Esteban – Final Project Inspiration

This is a little late...but I think i finally found what I wanted to do for my project.

As previously seen through my work, I am fascinated by human behaviors and experiences. I think that the brain is an object largely underestimated by many and is just in the beginning stages of being understood (somewhat). I am very interested in Bill Viola's work with water and the feelings of being submerged. He recreates an experience that, for many is scary, and spins it into an almost heavenly and soothing one.

http://channel.louisiana.dk/video/bill-viola-tone-being

Recently, I have been reading a lot about mood spikes on individuals. My project serves as a platform to study subjects as they undergo a "positive spike" in their mood. I want to explore the relations between a physical sensation and the positivity that comes from it. It has been said that plunging in cold water can be very , yet positively good for a persons overall mood. I would create videos that recreate the sensation of dipping into cold water, and complement it by providing a cold bath for the audience (I need to figure out how I would go about this).

The Artist is Present: Response

A great documentary and a great artist. I was familiar with Abramovic's work from presentations in class, but this documentary delve into the artists as an individual removed from her art as well as the thought process behind the art. I am always fascinated by those who push limits, and Marina is a perfect example of an individual who successfully does this.

Esteban Arturo Project 4

Project 4 Update

I have been having trouble with this project for a while, trying to carry the fluxus influence through my work. The way I understand it to be, is that the fluxus movement is art that is accessible to everyone and can be seen through the everyday.
Because of this, I decided that I wanted to explore my daily movements and everyday life. I want the audience to have a connection with what I feel on the daily, and be able to interpret it. The idea I have behind the experimental video is documenting through physical movements the common feelings I have throughout a normal day. I'm not sure if I want to create any voice commentaries or not.

Fluxus and Video Experiment

Fluxus was a movement of artists that sought to blend different artistic mediums and approaches to make art for "everyone." The movement served as a rebellion that desegragated art, making it available to those artistically "non-educated" individuals.

As far as the direction of my project, I'm not sure where I am headed. This will be determined by more research. Depicting everyday things can be a broad subject, and truly honing in on one of the aspects is something that I continue to explore.

Critique Response

I thoroughly enjoyed the critiques for the sound project. Seeing each of the pieces come to fruition is always something to look forward to, and especially this time around when we had to chose which 3 pieces were our favorites.
The fourth one is just around the corner, and I can't wait to see what is in store for the coming weeks.

Esteban Arturo Audacity TRY1

TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES>WILL ATTEMPT LATER

https://vimeo.com/76547714

Meditative Sound Activity.

1st 15:
low
high pitch
contrast
slow
sporadic
soft
empty
vast
spacial
constant
animalesc

2nd 15:
Empty
spacial
empty
pattern
rustle
fast
empty
rustle

The sound activity was by far one of the most interesting activities we have done in any classes. It elevated the meaning we bring to art in class and allowed us to think more critically. When your eyes are closed, and you are solely focused on listening, you tend to pay attention more to the subtle sounds around you. While when your eyes are opened, you are allowing your eyes to guide that you listen to and what you pay attention to.

Response to Critique #DOS

Overall, I think that the critiques went well. I enjoyed watching what the other groups had in store, and how the animation of each one of us was so smooth. I was fascinated by some of the illustrations that people rendered by hand, but also had the chance to LOL when others leveraged the playfulness of stop motion video to create spoofs.

Diaries of BoxMan

As humans we seem to posses the innate ability to categorize groups of people through stereotypes. Because of this, our collaborative stop motion project sought to feat the stereotype of the “nerd” and the “hot girl,” while making an anticlimactic spoof out of the idea.

The story line begins in a house party, divided into the “cool people” clique, and the ever forgotten “nerd.” As the party progresses, and the tone is set with the music, the girls hit the dance floor leaving all the men behind. When the girls approach the “cool” guys the dance with them, the guys immediately deny; yet when BoxMan is asked into the dance floor, he is immediately engaged in the idea.

            As the story line progresses, an encounter between BoxMan and the “hot girl” crumples the stereotypical nerdy interactions that the audience has concocted in their minds. 

Diaries of BoxMan is a story about how the underdog can succeed. We named the man character BoxMan in relation to the personality traits that the nerd typically embodies. The people, scenes, and objects are composed of simple geometric shapes to dissipate any distraction that could cause the audiences’ attention to veer away. We decided to use clay to create the people and paper to create the set. The set was created in photoshop and then printed out and assembled. The group managed to leverage the simple look and feel of the objects, along with the funky feel of stop motion animation to create a light and funny experience for the viewers while managing to address a serious situation in our society. 

Stop-Motion Progress

I'm in group 4 with Isabela and Esteban. Our concept/idea is that a nerd is talked into going to a party and at the party he is very awkward and lonely during the first half. Later in the party he is invited to dance and the nerd turns out to be an amazing dancer. The nerd now stands out and is considered a cool kid. The nerd is even offered a kiss from the prettiest girl with luscious lips. The nerd declines. This is a story about how the underdog can succeed. We named the man character Boxman because of the shape of his head and body. We are thinking about titling the video "The Diaries of Boxman" because the video is similar to a diary in the way it gives you insight into another persons life. We want the people, scenes, and objects to be made from simple geometric shapes. We decided to use clay to create the people and paper to create the set. The video is meant to be funny and cheesy. Right now our video is coming along well. We have taken all the photos and started the editing. All we have to do is add sound and work on an artist statement.

