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!!

The Girls and their Chakras

1, Root:  Nora Ann
2, Sacral:  Fairlane
3, Navel:  Jessie
4, Heart:  Ashley
5, Throat:  Stephanie
6, 3rd Eye:  Dulce
7, Crown:  Edin

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


2nd Chakra, Sacral Chakra, Swadhishtana
color: brilliant orange
location: above genital, below navel
psychological effect: sexuality, creativity, emotional health
yoga poses: bow, plow, bridge, crescent, cowhead, twist, triangle


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

 5th Chakra, Throat Chakra, Vishuddha
color: bright turquoise
location: throat
psychological effect: communication, self-expression, intuitive
yoga poses: airplane arms, neck stretches, shoulder stand, plow, fish


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.

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!

ART 245 Spring 2011

Final Writing Assignment:

 Power and Space

            One of the most widespread spiritual wisdoms today is practicing the discipline to remain present.  Often time, people find themselves so mentally involved in the past and future that they miss out on their life as it is happening in the now.  For instance, a father may be sitting at the dinner table performing the ritual of eating and being with his family, but really his mind is still at the office or obsessing about tomorrow’s schedule.  His senses are becoming desensitized and he is losing his zest for life.  Common interventions include such practices as yoga or meditation to heal the crazed mind.  However, every now and then, something exceptional occurs that adds layers to the meaning of being present without ever having to take on the initiative for change.  It happens on a level so deep that those who come across its path have no choice but to stop and be in the moment demanded of them.  This remarkable power is found within the culmination of intellect, imagination and work, also known as art.

            The married artist/architectural team of Elizabeth Diller and Ricardo Scofidio and the electronic artist, Rafael Lozano-Hemmer are at the forefront of advanced technological, conceptual art manifested through natural forces and public spaces.  The effects of their creations are jarring and thought-provoking.  Both sets of artists use space as form while manipulating the most basic elements of life adding surreal dimensions.  However, the undeniable individuality of these artists’ works of art, places them at very different ends of the spectrum in the means they take to evoke the senses. 

            Diller and Scofidio met at New York City’s Cooper Union in the 1970s where Scofidio taught and Diller studied.  They later married and together became firmly established architects known as Diller + Scofidio.  Their approach cultivated a new form of modernism in their endeavor to use space to explore social behavior.  They believed that social norms confined within the walls of society dictated the way people responded to their environments.  The goal of Diller + Scofidio was to free them.  As their highbrow reputations grew, they became recipients of such prestigious awards as the MacArthur Foundation “Genius” Grant.  One of their most high-profile works, and at the time, a defining work, was Blur Building created for the Swiss Expo in 2002 over Lake Neuchâtel.  The presence of this building was beyond anything, or rather nothing, that the public had ever experienced. 

            Blur Building was 300’ wide, 200’ deep, and 75’high.  It consisted of no dimension, no form, and no scale.  The building was made of water, and water was all that one could see or even do.  31,500 high-pressured nozzles shot a fine mist of fog up through the structure regulated by computer technology, which detected climate changes and maintained control while regulating nozzle pressure.  Upon entering the space, one had to first trek down the 400’ long ramp leading into the clouded mist where the only thing to be seen was the loss of vision itself.  Synchronized with the whiteout was the white noise of spraying nozzles.  The only concept of direction or space for that matter were strategically placed lights set up for safety purposes.  The bottom level featured a water bar selling bottles of water from all over the world while the top level maintained a Godly presence as though ascending above the cloud and into the heavens.  From what originated as a sketch on a napkin, came a project that took 2 years and a path of calamity ending with a well-deserved product of praise.  Although Diller + Scofidio suffered the omission of their most interactive concept for the building, “braincoats” (raincoats designed to light up and respond to one another) they received remarkable reviews.  The Swiss press claimed that Blur Building was “deliciously without purpose” and a “crazy, idiosyncratic thing!”  With all the hype of “nothingness” Diller mentions that in actuality, the topic is the weather and its universal alliance.  This alliance is something all people from all ends of the spectrum can find in common, much like in the work of Lozano-Hemmer.

