Hi! My name is Ella and I am in my second year. I am in the Creative Arts, Health, and Wellness program and I am doing studio art.
Marina Abramovic Movie Reflection
My first impressions of Marina’s performance art was that it was very vulnerable, both emotionally and physically. Marina performed with her partner, Ulay, from 1976-1988. With that came a great deal of vulnerability as her personal relationship was on public display. Their passion for each other was evident through their work and could be seen clearly by the audience. Their performances together were physically and emotionally vulnerable. In their piece Imponderabilia, they both stood across from each other in a doorway, nude. There was just enough space for someone to squeeze through the two of them. This really shows the physical vulnerability as she was completely exposed in front of an audience, with them being allowed to move against her. This is also vulnerable emotionally due to her and Ulay’s relationship. Sharing in this uniquely exposed performance with her partner would surely have an effect on their relationship.
Another very vulnerable work of Marina’s was Rhythm 0. In this work, she essentially allowed the audience full control of her body. They were allowed to rip off her clothes, hurt her, do whatever they wanted. They had many objects available to them, including violent things like knives and chains. By the end, her clothes had been torn off and she was injured and bleeding. I think this is both courageous and impactful — though problematic. She knowingly put herself in danger to prove a point. It was very telling of the people in the audience that they were so immoral and cruel as to injure and degrade her. I feel that this is problematic because it allowed people to act on their violent thoughts. It gave them a forum where violence was deemed “acceptable,” which allowed people to do things worthy of criminal charges with no consequences. I don’t think that anyone should have the freedom to act in those ways nor should they even want to. But for those who did, I feel that they shouldn’t have had the option to act on it in the first place. While it is in no way Marina’s fault that people behaved so barbarically (it is fully their own), I don’t think they should’ve been allowed to do that at all.
I think her quote, “when you perform it is a knife and your blood, when you act it is a fake knife and ketchup,” is very literal to her work, especially Rhythm 0. She allowed people to cut her with knives and draw her blood, all for the sake of her art. If she were acting, she would not be injured (both emotionally and physically), she would be allowed to take breaks, and she could detach from her work. She immerses herself in her work so much to the point of danger and injury. It is a completely different experience than if she were to be acting.
A Kilometer’s Worth of Music
I decided to represent a kilometer by imagining if the grooves of a record were unraveled. Each side of a record is a spiral, so I was curious about how long it would be if it were linear. It took a while to find out how to measure the distance of the groove, but I eventually found a calculation to measure it. After calculating it, Side A was equal to 0.43 of a kilometer and Side B was equal to 0.49 of a kilometer. Together, the whole record was equal to 0.92 kilometers. To get it to 1 kilometer, I doubled the play time of Track 10 so it added the extra 0.08 inches. In total, playing the whole record through (with Track 10 2x), it is equal to 1 kilometer.
To find this calculation, I eventually found a reddit post where someone calculated it based off a record of their own. To make it applicable to mine, I plugged my own numbers (based off the duration of each side) into the equation.
I felt that this was an interesting way to represent measurement because it made something sonic into something tangible. Music is often measured in seconds or minutes, but music is never measured in kilometers. It was different to envision music being measured in such a physical way. The difference of form was really interesting to think about, it was like the music was taking shape instead of just being something auditory.
If this were to be in a gallery, I think it would be interesting to have the album playing on a loop (including Track 10 2x) to demonstrate the km. I think it would also be cool to represent the path the needle is taking across the whole record while being completely stationary. It travels the length of a km without moving at all, which defies our perception of distance. As mentioned by one of my classmates, having a piece of chalk or some coloured marker on the needle would be a great way to show the distance visually.
