Watching Crows

Today in my convergent media class at the University of Oklahoma our professor had classmates trade iPads which we recorded images, audio and video on each other's devices.  From these three mediums we were to choose one as a launching point to produce another form of media.

I actually was very apprehensive about trading iPads. It's not that I didn't trust my classmate to take care of my device, it's just something I don't do-touch other people's technology. It's like touching someone else's car, You Just Don't Do It!!

After I got over my anxiety with touching other people's "stuff," I recorded various images on my classmate's iPad. I recorded audio clips of the traffic passing the North Oval on campus at OU and the sounds as pedestrians wait at the crossing light. I took a few pictures of a locked door with a keypad, the wooden floor of the art school with a bright light shining into the image and a multi-colored paper mobile which was hanging in the window. I also recorded video of the university's new 3-D printer as it was making some type of head or bust. These are sounds and images which my classmate will use to create his convergent media piece.

Currently I am working with a reoccurring theme of surveillance and the act of watching or being watched.  The images in the video slideshow I have produced were re-appropriated from the Internet and set to an ambient sound captured by fellow media student, Tanner Trammell.  Below is my 33 second piece entitled Watching Crows.


Click on link below or go to: http://vimeo.com/74680716

Watching Crows from Shelly Perkins on Vimeo.


For more information about Shelly's work go to:
www.shellyperkins.com

Surveillance Camera Footage of Oklahoma Tornadoes

As I work on my latest convergent media project, I continue to focus on surveillance, the act of recording or being recording. My hometown of Moore, Oklahoma was recently affected by multiple EF-5 Tornadoes (which is the most extreme and damaging tornado on the planet). I've found several sites which show footage caught by surveillance cameras as the tornado of May 20, 2013 ripped through Moore and other towns throughout Oklahoma.


Surveillance camera footage taken with a Moore, Oklahoma home security system in May, 2013.
Click on this link or video below.

http://youtu.be/FH19qlpvsh0






Surveillance camera footage taken at a Moore, Oklahoma gas station in May, 2013.
Click on this link or video below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0hcsQMJWfAc

http://youtu.be/FH19qlpvsh0






I'm not sure of this school's location but I wanted to share this dramatic tornado footage from the school's surveillance cameras.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJPGuMfnty4

Watching

The following video is from a student convergent media project with my studies at The University of Oklahoma. (Video for inclusion in my process blog ~ OU Instructor Todd Stewart.)

Watching represents my interpretation of the increased government surveillance atmosphere of current times. Over the past sixty to seventy years, technology has greatly improved and become a tool for the U.S. Government and other governments of advanced nations for monitoring its citizens. Learning from the past, disagreements or rebellion with his or her government has penalties and consequences. Big Brother is always watching.


WATCHING from Shelly Perkins on Vimeo.


Click on video above or link below to view Watching.
(approximately 3 minute clip)

https://vimeo.com/74345592


Shelly Perkins, artist
www.shellyperkins.com

APPS for iPad Convergent Media

~ This list is still evolving ~
APPS for iPad Convergent Media

This list is a compilation of applications currently available for iPad usage. I've included the cost of the app and the direct link to learn more information about it. These apps are a few of the many tools I will be using this fall as I create work from various types of media, converging with other mediums.




iStopMotion ~ $9.99
http://boinx.com/istopmotion/ipad/
iStop Motion for the iPad is a stop motion animation movie app which uses a sequence of photos shown at a very high speed (approximately 25 frames per second) to create videos. The app is often used in classrooms.

FiLMiC Pro ~ $4.99
http://filmicpro.com/
FiLMiC Pro turns mobile device into an HD video camera using real time, 4 zoom with full control over focus and exposure, white balance and frame rates.

iMovie ~$4.99
http://www.apple.com/ilife/imovie/
Make HD movies with iMovie app by adding videos, photos, music and sound effects, drag and trim capabilities, pinch to zoom timeline, freeze-frame and more.

Layers for iPad ~ $5.99
http://layersforipad.com/
Add up to five layers to your drawings in a creative space, including photos.

Paper 53 ~ free
www.fiftythree.com/paper
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/paper-by-fiftythree/id506003812?mt=8 53 gives creative tools for drawing, sketching, outlining or writing. Sketch books shown with several examples of work and possibility. Free app with minimal tools can be upgraded for variety.

Flickr ~ free
http://www.flickr.com/
Online photo hosting management and sharing app is free. One terabyte of space is available at sign up. Great for uploading photos, giving you link to place in blog or other online spaces.

