Monthly Archives: September 2012

Blog Group A: Berger’s concepts at MoMA

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Discuss how you feel one can apply the concepts presented by Berger in looking at the Modern Art exhibition at MOMA?

John Berger mentions many different approaches or methods to consider when looking at art, even if at a Modern Art exhibition at MoMA. He mentions, “we can see, we are aware that we can also be seen” (Berger 9).  This helps to emphasize the concept of perspective in all art. When looking at a photograph, Berger suggests trying to understand how the photographer wanted to capture an image and what he/she saw as well as what is being displayed to us in a photograph. The intention of the artist should be accompanied by the art in front of us. An artwork can consist of a person staring at us from an artwork and trying to perceive the image from the person in the artwork can help us understand its role in a piece. What did the artist want to convey with this person in the image? While looking at some of the artwork at MoMA, the paintings and sculptures should be examined not merely by what is on display but also the purpose of the pieces.

Another point that Berger emphasizes is that reproductions of paintings do not parallel the real works of art. He states, “all reproductions more or less distort, and that therefore the original painting is still in a sense unique” (20). The reproductions do not show each stroke or groove in an artwork. Many paintings, such as Starry Night, embody texture in the work, which cannot be captured in a two-dimensional photograph or reproduction. Also, the experience of looking at the painting in the museum in person, up-close conjures up a whole different set of ideas, feelings, and thoughts that a mere reproduction cannot evoke.

The concept of perspective and understanding that a reproduction is not merely enough helps us reevaluate our experiences at MoMA. The perspective from us looking into the painting should only be one of many perspectives considered when trying to understand art. A reproduction does not give justice to a painting and looking at any painting at MoMA should consist of observing and appreciating all the details an artist put into their work that cannot be seen from anywhere else.

 

Sara’s Self Portrait

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Sara Camnasio’s self-portrait performance was one of cultural exploration and discovery, marked by humor and personal details. Sara portrayed the cultural shift in her life from Italy to New York through food, pictures and language. Starting with a fast-paced and somewhat exasperated-but-loving conversation with family in fluent Italian, set against the rolling hills of Italy, Sara crafted a picture of her life before she came to America. Despite it being in a foreign language, her conversation drew the audience in as the conversation we’ve all had with family. “Yes, yes I’m fine, Mom,” punctuated with a short and succint “Ciao, Ciao, Ciao” as though her relative wouldn’t get off the phone.

Hanging up, she spent some time revealing facets of her personality that she couldn’t live without; Sara shoved ring after ring onto her fingers, as if her journey couldn’t be made without them. She then ate some pasta to emphasize the mainstay of her culture. Finally, she bridged the gap between her two worlds on opposite sides of the room by literally jumping across it, her computer telling us that it was 2009, the year of her immigration to America. Arriving here she sighed contentedly before revealing a picture of Central Park, a far cry from the rolling hills of Italy. However, these two images connected the audience in their natural quality. Though the city is obviously a very different environment for Sara, she sees the role Nature has to play in both settings.

Settling down in New York, Sara picked up an American flag and surveyed it contentedly before smiling and covering herself in it, cloaking herself in her new American identity. However, her rings remain as a symbol of the parts of her personality that won’t change despite her cultural shift. She looked at her museum pass and exclaimed how cool it is before putting it on and opening herself up to all the cultural opportunities that New York has to offer. She babbled excitedly into her phone to her friends, a scene reminiscent of her phone call with her relative in Italy, whilst eating some humorous, stereotypical American food: McDonald’s. The parallel of this scene to the scene in Italy bridges the gap between the life Sara lived in Italy and the one she now lives in New York; it is essentially the same picture, the same language, but a different setting.

Even though I was filming it, I tried hard to watch it through my own eyes for the full perspective. As an audience member, I couldn’t help but relate to her fashion fetishes, her exasperation with her family, and her joy to be in a new culture. With her self portrait, Sara crossed the barrier of culture not only in her own life, but in the audience’s mind. She created a universal language for the audience through themes such as family, food and personality which are mainstays in everyone’s life, no matter their background. In a land where everything is different for her, Sara has managed to convey exactly what we all share, no matter our differences. Her self portrait is a portrait of New York; though the city is a medley of many peoples from many cultures, at the end of the day we are a cohesive body of citizens with a unique identity as “New Yorkers” who all share in the same “language” of the city.

How to find, edit, and embed a video from your Vado Cam

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I uploaded your partners’ videos into either your iPhoto or your desktop.

  1. Describe the performance.
  2. What were the strengths of the performance?
  3. What worked about it?
  4. What elements were used?
  5. You may also reflect on the differences between watching the video onscreen vs. in-person; the differences between creating a piece and watching one.

To upload the video to this blog, use the Upload/Insert button above the text editor. Choose “From Computer” and find your movie.  Once you find it, while you’re on this screen, copy the File URL which appears in a text box (should have */file/* somewhere in the url, and should end in .mp4). Don’t actually insert the files, but select and copy the URL of your movie (ie: copy using command+C).

Then, make a new post and embed the video and picture with the shortcode as follows:

 

 

Optional: If you must edit the video, open iMovie. A tutorial can be found here.  Be sure to save your edits. If you use iMovie, then please do not forget to click Share > Export Movie.