References
[Request] How many feet long is the groove in a vinyl from start to finish? Assume that the vinyl is 12 inches diameter, with the artwork in the middle is 4 inch diameter. Record rotates at 33 1/3 rpm, has approx. 25 minutes of music. : r/theydidthemath. (n.d.). https://www.reddit.com/r/theydidthemath/comments/6qrl7f/request_how_many_feet_long_is_the_groove_in_a/
Field Trip
I thought that this work was very interesting and compelling. I have always had an interest in geography and learning about different regions, and this tied in wildlife as well. This work depicts a single animal among a vast expanse of land. As there were dangerous conditions approaching, the owners of these animals had to evacuate them. One refused to go along with them. But this animal did not get injured, it protected itself completely and was later found unharmed. This really spoke to me because it was a reminder that these animals know the land and how to survive. They do not need human intervention to preserve themselves, their instincts are enough. I think this serves as an important reminder that nature does not require humans to thrive. It can regulate itself and prosper without humans playing a part.
This drew my attention initially because of the colours and textiles. I found the embroidery and beading to be very impressive and intriguing. As this work was explained, it was touching to hear the effects it had on people. People in the community said it was reminiscent of their childhood and family. This reinforced the fact that art has such an important impact on the world. It can evoke emotions and nostalgia that other things can’t. I really liked this aspect of it because whenever I create something, I try to keep it in mind. I like to create art that has meaning behind it and can evoke feelings. Art is a universal language, and can impact the lives of so many.
As we looked through the gallery, I noticed how cohesive the whole exhibit was. The sense of community and geography was tied in very well throughout the whole thing. It really felt like I was looking at the same pieces of one puzzle, and they all related to each other very well. They built off one another, and learning from one installation translated to the others. I also thought the colour scheme being consistent helped amplify this. I really enjoyed touring this exhibition and the gallery as a whole. It was a way of experiencing art that I don’t often do, and I really enjoyed the interactive element of it.
NYT Reflection
- The work in the article is about archiving people’s movements and showing that no two bodies move in the same way. These movements get archived through muscle memory. A person is shadowed by a dancer, their movements get observed and then retold through that person. A challenge that would come with this would be trying to reenact the person’s movements exactly. It would be hard after only knowing someone for one hour to embody their movements recognizably. Being able to replicate someone’s movements so well so quickly would take a lot of observation and consideration. I think it is so special to have loved ones movements memorized in this way after passing. The article mentions people donating the movements of passed family members, which I think is a very special way of memorizing and memorializing. To have the small things that make a person who they are archived would be very significant to the family. Movements and gestures that you thought you’d never see again be brought back to life would be so impactful.
- One movement from the article that really struck me was Tjan’s. Through the dancer, he noticed that he tends to hide his body so he takes up less space. This struck me because it is interesting to have movements reflect personality. As I read this, I wondered if he is introverted or shy, because that’s what I felt from his movement. This also interested me because of how much it affected his own frame of mind after discovering this trait. In order to be seen more and take up more space, he bought a bright yellow jacket. This way he couldn’t hide himself through his own movements, and he would always be seen. Another movement that struck me was not a part of the installation. One of the dancers woke up one morning in a position not her own. She was immediately brought back, realizing that she was in a position of Dora’s – a woman she had interviewed the year prior. It is interesting because the dancer forgot about that movement until she woke up in a position that reminded her of someone else. It brought back the memories and feelings of that person without them actually being there.
- One habitual movement I’ve noticed from my roommate is that she often moves her hair from side to side. I notice that when she is feeling nervous or uncomfortable, she plays with and adjusts her hair. She uses her hand and her arm to move her hair, making her whole upper body involved in the gesture. I have also noticed that my dad is always tapping his fingertips or putting pressure on them. I’ve noticed this happen when he’s been sitting for a long time or he is absent minded. This is even a gesture I have adopted. It causes the forearm to move slightly, and you can feel the movement if you are sitting closeby. Lastly, my other roommate scrunches her nose when she laughs. This affects a lot of the face, her eyes squint and her eyebrows move closer. This gesture has a lot of emotional importance, as it is signifying laughter and happiness.
