On February 14, the class visited the Museum of Modern Art. While we were there, we visited an exhibit titled Private Lives, Public Spaces. This exhibit consisted of various videos of people doing all sorts of actions. Coming from a diverse background, being an African American female, I noticed that the exhibit was very white, this was very interesting. Although I believe it was intentional for it to be a very white exhibit, it kind of was the focus showing the lives of white cisgender individuals living. The videos consisted of people at weddings, parties, hanging out with their pets. Most of the videos that I saw kind of reminded me of what was shown in everyday media during the 20s through the 60s. Also some of the videos included people who appeared to be immigrants, they were getting off the boat from their long voyage coming from their native countries. These immigrants were also white. This exhibit was titled private lives, public spaces to emphasize the importance of what it means to exist in a high media driven society. Many of these videos were not meant to be made public, but were made public to emphasize how in todays society, how much access we give to others on a daily basis. By posting every second of the day, there is no longer a vulnerability in having the privacy of being in your own home.
The first video that I will be discussing gives credit to Colleen Moore. This video shows an older woman having a deep conversation with the viewer. Although I cannot tell exactly what she is saying, I believe it is an interesting topic, as her face expressions are constantly changing throughout the video. The video is muted. She could be talking about an experience or something that she is highly passionate about. The video also shows a young woman in her twenties playing with a big dog that looks like a Labrador or a St.Bernard mix. The girl is also having tea with the older woman. This could possibly be her grandmother or just an older woman that she looks up to. The two seem to be very close, as they are enjoying each others company. This video makes me think about the connection that I have with my grandmother, how sweet and loving having tea with her is like.
The next video that I will be discussing gives credit to Conrad Veidt. This video looks like they are recording for a show or something from the emotive expressions, men serenading young women. They are being silly and a particular scene shows them playing around. This video I enjoyed watching because it made me think about the song “Teenager in Love” by Dion and the Belmonts. The young people in the video were obviously having fun. Watching this video I was not able to tell if they were actors or not. Their actions also seemed kind of improv like to me as well.
The next video gives credit to Mrs Gilbert w chapman, Chapman films 1934-43 it is a digital presentation of 16mm film 42 minutes. This film shows many famous artists going about everyday tasks. There are many famous artists such as Marcel Duchamp with his wife. The video also shows Piet Mondrian with his a kitten. Alexander Calder was setting up his exhibit. Each artist positively interacts with the small kitten. Pavel Tchelitchew tending to his garden and watering the plants. Marc Chagall in his studio talking about his art etc with his wife.
The final video gives credit to Greer Lankton who lived from 1958 to 1996. The video is titled Untitled 1975. It is a digital preservation of Super 8mm film. It shows a young woman enjoying her own company, looking in the mirror, drinking alcohol straight from the bottle, filing her nails, blowing her nose, etc. This makes me think about femininity. I particularly enjoyed watching this video because it showed actual feminine characteristics. It is centered around grooming one’s self and also self indulging in all sorts of self care actions, etc. This video puts me in the mind of a daily sitcom that would be shawm today.
To construct an identity means to have been impacted by the past present and future. This meaning that who you are is composed of everything that has happened to you, what is happening to you and what will happen to you. Reflecting on this topic makes me think about my identity as a whole and why what that happened to me made me the individual that I am today and what has essentially made me, me. I believe that this video was made for personal purposes, especially the videos that come across as home videos. Other videos such as showing the life of an artist, I believe are obviously meant to be for fans and other artists to view. I believe that the people in these films were not expected to be seen in a certain way by strangers. In a sense, I feel that viewing these home videos I feel as if I am imposing.
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