WAR V. YOUTH

WAR V. YOUTH - Video Still Frames

WAR V. YOUTH is a video project that revolves around McLuhan’s notion of the global village. When I was younger I had heard the saying that it takes a village to raise a child, and in the context in which McLuhan presents it, the world has become itself a global technological village. Due to modernization, we have reached new levels of communication that had only ever been part of science fiction. My take on the global village theory will be represented in this video where I explore the effects of news media on our modern day youth. I believe that the phenomenon that we are observing among our deteriorating youth is linked directly to what they are being shown by the media. We are slowly removing the youth and innocence from the child. The modern child has a vast understanding of things that one could argue is well beyond their years. My video tells the story of the removal of youth from a child and the ultimate empty vessels that we as a society are producing. 

Lao-Tze: The Value of the Non-Existent

     Researching in depth, one of the references of Marshal McLuhan's book, surprisingly changed my outlook on what I, once perceived - and still to a varying degree still perceive - to be a glorified "magazine". The more time I had spent reading McLuhan's book throughout the term, the more it seemed like a piece of abstract art rather than informative literature. However, as I researched Lao-Tze as referenced in, "The Medium is the Massage" I pieced together how McLuhan had used Lao-Tze's passage to prove a commentary of our media culture.

     The Passage that McLuhan used from the ancient writings of Lao-Tze's from Tao Te Ching outlined how we, as a modernized western world, have come to define ourselves by what we are not. Using both Lao-Tze’s ancient passage and McLuhan’s commentary it becomes clear that it is our isolation that has defined us, but it is the extremity of that isolation that has now pushed us into the realms of technological communication. I believe that these passages together are trying to prove that we have gone from one extreme to another. We have ultimately gone from the isolated, personal, individualistic ideologies of the West and have entered (as McLuhan calls it) a fused "oriental" way of life.

Collage of Iconic representations of both Lao-Tze and Marshall McLuhan. In the center they are morphed into one. 

Individual photo-credits to: 

Marshal McLuhanby JustinRandall 

WordPress – Marshal McLuhan

Taiji Online

"Something is Happening" - The Exhibition

     Preparing for the gallery exhibition was a fun experience that nicely seemed to book-end the process of creating these photographs. A couple of weeks ago when these pictures were just pieces of digital memory locked in cameras, they didn't seem like part of a social medium. However, this gallery opening took many people to put together and during that process, the social nature of photography came into view. I thought it was an interesting contrast to the constant use of online forums to display work to use the exhibition as our space to show others what we have worked on. From printing the photos, to framing them and hanging them on the wall, the experience as a whole was a great one. 

POST 9/11

     While keeping in mind the significance of silence I decided to create a soundscape that evoked the mood that I felt during 9/11. Although I was a very young child on that day, I, like everyone else, was affected by it and continue to be. In McLuhans words he explains that "Music shall fill the air" and on that day, what many people along with myself felt in the air was danger. There was a sense of the unknown, a fear of not knowing what was coming next. This soundscape is a representation of those uncertainties.

"The Lawrence Difference" - Photo Book

    In designing the layout for the photo book of "The Lawrence Difference" I decided to go with an intuitive approach. When taking the photos of the set I was very meticulous of the composition and coordination of every individual shot and so thought that it would be best to just let the shots come together on there own with no particular path set to guide them. Each photo was created to fit in with the overarching theme of diversity at Lawrence University while still using Robert Frank's style of taking the everyday mundane and using it to create a social commentary.

The Lawrence Difference - Photo Book Layout

"REVOLT: Challenge the System "

      Marshall McLuhan in, "The Medium is the Massage" states that "Our official culture is striving to force the new media to do the work of the old." I think that this plays out in the printing of digital photos and the creation of this photo book. We are taking what would have other wise been a modern digital creation and creating a book of art which in itself is something usually seen in the past. My process in designing the book consisted of importing all my photos into snapfish and laying out the pictures that just felt to naturally come together. I chose not include any text or captions for the pictures because I believe that they speak for themselves. I decided to include a description in the back of the book of the overall theme in hopes of guiding individuals through the thought process I involved myself in while creating the images. 
       In the sense that I am trying to portray it as, "diversity' can take on many different meanings. To one person my photographs can be about race, to another gender, and to another even randomness might come through. It is this fluidity of meaning that I was reaching for in this project. I want any Lawrence student or faculty member to see these photographs and ultimately see a part of themselves in the work. 

"The Lawrence Difference" - A Social Commentary

     Commenting on society is a very risky thing because you are bound to offend some portion of the population; making a social critique on a community as small and tight-knit as Lawrence seems even more daunting. Although in incorporating social critiques one does not seek to offend or upset anyone, I believe there is strength in pointing out something that might have otherwise been invisible to even just one person. 

     Using Robert Frank's style of taking the everyday mundane and using it to comment on society, I tackled the large issue of "lack of diversity" at Lawrence University. In the sense that I am trying to portray it as, "diversity' can take on many different meanings. To one person my photographs can be about race, to another gender, and to another even randomness might come through. It is this fluidity of meaning that I was reaching for in this project. I want any Lawrence student or faculty member to see these photographs and ultimately see a part of themselves in the work. Many people on this campus believe that lack of diversity is no longer an issue. I believe that is not true. Whether you are part of the majority or part of the minority, you are part of a something larger than yourself and it is important to reflect on what those things might be. 

