Monday, June 8, 2015

An Exciting New Digital Video ! ! !

I created a 10-minute collection of clips from a larger, 15-hour video cataloging the entirety of my day with its routines and irregularities. I was much inspired by Bill Owens, particularly his photo series Suburbia and his movies like Eat This and Montana. I think this simple, unedited capturing of the world around the artist is very meaningful. Michel de Certeau, in his bible The Practice of Everyday Life, talks about artists' views of the world on page 92:
"Medieval or Renaissance painters represented the city as seen in a perspective that no eye had yet enjoyed. This fiction already made the medieval spectator into a celestial eye. It created gods."
This idea became evident to me during this project because as I worked, I became so familiar with the details of that one day to the point that I saw things that I didn't when it was happening. So, thanks to the iPhone and digital video, I have a stronger connection with the things around me. Another reason I think I was attracted to this project is my fear of losing moments or forgetting things that could be important. I keep a lot of things partly because I just like stuff but also because I worry that I will have a use for it in the future and then wait until that moment comes. Much like Thierry Guetta, featured in the documentary Exit Through the Gift Shop, who compulsively films everything due to a deep fear of missing important events (stemming from his mother's death), I want to hold on to funny things, good moments, and happy memories.

http://youtu.be/iSFpk-mfg3c

4 comments:

  1. This was really cool. Interesting how we think of our own "everyday lives" as boring, but we're entertained by watching someone else's.

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  2. I love it!!!
    You're so funny and cute - this is a compliment.

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  3. Similar to Lucy's comment, I'm really interested in seeing how other people live their lives and how they interact with their friends. I think there's something very human about that, and I think your comment about how you don't remember what happened yesterday but you remember every detail from June 1st, 2015 is fascinating. Our memories are made so that we can't remember every detail of every day, but there's something tragic about forgetting all of the little moments. Anyway, excellent job! I hope you have a great summer :)

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  4. I definitely expected this video to be funny, but I never thought it would have human sincerity in it too. Great job!

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