Koyannisquatsi is a visual tone poem directed by Godfrey Reggio with music by Philip glass.
It exploring the many relationships between humans, technology and nature.
The film has no dialogue, only juxtapositions between image and music.
The reason for this has been said to be because '"it's not for lack of love of the language that these films have no words. It's because, from my point of view, our language is in a state of vast humiliation. It no longer describes the world in which we live."
The use of scale is used very well in this film as is the musical juxtaposition. Vast motorways from a birds eye view render man to an almost ant-like scale.
The idea of boundary and confinement is also addressed as is the different between urban and suburban culture. Quantity and repetition also take control; lines and lines of cars fill the screen followed by lines and lines of military warfare.
It's definitely worth a look. It is very interesting how a narrative can be formed without words. It is the sequencing of imagery that is important as is the timing.
Monday, 30 April 2012
Pyramids of Waste
Found this really interesting documentary all about planned obsolescnce; the idea that objects are built with a shorter lifespan than they could be.
For example in the 1930's Dupont created new nylon tights that were virtually unbreakable. However, when the company realised they weren't going to sell as many, they told the manufacturers to make them more breakable.
After watching this it made me think about my ipod. At the moment it has a faulty headphone jack and when I went into the apple store they just told me to buy a new one.
Surely it is more wasteful in terms of energy to do this than to make replacement parts?
Also there is the cost of the transportation of new goods and also the waste removal of old ones.
Although the idea of planned obsolescence may have been used in the 30s in order to help recover from the great depression, it just doesn't seem right in today's society where we now are aware of the worlds finite resource; especially oil as it is a component in so many products.
I feel a relationship with this issue especially working in the home department of a department store. With electrical items the customer only has one year warranty against malfunction with the company and then the product has to go back to the retailer.
With pots and pans, some of them claim to have a lifetime guarantee but then the price rises considerably and so is out of reach of most people who come into the store. Paying over £80 for one large pan is getting close to some people's one week wages.
People with less money will therefore be less inclined to buy these more expensive products as it could put in jeopardy having money left till the next pay cheque.
This idea of short term and long term gain is something I have found interesting.
Also in terms of the waste removal we have scheme in store whereby if somebody buys a new electrical product they can bring in their old one and we will dispose of it for them. However I don't think many people are aware of this scheme and I feel sometimes it can be confusing knowing how to dispose of items; especially things like batteries.
Here is a link to the film. The only problem is there is no subtitles for the people who talk in other languages.
http://dotsub.com/view/aed3b8b2-1889-4df5-ae63-ad85f5572f27
For example in the 1930's Dupont created new nylon tights that were virtually unbreakable. However, when the company realised they weren't going to sell as many, they told the manufacturers to make them more breakable.
After watching this it made me think about my ipod. At the moment it has a faulty headphone jack and when I went into the apple store they just told me to buy a new one.
Surely it is more wasteful in terms of energy to do this than to make replacement parts?
Also there is the cost of the transportation of new goods and also the waste removal of old ones.
Although the idea of planned obsolescence may have been used in the 30s in order to help recover from the great depression, it just doesn't seem right in today's society where we now are aware of the worlds finite resource; especially oil as it is a component in so many products.
I feel a relationship with this issue especially working in the home department of a department store. With electrical items the customer only has one year warranty against malfunction with the company and then the product has to go back to the retailer.
With pots and pans, some of them claim to have a lifetime guarantee but then the price rises considerably and so is out of reach of most people who come into the store. Paying over £80 for one large pan is getting close to some people's one week wages.
People with less money will therefore be less inclined to buy these more expensive products as it could put in jeopardy having money left till the next pay cheque.
This idea of short term and long term gain is something I have found interesting.
Also in terms of the waste removal we have scheme in store whereby if somebody buys a new electrical product they can bring in their old one and we will dispose of it for them. However I don't think many people are aware of this scheme and I feel sometimes it can be confusing knowing how to dispose of items; especially things like batteries.
Here is a link to the film. The only problem is there is no subtitles for the people who talk in other languages.
http://dotsub.com/view/aed3b8b2-1889-4df5-ae63-ad85f5572f27
Sunday, 29 April 2012
Documentary film: Fuel
Today I came across this documentary film called Fuel which was directed by Josh Tickell.
It was a really insightful piece of film. It covered the history of oil, the relationship between governments and oil companies, how oil plants effect the people living in the surrounding towns and the possibilities of using biofuels as a replacement to oil.
Here is a link to the film.
It was a really insightful piece of film. It covered the history of oil, the relationship between governments and oil companies, how oil plants effect the people living in the surrounding towns and the possibilities of using biofuels as a replacement to oil.
Here is a link to the film.
Saturday, 28 April 2012
The British Geological Survey and Imperial College
So inside the Natural History Museum I found the British Geological survey area where you can buy or research many different types of geological maps.
I found this little gem of a magazine called Down to Earth. The main feature of this issue was a new potash mine that is being planned and all the sociological and aesthetic views surrounding the new mine.
This is something which relates to oil in terms of sociological aspect - there are many concerns over the exploration of new mines and existing mines and the disruption they cause to the environment and people around them.
Whilst in the society I also came across William Smith - the man who invented the first Geological map of Britain. For me this was very important because without this type of map there would be no educated way of exploring potential new oil.
