A Guide to the visual art of Joe Griffith...
Giant Squid Decoy
At first glance, I thought how can a project be in the making for 10 years but never even make it to the experimental stage? Then, I realized that it is a very complex concept that requires a lot of money to produce. It seems that the original project will not be made; however, there is a new version of a squid project. The new version would have a giant squid sculpture outside the Museum of Science and Industry in Tampa. This squid would be a real-life size of the original squid and have sounds from it's environment coming from surrounding speakers. The difference between the original and the new version seems to be drastic. I don't think they are even the same project at all, just the same idea of using a Giant Squid. The first project seemed to be more experimental and the second is more of an art piece. It is like an artist throwing away a project but trying to keep the same idea in mind to create a similar one. I enjoyed the concept behind the first project because I think experimental art projects are a great way to learn new things.
How Did You Come to This?
How can you recreate a 10 foot tall dream machine? Just ask the people form Experimental Skeleton. Seeing the images again from the exhibition show that an incredible amount of work was put into creating this sculpture. It is one of the largest recreated dream machines, that's something to be proud of.
Sugar Bells
This collaborative project called Sugar Bells was exhibited in 1995. As it seems to be the beginning of Griffiths work with experimental art, I found it to be a pretty interesting concept. A glass xylophone made out of bottles filled with different levels of saturation of sugar solutions. A large-scale xylophone that could be turned into candy. Hence the name "Sugar Bells." If the project was left unused, then the solutions would turn into rock candy. Although this was produced about 15 years ago, I think the idea of making musical art that has potential to turn into candy was a success.
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Experimental Skeleblog
What a way to organize and follow past projects. A blog. It is a great way for Experimental Skeleton to track the progress on current projects and for people to follow along. It is a more in depth view at the projects produced by the group Experimental Skeleton other than visiting their website.
It is also a great way to see the progression in skills and success of the projects. The artists are also able to display images in chronological order so people can see exactly how the project was made. On the blog, most of the projects have a series of photographs to show the steps of the project and the event itself. Pictures tell what words can't. In a way, it is a better method for ES to use pictures so people see the amount of work that goes into producing an experimental art project. I enjoy how I can read about the idea of the project and then see the pictures of the building process followed by the exhibition of the project. It is great to see people viewing the projects in pictures on the blog at an event. I think that it is a great way to capture how every person interprets the art project in a different way. By seeing the body language and facial expressions on people, you can see how successful the project and exhibition was.
It is also a great way to see the progression in skills and success of the projects. The artists are also able to display images in chronological order so people can see exactly how the project was made. On the blog, most of the projects have a series of photographs to show the steps of the project and the event itself. Pictures tell what words can't. In a way, it is a better method for ES to use pictures so people see the amount of work that goes into producing an experimental art project. I enjoy how I can read about the idea of the project and then see the pictures of the building process followed by the exhibition of the project. It is great to see people viewing the projects in pictures on the blog at an event. I think that it is a great way to capture how every person interprets the art project in a different way. By seeing the body language and facial expressions on people, you can see how successful the project and exhibition was.
Experimental Skeleton
Take Your Breath Away
I really liked the idea behind this project. The experiment was done for an international event for a company based out of San Francisco, Rebar. It was completed in September 2009. The idea that generated this project was how human beings affect climate change. Experimental Skeleton decided they had to try and store the same amount of CO2 from people exhaling as would be absorbed by a forest plot the same size as the parking space used. I thought this was really creative and useful. It would be incredible to know how much a human can ultimately affect the climate. ES used a coffin shaped container to portray the destruction by humans exhaling CO2. They then filled the coffin with individual plastic bags from different people that represents their last breath. ES discovered that they need to find a strategy for effective CO2 storage that can help the future of the atmosphere being destroyed by humans.
Prior to the lecture about Experimental Skeleton, I had not really known much about experimental art. I didn't know much about how time consuming, costly, and difficult it can be to produce a project. As they are "experimental" you never know if it will work out properly. I congratulate this group for doing all of these intense projects that people are able to learn from.
