Assignment
Black mirror: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QUfn1X2i_cM
Twilight: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5KqXfVytWc
For this assignment, you will be writing a comparative essay on two artworks: one artwork on view at the Doug Aitken: Electric Earth exhibition and another artwork of your choosing. This second artwork could be another work on view in the Doug Aitken exhibition or a work that you have learned about during lecture or in one of the readings. When you visit the Doug Aitken exhibition, take your time to get a sense of the entire exhibition. Select a few artworks that you are drawn to and/or puzzled by, ones that you want to explore further. Take notes on the installation of the artworks, their different components, their conceptual structures, their narratives (if applicable), your perceptual experience of them, and any other thoughts that come to mind. You may want to take photographs of the artworks to accompany your note-taking and for reference later. When you return home, begin the assignment by brainstorming what two artworks you want to compare and contrast. The two artworks should relate to one another, yet fundamentally differ. (Think about the slide comparisons we have discussed in lecture, or that you've written about for quizzes.) What concept, issue, or physical material do the two artworks share? How do these artworks speak differently about their shared concern through their physical forms, spatial organization, and conceptual structure? The assignment should take the form of an essay, with an introduction that ends with a thesis statement, multiple body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Each paragraph should be focused around one topic sentence. The body of your paper should begin with a formal description of each artwork, in terms of its visual, physical, and spatial qualities. Then, you should begin interpreting the artworks by comparing them through their shared concern. Strengthen your interpretation of the artworks by then contrasting them. Finally, conclude your paper by reinforcing your interpretations of the two artworks based on the term that they share and how they represent or carry out this term differently. Your final paper should be 5-7 pages in length, double-spaced. It will be graded holistically, with a focus on the following aspects: clarity of thesis statement, vividness and coherence of artwork descriptions, logical comparison and contrast of artworks, convincing interpretations of artworks, grammar and other mechanical issues.
It is impressive how much they can have changed the space quality of the museum between each exhibition by moving in and out those humongous installations. MOCA has become a huge dark palacefull of projector screen. It is quite amazing they set off different music in each scene and not interrupting with each other, which is a huge part of the art work itself.
It was quite overwhelming being surrounded by all of the huge screens, but soon I found this peace called ‘Twilight' one of the few peace in the museum that doesn't come with a background music. The work technically is a shape of payphone that made out of clear resin, acrylic and responsive LED light. I feel like the twilight is trying its very best to not bring any attention to what it is doing. The first time I pass by I thought it is just some artistic decoration they put on a corner. It silently flashes, like a power light on a laptop, and there is a relatively long time gap between each flashes. However, unlike the indifferent digital signal of an un played slot machine, the LED sense the presents of guests. It will notice that someone passing by or even stopped and trying to figure out what it is, then it will blink slowly with all its part. It brightens and warm up, as if roused by the possibility of being used as an instrument of communication. It was like it tries to making a connection as a sculpture to the viewer and telling responded back with those different types of blinking. Because of that it is made out of transparent material, it become this super light element that blend in the architecture itself.
The second art work of Doug Aitken is Black Mirror, a project in movement which by his description, they stitch in grace. The narrative of this work is about the matter system, the individual constantly move in the urban condition in a way the past and the memory is almost erased. There is one chapter in this film that the actress sits on a bed and talk about all the locations on the planet to a phone with a man playing drum, and in the end the actress said never stop, exchange connect and move on to a selfie camera. The script of this film was going to be for a stage play or opera. Doug decided to turn it in to a film because he want to show the movement of the work which is better on the media of a linier film.
Those two work both successfully created some kind of content of immersionfor the viewer.