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anyasmcm · 6 months

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One last post: Mockumentary

Artist Statement:

I am a Visual Arts and Technology major at Stevens, so I have experience with video editing and filming. However, I have never made a documentary or mockumentary before, so I was excited to dive into exploring what this film should look like. I knew a mockumentary had more relaxed standards in terms of filming, acting, and overall content, so I figured it would be a great option for an amateur like me. I did research on mockumentaries and their origins, and watched a few clips from mockumentaries such as The Office, Parks and Rec, and What We Do in the Shadows.

One work that has stuck with me this semester is “Mountain in the Sea”. The thought of trying to communicate with another species that has a completely different method of communication, due to both its anatomy and mental processing, seems like such a difficult, nearly impossible task. I wanted to explore trying to communicate with a different species in a humorous but also thought-provoking way.

If a Stevens Institute of Technology student stumbled upon a creature of unknown origins, what would that interaction look like? As students, we are focused on a plethora of things: school, work, social life, extracurricular activities, you name it. So when something unexpected happens, it merely adds to our pile of things to worry about. Sam’s character, Ryan, represents the average college student. While trying to connect with the creature, he realizes that continuing to connect with the creature takes time, and due to his Resident Advisor doing room inspections, he doesn’t have the time to form that relationship. It’s not that Sam has any resentment or annoyance towards the creature, but rather that it's something someone else can deal with, resulting in him throwing the creature out of his dorm.

I didn’t want to characterize the creature as unintelligent, despite its alarming, often childish outbursts. The creature simply doesn’t understand how to communicate with Ryan, and therefore does what entertains or appeals to itself. The ending is also a crucial part of the mockumentary, as it shows the creature has not only intelligence but tools or skills unknown to the viewer and Ryan that allow it to enter the rooms at Stevens. The primary focus of the viewer and Ryan is to understand the creature, but the ending ultimately leaves the viewer with more questions than answers: what is this creature capable of?

I was acting as the creature in the mockumentary, and it was a really interesting experience to stay in a suit and impersonate a creature that has no known origin. Originally, I was going to try and communicate with Sam’s character, Ryan, but I realized that formulating a language for a creature that I don’t even understand would inevitably project my human perspective onto the language. A lot of this work was also improv, Sam and I didn’t have a script or a clear plan of what we were going to do. This was his first time seeing me in the suit, and both he and Clare, who helped with the filming, were confused and also surprised. Wearing the suit made acting a lot easier, as I felt like I didn’t have to show human emotions but rather the creature’s gestures or desires that are from viewing the world through an unseen lens.

I also briefly want to touch on the shoes the creature wears. The creature is seen wearing Nike Dunks, which have a unique history. The shoes started as basketball shoes that, once they fell out of popularity, became a popular skateboarding shoe. Their fall from fame allowed the shoe to become more accessible and affordable for skaters, and due to their durability, they were a reliable choice of sneakers. I wanted to have the creature wear my old beat-up Dunks because 1) the beat-up Dunks could mean the creature found them in the trash, put them on, and found its way onto the Stevens campus and 2) the shoe's origin story shows that things can be successful when they become available to a different audience. Similar to the shoe, the creature can be understood, but its audience, Ryan, is not the appropriate audience to understand it.

I had a lot of fun making this film, and I also want to say thank you to my friend and neighbor, Sam, and my friend and coworker, Clare, for making this mockumentary possible!

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anyasmcm · 6 months

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December 5th - 11th research

Observational research:

Don't Hug Me I'm Scared (DHMIS) Red Guy:

Red Guy from DHMIS is a character whose face is concealed by his red, stringy face. In his character, his inability to show facial expressions manifests itself in his skeptical and detached outlook on life. He expresses himself through gestures and tone of speaking, which is typically monotonous. Even when he finds himself in dangerous situations, he remains indifferent. It's unclear whether his behavior comes from being unable to express himself in a similar way to his friends, Yellow Guy and Duck Guy.

Red guy is such a unique character to me because his expression and appearance are devoid of personality. This is not what I want to do with my piece, but I instead want to conceal and present personality in my work. I want my appearance to represent aspects of me. However, he's a great model for how someone appears or presents themself when they only have gestures and tone to rely on.

Atlas to the Heart by Brene Brown:

I read a little bit of the Google Books preview of Brene Brown's book, and her writing on the feelings of being stressed and overwhelmed was really interesting. I liked her comparison to anxiety as "being in the grass" and overwhelmed as "blown".

