May 2015 archive
I do not believe what I created was art. It may look and appear as a piece of art or work but I personally feel it is not. The idea that I took someone else’s work and created a collage does not define my idea behind art. I also feel that there should be a meaning and purpose behind every art piece. Ellen Dissanayake talks about the idea of “there is no appreciation of art without interpretation” (19). What I think she is trying to indicate is that the viewer must see the artwork and interpret what they view with a meaningful eye. What Dennis Dutton discussed in his TED Talk about stemming our views and emotions towards art from our early ancestors, that I do not agree with. I believe we all have innate features and have the upbringing and society that allows us to form our own opinions on judgements on what we feel art is.
Dissanayake, E. (1991). What is art for? In K. C. Caroll (Ed.). Keynote adresses 1991 (NAEA Convention), (pp.15-26). Reston, VA: National Art Education Association.
Dutton, D. (n.d.). Denis Dutton: A Darwinian theory of beauty. Retrieved June 1, 2015, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PktUzdnBqWI
To start the day …. Don’t just study spirituality, live it!! (2014, August 13). Retrieved June 1, 2015, from https://hrexach.wordpress.com/2014/08/13/to-start-the-day-dont-just-study-spirituality-live-it/
Colors Of Nature. (n.d.). Retrieved June 1, 2015, from http://7-themes.com/7001395-colors-of-nature.html
7 Natural Remedies for Allergy Relief | Wellness Mama. (2013, April 4). Retrieved June 1, 2015, from http://wellnessmama.com/8370/allergy-relief-remedies/
What Color Is Your Imagination? (2015, January 17). Retrieved June 1, 2015, from http://www.playbuzz.com/rebeccacampbell10/what-color-is-your-imagination
Steve Cummins Talks – Bring Innovation To Your Life. (2014, December 25). Retrieved June 1, 2015, from http://stevecummins.im/coaching-and-mentoring/steve-cummins-talks-bring-innovation-life/
Copyrighting is to prevent people form utilizing other people’s hard work and calling it their own with the possibility of claiming more fame and attention than the original artist. This restriction on duplicating work is both a privilege and a set back for both parties: the artist and the community. Lawrence Lessig makes a good point at around 17:32 when he starts to talk about the youth being affected by the limitation copyrighting puts on their access to media. He mentions that the youth will grow up in a world where you can’t stop them from accessing media but “drive it underground” (18:00). I feel in a sense, the ability for the older generation to allow the youth to develop the capability to discover all that has been driven “underground” so to speak only enhances their skills to do the exact opposite of what the purpose of hiding the media was for. This develops their capability to develop skills such as hacking and encrypting internet codes.
The example of The Grey Album shows how copyrighting has the ability to diminish the ability of artist to create new works of art from old. Yes I do think that mixing two well-known songs together and calling it your own is a bit far fetched and a little out of the border of completely being someone’s own creation. In the article by Sam Howard-Spink on The Grey Album, he talks about how copyrighting is mainly for artist recognition. I think that the idea of copyright does infringe on one’s ability to be creative and imaginative. It is very helpful in a sense to stimulate ideas from someone else’s work, but then again how did those artist generate their original ideas? I think being able to create a piece that is one hundred percent original is what makes a true artist. At this day and age, anyone has the ability and potential to be a DJ by remixing other people’s hard work and calling it their own.
I think that people should be allowed to use other people’s work if it cannot be recognized as the original piece or make a monetary deal with the original artist or even a compilation with them. I think learning from the people who came before us gives us the ability to grow. In the reading by Lawrence Lessig, he talks about the idea of RW, read and writing culture, and how it does not necessarily always pose as a negative influence (95). The ability to change the way a track or beat sounds may be more innovative than what the creator may have thought of. In a way we learn from “remixing” the old music into new. I think the way the copyright regulations are now should remain the same because I feel we as growing artist should challenge ourselves to innovate new genres of music and mediums for art instead of merely copying from the people before us. It would be helpful for those in the future to look back on what we produce now to give them a reason to want to copy our work. We should definitely take in influences from what we feel and create original media.
Howard-Spink, S. (2005, July 4). Grey Tuesday, online cultural activism and the mash-up of music and politics (originally published in October 2004) | Howard-Spink | First Monday. Retrieved May 28, 2015, from http://firstmonday.org/ojs/index.php/fm/article/view/1460/1375
Lessig, L. (2008). Comparing Cultures. Remix: Making Art and Commerce Thrive in the Hybrid Economy (pp. 84-116). New York: Penguin Press HC, The.
