Portfolio | AAD 250

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.

08
Jun
2015

Artifact 7: Remixing Culture

categories: Portfolio

Objectives:

Become acquainted with copyright as a historic, cultural and economic paradigm and its value and pertinence to creative works
Explore the changing nature of copyright in the context of “Remix Culture”
Examine your own and others value and paradigms of ownership and authorship of cultural media

Original Post:

Remixing Culture

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.

Reflection:

This assignment was by far one of my favorites besides the people watching we had done a couple weeks prior. I took a peek at my other classmates work and they had created outstanding collages. Some of my classmates had chosen photos that I almost chose myself. One example was andreaP’s blog. She had chosen some of the same words as I, and some of her pictures I thought about putting in my collage as well.

What I chose to focus on as another outlet for an interpretation of art in a collage like piece is a Hawaiian quilt. The idea of Hawaiian quilt making has been around before Captain Cook came to the Hawaiian islands. Women would weave works of lauhala into beautiful mats, hats, bracelets and more. Nowadays, tutus, or grandmas, usually make beautiful fabricated Hawaiian quilts. These are patchwork quilts that are a combination of different fabrics decorated with intricate designs that may be of any memory, past experience, or simply imaginative ideas. The quilt on the left exemplifies more of a historical aspect as it is exemplifying what the true and old Hawai’i is truly about. To the right, this quilt seems to be more for decoration with the Honu, turtle, as the centerpiece of the quilt with adorning flowers and leaves for a touch of color. I am fortunate enough to have several quilts that my friends grandmothers had made for me. They are all very different in a sense that each person made them with different memories of me from past experiences. I believe these quilts represent a different meaning of the word artist.

I feel some people may not have the same appreciation for a blanket such as this as they might not understand the hard work that has been put into making the quilt or not see it as a work of art. In Dissanayake’s essay, she talks about how some viewers of art might only think it is beautiful but not art or a piece of art work but not beautiful. Dissanayake emphasizes the idea of art work being aesthetically pleasing to the eye. She talks about those having “a disinterested attitude that is separate from one’s own personal interest in the object” (pg.17). I think people in Hawai’i may have a deeper appreciation for this type of work than those who are unfamiliar with the tradition of quilt making.

The idea of copyright seems like a grey area for me as I am not well acquainted with all the copyright rules encompass. From my previous post, I feel the copyright rules should remain the way they are now. If people have been successful thus far with the rules in place, I do not see the issue with keeping what exists today. It will allow for people to develop new and unique forms of media, which I see as a better outlet for music rather than hearing the same old songs over and over again.

Future Goals:

I intend on learning how to create one of these great quilts to make for my friends, family and future family. I still have much to learn about what really makes an artwork all around a great piece, even though it is very difficult to create something universally considered a work of art. I hope to become more educated in the matter of creating art that encompasses for a wide range of emotions and thoughts for the public enjoyment. I still need to become familiar with the copyright rules and their limitations.

Bibliography:

Colors Of Nature. (n.d.). Retrieved June 1, 2015, from http://7-themes.com/7001395-colors-of-nature.html

Dutton, D. (n.d.). Denis Dutton: A Darwinian theory of beauty. Retrieved June 1, 2015, fromhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PktUzdnBqWI

Hawaiian Quilting – Quilt Patterns and Designs in the Ancient Hawaii and Today. (2006). Retrieved June 9, 2015, from http://www.to-hawaii.com/hawaiianquilting.php

MyBlogs. (2015, May 31). Retrieved June 8, 2015, from https://blogs.uoregon.edu/monicaandrea/2015/05/31/remixing-google-image-search/

Quilt Appreciation 101. (n.d.). Retrieved June 9, 2015, from https://www.pinterest.com/pin/67694800619021389/

Steve Cummins Talks – Bring Innovation To Your Life. (2014, December 25). Retrieved June 1, 2015, fromhttp://stevecummins.im/coaching-and-mentoring/steve-cummins-talks-bring-innovation-life/

To start the day …. Don’t just study spirituality, live it!! (2014, August 13). Retrieved June 1, 2015, fromhttps://hrexach.wordpress.com/2014/08/13/to-start-the-day-dont-just-study-spirituality-live-it/

What Color Is Your Imagination? (2015, January 17). Retrieved June 1, 2015, fromhttp://www.playbuzz.com/rebeccacampbell10/what-color-is-your-imagination

7 Natural Remedies for Allergy Relief | Wellness Mama. (2013, April 4). Retrieved June 1, 2015, fromhttp://wellnessmama.com/8370/allergy-relief-remedies/

Table of Contents:

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.

