Catfish is a unique documentary that really shows the horrors that Internet communication can create. One thing that boggles me is why Nev never asked Megan to skype. Skype is one of the web’s most popular ways of chatting. If he was so infatuated with the girl, then why not see her for real, in the flesh?
The entire plot of Catfish could only happen because of Web 2.0 and the world’s wired connectivity. Because Nev had one photo featured in the media, Angela was able to track him down. This is a great example of how democratized media has changed fame and has made our world smaller.
From there, through the shield of Facebook, text messages and email Angela impersonated a young and beautiful girl. It did not completely surprise me to find out that Megan was not real. Many people today escape reality through assuming false identities on the web. A good example of this is how people act on Xbox live. If you are playing a video game with voice communication, you will hear people be extremely rude and say things they would never say face to face. The shield of the Internet gives people the courage to say inappropriate things because they know they will never meet the person on the other end.
That’s where Catfish differed. Angela did indeed meet the person on the other end, who exposed her for who she really is.
Web 2.0 made this fiasco, affair…whatever it was, to exist. Facebook enabled Angela to use her inputted information to create a community of people. With Web 1.0 websites, this would not be possible. Web 2.0 is driven by user submitted data, media, etc. Angela took advantage of the technology for her benefit. Instead of honestly entering information, she made up several people to enable her fantasy double-life. The thing that amazed me the most was how she used Web 2.0 and democratized media to drive her online life. Every person she emulated had pictures, personal information and other key details. Every detail of every made up person was stolen either from the web or from people she knew in real life. It really shows the possible downside of Web 2.0.
It was almost like she was committing minor identity theft. She lived vicariously through her own daughter. That’s just psychotic, honestly. Anyway, the culture of surveillance we talked about is now. Every evening after 11pm Angela, aka Megan would log onto Facebook and update her personal online community of identities. She was watching Nev, his friends and everything surrounding his life. It’s like online stalking with a cooperating participant. Stalking isn’t the correct word but it was certainly obsessive.
Web 2.0 provided Angela with an escape from her daunting, stressed reality of being a housewife and mother to two handicapped boys. Following her exposure, Angela is now using Web 2.0 sites like Facebook and Twitter to promote her true self and artwork. Her transformation showed the ups and downs of online life. It showed me to be careful and doubtful of whom people say they are. I would never go online looking for love like Nev. Regardless this movie made me more skeptical of the online world and more cautious. I wonder how many people out there are living online lives like Angela? We may never know.
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Exit Through the Gift Shop
I liked this documentary better the first time I saw it. It's well shot and has great editing, which makes any documentary. It isn't to overly message heavy like Food Inc or a Michael Moore documentary. The lens through which we view Thierry, street art and the world is skewed by Banksy but I kinda like that. It's art for art's sake through the eyes of an artist. It was nominated for the Best Documentary of the year so I think it was affective, successful and entertaining.
Mr. Brainwash is using techniques very similar to other street artists, like Shepard Fairey, Banksy and Space Invader. MBW does stencils, stickers and wheat paste posters just like his friends who he filmed. He is different from say, Banksy because his street art has zero message. MBW only promotes himself through his “art.” It’s really a shame because art is the transfer of emotion from one person to another. MBW’s street art has no transfer of emotion because it provokes no emotions. Shepard Fairey used the power of repetition of his ‘Andre the Giant has a posse’ sticker to create many emotions. MBW’s tag is just a giant picture of himself filming. People may be curious and ask, “who is that guy?” Other than raising that question, I think MBW’s street art does not stand up to that of his subjects.
I found it interesting that MBW’s cousin Space Invader chose not to speak to him after the film. Space Invader has an artistic style that is similar to Thierry’s because he uses images from pop culture. The difference between the two is there intentions. Space Invader was sincere and doing his characters because it was art, it was a means for him to express himself and do something new. MBW did street art to get personal fame and monetary gain. Thierry is just a follower of Banksy, who told him, “hey, go out and make some art.”
Banksy being anonymous makes everything he does more powerful and puts him on a pedestal. Every time Banksy tags a famous English memorial, or makes some provocative statement you wonder. Because his true identity is unknown his motives are questioned constantly. Is he an art terrorist? Is he an artist at all? Does he support the labour or conservative parties? I read a few articles from the BBC about reactions to Banksy and everyone seems to have an answer. His anonymity creates a cult of personality around him. The unknown intrigues and Banksy is like art’s black hole.