Lessig, L. (2007, March). Laws That Choke Creativity. Retrieved May 28, 2015, from http://www.ted.com/talks/larry_lessig_says_the_law_is_strangling_creativity?language=en#t-1069018
The author’s thesis for her article was to investigate the properties of art forms in technology as their role in our culture today stem from their origins. The fundamentals that these early graphic designers based their work upon were mathematical equations and logarithms. They had the ability to “express it mathematically and to present it visually” (pg. 24).
One example Jones makes on page 23, she brings up the art piece named Stained Glass Windows. Jones describes this as a piece of art graphically designed for aesthetic imagery. The artist attempted to introduce color to enhance the visual appeal on the display screen. He nonetheless set the tone for other graphic designers as there was a chain affect on the usage of color.
Art then moved towards a more digital and pixelated approach. As time progressed, developers integrated textures and three-dimensional figures. A man named Leavitt started to incorporate different art techniques to further enhance the aesthetics.
Some argue that the works of the early graphics that it was not art but originating from mathematical equations and numbers. There was a debate over the idea that this type of art was no different than a machine. Jasia Reichardt added “it is as if behavior were more important than appearance in making us feel that something is alive…it is clear that people have no difficulty in organixing their psychological response as if The Senster were alive-an animal or another human being” (pg.25). I interpret this as we as people are slowly losing the essence of art. We can no longer differentiate between what has been computer generated with no meaning behind it and what art is meaningful and intended on being art rather than an aesthetic posing as art.
Nowadays, graphic images are intended to look as close to real-life as possible. The explosions we see in action movies and falling bridges are so digitally enhanced you would think that had actually happened if you drove to the building that was burning with the damsel in distress trapped on the top floor. These types of images are intended to make the viewer feel as though they were standing in the presence of the situation. In an article by Bruce Campbell, he makes the point that graphical art is more of a scientific approach rather than artistic approach. The idea that they base their images on scientific equations loses it’s essence of being art (pg. 7).
Resources:
Jones, B. J. (1990). Computer Graphics: Effects of Origins. LEONARDO: Digital Image – Digital Cinema Supplemental Issue, pp. 21-30.
Tool, A. C. Art on Graphics. Pg. 6-7.
How is it that when we play video games with other players around the world, how is it that we feel so easy to trust someone we will never meet in real life? Over time with the evolution of the internet, we have been educated and taught to not trust people online. But is it the idea that we will never meet our teammates in person will give us the confidence to trust total strangers in order to reach our goals? Maybe it is the idea that we know that this virtual world could never influence our actual real world giving us a sense of comfort that trusting these virtual teammates will not be beneficial or detrimental to our real lives. In the TED talk by Ms. Mcgonigal talks about how numerous players online have the tendency to effortlessly trust other online players. She talks about how players have the tendency to engage themselves in virtual social encounters that allow them to handle social situations. At about 4:30 in her video, she talks about how players come together to help each other solve the virtual problems and reach an “epic win.” I feel this sense of togetherness in the virtual world and a player’s mentality that if they just entrust their virtual teammates they will be able to achieve their goals faster.
McGonigal, J. (2010, February). Gaming can make a better world. Retrieved May 18, 2015, from http://www.ted.com/talks/jane_mcgonigal_gaming_can_make_a_better_world?language=en#t-433592
How do you define “spirituality”?
I feel that spirituality stands as a basis for our personality and character. It could stem from our personal beliefs or life experiences in which we base our opinions and decisions off. I think our spirituality could come from our religious beliefs or anything that we believe in. It feeds our souls by allowing us to define who we are as a person. What is so amazing to me is that we have the ability to grow in our spiritual ways either through new experiences or through religious ideology.
Does spirituality differ from religion?
I think spirituality grows from our religion. Even if we choose not to have a religion it still influences our spirituality. I believe these two play hand in hand with one another. I believe what we believe in heavily influences our spirits. We don’t necessarily need religion to stand as a basis for our beliefs. Our religion could be based on something other than a god per-say but rather on ideology of the great philosophers before us.
How do you define “creativity”?
Creativity is our inventive imagination that allows us to provoke our thoughts and ideas in a way that is out of the ordinary. Our creativity is the formulation of ideas, theory, or even a way to solve a problem. It takes a great deal of imagination and your ability to think outside of the box to show creativity. This is a very abstract concept that I think could be synonymous to that of our definition of art.
What is the source of creativity?
My source of creativity are probably my past experiences. It is easy for me to take my past experiences and think about what could be improved in that moment in time or for the future. It is also influenced by my environment consisting of people, ideas, as well as ideas from different people. I love hearing other people’s thoughts to provoke some of my own. I think it is very resourceful and brilliant idea that we as people have the idea to feed off of each other’s thoughts and insights.
