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Light painting

David Kanoa James

Time

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Light Painting

            How does one portray time with a camera? Easily. Every photo you take is a snapshot of that 125^th of a second. Every photo you take is a documentation of a feeling, an experience or view. But how do we get past that? Is there anyway to depict time in a photo without relating to the then? I don’t think I have an answer to this problem, but during this experiment and assignment, I tried to take the focus away from the moment or time the photo was taken and redirect it to the actual photo.

            I decided that a great way to have fun and represent this was to do some light painting. Here the expression of time is still given because the shutter must be open for a specific amount of time to get the desired effect. The moment captured through this process is much longer than an instant; in fact, it can catch an entire event. With light painting I was able to be very creative with my friends to depict scenes from our imagination that would otherwise be impossible to recreate with the budget of a college student.

            However, it still relates back to the fact that at one moment in time we created these fantasies of ours on a camera. These photos will always represent the time that we spent to create these shots. These photos will always show a moment in time. Personally I don’t think that you can navigate away from that idea that a photo captures a moment of time. But at least I tried with my concept of light painting. 

Annie Leibovitz

David Kanoa James

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

DVD response

Annie Leibovitz

            When I learn about success stories like this I become somewhat more motivated than I already am to become great at photography. Annie Leibovitz’ attention to detail and her gut is what got her to where she is today. She was the first woman on the scene to roll with the punches and be just one of the boys.

            She pushed people to take photos that they weren’t comfortable with. She was in control and confident and is still when she does her photo shoots. Demanding and firm she directs people gently into doing what she wants. Her visions keep getting bigger and so does her clientele. And when making over 100,000.00 dollars a shoot you know she has got to be doing something correctly.

            But the question arises; “Did she sell out?” to this I can say that the answer is a complete and absolute “No.” Annie Leibovitz never was considered an artist at what she does in the beginning of her career. She just followed where her camera took her. She documented as much as she created. In all reality she didn’t really start becoming more creative in her work until she changed from documentary photography to actual studio work.

            But it’s not her fine studio work and her big budget that gets the photos that she creates. It is her bold attitude and willingness to attempt things unheard of or over the top. This goes along with what I have always said about photography and what I try to remember every time I take a photo. “Its not the photographer with the sharpest lenses or the most expensive gear, it’s the photographer with the fastest finger and the biggest balls that succeeds at greatness.

Jerry Uelsmann

Jerry Uelsmann

 

Jerry Uelsmann was fascinated with photography at a young age. Going to school in Michigan he got poor grades as a lad but still manage to graduate high school. Later he became a wedding photographer so support himself as he moved towards higher learning.  He went to various schools but eventually graduated with a masters in fine arts at Indiana University. This allowed him to teach photography at the university of Florida at the beginning of the 1960’s.

What sets jerry apart form the rest of photographers is that none of his art is done with a computer. Hiss surreal landscapes and magical depictions are created using over a dozen enlargers in a dark room and vast quantities of time. Also, he refuses to do commercial jobs and survives off of teaching and grants.

However he does not view the advent of computers as a bad influence on photography as many would expect him to. “I am sympathetic to the current digital revolution and excited by the visual options created by the computer. However, I feel my creative process remains intrinsically linked to the alchemy of the darkroom.”

Today you can see some of his work on the cover of death metal albums and in the opening sequences of the “outer limits” series

 

 


 

cultural event

David Kanoa James

2/27/11

Cultural Event 3

Side Show

            I didn’t pay the fifteen dollars to go see the Lamont production of Side Show. To be honest I was shocked when they said that the production was for a fee larger than 5 dollars. Its not that I don’t like to support the aspiring actors its that I personally feel that a school that charges 48 grand a year should allow its students to see anything that comes through Lamont for free. Especially if its put on by fellow students.

