Art Encounter 2: Globus

     The video installation by Amy Globus entitled Electric Sheep captures adventurous movements of an octopi exploring the environment around them (tanks with interconnected tubes). It seems these creatures had some sort of feelings of discomfort and at times even excitement. The emotions I felt during this installation have much to do with the music that was assimilated so perfectly throughout the film. The songs are so well written and beautifully performed that they could be put to pretty much anything and it would prove be a success.

     That being said, the film was tasteful in it’s approach of simplicity. Showing simple scenes and inter-weaving them with such powerful songs packed a thick undercurrent of beckoning memories, ideas, and contemplative themes in my head. I know this is effective for not only myself, but for many others. I would bet that some folks even verged an outpouring of tears or just downright cried when viewing this, depending on their life situation, memories, or what have you.

     It was nice to enjoy a piece of art such as this because, lately, I have not been bombarded with lyrical songs in any artistic experiences in the art scene, outside of music. It seems many experimental filmmakers have shied from using songs in video installation art enough that when someone does, it is that much more effective. I wish I could own a copy of all the installations featured at this exhibition, but I unfortunately cannot. I think many of the works I have seen as of late have been dense pieces of art that deserve thoughtful viewing and afterthought. I also think that artists should figure out different ways that viewers could digest and dissect their film more effectively in an exhibit space, while not causing viewer fatigue. 

      I really enjoy what Aaron Ximm has on his personal statement page of his website. One of the things he wrote struck a resounding chord in my head. He said this:

With composition I often aim to evoke specific emotional colors. When my conciousness is heightened (by travel, or when I am aware of engaging in my creative process, as when wandering the city with microphones), I am more attuned to the mercurial emotive character of the environment. I seek to re-create for you some of these shades.

     Within the video installations Telephones and Electric Sheep there are a few quite obvious differences in the sound content, but several key differences separate the two films in their tone and emotive character. Televisions leaves a whole lot up to the viewer to figure out. The sounds, the conversing, and the surrounding scenes painted many incomplete pictures that all seemed to come together in the end. Marclay relies on his editing skills to portray some sort of narrative, and pulls it off nicely. Electric Sheep  also leaves thick empty spaces for the viewers to enter into, but with the lyrical content and strong emotional delivery of each song, there is somewhat of a construct built around the experimental feel of the film. Both films rely on works from other artists or creators, whether it be the scenes and audio taken from popular movies by Marclay or the songs used in Globus’ Electric Sheep. It is a great thing when an artistic piece can have a consistently strong impact on its audience. When such an impact happens, the credibility of the art and the artist begins to rise and it also creates some sort of prestige surrounding them and their work.  

    The more I explore art, the more lost I become. I guess the artistic foundations of knowledge, wisdom, and understanding are impossible to see. I do find myself lost, but It causes me to keep on striving for the tangible things I have not yet realized or come into.

I’m finished rambling.