Abstraction and Minimalism in Painting

My research this past week consisted mostly of refreshing my memory with linguistic anthropological studies that have characterized language as a basic system that features innumerable combinations of words to produce an infinite number of complete thoughts. I think this is the direction my project will most likely take in the future because it highlights the importance of recognizing the complexity of language and promotes a thoughtful consideration of the philosophical implications of this integral component of our lives. Through language, we are able to communicate such abstract things such as the beauty we perceive or the emotions we feel, and as such, it is important to reflect on the power that this system has. 

This week I decided to focus on producing a refined mock-up that mainly featured acrylic paint. I mainly produced abstract imagery that retained a minimalist aura in order to reflect the systematic function of language. The minimalist aesthetic functions as a reflection of the infinite possibilities for communication and expression made possible through spoken language. I utilized a geometric abstraction in my mock up to illustrate how language's organization permits us to convey and share ideas and abstract concepts. In this study I also applied the paint in a grid-like fashion and as precise pieces to reflect how language allows us to take small components (like the letters and words that make up each language) and form them into full, complete thoughts. I also utilized minimalism/abstraction to reflect the images I display in my video pieces. The idea behind this approach was to visually represent the signified and signifier always present in language, but in a way that reveals its true existence as a mere symbol (for instance, the grey lines may remind the viewer of the blinds in my video, but only because they are visually similar; one could make the argument that these are simply lines on a canvas, and are only identified as blinds because that is what we decide to classify them as). Overall, I am very satisfied with the direction the project is heading, and am looking forward to continue evolving the imagery, scale, and video portions of the artwork. 

Combination of Video and Paint

This week I have mostly worked on producing a refined version of last week's mock up piece by combining video with different mediums such as photography and watercolor. I have been trying to experiment with different mediums to produce abstract imagery. My biggest challenge with this piece has been the creation of the drawings/paintings/collages because I have been trying to find the right balance between abstraction and minimalism. However, I think it is important to visualize a larger piece with more than one moving segment.

In terms of research for the week, I have been revisiting the bulk of my research from last semester that I feel remains relevant. Specifically, I revisited my research around philosophers like Nietzsche, Wittgenstein, and Baudrillard. I'm now focusing on honing in specific ideas from these sources, such as Baudrillard's commentary on the hyperreal (and its relation to the interpretation of reality through different languages), Nietzsche's questioning of language as an accurate interpretation of reality, and Wittgenstein's view of language as an organized, codified system. I believe this will be my biggest challenge, to convey these ideas within the visual representations of reality that I produce.

Spanish/English

My main focus for the research I engaged in centers around art projections in museum spaces. Ever since critique, I have been trying to look for ideas that can help me envision a possible installation approach and in doing so, enrich my attempt to produce more art. I think it will be extremely important for me to vigorously investigate details like these that will ultimately inform the work itself.

This week I received feedback on the progress of my work since last semester. I was able to shoot new footage for the video piece and I made sure to test out the use of English text alongside the spoken Spanish. In my most recent video edit, I focused on the use of the black screen as a quiet space that is inevitably filled with substance as a result of the English text. Taking my viewers into account, this means that while only a certain number of people would be able to understand the Spanish component of the piece, everyone would understand the English text.

I also decided to visualize an idea I have had since last semester by making a small mock-up version of what I envision to be a larger piece. In it, I was testing out the effectiveness of combining the moving image with the still, drawn portraits of the sky as a way to parallel language's impact concerning different interpretations of the same thing. 

Formally, I am pleased with how this version looks and am interested to see how a larger, more refined piece with multiple screens would look like. 

Split Screen Tests

This week I have been focusing on experiments with split screens in my video projects. At first I had thought about incorporating one screen that contained words and another that displayed images, but then I started to try out a video that had overlapping imagery and how this mirroring reflects my ideas. The vertical lines that I display side-by-side reference the differences that result when one describes the same thing in separate languages. I heavily drew from Ludwig Wittgenstein's theories concerning language use, specifically how speakers must agree upon specific units of meaning in order for any language to function. By mirroring images of blinds, I showcase how the same object can be perceived differently, even if those differences are slight. I also referenced the ability of language to communicate things beyond what is literally said when I placed a shot of the sun and blinds side by side. Each image informs the other and this diptych reflects the meanings that can be derived from saying something like "the weather is nice today" or "you don't need your umbrella." These phrases do not translate literally to the imagery on the screen, but they do allude to clear skies and the start of a new day.