 Diller Scofidio + Renfro, Elizabeth Diller and Ricardo Scofidio Blur Building, 2002

            Lozano-Hemmer was born in Mexico City and has a background in Physical Chemistry.  He too finds himself at a meeting point of architecture, digital art and social behavior.  He has been commissioned for such events as the Millennium Celebration in Mexico City, as well as the 2010 Winter Olympics, and has exhibited in various museums in over 40 countries. Lozano-Hemmer’s central focus is in creating spaces for the public to become a part of through established, predetermined experiences.   Among his most distinguished installations was a visual light show of green rays at the central oval field of Madison Square Park titled Pulse Park.  After the sun had set, the park would begin to flood with visitors eager to participate in the unique experience.  Participation involved registering at a kiosk where visitor’s heart rates would be measured resulting in the surreal experience of a metrical light show.  Once one person had been measured, their reading would be passed onto a corresponding light followed by the next persons reading and then to the following light.  The lights, set up along the perimeter of the park, would pulsate to the exact rhythms of the heartbeats to which they had been registered.  The result was a visual documentation of heartbeats, naturally and electronically igniting Madison Square Park.  People found gratitude in their personal contributions to the installation.  After registering, many sat in awe experiencing the body through the visually rhythmic show.  It was important to Lozano-Hemmer for the installation to occur during the months where darkness came early and at a location where families often frequented.  Remarkably, the installation was generated from biodiesel fuel and used only one-tenth of the power it takes for a typical hockey game.  Aside from the shows technicalities, Lozano-Hemmer eloquently defines the purpose of the installation as “the remains of people who have left their hearts behind.”  It is also noted that this romantic concept was originally inspired after hearing the heartbeats of his unborn twins.

Rafael Lazano-Hemmer Pulse Park, 2008

            Like Diller+Scofidio, Lozano-Hemmer operates on a universal level.  He appropriated something as significant as the heart to recreate an organic space using the force of life made visual through the power of light. As Otto Piene says on his artwork ‘Light Ballet’: ‘my endeavour is a twofold: to demonstrate that light is a source of life which has to be continuously striving for larger space. We want to reach the sky. We want to exhibit in the sky, not in order to establish there is a new art world, but rather to enter new space peacefully – that is, freely, playfully and actively, not as slaves of war technology.”   This insight into freedom and the expansion of self runs parallel to the emotional response of both sets of artists’ works.  Although Diller prefers to mention their Blur Building as being significant through the unification of weather, it can’t go unnoticed the commonality of water and the heart as mutual life forces made to be seen with the eyes through these interactive spaces.  Two different sets of artists and yet their creations unify people through harmony, bringing them into the present moment while simultaneously expanding their own versions of reality.   These artists' methods have created reintroductions to life consequently and positively bringing all visitors to the same energy level.  These highly intelligent and motivated artists do as much for humanity as their well-deserved, esteemed reputations say they do, reemphasizing Diogenes when he stated "I am a citizen of the world."  Diller + Scofidio and Lorenzo-Hemmer are prime examples of global culture within the new age of Enlightenment.

References:

Digital Currents: Art in the Electronic Age, Margot Lovejoy, Routledge: New York,  2004
http://www.lozano-hemmer.com/pulse_park.php

http://www.lozano-hemmer.com/bio.php

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_Diller

http://www.dsrny.com/

http://www.archidose.org/writings/blur.html

http://www.artelectronicmedia.com/artwork/pulse-park 

http://nymag.com/arts/art/features/51352/

Final Projects, Crowdsourcing, Part 2:

Cloudsourcing Edited

Cloudsourcing

Cloudsourcing is an online collaboration of people from all over the world submitting photographs they take of clouds that hold an uncanny resemblance to any-crazy-thing we recognize in this zoo of a world!

A person who visits the site has the option of either touring the zoo or participating in the project by submitting photographs and adding to the zoo exhibits.  Taking a tour occurs by clicking on the "Enter The Zoo" icon, transforming the page into a colorful, illustrated, two-dimensional map of the zoo sky’s endless exhibits.  Select an exhibit and experience a variety of themed cloud photographs methodically placed within a soothing composition.  Click on an inspiring cloud to view it enlarged and then traced to better identify the uncanny resemblance the cloud holds.  One will also discover the cloud's original geographical location, highlighting different areas of the world where people have participated as well as observing different clouds and their unique environmental formations. 

