Expressing Art

Boas’s piece called Kapital seems to reflect the questions of capitalism in our society today. Our world today is full of investing money, making money, and spending money. Many wonder if our society has purely turned into capitalism, and if there is truly more to life then money, or if that is just something we want to believe.  There is this sort of black box that surrounds all of our lives, we contribute enormous parts of our life to that box, inside it our lives are conformed, and what comes out is different then what went in. The amount of time we spend investing today and is what we get in return truly worth it? There is a higher power that resides above us, and the time we spend our lives investing we get little in return.

            In Boas’s description of his art he describes how he is “exploring the balance between propaganda and art.  He explains that his art reflects the larger force that is always “looming” over our heads and how events in our society have shaped it in a way to where our control is limited. Though his art may come across pessimistic his hopes are for us to realize the power we have to change what has been forced on us for so many years. “The first steps toward recovery is recognition” (Boas).

            Understanding the artists work from an informed perspective definitely enlightens one to open not only their eyes but their minds much more to find a true meaning. Art, I believe is as much about how each individual perceives the piece to what the artists true intention is. My thoughts on the piece were similar to the true meaning, but to sit back and think how what is in front of us can be changed is the true magic behind Boas’s art.  Provoking action through art is truly inspiring.

            

Art and technology

Raynor, Vivien. "ART; Intersections of Art and Technology At Hudson River Museum." New York Times (1992). 25 May 2008 <http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E0CE7DA1339F935A3575AC0A964958260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=2.

            This article discusses the art of one particular mans photography, Harold Edgertons. What is sets his photography apart from others if what many call “engineering. Due to this mans creation we are able to produce breath-taking photography, with the push of a button. With his invention of the strobescope combination, people were in enabled to “illuminate subjects for one millionth of a second or less” along with the electronic fast and still shutter this was possible. Edgertons wants to be know as an engineer rather then an artist, yet his creations are nothing less than art in its true form.

            The significance of Edgertons invention and works of art go hand in hang with the growing technology of today’s world. This article shows us the uses of new technology including laser lights and synthesizers. The new technological changes that are producing a modern type of art raise the eyes of many and the “Expanding Boundaries” show helped assist in the transition and acceptance to these new forms of art.

            “Computer Graphics: Effects of Origins” talks about the introduction of graphic, technical art into our society. Though that technology is different then the one that this article discusses, they have important similarities, both contributing to the art of technology. Graphic art provides us with advance forms of visual art, expanding our horizons, while Edgerton’s inventions do purely the same. Edgerton’s invention is the reason the realm of photography is where it is today. Though technology both of these advances provide the world with a new form, and as beautiful as ever sense of art.  The works created by these advances are inspiring and after all isn’t art anything that inspires a person?

“Are Videogames Art?” Game Critics. Retrieved May 24th, 2008 from http://www.gamecritics.com/arevideogamesart

“Log onto any well frequented videogame-related message board on the Internet, and start a thread with the subject "are videogames art?” I feel that quote sums up this article in an essence, which discusses the controversies toward whether video games are really art, or instead a picture which creates violence, laziness, sexism, and more. This article discusses how this debate has been going on for many years, since the beginning of the twentieth century spurring from things such as Marcel Duchcamp’s ready-made art. The significance of this authors article is it shows us the difficulty in defining the realm of art. The question that comes up again and again, what is art? One of the many arguments used to justify video games as a type of art is self-expression. While developing a games the creators allow parts of their own lives, of them selves to be captivated within that game, much like many other artist due with their paintings, photography, poems, etc. These games have the “potential and ability to change the way we look at the world,” the intention of most every form of art.

            In the article, “Computer Graphics: Effect of Origin” we are opened up to how videogames have become a form of art. The aesthetics and part of the artist that goes into creating these games are like any other artists contributions to their art, thus should be considered nothing but art. The only difference with video games and conventional forms of art is the ability for gamers to become one with the game, by playing and controlling the characters, they get to manipulate the art with their every movement, whereas with other art you can manipulate it with your mind. In both articles it is discussed how people can enjoy art and video games in the same reasons, both forms bringing us pleasure, both engaging our minds, and both something to be inspired by.

 

The Aritist with google

Spirituality

 For me religion and spirituality often go hand and hand. Some believe that the two terms have opposite roots, opposite meanings. To be a religious person you must also be a spiritual person. Both concepts connect faith and the belief of some higher being, of some divine meaning. I feel religion and spirituality both are focused around faith around believing there is a purpose for life and hoping to fulfill that purpose while eventually transcending to an after life. 

