Rule # : Documentation is Performance

Final Class Projects

Group 1
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Group 2
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Poor Documentation

Group 3
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Skateboard Ballets and Indie Cult-ure

This was originally part of an art performance. That idea originated in the mind of German artist Johannes Wohnseifer. He enlisted skateboarder Mark Gonzales. Cheryl Dunn them document this performance and turned footage and interviews into a film called "Backworlds for Words." Jason Schwartzman got permission to remix the video footage and sync it to the music for a music video for his band Coconut Records. The song title is "West Coast."

Check out some of the original footage at Dunn website in bio below (interesting hearing new soundtrack).

Johannes Wohnseifer (1967- , Germany)
In 1998, he produced an exhibition at the Abteiberg Museum in Germany. He came up with the idea of exhibiting minimal artworks and having a professional skate boarder skate between them. His approach to incorporating street culture directly into artistic context has been highly successful.

Mark Gonzales (1969- , USA)
Most recently, Mark Gonzales was also featured in the music video, "West Coast" by Jason Schwartzman's (Rushmore's Max Fischer) band, Coconut Records. This was a skate video sequence originally filmed in 1998 at a German Museum, but was edited and synced for this music video with his permission.

Cheryl Dunn (1960- , USA) http://www.cheryldunn.net/films/back_worlds_for_words.html
Her second film, Backworlds for Words (1999), is a documentation of a skateboard ballet, choreographed by artist/professional skateboarder Mark Gonzales for the Stadtisches Museum in Monchengladbach, Germany. The film includes footage of the actual performance as well as candid interviews and documentation of Gonzales performing poetry readings around Germany.

Jason Schwartzman (1980- , USA)
Prior to acting, he was the drummer for the band Phantom Planet (best known for their hit single "California," the theme song for The O.C.). In 2007, he created the pop/rock solo act Coconut Records. The first CD was released on iTunes on March 20, 2007. Songs include "West Coast," "Nighttiming," and "This Old Machine."