August | 2014 | Art Blog 2014 August | Christian Meunier's Blog

August, 2014

Public Art

August 14, 2014 by meunier@uoregon.edu

The Rundquist brothers painted two very impressive murals that we are lucky enough to see on display at our local public library. The idea that we can have true art in public is something that we can easily take for granted, and being able to understand how and why it came to be is very important when it comes to appreciating it. While the mural is tamer than some, but still more politically incorrect than others, the reading brings up an interesting point about public art being controversial. The author brings up that “Funding can be the source of many public art controversies” (4). This is an interesting point that must be looked at a little further. We as American taxpayers end up paying in some shape or form for many of the public displays of art that we see. Should we be doing this if the content of the art is something that we disagree about? While most art that you see at Post Offices are subdue, lots of public art has been controversial to some demographic, and we were the source behind it’s funding. This is an important topic that we discuss in all shapes and forms, not just art. However, through this reading I thought for the first time that art too is something that is funded that some people may not be too pleased about

One idea that was brought up by the author is the use of public art to bring up a cause that the artist or donor supports, but may not be appreciated by others. On page seven the point is brought up that, “groups view public art as the direct extension of their personal cause”, a topic that I would like to look a little more into. Living in Oregon, I have yet to hear much debate about such issues but the artist brings up many examples of this happening in Washington DC that I could see valid. Remember, Washington is the lobby capital of the world and self-interest is one of the defining characteristics of the city, for better or for worse. FDR’s statue is a good example of this. Certain groups insisted that the statue show his handicap because that would benefit their interest. However, the man himself is not someone who would want to be known as always being in a wheelchair. The fact that people are making artwork political is somewhat disappointing in my opinion and I hope that it stops at some point! While this is a thing that could easily go away, if trends continue, this will only become a bigger problem.

Now I would like to talk more about the murals that we have in our library. While they are not the most colorful of paintings, when you take a moment to look at them, they are filled with detail. This is why I think that its placement in the library is perfect. The library is an unflashy place, well deserving of two such pieces of art. The evolution that they depict of man exploring both science and art are very fitting in a building whose sole purpose is to educate. We are a lucky University, and country, to be able to have artwork like this in public display. As Ms. Doss concludes, “Public art is an antidote for hatred and disconnect from society” (11), a statement that we must learn to appreciate. Very few countries in the world have the luxury of having beautiful art grace public space as we do here. I in particular have taken advantage of it for so long, something that I plan on changing. We must be able to appreciate the luck that we have as a nation to be able to enjoy this instead of trying to mold it into self-interest that causes controversy.

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

Category Assignments, Unit 10 | Tags: | 1 Comment
Tech Assignment

August 10, 2014 by meunier@uoregon.edu

The central thesis behind Jones’ thesis is that old technology does not necessarily get replaced, instead heavily influences the new wave of technology, and thus is an integral part of all new innovation there after. She uses the example of the Egyptian empire saying, “The stone columns of ancient Egyptian architecture were based on earlier bound papyrus columns” (21). The old architecture was used and influenced this new architecture that heavily influenced architecture that is still going on today. While her article talks more about the development in the computer screen and the technology involved with that process, the concept is very open ended. The idea is that we will always be using old technology or information somehow because that old information is what is influencing the new information. I find this thesis to be very well argued and believe it to have a lot of velour.

Jones gives three historical examples of the change and improvements of the computer screen. The one that I would like to talk about is her example of John O’Niell and his creation of multiple games for the brand Atari. On page 26, Jones goes through great detail about how O’Niell quit his job as an artist to work for the company because he felt this was a better way for his art to influence people. O’Niell used old artwork and old computer designs to create a new and fresh game that many people saw as “new age”.

