Field Report #3 - Art Journal (2nd go-round)

From assessing "Cabinet" I am drawn further and further to the idea that it alludes and promotes the historical aspects of media, but connects those concepts to more futuristic or contemporary ideas that we find today. The article "The Origins of Cybex Space," (Carolyn De La Peña) and its inquiries in the idea of the first gym being a mechanical horse type contraption is a great example of how this blending and mixture of historic ideas are tied to a more contemporary concept (I.E. working out on a personal gym contraption). It also in my opinion, ties in a very scientific outlook upon the art or media exemplified. Nearly every article (if not all) has some sort of scientific relation or backing. This portrayal leads me to believe there is a great connection between both with art and science and that art is simply a branched out version of scientific concepts. If you consider filmmaking for example, it makes sense. The camera technology such as lenses and chemical exposures is directly reliant on a scientific discovery or background that was molded in an artistic fashion. "Cabinet" examines these relations and brings out the scientific roots to a more historic art/media.

Most of what is being brought forth is in the form of articles. The recipient reads the article and connects via the mind. However, there are other multimedia formats such as still images, sound files, and web movies. These short web movies are small tastes (or in some cases entireties) of pieces of artwork. An example is “Untitled” by Bigert & Bergström + CM von Hausswolff, in which three guys use a string/fuse and cup to play telephone. One guy lights the fuse and all three wait in horror of the approaching fire, until one (and eventually all) drop the contraption. This intimate web movie is a small little gem that can provoke highly philosophical concepts from something very simple. For example, in my mind I viewed this as “the danger of a child’s game” or “how danger/violence are in essence only a child’s game.” Did the artist intend this to be a statement on war/violence? I’m not sure but it was highly thought provoking.

For me, seeing them online or reading in a publication is an international way of having a personal connection to the piece presented. While the publication may not be international, the online portions definitely are. This online presentation also enables greater interaction with the viewer. In many cases the articles (or parts to the site) can have off-shooting links that give the viewer more information (or higher detailed) and even blueprints to artwork they can complete at home or in a studio. One off site link takes the viewer to a site that has downloadable printouts of objects that the viewer can print out and build. (http://www.lowtechmagazine.com/2008/02/download-print.html)
Other higher detailed parts to the article such as “The Museum of the Dead” by Robert Harbison; can follow the article with a photograph to better illustrate things for the viewer. There is one great line from the article that captured my attention: “In Palermo, however, corpses are treated as characters in a play.” This relation to seeing humanoid corpses (a real life bodied work of art) comparable to theatrical characters (a different more imaginary type art form) is somewhat hard for me to grasp. However, the photograph (and it’s “doll on a shelf” quality) help to better relate this concept to me and make things far more interesting.

-Lydell Peterson