TEDxUIUC - Sherry Turkle - Alone Together

(2011)

"Fifteen years ago we were trying to work out how to keep computers busy...now they keep us busy."

Currently reading and researching the topic of digital culture and its influence on behaviour/our psyche as part of my FOCI dissertation. 

 For my work in the studio, I see parallels in terms of what is seen as a positive reworking and re-imaging of identity, particularly in postfeminist discourse that can be counter-balanced by the distortion of an authentic self and essentially, escapism into an inhuman age. Lanier is fascinating in that he really pinpoints the problems with using technology to think, in that, we no longer have to. He focusses on trying to rebalance the way we interact with technology, but barely touches on the implications of this interaction - are we using online spaces and the Web 2.0 in order to perform ideal selves and overcome the fear and isolation of our bodily existence?

This is not a new theory, I doubt.  In 1911, Russian scientist Konstantin E. Tsiolkovsky-Kaluga predicted,  

"Mankind will not remain bound to the earth forever."

I worry about this a lot. in a recent crit, a student commented (in response to a video piece I made in which a girl pulls leaves and plant life from her mouth repeatedly) "It could be anything coming from her mouth but it would still be disturbing" but I fully disagreed. We are not plant matter. The symbolic ties that plants have (life force, nurture etc.), we do not co-exist with.

 I think that is one of the main reasons I am so preoccupied with natural, pastoral imagery, maybe I'm nostalgic or desiring a different era but this type of imagery is vital for my practise. 

Sydney Smith Sketchbook

Stumbled upon this person/tumblr - they provide no details as to their identity.

She is an illustrator, with a particularly interesting process of working, using line and tone to express mood (the piece below is an example of which), I think it would be interesting to explore this process further but in my a more non-representational way. Also, in terms of presentation - I really like her clean cut website.
 Just a record for me to follow her really.

We visited the BALTIC in Gateshead, Newcastle - the current exhibition highlights the Turner Prize Nominees for 2011. I've blogged previously about Sarah Lowndes great discussion about the amount of Scottish artists nominated/winners of the Turner Prize but it was lovely to be able to see the work in the flesh.

The stand out piece for me was Carla Black's installation.

Hilary Llyod

I definitly found her first video piece very comical, it was a bit like buildings playing jack in the box with the viewer. She combines still and moving images, sound and the three dimensional forms of AV playback equipment to portray the urban environment.

Mike Kelley and Michael Smith.

Not in the Turner Prize but pretty jaw dropping, there was a huge immersive installation on the top floor, "...a collaborative installation between renowned American artists Mike Kelley and Michael Smith. A Voyage of Growth and Discovery sees the man-child Baby IKKI, a character developed by Smith for over thirty years, navigate the infamous Burning Man festival in the Nevada desert. Alone in his journey amongst thousands of revellers, IKKI negotiates the primal elements of fire, water, earth and wind. A six-channel video installation replaying IKKI’s 'voyage' is enveloped by a fantasy environment evoking that of the festival. At its centre stands a 30ft incarnation of IKKI himself." Discussed by the gallery.

Created to look like a child's playground (from a nightmare), the build up and clashing of sound, moving video, dominating sculpture/statue and eery lighting, it was very uncomfortable and unsettling, especially the burnt out van with a sculptured throne of old teddies and toys, which was the most effective.

George Shaw

Previously shown in the GOMA as part of the British Art Show (2011). He paints hyper-realistic landscape portraits of desolate areas from his hometown. They interviewed Shaw and broadcasted it in the cafe and I thought he was a very interesting guy with a very honest approach to his work, he said that he, "...wanted to make art that my mum could be able to discuss with my art tutor," and I admire that rejection of eliticism assosiated with contemporary art.
However, I do not feel the work is not successfu and I think partly this lies with the fact he is quite vague about his intentions. One aspect that is highlighted is that he uses modelling paint and he hasn't really been probed on this issue, however it is extensively emphasised as significant to the work. I feel like he is using non-traditional materials to create very traditional oil paintings - I don't think this subverts the historic tradition assosiated with either.
Another issue was the fact that they weren't hyper-realistic, again this made it feel very traditional, like a piece of art you could buy in any commericial gallery. It could be a scale issue as his paintings dominated GOMA at the British Art Show, purely in terms of size and they were immersive.
As the face of contemporary painting (and the only painter nominated for the Turner Prize) it's a little bit disconcerting.

I have just discovered these webcomic by K. Beaton and I just love how her passion for history feeds into her illustrations. The image above is a series of imagined blurbs, inspired by the real front covers. I think they're clever and amusing, sometimes it's OK to judge a book by its cover I suppose.

Her website: http://www.harkavagrant.com

Film Stills from recent stop-motion film ( Herbal Essences, 4mins, Nov 2011)

&

Studio shot (Nov 2011)

Picnic at Hanging Rock

(1975) 

Pete Weir

Mystery film from Joan Lindsey's novel.

Good Intentions

Collages from found imagery

(October 2011)

Singing in the Rain (1952)

My favourite scene from Singing in the Rain.