Michael's Personal Space Project

At first I didn't realized that the arguments were staged, and every time Jeri's voice piped up in the background I thought to myself "Oh my god, why is this girl interrupting every 5 seconds?" I thought it was just an awkward situation that should've been edited out of the final piece. However, once I figured out they were being sarcastic, the videos became a lot funnier/interesting. Watching the interviewees react to the arguing/swearing/random side conversations was pretty entertaining--they had no idea what to do or who to side with. I think the project did a good job of mocking typical documentaries and ironically pointing out the obsolete aspects of art while creating an artistic video/piece.

My main critique is the length of the videos. I wish they had been cut down to only highlight the best reactions rather than dragging on for 10 minutes each. I understand that it takes a while to set up the awkwardness and create that setting between Michael, Jeri, and the interviewee, but by the end I had the sound playing in the background while I did other things just because watching them took too long...

Dog Therapy Day :)

Dog therapy day is possibly one of the best ideas student health has ever come up with. It always seems to fall on a day that starts out as crappy and unpromising and then suddenly furry animals running around and giving kisses to strangers makes everything better. Today I had an 8 AM class, my bike chain fell off, I lost my water bottle, I had to go to office hours to review for my psychology final, etc etc. Total debby downer moments, right?

Me & Danny from fall quarter Dog Therapy Day

But then I met Buddy, the adorable and loving golden retriever who tried to sit on my lap despite being 60 pounds. And Jack, the sweet yet funny looking King Charles with the softest ears ever (no offense to my own dog Harley, who comes in a close second). All I needed was to see the dogs playing and being happy to remind myself that I am way too uptight and need to get over myself. If they can be content with eating, sleeping, and playing, I should be perfectly happy with everything my life has to offer.

Buddy jumping up to give kisses :)

If I never find a husband I'm going to be perfectly content becoming an old dog lady who talks to her animals in baby voices and only leaves the house to buy dog food/take them for walks. I see no shame in that. For those of you shaking your head and scoffing at that lifestyle, go spend five minutes petting a dog and then get back to me.

Art Review: Tobias Putrih

Tobias Putrih is an artist from Slovenia and is currently based in Cambridge and New York. However, calling Putrih strictly an "artist" doesn't quite capture the essence of his work. Putrih walks a thin line between playing the role of an artist creating sculptural and installation pieces and the role of an architect, designing the interiors of museum and gallery spaces. What start out as mere sketches and drawings go through a process of becoming small scale prototypes, then redesigned, and ultimately transformed into large, impeccably constructed works of art that fill the spaces of auditoriums, theaters, and other public art forums. Putrih works primarily with materials such as cardboard, paper and styrofoam due to budget efficiency and accessibility, yet the final products look far more expensive than such tools typically appear. His work is interactive and invites audiences to touch, play, and move around in the interiors he designs.

Intervention, Tobias Putrih

Putrih claims his role is ambiguous and confusing to both himself and his various audiences. Is he an architect attempting to satisfy his museum clients and building things for the sake of approval? Is he an artist using any available space however he desires? He's not quite sure--and that's what makes his work so fascinating to explore. The way Putrih spoke about his work made it seem like he works under various pressures in order to complete tasks. He feels obligated to use materials like cardboard because they are cheap and will not damage the museums he is asked to install in, and there is often a time crunch which the projects need to satisfy. However, his work does not fall short due to such complications, and I would love to be able to experience his constructions in person.

Tobias Putrih

Personal Space, Day 1

My two favorite projects from today were Jenny's "Lucky" poster and Jonathan's "worst ninja" performance.

Jenny's piece involved hundreds of pennies placed heads up in the shape of a heart. Participants were asked to take a penny for good luck, and then to write on a note card why they felt they were lucky. The notecards were then taped onto a poster board that said "I'm lucky". I thought this piece was simple and yet beautifully executed. It was very interactive and allowed people to leave their mark in a positive, uplifting way. By giving away good luck via the pennies and then asking people to reflect on their own personal lives, Jenny made everyone's day just a little bit brighter. On my notecard I wrote, "I am lucky because I have friends and family to love me." Even if only our class left cards, at least there is a tangible reminder to us all that we are blessed and extremely lucky to go to this school, be in good health, and have loved ones all around us.

Jonathan's performance was hilarious and very entertaining. He basically failed at all the typical ninja moves--his sword didn't work, his smoke bombs were tiny, his ninja stars were made of paper, he sucked at hiding, etc. His idea was original and he played the part well (it probably could've been his alternate identity project as well). I enjoy projects that provide comic relief, and his did just that. The smoke bombs were also super cool, and I hope he got some neat documentation out of them!

Least Favorite Place

I hate the gym. Not because I'm too lazy to work out but because I just don't understand why someone would opt for running endlessly on a treadmill instead of running along the ocean cliffs, or why doing the same weight lifting reps over and over again could ever be considered anything other than tedious and boring. I don't get what is appealing about watching other sweaty people watch you get sweaty. The machines are like confusing contraptions from the future that I can never get to work properly and then 5 minutes later some buff guy always walks up and gets them to work perfectly. Gyms are embarrassing, ridiculously expensive facilities for people to ogle at each other. Oh, no one is paying attention to you, they're too busy doing their own workout, you say? Well, how is that any better? Everyone lined up in rows moving like robots and plugged into their individual ipods, isolating themselves from the outside world. I don't like being stuck inside and moving vigorously on a stationary bicycle and not get to experience fresh air and beautiful scenery.

I mean honestly, how am I supposed to use this thing?

Obviously the gym has nothing to offer me. I like to run outdoors early in the morning or late in the evening when things are peaceful and the air is cool. Exercise is already somewhat of a hassle for me to incorporate into my routine, and being forced to go to a gym for spin class or aerobics sounds horrible. I realize that this post is somewhat of a rant, but I figured if someplace had to be my least favorite, it had to have the ability to stir up some sort of angst inside of me. The thought of paying hundreds of dollars to go exhaust myself indoors when I could do so for free in a beautiful park instead does just that.