Week 5- Science and reason- Video art by Pipilotti Rist
Pipilotti Rist's video art- how can we link this to science and reason?
1. Define the 17th century 'Scientific Revolution', and say how it changed European thought and world view.
Its an epistemological transformation that we associate with natural science and technological change. it was a series of changes in the structure of european thought itself: systematic doubt, empirial and sensory verification, the abstraction of human knowledge into seperate sciences such as: physics, astronomy, biology, human anatomy, chemistry, and other sciences, and the view that the world functions like a machine. this continued through to the middle ages and laid the foundation to modern science. since then, technology has advanced so much and still is. from the splitting of the atom to the invention of the atom bomb, the invention of the microchip to the invention of computers and laptops and touch screen technologhy. it has changed the way we live and has given us a whole lot more than what it used to be like back in the renaissance era.
2. Give examples of how we can we still see evidence of the 'Scientific Revolution' in the world today.
technology has advanced so much in the past few years, eg. phones, computers, television. the technology is getting so advanced that i wonder if they'll have any more ideas in the future. our way of living has also been more simpler because of washing machines, dryers and every day household items. the cars that we drive around these days are becoming more and more complex aswell.
Research Pipilotti Rist's video installations to answer the following;
3. From your research, do you think that the contemporary art world values art work
that uses new media/technology over traditional media?
yes they do, because it brings a new kind of contemporary art to the world and it alows us to explore the new media/technology rather than just using traditional media. art can be anything, if it is percieved as art, then it is art.
4. How has Pipilotti Rist used new media/technology to enhance the audience's experience of her work.
New media/technology art differs from paitntings and sculptures. The use of the video installation interacts with the viewer more than a painting or a sculpture would.
5. Comment on how the installation, sound and scale of 'Ever is Over All' (1997) could impact on the audience's experience of the work.
The installation comprises two sharply contrasting projections on 2 adjacent walls accompanied by a melancholic melody. The projection of the video on the wall is bigger than the average person so that when the viewer is watching the video its as if they are in the video.
6. Comment on the notion of 'reason' within the content of the video. Is the woman's behaviour reasonable or unreasonable?
Her behaviour in the video is unreasonable because her actions are illegal but it then seems legal when the police officer, who is also female, just walks past and waves at her as if she isn't doing anything wrong.
7. Comment on your 'reading' (understanding) of the work by discussion the aesthetic (look), experience and the ideologies (ideas, theories) of the work.
The scale of the projections helps the effect of the video installations and it helps interact with the viewers emotions. The girl in the video comes off as a kind and caring girl but when she stars smashing the windows it contrasts with the video of the flowers and how it shows anger and happiness side by side. Also with the police officer being okay with her actions, this also contradicts with her being reasonable or unreasonable.
