Tuesday, October 28, 2014
In The Club w/ Performance Art
If there's one thing I've learned while majoring in art, it's that there's all kinds of it. In fact, it's a whole lot more than just paint on a canvas. Art is any thing that allows human beings to freely express themselves, and according to our latest round of Art + Tech, some have chosen to do so through an unusual, yet entertaining medium. Dance.
Perhaps dating back to prehistoric times, people have loved to dance. Nowadays, it's still one of the most common ways of nonviolent self-expression around, and a staple of Performance Art.
While the Western world has ballet and generally "getting crunk," over in the East is a different story.
Of the videos we watched, the one I liked most was the performance by Kagemu. The show combines traditional Japanese imagery with digital displays, brilliant plays on light vs. dark, and fast-paced martial arts awesomeness. Another favorite was Ko Murobushi performing a traditional butoh dance in little more than a loincloth. His appearance reminded me of a handsome Gollum, with none of the lust for magic jewelry.
All I can say for certain is, thanks to modern technology (i.e. computers), this age-old art form is getting a brand new facelift...
Perhaps dating back to prehistoric times, people have loved to dance. Nowadays, it's still one of the most common ways of nonviolent self-expression around, and a staple of Performance Art.
While the Western world has ballet and generally "getting crunk," over in the East is a different story.
Of the videos we watched, the one I liked most was the performance by Kagemu. The show combines traditional Japanese imagery with digital displays, brilliant plays on light vs. dark, and fast-paced martial arts awesomeness. Another favorite was Ko Murobushi performing a traditional butoh dance in little more than a loincloth. His appearance reminded me of a handsome Gollum, with none of the lust for magic jewelry.
All I can say for certain is, thanks to modern technology (i.e. computers), this age-old art form is getting a brand new facelift...
Tuesday, October 21, 2014
Sunday, October 5, 2014
Keeping an Ai on Alcatraz
There can be no arguing that Ai Weiwei is one of the most popular, yet controversial (in China, at least) figures in the world of art. And now, his work criticizing the never-ending clash between Freedom and Security is being put on display right here in America, at that most infamous of prisons, Alcatraz island, San Francisco.
Even though it is old news at this point, Ai's latest work left a profound impression on yours truly once I had heard about it. Right from the start, the man has been openly critical of the Chinese government's constant violation of human rights, so much so he has been placed under house arrest for quite some time. Despite the artist's confinement and subsequent inability to attend his own show, I found the photographs of the event to be thought-provoking, and a sight to beheld.
According to an article by NPR, the exhibit (lasting from now until next April) begins when an elegant dragon, dubbed With Wind, snakes through the halls of the prison, greeting visitors while giving them a taste of what to expect. Much of the works make references to actual prisoners, both literally and figurative. In Trace, for instance, a collection of over one hundred LEGO portraits litter the floor, people that Ai describes as "prisoners of conscience" (Kim, 2014). Of course, it's not all image. Audio recordings fill another part of the prison in Illumination, bringing us the voices of different oppressed groups, namely Tibetan monks and our very own Hopi tribe, imprisoned for their children's sake, or simply being themselves.
From its beautiful beginning to the satisfying conclusion, Ai Weiwei's @Large is certainly something to watch. In the endless quest to find the balance between freedom and security, the artist himself is still going hard in the paint, even behind bars and closed doors.
The article: http://www.npr.org/2014/09/27/351917730/confined-in-beijing-ai-weiwei-directs-alcatraz-exhibit-from-afar
Even though it is old news at this point, Ai's latest work left a profound impression on yours truly once I had heard about it. Right from the start, the man has been openly critical of the Chinese government's constant violation of human rights, so much so he has been placed under house arrest for quite some time. Despite the artist's confinement and subsequent inability to attend his own show, I found the photographs of the event to be thought-provoking, and a sight to beheld.
According to an article by NPR, the exhibit (lasting from now until next April) begins when an elegant dragon, dubbed With Wind, snakes through the halls of the prison, greeting visitors while giving them a taste of what to expect. Much of the works make references to actual prisoners, both literally and figurative. In Trace, for instance, a collection of over one hundred LEGO portraits litter the floor, people that Ai describes as "prisoners of conscience" (Kim, 2014). Of course, it's not all image. Audio recordings fill another part of the prison in Illumination, bringing us the voices of different oppressed groups, namely Tibetan monks and our very own Hopi tribe, imprisoned for their children's sake, or simply being themselves.
From its beautiful beginning to the satisfying conclusion, Ai Weiwei's @Large is certainly something to watch. In the endless quest to find the balance between freedom and security, the artist himself is still going hard in the paint, even behind bars and closed doors.
The article: http://www.npr.org/2014/09/27/351917730/confined-in-beijing-ai-weiwei-directs-alcatraz-exhibit-from-afar
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