Strippin it down...

Like most of the students in 202, I started with an ambitious undertaking and a lofty dream. But after my initial research, critique, and reflection, I have stripped down my idea. As Maja pointed out, our robust starting ideas hold much truth about our course of study for years to come. In the big picture, I see this moment in 202 as an opportunity to explore more aesthetic and personal expressions - the development of voices for future works.

In my initial idea, I was attempting to visually and aurally express emotional states connected to social and geological data. Now, I will only be looking at the emotional states, and develop a series of video portraits expressing these emotions. I am interested more specifically in what Anger, Isolation, Joy, Sadness, and Peace mean to a modern human.

Through the late 19th century and early 20th century and artist named Edvard Munch produced works of art that conveyed deep emotional meaning with very simple techniques. His use of color, light, brush, and subject illustrated what he thought was the powerlessness, turmoil, and existential horror of society at that time. He practiced both in and out of academia, taking useful technique from the Impressionists, but discarding their themes.

The reason I discuss Munch is because his work has always fascinated me - especially his paining "Jealousy", and "Spring". He is able to capture emotional states in a simple and primal way. He used traditional techniques to establish his own voice, and even embraced new technologies like etchings and print-making. What would Munch create today if he had our tools available to him? What would a Munch audio work sound like? A Munch video?

I am interested this approach: Exploring a few basic emotions in a simple way with modern tools in audio and video.