It made me think about the space we provide for space in conversation and the indicators that we use to communicate we need that space. Some people get quiet when they need space, others lash out to push people out of that space, and others just avoid communicating to maintain their space. I feel like the easy part is getting that space, but it is so difficult to communicate that you need someone to enter your space to help you out, such as "being in the grass".

This led me to think about a video I watched from Khadija Mbowe on finding a definition for love. They define love as "a space of mutual creation where the desire is to nurture the spiritual journey of everyone in said space". I think in communication and life in general, we often struggle to find that space and nurture that space continuously. However, I think its so difficult to attach a definition to love, even Khadija's definition doesn't cover it entirely. I think their definition is great for platonic and familial love, but when it comes to romantic love it is an entirely different thing.

“Love is never any better than the lover. Wicked people love wickedly, violent people love violently, weak people love weakly, stupid people love stupidly, but the love of a free man is never safe. There is no gift for the beloved. The lover alone possesses his gift of love. The loved one is shorn, neutralized, frozen in the glare of the lover’s inward eye.” - Toni Morrison, The Bluest Eye

So in relation to Brown and Khadija, how we communicate and create that space for ourselves is so reliant on communication. Something I struggle with a lot is how to properly communicate, especially in relation to love. I also watched this video on love without attachment, which made me think about how certain behaviors we do when we are in love are manipulative and self-centered, rather than working on nurturing the space for that relationship, like Khadija says.

This wasn't really anything that led me to have any identifiable lightbulbs in relation to my work so far, but I'm just kinda brewing on all of this at the moment.

Active research:

I decided to put myself out there and branch some of the research I have been doing in Capstone into one of my other classes. I am taking Images of Science in Literature with Professor Dayal, and for my final project I am going to make a 3-4 min mockumentary about communication. The project is due on the 14th and I am doing filming Monday (Dec. 11th) evening, so I do not have the finished product yet. However, I do have a rough plan for the inner workings of the project, which I will post below. This doesn't mean that I haven't been working or thinking about things specifically for this class, but I figured that this would be a great chance to experiment with my work in a setting that forces me to establish a new form of communication alongside having to perform in front of people/share my work with people. I will post the finished mockumentary on my Tumblr (unless the file is too large) when I complete it.

Establishing How I Will Communicate The plan: People: 2 - Me, Anya, and my neighbor Sam. (Possibly a 3rd person to help with filming) Goal: Sam will attempt to understand what I am trying to communicate with him without having any prior knowledge of how I will communicate to him. If Sam fails to understand what I’m communicating, it’s not a matter of restarting or re-scripting, the goal is to have this remain as genuine and true as possible. IT WILL BE AWKWARD! Layout: There will be 3 separate parts to this mockumentary. 1: The interaction - Shot first

These shots will be exclusively Sam interacting with me and attempting to understand what I am saying. 2: My Interview - shot 2nd

These shots will fill in between the interaction shots and give some insight onto my character (or none at all) 3: Sam’s interview - shot 3rd

These shots will fill in between the interaction shots and give some insight on Sam’s experience with the creature. These shots will try to be as genuine as possible with limited scripting. The goal of this layout is to ensure there are mockumentary elements in the film, but also that there is some insight provided on Sam’s end so he can share what he is experiencing. Editing: I haven’t thought much about the editing, but I’d like to watch some of What We Do in the Shadows for inspiration on mockumentary style filming. I may need a 3rd person to help with the filming, in which case it’ll probably be a VA&T peer so there can be close-ups and things like that. I can also edit close-ups in After Effects, but I think there is something about having a physical person behind the camera to do close-ups that makes it feel more ��mockumentary-like’.

