Showing posts with label Aesthetic. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Aesthetic. Show all posts
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Friday, November 7, 2008
poster stroodles: horror
Finishing my "domestic possession" horror; Here are a handful of superb poster arts of the genre.
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Sunday, July 20, 2008
manifesto of the new
Aesthetics are dead. More concisely, they're on life support. The New will be the consummating movement. What a graced vision, what a fantasy realized when like previous eras all the great artists were chums, were sentient penners and painters in their intended innovation and motion. The Beats, The Dadaists, The Surrealists, Italian Neorealists, French New Wave, New Hollywood, Pop New Wave... man, my heart churns just grasping a conception of it, being in the company of peers, out to enable transition, like minds with like force.
But, with our movement it will not be distinguished by a radical or reactionary shift in aesthetic, or to be more precise, in aesthetic as device for expressing intent, subversively or idealistically. So, that is to say, with this movement the aesthetic, that pertaining to the sensory of visual prettiness (and to a lesser degree sentimentality), will not be the driving impetus for revolution. In our state of empty flash and hyper-sensory, where aesthetic has overtaken and disillusioned meaning, becoming meaningless unto itself, there is nothing left to counteract or reflex. Thus, the revelation of The New will provide absolutely nothing new at all. Why?
We are at a fusing nexus of motley, multiform, re-appropriating retro-cool where aesthetic has reached its stylistic climax - from conceptual black and white to the last remnants of postmodern marquee neon, to The New: humanity, incandescent. The New has all forms and isms at our disposal, we will be a movement conducted of any style and any form to enable and consummate our purpose. And therein lies the revelation of The New, the reinsertion of purpose, of meaning, of the answer and re-construction of "what is art?" What a fluid, potent combination: image and intent. What compelling call when the prettiness finds Truth and becomes Beauty! The New is compromise, collaboration and destiny manifest. Best believe.
But, with our movement it will not be distinguished by a radical or reactionary shift in aesthetic, or to be more precise, in aesthetic as device for expressing intent, subversively or idealistically. So, that is to say, with this movement the aesthetic, that pertaining to the sensory of visual prettiness (and to a lesser degree sentimentality), will not be the driving impetus for revolution. In our state of empty flash and hyper-sensory, where aesthetic has overtaken and disillusioned meaning, becoming meaningless unto itself, there is nothing left to counteract or reflex. Thus, the revelation of The New will provide absolutely nothing new at all. Why?
We are at a fusing nexus of motley, multiform, re-appropriating retro-cool where aesthetic has reached its stylistic climax - from conceptual black and white to the last remnants of postmodern marquee neon, to The New: humanity, incandescent. The New has all forms and isms at our disposal, we will be a movement conducted of any style and any form to enable and consummate our purpose. And therein lies the revelation of The New, the reinsertion of purpose, of meaning, of the answer and re-construction of "what is art?" What a fluid, potent combination: image and intent. What compelling call when the prettiness finds Truth and becomes Beauty! The New is compromise, collaboration and destiny manifest. Best believe.
Sunday, February 17, 2008
meaning as aesthetic
I was at Blockbuster earlier after work. Had 2 online DVDs to trade-in. My plan was swoop an Asian horror (either A Tale of Two Sisters, The Eye or One Missed Call) and something American lite. None of the above were available so I settled for Takashi Miike's Ichi the Killer. Couldn't decide on the 2nd flick, scanned the new release section twice over. Wayfaring through the weak Blockbuster drama section, I hear "Hannah Takes the Stairs now available exclusively at Blockbuster"... Woody Allen pops into my mind, but then it circles back to me. Hannah Takes the Stairs, the trailer had promise, and I remember being irked that Owen Gleiberman reduced it to "mumblecore" in his review (prefer Schwarzbaum). I added Greta Gerwig as a MySpace friend solely on the trailer's merits... somewhat off-tangent, but peep the trailer for Quiet City. Anyway, I scooped it and was on my way with Ichi the Killer and Hannah Takes the Stairs... which nutshells me quite simply.
Just finished Hannah Takes the Stairs. Watched it with my roommate and others. I was watching, they were multi-tasking. Essentially, the room's permeating sentiment was that it was dull and mediocre. And really, I understand their point of perspective, but this stylistic discontent with Hannah harps at a broader cultural detachment that I'm wrestling to find compromise with: meaning as aesthetic. As an anecdote, I'll just mention they were fresh off a mini-One Tree Hill marathon before I put on Hannah so... Getting slightly irritated with some of the subtle guffs I made the comparison between reality-TV like Real World (which I know they watch) and the movie. I understand I'm in the minority, and I also understand that this is problematic, but I'd rather see the average, mundane of people and our existence than the ugliest of people manipulated for entertainment. It signifies our detachment from reality, or maybe just the incongruence between what we expect from movies and what the channel truly has to give.
Contextually, these docu-feels are closest to French New Wave cinema, which is complimentary, but also, may be Hannah and the body of these grassroot docu-feels' (or mumblecore as Gleiberman suggests) fundamental creative arrest. In meaning as aesthetic, it seems to me that the compromise is music, the revelations that came with the MTV music video. Stimulating the organic with moderated contrivance. Finding that balance between rousing the artwork with musical soul and cheapening into a soulless 90 min. music video. Despite its shortcomings, in the romantic transition, Hannah Takes the Stairs is a noble work, and glimpses into our truth: that movie magic is us.
