Sunday, December 4, 2016
Music and Art
Disco:
This
song by Kelly Marie falls into the Disco genre because it has a strong beat
that is electric. The specific video
that I link to is actually one that takes place during the day time, but there
is also another recording in which she is at a Disco club singing the
song. Disco has some of its roots in
African American song and dance, which is shown with her backup dancers who are
constantly keeping the beat throughout the song. In terms of technology, the song does have
the electric repeated beat, but the sound that is similar to a train, a bit of
a choo-choo sound, is an electric whistle.
Nineties
This
is a moody and angst filled ballad, similar to many other songs in the 90’s and
in the category of Nineties. An element
of this song and technology is the electric guitar that is present in the song,
particularly in the early portion of the song, and the layering of the
instruments over the voices. In terms of
the technology with the song, it is also similar to others throughout the 90’s
in that it has a narrative portion and an understated action of the band
singing and not playing their instruments, or minimally playing their
instruments.
Girl Power
Jill
Sobule certainly is an artist who falls under the girl power genere, especially
through the themes of her songs, such as “I kissed a girl” and “Karen by night,”
with the later not having a music video to reference to. The theme of the song is non-traditional
roles of women, which mirrors many of the other girl power songs. The element that stands out with regards to
technology is actually the video itself.
It is a high end production and it features Fabio, a very well known
star in the 1990’s. The video was in
1995, prior to any of the present day songs about kissing girls, and when LGBT
elements in any mainstream song was a bit taboo. Jill Sobule has a high end production video,
with major stars, highlighting a lesbian type romance between two
individuals. The full meaning of the
song is certainly communicated using video technology. The strength of Sobule as the singer is also
shown in her power guitar solo which also uses electric guitar like others in
the genre.
Electro-Clash
This
is a song that is an early YouTube video that is interesting because it ties
together the sounds of Electro-Clash, but in the capacity of someone who is not
a singer, but more of a satire artist.
It’s Electro-Clash because it is a heavy techno beat, but it has some
talkative narrative in between the different rifts. There is a point in which the refrain is a screeching
electric “F*you” that is played over and over again, which has been synthesed. It’s actually really unique in that it ties
in technology because it is one of the earlier videos on YouTube and has
millions and millions of views because of its longevity, which without the
technology of YouTube, the video would not have existed in the first place.
Virtual
Prozzak
is a band that emerged in the late 1990’s and has an identity that is entirely separate
from its actual creators. Prozzak fits
into the genre virtual in that its singers are entirely separate from the music
itself, with no one knowing who the actual people are and it taking on the
identity of Milo and Simon.
Realistically, we know who the singers are, a different embodiment of
singers from the Philosopher Kings, but it is a pop sound that is light hearted
and has been around for a long time independent of the actual artists who are
affiliated with other projects. The second
fits into the virtual element in that it is songs are through embodiments that
are virtual or cartoon and has a very heavy technological aspect to the sound,
such as reoccurring techno beats made mostly for a dance environment.
Tuesday, November 15, 2016
Arts and Tech
I’d like to say that my image is inspired by the work of
Yves Klein, whose work can be found here.
Klein’s images are real, but not entirely whole, they give the
impression of a figure or a body, but one must view them in their entirety, or
if one looks at the parts it loses its entire form. There is an element of the work of Klein that
hints at a larger something “else” which, in my Xerox I feel was accomplished
in some ways because it is simply a hand that is present. I also feel like the color that is added is
some what indicative of the post-war works by Warhol that I’ve seen in various
places.
Tuesday, November 8, 2016
Photo Film
Tuesday, October 25, 2016
Playing the Grid
The piece that I made was influenced by an article that I read from a blog, "The viewer and the grid" An element of the discussion is viewing the grid as a mechanical aspect, but then creating imagery that is around it. A number of the articles that were read this week in class look at grid art, the role that it has played in computer science and how it is a way of transferring information. However, the piece that I made is less mechanical and has elements of a grid to it, but it does have some interpretation within that grid. Referring back to some of the concepts in "The viewer and the grid", I like the notion of presenting something that is stimulating to the viewer, which is what I have tried to do in this piece.
Tuesday, October 18, 2016
21st Century Technology
Tariq
Hassan
Professor
Blanka Roundtree
Art 211
10 Oct.
2016
21st Century Technology
Geographic Information Systems or GIS is a form of technology that is all
around, originally created out of the military, GIS is a combination of taking
data and overlaying it with maps. The
most common use of GIS is in most people’s smart phones, ranging from Google
Maps, to Yelp, where information is overlaid on a traditional map. This paper will explore the history of GIS
and look at its potential future as it becomes more widespread in everyday
use.
