Michael Snow's "So Is This"

Michael Snow's work requires interaction from an audience for full impact. Last year we viewed his "Line Describing a Cone" work and had to move around the work and interact with it physically. This week's film required fixed attention. The previous film required only as much interaction as the viewer desired, whereas "So Is This" required the viewer to remain glued to the screen throughout the film so as not to miss a critical word. The group dynamic, listening to laughter and other reactions from the audience, binds us together in the shared experience that is going on solely inside our minds as we individually take in the words on the screen.

This experience is not unlike the iPod rave-like gatherings, where all members listen to whatever iPod media they choose in a collective dance environment. The room is silent and each in their own experience, yet at the same time all together, to collectively create a shared event common to the group.

I wonder if Snow could have predicted that the individually experienced, yet collectively shared, style of his work with show up in mainstream media culture? He is considered to be a renaissance man, and I would add a trend setter, having been born in 1929.

--Trisha

Week One: January 22-28

Welcome to all who will be reading this. I hope that the entries provided here will prove to be insightful and above all interesting!

This week has gotten off to a shaky start. That tends to happen at the beginning of a new semester when so many new ideas and expectations are thrust at students in the course of a few hours. I have the distinct pleasure of three back to back classes on Mondays and Wednesdays and one class Tuesday and Thursday mornings this Spring. It will prove to be challenging, yet I think that each class will be engaging and thoroughly enjoyable for its own uniqueness.

I will endeavor to have multiple entries per week if I have time, to break up the posting sizes, we'll see how that goes, I won't promise anything. :)

--Trisha