Assignment 1 Artwork

RECOGNIZE! by Tim Conlon & Dave Hupp

This piece of art is intriguing because it is in an uncommon form. By using the graffiti style, the artists are making something that is normally looked at in a negative light and showing it in a positive light; they show graffiti as an admirable art form. The piece also uses many bright colors that stand out, colors that are rarely seen in common forms of art. It feels as if the piece is shouting, telling the observer to notice it and "recognize" the it, the artists, and the culture that surrounds it. It is evident that music inspired this piece because the word moves with rhythm and purpose. In context, this piece was created recently (2007), in a time when hip hop is influencing the world and people are becoming more open to non-traditional art styles such as this one.

Krauss Response

In Rosalind Krauss' article "Video: The Aesthetics of Narcissism," she explains the use of video as an art form in a way that gives the reader a new perspective and appreciation for it. Her argument that video cannot be looked at in the same way as other forms of art was especially revealing. people often look at videos and try to understand them using the same concepts and appraoches as with other forms of art, but that is not an effective way to do so. For example, in a video the center is not the focal point. as she points out by referencing Vitto Acconci's video Center. Video requires the observer to consider a lot more than in other art forms.
Overall, Krauss effectively points out that video is an art form and needs to be observed as such. Many people try to compare it to film, thinking that they are one in the same, but she argues that the two are completely different. This concept is one that is importnat for people to punderstand when looking at video. Video needs to be looked at as what it is, an art form, a form of expression.