Conceptually.

One of my favorite professors in undergrad once told me that we all "tend to write the same paper, using different words," throughout our academic careers. So I figured I'd go back and look at the sorts of visually stimulating and theoretical work that has continued to inspire and influence me. The further back I went into my favorite theorists, the more I wanted to look at important conceptual influences in performance arts/theatre.

As a conceptual 'jumping off point', I've been thinking about the idea of 'translation', and it's role in visual communication. Specifically: semiotics.




Guillermo Gomez-Pena is another favored theorist and performance artist with whom I've had the pleasure of meeting, as well as some influential interactions. In 2008, he did a performance and photographic installation piece in San Francisco with his troupe Poncha Nostra:

 

Throughout his career, he has worked with visually representing trans-national identities/conflicts, problematizing historical colonization in the past, present and future tenses, and using various mediums to juxtapose his politicized concepts of self-identification (with respect to race, sex, gender, etc.).

As an avid Roland Barthes fan, I decided that I'd go back through concepts from my performance theory studies in undergrad (mainly his collection titled Mythologies), and stumbled upon this:

I'm considering taking this diagram literally, and re-appropriating this structuring in the sign and signification to create a physical outline for my piece/s.



Cited:
Schach, Nicole. "Page 23." Rio Yañez | Graphic Art, Tortillas, Comics, and Troublemaking by Rio Yañez. 17 Dec. 2008. Web. 18 Jan. 2011. <http://rioyanez.com/page/23/?archives-list&archives-type=cats>.

Fagerjord., Anders. "Barthes' Mythologies (MEVIT 2110, University of Oslo) - Universitetet I Oslo." Forside - Universitetet I Oslo. 30 Mar. 2006. Web. 18 Jan. 2011. <http://www.uio.no/studier/emner/hf/imk/MEVIT2110/v06/undervisningsmateriale/barthes.html>.

To start with.

Going back through my research for my Artist Presentation from last term, on Damián Ortega, I remembered that his installation at the Barbican Art Gallery in London is currently showing works created and inspired from newspaper headlines from The Independent during August 29 through September 27.

 "Architecture without Architects". Suspended furniture. October 2010.

The Curve Gallery, Barbican Center. London.

Photo: Eliot Wyman.

Here's one that caught my eye/might just be my favorite so far: (a response to Ryanair's denial in the existence of global warming)

"No Link." Cigarettes. October 2010.  

The Curve Gallery, Barbican Center. London. 

Photo: Eliot Wyman.

CITED:

"Barbican - Damián Ortega: The Independent." Barbican - Home. Web. 07 Jan. 2011. 

<http://www.barbican.org.uk/artgallery/event-detail.asp?ID=11087>.