Bergs Nest

Its difficult to say if digital technology is a positive or negative things due to the amount of power and influence it can have on our world. The Ted talk this week discussed the idea of remixing and recreating using digital technology. With this, we are able to change the way we speak, and the way we see things.. it can help us create and come up with new ideas and things. It is important however, that we keep it monitored and make sure it isn’t taken advantage of in order to keep it under control.

Technology has come a lot way in the past couple decades, and it is seen to be improving society in different ways. As the reading indicates, cultural patters are a huge part of technology in our world. It continues to change and improve as time goes on. It really focuses on how these patterns and graphics have excelled and influence us into our modern day today. The relationships between the different factors of an image are a good indicator for the author to understand art and technology as one. “ Theorist in the arts and humanities may assist scientist, engineers and technicians in directing the development of new technologies towards cultural goals before technological ones”. An importance of finding and creating the next best/popular technology is something that is a necessity in our society. It must be compatible with our cultural goals and incorporate this into the technology.

Computer graphics is an enormous part of our culture as we continue to expand and grow. They help us study singular objects, as well as whole environments. It has come such a long way and is continue to improve with time. We are now able to understand and see things differently then how we viewed it with out the innovation of computer graphics. There seems to be a separation on how people examine computer graphics. There is a scientific view, a technical view as well as an artistic view. “Artistic uses of computer graphics imitate the appearance, message and techniques of other contemporary art forms”. It is shown that art can be used in so many ways. “Art is Universal”. It is important to understand the different perceptions of things seen from different mindsets. Technology will continue to expand and grow as we veer towards the future. I believe it is important that we don’t let it control us and we keep a good sense of moderation when considering the next step for technology. It has helped our society significantly grow, and will continue doing so as long as it doesn’t take over us and control us. WE must be very careful at what we are doing to improve technology and computer graphic, for technology has the potential to destroy us.

I really enjoyed listing to the TED talk this week. It is very interesting to hear Jane McGonigal’s view on how gaming is extremely effective on huge world issue for instance hunger. She claims that problem solvers should create the feeling that gamers do when playing a game. At first, listening to her speech I thought it was ridiculous that heavy volumes of gaming should be encouraged throughout our world. I then thought deeply about the meaning behind it, and her comments on the feedback of points given in a game is something that we don’t get in real life. If you incorporate certain aspects of this in life, it’s a huge motivation factor that can really help focus on the importance of striving for success. The feeling of “epic win” allows for a positive and bright mindset, which should be translated to real life. “We like people better, after we play a game with them, even if they have beaten you badly” – (Jane McGonigal, TED Talk). She goes on to explain how this builds trust between the two, due to being under the same guidelines. If this was established as the mentality of society, nationally and internationally, our world would be much different.

Spirituality has a lot of factors that go into it. Spirituality is something that can only be done individually. It is really hard to determine what spirituality is for and what it means, that is why each person has a different meaning as to what it is. Many perspectives are heard, yet I believe spirituality is more then just what we believe and how we act, but it’s who we are as people and what we stand for. People tend to think spirituality is your connection with your church, synagogue, friendships, family, yet I think spirituality is much more intrinsic and involves a deeper analysis. Its not just what is inside you, but what is outside of you as well. We feel emotions, and in reality, that has a lot to do with our spirituality.

Spirituality does differ from religion, and I believe this because religion is something that is chosen based on what you believe rather spirituality is formed by your upbringing and surroundings. Religion tends to ask a lot of questions about right and wrong and belief, yet spirituality is more a reality in which we believe it what we see and know. It is something that comes from our connection to the world and is not a hierarchy figure telling us what to believe in.

This is a very interesting question; creativity is more then doing enough. Creativity comes from inspiration, emotion, and hardship that come in your life. Not everyone can be creative, it takes a certain aspect in someone to be able to create something that is unique, and draws meaning to it. New ideas, new inventions, new things are all ways in which people are creative. It is the ability to create something new that is valuable and has importance that is creativity.

I feel as though there are many sources that come from being creative. First off, as I talked about before, Inspiration is a huge factor. Before creating something new, there must be a primary reason for the idea. This comes from seeing, hearing, feeling, touching or smelling something and can then be translated into your own image or idea. Also, talent is a source of creativity. Without the ability to be able to create art, creativity would not be known.

