Steve Rood

Last week Our DVA class had seminar on practicing artist and tutor Steve Rood. He discussed about his expertise around the field of photography and the type of fields of photography he has worked in from food magazines, fashion to advertisement. The one thing that stuck me with déjà vu was his childhoods story how his first photograph he took back when he was a kid was the starting point that influenced him into photography. Rood story reminded me of the twelve stations of the cross-paintings that were the influential images that sparkled my love for art.

In truth I suck and hate photography but Rood works in the field were very mind changing and cool because of the techniques and tools he usedto create his work are something I never think about and had no knowledge about till his discussion. One of his ideas behind photography is to be anti, his works in fashion photography used the out of focus technique and bad lens to create a simple identifying silhouette figure that is obscure and mysterious. His linking of photography and painting got an impression on me because of the theory on Johannes Vermeer painting that Rood assume that Vermeer used the camera obscura method in his paintings. Did a little Internet search and found out that Vermeer paintings were perspectively perfect outlined and the composition of human figures were too perfect and unusual in his time. In 1891 Joseph Pennell, an American Lithographer was the first to sparkle the theory behind Vermeer work being "photographic perspective" through camera obscura with evidence being the work itself.<http://www.essentialvermeer.com/camera_obscura/co_one.html>

Another subject that got my interest in Rood presentation was Interactive design. I was amazed and fascinated with digital works because I've never seen it before and wanted to find out more about. Did a wikipedia search and in simple art format it for my understanding, Form is important but it's main subject is its behavior. Found out that interactive design has been around for a years dating back to the mid 80's. I recently found that its being used in the performance art field and concerts. A school of Art and Design in Switzerland posted a summary video of students works with interactive design and I thought it was amazing.<http://vimeo.com/795136>

The magic that digital media can create is awesome and something I know that will be used more in the future. Beyonce "Run the World" performance @ the 2011 Billboard Music Awards is evidence of my theory.<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qkqUTY3G13M>