#the expanded field

[linnealong]

WEEK 9 / Seminar - Beyond the white cube

Video here:

[connorchen-saddog8]

Performance lecture documentation

[o0kawaii0o]

[stebsca]

"LEAK" for CAST2001- The Expanded Field

Melted scrap glass, approx 50 x 50cm (widest points), Located on the window-sill of level 1-2 stairs in the Old Teachers' College, University of Sydney.

This imposition on the architecture of the OTC is at once a callback to the various leakages and breakages of the building and a reflection on the material qualities of glass, as neither a solid nor liquid. A pool of glass seems to leak from underneath its joint with the window frame and spread over the windowsill, reflecting in it a distorted image of the window's view. Perhaps it has just melted over time- the glass has been part of the building so long the panes ripple and distort at the bottom- moving very slowly as a liquid. The work is site-specific in every way- a step away from the ''white cube'' gallery setting. Perhaps this work will make a passerby pause and wonder what has gone wrong with the building this time.

[takatul]

Twisted Wonderland self-aware!Yuu except they’re empathic.

When I say self-aware!Yuu I don’t mean a scenario where Yuu transmigrated into Twisted Wonderland with memories intact.

When I say self-aware!Yuu I mean someone who knows themselves better than anyone else.

They know they have flaws. They know that, sometimes, their flaws will get in the way. Whether it’s shutting down emotionally, not being able to express themselves properly, or something to do with a physical ability. Their flaws will always follow them around. Even in Twisted Wonderland.

And yet, self-aware!Yuu is still kind. Still loving all of their strengths and flaws.

Ace needing a place to stay after Riddle off’d-his-head? “Yes, of course you can sleepover.”

Deuce breaking down after letting his delinquent side out? “No, you’re not a bad guy— you just protected me and Grim from those bullies!”

Riddle having a crisis after his overblot? “I don’t accept your apology. Not yet at least. But I can understand why acted this way… you’re allowed to feel angry about your past. You didn’t deserve that kind of treatment.”

No matter how wrong the opponent is, self-aware!Yuu always empathizes with them in the end.

Maybe one day, someone confronts them about it. I can see Leona or Azul or Rollo and maybe Jamil. They’re people who have experienced and or seen how terrible people can be.

“Why are you so nice all the time? You’re too thought. Too kind. Good people like you always end up last.”

Perhaps self-aware!Yuu will look at them with a stoic face. Perhaps a shocked expression, accompanied by a frantic gasp. Perhaps even small laugh at their question. And just as the confronting student was about to retort again, self-aware!Yuu will smile.

“Well, I’m not a good person. I just do what I think is right.”

Self-aware!Yuu will sit down, watching activities unfold around them— heart still bursting full of kindness. They’ll pat the empty space beside them. An invitation, but it’s up to the student to take the initiative.

“It’s everyone’s first time living after all. May as well make it kind.”

Soon enough, if the student plucks their courage, they’ll sit and slowly learn how to become self-aware too.

banner credit: @bunnysrph

[nero-neptune]

“Roy was the engineer, and anything related to engineering, in any specialism, would have to pass through his hands. This included assembling the plane’s radio, just like he’d fixed the small battery-operated Spika radio and made it work.

“Adolfo sat down beside him. He explained to Roy that it was not a matter of expertise in electronics but one of ignorance, and pointed out that Roy was the least ignorant of everybody in that department. Roy argued that he had never seen an airplane radio in his life, not even in a book. Adolfo put his hand over Roy’s. ‘I know that, Roy. We all know that. I only wanted to tell you that you were the best one at handling the wires and the terminals, that’s all. But right now that’s a lot, it makes a huge difference … you are the engineer.’

“Roy, almost breathless, added something that his older friend already knew: ‘I am barely in my first year in Engineering, I’m only twenty years old, and the only time I’ve ever been remotely close to anything like this was when I helped instal a damn audio system for my cousins.’

