Endure

This was my box project, where we had to encapsulate a memory.

Ponder it awhile,

Documentation, Take 3

Yes, three takes of documentation. I can only update a post so many times before feeling as if it’s all jumbled together. So I believe a few takes isn’t necessarily a bad thing at all!

Here are all the videos, unedited, that I took documenting rhythms 

The next time you’ll see these buggers will be in my collaboration video! And be easy, it’s my first time using a video camera (other than on my phone). And I had to record everything myself because I walked the line alone. I feel as if there’s a song to that…

.::UPDATE::.

My “Masterpiece” (in my father’s words) is UPLOADING!!!
I am so ridiculously excited! Exhausted, mentally and even physically, but sooooo happy! This is my first iMovie, and I had no help whatsoever (strike googling and watching how-to videos…) And I had no prior knowledge on how to even use iMovie, so for being a beginner, I believe I did quite well.

I focused more on the rhythms, so if the video seems to not pique your interest,
close your eyes.
Imagine yourself walking the line.

What sounds have you heard? Were you listening for them? Or did they make themselves known? Did you hear any rhythms? The hum of the circle of life and Mother Nature surrounding you?

Perhaps listening and watching my video will squeeky-clean your ears so that you will be more observant to the sounds around you, and the rhythms that float throughout not only the Line, but throughout Alfred, and everywhere else you will end up going throughout your life. Rhythms will always be floating loftily about.

Documentation, Take 2

An “Interview” with Yours Truly

A few different ways to get different sounds out of the same thing

Do click the red text.
And yes, the videos are sideways. A new perspective. Embrace it.

.::UPDATE::.

My new project is as follows;

I have scurried about the line, creating rhythms here and there with found objects. I have used a Flip video camera (that was graciously given to me from the Alfred Art Department, and this video is ready-to-go with Macs, RIGHTEOUS) and have recorded said rhythms.

Some items used include:

-pan
-empty beer bottle
-empty root-beer bottle (i think)
-rocks
-water
-wooden planks
-rain boots (my own, with my own feet, which I used to trudge along the way… they deserved a little attention, don’t-cha think?)
-my breath
-my voice

I have uploaded them all on my computer, and am using iMovie to create a video of rhythms. I am overlaying rhythm upon rhythm to create one giant musical creation! It’s a bit meticulous, but I am having fun with it. Which is what art is all about! If there isn’t a bit of every emotion in it, it lacks strength… and believe me, there’s a bit of every emotion poured into this project.

Documentation

Possible ideas

The Creation of Rhythm;
Having people dress up in tribal costumes, and having them start out with a very simple beat using found objects on the line. Then adding onto the beat, with other such rhythms and found instruments.

Fantasia Inspired;
Going throughout the line, creating musical rhythm. However, making it like a sort of Fantasia (Disney) — using colors and abstract whimsical-like patterns to explain the line.

Steps;
For every seven steps I take, I make a noise with whatever is around me. Creating a sort of rhythm as I move throughout the line.

Blue Man Inspired;
Using canvas and watered down acrylics (?) use the canvas as a drum to splatter paint on the line while creating a rhythm (soft, slow, fast, intense, crazy, melancholy, etc…)

What have I been doing:
Shooting videos of walking the line — some are just for documentation purposes, and some have rhythms and beats that I created with what I found on the line.
Visit here!

This is a very difficult project for me. Honestly, I have felt like a lost puppy this entire time. And nothing seems to be going right. But I have this idea that I’m about to go out and explore, and I pray that it works. Because if not I am in some deep doo-doo.

p.s. My idea has changed QUITE A BIT. So much actually. It’s so basic at the moment. Which rhythm can sometimes be. Maybe that is what I have to start out with. The Ultimate Basic Rhythm. I just really do not like the idea of being this clueless and this foreign to what seems to be something that is all around. Seriously. You can’t escape rhythm. Like right now, my typing is a rhythm. Crazy, right? My breathing is a rhythm. You reading this is a rhythm (whoever you are). Silence can be a rhythm, because it is always broken. And my concentration is a rhythm, because it’s everywhere all at once trying to wrap my head around “I have to get this all done by 8 am tomorrow morning”. I should be crying right now. No. I’m just going to go and get-er-done. NOW.

p.p.s. Here is what was in my sketchbook when I was generating ideas for this project….

(Above) My idea of the Creation of Rhythm, in which I would have a friend (or a few friends) of mine dress up in tribal ensembles and create rhythms together.

(Above) My idea of using sounds to create rhythm, as well as bringing in the visual aspect of paint on canvas… I really would love to revisit this idea at a later date.

And I had a photo of my other page… but it doesn’t seem to was to show itself at this time. Maybe at a later date, when she has freshened up a bit.