GIS has
multiple points of technological origination that cumulate in the product that
people use and see today. Initially,
global positioning systems were developed by the military and then utilized by
specialized businesses to help pinpoint the location of individuals using satellites,
tracking stations, and a receiver (Rubenstein 8). Eventually, GPS became used on a personal
level in some car systems and was incorporated into today’s cell phones. The knowledge of GPS, determining where
people are precisely, allowed for a confluence of overlaying this information
on a map, which is a starting point of GIS.
A GIS is a database that stores information, but then it allows for the
query of data, often based on GPS, that overlays information onto the base map
(Rubenstein 9). However, the information
that is stored in GIS databases have its origins pre-GPS and the computer age.
Dr. John
Snow, not to be confused with a Game of Thrones protagonist, was a London
doctor in the 1850’s. Dr. Snow’s claim
to fame was the recognition of the Broad Street pump as the source of a cholera
outbreak in the SoHo district of London (Johnson 3). Dr. Snow’s discovery was the result of a
combination of technologies of his day. Dr.
Farr, a separate doctor in the mid-1800’s and in London, had begun the process
of collecting and reporting mortality statics for London (Johnson 140). Although this information gathering may not
seem to be too technologically advanced, it is important to recognize that
technology can be in the form of ideas and processes, which is what Dr. Farr’s
behavior would fall under. Due to Dr.
Farr beginning the process of collecting data on mortality, Dr. John Snow could
recognize that there was an outbreak that was isolate to the SoHo district of
the city and began to investigate. The
contribution that Dr. Snow then makes is something called “The Ghost Map” (Johnson
33). Although it seems rudimentary now,
Dr. Snow’s map was revolutionary in that he charted the number of deaths at
each address in the SoHo district, using Dr. Farr’s data, and a base map of the
area. Dr. Snow had created the first GIS
system in his idea to overlay data on a map.
The result was Dr. Snow’s ability to recognize the geographic
distribution of deaths clustered around the Broad Street Pump, allowing for the
removal of the pump handle.
Dr. Snow’s
advancement of overlaying data not only relied on Dr. Farr’s data, but it also
relied on a map, one of the earliest inventions in the history of mankind. Maps themselves have a unique history and multiple
re-iterations. As recently as 2013 Simon
Garfield authored a best-seller of over 400 pages simply discussing the origin
of a couple of maps, identifying that maps themselves were the result of
advancements in mathematics, astronomy, and exploration. Maps also contain and have helped influence
how society views the world, incorporating not only mathematical elements, but
elements reflecting an interpretation of the world through religion or dominate
cultures (Garfield 44). Even the base of
a modern technology like GIS has its roots in the earliest functions of
civilization.
Understanding
that maps are fundamental to how humans interact with the world drives home the
reality that GIS, today’s modern map, will continue evolving in the
future. Overlaying data on maps gives
individuals a sense of what is around a person, but moving forward in the
future, it has the possibility to data dump large amounts of information on a
person in a readily accessible way.
Right now, information and GIS functions tend to be in a silo, but in
the future, it may be possible to turn on one’s Google Maps and see a ten-year
history of property values, crimes, or car accidents based on a few settings on
one’s phone. It also has significant ramifications
for virtual reality, as the overlay of information becomes so extensive persons
may find that they can take a virtual tour in greater detail, than they can
now, placing themselves in the stands of a sporting event, or jogging with a
friend based on the capabilities of their device.
Works Cited
Garfield, Simon. On the
Map: A Mind-expanding Exploration of the Way the World Looks. New
York,
NY: Gotham, 2013. Print.
Johnson, Steven. The
Ghost Map: The Story of London's Most Terrifying Epidemic--and How It
Changed
Science, Cities, and the Modern World. New York: Riverhead, 2006. Print.
Rubenstein, James. The
Cultural Landscape An Introduction to Human Geography, Books a La
Carte
Edition. Boston:
Pearson College Div, 2015. Print.
Tuesday, September 27, 2016
Opera Assignment
Tariq Hassan
Professor Blanka Roundtree
Art 211
27 Sept. 2016
Tristan und Isolde
Tristan
und Isolde is a powerful story that uses a large amount of staging to set the
feel and emotion for the entire opera.