As I said I believe that spirituality and religion can be closely related and with religion come spirituality. I do acknowledge the fact the religion is not the only way to be part of a higher reality which can come solely with spirituality. Spirituality and religion both embrace a sense connection. With religion that connection is often related with worshiping a God (each religions form of God unique) with spirituality can be a strong connection with nature, with oneself. Both religion and spirituality are there to see life as having a greater purpose and thus are inherently the same but can include many personal and individual differences and beliefs. 

Creativity is an inner process which produces unique ideas, thoughts, feelings, and beliefs. There are so many forms of creativity and each person is creative in there own way, thus it is nearly impossible to define the term. What often sets a creative person apart is that they have the ability to take those ideas, thoughts, and feeling and create something with them, bring them to reality often creating unique works of art. Those works of art can range from a stunning piece of art work, to a delicate plate of food, to an advance piece of technology, or to a photo sitting on ones camera. 

It is a process in our minds which is rooted from something deeper, how we produce those ideas is the magic to creativity because one will really never know. Creativity is sparked from passion, from drive, from self-determination, or from simply sorting through our thoughts. The source of creativity is unique to each person, what sparks each ones idea is something we find intriguing, fascinating and thus stimulates our minds brings our ideas to reality. 

The Appeal of Horror

The Appeal of Horror

Article 1:

“Horror movies make humans stress….”. Prauda. Retrieved May 11, 2008. From http://english.pravda.ru/science/health/03-11-2006/85372-horror_movies-0

"People enjoy deviations from the norm - a change of pace, within limits" (McAndrew). There are many different perceptions of the rationales for the thrill humans get from horror movies. Each author has their own theories of why, yet many of them seem to intertwine.  This article about how horror movies make humans stress resistant, and thus improves our health has a unique theory. Rather then discussing experiences, psychological effects, or pleasure this article brushes on the internal muscular, neural, and circulatory responses our body experiences during times of fear. The author who is unknown discusses the stimulation our brain goes through when fear is evoked in us. He presents the theories of physiologist Frank Mcandrews and quotes "We're motivated to seek out this kind of stimulation to explore new possibilities..” explaining the thrill many of us feel when we are watching a horror film.

            I tend to agree with this authors rationale though I do not reject the others. We all have felt the reactions our bodies undergo when viewing a horror film, like the author explains our heart races, our head pounds, and our palms sweat, we undergo feelings of anxiety, yet that particular feeling is one we often thrive for. Each of the authors of this article of Carroll’s and Gaut’s articles offer some explanation for the pleasure we feel towards horror films. Carroll quotes that “horror thrives above all as a narrative form” discussing the staged presentation of the monster. I can agree with many of Carrol’s and Gaut’s assumptions or reasoning’s yet the author of this article takes a completlety different route, discussing fear through stimuli and explaining how that is key for many cognitive therapies.

Article 2:

Klus, Helen. “Why do we enjoy horror films”. Ezine articles. Retrieved May 11, 2008. From http://ezinearticles.com/?Why-Do-We-Enjoy-Horror-Films?&id=1060951

            I chose this next article by Helen Klus because it helps to clarify the theories of both Carroll and Gaut, and well as offering her own insight. Klus starts by explaining Carroll’s co-existentialist theory and then goes on by comparing it to Gaut’s theories. She makes sure to critically analyze each theory expressing their pros and cons. She criticizes Carroll for only providing one theory of why people enjoy horror. Klus also briefly brushes on the thoughts of Rosemary Jackson who speaks about the roots of horror and the effect horror has on a society. I felt that Klus was un-biased in her writing and tried to provide us with many sources and theories to explain ones thrill with horror.

            In this article you can clearly see the insights and sense of disagreement felt between the two authors (Carroll and Gaut). The question that comes up is, who is right? Is there one theory that explains our desire to view horror? Is the rationale for viewing horror and individual sensations? Clearly it partially is some people do not enjoy horror at all, how our those peoples physiological makeup different from the ones who get a thrill out of viewing horrific (fictional) events. How is it that just knowing that a horror film is fictional has a completely different effect on us then if we were to watch real film of the horrific events that many of the movies depict, even though some of the fictional depictions could actually be closely related to reality in some cases? 