What particularly drew me into this excerpt was when the author, A. Grey, started to talk about his experience with DMT and how his trip influenced the outcome of his painting. Through this he saw a better and clearer vision of what he wanted his piece to look like as he “[brought] the inner solution of [his] artistic problem to an outward form” (pg. 78).
The way he found inspiration from “seeing” other artist’s work was interesting. I like how he mentioned the idea of looking at works from Van Gough and Michelangelo and hearing their voices inside of his head. Grey talks about the idea that drawing is an outlet for your spirituality and way of seeing into some deeper meaning of what your art is interpreting. He adds how he has not “completely ‘seen’ a work of art until [he’s] drawn it” (pg. 87). As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words. If I was a better at drawing, I think I would thoroughly enjoy the ability to draw what I was thinking rather than just saying words to verbally expressing what I feel or think.
Grey then proceeds to discuss the idea of the chakra’s existing in each and every one of us and how each chakra will influence the way we interpret and perceive the world around us. The idea that there are vibes that either the art, the people we surrounds ourselves with, or our environment have on us as individuals help us grow. Grey brings up the fact that we feel vibes from reading artist’s work allows us to appreciate the piece at a higher level of cognition (pg. 97). This brings me to the piece written by Ellen Dissanayake when she mentions art having a psychological or emotional pull on us that cause us to generate our idea of art (pg. 15). I think our spirituality has an influence over the way we perceive art. We stem our spirituality from personal beliefs and experiences, which then influences our perspectives on art.
Dissanayake, E. (1991). What is art for? In K. C. Caroll (Ed.). Keynote adresses 1991 (NAEA Convention), (pp.15-26). Reston, VA: National Art Education Association.
Grey, A. (2001). Art as Spiritual Practice. The Mission of Art (1st ed., pp. 205-233). Boston & London: Shambhala.
After researching articles, I came across two written by Noel Carroll.
The first article is a response to another writer’s piece, Berry Gaut. Gaut discusses the idea of horror movies posing as a paradox, in a sense how it is seemingly possible that some individuals take pleasure in watching something that is supposed to instill fear. Carroll challenges Gaut’s claim denying the fact that there is no “intrinsic relationship between being horrified and feeling any unpleasantness and by maintaining that nature of the conceptual relation between being horrified and displeasure” and that in response to this perturbation people will “experience the objects of their emotion and the emotions themselves are unpleasant” (pg. 1). I disagree with this statement made by Gaut. Although I personally dislike horror movies, I feel that some people enjoy watching horror movies to experience the thrill and feed their imagination. The ability of a horror movie to instill a sort of fascination is one of the reasons why some people enjoy watching these types of movies. Carroll makes an argument Carroll makes the claim that viewers find horror films fascinating.Gaut also brings up the fact that it is difficult to maintain the fascination with the horror movie. Carroll comes back with the idea that some people have greater thresholds in their attention span governing whether or not the individual stays in-tune with what they are watching. I agree with this as I have experienced this while watching a movie with my friends. As we discussed in the lectures and the reading, the diegetic and non-diegetic essence of the film have the ability to enhance our experience while viewing scenes. The addition of special effects may also be a contributing factor drawing our attention and attraction for scary movies.
The second article, Noel Carroll is also the author of the breakdown of the humor in horror. He brings up the valid point addressing the idea that certain horror movies aim at attempting to be humorous while simultaneously frightening us. An example of this would be the movie Beetlejuice. Carroll explains that this movie was made to show the audience that there are scenes that are seen as a satire that should be interpreted as scary. I feel this is the optimal way for an individual to enjoy horror movies is to view it lightheartedly. The integration of real life situations and events such as characters exemplifying mental illnesses has more of a psychological impact on viewers. In his article, Carroll talks about the heightened emotional response the producer is attempting to evoke from the audience playing on the idea of a real life situation. The way the movie is shown is aimed to stimulate and heighten your emotional response whether it be relating the show to your own personal experiences. In relation to art, and my definition of art, the art of cinema directly targets the way you feel during and after you watch the piece. This type of art is enhanced with special effects to enhance the visual experience.
