Busting the Tube: A Brief History of Video Art Questions

• The reading explains how this movement of video as an artform arose out of smaller, cheaper, and more accessible technology and the social climate of the 1960's. One might say we are going through an interesting phase in our own society today and technology is more available than ever. With this in mind, do you see any forms of art and communication arising currently?
• The early '70s were a time of experimentation in film, due to many new effects and complex technology. Artists were able to manipulate and make their images in new and innovative ways. Do you feel that we are beyond a point where we are still truly able to create new film techniques this way, or are there still new ideas to be found?

Stop Motion Frame Animation

Apparently, I was feeling masochistic when I started this project because I made my life as hard as possible through the whole ordeal. I chose to animate my image with Adobe Flash CS6 with no prior experience (and no experience with animating in general...). It made the most sense, as I had windmills in the original and wanted them to rotate. I had to look at quite a few tutorials to get the hang of it, but I think it was a respectable first shot. I had some issues with the windmills and it was tough to keep them from rotating erratically everywhere, but they eventually worked out, so it's good to see the struggles were worth it. I'm pleased with the way it turned out and think that animating the original image made it quite a bit more playful than before. It is a very busy piece, especially with the animation, but it has a fun overall effect.

Walter Benjamin Reading Questions

• In Section II, Benjamin describes that reproductions lack "presence in time and space", as well as authenticity, and that chemical analyses can set originals apart from forgeries. Would the fact that they are different in some respect mean that forgeries are, therefore, authentic? How different must reproductions stray from the original before they become authentic in their own right?

• The text explains, "Mechanical reproduction of art changes the reaction of the masses toward art." Do you believe this holds true for average art viewers today, or have we been desensitized by the commonality of reproduced images? Does authenticity still hold the same value it once did?

Project 1 - Digital Triptych Montage

The title of this piece is "A Sense of Place".  It was created using Adobe Photoshop Elements CS3.  I used scans from Departures as well as found images from Google. This piece is a personal one, documenting personal change and identity, while also expanding on the idea of what makes up a "place". The dictionary defines it as "the part of space occupied by a particular person or object; position in space or with reference to other bodies". It also explains that place can be "a position in time". I have concluded that place may describe a state of mind and is subjective. Therefore, the personal place shown is as much a real place as any other.