Costume: Ghillie Suit and Dunks Unpacking the background of each: Ghillie suit: used to blend in with the environment – my suit is green and brown so it is used in forests and leafy/grassy regions. Concealing is a huge part of it – staying hidden. Dunks: basketball shoes turned into skateboarding shoes. 1985 marketing: “Be True To Your School” – dunks were made to rep schools/school colors. Became a staple in skateboarding after the dunk was neglected and was affordable and cheap for skaters. SHOWS THE ADAPTABILITY OF THE SHOE AND ITS ACCESSIBILITY. Bottles: Bottles are merely things that hold something which humans want to consume. It is for this reason that they are discarded after their contents are consumed. They also can litter the street and be found all over the city in highly populated areas. Bottles also have attached meaning, through things like the Health Warning Statement on drinks containing alcohol or caffeine content. They also have attached meaning through advertisements, specifically Coke and Sprite. Both drinks are extremely present during the holidays, such as the LeBron “Wanna Sprite Cranberry?” meme and the iconic Coke polar bear during the holidays. While that meaning may not be consciously aware to us, who typically focus on the contents of the beverage rather than the surrounding meaning, the way they are advertised or consumed creates that meaning. If someone sees a Coke ad with smiling, happy families, they could deduce that Coke makes you happy and gives you a sense of belonging (which isn’t the case). If someone sees someone sitting on the sidewalk with a bottle of alcohol in their hands, they can deduce that alcohol makes you sleepy, depressed, isolated, or some other assumption.

Background: The creature I will be acting as originates from a culture of concealing itself in a very specific environment, but its recently acquired dunks represent its desire to adapt, change, and absorb the culture surrounding it. Essentially, the creature sticks out like a sore thumb in an urban environment, but its incorporation of dunks into its attire shows a desire to be part of the environment it finds itself in and also to understand what that represents in its environment. The creature typically moves by crawling on the ground, but also making quick movements from one place to another, to conceal itself from others. However, after entering the environment it finds itself in, the creature understands that the urban jungle is not a place it can conceal itself among foliage. The creature walks curiously, but also cautiously, as it navigates this environment. The creature uses popular culture as its main device for communication. Its experiences in the city have led it to view bottles, which it can find on the street or in the trash, as its main communication device. After consuming human culture, it perceives the advertisements and appearances of these beverages as a way in which it can express its emotions or what it is feeling.

Gestures/Expressions: I want to establish base gestures that the creature uses to communicate. These gestures originate not from a historical or cultural context, but rather my understanding and creation of this creature. If there are similarities found between the gestures/expressions and those of other cultures or human culture, it is not intentional. That’s not to say that these gestures and expressions that I create are devoid of human influence, since I myself am a human. I just want to express that they are derived from my understanding of this creature I have created. The creature is struggling to learn how it can adapt itself to fit within an urban environment. A lot of the communication it used in its environment at home is now out-of-place in an urban setting. Therefore, when the creature tries to communicate, it has to assume the position it would while in its home environment, since it has not found a way to communicate in an urban environment. That’s not to say the creature is not adaptable, but it does not have the context to create new language in a foreign environment. The list below of gestures was generated using ChatGPT. I wanted to ask what basic forms of expression I can use to cohesively communicate with another person. I used the framework of the expressions it gave, such as a greeting or a farewell, but I want to avoid using the gestures it recommends since they are based on human-expression rather than a different species. Here is the convo: https://chat.openai.com/share/6de156d2-42d9-426a-ae92-158f445707e0 I will say that by using human expressions as a framework for creating these gestures, I am embracing human interaction and not creating an entirely individual and separate form of communication. I also am limiting the creature to this framework of communication, which means the creature itself may appear unintelligent, or limited in its ability to communicate. The intent is not to limit its intelligence or create a lens of being ‘lesser’, but rather to display the creature’s struggle to enter and conform to this new environment it finds itself in.

Gesture 1: Greeting [Coke bottle] Gesture 2: Farewell [Not sure] Gesture 3: Expressing Gratitude [Wine bottle?] Gesture 4: Showing agreement [Water bottle] Gesture 5: Disagreement or negotiation [Pepsi bottle] Gesture 6: Confusion [Squished soda can] Gesture 7: Approval or appreciation [Hennessy bottle???] Gesture 8: Disapproval or dislike [full soda bottle] Gesture 9: Requesting attention [Energy drink?] Gesture 10: Expressing sadness or empathy [Blue Moon bottle wrapped in paper bag]

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anyasmcm · 6 months

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Fin. November 28th - December 4th research

So I was thinking what I wanted to say as I said it, I didn't have a planned out script or anything like that. The whole experience made me realize that our internal thoughts are best viewed as conversations between ourselves because they function similarly to a conversation. This is likely because language is the common thread that helps form each, our main form of communication uses speech which is based on language, and thought is constructed around language because it is our main way of communicating. (That could then lead to the larger question of "can we think without language?" but I don't want to get into that.) It was also interesting to decide who talks and who says what. I believe this has something to do with how I think, which is usually through a single voice speaking, my internal self, who collects and places things on a visual board in order to process what is being said/heard/thought/received. I wonder if it is easier for people who may think through an internal conversation with multiple aspects of their personality, for example the 'angel and the devil on the shoulder' internal conflict. I want to brew on this work in order to form an idea or really solid takeaway that I can gain from doing this and output into my future work.

