Plasticity of Motion.Stanislavski
Reaction to reading

While old fashioned, the reading provided for an in depth re-evaluation on the way in which i move. I do realize, that Stanislavski intends his assertions for the stage - but one can hardly help feeling some degree of insecurity - to almost empathize with the test subjects. One often takes the corporal body of flesh for granted, and is slave to the fashions of the current high culture. To think with any practicality is difficult. The concept of two ways to walk is almost novel. Of course we think of actors as abstractions - embellishing and modifying what is commonly accepted as reality...
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Statement 1981

Hatsu Yume
Studies of perception cant always be left to the psychologists, biologists, or even philosophers. Time must be one of the most ridiculous concept man has ever put a system to. The analogy of the rock's frame rate is brilliant - poking fun at the rigid systemization of time.

People expect certain things with certain media. The film's viewers enter into the Video medium expecting to see something change over time - a linear exposition of movement. Obviously, the average viewer will seek out the result he expects - the most typical in the given paradigm.

There are infinite ways to perceive any given stimulus - a literal multiverse. This thought pattern is much like existentialism, which can then be extended to marxism - in that we are limited from birth, and in fact, cannot freely determine our perception/paths/etc. (according to Sartre's 'Search for a Method').

The logic is incorrect in the last statement - 'A fly lives for a week or two, and a rock exists for thousands or millions of years.' This reasoning does not fit with the more open feel of the previous lines. Who is anyone to say how long a fly lives? for that matter who is he to decide life? After all, we only see what is directly in our sampling rate - what is framed in our window.

light box
a study of light transitions within a controlled, contained space

Noguchi Museum

I left my apartment for the Noguchi Museum not knowing what to think/expect. My mom being a professional watercolor artist, I have been close to art my whole life. Whereas most young moms with young kids went to playgrounds, we frequented sculpture gardens. And of course, i never really appreciated these places, since i was forced into going, more often than not. Like so many things, it is only till later, with the gift of hindsight, that i can truly appreciate what i was given as a child.

The Noguchi Museum really started the moment i walked out of my apartment into this amazing sunday morning. at first i thought it was the after-effects from the night before, but it was really an incredible combination of breezy, sunny, cloud-stricken, warm. Arrived at the tram to meet up with the 3 people i had agreed to meet up with. names and greetings were exchanged, as we were all first years and had been forgetting each others names for at least a week at that point. but enough of this.

The museum structure itself is striking. The wedge of the building's southwest corner protrudes towards us as we walk to the entrance. Upon entry to the first gallery space, I was blown away not only by the sculptures themselves, but how they were affected by the architecture of the space. Light crept in from spaces under the ceiling above the walls - an open joint. This granted such a cool and even mystic ambiance, with subtle rays of light filtering down onto the hunks of rock and metal.

Noguchi was clearly interested in the relationship between the natural rough texture of demolished/removed rock and the polished front only achieved with mechanization or an intense physical labor. The majority of his works seem to play with the ideas, each offering a slightly different juxtaposition of natural/machined... primitive/future.

The garden area struck me as somewhat out of place. I didn't agree with the aesthetics. It just seemed too 'generic sculpture garden' that you could find in a city park, or college campus. The piece resembling a fountain held my attention for a while. The sheen/luminescence of the water created somewhat of a shroud over the minimally abrasive stone of the body. The water's source was well concealed in plain site - Noguchi employing a large circle at the top to cycle the liquid. The footprint was kept to the structure itself, as there was no accumulation of water away from the stone.

The separated indoor galleries contained another mix of works, largely similar, though with a new 'style' or motif - denoted by an extremely and entirely smooth exterior. These works often were multihued - striped patterns, reminiscent of snakes. There were quite a few with clear feminine aspects (often confirmed by their respective titles).

Maybe because of the week's assignment, i was almost obsessed with the lighting of the space. Its incredible how large a role a spaces lighting can have on the perception of aspects of said space, in this case, the physical sculptures. I was blown away by the contrasting areas of the museum - how disjointed it seemed at points. But upon reflection, i agree with the choices. It is good to see works in a variety of situations, as the artist must have. This mirrors Noguchi's major themes of juxtaposition as well. The separation of objects (works) is also key in the perception thereof. a clear (albeit obvious) example is the piece that appears to be an extended rectilinear shape rising from the floor at an angle - the sea monster. Also, the last picture in the sequence posted above. These show the isolation of a given piece, and the importance the negative space plays on that given piece. The solitude is clear, and the harmonies and juxtapositions of the work are made even the more drastic.

My favorite lighting is shown in the first (from top) image posted above. The airy light from the shaded window provided a dreamy glow, complimenting the dark tones of the room. The design room beside that area also had similar lighting. I thought the choice of wood and coloring matched well.