12.1.2014
Notes on the reading: Corner: Agency of Mapping
-The whole reading was confusing. Our group found the wordiness and excessive use of large words to be irritating. Furthermore, it complicated the understanding of the writers ideas, and what they were trying to explain just because it was hard for the readers to process. Upon discussion in our group, I realized that I think this was maybe intentional. Either way, it was frustrating to read.
List of ten methods of mapping:
-activity map/graph
-sound map
-physical map (documentation of paths/your route)
-surveying
-
System of Mapping my "domestic space"
I wanted to create a series of activity maps/graphs that show what my time is divided among when I am at home. Not what is literally in the space, nor what I use on a daily basis, but what my time is spent doing in this space.
Notes on the reading: Corner: Agency of Mapping
-The whole reading was confusing. Our group found the wordiness and excessive use of large words to be irritating. Furthermore, it complicated the understanding of the writers ideas, and what they were trying to explain just because it was hard for the readers to process. Upon discussion in our group, I realized that I think this was maybe intentional. Either way, it was frustrating to read.
List of ten methods of mapping:
-activity map/graph
-sound map
-physical map (documentation of paths/your route)
-surveying
-
System of Mapping my "domestic space"
I wanted to create a series of activity maps/graphs that show what my time is divided among when I am at home. Not what is literally in the space, nor what I use on a daily basis, but what my time is spent doing in this space.
11.12.2014
"Occupy Wall Street: Student Loans"
I was moved by this video, just because I have received similar criticism when discussing my choice of profession/my degree. Especially concerning the financial dilemma with choosing to be an art major, even more so, an art educator. I received an academic scholarship to attend the school I got my associate's degree from -a full-tuition scholarship. Thus, I could have chosen something that I completed in two years and complete my career with no debt/student loans. My sister went to the same school, no scholarship, but completed a degree in Nursing (in two years) and completely paid off her loans within five. The first time I met with an advisor, I had a similar experience that the woman interviewed in this video had. The advisor was reading over my transcripts, discussing how promising everything looked, etc. When we began the registration process and she asked what major I was selecting -Art & Design, needless to say, threw her off. I was asked "if I was prepared to live off of that income," or ultimately what my plan was, "why I would take out loans for THAT?" etc. Art is something I feel very passionately about. I know that gets said a lot, but to me the capability to succeed academically and regurgitate information is not nearly as impressive as being able to create something. Art, music, etc. has always been much "higher" on my list of priorities, and even though I am capable of entering the health profession, I can ace a placement exam, I am good at math, etc... The possibility of a career in anything else never crossed my mind.
So fast forward: I'm working on my current degree, $30,000 taken out in student loans my first year, but I am happy. I was kind of alarmed by the girl in the video's lack of passion or defense in her choice of major. I did not necessarily agree with her protesting the loan aspect, because it is something she would have been aware of going into school. But in terms of the reporter questioning her choices, I wish she had spoken in defense of her degree a little more.
"Occupy Wall Street: Student Loans"
I was moved by this video, just because I have received similar criticism when discussing my choice of profession/my degree. Especially concerning the financial dilemma with choosing to be an art major, even more so, an art educator. I received an academic scholarship to attend the school I got my associate's degree from -a full-tuition scholarship. Thus, I could have chosen something that I completed in two years and complete my career with no debt/student loans. My sister went to the same school, no scholarship, but completed a degree in Nursing (in two years) and completely paid off her loans within five. The first time I met with an advisor, I had a similar experience that the woman interviewed in this video had. The advisor was reading over my transcripts, discussing how promising everything looked, etc. When we began the registration process and she asked what major I was selecting -Art & Design, needless to say, threw her off. I was asked "if I was prepared to live off of that income," or ultimately what my plan was, "why I would take out loans for THAT?" etc. Art is something I feel very passionately about. I know that gets said a lot, but to me the capability to succeed academically and regurgitate information is not nearly as impressive as being able to create something. Art, music, etc. has always been much "higher" on my list of priorities, and even though I am capable of entering the health profession, I can ace a placement exam, I am good at math, etc... The possibility of a career in anything else never crossed my mind.
