhizome, is that I never know how the heck I got to the piece of work that I decide writing about. This is the third time I search for an article and every time I feel more comfortable writing about it. I used to want to find a photograph or a video or an animation. This time I found a whole website (granted, the website is not too long) that made me uncomfortable, curious and a little scared at the same time.

This website is the home page of a (at the time of publication) 13 year old girl called Mouchette. It features really close shots of this girl's body, mostly only part of the body that are connected to the sense; tongue, eyes, ears lips and mouth. I don't think that the photography is particularly interesting, but combined with the text and the crappy interface, it made me feel like I was in a world of sick pornography. It was like I was watching someone expose herself in a way that was dehumanizing... I don't know it really confused me for a while.

Once I got over my initial shock, I realized that I was looking at parts of the human body that I see everyday, all the time. Lips and ears are accepted in my culture as well as in the U.S. then why did it freak me out so much? Was it the fact that it was the body of a 13 year old girl? Would my feelings and reactions had been different if it was a boy's body? an old person? I don't know... Perhaps it's just the close up of the picture and the text, prompting me to do something with that body part.

There is this other part of the website that I could no longer experience because the website is so old and probably out of maintenance. Most of the pages, asks you a question about that picture that you are seeing like "what do my tongue tastes like"? then you write your answer and send it in an E-mail. The system is supposed to reply to you. I wish I had gotten a response, just to experience the whole of the artistic intent.

It's not like I'm afraid of other people's body: As a dancer, I get male and female groins in my face all the time. I get in close contact with people's bad breath, sweat, sometimes blood. I  mean I think I have a good relationship with my body as well as others'. So what is it that really freaked me out so much? I think it's that i was not expecting it, that fact it was a 13 year old girl or maybe the whole "my parents are ok with me doing this" kinda persona she was wearing.

Anyway... it was interesting.



http://rhizome.org/artbase/artwork/1692/