Hey Everyone,

We can't lose track of what still needs to be accomplished.

1. The signage needs to be finalized.  It needs to go to the printer!
2. Is the sound edited into one clip/loop?
3. I have not seen any comments/feedback on  the artist statement
4. Matt - What are the measurements of the Gallery.  They were to be posted on Wednesday.
5. I think you should meet tomorrow in order for all the work to be completed.

Come on everyone, it is push time!

The Artist Statement: Please if there are any concerns or revisions just let me know!!!

Collective Perception

Artist Statement

To perceive something is to become aware of through the senses, to understand the meaning of an idea, object, person, or even oneself. Collective Perception delves into the idea of perceiving the community and the individual, while connecting the senses and the mind. With voices and images displayed through the gallery the viewer is exposed to the thoughts of the community around them.

The Interactive Media students at SUNY Cortland have created this installation. Originally, there were three different concepts of what we wanted to present in the gallery. Through group collaboration and deliberation we constructed Collective Perception. The concept behind the piece focuses on how different people view themselves and how they think the community views them. We interviewed a large variety of individuals asking the questions, “How do you think the community perceives you?” and “How do you perceive yourself?” The replies that we recorded were all unique and intriguing, as were the photographs that we captured. We decided to display the photographs and recordings in a way where the viewer hears the voices without knowing who they belong to while viewing the photographs. Without knowing who gave what responses, it keeps the participants anonymous while the viewer is welcome to make any conclusions. Mirrors are also part of the installation to allow the viewer to think of their own perception as well.

Simon Høgsberg’s work can be paralleled with our exhibition in the fact that he deals with human behavior and interaction. Our piece focuses on human thought, perception, judgment, and the senses, such as Simon’s pieces, The Thought Project and Faces of New York. Simon’s work is our inspiration for Collective Perception, yet we created our piece to be focused on the community, rather than choosing a location at random. By staying within the town of Cortland we are collectively unified as a whole. The voices being separated from their owner’s creates a unique experience with the senses, tying in elements of perception of oneself and the environment, while evoking thought and awareness.

Banner and name final. What do you guys think?

Banner and names 2 - not alinged yet

“Collective Perception” Installation 

Consists of: Photographs, Mirrors, Large Screen with scrolling text and sound

1. Images printed as one long piece.  24” x 25’ (Kelsey, Nicole T, Lauren)
2. Editing Sound – (Nicole H & Leslie)  Making one loop
3.  Buy full length mirrors (3), Hanging magnets – (Martine)
4. Large Monitor – with scrolling HTML Page of textual Sound (Nolan)
1.  Each student is assigned 2-3 sound clips to type (Matt)
2. Once typed- copy and past into email to Nolan.grswold@cortland.edu
5. Signage for Exhibition w/ students names (Kristen & Elizabeth)
6.  Get Printed- (Martine) Quote from?  Ask Erika… for Cortland Printer
7. Artist Statement – (Rachel) Written by Friday.  Posted to the blog.  Everyone read & give feedback. Revise – send to Martine.
8. Measure Gallery space on Wednesday – Post on blog (Matt)
9. If extra time needed- Group will meet on Saturday 10-12 & 12-2
10. Bose Speakers from Martine’s Office or Buy Wireless? Placement of speakers? PLay sound off large screen - plug speakers in?
11. Run Sound off Nano (Martine)

Beyond What Eye Can See; an Artist's Perspective

The creation of our piece, Beyond What Eye Can See is based off of the creative works of Simon Hoegsberg, specifically the foundation of his piece Dance Dance Dance. Every summer a small village north of Stockholm called Herräng comes to life when hundreds of people from all continents come here to dance lindy hop at the annual Herräng dance camp.  Year round, there are only 500 people who live in Herräng. Just as Hoegsberg says, "It’s a ghost town, dead and beautiful."  We found that this, in a way, is similar to Cortland; A small community  which is brought to life by the college as well as the students who flock here in September.  We decided to observe the influences that the students have on the town, and capture with photos the unique and individual moments of the beginning of the school year in 2013.  Beyond each individual's eyes there was a story to tell or an observation to be made.  

Reestablishing a Connection

In today's society most people are worried about one thing, themselves. Hosberg's work is trying to reestablish a connection that most people have lost living in this modern era.  He captures this spirit of "connection" in two different approaches in his body of work. In Faces of New York, Hosberg asks his subjects a question and then takes a picture.  Even though the questions Hosberg asked were random, it still gives you an insight into what the subjects personality is like. In We're All Gonna Die - 100 Meters of Existence, he takes photos of random people walking across a bridge.  With this approach Hosberg captures unexpected moments in his photos; moments that allow the viewer to create a background story for the subjects in the photos.  Hosberg's photographs make the viewer stop and wonder what the subjects in the photo are like in real life. This interaction the viewer has with the work is helping reestablish the connection Hosberg is looking for.
As a group we found our inspiration in The Thought Project and Faces of New York. We like how these projects have a quote from the subject that correspond with the picture. Although these projects give us a glimpse into the subjects life, it still leaves a little bit of room for the viewer to create their own story about the subject.