So fast forward: I'm working on my current degree, $30,000 taken out in student loans my first year, but I am happy. I was kind of alarmed by the girl in the video's lack of passion or defense in her choice of major. I did not necessarily agree with her protesting the loan aspect, because it is something she would have been aware of going into school. But in terms of the reporter questioning her choices, I wish she had spoken in defense of her degree a little more.
11.12.2014
Michael Taussig: "I'm So Angry I Made A Sign"
"They piss on us and call it trickle down"
"I awoke in a sweat from the American Dream"
"I can hire one half of the working class
to kill the other." -Jay Gould
"Wall Street is the architectural representation of what Karl Marx called “M-M,”3 meaning money making money, meaning finance capital of which credit default swaps are the ultimate expression of the moneylenders that Christ drove from the temple."
" But try to be a young artist impassioned by art—something you could die for—if you don’t have a trust fund or your parents aren’t rich
with connections in the art world. I dare you. The humiliation. The slime. The eating away of self-confidence. Do anything—anything at all—to survive."
" Nobody is more hopelessly enslaved than those who believe they are free"
" many engaged in polite but strenuous political, philosophical, and theological debate: Mutual Responsibility Come Chat With Us"
" I think they got it wrong. We’ve been occupied for years. This occupation is de-occupation"
Michael Taussig: "I'm So Angry I Made A Sign"
"They piss on us and call it trickle down"
"I awoke in a sweat from the American Dream"
"I can hire one half of the working class
to kill the other." -Jay Gould
"Wall Street is the architectural representation of what Karl Marx called “M-M,”3 meaning money making money, meaning finance capital of which credit default swaps are the ultimate expression of the moneylenders that Christ drove from the temple."
" But try to be a young artist impassioned by art—something you could die for—if you don’t have a trust fund or your parents aren’t rich
with connections in the art world. I dare you. The humiliation. The slime. The eating away of self-confidence. Do anything—anything at all—to survive."
" Nobody is more hopelessly enslaved than those who believe they are free"
" many engaged in polite but strenuous political, philosophical, and theological debate: Mutual Responsibility Come Chat With Us"
" I think they got it wrong. We’ve been occupied for years. This occupation is de-occupation"
11.5.2014
Francis Alys:
-Belgian-born architect
-Lived in Mexico City since the 80's
-"explored street life."
What is the environment? The streets of the city, themselves were the setting for Alys' performance pieces. Physically, the streets. Social, the "ambulantes" and the people who wandered the streets. And economically, the "informal" economy of the vendors and peddlers.
The artist is reacting to these ambulances and vendors.
His form of reaction is to create his own idea of carts and to draw attention to these workers/wanderers.
Francis Alys:
-Belgian-born architect
-Lived in Mexico City since the 80's
-"explored street life."
What is the environment? The streets of the city, themselves were the setting for Alys' performance pieces. Physically, the streets. Social, the "ambulantes" and the people who wandered the streets. And economically, the "informal" economy of the vendors and peddlers.
The artist is reacting to these ambulances and vendors.
His form of reaction is to create his own idea of carts and to draw attention to these workers/wanderers.
10.29.2014
"Tom Finkelpearl - Interview: Mierle Laderman Ukeles on Maintenance and Sanitation Art"
-Do you make art to make art?
-Does your art need to cater to a specific type of person?
"Tom Finkelpearl - Interview: Mierle Laderman Ukeles on Maintenance and Sanitation Art"
-Do you make art to make art?
-Does your art need to cater to a specific type of person?
