Originally published May 14, 2008 in The Orion.
Direct link to article
For two weeks, Chico State had its own arcade with classic Nintendo games.
Groups of people wandered into Ayres Hall to scope out the games as senior Ryan Fitzpatrick hosted the reception for his bachelor of fine arts culminating exhibition Thursday. The exhibition, called "Eeprompaganda," included three well-known Nintendo games with a political twist.
Fitzpatrick reprogrammed the beloved "Super Mario Brothers" and turned it into "Super Democracy Brothers: The Global Struggle Against Violent Extremism." Instead of Mario and Luigi hopping over pipes and fighting creepy creatures, players were able to choose from President George Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney to fight Iraqi men.
The two men run around the desert, encounter men in turbans and hop over oil bins with Exxon Mobil labels. Every time Bush acquires a token, he grows taller and becomes a cowboy. The detail on the game is impeccable. The blocks the players jump on are decorated with U.S. flags.
Senior Ama Stewart had trouble picking a favorite video game, but ultimately chose "Super Democracy Brothers" because the war in Iraq is an important and timely issue, she said.
"It's a great way to get people who aren't political to see our country in a different way," Stewart said.
Republicans were not the only political party portrayed in the exhibit.
Another game in the Mario series dealt with universal health care. "Dr. Mario" was transformed into "Doctor Democrat." The words "Hillary Care" stretched across the top of the screen and players became Dr. Hillary Clinton. The object of the game was to arrange pills into a medicine container, similarly to "Tetris."
The third game in the exhibit was called "Minuteman Civil Defense Headquarters Presents: Border Stampede," inspired by the "Millipede" video game. As the game began, the words "use your binoculars to stop the invasion," flashed on the screen.
The issue in this game was immigration, and players were presented with two lands. On top, the screen was covered with desert land and cacti. The lower half was a bright green land. Scorpions, snakes and little brown men scurried down the screen and shuffled around the cacti. The player received points for every shot. If the player was unsuccessful, the game ended with the statement, "the border has been overrun."
The war in Iraq, health care and immigration are all controversial, but the games were created in good taste. The games did not show a preference for one political party, but they hinted toward changing the state of affairs.
Fitzpatrick was afraid people would miss the comical aspect of the exhibit and find the games offensive, he said. He made sure his exhibit statement was visible so people could read about his intent. In the statement, he wrote about his curiosity with American culture symbols and the influence they have on thinking.
He came up with the idea of using video games as a way to deliver his message after discovering the game Fitzpatrick said. The U.S. Army uses the game as a recruitment tool, and it is available free online.
Fitzpatrick was also influenced by political talk shows on AM radio, he said. Instead of focusing on content, hosts work to elicit responses from listeners.
"They dumb down the issues to a ridiculous level," he said.
Depicting issues through video games is a way to mock the simplification used on radio shows, he said.
However, the process of reprogramming the games was not simple, Fitzpatrick, said. The name of the exhibit is a combination of the acronym EEPROM and the word propaganda. The acronym stands for "electrically erasable programmable read-only memory." Fitzpatrick spent a year altering the memory chips of Nintendo games. The game system ran the games as if they were the originals.
The altered games had the nostalgic feeling and entertainment factor of the original games. Gallery viewers were not hesitant to play the games.
Senior Tamara Webb attended the reception and played all three video games, she said. She admired the way the games contained context regarding political issues.
"I've never seen a gallery so full at all times."
Showing posts with label art feature. Show all posts
Showing posts with label art feature. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Crux connects community with map of minds
Originally published Feb. 27, 2008 in The Orion.
Direct link to article
Brian Spitzer and Owen Bettis have never met, but there is a great possibility their lives have crossed paths at one point.
Spitzer is a senior psychology and child development major from San Jose, and Bettis is from Bellingham, Wash., and graduated last year with a bachelor's degree in physical and environmental geography.
It may seem they have little in common, but they will both walk into Crux Artist Collective and try to find a connection between them as well as the entire community.
The Chico Mind Map is a social experiment being conducted from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at the Crux.
The experiment will map the awareness of the diverse community and try to show every individual is connected through experiences and thought processes, said Ty Gorton, Crux co-director.
