SIGGRAPH 2013 XYZN Scale Podcast - Whitney Ratliff

The SIGGRAPH 2013 podcast for the XYZN Scale Exhibition explained by Victoria Szabo was inspired by a William Blake poem presented on one wall of the sphere of the gallery space. This unique gallery space presents various artworks using emerging digital technologies and providing a sense of how these technologies provide a much broader, expansive means for the elements of art and reevaluating the essence of traditional means of artwork within a much digital world.

Although it was difficult to retain all this information from a hearing aspect, a more visual aspect of the podcast might provide an easier means of understanding the element of "visual information" presented in the cast. It did sound like an interesting gallery space allowing viewers and the artist to reestablish the analog aesthetic within a digital form, using traditional forms, rediscovering the past and presenting them within a present digitalization of what media art can accomplish. This interest group overall sounds like a very fascinating and well-needed group within the art world as they appreciate and provide all forms of artwork but present them within a much more modern take.

One take on this is the right-brain/left-brain where the artist inspire the scientist and the scientist inspire the artist allowing both artistic aesthetics and technological aspects together to provide a combined form of artwork. One point was made by Jackie Morie to have an open-mind and basically walk in another person's shoes and try to see it from their point of view, which is a great ideal and a huge factor of my own perspective of life. We need to learn that we are all individuals able to think and feel on our own and that in the end, agree to disagree when it comes to matter of differences. We need to become sponges of information and seek a perspective bent on wanting to learn more, like the great philosophers of Greece who, although were quite religious still were open-minded and willing to talk about matters such as religion and politics and not only question the aspects of another person or group but also see it respectively and at least try to understand the other side without dispute or conflict.

If ya want to take a test to see which hemisphere you dominate more with, take one here: Right or Left Brain Quiz

My Result:

David Byrne

 Just to preface, I may have a bit of a bias because of my previous love for David Byrne. However, I feel like this piece hit the nail right on the head, despite some of what I felt to be capitalist rhetoric regarding business and development. New York City can be a magical place, especially for an up and coming artist, in regards to garnering inspiration, connections, etc. Thus, artists have flocked to the city for decades now. While this has proven to launch many artists into amazing success, there are several disturbing factors at play. First, gentrification in New York is completely out of control, leaving people of color and underprivileged groups to extreme violence and further poverty. Tracing back lineage of this process, for example in Brooklyn, one will find that the onset of this neo-colonialism was brought about by artists finding their way into cheap or abandoned housing. What follows are developers and entrepreneurs that then capitalize on the process as the art community has done a great deal of the work for them. Now, several of said neighborhoods are chalk full of millionaires, and expensive restaurants. Not only has this happened in NYC, but this process is taking place all of the country right now. It is our responsibility as artists (especially as white artists) to take it upon ourselves to ACTIVELY fight gentrification as are actions in particular neighborhoods can ultimately lead to extreme violence and alienation.
  Another issue with NYC importing so many artists is that it becomes very disempowering for art communities in other places. I know so many artists that were working in DFW for example who left to areas such as Portland, SF, or NYC because of the expectation that existing in those places would ultimately make them more successful. While that is rarely working for folks anymore, it becomes very difficult to create a thriving art community in a place like Denton or Dallas when artists aren't willing to put in the work to create it on their own. Yes, that work is hard and sometimes you feel like you're in a fucking desert when you work in places like this, but what I've found from putting on independent shows here and encouraging local artists to become empowered in the place that they are - is that it is so much more exhilarating and rewarding at the end of the day to have built something, created something new. And that's what we do as artists right? Take a blank canvass and turn it into something beautiful and its time that we see the communities that we already live in as that canvass.

bad at sports XYZN scale

I wish I could have gone. I went and looked for pics from the XYZN scale show, couldn't find anything, lol speaking of invisibility.
I don't have a long response, it sounds like a bunch of my past professors mixed with all the art21s I've watched. Don't be invisible. Documentation is VERY IMPORTANT. creating an online presence is VERY IMPORTANT. Politics are in your mind. The structure is in your mind. Bend the spoon, and you'll be a famous artist.