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anyasmcm · 6 months

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Cont. November 28th - December 4th research

This is the 2nd video, it had to be split into two parts so there will be another post along with this one.

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anyasmcm · 6 months

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November 28th - December 4th research

Observational research:

I've already talked about them, I just forgot to put them in my blog so I'm going to add them in here.

Nick Cave:

Joseph Grigely:

Super interested in one-way convos, what evidence exists in relation to those convos, paper and notes, things that only have meaning to those who are aware of the context.

Active research:

As we talked about in our one-on-one meeting, I was sick for the majority of this week which made it hard to work on my Capstone, especially since my main focus is communication. However, I took your advice and played around with sock puppets a bit, which resulted in two videos, I'll upload them separately since Tumblr can't have 2 videos on the same post.

It felt kinda weird to give different personas to the sock puppets since I was wearing both of them. However, something I was thinking about while doing this was the disconnect between talking with my mouth and mimicking my mouth movements on my hand. Honestly, its really hard to do. It reminded me of lip syncing except doing it with your hands instead of your mouth. I also wasn't sure what to talk about between the sock puppets. But it was definitely an interesting experience.

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anyasmcm · 6 months

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November 14th - 20th research

Observational research:

I've been thinking a little more about material in reference to my piece, and Isabelle referenced Anna Mlasowsky's piece "Chorus of One" during my Capstone Update presentation. It's really hard for me to think about material and its meaning because a lot of materials have multiple meanings. It reminds me of Kara Walker's piece "A Subtlety" and her use of sugar. I'd really like my material to have personal meaning, but it's also overwhelming because I don't think I can assign 1 material to encompass the meaning of my piece. I think I will do a lot of material research over winter break so I have time to experiment with a lot of different things.

Active research:

I wanted to think a little about how my work will present in an exhibit/gallery setting.

In this sketch, the people speaking in the foreground are recorded by microphones placed throughout the gallery. What they are saying is then sent to the computer, which then prints what is said onto a receipt-like piece of paper. What is said is continuously printed onto the paper, and I sit at the end of the table and roll up the paper like a scroll. I've been thinking a lot about speech-to-text after playing around with it for pre-recorded audio. I usually watch movies and shows with captions because I struggle to understand what the characters are saying at times, so speech-to-text reminds me of captions. I also want to unpack what my function is in my piece, since I feel like I haven't done that a whole lot or unpacked it as much as I'd like to.

Another idea I had for my piece was a more guerilla approach to interacting with the viewers. I would go around asking people, non-verbally, if I can have their number. Then, I would text the numbers that I do acquire and display our messages on a projection behind me or on a wall in the gallery. I was thinking about the function of phones and how they have changed from exclusively verbal communication devices into these mini computers that can verbally, through texts and words, and also through emotions (emojis). I wanted to think about the difference between flip phones and smart phones, since my generation grew up in the period where the majority of the public was transitioning from a flip phone to a smart phone. How are messages different on the two devices? Flip phones take longer to type on and therefore encouraged a language of short-hands and abbreviations. However, since the messages took longer to send, it was more meaningful or important when someone sent a message because it meant that they wanted that communicated in writing and also wanted the person to be able to read it whenever they want, which shows compassion. On the other hand, smart phones also picked up on abbreviations, but they are no longer as necessary because it doesn't take a whole lot of time out of your day to use the entire word/phrase. Additionally, we can send messages quickly whenever and where-ever, so it seems as though we are desensitized to the marvel of text messaging. I'm not sure if I'll go with this idea, but I do think it has potential.

I also wanted to collect a couple of the questions I have surrounding my presence in my piece. I haven't really attempted to answer any of these questions, but I am keeping them at the back of my mind while I try and narrow my focus on my piece.

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anyasmcm · 7 months

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November 7th - 13th research

Observational research:

This week I went to Printed Matter in Chelsea to do some observational research exclusively relating to words. I wanted to see different type faces, methods of communicating, and see if I could find words in a purely material form. I'm not sure if it was super helpful for where I'm headed with my project, but I did enjoy seeing different fonts and feeling the textures on the covers and pages of books. I'd like to do some active research using different types of paper since I enjoy the material and also want to see if it would be a better fit for my current idea than the beads.

