Weeks 9 and 10 – Part 2: Every action counts

Eadweard Muyridge’s photography made me realize that not only does every moment count, but every action within every moment also counts. First of all, I had no idea that when a horse runs there are instances when all four legs are in the air at the same time. After seeing the above picture I realized that when a horse gallops, it actually GALLOPS! This picture also does a beautiful job of illustrating just how many minor moves cause the action of a horse galloping. It makes me think about my own life and makes me more aware of the fact that every little thing I do or do not do makes a difference. It would be interesting to see different moments in my life photographed like the above. I wonder what I would see in the pictures and if they would open my eyes to things I cannot see when I look in the mirror for example – metaphorically speaking that is. Further, when the photographs from different instances are laid out together, in chronological form as in this image, they tell a story. It might be a very simple story, but it is a story nonetheless, and this highlights the fact that it is not only every moment in life that counts, it is every part that makes up the story of that moment. My resolution is to create mental images of moments in my life and reflect on them as if they were photographed and clearly laid out in front of me. Thank you much for this valuable life lesson through your art Mr. Muyridge! 

Signed: Non-Analog

Weeks 6 and 7 – Part 2: Students’ Locatives

The class where we were asked to get into groups and come up with our own forms of locative narrative was super interesting. While providing an opportunity to really get familiar with the material and actually understand what locative narrative comprises of, it also allowed for much creative thinking and allowed ideas to be shared. Sharing ideas within groups was a great experience, and although it seemed like a daunting task in the beginning, I think most people quite enjoyed it by the end. Moreover, listening to what other people formulated in the presentation part of the class was a very eye-opening experience for me. It allowed me to see how much of an influence a person’s faculty, program, courses and peers/colleagues have on the way he/she thinks. The ideas within each group were very diverse, and what I thought of was how each person’s ideas would have been integrated had the groups been different. As far as the ideas that people came up with, I was very impressed. They were very creative, and it was obvious that they were collaborative efforts, like in a communal narrative, in which some very potent ideas were employed. I definitely saw some people who will follow in the footsteps of Bruce McDonald and make Ryerson proud!

Week 12: Fragmented

Let me start this post by saying that I feel extremely proud about the fact that Bruce McDonald, producer of “The Tracey Fragments,” graduated from Ryerson! 

“The Tracey Fragments” is very out of the ordinary. I have never seen any other movie like it before. I find that the split screens and fragmented scenes fit very well with the character of Tracey. She is a completely lost and broken girl, and the way in which the movie is made is a reflection of her character. You get glimpses of her in every scene, and she says and does things that made me really question her, but every scene does not provide an answer to the questions and worries I have about Tracey. Similarly, the movie gives you bits and pieces – fragmented clips that together tell a story. The split screens are distracting and made me think that I knew more than I was supposed to know. They increased my level of engagement with the film and bothered me at the same time. The fact that I watched it on YouTube added to the effect of the already fragmented film and characters. It was frustrating, but yet interesting, because I tended to pay attention to where my mind was focusing as I watched it, and tried to figure out why I made the choices I did. I watched some Tracey Re-Fragmented videos on YouTube as well, and this, along with the comments that people posted below every video on YouTube really helped clarify the meaning of the film for me. 

I <3 Digital Culture

I’d like to take this opportunity to talk about just how much potential there is in the digital world that we live in. If it wasn’t for YouTube, I would never have had the experience I did watching the clips of “The Tracey Fragments” and “Re-Fragmented.” The user interactivity feature on YouTube not only allows for a space where great discussion can occur (and of course, not-so-great discussion as well) but also allows for people who watch the videos (which is so easy and ever-so-convenient) to develop a greater understanding of what the videos mean and how people perceive them. I am a frequent user of YouTube, on my laptop as well as on my Blackberry, and I am so grateful for the technological advancements I am privileged to integrate into my life. I feel completely naked without my Blackberry, my sister says I go through withdrawal whenever I do not have it within arms reach (so I guess the term “Crackberry” does have some relevance). I love Google, YouTube, and am sucked into the entertaining potential of Facebook every time I have something more important to do. I am an avid consumer of digital culture, and (although I do see the flaws with it), I love it. 

-OVER AND OUT- 

Signed: Non-Analog

Week 11: Taking Shrek apart

For someone like myself who is not familiar with visual art and animation at all, an image like this is extremely captivating. It is a completely foreign concept to me. It completely takes poor Shrek apart in my eyes… creates this alien looking creature – well, even more alien looking than what I already know him as. The idea from the lecture on Waking life that “the history of animation (like the history of film in general) is rich with technical experiments and works of the imagination that question the standard assumptions of mainstream practice” seems so far away from me (Wells, Romancing the real – as qtd. in class slides). When I watch animated movies I do not think about what it took to bring the characters to the form in which I see them. It is weird, because I am well aware of the fact that it took a lot of effort to bring these characters to life, but I have never pictured them half-completed before this. It does, however make a lot of sense that the process of animation and the technology that is utilized have seen much advancement over the years, just like pretty much everything else in our world. I can imagine how these developments can be viewed from two angles, a positive one and a negative one, similar to the way in which other digital technologies that I am more familiar with also have pros and cons. I assume that with developments in animation, the pros outweigh the cons (I would think so anyways), because that is how I perceive other advancements in the world. I believe in development and progress, and although there are some drawbacks to how fast things are changing, I think it is only natural that we continue moving forward; and it is best to embrace and move with the changes rather than to desperately try to stand still and resist them. If it gives me better Shreks, I’m all for it!

