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Why the Mission of Classic Arts Showcase Remains Timeless Even to this Day

7/27/2020

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It's incredibly rare to come across a television station that remains faithful to its roots since its debut. In order to keep up with the times, they'll make drastic changes solely to appeal to the younger generation while alienating the older generation. To use an example, stations like Cartoon Network, which started as a 2/47 channel known for airing all sorts of animation, from classics, to recent releases, to indie, to Anime and giving a platform to rising creators, has become a far cry from its original goal. (That will be a whole other topic on its own). Although change can be good and is also even important, often times stations take these changes a bit too far to  keep up with the times. It's as if their predecessors don't matter as much as when they were most active and/or when they were still alive with the abundance works they contributed to our culture. This brings me to Classic Arts Showcase, a channel known for airing clips showcasing the fine arts. 
For those of you who are unfamiliar, Classic Arts Showcase (CAS) is an American 24-hour channel that hosts a variety of clips based in the classical arts, such as ballet, chamber, animation, musical theater, operatic performances, museum art, etc. The station is non-commercial and runs via satellite. Initially based out in Burbank, California (now Los Angeles) and is still on the air since its launch May 3rd, 1994, CAS continues to carry out its mission. The channel still retains the same format as it did upon its debut, while adding new clips, yet CAS never has to do anything special to keep up with the times to get its message across in order to stay relevant. What is it about the approach that still resonates to this day? To answer that question, I'll start with the organization's founder's early career, the late Lloyd E. Rigler and his vision when he conceived CAS, the reception the channel received over the years and how it measures up today in comparison to stations that fall into the mainstream banner like MTV that have turned away from their roots. 
Lloyd Eugene Rigler (May 3rd 1915 - December 7th 2003) was a businessman, who later became a philanthropist. Born in Lehr, North Dakota, his parents owned and ran a general store catered to their local farming community in Wishek, North Dakota where he and his family resided. In his late teens, Rigler moved to live with relatives in Chicago, Illinois and worked to save up for college. He attended the University of Illinois and graduated 1939. Afterwards, he moved to New York City to pursue a career in theater. As a means to support himself, Lloyd Rigler worked for a marketing research agency, conducting interviews. He later worked as a salesman at Decca Records in Los Angles. Initially, Rigler signed up to take part in the U.S. Navy during WWII, but due to poor eyesight from the left eye, he stayed in San Pedro California throughout the war. After the Second World War ended, Rigler met Lawrence E. Deutsch while he was working in the food industry. They became business partners, creating the national brand, Adolph's Meat Tenderizers, (which is owned by Mc.Cormack & Company). After selling their company, the business partners started a venture capital firm, the Ledler Corporation. 
After Deutsch's death in 1977, Lloyd Rigler founded the Lloyd E. Rigler - Lawrence E. Deutsch Foundation. Among Rigler's other philanthropic pursuits include, Joffrey Ballet in the 1980's during its time at the Los Angeles Music Center, the restoration of Egyptian Theatre in the 1990's, founder donor of the Los Angles Music Center, refurbishing of Carnegie Hall, serving as Vice-Chairman of the Board of Directors at the New York City Opera and making donations to the Los Angles County Museum of Arts. 
With Lloyd Rigler's years of expertise and background in the fine arts as well as decades of capital saved up, it's no surprise he was the founder of an arts channel. So, what inspired the idea to craft Classic Arts Showcase as a 24-hour edutainment clip show? The short answer is Rigler's immense love for the fine arts and the course in which the times were changing.
​Rigler took note how most Americans were increasingly becoming less exposed to the fine and performing arts. After decades of tracking tickets sales and observing the increasing amount of empty seats, this proved to be the case that a cultural shift was taking shape. As described on the official CAS website: 

"CAS was the vision of Lloyd E. Rigler. It was his lifelong love of the performing arts - and his concern that the majority of Americans are rarely exposed to the world's greatest performances - that inspired this vision. After tracking ticket sales of live performances for decades, Rigler found arts organizations were performing to more empty seats every year, selling fewer tickets and charging more for them. With current audiences aging, and little or no arts exposure in homes and schools to build new audiences, Rigler sought to foster a wider appreciation of classic arts nationwide--through television. He envisioned the creation of a 24-hour non-commercial arts network, designed to bring the classic arts to the widest possible audience". 