Coordinates ~ free
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/coordinates-calculate-convert/id494286614?mt=8
Find your GPS coordinates instantly with this app. Great for use on geocaching or geographical projects for phone or iPad.

YouTube ~ free
http://www.youtube.com/
You Tube is free video hosting and sharing program. Upload, view and share videos here.

Vimeo ~ free
https://vimeo.com/
Vimeo is free hosting and video sharing program, currently with less users than YouTube. This program appeals to artists and professionals in comparison to YouTube.

Vine ~ free
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/vine/id592447445?mt=8
Video sharing social media site similar to instagram but with videos.

Instagram ~ free
http://instagram.com/
Social media website displaying images (and now videos) to other uses which can be set for public viewing or private. Filters are available for use but may also be ignored for “actual” capture details.

Snapchat ~ free
http://www.snapchat.com/
Snap chat is a “real time” picture chatting app in which images are sent to another specific user for viewing. The image has a time limit (as set by the sender) to how long the image can be viewed.

Facebook ~ free
https://www.facebook.com/
Social media website to share posts, images and videos with public or private access.

Camera Access ~ free
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/cameraaccess/id584747852?mt=8
Camera Access allows operators to use camcorders with their iPhones and iPads via Wi-Fi, recording and zooming from a distance. App is useful for monitoring pets, people or recording yourself.

Google Earth ~ free
http://www.google.com/earth/index.html
See virtual images of anywhere on earth to see cities, buildings, terrain and imagery.


Free Blogging Sites ~
http://wordpress.com/
http://www.weebly.com/
http://www.blogger.com/


Shelly Perkins
Convergent Media Artist

Convergent Media at the University of Oklahoma

This process blog details the steps I take to create art for my Convergent Media student projects. Combining multiple media devices, techniques and tools is required for Convergent Media at the University of Oklahoma School of Art, Technology and Culture.

Convergent Media is the process of combining various types of technology into a single media. The combination of television, Internet, radio and newspaper into a single project using various apps and tools like the computer, iPhone, camera, and iPad to complete a project.

Oklahoma Road Crews Remove Bridge as OU Sooners Game Ends

The Oklahoman is reporting I-235 will close Saturday night (September 6) at 9:00 pm to Monday morning at 5:00 am. Those traveling through the state may want to change their course after leaving Saturday night's football game when the Sooners take on West Virginia.

It's interesting that this bridge has already been closed for the last few months, yet some of the busiest traffic in the state occurs during the same hours as the Oklahoma Department of Transportation will be detouring traffic elsewhere. Fans driving back to Edmond or other locations north of Norman who normally take I-235 after home games, may want to plan an alternate route to avoid the detours and huge lines of traffic.

BOOMER.

For more info from the Oklahoman click on link below:
http://newsok.com/interstate-235-to-close-as-crews-remove-bridge/article/3879678

Dust in the Wind

I not only love Sarah Brightman's version of this song Dust in the Wind, but I really enjoy watching this video. YouTube shows this as the official video however the film quality doesn't seem to show the best resolution. Despite the quality of the video, the photography is breathtaking and inspirational. I especially love the interaction between the female and the horse. I also really enjoy the final scene when the girl jumps into the water. The set location showing rock formations in underwater caverns is breath taking. I would love to do location work for film and music videos. Half the fun of making images is scouting out the locations and coming up with the ideas. I'm sharing this with my process blog because it brings me inspiration.

Click on the link below to watch the video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OgUN8MmPN7Q

Meeting Artist Ed Ruscha, The “Father of Google Maps”

Artists Ed Ruscha and Shelly Perkins

Photo Courtesy of Jefferson Chang

Our journey on the “Road to Ruscha” began with an idea and a collaboration of students from various college majors and studies, combined into one group to learn from the past and how it influences the future. Artist Edward Ruscha, who grew up in Oklahoma, was one of the first artists to document the familiar and present it in an art form unlike any others before him. Over fifty years ago in 1962, Ruscha self-published Twentysix Gasoline Stations, a first of a series of photobooks the artist made in the 1960’s and 1970’s.

The highlight to our trip was meeting Ed Ruscha and crew at his Los Angeles suburb studio. His staff was friendly, his friends and family were inviting and his dog was loving. They graciously invited us in and Ruscha took a break from his busy schedule to talk to us and show our group around his studio grounds. So many of the preparations and so much of our trip revolved around this well-known artist who in our minds was almost a fictional character. As we visited people and places on his often traveled route, a few of us joked along the way, W.W.E.D. (What Would Ed Do?)

