Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Monday a.m. Artist Post 11/09
Ashrita Furman, but born Keith Furman, is an interesting man that I found while watching an HBO special. He is known for his incredible enthusiasm and dedication to breaking world records while achieving inner peace and solitude. Furman was born in Brooklyn, New York and then moved and grew up in Queens, New York. He attended Jamaica High School and still finds himself practicing on the track and field of his old high school. As a teenager, Furman’s interest in Eastern spirituality heightened and in 1970 he became a follower of the Indian Sri Chinmoy. The Sri Chinmoy’s philosophy centers on self-transcendence. This philosophy has been at the root of all of Furman’s enthusiasm for record breaking. In 1978 he participated in a 24-hour bicycle race in New York City. “It was one of the most profound moments of my life. As I climbed off my bicycle, I realized that it wasn’t my body that had cycled for 24 hours, but my inner spirit. By using meditation I was able to connect with an inexhaustible energy, which we all have but rarely use. At that moment I decided to attempt breaking Guinness records to inspire others to connect with their own indomitable inner strength.”
When I first saw the special on Furman, I solely saw him as a performer. While he prepares, practices, and acts out these challenges he has an audience. There was a woman interviewed during the special on HBO who was one of his neighbors. She described having Furman as her neighbor as being entertaining and fun. She said throughout the weeks her and her kids will either watch Furman practice from the house or they will join him in his backyard in Queens and watch him work towards achieving another record. The idea of him working through all of these tasks as part of a meditation routine is simply fascinating to me. On his website it states, “he has been practicing meditation for more than 30 years and sees his records as a way to demonstrate the benefits of ancient Eastern Art. The name Ashrita is Sanskrit, meaning protected by God...” Furman later on makes a statement saying, “I am not a natural athlete, but my teacher has shown me that if one can be in touch with one’s inner spirit, anything is possible.”
Furman’s first record was set in 1979 and it was for doing 27,000 jumping jacks. Since then he has broken more than 225 records. Some of the records he has set include hula hoping the fasted mile at the Ayers Rock in the Australian bush, pushing a car 17 miles in 24 hours, walking 80 miles with a milk bottle balanced on his head, bouncing a basketball 339 times in a minute, standing on a Swiss Ball for the longest time at Stonehenge in England, balancing a pool cue while walking the longest distance at the Pyramids in Egypt, and bouncing the fastest mile on a kangaroo ball following right along the Great Wall of China. He has set records in more than 30 different countries on all seven continents.
The reason why I chose to research this man even though the kind of work that he does is not necessarily art, is because I found myself really interested in why he chose to spend each of his days pursuing something that was beneficial to himself and the public and not beneficial financially. Furman receives no financial reward for breaking any of the world records, however he is more driven to challenge himself in this area than ever. He runs a health food store on the side to maintain a living but keeps his head focused on meditating and bringing new challenges into his life on a daily basis. After he completes/sets a record, this sort of clarity overcomes Furman and he has moments of realization that have a lasting effect on him. I find myself able to relate to Furman because he performs these acts and challenges and is able to find clarity within himself after completing them. Like artists, he does these things for himself. It is a way of life and is his own piece of happiness.
Furman's Website
Wikipedia Page on Furman
HBO Real Sports Page on Furman
NY Times Article on Furman
Sri Chinmoy's Information Website
When I first saw the special on Furman, I solely saw him as a performer. While he prepares, practices, and acts out these challenges he has an audience. There was a woman interviewed during the special on HBO who was one of his neighbors. She described having Furman as her neighbor as being entertaining and fun. She said throughout the weeks her and her kids will either watch Furman practice from the house or they will join him in his backyard in Queens and watch him work towards achieving another record. The idea of him working through all of these tasks as part of a meditation routine is simply fascinating to me. On his website it states, “he has been practicing meditation for more than 30 years and sees his records as a way to demonstrate the benefits of ancient Eastern Art. The name Ashrita is Sanskrit, meaning protected by God...” Furman later on makes a statement saying, “I am not a natural athlete, but my teacher has shown me that if one can be in touch with one’s inner spirit, anything is possible.”
Furman’s first record was set in 1979 and it was for doing 27,000 jumping jacks. Since then he has broken more than 225 records. Some of the records he has set include hula hoping the fasted mile at the Ayers Rock in the Australian bush, pushing a car 17 miles in 24 hours, walking 80 miles with a milk bottle balanced on his head, bouncing a basketball 339 times in a minute, standing on a Swiss Ball for the longest time at Stonehenge in England, balancing a pool cue while walking the longest distance at the Pyramids in Egypt, and bouncing the fastest mile on a kangaroo ball following right along the Great Wall of China. He has set records in more than 30 different countries on all seven continents.
