This fall I am proposing an independent study in which I will travel to different museums, events, exhibits, and festivals to seek out art, rather than continue only receiving structured lessons on reproduced work by limited artists. As a filmmaker, I am especially interested in experimental film. This genre of film in many cases involves multiple forms of art. I would appreciate incorporating different art genres within my films. I have had a small amount of exposure to art aside from film and photography. I plan on studying in Prague this coming spring. I have never traveled really, and believe it would be a great experience to explore the art surrounding me in preparation for the transition to studying art on a more global scale. Keene State College is increasingly committed to supporting students working towards cross-cultural inquiry and making connections between the local and the global, and I believe this proposed independent study will allow me to do this work.
My idea initially centered around the expectation of improving my own work by viewing different influences. However, after pitching this idea to professors and fellow artists, this entire journey has evolved into an even more bountiful experience that I am working towards accomplishing. This fall would be dedicated to viewing art in person in different local (defined by within this country) areas. Multiple museums, festivals, and exhibits in New York, Massachusetts, etc. will be visited. I have created this blog where I can share the information that I learn and the experiences that I record. I could then share this knowledge with others in the film department. This entire experience could now not only benefit myself, but allow others into my findings. Having a mentor in the film department, as well as finding someone to work with in the art department would help to direct where this course should take me. I plan to write about every exhibit or festival: connecting pieces to what I have learned at film school thus far, new artists that I come across, or new techniques and pieces that I see.
Going out and viewing art in person involves a stronger personal connection to apiece because it is in most cases as close to rawest form as possible. The atmosphere around the piece becomes part of the experience. The work is not replicated or conveniently downsized to fit in my textbook, or on my home television set. Seeing a piece in person helps to stimulate a deeper emotion than analyzing that which has been modified. Also traveling to see artwork will give me the ability to see modern creations that have not yet been reproduced for the public. Seeing art in this way also becomes associated with the potential of self-discovery often made possible over the course of a journey.
Over the last summer, I have spent several hours developing a proposal (part of which is a book that I sowed together) and working on multiple projects. Here are a few of them.
So far, I have shared my findings in this course in a few different ways. For starters, I have sent fellow film students the link to my blog. Multiple times, I have found myself telling stories of events or quoting artists that I have seen talk in person. In fact, I just told my friend Kevin Sweet today about what Kenneth Anger stated about the religious footage in one of his films. It was a great conversation in exchanging our personal connections with Anger's work. I have convinced people (as in fellow students) to come with me to museums, film festivals and events. I share documentation in the forms of photography and verbal summaries. Every morning I grab the paper (preferably The New York Times) at breakfast and eventually make my way to the "Arts" section. I shuffle through finding out about what is going on and what i can potentially catch. This current knowledge has also allowed me to create and add to discussions in class where I tell of events that people may be interested in catching with me. It has been a fulfilling course for not only myself to emerge in an outside art world, but to converse and share with the experience with others.
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