The 1983 performance of Tristan und Isolde is designed by Jean-Pierre
Ponnelle with a performance by the Beyreuth Festival Orchestra. Released in 2008, the 1983 recording of the
performance highlights intrinsic staging that sets the mood and maintains
elements of earlier performances of the opera.
This paper will discuss personal observations as well as a discussion of
the mise en scene throughout the opera.
The
original Tristan und Isolde was released by Richard Wagner in 1865. This was a piece of Wagner that came later in
his career, after some public renown regarding his release of the “The Ring”
(Chafe 3). Based on information regarding the release of Tristan und Isolde, it
was viewed with some concern prior to its release because the opera performers
were taken aback by the new way of performing some of the music elements (Chafe
10). However, in terms of Wagner’s own
emphasis on his performances, Tristan und Isolde included, Wagner stressed
specific types of performances with specific settings in mind, sometimes going
so far as to push for the construction of new opera houses for his work (Chafe
10). It is the assumption that Wagner’s
performances were unique, especially as it pertained to the physical setting of
the opera to compliment new formations of singing combinations.
The
opening of Tristan und Isolde met with mixed reviews and also varied depending
on the location of the opera’s performance and often with an initial emphasis
on music rather than the setting of the play.
Rizzuto (7) discusses a large number of primary sources pertaining to
Tristan und Isolde, but fails to provide any initial critical response to the
setting and arrangement within the opera, often with responses focusing on the
complexity and uniqueness of the music. Shirley
(par. 5) reflects on the initial opening of Tristan and Isolde and highlights
that the staging of the play is unique in that the emphasis is on the music, rather
than the setting, and uses it to highlight and emphasize the desire in the
overall tone of the opera. Both Shirley (par. 2) and Zychowicz (par. 1)
identify that the initial staging of Tristan and Isolde utilizes a heavy reliance
on medieval props and costumes.
Tristan
und Isolde, as produced and recorded from the 1983 performance, in Germany places
the opera in a medieval setting, but does so in the capacity of large,
over-sized key prop elements that dominate the overall stage. In viewing the opera, there is a sense of
largeness beyond the characters with the setting, it is used to frame their
story, even if it is non-responsive and only occasionally changing based on the
act. As someone who is not familiar with
opera, the oversized elements of Isolde’s dress almost seems comical, but one
also has to be mindful of the viewer who is outside of DVD/online viewing
audience. In reflecting on the
mise-en-scene and the overall influence it has on the viewing audience, this
central location of the imagery, such as the tree framing the whole stage, sets
a tone of passion, and the sail, central to the ship, frames the exploration
occurring in Act 1 (Moura par. 3).
The
entire play has elements of nature throughout as a key part of its
mise-en-scene. There are rocks and a
still life of water, which looks full of motion based on the way that the mist
is used to roll across the stage. Later,
although still near the rocks and water, there is a ship present, but the rocks
have a prominent place in the scene, again highlighting nature present in the
opera. Finally, the tree that is present
has a swaying motion to it, again with the performers of the opera
interacting/engaging with the tree either through role in around its roots or
getting leaves in their hair. As most of
the reviews of the initial Wagner play and follow-up analysis point out, the
play is about passion, which is complimented by these portions throughout the
opera performance from 1983.
The way that
colors are distorted with minimal efforts and tricks also stand out throughout
the opera. The use of fog throughout the
play is a unique technique and as it rolls across the stage, especially with
rocks around it and the still painting of the ocean, it creates the illusion of
movement for the viewer. The overall
lighting of the also plays on the scenery present as well, often illumining
behind the main stage prop, giving a
progression of time or a time of day for the action as it occurring; it is
through the use of color on the background that changes the sense of action
rather than an announcement. What is
kind of interesting about the color too is that the colors of the clothing of
the opera performers also changes, eventually becoming darker and darker as the
opera continues, eventually becoming almost the color of the background, which
might actually be a metaphor for a return to earth.
Based on all of
the information provided regarding Tristan and Isolde, it is discussed as an
opera that has undergone multiple interpretations with the mise-en-scene
affiliated with it. Zychowicz (par. 5)
discusses that the current staging in the 1983 production is the result of the
lineage to a 1903 production by Roller, a style that has been used by many in
operas since his initial style entered into the field. The reason why Tristan und Isolde was
utilized by Roller has to do with the unique play itself, centered on the
musical changes in how opera was performed, new for its time (Shirely par. 5). As a result of the sense of change and
creativity with the music, it was an ideal opera to start with in changing the
field of scenery and giving more allusion to the larger view of the world and
nature.
