Hallie

Week 1

1 kilometer

My kilometer is made up of toilet paper rolls. It is made up of 29 rolls, each containing approximately 34.5m. I measured 1 individual piece of toilet paper which equals 10cm long. 1 kilometer equals 100,000cm which divided by 10 is 10,000cm which equals the number of pieces in a kilometer. 

Yoko Ono and Bruce Nauman

How does Sol Lewitt express the notion that “the idea is the machine that makes the art” in his work? What does the artist’s actual hand have to do with the final work in a conceptual art context?‘: I believe that the notion that “the idea is the machine that makes art” is expressed through Sol Lewitt’s initial thought process and his ideas, as art cannot be created without them. Although he did not physically paint the wall, and “create” the art, he came up with the entire concept, colour scheme, and size, which is his conceptual art. The idea behind the work could potentially be even more important than the physical piece itself. Sol Lewitt then sends out his idea/plan to be created. The idea of a machine is represented by Sol, as machines use power to build and perform an action. Conceptually, Sol Lewitt used the power of his brain to plan and make decisions beforehand. Although the final execution was not painted with his hand, it is still his art. Overall, no matter what form the art takes, it must begin with an idea. 

Where do you draw the boundaries around the artworks in this video? What are the artworks? What strategies and tools does Ono use to challenge the viewer? Do you like any of these concept-works? Discuss. I do not believe boundaries need to be made around the artworks in this video. Art can be anything you want it to be. It can range from something simple to something extremely complex. It can include anything ranging from your body to a hair on the ground. The artworks in the video are unlike what might be perceived as “regular” art, as they are created through words. Yoko Ono creates art through words to challenge her viewers to think about the possibilities of art. A simple one she mentions is called “Beat Piece”, where all one does is listen to their heartbeat. Perhaps this teaches the individual to slow down, relax, and think about things, almost like meditation. A more complicated one is called “cleaning piece”. To accomplish this piece, one is asked to make a list of the sad things in their life, and gather stones to correspond with the number of sad things they think of. They are told to add a stone each time they are sad and appreciate the beauty in the stones, while perhaps metaphorically finding the beauty in their sadness. They are then asked to make another list of happiness in their life and add stones each time they feel happy. Finally, as part of the exercise, they are asked to compare the number of happy stones to the sad ones. I feel this artwork gives an opportunity to see things in a different light and to dig deep down so an individual can see things more clearly. I really appreciate this artwork, as I feel this is an amazing artistic exercise, as it gives the viewer a chance to examine their feelings through art. This also allows the individual to stop and recognize the good and the bad, the happy and the sad, and perhaps allow us a deeper understanding of our lives. Some of the other concept-works included are called “earth piece”, “shadow piece”, and many others. Yoko Ono reads them out loud and the viewer is expected to accomplish the task based on what is requested of them. I believe this is a very creative concept-work as it gets the viewer involved on a different level, creating an interactive art experience that allows the artist, Yoko Ono, and the viewer to create together. 

Describe two works by Bruce Nauman (include images) where he frames everyday actions (non-heroic, banal) as art. How are they “framed” as art, and what does the framing do to our understanding and experience of the actions? 

I love both these pieces and found them to challenge what is considered a “normal” sculpture as it uses materials that are unique and not normally used in this sense. In Bruce Nauman’s Piece “Double Poke In The Eye” He created art only using neon lights to bring new meaning to everyday actions. Although it isn’t every day that people get poked in the eye, the actions in this piece consist of the 2 faces looking at each other, while the hands poke one another in the eye (shown through the timing of the lights). In Bruce’s next piece “hand circle”, at first sight, this piece consists of ordinary hand movements, grasping the hand in front of it, to form a circle. As you stare longer at the photo, this piece illustrates sign language and depicts sexual intercourse as shown through the positioning of the fingers. Bruce Nauman took ordinary objects and turned them into something that can be interpreted in many ways. 

Week 2

Marina Abramovic Assignment
Going into this project, an hour did not seem that long. The first 10 minutes weren’t that bad, but as time went on, the thought of doing this for an hour seemed so long, as my perception of time was much slower. As I continued to stay still, I began to feel bored, fidgety, and frustrated. It was also slightly stressful because at times I would think about all the work I had to complete and not being able to do it. I also started to think about how in every art piece, there must have been frustration. In this piece it was the most apparent, however, it is ironic because a lot of people do not see this form of art as acceptable. It made me appreciate endurance art and performance art to a much higher extent. I was limited in my location choice due to covid so I stayed in my apartment. I chose to pose in the kitchen cupboard, as I figured it was an unusual place for one to sit. I felt as if I were a pot waiting to be used, almost like an experiment similar to Marina’s. After staying in this position for a long period of time, my back and neck began to hurt. I had a feeling of relief when the hour was up. Marina is known for pushing past perceived limits of the body and mind and exploring the complex relationship between herself and the audience through performances that challenge herself in many instances, participants emotionally, intellectually, and physically. She makes momentous and compelling statements about things going on in the world, constantly testing the limits of other people. Marina has a deep connection with her art in an almost gruesome way that I find really intriguing. Although my stance was not very complex, it helped me relate to Marina Abramovic, as a variety of her projects consist of her staying still for a long period of time. I was able to feel how she might have felt during those experiments.

