When I first started watching Pjort Sapegin's interruption of Madame Butterfly, I was a little skeptical. Perhaps it was the Avenue Q-esque "puppet" sex scene, but I just wasn't drawn in. However, I gave it a shot, and by the end I was eating my words. This little video was packed with so much beautiful imagery, by the end I had tears in my eyes.
I must admit, though I've heard of Madame Butterfly, I was not privy to the story. I was so lost in the beginning that I ended up having to look up a simplifed version of the plot. The story itself is a masterpiece. Not to mention the soundtrack kept in the
Perhaps the most powerful image for me was the point that I imagine was meant to be Butterflys suicide. The ripping off of the skin leaving only the bare makings of a doll. This video had a perfect balance between the silly (the Barbie doll American) and the truly heartbreaking.
The more I see about Operas, the more intriguied I am to get more into them.
I think I had an immediate attraction to Juan Carlos Delgado's piece that we studied in class. Without even being able to read the text, just visiuallly it was just a stunning piece. Inventive, moving, emotional, and incredible strong.
My first intial reaction to the piece, before we started discussing it during class, was I felt that the girl looked vulnerable. The bust had a solmen expession. As we began to scroll and see the freezing process the bust of the small girl endured, I felt saddened. The more ice she was covered in the more I wanted to help her, rescue her. I found it so heart breaking that there was nothing I could physically do. I reminded me the story of "The Little Match Girl." As a small girl I found that story too unberably sad that I vowed to never read it again. Juan Carlos Delgado gave me similar emotional feelings. However the difference was the small hands with the flame resting in the middle. It was a literal beacon of hope. When Professor Echeverry reaveled the artist create this piece as a symbol of his relationship struggles, it became so much more moving, and was just so revealing. I think my biggest struggle with this class will be being as vulnerable as this artist was as this piece. I have a tendency to be somewhat guarded, not really airing my personal feelings out. But to present such an heartfelt piece is what I think truly makes great work. I was great moved by this piece.
My name is Tessa, a UT student for two semesters, originally beginning at NYU. I originally started in a medicial field, studying Speech Pathology. Though I have kept interests in the human mind and the way we verbally communicate, and often research speech effects from traumatic brain injury as a hobby, I quickly found out that I could not see myself as a speech pathologist forever. I found my way to Advertising through a series of twists and turns, and enjoyed the creative outlet the art side of adveritsing supplied.
Living in NYC for two years, I had access to some wonderful museums. However, I have never really researched much performance art or video art. I hope from this class, I learn how to better utilize these tools myself, but also develope a better understanding and appreciation of them. I hope to expand my creativity.
To share one of my experience with technology as an art form, a few weeks ago, I attended a concert in Ybor by a band named Taurus. Throughout their performance, they had the above video projected behind them while they performed. It gave a completely different atmosphere to their music and the concert as a whole. Hopefully I can learn how to change an entire enviorment by using multimedia art.
