One Feat, Three Ways

This project was a collaboration with Alexander Skerrett, Fernanda Chaves Grassi, and Samantha Smith. The video editing was split three ways: the first was edited by Sam, second by Alexander, and third animated by Fernanda. Alexander’s ideas and direction helped shaped how the videos are, and shout out to his pick of music! Fernanda was the camera operator, which she did an amazing job at, and made sure the lighting was good and counting me in! I (Sam) was the performer and organizer of the meet ups and equipment. Together we helped direct the videos.

The One-Shot

The Sequence

The Loop-Retroscope

The Thesis

When we put on clothes it is a physical representation of who we are. How we dress can be used to express our culture/ourselves, as a shield for the insecurities we have, or to simply not catch an indecent exposure charge.

Analysis/Explanation

For me personally, I use clothes to be comfortable and shield a few of my insecurities. My main insecurity that I hide are my legs, I think it is the hair part that makes my brain freak out. I used to be a competitive dance and in being that you had to look the same as everyone else and a bit like a child, with the no hair on your arms or legs and small physique. It is weird looking back at that and trying to unpack all of that, which we (me) are trying and successfully doing, but I think that really affects how I move in the videos. What I mean by that is being forced to be in a sport/activity where it is so feminized and so tightly controlled caused me to struggle a lot with dressing myself. That is why I wanted to really show my discomfort and struggle through out the one-shot.

My gender also played a role, I didn’t want to look too feminine or too masculine because that’s just not who I am. I tried to use an even amount of clothing that were either masculine or feminine. I wear a lot of mens shirts, because I have broad shoulders. The first shirt I put on, the “get loud”, is a mens shirt, I then put on my “barbie” shirt next to balance it out. The sweaters I think are gender neutral, the job for those we to be as bulky as possible for the genderless blob I wanted to look like at the end.

The sequence is more fun than the serious one-shot in how upbeat the music is. The contrast between that (the music) and how I looked (my irritated face) really encapsulated me as a whole. If I’m having a difficult time with things I try to make it silly in anyway way possible. I mainly use jokes to get myself motivated, specifically you will hear me say “never back down, never give up!”. The only reason I do that is because I find it funny to take a chant of resilience and use to for the most nonissue ever. I think that my silliness and unwillingness to give up really shows in this video.

Alexander did a great job with displaying that in his edits, the cuts to show different angles added more context and felt like you got the whole picture of the gesture. His original idea was to just add contrast from the one-shot but with all art it transformed into something even better! The beginning shot with me putting on the “get loud” shirt really set the whole mood for the video. He did great with showing how aware the video was of its cheekiness.

The animation is light hearted but manages to show my struggle with putting on the second last coat. The colours Fernanda chose were so fun and complement each other well. When she started animating asked for my favourite colour to make the sweater, the blue one, which I think is such a sweet detail to the piece. The brush she used to make the animation makes it look like it was done with chalk or some kind of pastel, I think that adds a comforting feeling compared to the struggle that I’m experiencing. It is like even though it is difficult now, that will end and it will be okay. She did a wonderful job at the animation really closing the whole project with a pretty bow!

The clothes worn in the video: 