            But besides that fact I thoroughly enjoyed the performance. Sitting in the back with my usher friends who let me in for free I was able to enjoy this University of Denver’s rendition of an acclaimed play. The singing was wonderful in parts, especially the harmony formed by Daisy and Violet, the two stars of the production. Simply, the vocal talent belonging to most of the performers was wonderful.

            What I noticed to be a week point of the performance was that it was hard to hear some of the performers at points throughout the production. This was the first play that I had seen at Lamont where the performers were given mikes to amplify their voices. I have to say that though it was a great idea to help with the singing parts it was somewhat spotty during conversation. The turning on and off of mikes seemed to be a little shabby.

            Beyond performance aspects the scenery was wonderful. Great tapestries of different characters from the play adorned the walls and lights were strung along the ceiling to give the illusion of being in a circus tent. Costuming was wonderful too, with the character diversity of a bearded lady, gypsies and a lizard man, the production crew obviously had their work cut out for them but rose to the challenge wonderfully.

            I enjoyed the performance greatly and was happy to be a part of it in audience form. Part of me wanted to get back into theatre because of how much fun the many performers were having. I also wondered how I would have portrayed the different characters onstage in contrast to how they were being depicted.

Artist statement,

Self Portraits,

I walked into the studio to find it in a state of disarray. I guess that’s what happens when the code to the door is the same combination on my luggage.  Either way, happy portraits were out of the picture.

I cranked metal and just started shooting film. I had an idea for a real grungy and contrasted feel for my photos. I added a red filter to the front so there would be no mid tones. I also brought zoom of the camera to as close to 18mm as I could so I could incorporate the entire scene. I didn’t want to take photos that made me look good. That was the last thing that I wanted. I wanted to show it all, and I wanted to show how pissed I was at the moment.

What turned out was somewhat acceptable by my standards. To be honest I was unimpressed with this series of photos because I felt the film could only do so well when trying to capture the moment and the detail.

Depicted in the shoot is me doing a Haka about Paikea a Maori hero and legend. I spent 6 month in Dunedin on the south island and while there my life changed. Learning this dance and getting in touch with some of my distant Polynesian cousins was a changing experience for me. I am somewhat distant from my own Hawaiian roots as most of us are now so this was one way I felt like I could belong somewhere.

The Maori have a belief called Whakapapa. This concept relates everything in existence to everything else. They believe that the birds are the cousins of the fish who are the cousins of us. in their eyes we are all equal and we must take care of the environment because it is directly related to us. This concept also relates back to lineage and the transgression of genes and culture from one generation to the next. The Hawaiians and the Maori both come from the same ancestors that migrated out of the east pacific. If I could trace my heritage back to when my ancestors arrived in the Hawaiian islands over two thousand years ago I too might be able to relate myself to someone who traveled on of the first seven canoes to reach Aotearoa, (New Zealand). But because I cant find my roots I will go back as much as possible. But for me that just means identifying with one of the closest cultures to mine. Maori.

Kanoa

 

Adventure Down Town

The Man with the sign is a worker who left the Denver Art Museam because of racial preferanceing. he had been working there for 25 years as a janitor and applied for a managerial job in the department. it was given to a white worker who was less qualified by 24 years!

David Kanoa James

2/15/11

Sally Mann review

            I’m not entirely sure how to take this video. I’m sure that most of the right wing conservatives will already make a judgment without my input so my opinion is somewhat mute on the subject. However I guess some reflection might better help me piece together what the HBO special depicted to me. 

To be honest I was shocked. Very shocked. I like to conceder myself incredibly open-minded. I listen to dubbstep and country music and even Ke$ha. I like all kinds of art except modern and really appreciate even the sunset. However, when faced with some of Sally Mann’s work, I was just appalled.  I understand that children are beautiful and some of her photos with her work in Immediate Family are absolutely phenomenal. It’s the kind of work that I know I will never be able to recreate or even come close to being on a level with. As an artist Sally Mann is amazing. It’s a simple fact. However, it cannot be denied that she is somewhat weird.

