Reading Questions 4/16

Participative Systems Question:
At what point is the artist actually detached from his or her work because of its own interactivity? For instance, if the computers in "The Lovers" somehow evolved and interacted to create something remarkable and unexpected, would this still be considered the artist's doing?

Crowdsourcing Question:
Do you feel like projects such as crowdsourcing are more like an artistic display of the public's creativity, or more like a survey of society and its opinions?

This is my music. My passion. My lifestyle.

Here's my screen shot of my YouTube mixer. It's a little small and messed up, and the title didn't get included in this but I promise it's there, I just had problems doing a screen shot on my Dell. I had a few problems with this project and needed a lot of help, but I fell in love with my idea, and I feel that it definitely represents what I wanted it to even if it's not perfect. The top video should be played first, because it is the longest and serves as a soundtrack for the rest of the mixer. It was really hard to try to get everything to sound good together, but I did what I could. This project was meant to convey a feeling of nostalgia for those who are as deeply involved with the electronic dance music scene as I am. For some of us, it's not just the type of music we're into, but it's also our inspiration, basis for emotions, home for memories, and it is our lifestyle.

Manovich Reading Questions

1. How exactly do you think "new media" is making the viewer follow the artist's mental pathway as his or her own? Or do you believe the viewers are still able to form their own thoughts about the media?

2. Do you feel that viewers were forced to "bridge the gaps between unrelated images" before this age of new media?

Who is Insomniac?

Here's my parody of Insomniac.com, the website for the company that puts on large electronic music festivals around the nation. I actually work for them and respect the musical talent involved in these events. This project basically makes fun of the people who just jump on the bandwagon and want to rage to "what's cool."A lot of people care more about the drugs and partying than the music, so this is me taking a stance on the side that is native to electronic music and respects everything about the scene for what it's worth.

Tactical Media Discussion Questions

1. The reading implies that tactical media does not make an obvious, definitive point but rather is left to be interpreted by observers. If the project should be open-ended, how does a tactical media artist be sure the intended message is communicated and it is not perceived the wrong way?

2. The introduction to this book talks mostly about tactical media as it pertains to war and politics, but what other messages could be portrayed through this form of art and communication?

Video Reenactment

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Iv3LNckLGH4" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>


Here's my reenactment. To be honest I used a video with a rather simple soundtrack, just because I didn't really know what I was doing. However, I think I communicated the storyline well and made an interesting video. The original idea of the film was showing how many people are in this specific park at 7 AM, and all the different activities they're doing. So I hung out at a park by my house one day (at about 1 PM) and taped the same thing. It was cool to compare and contrast cultures, their different activities, and how close I was able to get to people without freaking them out!

Original: http://www.ubu.com/film/stidworthy_7.html

Reading #2 Questions

1. This piece mentions the search for self and personal diaristic expression as being forms of video art. However, is video only "art" if it is on a personally-voiced level? For instance, can making a video based on a book, or pure imagination, or someone else's story, be considered art as well?

2. How much do you think video art has influenced the gender roles of society? Has it worked to break down such sexual standards, or make them even more defined?