Shirts – 

1. Black tank top: that was the first tank top that I wore were I didn’t hate the way my arms looked (Catholic school had a thing were you –if you were a girl– couldn’t wear tank tops because it was “too revealing” but I just internalized that to meant my arms were an issue).
2. White “Get Loud” Shirt: I bought this shirt with my best friend (Alyssa) and it reminds me of her every time I wear it. It is also a mens shirt, so it’s boxy which means I don’t have to think about what my body looks like.
3. Pink “Barbie” Shirt: This is a shirt I bought for when me, my sister, and two friends from my old job went to see the Barbie movie in theatres. This shirt is also a bit big on me (we are seeing a theme of Sam liking bigger shirts so she doesn’t have to see her stomach).
4. Blue “Arts Council” Sweatshirt: This is from high school when I was arts council president, it is comfortable and is my art shirt (any time I’m painting I’ll wear this cause I don’t mind if I get paint on it). It also makes me feel comfortable (I’m thinking again with the baggyness of it).
5. Brown Long Sleeve Shirt: This is a shirt my aunt got me for my birthday. It is a little bit scratchy on the collar (I’m convincing myself that it is a skill issue and I don’t have texture issues). I wear it usually in the winter as a shirt/ sweatshirt because it is warm enough not to need any other layers underneath. It also reminds me of my aunt so I’ll wear it when I miss her.
6. Appa Cardigan: This is the first “big purchase” (It was like $70 but it felt like I bought a car or something with the amount I spent) when I got my first job. I love Avatar: The Last Airbender, and Appa is a character that I associate with comfort. The sweater is also just comfortable and I get upset when winter ends because it is too hot for me to wear it.
7. N7 Coat: I bought this last year as a birthday present for myself. It is from one of my favourite video games (Mass Effect) and is comfortable and very warm for the winter. I think I also like it because I associate it with the main character (who was the first female character I ever saw that wasn’t looked down upon -very crazy for 8 year old Sam. I will forever have a soft spot in my heart for her).

Pants –

1. Caramel tights: These are my old dance tights that I wore underneath my costumes that were not ballet, lyrical, or point related. I chose them because anytime I perform anything I feel the need to have tights on, it is just engrained in my mind that I have to wear them. That and they covered my leg hair.
2. Black Shorts: These were my dance shorts that I still have so that I can wear them underneath skirts or dresses. I think I wore them because the shorts have a connection to performing and the video are performative, that and I wanted a “clean slate” look.
3. White Capris: These are my go to pants when it is hot outside or if I have a floor shift at my job and it is hot outside (I work in retail and the air conditioning is non existing). These are hand-me-downs from my older sister so every time I wear them I think of her. She is in Wales right now so I don’t get to see her often and miss her a lot.
4. The Black Pants: These have a thick lining in them, so I only wear them during winter (because I tend to over heat easily). I picked these because I find them comfortable and like the shape of them and how they look on me.
5. Blue Pants: These are my go to pants, I love them. They are very breathable (which is a must for me, with the overheating) and they have massive pockets that are a bonus. I just love the colour and how they look and feel on me.
6. Grey Sweatpants: I don’t wear sweatpants outside unless I’m sick or it is -30 outside and I’m just concerned with not freezing to death. I think my father engrained in me that sweatpants are unprofessional so that is why I don’t wear them often unless necessary.

Accessories –

1. Dragon Age Origins Necklace: This is from an old game that my father used to play while my sisters and I used to watch him and make choices we also designed his characters which were always women who served 🙂‍↕️. The little script says “In war, victory, In peace, vigilance, In death, sacrifice”. I love this necklace it just reminds me of the times when we were all huddled downstairs telling my beloved father to cast fireball in an inclosed space.
2. Medusa Necklace: I started wearing this when I was researching women’s rights back when I was 16? Around when covid started. I also had a fixation with greek mythology so it seemed fitting for me.
3. Brown Scarf: I added this because I thought it would be a nice ending with the dramatic flick at the end. The scarf was also a gift from my friend (Alyssa who I did the KM project on) so I think of her when I wear it.

Rough Work

These are the first ideas for the project, ideas for editing, and a rough copy of why I picked each article of clothing.

Turing The Gestures of Everyday Life Into Art

1. Describe the work discussed in the article and the unique challenges – as well as the unique gifts- that come with attempting to archive personal movements.

This work is that of preservation and portraiture. Getting to know a stranger well enough to mimic their body language perfectly is similar to how a visual artist gets to know their muse well enough to see all of the details of their skin, hair, eyes and so on. The gestures are chosen as long as it’s authentic, it has to be what you do not a performance. There are no bad movements and can involve stretching, hand movements, pacing, and even sentimental movements (forehead kiss, handshake etc).

