Well since digital processes has come to a dramatic end (not really, it was actually pretty anticlimactic) I now must once again find meaning in myself, life, and food portraits. Overall I can't say I'm disappointed that I will no longer have to be frequently chewing and gluing tiny pieces of food to pizza box, but it certainly did happen. The biggest problem I faced throughout the whole project was probably a dearth of glue sticks, which I was ultimately only partially able to overcome. I will however dearly miss the 'quest for the apple,' or playing snake regularly in hopes achieving unparalleled success, but this will actually likely continue. The most disappointing aspect of the whole project was probably the way I died in the one epic snake game that I video taped. i really thought I was gonna break through and just fill up the whole screen, and then bam I'm dead, unbelievable. I actually have scored better games then the one shown in the movie, but I don't know if I have ever had a better set up and feel that deep in, not to mention it was probably the largest snake I have ever achieved. Now I know this all sounds like it's all about masculinity (what with Magic Johnson, over-sized snakes, naked men next to beer can walls, and werewolf Bar Mitzvahs) and maybe it is (I mean I do love masculinity, and know no one more masculine than I), but I think the larger reference transcends gender. It does not really matter who you are, we all want the apple (whatever it may be) and it's almost always impossible to capture.
Watching your snake game juxtapozed with Magic Johnson footage seemed to put viewers into a trance. The music added a lot but was uncredited (as we know is your way). The energy was gone long before the video was over and the ending seemed rather flat. Cutting the duration in half might have made it a stronger piece (only snake purists would realize that it was an edited game). We appreciated the holistic approach you took to the project blurring your art and your life. From your in-class snake playing to the PowerPoint presentations (that seemed more like an actual performance pieces than an required step in the project process) to the obsessive attention to detail in your food portraits, we can see an aesthetic emerge. We were hoping for a more performative presentation at the Showcase--something more deliberate and intense. It would be helpful if you could post the video on YouTube and add a link to it from this post so the world could see the work. There is a lot for men to be anxious about when comparing themselves to super human figures like Magic. But ultimately, it's obvious that you're the real deal.
ReplyDeleteI agree that the search must continue and that you are clearly the real deal, so there is no way the quest can end here or at mere minor details in gender analysis. I think games like the one shown can show a great many how to persevere in life and strive for the best at risk of walling yourself in sometimes or having your tail block the apple, sometimes the route that doesn't seem the most direct will get you closest to your goal (the apple).
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