Reading response

The most interesting part of the What is Sound Art? article is on page 41 when they talk about the difference between recorded sound and live sound. I was really intrigued by what they depicted as "the home listeners (ability to) enjoy the piece of music but also through volume and equalization on a hi-fi system he effectively becomes an executive conductor/producer". I really appreciated the idea of the "egalitarian attitude" because as described, "in the home, everyone had the best seat in the house". I think this is really interesting because it makes the listener able to be an artist as well. Its a really interesting way to think about recorded music, i never thought of the volume or the playback as being an integral part of the music construct, but it terms of sound it does make a big difference. That really made me realize the difference between music and sound.

Final First Video

I based my video off of the piece ‘Four Colors, Four Words’ by Joseph Kosuth which is being featured at the Hirshorn Museum in Downtown DC. Anyone who sees the piece will notice that the artist’s strategy is to make obvious the connection between the visual and the verbal. By making all the words different colors you dually, see what Kosuth is representing visually as well as being able to read it. It makes the viewer wonder what made them notice the significance first, the visual or verbal stimulation. I took this strategy and applied it to gender among my roommates. In a similar way you can see which roommate is male or female visually, as well as read the sign AND hear their declaration of gender. I decided to turn it into a statement about identity at the end by switching up what many would assume to be a boy sign with a “George” sign. This is intended to relate the fact that you can’t judge him off the bat, while everyone expects him to hold up his boy sign, instead the George one is thrust in front of him. It is also meant to demonstrate the fact that when you get rid of the context or the girls, his only option is not just to be a guy, even deeper than that he’s George, and no one has the right to label him anything else.

For the original inspiration piece by Joseph Kosuth: http://www.flickr.com/photos/sixteen-miles/4177314269/