Fine Art in Cinema: The Loss of the Moment in Popular Culture

I have been taking "Intermedia" classes at USC for a couple semesters now. So there is no confusion, "Intermedia" is just a fancy way of saying "video" for the Fine Arts department. I have learned a lot from these classes, and have discovered many artists whose work I enjoy. From Doug Aitken and Jeremy Blake to Paul McCarthy and Mark Leckey, each artist has taught me something about formal and aesthetic techniques to content and presentation choices above and beyond what can be seen in a Hollywood film.

I must admit before continuing, I find many art videos extremely tedious, embarrasing, and/or agravating to sit through. Cinema, as it exists in Hollywood, is completely reexamined and restitched in the world of fine art. The result, I feel, brings film closer to its natural element as a series of images flickering before a light, rather than its hyper-realistic existence in Hollywood.

For an artist, the cellophane film itself is treated as a canvas, upon which mistakes are often welcome and pronounced. For example, edits are often made to make the viewer aware that they are watching a video; wires and special effects are often vidible so that the viewer is made aware of the effect; and actors and subjects are portrayed doing routine, sometimes mundane, things.

In today's Hollywood/popular culture there has been a growth and overabundance of special effects. While very impressive and sensational, special effects have ruined, what I like to call "the moment."

"The moment" is something fine art films do very well. It is a quiet, usually self-reflective, or meditative period of time. Therefore, "the moment" is often isolating, yet it is never lonely. "The moment" is a man looking up from his novel and blankly staring at nothing in particular. "The moment" is the thoughts of a person during a passionate kiss. "The moment" is a musician pausing at the sound of a note, and repeating it indefinitely.

"Moments" happen on a daily basis, and are a shared experience from person to person, therefore I cannot understand why there are so few "moments" in Hollywood. When they do appear, they are indeed, momentary. They vanish so quickly that they are lost to the onslaught of special effects within seconds.

I really enjoy capturing "moments" in my videos. I like taking minutes to examine a face, or use a slow zoom to locate an object. It struck me halfway through this semester: I really like the tedious films; I really like the embarrasing films; and heck, I even really like the aggravating films. I like them because they become tedious, embarrasing, and aggravting through the use of "moments." Who wants to zoom into the corner of a room for the duration of a forty-five minute video?

I will make this final statement, as perhaps something I have been trying to articulate for a long time now. I hope the popularity and creation of the "art film" grows. In many ways, I think it has been and will continue to do so. I believe it provides the viewer with a strong alternative to Hollywood and special effects, one that is not just neccesary, but vital. While I love Hollwood films, it is nice to escape to reality and live in the moment every once in a while.

The Bros of USC:
A Whimsical Examination of Fraternity Life

I am in a group with Burke Mohan and Bryant Cannon. Together we are “Team Bro.” We are creating a comical examination of fraternity life through a video we have created. For me, this examination is not too far from home, as I am a member of a fraternity, and funnily enough, is part of the reason this blog post was late. There are many stereotypes that are pinned to fraternity brothers. With songs such as “I Love College” by Asher Roth, and reality television shows such as “Bromance” on MTV, becoming so popular recently, it felt natural to tackle the issues and stereotypes surrounding brotherhood. USC Greek life is also such an integral part of the school, so it is something many undergraduate students have experienced directly.

I must say, our intentions are comical and point out the faults and stereotypes with the Greek system at USC. I do, however, believe that the Greek system is in a dire situation at USC, and I must use this post to voice my concern. It seems the higher powers at USC are slowly, but surely, squeezing and draining the life from the USC Greek system. When I was a freshman here, I remember Fraternity Row was always packed with people on Thursday night. Because of strict regulations applied to the culture, the fraternity system has become painted as “dangerous, unsafe, and unhealthy.” Because of this, today, there is a slow trickle of students mulling up and down the street on a Thursday night. Not to mention, the number of incoming freshmen that rush houses now has dropped significantly in the past two years. In light of recent activities (the sexual assault incident), I must admit I can see where the negative energy toward the Greek system spawns. Let us be honest with ourselves, however, these incidents are secluded and infrequent. If compared to the campus social scene, one cannot argue that horrible incidents are more likely to happen at a fraternity than any other rowdy party. For that matter, let us look at incidents at clubs in downtown Los Angeles and Hollywood. I would venture to guess, there are more incidents outside of USC. This doesn’t make it a good thing. Every incident should be taken extremely seriously, but to punish the entire system destroys the integrity of the culture.

So, in many ways, this project has taken on a personal aspect for me. It is as much a mockery, as it is a tribute to keeping the system alive and healthy. I hope USC does not completely phase out the Greek system, as many brothers and fraternities believe at the moment.

Artist's Statement

Pulsating. Rhythmic lines are intertwining, commingling, and synthesizing. Circular waves crash in patterns, flowing, rolling, and gesturing. Hard lines cut one another into pieces, contrasting, forcing, and disfiguring. Lines that mimic the graph of a heart rate coexist with the rolling curves of sound waves. Layers of complexity build, and the atmosphere thickens as objects darken through saturation.

I am an artist, and this is the language I try to use when creating art. Music as dramatic as the melody of an anthem, as sensuous as a succession of harmonized chords on the strings of a violin, influences my art. I translate from auditory to visual. I am listening for visual cues, and I am looking for emotional content. The transfer of emotion remains the ultimate aspiration. As the music swells, I race more vigorously to conceptualize the sounds. I look to translate my feelings of a string of notes and chords into a visually stimulating string of colors and shapes. I view the transfer of emotion as critical for both artist and viewer.

Trance and Progressive music influences my work. I feel drawn to technology as my medium, and as my inspiration. I accomplish graphic design through Adobe Illustrator, photography through digital cameras and Adobe Photoshop, and film editing through Final Cut Pro Studio. Pixels and bits are my paints. I observe the color wheel through the additive color spectrum, while I practice subtractive color theory.

Pounding at 140 beats-per-minute, the bass of Trance and Progressive music causes my heart rate to accelerate. The melody contrasts; it helps to slow my thoughts, and eventually a moving thought becomes a single frozen image. I am mindful of that moment. I begin to transfer image from mind to paper.

From a buildup of layers to a breakdown of reason, I always follow a semi-linear format. Technology can be maddening, because there are so many opportunities, and so many applications to keep track of. Is there room for emotion in this crazed aesthetic electric reality? Is there room for a question, or are their only answers to be found in cyber-space? I look to transfer these questions from the canvas of the artwork to the eye and mind of the viewer.

I always make sure my artwork asks a question. I do not want answers. In a society where answers are expected, there will be contradictions. Where there is conflict, there is art.

"Ambience," Nicholas Leitner, 2009