MBW is the product of good promotion and viral marketing. Without the Internet and especially the LA magazines, MBW’s first show would have been a flop. I think it should have been a flop because it is so obvious how MBW stole styles from Warhol, Banksy and Shepard Fairey. He is the art world’s Weird Al Yankovich; he makes parodies that some people buy into. In the film, I found it funny how MBW took Fairey and Banksy’s quotes and blew them up on banners. That is one hell of a way to use your connections to your advantage. Banksy said MBW is an enigma: I think he was right.
I dislike reality television. The first time I watched Exit through the Gift Shop I took it for face value, believing the story of Thierry Guetta and Banksy. Now, my second time through I’m skeptical. Unlike “reality” television, I’m not buying everything they are selling. I’m not even sure if Thierry Guetta is a real person, or an actor paid by the true street artists. Back to reality TV: this documentary needed much more meaningless conflict for it to be like a Real World episode. The more I read, the more times I watch the documentary the less I’m truly sure about the whole thing.
MBW is not legitimate. He manipulated the art buyers like the fashion forward, who bought his cheap clothing for 4x price.
We have discussed voyeurism in my Capping class last semester and again this semester in this course. Since Facebook runs our lives I have to agree that voyeurism, the ability to watch from a safe distance with emotional detachment is relevant to street art. See my last post on my blog. It is a piece of street art made by Banksy, which says, “One Nation under CCTV.” Surveillance is a strong theme in street art, and in the counter-culture altogether. Because their artistic medium is technically illegal, fearing “the man” or the government is logical. It’s also a way for the artists to get skeptics on board.
Thierry's filming of everything seems to be an attempt to fill a void. Although the film explains why he does it, I'm not sure if I buy it. His real family could be at his house in LA, even in some of the shots and we would not know the difference. Thierry wasn't famous before filming except possibly in some small, artsy fashion circles. He just sold vintage clothes so I doubt he was famous. His family supposedly is back in France. His mom died and because he was the youngest, they kept a lot of information about her death from him. Again, I don't buy this. He still has siblings and his father to take care of him so I don't see why he was bounced around his extended family, like a foster child.
Back to the art. The legal gray area of street art empowers it. When there's controversy, people are drawn to it. For example, Banksy sprays political images like two bobbies kissing, or 'designated riot area' on a London public square. These pieces of art being illegal make them seem more edgy, more provocative.I had a friend who was a tri-state area street artist and because of being arrested multiple times and going to jail, he now makes his art on canvas. The danger of sneaking into buildings and onto rooftops can be too much for some artists. However, getting your art in the public eye with the world as your canvas can certainly empower it. Graffiti has always been a blessing in disguise. Although states pay to paint over it, it gives neighborhoods identity. On the other hand it can be gang related, which is very dangerous. I like that the street artists are spray painting images that can be seen as art and not just gang tags or graffiti. Either way, it being illegal makes it have a more 'bad ass' affect.
Mr. Brainwash is using techniques very similar to other street artists, like Shepard Fairey, Banksy and Space Invader. MBW does stencils, stickers and wheat paste posters just like his friends who he filmed. He is different from say, Banksy because his street art has zero message. MBW only promotes himself through his “art.” It’s really a shame because art is the transfer of emotion from one person to another. MBW’s street art has no transfer of emotion because it provokes no emotions. Shepard Fairey used the power of repetition of his ‘Andre the Giant has a posse’ sticker to create many emotions. MBW’s tag is just a giant picture of himself filming. People may be curious and ask, “who is that guy?” Other than raising that question, I think MBW’s street art does not stand up to that of his subjects.
I found it interesting that MBW’s cousin Space Invader chose not to speak to him after the film. Space Invader has an artistic style that is similar to Thierry’s because he uses images from pop culture. The difference between the two is there intentions. Space Invader was sincere and doing his characters because it was art, it was a means for him to express himself and do something new. MBW did street art to get personal fame and monetary gain. Thierry is just a follower of Banksy, who told him, “hey, go out and make some art.”
Banksy being anonymous makes everything he does more powerful and puts him on a pedestal. Every time Banksy tags a famous English memorial, or makes some provocative statement you wonder. Because his true identity is unknown his motives are questioned constantly. Is he an art terrorist? Is he an artist at all? Does he support the labour or conservative parties? I read a few articles from the BBC about reactions to Banksy and everyone seems to have an answer. His anonymity creates a cult of personality around him. The unknown intrigues and Banksy is like art’s black hole.
