I recently went to New York City to see Blue Man Group perform. What an amazing time! I certainly recommend everyone see this show if they have the opportunity to...I believe they are coming to our upstate area in March.
Viewing it from a ENG307 standpoint, I found the perspectives of the show's creators very interesting. The show is basically a music-based performance in which the "blue men" put on different skits, and many of the skits were a direct reflection of the changing technological times.
Most of the skits involved some type of technology, such as computer animation and such. Some skits were introduced by a video screen that talked about the ways in which our world is becoming more intertwined as the days go on, and that we are all connected through........PLUMBING. They made a complete pun on the internet by using the plumbing system as a metaphor...very funny, yet I interpreted this as almost a mock on the internet.
They also showed three posters...one of a fish painting created by an artist that put paint on an actual fish then put the fish paint side down on the canvas. This poster captures the "pain of the artist and the subject."
The second poster was a 3D image of a fish, made out of paper material. The artist for this poster wanted to capture the real life pain the fish went through.
The third poster was a computer screen that read "FISH." The narrator said that this painting is based on the necessity for the artist to get as far away from the subject as possible, and that this poster showed how people think today.
The point of this skit was to show that art is not about computers, but rather about AUTHENTIC artistic expression, such as the first poster. (I totally agreed with this, of course)
Paradoxically, the show used a lot of computer animation. I think the show's creators were trying to show that computers and technology can be fun and exciting to see, but that ultimately the real artistic expression is through personal thought and action.
All of the percussion was done without technology, just by the performers themselves (they are certainly masters of their craft...AMAZING percussion!)
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It really is amazing what the Blue Man Group can, and does, do. I can remember first hearing about them a couple of years ago when I was in Las Vegas. They were on billboards all over the place! I remember wondering just what in the world was so special about them. Now, although I haven't seen them in action, but rather I have read about them, I know that they stand for much more. Given the chance I would like to see them peform. I'm glad that you got to see them and did this post. I have to agree that if anyone has the opportunity to see them, they should.
In regards to technology and our class - 307 - it sounds like we all could learn quite a bit. Thank you Staci.
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