1. Define the 17th century 'Scientific Revolution', and say how it changed European thought and world view.
The "Scientific Revolution" occurred during the beginning of the 17th century in which a drastic change was made in the way the Europeans approached sciences such as chemistry, biology, physics and astronomy. The word "Revolution" is used as this was a time of social turmoil where the ideas about everything that surrounds us was being challenged and a new era of academic thought was being made. Medieval scientific philosophy was left behind by the idea that science was more valuable than the philosophies of God. This in the end created the foundations of modern science. This changed European thought and world view as scientists started experimenting with new methods (some of which we still use today.) Astronomers explored the secrets of the universe, other scientists began to study the secrets of nature on earth. Careful observation and the use of the scientific method eventually became important in many different fields.
2. Give examples of how we can we still see evidence of the 'Scientific Revolution' in the world today.
It has affected the world today by encouraging the removal of God in day-to-day life. Teaching evolution theory in public schools, we have in a way replaced studying the bible with studying science which I believe lead to idea of Atheism (that there is no God at all). Modern medicines we have now would have been discovered by scientists actively studying nature with new and improved methods in search of cures for sickness. Some would say that the Scientific Revolution lead to Industrialization which gave us modern technology which we see in things such as cars and computers.
3. From your research, do you think that the contemporary art world values art work
that uses new media/technology over traditional media?
I think that both art worlds may not agree on certain methods or media used, but art in its simplest form "Is the product or process of deliberately arranging items (often with symbolic significance) in a way that influences and affects one or more of the senses, emotion and intellect." – (Wikipedia), and I don’t think it should matter in which way you arrange those items. I feel that both worlds would have a mutual respect for one-another for they both have skills that the other does not acquire.
4. How has Pipilotti Rist used new media/technology to enhance the audience's experience of her work.
I believe that Rist has used the two projectors in a way that sends the viewer into a mixed world, where we are experiencing one emotion on the right and another emotion on the left from the images we are viewing, but when they are combined gives us a totally different experience all together. In this case we feel the natural and urban lifestyles colliding with the flowers on the right giving us a sense of peace and tranquillity, whilst on the left we sense a more harsh reality.
5. Comment on how the installation, sound and scale of 'Ever is Over All' (1997) could impact on the audience's experience of the work.
During the video we can hear either bongo or African drums playing a soft beat, whilst long winding notes are being played as the right camera explores the flowers and plants, we can hear a womans soft humming as if it is the woman we see in front of us, it all slowly builds into silence where we are shaken out of our trance by a loud smash of the window, I believe that Rist used these techniques to take the audience into a state of mind then quickly throw them into another, after a window is smashed the music builds up, giving us a sense of anxiety to see if she will smash another. One comparison between the two images is that what she is using to smash the windows is the very plant that the other camera is analysing one showing its soft side and the other showing its destructive capabilities, very effective.
6. Comment on the notion of 'reason' within the content of the video. Is the woman's behaviour reasonable or unreasonable?
It is hard to decide, her expression is that of someone who you wouldn’t normally think would be out smashing car windows, but it seems as though she is feeling a sense of euphoria from each window, a release from some event that may have taken place before this. We in society would not think this behaviour is reasonable as we would all think of this a vandalism, yet a police officer walks past her with a smile on her face with everyone else not even taking a second look at her actions. It seems as though this woman is in some sort of trance, maybe we are seeing what she sees of the right, and also see what reality is.
7. Comment on your 'reading' (understanding) of the work by discussion the aesthetic (look), experience and the ideologies (ideas, theories) of the work.
Like I have said before I think that this woman is in some sort of trance, with an overwhelming release of euphoria from smashing these car windows, as if these windows are a symbol of the rules we set in society, taking something familiar from our everyday lives and taking it out of context by her actions and the actions of everyone else around her, I feel as though we are experiencing her euphoria on the right hand side and the reality on the left, with the plant in both images tying it together. Taking two separate videos and combining them into one piece with the addition of music and sound effects, something that we cannot get from paintings.
