Marxy Marx

Because Estranged Labour is referencing a hierarchy and the nature of the individuals at the bottom, I think it parallels a lot of students experience within the academic environment. And the fact that it deals with the act of making makes it that much more apropos to studio art majors.... which is probably why Michael assigned it. I think it gets to be pretty difficult to be creative and expressive within a system where you become, to an extent, detached from the work. The work becomes for a class, or a teacher, or deadline, and the process becomes forced and really unnatural because at some point you just dont feel like doing it. I think the importance of the essay is a testament to just how serious this issue is as an art major, and how utterly necessary it is to always be able to find yourself within the work you make and within the labour of making. Beyond art majors at a college though, I think it generally takes a serious effort to remind yourself of why you make art and continually recognize that relationship so that you don't become entirely estranged. Yeah, there's too many estranged artworks out there as it is.

Kubelka shtuff

I think it's notable that this particular reading opened with a conversation regarding the relativity of reality. To each his or her own, essentially. Additionally, as Kubelka suggests, our descriptions of our reality perceived are as skewed and unique to ourselves as the perceptions themselves…. On that note, I was struck by Kubelka's claim that his own bit of film had "more energy in it than anything (he) had ever seen - and, comparing that same bit of film, "indivisibly'", to a greek temple…. I have yet to see this particular film, bit I suspect that his interpretation of it comes very much from within the walls of his own reality… Other odd moments, were when he receives the film back from the beer commercial…"…I saw this incredible mess. It was absolutely nothing. I said, I will make the greatest film ever made". …it's like his investigation into film began with the intention to make something groundbreaking, and in trying to figure out how to do that in a really aggressive and demanding way, he reduced the medium into numbers - casting aside the mystery and illusion that so many other makers base their practice on… But I've never seen the work so I don't know what I'm commenting on really. Regardless, I found many of his ideas really neat and insightful. In particular, I like the part about seeing a single element and multiplications of it…"Why this is so remains beyond us". Its kind of an interesting thought- why isn't every object, thing, and entity wholly different - that would be a trip. Also at some point in the midst of all the talk about speed and rhythm, I started wondering if the filmic rhythm itself is what makes it so attractive and if 24fps has an inherent aura that makes us feel a certain way. Maybe it's because it gives the synapses in our brain just a little more time to work out each image before it shifts as opposed the faster rate at which our own eyes interpret the world…it would seem that this could be soothing somehow. Still wondering how his film "Arnulf Rainer" will never decay - I understand that its because theres a script involved that can be replicated, but I think in any case we wouldn't assume that the idea is the film as opposed to the object itself - and it seems a little awkward for him to say this too after talking so much about the material and process….

Peter Kubelka’s work encompasses filmmaking, music and theories of philosophy. He aims to combine these elements to achieve “cinematographic ecstasy”. It is a way to escape the reality of “obeying the laws of nature”. This is a reality of life that everyone must face as they grow older. Kubelka explains how to convey this through cinema by capturing “a rhythmic building between light and sound”. In other words, he attempts to harvest harmonious vibes between the film and the sound.

http://www.offscreen.com/index.php/phile/essays/interview_kubelka/

marx response

the marx article brings up the classic argument for the pro-socialist argument that has existed for a very long time. when viewed from an art context though the idea of production for direct use becomes even more interesting. what if instead of for profit studio and film artists created art that was intended to be used for direct consumption, or use? what would happen then? when u remove the monetary aspect that is ever present in art making and selling, what are you then left with? would the consumers, who were previously customers, and museum goers become artists themselves? if viewed from this economic standpoint the artworld itself would become a mealstrom of artists/consumers who would continuously consume/produce/reproduce/consume art works in an endless cycle.