A real world example that supports Jones’ thesis, and may be too big of a leap but I am going for it anyways, is political tension between the United States and Russia. While this does not have much to do with art, it follows the Egyptian example that I used earlier in that the new problem is stemmed from older problems. The older problems have not gone away, they have just been engulfed in this new issue. An article ran three days ago by Aljazeera is headlined “US and Russia renew cold war rivalry”. As you can see, the tension back in the mid 1900’s has not gone away. It is still part of todays topic thus supports Jones’ thesis in a broad way.

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

Batchelor, J. (n.d.). US and Russia renew Cold War rivalry | Al Jazeera America. Retrieved August 10, 2014.

Category Assignments, Unit 08 | Tags: | No Comments
Collage

August 9, 2014 by meunier@uoregon.edu

Key Words Included

*Music

*Creative

*Tree

*Storm Clouds

*Flowers

as you can see, when i thought of art I went towards natures! Couldn’t quite master Picaso as well as I would have liked.

Category Assignments, Unit 09 | Tags: | No Comments
Spirituality Essay!

August 6, 2014 by meunier@uoregon.edu

1)   I define spirituality as the belief that there is something bigger to the world than what we make of it. A spiritual person tries to better understand what surrounds him, including people but more importantly nature. Being spiritual means you see yourself as part of a bigger picture and you try your best to play a role in it. I see someone who meditates as being a spiritual person. He or she realizes that there is more to this world than what is physically around us and he or she looks within himself or herself to see it.

2)   In my opinion spirituality and religion differ, but the basic concepts remain the same. I think that religion is more rules based with certain ideals that each person must follow. In my understanding of religion, there is generally a deity or god like figure as well. When it comes to spirituality, it is more about finding context within yourself rather than looking at certain rules as guidance. Spiritual people do not necessarily need a bible or Karan for example; instead they go off of what feels correct. They are similar because both religion and spirituality look at the world and believe that there is something larger that we cannot see

3)   Creativity is the ability to think and act outside the box and be a trailblazer. A creative person does not think like a normal person or they would not be creative. Instead they have a unique way of thinking and solving things that make them stand out. Creativity is also the ability to try something out, knowing that there is a big chance that it will fail. A creative person is likely wrong more than they are right, or fail more than they succeed but that does not stop them.

4)   The source for creativity in my opinion is in a child’s upbringing. If a child watches television like other kids and goes about their childhood playing sports with others (pretty much describes my childhood) they will most likely not be the most creative. Instead they will have a similar way of thinking about and solving issues as their peers. A creative person must have a unique upbringing, giving them a different outlook on life. That is why people who grow up in different cultures often times solve the same problem completely differently.

Category Assignments, Unit 07 | Tags: | 1 Comment
Remixes

August 6, 2014 by meunier@uoregon.edu

The discussion and debate about the value of “remixes” in music is a relevant one amount my friends and I. Lessig brought up many good points and I tend to agree with his belief that remixes can and sometimes are better than the original. One of the most humorous points is when he states, “the discussion will be over in ten or twenty years. As the boomers die out and they get over themselves by dying, the generation that follows…just doesn’t care about this discussion” (97). While I find this statement to be relatively funny (and sadly somewhat true) a couple questions came to mind that refute this generalization. The rise of hipster culture in the United States and the rest of the world is bringing back the old and the “original” so to speak. Do you think that such a debate will die out with an older generation, or is it more cyclical and the debate will be brought back up but this time with the younger ones arguing in favor of the classics? Is the use of remixes just a generation acting out against the older, with the reverse to follow as this generation matures?

Category Assignments, Unit 09 | Tags: | 3 Comments
Unit 8

August 5, 2014 by meunier@uoregon.edu

The questions and points that Jane McGonigal brings up are all very interesting and enlightening. I never really saw the benefits of games, and that may be because I looked at it more as a physical burden than a mental stimulant. The main point that she brings up is that we should apply the optimism that gaming creates to real world problems. My question however, is would this optimism still be found in games if there was no restart? It’s easy to be courageous and outgoing when you know if you mess up you can restart from the beginning. However this is not always the case in real world problem solving. What are your opinions about this matter?