In choosing to contribute, the participant will upload their chosen photograph to Cloudsourcing.  The site will ask for relevant personal information to correspond with the uploaded image.  In addition, Cloudsourcing will require a description of the cloud(s) along with an outline of the image made possible with tools found within the registering process.  Once all items have been received, Cloudsourcing administration will input the data and place the photograph in its new exhibit.  Upon completion, the participant will be notified with details of their cloud’s chosen exhibit.

Additional features of interest will appear on the Cloudsourcing home page including top rated “clouds”, the most fascinating geographical locations and the group project of building a cloud castle.  Beyond the collaborative creation, Cloudsourcing participants will have the option of making charitable environmental donations.



Final Project, Crowdsourcing, Part 1:

The Johnny Cash Project
http://www.thejohnnycashproject.com/#/explore/TopRated/28a394a7cafa3b88588c27b59053dece7c67497c

My participation in The Johnny Cash Project included completing and submitting the above drawing to appear in the music video if approved.  After looking through several randomly chosen images, a frame that would allow for realistic detail juxtaposed with abstract mark making appeared.  I have always been drawn toward portraiture and found the connection between the man and bird to be particularly interesting.  The composition allowed room to play with the negative space substituting the vague, organic imagery of trees with a random, graffiti like scribble while maintaining the same tones and texture.  A very fine point drawing tip was used at a varying opacity to layer in as much detail as possible and maximize depth in the changing gradations. Artistically, this drawing was gratifying to complete in that it offered a variety of visual information layered with emotion.  I look forward to finding out the results of my submission and would definitely recommend this project to other people.  



Drawing Software: Easy to use and pleased with the option of tools. 

The Johnny Cash Project can be found at: http://www.thejohnnycashproject.com/

The One Million Masterpiece Project

http://www.millionmasterpiece.com/profile-1005844 

For the One Million Masterpiece Project I chose to do a drawing inspired by a simple line found within the project's mission statement, "capture a snapshot of the society in which you live."  This idea of people from all over the world contributing a visual representation of where they are from is a unique way to see the world and join together.  For my drawing I chose to work from a snapshot taken while at Burning Man.  The significance behind this decision runs parallel to the symbolic meaning found within the photograph.  The festival of Burning Man acknowledges a cultural celebration energized by the self-expression of our society.  The butterfly wings represent an animistic connection between humans and nature layered in the presence of the desert.  Finally, the wind is an energy flowing around the world carrying feelings and memories symbolizing unification.  It is my hope that this drawing will represent freedom of expression and respect for our land while contributing a positive example of western culture.

Drawing Software: Easy to use but the limited tools made any realism increasingly difficult as the colors and tools just wanted to look like child's art. 

 http://www.millionmasterpiece.com/

Critical Summaries

Meet the Curator: JoAnne Northrup on Leo Villareal: Animating Light

JoAnne Northrup's lecture was an informative and personal account of the evolution of Leo Villareal's art exhibition.  Originally inspired by Burning Man, Villareal created his first light sculpture as a simple tool to help him navigate back to his camp during the night.  His conceptual and technical process would continue to progress, but not after giving much thought to his educational history.  A Yale grad, Villareal loved studying computer technology and medieval art.  While interning at the Guggenheim Museum in Italy, Villareal discovered light as art for the first time.  These experiences combined with Burning Man inspired Villareal and he quickly began creating with the comfort of receiving little acknowledgement.  Burning Man became an experimental laboratory for Villareal, and although he did not consider his first creations art, after time his intent behind his pieces evolved and the art within the sculptures became obvious.