It is very difficult to really focus on the specific aspects that come in contemporary art. In the article by Grey, Ernest W. Watson quotes “There is a vast difference between looking and seeing, a difference which is fundamental to the artists experience”. This is a great quote, and I feel as though it goes both ways, from artist to viewer. You need to really zone in and question yourself on what the art means and what it is saying. An artist must be able to put translate what they are feeling, and their experience into there piece of art. That is what makes an artist a great artist, the ability to create something that is understood and interpreted by its audience. Creativity and spirituality is a huge part of creating and understanding contemporary art. It is the passion, emotion, and inspiration that drives artist to create something unique and in-depth for its audience to enjoy. The complexity of the art comes from the inspiration that they gain, and this allows the artist to create something with a depth. We must appreciate the art that we see and make sure we look at it both physically and mentally to really show and perceive its message.
There are many ways in which artist reach there spirituality. They can meditate or see something that inspires them to access a certain feeling that can be translated into an image. The spirit can create beautiful art for people to witness. The inspiration that one gets can then inspire others to do bigger and better things. “Inspiration means access to spirit” grey says. This means you must open yourself up to opportunities where you can find inspiration. Then you will be able to free yourself and create art.

For these weeks topic, we are discussing the implications of horror and how it relates to art. For my first article I decided to go with one that is titled “ Why do Some Brains Enjoy Fear?” I felt as thought the title of this article really represented our topic for the week and it well discussed how I view horror entertainment. First off, I am not a very big fan of horror films, or any type of horror in that matter. It isn’t that I fear the idea of horror, or get terrified when seeing/hearing a shocking sound, I guess it’s the fact that it does not entertain me for most the time I watch scary movies, I never actually get scared. Yet, I really do understand why it is that a lot of humans enjoy the entertainment of horror. The question asked in this article is “If fear is a natural survival response to a threat, or danger, why would we seek out that feeling?” Before digging into the article, I wanted to give my own interpretation of this question and answer it. I believe that we sometimes push ourselves far, and see what we can handle as human beings. The entertainment factor comes from the joy of it not being reality. I would think if most of these horror films were real, and had a possibility of happening, no one would be laughing. A scare expert spoke on behave of this and states “First, the natural high from the fight or flight response can feel great. There is strong evidence that this isn’t just about personal choice, but out brain chemistry”. It is also said that chemical reactions are changed in our bodies when the feeling of thrill or fear comes on. It is shown that one of the main hormones released during this feeling is dopamine, yet some feel it more then others. Another interesting comment in this article was the feeling of confidence that humans receive when accomplishing a scary moment. This is very powerful and really shows how moving and strong a scary moment can be. To tie this all back to our topic of horror and art, it is clearly shown that horror films, or just the horror genre in general affect the way people feel. This is really awesome to see because it does exactly what art does for people. It is a creating of something that brings emotion, or feeling towards the audience. “Art is Universal”. Art can be so many things, and if you see it as an element that changes a persons feelings or perspective on life, then I believe it is a very strong art form.

Ringo, Allegra (2013) “Why do some brains enjoy fear?” The Atlantic.
http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2013/10/why-do-some-brains-enjoy-fear/280938/

The next article I choose was one that explains the difference in people’s preference. The title of this article is “Why some people love horror movies while others hate them”. In my first page I explained why I dislike horror films. When I saw the title of this article, it excited me because I was curious to know why I don’t feel that same rush of dopamine as others do when watching a scary movie. The first step of this is called the Excitation transfer process, which simply states that when watching scary films, people’s heart rate, blood pressure and respiration all increase. This happens while watching the movie, yet when the movie is over, it carries on to make every positive emotion even more intensified then it would be before hand. Dr. Sparks who has studied this says, “After the film is over, this physiological arousal lingers, Sparks said. (We’re just not aware of it.) That means that any positive emotions you experience – like having fun with friends – are intensified, he said. Instead of focusing on the fright you felt during the film, you recall having a great time. And you’ll want to come back for more”. After this, you have the adrenaline rush that brings excitement, as well as the novelty of its fiction. It seems to me as though horror movies bring in the most post movie joy then any other genre of movie. It was said in this article that men enjoy scary movies more then women do. The obvious reasons are stated by sparks “men are socialized to be brave and enjoy threatening things. Men may derive social gratification from not letting a scary film bother them. It’s the idea of mastering something threatening”. This seems to be more of a look to uphold a manly status rather then the enjoyment of scary movies. It’s very interesting to see why some people enjoy watching certain movies over others. Some people may consider this art, while others find it to be a stupid, immature type of entertainment. Although scary movies can be entertaining, due to its ridiculous acting, and crazy sounds, I don’t prefer watching them. With that said however, I do consider it to be an outstanding art form as it changes emotions and increases different chemical levels in our bodies.