This involves acting as well as dancing to truly get the whole picture of that person. It is just a snippet of a person but it represents them so intimately. Having the understanding to preform that gesture perfectly with only the person in front of you showing you or this little note card explaining the gesture. It is very impressive and kind of wild to think why you wouldn’t video it for other people that are preforming. But also considering that the whole point is to archive peoples body movements it makes sense for the only way it is remembered is to be shown by people. That gives another layer of intimacy with this piece, shown through movement and taught through physical contact.

I think that it is cool how in the article the dancers were talking about how they had some of the gestures slip into their daily lives. For example in the article it says,“One morning, she woke up in a fetal position, hands clasped between her knees, although she usually sleeps with her limbs stretched out in a line. The pose belonged to a Ghanaian woman in her 40s whom she had interviewed the year before. “That’s Dora,” she thought”. This is such as crazy concept to think about, like obviously you would slip into the gestures because you do it all the time for the art show. But it also feels like it is a representation of how we are little bits of the people around us. Like me for example, my kindness comes from my father with his mentality of “If you have the means to help someone, do it” , when I do my makeup I always make sure I have eyeshadow underneath my eye because of this nice lady on Instagram (@Linsmakeuplooks) says “you don’t look weird with eyeshadow under your eye, your just not used to it”.

The people around us changes the way we interact with the world and I think that’s cool. It could pose a challenge of if you will be completely absorbed in this work. What if you preform so many gestures that you start to forget your own?  

2. Discuss one or two examples of movements in the article – what strikes you about them?

An example that struck me was the director of the Royal Academy of Art in The Hague and how he hid his thumbs into his palms. I think this struck me because of how he tries to take up a little space as possible. I relate to that heavily, I try to make myself as small as possible in order to not to disturb the people around me. Just how small of an act that is to hide your thumbs and how little of a space that opens up. I don’t know it is almost heartbreaking to hear how he wouldn’t even let himself take up space for his hands. He later says that he fixed that and even stared wearing an eye-catching jacket (so yay happy ending!). But it just speaks on our social upbringing to disrupt the surrounding areas as little as possible. Think about how at the bus station people are to the side with their headphones on minding their business. It is almost rude to be closer to another person than is necessary, we give each other such wide berths so we don’t upset each other. Not saying this is bad, I wouldn’t want someone who I didn’t know all up in my business, but it’s interesting how individualized our culture is.

3. Describe the habitual movements/unconscious gestures, tics, etc. of 3 people you know well. How do individual body parts move, and how does the whole body interact? What about facial expressions, and emotional valence of the movement? How does body type inform the movement? What do these examples of small movements mean and imply?

My father watches TV sitting on the ground with his back leaning against the corner chair. This legs are usually stretched out crossed in front of him, while his back is straight and arms resting on the couch. Occasionally he will stretch his legs wide open in a straddle position. He tends to fall asleep like this and his head will be back resting on the couch and he has like whistle but also a wind blowing snore. But if he is really tired his head will be down towards his chest as he snores like he has something to prove. It is the most Earth shaking sound that makes you think there is some sort of beast in the living room. I swear you can hear him from down the street. His legs when he passes out change based on what position he feel asleep in, sometimes they are crossed, sometimes they are straddle it depends on what he was like when he was awake. The most important part is that the beloved family dog has to sleep behind him curled up in the corner section. I think it is because she uses him for body heat but also just likes to cuddle. My dad is sitting on the floor because it helps his back and hips. He used to do all kinds of sports but he was mainly a goalie, so he has hip issues and this is one way of helping or assisting those needs.

My twin sister, her name is Alex, she is not fully aware of everything that goes on when she first gets up in the morning. She never has her glasses on when she gets up (she needs glass, we are both very visually impaired) so every time she tries to see something her entire face scrunches up and she quints her eyes in an attempt to see. She does not move the rest of her body, just her face. I have no idea why she does this, if I’m standing a few feet away from her trying to show her something she won’t move closer, she just has a squint and a dream. I think she is still in sleep mode and not everything is warmed up yet. It is almost like she is a sim whose task just disappeared.