Works Cited
Chafe, Eric. The Tragic and the Ecstatic: Oxford University Press, 2008.
ProQuest Ebook
Central.
Web. 22 September 2016.
Tristan
and Isolde. Directed by Daniel Barenboim, performances by Beyreuth Festival
Orchestra, Chevalier de Cornouailles,
and Johanna Meier, Unitel Classica, 2008.
Accessed on 25 Sept. 2016
from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IdjFBW-S3z0
Rizzuto, Thomas. The Critical Reception of Richard Wagner’s
Tristan und Isolde in the English-
Speaking World. City College of the City
University of New York. Accessed on 25 Sept. 2016.
Shirley, Hugo. “The opera that
change music: Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde.”
Gramophone.
Accessed on 25
Sept. 2016 from: http://www.gramophone.co.uk/feature/the-opera-that-changed-music-wagners-tristan-und-isolde
Zychowicz, James. (2008). “WAGNER: Tristan und Isolde.” Opera
Today. Accessed on 25
Sept. 2016 from: http://www.operatoday.com/content/2008/05/wagner_tristan_.php
Tuesday, September 20, 2016
Week 3: Broadway
I lost a fair bit of time on the website of Angel de Quinta’s Stage Door Blog. Immediately I was drawn to the performance by
Bea Arthur. I think that Bea Arthur is
known to people of my generation because of her popular culture role in Golden
Girls, but she had had a performer presence way before the Golden Girls. Bea Arthur is unique because she has a
different voice; it’s more raspy and harsh, but it’s still really enjoyable to
listen to, especially in the context of a performance that is engaging in
dialogue with the audience at a slower tempo.
I also spent time watching the performances of Hair that
occurred on popular television, such as the Smothers Brothers and on Late Night
with David Letterman. The reason why I
was interested in these is because I know that Hair was a pretty critical narrative
on the Vietnam war, with a lot of the focus of some songs on drugs and
sex. I had also forgotten that “The Age
of Aquarius,” which had mainstream popularity, was a part of the show
Hair. In watching the two clips, it
appears that one, the David Letterman one may have been a revival. Something that stands out is that they kept
the ethnicity of the characters very similar to the original one on Smothers
Brothers; which stands out because it’s a key element of the play and well,
sometimes with movies they re-arrange some of the racial elements.
I also really enjoyed the clip from the 1986 Tony’s; it
really gives an appreciation of how people on the stage cannot only sing, but
also move. This is especially true of
persons who maybe a bit older in age, and once again, Bea Arthur! This time
singing an expert from Sweeny Todd, which is awesome. However, it still would
have been awesome if Angela Lansbury, one of the stage performers of the show,
sang it. There is a cool video of her
later on, sadly, not singing at first, but she sings later on. I actually may have ended up away from Angel’s
Blog, watching most of the 1986 Tony Awards, as they have it on YouTube in its
entirety, which is a pretty spectacular show in all of the famous performers in
it, inclusive of Bernadette Peters singing Gypsy.
The final note regarding the Broadway performances, in the
1999 Tony’s, presented by Rosie O’Donnell, they have Pattie Lapone singing “Don’t
Cry for Me Argentina.” It was
interesting because I could finally tell that she was the person who sang the
original cost recording. What is
interesting is that Pattie Lapone has been on the Showtime series, “Penny
Dreadful” recently. She was a powerful character,
but did not have a singing role, it is interesting to realize just how powerful
of a performer she really is when you couple her Broadway skills, much like Bea
Arthur.
Wednesday, September 14, 2016
Opera: Madama Butterfly
Nezvanov’s (2006) animated interpretation of Madama
Butterfly is very beautiful and quite enjoyable, but it lacks some of the
details an explanation within Madama Butterfly that I believe is present in the
actual opera. The Metropolitan Opera
(n.d.) provides a very detailed synopsis of the story, which actually helps
understand the depth of what is occurring in Nezvanoy’s (2006) animation.
The animation itself utilizes a lot of clever symbolism,
such as Butterfly’s water breaking; which literally, it is a glass with water
breaking. There is also a clever element
in which the child keeps the mother grounded and there is a connection between
the two. Later, it is the pulling away
of the child and the tugging on the string that ultimately kills Butterfly, as
she is unable to live with the situation.