One Feat, Three Ways – Drinking
Ella. V, Maria, and Rhiannon
The feat we chose to do is drinking. For our first video we wanted to show a consistent shot of Rhiannon drinking the juice. We wanted the motion of drinking to be clear from the front and to highlight the throat movement. In our second video, we all took part in it. We wanted to use both the professional camera footage as well as digital camera footage to add some variety. This video had editing and sound effects to really have the feat of drinking be clear and encompassing. For our animation, we decided to split it three ways to showcase our different art styles. We thought it would be interesting to have the same motion be displayed in three completely different ways. In this video as well, the juice is very accentuated as we wanted it to be the main focus.
Pauline Oliveros Reflection
When I listen, I try to be very intentional. I really make a point of listening to what people say and taking it in. That is why Oliveros’ idea of deep listening resonated with me. I feel that I have already been trying to demonstrate these traits without knowing about deep listening. Actively listening versus physically hearing are very different, though they can be mistaken for interchangeable. What interested me particularly about this was the inclusion of personal thoughts into the listening process. Viewing thoughts as something sonic was a new idea for me, but one that I really liked. I constantly have an inner monologue going in my head, which, according to deep listening, gives a new meaning to what I thought was silence. I would consider silence to mean there is no auditory noise and there is nothing to be heard. If I think about it through the lens of deep listening, it would not be silent due to my thoughts.
I think that if everyone exemplified deep listening, connections between people would grow deeper. Truly listening to someone’s words and having yourself be heard is a very deep level of connection. You can add to this by listening to and through your body. Feeling and hearing your heartbeat, knowing the other person’s is doing the same. Approaching this through a playful perspective is also interesting. You can picture your hearts beating in tandem or creating a unique rhythm.
Even listening to the mundane sounds that exist in the background is important. The hum of a refrigerator, the static of a tv, birds chirping, a gentle rustle of the wind — these are all sounds that are overlooked, even though they have soundtracked our lives. We are often hearing sounds without even realizing. You may fall asleep to the rumble of the dishwasher or hear the ticking of an alarm clock. These are all things that are heard, but are they listened to? The idea of deep listening is so extensive and profound, it exists in ways I would never have considered. If everyone were to incorporate this practice, we would understand each other better and listen, rather than just hear.
November 2nd, 2025 – Audio Art
In creating this audio art, I knew I wanted to do something that represented relationships. Originally, I wanted to record the conversations of myself and my roommates to represent our friendship and dynamic. I thought it would be interesting to have our voices overlapping, laughter, and showing our emotions throughout. Ultimately, I used the same idea and concept but with my family as the subject instead. I recorded our conversations before and during dinner. It was the first family dinner we had in a while, so the recordings I got felt truly representative of my family. I almost wanted this artwork to serve as a time capsule, as a way to look back on this period of time. It was interesting because even now this time together grows less frequent as my sister and I grow up, so I wanted to do something to capture these moments while they still occur.
Conceptual Portrait Proposal
- I want to use a collection of objects to represent either an idea or a person. I think it is interesting to be able to represent something so clearly without being literal.
- The work of Felix Gonzales-Torres has really inspired me.
Conceptual Portrait
I decided to do my portrait of my mom through her recipes. A big part of growing up for me was making food with my mom. She always makes handwritten notes and whenever I look at them they feel very personal and real. I used this collection of recipes and her own adjustments to represent her. I even included some recipes from my grandmother and some of my notes I wrote alongside my mom. I included these to show how these qualities that are so personal can also be transferred and recognized in others.
Zine
I decided to do my zine on diversity in the fashion/modeling industry. I wanted to touch on how there has always been a lack of diversity in terms of body types, ethnicities, and races. It is something that has caused many issues over the years. It pushed unhealthy eating habits and beauty standards. There was also a severe underrepresentation of people of colour. I wanted to show that in contrast to the many body positivity movements and shows of diversity we see today. Though there is so much work to still be done, it is a start. It is important that big companies and brands take these issues into account and try to rectify them. Steps are being made, and I hope it will only continue to get better.
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