Expressionism

Dear readers,

To day we answer the question of "what do I think expressionism is?" If one is to simply look at the word expressionism we see "expression" and "ism". "Ism" clearly refers to an art movement while "expression" means that the artist is expressing something, however all artists express something. So what is expressionism expressing?

From what I have seen, expressionism is the taking of our inner most feelings and exploring the dark side of those feelings. The feelings that are expressed are all shared feelings of humanity. For example in The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari the expression is a fear of death and a desire for love. In the Twilight Zone episode "Nick of Time" the expression is of our obsession with time and fear of the unknown (in this case the future).

These feelings are usually expressed through surrealistic settings which convey how deeply the piece delves deep into the human psyche (The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari). To me that is what expressionism is, an expression of our deepest fears and desires while exploring the human condition.

Continue expressing,

Mike Hand

Dear readers,

This is not a post on SOPA. After seeing this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t7xjxYNOj5Q. The way he placed the censorship in the video was great and really got the point across. However this video is both not and is the point.

The video uses the camera restrictions of the Halo world to create a short filmed, required voice acting, editing and a script yet I found it a bit jarring when someone asked him how one gets noticed on YouTube because the person asking the question is "an aspiring YouTube artist."

You may be thinking, "why do you have a problem with this?" Well the reason is simple, what most people see on YouTube as art, I don't see on YouTube as art. While there are some very well made and well executed videos on YouTube what some of these "aspiring YouTube artists" see as art is doing commentary on video games. Am I insulting Lets Players? No, not at all. I find a well done one very entertaining and they can be fun to do but I can not call it an art form.

There is not very much technique involved in doing a good lets play other than being able to be amusing and knowing the game. I simply cannot understand why people who only, exclusively run Lets Plays call themselves artists unless they are doing so to sharpen their skill at improv (often times this is not the case). If anything, while it is fun, it is more reminiscent too a movie commentary that you are interacting with.

Figuring out upload schedules for his lets plays and his other blog,

Mike Hand

First Post of the Year

Dear readers,

I beat the count to twenty game! Albeit in a small group of about seven or eight people I still count it as beating the game. Really that is the major achievement of this day. That and becoming better at ice skating.

There is a lot that could be said but nothing else that really should be said. School is starting again tomorrow and I'm both excited and unexcited for the coming week. On one hand I get to see everyone again and I'm that much closer to being done with this semester but on the other hand it is school.

Well, what else should be said? To life, a new year and to health, prosperity and happiness,

Mike Hand