Event 1 - In Focus: Electric!

On April 28th, I attended the special exhibit In Focus, Electric; an exhibition at the Getty Museum that references both the positive and negative effects of electricity" (Harris, 2106). The exhibit highlighted different aspects of influence that electricity has had over us humans, and it spans from early technological fascination to recent issues of our dependencies upon it. Consisting of mainly photographs, each one took an interesting view on the double edged sword that technology has become. Danwen Xing took a very interesting photograph that was on display, but originally part of his disCONNEXION exhibit (Xing, 2005) which consisted a bunch of used, old chords that are, "calling attention to industrial reuse or 'e-waste' that is dumped in China, a hazard to public health and the environment" (Sivak, 2016).

disCONNEXION

Kunié Sugiura also had a very bold photo of a lady who's figure was entirely illuminated by yellow christmas lights. This photograph, After Electric Dress A Positive 4 relates a very significant amount to our Robotics and Art unit when I discussed in my blog about our distrust of technology because of our attachment and reliance upon it. As illustrated in Alex Proyas' film I, Robot (2004), the main character, Will Smith, grows a genuine hatred for these robots that the futuristic society he lives in, has granted so much trust.

Electric Dress a Positive 4

This ties in to Kunié Sugiura's photograph as she exemplifies how electricity has taken over our lives and well being. Could you imagine going about a day of your life without electricity? It seems practically impossible. This special exhibit is relevant to our class teachings because the exhibit portrays the entire timeline of electricity's relationship with humanity and art as it begins with a genuine fascination and exploration to its evolution into an integral part of society with an unfortunate dark side of pollution and dependence. This was a phenomenal exhibit that I really did enjoy going to very much.




Sources

 "News from the Getty | J. Paul Getty Museum Presents In Focus: Electric!" The Getty. 14 Mar. 2016. Web. 03 May 2016. <http://news.getty.edu/press-materials/press-releases/getty-museum-exhibition-electric.htm>.

 "DisCONNEXION." DisCONNEXION. Web. 03 May 2016. <http://www.danwen.com/web/works/dis/index.html>.

 "The Getty Museum." Getty Museum. 5 Apr. 2016. Web. 03 May 2016. <http://www.getty.edu/art/exhibitions/focus_electric/>. 

"After Electric Dress A Positive 4 (Getty Museum)." The J. Paul Getty in Los Angeles. 5 Apr. 2016. Web. 03 May 2016. <http://www.getty.edu/art/collection/objects/268762/kunie-sugiura-after-electric-dress-a-positive-4-japanese-negative-2001-print-2002/>.

I, Robot. Dir. Alex Proya. Perf. Will Smith. 20th Century Fox, 2004. DVD.

Images

http://www.getty.edu/art/exhibitions/focus_electric/images/1_gm_35300001_x1024_testborder.jpg

http://www.getty.edu/art/exhibitions/focus_electric/images/6_gm_32475501_crop_x1024.jpg

http://news.getty.edu/images/9036/gm_04445601_2000x2000.jpg