The show happened at night and had a nice mix of soft and focal light. The room remained dark enough in specific areas to not interfere with the best viewing quality of the ongoing video.
Getting ready for this show was one of the most stressful shows that I have done for two reasons: limited time and the enormous amount of time it took to export the video.
Initially I planned on usi9ng Eyecon and was exporting each individual sequence at about 2.5 hours per video. The more I played with Eyecon the more chaotic the videos and sound became. After exporting all but one video, I decided to make one long video where the sequences would run in order from beginning to end. In the end, I was thrilled that I made that decision as many viewers were content to sit and watch the video in its entirety and offer dialogue to the performance aspect as well as the art.
Overall, I spent 2 full days sometimes up to 10 hours in the computer lab making the video. I pulled the exhibition off with about 20 minutes to change my clothes and act as calm and collected as possible. I recieved a lot of positive responses throughout the night and everyone agreed that this project could lead to much bigger things.
Friday, March 2, 2012
Week 6
Last night we completed the performance aspect of the chakra painting project. It was amazing and incredibly exhausting! Each girl took about an hour from the start of hair and makeup to the completion of their performance and painting. As soon as hair and makeup was done I went over their sequence with them, I then painted their bodies, ran upstairs turned on the video camer, ran back downstairs went through their sequences with them, ran upstairs to turn the camera off and then would begin with the next girl until I finally went last. My bathroom, by the way, looked like a rainbow exploded or muppets were slaughtered...it was a child's dream.
My garage worked out as an amazing place to shoot the performance and all the girls were so excited about the space they all voted to hold the actual exhibition there as well. Could be interesting!
So far: I have edited the videos but need to overlay sounds that I found off the web:
root chakra- bumble bee sounds
sacral chakra- wooden flute
navel chakra- string instrument
heart chakra- bells
throat chakra- wind blowing through trees
third eye chakra- waves crashing on the beach
crown chakra- Om
I will then be ready to set up the eyecon program into my computer and begin setting up my garage. It looks like the exhibition will have to be Saturday or Sunday night...leaning toward Saturday.
I am still collecting photos and videos that the girls took with their phones as the second perspective to include in the event. I have allowed this to happen organically, in that they naturally uploaded them to facebook where I will retrieve them. The great thing about this is the enormous amount of commentary that is occuring as a result. This social aspect has been the most unexpected and yet most important part of the chakra installation. While the paintings are aphysical memory of intention, the social is a documentation of the relationship between the inward and outward journey opf the psyche, ego and spirit...this is the process of breaking through the chakras. Additionally, they will each submit a quote that will add to the intimacy, as the quotes are directed toward the audeience at the installation.
Additionally I purchased: sevenyogamats.com and 7yogamats.com
After paintings are complete, I'm thinking about turning them into graffiti art to share the images. Perhaps a wheat paste application of a life size print of the paintings?? I have a location where I may be able do do my first installation.
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Week 5
Last week was a big week as far as making all the final preparations to shoot the performance. I officially have all my paint supplies and girls dialed in on their sequences. This week is dedicated to practice shots with a camera I rented from TLT as well as establishing my final exhibition vision for the incorporation of Eyecon.
Biggest issue is the date of the final exhibtion. I was originally hoping for it to happen on March 11th, however there are booking issues that the owner just informed me about. Could be problematic for my fianl crit.
Thinking past the final crit, my ultimate goal is to turn this project into a business and produce actual yoga mats with this art. There is a huge market for this product and nothing like it! I have been doing a lot of research and it seems to me that the door is wide open. As soon as this project is completed, I will be filing a copyright with the government!
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Week 4
The Paint: Initially I had purchased acrylic paint to mix with a gel medium. However, after talking to my hair stylist Kate, and a body painting artist, Edin, it became apparent that acrylic could be a difficult medium to work with and could ruin our hair if it got in it. I decided to head over to Ace Hardware where I picked up latex paint. This paint is slow drying and easily comes off the body and does not crack when it dries on the skin.
The test run:
Using an extra canvas and the latex paint, 2 girls came over to help go through the test run. I was covered in turquoise paint from neck to toe. Stepping on the canvas, my first reaction was how slippery the pain felt. The postures had to become more slow moving and calculated. As the paint began to dry on my body, it became increasingly sticky and in some cases moved the canvas as I pulled up.
