After watching the Runquist Murals, the development of arts and the development of sciences, I have understood the public art better with combining the reading “Public Art Controversy: Cultural Expression and Civic Debate” by Erika Doss. In addition to showing to the public, the public art of still have many features.

First of all, the public could be anything. In other words, the public art can contains different types of art. As Doss quoted from Jack Becker in the reading, “Public art is artwork in the public realm, regardless of whether it is situated on public or private property, or whether it is acquired through public or private funding. Public art can be a sculpture, mural, manhole cover, paving pattern, lighting, seating, building facade, kiosk, gate, fountain, play equipment, engraving, carving, fresco, mobile, collage, mosaic, bas-relief, tapestry, photograph, drawing, or earthwork” (pg.2). The two Runquist murals belong to the mural and painting. In the campus of the University of Oregon, there is a sculpture of the university’s founder. That also is a kind of public art which reflect the history of university.

I think the public art should be related to the civic improvement. As Doss mentioned, “Public art was a form of civic improvement and could help generate a shared sense of civic and national identity” (pg.4). In terms of the Runquist murals, it shows the development of art and science in the history, so it is a kind of civic improvement.

The public art is showed to the public, so it should reflect the opinions or thinking of public. In addition, the public art should represent the characteristics of a certain public place, like city, university, and so on. As Doss mentioned, “public art is, by definition, the product of public feedback. It centers on dialogue – on the expressed interests and issues of particular groups – and that dialogue can be contentious” (pg.6). The Runquist murals are exhibited in the Knight Library in the University of Oregon. Library is the place where fulfill with knowledge while the university is a place where students studying to obtain knowledge. The Runquist murals shows the development of art and sciences are very suitable for its location where the library in a university is. Because the public art can reflect the regional features, it could be used to distinguish the different places. As Doss stated, “Public art has been charged with generating place-bound identity and lending a sense of distinction and authenticity to the nation’s ever more homogeneous public spaces” (pg.5).

In addition, according to the reading, Doss suggested that public art can potentially encourage people to tell their stories and listen to others. As she quoted from Baca, “Public art is an antidote for the hatred and disconnectedness in society. It is a creative, participatory, critical, and analytical process. We must tell our stories, and encourage others of all ages to tell their stories in any language they speak…We must teach ourselves and others to listen and to hear our stories because it is in the very specificity of the human experience that we learn compassion” (Doss, pg.11). I agree with Doss’s argument because I think the public art indeed is for showing something to others. Related to the Runquist murals, it tells students how the past art and sciences developed to now. The people who watched this mural, they maybe also want to tell next generations today’s situation.

In conclusion, I believe that public art is very meaning for to our society. It can exhibit a nation, a city, or any certain places’ characteristics to the public. It can evoke people’s thinking to a certain place.

Doss, E. (2006, October). Public art controversy: Cultural expression and civic debate. Retrieved from http://www.americansforthearts.org/pdf/networks/pan/doss_controversy.pdf

This image includes seven words, which are abstract, creativity, fancy, imagination, inspiration, passion, and unique. I believe that this image could be considered as artwork. First of all, I created this image so it is artificial. Secondly, I putted my personal purpose into this work so that make this work be special. I think this is related to the Dissanayake’s theory of “making special.” As she argued, “making special” means “particularly things that one cares deeply about or activities whose outcome has strong personal significance” (pg.22). When I created this image, I choose the words of artist based on my personal significance. Therefore, this image is special and I think it should considered as artwork.

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.

Through reading this week’s materials, I start to think about the meaning of copyright and how it affect the creativity. In our modern society, personal copyright is protected by the laws so people cannot use others’ content without permission, otherwise they have to be punished by the laws. Therefore, people would not like to use others’ content under the copyright regulation. In the reading and Ted presentation by Lessig, he proposed that the copyright regulation would limit people’s creativity because people are afraid to use others’ work. In order to solve this issue, Lessig suggest that the original creator should release their works to others for non-commercial use and this is helpful to others to create new things (TED, 2007). In the article “Comparing Cultures,” he argues that “Uncertainty about the freedom to engage in this form of creativity will only stifle the willingness of institutions to help this form of literacy develop” (Lessig, pg.108). I agree with Lessig so I believe that the current copyright regulations should be relaxed to a certain extent. Specifically, I think people should have the right to use the content that be protected by copyright laws in non-commercial ways. This would not hurt original creators’ benefits but also would not limit the creativity.

The thesis of the reading “Computer Graphics: Effects of Origins” is that the development of computer graphics has significantly affected the development of art. The author Beverly Jones introduced the history of computer graphics and how it affected the art in the history. According to Jones, “New forms of art and technology are frequently cast in the mode of old forms, just as other aspects of material and symbolic culture have been” so she hope to “establish the relation of specific image, object event, or environment to conceptual frames. These frames exist within art and technology and are present in other forms of symbolic and material culture” (Jones, pg.21).

In this article, the author mainly introduces three historical examples as an illustration of her thesis. The example that I want to identify is the “electronic and photonic art forms”. The development of electricity and technology generate a kind of new art form which is the “electronic and photonic art forms”. As Jones mentioned, “Electronic and photonic art forms have been and will continue to be influenced by their origins and practices” (pg.21).