David Byrne

I think that new media is all about changing the creative community landscape, redistributing the artistic wealth, and leveling the playing field so that anybody with a good idea, or a notable talent has a shot at fame. There is, however, a really special and beneficial effect you feel as an artist when you are surrounded by other artists. It's like the power rangers, when they all got together they could make that big robot. I think that these collectives can happen anywhere though, with an advanced online network and presence, anywhere on the planet can be an artist's headquarters.

A few Gallery shows to MINGLE at.

Hey guys, here are a couple shows coming up that you might use for your BEING SEEN schmooze assignment.

TONIGHT at Goss Michael Foundation - 6pm-8pm, Michelle Rawlings

Saturday at Zhulong Gallery - this Saturday September 6th 6pm-8pm, James Guerts

More to come...

Reading Response #1: David Byrne

Reading this article made me incredibly sad as I thought about my Drawing II teacher, whose name I won't mention. I keep up with him on social networking sites when I can-- before even reading Byrne's article I had already decided privately that I would never live in NY. I would like to visit one day sure, but never live there and this is why:

"I just felt I had nothing…. I felt I lost my family, home, car, dog, friends, money, pride, faith, dignity, and dream. All I have was shame.
But I was OK. I found a job and Apt. I was rather more cheerful and energetic than usual. Just only sometimes I started crying for no reason in a train, park, my room, street, anywhere. Just all of the sudden. I don't know why. I just could help it.
Then it was getting worth and started bothering me a lot.

It was the one of those days. You know, when you wake up, you feel still tired and you wish you could never have wakened up. You wish you were still in your dream.
I just felt empty when I woke up. I didn't see any excitement in my day. My empty heart was almost hurting or I guess I was feeling real physical pain, too.
I was just ready to give up my life. That doesn't mean I wanted to die… I just didn't want to live anymore. So I decided to let myself go. I sold my car for nothing. Actually I had to pay little bit. Anyway, with little money I had, I went to the Met. I didn't know why I just wanted to do some sketches. That was what I wanted for the last. In the Met, when I saw George Bellows’s paintings, I got the biggest breakdown. He was a good painter. Not my favorite painter. I don't really know what so special about his works, but just some of his paintings were really moving to me. Maybe the color.. maybe the brushworks. I don't know what was that. But I started crying. I mean really bad. I couldn’t breath and my head was pounding. I had to sit down and finally I had to leave…. Then I realized something was really wrong with me.

I’ve been meeting with my support group. I am doing really well. I quit painting. I will find something for me. I am in NY. Anything can be possible, right?"

"saying good bye to my paintings. I will never love someone like i loved painting, but its time to move on. I dont see myself painting again. This is over. i sound like Adele."

"I will visit denton in July. and i will get rid of all paintings. Sadly they are going to a dumpster. If you are interested in, please let me know. i wont charge too much. it will be like 90% off..."

NY caused him to have a mental breakdown. I am not saying that everyone who goes there would suffer the way he did, but I don't think that it's worth the risk of giving up on art. He gave up on art even though he said "<insert his name> - art = nothin but a hound dog..." It's not worth losing oneself.

Byrne's article as well as the many others that have agreed with him about NY's failing support of new talent, only supports my decision further that, as of right now with the state NY is in, I would not live there.

Lacey's Response - David Byrne

When I was younger I always imagined New York City to be the go to place for pretty much anything you would ever need in your life. Excellent job opportunities, huge cultural variety, and plenty of artistic gatherings and what not. As I've gotten older I've come to learn that New York is slowing descending into a monotony of business and finance, no more pleasure. Byrne says in the article that most of the 1% big wigs don't even live in the city anymore so why would they care to change the direction it's heading in? Lower class and most middle class citizens are struggling to pay rent and make ends meet while higher class have a pent house that they use for a few weeks out of the year. It is so difficult for budding artists to even make a living in the city let alone hit the big leagues that over time the harsh reality of failure would ultimately wear one down.