Radio during The Great Depression
"Radio was everywhere, it was taken for granted."
During the Great Depression, radio's popularity grew. This new form of mass communication brought entertainment to people in their homes. They were able to divert themselves from hardship going on in their lives and sit and relax. Some people thought the radio helped provide a sense of autonomy by being able to understand the world in personal terms. Others felt that the radio was a way to communicate with a mass audience. With time, Americans were able to determine what the radio was and how the new medium can play a role in their lives. Radio was now linking people across the country.
People were now connected to what was going on in the world as well as being provided entertainment. During the Depression, people who could afford radios, flocked to buy them. It was an easy way to provide entertainment for a large number of people at basically no cost. It couldn't have come at a greater time in history. People had no money to do anything. The radio provided free entertainment that people had not been used to before. They could sit around their house for hours as if it were a television.
Comedians were performing skits on the radio. Daytime soap operas were being aired. Feature shows were aired in the evening. Singers and orchestras were performing. The great American pastime, baseball, was being aired. News was being aired. All of these combined, made it possible for Americans to continue living during the Depression. They were now able to laugh, listen, and enjoy things that they never could have heard before. Families could sit around the radio in the evening and listen to the Lone Ranger or the Green Hornet. It also played a role in uniting people and bringing families closer together during tough times.
The rise of the radio was revolutionary. Since it was the first medium to link everyone across America, people could be informed about things taking place on the other side of the country. For the people that couldn't afford to go to a baseball game, they were able to listen to the entire game on the radio. If martians from Mars were to invade Earth, people could now be informed.
People were now connected to what was going on in the world as well as being provided entertainment. During the Depression, people who could afford radios, flocked to buy them. It was an easy way to provide entertainment for a large number of people at basically no cost. It couldn't have come at a greater time in history. People had no money to do anything. The radio provided free entertainment that people had not been used to before. They could sit around their house for hours as if it were a television.
Comedians were performing skits on the radio. Daytime soap operas were being aired. Feature shows were aired in the evening. Singers and orchestras were performing. The great American pastime, baseball, was being aired. News was being aired. All of these combined, made it possible for Americans to continue living during the Depression. They were now able to laugh, listen, and enjoy things that they never could have heard before. Families could sit around the radio in the evening and listen to the Lone Ranger or the Green Hornet. It also played a role in uniting people and bringing families closer together during tough times.
The rise of the radio was revolutionary. Since it was the first medium to link everyone across America, people could be informed about things taking place on the other side of the country. For the people that couldn't afford to go to a baseball game, they were able to listen to the entire game on the radio. If martians from Mars were to invade Earth, people could now be informed.
Old Time Radio- War of The Worlds
Listening to War of the Worlds on Old Time Radio was a little bit interesting. It is nothing like the radio today. The typical announcer voice spoke about situations that occurred and appeared newsworthy. I found it really interesting and almost humorous. I began by listening to the opening which I was confused by. The words and sayings that were used about people going to and from the earth and people being watched by greater intelligences seemed to be out of the ordinary. It is apparent that the radio was used for everything. It was used to discuss the weather, phenomenons and anything to provide to the consumers. But, it was more of a second by second description of what was going on. I found it interesting that the announcer was almost unprofessional like. The way that the radio worked back then was much different than now.
It almost reminds me of the film, I Am Legend because of the end of the world. When Will Smith is the last person on earth, he uses the radio to see if there is anybody else out there. The announcer also just used the radio the same way by saying, "Is there anybody there? Is there anybody there?" He talks about being the last human being on earth, and that this could be the last radio show. The main theme talked about was destruction of the world.
Martians, Mars, Meteorites. The outer world enters the earth and causes destruction. War of the Worlds discussed how martians were entering the streets and roads were closed, meteorites were hitting the earth and Mars was exploding. This is not too realistic. Was this for pure entertainment? Or did they think this was newsworthy?
