- Richard Mosse
- John Akomfrah
1 - Who were the 5 +artists you chose videos about?
- The five artists I chose to watch are Richard Mosse, Jack Whitten, John Akomfrah, Andrea Zittel, and Joan Jonas.
2 - What were 5+ of the themes the artists addressed about making work?
- Richard Mosse discussed capturing a deeper meaning than what the camera lens could see regarding climate change and tragedies around the world. Jack Whitten focused on the history behind each square carried that he utilized. John Akomfrah incorporated music and folk tales during his projections to create direction in the images. Andrea Zittel emphasized the beauty of imperfections and experimentation, as well as Joan Jonas with her speedy drawings.
3 - What were 5+ challenges the artists faced in making their work?
- Mosse struggled with finding the right equipment and the shot to truly capture the full scale of the issue. Whitten faced difficulty and discomfort with his tool "The Developer" before finding his new form of creating art. Akomfrah faced a fair bit of criticism from the public as they believed the use of noise was too "vulgar". Zittel struggled with the weaving process as the thread would loosen up and shift out of place. Jonas mentioned "drawing is like playing the piano, typically the first ones don't come out so she keeps trying".
4 - What were 5+ inspirations you drew from the artists?
- Mosse- I took a large interest in his creations because he focused on the environment and the tragedies faced in the community.
- Whitten- I admire Whitten's determination as he continued to create art despite becoming discouraged at an early stage.
- Akomfrah- I also admire Akomfrah's determination because he uses noise even though many from the public have expressed a disliking towards it. He found a greater meaning to music and how it truly fills up space in the room.
- Zittel- Despite artists trying to create the best work that they can, Zittel embraces the imperfections in her work and she brings a new purpose to items, such as the boxes she used to create shelves.
- Jonas- I enjoyed watching her live performances and seeing how experimental she got with her drawings.
5 - What were 5+ things you would like to Incorporate into your own work after watching these videos?
- I would like to experiment more with my work and incorporate what I truly enjoy in life or topics I feel passionate about, such as the environment. I got interested in trying to work with sound or a different media as opposed to strictly working electronically.
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- “A Walk Through the Mind”
When creating my self portrait, I combined a style I am accustomed to using with elements retrieved from the Art 21 videos. The variations in colors reflects different moods and parts of what makes me the person that I am. I decided to implement this element because Richard Mosse, a photographer known for capturing tragedies around the world, uses different filters and equipment to try expressing emotions that the camera struggles to capture. When documenting the next catastrophe, Mosse researches the type of equipment others would use and he would use it for his projects. Another artist that I focused on was John Akomfrah, a photographer that created short films with a large array of audio samples. Akomfrah, despite the judgement from the public, would incorporate music, folk tales, and different noises into his film.
Akomfrah found beauty in how audio could fill up space and portray many different emotions; I wanted to focus on this idea with a “loud” pattern in the background. I have always been seen as a black sheep in my family with my style, interests, and morals. I see myself as an open-minded woman who believes in innovation and differences. The true beauty in this wold is being able to experience different cultures, lifestyles, and hobbies that others enjoy. Imperfections and “flaws” bring a bigger meaning to who a person is and how they interact with the world.
With that being said, I enjoy weightlifting, a large array of music (from punk rock to electronic), and learning about significant moments through documentaries/readings. I am a senior studying Graphic Design and I would like to pursue social media/branding for companies.
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Susan Sontag Response
Susan Sontag has an interesting perspective on photography and how it is able to capture a small reality of life that one can interpret, as opposed to making a direct statement. From a very early age, society began to capture moments in time through photographs and it continues into present day. When attending events or documenting your day-to-day activities, someone's first instinct would be to take a picture.
"To collect photographs is to collect the world"
"...Photographs alter and enlarge our notions of what is worth looking at and what we have a right to observe"
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