Journal Update

This week I attempted to get a star trail photo, that unfortunetly did not turn out clear enough for me to want to use it in my final project. I am still working on figuring out a solution to this problem. I have started my final cut slideshow two days ago and after a few frustrating hours I am finally comfortable with final cut. It still is a bit overwhelming to figure out the way that everything works but I feel like I am getting a handle on it. I am also pretty much done setting up my digital portfolio, and do not feel as stressed as I feel I should be about this final class, (but I am not complaining hah). I will not be posting the photos that will be in the final presentation, and instead will post my final movie on my blog later or at least provide the link to blip.com 

Journal

This week I struggled with getting pictures which expressed my source as I envisioned. After exploring Boston a few times, I realized that it doesn't offer what I am interested in expressing. I went to the marathon, and because of the madness of it, I wasn't able to get fantastic shots.  I have thought about my source and have decided that the final point I want to make is that we as humans do not matter in the bigger picture, although we try. I really want my final project to end with huge environments and spaces. Though I do not have the resources to get into an airplane or helicopter in order to take these photos, I will be introducing a few that my mother has taken in Siberia. I did get some pictures of more minute things and photoshopped them. Tomorrow I will be starting to form my slide show, and this weekend I am planning on doing time lapse shots of the sky and a few other landscape shots that are only accessible by car. I am hoping that they will be more successful.

Source Statement

One human being is an original, unique and sole individual. As a whole, human beings can build and fill colossal buildings and thus, continents and our planet. From our planet we can look up at the sky and see millions of stars that together create galaxies. We are forced to understand how minute we are compared to our universe. 

We are small and insignificant. We want to fill vast open spaces with buildings in order to take control of a planet that is enormous. After filling the planet with man made structures, there is something greater: space. Now we are attempting to fill the biggest space we know of. We are insignificant, for after we vanish along with our structures, space will continue to expand until even atoms are ripped apart. 

We ourselves are made up of atoms, to whom we are the universe. As we live our lives, whether or not we recognize how small or big we are, we tend to over look the tiny, single objects that make up our world. The tiny, single objects make up oceans, forests, and seemingly infinite beaches. I am interested in exploring the individual, the small part, the insignificant along with introducing the bigger environment they create. I have zoomed into the details that make up objects that we consider infinitesimal because we are all one part of a bigger whole.

100 Word Blurb

                                                            Part of a Whole

            My final presentation will be based in digital photography and projection. There will be macro photos of sand, wood, leaves, bricks, etc. that will gradually progress towards their larger counterparts along with a human aspect of an individual in the world. For example a grain of sand compared with a vast beach or a brick in comparison to a huge building. These photos will be projected onto a white wall inside of Kennedy as large as possible without pixilation of the pictures. 

First Few Final Pics

Proposal

One human being is an original, unique and sole individual. As a whole, human beings can build and fill colossal buildings and thus, continents and our planet. From our planet we can look up at the sky and see millions of stars that together create galaxies. We are forced to understand how minute we are compared to our universe. Yet we ourselves are made up of atoms, to whom we are the universe. As we live our lives, whether or not we recognize how small or big we are, we tend to over look the tiny, single objects that make up our world. The tiny, single objects make up oceans, forests, and seemingly infinite beaches. I am interested in exploring the individual, the small part, the insignificant along with introducing the bigger environment they create. I have zoomed into the details that make up objects that we consider infinitesimal because we are all one part of a bigger whole.

I have three main ideas for a final project. I find myself interested in digital photography as my main media for my final project. The photos would range from macro, up-close shots of sand, wood, shells, flowers, trees, leaves, bricks, moss, fabric, etc. The photos will gradually progress towards their larger counter parts such as a leaf juxtaposed with a forest. Other 'big' idea pictures would include crowds of people, ocean, buildings, fields, and other vast open spaces. To display the photos I would rent a projector and project the photos onto a brick wall outside in order to tie in the idea of how small objects, such as bricks are placed together to form monumental buildings, integrating the idea of “part of a whole”.  The photos would in turn become as huge as possible, which would greatly help provide meaning for my source. They would be shown in order from smallest possible to largest within an allotted time, showing the progression of parts creating something bigger. The issue is that it would have to be dark, which is not when our class takes place. A variation on the installation is projecting it onto a white wall within the building where all light can removed. I have not made an installation piece yet, and am very intoxicated with the idea. The project would mainly focus on close macro shots that would lead into a bigger picture of a landscape and our world. This final project may transform into a very abstract representation of my source, “Part of a whole”. Another issue that may arise is that the photos, once projected may become pixilated and blurry. This would hinder the photos from being as large as necessary to express my source. My last variation is to present my photos in a book that would be very small, to show how small things can be. The book would come with a Lego cover to echo the idea of bricks, and how something grand, such as a building, is made up of small parts.

I am inspired by Ansel Adams to take grand landscape photos, that will show viewers how something small, such as a leaf, can make up a forest. Fig 2 is a gelatin silver print done by Adams which shows the vastness of a forest. I also really enjoy Minor White's use of a frosted window abstraction to introduce the idea of the sky, or landscape such as in Fig 3. I really want to play with more abstractions of objects we see everyday in order to really play with our perception of the world and what is infinitesimal.