When watching scary movies, they sometimes involve and monstrous or beastly figure. Carroll addresses this as a way for the movie to guide the audience to “control and guide our emotional responses in such a way” (pg. 149) that the audience should be perceiving the monster in the same fashion as the actors in the movie. There is a difference, however, between the ways the monster is being portrayed and how it should be perceived. One example Carroll brings up is Chewbaca in the Star Wars movies. He is seen as a hairy beast although not interpreted as frightening. We would not consider Star Wars a horror film even though there is a beastly figure. The intention of that beast is not made for horrifying viewers. This type of art is more on the aesthetic side for a pleasant enjoyment. This relates to the slides talking about the Aesthetics of Horror Presentation in our lecture slides. The Mise-en-Scene encompasses the ideas of the overall aesthetics of the costumes and makeup of the characters. If the creature was portrayed as a killer, there may be some fear instilled in viewers as they may imagine themselves being in the path of a blood thirsty animal. The ability to see a comical side of these creatures can influence the way we perceive them. Carroll recalls upon a stand-up comedy Bill Cosby performed in which he talked about the way he interprets scary figures as comical. Cosby “[erasing] one of their essential characteristics” (pg. 156), which would be extracting the one characteristic that makes creatures so frightening.
The art of cinema is continuously pushes the limit on horror films. With enhancing technology on special effects the possibilities are endless in creating new worlds and creatures that will send chills up your spine. Although not a fan or horror films, I would try to perceive the scary movies with a more comical view to better my enjoyment of scary movies.
Objectives:
- Evaluate personal values and paradigms around body decoration and physical beauty
- Investigate how physical appearance affects definitions of identity and belonging
- Analyze values and belief systems of physical appearance across cultures, sub-cultures and generations
Original Post:
Personal Adornment
As I sat down and people watched for a bit, I confirmed my belief that the University of Oregon is a place of mass diversity. I apologize in advance if I may so have happened to describe one of my fellow peers.
The first individual that caught my attention was this caucasian male, looked about six foot two inches, wearing a white t-shirt, khaki pants, black shoes, and duo man buns adorned on his head similar to that of what little asian girl would most likely style her hair. He also had a pair of wrestling shoes attached to his backpack. This trend of the “man bun” has growing exponentially in the past couple of months. He was walking with a steady pace across the EMU quad as he seemed to be in a rush of some sort. His decision in wearing the laid-back outfit caused him to appear as having a chill and casual personality who chooses comfort over style. His choice of hair style makes him appear as though he is confident in himself that he does not mind other people giving him strange looks in a comical fashion as his duo man buns draw an eye or two. The appearance of the wrestling shoes hanging from his strap caused me to assume that he wrestles or wants people to think he wrestles. He seems to be making the statement that he can still match his clothes while being laid-back. In conclusion, he seems like a confident individual who shows an interest in sports with a calm personality. I feel these assumptions could say that I am very observant and tend to look for the good in people. I also think or I’d like to think I draw people with the similar personality of being relaxed and chill as I can only deal with hyper and excited people for so long.
Another individual that I observed was a caucasian female who looked like she was around the same age as me, which is 21. She had bright pink hair, a septum piercing, a couple small tattoos that I could barely make out. She was also wearing maroon Dr. Marten boots, bring tie dye leggings and a black top. As she walked across campus, she took huge gaping steps and had a sort of hunched over posture. By her appearance, it appeared to me that they believe in self-expression and making a fashion statement. I don’t think I would ever have the guts to dye my hair pink unless I lost a bet or was attending a crazy music festival. By the way she walked gave me the idea that she is definitely confident in herself with her and knows what she wants. I believe that people that have the ability to wear whatever they feel comfortable in that may come off to passing bystanders as outrageous or give them the thought of “oh my gosh what is she wearing” are probably the most awesome people if you ever get a chance to meet them. We humans have the innate quality of being timid with our actions as we, or some I should say, do not take criticism light heartedly. We are usually afraid of how we appear to others and what people will think and judge us based on our appearance. I think this individual probably has a great personality and potentially radical ideas by the way she asserts her individualism through her eye catching hair and confident step in her stride.
Lastly, I observed an individual wearing heavy makeup, her hair all dolled up, wearing a flowery dress and sandals. She also wore a large necklace adorned with pearls and stones that was very shiny in the sunlight. Being my cynical self, I initially assumed this individual cared way too much about her appearance by taking the time to put prom worthy makeup on her face for school. She seemed to want people look at her with the daunting necklace draped around her neck. The fact that she felt the need to cake her face up with makeup for school shows that she is hiding her true appearance. On the other hand, maybe she just enjoys putting on makeup or had the time to put makeup on before classes. I’ll admit, I do take extra time to get ready during Spring term but only if I have the time. I believe that forcing yourself to wake up early before your classes in order to get ready for school is ridiculous. This individual caused me to think that she cares a lot about what people think and must put up a front so anyone that sees her will think that she has a perfect complexion and never has bags under her eyes from sleep deprivation of procrastinating on homework. I believe this shows that I am a very down to earth individual who cares to an extent of what people think of me. Honestly on school days I dress similar to the same way I crawled into the bed the previous night because I feel I don’t need to impress people while walking down 13th to PLC.
