I found this weeks readings interesting because they where on a topic that we see every day; public art, but possibly do not take into consideration what went into getting that piece of art or deciding what it should be and where. I liked one quote from the Doss reading, “ public art is as diverse as the people who view it.” I understand this to be true for a few reasons. We as people interpret things in life based on our background, culturally, economically, and personally. Someone may view a piece of public art as offensive based on their values or ideologies while someone else may find it inspiring.

I feel that something public art does is create an identity for a space and this is why there can be controversy over what is used as public art, it creates the feel and can represent the values of a area. People who see it everyday would like to feel connected to the piece otherwise it would not hold much value. Many pieces of public art represent a time in a places history or an event that helped shape a community. Doss states, “ public needs, public participation and public responses are all key to the making and meaning of today’s public art.” I took this as a way for societies to increase civic engagement, which can strengthen a society and lead to many societal gains. The more people feel the need and want to be involved in their communities decisions and events the stronger a community will be. Public art acts as a space for civic engagement, it asks the question, what are our values and how are they represented in this piece of art? Doss also mentions that an “increasing number of Americans who want to see their cultural interests represented in the public sphere.” People want their values and cultural interests to be known and even more they want them to be supported, they want others to want to engage with them over these values. Public art is also a way for people to connect over culture, it is a way to spark

I had a l lot of trouble getting my image to upload onto this page, also I could not get Picasa to work for me so my image was emailed to our instructor.

This assignment was very fun and I found myself taking into account many ideas throughout the term that we have explored and discussed, for example the article re read a few sections ago, Art for Art’s Sake came into my mind when thinking about what words/ images describe an artist. The article stated “third, that id accounts for the fact that art is a psychologcal or emotional need and has psychological or emotional effects.” I feel that this emotional and psychological need is important for artists and their creations. the ten words that came to mind for me where, curious,innovative, perserverance, playful, passionate, visual, bold, imaginative, spiritual,intense. For me these are combination of what an artist is and the ones I chose for my image were playful, curious, passionate, perseverance, visual and imaginative. I chose these to represent my ten because the images I found were descriptive. overall I feel this assignment  was a compilation of this terms ideas in art form.

During this weeks readings and media examples the main theme the idea that copyright laws can hinder peoples creative abilities as well as the current generations learning style. Larry lessing speaks to this during his ted talk, he expresses that the current generation has chosen the digital world to further understand culture and communication, he says it is their form of language and transportation of knowledge in a way so by laws being enforced to stop this action of the remix culture in media it is hindering their creativity. Also in the article by lessing for this week he states that we need more of this type of learning and creating, where we take ideas and expand on them, even if they are not our own, it is away we can express ourselves. However unfortunately as Lessing states this is not as often of a practice as RO, which is one that does not necessarily ask for a creative mind. Overall I feel that copy right laws are put in place for a reason ad that is to protect the original creator and give them credit for their original works however I also feel that many times when we want to remix something arleady created it is not because we want to copy it, it is because we admire the work and are inspired by it, we want to complement the artist as well as the creation by adding our own ideas into the mix.

When reading the article :computer Graphics: Effects of Origins” I found the thesis to be “old cultural patterns do not die. They may fade or become more evident; that is, they may be deemphasized or emphasized. Only as part of the general ‘nonexpert’ culture can such patterns contribute significantly to maintenance and/or change [4].” (Jones 21).

Jones expresses a few different examples of historical events that are relevant to this and one that I found was especially interesting was about the evolution of the primary form of computer imagery. The article explained that in the early years of computer imagery everything was two dimensional and then moving onto the 1970s the imagery shifted to three dimensional along with increased memory. Revealing the evolution of computer imagery going from something so simple to what it is today, a machine that can create images as well as we can see them with our eyes, computers have the ability to create depth, color, shading, and even movement. I feel this does support the thesis of the article, it shoes that the computer imagery evolution is one that has been a continuing process and one that will likely never be done, we are constantly asking what next and emphasizing its importance.