Here were a few of the works that made me think about material, organizing text, fonts, and deceiving the viewer.

Active research:

I ordered a ghillie suit and I decided to take some photos with just the head piece on because I felt like it but also because I wanted to see how it would look and tbh it looks pretty cool:

I agree that they're kinda goofy, but I'm starting to think about possibly just doing a head piece and wearing baggy clothing, like streetwear style clothing.

The reason I'm thinking about just doing a head piece and then wearing baggy clothing kind of flows into my other active research I did this week.

I started to realize that I want my audience to be people my age, and the main form of communication for people my age is texting. Streetwear is also incredibly popular among people my age, so I think the fusion of these two ideas has kind of manifested itself this week in the piece I worked on this week.

I knew I couldn't realistically make a ghillie head piece using beads this week because I'd need a sewing machine and I don't know how to use one (its been a while). I still wanted to create a piece with beads, so I decided to create a set of text messages between 2 people that exclusively uses the following words:

What are you doing (WYD), let me know (LMK), I don't know (IDK), be right back (BRB), right now (RN), I don't care (IDC), laughing my ass off (LMAO), what the fuck (WTF), just kidding (JK), nevermind (NVM), I love you (ILY), love you so much (LYSM), hugs and kisses (XOXO), how about you (HBU), shut the fuck up (STFU), to be honest (TBH), I don't give a fuck (IDGAF), shaking my head (SMH), happy birthday (HBD), I miss you (IMY), talk to you later (TTYL).

The rules I set for myself for this conversation are:

Each word can only be used 2 times, once in it's full length and once in its abbreviation

Only the words above can be used

This created an odd conversation but it's surprisingly cohesive (each little cluster is intended to be a new set of conversation)(labeled person a (a) and person b (b) for easier reading):

a: WYD b: Right now a: LMK b: IDK a: Nevermind b: BRB

a: What are you doing? b: RN a: IDC b: I don’t know a: What the fuck b: Just kidding a: I don’t care b: LMAO a: I don’t give a fuck

b: Happy birthday a: Shut the fuck up b: WTF a: JK b: I miss you a: Hugs and kisses

b: To be honest a: Be right back b: NVM

a: Let me know b: ILY

a: How are you? b: LYSM a: XOXO b: HBU a: STFU b: Laughing my ass off

a: TBH b: IDGAF a: Shaking my head b: Love you so much a: SMH

b: HBD a: I love you b: IMY a: Talk to you later b: TTYL

I wanted to craft this conversation in a way that was somewhat easy to understand, but also gave the vibe that there was more going on behind the scenes, outside of the text messages. I also tried to create a couple inside jokes, such as person a acting like an asshole as a joke and person b doing it as well towards the end of the convo. By hanging this piece on my mirror, its unavoidable that you stare at yourself while reading the messages. Ultimately, these are just letters on beads that form words. However, its the viewer who projects personalities into the conversations and finds meaning in these convos, whether its a blossoming romance or friendship.

Something that really interests me about text conversations is that people do not text when they are together (unless the situation permits it). So what you're left with are these weird gaps where there is clearly a shift in the vibe of the conversation, but as a reader who only sees the texts, we cannot understand what happened between each conversation.

I really enjoyed making this piece, and it made me more excited to try and dive more into studying text messages and the communication that surrounds my generation as well as fuse streetwear with that communication.

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anyasmcm · 7 months

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October 30th - November 6th research

Observational Research:

This week was incredibly productive for me. I looked at the sources provided at the end of my Capstone presentation, and I will be honest that quite a few of the references don't really reflect my current interests and ideas (lots of interspecies communication references, but not a whole lot on communication). My main inspiration for this week of work was the modern urban ghillie suit video as well as speaking with Jeff. He told me to just dive into the world of text, and this idea blossomed from a combination of the two.

Some artists that Jeff told me to look at are:

Laura Lee (p5.js creator) Fluxus art movement Laurence Weiner jenny Holtzer Printed Matter Janna Cartith

The Fluxus movement really appeals to me for the presence of the artist in the piece, or there being an obvious presence or message behind the piece. I also love how crazy and wacky some of the performances/pieces are, such as the pieces in this article.