The format in which Rigler planned to accomplish this goal was by airing a select number of five to seven minute clips to fill eight hours and run them all day long. The line-up would change each week without a fixed schedule. This was similar to that of MTV's original 1981 format. The Founder's Profile states as follows:

"In 1981, MTV began airing short 3- to 5-minute rock music videos in succession, with no schedule and no particular order of play - and millions of viewers tuned in to see what was coming next. Rigler believed this format would be ideal for presenting classic arts performances - one in which viewers could see a wide variety of short performance videos, each of which would be a rare and unexpected gem." 

The profile indicates what separates their content from other stations at the time:

​ "At a time when most offerings on television consist of "reality" shows, grisly crime dramas, sitcoms and "info-tainment," Classic Arts Showcase presents the greatest recorded performances of all time at no cost to the viewer, and with no commercial interruptions". 

To this day, Classic Arts Showcase continues with its 'Expect the Unexpected' format. No schedule, "because the beauty of CAS is that you'll never know what to expect". The reason this approach proves to be effective, especially in an era of instant gratification, is that this delayed gratification of coming across an unexpected clip by surprise can easily draw viewers in. I'll get into what prompted MTV's change in format while CAS is still faithful to its original format towards the end, but first, I want to cover the reception CAS received over the years. 
The overall reception of Classic Arts Showcase throughout the mid-1990's to the early 2000's truly speaks volumes to how viewers hold the station and its founder with high regards. In 1998, The Kansas City Star television critic, Aaron Barnhart starts his article, Classic Arts Showcase provides a midwinter cable treat, with the following:

"Viewers in upgraded American Cablevision zones may have noticed it already: In the last two weeks, some sort of classical-music video jukebox has taken over Channel 17, the local educational access channel operated by the University of Missouri-Kansas City. Classical-music lovers will find it hard not to get roped in by the mix of ballet, operatic singing and instrumental pieces, most of them culled from old film stock or European music videos. Yes, many of the selections are beyond the familiar - Pavarotti singing the "Ave Maria," I Musici belting out a "Four Seasons" suite - but unlike a certain radio station in town, there are no annoying commercials or announcers to disrupt the relaxing ambiance on this TV channel. There's even the occasional vintage film clip from Alfred Hitchcock or Buster Keaton". 

