Identifying the Unknown

I was very interested in reading about artist Susan Hiller's interest in the unknown, and the idea of the unknown depicted in art in general. Hiller particularly used the unknown to depict things that were otherworldly and typically based in a horror genre. Artist Gary Hill applied characteristics of the unknown to his art, as well, especially in his piece Tall Ships, in which images of various people appear in front of the viewer as if from seemingly nowhere- essentially a spooky apparition. Though Hiller and Hill seem to enjoy focusing on the scary aspects of the unknown, I don't think this idea of the unknown has to be restricted to something disturbing. The unknown can actually be quite beautiful, and video installation art can be one of the best mediums to depict the unknown as beautiful, and maybe even soothing.

This piece of work, by artist Sonia Falcone, interested me for a number of reasons. I think this piece broadens the scope of what art really is, which video art installation had been doing for years. This piece of work combines music with lighting and color and manipulated images to create art. Not only does this video manipulate images, but it manipulates emotions, too- While the blue lights are flashing, the viewers feels at at ease and calm, especially with the music playing in background. There are also pictures that resemble things found in nature, such as flowers and the sun- however, you're not quite sure if these are actual pictures that the artist took and then put onscreen, or if they're simply lights manipulating the colors to form a picture in our heads. This video has an aspect of the unknown to it that, rather than disturbing me, as Hiller would have wanted out of her audience, actually makes me feel both intrigued and at ease.