Active Research:

I started to think a lot about my work discussing the factors that change perspective. I'm really attracted to the idea of a veil, or something that conceals the person having the conversation. This reminded me of this video I saw a couple weeks ago of a modern urban ghillie suit that is made of trash. I think ghillie suits are such a unique concept, the entire body is consumed by a pattern and/or texture to better blend into the environment. What would that suit look like if it was consumed by the invisible language of our communication? I started to hyper fixate on this idea and played around with what that would even look like.

I drew this base model so I could visualize the figure in relation to how the suit would fit, but I realized that the figure would quickly become consumed:

But the suit would be made of words layered one on top of the other, to create this really confusing but visually stimulating texture.

I then wanted to think about what this would look like in a gallery/exhibit setting, and I came up with this simple sketch:

The person in the suit, likely me, would be seated in a chair, waiting for people to approach so a veil on the suit can be lifted over their head and they too become consumed by the ghillie suit. Once under the ghillie suit, we would then engage in a conversation, though I am not sure what that would entail.

There are a lot of unknowns with this idea: for example, what significance will the words have? I turned to ChatGPT to help me determine whether AI is a plausible use for this idea. I realized being as specific as possible was the best way to get ChatGPT to write a somewhat human interaction, so I tried roleplaying to see what conversation would come from flirting and chatting with ChatGPT. It didn't really go well, as shown from the screenshot below:

I've been thinking about different forms of communication: texting, in-person communication, and talking through the phone. I think texting is really unique because its a recorded, personal conversation between two people that is informal but also extremely personal. I'm still trying to decide if I want to focus on texting or verbal communication, but at the moment I am leaning towards texting.

So I decided to write a prompt based on two people: one modeled after myself and one modeled after my friend. I then asked ChatGPT to continue the conversation in various ways, and it resembled a somewhat human conversation-- but very clearly written by someone who is not aware of modern lingo or slang that then makes it very clear it is written by an AI.

Here is the prompt used for this convo:

Write a progression of text messages between A, a 19 year old pansexual woman, and B, a 21 year old lesbian woman. A enjoys country music, McDonalds, sleeping, working out, nature, and the beach. A is captivating, fascinating, attractive, forward, and short-spoken. B enjoys soccer, working out, art, video games, and R&B music. B is caring, descriptive, attentive, and long-spoken.

Here is that convo:

A: Hey, B. 😊

B: Hey there! How's your day going?

A: Not too bad. Just jamming to some country tunes and thinking about a McDonald's run. 😋

B: Haha, sounds fun! I'm working out right now, trying to stay fit. What's your fav country song?

A: "Wagon Wheel" for sure! It's a classic. 💃

B: Nice choice! I'm more into R&B, but I can appreciate some good country now and then. What's your workout routine like?

A: I hit the gym a few times a week. Love staying active. What about you, soccer fan? ⚽

B: Yeah, soccer is my jam! Playing it now and then keeps me in shape. 😅

A: That's cool. You're into art, right? Tell me more about that.

B: Yeah, I love painting and drawing. I find it really therapeutic. I'm working on a landscape piece right now, inspired by nature.

A: Nature is beautiful. I adore the beach. Any favorite beach spots?

B: Definitely! There's this amazing beach I visit whenever I can. The sound of the waves is so calming.

A: Yeah, the beach is my happy place. It's like an escape. 😌

B: We have that in common! 😊

A: Hey, B, you know you're pretty captivating to talk to. 😉

B: Aww, thank you! You're fascinating as well, and I'm enjoying our conversation. 🌟

A: Thanks, you're pretty attractive too. 😏

B: Haha, smooth move, A. But I appreciate the compliment. 😄

A: Just being forward. Life's too short, right? 🤷‍♀️

B: Absolutely, honesty is the best policy! So, what else are you up to today?

A: Honestly, just daydreaming about the beach right now. Wish I could be there.

B: I totally get that feeling. The beach has a way of making everything better.

A: It's like a remedy for everything. 😌

B: Couldn't agree more. By the way, I also enjoy video games. Do you play any?

A: Not really, but I'd love to learn if you're up for it.

B: That could be a lot of fun! We should plan a gaming session sometime. What kind of games are you interested in?

A: Surprise me with something fun, and I'm in. 😁

B: Sounds like a plan! We'll find something you'll enjoy.

A: Looking forward to it. You make everything sound exciting, B. 💫

B: You're so sweet, A. I'm really enjoying our chat. Anything else you'd like to know about me?