I believe that if my friends, family, teachers, or significant other cannot accept my natural beauty and personality, then that sounds like a personal problem. I am too confident in my values and beliefs that I don’t need to change the way I appear to others in order for them to enjoy my company. I appreciate the way individuals express their individuality through piercings, tattoos and clothing. However, I feel a sort of sadness when I see those robotic individuals who feel they need to dress certain ways to fit in for societal acceptance.
Reflection:
These opinions, as mentioned previously, stem from my parental guidance and upbringing as these are where the core of my values originate from. As I have explained in my Artifact 2, I heavily look towards the teachings of my parents when making life decisions and forming opinions. What I have learned from my parents is my base of all my formulation of judgements. I have also learned through my schooling, friends, and experiences that there is more to than just what my parents have taught me. I tend to people watch frequently as it is just part of my nature and, if I may say so, quite entertaining. I usually try not to stare but everyone knows if there is just something out of the ordinary occurring, it is hard not to look away. One of my fellow classmates had mentioned in his blog the idea of formulating opinions based on what people are wearing, such as the first suspect: the stereotypical Greek life. I too am guilty of associating the idea of typical fraternity boy with wearing bright colored polos, bright colored shorts, and Sperry’s. It is due to their adamant and repetitive attire that these types of people seem to wear. I believe that the way these people act in society will cause other individuals and by-passers to link these types of attire to those in Greek life.
Tattoos and piercings have slowly but surely become a social norm. Society has started to accept these types of body adornments as an expression of individualism and style. In reference to Artifact 3, I believe that body adornment, or body art, is another way of individuals to express their past and present ideology of what they think is beautiful. One of my favorite social media icons is Jennah Yamamoto, also known as Gypsyone. She has a multitude of tattoos that she shows beautiful through her artistic and talented photography skills. As more and more people see the way she makes her tattoos look like it is a part of her as if she was born with it and other patrons with tattoos, I feel it will show the public that tattoos should not be frowned or looked down upon. Most people decide to get tattoos for memorabilia as well as making a fashion statement. Tattoos have such a deeper meaning than seen through societies eyes. Piercings in unusual places, such as the septum piercing which often looks like a bull ring, has become more of a fashion statement as well. I have noticed individuals have the inclination of getting the piercing because they think it looks good on them.
Often times in certain cultures getting tattoos and piercings represent authority, familial status, and other underlying meanings. In Hawai’i, it is part of the Polynesian culture to get tattoos of your ‘aumakua, or the animal god that protects your family. My friends have adorned themselves with beautiful tattoos, also known as a tribal tattoo, that represent their family crest or integrated their ‘aumakuas. They have chosen to represent their family with something that will be forever embedded on them for the world to see. I think that is is very loyal and makes a statement that you proud of your family and where you come from.
Future Goals:
With the better understanding of analyzing the way people dress themselves, I will continue to people watch but with a more educational view. I plan on integrating my newly found knowledge when trying to figure out why people decided to adorn themselves with their ensemble. After completing this assignment, it has been brought to my attention that we as human beings have the tendency to judge people based off of looks as an innate quality as well as an influence from society. I will try not to judge people from what they look like and attempt to see everyone has a story that may just be interesting and life changing. I still need to dive deeper into understanding why certain cultures adorn themselves with lots of tattoos and odd piercings. I think it would be interesting to learn about how these types of rituals and traditions came about.
Bibliography:
Blackiston, B. (2015, April 25). The Life of a Sports Fan. Retrieved May 4, 2015, from https://blogs.uoregon.edu/blackiston16/2015/04/29/adornment/
Devens, A. (2015, April 8). Assignment 1-Unit 2 | AAD 250. Retrieved May 4, 2015, from https://blogs.uoregon.edu/baconlover1/2015/04/08/assignment-1-unit-2/
Devens, A. (2015, May 4). Artifact 2: Life Values | AAD 250. Retrieved May 4, 2015, from https://blogs.uoregon.edu/baconlover1/2015/05/04/artifact-2-life-values/
Devens, A. (2015, May 4). Artifact 3: What is Art? | AAD 250. Retrieved May 4, 2015, from https://blogs.uoregon.edu/baconlover1/2015/05/04/artifact-3-what-is-art/
Hawaiian Tattoos. (2014). Retrieved May 4, 2015, from http://www.tattoostime.com/tattoos/hawaiian/page/18/
Nā Puke Wehewehe ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi. (2002). Retrieved May 4, 2015, from http://wehewehe.org/gsdl2.85/cgi-bin/hdict?e=q-11000-00—off-0hdict–00-1—-0-10-0—0—0direct-10-ED–4——-0-1lpm–11-haw-Zz-1—Zz-1-home-aumakua–00-3-1-00-0–4—-0-0-11-00-0utfZz-8-00&a=d&d=D1614
Yamamoto, J. (2011, January). GYPSY ONE. Retrieved May 4, 2015, from http://gypsyone.tumblr.com/
Table of Contents:
Student Portfolio
Artifact 1: First Blog
Artifact 2: Life Values
Artifact 3: What is Art?
