Media Arts I – Fall 2017

Inspired by Andy Warhol, I decided to do Screen Tests of me and my friends.  The idea is to put people front of a camera and see how they react. While some people wanted me to talk and ask them questions, other people had different things in mind. It’s interesting to see the contrasts.

https://media.lafayette.edu/media/The+Heartbreaker/1_b86e5fic

A person behind the camera is asking the “Heartbreaker” about cheating, relationships and love. You cannot hear the response of the “Heartbreaker” to the questions. It is purposeful for you to guess or be left wondering what they think the answer is to certain questions that they are asked.

https://media.lafayette.edu/media/Final+Project+-+Snake+Oil/1_ne1gq9v2

List of items: Honey, Baking Soda, Olive Oil, Milk, Mayo, Orange juice, Mustard, Apple Cider Vinegar, Lemon, Banana, Yogurt, Coffee Grounds, Avocado, Almonds, Green tea leaves, Oatmeal, Tumeric, Eggs, and Cucumber.

For my final piece I decided to include a personal struggle I have always gone through my whole life. I have been in a constant battle with my skin for as long as I can remember. My skin has never behaved, and it is something I have always tried to improve. I have spent too much time and money on different recommended products/treatments. Although it is obviously a minor issue in the grand scheme of things, it is always on my mind and is something that lowers my confidence. I know other people go through this problem as well, and they carry worse problems than myself.

I am very inspired by Kate Gilmore, Ana Mendieta, Bruce Nauman, and Tania Bruguera. I looked up many different remedies for clear/perfect skin and compiled them all together. The video resembles the time, the struggle, and the ridiculous skin remedies that I’ve gone through. I name this piece “Snake Oil” because at the end of the day, everything sold is ultimately snake oil. Everyone’s skin is different, and reacts differently. Although this piece was very fun (and smelly) to do, it does hit a sensitive nerve because I am very conscious about it.

The more I watch this piece, the more I see new metaphorical meanings coming out. For example, there is a time when I cannot open my eyes because they are in pain from the products. This represents the amount of pain that I have gone through with different products. I hope you enjoy!

For this  video performance I applied makeup to one of my guy friends, Phil, outside of Farinon. After looking at the footage, I decided to highlight his anxiousness (him making faces) and interruptions from the public.

https://media.lafayette.edu/media/Emma%27s+Performance+Piece/1_vmosr9gc

This Performance Piece is all about conforming/belonging to groups within society. Having that sense of belonging is something we all want to achieve. However, one may not even realize they are placing themselves in a group. When we wear shirt with printed advertisements or communities we are supporting and associating ourselves with that brand.

This may eventually lead to suffocation when trying to fit in or belong to too many groups in this society. Doing this video, you can see the suffocation and discomfort that arises as the video progresses. At first I knew that I would look “overwhelmed” with the brands on my body, but after watching it I found the suffocation factor as well.

https://media.lafayette.edu/media/Wataru+Performance+Video/1_xe8gkf77

iSushi

https://media.lafayette.edu/media/Wataru+Ando+iSushi/1_kd9rgxjv/39388461

 

https://media.lafayette.edu/media/Performance+ArtA+Morgan+Biddle/1_j9hpx3fm

For this video performance I chose to gather from many people different graphic t-shirts providing a logo/brand/community of some sort. I then sat in front of the camera, and with a straight face I layered on every t-shirt one by one. Although it is a humorous video to watch, it is extremely serious.

We, as the consumers, buy into and belong to many different brands and organizations, almost to the point of overwhelmed suffocation. As you can see, towards the end of this piece I look a bit hot, overwhelmed, and flustered. I did not mean to look like this, however that is how I felt in the moment with that many layers on my body. Every time I watch this video I pick up many different subtle elements that can relate to the society we live in today. I tried to fix my hair initially after every shirt I put on, because wanted to look presentable, however, towards the end, after being overwhelmed and feeling completely suffocated, I did not care how I looked. All I wanted was to just get the t-shirts off of my body. Perhaps this is how some people feel, at first they want to buy many different “trending” brands, however they may suddenly feel lost within their own self and perhaps not know who they are as an individual without these logos/brands defining us.