Tartakovsky, Margarita. (2012) “Why some people love horror movies while others hate them” World of Psychology.
http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2012/10/31/why-some-people-love-horror-movies-while-others-hate-them/

While watching this show, I chose the first scene when the characters aren’t able to talk. The blonde girl wakes out of her bed and starts to brush her teeth. As she is walking back to her room she sees a girl running in the hall crying. She then returns to her dorm, where her friend, the red head, is waking up. This is when they first realize that they cannot speak. They are all startled and don’t know what is going on. I really enjoyed this scene due to the mystery as well as the non-diegetic and diegetic noises that are presented.

To discuss the Diegetic sound within this scene, I would have to talk about the noise affects made by the characters. Although they are not speaking, when they pick up the phone, or open/shut a door, the sound that it makes is a diegetic sound. When the man wakes up and realizes that he can’t speak, he then calls the girls. The sound of the phone dialing and ringing is another example of how this scene uses diegetic noise.

The non-diegetic noise within this scene would be the composition of thrilling music in the background. In order to make the audience feel something, the director must incorporate some non-diegetic noise to make up for the silence of the characters. The fast paced, exhilarating music is a prime example of how this scene creates thrill.

There are many examples of mise-en-scene in this scene because when describing the mise-en-scene, that is the set, the props, the outfits, actors, angles, performances, etc. We see the tooth brush, the bathroom, the beds in the dorm room, the telephone that the man uses to call the girls with, etc. All of these are great examples of mise-en-scene. Mise-en-scene is the key factor to media. Without the set, props, and background, it would not create a proper setting that would make the audience believe it was real.

The way we dress and represent ourselves is a clear factor of who we are and what are values and beliefs may be. I never really thought about the way I dress and how it reflects my values and beliefs. I always thought that I choose my clothes based on how it looks on me and what I think fits my style and personality. When I really think about it though, it all plays a factor in who I am as a person and what I believe in outside of my own personality and values.

When I think about the different clothes that I wear, I think about the styles and comfort factor for that specific time. For instance on a hot day, I enjoy wearing shorts and a comfortable loose shirt that allows good air flow so that I can be comfortable and not sweat. Yet, when I am going to class or have a professional meeting, I wear jeans, or khakis, with a button down shirt or a nice polo. This is to keep my professional look up to date so I can be taken seriously and be respected by whoever I am doing business with. I have realized that when you dress nice and professional, you feel professional and others see that in society. This has to do with my values and beliefs because growing up with two working parents who made sure to teach my siblings and I proper morals and how to be respected in society, we learned to follow their footsteps and make them proud. Not only do I do it for my parents, but also it’s for my own self. I grew up Jewish, going to synagogue on Saturdays and celebrating certain Jewish holidays with my Jewish community and my family. This really formed me as a person and allowed me to grow into my own man with my own beliefs and values. I feel as though you should treat others they way you would like to be treated and as cliché as that sounds, I really do believe that. What you give you will get back and if you continue to be a morally right person, it will take you really far in life.

When I think about the choices I make as to what clothes to buy and wear out, I think back to my childhood and how these clothe will best represent my personality. A quote that really stuck was  “Fashion, like all other mechanisms of appearance alteration, is used symbolically to proclaim group membership and to signal voluntary exclusion from disvalued social categories.” (pg.4). Why this really got to me is because I don’t think that I dress in a way to proclaim group membership, although that is something that I see many people do. I like to think of myself as my own individual who dressed they way I want to dress depending on how in feeling in that specific moment. What’s interesting is how I have changed throughout my life, especially in the clothes I wear. When I was younger in middle school and high school, I really enjoyed wearing basketball shorts, tanks, and other sports like wear to fit in and also because it was comfortable. As I grew older I saw myself maturing more, veering away from basketball shorts and more into khaki shorts and polo’s. This was because it was time for me to grow up and represent myself as a mature man. I still enjoy wearing basketball shorts, but it’s the type of outfit that is worn in my own place rather then in public.

My family grew up with conservative values and tried to rely that to us by leading by example. My parents always wore respectable professional clothing that representing them as well respected working individuals. We also went to temple each week and viewed how others would dress. This allowed my siblings and I to catch on and understand how people perceive others with the way that the dress. I took this into consideration and thought about how I wanted people to perceive me. ““People use appearance to place each other into categories, which aid in the anticipation and interpretation of behavior, and to make decisions about how best to coordinate social activities” (Pg. 1). I identify myself as a nice American who tries to treat everyone kindly and represent who I am to the rest of the world. It’s only when you decide to lose yourself in a group and change that you are to fit in that your values and beliefs get skewed. It’s important to stay true to yourself and always represent the person that you are.