The reason why I chose to research this man even though the kind of work that he does is not necessarily art, is because I found myself really interested in why he chose to spend each of his days pursuing something that was beneficial to himself and the public and not beneficial financially. Furman receives no financial reward for breaking any of the world records, however he is more driven to challenge himself in this area than ever. He runs a health food store on the side to maintain a living but keeps his head focused on meditating and bringing new challenges into his life on a daily basis. After he completes/sets a record, this sort of clarity overcomes Furman and he has moments of realization that have a lasting effect on him. I find myself able to relate to Furman because he performs these acts and challenges and is able to find clarity within himself after completing them. Like artists, he does these things for himself. It is a way of life and is his own piece of happiness.
Furman's Website
Wikipedia Page on Furman
HBO Real Sports Page on Furman
NY Times Article on Furman
Sri Chinmoy's Information Website
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Thursday a.m. Idea Post 11/05
These performances that I am focusing on this semester all deal with performing as other; other being the keyword. Other meaning “different or distinct from the one mentioned or implied, different in nature or kind, and being the remaining one of two or more.” I found it interesting that in the definition of other the words different and distinct from were mentioned. When I am performing as other, yes I am very different from the person that I am performing as however, I feel very connected and somewhat similar to that person as well. One thing that I have noticed with these performances is that I feel very comfortable embodying another character while I am tuned into my headphones and line dance music. The headphones are the liaison between the costume and the character and me the performer. The headphones were somewhat of a controversy at my critique a few weeks ago however, I could not disagree more with them being a problem in the image. The wires of the headphones are metaphorical pieces that connect one ear of the performer to one ear of the character. I have been stressing how I want the performance to seem unified and solid and I feel that understanding how these headphones direct the performance is pertinent in my success.
When I google image’d the word other the first few images that came up were somewhat comical and interesting. One that I thought was ironic was an image of several ethnicity boxes that you check on an application. The ones that were listed were African, Asian, Latino, Native American, Other, and Other, Other… I did not pay attention to what this image was involved with or what it was saying I just focused on the idea of someone filling out this form and not even being able to specify who they are. Well maybe they did not want to specify but the bizarre thing is if they wanted to there may not be a box that they can check to characterize or describe their ethnicity.
When I google image’d the word other the first few images that came up were somewhat comical and interesting. One that I thought was ironic was an image of several ethnicity boxes that you check on an application. The ones that were listed were African, Asian, Latino, Native American, Other, and Other, Other… I did not pay attention to what this image was involved with or what it was saying I just focused on the idea of someone filling out this form and not even being able to specify who they are. Well maybe they did not want to specify but the bizarre thing is if they wanted to there may not be a box that they can check to characterize or describe their ethnicity.
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Monday a.m. Artist Post 11/02
Charles Gute, recipient of the Rockefeller Foundation Bellagio Fellowship in 2005, Jentel Foundation Residency, MacDowell Colony Visual Artist Residencies, and the Jack K. and Gertrude Murphy Fine Arts Fellowship, works with installation art, performance art, video art, and wall art. A good amount of his work is conceptual based and is focused on time based objects and different ways to show the passing of time. Gute is represented by the Catharine Clark Gallery and has been said to “pay tribute to ground breaking individuals throughout art history who have impacted contemporary art.” He received his MFA from the New Genres Department at San Francisco Art Institute in 1988. His first solo exhibit was in 1990 at The Lab in San Francisco and in 1991 he won the San Francisco Arts Commission’s “Exploration: City Site.” From 1998-2003 the Patricia Sweetow Gallery represented him. In the spring of 2005, Gute was a Visiting Artist in residence at the Art Department of the University of Nevada at Las Vegas.
One of his notable installation pieces that was installed in various different galleries from 1988-2003 was his duct tape piece titled “Duct Tape Funeral March”. This was a time-based installation and it was installed in the Gales Gates Gallery in Brooklyn, New York. There were 13 rolls of duct tape attached at the top of a 16foot wall. All of the rolls of tape were released on opening day and it took them 8 hours to completely unravel. What viewers soon found out was that there was sheet music attached to the rolls. The song that was playing through was “Funeral March” by Beethoven. The slow unraveling of the tape mimicked the somber work of Beethoven’s compositions.