I took some feedback I received during the group show into consideration with this project that made me see the imagery of closed blinds as barriers that could make people feel trapped. After reflecting on this perspective, I thought the split screen effect would add an element of enclosure that alludes to the idea of language as inhibitor. I think this imagery works because it represents the limitations that we unknowingly experience in our day to day lives. Although I still want to maintain a meditative aspect to the video, I also know it is important to address the idea of language barriers and whether even the language one speaks can act as a barrier itself. 

Image and Sound

This past week I produced a refined video utilizing old and new imagery and an updated version of the poem in the "Philosophy of Language" post. 

In this new video I attempted to employ the ideas that I have researched and worked with throughout the semester, especially those of philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein. In my video piece I reflect on Wittgenstein's idea of imagined autonomy and how speakers of a language must accept meaning in order for the language to be effective. I utilize words that do are not reflected literally through the piece but instead are meant to evoke a reflective view of language. Through the language utilized in the video, speaking not of windows and drapery but instead of a constant coming and going of day and night, I showcase how language can expand upon what it literally communicates. 

Philosophy of Voice

This week I researched the effect of sound in language. I came across the article "Voice in Philosophy," which talked about the influence of sound in human voices. Phenomenologically speaking, voices are simultaneously individual and communal. Although every voice is unique and cannot be replicated, each is also embedded with an uncanny trace of other voices that flow alongside it within a single current. It also pointed out that voice is distinct from language because it functions as an index that goes beyond what can be described by language. However, it is also "dependent on language, colored by language, and points to the taking place of language" (Waldenfels 1993, 65). This is important to my own practice because I am now working with my own voice as part of my piece. If I examine the different ways the voice itself is perceived based on whether or not a viewer can understand it, I think I can work with the audio in my video piece in a more effective manner.

In terms of my own practice I have mostly been trying to refine my video piece and am experimenting with ways of making a tactile piece. I am thinking of how different mediums can represent different representations brought about by language. I wonder whether a piece containing mediums like watercolor, acrylic, and charcoal would work cohesively.

Philosophy of Language

This week I conducted mostly general research on my topic. I ended up reading an article titled "The Philosophy of Language" which contained an overview of philosophical theories that have examined language and language use. One of the most intriguing portions of the article discussed speech act theory, in which philosophers viewed sentences as "tools for doing things, including a taxonomy of uses to which pieces of the language could be put" (The Philosophy of Language).

“Semantic information pertains to linguistic expressions (such as words and sentences), while pragmatic information pertains to utterances and the facts surrounding them.  The study of pragmatics thus includes no attention to features like truth or the reference of words and expressions, but it does include attention to information about the context in which a speaker made the utterance and how those conditions allow the speaker to express one proposition rather than another.”

The article used the phrase "it is sunny outside" to demonstrate the various meanings that can result from a single phrase. "It is sunny outside" not only acts as an observation of the weather, but it also lets the listener know that they won't need an umbrella, even though this is not what the phrase literally means.  Language is thus able to convey information beyond its literal meaning.

I think this article is useful to think about as I continue to work on my video pieces. I have thought about saying a phrase like "it is sunny outside" and then showing imagery like a basketball, an umbrella stowed away, or a summer outfit to show the plethora of meanings that a single phrase can conjure up. I think that through this, I would be able to explore one aspect of language that makes it so complex.

In terms of my own studio work, this week I have mostly focused on video projects/studies. I also decided to write a poem in order to link the meanings of the phrases I use in my video and to have better flow in the audio.  

English Translation: 

                                  The morning welcomes the tomorrow

                                  Within those instances arrives the desire to imitate

                                  The bodies that float in the sky

                                  Their lives, calm, that calm

                                  Soft in the sky

                                  In a dream that condemns them to disappear

                                  Like restless children that accompany the son

                                  And the moon

                                  That lulls them

                                  Guiding them through the celestial lights

                                  Their deaths and reincarnations

                                  Guide, in turn, the world

                                  From a past

                                  That they transform into future

                                  The unknown

                                  The morning welcomes the tomorrow

I did find one instance during this process to be of some interest. In one section of this poem, I described clouds as restless children. After I compared the clouds in the sky (feminine nouns) to children (masculine nouns), I realized that even though I was still referring to the clouds, I referred to them in masculine form, since I was using the metaphor of a child to describe them. I think this reveals an interesting way that language fluctuates and shifts.