With a little more research, I found out that this was one of the one of the most popular radio broadcasts. On October 30, 1938, the War of the Worlds attracted over a million listeners. About 1/5 of the listeners thought the invasion from Mars was "real and terrifying." People were moving about frantically to escape from the martians that were invading earth. Would you believe this broadcast if it aired today in 2011? Or was it just because radio was new to people?
It almost reminds me of the film, I Am Legend because of the end of the world. When Will Smith is the last person on earth, he uses the radio to see if there is anybody else out there. The announcer also just used the radio the same way by saying, "Is there anybody there? Is there anybody there?" He talks about being the last human being on earth, and that this could be the last radio show. The main theme talked about was destruction of the world.
Martians, Mars, Meteorites. The outer world enters the earth and causes destruction. War of the Worlds discussed how martians were entering the streets and roads were closed, meteorites were hitting the earth and Mars was exploding. This is not too realistic. Was this for pure entertainment? Or did they think this was newsworthy?
With a little more research, I found out that this was one of the one of the most popular radio broadcasts. On October 30, 1938, the War of the Worlds attracted over a million listeners. About 1/5 of the listeners thought the invasion from Mars was "real and terrifying." People were moving about frantically to escape from the martians that were invading earth. Would you believe this broadcast if it aired today in 2011? Or was it just because radio was new to people?
Sunday, February 13, 2011
What happened between 1952-1971 that lead to a change in the film industry?
Not only has audio been incorporated in movies, but color too. These amazing advances in technology allow the viewer to draw a better picture from the film. People are able to understand the story further than when there was no sound or color. The evolution in the film industry has changed so drastically in the last century that we now have movies in 3-D. However, this progression had to start somewhere. I'm not sure we can have much more advancements in cameras and technology with films, but I guess you never know. Filmmakers have been able to make revolutionary advances that change the future of film.
Woody Allen's career spiked during the years of 1952-1971. Woody Allen has introduced comedy to the industry. People are now able to be entertained in a new form. He began at an usual age in an usual time. At an early age of 15, Allen began writing jokes for a local newspaper. This is the way that he was able to rise to fame producing comedic films at first, and later changing to various types.
What else happened during this time period? The television had been introduced and was growing in popularity for general entertainment. For the television industry to sustain itself, they changed the size of the films that were being produced to fit a wider screen. During the 1950s, color was being used more often. And the biggest change of all was in the number of indoor theaters that closed from 1948-1958. The once, ever-popular movie industry had competition with the television. However, over the same time period, the number of outdoor theaters grew from about 1,000 to 5,000 in 1958. This is a huge increase. It was a great tactic to stand out from the television. Movies now had something special. The ability to watch a movie from your car was a completely new concept of the time. Now this challenged the success of the television.
Besides all of the technical changes in film, there was also changes in the films themselves. Musicals, westerns, suspenses, and epics were all very common. There was the introduction of science fiction films. This particular type caught the attention of many viewers. A few of the popular sci-fi's of the 1950s include The Day the Earth Stood Still, The Thing From Another World, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, and The Incredible Shrinking Man.
Science fiction is a genre of fiction that deals with impacts from scientific or technological innovations, often set in a futuristic or non-realistic setting. This gives a sense of fantasy, and ultimately relief from the real world for viewers. Another new genre allowed filmmakers to displace people from their everyday lives and sit through a futuristic fantasy world. Does these new innovations in the films play a role in the real world?
During these years, there was also an expansion in popular actors and actresses. James Dean, Marilyn Monroe, and Paul Newman are just to name a few. These three people made a great impact in films as actors. They became world-wide role models and idols.
After discovering everything that happened in the 1950s, I wondered how could all of that happen in only ten years? It truly is amazing to see how the people ultimately predict if a new genre, idea, or film will succeed or fail.
