FInal Video

I wanted to show the decontextualization of makeup. I cut up a plastic bag and put it over the camera lense (since I did not have any clear wrap). I made up a song using a similar style to Pipilotti Rist. I recorded the statement "Girls Just Want to Have Fun." It is basically the camera as a person and we see makeup being applied in a way that most people ever see.

Pipilotti Rist

I think that Pipilotti Rist is a very unique and creative human being. She was born in Switzerland and has become a very well known video artist. Her works always include her own self and her exploration of sexuality. In the film "I'm not the girl who misses much," she starts out in a black dress, half exposed with her speech and actions sped up so that she sounds as if she has sucked helium. She moves all around the frame and the entire picture is very fuzzy. The film continues on until it goes into several different scenes. At one point there is a naked man dancing and bouncing freely as if he is one with nature. Another scene is of a naked Rist. The camera shows going into her mouth and out of her anus. I consider this to be the most graphic thing we have seen all semester. The last scene it looks like Rist is in an elevator with large glass windows in a tall building in a downtown setting. I really liked the double exposure that you could see. It was as if there was another face in the room with her. Throughout the film I enjoyed all of the nature that was present. The natural backgrounds calmed the initial reactions I had when I saw the nude bodies.

I think that overall, Rist's work is very interesting and innovative. It certainly has not been thought of before. She still continues to make video art and just completed a full length film last year. She has a son with her longtime boyfriend and continues to be successful.

"Television Delivers People"

I thought that this video art piece was very interesting. It contained a very deep and true message that affects people all over the world. We are so consumed by t.v. We cannot go a single day without watching it or hearing about something that was on it. The piece brings attention to the fact that we are encompassed by the television itself. All of the shows do not matter. It is the ads and commercials that matter. Once we bought a television we agreed to be manipulated by everything that we would see from that point on. We decided to have our opinions on subjects be made and new ideas pop into our heads that are not our own. The t.v. is an extremely powerful tool that has been created to now persuade our every decision in life.

Nam June Paik obituary

Nam June Paik died January 29, 2006. His obituary listed all of the highlights of his career; however, I do not think it was written how he would have wanted it. He would want to be remembered as a pioneer for his work and all of the interesting ideas that he had in his head and eventually brought to life. I think that this obituary could have done him much more justice. There were so many achievements not listed here. I know that everything he achieved cannot be listed, but more of the inventions that impacted other people and art as a movement should have been there. He seemed to be a very humble man with a lot on his mind. I think it should have spoken more about all of the difficult things in his life that he had to overcome and all of the challenges that he went through growing up and having such different ideas from everyone around him.

The Residents

It is very difficult to find information on who makes up this outrageous avant-garde band. They are always masked and in full costume so they never reveal their true identity. I did find that they met in high school in Louisiana. They wanted to move out to California and so they did. They have many followers to their music, but no one really knows who they are. We do know two members and they are Phil Lithman and N. Senada. They are both European performers who decided to stay with the band when they met them in 1969.

Many people have tried to find out the true identity of the members, but no one is telling the truth. They will always be mysterious and deny the infinite accusations that people make against them. Their identity is crucial to their whole concept as a band. If people found out who they were, then I do not think that they would be as popular as they are today and still going on World Concert Tours.

Performance Art

My friend works at a pizza restaurant. I directed him while he made a pizza from the very beginning. Stretching the dough, putting on the toppings, taking it out of the oven, and cutting it to be served. I put this with some of the music we have been learning in class. I chose Tiesto's "Fresh Fruit." Everyday he says that making pizza is like putting his art out for the world. He takes it very seriously and has a lot of pride in his work. Pizza is his art!

Marina Abramovic

This is exhibit seems to be for mature eyes only. I do not understand why someone would try and touch the performers that are acting out a famous piece of art. When we are young, we are taught to never touch anything in a museum and this is no different. The performers that are on the spotlight are in extremely vulnerable positions and do not need to be ridiculed in an inappropriate manner either. I do think that security should intervene and be able to help out and defend the performers when members of the audience are acting inappropriately. Also, maybe the shows need to be a ticketed event. Only those that are invited that will truly appreciate the event should go. Maybe an age limit also needs to be set so that the performers and fellow guests can enjoy and experience this type of performance art.