Conclusion

3D Form and Design was overall a very interesting class in which I was able to explore different techniques of art unlike anything I had ever done before. My faveorite aspect of this class was the focus on projections. I thoroughy enjoyed looking at different projects done by artists and attempting to do something similar. My favorite artist to learn about was Pippilotti Rist. Her projections were very unusual but also very interesting. Creating the video and projection for the end of semester show was a great experience. I loved playing with the different textures to see how the projection would change. Projections have a very strong effect in a show with very little materials. I would definitely like to continue to explore the use of large scale installations in the form of projections.

Waterfall and No Sleep Till Babbio

Emily and myself completed our final project and installed a tall waterfall projection in the Babbio Atrium for the "No Sleep Till Babbio" end of semester show. The video created was a combination of footage that I got at home and edited, and a rendering of a waterfall simulation created by Emily. We were able to use different layers of cloth to give texture to our projection. The cloth was thrown over the balcony of the second floor of Babbio so it was able to be seen by all visitors of the exhibition  Below is a picture and a video of how the installation looked at the show.

I also had another installation at the show from my interactive installations class. A projection of a giraffe was displayed on a front window of Babbio. As viewers approached the character, he would become more and more excited.

Installation Inspiration: Pipilotti Rist

For our final installation, Emily and I plan on projecting video of water and fish onto one of the columns in Babbio. A good source of inspiration is Pipilotti Rist's video projection Sip My Ocean (1996). This projection includes two mirrored projections onto two walls. Much of the content includes underwater scenes which serve as a good reference for what we plan to do in our project. The link to the video is https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJhgIcbSEeM.

Walter Benjamin: Art and Technology and Mass Production

In Walter Benjamin's analysis of art in the age of mechanical reproduction, he evaluates the change in the reception of art as it becomes more readily available to an audience. According to Benjamin, the mass production of art takes away its authenticity. However, in the process of taking away the authenticity, it allows an audience to focus on the meaning of the work rather than the simple existence of the art. With the introduction of film, art becomes a form of interaction rather than something for the audience to “awe” at. 

This idea is particularly interesting in the sense that although art is usually valued at being unique, it is becoming more valued because it is available to more people. Through the increased accessibility involved in the increase of technology in the arts, art is available to more people and is therefore more apparent. Because it is more apparent, people do not have to observe the uniqueness of a work but now can look for the meaning in a particular work.

One of Benjamin's most interesting points is his analysis of how film has changed the perception of art. Film is a medium created for the entertainment of mass audiences. Because of the large scale of people able to view films, all of these people are able to assess the success of the film. In other words, all individuals in the audience become critics of works of art. 

Despite that the mass production of art has limited the uniqueness in a work of art, it has also made art more available to the masses. This allows for more people to become more in tune with the success of a work of art.

Frank Gehry

Frank Gehry is famous for his post-modern architecture that employed distortion in buildings. His ability to make buildings look as though they are twisted and fake is unique to his name. In many cases, Gehry used titanium to give the desired effects in his buildings. This allowed him to show a flexibility in structures that are normally perceived to be “boxy” and “straightforward”.

One of his structures is the Hotel Marques De Riscal winery. The building is part of a luxury hotel located in Alava, Spain. This structure uses large ribbon-like pieces of metal to create a flowing feeling for the outside of the building. The building is described as "A series of rectilinear elements, clad in sandstone, combined with sweeping panels of pink and gold titanium, and mirror finished stainless steel." (http://www.arcspace.com/architects/gehry/riscal_winery2/riscal2.html)

While most of his buildings are primarily focused on aesthetics over practicality, this building seems to take it to a different level. Unlike his other buildings, the metal used here is extraneous in a way. The metal ribbon portions serve no real structural purpose, but mostly cosmetic. Meanwhile, in his other buildings, the appearance of a building is still present, but just distorted.

Some other examples of Gehry's structures are displayed below.

Andy Warhol: Reaction

Much of Andy Warhol's fame was based on his reproduction of art that already existed but in a new way. Because he was able to see reproduced art as an art in itself, he essentially developed a new way for the public to perceive art. One of the most famous examples of his reproduced art is the Cambell's Soup cans. The Cambell's Soup can labels were designed by an artistic individual who was hired to make an image for the product. In this respect, Warhol has reproduced the art of another person. He even goes one step further, in some cases, by reproducing iconic artwork. His reproduction of the Mona Lisa (both the reproduction of using the art and the reproduction shown in the art) is an example of this. Although some may argue that Warhol did not actually create his own work, he only used the work of others to become famous, I believe that his conception of reproducing existing art at the time he did so was revolutionary and therefore artistic in that nature.

Physical Connections

In studying the physical connections of objects in the form of sculptures, we evaluated the work of many artists including Jackie Windsor, Jean Tinguely, and Theo Jansen. These artists developed sculptures with objects that were tightly connected.

In attempting to create a sense of physical connection, I began to work with a combination of thick wire and wire mesh. With these materials I was able to create a wire sculpture that would (ideally) be hung. (These photographs have been slightly edited to adjust contrast, saturation, etc.)