Friday, February 16

I wrote this post when I was out of town on February 16th:
What I am really inspired to write about today, by both lecture and discussion, is the style of Vito Acconci that has spilled over into artists such as Renato Umali. In Umali's "I Learn Something New Every Single Day," he uses the space around him to project a certain energy. He is always at an arm's length or less from the camera and the camera is able to capture the atmosphere and his mood in every shot. This is similar to Acconci's theory where he wants to invade the space, being very close to the camera so the video can pick up his mood, his emotions. In this way, who is gets projected to the audience in a much more personal, one-on-one sort of way. His space is supposed to be just him and his viewers and is meant to be shown in that same way, like on a small screen with a few people watching. Umali does this as well, using a medium that is most easily seen on a computer, which would be a very close and personal area for the viewer. It becomes something that may invade that space, making a special bond between the artist's emotions and your perception.