Installation Nasties

Stevie Russell:

The simplicity of the video is what I find most appealing to me. The concept of the video itself is well presented in conveying the metaphorical meaning. Showing that beauty is only skin deep and that a character should not be judged by their appearance rather than the acts portray, so in this case when he helps her out as she is getting attacked by the men at work, he steps in and helps her. She then realizes that he is actually a nice person and begins to feel empathy for him. This was not a controversial video yet it did resonate with the fans and viewers of the video.
The is no much of a technical aspect of this music video other than the costume, which is the key and carried out the whole way through. It's simple but effective in delivering it's message (which is very apparent to the viewer as the music video progresses.)
I find this video really compelling because it works really well in synch to the music, it fits and has a thought provoking meaning, it leaves the viewer to feel something in a good way. It's has a nice message which is apparent, there's no need to look for any inner depth meaning or something profound as it's all there.

                                            

                                                            Paul McCarthy:

Many controversies surround Paul McCarthy's work, manly to those who do not 'get' the meaning behind the art. His body of work incorporates sculpture, installations, happening, - all of which set to explore identity and change, society and its effect on a single person.
The meaning behind his work is not apparent to viewers and what meets the eye is not normally something we should interpretate because he work is not obvious in trying to convey what Paul McCarthy wants us to think. I too am one of those who failes to understand the depth of his work, I am someone who fails to see the 'message' or what he want us to take away from it. Especially after watching this video I just thought about what I had watched and I couldn't comprehend it, I had no idea what was supposed to be the meaning of or what he was trying to do with this.
His work is subjective, everyone seems to take away from it what they feel resignates with them(which is how art to be interpreted) through  what is translated rathe than what we are shown.
The gritty nudity and sexual conent that permiates through his work is something that cause offense as it's presented in horrible maner and I don't understand why it's a prominant in many of his pieces.


                                                                      Bill Viola:

Bill Viola's work techniques are dependent upon electric, sound, and technology in New Media. His work focuses on ideas behind fundamental human experiences such as birth, death and aspects of consciences. He is famously known for his innovation called 'an ocean without sure' which the stills listed above are taken from. This work of his in particular I found to be thought provoking, in the sense it left me kind of haunted and questioning the means of what I just had watched.
 "Everything in this room right now comes from somewhere else and is just passing through us at this moment and it will continue to live and grow. Ultimately we all come from the stars; our earth, our world, our bodies, our bones, mosquitoes are made from the stuff of the stars, literally, and it just keeps getting reconfigured. It's a profound and very moving thing. " Bill Viola Interview with 'The Spirit of Things'--Radio National--Australia)
A lot of Bill Viola's work causes offence due to it's use of violence and nudity, which is harsh for some viewers(me including, especially nudity because I don't think it's necessary) but it's something he uses to illustrate his point. And that is something that relates back to on a personal matter that occured in Bill Viola's life which was that he had a near death experience where he nearly downed, which I think is a massive paramount in the way he translates his experience through his work. He uses that experience to transition into a form of art as it's something to showcase and reamins rather than a human body which passes through time. Some people are sensitive to the idea of death(which he is the key element in the above art work) which can be precieved in a negative way.