Week 3

Instructional sentences

1. Change the position of random things you see while walking throughout the city
2. Sit oddly close to strangers on a bench
3. Climb an unstable, unsupported ladder each time you fall in order to get to the top
4. Drive a car in a narrow alley making multiple-point turns in order to get out
5. Record your child walking away from you as far as he can until you feel unsafe with the distance

Mid-Air Photograph

Week 4

Social Distance Portrait: Adad Hannah observes all kinds of people ranging from different ethnicities, genders, ages, and backgrounds. He records different people in order to capture the tension and feeling that they experience during the Covid-19 Pandemic. Each individual being filmed is unique and special in their own way. Even if we are all experiencing this pandemic, everyone is having their own journey with both positive and negative things. The portraits witness important moments of the pandemic as these videos represent the limited amount of moving people are able to do. Being stuck at home, there is not an ample amount of going from one place to another. We are extremely restricted with what we can do, living in almost the same way every day. Adad Hannah’s work is extremely impactful. Being captured in a video has a greater impact on his viewers than if the people were captured in a photograph. If one was captured in a photo, the viewer could look at the image for a second and be done with it. The one-minute video Adad Hannah captures really grasps one’s attention and forces you to stare deeper and deeper, waiting for the slightest amount of movement. This adds an intense feeling to the video. Along with this, the quotes make you have a deeper connection with the person, as what is said tends to be relatable for most people. In the quotes, many people express the impact the pandemic has made on them, such as their struggle with mental health, physical health, financial income as well as lack of social life. For my one-minute-video, I decided to use two of my friends of different ethnicities, heights, and styles to reflect on what Adad Hannah does. I positioned them on the couch with their computers on their lap as they spend a vast amount of their time due to school being online. It took quite a few attempts to get a successful video as they kept laughing, struggling to stay still. I then asked them how the pandemic has made them feel. The girl on the right said “the pandemic has made me feel sad, depressed, and bored. I feel like this is my life now and every day is the same.” The other said “I miss going out with my friends and socializing. I don’t get to do anything anymore and it has made me rethink my goals in life.” 

Week 6

The article “Turn and Face the Strange” by Darcey Steinke was very interesting as it explained the concerns that come with not being able to see one’s full face while wearing a mask. It truly is amazing how our face is the main area that identifies who we are. Before the pandemic, I did not think about this much, as seeing someone’s face was something I was used to. Near the beginning of the article, it is said “My face is my trademark and my main mode of communication.” “The face is a source from which all meaning appears.” I completely agree with this statement as for some, It is crucial to be able to read facial expressions and emotions (people with prosopagnosia since they have an inability to recognize faces, and deaf beings who need to read lips in order to understand people). Being masked 24/7 is something that takes a lot of getting used to and although the pandemic has been going on for over a year, it is still something I struggle with to this day. Since I do not live with my family, whenever they come to visit me I have to remember to keep my mask on. This makes me sad as I just want to see my family’s faces, but can not unless from a distance or through technology. Originally, masks were used in death rituals and ceremonies, however, ancient mask-wearers hoped to enter a liminal space, where they could create disaster and bring power to the world. Overall, I deeply enjoyed this article as it discusses relevant topics such as emotions, ancient life, daily struggles and more.

Week 7

I’m Practicing my cartoon voices, Steve Reinke: This piece is unlike any conventional music or scoring of films I have ever heard. I believe this audio is very interesting as Steve repeated the same 5 words throughout the entire audio, in a different voice each time. As the audio continued, I found the repetition slightly hard to listen to as I felt the voices were starting to sound similar and found myself waiting for something that wasn’t coming.  I was drawn to this audio because I have seen similar videos on youtube and found them really cool and compelling, I did enjoy this audio although when he went really high pitch I began to laugh as I couldn’t take it very seriously. I believe the conceptual concept behind this piece is that practice makes perfect, which is what he was doing by repeating the same words in different voices. I believe he was trying to show that it can take a lot of tries in order to get something the way you want it to be.

Piss Record, Matthew Sawyer: I found this a quite unusual piece. This caught my interest as It is something very strange to hear as part of the music. I appreciate how Sawyer says which day it is, along with the weather (funny addition to piece). In order to maintain interest Sawyer added more instruments and beats on top to make it more like music such as an accordion, whistling, his own voice singing with the tune and more. Peeing is normally something one does in private and is not usually something one posts for everyone to hear. At first, I thought this was very weird and almost eerie, but the more I listened to it the more I found it intriguing. 

