State of the DysUnion Exhibution:
In State of the DysUnion exhibition, artist Joyce Yu-Jean Lee used a
combination of media arts and activism. The overall meaning of this exhibition
is based off of the media outbreak that occurred during Trump’s first year as
president of the United States. The artist discusses how in today’s society, we
are living in a dystopia based off of the current political climate. The artist
contemplates the inescapability of our media-overexposure and its impact on the
individual psyche. The artist argues that media plays apart in our everyday
life, and how activism should play apart and how people should be politically
aware. The exhibit consists of three multimedia pieces.
State
of DysUnion (2018)
The main attraction of the exhibition was, State of the DysUnion (2018); this piece was a three-channel
displaying high definition quality where it displayed video projection onto
custom screen. Underneath, there was an Astroturf place rug for the views to
sit and enjoy. The video projection consisted of multiple things. According to
the artist, the video projection consisted of the Women’s March that occurred
after Trump’s inauguration, Trump and Clinton’s election race, newspaper
articles, and everything that had to do with the presidential race itself. Lee
wanted to make a political stance. Originally, Lee said that her process of
making this piece she realized that it came across as negative. She edits some
things around because her goal was to make it neutral or comfortable for the
viewer to watch. Watching it felt very moving even though visually the images
that were distorted came across as peaceful. The way how the images flowed
together worked, but at same time, it was overwhelming due to the multiple
images being displayed. The artist goal was to convey this unsettling feeling
on how media has become very chaotic and how we cannot escape it. The video
itself lasted about eight minutes and thirty seconds, it was on a continuous
loop. 
Water Wisdom: Miracle Workers
(2014)
Water Wisdom: Miracle
Workers (2014) is a high definition
video projection onto sand. This piece was very interesting to watch. The way
the pile of sand was formed to look like a mountain creating a swirl effect. Watching
it displayed was interesting because the words that were around the sand were
moving around following the spiral effect of the sand mountain. The phrases
were taken from news clip articles based on the fake news epidemic. My
interpretation as the viewer the meaning behind it was very much understandable.
I saw it as “fake news” titles falling into one category, and how they are
falling into a black hole.
Uneasy Peace: Mr. Technology is Your
Friend (2018)
Uneasy Peace: Mr.
Technology is Your Friend (2018), is a high definition
video projection onto a balloon. This consisted of several news articles based
on everyday media. The message the artist was trying to convey how the internet
is available for everybody. There is also a downside to that. The internet is
available for everybody to use, but it is not one hundred percent accurate.
Everything that can be looked up on the internet is not truly considered a
reliable source. Today in society, we rely on the internet for many things, but
we do not check our facts. This piece conveys that how we are attracted titles
that are meant to captivate us.
According to the book Seeing
Power Art and Activism in the 21st Century author Nato Thompson
states, “Work that is too deeply locked into a language of aesthetics is
dismissed as too referential, too elusive, and too inaccessible to a general
audience by those whose primary concerns are activism, while art that is
prescriptive is too cliched and banal for audiences whose primary concern are
art” (Thompson 35). In other words, the artist is using material that is
relevant in everyday life, the media. Media plays a role in everyday, we are
exposed to it every single time. According to the text, “An artwork easily open to interpretation provides a certain
freedom from instrumentalization- from and agenda- and allows a viewer to
experience speculation and consideration" (Thompson 34). In other words, there
are multiple meanings to an art piece. For Lee’s work there are many interpretations
in her work. Her goal was to have the viewer to have multiple meanings in her
work. By using the media aesthetic was beneficial; in this day and age, society
uses visuals to help make things clearer
to the viewer.
The Wonder Women 11:
Eye of the Storm Exhibition:
The Wonder
Women 11: Eye of the Storm exhibition consists of multiple art pieces
towards climate change. Each of has a connection to climate change and other current
environmental issues. The art pieces that were made for this exhibit was made
by multiple artists. These art pieces were made by nine different female
artists. Each artist uses their skills and sources to make their craft. Each
artist uses scientific data and other sources in their art pieces. Their
overall goal is to educate and hopefully inspire people on the negative side
effects of climate change. Climate change is very much relevant in our everyday
lives, but it is not considered as a major priority. 
