This is the project I will remember the most after this class.
To be clear, I have never been abused and do not think I will ever be because of my personality and my living environment. In fact, I have a really happy and easy life that I think sometimes it stops me from a being a great artist because all good art emphasizes personal struggles and pain. People don't remember art for being bright and happy. Is this true or is it just me?
Anyway, I made this video when I found out that April is Sexual Assault Awareness month and I would like to do something to support.
This project was hard since the beginning when I tried to find participants. You would find me constantly asking my friend the same question "Will you slap me? It's for my project?" and most said no. For the people that were in the video, they didn't really know what they signed up for until I made them say yes.
I was scared, honestly scared when making this video although I was surrounded by my friends and although I asked them to do all these to me. After the all the hands came inside the frame, I really felt trapped among these people and did everything I could with my head trying to get out but I couldn't. I hoped the audience could read it from my facial expression because it was a real experience.
About the sound. I put the raw video in silence at first. After that, I recorded myself tapping my finger on the computer while watching the video. Some said it's like a gradually rushing heartbeat and I thought nothing can describe it better than that.
Wow ahn, I really really loved this video. It was done extremely well all the way through. The frame was perfect. Your look was perfect. The sound was perfect, a nice tension builder and nicely climactic. I also enjoyed that you initially only showed the two hands and then added all the rest. That you could only see the arms was really nice as well. I saw all the inspirations as well. Pry, pulling neck, cut piece. Very well done. Very powerful.
ReplyDeleteAGREE. Incredibly strong! The framing was perfect. You used the frame in a way that focused of you and the arms/hands were anonymous, making it everyone's hands. I know you made it in response to the April sex abuse awareness month -- which is perfect --- I like how you were able to creatively respond to this Anh. It shows me that you really are able to intellectually as well as technically and conceptually make art -- at the heart of this class. This was definitely your best work. I want to stress that while your inspiration was to focus on sexual abuse, I took away more than that. The work was also about the bigger picture - how we as humans are always being manipulated and pushed, controlled. I really did not feel it was directed solely on sexual abuse. Simple, effective, layers of meaning. STRONG work! Wow!
ReplyDeleteI just want to say that this piece is very powerful. The tension that is created is flawless and is very potent. I think this piece would heighten tenfold if it was done live. Just seeing the actions, the hands, and the rhythm a few feet in front of you would be very intense. I also wonder what would happen if the piece endured 5 minutes and instead of just pushing your face what if the camera zoomed out and they slowly push and agitated your entire body? In the end your piece was great and you are a brave artist.
ReplyDeleteThis piece was super powerful. I'm not sure I have any suggestions for it, besides maybe using actual recordings of heartbeats. But that would almost take away from it. Hearing the tapping sound (I didn't know it was your finger, I honestly thought it was a drum or your shoe) and interpreting it as a heartbeat makes it more powerful, in a way,
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