“‘And you fixed the Spika radio,’ Adolfo responded, as if it were a thermonuclear station and not a basic portable radio the size of a pack of cigarettes. Before Adolfo even said the next sentence he knew clearly that it was as painful for him to say as it was for his friend to hear it. ‘Roy, the group needs your abilities. All we’re asking is that you try.’ ”

– “Is Anybody Listening?” from Society of the Snow: The Definitive Account of the World’s Greatest Survival Story by Pablo Vierci

LA SOCIEDAD DE LA NIEVE | SOCIETY OF THE SNOW (2023) dir. J. A. Bayona

[ohitslen]

Part 1 of this thing that doesn’t actually have a steady flow

But wouldn’t it be so funny that the guy you get along with just fine is the brother of the guy that you feel like wanting to shower after making eye contact? Because I think it is

Apologies for the weird colors I did my best with the lighting I have 🧎‍♀️

[mindblizzard]

hey guys am I delusional or does Balor from Fields of Mistria look like Howl Pendragon

tell me I'm not crazy this guy looks like he would be perfectly at home in a big wacky magic castle casting slightly unsafe spells and annoying the love of his life

[ironyscleverer]

Doctor Who as a Post-Colonial Metaphor

Recently I've been thinking a lot about how beautifully Doctor Who reflects the state of post-colonial British identity, and tumblr seems like the appropriate place to share my ramblings. So let’s see if I can explain in a way that makes sense.

I must start by putting on my obnoxious little film degree hat and reminding everyone that sci-fi is one of those genres that is highly political (as most things are, but scifi even moreso). It turns out it's pretty easy to get a sense of people's fears and anxieties by asking them to envision the future, and that's what sci-fi media does; it uses contemporary cultural standards and ideas to create a vision of what futuristic/advanced science and technology might look like, and how people might respond to it. In doing so, it ends up taking the social and political temperature of the time and place in which it's created.

As such, it's very, very common for scholars to analyze sci-fi media through this lens; even Frankenstein, arguably the first science fiction novel ever written, is often interpreted as reflecting cultural fears regarding swiftly advancing science and technology during the early stages of the industrial revolution. The Day The Earth Stood Still (1951) is another great, very blatant example of how sci-fi and politics can interact. In this movie, a Jesus-like alien ascends to Earth during the Cold War to warn the human race about their imminent nuclear annihilation. It seems corny to us now, but it's actually a great movie and I would highly reccomend it. It's rumored that the US Department of Defense read the script and Did Not Like It because the themes were too anti-war.

In other words, despite often being viewed as too “pop,” too goofy, and too unserious to have any deep meaning, pretty much any scifi story can be analyzed within an inch of its life using a meta social/political lens. It's not the only way to interpret sci-fi, but it's by far the most common. One must simply ask, “what does this vision of science, technology, and/or the future say about us as we are now?”

But anyway. Doctor Who. Disclaimer: I haven't watched the classic series so I'll focus on 2005 onward (still post-colonial so it still holds up, lol). If you've seen Classic and you'd like to chip in, please do.

Genre-wise, Doctor Who is more-or-less a space-western, a subgenre of sci-fi that incorporates Western elements—exploring new frontiers, engaging with unfamiliar civilizations, rogue figures, etc. Star Trek is the peak example of this, but there are many, many others.

Of course, the Western genre is dripping with colonialism due to its historical setting of the American West, and the racist depictions of Indigenous peoples. Space-westerns, consequently, also tend to address colonial topics. Sometimes space westerns are just as racist as normal westerns, but sometimes they use the genre reflexively, to question colonial ideals. A more progressive space-western might be more willing to “humanize” the alien cultures they meet, asking questions like, "how does one ethically engage with foreign societies?" or "When is it appropriate to intervene in a conflict?" etc.

Althought these kinds of questions come up regularly in Doctor Who, especially regarding its anti-war messaging (Time War etc.). These themes become doubly interesting when you use them to inform your interpretation of The Doctor, both as a character and as a symbol.

Consider this: The Doctor is the embodiment of an ancient and immensely powerful being with a bloody history. Their kill-count is quite literally somewhere in the quadrillions. Although they are a self-proclaimed pacifist, they are still constantly a perpetrator of death and destruction throughout the series. The Doctor, despite repeatedly and loudly choosing peace, can never seem to keep their hands clean of chaos and suffering. Doctor Who is about an entity that destroys everything they touch, sometimes on purpose, sometimes not. As an allegory for grappling with the legacy of British imperialism, I'd say it's pretty on the nose.

In this sense, not only is Doctor Who a show about colonialism, it is also a show about identity in the wake of colonialism. It's even in the name: "Doctor Who?" Who is the Doctor? What is their responsibility to the universe? What does it mean to be ancient and powerful and drenched in the blood of millions? How do they move on, become better, without falling into the same traps? What does it mean to be British?