A: I'd love to hear more about your favorite R&B songs or artists.

B: Oh, where do I start? Let me list a few of my all-time favorites for you...

A: Wow, that's quite a list! I'll have to check those out. 😊

B: Absolutely, you won't be disappointed. Music is such a big part of my life. How about you? Any favorite country songs I should know about?

A: Well, besides "Wagon Wheel," I'm a fan of "Tennessee Whiskey" and "Girl Crush." They hit me right in the feels. 🎶

B: Those are some good choices! I'll give them a listen. Music is so powerful; it can transport you to different places and emotions.

A: So true, just like the beach does. It's like a never-ending vacation. 🏖️

B: Haha, I'd love to go on a beach vacation someday. It's on my bucket list.

A: We should make that happen sometime, B. What's your dream beach destination?

B: Definitely Bora Bora, those overwater bungalows look amazing. What about you?

A: Bora Bora sounds incredible! I've always dreamed of visiting the Maldives. It's like a paradise on Earth.

B: Oh, the Maldives is stunning. We're dreaming big, A. Maybe one day we'll make these dreams a reality. 🌴✈️

A: I like the sound of that. 🤞

B: Me too, A. This has been a great conversation. I'm really glad we connected. 😊

A: Likewise, B. You're an amazing person. Can't wait for more chats and maybe even that beach vacation. 😉🌞

B: The feeling is mutual, A. Let's keep these chats going and work towards making that dream come true. 💖

I find it hilarious that ChatGPT knows emojis are part of modern texting language, but isn't aware of abbreviations like hru? or hbu? that are super common in the modern texting language. It could be that I needed to be more specific with my prompt, but I'm not 100% sure.

I plan to go to Printed Matter later this week to explore text in different forms as recommended by Jeff, and he also referenced some great artists that I will look into this upcoming week so I can be engulfed in research for the first part of the week (similar to this past week) and then work off of that research.

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anyasmcm · 7 months

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October 23rd-30th research

Observational Research:

My focus for this week was to interact with the NY Times article "36 Questions that Lead to Love" and similar articles that focus on connectivity with others. I was really intrigued by this article because I had been focused on asking my own questions for the majority of my process. So being forced to answer a set of very intimate questions helped me shift my focus a bit and it was refreshing. While reading the above NY Times article, I stumbled upon this NY Times article about a wife using animal training techniques to 'train' her husband to do certain things. I found this article enlightening because there are aspects of our communication, such as body language or even silence, that can be used to achieve certain reactions from others.

Active Research:

As stated above, I was really interested in the NY Times article "36 Questions that Lead to Love", and decided to do the questions with my friend, Ashley. I'm only uploading the 1st 10 minutes because I don't want Tumblr to struggle or anything like that.

We recorded the session, and in hindsight I was amazed by how many sounds and movements could be heard in the background. I also really liked listening to the awkward moments in the conversation-- the long pauses, 'ums', 'likes', and stuttering was so obvious in hindsight but I was completely unaware of it during recording. This process really inspired me to think about how my work will exist in an exhibit and if sound will play a part in that.

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anyasmcm · 8 months

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October 11th-16th research

For this week, I was focusing on prototyping my face cover idea from the week before.

At first, I started with layering yarn on top of a paper mold I made of my little potato desk light's head:

I honestly hated how this looked because it looked like hair to me, so I decided to switch my strategy and create a tile mosaic face cover on the sticky side of pieces of tape that I stuck together:

I really liked the matte finish the tape has because it would have a more glossy finish if I had used packing tape. I also like how the tiles look, it reminded me of the research I did on puzzles from last week. It was very tedious to make, but I enjoyed the process and I really like the end result.

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anyasmcm · 8 months

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September 25th-October 2nd research

Observational research: I've been trying to research form more often as of late, so I wanted to focus a little on photography since I haven't done focused observational research on a single form. I also haven't thought much about photography, and since my research last week led me to start thinking about puzzles, I decided to do some research on photography since the two go hand-in-hand.