Barnhart quotes Jay Francis, Rigler's then assistant for the reasoning behind keeping CAS non-profit. "Mr. Rigler doesn't do any advertising because he doesn't believe in marketing a free product". Tom Brenneman, the founder of UMKC's IVN network and who also programmed for Channels 17 and 18 is also quoted in the article indicating "[t]here are a lot of things that say they're educational but there are lots of advertisements embedded in them , or they're trying to sway your opinion, and I won't put those on", to which he told TVKC. American art critic, Alan Klevit sheds CAS in a positive light in his book, The Art Beat, highlighting that Classic Arts Showcase prompts "habit-forming". Once a viewer catches sight of it, it can be difficult to turn away. From his own viewing experience, he delves into the excitement that he usually is "unwilling to turn the set off, for fear of missing a Buster Keaton vignette, or perhaps Lillian Gish, or Arturo Toscanini conducting the NBC Symphony Orchestra, Rudolph Valentino as The Sheik, or some other classic [he] will treasure" (Klevit pp. 117-19). There's even an article published in The New York Times in 2002 by David Finkle, titled TELEVISION/RADIO; A Video Variety You Won't See on MTV. In the article, Finkle writes about the $26 million check Rigler wrote for the required transporter for the channel's signals to be directed at a satellite, indicating "[t]hat's $26 million Mr. Rigler will not see again. Nor will he recoup the $4 million he spends annually to keep his enterprise going. He figures he's more than $50 million in a hole he's happy to have dug for himself". And from the reception Classic Arts Showcase receives, even from the younger generation of viewers, rightly so. As Finkle continues with one very charming testimony, "[t]he gratification comes, [Rigler] said, from estimates that 10 percent of "Classic Arts Showcase" watchers are college age or younger. One viewer in that group sent a note saying, "I'm 12 years old, and I never knew you could dance on your toes"." Even so, present day CAS has a social media presence on Facebook and is available for streaming on Roku's channel store, as an app on Apple for Apple TV and is even available for streaming on its own website.
When it comes to how the organization updates CAS, (aside from the changes made to the address screen when their headquarters moved from Burbank to Los Angeles), the only updates ever added on CAS are the addition of new clips once they acquire the rights from the respective copyright owners to air them. Other than that, the 'look and feel' of the channel still resembles its 1994 debut, yet is still going strong while MTV (and other mainstream channels) made drastic changes to keep up with the times. Why is that? 
The reason I can best describe is something my voice instructor, Brandon Santini once said when he and I were discussing the differences between classical music and mainstream pop. Classic music is consistent, whereas pop is constantly reliant on trends. That's why when you try to compare MTV from its early days to its current trends with Classic Art Showcase drawing inspiration from its original model and sticking to it to this day, you'll immediately notice that there are specific surrounding factors that contribute to how both stations evolved. Because MTV is so mainstream and thus competing with other mainstream platforms, the channel adds other content in order to stay as 'relevant' as possible. Plus there is also YouTube, which offers easy access to the same pop/rock music videos as MTV with just one instant click, tap or swipe to access. People already are familiar with mainstream music by name because it's plastered everywhere, from TV to radio, to internet, to social media, to streaming services, etc.  Again, instant gratification with no surprises. Once the trend or pop star is no longer relevant, everyone moves on to, what we call, 'the next big thing'. Classic Arts Showcase's model, despite the early 1980's MTV influence still works today because most people know the music of Bach, Mozart, Beethoven and Debussy by growing up with a familiar piece written by these composers, but may not know the full story behind the great masters. Some of us might have heard classical music or references to opera from cartoons like Tom and Jerry, The Smurfs, Loony Tunes or even Ren and Stimpy and Sponge Bob Square Pants to name a few or even seen such references from commercials. Some of us who are old enough to remember the Windows 95 operating system came with a few MIDI files of classical music renditions. Any which way, much of our culture and its lush history is easily embedded in our subconscious mind, so it stayed rooted there. We feel connected to it in some form or another, whether we are aware of it or not.  With a seemingly endless library of culture from all walks of life, we feel that connection more than we realize. After all, societies and cultures would cease to exist without their roots and origins. That's why pop culture pays homage to the classic arts. 
This would explain why when people stumble across CAS by chance, be it through channel surfing, internet recommendations, in an article or even through an app store, they feel drawn into it. One video after another, one would be so intrigued to see what they might find next. I think it's also the excitement of seeing something some audiences thought might be boring to watch, especially after being so accustomed to something constantly sold to them via easy access in all their waking hours. The new thing ends up becoming the same old routine and monotony. Because the arts are designed to speak to the human condition, they start to organically click with people. Even young children are surprised when they find they liked what they saw more than they expected. The arts even exceed their expectations. An episode of the educational children's series, Arthur titled Lights, Camera...Opera! (with guest star, Rodney Gilfry), covers this topic as well as the popular Nickelodeon Nick Toon, Hey, Arnold!, in the episode What's Opera Arnold?. (It's also important to note that the episode of Hey, Arnold! not only pays homage to the operatic arts, but also pays homage to the 1957 Loony Toons episode, What's Opera, Doc?, which as the title suggests, paid homage to the performing arts. Again, another example of pop culture drawing references to their roots, in this case a more modern animation drawing from the Golden Era of animation, which I plan to cover in a later post).
I'll even briefly add my own story of how I learned about Classic Arts Showcase. While my family and I were staying for the first time at the Cavalier Hotel in Virginia Beach in 2010 (the now demolished 1973 building, but nonetheless), I started browsing the television channels. I stopped at VA Beach's educational local channel, 46 or 47 and saw they were playing a music video paired with classical music. I noticed the ARTS logo at the lower right hand corner of the screen. As someone who was in her early 20's at the time, I wasn't really into classical music. I would just study the material for assignments I was given in school, but not something I would go all in for on my own accord. I didn't think CAS was going to stick with me. Lo and behold, I've been a frequent viewer of Classic Arts Showcase ever since then! 
Times will always change and with that, trends will continue to evolve. Hence why stations catered to the mainstream will always take drastic steps to stay afloat. When it comes to the arts, Classic Arts Showcase is a unique channel that sticks to the less is more mantra. It all started with Lloyd E. Rigler's lifelong fondness for the arts and thanks to his past experience as businessman and his philanthropic work, he saved up and used that capital to bring his vision to fruition. The efforts well paid off, even long after Rigler's death. While other stations steer from their early roots due to pressures to compete for relevance, CAS retains its timeless lure and continues to draw new viewers in. It's also very refreshing that CAS never needs to over pronounce its educational value. Most audiences don't like to be preached to, so Classic Arts Showcase encourages its viewers to explore the world of the arts naturally and organically and sometimes, that's all it takes. All you need to peak people's interest and entice them to attend an upcoming ballet, spend an afternoon touring their local museum or browse through a collection of classic films from the Silent Era is just a simple approach and mission that will resonate for years to come. 
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Can Screen Savers be a Work of Art? A 1997 Utility CD-Rom Proves They Can Be