Meanwhile, here are some of the objects that I used to create rhythm along the line!

The infamous pan

An empty, stripped down beer bottle

A very old, stripped down root beer bottle, perhaps?
We can only hope…

The Focus: Disturbed

TECHNOLOGY NEEDS TO DO WHAT IT’S SUPPOSED TO DO
AND NOT JUST WASTE MY TIME.

I explored the Line for roughly two and a half hours,
Shot some footage that I was actually quite excited about,
Was really really cold and alone for most of the time,
Got pretty lost and confused for a bit of time,
ALL FOR NOTHING.

KNLBSHKVFHSBKEIWBUAHsdiaohgbejrsilbguiwbdjelbfghjzbgkfjd

breathe in
breathe out
move on
repeat

Rhythm on the Line

Sooooo I had all these super cool recorded rhythms of rain, footsteps, rustling leaves, wind… and I recorded them all on the recorder that Brett let me sign out. I was SO EXCITED.

And then I go to upload the sounds on my computer, and they’re all not there.

Yep.

Sooooo here goes my other idea;
Rhythm on the line, through music.
And the way the music affected my walk.
The rhythm of my heart, the rhythm of my emotions,
Closing your eyes and listening to these songs will bring you
as close to the experience I had on the line as possible.
I believe that music is the easiest form of expression
to translate emotion,
And emotion can be rhythm.
Walking is a rhythm.
Sitting and breathing is rhythm.
Life is rhythm.
everything has rhythm.

“The Hill”
– Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova
[I played this song when I reached the top of the woods,
where we ended up on our hike with Brett the first day of the line excursion.]

I ended up kneeling down and listening to this song. The rhythm of my breathing slowed, and the rhythm of my thoughts slowed as well. Which ended up being a good thing — I took the walk of the line on a very bad day, and I needed a calm, sad song to bring me back zen.

“When I Look at the World”
– U2
This, combined with walking through the woods, with the rhythm of the leaves rustling, and the rhythm of my footsteps in the lonely woods, cleared disconcertment in my mind

I thought about when I was exploring the line with my roommate and lovely friend, Briell. We are both art majors (obviously), and although we are quite alike, and we live together, and are from around the same area (relatively), we will never have the same view point. However, we can hear the same rhythms, we can feel the same rhythms.
But this will never mean that we will see the world the same way. No one person can ever have the same view point. The closest we can get to “seeing” the same way is through rhythm, through art.

Right now I am attempting give you my experience on the line,
and how, through music, it is easier to translate.
Easier. Not easy.

“Smells Like Teen Spirit” — Tori Amos (cover)
I listened to this when I explored near Openhym, the Apartments, and through Alfred University, the Cohen Studio, and near Alfred State.

Yes, I set this on replay.

And the reason being; the lyrics and rhythm juxtapose the Alfred way of life, that I hav observed since I have been here. It’s a small town, seemingly calm, like the version Tori Amos created. She slowed the rhythm down, and created a seemingly calm, careful song. However, the lyrics contrast this (as it was actually a Nirvana song).

“Sinister Kid”
– The Black Keys
I listened to this while I carefully picked my way through Alfred State. And let me tell you, the rhythm fit the scariness and discomfort I felt over there. There were a few shady characters — and the heavy rhythm of the bass and almost-talking singing epitomized Alfred State for me. This song also made me walk with a sort of swag… interesting rhythm, eh?

“After the Storm”
– Mumford & Sons
I listened to this once I made it to the top of the hill over at Alfred State.
AND BOY DID IT MAKE ME FEEL ACCOMPLISHED.

My heart, after so much of a fast tempo going on throughout the line, this song made it feel all worth while. I was looking out over the Alfred University campus, as the golden light lit the hillside, and put my hand over my heart. Feeling the rhythm of my heart.

And after a few minutes, my heart calmed.

Word Definition;

Other synonyms: time, movement, pattern, measure, pulse, rhyme, swing, bounce

My interpretation of Rhythm;

painting strokes, running, drums,
musical instruments, marching, bouncing,
dog panting, chiming bells, horses galloping,
metronomes, wings beat, rushing water, dancing,
swimming, rocking to your mother’s heart beat,
skiing, brushing your teeth, the circle of life,
reading these examples of rhythms

walking

other rhythms;

poetry, typing, the tick of a clock,
breathing, swinging, writing, seasons,
periods, daily routines, waking up, eye movement,
the earth turning, waves lapping up against the shore,
movie plots, disney movies, dyadic conversations,
the sun coming up, the moon fading away,
the sun setting, the moon coming back,
sewing, knitting, tap dancing,
art pieces, puzzles,
aging
.

