Sample Statement

Nia Burks

Statement and Documentation Script

The lens has always been used to record and remember the special events and extraordinary moments of one’s live, but what happens when everything becomes special and extraordinary? As the cost of recording devices continuously drops and access to sharing mediums through the global reach of mass media increases, the meaning of memory changes. Declarative memory is being replaced by cheap and easy access to external memory. Recording devices and social media act as surrogates to the self, so we are no longer subject to the effects of time on our brains.

In a time where the permanence of memory is preferred and forgetting has become a virtue, it is increasingly important to call into question what it means to remember and, further, reconsider the role that the archive plays in the digital age.

The current body of work explores memory/recollection, ideas surrounding the notion of archive and the possibility of a shared societal memory through social media, popular culture and desire.

Monitor 1

A Modest Study of the Sexual Awakening of Britney Spears:

Baby (116)

Vocal Range Demonstration

A Modern Reference to the Venus of Willendorf

Instruction/Reaction

Monitor 2

A Death Metal Tribute to Willow Smith’s “Whip My Hair”

The Official Grind

Scene Tutorals

A Modest Study of the Sexual Awakening of Britney Spears: A 5 Part Series

-The total length of all of Britney Spears music videos is 1 hour, 47 minutes and 32 seconds (107:32).
-Britney Spears only says the word "baby" approximately 116 times in her music video career.
-Shots only containing her body, with her head decapitated is approximately 2:28. This does not include full body "come hither" stare's or 3/4 length shots. This only means shots in which her identity is anonymous.
-Footage in which her facial expressions suggest felatio are cleverly disguised as physical facial displays of her vocal range.
-Britney Spears was in peak physical condition between "Stronger" (2000) and "I Love Rock'n'Roll" (2002). This was after her "innocent" days were over, but before Kevin Federline, her knee injury and children.
-In her later video's, her dancing is mostly replaced with slower movements, either to allude more to sex, or because of burnout. Also, the shots become wider, as not to put as much focus on the details of her body.
-After watching this footage frame by frame for almost 60 hours straight, I totally believe she has breast implants.
-Her costume designers are really the ones with the talent.


Artist Statement to come soon.

Wedding Thriller Statement--1 year after the creation of the work.

Wedding Thriller shows American brides who, during their traditional First Dance, break out into an amateur rendition of Michael Jackson’s Thriller choreography. The videos almost always has an element of “spontaneity” in which the DJ’s CD skips, and everyone looks around in a shocking and embarrassing manner before the entire wedding party is overtaken by the start of the song “Thriller”. Once the music starts, zombie-like wedding guests suddenly break out into near perfect synchronization and proceed to dance the entire song in unison. This type of video can be found all over YouTube. Wedding Thriller  takes a sampling of these videos and organizes them into one work, which draws attention to the similarities of our collective desire to rebelliously respond to that which is expected of us. These responses are quite safe in nature, yet are regarded by the creators as a rather daring and non-sequitor way to spice up their wedding reception. Wedding Thriller aims to function as a stand in for issues of originality and self celebrity in the digital age.  

Selected Videography

A Modest Study in the Sexual Awakening of Britney Spears (5 Part Series), 2011

Haul Bloggers: Transitional, Descriptive, and Exclamatory Statements, 2011

Scene Tutorials, 2011

Official Grind, 2011

Death Metal Whip My Hair Tribute, 2011

Cake Walk It Out, 2011

Booty Meat (Entering), 2010

Booty Meat (Exiting), 2010

Reaction 1, 2010

Reaction 2, 2010

Reaction 3, 2010

Reaction 4, 2010

Panda Sneeze Reaction, 2010

Girls Who Havn’t Posted In A While, 2010

Boy’s Who Havn’t Posted In A While, 2010

Just Saying Hey, 2010

Bully/Hater, 2010

Angry Gamers, 2010

Wedding Thriller, 2010

He-once, 2010

Stripper Shoe, 2009

The Glitter Dick Soliloquy, 2009

Phonejacker, 2009

Pleasure in Looking, 2007

New General Bio/Statement

Nia Burks is interested in the roles of memory, archive and popularity in the digital age. Her work addresses these subjects through the use of appropriated footage found on the Internet. She aims to call into question how we, as a populace, determine what is worth recording, saving and distributing. Her work uses humor as a tool to respectfully and humbly ask why we are compelled to create permanent external memory and how that desire will effect what is deemed important or noteworthy in our lives personally, and in mainstream digital culture.

Nia was raised in a military city in south east Virginia. She currently lives and works in Berlin, Germany. 