In today’s culture, I believe that the film industry is the best illustration to show Jones’ thesis. Today’s movie production cannot be separated from the technology. More and more blockbusters are relying on the advanced technology. The recent movie The Fast and the Furious 7 is the best example. Before this movie was done, the actor Paul Walker unfortunately died because of traffic accident. However, this movie finished through strong technology and it makes the audiences cannot feel the Paul Walker who on the screen is not real. The technology that be applied here is called as motion capture. Without this technology, The Fast and the Furious 7 and not be done and it will leave permanent regret to the audiences. I found an article online which is “10 Films that Revolutionized Computer Graphics” by Justin Slick who is a 3D expert. In this article, the author introduced “ten films that revolutionized the way we think about visual effects in film” (Slick, n.d.). As Slick argued, “Blockbusters look better than ever thanks to a talented army of 3D modelers, animators, render technicians, and warehouses full of the computers that do all the math” (n.d.).

References:

Jones, B. J. (1990). Computer Graphics: Effects of Origins. LEONARDO: Digital Image – Digital Cinema Supplemental Issue, pp. 21-30.

Slick, J. (n.d.). 10 Films that Revolutionized Computer Graphics. Retrieved from http://3d.about.com/od/3d-at-the-Movies/tp/10-Films-That-Revolutionized-Computer-Graphics-Part-1.htm

I like this Ted video very much because I really like playing online games. I have never heard something that encourage people to play more online games before. Jane McGonigal suggests that we can solve the actual issues in the world through playing online games, those issues could include hunger, poverty, climate change and obesity. She explains that the gamers enjoy to cooperate with others in order to win in the games so it can help people to improve their ability to cooperate. I am a big fun of LOL which is the most popular online games today. Like McGonigal describes, I love to work with my partners in this game to win and I agree it is helpful. The question that I want to ask is that – how can we prevent people be addictive to the online games? Personally, I feel addictive to the LOL and it can affect my normal life to a certain extent. so I worry people would be addicted in the games.

1. How do you define “spirituality”?

I think spirituality is a kind of power that comes from people inner. It is a kind of consciousness. It is beyond the physical power. Spirituality is free so it would not be limited by anything. The spirituality can help people to understand the world, the universe, and the nature better. I believe that everyone has spirituality because it is an inherent power for human when we born. Because it is inherent so it cannot be made by acquired behaviors.

2. Does spirituality differ from religion?

The spirituality absolutely is different with religion. First of all, as I mentioned in the first question, spirituality cannot be limited by anything. However, the religion can be limited by something, like culture, region or race. We can see each religion has each main popular region, race and culture. Moreover, not everyone believe in religion but everyone has the spirituality. Finally, each kind of religion has own special principles or rules but spirituality does not have specific principles so everyone’s spirituality is really different.

3. How do you define “creativity”?

I think creativity is the ability to create new things. Only human beings have creativity and it is unique just for us so it is an important factor to distinguish human and animals. I think the most important feature of creativity is the novelty of the things that be created by creativity. The things that be created by the creativity must be new which means it is the first time to appear in the world. I think our modern society is developed by the creativity.

4. What is the source of creativity?

I believe that creativity mainly comes from our curiosity but also be influenced by other factors, like personal experience and knowledge. First of all, everyone has curiosity. When we feel curious to something, we will want to know the truth about it. Therefore, we will find way to explore the truth. During the process of exploring the truth, our creativity just be generated. For instance, Newton create the law of gravity because he feel curious about why apple fall down from the tree. In addition, personal experience and knowledge also are very important to generate creativity. If Newton does not have much physical knowledge, he cannot create the law of gravity.

I feel the reading “Art as Spiritual Practice” is really inspiring for me. As we discussed before, art can express artists’ emotion; in this reading, the author Grey proposed that art is a kind of spiritual practice and this argument is similar with that art can express emotion. I agree with Grey that art is highly relative with spirituality which is a kind of intangible thing. Grey related this to the theory of three eyes which was proposed originally by Saint Bonaventure. Three eyes mean “the eye of flesh sees the ‘outer’ realm of material objects: the eye of reason sees symbolically, drawing distinctions and making conceptual relationships; and the mystic eye of contemplation sees the luminous transcendental realm” (Grey, pg.73). After I read this definition, I just spent several minutes to think about what eyes that I have been used in my life. I found that I just can use the first two kinds of eye in my life. Generally, I would not going to think about more upon the appearance of an object so I almost never use the mystic eye of contemplation. I believe that the mystic eye of contemplation is not very important for me and most of other ordinary people, however, the mystic eye of contemplation is necessary for artists especially for those excellent artists. As Grey mentioned, “artist need to be able to see on each level in order to bring technical beauty, archetypal beauty, and spiritual beauty” (Grey, pg.73). It shows that artists need to explore more rather than only see the surface when they see an object. In addition, the mystic eye of contemplation “only in the deepest art, a condition of the soul is revealed, one’s heart is opened, and spiritual insight is transmitted to the eye of contemplation” (Grey, pg.82). It shows that the mystic eye of contemplation should be connected with soul.