7/23/2019

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Screen shots taken from the CD-ROM files.
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Chess animation by Sylvain Guay
Music by Ken Byers
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Fireworks animation by Sylvain Guay
​Music by Ken Byers
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Minotaur animation by Sylvain Guay
​Music by Alain Larose
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Aperture animation by Sylvain Guay
​Music by Ken Byers 
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Pool animation by Sylvain Guay 
​Music by Ken Byers 
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Gothic animation by Sylvain Guay
​Music by Ken Byers 
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Beethoven animation by Sylvain Guay
Life's Symphony Sound Montage:
       Taken from the CD-ROM credits: "The excerpts from Beethoven's 5th and 9th symphonies were used courtesy of PolyGram Special Projects Canada.
Beethoven's piano Sonata No. 6 was performed by Antonio Lacerda and recorded at Mr. Larose's studios, using a DAT recorder".  
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Fire Dance animation by Sylvain Guay
​Music by Alain Larose 
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Art Direction and Creative Concept by David Robert Donatucci 
Producer and Creative Concept: Rui Gomes da Silva
Software and Tech Advisor: Jean Laviolette
         Screen Savers have always been somewhat of a novelty feature on our computers. On one hand, they were designed to protect our screens when we don't use them, but on the downside of it, they use up more electricity than what is needed. I admit, I don't really know too much about how screen savers are being used today, if at all, considering that Windows 10 hides them from hindsight and I haven't used the latest version of Mac to know if they still even have this feature. However, there is a website where you can download some of the old, classic Windows 95 screen savers such as the 3D Maze, the Flying Windows and this little gem called Lattice. The website is Screensavers Planet and it has an expansive library of screen savers to choose from as well as offering safe tips before downloading.
         At first, my thought on the topic was, 'well, yes! These were (and still are) rather fun to look at, but I wonder how can something like this be relevant to art?'. Screen savers, especially the ones from the 1990's and early 2000's are most likely iconic to pop culture, mainly vaporwave culture, but there was a CD-ROM that was licensed by the now defunct, Protologik Computer Systems Inc. and released by software company, Global Star Software (which was acquired by Take-Two Interactive in the September of 1999), simply titled 3D Screen Savers. As basic as this title sounds, 3D Screen Savers is a collection of short animated stories told through the medium, paired with music and non-verbal narrations. Each screen saver was based on or inspired by iconic art pieces, like Edvard Munich's 1893 piece The Scream and Salvador Dahí's 1931, The Persistence of Memory and Mythology such as the flight and fall of Icarus and the battle against the Minotaur. There are even homages dedicated to the works of Philip K. Dick and Beethoven. Some of the animations are also originals like the Chess and the Pool Table, which I'll later describe the craft behind those via descriptions. 
    For its time, the animators and storytellers who made 3D Screen Savers have broken the mold and went above and beyond the norm, making the art of screen savers more than what they could be. Unfortunately, this well crafted, ahead-of-its-time utility software has been lost to the hands of time, never receiving a re-release for later operating systems. If you ever are fortunate enough to get your hands of a copy off of Amazon.com, make sure you still have a well-functioning Windows 3.1, a Windows 95 or even a Windows 98 or at least a virtual PC that runs those operating systems. Anything after Windows 98 simply won't play it. Fortunately, I did save my Windows 95 installer CD-ROM and have a virtual PC console up and running on my laptop computer, so I can shoot some video of some of the screen savers in action. (*Note: Unfortunately, at the time of this writing, I was having some technical difficulties recording the screen savers. For now, I'll simply provide a few screen shots from the CD-ROM with the descriptions of the animations until I can get the record feature to work on Oracle Virtual Box or try it on my desktop PC when I have the chance. When I finally get the footage, I'll be sure to update this post). 
        So for this post, I'll pick a few of my top favorite screen savers or the best crafted ones from the list. I'll break down each one, describing why the animators' approach to the narrative was so effective and how it holds up today. 