A performance piece that Gute did in honor of artist Joseph Beuys was titled “The Joseph Beuys Memorial Barbecue” and took place in 1985. One his homemade porch install, there was a gallery pedestal that held 30 lbs. of fatty ground beef. Standing close by the large hunk of beef was Gute wearing a white apron with a silk-screened image of the late Beuys on the front of it. The performance was said to function as performance, reception, and a wake in Beuys’ honor. While Gute was performing/cooking, he spoke to the audience about Beuys’ life and work.
Another one of his performances that had more of a sullen approach to it was titled “My Dog Is Tired” and was performed in 1986. The stage is dark and then a spotlight hits the center of the stage to illuminate the dog lying on the middle of the stage floor. From offstage, a red rubber ball rolls onto the stage and stops near the supine dog. The dog does not respond and the audience is left with this site for a few moments until the lights go down the performance is over.
A more recent project of Gute’s was one he just completed at the Socrates Sculpture park in New York. This piece was titled “More Matter In General.” Using wood, enamel, vinyl, steel hardware, and concrete, this large piece is described as “an unlikely crossover between the dry semantics of historical conceptual art and the realm of popular American rural entertainment.”
I enjoyed looking at his work and reading about his conceptual thought for each piece. I have a great admiration for strong conceptual artists and strive to learn from them and their thought processes and writings. Because he also does performance work, I found it interesting to study some of that work and get a sense of the concepts in that work compared to the concepts in his install work or video work.
Artist Website
Catharine Clark Gallery Website
Friday, October 30, 2009
Response to Video Critique
I found myself uncomfortable while watching my video critique. I noted several things throughout the viewing. From the start of my critique my body language came across as strong and and confident. I was not talking much with my hands and I was for the most part standing in one place. As the critique progressed, I started talking more with my hands and swaying back in forth with my feet in the same position. I found that when the questions started pouring in, my face began to get more and more flushed and my body seemed to squirm more and more. I began coming across very self conscious and intimidated. Something else I noticed was towards the end of my critique I started covering up the bottom of my face with the top of my turtleneck. It was a weird gesture to watch and it came across as me digging a hole for myself and attempting to hide in it.
For my next critique I want to be more aware of my body positions and I would like to maintain my composure better. I felt like I did a fairly good job responding to the questions that were focused on one part of my piece. However, I felt it pretty helpful to watch how I responded and my facial expressions that were addressed to my audience. I will choose not to cross my arms in front of my body and also find a different location for my hands; not in my pockets. I felt that with my arms across my body put a strong barrier between myself, my work, and my audience. I do not want to come across as defensive. I'd like to come across as open and eager to hear critique.
For my next critique I want to be more aware of my body positions and I would like to maintain my composure better. I felt like I did a fairly good job responding to the questions that were focused on one part of my piece. However, I felt it pretty helpful to watch how I responded and my facial expressions that were addressed to my audience. I will choose not to cross my arms in front of my body and also find a different location for my hands; not in my pockets. I felt that with my arms across my body put a strong barrier between myself, my work, and my audience. I do not want to come across as defensive. I'd like to come across as open and eager to hear critique.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Thursday a.m. Idea Post 10/29
Line Dance
Definition of a line dance is “a choreographed dance with a repeated sequence of steps in which a group of people dance in one or more lines or rows without regard for the sex of the individuals, all facing the same direction, and executing the steps at the same time.” Also included in the definition is that during the line dances the participants do not have physical contact with one another. Years ago line dances would require its participants to face each other or stand in a circle formation and follow the line leader around the dance floor while holding hands with the person that is standing next to you.
History
The earliest of folk dances were line dances and they began because men and women were not allowed to dance together. Today, Balkan countries still have a line dance tradition that has been in their country for quite some time now. Line dancing is frequently associated with country and western music however “line dances have accompanied many popular music styles since the early 1970’s including pop, swing, rock and roll, latin, and Jazz. Some popular line dances from the mid 1900’s were the Madison from the 1950’s, Walkin’ Wazi and Cowboy Boogie which were both from 1972, the Tush Push in 1977, the L.A. Hustle in 1975, the Bus Stop in 1976, and the Nutbush from the 1970’s as well.
