When I attended the Beall Center at the UCI campus I viewed this exhibit of "Birds". I realized quickly what the focus was as the pneumatic apparatus began to fill with air. I love birds and I enjoyed observing the birds flight as I continuously walked in a circular motion around the project. If a person stands still the birds rest but as the observer grows closer the birds take flight to escape the passers-by. As you take a closer look at this picture, one views the narrow tubes above the birds transferring the compressed air to create movement in this fabricated sculpture.
I am not sure what this is suppose to be but it resembles a shuttle. The design looks like many elongated shaped balloons. I had no idea what I was walking into when I arrived. I thought I was going to see this giant blue balloon like dog; however, I missed that exhibit and I was pleasantly surprised by these two exhibits. It was quite loud in the studio as these sculptures would mechanically inflate with air. There was an intermittent hissing and braking sound resonating throughout the gallery as people walked around to observe.
Stelarc is an Australian performance artist who pushes the capabilities of the human body by robotic manipulations. Modern technological creations are integrated with his body that reveal involuntarily movement that appear not feasibly possible. Also, pneumatics is used in Stelarc's functional mechanical performances. The compression of air or gases transfer through the apparatus creating movement pushing the limitations of body limbs.As I view some of his work I am reminded of the movie, The Matrix. In the scene when Neo is reborn, he is first unhooked by all systems which are currently sustaining his fictional life form and than he is transported to the main ship by a mechanical robotic arm. This scene is so raw and intriguing. I especially cringe when I view the many nodules left on his body that must be further removed.
Harold Cohen studied painting in London at the Slade School of Fine Arts in 1968. He then moved to San Diego and became interested in computer programming. Since the 1970's he immersed himself in artificial intelligence and became absorbed with simulation and machines. His work medium involved robotic art, computer software and visual arts.
The software painting I have displayed consists of his earlier art work. I really like the definitive lines of the figure he has drawn and the way he was able to draw the human form so well through earlier versions of computer art software.
Tony Oursler received his Bachelor of Arts from the California Institute for Fine Arts. His work is influenced greatly from his connections with his family, catholic upbringing, and his generation of television, MTV. He uses projections of the human face onto non-living objects for example, sculptures and dolls. . Mr Oursler is considered one of the top outstanding video creators of this decade. He also was one of the first recognized video installation of artist in 1977-1989. This is when he created handmade video tapes of The Loner 1980 and EVOL-1984, also he has worked with LED lights as the main medium in other artistic installations exhibited for instance,The Watching.
Bill is an accomplished artist and is considered a significant contributor in establishing video as a form of contemporary art. He received his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Experimental Studios from Syracuse University in 1973; also, he studied electronic music and visual arts there, too. Mr. Viola has an extensive background of traveling from Florence, Italy to Solomon Islands, Java, Bali, Japan and the Sahara desert. For example, he has studied and captured images of mirages in Sahara desert, studied animal consciousness at the San Diego Zoo, learned about medical imaging technologies of the human body, and observed fire walking rituals among the Hindu communities of Fiji. He also studied Buddhism in Japan for eighteen months. Additionally, he has many collections of taping and photographing nocturnal desert landscapes,for example nature shows, for television with the help of his wife, Kira Perov a photographer. His combined education and diversified experiences have shaped and guided his career. Bill's works focus on universal human experiences such as birth ,death and also the paths of our unconsciousness. The works are influenced by eastern and western spiritualism and art. Understanding the realization of the mind, wisdom, tranquility and the enlightenment itself of one's self has shaped his artistic expression in his video installations. He also occasionally works for musical performance artists by designing a visual background that emphasizes a focal point in a performance. Water and subdued colors are a focal point in a particular video for the musical entertaining group, Nine Inch Nails. Bill emphasizes a state of mind or emotion in his works. I noticed after viewing many of his pieces there exist a range of expressive emotions translating anguish, loneliness, and unhappiness. I have not viewed yet happiness or any sense of contentment. Water seems to be the focus of cleansing his subjects of life's impurities or maybe this is suppose to emulate being born only .After viewing many of his video installations and reading about his history I can see more clearly how he is influenced by Zen and Christian mysticism. Moreover, the intense emotion translated to the viewer is very powerful. What I see is a storm unfolding. When I look at some of his installations I can definitely identify the anguish oozing from the person. It is more than birth and death, it is the experience of life itself. Maybe just the fact of existing is difficult-however, the eternal pursuit and desire to communicate and connect with another being is a strong driving force. People yearn for a human connection.
I chose the video above because it covered a range of of Bill Viola's work that was displayed at a gallery.
Erwin Redl is a Digital and New Media artist. He was born in 1963 in Austria
where he received most of his education. Erwin's education consisted of completing his BA in Composition and a Diploma in Electronic music and later his Masters of Fine Arts in Computer Art in 1995. The artistic medium used is LED lights.
These pictures capture my attention - the lighting and background color can by hypnotic. As I view a video, FADE I Lille-2004, I feel that I've been transported to a dance club as I listen to the vibe of electronic music playing along with the video art display of purple and lavender lights pulsating rhythmically.
Masaki Fujihata began his career as a digital artist for a Computer Graphics and Animation company in the 80's. He successfully completed, Beyond the Pages in 1995-1997, an interactive system that generated graphic designs and gained him recognition. This interactive system design / software became a permanent collection of the ZKM, Centre for Art and Media, Karlsruhe, Germany.
When I view this short three minute video I am reminded of products that we, the consumer, purchase. Leap Frog, for example, is an interactive learning toy that is useful in helping children learn their phonics more effectively. Another example of this interactive animation would be Tomb Raider or Sims. Today's gaming systems tantalize the viewer with vivid imagery and sleek interactive design. The player becomes an active participant by following directions and gaining incentive tokens for accelerating through a program quickly. The games involve the player giving him or her the illusion of actively participating in the game, as if they are really there.
Digital Art is another form of art that is recognized for its' installation art, virtual reality, paintings, drawings and sculpture. This kind of art is exciting because the viewer is more involved - we participate and select options in the software that guide our direction to a final destination.
When I attended the Beall Center at the UCI campus I viewed this exhibit of "Birds". I realized quickly what the focus was as the pneumatic apparatus began to fill with air. I love birds and I enjoyed observing the birds flight as I continuously walked in a circular motion around the project. If a person stands still the birds rest but as the observer grows closer the birds take flight to escape the passers-by. As you take a closer look at this picture, one views the narrow tubes above the birds transferring the compressed air to create movement in this fabricated sculpture.