I was concerned about the paint drying and felt rushed, however, after looking at the end result, I believe that not only is the drying paint not a concern, but it makes the painting kind of nice in its variations of saturation.
The sequences:
Because doing yoga covered in paint on canvas is challenging, there are modifications that need to be made to my original sequences. I was also concerned that the having same sun salutation postures within each sequence may have been too dominating in their mark making not allowing for each painting to be as unique as I wanted. To figure this question out, the girls repainted me and we went through a different sequence. I was covered in the same color paint although in reality these will be different, but it helped to see how different the marks actually are.
It turned out that the paintings are not only very different, by they speak to their intentions in very interesting ways.
The Throat Chakra on the canvas with gesso
The Root Chakra (will be in red paint) on the natural canvas
The Process:
Throughout my planning of the project, I did not anticipate the social, spiritual conversations and connections that would occur between the girls who are participating. Almost immediately, their were very insightful and creative conversations that ran deep and shared a common holsitic thread. Over the course of the test run, there were conversations that stemmed from sexuality to racism to overcoming traumas and the dominoe affect of energy. I stood back and watched as these intelligent women spoke of profound concepts and their high awareness of life.
Because not everyone can understand what the chakras or yoga truly mean, it can be frustrating to convey such a meaningful and serious message without sounding redundant or preachy. I believe that the best way to share what this project truly means to ask the girls to offer a quote for their chakra that they help create to share at the exhibition. I think it will be touching and inspiring and as unique but as unified as they are.
Why Women?
Although I have not fully explored this concept, I did read an interesting article in Yoga Journal. Apparently, in the West, 77% of yoga practitioners are women. The article outlined many reasons why, along the lines of the actual postures and holistic body movements, the discussion of feeling and the exploration of one's inner spiritual side. Women tend to naturally understand yoga as a whole as they are more naturally connected to their bodies and their bodies rituals, as well as being more nurturing, sensitive and emotional. In my classes alone, I often have 1 man to every 10 women.
Because these paintings need to be as authentic and true to the yoga postures and their connections to the chakras, it is critical that the performers are able to embrace and truly feel what the process means. Furthermore, the idea of offering and giving of oneself is innately feminine which is found in our own infantile experiences with the female body.
Aesthetically, the female figure is beautiful and pleasing to look at, while it seems that the nude male body can add a level of discomfort for the audience, as men are socially dominant and nudity is equivelent to volnurability.
Technology:
I met with Clint ot discuss Eyecon and will head down to TLT to rent a video camera and recieve training.
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Week 3
Filming Tips:
Depending on what camera you use, set your cam settings to
- NTSC 1280x720p, this is a little smaller HD image size that'll be easier for your computer to edit with!
-Also, if you can, make sure you use a tripod. And make sure the place is nice and bright, it's easier to darken your highlights, midtones, and shadows, than to make it look good brightening them.
-depending on how you want to edit this, rule of thumb is to shoot the outside of the place (establishing shot) then work your way to where the subjects/actions are...or take photos of flyers etc..
-when your shooting, get wide shots of the subject(s), mid shots, then super tight detailed shots..and use pans (left to right) and tilts (up-down) for each of those 3 shots, this makes for fun editing!
-another thing that adds another dimension to videos is to have someone interview you/or the participants about the event, idea etc..you can edit these parts inbetween the bodypainting, so it's not the same footage showing constantly, and things that you talk about in the interview you can go shoot too and edit in..
-Besides that, just remember that it's usually impossible to go back and re-shoot things, so go to the place and setup and make sure your dialed in and ready...charge your batteries, and if your using mini-dv tapes record 1minute into the tape (black screen) before you record your event, and if your using a DSLR (canon or Nikon) format your cards and triple check all your settings!
My Insight:
After much discussion I have decided to remain true to my original, artistic inclination. While the concept of performance for the enjoyment of the audience is intriguing and heightened in its own right, it does not serve the best interest for the ultimate meaning of the art. Furthermore, the addition of technology should serve the art and not the audience, therefore serving the audience. Yoga is a spiritual journey that occurs over time and within the layers of one's own existence. The practice of yoga should remain quiet and contemplative, honoring the breakthrough of the body without hindering the process through unaccustomed stimuli. The artwork and creation is raw and primitive. The use of technology should be advanced and go without notice. Technology will serve the art and remain as an aide rather than an additional medium. The installation will focus on the 7 abstract paintings while the video and Eyecon will serve to elucidate their process. Ultimately, the installation will remain peaceful, fluid and contain elements of support without contradiction or desensitizing variables.