MBW is the product of good promotion and viral marketing. Without the Internet and especially the LA magazines, MBW’s first show would have been a flop. I think it should have been a flop because it is so obvious how MBW stole styles from Warhol, Banksy and Shepard Fairey. He is the art world’s Weird Al Yankovich; he makes parodies that some people buy into. In the film, I found it funny how MBW took Fairey and Banksy’s quotes and blew them up on banners. That is one hell of a way to use your connections to your advantage. Banksy said MBW is an enigma: I think he was right.
I dislike reality television. The first time I watched Exit through the Gift Shop I took it for face value, believing the story of Thierry Guetta and Banksy. Now, my second time through I’m skeptical. Unlike “reality” television, I’m not buying everything they are selling. I’m not even sure if Thierry Guetta is a real person, or an actor paid by the true street artists. Back to reality TV: this documentary needed much more meaningless conflict for it to be like a Real World episode. The more I read, the more times I watch the documentary the less I’m truly sure about the whole thing.
MBW is not legitimate. He manipulated the art buyers like the fashion forward, who bought his cheap clothing for 4x price.
We have discussed voyeurism in my Capping class last semester and again this semester in this course. Since Facebook runs our lives I have to agree that voyeurism, the ability to watch from a safe distance with emotional detachment is relevant to street art. See my last post on my blog. It is a piece of street art made by Banksy, which says, “One Nation under CCTV.” Surveillance is a strong theme in street art, and in the counter-culture altogether. Because their artistic medium is technically illegal, fearing “the man” or the government is logical. It’s also a way for the artists to get skeptics on board.
Thierry's filming of everything seems to be an attempt to fill a void. Although the film explains why he does it, I'm not sure if I buy it. His real family could be at his house in LA, even in some of the shots and we would not know the difference. Thierry wasn't famous before filming except possibly in some small, artsy fashion circles. He just sold vintage clothes so I doubt he was famous. His family supposedly is back in France. His mom died and because he was the youngest, they kept a lot of information about her death from him. Again, I don't buy this. He still has siblings and his father to take care of him so I don't see why he was bounced around his extended family, like a foster child.
Back to the art. The legal gray area of street art empowers it. When there's controversy, people are drawn to it. For example, Banksy sprays political images like two bobbies kissing, or 'designated riot area' on a London public square. These pieces of art being illegal make them seem more edgy, more provocative.I had a friend who was a tri-state area street artist and because of being arrested multiple times and going to jail, he now makes his art on canvas. The danger of sneaking into buildings and onto rooftops can be too much for some artists. However, getting your art in the public eye with the world as your canvas can certainly empower it. Graffiti has always been a blessing in disguise. Although states pay to paint over it, it gives neighborhoods identity. On the other hand it can be gang related, which is very dangerous. I like that the street artists are spray painting images that can be seen as art and not just gang tags or graffiti. Either way, it being illegal makes it have a more 'bad ass' affect.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Illustrator Trace
I took a street art image from the world renowned Banksy. I used the 16 color trace tool and modified it to show more colors, so the wall that the graffiti was written upon looks better and deeper.
Illustrator Recreation Image
The image I chose to recreate is called 'Rain,' by ~brade-s from www.deviantart.com
I found the image under the all time most-downloaded vector images. If you are ever looking for any sort of art online, deviantart is a great place to find it. The library of art on the site is too big to possibly browse.
As you can see my recreation is not exactly like the original. I hand drew the cloud which lead to me not being able to use fill to make it white. Therefore, I used the calligraphic pen tool to color it white. I added the outer glow affect to make it look like the original; I tweaked the settings of the outer glow affect to get it exactly how I wanted it.
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Partner's Thesis
My partner was Lauren Hoheusle. You can find her blog right here.
She did the topic of Folksonomy. I believe her thesis is "Again, I think we just need to find a happy-medium as a society between professionalism and the new advancements in technology, for things to work out for everyone"
She discussed the advantages and disadvantages to the Internet's affect on people. She made many points on both sides of the argument with supporting details. The statement above best suits her opinion on the issue.
For the comments, I will be commenting on both Lauren and Eric Johansen's blogs.
She did the topic of Folksonomy. I believe her thesis is "Again, I think we just need to find a happy-medium as a society between professionalism and the new advancements in technology, for things to work out for everyone"
She discussed the advantages and disadvantages to the Internet's affect on people. She made many points on both sides of the argument with supporting details. The statement above best suits her opinion on the issue.
For the comments, I will be commenting on both Lauren and Eric Johansen's blogs.
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