When I think about this thesis and relate it to my daily life in relation to technology I know it is true however specifically for the technology we have come to rely on, our phones. They started out being connected to a wall and in a way keeping us in place. Mobile phones allow us to be anywhere and be available. The evolution of the mobile phone has been for maximum efficiency and convenience. What use to be simply for communication is now that but so much more, there are multiple modalities of communication on phones now that let us choose which type is most effective for the task at hand. We took something that we discovered is essential to pour society and its progression. The use of mobile/smart phones is now a necessity in everyday life and it will also not stop being tinkered with because society will always be changing and require new technologies.

After watching the TED talk posted for this weeks materials I have to say I am skeptical. I see and understand the fact that yes there are a ton of gamers who are dedicated and determined and optimistic about saving their gaming world or gaining an ” epic win” as she called it  but this is the issue for me, these people are obsessed with the gaming world and I feel generally disconnected or uninterested in issues / finding solutions to the real world. Are the skills the speaker says these individuals have really ones that can translate to real issues and problem solving?

1.  I define spirituality as a connection of the mind body and spirit. Spirituality has been defined as a form or religiousness however I beige that one does not need to practice any certain religion to call themself spiritual. Spirituality in my opinion can an effort to form a deeper connection to your life or to live with an  intention day in and day out. I feel that spirituality for a person can mean many different things, one could believe in a higher power but not necessarily define this as a form of religion.

2. I do feel that spirituality can differ from religion, I have never been a religious person or part of a family that practices religion but I do have a sense of spirituality. like I said previously can be a deeper connection to your own life and the meaning of it. Religion and spirituality may have some similarities though, both act as a guide for peoples life and actions however spirituality gives more room for ones creativity and personal values to act as the guide where as religion may have more ridged expectations and practices. The main difference in my opinion is that religion is more structured who spirituality is dependent on the individual and their desire and values.

3. Creativity in my opinion is ones ability to rebel from the norms of society and and create new methods, ideas, artistic creations of personal views that are less traditional and possibly more abstract on form. Creativity is something that is highly valued in society, in many institutions to have a sense of creativity is also a sign of success, our society strives to find innovative individuals. without creativity we would never progress and make new assumptions. Our expectations would plateau and. One can be creative in ,any ways, weather it is in art, lifestyle,thought process`or the creation of physical things but they are all an exception from traditional they are original pieces and views.

4. In my opinion the source of creativity comes from ones passion, with passion one will find or discover their inspiration to create and be innovative. I cant think of any one time I have felt my creativity flow when working on something I am not passionate about, because then my goal is to finish a project, however when I am working on something I am passionate about I want to discover new limits to it and create something new and exciting, I want to push past previous personal records by taking what I know and adding onto it.

This weeks reading focused on the idea of art and spirituality. The article emphasized the difference between seeing deeply and simply looking or observing. Grey states “To see deeply and to understand are different from mere looking or observation. In order to experience art fully viewers must go through a mini ego death by placing themselves in the inspired mind of the artists, who themselves are out of their minds and only acting as channels of creative spirit” (74). I have never been one to truly understand art and differentiate between different styles and their meanings. I remember being in Europe and touring the Luovre, I was much younger and walked quickly by most of the art, trying to find the ones with animals in them. My parents would spend time at each painting or sculpture in awe of it. I feel this course has given me an appreciation for the creation of art and especially this article has opened my eyes to what truly goes into a piece of art; the artists heart soul, sweat and devotion. I can relate to this type of determination through sports, that has always been my devotion. This article pointed out the importance of inspiration and how inspiration is what drives art and its creation it drives the artist to find the breath that will breath life into their art. I feel this and the idea of deeply seeing and understanding art is something that all people should find, weather it be a physical prices of art or the art of practice. As an athlete I can connect with the feeling and understanding of putting all you have into your end goal, art for me is similar in that way. To really appreciate art for hat it is you must deeply understand how it came to be and what passion created it.

This URL will take you to a trailer for a documentary that came out about a year ago that discusses our cultures fascination with horror. It explores the question why horror? why do are we drawn to something so brutal and gross? what i found interesting in this club was the fact that the brought up the idea of horror in our everyday life. For example when we watch the news and hear/ watch clips of shootings or war tragedies how is this different from enjoying the gore of a horror film?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fVAIV8huRyE

This photo is of an advertisement for a show that has recently become very popular; it is a horror show but how they create it is unique; each season is a new storyline, still horror but they shift their  focus and their horror arena. They have filmed seasons about a haunted house, an asylum, a freak show and many other aspects of life that can be normal but when thought of in a horror sense it is truly terrifying. Again I wonder why we like seeing these types of things that can be related to translated to our own life?