08
Jun
2015

Artifact 6: Creative Spirituality

categories: Portfolio

Objectives:

Become familiar with ways in which spirituality influences artists
Discuss the differences between spirituality and religion
Examine spirituality as a generative force and a well spring for creativity

Original Post:

Creative Spirituality

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.

Reflection:

I have found my love for crocheting. In my free time, I like to relax and create different pieces of work. I recently discovered this craft as my roommate had told me about her new hobby of knitting. In the picture above, that is my first finished crochet project that I made to intend on wearing when I get back home for Summer break. I feel crocheting has allowed me spirituality by allowing me to find peace with myself while creating new projects.

In the reading we had done in class, your spirituality can evolve, form, and make an impact in your life in various ways. Some people seek spiritual healers or leaders for higher intellect on finding their spiritual paths or something of a higher power. Others take different approaches such as engaging themselves in things they love or nothing at all. In the article by Grey, he talks about shifting in states of being and mindset when creating art. When I crochet, I do experience a time at which I reach a “state of mind where art flows irresistibly” (pg. 80). I agree with his statement about the idea that spirituality along with art must be developed. One of my classmates, Jingyi, mentioned her thoughts on the idea that spirituality must be cultivated and is accessible to all of us. I do think that spirituality is freely accessible, it takes intuition and a person’s decision whether or not they decide to harness theirs.

I have had this ongoing debacle with myself and other people where the fine line between spirituality and religion lay. I feel I have come to a somewhat solidified agreement with what the differences between the two are. I think that spirituality is something that develops within you based on outside influences and experiences. On the other hand, I believe religion is something you worship in a sense of seeking a higher power for guidance and a way to live your life by given certain rules and regulations the religion abides by. I agree with the statement another one of my classmates stated that “spirituality is defined as a connection with the self and the world that is not immediate and mostly not physical”. I agree with Nickolas’s statement as when we attempt to become spiritual, we are trying to reach that higher state of mind to feed and nurture our souls.

Future Goals:

This assignment really helped me understand and take a step back to see whether or not my own personal spiritual path has been altered or grown since I could understand what spirituality meant. I realized that I have definitely changed some of my core values although majority of them are still instilled within me today. I still have yet to learn about other types of spiritual paths that are out there. I look forward to expanding my horizons and learning about different people’s perspectives on their spiritual outlook on life and for themselves.

Bibliography:

Creative Spirituality Reflection. (2015, May 17). Retrieved June 9, 2015, from https://blogs.uoregon.edu/gemperle/2015/05/17/creative-spirituality-reflection/

Grey, A. (2001). Art as Spiritual Practice. The Mission of Art (1st ed., pp. 205-233). Boston & London: Shambhala.

Long, J. (2015, May 18). Jingyi Long’s site. Retrieved June 9, 2015, from https://blogs.uoregon.edu/aad250jingyi/2015/05/18/week-7/

Table of Contents:

Artifact 5: Personal Adornment

categories: Portfolio

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:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6o6Hh6tQj2w

Artifact 4: Food as art?

categories: Portfolio

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.

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:

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.

Artifact 3: What is Art?

categories: Portfolio

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:

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:

Lewis, H. (1990). A Question of Values: Six Ways We Make the Personal Choices That Shape Our Lives. Axios Press.Pg. 6-16.