The Ark Project (2018)
The
Ark Project (2018), by
Deborah Sperry spoke to me the most out of the entire exhibit. This piece was
made by wood, paper, hardware, and rope. This piece is an interactive social
project, and the artist’s goal was to get the viewer to name what they value
and would like to see saved. Her idea behind this piece is, that due to the
severe warm climate changes, ice bergs are melting and increasing the water
levels. Due to the rising of the ocean, many countries and cities are already
experiencing tropical storms and floods. She wanted our opinions to be expressed, she wanted us to
write down our goals and dreams and put it on. In return, we collect a seed and
plant it. This piece was very intimate, the artist was able to accomplish her
goal. The fact that it was interactive was very successful because people were
really gravitated towards it. The meaning behind it was very poetic as well.
Since trees are dying out due to drought, our job is to plant trees and take
care of them since trees are source of life.
1,000 Square Feet (0.00701459%)
Part 2-Richard W. Dekorte Park, Meadowlands, NJ (2018)
1,000
Square Feet (0.00701459%) Part 2- Richard W. Dekorte Park, Meadowlands, NJ (2018),
by Amanda Thackray was interesting. This piece is a small clear box and the
material inside was made out suminagashi and watercolor monoprint on abaca paper
handmade with water from Dekorte park. This is piece is an in-progress project
based on human relationship to land and water. The artists discuss how she
collected buckets of water from Dekorte park, so she can create the papermaking
process and collecting plastic garbage from the shores. Once she collected the
garbage, she used it and turned it into monoprints and used a Japanese art
style. The artist’s purpose was to show how people should take care of our
environment and not litter. The artist’s goal is for people to recycle. By
helping the environment, it is a chain of command, once there is improvement in
the environment climate will get better.
Re-appropriating Nature (2018)
Re-appropriating
Nature (2018), by Olga Mercedes Bautista is a photograph. This photograph consists
of creating new forms of blending organic debris with plastic. The artist
argues how plastic is overused and packaged. The artist argues how plastic is a
representation of consumerism and materialism in our society today. Bautista
places a plastic bag on the beach symbolizing how plastic is killing water life
and it has become part of the ecosystem of water life. Plastic on our beaches
is the new normal.
According to the book, Seeing
Power Art and Activism in the 21st Century by Nato Thompson
states, “We
are beginning to be able to see the shadowy world of cultural coercion come
into relief. It is not easy, and we are clearly making mistakes. But, our vision
is focusing. We see that the doodles given to us by a friend can mean more to us
than art on the walls of museum” (Thompson 116). In other
words, our society has done a bad job by taking care of the environment. Due to
us not treating the environment so badly, it is reacting negatively based on
our actions.
Both exhibits were very interesting they both established important topics. In State of the DysUnion exhibition, artist Joyce Yu-Jean Lee used a combination of media arts and activism. The overall meaning of this exhibition is based off of the media outbreak that occurred during Trump’s first year as president of the United States. While the Wonder Women 11: Eye of the Storm exhibition consists of multiple art pieces towards climate change, each of the pieces have a connection to climate change and other current environmental issues. Both of these exhibitions were made by female artists. According to the book, Seeing Power Art and Activism in the 21st Century by Nato Thompson states, “Power after all, can be distributed in numerous forms. A neighborhood can often feel alienated and disempowered, but it can nonetheless contain constant battles for limited power that move across racial, patriarchal, and class lines" (Thompson 125). In other words, the female artists that displayed their work used their skills and resources to make their voice heard. When women use their voices to express themselves their issues and problems are not considered worthy. These women use their art to be heard and make statements. Their word is power, Thompson argues, “In order to produce a new community, we must thus not only consider inherent notions of privilege, but also attempt to see power from the position of those whom we are organizing with, vice versa.” In other words, women are powerful, these women used their voices to shed light on these current topics that should be talked about more often.
Works
Cited
Thompson, Nato. “Seeing Power Art
and Activism in the 21st Century,” (Melville House Publishing,
2015).
“WW11: eye of the storm - Opening
reception,” Eventbrite, https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ww11-eye-of-the-storm-opening-reception-tickets-44126275879#
Suazo, Michi. “State of The DysUnion By Joyce Yu-Jean Lee.” The
Gothic Times, https://gothictimes.net/7926/arts/state-of-the-dysunion-by-joyce-yu-jean-lee/
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