Art Gallery Visit #2

http://www.albrightknox.org/exhibitions/exhibition:07-01-2011-videosphere-a-new-generation/

The title of the exhibit I chose to explore was called "Videosphere", and the theme of it was art in the form of videos, and video clips, and the manipulation of film and special effects. The lighting in the entire upstairs region of the gallery (which is where the entire exhibit was) was in darkness, except for the lights from the videos on the screens and projectors. Most of the walls were white, and the marble in the main room was white, but some of the other rooms were covered in black fabric. Some materials used in the interior architecture of the space were chairs, speakers, soundproofing on the walls, projectors, and flat screen television monitors.
The viewer can move about the exhibition in anyway they please, but when it comes to each piece of artwork (which take up an entire room each), there are arrows that direct where it starts and ends. The viewer is most likely expected to enter each room that is closest to the last one, so they don't skip over any pieces. Each artwork by each different artist was organized by room, as each piece had it's own, and each artwork was similar in that they were all moving images and were all video clips, either projected, or recorded. They were different in that fact that not all of them had sound, or voice or music, only some did. Some were in color, others in black and white. Some where projected onto flat screens, some on the wall, and some on a sculptural form. The pieces were identified and labeled by small, white description cards on a wall near it, listing the title, artist, date, and information about the piece. No two artworks were in the same room, so their proximity from each other was definitely walking distance, as in from room to room it would be at least ten feet.
Peter Sarkisian, an American artist created his piece called Extruded Video Engine #5, in 2007. The media he used was vacuum-formed thermal plastic and video production. In his piece there are recorded voices reading deeply personal memories as the sculpture/video piece itself displays the memories as sentences and words across the plastic. There are projected gears turning, lots of colors and shapes and words moving, and knobs turning. Everything stays in motion, and keeps going over and over agin repeatedly. The room the piece is in is dark, with black walls, and is small. Sarkisian has used elements and principles such as vivid color, value, shapes of all sizes, movement of everything, rhythm in movement and voices, implied texture of the projected objects, line and light. Each of these elements and principles work together in unity, as this system of whatever it is, may it be a digital brain or something else, continues to use each part to work. When observing this piece I am reminded of a working brain, thinking and using energy and creativity. It is almost confusing to look at, but with the clever use of elements and principles, it catches the eye immediately. It's almost mesmerizing with the vivid color and constant, rhythmic motion. There are so many things happening at once, and all senses are in tune to this work of art. I think the artist wanted his viewers to see and hear the portrayal of memories so that they themselves would be influenced to think up their own deep memories. As I looked at the piece, I was reminded of memories, both recent and far back, and I think I achieved what the artist intended after all.
Bill Viola, an American artist completed his piece called The Messenger, in 1996. The media he used were sound and video installations. When I looked at the piece, I saw a nude man floating on the surface of some kind of water source, and I could hear the sound of him breathing in and out. His face seemed to remain expressionless. He slowly started to sink below the surface, and before long, he took a deep breathe and submerged, allowing air to continually blow out as he descended under water. I could see the bubbles rise to the surface and they became less and less. Viola used elements and principles such as movement, value, color, form, texture, rhythm, and light to achieve the seemingly image of a nude man drowning. The water is rhythmic and constant in its ripples, the man is lit in cool deep colors and hues of blue. There is a soft light illuminating him, and the screen he is projected onto is large, almost taking up the entire wall. The entire room is dark, with black walls and is very large, with a tall ceiling. When i see the piece I am reminded of a handful of movies where a victim is drowning, and slowly sinking below the surface. Normally, their expression is panicked, but the man's face is almost serene, calm, and accepting of his "fate". I don't feel terrified for the man, because he is alive for the whole process, and doesn't seem to be struggling. I think the artist may have wanted me to see that no one can struggle with their end, and the best thing to d is just be calm and accept it. I definitely can see that he could've been portraying it in that way, and I understand was he was showing. It makes me calm to see the figure as calm as he is, and I believe that's what the artist intended.
Jaye Rhee is  Korean artist who create the piece, Tear, made in 2002. The medium used is a four channel video installation with sound. The video is displayed on four different monitors, lined up next to each other. The figure is filmed tearing through a large piece of white cloth, and as they come to the end of the screen, they appear to enter in the next one, continuing to the end, and starting over. You can see them pushing forward, and all you hear in the background is the loud tearing sound of the cloth. There is a lot of negative space in the piece, as 3 television screens are always showing just the fabric, and the figure only fills one. The artist has used value, space, movement, balance, and emphasis in the piece. Value is created by the use of black and white, the figure is dark, and there is an emphasis on them, while the canvas in contrast is white. Balance is used because the piece is asymmetrical. Space is used in the description mentioned before, and movement is apparent, because the whole piece focuses on the constant movement of the figure, working their way across all four screens. When I see the piece it reminds me of someone walking through deep snow, and using all their effort to trudge through the weight. I feel like I'm not sure what the figure is trying to accomplish, because it's just repetitive movement that always ends up starting from the beginning. The figure gets so far, and it never really leads up to anything, and because of this it was frustrating to watch. I didn't find it very enjoyable. You cannot see the figure's face, only their form. I think the artist intended to show space in their piece, but I'm not sure exactly how. I like the fact that wherever the figure is in the clip, there are always three screens that contain only the cloth. If the artist's intention was merely to show space, or new visual space, I think I understand it.

"The Messenger"

"Extruded Video Engine #5"

"Tear"

(Brochure)

I enjoyed going to the gallery and looking at the pieces through a different perspective in the sense of the exhibit as a whole, not just one piece at a time. It was interesting to see the exhibit, and how the piece related to each other. I liked that they were separated into individual rooms, it made me focus my attention on each one specifically, without being distracted by the other piece. Having them in individual rooms made me take the time to study them, and let myself get absorbed by them, without rushing off to the next one I saw. I felt isolated as I studied each one, but it was more personal that way, just me and the artwork. I didn't get much from the architecture, but the spaces and theme were very obvious and applied to the pieces well.