         Chess: In this animation, a chess player (whose face is never revealed), has just captured the knight piece and is ready to remove him from the board. However, getting rid of him proves to be a bit of a challenge. The piece comes alive and sinks into the board, moving from one side to the next, making it rather difficult for the chess player to catch him. The knight taunts and laughs at the chess player until he reaches inside the chess board, finally catching the mischievous piece. The animation cleverly ends with the player throwing the knight off of the board and waving goodbye as the piece squeals in disappointment.
       This is a fun animation to watch as the chess piece moves around the board in attempt to outsmart the chess player. The character's mannerisms, mocking voice and facial expressions altogether are very relatable in that the viewer sees how reluctant the knight is to accept that he has been captured and is comedically attempting to over stay his welcome. It's truly amazing how the animators brought this character to life, taking a chess piece and adding character and an identifiable personality to it. What is also impressive is how the chess player himself is represented. Although viewers never see his face, the body language and gestures he makes with only his hand are very telling. As the knight taunts him, the way the player moves his hand to suggest annoyance and slight frustration to retain patience is very effective. Even at the end when he finally grabs the knight and sends him away across the board, him waving goodbye to suggest 'good riddance' is such an effective and satisfying conclusion.
​       It just goes to show that even in such limitations such as solely animating hand gestures, so much story and character can be told and presented. This combination of both the hand as the main actor and an inanimate object like a chess piece as the  mischievous antagonist demonstrates the skill and technique the animators had. Body language with no words and very minimal features can say so much as we see with the chess player's hand gesture being one of only two story tellers without reliance on any other part of his body. It's also fascinating to see a given expression and personality to a knight chess piece, something that doesn't have an identifiable personality. Yet, similar to how Pixar is known for bring life to the inanimate, the 3D screen savers animators have brought such high quality to the knight as with how it's done with inanimate object characters of the Pixar films. 

    Firework: Paired with the tune of America the Beautiful, the animation involves a series of fireworks bursting over the White House. Sometimes, they will be your standard fireworks, but then there is an extra surprise, three of them in fact. One of the fireworks is an image of the American Eagle. The next is one that depicts the American Flag, with all three of its colors, the red, white and blue and the last one is an illustration of the entire country outlined in red. The animation ends strong with a variety of vibrant colors bursting in the sky, ending it strongly and with pure American pride. This animation is a huge delight to watch as it shows in one verse of America the Beautiful symbols that are distinctly Americana. It's simple, yet in all its simplicity, we see three main icons that make the United States unique and why the Fourth of July is such an important holiday. With this animation, we are reminded that America became an independent nation after a series of major events involving the British occurred. The icons and final send off on this one are overwhelmingly strong in how they are presented and utilized. At the beginning, the fireworks show starts softly according to the music. The energy builds up with the American Eagle bursting high in the sky on a rising chord, filling up a good chunk of the sky. As America the Beautiful continues to play, the bursts of light and energy grow even more vibrantly to match the tone of the music along with the symbols of the United States and the American Flag and concluding with the colors of the red, white and blue on the last note. 

     Minotaur: Just a slight warning on this one! As a rendition of the Greek Mythology story, well... the part where the Minotaur gets decapitated is a tad graphic. That said, with this animation, there's no holding back! The introduction starts with an establishing shot of the elaborately structured labyrinth, which was designed and built by Daedalus and his son, Icarus as a means to retain the monster. An eerie wind blows a tapestry with an image of the Minotaur for the viewer to see. In the next scene, Theseus (whose face is never shown anywhere in the animation) is greeted by a man in a folding ball, who (without words), hands him a ball of thread and then rolls away. (Typically, it is told that Ariadne, the daughter of King Minos of Crete, was the one who gave Theseus the ball of thread to help him navigate and retrace his steps). In the next shot, Theseus then finds the sword he needs to use against the beast. When he first finds it, the sword floats in the air and moves as if giving him instructions on how to defeat the Minotaur. Theseus takes the sword in his hands and in the next scene, he is waiting for the Minotaur to arrive inside a spacious circular room with columns. The Minotaur is seen peering from a dark room behind a column. As he slowly approaches Theseus, the hero prepares his weapon. When the Minotaur gets close enough, Theseus scratches him on the head and finally delivers the final blow with the now headless Minotaur falling to his death.
      The pacing is very well executed in this rendition of the story as viewers will feel the suspense and tension build up in each scene transition. The idea that Theseus' story is told in a non-verbal, first-person perspective is fascinating because as viewers, we are put in his position throughout as if we are the ones who are preparing to face this monster ourselves. Between the color palette, the desolate, yet tension inducing soundtrack and the use of imagery and body language to give Theseus instruction is what adds to the unsettling feeling of fearing the unknown. It at first seems like very little  for the protagonist to go on in order to prepare for a battle against a brutal hybrid beast who was known to have killed other heroes before him. While viewers already know there is a Minotaur coming, it still doesn't make it any more comforting as the tension build up starts to rise with each scene along with the increased stress the music provides. Also, as gruesome as the Minotaur death scene is with the blood dripping from the head, down the beast's body and what is left on Theseus' sword, this is how one would picture the battle between the man and the beast to look. It's very straight forward, that it just happens in a single go. With all those components together, the 3D Screen Savers animators knew how to leave their viewer with a sense of anxiety, but preparedness for what was to come in the most effective way possible. By placing them in the perspective of Theseus, they are able to identify with his role as the hero through their own sense of fear, apprehension and courage at the same time. 