These questions come up over and over throughout the new series, from the destruction of Gallifrey, to the Timelord Victorious, to A Good Man Goes to War, the Flux (arguably), and many, many other smaller plotlines I could mention. Even in the latest series with Ncuti Gatwa, the focus on adoption and family is in a similar vein—where does the Doctor come from? What does it even mean to be “from” a place? How much do your origins truly contribute to who you are and who you become?

How the companions fall within this framework is also interesting; if the Doctor is a stand-in for the nation as an entity, then the Doctor's companion, the everyday British person, is the stand-in for the populace. The companions are ever-changing, ever-evolving, constantly renegotiating their relationship with the Doctor. The companion's ultimate challenge is to find how they fit into the narrative of the Doctor's life, and try their best to come out the other end with a happy ending (ha).

Of course, Doctor Who is owned by the BBC, meaning it is quite literally nationally subsudized TV. As a result, althought the show is actually VERY critical in some places, the Doctor is usually ultimately sympathetic; their good intentions tend to forgive a lot of the problems they've caused. The companion is usually charmed by the Doctors' seemingly endless tragedy of a life. This is a country's state-owned media company working with it's own self-image--it's inherently a work of self-reflection, and perhaps of self-obsession, too.

It would be easy to be cynical about Doctor Who as a product of the BBC, which is state-funded (but notably not owned or directly controlled by the government!). However, I tend to think that just writing it off as propaganda because of this is doing the show a disservice. Yes, there is an inherent privilege and self-centeredness to endlessly forgiving the Doctor, but that's also kind of the whole point; it's a show about coming to terms with one's horrible past. It's a show about learning to formulate a new sense of self. To demand that Doctor Who to be less self-obsessed, to not be about British identity when it is in fact a British show for Brits about Brits, is just a bit unrealistic.

Instead, I choose to believe that Doctor Who can and does use its privilege for good more often than not. The creators tend to be very progressive (as sci-fi so often is) and they can get away with a lot of very progressive messages in the guise of a silly sci-fi show for families. Most recently, I would point to s14e3: Boom, s14e5: Dot and Bubble as examples of thinly veiled rants about the evils of capitalism, war, racism, social media, etc. To ignore or dismiss Doctor Who because it has some form of institutional backing would be doing the actual stories and writers a disservice.

Finally, let me leave you with one last point; One consistancy throughout the new series that I find very charming is the positive effect the companions always have on the Doctor. Companions come and go, which is sad, but they're each special in their own little way, and they each change the Doctor, wearing them down a little at a time. The Doctor is consistently at their worst when they are alone, removed from the people that make them want to be better.

Very often the companion's parting message for the Doctor is "don't be alone.” This can be extrapolated to mean: don't forget we exist. Don't forget to be kind. Even if you can't help your legacy, even if you can't wash the blood off your hands, you can always keep striving to be better. Keep someone around to remind you to be better. And the Doctor, more often than not, does. Because ultimately it is the companions, us the people, that make the Doctor who they are.

It’s this special brand of relentless optimism, this indomitable belief in the goodness of people and the power of that goodness that always brings me back to Doctor Who, one way or another, despite all its flaws.

Edit 11/29: corrected some info about the BBC per the comments!

[bonefall]

bonefall said GET BEHIND ME WINDCLAN. EXCEPT CROWFEATHER GO FUCK YOURSELF.

WINDCLAN is full of amazing cats!!

Breezepelt has a well-written descent into the Dark Forest because of his abuse and social isolation, a victim of some of the most realistic radicalization ever depicted in the entire series!

Onestar and his souring relationship to Firestar is painful and compelling, a dramatic story about how power acts on people that ends with the tragic conclusion that friendship alone can't survive against intense social pressure!

Crowfeather

Hawkheart is a nuanced character whose perception massively changes based on who he's interacting with, working perfectly as a misplaced source of anger for Bluefur when the real evil was the violence in Clan culture!

[blackashbluephoenix]

Offscreen season 5 conversation between Mike and Harvey, probably.

(Sweet, forgiving, too decent) Mike: Hey I know this bit with Trevor's gonna be tough and I understand you have to attack his credibility but he did used to be my oldest friend so maybe try to leave some shread of his dignity intact?

Harvey: (with a shark like smile and a malicious glint in his eyes that suggests he has been preparing for this exact moment since birth)

Harvey: No.

