how dare you do that

after reading "on the rights of molotov man" and "the ecstasy of influence" it's apparent that this is to help prepare us the recontextualization assignment.  i particularly enjoyed the molotov reading because i thought it was very interesting how one photograph could spark such controversy and tension by taking it out of it's original context.  i can definitely see where susan is coming from and how she doesn't like to see her work decontextualized like it was by joy.  susan put a lot of hard work into getting this photograph and she wants its integrity to remain intact. i think she is more concerned that the subject of the photograph is viewed in his true light instead of as a "rioter".  i think she sums up her feelings best when she says "but i still feel strongly, as i watch pablo arauz's context being stripped away - as i watch him being converted into the emblem of an abstract riot - that it would be a betrayal of him if i did not at least protest the diminishment of his act of defiance."  susan was there the day pablo threw that molotov, she knows what he was standing for, and i think she wants people to have the same view about him as she does.    on the other hand, people do have the ability to take any kind of art or media form and transform it into however they please.  after awhile, it seems like every idea has already been taken or used and sometimes it is necessary recontextualize them.  it gives artists the ability to keep creating new and exciting works.  recontextualzing is also a great way to express opinions about politics, religion, society, etc.  as i'm writing all of this, i'm beginning to think more and more about the upcoming found footage exercise.  as with all the assignments that we've done so far, i'm excited to get started on this one.  after viewing some of the films in class, i feel like this assignment has endless possibilities.  because of this, i'm having trouble trying to come up with a theme or idea.  i'm not really into politics so i'll probably be straying away from that, but i would like to do something that has some significant undertones.  with all the media available on the internet, i don't think it's going to be too difficult to come up with an idea or find material.  susan, from the molotov article, doesn't seem too excited about all that the internet has to offer: "there is no denying in this digital age that images are increasingly dislocated and far more easily decontextualized.  technology allows us to do many things, but that does not mean we must do them."  actually susan, i think the answer is "yes."  we have all of this material at our fingertips so i think we should definitely do as much with it as possible.  if anything, it just adds a fun spin on things and allows for some good entertainment.  also, i'm trying to get a good grade in this class so i'm going to do what my professor tells me.  sorry susan.  anyway, i'm kind of burnt out on recontextualization so i'm going to kind of stray away from it.  last saturday's one shot was a really good time.  it actually went much smoother and easier than i thought it was going to be.  i figured that getting the actual shot was going to be a difficult process, but with good amount of rehearsing, it turned out quite well (even in all the rain).  it definitely didn't feel like we were having class on saturday.  i had a great time and i'm glad we got to experiment with the bolex cameras.  after viewing the negative, i think our footage turned out well.  i can't way to see the positive and add some sound effects.  overall, i would say that it was a very successful day.