Movies
Georges Rousse films: Contact and Art Project in Miyagi
It was interesting to learn about all the kinds of work Rousse did in the first documentary. I found his figural paintings to be intriguing thought experiments, exploring what the lives of the people that occupied those abandoned spaces could have been like and also creating a new sense of meaning for the place. Seeing how the architectural figures and 2D-esque works were made was satisfying, as I wondered how he had planned and painted those compositions when we looked at some of his work in class. The circular cutouts in the houses were really cool to me; they seemed to float in the rooms as if they were portals that lead to places all across time and space. They are my favorite type of his work.
The second film was composed quite well. It was neat to see the full process of one of Rousse's projects and how many people were involved. The time-lapse with all the different interactions of light and the work throughout a day was my favorite part of the film. It seemed to have a sense of nostalgia and evoked emotion, and it also gave the viewer a stronger sense of what seeing the piece in person is like, in comparison to a static photograph, as was the case with the first film. I also enjoyed how the video gave a dynamic view of the whole room, revealing how the illusion was created.
Overall, I enjoyed these films. I find Rousse's work to be an interesting exploration of memory, perception, and the impermanence of the things around us in the flow of time.
Cindy Sherman-Nobody's Here but Me
This film was an interesting look into Cindy Sherman's life, ideas, goals, processes, and work. I was unfamiliar with her until we talked about her in class, so some of the content was surprising.
It was fascinating to learn about how she got started taking photos with herself as a model. The way she developed the method of dressing up as other people, not as a way to explore different facets of her personality, but as something to do that relieved boredom and was exciting, was unexpected. I enjoyed her film still series and how they wonderfully capture the film noir aesthetic; I also enjoyed how they each told a story. The way that Sherman didn't have an entire plot thought out, but some viewers thought she did, made me think about the relationship between creators and their work versus the relationship between viewers and the work.
Her later, more graphic work lead me to ponder about what is considered art, with the shock value of the pieces interacting with the composition based in principles of design. One thing that I liked in these was the usage of products of capitalism and patriarchy to critique it (the mannequins, masks, babies, and clothing from that children's shop). Her work was designed to provoke thought that could be considered feminist, but it was interesting that her work is not specifically designated as feminist.
Considering the quote, I think that her work, specifically the film stills, definitely addresses the point that she brings up in it. In the movie, she talks about how in some of the photos, she wanted men who were expecting something provocative to feel guilty about their expectations. The photos with herself in them often show the subject looking as if they are being observed, often while acting and looking traditionally feminine. They also tend to portray people who were generic models of what society demanded from women; they didn't have much of an individual identity. This is also reflected in how Sherman temporarily loses her identity while modeling for her photos.
It was interesting to learn about all the kinds of work Rousse did in the first documentary. I found his figural paintings to be intriguing thought experiments, exploring what the lives of the people that occupied those abandoned spaces could have been like and also creating a new sense of meaning for the place. Seeing how the architectural figures and 2D-esque works were made was satisfying, as I wondered how he had planned and painted those compositions when we looked at some of his work in class. The circular cutouts in the houses were really cool to me; they seemed to float in the rooms as if they were portals that lead to places all across time and space. They are my favorite type of his work.
The second film was composed quite well. It was neat to see the full process of one of Rousse's projects and how many people were involved. The time-lapse with all the different interactions of light and the work throughout a day was my favorite part of the film. It seemed to have a sense of nostalgia and evoked emotion, and it also gave the viewer a stronger sense of what seeing the piece in person is like, in comparison to a static photograph, as was the case with the first film. I also enjoyed how the video gave a dynamic view of the whole room, revealing how the illusion was created.
Overall, I enjoyed these films. I find Rousse's work to be an interesting exploration of memory, perception, and the impermanence of the things around us in the flow of time.
Cindy Sherman-Nobody's Here but Me
This film was an interesting look into Cindy Sherman's life, ideas, goals, processes, and work. I was unfamiliar with her until we talked about her in class, so some of the content was surprising.
It was fascinating to learn about how she got started taking photos with herself as a model. The way she developed the method of dressing up as other people, not as a way to explore different facets of her personality, but as something to do that relieved boredom and was exciting, was unexpected. I enjoyed her film still series and how they wonderfully capture the film noir aesthetic; I also enjoyed how they each told a story. The way that Sherman didn't have an entire plot thought out, but some viewers thought she did, made me think about the relationship between creators and their work versus the relationship between viewers and the work.
Her later, more graphic work lead me to ponder about what is considered art, with the shock value of the pieces interacting with the composition based in principles of design. One thing that I liked in these was the usage of products of capitalism and patriarchy to critique it (the mannequins, masks, babies, and clothing from that children's shop). Her work was designed to provoke thought that could be considered feminist, but it was interesting that her work is not specifically designated as feminist.
Considering the quote, I think that her work, specifically the film stills, definitely addresses the point that she brings up in it. In the movie, she talks about how in some of the photos, she wanted men who were expecting something provocative to feel guilty about their expectations. The photos with herself in them often show the subject looking as if they are being observed, often while acting and looking traditionally feminine. They also tend to portray people who were generic models of what society demanded from women; they didn't have much of an individual identity. This is also reflected in how Sherman temporarily loses her identity while modeling for her photos.
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