Villareal’s initial pieces were very basic in that they were simple turn off and on pieces.  Eventually, Villareal began playing with dimming and then layering.  The core of his work is about codes and sequencing manifested through light.  The end surface result is a very painterly and immersive creation that seems to envelop the body.  As a consequence of manipulating light, comes a manipulation of emotion.   It is impossible to not feel the atmospheric and personal quality in any of his pieces, especially those with emotional intent.  In his piece, Primordial, Villareal is expressing his and his wife’s personal experience with in vitro fertilization.  This instillation is about having a relationship to the body, imagining cells and the beginning of life.  In another example, Amanecer, presents the illusion of moving clouds while a sunset peers in to brighten the space and claim the viewer, much like the sun.  In conclusion, Northrup's lecture was eloquent and timely as she revealed the mystery behind the captivating art.

        

Ben Hoffman: The Cartesian Medium

            Ben Hoffman’s exhibition at the Nevada Museum of Art was both a striking portrayal of nature as well as the end result of a lengthy and technical conceptual process.  The perfection that Hoffman was able to reach with his art through mathematics and digital software was stunning.  The pure symmetry found within every detail was soothing to the eye while the vibrancy of saturated color was seducing and captivating.  His use of mathematical equations layered within the composition added texture and rhythm increasing the interest for the viewer. 

With his art, Hoffman was able to accomplish a reintroduction to some of the most common and simple objects found within nature.  His approach journeyed deep within the mathematical DNA exposing the structural building blocks. The digital recreation enabled the given objects to shine in all of their glory.  The choice of scale for the pieces was of utmost importance.  Prior to his exhibition at the NMA, Hoffman exhibited these same pieces on a smaller scale at a local pub.  While the concept is enough to grab ones attention, the scale did not do justice to the imagery.  Showing them on a large scale really allows the pieces to demand respect and attention. 

            One of the most handsome pieces in the exhibition was the portrait of a pine cone called Cathedral.  This piece stood out as being very peaceful, grandiose, and enchanting.  Hoffman's choice of use for the color black as the negative space added to the complexity of the piece creating an infinite illusion within the depths of the pine cone.  The mathematical equations were placed next to the image in the same golden brown tones of the cone reading like a poem.  The use of light created soft movement across the composition seeming to disappear off the page.  Overall, this exhibition was smart and sophisticated, establishing Hoffman's place in the art world.

Ben Hoffman's work can be found at http://cartesianmedium.com/CM/Home.html

maria elena buszek

"Personal, Political, Popular: Contemporary Feminist Art, Music, and Scholarship"

 

tracy and the plastics (2004) 

  

The lecture given by Dr. Maria Elena Buzek was an entertaining but sometimes incomprehensible depiction of feminism within art history.  For the entirety of the lecture, Buzek chose to read from an essay she wrote specifically for the lecture.  Although she read with enthusiasm, the fast pace and wordy account of her research was only sporadically interrupted by coherent summarizations and examples by video.   If she had only chosen to speak to the audience, her message would have been clarified beyond the following summarization:  

            Buzek prides herself on experiencing art through the eyes of the artist rather than through the words of a page, discovering new layers of significance to popular feminist art.  Her initial inspiration came from music history, working as a young woman in a record store.  It was there that she discovered the written work of Lester Bangs who brought to light new parallels between cultural movements and the arts as well as a unique critical style of writing.   Discovering her voice, Buzek was able to begin verbalizing her observations of pop culture being a young persons game, temporary and oversexed.  Women's liberation was meant to unify and yet there was an obvious dissection between the selectively picked and airbrushed women rejecting feminism vs. artists like Tracy and the Plastics, Peaches and Le Tigre, to name a few. 

 These women are feminist artists whose technologically advanced works of digital art are layered with captivating, thoughtful and sometimes humorous messages.  Tracy and the Plastics for instance, chooses a hierarchy destroying approach, leaving the audience to consider if they are the audience or a part of the show and whether or not the person on stage is more real than the video behind her.  This technique of breaking down structure occurs with such charm that the realization of disintegration is an after thought.  Furthermore, the technicalities of the show push contemporary art to the next level, making a clear statement about the capabilities of women. 

The work of Buzek is important, interesting and complex.  Her research highlights the best of what is happening today while re-emphasizing the work of yesterday.  If only her lecture style was appropriated to the audience would the message have that much more of an impact, leaving the afterthought, that her books must be great.