Artist Series

I watched the first video, Design Matters: Malcolm Gladwell.  I know they were talking about a book and the collaboration of people who worked together to tie images and words, however, I think the messages this video portrayed were far greater than how to work together on a project.  One of the team members was talking about a colleague and described his work ethic: “His passion for these ideas makes the work that he produces …really special and really unique.”  I think this is the essence of not only work but also human life.  People need to feel a passion in what they do – if you don’t have a passion for what you are doing than you cant put your all into it and profit 100%. One of my biggest pet peeves is people that complain about decisions and life choices they have made.  Life is a continuous learning adventure and if you go into something and end up not enjoying it or being successful at it than move on, try something else, find something you are passionate about.  Life is too short to do something you are just content with and I believe that shows in people’s work as well.  I also really enjoyed the story they guy gave about his mathematician father: dividing the world into subjects he knows more about than everyone else and everything else he feels he knows less about.  “When he’s dealing with things he feels he knows less about he keeps his mouth shut and listens.”  I think more people need to take this advice.  We can’t all be professionals and perfectionists at everything and THAT’S OK! Like I said before life/work is a journey and I honestly believe the most important part is the journey itself and not the final destination.

Another video I watched was Deposition: Espirito Santo.  This artist’s work is very strange yet very compelling – I wanted to be in that space, I wondered what was it that kept visitors in there with nothing much to look at.  The instillation is so simple in idea and execution, some black/gray walls, a black painted canvas, and light.  However, there was creepiness about it.  The way the artist described his intentions and motivations was interesting – a play on personal memories, a visual piece about time and duration as a passage, etc.  He took tame ideas and installed them in a very dramatic fashion.

For the record I love how all of these videos were made.  The composition, angles, slow movement, etc. made them really interesting to watch.