Artifact 4: Food as Art?
Artifact 5: Personal Adornment
Artifact 6: Creative Spirituality
Artifact 7: Remixing Culture
Artifact 8: Public Art
Objectives:
- Examine methods for evaluating qualities of art, such as product versus process, the difference between craft and fine art, must art be archival, and what is an aesthetic reaction
- Explore the notion of food as an art form
- Consider cultural differences in the production and consumption
Original Post:
Food as Art
Depending on the way food is being utilized. Referring back to Unit 3 where we challenged our ideas and opinions on what we interpret art, my current definition of art would be anything that provokes emotion or a feeling. When I look at food, there are times where I feel nostalgic when the food presented to me reminds me of my past or fond memory of some sort. On the contrary there are times where I don’t even care about what my food looks like because I am too hungry to care. I feel when looking at food in real life, a painting, a picture or a video, I would lean towards the aesthetic reaction Elizabeth Tefler opens her piece with as my reasoning to why I think food is a form of art.
In the article by Elizabeth Tefler, she mentions the easily misconception of looking at a piece of work, whether it be in a form of “machinery” or an actual piece of art, and appreciating the aesthetics of the object and interpreting it’s aesthetics as beauty or simply a “species of pleasure” (Tefler, pg. 9). If a chef were to beautifully plate a bowl of cereal, I may feel inclined to make an opinion in the direction of saying that this bowl of cereal is beautiful. However, I feel as though my past experiences with a bowl of cereal or memories that flood my mind when looking at cereal may interfere with a critical examination of the “art work” that has been placed before me. In Dissanayake’s essay, she makes a point about art being somewhat of a supreme value and a “source for heightened personal experience” (Dissanayake, pg. 22). So if I were to experience this “heightened” experience, would it be right for me to make the assumption that this dressed up bowl of flax is art? Dissanayake also mentions that an artist would not design something just to go through the motions but to “deliberately” (Dissanayake, pg. 22) go out to make something special. The chef is the artist in the background conducting the presentation of his masterpiece. People put so much time, energy, and even go to school to perfect “the art” of cooking. If an individual were to “make their food with love” I would agree that food is a form of art. If I were casually presented a bowl of cereal for breakfast, I would not think it’s art. Although I do contradict myself here as I know I would develop a feeling of being hungry. In the end, I do think that food is art as when we do see a piece of steak decoratively dressed in a nicely colored sauced and garnished with rosemary is a pleasing sight to see.
Reflection:
I had asked my boyfriend earlier today if how he felt about the standpoint whether or not food could be or is considered a form of art. He had a similar opinion to that of mine in a sense where there are some cases that food could be thought of as an art and not in under other circumstances. One of my colleagues who is enrolled in this course at the moment had brought a provoking idea to my mind when reading over their blog. The idea of cake decorating and baking is majority of the time seen as an art. The way the baker must precisely make cuts and use steady hands to lace intricate designs according to what the customer is asking for. I think we must think food as an art as we design other objects such as wedding dresses, adorn t-shirts, and even have contests for the most aesthetically pleasing as well as tasting food items.
On the other hand, the food that is not considered art, in my opinion, would be the fast food places such as Burger King, Taco Bell, and McDonalds to name a few. The food that is being sold from places like these should not be considered art. It may seem aesthetically pleasing on the commercials, in real life they should not be perceived as art. They are massed produced and are preserved in chemicals that slowly infect and ruin your digestive system.In Elizabeth Tefler’s article titled “Food as Art,” she brings up valid points about why we sometimes consider food as art. She talks about the foods that should be considered art that are “intended by their cooks to be considered…to be savoured, appraised, thought about, discussed” (pg. 19). The products that the fast food restaurants sell, in my opinion, do not carry these qualities. Yes I do see the argument in which one could make that the McDouble is savory and deserves appraisal for being one of the tastiest fast food burgers on the block. However, I do not agree. An individual could rebuttal against my claim as everyone has a different opinion of what art is.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6o6Hh6tQj2w
Above is a skeptical accusation about McDonald’s chicken McNuggets made with real chicken. Previously there were rumors around the internet that the chicken McNuggets were made from pink slime. However, this video proves it is not but also still shows the fact that chickens are killed in massive numbers and grounded through huge machinery to produce those yummy little nuggets. Seeing the line of masticated chickens nearly breaks your heart to see that large amount of animals that have been slaughtered. If you think this is art, I would be very curious to know what part of this seems like an art form to you.
