Pentathalon Semester 1

Pentathalon Semester 2

As an experiential component of College Park Arts Scholars, I attended a selection of five art events during my first semester. These events ranged in art mediums and each sparked dialogue among my peers. 

Artechouse

January 26th, 2021

#visualart

At the start of the second semester, while I was still home in Florida, I took the time to go visit Artechouse in Maimi. Artechouse is an interactive museum that curates modern pieces--many of which include technology, projection, and light. Walking up and down the two floors, I found myself getting lost in the aesthetic colorful lights and pretty sounds. My favorite part of this museum was how every piece was immersive, I loved being able to move my body and create my own piece of art using the projection provided. Through this pentathlon, I learned about the importance of modern art and constantly pushing the boundaries and canon of classical art--in order to end gatekeeping for what can be “considered art.” I also gained an appreciation for projection as an art form--and pieces that use technology. These are both mediums that many artists have begun to experiment with--within the 21st century--yet the works produced are not popularly featured in art museums. I’ve often noticed that museums showcasing American art--or just art in general--often stick to displaying pieces that use classic mediums such as canvas, oil paint, acrylic, etc. There is both a lack of modern art in American art museums--i.e. The Whitney in NYC--and museums that exclusively showcase modern/technological art. This is why I believe it is imperative for places such as Artechhouse to exist--because these museums normalize 21st-century art as something that can be put in an exhibit and curated--like classical art in museums.

The Greatest Showman

February 20th, 2021
#film

A few weekends ago, my roommates and I decided to have a movie night--where we watched The Greatest Showman--in an attempt to destress from school. It was interesting to watch this movie after the discussion I had in my CPSA201 workshop, The YOU In Music, about soundtracks. We talked about how music in movies adds to/furthers scenes, and movies would simply not be the same without it--and this couldn’t be more true for The Greatest Showman. As a musical movie, music is quite literally integral to the storyline. Songs allow characters to show their emotions or how they truly feel about themselves (i.e. "This Is Me"), their relationship with others (i.e. "Rewrite the Stars"), and situations (i.e. "From Now On"). After analyzing the movie with my workshop in mind I was able to truly understand how important music is--and not just music sung by the characters. I noticed instrumental music played often, which is something I’ve probably overlooked in every movie I’ve ever watched. The music would sync up with the action in certain scenes, and sometimes intense music would sync with the climax. This movie was a really fun one to watch and analyze, especially after my discussion. I also never realized how much screaming “The Greatest Show” at the top of your lungs could help relieve anxiety until I did it.

3 Canvas Paintings

March 14th, 2021

#visualart

Despite pursuing a double major in Theatre--and people believing I’m just “good” at all forms of art--I’ve never been much of a visual artist. While drawing and painting are ways to relieve stress for some people, for me, It just makes me overwhelmed. I’ve always painted in art classes and found that working with a deadline doesn’t relieve stress, but instead creates it. Even when painting canvases for my sorority I get frustrated when I mess up, and the process takes me hours. For this pentathlon I was feeling creative and wanted to paint something completely random, with no expectations, no feeling bad if I mess up, only fun. I decided to draw some inspiration from my workshop, the You in Music. We had a week where we discussed how listening to music while coloring relieves stress and anxiety. We also learned that certain types of music can help you while you are doing a task (mainly instrumental and unfamiliar tunes)--and certain types might distract you (ones you know that have a lot of words). With this in mind I put on a low-fi playlist I found on Soundcloud and got to work. I looked on Pinterest and found an adorable collage of blue cartoon characters and decided to try to draw my favorite ones. I used materials I already had at home, such as canvases a 12 pack of brushes, and matte acrylic paint front target. This is how I ended up with Dory, blue-toned Rainbow Dash, and Stitch. Even though none of them are perfect, I genuinely had a good time painting them. Listening to music made the process go by faster and made the painting feel less like a chore and more like something I was actually enjoying. I also tried to lessen the stakes for the paintings. Each time I messed up I told myself I was only painting for fun and I dropped the need to compulsively fix the mistake. If this taught me anything, it’s that sometimes we just need a reminder that it’s OK to color out of the lines.

