#KathBullSP200

[whoistayla]

Research Task: SP200 (PART 1/3)

Three artists I looked at who work with video, sound and performance go by the names of Mika Rottenberg, Maya Deren and Carolee Schneemann. All of which are female video artists whom I admire and take inspiration from in my own ideas about performance in video. 

The first artist I looked at was Mika Rottenberg and her video titled, ‘Tropical Breeze’ (2004). Mika Rottenberg is a contemporary Argentine-Israelii video artist, best known for her surreal video installation work that often deals with the subject of female labour. In the film, ‘Tropical Breeze’ a body builder drives a converted truck that functions as a shop, packaging her sweat. In the back of the truck, another woman pedals a makeshift device, picking up tissues and using gum to stick them to a clothesline, transferring them to the body builder woman, who uses it to collect her sweat for packaging and later for sale. 

For context of the film, Rottenberg says in an interview,"Every product contains part of the lives of the people who were involved in its production. It is very basic, but I find it beautiful because I like the idea of measuring the value of something not by its 'use value' but by the processes that were in its making - the amount of 'life' that was put into it." Although the context is very provocative, I found the physical & visual attributes of the performance-based video much more interesting and relatable to my own work.

The element that interests me the most in Rottenbergs’ film is the colour combination and repetition throughout. The sounds made by the movements of the characters/performers in the video is repeated throughout. I was also drawn to the ‘Tropical Breeze’ video for it’s set design and general aesthetic. The artist has used the sounds of the body builder woman wiping away her sweat and the clipping/mechanical sound of the make shift device repeated over and over, to emphasise the concept of labour throughout the video. I find Rottenbergs use of sound interesting & unique in this respect. Although, I am most drawn to the use of colour and set design. Like Rottenberg, I also have used a very consierate colour pallet in previous work and I also enjoy drawing on subjects in relation to female-identifying persons/bodies. 

Below, a still from ‘Tropical Breeze’ (2004), Mika Rottenberg. 

[whoistayla]

Research Task: SP200 (PART 2/3)

To continue my research, I looked at the 1943 film by Maya Deren and former husband Alexander Hammid, “Meshes of The Afternoon”. It is an experimental film that shows uncanny and surrealist imagery in relation to the abstract body, with an essence of forties horror. Maya Deren was a Ukrainian-born American experimental filmmaker and important promoter of the avant-garde in the 1940s and 1950s. 

A woman returning home falls asleep and has vivid dreams that may or may not be happening in reality. Through repetitive images and complete mismatching of the objective view of time and space, her dark inner desires play out on-screen. The film is shot in black and white 16mm film and has been highly saturated so the blacks and greys appear extremely dark, and therefore blur out details in clothing or shadows. This high saturation makes the characters appear ghostly and ominous, bringing about a horror-esque sense to the film. I personally responded to the film very well, as I have taken a strong liking to it. I am particularly interested in the camera angels and camera trickery. As well as how the artist has placed themselves at the forefront of the film, staring in it as well as writing and editing it.  

The most obvious yet effective camera trickery is the movement of the camera in particular scenes. The camera rotates at one point and films upside down, as if the character is falling, being dragged or spiralling downwards. There is also a use of low angles, which make subjects appear larger than they actually are, and more intimidating or powerful. I find the camera work and performance to be a large quantity of why this film is such an iconic piece of work. Deren was very forward about placing herself in the film and performs a character, unlike herself. 

I related Derens’ work to my own in the sense that, I would like to place myself directly in my videos and ‘perform’ in a way to the viewer.  It will be a challenge for me but also very exciting and new. I enjoy using different angles and editing tools to give off different effects & provoke thoughts from the viewer. Deren is by far one of my favorite video/performance artists to have existed. 

Below, a still from “Meshes Of The Afternoon” (1943) by Maya Deren.