Scene Tutorials

Project Synopsis:

My interest in social history and anthropology in the digital age has lead me to in-depth research in origins of social movements in the United States. I have become particular interested in Scene and Emo culture and its roots in Goth. As an American artist residing in the East Berlin neighborhood of Friedrichain, the German Gruftis and post punk culture is indeed inherently different from American interpretations of the movement. I made Scene Tutorials to be one particular interpretation of how cultures can change through time, space, and language. My particular curiosity lies in the projection of the participant’s own role in their lifestyle through digital media.

Artist Statement:

Scene Tutorials is a video loop of appropriated footage consisting of self proclaimed "scene kids" demonstrating proper hair and makeup tips that fall in like with the Scene lifestyle. Usually lacking in verbal description in favor of their favorite song, young girls go through the motions of their daily beauty regimen for the educational benefit of their viewers on YouTube. Heavy eyeliner, side swept bangs and androcentrism have often been associated with the Scene lifestyle. 

Scene Tutorials aims to call into focus contemporary interpretations of this subculture with regards to its roots in ideas of goth. Mood and aesthetic still appear to be of utmost importance, however, a sense of history becomes lost in youth culture (and arguably American) interpretations of the lifestyle. Overtones of cute are meant to exist in sharp, yet neutral, contrast to the stereotypes associated with its goth ties. Scene Tutorials is a single example among many, which illustrates an intersection of goth, youth culture in the digital age, and modern aesthetic adaptations of previous social movements.

The Role of Memory

I found this website that does optically real paintings of any pictures you send in. It takes like 17 days or something to produce the work, then they ship it out. I find it really interesting that the people have chosen paintings to symbolize that which they do not want to forget. Like the photo (or even the memory) isnt real enough. A painting is needed in order to establish the importance of the subject. It reminds me of just about everything I was ever taught about commissioned paintings in art history. Paintings were commissioned to emphasize status and importance. They were purchased by the rich. Now theyre 149€.
So its like this:
- Event happens.
- Event documented with digital camera.
- Digital photo sent to paintyourlife.com
- Paintyourlife.com paints, in oil usually, an optically real rendering of said photo of said event.
- Your "original" work of "art" is shipped out.
So lemme get this straight. You have the EXACT same image reproduced, nothing changed except the medium, pixels to paint, thats it. (Part of the marketing emphasizes the fact that its a realistic rendering, same as life). At that point, the event, the subject, the document seems to become elevated, that is to say, more important; more regal and stately than the simple camera.

Funny how thats switched back and forth over time. Long ago, the elite had their paintings commissioned, then after the advent of the camera, they commissioned photographs, now the painting (the analog, if you will?) has made its way back, except that you dont have to be rich to have one done.....its no different than a digital lab blowing up a photo, except that its painting.....which makes it more important.

A notable testimonial:

"My husband took a picture of this castle in Killarney Ireland. It is Ross castle. We loved the picture so much that we wanted it painted. Here it is painted and it looks just like the picture. Every time I look at this painting it will always remind us of our unforgettable trip. Thank you for making a permanent vacation for us. Patricia Overton"

Patricia Overton , GA, United States,

The commissioning of a painting can be a commodity, no longer limited to the elite. Not only that, but they make it look exactly like the picture. WTF!?  I need to do one of these cheap commissions of a something that will be easily forgotten, like Boo or Antoine Dodson. Most of the paintings on the companies website are of something or someone that is important to the patron. What if it wasnt? What it it was one of these stately oil paintings of an internet meme, soon to be forgotten, or maybe already forgotten?

I'd also like to point out that these paintings ive been looking at are posed like sears portrait studio shots, which are also cheap and easy. or snapshot photography. Neither of which lends itself to the idea of the commissioned portrait. whats with this trend of the cheap and fast being used to preserve that which is supposedly super super important to someone?
"This is the most important dog ever, i love my dog, my dog is so important to me! I need to have his portrait hung in my house forever! Now make sure its done in an hour....."

Also note that painting a person is, on average, $5 more than a pet. (ie- $71 for an 8x10 pet portrait, $76 for an 8x10 human portrait).

Some of my favorite paintings are the one that the "artist" painted in evidence of a flash....hahahaha!


http://www.paintmyphotonow.com/
http://www.paintyourlife.com

The Self Absorbed, Selfish Artist Manifesto (in no particular order)

1. Never complain to the public or art community about money. Complain in the company of friends as a way to blow off steam, otherwise its unprofessional and tacky.
2. Just shut up and work.
3. I don't like very much art, and I like artists even less.
4. The art world is even more cruel than the creative process. Accept this. Move forward.
5. Art thats about "sticking it to" something (ie- the man, money, capitalism, Barack Obama) does nothing.
6. The past work is in the past. Growth is constant. Referencing any past work in current discussion is moot.
7. The artist makes the work. The critic writes about it. End of discussion.
8. One liners aren't given enough credit. Sometimes.
9. Being too broke to make the art that lives in your head happen is not a good enough excuse.
10. Stop making art about your genitals, and your identity.
11. If you feel comfortable, its time to move on.
12. You will work longer and harder than almost any other field for much much less.
13. You are here to make friends. Drink up. It helps.
14. Distance yourself from the toxic, and the toxic that cant be avoided should be encountered with a HazMat suit. Remember the HazMat suit.
15. Don't show work for the sake of showing work.
16. Fear should be 1/2 of why you do what you do.