Gene Youngblood + George Lucas

This extremely rare one hour interview with George Lucas was conducted by film journalist Gene Youngblood on on Los Angeles Public Television Station KCET. This in-depth interview is notable because it was conducted before American Graffiti or Star Wars, while a then-27-year-old Lucas was promoting his first feature, THX 1138.
http://www.slashfilm.com/votd-interview-with-27-year-old-george-lucas/

Kubelka Response

The theory of metrical film comments on issues of perception and reality in analog cinema. the first comment that was made that i found interesting was the illusion of movement within cinema. when we see these still played back at various film speeds, we see the various still images and interpret them as movement, never really stopping to appreciate the fact that in actuality we have just been bombarded with thousands of still images within in a manner of minutes. this is an example of the various "realities" analog, and all other forms of cinema present to us. there is the physical reality of the film or digital file. then there is the playback or performed reality of the image, and finally there is the percieved reality of the film; what the viewer actually receives from it.

Glitch Studies Response

http://youtu.be/lbvwZ4LWeEc ........This is the closest example to the opening statement in the manifesto about our upgrade culture as it is today. We continually seek the update, the upgrade to fix the problem.

In the whole manifesto, I can't help but want to ask the question never asked, "How do we know it is a glitch?". Is it just our Western exposure to technology or is it obvious because the visual and acoustic mediums have been used as vehicles for perfect representations of what already exists?

I grew up with an old Samsung TV that had actual knobs on it, and its static noise became familiar to me. It had a positive purpose....with the noise I knew how loud the TV was and I could tell when the signal was clear by how much the static went away. So like the manifesto stated, noise while often negative by default...it can also be a positive way to redefine something else.

Music has had the best embrace with noise in my opinion. I can hear really nicely "played" noise thanks to inventions like the electric guitar and amp. That noise has become a sound we recognize. Think about that. Is that to say that in the future these glitches, the noise in our video transmissions will be recognized as a good bit of visual artistry on behalf of the video's creator?

Glitch Studies response

Glitches entail the loss or deconstruction of data. When used in artwork there is often a perceived sense of open ended responses to what the artist could be showing or trying to convey. A certain amount of filling in the blanks is left to the viewer which can be a type of interactive medium due to it causes the viewer to come up with different scenarios. The artist can depict the effects of the saying that all good things come to an end or all things break down over time.

I feel like a lot of art practices, when it appears that the practice itself is against the grain of what is considered traditional or appropriate, write a manifesto. It's like in a strange way, there is some need to validate or substantiate new undefined subversive art forms. I'm not saying I disagree but I think it's interesting how strange and new artforms generate new ways of thinking about art in general to the degree that poetry is written about the new movements nature... Also though, as a far as a lot of manifesto necessitating artforms go I'm taken by how much they stress the fact the medium or material is somehow not being used for what it was intended for. I think its worthwhile asking whether or not glitch is just an innate aspect of the medium that had largely been untapped until recently. It's new discovery makes it seem alien and out of sorts, but really, it's just what the medium does under certain conditions. surely theres a million different techniques and ways to work with paint that we wouldn't necessarily consider outside of paint's intended use, because they don't incorporate the use of a brush or turpentine.

but, I love this line "... to act against something does not mean to move away from it completely (p.8)" - and maybe this is making the connection that while glitch is separate it's still very much a part of the video whole. I also think this has really amazing ramifications outside of art. This could very well be discussed in context of all sorts of conflicts, and ideas of protest, or even non-violent resistance....yeah, I'm gonna remember this one.

http://beadcircle.com/a-beaders-manifesto/

on glitch......

It is interesting to think that the idea of glitch is has become this aesthetically pleasing genre of art. What originated as errors or misreading s in data has become a new wave of style. I think the vernacular article used a very good example in commercial glitch in the Kanye West Welcome to Heartbreak music video. It is proof that the breakdown of this system of variables has become an acceptable means of communication in an art context. Im not sure what it is about glitch that is so captivating when it is performed “correctly”, if such a term can exist in such an unpredictable form of medium. The digital artifact has ushered in a fresh new and exciting form of expression that can never be completely controlled, which is very uncommon in most artist medium.

16mm and animated GIFs?!

16mm and animated gifs?!