Just finished Hannah Takes the Stairs. Watched it with my roommate and others. I was watching, they were multi-tasking. Essentially, the room's permeating sentiment was that it was dull and mediocre. And really, I understand their point of perspective, but this stylistic discontent with Hannah harps at a broader cultural detachment that I'm wrestling to find compromise with: meaning as aesthetic. As an anecdote, I'll just mention they were fresh off a mini-One Tree Hill marathon before I put on Hannah so... Getting slightly irritated with some of the subtle guffs I made the comparison between reality-TV like Real World (which I know they watch) and the movie. I understand I'm in the minority, and I also understand that this is problematic, but I'd rather see the average, mundane of people and our existence than the ugliest of people manipulated for entertainment. It signifies our detachment from reality, or maybe just the incongruence between what we expect from movies and what the channel truly has to give.
Contextually, these docu-feels are closest to French New Wave cinema, which is complimentary, but also, may be Hannah and the body of these grassroot docu-feels' (or mumblecore as Gleiberman suggests) fundamental creative arrest. In meaning as aesthetic, it seems to me that the compromise is music, the revelations that came with the MTV music video. Stimulating the organic with moderated contrivance. Finding that balance between rousing the artwork with musical soul and cheapening into a soulless 90 min. music video. Despite its shortcomings, in the romantic transition, Hannah Takes the Stairs is a noble work, and glimpses into our truth: that movie magic is us.
Saturday, January 26, 2008
meaning over aesthetic
Something has fascinated me recently. It's been fermenting for some time, but I'm coming to full realization of it. I want to create art that can be done by all. That we can all achieve if willing. As a cineaste, I've always had an affinity for aesthetics -- for production design, for costume design, for filmic texture. Cultivated in the post-MTV hyperreality, we all have a keenness for aesthetics and spectacle.
Since the emergence of digital video, my reservations about it have been consistently stubborn. It seemed so cold and unflattering compared to the warmness and romanticism of film, of which I'd prefer. But, if we're to embody the true romance of our lives, is not the ability to celebrate such through the least flattering visual medium a necessary step in our transition? We have reached a point where nearly everyone can construct great-looking aesthetics in cinema. With the influx of film-school grads and music-video directors, it's become commonplace. Yet, broadly, most lack narrative understanding -- many works stemming from this emotionally hollow and contrived. Furthermore, to achieve this look takes an amount of money and expertise many of us do not have access to, which promotes the privatization of art. If we are all to embody our artistry this can't be. I believe Cloverfield -in its cell phone/mini-cam reportage style- is a promising signification into this transition away from artistic segregation.
The accessibility of digital equipment has opened the possibility for us to all become artists. A thin line, to be sure, but we all have stories to tell. It's a matter of finding sincerity to tell them. As I mentioned, I strive to create art that any person has the capacity to achieve. The New will be my first foray into this. Pointing and shooting. Letting the expressive voice speak without aesthetic cloth, naked. Returning and elaborating on the French New Wave credo. Pop New Wave. Conscientious of aesthetics, but emphasizing and accentuating the story's dynamics. Instrumenting stylistic editing and music video sequencing because these are part of the next progression, but not relying on them. But most concisely, enabling all of us to embody the art that is us.
Here are a few quotes guiding me in the creation of The New:
"People who claim to pursue 'art for art's sake' are unable to make good their claim. There is a place for art in life, apart from the question - What is art? But art can only be a means to the end which we must all of us achieve. If however it becomes an end in itself, it enslaves and degrades humanity."
Gandhi
"Man is a tiny replica of the universe. If two things are naturally associated together in the human mind, which is an image of the 'mind' of the universe, this is evidence of a real connection between the two things in the universe."
Richard Cavendish
Since the emergence of digital video, my reservations about it have been consistently stubborn. It seemed so cold and unflattering compared to the warmness and romanticism of film, of which I'd prefer. But, if we're to embody the true romance of our lives, is not the ability to celebrate such through the least flattering visual medium a necessary step in our transition? We have reached a point where nearly everyone can construct great-looking aesthetics in cinema. With the influx of film-school grads and music-video directors, it's become commonplace. Yet, broadly, most lack narrative understanding -- many works stemming from this emotionally hollow and contrived. Furthermore, to achieve this look takes an amount of money and expertise many of us do not have access to, which promotes the privatization of art. If we are all to embody our artistry this can't be. I believe Cloverfield -in its cell phone/mini-cam reportage style- is a promising signification into this transition away from artistic segregation.
The accessibility of digital equipment has opened the possibility for us to all become artists. A thin line, to be sure, but we all have stories to tell. It's a matter of finding sincerity to tell them. As I mentioned, I strive to create art that any person has the capacity to achieve. The New will be my first foray into this. Pointing and shooting. Letting the expressive voice speak without aesthetic cloth, naked. Returning and elaborating on the French New Wave credo. Pop New Wave. Conscientious of aesthetics, but emphasizing and accentuating the story's dynamics. Instrumenting stylistic editing and music video sequencing because these are part of the next progression, but not relying on them. But most concisely, enabling all of us to embody the art that is us.
Here are a few quotes guiding me in the creation of The New:
"People who claim to pursue 'art for art's sake' are unable to make good their claim. There is a place for art in life, apart from the question - What is art? But art can only be a means to the end which we must all of us achieve. If however it becomes an end in itself, it enslaves and degrades humanity."
Gandhi
"Man is a tiny replica of the universe. If two things are naturally associated together in the human mind, which is an image of the 'mind' of the universe, this is evidence of a real connection between the two things in the universe."
Richard Cavendish
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