The walls of the gallery will be covered with butcher paper for two days, Gorton said. Gallery members, along with their friends and family, will start the experiment by making a dot on the paper and writing down a thought or life experience that reflects their self or world awareness.
From there, other participants will be given a black marker and contribute by finding an existing point and adding a connecting thought, Gorton said. Participants can make up to 20 points.
Participants will be given few guidelines, but only black markers can be used, Gorton said. The goal is not necessarily to make art, but to have as many people participate as possible. By using black markers everyone can participate on the same basic level.
"We're not staying in our small, safe group of people we know will participate," he said.
Spitzer has never contributed to art at Crux but is excited the mind map is open to everyone in the community, he said. He has thought about his possible contributions and thinks he will be able to connect to others' childhood memories.
"I want to write messages about what I feel makes my life meaningful, with morals and values," he said.
Bettis is unsure about the thoughts he will share, he said. He has performed as part of the DJ duo, Anamnesis, for Crux events and is excited to see the connections among community members.
"I am just going to wait and be inspired," he said. "Or I will write about electronic music with the hope that people will realize how much they like it, even though they don't know it yet."
Gallery members hope people will help spread the word about the event and encourage friends and organizations to contribute, Gorton said. Members will print invitations and hand them out at various locations. They expect hundreds of people to attend.
"Anyone we see, we'll hand them an invitation," he said.
Gorton asked Chico State and Butte College professors for help, he said.
Religious studies professor Sarah Pike plans to participate in the event and is offering her students extra credit for participating, she said.
"So much in our society focuses on what separates us from each other," Pike said. "I appreciate the mind map's focus on what connects us."
Gorton wants the event to motivate people to be more inclusive, he said. Events at the gallery have been targeted at certain groups of people, but he wants the mind map to show all-inclusive events can be positive.
Bettis also hopes people will get a strong sense of unity, he said.
"I really hope a lot of people who would not usually go to the Crux will go to this event so that they can see that they are involved and connected whether they want to be or not," Bettis said.
The mapped Chico mind will come to life March 6 at a reception, Gorton said. The finished sheets of paper will be hung in rows from the ceiling. Pulsing lights and strange, atmospheric sounds will move around the sheets to add a sense of claustrophobia and make people feel like they are inside the human mind.
Direct link to article
Brian Spitzer and Owen Bettis have never met, but there is a great possibility their lives have crossed paths at one point.
Spitzer is a senior psychology and child development major from San Jose, and Bettis is from Bellingham, Wash., and graduated last year with a bachelor's degree in physical and environmental geography.
It may seem they have little in common, but they will both walk into Crux Artist Collective and try to find a connection between them as well as the entire community.
The Chico Mind Map is a social experiment being conducted from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at the Crux.
The experiment will map the awareness of the diverse community and try to show every individual is connected through experiences and thought processes, said Ty Gorton, Crux co-director.
The walls of the gallery will be covered with butcher paper for two days, Gorton said. Gallery members, along with their friends and family, will start the experiment by making a dot on the paper and writing down a thought or life experience that reflects their self or world awareness.
From there, other participants will be given a black marker and contribute by finding an existing point and adding a connecting thought, Gorton said. Participants can make up to 20 points.
Participants will be given few guidelines, but only black markers can be used, Gorton said. The goal is not necessarily to make art, but to have as many people participate as possible. By using black markers everyone can participate on the same basic level.
"We're not staying in our small, safe group of people we know will participate," he said.
Spitzer has never contributed to art at Crux but is excited the mind map is open to everyone in the community, he said. He has thought about his possible contributions and thinks he will be able to connect to others' childhood memories.
"I want to write messages about what I feel makes my life meaningful, with morals and values," he said.
Bettis is unsure about the thoughts he will share, he said. He has performed as part of the DJ duo, Anamnesis, for Crux events and is excited to see the connections among community members.
"I am just going to wait and be inspired," he said. "Or I will write about electronic music with the hope that people will realize how much they like it, even though they don't know it yet."
Gallery members hope people will help spread the word about the event and encourage friends and organizations to contribute, Gorton said. Members will print invitations and hand them out at various locations. They expect hundreds of people to attend.
"Anyone we see, we'll hand them an invitation," he said.
