Meaning in Image/Action

Gave a presentation tonight about a paper that I'm working on. The title is Meaning in Image/Meaning in Action. The idea is to focus on how meaning is ellicited through both images and actions. Specifically, I was going to look at the JFK assassination and track it's development from action to image. Then look at Ant Farm's re-enactment of the assassination, tracking that from action to image. Finally, looking at the game JFK Reloaded, where again action is played into image.

I think one of the important parts that I want to get at is the connections made to a subject. Take me for instance, I was born in 1977, 14 years after JFK was shot. I remember as a kid watching some documentary on the subject and being terrified by the images I saw. While I didn't have a lived connection to the events they some how remain vibrant through that media. (A fellow student made an interesting comment on the study of the technologies used to document events, will have to look into that) Taking Eternal Frame, I am still distanced as I saw the video on a television screen during a video class. Though the people who encountered the re-enactment were reliving the experience. Finally, the game - Here anyone can relive the experience and do it over and over. I could shoot JFK all the time. There are performance issues here. What is important about becoming Oswald? There are just a bunch of things rattling through my head.


After class, I was walking and thinking again about interactivity. I want art to be felt in a multitude of ways. Physically - Emotionally. I want it to be like having Sex or being at the birth of a child. Something that is so palletable that it remains constantly present. Is that too much to ask of art? To me it is always much of a let down. Always very surface and never any depth. Reading old art criticism about Rodin, the writer seems like he wants you to fall in love with the art. Why doesn't that happen - catharsis? I remember seeing the Sistine Chapel and thinking about how beautiful it was, though I wasn't awe struck. It's plaster and pigment. But it is so distant. Seeing the cigarette butts in a Pollock has more meaning to me. Anyway . . .

Flanuer and Pscyhogeography

In an effort to follow an interest in contextuality and interaction, I came across the term pscychogeography. It refers to an area of study that involves the context and action. In my work, this is what the Breese Stevens Project and now several other proposals have come to focus on. I am interested in defining context and placing action. This also has provided way of looking at establish social and cultural context and understanding how action/interaction is defined by context.
I just proposed a project to document place in the game Second Life. A proposal that I just was rejected focused on documenting the areas around the Roman Fora in their past and present states. I curious about what once was and what now is. Then combining them to layer contextuality.


Another word that came up around this term is the flanuer - This term refers to a person who plays a sensor role in understanding the urban environment. My previous connection comes from some reading that I did in Matthew Buckingham's course. Will have to look into this more.


All in all, this is a dialogue for understanding place. I continue to come across people who are documenting space through audio, video, histories, etc. I am curious about the purposes for this documentation. Is it directed toward an understanding of identity? Or is to stop and listen to what is around us, if only for a moment? Are we broadening the ability to perceive?

A Cold March Day

It is the time of the year in Wisconsin where the weather is deceptive. A sunny day, but extremely windy and cold. I'm hoping to leave this behind soon.

Yesterday was a great day. Besides not having to work or go to class - I was able to check on the For a Good Time answering machine. In three weeks and with a small amount of info out, I had over 20+ messages. Some where hang ups, but a few did leave messages. They will be posted on the webpage later this week. So, thanks to those who called.

Have been applying for projects and employment. An application went out today for a fellowship with Linden Lab and Second Life. The project was focused on building an oral history of Second Life that people can access. Don't know if they will buy it, but I think it's an interesting idea.

Last fall, I applied for the Rome Prize. As I haven't heard anything yet, I'm guessing that nothing has come of it. The idea was to look at the Roman Fora taking into the consideration of what they once did and now do. I was curious about the people who inhabit the space past and present. Spoke to an old friend of mine who is a classicist/archaeologist he liked the idea. There might be a possibility for this project yet. The question is finding an organization to fund it.

Am beginning to organize info for two Augmented Reality projects to take place this spring. One will be in concert with a Symposium being held at the UW-Madison and the other is for the Games, Learning and Society Conference that am on a panel for. Both are going to take Madison as there subject, but I'm building a narrative around specific places.

Subaltern

The last two months I've been involved with a seminar that artist Matthew Buckingham has been teaching at the Univ. of Wisconsin. The title of the course is Representing the Past in Media and Art. The course has given me a chance to engage in area of historiography which is foreign to my experience. Last nights readings of Gayatri Spivak focused on ideas surrounding the subalern, a position in culture and society that lacks the ability to speak. It was an interesting conversation concerning colonial and post-colonial thought delving into identity and gender. It is a tough reading, but there is a lot there.

As is typical for me, this reading is creating ideas that relate to some previous work. I'm thinking about devising a performance that would consist of creating this position and then allow for the voice to be heard through a specific audience action. Control and authority comes through the speaking and the ability to be heard. I want to create a relationship where one is dependent on the other.

Post CAA and what is next

I have never been that good at keeping up with these types of things. It always is put down on the daily to do list, but never quite get to it.

Boston was a success. I accomplished my goals of getting an interview, meeting with people at MIT and seeing Boston. I have to thank Brandon for letting me stay with him. He is doing some great props work at the Huntington Theatre.

My attention is now turned toward two things. The first is making work and the second is getting to Asia. Have completed my location scouting and am now preparing to start the narrative building part for my projects. For a Good time is starting to move. I've gotten some cards out and the website will be up tomorrow.

As for Asia, I am very excited about going there. It will jump start my career in just the right way. Mainly, it will be a place to make contacts. I've just been asked to be a project manager for a part of the Singapore Biennale that Ong Keng Sen is producing. This is will be amazing.

Enough for now! My computer is having issues.