Adorning Myself

Adorning Myself

            We all participate in the act of creating assumptions about someone by their appearance, whether we create them subconsciously or not, whether we are open minded, or non-judgmental people. Often the assumptions we create are the mere opposite of what that person you are assuming about really is. We wonder is that person dressing, adorning their body that way for a reason, do they want to display a message, to attract attention, or are the simply just wearing what the are wearing for no reason at all? I think to myself if someone was watching me, what would their assumptions be? Is the way I dress creating a false perception, or a true one?

            When I think about how I dress and adorn myself I don’t often believe I put much thought into it. I don’t dress to display a message, or to attract attention. Then when I really think about it, the way one dresses, adorns oneself is a form of self expression, contributes to the person you are. I realize that I do consciously choose to dress one way and not another. For example not a single thing I own displays a brand, and I am not exactly sure why that is. I suppose for the reasoning of not wanting to be viewed a certain way because of a brand of clothing. That rationale is peculiar to me because it seems it would come from my own thoughts when I see one dressed in a certain brand, yet I don’t often see my self making to many assumptions based solely on the label ones shirt displays. I choose to try and stay away from certain things that have become fads many times because I simply don’t like the product and other times because I don’t want to conform into a society where you must wear one thing in order to be viewed a certain way, also because I value uniqueness. I wear a cross around my neck while I am not the most religious person, it shows that religion is an important value of mine. I have a facial person yet I don’t think that reflects any of my values of beliefs merely something I just did because I was akin to. I realize that many of my beliefs are reflected and expressed with what I wear; yet thinking about it changes the way I will create assumptions about another. Though you can predict certain things about an individual based on there clothing and body adornment, it does not make up the whole of that individual and there is much more to a person then what you can assume based solely on their style.  Though my personal style had changed over the years it has never changed for any particular reason, but changed because what I could choose from had changed.

            I try to think of how my family’s core beliefs and values are reflected through there clothing, and not much comes to mind. My family always had a large emphasis on religion throughout my childhood, thus going to a catholic school, uniforms were required. Maybe not necessarily a direct example of how my families’ beliefs were shown in their appearance, but it shows how with religion often comes conformity expressed through uniforms.  My parents own there own business so they always valued success and professionalism.  I feel the way they dressed and maintained their personal images was the key to their success, and thus had influenced my perception on distinguishing a motivated, professional individual through they way they dress.  Though my family focused on religion, success, professionalism, my three sisters and I were never pushed to dress a certain way. My family also valued expression thus we were allowed to dress and choose how we adorned ourselves, which in essence was influenced by how we were raised. I believe that ones a attire in influenced by their values, and many of those values are influenced by how one was raised.

            I don’t think that it is simple to pinpoint the values of my peers and my community.  Each of my peer’s values differs greatly, though there are some similarities there seems to be more differences. Yet there is the underlying similarity of values and personality being expressed through dress and body adornment. Many of my peers value morals, which is shown through their more modest form of dressing. I sit here and try to think of other values and beliefs that are expressed through clothing and I draw a blank. Though I do believe that dress does in some senses express who you are, I believe that with such vast differences in values, morals, and beliefs of each individual you cannot pinpoint the core values and depict how their dress and body adornment express that. Each person within a community is unique thus each will express those values in different ways whether it be the clothes they wear, they makeup they put on, the hairstyle they choose, or the tattoos and piercing they get. 

Edible Edification

 Atkinson discusses the controversies of art and food. He explains how cooking is a lot like building, which in many senses is a form of art. He brings up the rebuttal of many critiques that because food is eaten, that it cannot be a form of art, because they beauty that once existed simply disappears. He presents us with just how architects create a building; chefs transform something editable into beauty. Atikson shows us that food is really more then something that satisfies our taste, but can have a true aesthetic beauty.

            Elizabeth Telfar expla

Is Food Art?

“The act of eating engages all senses as well as the mind.” Can food truly be art, a question that arises in today’s modern views of art? A blog by Susan Smillie presents that very question. Smillie introduces the notion of food as art by discussing the controversy around the invitation of a renowned chef, Ferran Adria, to a prestigious German art show. Many critiques said it was a disgrace to view food as art, because food is merely a crowd pleaser.  Smillie refutes the arguments in many thought provoking ways. She discusses how any reputable artist is influenced by his or her critiques, much like a chef, and thus how there work is as much art as any art.