10.27.14
"Helen Molesworth (2003) - The artist as manager and worker: The artist creates and completes a task"
"Helen Molesworth (2003) - The artist as manager and worker: The artist creates and completes a task"
10.15.2014
"Constructing A Theory: Terms and Relations"
This selection of text was a preface to his next entry, entitled "Index." Which is a phrase/idea that he developed as an outlet to the words he felt are often used in the study of art and it's anthropology, but have a "prior institutional definition," or "recognition" associated with them. Words such as, "work of art," "art object," or "artwork." Gell feels these words limit the anthropology of art, and that "if it is to be distinguished from the sociology of art, it cannot restrict it's scope to 'official' art institutions or only recognized works of art. He also mentioned that the "work of art" status can only be discussed in terms of art theory, and again, that the words limit the idea of anthropology exploring social relationships: how "objects merge with people," how relations exist "between persons and things," and "persons with persons via things." -His definition of art anthropology. Avoiding these words is a difficult thing to do, and Gell acknowledges how he does not believe that even he will be able to do so. But his resolution is to employ the term "index," and not to use those words in a categorical way -when to say something is an "art object" and when it's not.
"Constructing A Theory: Terms and Relations"
This selection of text was a preface to his next entry, entitled "Index." Which is a phrase/idea that he developed as an outlet to the words he felt are often used in the study of art and it's anthropology, but have a "prior institutional definition," or "recognition" associated with them. Words such as, "work of art," "art object," or "artwork." Gell feels these words limit the anthropology of art, and that "if it is to be distinguished from the sociology of art, it cannot restrict it's scope to 'official' art institutions or only recognized works of art. He also mentioned that the "work of art" status can only be discussed in terms of art theory, and again, that the words limit the idea of anthropology exploring social relationships: how "objects merge with people," how relations exist "between persons and things," and "persons with persons via things." -His definition of art anthropology. Avoiding these words is a difficult thing to do, and Gell acknowledges how he does not believe that even he will be able to do so. But his resolution is to employ the term "index," and not to use those words in a categorical way -when to say something is an "art object" and when it's not.
10.15.2014
Archeologist Discover Unidentified Objects Dating back to the 2000's.
"What the team and myself discovered is an object that appears to be a form of transportation from this time. It is bright green in color (to blend in to the landscape, perhaps?) and has lots of labeling/decals on it. What continues to perplex us, is the scale of this object. It is smaller than could be used for human life, but we have also ruled it out as being a toy: as children (even at this time) would have had technology centered entertainment. The decal on the top of the form resembles an arachnid/spider of sorts -maybe associated with a character at this time. The paint is an unrecognized medium -much different from any we use today, and appears to coat the form made of an outdated, unsafe plastic material.
Archeologist Discover Unidentified Objects Dating back to the 2000's.
"What the team and myself discovered is an object that appears to be a form of transportation from this time. It is bright green in color (to blend in to the landscape, perhaps?) and has lots of labeling/decals on it. What continues to perplex us, is the scale of this object. It is smaller than could be used for human life, but we have also ruled it out as being a toy: as children (even at this time) would have had technology centered entertainment. The decal on the top of the form resembles an arachnid/spider of sorts -maybe associated with a character at this time. The paint is an unrecognized medium -much different from any we use today, and appears to coat the form made of an outdated, unsafe plastic material.
10.14.2014
Response to" The Problem Defined: The Need For An Anthropology of Art," by Alfred Gell 1998:
Response to" The Problem Defined: The Need For An Anthropology of Art," by Alfred Gell 1998:
10.13.2014
Movie Critiques:
"When We Were Kings"
-T: This film provided a small insight into the life of Muhammed Ali; including, memorable fights, direct quotes, criticism he received, and interviews/opinions from family members and close associates. I would not recommend it to others, nor did I find it entertaining. I did not appreciate a lot of the remarks made by a lot of the commentators, and did not like the seemingly random selection of clips/arrangement of the film.
"Crooked Arrows"
-A: I really enjoyed the portions of this film that I saw. It reflects on the modern pressures that society puts on traditional lifestyles/cultures. In different shots back and forth, we saw reflections from the past, then how different Native American customs are still practiced and kept alive in “present” or near present tense contexts. I would recommend this film to others. Even though the acting was a little generic/cheesy in spots, I think the overall message is shown and can be appreciated by a wide variety of audiences.
Movie Critiques:
"When We Were Kings"
-T: This film provided a small insight into the life of Muhammed Ali; including, memorable fights, direct quotes, criticism he received, and interviews/opinions from family members and close associates. I would not recommend it to others, nor did I find it entertaining. I did not appreciate a lot of the remarks made by a lot of the commentators, and did not like the seemingly random selection of clips/arrangement of the film.
