Prior to reading this article, I was relatively unaware of the term “internet art” and what exactly it meant. I had never really considered using the internet as a platform with which to create art. Neither had I truly thought about it as a form of art. Rachel Greene shed a light on the growing popularity of the medium as of course, the world is becoming increasingly more connected, and thus, plugged in. Although this may be true, it is still a rather undervalued art form as many, including myself, are relatively unaware of its existence. When the word “art” comes to mind, one might think of a museum, painting, photography, or even acting, but rarely would one ever think of the internet. The emergence of internet art has demonstrated not only the creativity of those who produce it, but the fluidity and flexibility of the internet itself. That said, I think that because the internet already has so many uses, it is easy for the artistic aspect of it to become obsolete, or slightly forgotten. Nonetheless, it is a beautiful art form that will hopefully continue for the duration of the existence of the internet. After reading this article, I have a newfound appreciation for internet art and its creators.
Week 11: Video Project Documentation – Grace Currier
imanas.shanghai.nyu.edu/~hrm305/videoProjectFinal
Project Idea
Our initial idea for this project was an investigative murder mystery, that was a parody of serious crime television shows, etc. We wanted the story itself to be comedic in nature, and thus decided on two suspects, both of which were played by me, and the cop and victim, both played by Xavi. We wanted our user interaction to mainly be choosing between two options, or investigating evidence of the crime.
The Process
We encountered a lot of ups and downs throughout this project. First, we could not get the tripod to connect to the camera, thus creating a somewhat shaky appearance in the final product. Second, the audio was not as crisp as I think we were hoping, which was another criticism we received. This project was very time consuming and required a lot of attention from all of us, but I can proudly say that I am very happy with how it turned out in the end. Xavi and I did most of the work in front of the camera while Hanna and Selena did the behind-the-scenes work. In terms of interactivity, we included choice-based interaction, pop-ups and buttons that enabled the user to better understand the plot. The editing was seamless and the story flowed smoothly, just as when we first planned it out. One reason why we decided upon a comedic video is because Xavi and I are by no means, professional actors. So, it would be embarrassing (at least I think) for both of us to actually try to act, rather than willing embarrass ourselves for the sake of laughter and enjoyment from the viewer.
Post-Mortem
Our original idea stuck with us from beginning to end. Despite the negative feedback, it was so fun to film and was also a learning experience, for sure. Hanna and Selena did a fantastic job of editing and coding to make the final project one that we could all be proud of. I think we all worked very well as a team, and they frankly made this project my favorite in the class thus far.
Week 11: Internet Art – Grace Currier
http://www.exhaustingacrowd.com/birmingham
This project by Kyle McDonald is essentially a livestream taking place in four different cities, through which users can tag different people or objects that they see with their observations. I think this project is really cool because the tags are an accurate depiction of the human race: all different languages, some funny, some serious, some inappropriate, some extremely insightful. I also like the fact that the project is ever-changing; it never stays the same for more than thirty seconds. Although in my opinion, it is slightly creepy that people can comment on the actions of people who are completely oblivious that they are being watched, the idea itself is very creative and outside of the box.
Week 7: Audio Project Individual Response – Grace Currier
Description
Our project combines emotions with audio, given that music can make you feel a certain way. So, we decided to remix existing songs with sounds that stir emotions (happy, sad, calm, angry, etc.) depending on two different emotions. We did this because there is a complexity and a depth to one’s feelings, which is usually a culmination of multiple emotions. The idea behind our project was to have the user click on one emotion and a song would play that correlates to that emotion. Then the user would click the second emotion and it would play a sound effect to match.
We decided on two emotions because the more emotions that are added to the mix, the more possible permutations there could be. If we had more time for the project, we could have added more emotions or possible combinations of each. But, for simplicity’s sake, we decided on two.
Implementation
There is a gradient in the background of our website that corresponds to the different emotions one selects for visual effect, which Bonnie did a great job of implementing into the code. We initially decided on using a waveform for when the audio plays, but it became too complex for the time we were given and the code was uncooperative with the rest of the project. I focused primarily on remixing the audio, which in and of itself proved to be a challenge. Combining sounds and melodies, adding rhythm and then creating an audibly pleasing song for most of the permutations was both time-consuming and creatively taxing. But, I think that the final product is something to be proud of.
Post Mortem
Our project idea evolved several times before finally coming to fruition, but the vision stayed relatively the same. I think we achieved our accomplished goal, of portraying emotions and the corresponding music/audio that stir up those emotions, while also displaying the visual aspect of those emotions. Essentially, this project is all-encompassing of one’s feelings with the audio and visual effects, which was always the goal.
Week 6: Auld Lang Syne Lyrics – Grace Currier
I know that I definitely did not get them all, but here are the majority of the lyrics to Kenny G’s Aung Lang Syne (The Millenium Mix):
“Mary had a little lamb, it’s fleece as white as snow. And everywhere that Mary went the lamb was sure to go.”
“The stock market crashed.”
“The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.”
“This country is at war with Germany.”
“The Japanese have attacked Pearl Harbor.”
“I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth.”
“The world will note that the first atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima.”
“Jackie Robinson goes to bat for the first time in the Major League.”
“It was a little cocker spaniel dog, and our little girl Tricia, the six year old, named it Checkers.”
“Are you a member of the Communist Party or have you ever been a member of the Communist Party?”
“Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.”
“Marilyn Monroe died…”
“President Kennedy died at 1pm.”
“I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”
“And I say segregation now, segregation tomorrow, and segregation forever.”
“I’m about to sign into law the Civil Rights Act of 1964.”
“The Beatles!”
“Very sad news for all of you, Martin Luther King Jr. was shot and killed tonight.”
“One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.”
“It’s a free concert from now on… we must be in Heaven man!”
“Four persons including two women were shot and killed in Ohio today… hundreds were involved, as…”
“We have concluded an agreement to end the war and bring peace with honor in Vietnam.”
“Well, I’m not a crook.”
“I should resign the presidency effective at noon tomorrow.”
“My name is Jimmy Carter and I’m running for president.”
“Live from New York, it’s Saturday night!”
“John Lennon was brought to the emergency room, he was dead on arrival.”
“We will never forget them, nor the last time we saw them as they prepared for their journey and waved goodbye. And slipped the bonds of earth to touch the face of God.”
“We did not trade weapons or anything else for hostages.”
“Everyone on Sesame Street is always talking about love…yuck.”
“Read my lips.”
“Princess Diana died of injuries suffered in a car accident.”
“I’m Ellen, and I’m gay.”
“I did not have sexual relations with that woman.”
“Indeed, I did have a relationship with Miss Lewinsky that was not appropriate. In fact, it was wrong. I need to go back to work for the American people.”
“The young killers of Columbine High School do not stand for the spirit of America. We can rise up and we can say, ‘No more.'”
“Let the word go forth from this time and place that the torch has been passed to a new generation of Americans.”
This song was extremely powerful to me, as an American who has learned about the ups and downs in our history. I have parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles who have lived through the victories and the losses, the rollercoaster that is America. The song stirred up strong emotions, seeing the progress we’ve made as a country and the progress we have yet to make.