Category Assignments, Unit 08 | Tags: | 5 Comments
Creative Spirituality

August 3, 2014 by meunier@uoregon.edu

This week’s topic of spirituality is something that I find extremely interesting, especially when we are talking about art. For me art is something that should evoke some type of spiritual feeling, even for the non-religious. The assigned article for this week by Grey, goes deep into the spiritual side of art, something that he is obviously extremely passionate about. My favorite section in his piece is the “seeing art” section where he talks about the different stages of first appreciating art. The first part is seeing the physical piece of artwork with the naked eye. The second stage is seeing a “harmony of sensation that stirs emotion”. The third and final stage of seeing art according to Grey, is when the “spiritual insight is transmitted to the eye” (82). He mentions that only the deepest art, which I take to mean best in this case, can evoke step three.

The reason that I find this passage so compelling is because I think he has found a way to measure good art, something that is hard to do. Every artist can get to step one and have his or her art physically seen by another person. The next step is a little more difficult and not every artist can accomplish this. The last step, to have the artist’s spiritual insight transferred to the person viewing the painting, is much harder and very rare. That is why only the best artists can do this, making them elite and wealthy.

Another part of the article that I found interesting was on page 87 when Grey mentions, “artists develop advanced seeing because their life’s work depends on it”. While this may sound somewhat extreme, the more I think about it the more I realize it to be true. Artists are judged on their ability to pass on their message to others, thus they must have this ability to “see” art and understand how you can convey a feeling in it. I know that this would be near impossible for me at first but if I spent every day of my life studying art, the ability to see how artists portray their emotions on paper would come to me I believe. This has been my favorite subject so far and the article was extremely interesting.

Christian

Category Assignments, Unit 07 | Tags: | 2 Comments
Horror Essay

August 3, 2014 by meunier@uoregon.edu

This article talks about how horror films may have a subliminal message behind them and try to preach morality. It uses examples in a plethora of movies where the sinners die before everyone else. The article also states that this can also be looked at in science fiction and fantasy movies. The over arching thesis of the paper states that in every horror movie, the good person who follows obvious morals ends up still alive and the jock or drug user ends up dead or worse. Another example they bring up is curiosity, showing that those the most eager to go out and see something usually end up dead. It concludes by saying that people who see horror may do it for a taste of morality.

While this article does not directly relate to the effects we learned about in the reading, I think it has a lot to do with the topic of what attracts audiences to horror. In our class reading, Carroll states that what creates pleasure to the viewer is “not the tragic event in itself that impacts pleasure, but rather, the way it is worked into the plot” (277). This is a very enlightening idea that I think to be partially correct. No one wants to see blood and gore, but if done masterfully, pleasing many viewers. Dawson takes another approach, hinting that people enjoy horror for “messages and warning about sensitive or recent subjects without directly commenting on those subjects” (2). This idea, much like Carroll’s is a hypothesis to why horror is so well perceived by people and audiences. Personally, I tend to side with Carroll on this argument. The appeasing part of these movies, the stuff that make people sit on the edge of their seats, isn’t the message behind the story, but the art in making such a situation. While Carroll’s point is more reasonable, I find Dawson’s to be more original. I never for one second thought of a horror film to be a metaphor for sinning and doing wrong. But now that I am thinking about it, pretty much every horror movie that I have seen follows the same plotline when it comes to sex, drugs and violence. As correct as this may be, it is not the reason that people go out to see the film. The reason that they go is to see the events masterfully and artistically animated on the film. Sound and scene, as we discussed on our class website and through our “Buffy” example are extremely important in getting viewers to enjoy the film. They need to be fully invested in the film and a good plot and a good use of sound and image can only do this!

