Thursday Night #3: Sanctum

              “Sanctum” is an interactive video installation at the Henry Gallery. It consists of several screens, cameras and speakers, which record passersby and play back the captured footage. Viewers are constantly bombarded with new sights and sounds. By approaching the screen and interacting with the exhibit on facebook, you will be ‘matched’ with another observer based on your information.

               While watching the screens, you see a whole range of human behavior. People wave, pull faces, try to find the hidden cameras. But most of the people captured are just going about their lives, unaware that they are being recorded. This aspect of “Sanctum” raises questions about the limits of privacy. Is it ethical to record people without their consent? What if, say, the cameras captured something illegal or indecent? Seen in this light, the whole thing seems slightly voyeuristic.

Thursday Night #2: The Work of Robert Campbell

              Robert Campbell’s work is strongly influenced by his environmentalism. His “Yellow” installations used a series of glass sculptures that resembled stooped human figures to represent both the chemicals humans put into our environment and our willful ignorance to the damage they cause. His work often used high tech and artificial materials, and this can be difficult to reconcile with his personal beliefs.

               A strong sense of place is present in many of Campbell’s works. “Pullchrior in Luce”, a digital film, consists entirely of still shots consisting of several photographs and videos stitched together to form a coherent image. What initially seem to be simple shots of nature and rural life are, in fact, entirely artificial. The film straddles the line between unsettling and peaceful. “Interval Two” is a triptych of surreal videos that gradually change, perpetually forming new compositions and landscapes. The viewer sees a series of small, isolated worlds.

Thursday Night #1: Future Beauty

 Future Beauty was hideously crowded and completely too loud, but I loved it. The claustrophobic press of people made it seem, in retrospect, almost like a real runway show. While my favorite piece would have to be the seamless glittering full-body lace suit, what stood out most was Kosuke Tsumura's "Final Home". I had been familiar with the jacket before I came to the exhibition, and was surprised to see it there, tucked in a corner and padded out with artificial flowers. I was also interested in the small selection of designs dating from the 1960's and earlier. It was interesting to see the 60's style's I know interpreted through a different cultural lens.

 I think that many people approach fashion as something separate from the more conventional arts, a 'not quite' art form. Drawing the line between the commercialized 'mainstream' of fashion and the notorious avant garde is challenging, of course, but this does not invalidate its artistic value. 'High fashion' designers are not generally attempting to create something practical, wearable, or even aesthetically pleasing. Asking about the difference between what art and fashion can achieve is, in my opinion, a non-question as fashion is as much an art as dance, painting, or theater.

First Post

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Donec imperdiet facilisis mi, a dignissim urna cursus nec. Donec ornare auctor quam, vitae interdum nulla molestie in. Praesent imperdiet, sapien vel pulvinar dapibus, dui orci mollis mi, eget interdum sapien elit in augue. Aenean viverra commodo velit, et feugiat urna molestie eu. Suspendisse ultricies, est ut aliquam egestas, erat enim suscipit sapien, vel sagittis felis magna sit amet quam. In sagittis dictum pharetra. Quisque a ipsum sed neque fringilla interdum. Ut justo sapien, tristique eget dui in, malesuada varius orci. Vestibulum ante ipsum primis in faucibus orci luctus et ultrices posuere cubilia Curae; Vivamus vitae augue non massa molestie interdum sed in dolor. Curabitur fermentum dignissim interdum. Mauris quis ante id nibh consectetur convallis a eu urna.

Nullam condimentum odio id massa sodales convallis. Nam et dolor ac magna accumsan sodales. Suspendisse fringilla vitae turpis a vehicula. Etiam non nisi nec ante lacinia mattis. Vivamus rhoncus lobortis libero, sed mattis nibh eleifend et. Integer sit amet imperdiet urna. Praesent faucibus sit amet elit sit amet fringilla. Class aptent taciti sociosqu ad litora torquent per conubia nostra, per inceptos himenaeos. Quisque condimentum tellus eget lorem aliquam suscipit. Mauris id eleifend dolor. Etiam imperdiet risus id mattis tempor. Suspendisse et gravida ipsum, nec porta arcu. Proin feugiat scelerisque leo et aliquet. Nullam et varius nulla.

Integer rutrum convallis pellentesque. Donec sed mauris ut ligula laoreet iaculis et non sapien. Donec malesuada nec mauris pretium posuere. Praesent vulputate tristique nibh eget lobortis. Sed malesuada porttitor sapien et dictum. Vivamus auctor sit amet dolor et cursus. Maecenas sit amet mi diam. Morbi commodo sed augue nec commodo. Sed consequat felis sed rhoncus bibendum. Nunc condimentum congue erat, eget vulputate nibh luctus in. Pellentesque habitant morbi tristique senectus et netus et malesuada fames ac turpis egestas. Vestibulum tincidunt, lectus non porttitor porttitor, sapien mauris scelerisque dolor, in fermentum metus risus sit amet ligula. In sollicitudin suscipit quam eget mollis. Suspendisse blandit sagittis auctor. Mauris ut augue dapibus, aliquam justo tempus, pharetra enim.