She also doesn’t laugh at my jokes in the morning so I have to wait till she fully wakes up to tell the joke again, so she can fully appreciate my artistic genius. When I tell her the joke she just stares blankly at me, no emotion just stares. It is like when your parent catches you doing something stupid and is too tired of your antics to even react. Although, sometimes she says “Okay” but most times it is just nothing just blank face. But after an hour I’ll tell the joke again and she laughs so I am funny, she is just tired. Again I think it is just that she is not fully awake to actually care what is going on.

My dog, Blondie, crosses her paws every time she lays down. I have no idea why she does this, probably cause it is comfortable for her, but without fail every time she lays down her paws will be crossed. Her head will always be up just looking around, I don’t know why but she doesn’t put her head on her paws when they are crossed. She is like a distinguished lady trying to show us how good of a girl she is. Now thinking about it she will usually just stare at you so maybe she is asking for a treat.

She without fail is always on my bed at 10:30 pm taking up my pillow space. Once it hits 10:29 she’s walking downstairs to my bed. She does three circles on the bed, nothing more than three and nothing less than three, before collapsing in a lying down position with a big sigh. Paws stretched out, head back, and snoring. I think she mimics my dad snores because she will snore with her eyes open. She just wants to be comfortable and my room is downstairs, so it is a bit cooler than the rest of the house which makes for peak naps. I unfortunately don’t have a picture of her head back snoring but this is a close enough comparison.

Now Since I’m analysis others might as well do the same for me🧍‍♀️. Every time that I’m waiting around without anyone I know with me I will rise on the soles of my feet and will bounce up a little three times. My body stays straight but my hands kind of shake a bit (from the movement of the bouncing) and I have my resting facial expression. I got this from watching my father play this video game when I was around 6 and there is this character does this as their idol animation. I guess little six year old Sam thought this character was the coolest (low key still do, she great, love her fr) so I copied it and now 17 years later, here I stand alone bobbing up and down like a fish out of water.

I scrunch my nose up in order to move my glasses up when they fall down. This causes my cheeks to attempt to push up the glasses, my eyes will also squint, and my eyebrows go down too. Sometimes my ears will move up if I’m trying really hard to push these guys up. I think I do this because I don’t want to move my hands up to move my glasses up. I have to look silly doing it, I just don’t care enough to change it, it works and is kind of fun! I find myself doing it when I don’t have my glasses on and I can’t see. The process is: I have a hard time seeing, I think the issue is that my glasses fell down, I scrunch up my face – no movement of any kind occurs, I get confused and do it again, I realize I in fact don’t have glass on – I stare ashamed and annoyed into the distance.

---

The Art Gallery of Guelph Field Trip 

ICFWYWM by Devlin Macpherson

This is a pen plotter that has been tasked with creating squares on a roll of paper. It has a camera that when the device “sees” a person the machine becomes ‘nervous’ and starts to draw erratically until you leave its view. When I started to write this, this one tumblr post that says, “humans will packbond with anything” immediately popped into my head. Which pretty much summarizes my maternal instincts for this machine… I think I’m far too empathetic to not love this little guy (not in the “I’m an empath” way, the I just feel big emotions way). He “gets” nervous when he sees people, like so real king. I get nervous when people are watching me but only if I’m unsure about what I’m doing. If I don’t have any confidence in myself than game over, I’m trying not to throw up. But if I have any confidence in what I’m doing we good, I do not care if you are watching no nerves here! I don’t think this piece relates to my practice at all. The work I do that is about me does not talk about my anxiety of existing, it is usually silly, fun things about who I am. I’m also embarrassingly bad with technology, even something as simple as a pen plotter would have me running in circles trying to figure it out. There is something that is almost homey about the pen plotter, it feels like something my father would have in his office that I would play with. I think it is that brown/beige colour that older technology had. I miss it, It feels like it belongs in a cubical. I do love an art piece that has some sort of physical technology to it, something about it, no matter the age of the piece of technology, seems futuristic.