The 1960s was another busy decade in itself. In America, the culture had changed into the hippie, rock n' roll and experimentation with drugs. This reflects onto the film industry. Films being produced had to deal with more of those cultural themes. These ten years also contained a lot of violence, death, and tragedies. JFK was assassinated, Hair opened off-Broadway, the Cuban Missile Crisis was going on, anti-Vietnam War protests were taking place, and "60 Minutes"debuts on television. These are just some of the major events that occurred during the 1960s that have some effect on the film industry. To say the least, it is clear that the 1960s brought trouble to the industry. Major companies were financially unstable and foreign films were influencing the United States. It seems to me that the relaxed culture brought along with it many ups and downs in history.
As the film industry in the 1970s began in financial disarray, they ended more prosperous and successful. Risks in language and sexuality were being taken by young filmmakers. Yet again, another change in film content. Also, the theme of war-truths in films was very popular. People wanted to know what was happening on the front lines of a war. They don't want to be fooled by the media, they want it to be informative. The end of the 1970s showed how changes in ideas can bring a greater positive audience response. It is difficult to sum up about 20 years in history; however, the film industry has come a long way from where it began a century ago.
Woody Allen's career spiked during the years of 1952-1971. Woody Allen has introduced comedy to the industry. People are now able to be entertained in a new form. He began at an usual age in an usual time. At an early age of 15, Allen began writing jokes for a local newspaper. This is the way that he was able to rise to fame producing comedic films at first, and later changing to various types.
What else happened during this time period? The television had been introduced and was growing in popularity for general entertainment. For the television industry to sustain itself, they changed the size of the films that were being produced to fit a wider screen. During the 1950s, color was being used more often. And the biggest change of all was in the number of indoor theaters that closed from 1948-1958. The once, ever-popular movie industry had competition with the television. However, over the same time period, the number of outdoor theaters grew from about 1,000 to 5,000 in 1958. This is a huge increase. It was a great tactic to stand out from the television. Movies now had something special. The ability to watch a movie from your car was a completely new concept of the time. Now this challenged the success of the television.
Besides all of the technical changes in film, there was also changes in the films themselves. Musicals, westerns, suspenses, and epics were all very common. There was the introduction of science fiction films. This particular type caught the attention of many viewers. A few of the popular sci-fi's of the 1950s include The Day the Earth Stood Still, The Thing From Another World, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, and The Incredible Shrinking Man.
Science fiction is a genre of fiction that deals with impacts from scientific or technological innovations, often set in a futuristic or non-realistic setting. This gives a sense of fantasy, and ultimately relief from the real world for viewers. Another new genre allowed filmmakers to displace people from their everyday lives and sit through a futuristic fantasy world. Does these new innovations in the films play a role in the real world?
During these years, there was also an expansion in popular actors and actresses. James Dean, Marilyn Monroe, and Paul Newman are just to name a few. These three people made a great impact in films as actors. They became world-wide role models and idols.
After discovering everything that happened in the 1950s, I wondered how could all of that happen in only ten years? It truly is amazing to see how the people ultimately predict if a new genre, idea, or film will succeed or fail.
The 1960s was another busy decade in itself. In America, the culture had changed into the hippie, rock n' roll and experimentation with drugs. This reflects onto the film industry. Films being produced had to deal with more of those cultural themes. These ten years also contained a lot of violence, death, and tragedies. JFK was assassinated, Hair opened off-Broadway, the Cuban Missile Crisis was going on, anti-Vietnam War protests were taking place, and "60 Minutes"debuts on television. These are just some of the major events that occurred during the 1960s that have some effect on the film industry. To say the least, it is clear that the 1960s brought trouble to the industry. Major companies were financially unstable and foreign films were influencing the United States. It seems to me that the relaxed culture brought along with it many ups and downs in history.
As the film industry in the 1970s began in financial disarray, they ended more prosperous and successful. Risks in language and sexuality were being taken by young filmmakers. Yet again, another change in film content. Also, the theme of war-truths in films was very popular. People wanted to know what was happening on the front lines of a war. They don't want to be fooled by the media, they want it to be informative. The end of the 1970s showed how changes in ideas can bring a greater positive audience response. It is difficult to sum up about 20 years in history; however, the film industry has come a long way from where it began a century ago.
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