Sketchbook Journal Part 1

My experiments / sketches so far not based on any particular research / movement - currently just trying develop some sort of trail of thought and brainstorming through regular sketching.

Processing

I have been battling with coding for quite a long time now. I have done coding before but I have never really felt comfortable with it. Having said that, I am aware that coding can largely enhance digital art, especially what I'm looking to create for my Masters project. I recently found this book (pictured above) in my library. It's actually my parter's book but he hasn't really had the time to take a good look at it yet, so I'm going to try it instead. Just like I'm carrying out around two traditional sketches a day, I will try and do a bit of coding everyday using Processing to get both my creative and logical juices flowing :)

Jellyfish

A few watercolour / Photoshop tests I'm doing right now; currently fascinated with the shape of a jellyfish

Reflective writing on Chat Session 22/11/2010

Yesterday we resumed with chat sessions. After watching Madeline's video we all got talking about memories and whether or not the past is such a valuable element after all...

Osiris brought up an intriguing subject; saying that the best way to be open to new experiences and ideas is to start on a brand new page, and therefore forgetting all about the past and look solely at the future. I believe that the past is too important to be ignored, but it can be a means of preventing an individual from   exploring new ideas. I also believe that memories and nostalgia have the power to evoke very powerful emotions in individuals, sometimes perhaps even extreme emotions which might not be accessed given that one only looked into the future. These extreme emotions in turn can be a means of inspiration for an artist. I'm starting to see a subtle battle of art and technology, digital and traditional, logic and emotion through the weekly chats, and it's very exciting.

Andy proceeded to email us a guide to our new proposal which is due in about a month. During that time (and even after the due date) I shall be creating around two sketches a day based on the idea of intoxication - the sketches will signify both the ups and the downs of the effects of intoxication. I will try to keep up the daily sketches in order to try and create a developing journey of thoughts, dreams and ideas which will hopefully evolve and lead to some interesting creations.

Reflective Writing on Chat Session - 08/11/2010

So I will start today's post by posting two photographs of Cildo Meireles' installations (Suggested by Kay Johns :) ) I have been researching his works this afternoon and I must say he's got some pretty inspiring works. Although his themes are not related to my theme, his installations are interactive and he also uses audio in his works so I'm gonna have a closer look.

In last Monday's chat session I had a chance to receive and share some comments on the proposals that my peers and I are doing. We started with Eva Sykes:

Eva is looking into virtual words and environments, I'm really interested  to see what she will come up with because it is something that is getting more and more realistic and people seem to be getting more involved and I guess, more addicted to such a space. This is why the first thing I asked Eva is whether she thinks there are more advantages or disadvantages to virtual environments. Eva said she doesn't know as of yet and it makes sense since this is her research question after all. 

Questions I was asked

I was up next - the great thing about the questions that I was asked is I hadn't thought of any of them before; this is why discussing and brainstorming in group is so great. Mariana asked me whether the choice the user makes would affect their experience (this ties in with what Mariana is doing... a story which changes depending on their brain activity). I said that yes the experience will vary but I haven't done much thinking about this so I have much more brainstorming to do about this.

Olivia asked whether the unconscious has similar qualities to what we experience the first time we see an artefact. What an interesting question; this question has motivated me to create visuals which will look 'new' to the user - a great challenge but I will try my best. Osiris asked me whether I will do any practical experiments by taking toxins myself - would be extremely interesting (however illegal, so I won't give any other details :) ). Osiris also asked me about the beat generation and whether I would be looking at it in an analytical or practical way. I said both but mostly it would be analytical - I want to - as much as possible, free my mind and let it open to raw dark experiences in order to create the visuals.

Alexandra asked whether I believe that negative emotions are more powerful than negative ones. I honestly think they are but I have never studied psychology (and never intend to) having said that I will have to look into this particular matter. Either way I think it would be much more interesting to take the audience through a negative experience. I guess what inspired me to do this is the fact that all my students are currently exploring subjects which are positive and which might improve someone's life, or help them... and I thought why is everyone trying to be so good and positive? Why not go on the 'evil' and 'dark' side once in a while.

Next up was Mariana:

Project Presentation - Mariana Tschudi from Mariana Tschudi on Vimeo.

I must say Mariana's was my favourite presentation. It shows so much thought process and brainstorming and she looks like she seems genuinely interested in the study and project she is undertaking (not that the others don't) I just thought this presentation was delivered in such an effective manner. Mariana's project is based on the medicinal plant Ayahuasca, used in the Amazon. I asked Mariana what sort of audio she is planning to use for her project and she said she will be using natural sound, trances and chants. What I would love see is how Mariana will manage to carry out her final experimental project of letting people see different footage depending on their brain activity.

Louis will be illustrating the effect of technology in the American Pop Art movement - I asked Louis how he thinks technology is affecting contemporary artists. Louis said that technology is merely a tool to help an artist communicate his/her message. This contrasts heavily with what Osiris is looking at - micro-casting and it's exponential increase. I asked Osiris whether he feels that future artists will need to know code, and he feels that they do - he also expressed that knowing how to build your own tools will definitely enhance one's projects. 

Symposium 1 from Osiris Roost on Vimeo.

I have more questions to ask Osiris in next Monday's chat - I am very interested in his project because I have tried coding but still feel that I have much much further to go. Nonetheless I have decided to embark onto an interactive project which will challenge me to investigate code- but also give me space to be creative.

Women of the Beat Generation

I got this book in the mail today, finally. I couldn't find anything at my college library or at any bookshop in Malta specifically about women of the Beat Generation. I actually wanted a book about artists of the beat generation, but seeing as many Beat women where not allowed to be rebels, like their male counterparts - I thought it would be interesting to read some of their writings and poems. I have only browsed through this book because I got it today, but I've already glimpsed at certain sentences which surprised me, such as the fact that one particular woman beat writer was killed by electroshock. I cannot wait to read this book and hopefully get some inspiration for some visuals I am looking to create in my project. 

Note: I've also changed the look of my blog to suit my new theme.