      Aperture, (Tribute to Philip K. Dick): This is the first animation viewers will see on the list of screen savers the CD-ROM has to offer. For those familiar with the woks of Philip K. Dick, this will seem like commonplace to them and for those who aren't, the animation is very self-explanatory as to what is a common theme in his works. The story opens with a human head on the left hand side, a portal in the form of a mirror in the center, and a metallic robot head, resembling that of a human's on the right hand side. The human and the machine are both facing each other as if they both know they share something valuable in common, but they can't say what it is. An eye ball leaves the human head and begins to explore. It flies right into the mirror portal, venturing off into another universe. Where it goes, it feels like a futuristic scene with a neon green net with an opening. So, the eye goes through the hole, which turns out to be a tunnel. Once it reaches the end of it, the eye ball flies though an open space towards another mirror portal. Once it flies through it, the eye ball scans its new surroundings, immediately noticing that the robot head is now on the side where the human head used to be and vice versa. Instead of floating back to the human head, it makes its new home in the head of the machine and morphs into a mechanical component.
   There is certainly an uncanny sense of Philip K. Dick's most famous title, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? in this animation, a book that dealt heavily with the relationship humans had with the androids living amongst them and how close the bots were to resembling an actual human being or animal. There are even moments in the novel where Richard Deckard, the main protagonist, questions the sentience and possible humanity the androids might possess as well as his role as a bounty hunter to 'retire' (by killing) them. As in the novel, which was the inspiration behind the 1982 classic feature film, Blade Runner, in which the androids resemble humans far too much like in the source material, the simple concept of a human eye ball no longer being able to tell the difference between the human and the machine is absolutely intriguing. Even so, the viewer can see it in the character's movements that there is a slight sense of confusion as to what is real and what is not. In the end, it makes the decision to accept the mechanical form and becoming one with it. 

      Pool: A bit of an oddball piece, but I found the basic concept of this one amusingly pleasant. In the Pool animation, you the viewer take on the position of a pool ball and, you guessed it! You find yourself getting hit by the stick a few times and rolling into the other balls until the very end when you get rolled into one of the side holes. Paired with some snazzy music and clever use of cinematography, this animation doesn't have a plot to it beyond placing the viewer in the position of a pool table ball, but it still remains fun and enjoyable to watch with its soundtrack and simplicity put together. 

       Gothic: Inside a medieval cathedral, a monk is seen moving from one place to another, chanting a Gregorian chant. After he leaves the room, a gargoyle comes to life and wrecks havoc. The monk hears the sound of glass shattering and returns to inspect it until finally, the gargoyle sneaks up on him. Concept wise, I have to admit, this animation is not something I would normally add as a favorite, but seeing the work that went into it, I can fully appreciate it for what it is. It's a usual cliché in haunted places where the spectator already knows what the main character doesn't know, that the place in question is haunted or something about it doesn't seem right. Something that belongs to that place gets possessed and taunts the main character in some way. The main character suspects something, tries to find out what is wrong and then discovers the ghost or haunted entity the hard way. End of story.
       Again, while this type of narrative is usually not my cup of tea, I will give credit where credit is due. The lighting inside the cathedral is absolutely stunning and beautiful to look at! The artists' use of shading leaves that sense that something unsettling is about to happen. The camera angle throughout puts the spectator in the seating where they feel that the halls of the building are incredibly massive and expansive, that it gives off that vibe of feeling like the main character is actually not alone. It also is fitting for the gargoyle to make use of all the extra space. In that, the entire room is put to the gargoyle's advantage. The sound of the hour glass shattering is so small, yet with so much echo, it's more than enough to disturb the peace. The gestures of the monk from when he is chanting quietly to himself, running to inspect the mess and when he is startled by the gargoyle are so effectively animated. Even for the limitations of 1990's technology, the credibility of the character are all present. The body language is effective and the sounds he makes work well with each of his gestures and reactions. In addition, the music matched with the pacing of the story builds up the sense of intrigue and suspense leading up to the monk's encounter with the gargoyle. With that said, it's totally worth the watch. 