Need 1 more Canvas (71"x26")
And the truquoise paint!
The Studio
Hi Ladies,
First off, I so appreciate each one of you wanting to be involved in my yogart project! As I said before this project is for a class through UNR. The project has been critiqued twice now, which is great because it offers direction, but it also throws some interesting considerations to the forefront. In light of this additional information, I wanted to get your opinions as well as offer a timeline.
Initially, my plan was to have an intimate setting where the focus would remain on the painting and the videography. It has been suggested that the project would be more interesting if it served as a performance piece in itself and then the art would be displayed as a result. This would mean that we would have an audience who would essentially watch us be painted and move through our own yoga sequences. Additionally, I am using an eyecon software which responds to the body in movement. We would each be at our own canvases (the size of a yoga mat) and a camera would segment each of us in our own frames. As one person moves, music would play according to their chakra. As the next person moves the music would change and so on.
My initial reaction is fear and only because performing is not my thing, however, it could be amazing.
The alternative is to keep it intimate and focus on creating a video that would be projected as an art installation along with the paintings. I could still incorporate eyecon, like as a viewer approaches the art chakra painting, the video of the art chakra painting in process would be triggered and play.
Let me know what you guys think!! The most important thing is to have fun and make some original art.
Lastly, the project has to be completed by March 13th, so I was thinking about doing this the weekend of March 3rd. Perhaps a Saturday and/or Sunday night.
Thanks again!! You ladies are the best :)
Ash
P.S. Lauren we will be using non toxic acrylic paint for that little babe!!
Week 2 Update I have 6 confirmed performers including myself. I am still looking for one more to fill the final chakra performance. Over the past week I have been working on creating yoga sequences pertaining to each chakra. I've been thinking about the performance as a whole and the way the video composition will work out in relation to each performance and sound. I'm thinking I want to have two video cameras. One to take the overhead shot of the paintings as they occur, and another to video the entire production. I would love for the seven performers to play off one another, kind of like dominoes. When one finishes the next begins and as they finish they freeze in the same curled up position of child pose. Each performer will begin the same way as well, going through a sun salutation first and then entering into their specific postures. Here's what I have so far for the chakras:
1st Chakra, Root Chakra, Muladhara color: bright red location: between genitals and anus psychological effect: sense of belonging on earth yoga poses: tree, staff, lotus, mountain, bound angle
3rd Chakra, Navel Chakra, Manipura color: yellow location: at the navel psychological effect: self respect, personal power yoga poses: warrior one, warrior two, reverse plank, boat, bow, cobra
4th Chakra, Heart Chakra, Anahata color: green location: center of chest psychological effect: forgiveness, love for themselves and others yoga poses: fish, cowhead, camel/rabbit, wheel
6th chakra, Brow Chakra, Ajna color: blue indigo location: between the brows psychological effect: self-identity, personal insight yoga poses: childs, forward folds, cat/cow, fish, sit with forhead on block
7th chakra, Crown Chakra, Sahasrara color: purple location: above the center of the head psychological effect: related to the sense of our response to the seasons and sunlight, connection to the divine, enlightenment yoga poses: sun salutation, yoga mudra, head stand
EYECON
I've been researching this technology to determine if a response to light would add to the performance video or if it would take away from the power of the more primitive art. The two themes are so contrasted I'm not sure if it would be better to wait and use Eyecon for something else.
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
1st Major Work in Progress...Thinking BIG
Initial, In-Class Inspiration...
Connecting my in-class idea with my previous work to maintain a fluid artistic journey...
Last Semester I completed a final reflection project for my secondary education methods course. I chose to do a charcoal drawing as a reaction from my time spent within a middle school classroom. As an Inupiat Eskimo, I often work with Native American symbology as a way to express myself while reinforcing who I am and where I come from. It has been my experience that this naturally instinctive ideology can be understood by those who take the time as this symbology is based on an animistic perspective, honoring the earth, our relationship to it and all that that entails.
