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I took shots from the Oakland Art Murmur this past Friday which did not import over to my computer. Bummer. Since I don’t have photos to go along with this post (how ironic since this is about photography and video), this will be a short one. As always, one of my favorite stops is the Johansson Projects (JP). The current show, Bischoff Soren Black, includes the works of Brice Bischoff, Tabitha Soren, and Ellen Black. Each artists uses photography as a…
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Last weekend, I watched Full Metal Jacket. Being a huge fan of Stanley Kubrick and a sucker for a well done war film, the movie was phenomenal. Naturally, I thought of the various ways war has been depicted in the visual and new media arts. Admittedly, I’m not huge fan of political art; HOWEVER, when it’s done well, it can be powerful and truly engaging. From visual to performative, the artists below have created some of the most memorable pieces.…
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Reinterpretations, remakes, and contemporary works are strategically placed throughout God Only Knows Who the Audience Is: Performance, Video, and Television Through the Lens of La Mamelle, engaging viewers in what is almost an infinite loop of observation that changes with every go-around. Douglas Davis’s The Last Nine Minutes (1977) welcomes viewers to the second floor of the exhibition. The video piece involves Davis walking around a space that simulates a dark cave. Viewers’ anticipation bubbles to the surface as they wait for him to…
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I’m a sucker for fragmentation in art work. Displacement, imagined worlds, and elements of morphology (urban morphology) all collide in Elaine Gan’s work. It’s not an easy task to pull from a multitude of cultures and sub-cultures to create a cohesive and well executed visual landscape of diverse imagery. Gan’s approach to creating visual representations within a western frame is captivating in that you are drawn into multiple viewings. With increasing globalization of goods and services, her work is relevant…
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Videos of Hennessy Youngman have been floating around the internet for months. I can’t believe I haven’t posted something about him until now. A few of my Facebook friends (all artists) have posted his videos. His ability to mesh humor and art theory is not only entertaining but makes art accessible. His approach gives performance and video art quite a unique face. He also makes exploring and navigating through art theory rather fun. Would you like to learn more about…
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Don’t have unrealistic expectations. If you wanna make money, you better drop out right now and go to banking school, or web site school, anywhere but art school. And remember, only 1 out of 100 of you will ever make a living as an artist. ~Professor Sandiford, Art School Confidential (played by John Malkovich) The aforementioned quote from movie, Art School Confidential, had me laughing but remember what Freud said about jokes, there’s a smidgen of truth in them. Talk about artists…
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Unfortunately, my mind is completely blank, my body limp, and my heart numb due to some unforeseen circumstances. Somehow, looking at art always makes me feel better. Even if it forces me to be contemplative. Thanks for making me think Kara Hearn. If you ever read this, Kara, just know, today, although sad, surreal, and a mixed emotion kinda day,well, it all made a lot more sense to me after looking at your art. I mean that in a…
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Yet, I had to write a little something about the next piece I’m working on – La Pocha Nostra. Yesterday, I attended the Corpo Illicito: The Post Human Society #69 performance piece at the SOMArts Cultural Center. There’s a lot of processing going on but I wanted to forewarn you of any photos I may post of the event (yes, it was one of those performance art pieces, photos will be for the extremely open-minded and for a more mature…
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The Office Marilyn Monroe [sic] Film by Tim Roseborough, Courtesy of the Artist Lately, it’s been ridiculously cold but I know my west coast, home-grown California tuchus hasn’t experienced real cold weather. Yes, my east coast friends, I know this Bay Area weather is nothing. Someone please remind me to not say “Geez, it’s awfully cold out” in the presence of an east coaster who has a far different idea of what cold means! I figured, in such extreme weather (please remember,…
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writer | artist | scholar
Dorothy R. Santos, Ph.D. 