This little lady right here is Sylvia Weinstock. She is one of the most infamous wedding cake architects of all time. She creates these magnificent wedding cakes that people pay ridiculous money for. I was watching an episode of Outrageous Wedding Cakes on the Food Network channel some time ago when I stumbled across a cake done by Ms. Weinstock. She creates her cakes because of her love for baking. I believe her work is truly a work of art. As mentioned in Telfer’s article, she mentions food feeding our “aesthetic reactions” (pg. 17) and how we have a tendency to be drawn to the beauty of the food presentation which could easily be mistaken for admiring the work that was put into the product. Seeing the work of Ms. Weinstock proves to me that food could definitely be considered as art.
There are also contradictions of food being art between different cultural backgrounds. In some religions, certain animals are seen as gods and higher powers such of that in the Hindu religion. Some of the deities are represented in animal forms. Individuals who practice certain religions may not see food as an art and more as a higher power. One of my peers wrote their blog about how food in her country was once scarce and is now heavily appreciated. They expressed the idea of how every dish is cooked in a creative way due to their history and famine. I believe that having a history where not being able to have food readily available would give me a different perspective on food.
Future goals:
I will take this learning experience with me in the future and take the time to appreciate that I am so lucky to have food whenever I feel like. After this concept being brought my attention, I have never though about food being considered an art form. Now seeing the opinions and perspective of my peers, I come to realize that yes food is considered an art depending on the context and the way food is being used and processed. With my better understanding of one theory of our origin for our feelings towards art in Dutton’s Ted Talk and the idea of using art as an early outlet for survival (pg. 16) from Dissanayake’s article, I have a better recognition of how to appreciate the idea of food as art. I still need to explore other reasons why people do or do not see food as art. It would be interesting to me on the reasons why people do not view food as art and under what circumstances besides the one I have posed for my own reasoning.
Bibiolography:
Bee. (2009, April 4). New York Bridal Shows | Weddingbee. Retrieved May 4, 2015, from http://www.weddingbee.com/2009/04/04/new-york-bridal-shows/
Long, J. (2015, April 22). Jingyi Long’s site. Retrieved May 4, 2015, from https://blogs.uoregon.edu/aad250jingyi/2015/04/22/food-as-art-discussion/
Our food. Your questions. What are McDonald’s Chicken McNuggets made of? (2014, December 4). Retrieved May 4, 2015, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6o6Hh6tQj2w
Wellman, V. (2012, March 2). The incredible confections of cake-maker to the stars, Sylvia Weinstock (and at 82, she’s not hanging up her apron anytime soon). Retrieved May 4, 2015, from http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2109286/Sylvia-Weinstock-The-incredible-confections-cake-maker-stars.html
Wedding Cake Queen Sylvia Weinstock. (2010, January 14). Retrieved May 4, 2015, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V22cMo3mLUQ
Table of Contents:
Student Portfolio
Artifact 1: First Blog
Artifact 2: Life Values
Artifact 3: What is Art?
Artifact 4: Food as Art?
Artifact 5: Personal Adornment
Artifact 6: Creative Spirituality
Artifact 7: Remixing Culture
Artifact 8: Public Art
Objectives:
- Consider the origins of art
- Explore a brief history of Western Art
- Examine multiple perspectives for evaluating art
Original Post:
What is Art?
The Ted Talk led by Dennis Dutton encompassed only a fraction of the reasons behind the existence of art and, furthermore, the survival of art. Dennis starts out by addressing the Darwinian principle and the different types of ways we interpret the idea of beauty. At the end of his excerpt he made a statement regarding that what we perceive as beauty relies heavily on that of our ancestors, which I do not agree with. Yes I do see the connection between the early homosapiens first generating the feeling and emotions towards seeing something they felt had a gravitational pull on their soul. However, I do not agree with the idea of myself looking at an object that I perceive as beautiful stemming from my early ancestors. Understanding the brief overview of neurophysiology, it is essentially the firing of neurons when activating visual stimulus by looking at an object, or in this case an art piece, which then relays electrical activity onto the emotional areas of your brain causing you to feel happy, sad, or unfavorable to the work. Yes I do see the argument where there could potentially be the case of evolution that our minds are wired in a fashion where we have learned to feel a speck of emotion when visualizing a piece of art from either an innate feature or from societal influences.