"Crooked Arrows"
-A: I really enjoyed the portions of this film that I saw. It reflects on the modern pressures that society puts on traditional lifestyles/cultures. In different shots back and forth, we saw reflections from the past, then how different Native American customs are still practiced and kept alive in “present” or near present tense contexts. I would recommend this film to others. Even though the acting was a little generic/cheesy in spots, I think the overall message is shown and can be appreciated by a wide variety of audiences.
10.8.2014
Reaction to Brett's Talk/Video Trailer Assignment:
I really enjoyed Brett's talk, and seeing all of the different styles of documentary and film making. I especially enjoyed the film he was making himself that was a "tribute" of sorts to his friend. I think that was a respectful, creative idea of ways to use the bits of film/interview he had -and to honor his friend. In our group's work we are making a fictional piece about an olympic athlete, and documenting her "training," attitudes, and other details about the process.
Reaction to Brett's Talk/Video Trailer Assignment:
I really enjoyed Brett's talk, and seeing all of the different styles of documentary and film making. I especially enjoyed the film he was making himself that was a "tribute" of sorts to his friend. I think that was a respectful, creative idea of ways to use the bits of film/interview he had -and to honor his friend. In our group's work we are making a fictional piece about an olympic athlete, and documenting her "training," attitudes, and other details about the process.
Documentary Film Analysis
Libby Neathery
ARTS 252 -Making and Meaning
"Rick Steves’ Europe: Sevilla"
AUTHORSHIP
-Who made this film?
-What do I need to know about the filmmaker(s) to analyze this film?
Rick Steves and his production company made this film. I think it is important to know that this group produces travel documentaries, covering a vast majority of the continent and different areas of the world. While further researching about the work they do, I found a statement from ricksteves.com that I think best explains their motive for doing so, and what kind of work they do. Steves himself noted that “Our mission is to inspire, inform and equip Americans to have trips that are fun, affordable and culturally broadening. We value travel as a powerful way to better understand and contribute to the world in which we live.”
PURPOSE
-What central questions is the film trying to answer?
-What does the filmmaker want people to know or remember?
-Who is the target audience?
The filmmaker is providing insight to his viewers about areas of interest in Europe; this particular documentary covered Sevilla and Andalusia. He wanted people to note the different cultural aspects of this area, and what makes it a unique place to travel to. The food, dancing, people, religious aspects, history, architecture, etc. His target audience is anyone interested in travel (specifically in Spain/Europe.)
IMPACT
Who might benefit from the messages in this film? Who might be harmed or disadvantaged by them?
What have I learned from this film? Why might the film’s message(s)matter to me?
Not to sound redundant, but anyone interested in travel/interested in the culture of foreign places would benefit from this film. No one would necessarily be harmed or disadvantaged. I learned a lot about the different cultural aspects of Sevilla and Spain from this film. I was interested/choose this particular documentary because I have a friend who was heavily immersed in this culture and shared her passion of it with me -thus, I wanted to learn more about it, and encourage others to watch it as well.
RESPONSE
What kinds of actions might I take in response to this film?
This film does not necessarily have a “call to action” or the intention of persuading the viewer to do anything in response to it. If anything, it solely encourages viewers to learn about different cultures and if they’re planning a trip to include certain stops on it.
Libby Neathery
ARTS 252 -Making and Meaning
"Rick Steves’ Europe: Sevilla"
AUTHORSHIP
-Who made this film?
-What do I need to know about the filmmaker(s) to analyze this film?
Rick Steves and his production company made this film. I think it is important to know that this group produces travel documentaries, covering a vast majority of the continent and different areas of the world. While further researching about the work they do, I found a statement from ricksteves.com that I think best explains their motive for doing so, and what kind of work they do. Steves himself noted that “Our mission is to inspire, inform and equip Americans to have trips that are fun, affordable and culturally broadening. We value travel as a powerful way to better understand and contribute to the world in which we live.”
