Flash Text Project - UNDER CONSTRUCTION!

Here's what I have so far. I'm trying to make each stanza appear after the previous one. If you have any pointers on how to do this, let me know! Each stanza is it's own movie clip so they animate independently.

Kingdom of Rain

Artist Response #3 - John Haddock's "Cartoon Violence"

To this day, I still watch cartoons quite frequently so this artist's work using old black and white cartoons was a no-brainer. I thought it was interesting to see the cartoons that I watched when I younger portrayed as snapshots of acts of violence. Normally these types of cartoons are very innocent and silly with only a slapstick sort of violence. To have them portrayed engaging in violent or very disturbing scenes just seems very poetic.

The poetry is something complex and can be interpreted differently by many viewers. The way I see this piece is that cartoons are being used in the media to mask or hide the real problems in life. Us Americans are so sucked into our entertainment that we don't even realize the turmoil of other people. Its analogous to this story I heard from a friend that while Rome was burning down, the people of Rome were in the Colliseum watching the bloodsport unaware that their homes were burning to the ground. I interpret Haddock's art as modern version of that historical event.



After coming to this understanding, I think it would be interesting to do similar works of art, but instead use famous cartoon cartoon characters portraying similar scenes. I would use the cartoons that I grew up with and have them in scenarios that mimic real life problems.

Artist Response #2: Velvet-Strike: Virtual Peace Making

With technology developing exponentially, new forms of activism begin to manifest. One hi-tech activist is the group known as Velvet-Strike.

Velvet-strike is an online community that protests war and proclaims. Ironically, the movement is played on the popular online first-person shooter (FPS) known as CounterStrike. In this game, two teams - the Terrorists and Counter-Terrorists - battle in a virtual death match. There are different variables to keep gameplay exciting. The purpose of the Velvet-Strike movement is to promote peace in the real world between the United States and the Middle-East. The creator of the Velvet-Strike website also states that he would like to see FPS games move more towards fantasy rather than creating a realistic experience. More can be read at their website.

I was drawn to this art because, once again, I am self-proclaimed gamer myself. I am also drawn to the idea that video games should be used not as a form of propaganda, but as a means of entertainment, hobby, and, most importantly, escapism. In my opinion, a video game is meant to be played to be fun and not as a second life. (Ironically, the game, Second Life, glorifies an alternate life in the virtual world. Seriously? C'mon on...) But anyway, this is a perfect way to reach out to a different audience for pro-peace campaigns. With the help of the group Velvet-Strike, many members can create their own anti-war "spray" decals and display them in the game.

I know that CounterStrike was a very popular game several years ago, but now its a little dated. World of Warcraft seems to be the biggest, new fad in terms of computer gaming. With 12 million players, I think there is a sustantial audience to reach out to for any kind of movement. Being a WoW player myself, I think art can be expressed through guilds, game add-ons, and even character modifications.