Gorton asked Chico State and Butte College professors for help, he said.
Religious studies professor Sarah Pike plans to participate in the event and is offering her students extra credit for participating, she said.
"So much in our society focuses on what separates us from each other," Pike said. "I appreciate the mind map's focus on what connects us."
Gorton wants the event to motivate people to be more inclusive, he said. Events at the gallery have been targeted at certain groups of people, but he wants the mind map to show all-inclusive events can be positive.
Bettis also hopes people will get a strong sense of unity, he said.
"I really hope a lot of people who would not usually go to the Crux will go to this event so that they can see that they are involved and connected whether they want to be or not," Bettis said.
The mapped Chico mind will come to life March 6 at a reception, Gorton said. The finished sheets of paper will be hung in rows from the ceiling. Pulsing lights and strange, atmospheric sounds will move around the sheets to add a sense of claustrophobia and make people feel like they are inside the human mind.
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Workshop encourages relaxation through odd activities
Originally published Feb. 13, 2008 in The Orion.
Direct link to article
In a bright corner near the tall glass windows of the 1078 Gallery, Maria Navarro sets up a table and a few chairs and lays out a collection of colored pens and markers.
What looks like a children's coloring table is actually the working space where Navarro leads a workshop in "being a stranger."
The word stranger often has a negative connotation, but the word can also mean looking at things with a pair of fresh eyes, Navarro said.
She uses the idea of looking at things with a new perspective in her workshop to encourage awareness and creativity, she said.
Navarro was born and raised in Colombia and has kept a journal since the age of 11, she said. After moving to the United States, she was trained in the Alexander Technique at the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco, and has been teaching for 25 years.
Frederick Matthias Alexander, a Shakespearean orator, created the technique in the late 1800s.
The teaching technique focuses on body movement and the way some gestures, especially in the head and neck, can negatively affect thinking. The technique is usually taught one-on-one, but it can be structured to work in small groups.
Navarro moved to Chico when her husband, Laird Easton, was hired by Chico State as a history professor, she said. Navarro quickly became involved with the 1078 Gallery as a co-chair and member on the board of directors.
Her first workshop was Sept. 14, 2006.
While a lot of the workshop time is spent on writing in journals, Navarro uses the Alexander Technique to encourage participants to become aware and comfortable with themselves and the environment, she said.
The workshop is free, but Navarro asks for a $5 to $10 donation for the gallery, she said. Participants can also attend on a drop-in basis. The workshop is set up to welcome newcomers, but also builds up for participants who attend on a regular basis.
"I wanted to create an island in the middle of the day when people can be aware of their presence," she said.
The workshop routinely begins with an activity that Navarro refers to as "claiming your space." Participants sit down and take time to become relaxed in the environment.
Anything goes after the first activity, Navarro said. Each workshop session is different and she tailors them according to who attends.
Writing activities vary and are timed differently, she said. Some require quick unconscious thoughts while others require deep thinking.
"I use time in a playful way," Navarro said.
One writing activity gives participants three minutes to finish sentences like "Now I feel…" and "I welcome…" Another activity, called the "Dream Police" gives participants 11 minutes to list things, people and ideas they would save if they only had 11 minutes to collect them, she said.
"Just when you think, 'I don't have anything to write,' there is so much you can play with," she said.
Unlike most workshops, there is no pressure to share writings with others or the fear of being judged, Navarro said.
"You don't have to talk to people," she said. "You don't have to make eye contact."
Other activities require more movement. Navarro encourages participants to energize themselves by exploring five rhythms, identified by improvisational dancer and shaman Gabrielle Roth.
Participants are asked to move in ways that reflect the rhythms of flow, staccato, chaos, lyrical and stillness.
During all activities, Navarro either turns on quiet music or uses her voice to initiate rhythms.
Navarro's soft and inspirational voice is attendee Libby Shipley's favorite part of the workshop, Shipley said.
"She gains your trust," Shipley said.
The artist travels from Red Bluff to attend the workshop, she said. She learned about the workshop when she visited the gallery to look at an exhibit. The workshop was taking place and Navarro invited her to join.
"I enjoyed myself and didn't know why," Shipley said.