Billie Eilish Live at Reading Festival 2019

March 29th, 2021
#music

Now that Covid-19 vaccines are being mass distributed--and a glimpse of normalcy is returning to our lives--I’ve been reminiscing on all the things I’ve missed during the past year. On this long list of activities, going to concerts/live music made no. 1. This is why for this pentathlon I decided to stream an older concert from one of my favorite artists Billie Eilish. Even though the pandemic has prevented me from going to concerts, it has essentially forced artists to stream more concerts and their music labels to post videos of past live performances. Because of this I was able to watch Billie’s full performance at Reading Festival in 2019 from the comfort of my own bed. Although it was not a fully immersive experience, I got aspects of a live concert from the video production itself. The videos shown were from all different angles, some included shots from the stage, close ups of Billie, and even audience members. In my opinion, nothing compares to hearing music at a concert. As a theatre double major, I am very aware of the symbiotic relationship that effect that performers have with their audiences. It is all about communicating and bouncing off each other's energy. When an artist performs, they feed off of crowds’ reactions (i.e. laughs, gasps, screams) to further their acting objective. It helps the artist “get into” the performance if the audience is engaged and lively. This could not be more true for musical artists and in this case Billie’s concert. What made the video feel more “live” was the energy of her audience. The video captured the sound of not only Billie, but everyone in the crowd as they cheered, screamed and sang along to songs such as “CopyCat” and “All The Good Girls Go To Hell.” Watching a concert just gives animation to my favorite songs. I’m able to see Billie move around the stage and how the songs flow through her when performing. Many artists “play around” with their songs when doing live concerts, which is something I love about them. When Billie created different riffs and harmonies to her popular song “Bad Guy”, It was almost like experiencing a whole new song. I was so glad I had the opportunity to go back and see a show that I would have never been able to see if it wasn’t put online.

Sue Austin's Performance Art TED Talk

April 22nd, 2021
#presentation

For this pentathlon I decided to watch the TED Talk “Deep Sea Diving...In A Wheelchair,” by Sue Austin. Austin talked about her journal as an individual with a disability, and how her wheelchair empowers her as a person and artist. Through a series of performance art pieces, she referred to as “Underwater wheelchair photos”--where Austin scuba dove with her wheelchair in the ocean--she was able to change the way others perceive those with disabilities. Not only did this Ted Talk make me feel inspired and empowered, but it also made me reflect on my minor, Arts Leadership. In ARHU240 (Cultural Institutions of the United States), a class I took for this minor, we learned about performance art. I had always viewed it as a strange art form because I never understood the true point of it. Through my class, however, I learned that performance art had a deeper meaning. I learned it is meant to oppose traditional mediums and usually aim to challenge an audience’s pre-established thoughts or beliefs. I noticed that Austin uses her performance art as a type of activism and engagement. She allows people to see something they never believed could be possible, a woman in a “power chair”--as Austin refers to it--scuba diving. It forces people to open their minds to new possibilities and view Austin in a different light. Her work reminded me of my capstone project; a series of graphic design edits meant to raise awareness about gender equality and educate audiences on challenges women in the U.S. face. I am always drawn to art that has a message behind it or raises awareness because it makes the piece more impactful--and the artistic visuals make the important topic memorable. Although I absolutely loved Austin’s Underwater wheelchair photos, they made me question the concept of performance art. I remember learning about what the purpose of performance art was, but never what could be considered performance art. I had trouble grasping that the photos that came out of Austin’s shoot were considered performance art instead of visual art. After doing some research on my own I discovered that performances can be live, but they can also be documented through photography, videos, or writing. There are no limits or real definitions as to what can be considered performance art, which I have mixed feelings about. On the one hand, performance art is an Avante Garde form of modern art that has social and political meaning, but it is also so ambiguous that I question it as a “true” art form. Although I don’t believe art should need to have one specific definition, I think there should be some sort of guideline.