0419 razor

0419 razor

most time-consuming part: selecting photos

last step: learning how to ease in and out keyframes

I suppose this is about subverting visual assumptions and how we are always wrangling nature to suit us.

I'm half-assedly working on my ability to come up with concise blurbs describing the artist's intention of a work. We go to tons of exhibitions in Busan and I'm stunned by what some artists manage to write about their work on those little placards and gallery flyers(?). By stunned I mean everything from profoundly impressed to roll-your-eyes embarrassed at how ridiculously obfuscatory and pretentious these can sometimes be. When I look back at what I've written attempting to describe my music, I'm more often than not cringing at how bad I am at it.

Anyway, my career goals necessitate the improvement of this skill.

so I'll try to improve the one I wrote above (without AI):

Razor is an attempt to subvert visual assumptions while implying a certain violence of human encroachment upon natural landscapes.

Better? Less hesitant and conversational maybe. But still kind of pretentious and sterile. But at least it's short. I can't stand the ones that go on and on. Leave long analyses and observations to the critics and zine copy writers. Save the in-depth explorations for future guest visit talks and Q/A sessions, if you're lucky enough to be asked to do them. Until then, no one cares enough yet. Is that harsh?

I'm almost certain artists today are using AI to polish their exhibition blurbs. Many of them have that same sterile academic drone to them. 

To be fair, 10 years ago I didn't think much of these things, assuming that I was just too simpleminded to get what they were on about, and that often does still hold true - I have so much to learn and understand. But now that I've read a ton of them, I can better see where the strata lie. Some of them at least kind of deserve a chuckle. Some of them are super good: very well written and are astutely helpful in the understanding of the artwork. Most of them are fine and do the job they set out to do with a minimum of grandstanding. But a few are reaaaally bad. They really seem to be compensating for a repressed inferiority complex of some sort. These are the ones that I really want to avoid imitating when I learn to write them. It's like that one person you went to college with who blew your 18-year-old mind who now you look back on and think, yep, their mouth wrote checks their actual work couldn't cash. I can think of a couple from music school.

Well, that kind of got away from me. Sorry to indulge. Anyway, I'm trying to develop in good ways with my feet on the ground. And I'll never, never ever use AI to write those blurbs, I promise you that.

somewhat related:

It has dawned on me recently that if someone asked me, "What is your dream?", I would have difficulty answering. I suppose that's good, but not having a dream to work toward seems.. wrong. Sad. Of course I have a dream.. what is it? I had to think about it a bit, and I think I've got it: I want to be an AV artist that does everything themselves: the music, sound design, all the visuals and puts the hardware together to install it and can possibly perform it live for small audiences. I want to work solo and collaboratively. I'm kind of wading into that ocean now and I have a ton to learn, but at least now I know that that's my direction these days. I'm about to start a course on Video Production this week taught by an Emmy nominated documentary filmmaker friend of mine and this daily project is giving me a lot to work on. So.. Ever onward!