1078 Gallery director Pat Macias is often working in the gallery during the workshop and sees Navarro engage a lot of people who go into the gallery with no knowledge that the workshop is taking place, Macias said.
"Maria helps them fit right into this environment," she said.
Most of the participants are professionals with full-time jobs, but Navarro hopes students will start attending the workshop as a de-stressing activity, she said. Like yoga and Tai Chi, movement exercises and journal writing are creative outlets that increase awareness and clear thinking to enhance one's life.
"We are cultivating friendliness with writing," she said.
Direct link to article
In a bright corner near the tall glass windows of the 1078 Gallery, Maria Navarro sets up a table and a few chairs and lays out a collection of colored pens and markers.
What looks like a children's coloring table is actually the working space where Navarro leads a workshop in "being a stranger."
The word stranger often has a negative connotation, but the word can also mean looking at things with a pair of fresh eyes, Navarro said.
She uses the idea of looking at things with a new perspective in her workshop to encourage awareness and creativity, she said.
Navarro was born and raised in Colombia and has kept a journal since the age of 11, she said. After moving to the United States, she was trained in the Alexander Technique at the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco, and has been teaching for 25 years.
Frederick Matthias Alexander, a Shakespearean orator, created the technique in the late 1800s.
The teaching technique focuses on body movement and the way some gestures, especially in the head and neck, can negatively affect thinking. The technique is usually taught one-on-one, but it can be structured to work in small groups.
Navarro moved to Chico when her husband, Laird Easton, was hired by Chico State as a history professor, she said. Navarro quickly became involved with the 1078 Gallery as a co-chair and member on the board of directors.
Her first workshop was Sept. 14, 2006.
While a lot of the workshop time is spent on writing in journals, Navarro uses the Alexander Technique to encourage participants to become aware and comfortable with themselves and the environment, she said.
The workshop is free, but Navarro asks for a $5 to $10 donation for the gallery, she said. Participants can also attend on a drop-in basis. The workshop is set up to welcome newcomers, but also builds up for participants who attend on a regular basis.
"I wanted to create an island in the middle of the day when people can be aware of their presence," she said.
The workshop routinely begins with an activity that Navarro refers to as "claiming your space." Participants sit down and take time to become relaxed in the environment.
Anything goes after the first activity, Navarro said. Each workshop session is different and she tailors them according to who attends.
Writing activities vary and are timed differently, she said. Some require quick unconscious thoughts while others require deep thinking.
"I use time in a playful way," Navarro said.
One writing activity gives participants three minutes to finish sentences like "Now I feel…" and "I welcome…" Another activity, called the "Dream Police" gives participants 11 minutes to list things, people and ideas they would save if they only had 11 minutes to collect them, she said.
"Just when you think, 'I don't have anything to write,' there is so much you can play with," she said.
Unlike most workshops, there is no pressure to share writings with others or the fear of being judged, Navarro said.
"You don't have to talk to people," she said. "You don't have to make eye contact."
Other activities require more movement. Navarro encourages participants to energize themselves by exploring five rhythms, identified by improvisational dancer and shaman Gabrielle Roth.
Participants are asked to move in ways that reflect the rhythms of flow, staccato, chaos, lyrical and stillness.
During all activities, Navarro either turns on quiet music or uses her voice to initiate rhythms.
Navarro's soft and inspirational voice is attendee Libby Shipley's favorite part of the workshop, Shipley said.
"She gains your trust," Shipley said.
The artist travels from Red Bluff to attend the workshop, she said. She learned about the workshop when she visited the gallery to look at an exhibit. The workshop was taking place and Navarro invited her to join.
"I enjoyed myself and didn't know why," Shipley said.
1078 Gallery director Pat Macias is often working in the gallery during the workshop and sees Navarro engage a lot of people who go into the gallery with no knowledge that the workshop is taking place, Macias said.
"Maria helps them fit right into this environment," she said.
Most of the participants are professionals with full-time jobs, but Navarro hopes students will start attending the workshop as a de-stressing activity, she said. Like yoga and Tai Chi, movement exercises and journal writing are creative outlets that increase awareness and clear thinking to enhance one's life.
"We are cultivating friendliness with writing," she said.
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