    Beethoven: A unique take on the life of German Classical period composer, Ludwig van Beethoven, the animation tells the story of the famous composer through his pieces and camera transitions. There is a bust of the musician sitting on a grand piano as a symbolic representation of his life, making it and the music the only narrators in the animation. Again, no words. Everything is told via symbolism only. At start, a piano opens up and plays an excerpt from Sonata No. 6. Sheet music floats in the air and gently falls onto the piano as a depiction of Beethoven's early life and career. An excerpt of Symphony No. 5 plays. The bust of Beethoven's head then melts to go along with the first notes of his final symphony, Symphony No. 9 unleashing music notes and ascending them into heaven to the familiar part of the piece and hymn of Ode to Joy. 

     Fire Dance: Amongst all the screen savers, the Fire Dance animation is my favorite in terms of the music, the animation of the dancing fire paired with it, the lighting and atmosphere. The establishing shot takes place around the prehistoric monument Stonehenge, which is located in Wiltshire, England. At the very start, the first chords play and the fire beats to it like a heart beat. The next shot is a close up of the fire, which then takes the shape of a dancer moving to the rhythm of the music. Once the dancing fire hits the rock, the color palette changes with the fire sparks fleeing into the wind of the night. It's the energy and passion that went into animating the fire along with the style of music that always draws me into this short. It's about 50 seconds long at most, but the fine detail that went into the making of this animation is what I found most fascinating and awe-inspiring. 

      There are an abundance of other animations that went into the CD-ROM in which I would like to cover more, but I'll stop right here and leave a few pieces of concept art on the side to give you an idea of what went into the making of these animations. While screen savers aren't generally considered 'high art', given the love and dedication the artists behind 3D Screen Savers gave to their animations, I don't see why screen savers can't meet the same high standards as any other form of animation there is. For something that was solely designed to protect our computer screens when we weren't using them without much creative thought other than making them look aesthetically pleasing on the eye, having remembered the 3D Screen Savers CD-ROM and eventually finding it on Amazon so many years later, I think screen savers do have plenty of potential to be a respected art form. The creators of the 1997 utility program prove that exceedingly well. With so much attention to detail, good storytelling, music, reliance on non-verbal gestures and pushing past the technological limitations of the 90's to the best of their ability, 3D Screen Savers is a perfect collection of short films that demonstrate what crafting a screen saver could be. With the abundance of animation techniques to have flourished over the past three decades, there is plenty of room to find new innovative ways of creating a screen saver. Maybe someday, screen savers will make a huge comeback and be respected as a new art form like comics, animation and video games. With the creativity and given that the minds behind 3D Screen Savers were very much ahead of their time, the possibilities are truly endless. 
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Post Trip to Italy: After Thoughts Part 1 The Sistine Chapel

