Work done today;

Research File

Sherin Neshat

Research File

Biography

Born in 1957, Sherin Neshat

grew up in Qazvin, Iran. After experiencing some heart breaking conditions, she decided to travel to California and study Art. From the beginning her works have pushed on the issues of Iranians culture. Later in life, Neshat moved to America's spotlight; New York city, where, to this day, she works and lives, peacefully filming her controversial and poetic video installations for galleries and museums across the globe.

Photography and Video

As controversial as her installations are, her photography takes on a similar approach on the norms of society. You can see a remarkable resemblance to the photo to the left and her video, Turbulence; The theme of opposites between males and females have a regular appearance in her work.

Screenshot

“The nature of my work is ambiguous, so it draws a wide range of responses. How a viewer, Iranian or Westerner, perceives the work depends to a great extent on his or her personal background and experience with Islam and Islamic cultures. The work often touches on the most controversial, most delicate issues. It isn't easy for Iranians who have lived through the Islamic revolution to separate the art from their personal histories. Many people assume that because my subject is Islam, I'm supporting the Iranian government. The opposite has also happened; some religious Iranians are suspicious of many of the images. Case in point: my work isn't shown in Iran.”

Bill Viola

Research File

Biography

Bill Viola is one of the biggest influences in video art from 1970s until today. As a multi media artist, Viola has tackled many issues and emotions in his work. His installations often remain around nature, for example, ‘The encounter’ arguably uses a dry desert to explain the rough and isolating journey through life.

Elements

The video artist once stated that when he was just 6 years old, he fell into a deep lake and saw a beautiful ‘utopia’ of moving colours and patterns. This near death experience motivated him in the video art direction.

Screenshot

“The fundamental aspect of video is not the image, even though you can stand in amazement at what can be done electronically, how images can be manipulated and the really extraordinary creative possibilities. For me the essential basis of video is the movement - something that exists at the moment and changes in the next moment.”

Sam Taylor Wood

Biography

She was abandoned by her parents and has survived cancer twice, yet Sam Taylor Wood has become a successful director after working as a sculptor for the first part of her artistry career. Wood began working in photography, film, and video in the early 1990s. The split between being and appearance in both an interior and external sense of self conflict has always been in the centre of her creative work.

Life and Death

Often using time-lapsing, Wood focuses regularly on the decomposition of animals and fruits. This way she can show to her audience the passage of time.

Screenshot

“I understand what it is to go through emotional trauma and retreat and go into the world of your imagination. I understand how art and music can be a place of safety in a world of reinvention.”

Bibliography

Sherin Nashat;

• http://www.gladstonegallery.com/artist/shirin-neshat/biography/
• http://www.artspace.com/shirin_neshat
• http://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/t/text/text-idx?cc=mqr;c=mqr;c=mqrarchive;idno=act2080.0038.207;rgn=main;view=text;xc=1;g=mqrg

Bill Viola;

• http://www.britannica.com/biography/Bill-Viola
• http://www.billviola.com/biograph.htm
• http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/bill-viola-2333

Sam Taylor Wood;

• http://samtaylorjohnson.com/biography
• http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/s/sam_taylorwood.html
• http://whitecube.com/artists/sam_taylor-johnson/

Three Words

'Mix' Proposal

This short will be based on the word ‘Mix’. It will be based around the mixing/making of a cake and dramatic stages of the process. This will include gathering ingredients, mixing it together and the baking and decorating of the finished cake with cute and flowery decorations .The final shot will show a manly man with a huge grin on his face, hopefully pulling in a comedy element. We plan to film this in Emily’s house and we have gained permission from the home owner to do so. We have completed a health and safety for this location as well as a recce.

'Mix' Props and Equpiment List

•          Cake Ingredients
• -   Self Raising Flour
• -   Caster Sugar
• -   Baking Powder
• -   4 Eggs
• -   Icing Sugar
• -   Milk
• -   Butter
•          Kitchen Appliances
• -   Mixing Bowl
• -   Wooden Spoon
• -   Cake Tins
• -   Knife
• -   Measuring Jug
• -   Egg Timer
•      Equipment 
• -   Canon DSLR 100D
• -   Tripod

Watch my 30 short here; Mix