Lectures and Exhibition write up

Sarah Simpson   
ART 245 Prof. DeLappe
February 21, 2011

Lecture#1- Small Talk Big Ideas! Joseph DeLappe

The lecture given by Joseph DeLappe was very interesting. Professor DeLappe is an artist, educator and researcher within the department of Art at the University of Nevada. He is also in charge of the digital Media area within the art department. Professor DeLappe’s work, including new age media design, online gaming activities, electron mechanical installation and websites, has been shown throughout the United States and abroad. He has had the chance to work with many different people around the world. During the presentation he talked about his work dating back to 1983 and finished with his most recent projects to date.

Professor DeLappe’s presentation began with his experience with a computer mouse.  He attached a pencil to the mouse to trace the movement of the mouse while playing video games, working on campus, playing chess, etc. After experimenting with the computer mouse, he began to drill into the online video game realm by working on projects like work/play, quake/friends and his project called Dead-in-Iraq. Professor DeLappe also re-enacted all three nationally televised presidential debates between John Kerry and George Bush within an online game. One of the more interesting projects Professor DeLappe discussed was about his Gandhi experience in Second life. The presentation ended with his most recent project involving Hosni Mubarak for sale eBay post.

Joseph DeLappe’s lecture is changing the way art is viewed. Few would have thought that art could be so complex and meaningful. His projects are proving to be inspirational by drawing attention to aspects of art that many would have otherwise overlooked. Every project had its own meaning and purpose to the artist as well as the viewer. Much of society might not have considered DeLappe’s projects as art, but once the bigger picture is noticed, it is clear that all are immensely creative and original. To enter all the names of America’s military casualties into the recruiting game or recreating Gandhi within Second Life are two of the most incredible ideas in gaming and art. His reactions obtained from all his projects were the most interesting part. As in the recruitment game, DeLappe’s work mobilizes the masses and forces them to rethink what is happening around them. While some may criticize DeLappe, others realize the impact of his work; that it is not just a game; it is the reality of life. Similarly, DeLappe’s project on Gandhi was also very powerful and his giant handmade replicas of Gandhi have rightfully received the attention of people around the world.

Sarah Simpson   
ART 245 Prof. DeLappe
March 11, 2011

Lecture#2- Jeremy Stern: Placing Sound and Activity in the Sheppard Fine Arts Gallery

            The lecture given by Jeremy Stern was very thought-provoking. He started by discussing some of his biggest influences when he was a child. He talked about Lucas Samaras and the mirrored room, Red Groom’s happenings, Sandy Skogland Fox work, Vito, and finally the comic store that he always went to when he was a kid. Some of the work completed by Stern began with his Half Baked comic series when he was in college and his drawing of New York parks. One of his creations that he described was his work using office supplies and his pushpin piece. Most of his work reflected his life and identity in some small way. For instance, his drawings including the map of the US, the mapped shovel, and the trimmed fat project were all personally related to him. His latest project was the most interesting. It reflected his experiences while living in Reno by combining music/sound with traditional art. His art work combined the sounds of driving around Reno with a map of the school. When you walked through the exhibit you heard each sound in a different quadrant. He also used a form of crowd sourcing to paint some of the walls black within the art building.

Sarah Simpson

Art exhibition: Leo Villareal- Animating light
    The Nevada Museum of Art was a great experience and all the work presented within this exhibit were wonderful. The architecture itself was fascinating. All the artist presented, including Leo Villareal, Ansel Adams, Jacob Hashimoto, and Timothy J. Clark were equally talented.

The first art installation encountered was called “Firmament”. This space was well constructed and very interesting. However, the patterns that the lighting created was a bit overwhelming. An interesting aspect about this work was that this piece of artwork made the viewer look up instead of on the walls. It also was interesting how there were relaxing chairs within the space but the lights contradicted it by making it chaotic. It felt as though the viewer was in the middle of a disco party or rave because of how the lights were moving.

The space created by Leo Villareal gave a sense of dizziness that bombarded the viewer at first; there were too many colorful lights all moving in structured patterns, in different directions, and within different pieces. They all seemed to be made of the same kind of lighting, either LED’s or incandescent light bulbs. Each piece had its own special custom made software system and electrical hardware. One of the plaques providing information on the artwork revealed that Leo Villareall’s light sculpture can be compared to a digital campfire. This campfire concept made a lot of sense; all the colors represented the various colors of fire. Another interesting aspect to this exhibit was the rhythmic movement within the piece and how it all seemed to be forming in a pattern. The movement within some of the exhibits were intense compared to other pieces that were slow and soothing. Two installations within the space really stood out: Sunburst and Diamond Sea. Both of these artworks are completely different but Sunburst had very powerful movements and a strong representation of the Sun. Diamond Sea was interesting for the simple fact that it gave the viewer a sense that you were actually apart of the artwork because of its mirrors. Diamond Sea also represented a map of the world. By placing mirrors within this space, it drew comparisons to the viewer as an integral part of the planet.