I found this little gem of a magazine called Down to Earth. The main feature of this issue was a new potash mine that is being planned and all the sociological and aesthetic views surrounding the new mine.
This is something which relates to oil in terms of sociological aspect - there are many concerns over the exploration of new mines and existing mines and the disruption they cause to the environment and people around them.
Whilst in the society I also came across William Smith - the man who invented the first Geological map of Britain. For me this was very important because without this type of map there would be no educated way of exploring potential new oil.
After visiting the society I then spoke to some people who study geology at Imperial College London.
The pointed me in the direction of some potential areas for research:
A recent gas leak in the North Sea
The illegal tapping of oil in Nigeria and the current effect oil is having in this part of the world
Oil Spills
Peak Oil
The displacement of people to excavate oil, especially in the amazon rainforest at the moment
Also the idea that our growing need for oil has required more people to research better technologies and this advancement may be positive in developing other areas of technology or other fields other than oil.
Also found some really beautiful geological maps inside the university.
Inside Out Exhibition
So, after visiting the energy section I then went to see the Inside Out Exhibition created by Gunther Von Hagens.
Previously working with humans, Von Hagens has now turned his head to animals; revealing them in numerous ways. Some had the skin removed, for others all that was left was the capillary networks throughout the body and for some it was the skeleton that was the most interesting feature.
Although this doesn't directly relate to energy I found it fascinating the way that you can reveal so much about something by the actions of dissection or revealing. Although some of it made me feel quite uncomfortable the beauty in some of the animals was fascinating.
The skeletal structures of some smaller animals such as frogs were so delicate yet with others, like the elephants, their muscles are so huge theres this feeling of powerlessness when stood next to them.
Previously working with humans, Von Hagens has now turned his head to animals; revealing them in numerous ways. Some had the skin removed, for others all that was left was the capillary networks throughout the body and for some it was the skeleton that was the most interesting feature.
Although this doesn't directly relate to energy I found it fascinating the way that you can reveal so much about something by the actions of dissection or revealing. Although some of it made me feel quite uncomfortable the beauty in some of the animals was fascinating.
The skeletal structures of some smaller animals such as frogs were so delicate yet with others, like the elephants, their muscles are so huge theres this feeling of powerlessness when stood next to them.
The last three images are courtesy of The Metro online.
Natural History Museum - The Energy Section
I went to visit the Natural History Museum to see if they had any information on oil and they actually had quite a bit.
What I really found interesting was a project called Biosphere 2, where for two years a group of people were locked inside of a huge domed building with eco systems that represented the entire world inside. However no oil was allowed to be used. The people living inside had to grow their own crops and co2 levels were measured throughout.
The project actually turned out to be a failure both physically and psychologically.
The co2 levels were still too high and people became ill. They also became distraught at the confinement they suffered.
As well as this project there were some diagrams that were also very visually interesting. There were enlarged images of some of the animals such as algae that made up the oil originally.
Another aspect that interested me was the way the exhibition spoke about how people look to the past in order to understand the future; are the increasing levels in co2 like anything that has been perceived before and if not why is this the case.
It also made a very strong case about creating a sustainable future for our world and the importance that we need to change our behaviour globally in order to reduce our oil usage and reduce co2 levels.
What I really found interesting was a project called Biosphere 2, where for two years a group of people were locked inside of a huge domed building with eco systems that represented the entire world inside. However no oil was allowed to be used. The people living inside had to grow their own crops and co2 levels were measured throughout.
The project actually turned out to be a failure both physically and psychologically.
The co2 levels were still too high and people became ill. They also became distraught at the confinement they suffered.
As well as this project there were some diagrams that were also very visually interesting. There were enlarged images of some of the animals such as algae that made up the oil originally.
Another aspect that interested me was the way the exhibition spoke about how people look to the past in order to understand the future; are the increasing levels in co2 like anything that has been perceived before and if not why is this the case.
It also made a very strong case about creating a sustainable future for our world and the importance that we need to change our behaviour globally in order to reduce our oil usage and reduce co2 levels.
Exhibition: British Design 1948 - 2012 at V and A
So to start of my research I headed to the new exhibition at the V and A called British Design: 1948 - 2012
In reading the booklet I was interested in looking at how the designers ‘had responded to economic, political and cultural forces that have fundamentally shaped how we live today.’
In terms of energy, and in some ways especially oil, there are already so many political, economic and cultural issues surrounding the energy, this would be a great exhibition to evaluate ways in which artists have dealt with these issues.
In reading the booklet I was interested in looking at how the designers ‘had responded to economic, political and cultural forces that have fundamentally shaped how we live today.’
In terms of energy, and in some ways especially oil, there are already so many political, economic and cultural issues surrounding the energy, this would be a great exhibition to evaluate ways in which artists have dealt with these issues.
The Brief
This blog will document the research and though processes undertaken throughout the project Energies that is run in collaboration with SAS London
http://www.saslondon.com/
The brief:
Cheap oil and carbon-based resources have fuelled rapid development of society in the 20th century. Developed economies in the West have benefitted from decades of using fossil energy. Climate change has been accepted as scientifically proven; but are governments, corporations and individuals ready to change, and are there really and viable alternatives?
You are require to produce a digital piece to communicate an aspect of this subject. You are required to become informed about the ethical, physical, political, social and economic aspects of your prescribed energy type.
The energy type I have been prescribed is oil
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