This week the class material taught me that digetic sound is sound whose source is visible on the screen or whose source is implied to be present by the action of the film, this could be voices of characters or sound coming from something like a door shutting or music from a band that is shown on the screen. Non -digetic sound can be a narrators commentary or sound effects, something that is not visible on the screen but heard. I also learned that mise en scene is anything props or costume, or makeup, even lighting that has been chosen to exentuate the scene. I noticed the use of diegetic sound in the episode of buffy a few times however an example would be when buffy and her friend are chatting after class about her dream during the lecture. I noticed the use of non digetic sound suring the theme song, actions and events were extenuated through the music even though the voices were muted as well as all other sounds except for the theme music, this acted as the drama behind the actions. Mise en scene was utilized during the scene where the vampires( or bad guys) were destroyed, the use of makeup and lighting created the feel of the scene.

When getting dressed in the morning I do not actively consider my beliefs and values while deciding on an outfit, however I know a part of my subconscious acts on my beliefs and values through my actions and choices day in and day out. I believe that the way I dress does say something about my beliefs/ values. On any given school day I tend to wear a very similar outfit; exercise attire and usually the color black, this is sue to my job, as a fitness instructor I usually have clients before or between or after my classes so I like to be ready to go. Even though I dress the way I do for the most part due to my job I also feel that it reflects my values. I have to feel comfortable to feel and be confident and I have realized I feel the most comfortable and confident in clothing I can move freely in and that is not constricting. This ties into my belief that people should feel comfortable in their own skin and whatever makes you feel your best will make you look and act your best. I believe this has changed over the years in that I use to think I should dress with the latest style and keep up with fashion trends to feel confident and good about how I looked, but now I realize when I am constantly trying to figure out what looks trendy or fashionable I end up earing things and presenting myself in a way that does not feel natural, it feels foreign and therefore I don’t act in a way that makes me feel true to myself. I feel my family has shaped some of these values and patterns; my family has never stressed fashion forward dress, casual comfortable wear has always been accepted and practiced. This use to frustrate me, I felt I needed to dress ‘better’ or that my family should be more fashionable but now I understand it would not match their and our values. My family has always been very laid back and easy going in all aspects. They more stressed doing your best and doing what made you happy. Specifically relating to dress, my family would always tell me to dress appropriate and modest. I have never felt very comfortable in clothes that would not be considered modest in most areas of life; I think this is due to the fact that my family set their values in the idea that is not necessary to draw that kind of attention to oneself.

I feel my peer community has a mixed bag of beliefs and values however the overall dress is represented together. I feel there is a certain dress code that has been laid down by the student body that consists of comfortable/casual clothing and lots of U of O paraphernalia. I feel we represent our campus community and school pride by wearing u of o gear regularly; it reinstates our connection, school spirit and pride in our school and its activities. There are also some subcultures to this campus lifestyle, athletes represent their individual or team sports with team issued backpacks and team gear, this is another way values are represented, and dedication to their sport and school. Also, some departments offer hats, sweatshirts and clothing so that the members can feel a connection to a smaller group they identify with. There is also a mix of body representations aside form the school related community. Our campus has a much different feel once the weekend some around, when people gather together in their social settings the dress gets more casual or even less (clothing wise) after dark especially the dress code seems much more provocative, people want to show their creative side with their dress and extenuate their body assets. This, for me causes some confusion, If I am partaking in a social setting over the weekend I of course want to follow the common dress code, like I said before this is not my most comfortable self so I usually feel like the odd one out, a lot of this has to do with the feeling I will get when I see the same people out at night then in class the next day. I don’t want to see my classmates in provocative wear then be in a professional setting the next day, it is uncomfortable. I feel the values of weekend wear and the ones of day -time class wear differ, but it is all the same people so I wonder if there is just a middle ground or if people generally mask their values or shift them depending on the community they are with.