Performance Art Piece: Dog On A Leash

My performance art piece is called "Dog On A Leash."  I was influenced and inspired by the painting "Dynamism of a Dog on a  Leash" by Giacomo Balla.  Learning about Balla and his work was one my favorite topics that we discussed in class.  I love how he captured motion in a still painting, and this is my favorite painting of Balla.  

I conducted my project at my local mall, The Galleria Mall, in York, Pennsylvania.  I stood indie one of the entrances into the mall on Black Friday, so there were lots of people.  I stood in the same location and had my best friend, Alyson Meloni, film me and people's reactions to me.  I stood motionless like a statue holding a leash that was attached to a toy dog.  I kept the same position and received some very interesting reactions.  Some people walked straight up to me trying to get me to move or to talk to them, but I resisted.  One woman thought that I was a mannequin.  Two girls thought that I was fake as well and stood trying to figure out if I was real or not.  Overall, watching people's reactions to me was hilarious and I enjoyed the project very much.  I enjoyed it so much that after I was done filming, I went up and stood again just to see how the people react to me.  

So enjoy my performance art  piece of "Dog on a Leash," inspired by the great Giacomo Balla. 

------> My Inspiration

   ------> The Final Product

Saturday Night Fever

I do not think that Saturday Night Fever killed disco.  If anything, I think it showcases the best songs of disco.  I really enjoy this movie and the soundtrack.  I watched the movie several times with my dad and have listened to the soundtrack with my grandmother, who is a big BeeGees fan, countless times.  The songs in the movie are what I believe to be the best in disco.  The dancing done by John Travolta in the film just makes the songs even better.  I'm not saying that disco is my favorite, but I think that this movie helped disco in a positive way.

If Saturday Night Fever would have truly killed disco, then we would not still be watching the movie and listening to the popular songs on the soundtrack like "Stayin' Alive."  This film is a big reason why people still know disco songs in our modern world.  Disco is not dead.  It keeps showing up in the world today and will always be a pinnacle moment in the history of music.

Breakdancing

Breakdancing originated in the 1970s in New York.  This style of dance was popular among African Americans and Puerto Rican youths in the beginning in New York, but the style has spread.  Media helped to make breakdancing popular around the world.   Breakdancing is also known as b-boying, and people who breakdance are known as b-boys, b-girls, or breakers.
I find breakdancing very interesting and fun to watch.  It's amazing how this style of dance began in New York, but then quickly spread to other parts of the world.  I like how dance battles occur between break dancers because it allows competition.  The competition allows people to show off what they know and showcase their talent.    

Nam June Paik

I am in love with Nam June Paik's work.  I am really interested in how he uses the error in his videos to his advantage.  Paik does not see errors as mistakes, but rather as an enhancement to his pieces.  This relates to our own video art projects because we need to embrace the errors.  It is unnecessary to fix the errors because they can be used to make the project unique and different.

Paik uses neon in many of his pieces and incorporates videos as well.  I think this is genius of Paik, and he creates works of art that is so new, which is why he stands out among other artists.  His "Electronic Superhighway" is one f his most famous pieces and is my personal favorite.  He takes the flat television screens and turns it into something that is completely different in order to represent the United States.  Genius.

Matthew Barney

After watching the documentary, I feel that it is safe to say that Matthew Barney has an interesting spin on how he creates his artwork.  His work can be very exquisite and beautiful, but it can also contain creepy creatures that, to me, are disturbing.  However, he is able to transform those creatures and make them into something beautiful by making them perform elegant tasks.
Also, Barney is very interested in representing the human body, sex organs, and the birthing process in how work.  Although very disturbing and not really my taste, Barney creates art based on these topics in a new and very creative manner.  Barney is able to take everyday objects, such as vaseline, and turn it into something that will make it be art.  To me, that is what makes a fantastic artist.  Being able to decontextualize an ordinary object and make it something more is no easy feat, but Barney does it in his work and I admire that.
Even though his art is not necessarily my style and is kind of confusing for me, I appreciate and respect what he can accomplish and execute through his art.

FLASH MOB

One of my favorite flash mobs comes from a movie, "Friends With Benefits."  I know that it is scripted, since it is in a movie, but I still love the idea of it.  I think it is so fun and interesting to watch and like how it was used in the movie.  Enjoy!

For This Christmas I Wish… XEROX

 For my project, I used a 5 foot tall Tinsel Christmas Tree, a Santa Hat, mini Stockings, and Copied parts of my body.  The project reflects me and my wishes.  These are my deepest wishes that I hope one day will come true.  Each wish is placed in the Stocking, and I call them my Christmas Wishes.  I titled this piece… "For This Christmas I wish…"  The wishes do not include any material items, but are things that I consider life goals.  The wishes are very personal, as are the parts of my body that are on the Christmas tree.  The Christmas tree represents me and what is on the outside as well as the inside of me.