PURPOSE
-What central questions is the film trying to answer?
-What does the filmmaker want people to know or remember?
-Who is the target audience?
The filmmaker is providing insight to his viewers about areas of interest in Europe; this particular documentary covered Sevilla and Andalusia. He wanted people to note the different cultural aspects of this area, and what makes it a unique place to travel to. The food, dancing, people, religious aspects, history, architecture, etc. His target audience is anyone interested in travel (specifically in Spain/Europe.)
IMPACT
Who might benefit from the messages in this film? Who might be harmed or disadvantaged by them?
What have I learned from this film? Why might the film’s message(s)matter to me?
Not to sound redundant, but anyone interested in travel/interested in the culture of foreign places would benefit from this film. No one would necessarily be harmed or disadvantaged. I learned a lot about the different cultural aspects of Sevilla and Spain from this film. I was interested/choose this particular documentary because I have a friend who was heavily immersed in this culture and shared her passion of it with me -thus, I wanted to learn more about it, and encourage others to watch it as well.
RESPONSE
What kinds of actions might I take in response to this film?
This film does not necessarily have a “call to action” or the intention of persuading the viewer to do anything in response to it. If anything, it solely encourages viewers to learn about different cultures and if they’re planning a trip to include certain stops on it.
9.24.2014
- Alex Ross "Searching For Silence"
9.22.2014
- Jori Finkel "Happenings Are Happening Again."
- "Kaprow... abandoned his flashy Happenings in favor of more intimate pieces he called Activities."
- "What does it mean to restage a Happening, revisiting an event that was meant to be very Zen and present tense?"
- -"Does the artist’s original intention even matter?"
- "One strategy... has been to encourage visitor participation both in the exhibition... and at the various off-site events."
- "the experience of his work as it becomes part of, and lives on in, someone else’s memory.”
- “This kind of work requires a lot of trust,”
9.14.2014
- Miwon Kwon
- "The artists who are trying to do non-object art are introducing a drastic solution to the problem of artists being bought and sold so easily, along with their art."
- "invisible aspects... and 'experiences' are now quantifiable units of measure to gauge economic productivity, growth, and profit."
- artwork operating as "gifts" ... or "unorthodox psychotherapy -a form of healing."
- "different destinies for art..."
9.8.2014
- "Body Works"/Guest Speaker:
- I was really intrigued by the variety of works that my classmates produced for the "body" homework assignment. There was a wide variety of methods/techniques, and so many different approaches to fulfilling the assignment: videos, collages, paintings, drawings, computer illustrations, etc... I also loved hearing everyone's thought process behind what work they created. Often there was a correlation between the "uncomfortable" work and the media usage.
- For my pieces, I tried to think of different ways we use our bodies, and how people perceive our bodies. In this process of thought, I discovered that especially while I'm in school, my body is more so a mode of transportation than anything. So I focused on the legs, the muscles I use everyday, and what positions they are often in. I was comfortable drawing my legs, and illustrating different motions. But for the second work I wanted to elaborate on this, and show the body in motion/at work. I videoed my legs as I rode my bike to class, running up and down stairs, and walking between buildings. I then compiled these different clips, into a video that showed the "transportation" capabilities of the human body.
8.27.2014
-One may come up with a definition of what a particular type of art is to themselves, but those rules do not necessarily apply to everyone's work nor their
idea of what art is.
- Katherine Weir
- "contemporary art's autonomy lies in its insistence on inclusion. Artists frequently point to what is excluded or unseen."
- Art Activism/ an artists' motives:
- This article led me to question what my motive was in my artwork. I know why I create, but I cannot give one definitive reason for what my artwork stands for; if it is in fact, like the examples Weir shared and it speaks for something/someone.
- I am not even certain there is one specific cause I would be comfortable affiliating all of my work with.
- My thoughts were also intrigued by the thought of what system of categorization exists in the art world. What makes something "contemporary art" and who has the ultimate authority in deciding so?
-One may come up with a definition of what a particular type of art is to themselves, but those rules do not necessarily apply to everyone's work nor their
idea of what art is.