rhythm disturbances;

the heart’s beat;
excitement, fright, having fun,
running, sleeping, hugs, kisses,
loud sudden sounds,
death

music;
metronomes, the conductor,
drums, the rhythm section, the tempo,
triplets, allegros, cut-time, four-four time,
six-eight time, a musician that hasn’t practiced,
a beginning musician, someone not paying attention

daily routines;
sleeping in, not waking up,
not being able to figure out what to wear,
losing your keys, losing your work, losing homework,
messing up your makeup, falling down stairs, homework,
losing your toothbrush, losing your comb, having your period,
zoning out, having a friend being busy, having too much work,
having your class cancelled, being embarrassed,
wasting too much time on facebook,
taking a nap, staying up late,
consoling a friend,
getting lost
.

Exploring the Line

Ready to Triumph over the Line

REALLY EXCITED

Myself, Briell, Paige, and Michelle

Through A. State
Briell and King Alfred, scavenging the Line

THIS WAS A LOT HARDER THAN IT LOOKS 

Briell! Experimenting with spinning my lense

Ironic, seeing as I cut the 100% Happy Guaranteed Part out, and lost it.
It sums up my experience of walking the line.

The doors through which the line passed through;
(Above and Below)

The lovely Briell, taking a moment to look back and see if I was coming or not
Purple flowers and prickly… plants!

Used to gather information
Thank you to whosever truck that was!

We decided to blow a few bubbles!
And they caught to plants!
The lovely Alfred, New York
Bubble Reflections
Bubbily ground
SKY ON THE GROUND
Spider!
And again
Shadowed leaves
Using manual shutter
Twirl!
And again!
Having too much fun with the shutter speed and the spinning of the lense
My favorite
Ziggy
Tunnel Twirl,
Briell collecting parts of the Line
Star marks the spot of the line
Zoom!
Briell collecting specimen
Zooming
My recycled vase, complete with a Queen Ann’s Lace
ZOOOOMMMMMMMM
Throwing rocks into the water, SPLASH!
And again!

Deep water
WHOOOOOSH
The view through the window of the Cohen Studio
My art was actually displayed on the Line!
Pretty nifty, eh?
El fin.

Stepping Stones; from the Line

Painted by Yours Truly

exploration # 40

ALTERED STATES.

(translated from my scrawled hand writing from my sketchbook)

I’m sitting on the Solomon Bench, and it’s about 9:00 pm. You wouldn’t think it would be too dark at this time… yeah, well, WRONG. I’m scribbling words onto paper that I can barely make out.  But that’s okay, it’s adds personality.

It’s quite lovely, the only real prominent light being the light at the doorway to the Castle. It’s a bit eerie, yet, so absolutely calming. I’ve attempted to take photos of it and the Castle when I’m sitting at the Alfred University bench, and although they’ve come out blurry, it also shows a different altered state. Nifty. I do love me some altered states.

When I squint my eyes, everything seems a bit crisper, but it scares me a little because I’m out alone and quite freezing.

Holding my hair in front of my vision creates this strange world where things look like they’re broken up like stained glass windows would be broken up. It also blurs my vision even more.

Now I have moved to the Alfred University bench. It’s a whole heck-of-a-lot brighter over here. The stones look wicked cool with such a contrast of light and dark!

If I look at the castle upside down, it looks like a pool reflection… or a “handful of stars in the middle of a storm” (direct quote from my sketchbook — I might have been a wee bit tired while doing this. ANOTHER ALTERED STATE — looking at things when you’re bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, and looking at things when you’re in a sleep-walking state).

Wuthering Heights, anyone?

Heathcliff would be at this window at his death…

Shooting Castle

 

Streak

Then there’s the Altered View through a camera lens….. and what you can do with a camera. Oh, photography. You never fail to make me smile, and view the world a different way.

 

exploration # 34

This exploration is labeled “Interesting Garbage”; however, I decided to put my own spin on it. I didn’t want to find garbage. Instead, I searched for the little things in nature that people see everyday; the things people see so much of they just blow it off as normal. They never stop to really look at one of the objects that make of the whole.

Maybe I’m not articulating clearly enough. Some examples would be three leaf clovers (I was not lucky enough to find a four leaf clover — my dad has the ability to look down and, in about 47.4536 seconds, reach down and pluck a four leaf clover from the earth), leaves (the tree’s leaves! no, this pun never fails to tickle me pink), and rocks (rocks and stones are absolutely EVERYWHERE).
(of rocks & clovers)
 Leaves — My Bella Story

Rocks and Clovers — My Two Stories
click the two links above!
I used text as the artistic medium — to curve around, and go on & on & on just like life. Just like ideas. Just like time. Just like everything that has life — it goes on. Even memories.