            Smillie explains how “art is work that moves individuals,” bringing up many of the same notions that Kosymer discusses in her book The meaning of Taste. Kosymer illustrates the many symbolic meanings of food, and how those symbols are very much a part of art. She discusses not only how the shapes of food have an underlying art, but the aesthetics of taste, each of which can move an individual in many ways. We all value our sense of taste and if that were taken away wouldn’t that have a profound affect, a moving affect?

The act of eating engages all of the senses, as well as the mind” (Similie). A quote that cannot be easily argued with, and which Kosymer explains through the story of a father recognizing his daughter’s love through the sensation of tast. Our taste buds create sensations far beyond what we know, emotions that we wouldn’t expect, much like any other form of art. Our taste has a considerable effect on our minds, both which Smillie and Kosymer perceive as part of the beauty of food. 

Smillie, Susan. (2007, May). Is food Art?. The Observer, Food Monthly (online blog). Retrived April 24th, 2008 from http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/food/2007/05/theatre_of_food.html

Life values assessment

When creating this list I was sure what was to be by number one, wisdom. Without wisdom I feel no other value would matter, but when looking back on my day, I realize that wisdom was in fact not a large part of it and regrettably so. I went through my day waking up in the morning, going to work, and completing homework without any real thought of why I was doing those things. I did not think of how I was able to do them, and why I was given the opportunity. Even though wisdom was not a large part of my specific activities today and has been largely apart of my life at other points, and has shaped the person I am today. Without a personal understanding of myself and a sense of my goals in life, then none of my daily activities would have meaning thus I would experience an entirely different life. Because my family is largely the reason for my religious and personal beliefs they have constituted each one of these values in my daily life.

Service was on my top five list of values, and though I have been involved in many forms of service before, it is not a part of my everyday life. Service can come in any forms big, small, and whatever the form it is something I wish I would take a second each day and think about more. I have yet to involve the level of service I wish to have contributed to this far in my life. The only thing standing in the way of that goal and any other goal I may have is solely myself. I believe that one can do anything one sets there mind to, and there should be no excuses or obstacles standing in your way. If I believed otherwise then it would simply refute many of my life values including integrity, wisdom, etc. I believe that God will not make a mountain that you cannot climb, thus if I stated objects that were standing in the way of my goals, I would be invalidating my own beliefs. Though  I do not involve each one of my values in my everyday life, they are always there, and I am the only person standing in my way of those values. Sometimes we live life to quickly and don't slow down enough to realize what is around us, what our values are, what are rational for our action or therefore lack of action are. Wisdom

Family

Integrity

security

service

health

community

loyalty

friendship

enjoyment

creativity

independence

personal accomplishment

personal development

leadership

expertness

prestige

wealth

location

power

Paris Hilton changing the world.

http://jenbrea.typepad.com/africabeat/2007/10/paris-hilton--1.html

This blog directs one to the frightening level our media has reduced its self to. Paris Hilton taking her show to Rwanda, to what save the destitute dying children? No doubt that continent of Africa has its problems, but the issues it faces have merely become fads. We no longer see the real issues being addressed instead we are blinded by such things as Paris Hilton taking her hit reality show to Rwanda. Is seeing someone like Paris Hilton lending a helping hand supposed to motivate the rest of the world? Yet we cannot put the blame on Paris Hilton and her producers alone for the uneducated information we receive about Africa, the blame can be spread out to Hollywood in general. Films such as Hotel Rwanda, Blood Diamond, etc. show the horrors that those particular places in Africa have been burdened with. You are brought to tears and sickened by the things you see. At the end of these films you walk away with the feeling that the entire Continent is hopeless, that the horrors you just heard retold still exist, when in fact many of the films you watch about Africa are exactly the opposite. As the blog says Rwanda is one of the safest countries in Africa and on its way to be one of the most economically sound countries is Africa as well. Though these films do educate us on history that we should all be aware of, given the fact that 800,000 lost their lives. Since then Rwanda has seen promising economic gains and the country remains at peace. Its scary to think that thousands of people will be watching Paris Hilton every Tuesday try to live the "povern destitute terrifying" life of a Rwandan, when we could be focusing on the current issue of say Dar fur a region of Sudan that is experiencing one of the worst mass killings, genocide, of the 21st century. We should be educating ourselves on the horrifying acts of the Sudan government supplying weapons to the Janjaweed in order to carry out a systematic killing of their own people. Or say protesting the Olympics that will be held in Beijing China because of their economic tie they have to Sudan and the support they are giving to the government to ensure their oil supply will not be affected. Though media does reach out to many that would otherwise be uninformed, the intentions and methods of informing need to be reevaluated.