As the interstate highway system did not yet exist, Ruscha recorded gas stations between Oklahoma City and Los Angeles on his often-traveled Route 66, which at the time was “the” highway road to travel. The last stretch of interstate wasn’t opened until 1984 through Arizona and since then much of the original Route 66 has fallen to disrepair and yet so much is still worth exploring. Much of the road through America’s countryside and urban areas that display signage and images, between visible homes, businesses and roadside eateries, is still there. When the same image or place is viewed often in one’s lifetime, these sites may seem mundane and familiar. However, as time goes on and as these landscapes change, one may recall the buildings and activities that were once there. Later found photographs, maps or paintings of these forgotten once-familiar places, bring on memories of good and bad events one has experienced in the past. Ruscha understood the changes taken place right in front of him and others.

I’ve learned through my experiences, travel informs one’s understanding of space, land, and place in the world. I am a little older than most of the other university students on this trip which allows me a little more insight. I understand we are only on this earth for such a short time. I am intrigued with the American road and landscape, and the history each space contains. As people come and go, the earth and place remain. Although the topography may change, the soil may erode or man-made structures may come and go, the space remains. Within the space lies a history of those who have traveled before and those who will travel after. I believe Ruscha understood this before many others or at least any artists who chose to document the changes. Art critics and writers have even called him the “Father of Google Maps.” Although it is a relatively new technology and a tool many use today, Google Maps is often taken for granted, as images of cities and maps appear at the push of a button.

Finding myself traveling in new unfamiliar places, I search out the land and experience the unknown. Each place I experience brings a new understanding to the past and a new connection. I am intrigued with the new and continually grow from each experience as a little part of it remains with me. As I traveled with our university group, I experienced Ruscha’s America, revisiting his steps to deepen an understanding of the land, places and space he and others have experienced before me. Ruscha’s work emphasizes that people are only on this earth but a moment in time and although the land changes, it remains for the next generation to experience. I feel privileged to have been reminded of our short time on this ever-changing planet and to have met Ed Ruscha in his studio with his friends and family.

- Shelly Perkins

Ed Ruscha's TwentySix Gasoline Stations currently at The J. Paul Getty Museum

During my visit to Los Angeles, I was blessed to not only meet the amazing artist, Ed Ruscha, at his studio but also view his current exhibition being held at The J. Paul Getty Museum. The Father of Google Maps as some art historians and critics call Ed Ruscha, has multiple books and images at the Getty. If you're in the area, I highly recommend a visit to the esteemed Getty to visit "IN FOCUS: Ed Ruscha." The exhibition is open until September 29, 2013.

Standard, Amarillo, Texas, 1962, Ed Ruscha, gelatin silver print. The J. Paul Getty Museum, 2011.54.9. © Ed Ruscha.

"Rejecting the tradition of the limited-edition, handcrafted artist's book, Ed Ruscha produced sixteen photo books between 1963 and 1978 in large editions on high-speed professional presses. Most feature snapshot-like photographs that he made with his 2 1/4-inch-format Yashica camera and sequenced in straightforward layouts."
"For Twentysix Gasoline Stations (1963), the first of these photo books, Ruscha photographed gas stations along Route 66 during road trips between Los Angeles and his hometown of Oklahoma City. Several of the photographs became source material for works of art that he would realize in other media either at the same time or several years, even decades, later. Most notable is Ruscha's sustained interest in the photograph of Standard Station, Amarillo, Texas that he took in 1962. Over the next four decades, he would create several works on canvas or paper that abstracted the original silhouette of the gas station, including the 1963 oil painting, Standard Station, Amarillo Texas now in the collection of the Hood Museum of Art, Dartmouth College." ~
- © The J. Paul Getty Museum

http://www.getty.edu/art/gettyguide/artObjectDetails?artobj=335478
http://www.getty.edu/art/exhibitions/focus_ruscha/
http://www.getty.edu/art/exhibitions/focus_ruscha/

"Road to Ruscha" Part Two Post by FJJMA

"Have you ever wondered about what happens behind the scenes of a major art museum? Welcome to Off the Wall – a glimpse of life behind the walls of the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art at the University of Oklahoma. Join us as we examine the roles of museum staff members, works inside the museum vaults, upcoming news and exhibitions, and much more."

