Wednesday, September 10, 2014
Film as Multimedia and Suna No Onna (Woman in the Dunes)
Hovagimyan discuss film as a combination of other media, writing: "Film in particular has an axis that incorporates many media, sound, theatre, painting, photography, etc. in a multimedia presentation." (On ***** Media, 118). Thinking about film as a union of various media, in combination with the idea of intermedia, reminds me of one of my favorite films: Suna No Onna [Woman in the Dunes] (Teshigahara, 1964).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XdTEs5MHqoU
(The beginning can illustrate the degree to which sand is involved in the film).
I bring up Suna No Onna because it seems to me to incorporate not just photography, sound, theatre, painting, and the other media integral to most films. This film incorporates the medium of sand. I don't believe that any film set in a desert qualifies as having sand as a medium. However, sand is so much a part of Suna No Onna, and is captured with such emphasis, that I believe it can be looked at as a medium incorporated into the film's core. I am not necessarily saying that the element of sand makes Suna No Onna a work of intermedia (in fact, I doubt it does), but I believe that it makes an interesting example of the flexibility of the multimedia composition of film.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XdTEs5MHqoU
(The beginning can illustrate the degree to which sand is involved in the film).
I bring up Suna No Onna because it seems to me to incorporate not just photography, sound, theatre, painting, and the other media integral to most films. This film incorporates the medium of sand. I don't believe that any film set in a desert qualifies as having sand as a medium. However, sand is so much a part of Suna No Onna, and is captured with such emphasis, that I believe it can be looked at as a medium incorporated into the film's core. I am not necessarily saying that the element of sand makes Suna No Onna a work of intermedia (in fact, I doubt it does), but I believe that it makes an interesting example of the flexibility of the multimedia composition of film.
Monday, September 8, 2014
Response to Foster
Foster’s essay helped me to better understand the
distinction between intermedia and multimedia. He explains intermedia as having
an intention; generally a political and compelling one, while multimedia refers
more to the medium specifically. Given this explanation, I assume that all
intermedia pieces are also multimedia, however the opposite is not always
true. For example, a collage made out of
paint and newspaper clippings is multimedia, but the intention and message
behind the piece determines whether or not it is intermedia. These statements are all just guesses because
while I’ve heard the term multimedia, intermedia is a new word for me.
One example of intermedia that I found is Yoko Ono’s piece, Cut.
This is a live performance piece captured through video and sound with a
strong social, political intention. Cut is
meant to be a comment on gender. Yoko Ono has no control as people approach her
and cut her clothed off her body. She becomes an object for the audience to
play with and a sexual one as more and more of her body is revealed. Watching
the progression of the audience involvement and noise level also comments on
people’s objectification of Ono’s body. Using the definition that I took from
Foster’s essay, this piece would be classified as both multimedia (performance,
sound, video, textiles etc.) as well as intermedia given its intentional
political message.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Sc47KfJjcI
Bed Peace: John Lennon and Yoko Ono
Bed Peace
ABOUT BED PEACE
1969 was the year that John & Yoko intensified their long running campaign for World Peace. They approached the task with the same entrepreneurial expertise as an advertising agency selling a brand of soap powder to the masses. John & Yoko's product however was PEACE, not soft soap, and they were determined to use any slogan, event and gimmick in order to persuade the World to buy it.
BED PEACE (directed by Yoko & John and filmed by Nic Knowland) is a document of the Montreal events from 26-31 March 2013, and features John & Yoko in conversation with, amongst others, The World Press, satirist Al Capp, activist Dick Gregory, comedian Tommy Smothers, protesters at Berkeley's People's Park, Rabbi Abraham L. Feinberg, quiltmaker Christine Kemp, psychologists Timothy Leary & Rosemary Leary, CFOX DJs Charles P. Rodney Chandler & Roger Scott, producer André Perry, journalist Ritchie York, DJ & Promoter Murray The K, filmmaker Jonas Mekas, publicist Derek Taylor & personal assistant Anthony Fawcett.
