In my last post, I was beginning to peruse the notion of an artist's role in questioning the actions of a government. I think that is how I initially fell into this topic of research. I say fell because I really don't think I chose it as much as I felt it is an area that interested me and I needed to pursue it futher. Working in the media, I have become more critical of the tactics and the outcomes used in this business both on a local level and on a global scale. It is so critical to the public to get the correct information and to have it delivered in a way that is coherent and unbiased as possible. I have often considered how I found myself in this career having studied art in college. It has taught me a great deal, mostly about working methods in storytelling and using video as a medium to this end, but also about ethics and the nature of objectivity. In news, as in documentary and any art that we make, there is also some subjective opinion, some decision being made, it affects the outcome of the piece.

The focus of this class relates more closely to art and politics than it does to media studies, but I felt that these areas are so closely intertwined with what interests me right now in my studies. I think that I have come to the point where I enjoy making art that may hang on the wall of a gallery or in someone's house, but I recognize the limitations of that endeavor. That is not to say that is all it can be. For the most part however, this type of art can only reach a very small audience, and how much of that audience considers it closely enough to get something from it? Television, as well as film, whether it is news, entertainment or otherwise, reaches a very wide audience, but rarely is incredibly thought provoking. When it is, there is nothing more powerful to me.

This is where my interest as an artist lies in dissecting what the role of television, film and the media. It affects the decisions we make on a daily basis more fully than any painting or photograph can, no matter how much we want that not to be the truth. There is an incredible responsibility that exists in that power. Within the scope of my research, there are elements of politics, military conflict, reporting of information and the propaganda and censorship that comes out of that. These are also issues present in art and they are the things that influence art. We are in a better position to question them than the reporters that cover the story, or the politicians who spin it or the viewers who simply accept it as truth.

I have been looking a lot at the websites of different film makers and media artists. Here are a few to check out:

http://www.errolmorris.com/ the "official", yes "official" Errol Morris website. if you are interested in documentary, or just damn good film, check it out. also a lot interesting commercial work and various other media

http://www.mayslesfilms.com/index.htm if you haven't seen any Maysle's films, then you are missing the verite in your life! this is a good primer for where to start, lots of good info if you are already a fan.

http://www.alanberliner.com a documentary film maker and media artist who works extensively with archival film footage and employs interesting editing techniques as well as using various media as part of installation works in gallery spaces

http://phfilms.com/ the home of Pennebaker Hegedus Films, as in D.A. and Chris. more quintessential verite, think Don't Look Back and The War Room.

http://www.vdb.org/ the video databank-a collection of work from media artists, a listing of various artists found in that collection.

http://www.hi-beam.net/cgi-bin/flicker.pl flicker-a listing of film and video artists, venues for work and links to related material

this is hardly scratching the surface of what's on the web, and of course there is much more beyond the scope of what exists online.