"Classroom"

      The Lawrence "Difference", is an examination into the social fabrication of Lawrence University. 

Each photo I have chosen displays a public area of Lawrence University tailored to represent the reality of its student and faculty.

Flickr Account: http://www.flickr.com/photos/115824991@N02/sets/72157640283084244/

Lauren Semivan

     Lauren Semivan's work is wonderfully....confusing! One of my favorite things about her work is that if you were to simply come across it, in a setting with no context, you would have no idea what exactly it is that you are looking at. When disregarding the title of the pieces and the explanations she gave in class, one can look at her work and get lost in the many possibilities of what it is that they are seeing.

     At times I personally see a charcoal drawing, perfectly shaded and rigid in the areas needed. Other times I see a "still-life photography" style of art. Either way, whichever route I choose to take the artwork in my mind, it leads me astray every time and I find that occurrence fascinating. 

http://laurensemivan.com/semivan2012.html - Lauren Semivan

     One of the most interesting things about Lauren is how she lives outside of the world in a sense. Away from cities, away from modern technology she is able to come to peace in her work. Although I personally do not ever think I would be able to separate myself from the "mainstream" I think that the artwork that results from those who do can be very compelling. 

REBIRTH - Experimental Film

“At the high speeds of electric communication, purely visual means of apprehending the world are no longer possible; they are just too slow to be relevant or effective.”

     In McLuhan’s writing, he mentions the linearity of space and time as presented by many mediums in our time. In my experimental film, “Rebirth”, I created a world where time is fluid and space is irregular. In the general scope of the film we follow the ending cycle of a life but come across the start of another. The film explores a theoretical examination into the realms of purgatory, the notion of an “in-between” and ultimately the concept of life after death.

     I decided to begin my approach with sound. I used several programs to mix together a soundscape, which I thought encompassed a mood that I could then express visually in the film.

Workflow in FL Studio of "Rebirth" Soundscape

Four types of audio generators used in track

Still frame of subject against green screen

Original stills of subject and location (unedited)

  Once the audio was complete, I turned my attention to the visual aspects of the film and drafted a plot, storyboarded some ideas, contacted an actor and filmed the sequence. Since the genre is “experimental” I didn't rely on pre-production planning as much as I normally do. However, I did want my images to fit and coexist with one another. I wanted the scenes to help the viewer through the journey of the character; with each moment they see, a larger picture becomes vivid.  

Sandra L. Dyas

    Effortlessly beautiful; those are the words I would use to describe the work of Sandra L. Dyas. When looking at each of the photographs she displayed in the Wriston Gallery as well as those online, a constant theme that I see come through her photographs is a sense of being at the right place at the right time, with the right eye and the right equipment to capture it all. All of her photographs have a naturalistic feel to them and when listening to her speak in the lecture that is further emphasized. Sandra’s approach to finding subjects for her photographs seems so random and fluid. However, stylistically her photographs are obviously highly composed and structured.

One of the things that I found fascinated about Sandra was her age. She spoke about being a mother to her daughters and a grandmother to Caroline, her granddaughter/muse. It was interesting to me how she grew up in a world where technology was very different and although she had always been a photographer, the changing environment changed her way of creating art. She went from an artist who used actual film to one who works solely in the digital format. One would think that her pictures would look somewhat different as time passed, but they don’t. I still see Sandra every step of the way.
     In her earlier photographs, just as her recent ones, her composition is simple, stripped almost. The photographs, even though the years and variation of mediums, still feel personal. When speaking with Sandra she detailed how much she uses natural lighting and compositions that she simply comes across in a particular moment of time. She did mention she has a fascination with collages but that even those works of art are composed of photographs that were once simple. I think it’s amazing that her style transcends time and mediums. I personally think that as art becomes more easily customizable through use of technology, that it is harder to remain true to a stripped style; Sandra’s work does just that. She is able to bring forth a seemingly old photographical style into a modern realm and capture audiences’ young and old alike.

Who Am I?

I have always had reservations about calling myself an artist because I revere the title and hold it to a very high standard. I believe that many people have the ability to create art, but artist have the ability to change the world with their art; I find that to be a very powerful thing. My goal is to one day become an artist and use my art to reach people. Whether the change is great or small, a change in itself is massive in my eyes.

My art is a combination of multiple mediums. At its core, my art takes form of media, video to be specific is my passion. However, in conjunction with video I incorporate music that helps me audibly tell whatever story I am trying to tell visually. What I ultimately want to share with the world is the vision that I mentally see whenever I hear music. I want people to see as I have seen; I want them to feel as I have felt, to see and understand that everything is a connection. People and art, music and film, ultimately we are all one. My name is Steven Alexander and my world is my art. 

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Below are some examples of the type of art that I have created or that I find inspiring:

(A music video that I created using the body movement of a fellow Lawrence student)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXq1OlLx2io&hd=1

(My Pintrest account where I save images that I find inspiring, artful or interesting)
http://www.pinterest.com/stvnalxndr/inspiration/

(A recent music video that embodies the type
of media I would love to be creating)
http://jahkno.com/2013/12/beyonce-ghost-official-video/
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I look forward to meeting and working with all of you.