I assume that the music that is in Nezvanoy’s (2006)
adaptation is the actual opera score. This
is an important point, as the music really serves to create the emotion,
otherwise, the portion in which Madama is dissembling herself would be pretty
creepy as just animation. Nezvanoy
(2006) does a wonderful job of setting the story to the music that is present,
which is a key point of it.
Metropolitan Opera, The. (n.d.). Synopsis: Madama Butterfly. Retrieved from:
http://www.metopera.org/Discover/Synopses/Madama-Butterfly/
Nezvanov, M. (2006).
Madama Butterfly. YouTube Video. Retrieved from:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E387c5RAhK4&feature=youtu.be&iframe=true&wi dth=80%&height=80%
Origins: Creativity
Origins: Creativity
This is a story regarding Dr. Cuero, I will admit, he talked
about how he slept on the floor, would watch the roaches, and think about their
behavior. I hate roaches, but I can
respect an individual who wants to look at something, find it fascinating, and
is just curious in general about it. It
gives me a bit more of a new perspective on it, but at the same time, it is
something that gives me the shivers.
I think a big thing out of Dr. Cuero’s experiences is him
discussing how others would tell him he was wrong, or they would look at him
differently, but he took that as an opportunity to go about his life and
explore different areas, to persist. Dr.
Cuero discusses how he was not hampered by what other people thought, but
instead, wanted to go forward taking advantage of all the opportunities that he
encountered throughout his life.
Another element that comes up in the video, that really
stand out to me, is the students who are talking about Dr. Cuero, and they do
work for him in the lab. The one student
makes the comment, “you have to fix it yourself,” which is really powerful, as
Dr. Cuero has made it a point throughout his life to fix it himself. At no point does he rely on someone else, nor
does he feel as though he is entitled to anything.
Although these elements come from the pre-interview portion
of the video, I think that they do a great job of shaping information around
Dr. Cuero and his experiences. However,
in listening to Dr. Cuero talk, one thing he notes is how an individual finds
experiences and ideas through the process, it is not about getting from point A
to B, but the entire process is important in allowing for additional ideas and
exploration. I think that sometimes as a
student that is overlooked quite a bit with a big focus on grades.
Thursday, September 8, 2016
Week 2
ASCII art and ACII conversion is both a new and familiar
concept to me. In the past I have seen
ASCII art, but sometimes on an e-mail signature, or on a discussion board
forum. The process that is occurring on
GlassGiant.com or Picascii.com is a lot more detailed than things that I have
seen before.
My first instinct when testing out images was to see what
some of the limitations are for conversion and representation. I utilized a copy of van Gogh’s “Starry Night”
from The Beauty of Transport (n.d.). I
quickly found a limitation for ASCII conversion, as “Starry Night,” especially
without color, does not convert well. This
makes sense because much of “Starry Night” is an image that relies on perception
of texture and depth to create an image.
However, utilizing the examples that are present on Chris.com/ascii, one
can see that images appear stronger if they have more straight lines or clear
level of definition. An artistic term
for this would be a still life, as it is still life portraits that seem to
convert the best.
An aside thought is that Chris.com, the website, is pretty
unique based on its URL, which would seem highly coveted on the internet. The author indicates an original date of 1994
for the website, which is pretty cool.
The image that I created using the GlassGiant.com tools is shown below. The original image of "Starry Night" was taken from "Beauty of Transport" (n.d.).
https://thebeautyoftransport.wordpress.com/2014/10/08/vincent-van-gogh-transport-artist/
Week 1
This is my initial post in my blog for Art 211. I know that this post is a bit belated, as I will now send my link to my instructor. I'm not the strongest in blogging, or creating websites and URLs. I realized that I named my entire blog, "Week 1" and that was not really the catchy name that I wanted.
In thinking about this class, I am excited, I have not been a strong fan of traditional art classes, as I do not have a natural eye for technique in artists paintings. In this class, even going through syllabus and going through the information that has been provided so far, the art makes more sense to me, at least in terms of visualizing what is going into it. I am someone who can barely draw a stick figure, so recognizing that there is an option for an art credit utilizing some computer enhancements or media, I feel a lot more comfortable with the content of this course.
In thinking about this class, I am excited, I have not been a strong fan of traditional art classes, as I do not have a natural eye for technique in artists paintings. In this class, even going through syllabus and going through the information that has been provided so far, the art makes more sense to me, at least in terms of visualizing what is going into it. I am someone who can barely draw a stick figure, so recognizing that there is an option for an art credit utilizing some computer enhancements or media, I feel a lot more comfortable with the content of this course.
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