Terminology
There are a slew of terms that go along with the acts of line dancing. Basic means one repetition of the main dance, restart is when the dance sequence starts again from the beginning, and tag or bridge is inserted when needed in order to have the dance fit with the type of music playing. Chasse is a step where one foot moves to the side and the other foot moves to the side right after the first. Grapevine, weave, triple step, shuffle step, and lock step are all steps that are involved in different line dances.
Line Dance Tips
Line Dance Definition
Kick It Step Sheet
Definition of a line dance is “a choreographed dance with a repeated sequence of steps in which a group of people dance in one or more lines or rows without regard for the sex of the individuals, all facing the same direction, and executing the steps at the same time.” Also included in the definition is that during the line dances the participants do not have physical contact with one another. Years ago line dances would require its participants to face each other or stand in a circle formation and follow the line leader around the dance floor while holding hands with the person that is standing next to you.
History
The earliest of folk dances were line dances and they began because men and women were not allowed to dance together. Today, Balkan countries still have a line dance tradition that has been in their country for quite some time now. Line dancing is frequently associated with country and western music however “line dances have accompanied many popular music styles since the early 1970’s including pop, swing, rock and roll, latin, and Jazz. Some popular line dances from the mid 1900’s were the Madison from the 1950’s, Walkin’ Wazi and Cowboy Boogie which were both from 1972, the Tush Push in 1977, the L.A. Hustle in 1975, the Bus Stop in 1976, and the Nutbush from the 1970’s as well.
Terminology
There are a slew of terms that go along with the acts of line dancing. Basic means one repetition of the main dance, restart is when the dance sequence starts again from the beginning, and tag or bridge is inserted when needed in order to have the dance fit with the type of music playing. Chasse is a step where one foot moves to the side and the other foot moves to the side right after the first. Grapevine, weave, triple step, shuffle step, and lock step are all steps that are involved in different line dances.
Line Dance Tips
Line Dance Definition
Kick It Step Sheet
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Monday a.m. Artist Post 10/26
Pipilotti Rist was born on June 21, 1962 In Rheintal, Switzerland. She studied at at the Institute of Applied Arts in Vienna through 1986. She later studied video at the School of Design in Basel, Switzerland. She was featured in the Venice Biennale in 1997 and was awarded the Premio 2000 Prize. She currently lives and works in Zurich and Los Angeles.
She is known for her video and audio installations that utilize painting, language, music, movememt, flowing pictures, poetry, and commotion. She has been quoted saying "Arts task is to contribute to evolution, to encourage the mind, to guarantee a detached view of social changes, to conjure up positive energies, to create seriousness, to reconcile reason and instinct, to research possibilities and to destroy cliches and prejudices." Her work has been shown in museums and festivals in Europe, Japan, and the US. In 2000, the Public Art Fund NY commission showed Rist's "Open My Glad" on a big screen in Times Square. She also showed at the Musee' d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris in 1999, the Tramway, Glasgow in 2001, the Centraal Museum in Utrect in 2001, the Kiasma Museum in Helsinki in 2003, and the MoMA in New York in 2008.
Her work "blurs the boundaries between visual art and popular culture and explore the unfamiliar in the every day. Her lush, seductive images recruit the idiom of commercial advertising and music videos to create a highly individual artist language informed by her past in a music band and as a set designer." Some of her video art include "I'm Not the Girl Who Misses Much" 1996, "Yoghurt On Skin, Velvet On TV" 1995, "Sip My Ocean" 1996, and "Remake of the Weekend" 1998. Some of Rist's early films were shot on super 8 film and contained alterations in their colors, speed, and sound covering issues of gender, sexuality, and the human body. Her first feature length film titled "Pepperminta" that was just completed this year. Here is a snippet from the English translation of "Pepperminta"'s synopsis.
"Peppeminta is an anarchist of the imagination. She lives in a futuristic rainbow villa and according to her own rules. Colors are the young woman's best friends and strawberries are her pets. She knows the most amazing remedies to free people of their fears. Pepperminta's wish is for everyone to see the world in her favorite colors. Werven (Sven Pippig), a young plump and shy man yet whose sex appeal Pepperminta finds highly attractive, and the beautiful Edna (Sabine Timoteo), who talks to tulips, join her on her passionate mission. These three musketeers of a different kind set out to fight for a more human world. Wherever the gang appears, everything is turned upside down and people's lives are transformed int he most miraculous and wondrous of ways."
"Pepperminta's" Synopsis Page
Artist Website
Luhring Augustine Website
MoMA Article on Rist
Wiki Page for Rist
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)