http://www.salon.com/2016/08/15/sausage-partys-race-problem-this-equal-opportunity-offender-is-just-plain-offensive/
Sausage Party, the new R-rated food themed cartoon written in part by Seth Rogen was released this summer to some mixed reviews many saying its hilarious and many saying it's too racially insensitive. I personally have yet to see it and really wish to, but the criticism it's gotten is interesting to me. I wanted to ask the class what, as artists, you all think of race and how it is discussed in humorous art expressions. I know its 2 weeks of me posting something race based but I think its a really important subject in any profession art or other. I personally grew up watching comedic content that is almost exclusively based on race and race relations in our country. The stand up of Eddie Murphy, Richard Pryor, Dave chappelle along with others like them. They were so brilliant because, as this film is described, the were equally hard on what ever group they were making fun of including along with themselves! For all of them, especially Chappelle, the jokes were cutting and humorous but in turn were meant to show that our differences should be celebrated and not demonized because in reality we aren't that different. But I wonder if in todays sensitive "PC" climate if any mention of race is too dangerous. Or is todays climate even that "PC"? I think of Mel Brooks films like Blazing Saddles, a story of a city that lies in the way of a new railroad so in an attempt to drive the people away one of the governors cohorts tells him to appoint a black man as the cities sheriff. Instead of driving them away the sheriff actually convinces the people to stay and fight off the folks trying to build the railroad. The story relies on racism for much of the humor but while doing so it also kind of shows how dumb stereotypes are. Perhaps Sausage Party is just a modern interpretation of the same style of comedy.
Monday, September 5, 2016
Stan Brakhage
Stan Brakhage is fascinating. His work is very visually stunning and captivating, and the process is even more interesting to learn about.
He was non-narrative filmmaker which means he dealt a lot with experimentation in film. He did a lot abstract film and was inspired by music and poetry, he was very interested in mythology as well.
He did a lot of experimentation and process work, most notably he painted directly onto the film he was working with.
Imagine an eye unruled by manmade laws of perspective
an eye unprejudiced by compositional logic
an eye which does not respond to the name of everything but which must know each object encountered in life through an adventure of perception
how many colors are there in a field of grass to the crawling baby unaware of green?
how many rainbows can light create to the untutored eye
how aware of the variations in heat waves can that eye be?
imagine a world alive with incomprehensible objects and shimmering with an endless variety of movement and enumerable gradations of color imagine a world before the beginning was the word.
Everyone should check this out its fascinating to watch, and it gets you thinking.
Stan Brakhage - Stellar (1993)
Sunday, September 4, 2016
TEEN MOM
Marta Giaccone takes pictures of teenage mother in Wales, Australia.
"Motherhood is scary, but it happens one day, just some people are younger than others. When I found out I was pregnant I was 15 and I honestly had no clue about anything, I was really blasé about it. My boyfriend tried to force me into getting rid of the baby but I spoke to my mum about it and she said however I felt, so I ended up feeling like keeping her and I wouldn’t change it. I broke up with him, he was cheating on me while I was pregnant, and then after certain things happened I had to go to the police and now he is not allowed direct or indirect contact with me or the baby. I don’t know if he wants to see her, all he’s posting on Facebook is about him and his new girlfriend saying it’s the happiest moment of his life. I just wanna pop his bubble and comment, “And what about your daughter?” "
This series of pictures is very striking to me personally. Being that I'm almost 21 I have just gone through my teenage years and still very young. It's strange to think about these girls being younger than me and going through the same stage of life but with the responsibility of raising a child. It was such an emotional stage in my life for me..I feel I can see what these girls have been through in their eyes.
When the topic of teen pregnancy usually comes up in conversation by happenstance, I cannot say it's positive. The article Be Still, My Heart shares interviews with subjects photographed.It was a reluctant surprise (and relief) to read that some of the girls are very happy with their lives.I'm curious of what the reaction would be with a male or older crowd.
"Motherhood is scary, but it happens one day, just some people are younger than others. When I found out I was pregnant I was 15 and I honestly had no clue about anything, I was really blasé about it. My boyfriend tried to force me into getting rid of the baby but I spoke to my mum about it and she said however I felt, so I ended up feeling like keeping her and I wouldn’t change it. I broke up with him, he was cheating on me while I was pregnant, and then after certain things happened I had to go to the police and now he is not allowed direct or indirect contact with me or the baby. I don’t know if he wants to see her, all he’s posting on Facebook is about him and his new girlfriend saying it’s the happiest moment of his life. I just wanna pop his bubble and comment, “And what about your daughter?” "
This series of pictures is very striking to me personally. Being that I'm almost 21 I have just gone through my teenage years and still very young. It's strange to think about these girls being younger than me and going through the same stage of life but with the responsibility of raising a child. It was such an emotional stage in my life for me..I feel I can see what these girls have been through in their eyes.
