BLOG #4

In the MOMA there was a piece by Adrian Piper titled “A Synthesis of Institutions”. Adrian highlights the desire of minimalism as well as tackling on stereotyping, all while using the space as a way to display western culture. The setting was in a bright, all white room with seating like that of a football stadium (but a lot smaller). In the center of the space was a pillar that played a video of a black man. The man would turn and face each direction and state what he is NOT. “I am not crazy, I am not an animal, I am not a monster, etc.” It was probably the most moving installation I’ve seen at the MOMA. Sometimes when I am thinking of creating work I very seldom think of the environment in which the piece will live in. The encompassing white room with a black man in the center is a bold, accurate representation of Western culture, specifically America. The movements of this piece were not grand gestures like most I’ve seen, but the opposition makes for an even stronger point. America, with its colonizing behavior has created a sense of greed in all whom live inside. We find ways to NEED things that we want, so having a very simplistic style to this form of media did the work justice. Technologically, what really stood out to me was that as the black man in the center turned to face different directions, I got to see him turn. This I thought was really cool because at the very top of the walls there was a mirror so you could see a 360 view of him no matter where you were sitting. There were no limitations in this room. With the changes in moving image technology we see artists who add more depth to their work and find new ways to express their ideas in a very unique way. But sometimes there is so much beauty in the simplest of work. New technology is cool, but there’s a reason why people still cling to the vintage.