Featured songs are Plastic Ono Band's GIVE PEACE A CHANCE & INSTANT KARMA, Yoko's REMEMBER LOVE & WHO HAS SEEN THE WIND & John's acoustic version of BECAUSE.
"As we said before: WAR IS OVER! (If You Want It)" - yoko
ABOUT BED PEACE
1969 was the year that John & Yoko intensified their long running campaign for World Peace. They approached the task with the same entrepreneurial expertise as an advertising agency selling a brand of soap powder to the masses. John & Yoko's product however was PEACE, not soft soap, and they were determined to use any slogan, event and gimmick in order to persuade the World to buy it.
BED PEACE (directed by Yoko & John and filmed by Nic Knowland) is a document of the Montreal events from 26-31 March 2013, and features John & Yoko in conversation with, amongst others, The World Press, satirist Al Capp, activist Dick Gregory, comedian Tommy Smothers, protesters at Berkeley's People's Park, Rabbi Abraham L. Feinberg, quiltmaker Christine Kemp, psychologists Timothy Leary & Rosemary Leary, CFOX DJs Charles P. Rodney Chandler & Roger Scott, producer André Perry, journalist Ritchie York, DJ & Promoter Murray The K, filmmaker Jonas Mekas, publicist Derek Taylor & personal assistant Anthony Fawcett.
Featured songs are Plastic Ono Band's GIVE PEACE A CHANCE & INSTANT KARMA, Yoko's REMEMBER LOVE & WHO HAS SEEN THE WIND & John's acoustic version of BECAUSE.
"As we said before: WAR IS OVER! (If You Want It)" - yoko
Hayden's Response to Video and Intermedia Article
I found one of the more intriguing parts of Stephen C. Foster's Video and Intermedia to be his discussion of how intermedia differs from multimedia. He defines the difference as intermedia's ability to serve "as a vehicle through which a variety of 'generic intentions' can be processed," where multimedia does or cannot. The idea of intermedia in this case means that video has the ability to move between art platforms, defining itself by defying its own form. This discussion reminded me of the music video to Franz Ferdinand's song Right Action, which heavily involves intermedia to discuss its aesthetic on a variety of art platforms. The video's involvement of multiple mutually understandable forms of communication allows it to be comprehensible and aesthetically pleasing to the viewer.
The "Right Action" video combines photographed, indexical footage with animation and drawings, as well as text-based information. In this case, the screen itself is often divided, with one half showing one of the band members performing and the other half displaying some sort of lyric-based diagram or complex visual. The text itself in many cases contains video-like qualities, as it moves, duplicates, grows and shrinks like many of the other visuals. Sometimes the text is too small to read, a situation when it serves a purely retinal function, whereas in other situations it can be read and serves the purpose of communication as well. I believe the use of text for multiple functions is an example of intermedia which in the context of this video, creates the variety of intentions which Foster speaks of.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RqTsUtQLRFk
Richard Serra and Nancy Holt's Boomerang 1974
Boomerang
"Draws attention to how media supersedes our present moment, making a past moment our present moment. Also draws attention to the mediation of media. Technical difficulties are purposely left in and emphasized, bringing the mediation of technology to the foreground. Holt even talks about the lights beaming down on her, emphasizing her sense of unreality and alienation. This effect is eerie and disconcerting. It even disturbs Holt’s capacity to function as she feels that she cannot coincide with her own voice."
Quoted from What and Art History Major Learns
"Draws attention to how media supersedes our present moment, making a past moment our present moment. Also draws attention to the mediation of media. Technical difficulties are purposely left in and emphasized, bringing the mediation of technology to the foreground. Holt even talks about the lights beaming down on her, emphasizing her sense of unreality and alienation. This effect is eerie and disconcerting. It even disturbs Holt’s capacity to function as she feels that she cannot coincide with her own voice."
Quoted from What and Art History Major Learns
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