When the topic of teen pregnancy usually comes up in conversation by happenstance, I cannot say it's positive. The article Be Still, My Heart shares interviews with subjects photographed.It was a reluctant surprise (and relief) to read that some of the girls are very happy with their lives.I'm curious of what the reaction would be with a male or older crowd.
Saturday, September 3, 2016
TED talk explains what's wrong with us...kind of.
After our recent video with TED talks, I went on a "TED talk spree". They have a "surprise me" option on their app- you select how long you have and what genre of video's and they just play random videos that are up to however long you chose.
(suggested if you like strange inspirational info that you didn't even know you needed)
Most of Starks talk is about talking to strangers, interesting to hear since I can be quite introverted sometimes. She talks about using perception instead of categories to judge a person. Because after all, judgments are because of a "different" categories that they fit inside. It sounds like she's talking about us being able to control this part of human brains, which I'm not sure is possible. We all use a balance of our senses and categories, and that makes our final say on how we react to a person. Especially now, more than ever, people are becoming more accepting of things. At least better than before, even though the video about American Reflex says otherwise. One other thing is she said "using our senses instead of our fears" and my initial thought was "okay, go on." Second thought? "wait... fear IS one of our senses." further proving my point. I love the part where she's talking about short cuts our brains make that lead to "bias" and putting everyone in a box- it's worth a listen. After about 4 minutes 30 seconds she talks only about talking to strangers, so feel free to move on with your life after that.
https://www.ted.com/talks/kio_stark_why_you_should_talk_to_strangers?language=en
(suggested if you like strange inspirational info that you didn't even know you needed)
Most of Starks talk is about talking to strangers, interesting to hear since I can be quite introverted sometimes. She talks about using perception instead of categories to judge a person. Because after all, judgments are because of a "different" categories that they fit inside. It sounds like she's talking about us being able to control this part of human brains, which I'm not sure is possible. We all use a balance of our senses and categories, and that makes our final say on how we react to a person. Especially now, more than ever, people are becoming more accepting of things. At least better than before, even though the video about American Reflex says otherwise. One other thing is she said "using our senses instead of our fears" and my initial thought was "okay, go on." Second thought? "wait... fear IS one of our senses." further proving my point. I love the part where she's talking about short cuts our brains make that lead to "bias" and putting everyone in a box- it's worth a listen. After about 4 minutes 30 seconds she talks only about talking to strangers, so feel free to move on with your life after that.
https://www.ted.com/talks/kio_stark_why_you_should_talk_to_strangers?language=en
Video I mentioned during Shannon's presentation
I find this very difficult to watch, mostly because it's a window into this culture's more toxic behaviors and belief systems. I'd love talk about it at some point this semester. FYI, if you decide to watch it, please sit through the entire 14 or so minutes. Don't decide midway that you get it or are bored with it!
Friday, September 2, 2016
Kisa Kavass
Kisa Kavass's work is influenced by stories of magic and mystery she heard as a child. She wants her work to remind the viewer of the stories we were all told as children and perhaps bring about new tails to think about. I enjoy the creepy undertones in her work that are still somehow almost whimsical. That creepy whimsy thing is right up my alley and I think she executed it very nicely. Aside from her fine art work she also runs a wedding photography business on the side. I'm still trying to decide if I like her work or not but I do think her conceptual work was really good for me to look at. However, I personally do not enjoy any of her other work. She needs to keep is creepy in my opinion.
'
'Thursday, September 1, 2016
Henri Cartier-Bresson
https://pro.magnumphotos.com/C.aspx?VP3=SearchResult&ALID=2TYRYD1D518O
Above, I attached a link to Magnumphoto.com that has series of Bresson's Decisive Moment.
Bresson is really well known for his Street Photography, especially Decisive moment series. Bresson's photograph really influenced the way i take photographs because before I knew about Bresson, I viewed street photography more like landscape photo, where you focus more on the shapes of building. However, after I looked at Bresson, I changed the way i take photo and focused more on people's interaction with environment/ others.
In his photo book, he defines photography as "simultaneous recognition, in the fraction of a second, of the significance of an event as well as of a precise organization of forms which give that event it's proper expression" So, as you can see on the bottom, there are many "unique moments" that shows playful interactions of people and the environment.
Above, I attached a link to Magnumphoto.com that has series of Bresson's Decisive Moment.
Bresson is really well known for his Street Photography, especially Decisive moment series. Bresson's photograph really influenced the way i take photographs because before I knew about Bresson, I viewed street photography more like landscape photo, where you focus more on the shapes of building. However, after I looked at Bresson, I changed the way i take photo and focused more on people's interaction with environment/ others.
In his photo book, he defines photography as "simultaneous recognition, in the fraction of a second, of the significance of an event as well as of a precise organization of forms which give that event it's proper expression" So, as you can see on the bottom, there are many "unique moments" that shows playful interactions of people and the environment.
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