Group 4 - Video Practice

Isabela, Esteban, and I practicing the different video shots that we learned today in class.

Project 2 - Storyboard

I'm in group 4 with Isabela and Esteban. We finally came up with a clear idea and concept. Attached is our storyboard and below is a link to a quick stop-motion I made on my own. We completely changed our idea so this new project has nothing to do with hand control.

Our concept/idea is that a nerd is talked into going to a party and at the party he is very awkward and lonely during the first half. Later in the party he is invited to dance and the nerd turns out to be an amazing dancer. The nerd now stands out and is considered a cool kid. The nerd even leaves the party with the prettiest girl there. This is a story about how the underdog can succeed. 

We want to use paper to create this stop-motion, similar to the one in the video below. We want the people, scenes, and objects to be made from simple geometric shapes, just like the one in the video below except it will be better quality. The video is meant to be funny and cheesy. 

Group 4 - Project 2 Idea

We are still in the brainstorming process so we are not 100% sure what the concept of out stop-motion will be. Right now we only know that we want do a type of video that has hand control. Some examples of inspiration are shown in the videos below. For this project we will need hands of course and also a nice subject for the hands to control. We will know more about the concept, items needed, and setting once we find a clear focal point.

Critique Response

Overall, I think that the critique process went well. I would have liked to see the videos prior to hearing the artists statement. This would have allowed me to experience the work without having prior knowledge of the effects and messages conveyed throughout. It gives the audience the opportunity to determine whether the message was successfully transferred through the piece.
As far as for my personal montage, If I was to continue working on it, I would like to look for other sound options. While using no sound still conveys the main point of the montage, the notion of sound creates a more chaotic environment for the audience, and thus conveying the message more directly.

theCAMERAeye

After reading it, The Camera Eye speaks to me about the processes of editing, critiquing, and the limitations of imagination. Even after re-reading it, it is difficult to decipher the full meaning of the text. As I read the introduction the first time, I couldn't help but feel a sense of mockery from the author towards critics. Shamelessly defying where true art comes from, and their process of how an audience experiences a piece. As the article continues to develop its argument, It seemed to be speaking about the impossibility of true imagination, because once we imagine it, it can become a reality.

Overall, while it proves to be a very interesting article overall, the main point the author is attempting to make is lost amongst all the flattery in the language.

traffic: a photo montage by esteban arturo

traffic from Esteban Arturo on Vimeo.

In my work, wether it is photography or video, I seek to arouse an emotion or feeling within the audience. It seems that a lot of art today has forgotten to do much of this, and relies more deeply in the "meaning" or "allusion" behind the work. Because of this, in TRAFFIC, I use sounds and momentum carried through each image to convey an environment, a situation, and a result.
   Exposition
            Climax
      Conclusion

Being the piece of the season, I wanted TRAFFIC to have some sort of representation of where I stand today. I was looking to create work that would depict relationships and the crash within it. The video itself starts of with some intensity created by the lighting and the sound behind the each image, but in an impromptu moment is interrupted by friction between the subjects. The audience feels the friction as the cuts between the images pick up speed, and the tempo of the actual montage heightens. The crash comes to a conclusion, the relationship is back to normal. The audience is looped back. It is once again the beginning. The traffic picks up again.

Notes of Anticipation: By Esteban Arturo

all is calm

i open the door

i come in

i lock the door

i look around

the weather is hot

the environment is stuffy

She sits

She looks at me 

I look back at her

I wait

I wait

SHE opens her mouth

I CAN hear the traffic outside

HONK

RED LIGHT

SCREECH

POINTS

SHE SCREAMS

CRASH

SHE SCREAM

CRASH

SHE SCREAMS

Disappointment 

Ambulance arrives

Ambulance helps the hurt

The towing trucks come

all is back

normal

i sit

she sis

we work

Montage Concept

Im dumbfounded by clashes between people and the relationships they hold. With my friends with jokingly bitch at each other ad thus, I want to re create a scene in which you argument intensifies, and then you go back to normal.

Psycho Response by Esteban Arturo

Alfred Hitchcock's film Psycho made it's mark in the film making industry through its successful use of montage and motion pictures. As the film first begins to develop, it seems to take a mystery's film usual course of action: An audience is caught between the main characters and their deep moments of guilt. The film continues to develop… tension rises through the dialogue and body language expressed between the characters…

and then BOOM. 

Hitchcock makes a phenomenal move as he recreates the shower scene through a series of montaged images that elapse over a period of time, undoubtedly catching the viewers in a sensational moment of awe and stricken by fear and shock. 

Throughout t the shower scene, Hitchcock is able to create fear through his focus nil objects that make the scene eerie: the knife, and the water running. He also contrasts the victims face as she reacts to her enemy. Prior to her enemy entering the bathroom, he focuses on the smile in her face, and takes that and uses it to contrast the painful look in her face as she is being killed. Solely focusing on the face, rather than on the entire scene as a whole, rises empathy within the audience. The action of the murdered is furthered developed through the short cuts between each of the shots and the background sounds which do not correlate with the order of the pictured featured at that moment. 

Hitchcock utilizes this same effect throughout each of the murder scenes in the film, which ultimately lead to the success of the movie overall.