~Post by Jessica Farling, Curator of Academic Programs at the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art at the University of Oklahoma
Click link below to view Road to Ruscha Part Two Post by FJJMA
http://fjjmablog.org/2013/06/11/road-to-ruscha-part-two/

My OU Trip to California on the Road to Ruscha

I just returned from a road trip to California with a group of photographers, art-historians, scientists, artists and geographers from The University of Oklahoma. Several students and faculty traveled along Route 66 half-way across the country retracing artist Ed Ruscha's trip from Oklahoma to Los Angeles, which inspired his book TwentySix Gasoline Stations. When we reached California we met Ed Ruscha, originally from Oklahoma, at his studio where he graciously showed us around his studio and then on to the Getty Museum where we viewed Ruscha's current exhibition, including TwentySix Gasoline Stations. If you're interested in checking out my blog posts from my OU trip you can currently view them online along with the other group participants.

To check out my blog posts click here or paste the URL into your browser: http://roadtoruscha.com/2013/?author=22 http://roadtoruscha.com/2013/?author=22

#RoadToRuscha
#EdRushca
#OU
#UniversityofOklahoma
#GettyMusuem

Meeting Ronaldo from New York on the day of the Moore Tornado

On our Road to Ruscha trip down old Route 66 we met many people that have touched our hearts and we will remember forever. One of those people is New Yorker Ronaldo Robledo, a retired NY firefighter who currently works as a social worker. He was staying at the same hotel as we were near Los Angeles, California and we began to talk in the hotel lobby over breakfast. My roommate on the trip Katie B who is from the same town as I, found out that not only was Ronaldo from the state of New York like my husband but was also from the Hudson Valley area where my family previously resided. The same day we met Ronaldo was an afternoon of great tragedy in my city of Moore, Oklahoma. An EF-5 tornado, the worst of the worst, had touched down, causing a path of destruction through housing developments and business areas including an elementary school and junior high.

My middle daughter is a junior high student and was still at school less than a mile from the ongoing tornado damage. My other two children were at my house taking shelter with my mother and husband but Destiney my 13 year-old was still at school where they had lost power. I heard the news and started getting calls from my oldest daughter Courtney about the tornado. Then Courtney told me she had lost contact on the phone when Destiney and heard one of the junior highs had been hit by the storm.

Some in our group from the University had gone to Universal Studios in Hollywood and this is where my horror began to unfold. Power was lost at my house, phone lines went down and then on top of all that, my phone ran out of power at the park. The others in my group went on a few rides as I tried to explain the severity of the moment and being 1500 miles away and helpless. I stood alone, paralyzed in the middle of hundreds of people passing by as they laughed and enjoyed their day as I just began to cry out. I cried out to God and prayed out loud. I bawled and moaned like a hurt animal and I know people began to look at me and wonder what was happening. I began thinking of going to LAX to fly home to my kids. All I could do was make a plan of quick return being so far away from my family. My stomach knotted and I began to feel nauseous as I ran around the park looking for an electric outlet to power my phone. I finally found one in the ladies room and I stood there crying and praying out loud.

Finally hours later, I received word that all my family had been reunited, my children and my sister’s family were uninjured. All of our houses were still standing. Even though I was born and have spent much of my life in Oklahoma, I was never as scared of a tornado until my sister completely lost her home to a tornado in May 2011. Now I understand from her loss to that tornado, how much damage can be caused and how easily a life can be lost. Our families had managed to escape this one, this time. However, the Friday after we returned on our trip, my house was hit by a tornado on a much smaller scale. We lost part of a roof, had water leaks, a brick support beam damaged, a tree fall partially on the house and leaving one side of the house impassible and on the other side of the yard part of the fence had been torn down. We were alive and these things can be repaired. After having friends loose their homes and lives on May 20th, I still don’t feel I have the right to complain one bit.

Long story short about Ronaldo from New York: he flew from California while he was relaxing on his vacation, to Oklahoma to volunteer his time at a relief center. Also, to find out what a small world this, when he arrived in Moore, Ronaldo was partnered with one of my dear friends Karen who volunteers with the Red Cross. Both Ronaldo and Karen worked together but did not know that they knew me until later. I think God brings people into our lives for a reason and during this trip both myself and Katie B from Moore, needed comforting and reassurance to get through the rest of the trip. Ronaldo was one of those guardian angels.