Nalliunet | Season by Glenn Gear

Turn up your volume so you can hear the water🗣️

This is an installation that is inspired by the six seasons. That is based on traditional Inuit knowledge from Nunatsiavut, Northern Labrador. The whole installation reminded me of where my parents grew up, Newfoundland —specifically Gander and Grand Falls. It was odd seeing it and missing a place that I’ve never been. Like a craving to be back home having a picnic right by one of the hundreds of light houses that are on the island. It is strange to feel that was since I’m not from Newfoundland, I was born and raised here in what we call Ontario. I think the sounds of water is what got me, I love the water, every time we’d go to any sort of body of water I’d try to be under the water for as long as possible. My family used to call me a fish cause I was under the water longer than I was above. And good luck if you wanted to get me out and take me home, I was not leaving with out a fight.

All of the photos of each of the seasons reminded me of opening up Facebook and seeing my extended family post a bunch of pictures from their get together or just day to day life. On my mom’s side they fish and hunt, so seeing the pelts of animal hide was a throw back if you will. I also love documentation like this. The differences between the seasons and what activities you would be doing in one season and not the other. I also liked how the Gear got the photos from his family members, even though the original idea was to go up here and take them, I think the communal aspect to it brings a warm feeling to the piece.

This installation really had me missing that island and the time spent with my family. It is a wonderful and heartwarming piece that had me sitting in front of the changing bead work for almost our entire museum break. I think it relates to my practice in the way my art usually relates to me or the people around me. I’ve always been interested in just creating anything. Most of the things I do are school work, commissions or my little sketches in my journal/sketchbook/diary thing (I haven’t come up with an actual name for what that is, its multipurpose I suppose). The thing that truly encompasses me and my work as a whole is the Zine I did for my studio course last year. We had to do a Zine that had something to do with repeated things that was also related to us. I choose to do a zine based off my daily life, cause I love a retinue. There was painting, little sculptures from sponges, and collaging. It relates to this installation in the way that we both talk about part of ourselves, his being the culture he is apart of and me with exploring my environment (the city of Guelph and my job).

↑ There is a link to see my zine if you’d wish (thought can’t reference something and not show you what I’m talking about).

Here are some other art pieces that I liked and kept thinking about after the trip!

and what love is that, has been just floating around in my brain ever since I saw it and I don’t have the words to describe it. The first time I saw it I had to stop myself from crying. Why? I have no idea it just evoked such a deep feeling within me and it’s just lovely. I can’t articulate how wonderful it is, the conductive thread, bro that’s so cool. Not to sound like a brown noser or anything but it’s just such a good piece and the Warden’s Watch had me feeling the same way. They are just not like any of the pieces that I’ve interacted with. I think the art that I grew up with were the more traditional western art, the DeVinic, Monet, and other of those types. That art is what I grew up seeing and emulating with my practice. The type of paintings I do is very similar to the traditional western way, staying on a clear line of realism. I think that’s why this just shakes my head like an eight ball so much (in a good way). That and they are such strong pieces so well made, you can see the time and love were put into these!

This one is also so cool (I didn’t grab the name of it, regretting that now). The projector ahhh!! It’s so fun and just welcoming and cool. I love learning about other people so this was sick (good kind). This whole downstairs was just cool man. I’m like the whitest person ever, they were so amazing to look at! Genuinely so happy I saw them. Just filled with love.

Out of the Ashes, something about a stubborn bison that pulls at the heartstrings. I heard about this story on instagram or some social media app, before I saw this piece at the exhibit. It is like seeing a folk hero in real life. No notes, I think he’s great love the story and I mean look at him, delightful!