Active research: Since the start of the semester, I have been taking photos out of my window and around the city to try and appreciate the city more. I feel overwhelmed by the NYC skyline because I feel like it is devoid of any non manmade structures. I always wonder what the skyline would have looked like without any manmade structures on it, and so I've been trying to explore that over the course of the semester and try to admire the beauty of something that I don't really find beautiful. Here is a collection of the photos I have taken over the course of the semester:

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anyasmcm · 8 months

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October 2nd-10th research

I was really bored on Friday and decided to do an online puzzle. As I was completing the puzzle, I was reminded of my childhood visits to Canada to visit my grandmother. She suffered from dementia, and my childhood was spent watching her progressively decline: it started with forgetting to use soap when washing dishes or not putting things in the fridge, to her not knowing who her own children were and only remembering her siblings. My mom, brother, and I would do puzzles with her, and it was the only activity my brother and I could sit down and do with her where she was entirely in the moment. I then began thinking about puzzles as literal connections (connecting one piece to another) but also as conversational connections. My grandma's next door neighbor, Mr. Cheeseman (at least that is what my brother and I called him) would offer us puzzles to do with our grandma, as he had an extensive collection. I really enjoy conversational aids such as movies, games, and activities because they allow people to connect on a surface level by having the same interactions/experiences. This allows for conversation to flow easier, if you hit an awkward moment, you still have something to do with the other person that doesn't make the situation awkward. I then began thinking about how this could relate to my Capstone. At my Capstone advisor meeting, Jeff told me that I should try and do more performance pieces, since I expressed interest in pieces such as Marina Abramovic's "The Artist is Present". I would like to do a performative piece where I simply do puzzles with other people and allow the conversation to flow.

On Saturday, I watched the film "The House Bunny". This 2008 rom-com is the male gaze manifested into a film, but the comedy is stupid but also very perceptive. The main character, Shelley, views women as commodities simply because she was an orphan as a child and the only love she has received was from Hue Hefner after he welcomed her into his Playboy mansion. Her character, despite appearing flat, is incredibly dynamic. What does a woman become if she exists in a hyper sexualized world? How can women use sexuality to their advantage? Can women be sexually attractive to men while being intelligent? What is sexual empowerment? I have been thinking a lot about the role of women in society also because I read "The Great Gatsby" and "The Sun Also Rises" for my American Literature class. I also watched "A Clockwork Orange" for my Director as Auteur class. All of these works display women as commodities and sexual objects, but the most liberating work out of the 4 of them is the one that blatantly (no literally) has a woman call another woman a commodity to her face. I'm not sure how this relates to my current line of thinking, but in a lot of these works, backstory is essential to understanding women. In "A Clockwork Orange", women have little to no backstory. The only (not even backstory) depth we receive is through a mourning husband's words about how his wife killed herself after she was raped by the main character. Women are viewed as objects until there is a backstory that humanizes them. In "The House Bunny", it is the backstory I mentioned above. In "The Great Gatsby", it is Daisy's unhappy marriage to Tom that gives her just a little bit more depth, but she is still a relatively flat character (except to Gatsby). In "The Sun Also Rises", Brett's inability to stick with one man (despite being married) is seen as (potentially) excusable because her husband would force her, every night, to sleep on the floor with him by POINTING A LOADED GUN AT HER. It is almost as if trauma plays a crucial part in humanizing women, specifically in fiction. This extends outside of the world of fiction, but women are CONSTANTLY seen as a commodity UNTIL there is something that humanizes them. Questions like "how many people have you slept with?" Or "are you a virgin?" Require straight answers that commodify women. However, answering those questions by providing backstory; "I have slept with 20 men because I became a sex worker to make a living" or "I am a virgin because I am catholic and I believe in saving myself for marriage", women become humanized but ALSO make themselves vulnerable to whoever is asking the question. I could talk on and on about this, but all of this makes me wonder what place women have in the world. If we ignore questions about our sexuality, the asker could get butthurt and think we are prudes, without any realization that they are completely out of line asking questions like that. If we answer questions, we risk becoming a commodity and having a value attached to our heads. If we try to explain ourselves, we are humanized and vulnerable, which can be a dangerous situation given who you are talking to.

I created a sketch as a reaction to a lot of my thoughts after reading the various books and watching "The House Bunny".

Can you prevent sexualization and what does that look like? In Islam, Muslim women will cover their hair or face with a Hijab, Niqab, or Burqa to follow religious principles. Face coverings like masks were also used during COVID to prevent the spread of the disease. Helmets are worn for protection but they too also conceal parts of the face from other's view. Even in Mountain in the Sea, abglanz, conceal the wearer's face and also alters their voice to ensure that things like interrogations are completely expressionless. All of this has lead me to think about: how does concealing ones presence prevent sexualization? Does it?

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