The following poem was written using words spoken during a lecture.
Interaction
Choose another assembly
One inherent, overt–
Big as a bed, cars on top of cars–
In that manner pursue total chaos.
Four hands, four degrees
Absolute destruction
white space
not yours. Interesting spatial
totem pole. Interesting?
I don’t know
What to say? Form sculpture
in front of you. Criteria?
Unrealistic rendering, scale abstraction
No purpose, adjacencies
Five moves = composition.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
The Artist and Music Mind Disease
I am inflicted with a rare disease known as Music Mind Disorder or MMD. It is also sometimes referred to as radiohead (not to be confused with the band, though they may have been referencing the disorder when they chose their name). People with MMD are usually able to function in normal society, but often annoy those around them.
What is Music Mind Disorder?
You have probably experienced MMD to some degree. Have you ever had a song stuck in your head, or had a song pop into your head when someone said something or did something? This is what MMD is like, only the person suffering from MMD experiences this all day long, all the time. Sometimes these people cannot help but breakout into song or they get distracted and do not hear what someone is saying to them. Let me give you an example, take the sentence, "Imagine all the hard work it took to make this". A sufferer of MMD experiences the sentence like this: "Imagine all the (people [John Lenin tune playing in their head]) hard (day's night and I've been . . .[Beatle's tune playing]) work (9 to 5 [Dolly Parton] or on the chain gang [Sam Cooke], depending) it took to make this."
You can see how this would be distracting and perceived as insensitive if the MMD sufferer began singing these songs while the other person was speaking.
MMD and Sampling
One of the worse things to happen to sufferers of MMD is the use of sampling in songs. Instead of just having Super Freak going through their heads they also have U Can't Touch This. A friend of mine (who I met through an MMD support group) was driven temporarily insane when Under Pressure and Ice Ice Baby started going in his head.
A Cure?
Traditionally the only relief for this malady has been to listen to the inflicting song in its entirety, or pass it on to someone else, or to sing. Recently psychologist have been experimenting with extracting these songs by transferring them to another medium such as painting or sculpture. It has yet to be seen if this method will be successful.
What is Music Mind Disorder?
You have probably experienced MMD to some degree. Have you ever had a song stuck in your head, or had a song pop into your head when someone said something or did something? This is what MMD is like, only the person suffering from MMD experiences this all day long, all the time. Sometimes these people cannot help but breakout into song or they get distracted and do not hear what someone is saying to them. Let me give you an example, take the sentence, "Imagine all the hard work it took to make this". A sufferer of MMD experiences the sentence like this: "Imagine all the (people [John Lenin tune playing in their head]) hard (day's night and I've been . . .[Beatle's tune playing]) work (9 to 5 [Dolly Parton] or on the chain gang [Sam Cooke], depending) it took to make this."
You can see how this would be distracting and perceived as insensitive if the MMD sufferer began singing these songs while the other person was speaking.
MMD and Sampling
One of the worse things to happen to sufferers of MMD is the use of sampling in songs. Instead of just having Super Freak going through their heads they also have U Can't Touch This. A friend of mine (who I met through an MMD support group) was driven temporarily insane when Under Pressure and Ice Ice Baby started going in his head.
A Cure?
Traditionally the only relief for this malady has been to listen to the inflicting song in its entirety, or pass it on to someone else, or to sing. Recently psychologist have been experimenting with extracting these songs by transferring them to another medium such as painting or sculpture. It has yet to be seen if this method will be successful.
Monday, March 10, 2008
Transpositions in Time: A Fluxus Sculpture
Transpositions in time: A Fluxus Sculpture was initially sparked by classroom critiques. I started thinking about the critiques that artwork goes through. People praise the piece and it gains substance, or people find fault with it and it deflates. I was also thinking about how the viewer changes the art they are viewing. Some or all of the artist's intent is lost or added to as the viewer brings their own preconceived notions, attitudes, feelings and color/shape/imagery associations.The sculpture part of this project is intended to represent this in a more concrete fashion.
I was also thinking about how artists influence each other. I see a friend working on a project (or I see a film, a picture, a gallery, whatever) that influences me in some way, I in turn influence them, or someone else, so that every piece of art created becomes a collage of ideas - recognized or subconscious. Again, this piece shows this in a concrete way -- the changes before influence the next change and so on. And, as with other fluxus projects, it blurs the distinction between artist and viewer. I also wanted to move from creating a 3 dimensional work to a 4 dimensional work (a time sculpture). Video work does this to some extent, but it is a frozen moment of time. With this piece I hope to capture how time has wrought changes on the sculpture, on my idea for the project, and on me.
The very first change happened even before the project got started. Originally I was going to start with a more finished piece with a surface (tape?) that people could peel away or add to, but on the day i wanted to start, I forgot it at home. So I took what I had (a torn piece of cardboard) and drew a tree on to it.
In the process of making this I found many interesting things, First, most people will do something, even if they think it is stupid or pointless. Second, I really don't like approaching people to as them to help me out. Third, a still camera is not sufficient for this project.
It is also important to note that the art piece is not the object in the photos, but the process of its creation and the interaction between the people.
I was also thinking about how artists influence each other. I see a friend working on a project (or I see a film, a picture, a gallery, whatever) that influences me in some way, I in turn influence them, or someone else, so that every piece of art created becomes a collage of ideas - recognized or subconscious. Again, this piece shows this in a concrete way -- the changes before influence the next change and so on. And, as with other fluxus projects, it blurs the distinction between artist and viewer. I also wanted to move from creating a 3 dimensional work to a 4 dimensional work (a time sculpture). Video work does this to some extent, but it is a frozen moment of time. With this piece I hope to capture how time has wrought changes on the sculpture, on my idea for the project, and on me.
The very first change happened even before the project got started. Originally I was going to start with a more finished piece with a surface (tape?) that people could peel away or add to, but on the day i wanted to start, I forgot it at home. So I took what I had (a torn piece of cardboard) and drew a tree on to it.
In the process of making this I found many interesting things, First, most people will do something, even if they think it is stupid or pointless. Second, I really don't like approaching people to as them to help me out. Third, a still camera is not sufficient for this project.
It is also important to note that the art piece is not the object in the photos, but the process of its creation and the interaction between the people.
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