VIDEO ART: THE FINAL FRONTIER

Ok, so here we are: the end of semester, and along with it, the final project of the year. The theme this time is video art. And because this project is counting as 2 finals, I made it an interactive piece. The background is one of those old school tv sets. you know, the ones that use knobs instead of a remote control? Yeah that's right I went old school, because lets face it, old school tv was better. Anyways, the piece gives the user control over effects on 4 video clips, and those effects can be manipulated however you want. Here are some screen shots from it; eventually I'd like to post it online, but for now, I hope these will do.

Performance Art

Well, I think this project takes the cake for being the most interesting, and ridiculous thing I've ever done. But here are the results of mine, and littleraid's performance art pieces. Enjoy!!!!

Microsoft vs Google: The Ultimate Showdown

So Santi sent us this article, and I have to say it brings up an interesting point about Microsoft, though I wasn't surprised when I read it. According to the article, Bill Gates always pushed for "fast following" when it came to Google. Microsoft never really had a response for Google's immense growth, they still don't today. However, reading about this "fast following" didn't really surprise me because Microsoft has been copying others since the day they were founded. Bill Gates got his start because he copied Steve Jobs, (though to be fair Jobs copied from Xerox, but the point still stands) and his Apple operating system.

While I certainly believe that learning from your rivals is a good things, simply copying what they do isn't always the answer. To survive in a world like ours, especially when the economy looks like ours currently does, not only do you have to be able to learn form others, but you have to be able to take your opponents' strategy and improve upon it, make it your own, or better yet, come up with your own strategy. Copying a rival company isn't going to get you anywhere, especially when that company hits the tank.

Sucker Punch: Post Modern Crisis at it's Best

So Santi wants us to post some songs that were made in the spirit of the Post Modern Crisis. Naturally, the following songs will display just that. All of these songs are also from the soundtrack to the movie "Sucker Punch." The movie is about a girl whom we know only as, "Baby Doll." Baby Dol is sent to an insane asylum by her evil stepfather so that he can become the sole beneficiary of his late wife's estate. Furthermore, Baby doll is scheduled for a lobotomy 5 days after her admittance so that she'll never be able to leave the asylum. Whilst awaiting her surgery, Baby Doll retreats into her imagination, where she believes she is a dancer being held captive by an evil mobster. She rallies a few other girls try to gather the 5 items they'll need to escape. Baby Doll uses her incredible dancing skills to distract everyone, while the other girls gather the items they'll need to make their escape. However, Baby Doll is only able to dance when she lets her inhibitions go, and while she is dancing we are once again taken into her imagination. On screen her dances are portrayed by intense action scenes accompanied by classic music that has ben recreated. The music in these scenes is used to describe Baby Doll's mood, and thoughts.

The first song I am going to share is called "Sweet Dreams." This song was originally created by the Eurythmics in the 1980s.

Here is the version that was in "Sucker Punch." You'll notice the beat is completely different from the Eurythmics original version. It is much more is grim sounding than the original, but it fits the story completely, because it talks about being abused, which is how Baby Doll feels throughout the film.

The next song is called "Where is My Mind." It was originally created by the Pixies in 1988. The As you'll see, it is an awesome rock song, typical for that era, and lets face it, there were a lot of amazing songs back then. anyways, here's the song:

Like I said, it's a great song. Now here is the Sucker Punch version. Like before, the song sounds much more grim. Again this is because it is being used to represent Baby Doll's subconscious and inner thoughts. She is scheduled to have a Lobotomy very soon, and even though she hasn't had surgery yet, she is already feeling like she's losing her mind.

The third song is my favorite song on the sound track, because it is based off of one of my favorite songs ever. This next song is a mash-up of 2 songs by a very well known group called Queen. The two songs in the mash-up are "I Want it All" and "We Will Rock You." Here are the original songs:

Queen was an amazing group, and nobody will ever replace their talent, but this mash up is a pretty close second best. As with the other music, the beat is entirely different because it is representing Baby Doll's inner strife, She wants to escape, and now. this song displays her sense of urgency, and how she can't take being held captive any longer. Without further ado, I present to you, the mash-up version from the "Sucker Punch" soundtrack.

There you have it. Post Modern Crisis at its best. These songs are all amazing, although "Sucker Punch" in my opinion was a bit overrated. Don't let that take away form the majesty of the music though, the sound track is the one of the best I've ever heard.

Xerox Project

So Santi gave us yet another project. This time however I actually really enjoyed making it. In fact, so far this was my favorite project. Basically, we had to xerox ourselves and then tape the xeroxes onto a 2x3 foot object. I'll let the pictures do the rest of the talking ;)

Xerox Project

DOFFAY

So we talked about this artist Leigh Bowery in class the other day, and I must say I was taken aback by his work (then again I'm taken aback by this class). The video below is an example of Bowery's performance art. I like Bowery's performance art because he uses himself as the artwork, not just some random inanimate object. His choice of makeup and wardrobe are similar in insanity to that of Lady Gaga, which is another reason I love watching his performances because you never know what he's going to wear, and hence you never know how crazy he's gona look!!!! Bowery's performance also has a bit of creepiness to it because of the makeup he wears, and how it accentuates his facial expression. He also messes with the lighting a bit and the effect is amazing. At any rate, the video is right here for your enjoyment, so by all means, sit back, relax and enjoy!!!!!!