The Forty Part Motet, Janet Cardiff: I really enjoyed this piece as it was very harmonious and immersive. This is a very complex piece using 40 different voices in order to achieve this beautiful angelic sound. Although the presentation was simple, I found it to be very effective as it put the focus on the sound. Once I began listening to this piece, I did not want to stop, I felt so relaxed and peaceful listening to every voice and harmony. I believe the audio of their intermission really affects how the piece is viewed, as it makes the voices atop being seen as just sound but as real people. It breaks up the harmonies with free and easy conversation.

Proposal: I have a few ideas for this audio. For my first idea, I am thinking about recording the steps of doing laundry (pouring laundry detergent, putting in clothes, closing the door, the sound of the laundry machine). I may use all these sounds and turn them into a song. Doing laundry is a weekly task that everyone must do. It would be amazing to hear all the sounds within a silent area. My second idea is listening to someone type on the computer. If you listen closely, each key makes a different sound. I could make a beat out from the different keys, and even use other school supplies like the cutting of scissors, scratching of a pencil and more to make an interesting beat. Lastly, for the third idea, I am thinking about using stress balls and squishy toys to make a sound that is almost like ASMR. I feel this would be very cool as not many people have a large collection of these.

Week 8

Initially, for this project, my ideas were to record laundry or school supplies. I tried but was unhappy with the results. I decided to try something different. Both my sister and I have anxiety and because of this, we own a lot of stress toys. I thought it would make an interesting compilation if I were to put each sound close to the mic and say what each stress toy is followed by the sound it makes. I was greatly inspired by the “Vaccuum-Piece”. In the “Vaccuum-Piece”, the artist mentions each object and the sound it makes being vacuumed up. I found this very interesting as It almost gives you a chance to think for a moment what the object might sound like. I love being able to hear the sound after being told what the object is as it makes you realize that it does not sound the way one was expecting.

Week 10

Brainstorm List & Notes on Art Pieces I found Interesting

• Use medals from dance competitions and layer them around my neck
• show collection of wacky packs
• position stuffed animals from childhood ones to now
• show a calendar tracking the days I take both my ADHD medication and antidepressants
• stack collection of makeup pallets
• create a list of things that make me happy
• list of people who have a huge impact on my life
• pets I have had over my lifetime

The Mythic Being, 1973: This artwork shows a woman transforming herself into a man by wearing an afro, moustache and sunglasses. She put on a masculine personality in order to experience the day in a life of a man, and experienced life in the city, documenting people’s reactions. I really enjoy this art piece as it shows that people can be whatever/whoever they want no matter what is considered right based on the rules of society. This is very crucial in today’s society because although people are getting used to the idea of dressing as the opposite gender, etc, there are many people who need to learn how to accept others for the way they are, and not judge them based on their differences.

All The Dead Stars, 2009: This piece is a map that documents the locations of just under 27,000 dead stars (all that have been recorded and observed by humankind). I find this piece very fascinating as it is essentially showing the existence of people through a vast amount of dead stars

Untitled (Portrait, of Ross in L.A) 1991: This piece consists of 175 pounds of candy to represent the body of Ross Laycock who does of AIDS. I feel this is a very deep piece since each piece of candy slowly going depicts Ross’ body depicting. Although it is only cany in this image, when I think about this piece more and more It almost makes me a little uncomfortable how something many people have quite often can be the cause of death.

A Portrait of David, 1994: I really loved this piece as I found it really cool and interesting. This piece consists of life-size pictures of boys and men ranging from 1 to 75. This piece makes me think how crazy it is that the artist had to gather 75 different Davids.

Conceptual Portrait Proposal: When thinking about how to approach this project, I figured it may be cool to use an item I have a lot of that has a huge part in my life. I danced for years and collected a huge variety of medals. I am possibly thinking about layering all of the medals around my neck. This will represent how dance is a huge part of my life through the vast amount of medals. My second Idea for this project is to gather all the playbills from plays my sister and I have seen. Over the years we have been to an ample amount of plays including ones my sister has been in, so all of these playbills mean a lot to us. In order to create this piece, I would lay out the playbills starting from the first play we have seen to the last.

Week 11

Final Conceptual Portrait: For the conceptual portrait assignment, I wanted to capture all the plays/shows both my sister and I have seen throughout our life. As both of us are extremely artistic people, we are very into theatre, acting, musicals and more. Since we were young we have been creating a huge collection of playbills. In my portrait, the playbills are organized starting from one of the first plays we have seen to the most recent. Some we have seen are The Prom, School of Rock, Little Shop of Horrors, Come from Away and so many more. I was inspired by the art piece “All the Dead Stars” as it is documentation. Similar to mine, I have documented all the shows I have seen, while in that piece documents all the dead stars. I really look forward to adding to this collection in the near future and seeing how much It can expand.

here is a close up of some of the playbills in my collection