[linnealong]

「Expended Field」 Final

Not Your Fault, 2024 (Front view)

Projector, Sound, Tulle, Gletain Silver Prints, Acrylic mirrors, Threads

This projection mapping work explores the dialogue between successful and failed creations from the creator's perspective. By animating still 'failed' prints and sewing them onto fabric, the work symbolizes the bond between an unborn child and the mother.

Influenced by personal memories and societal standards, the work delves into the intimate relationship between creator and creation, challenging conventional notions of failure.

"Not Your Fault" offers an answer to women who have questions and guilt about their unborn children, providing comfort for both the failed works and the creator.

FINAL

[connorchen-saddog8]

Project 2: The Expanded Field The Discrete Horror of Chair Porn

rationale, artist statement and other words:

Layer 1, the sincere, Chair porn:

Layer 2, the analysis, Video essay:

Layer 3, the critique, performance lecture documentation:

Final reflection:

I do like this work and some of the ideas I'm trying to look at. I loved the layered aspect of the work and creating this fictional online environment, playing with the theatrical aspect of performance and the novelty of me playing every part. I do think I could expand on this idea of a hyper online art work further and try to simulate / create a lol cow in a more factual and practice based way, but I think I'm fine with what it is. I think the most successful aspect of this work is the base. The chair porn itself. I do genuinely want to make it, and for it to just exist as an absurdist video work. But I do find certain joy in these layers of analysis and critique along with satire and irony. I am not naturally drawn to performance and I think for the lecture I could have had more authority? Play up the character a bit more. However in theory the character is just me, as is every character in this fictional universe I've created.

[numiolaes]

also pulling this from my targaryen ocs lore but i firmly believe there are more targaryens than just the royal line. when they flee valyria it's said that aenar took his "wives, siblings, children and kin". kin when you're talking about what are effectively clans can cover a LOT of people since it includes cousins and then you add in the polygamy thing Welp. Literally look at the freys to see how big ONE house can be.

I firmly believe when the doom happened there were a couple hundred targaryens in westeros. which would have expanded in the 100 years between then and aegon and again between aegon and the dance. it's just likely that especially around the dance a LOT of the cadet branches take loses, then later you get the rebellions, add in how that targs are Kinda Fucking Cursed and boom, you're down to the smattering we see in the 5 kings era.

like, that's realistically how things like houses work. i get why grrm doesn't write about all that because that's a lot of fucking people to work into the fucking timeline but then you shouldn't have made the valyrians polygamous and imply that aenar took basically his whole house over to dragonstone.

[stebsca]

CAST2001

ARRANGEMENT

Although the second piece worked on a technical level, once I put it on the sill with the first it became immediately obvious that there was something detracting about it. Maybe it was the sense of gravity that the first piece had that was missing in the second. I tried a few arrangements, but decided ultimately that this piece would detract from the work as a whole.

Despite this, there were still some interesting qualities to it, particularly the way it carried the light from the window over the sill and onto the shaded face of the wall, especially when viewed from underneath. This is definitely something I can use in a future project.

[toddfoxglove]

Just thinking about the fantasy of cryptic pregnancy due to testosterone.

Tw: FTM breeding, pregnancy and birth fantasy

Getting my shots every single week like normal, skipping my birth control because testosterone stops ovulation, right?

Noticing that my nipples are sensitive but chalking it up to hrt.

Being constantly horny but that's normal for testosterone, right?

My period stops, so obviously the testosterone is working...

Gaining weight... I guess that's just part of the process.

Definitely getting a dad gut... Idk, it's kinda cute.

My tits are leaking... This is a side effect of the testosterone, right?

I'm definitely getting chubby... Why's it all in my stomach...?

Having some weird stomach pain, kinda? Feels like movement... I must have just ate something wrong.

Lots of weird stomach pain...

Why's my cunt so wet...? Why do I feel so weird...? I'm kinda horny, can you help me out?

What's this pressure...? This pain...? Why does it hurt my entire body when I cum?

Why does my cunt hurt...? What do you mean my cervix is dilating?

What do you mean I'm in labor? There's no time to get to the hospital?

I don't know how I missed this, but I feel like such a man...

Just comfort me while I push, please? I think I need something to distract me....

Don't stop touching my dick while I do this, I need something to make it easier.

I feel so stretched... Can you see everything okay? How does it look...?

Just keep talking to me. Keep touching me. Don't make me do this alone.

This is the worst pain of my life. This is the best thing I've ever experienced.

It's finally over, there's an ambulance on the way. Everything is over.

.... How long until we can do that again?