Artifact 2: Life Values

categories: Portfolio

Objectives:

Become familiar with basic relationships of human values to psychological and philosophical endeavors
Understand that values are formed from external and internal drives of an individual
Explore one’s own value system

Original Post:

Life Values

In the latter part of the reading, the passage discussing the idea of ranking our values based on our personal experiences drew my attention. I think it is safe to assume that most people tend to believe in certain morals and intrinsic values based on their personal experiences and feelings about the source of their beliefs. For instance, I take to heart and follow the beliefs and values of my parents, as they are the number one figures in my life that taught me the first lessons in life. As mentioned in the reading, we are also “drawing upon [our] own accumulated sense experience” (16). Although our parents were probably one of the first elderly figures to show us what their beliefs are, we are also influenced by outside sources daily. Our teachers, friends, and colleagues are few of the most influential people in our lives who constantly have us wondering about our initial beliefs and values either through justification of their own experiences and beliefs. When we grow up and become our own individuals, is it possible that we have completely different views on the world around us or do we innately act in some ways more than others based on our upbringing? This also surprised me while reading that our outside influences may also have an affect on our beliefs and values by simply ” ‘selling’ a particular approach to personal values” (16). Some individuals seek out spiritual meaning and support to better certain views on their beliefs. I feel in this sense we are losing a part of our true selfs based on the experiences of others. What if what they were telling us was completely made up to twist our views on our old beliefs when in fact what we had first believed in were to be true?

I also agreed with the analogy of individuals taking a poll about people’s ideas and beliefs on their personal values. It is unfortunate that nowadays and perhaps even back then people would not tell the truth in its entirety. People never really tell the whole truth, which brings me to question why an individual holds this kind of moral? Perhaps due to an old personal experience where they deemed appropriate that less the people know the better? Although through personal experience the whole truth always comes out regardless how much you attempt to cover it up. From that I have created a new personal value of my own to always completely 100% tell the truth even though it may be rude or inappropriate.

Reflection:

It was a little hard for me to truly explain the stemming of my beliefs and values when linking it to the article we had to read. I feel I have a hard time expressing my true meaning behind my values with the incorporation of the article as I felt it was limiting the way I could respond and allow my peers to fully understand why I am the way I am.

I truly believe in parental guidance as our bases for majority of our values, and to this day I still follow the values and beliefs my parents instilled in me. I understand that some people may have different upbringings or have been educated and realized an outlet and contradiction of what they now believe and what their parents had originally taught them. Yes I have learned from my educational system, which I am very thankful for my parents allowing me and paying for superb education, that some of the things my parents have taught me are not fully correct.Pictured above is the love of my life, my family. Without them, I would not be the person I am today. After completing this assignment, I have come to realize how influential my family has been molding me into the person I am today. I guess you could say I am caught between what my parents have instilled in me and what my education has taught me although fully believing in both ways. Throughout my college career I have come to the realization that everyone has their own beliefs and if it works for them, it works for them. There really is no wrong or right way as there are endless reasons to backup people’s standpoints.

What makes me the person I am today is mostly due to my intrinsic drive and motivation. I am the kind of gal to pursue my own personal goals not because other people tell me to or want me to but purely for self satisfaction. My parents have always taught me to work hard and pursue my goals as an optimal pathway for success. I am partially immune to external drives influencing my decisions in life. Although here I may contradict myself as if I were to be offered a promising job from working hard, I would most likely be inclined to be able to achieve that. However, it is mostly due to my intrinsic values and beliefs stemming form both my parents and experience that will motivate me to work hard. I have come to conclude that my family means everything to me and what they say has the most impact on my decisions.

Completing the assignment of ranking what aspects of life mean the most to us. Health and security where my top two which mostly I believe in this due to my parental education. My parents have always forced the idea of having health is the most important aspect of life. Without health, nothing really matters. You could be the most successful person but if you are sickly, what value does money even hold anymore? I also felt that security was an important trait to hold. If you do not feel secure about monetary needs, physically, or intrinsically with yourself, you spend your life worrying and stressing unnecessarily. This may be more of an extrinsic drive for me as I pummel through my school work to ensure I will be secure financially so I can give me future family a good life. This is also an intrinsic drive as my goal is to be successful enough to enjoy life and not worrying about paying the bills every month.