A Totem Pole
charcoal on paper
15x30"
What this work means:
When doing further research past my classroom experiences, I watched a TED talk about a little girl who the school recommended go to a doctor because she couldn't sit still and was disruptive. It turned out that the doctor discovered she loved to dance. Her parents pulled her from public school, put her in a dance school and over time, she became a famous ballerina, owning her own dance schools and is a multi millionaire. This occurred before the time of ADHD and being medicated to be still. Along with my own reflection this story resonated with me.
While spending time within the public school system, I kept hearing how art is on the bottom of the totem pole. I spun this negative metaphor into a positive by placing art within the roots, since creative energy is rooted in us all. The wolf is a symbol of teacher or pathfinder. The books are a symbol of knowledge and the heavy burden teachers carry. The chair is a symbol of confinement and has the indication of graffiti to symbolize rebellion. The weighing scales question the focus of the school systems vs. Individuality. The scales are made of rocks and a flower that a hummingbird is feeding from to indicate nurturing. The hummingbird is a symbol of love, messenger and a stopper of time. The ballerina is a symbol of dreams and rather than having arms she has eagle wings to indicate success and connection with higher realms.
Last night...
I was talking to my boyfriend about an article that I read regarding yoga in the classroom. Apparently, some teachers have discovered that taking less than 5 minutes in-between subjects to turn off the lights and lead the students through yoga postures invigorates the students and offers numerous positive results.
At my yoga teacher training, there was a couple that had just retired after serving 20+ years in the army. A discussion came up about whether or not to bring up any of the spiritual attributes or practices based on yoga while teaching yoga. This couple explained that in the army, reinforcing spiritual beliefs is absolutely inappropriate as there are people who choose to worship the devil. To reinforce satanic philosophies or bring them further to the surface could become extremely problematic. However, they found that although the only relationship they ever had with yoga was only through the postures, in the end, they felt the positive, spiritual power.
Students need an opportunity to move in organic ways that connect them with their bodies and enhance their freedom to self-express.My last art project discussed classroom confinement versus individual needs and desires.This art project will explore movement of the body and how to enhance the internal, creative drive within a confined space.
Followed by an email to the yoga studio where I teach...
Hi Rachelle,
I wanted to throw out an idea that I have for my art class at UNR which involves yoga. When I was doing my teacher training in Costa Rica, I had this idea of creating abstract paintings by using the body through a sequence of specific poses related to the chakras. Basically, I would come up with a roughly 5-10 minute sequence based on postures specific to each chakra. I would use 7 different people to act out each sequence. The yogi or performer, would be dressed in white and have paint consistent to the color related to their chakra. The paint would be placed on a slippery surface, the same size as a yoga mat, and as the performer went through the sequence the paint would move around accordingly. There would be a video camera placed overhead so the viewer could experience the movement of the body as well as the painting in process. This video would then be installed in an exhibition through UNR as a performance piece along with the 7 abstract paintings.
I was hoping to involve The Studio as much as possible. I understand that this could be messy although I would take all precautions to leave the space as it was found. At the least I am hoping to post something about the piece to find 7 performers and of course The Studio would be noted within the statement for the piece.
Let me know what you think, and hopefully this all makes sense.
Thanks!
Ashley
Responded with:
Yes!
Researching visual aides I found an awesome video that helped me see the process in a more clear and effective way...
Some refined concepts and another email...
Good Morning!
I wanted to throw out an idea that I have for my art class at UNR which involves yoga and hoping that you might want to be involved...
When I was doing my teacher training in Costa Rica, I had this idea of creating abstract paintings by using the body through a sequence of specific poses related to the chakras. Basically, I would come up with a roughly 5-10 minute sequence based on postures specific to each chakra. I would use 7 different people to act out each sequence. The yogi or performer, would be covered in paint (wearing a black leotard) consistent to the color related to their chakra. The canvas would be the same size as a yoga mat and as the performer went through the sequence the painting would occur naturally. There would be a video camera placed overhead so the viewer could experience the movement of the body as well as the painting in process. This video would then be installed in an exhibition through UNR as a performance piece along with the 7 abstract paintings.
Rachelle has given me permission to use the studio and I'm still gathering all the materials, etc. to pull this off. I would love if you would want to be one of the performers and to just have your artistic eye available! I will provide everything but being involved is on a volunteer basis.
Let me know what you think!
Thanks :)
Ashley
So far...
I have 3 confirmed yogis/performers who have been practicing yoga for an extended period of time and have a fine art and/or performing arts background. Still not sure if I will be one...most likely, but we will see!
