3-16-11 (Wed)

Blink! Light, Sound & the Moving Image at The DAM

It is a little difficult to sit down and write about the large scale exhibition, Blink because

writing about the experience seems so constrained compared to the actual event. This extensive compilation of technology based art all in one area was phenomenal and to say the least, far reaching in its scope. It was a sensory, visceral, intellectual, historical, and exciting event that encompassed the past and present use of technology and art. Going to this exhibition was an art history class in digital art. I went to the exhibition twice and I think to really grasp all that was there one would have to experience it many times. The show was too vast to write about each individual piece so I will highlight a few that I liked.

I appreciated Professor Amerika’s early piece “Codework,” (2003)a digital projection with surround sound lasting eight minutes. Not only because it was an example of the earlier digital art technology, but it remains a creative relevant work of art now.

Since I was there for two classes my main focus was on “Still Men Out There,” (2003) by Bjorn Melhus. It was painful, extensive, and an in depth commentary on war, film and art through the use of sound, color, and light. It was a brilliant narrative delivered as if you were in a darkened movie theater without the movie. Through the use of color and sounds you watched a horror movie in your head. The flashing monitors and looping audio and visual performance was disorienting and powerful. This installation exposes how manipulative the modern media is in our lives.

Columbian artist Oscar Munoz’s “Linea del destino” (The Line of Destiny), (2006) was one of my favorites. It was a single screen projection that lasted almost two minutes. It records a handful of water holding Munoz’s image, holding his destiny in his own hands as water flows through his fingers. Isn’t our destiny in our own hands?

Bruce Nauman’s “Double poke in the eye ii,” (1985) a neon sculpture made of aluminum and neon lights, is an example of a period piece because at that time artists were exploring neon as medium. A black backdrop with two heads outlined, each poking the other in the eyes. A lot of finger pointing is going on.

William Jude Rumley, “Recognition,” (1990) is an interactive work and visitors participate and are part of the performance. As a participant you sit in a chair and a voice is activated. The voice thanks the person and says, “Without you, none of this would be necessary,” and includes applause. Watching the piece is like watching a game show, they appear embarrassed and you are embarrassed for them.

Alan Rath’s “Looker,” (1990-91) utilized old parts of TVs and other pieces of electronic equipment that suggests a pair of eyeglasses. It looks like a pair of glasses gone bad, the video eyes in the glasses do not confront the viewer, and both stare off elsewhere. The eyes function independently. Rath references the historic elements of digital art.

The entire electronic exhibition exemplifies how profound the field of digital arts really is.