Official Grind

Official Grind featuring Peer Pressure, Wet Dream Boiz, Fantasy Boyz and others. Music is Late Nite Special by Pretty Ricky.

"I've been whippin my hair since like 1981!!!!!"

I just made an all female death metal tribute to Willow Smith's Whip my hair. Heres a still. Epica is my new favorite Dutch metal band.

Owl Symbolism in Contemporary Popular Hip Hop Culture

Athena is the greek goddess of war, wisdom, strength, strategy, civilization, justice and skill. She is depicted as an owl on Greco-Roman coins to symbolize status, intelligence and wealth. In other cultures (Egyptian, Hindu for example), the owl took on many other meanings, one specifically being guardianship (ie- keeper of the spirits, transition, ect). I dont view its association with death as negative, but rather, I view it as a caretaker for for life--including after life.

(New Subject, but itll all relate, i swear)

I recently heard an NPR talk about Jay-Z, then immediately after I saw his interview on Charlie Rose. In it, he talked about his origins and how they related to and contributed to the dialogue of the origins of hip hop. Jay-Z has a book out, which I need to buy immediately. There is also another book called "Big Payback: The History and Business of Hip Hop" (very important).

The hip hop industry (music side) brings in about $1billion per year, while the fashion/branding side makes about $2billion. Images and brands are a very important part of the culture. 

(Bringing it all together)

I chose to use the owl and its associations as a jumping off point to start a series of small portraits of todays biggest rappers and their brand associations. We'll see where this goes. At this point, its mainly just formal. I dont know what its going to lead to. Because the last 30 years of development of rap were pretty substantial, I've decided I need to limit myself to 5 or 6, and they have to be alive and popular today. Products of the groundwork their predecessors have laid. So far I have Jay-Z. Next, Im doing Nicki Minaj. I have a few more......narrowing between Lil Wayne, Kanye West, 50 cent, Eminem, Missy Elliot,  TI, and Snoop Dogg (still!).

This is one of the only business i can think of that not only dresses the people, but addresses them too.

I am obsessed with the concept of "cool". Mark Zuckerburg said that cool is a priceless asset you should never give up. This all feeds into a larger context.....youth culture, real time web, originality, the idea of the archive......

Arrived. Day 1.

My initial reaction is this: I am freezing and I want to keep my door shut all the time because it'll stay warmer that way, but i worry that ill come across as anti social in this extremely community oriented residency. Everyone seems really nice so far.

The public transport in Europe puts America to shame. So does the higher education system. Enough said.

Tomorrow I go to the grocery, prepare some shit for a community pot luck, and I start working. First thing to knock out is the Urlesque video thats longlong overdue. I hope to knock it out in about 12 hours.

I have this urge to take this time, right now, right this second and immerse myself into making something immediately, but I know that these initial social interactions will make or break my relationship with these people very fast. I want to go to a thrift store i found, buy food, get something to make this place look somewhat like a home, get some essential art supplies, and then fucking get to it.  I dont know what I want to get to so bad, but i just do. I may make a sketch tonight.

Sean has added himself to the list of folks coming out. I want everyone on earth to travel here and everywhere else for that matter, but I worry how its gonna effect the studio practice already. I trust that my friends can entertain themselves for a few hours each day to let me work.

Niakunsthaus. The very bare essentials.

Berlin Travels Start Today.

Funny how reading through this blog makes me totally embarrassed; almost the same feeling i get when i read my diaries from high school. Jack Wax said that the artistic process is half fear, half doubt that that if you're not totally embarrassed by the product that you put forth to the world, then you waited too long. The creative process is ruthless bitch. Kind of like the people at H&R Block.

Anyway, when I found out I got the residency at Takt, I immediately changed my iGoogle page to a "Berlin Wallpaper". I never knew, or cared to know the building that was shown on my email wallpaper page. As it turns out, its Hauptbahnhof, the largest train station in all of Europe. Its also my first stop after the airport. Should be fun to navigate that shit in a language I dont understand.

I leave in 40 minutes.

Here is my google page.

Heres a streetview photo of Hauptbahnhof. Funny how that worked out.