Future Goals:

I believe in the future I will still uphold these values and beliefs to drive my motivation to be a successful happy individual. My parents will continue to play a major role in my life. I hope to widen my horizons with life lessons of my own experience or the people I choose to surround myself with or random encounters. I hope to one day instill the values I carry with my future family and friends I meet along the way.

Bibliography:

Table of Contents:

Artifact 1: First Blog

categories: Portfolio

Original Post:

Poop Power

Searching for an interesting blog for this first assignment, I stumbled across this intriguing yet eye catching article. This post was about a new founded system that turns sewage waste into purified drinking water, electricity, and clean ash. Bill Gates was the one of the first people to try the engineered drinking water. After you get past the idea that he has just drank water derived from sewage waste, it doesn’t seem so bad after all. This machine is self sustaining as it runs on steam creating electricity that is derived from the dried sewage “sludge.” The prototype for this machine is located a little north of Seattle. This project is still well under construction as they aim to almost completely reinvent the toilet. Although this seems like a great idea to input into developing countries, I feel the cost to create and upkeep the machine may be probable issues. On the up side, we would be saving energy and our environment by recycling human waste.

I chose this blog post because it immediately caught my eye with the title and it’s uniqueness. At first I could not believe that there was an actual machine that could do the impossible. Knowing that there are endless possibilities to reuse natural materials to create sustainable energy is quite mind blowing. Those who are unable to have easy access to clean and safe water are at risk of many health diseases and illnesses. We take advantage of having purified drinking water at the tips of our fingers. I think this is the beginning of a bright future for our environment but for those countries who are limited to resources. I hope that one day the world will be able to run on less expensive and environmentally friendly resources to save our earth from depletion of natural resources. We are already on our way of saving the earth with the electric cars, increasing the awareness of recycling, and now using poo to create drinking water.

Reflection:

I chose this particular article because I was truly fascinated by the technological advances that are being made to better our world. It is vital to our future that we find ways to use our available resources to harvest sustainable energy that will reduce our carbon foot print. I think it is so awesome that Bill Gates is using his success to fund projects such as these to better our environment. The fact that he and his and his research team could construct a working machine using fecal matter to produce several different resources that we take for granted has the potential to reduce other confounding issues by re-using our external waste. I thoroughly enjoy reading about these kinds of articles as it fuels my interest in finding alternative ways to make our world a “greener” place.

This article fulfills the requirements for the first blog post assignment. We were instructed to post an article that was interesting to us. I think this post also envelops my passion for saving the environment and wanting to reduce the amount of natural resources that we are quickly depleting from the earth. I think this could educate my classmates and peers about the work and effort our society is putting in to reduce the trash we are collecting on this earth as we damage our ozone layer and wrecking the beauty of the earth. This also shows my classmates who felt like reading the article on the type of person I am. Given this class never meets outside of the blogs and internet discussion, I wanted to show my peers one of my interests that I hope will motivate them to help save our earth.

I also learned how to work this new blogging system. Before this class I had no idea that the UO blogs existed nor did I know how to set one up. I find this internet blogging engine very useful and easy to use. I think more classes should incorporate blogging into their course. I feel being able to blog interesting posts that they find intriguing or a good representation of their personality is a good way to enlighten other people about different issues that we may not be aware of.

Future Goals:

In retrospect of this article, I hope to further my interest in participating in the research and study of finding alternative ways to use our resources into sustainable fuel. Although my major limits my ability to further my research, I hope to find different movements or organizations that will allow me to help them brainstorm more ideas or add input to their ongoing research. I hope to further educate my peers and other people about these types of studies and research that is going on in hopes of peaking interest in saving the environment.

Bibliography:

Price, R. (2015, January 6). Watch Bill Gates Test A New Machine That Turns Poop Into Clean Water. Retrieved May 4, 2015, from http://www.businessinsider.com/bill-gates-sewage-water-electricity-2015-1

Table of Contents: