Link to the final video :- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zm7ZXw3lvDQ&t=1s
Research on the video.
AUDIO
The audio played in the background is titled Water Music.
A half-century ago in Japan, during the period in which the terms “mixed-media” and “interculturalism” were rarely used, a Japanese composer by the name of Tôru Takemitsu (pictured to the left) along with an outstanding Noh performer and theorist named Hisao Kanze undertook a collaborative project that aimed to create an original musical theater style by combining electroacoustic music and Noh choreography. This mixed-media and intercultural piece was Water Music , the first electroacoustic composition for a Noh performance or, in other words, the first Noh-theatricalization of electroacoustic music.
Instead of using sounds recorded in a Noh performance, for Water Music, Takemitsu derived sounds mostly from recorded sounds of water droplets. Some sounds in the piece retain the identity of water drops, due to a lesser degree of modification. In contrast, other sounds with a greater degree of modification have distinct sonic characteristics similar to those of Tsuzumi, The sound structure as a whole is immune to the idea of sound density; on the contrary, it creates an impression of a non- metrical, quasi-pointillist form. The irregular occurrences of silence with irregular durations between the concrete and the abstract sounds generate unique musical tensions. For this particular soundscape Kanze composed original Noh choreography. Excluding the literariness and emotional elements that were typical for traditional Noh play, his performance at the 1960 premiere demonstrated a high degree of clearness and purity, which resulted from his thorough interpretation of the music.
The concurrent presentations of the placidity of the tape music and the various movements of the Noh choreography created a distinctive visual-sound space and the tension within. A further implication is that the musical-theatrical tension was derived also from the collision between different artistic disciplines as well as different cultural components. This particular collision, instead of the smooth integration, was the product of the aesthetic principle of Takemitsu and Kanze.
Takemitsu makes it so easy on the ear, the static quality of the music – partly an effect of the lack of harmonic movement and partly the amount of silence or quietude in his work. A lot of the pieces he produces sound like sets of variations – a going over of the same territory with exquisite alterations of timbre or melodic material.
But the real substance of Takemitsu’s Japanese heritage can’t be reduced to an instrument, a color or even a harmony. There’s something more fundamental about his understanding of music; something that informs his work whether he’s writing for solo piano, a string quartet or a concerto.
It’s something expressed by the Japanese word “ma”, which suggests the concept of a void that isn’t empty, an absence that is really a presence, a space between things that is full of energy. It’s a principle that underpins Japanese gardens, with which Takemitsu often compared his music to. “My music is like a garden, and I am the gardener. Listening to my music can be compared with walking through a garden and experiencing the changes in light, pattern and texture.”
Takemitsu was a useful – in fact essential – composer. He was and still is an inspiration for the Japanese composers who have come after him, and he has made his musical aesthetic part of wider culture, too.
VISUALS
For my videography, I drew inspiration from one of my favourite photographers, Luke Austin.
Luke Austin is an Australian photographer based in Los Angeles. His portraiture work focuses on the energy, beauty, and vulnerability associated with male youth. He began exhibiting his portraiture work in 2011, following a successful decade working in fashion photography. He has exhibited work in solo shows in Sydney, Los Angeles and New York City. His work has been included in group shows during Month of Photography LA and at the Stonewall National Museum in Florida.
Luke has had work printed and featured online in various fashion/lifestyle magazines such as GQ Italia, PAPER, GayTimes UK, and Wonderland to name a few.
Throughout his career he has published a number of books. In these books feature the people he has photographed while traveling to different countries. For his book titled Beau Book, he travelled to 11 cities taking a total of 21,000 pictures which reduced to 200 that appeared in the final book.
When he publishes a book he feels it’s important these are a limited run. He makes it a point to not put images from the book on Instagram or anywhere online.
He may post outtakes from the books, but not the photos he uses in the book.
He says he likes that people know the books are out there and are kind of intrigued by whats inside. but can’t see them or flick through them because they aren’t in stores. He likes that there are only few people with the book. It makes it feel a little more special.
The setting of my project was inspired by a few of Luke Austins pictures where he captures people in front of fabric backgrounds in their underwear which give the photos a soft aesthetic. Using this method i was able to achieve a softer more vulnerable capture of the model’s beauty.
The color palette was a very important factor in the aesthetic of this video. While generally to create a strong image complimentary colors are generally used, I found that using a very limited color palette would be the better choice. Colors which sit next to each other on the color wheel and share similar colors are known as analogous colors. I chose a nude-off-white analogous palette.
Many photographers move away from using saturated, contrasting colors towards a more limited and subtle palette as their skills and vision evolve. As you look at the work of other photographers, especially professionals, you’ll find that a limited color palette is a mark of maturity and sophistication. It’s a form of simplification that makes your composition more powerful.
While on same days I may be inspired by everything, on some i am not at all. Paris is a city where I see something new everyday, which is completely different from Dubai. I am able to express myself more freely and not be stuck to a routine. I have learned not only from within the walls of the school but also through galleries, museums and even meeting people.
I have not defined my art style/ aesthetic yet, however I have realized that I like my work to be easy on the eye rather than having too much going on. I like the final outcome to look simple and rather gracefull.
I believe artwork should first be seen/ experienced without having any prior knowledge about the piece. This allows the viewer to be creative as well and let the piece be his own version. After he receives the information on it, he will see the piece in a new light.
While in school i have developed my skills not only through classes but also through myself and my peers. The fact that each one has something new to offer is amazing and very beneficial as a learning experience.
Exploring and experimenting with new forms of art such as photography and videography has widened my range of interests., while still maintaing a contemporary approach.
I like to bringing new light onto topics that people may have already heard of while providing an opportunity to reflect on society and the issues relevant to ourselves, and the world around us.
