Week_Two_Response

In reviewing the films that were screened within the lecture on Monday, I found that I have entered a new level of exploration into the world of film, the camera, and the mind of both the filmmaker and the viewer.
A statement was made at the beginning of the lecture which intrigued me. It went something to the effect of, "Intervention into the considerations of what art is, and where it is."
This statement is very interesting because if you take it at face value, it just means looking for ways to see things differently through the camera. Looking deeper however, it can portray the inner thoughts of the filmmaker and prove to be truly an enlightening experience. For instance, we screened the movie "Mirror" by Robert Morris and this is what I discovered. The camera was used to capture the motion and scenery which the mirror reflected back at it. The mirror was the antagonist, so to speak, because it kept showing the camera what to see. It never let the camera view or "think" outside of its realm. There was a feeling of restriction present, but at the end of the film the mirror is slowly taken away from the camera revealing the full image or "true reality." It was as if the camera broke either the insecurity or influence that the mirror placed upon it. In other words, the camera viewing the landscape without the mirror might signify a newly found self confidence in the filmmakers' life where he is able to finally see things through his own eyes instead of someone else. In addition, it might signify a distancing between himself and someone he was close with.
The film "Lemon" by Hollis Frampton experimented with light, shadow, and details to convey similar thought processes. I interpreted the light slowly being cast on the lemon to be subtly saying that Hollis is becoming more comfortable with himself. Even though the light dissipates and the lemon slowly disappears into its own shadow, the light never fully leaves the frame. This could mean that even though Frampton is insecure at times with himself, he still presses on and realizes there is a reason to continue in his efforts. Conversely, he could have just been experimenting with how light is cast on an object without any underlying meanings. There is one thing that cannot be denied about Frampton however, and that is his attention to detail. By slowing casting the light on the lemon, its shape, contours, texture, size, and color are all displayed. Hollis seemed to be more interested with the little things in life, and appreciated the effects which something as simple as a light and a lemon could produce.
The film "Semiotics of the Kitchen" by Martha Rosler was funny because of the way she approached explaining the different utensils in the kitchen. It was also a bit disturbing how she used specific utensils such as the ice pick and knife to make deathly motions. She used the ice pick to "stab" at the table in swift yet concise motions. The knife was incorporated at the end of the film as she used it to make the last letter of the alphabet by slashing or cutting a "Z" into the air.
It was stated by Professor Carl Bogner that Rosler might have been "lashing out at us" or trying to "destroy the image." I am in agreement with this statement and am also led to believe that possible suicidal gestures were involved because of Rosler leaning back and holding a knife in the creation of a "Y". It was also mentioned, I believe by a student, that the flat version of the alphabet made the violent gestures more prominent. This was a good observation, and in my own opinion I think that this statement is very much correct.