In the piece by Ellen Dissanayake, she makes it a point to address the idea that our early ancestors viewed art was an early outlet for survival (p.16). As mentioned before, I can see and understand the correlation of interpreting and formulating emotions when seeing art from our ancestors. Ellen also makes a point in which I semi-agree with on page 19 of her excerpt that “there is no appreciation of art without interpretation.” I disagree with this as feel as though people may be inclined to appreciate the idea of art on the surface. If they posses the ability to be thoughtful and realize the amount of work and effort the artist put in to express their ideology and emotions through a medium. On the other hand, I agree with this statement because I do feel that in order to really appreciate someone’s masterpiece you should take the time to fully engage yourself in their work and formulate your own opinions and ideas or guess what the artist was trying to portray. There really is no real concrete definition for art, and through evolution of ideology, there are infinite forms of art that seem to be continuously evolving and altering our thoughts in the process.
Reflection:
Dance has been an immaculate part of my life ever since I was a little girl, and probably one of the most interactive forms of art in my opinion. Through dance you are able to express your feelings and tell a story with your movements to make people feel what you are feeling. In Dissanayake’s essay, she made me realize where the origins of art stem from in her opinion and based on her intricate research and data digging. She makes a valid point addressing the idea of the ever constant evolution in the art world as there is never a stagnate definition for art.
As I walked through the Jordan Schnitzer Museum or Art, I realized in different countries and different eras have vastly different outlooks on their representation of art. As the time progressed, I noticed a more abstract take on the artists perception of beautiful or eye pleasing art. I also see this pattern in dance as well. The idea of non-uniform or traditional forms of dancing has become increasingly popular. Although could you really define what traditional dancing is? In the Russian culture, ballet is one of their most traditional forms of dancing. Here in America there has been an evolution of dance taking in different influences from different cultures and combining them into a whole new genre of dance. From the Ted Talk lead by Dennis Dutton, he talks about the evolution of art originating back from our early ancestors the homosapiens and the idea of beauty being different for every individual. We have definitely evolved our understanding and opinions on what we think is beautiful. For example some people may see the ballet as the most beautiful and elegant form of dance as the performers show off their countless hours of practice and finess. This is a segway into addressing Dissanayake’s essay. She mentions the idea of “disinterest” (pg.18). She discusses the idea of people having appreciation for the art even with little knowledge of what has been presented before them giving the artwork a sense of being “universal” (pg. 18). I feel individuals should posses the ability to appreciate works of art whether they find it appealing or not. This is how I feel when I view dancing in different cultural settings. I may not find it appealing or entertaining, however I appreciate the time and effort it took for the performers to coordinate and conduct a mass movement of cooperation.
Pictured below are only two of the many art forms of dance I am educated in. The first picture is my Spring Dance Showcase for my high school. I was selected as one of 12 soloist for the production “12 Dancing Princesses.” This production called for us to dance and tell the old fairytale spin off of the 12 Princesses. In the picture below the first picture is the Hawai’i Club Lu’au which was performed here at the EMU Ballroom of two years ago. Hula is the ancient Hawaiian ways of story telling through hand gestures and movements of the body. Most people find hula a beautiful and unique art form. You do not have to understand what the dancers are trying to portray to think hula is a beautiful art form.
Future Goals:
I look forward to applying this new knowledge to educate others to appreciate all forms of artwork even though it may not come across as eye pleasing. I want to integrate Dissanayake’s and Dennis Dutton’s views and ideas into my daily life when encountering new forms of art. I like to keep an open mind to people’s creativity and expression of their thoughts through a medium. I still need to have a better understanding and exploring different types of art form, which I hope to experience first hand in different countries with different cultures.
Bibliography:
Dissanayake, E. (1991). What is art for? In K. C. Caroll (Ed.). Keynote adresses 1991 (NAEA Convention), (pp.15-26). Reston, VA: National Art Education Association.
Dutton, D. (2010, November 16). Denis Dutton: A Darwinian theory of beauty. Retrieved May 5, 2015, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PktUzdnBqWI
Table of Contents:
Student Portfolio
Artifact 1: First Blog
Artifact 2: Life Values
Artifact 3: What is Art?
Artifact 4: Food as Art?
Artifact 5: Personal Adornment
Artifact 6: Creative Spirituality
Artifact 7: Remixing Culture
Artifact 8: Public Art