Signed: Non-Analog

Weeks 9 and 10: Every moment counts

I absolutely loved the video we watched in class about the man who took a picture from the same position by his store at 8:00am every morning. I do not know what this video is called or where to find it, but it is amazing! The person he shows his albums to is shocked and taken away by the number of pictures at the same time. The shopkeeper set up his camera in the same place facing the intersection outside his store everyday, and took the pictures at exactly 8:00am. The video even shows him looking at his watch before he takes the picture. There is so much captured in those simple pictures, it is unbelievable. It is literally the history of that intersection and of the people who passed through it everyday. The collection of pictures shows change, development, motion, movement, and progress. The whole collection tells a very intimate and detailed story about that intersection at 8 ’o clock every morning, and further, each picture tells a story in itself. I was almost convinced to start doing something like that myself, but I realized it would take a lot of dedication and would require me to be in the same place at the same time everyday, which at this point seems impossible. I will, however, keep my mind open to this idea as I am very inspired and somewhat touched by it. It gives a very sweet and genuine feeling about the importance of time and place. It really makes you realize that every moment counts. Additionally, it draws attention to just how fast paced and busy our lives are, and it makes me want to stop and “smell the roses” more often in my day to day life. We should all take a moment or more every so often to just stop in our tracks and absorb the life that is around us. 

Signed: Non-Analog

Week 8: Intrigued by “The Pillowbook”

I was totally intrigued by this picture from the moment I saw it on the screen in class.
It is so beautiful, so warm, so deep, so intimate and so thought provoking. The quote, “a picture says a thousand words” really comes to life through this picture.

The two people in the picture seem to be so comfortable and so in tune even though they are not even looking at each other. There is a certain chemistry between them, and it is hard to pin point exactly what kind of chemistry that is. There is respect and love and trust and gentleness evident among other things. The lighting makes the picture very warm and almost cozy, but immediately steers you away from the coziness because of the passion in the picture. I do not know if it is the exotic nature of the picture that makes it seem so full of passion and intrigues me right away, but there is something very fiery about it. The tones definitely play a role in this.

It is a very sincere picture. This comes across through the expression on the faces of both, the man and the woman, and their deep involvement in the tasks at hand. It is very natural and believable, and does not give off an air of pretence. It does not look like it was posed. The sincerity adds immensely to the chemistry and the passion between the two people.

I intend on finding out more about this picture. No matter how many times I look at it, I never get fed up, and it brings about the same intrigue in me every time as it did the very first time I saw it in class.

Signed: Non-Analog

Week 6 and 7: Through new eyes

Murmur, Toronto was one of my favourite texts.

Locative media involves so much detail about the setting of the story, and I find this to be unlike any other kind of text.

I especially like Murmur, Toronto because Toronto is where I live, and many of the places, or at least the areas are very familiar to me.

Professor Tschofen’s slides explain that,

Locative media are:
Immersive: they exist in real public places that require participants to rely on the senses, powers of observation, engagement with material tangible reality.

Social: Mobile public art can be used as a force for community building and change.
  
Exploratory: Locative projects literally demand of their audience that they look deeper, listen more carefully, venture outwards, and assume a stance of curiosity and openness.

Engage story and history: Many of their projects are representations of how people occupy and use urban public space, offering an evocative portrait of the past and current life of the city, its residents, and visitors.

The piece by Donna Kakonge, on the corner of Dundas and Kensington in Kensington market did all of the above.

It is immersive because the Saigon Pearl really does exist in that location. I felt like I recognized the name and the store sign immediately when it appeared on my screen. Many people who have been to China Town in Toronto a few times will be able to recognize this location.

It is social because it shows a very realistic view of the restaurant. This allows someone who has been there to recognize it easily, but at the same time shows the restaurant from a different point of view. People are accustomed to seeing it amidst the hustle and bustle of China Town, but here it is singled out, and this provides a different feeling of the restaurant. Also, just the fact that it is on a screen causes a very different effect from that of real life.

It is exploratory because as long as you can hear the girl talking, you are immersed in her story, and with the image of the restaurant right in front of your eyes, the tendency is to imagine her story unfolding based on her words and the image that you see.

It engages story and history because it tells you a story that you most likely have never heard before, and gives you a story about the Saigon Pearl that you will most likely remember if you ever visit this restaurant, or even pass by it. For people who have already seen or been to the Saigon Pearl before, it allows them to see the restaurant through a completely new and different light.

Locative narrative is very fascinating, and I found even more so with Murmur Toronto because it allows me to see the city from a completely different perspective – through new eyes.

-Over and out-

Signed: Non-Analog