11/27/2018

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        For this post, I'm going to write something a little different here. I'm going to share a personal story about my trip to Italy last month and what I got out of it. I went to Rome and San Giovanni Rotundo in the middle of October for ten days with my family. We visited many historic locations, such as the Sistine Chapel in Rome and the resting place of San Padre Pio in San Giovanni. Even so, we met San Padre Pio's photographer, Elia Stelluto, who also gave me a few pointers in taking photos. One month after the trip, I got thinking about what contemporary artists can gain from visiting Italy and getting to know its rich history.
      For Part One, I'll start with the Sistine Chapel in Rome first. What stood out for me the most in Rome was the Sistine Chapel ceiling. Painted by Italian painter and sculptor Michelangelo (1475-1564) in 1508 and completed in 1512, the ceiling is highly renowned as a staple of the Renaissance era. Upon observing depth and detail that went into every aspect of the piece, I could not help but be utterly amazed by how one person could have taken the time, skill and patience to create such a colossal work of art. Given both the time it took and the intense level of craftmanship (as Michelangelo was known for), this is one sight you just can't miss visiting. It got me thinking about art in the modern world and how craftmanship has been regarded overall since the early 20th century, specifically with the Dada movement. While I don't dislike all art from the 20th century, nonetheless, it was the time period when high skill level was often mocked, ridiculed and looked down upon as 'outdated'. In addition, I also got thinking back on the rules of stylization, -a topic that comes up often in the art world- when reflecting on the art of the Renaissance era to the rise of Cubism. If artists intend to deconstruct a piece and stylize rather than make it look realistic, it's always important to practice and understand the skills behind drawing from life as well as learning about the craft behind the old masters.  I've mentioned in a previous blog post about stylization according to fine artist, Stan Prokopenko and how learning the basics helps refine our approach to style.
       That said, finally getting to see the Sistine Chapel ceiling in person further extended my appreciation for the high level of craftmanship the likes of Michelangelo was famous for. There are a couple of reasons as to why contemporary artists should observe pieces of the time period and take them to heart. The main reason first and foremost is our historic roots. When the Dada movement emerged, it was a major shift in the art world, but it seems that as the 20th century went on years afterwards, craftmanship was starting to seem like a joke. Aside from the fine attention to detail, even subject matter became increasingly superficial. With the high level of craft, beauty and strong desire to seek deeper meaning in our human existence, the art world accomplished such significance through the classic works. Upon examination of the fine arts, the exploration into the human condition is expansive and the time focused on that craft is as a result, what gives the spectator an immersive amount for self-reflection and evaluation. The artists themselves sought meaning through their craft and viewers can learn a great deal about themselves. 
        The second reason artists will benefit from observing something like the Sistine Chapel ceiling  goes back to the stylization practices. As expert artists say, aspiring artists must know the basics before they can develop a personal style and develop it well. Even so, they are encouraged to learn from the old masters. I'd go another step farther to add on that there is something extra to gain from studying both that will help artists hone, not only their technique, but getting to know their true potential and individuality. As practicing from both life and the old masters goes hand in hand, it was also that the old masters sought their inspirations from life and its greater significance. Although it might seem unrelated at first, it's as classical Greek philosopher, Socrates (470-399 BC) famously stated, "[t]he unexamined life is not worth living". The statement is interpreted to mean that a life without self-reflection is fruitless and therefore, lacks the meaning and potentiality it could have or could have had. The way I see it is if artists want to develop a personal style, something that should say something about the artist as a person in some form or another, those steps are always going to be  crucial to the learning experience, but it's also significant for artists to learn more about themselves as well. Artists could know all the fundamental foundations that are encouraged and necessary to enrich their craft. When comes time to develop a personal style, is should also be encouraged for artists to self-reflect on their lives such as the mistakes they made, the struggles they been through and the things they learned from them as well as individual exploration and what they gained out of it. Sometimes artists start on a path that seems like its the one they truly want to take, but through hardships, challenges and growing stronger because of those experiences prompt change.
        Although tone and style are different, tone being the attitude the author displays in his/her work and style is the format the piece is designed with, both always go hand in hand and compliment each other. So, without experiences, your tone can express one thing an thus, influence the style you are known for. But when new experiences shape you as a person and you grow from them to better yourself, you learn more about your true self, about others around you and garner a better outlook on life because of the obstacles that come and overcoming each one. You then garner a greater appreciation for yourself and others around you that you count your blessings more than take things for granted. It's also important to note that as time brings about change and your outlooks on life change, your taste also changes, too. Art is based also in one's taste and of course, but styles change as attitudes do. In other words, aspiring artist shouldn't just learn from the old masters from a technical standpoint, but on a philosophical one as well. 
            When in Rome (no pun intended), if you visit the Vatican, definitely make a trip to the Sistine Chapel. As you browse all the way to the end of the chapel, give yourself permission to ponder the time, skill, practice, craftmanship and thought that went into such a marvel. If you're an aspiring artist, definitely keep the lessons your instructor encourages you to study in mind as well as making room for reflection. I'll discuss my visit to San Giovanni Rotundo in Part Two after the Christmas and Holiday season. Until then, keep exploring beyond your boundaries!  
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    Ever (re)discovered new facts about any art form or part of pop culture that you thought you knew before and realized there might be more to the story than what meets the eye? The Blog section debunks common expectations and assumptions in the art world.



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