Throughout the video I drew a lot of correlations between her at 50 and my high school girlfriend. Not that that’s anything bad, but it’s just the truth. She seemed sheltered and generally oblivious to the way the other half lives. She was distant, and very out there. Just ask yourself a simple question, “Would your mother ask you to strip naked at any point in your life after the age of eight?” No, chances are she wouldn’t.

However, I would like to comment on the amount of idiots claiming that the photos are child porn. Are you serious? What about any of these photos are sexual? They are kids playing in water and having fun on a farm. Sure lots of the photos are manufactured and I’m sure there is some guy in a basement somewhere who has all the photos on his computer but do you really think that was the intent of the mother? I find it hard to believe that anyone looking for child porn would think to look up a fine artist like Sally Mann.

That being said I am on the side of the fence that claims that Sally Mann is not a child pornographer. There is not a doubt in my mind.

Something that she commented on after completing her Immediate Family is that she felt like she could never top that work. I’m sure all artists come to a point in their lives where the make the best possible piece of work they can. It’s the piece they are known by. So how do you move on from that? How do you top that? There is not answer to that question. But as an artist you owe it to yourself to always try to answer it.

Cultural Event

David Kanoa James
2/15/11
Cultural event   
Salsa De Opal
    I got the invitation to go down town once again. Because I don’t have a car and I normally don’t have the option, I jumped on the opportunity to get out of the University of Denver area. This night we were off to go salsa dancing at the Opal bar on Broadway.
    We arrived by car and walked into the crowded restaurant and bar. Onstage was a man with a mic rocking his hips back and fourth to he music. On the floor were rows of people all staring at him stumbling to keep up with his motions. We fell in line, my 4 female friends and I to follow the others. Moving back and fourth we almost resembled a line dancing club, all in unison trying to keep with the groove.
    As the night progressed we added moves to our limited arsenal of salsa knowledge. After about an hour the floor opened up for dancing and we took our positions on the outside to avoid all the better more experienced dancers to have the center. I danced with my friends and stumbled around and by the end of the night I was twirling and diping them. It turned out to be a wonderful night and I defiantly impressed some ladies with my previous ballroom skills.
    However, the highlight of mylife was watching the instructor come off the couch for a couple of dances and selectively pick a few women from the audience. With them he didn’t dance, using the word dance would be an insult to the motion that man exemplified, he flew if anything.  He partnered with another experienced dancer and they commanded the floor. Slowly but surely the others stepped back to watch them, they entranced the entire joint. After they finished there was slight applause and my friend walked up to him to ask him if he would dance with her. He agreed but what followed was unexpected to me. He didn’t turn her once through the entire song.
    My friend expected to look like the previous partner but that was not the case. The instructor was much more interested in having my friend learn the basics before learning to look good. As they danced together the floor populated once again with the many people from different walks of life, heritages and ages.
    At the end of the night we walked back to our cars and drove home. It was a success and that was the first time I had ever danced the salsa, let alone in public. We decided to go back thProxy-Connection: keep-alive
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next Friday and the Friday after that.

Tower of Power

A testament to ingenuity.
The task was set before us to create a sculpture from nothing but newspaper and tape. In small groups my colleges and I set out to create the most unique and tallest sculpture. Every group attacked the situation differently, using their own ideas to create a somewhat structurally sound tower from flimsy materials.
My group decided to use tape as supports. Linking the skeleton of newspaper together from cross-joints to cross-joints. This proved to be not only aesthetically pleasing but very structurally sound. Reaching as high as we could to the sky with our design we started to focus more on elaborating the architecture. We decided to make a spiraling walkway up to the top of the tower. Using organic shapes as much as possible we winded a staircase like structure to the top.
Going off on an idea of mine we webbed the structure with tape. We found that not only did this give it the feel of, “Venom sneezing all over a clock tower” or somewhat of an organic eerie feeling, but it made the structure incredibly strong. By the end of the project, someone could hold the entire town on its side at one of the trusses and not worry about it breaking in the middle.