The idea of “part of a whole” has been prevalent greatly in philosophy, theory, logic calculus, and metamathematics. There is a science that is actually based solely from this thought called Mereology. Mereology is defined as the formal theory and study of part-whole relationships. This really interested me and though I would like to introduce a mathematical theory into my presentation, I am not planning on it. Through my research I found a poem by Robert Francis called “Part for the whole”, Fig 1. The poem is related to my source. The speaker talks about fragments and building something, which is relevant to my ideas as well. I found it interesting that a poem was written about this idea. It is a different approach that I did not think of, but also am not planning to pursue. 

Fig 1.

“Part for the Whole”

By: Robert Francis

When others run to windows or out of doors 

To catch the sunset whole, he is content 

With any segment anywhere he sits. 

From segment, fragment, he can reconstruct 

The whole, prefers to reconstruct the whole, 

As if to say, I see more seeing less. 

A window to the east will serve as well 

As window to the west, for eastern sky 

Echoes the western sky. And even less— 

A patch of light that picture-glass happens 

To catch from window-glass, fragment of fragment, 

Flawed, distorted, dulled, nevertheless 

Gives something unglassed nature cannot give: 

The old obliquity of art, and proves 

Part may be more than whole, least may be best.

FINAL Project: PART: INSPIRATIONS

                                                              White, Minor, "Frosted Window", 1962; Gelatin silver print; 10 7/8 in x 13 3/4 in; 27.6225 cm x 34.925 cm

                                                              Adams, Ansel, "Winter Storm", 1944; gelatin silver print; 7x9 inch

I had some trouble finding artists that have explores the idea "Part of a whole" but have found a few throughout the year and recently that have inspired me am inspired by Adams to take grand landscape photos, that will show viewers how something small, such as a leaf, can make up a forest. Other similar juxtapositions will be introduced through my final installation. I also really enjoy White's use of a frosted window abstraction to introduce the idea of the sky, or landscape. I really want to play with more abstractions of objects we see everyday in order to really play with our perception of the world. 

"Artstor".Artstor digital library. 8 April, 2009.

2MinVideo Source

A person is alone in the world, just like a drop of water that falls into the ocean. We all, whether we are a single cell or a human being, a a part of something bigger than ourselves. It is a natural feeling of insignificance and importance, a natural contridiction that our world consists of. I will explore the small, minute details, as well as the bigger picture. Just as bricks, which are made up of small dirt themselves, make up the building we can live in.

FINAL Project: PART

TIMELINE:

Friday 17th April.

30 Images/Movie Stills from locations ready to be cut down and photoshopped. Start working on outline/design of slides.

Friday 24th April.

20 NEW Images/Movie Stills from locations ready to be cut down and photoshopped. Finish creating slide show, add Music/Sound. Get Projector and play with it to understand how it works. 

Friday 1st May.

FINISHED PROJECT PRESENTATION!! =)

Final Project: PART

Firstly I am going to start this by answering the main questions in three different ways. ( I am a bit confused on how exactly this is supposed to be typed out and whether or not we should write three proposals in one, but that would be about ten pages worth and not just one page, so yeah. We shall seee....)

PART #1

I would use digital photography as my media. To present my photos, I would rent a projector and project the photos onto a white wall. The photos would in turn become as huge as possible, which would greatly help provide meaning for my source. They would be shown in order from smallest possible to largest within an ellotted time, showing the progression of parts creating something bigger. The biggest problem I face is making sure the pictures are not blurry or pixilated. 

PART #2

I would use digital photography as my main media. To present my photos, I would make a book that would be very small, to show how small things can be. The book would come with a Lego cover. The biggest challenge i would have is figuring out a way to bind the book.

PART #3

I would use video and sound as my media. To present my video/sounds i would use a projector and project my video as large as possible onto a white wall or projector screen. In my video i would use objects that are made up of many different parts and pieces. A possible challege i face is making the video cover all of the nessesary locations, because some of them will be hard to get to (Such as mountain tops).

Final Cut Experience

I was first overwhelmed by Final Cut Express. The amount of screens, buttons, and doodads is astonishing. After the Tech Recitation, I felt a bit more comfortable, but it wasn't until I spent time with it on my own that I truly got the hang of it. It is actually pretty simple compared to what it first seems like, which is nice. There are a lot of options that are available also which is great!

5Aspects

1.Individual

2.Bigger than a part

3.A part of the puzzle

4.Symbiosis

5.Millions of someything

List of 10 and Source Statement

Handed in March 20th, 2009

List of 10

1.Water droplet
2.Ocean
3.One leaf crunching
4.Leaves rustling.
5.Crowd of people
6.Sand falling
7.Single grain falling
8.Spore
9.Computer sounds
10.Electric sound.


Source Statement

One human being is an original, unique and sole individual. As a whole, human beings can build and fill colossal buildings and thus, continents and our planet. From our planet we can look up at the sky and see millions of stars that together create galaxies. We are forced to understand how minute we are compared to our universe. Yet we ourselves are made up of atoms, that to whom we are the universe. As we live our lives, whether or not we recognize how small or big we are, we tend to over look the tiny, single objects that make up our world. The tiny, single objects make up oceans, forests, and seemingly infinite beaches. I am interested in exploring the individual, the small part, the insignificant along with introducing the bigger environment they create. I have zoomed into the details that make up objects that we consider infinitesimal because we are all one part of a bigger whole.