- Shelly Perkins on University of Oklahoma Road to Ruscha trip 2013

Tornado Hits Home

Tornado Hits Home and I’m in LA !!!

Every one in our group chose their activities for the day; many of us ran around town, went to the beach, some met up with family or friends from the area and my group went to Universal Studios. We went on the backlot studio tour and then rode several of the rides. While we were on the tour I started getting text messages about a tornado sitting less than a mile from my house. I am 1500 miles away from my kids and there was nothing I could do to help protect them or keep them safe from the impending danger which was about to envelope my city.

My family prepared to take cover as the tornado approached. My oldest daughter who is almost 21 was at our house with her little Maltese and my husband picked up my youngest 9 year old from the elementary school. My mother was also at our house, along with husband and our zoo of animals. However my 13 year old was at school taking shelter; had texted my oldest daughter that the power was out at the school and she was scared. Soon after, the phones also lost connections. What seemed like an eternity until I finally received a call from home that my family and animals were okay. The junior high decided it was now safe to release the kids from class and my husband and oldest daughter picked up my 13 year old. Finally everyone (except me) were reunited and home after the tornado.

There are a few moments in my life I’ve realized just how much I love my family, especially my children and couldn’t imagine life without them. Exploring Route 66 over the past ten days has made me think about slowing down and cherishing the everyday life and world around us we often take for granted. It seems many families are busy with work, school functions and sports practices and need a little time to reconnect. It’s been a great experience meeting others along our route, spending time with new found friends and making connections through a shared community on the road.
~ Shelly Perkins on University of Oklahoma Road to Ruscha Trip 2013

"Road to Ruscha" Part One Post by FJJMA

"Have you ever wondered about what happens behind the scenes of a major art museum? Welcome to Off the Wall – a glimpse of life behind the walls of the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art at the University of Oklahoma. Join us as we examine the roles of museum staff members, works inside the museum vaults, upcoming news and exhibitions, and much more."

Click on the link below to read Road to Ruscha Part One
~Posted by Jessica Farling, Curator of Academic Programs at the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art at the University of Oklahoma

http://fjjmablog.org/2013/05/14/road-to-ruscha-part-one/

University of Oklahoma's School of Art and Art History Online Gallery

My Photography on OU's School of Art and Art History Online Gallery

I was excited to learn that my work was chosen to be displayed as a part of the the University of Oklahoma's School of Art & Art History online gallery. Here's my image that was chosen. You may also go visit all of the great work by the other artist's currently at OU. Visit: http://www.ou.edu/content/finearts/art_arthistory/galleries/student_gallery.html





Tags: Shelly Perkins Photography; www.shellyperkins.com; OU; University of Oklahoma; School of Art and Art History; art; art gallery;

Finding Inspiration in Eugenio Recuenco

I'm back at the University of Oklahoma this semester studying Fine Art. In a search for inspirational photographers, I have found a photographer and a style which I am completely and totally in awe ~ from Madrid, Spain, Eugenio Recuenco.

Already in love with Spain, he gives me more reason to love it. I've had the chance to visit Espana with my husband a few years ago and I completely fell in love with the country. It reminded me a lot of Oklahoma with it's grassy fields and gorgeous horses in the Andalusian region near Cádiz and Rota. Enough on Spain, check out one of their amazing photographers....

Here's a link to his online portfolio for some eye candy. http://www.eugeniorecuenco.com/ As I experiment with my own work, I feel drawn to this photographer's vision. The images have a cinematography feel with fantasy blurring the lines between imagined and real life.

Here's a link to an informational blog containing works by Eugenio Recuenco ~ http://www.wicked-halo.com/tag/eugenio-recuenco

Above are a few of the images I found to be sooo inspiring. Remember ~ nothing is original. So with that, I will make my own work using Recuenco as inspiration for my fantasy photographic project at OU.



The images contained within this blog may be under a copyright law. I am not selling these images but merely using them for my own personal inspiration to make photographic works at the university. ~ SP

College Student Mothers of Oklahoma Needed for OU Photo Project

************************************************************* WANTED !!! Calling MOTHERS who are also COLLEGE STUDENTS in the State of OKLAHOMA. If you are a mother and a current college student (full or part time) and are interested in participating in a Photography Project for The University of Oklahoma, please let me know. Also, if you know someone who is college student mother, please pass along this information. *************************************************************
please message me through Facebook at Shelly Perkins Photography ~ SP

https://www.facebook.com/ShellyPerkinsPhotography