The second article that I am referencing is by Derbyshire and was posted in the British newspaper DailyMail. The article is very fascinating and has a lot to do with non-diegetic sound and what we learned about in class this last unit. It alludes to research done by many of the top scientists around the world that found out that one of the reasons we may be so afraid of horror movies is the music and sound, and more specifically the fact that it resembles the sounds of frightened animals. It states that we have found out that high pitched sound that shifts very quickly is what stimulates humans’ fright the most, and that “film makers intuitively realize that they can use these types of sounds” (1). The reason that I chose this article is because it is very similar to what we looked at in class, and uses science to talk about the effect instead of emotion, which is what is discussed in class.

By using the example of Buffy in the first assignment, I got see first hand the importance of non-diegetic sound and the role it plays in horror. Music, especially those of shrill violins and dark pianos, can easily make a horror movie even scarier. Through the class reading and examples, I got a very good background on what non-diegetic sound was and how, if used properly, would have a beneficial effect on the movie. The article that I just read however, goes a little beyond that, and answers “why” this works. It talks about how the shrill sounds are not random and “enhance the emotional impact of the scene”. It also brings up many examples of horror movies with famous sounds that scared the audience. It uses famous music in movies such as Psycho and Jaws as examples where the music was almost scarier than the action going on. The sounds are tapping in “to deep, instinctive fears” that we can do nothing about. Animal sounds that are shrill must have haunted us at some point during the evolution of humans. We are designed to be on alert when we hear such sounds, which is what I think this article is trying to bring up.

To summarize, this article took a deeper look into why non-diegetic sound makes us so afraid. We can not help but be afraid of some of the chilling music that is played during scenes because it resembles the sounds of terrified animals, something that humans were once afraid of when we still lived in caves. Dramatic and comedy films have a lot less of these sounds changes which make them much more relaxing to the viewer. I thought that this article is one of the most interesting that I have read because it brings a concept that we learned in class and puts some facts and science behind it. We learned about the appeal of this sound, now we know why this effect works so well in creating a sense of uneasiness.

Derbyshire, D. (n.d.). Ever wondered why the music in horror films scares us? The harsh sounds tap into instinctive fears . Mail Online. Retrieved August 3, 2014, from http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1281385/Ever-wondered-music-horror-films-scares-The-harsh-sounds-tap-instinctive-fears.html

Left Field Cinema. (n.d.). Analysis: Horror Movies as Modern Day Morality Tales – Introduction. Retrieved August 3, 2014, from http://www.leftfieldcinema.com/analysis-horror-movies-as-modern-day-morality-tales-%E2%80%93-introduction

Category Assignments, Unit 05 | Tags: | No Comments
My Appearance Essay

August 2, 2014 by meunier@uoregon.edu

I never really spent much time caring about how I dressed or how I presented myself before college. Growing up I would shop with my parents at whatever store was cheapest yet still had clothes that could fit a pretty tall child (generally Ross or TJ Max). I had 0 style between the ages of 6-14. When I went to high school things did not get much better, at least regarding my style. I played on three different sports teams throughout high school and would practically only wear the free clothing that each sports team give to each of their athletes. During fall I would wear my soccer shirts with shorts or jeans. Winter would be basketball shirts and polos with jeans and some sneakers. During fall? You guessed it, some tennis shirts and shorts to match. When I was not wearing clothing with my high school logo on it, I was wearing old t-shirts or a sweater that someone would leave at my house. However, when I got to college I was forced to buy new clothing because I could no longer get away with wearing my high school brand at a school with over twenty thousand people.

I would describe my current style as a mix between business casual and casual. Generally speaking, in hot weather I will wear a pair of Khaki shorts and a colorful V-neck. Or if it is particularly hot I will wear a tank top and some athletic shorts. When the weather gets colder I will most likely be in a button up shirt with jeans or khaki pants. I wear a nice pair of shoes that are pretty fashionable these days. Aside from clothing my appearance is pretty unoriginal. I do not have any tattoos or piercings, something that I am sure my mother is happy about. I don’t wear any big jewelry besides watches. Watches are the best way that I have to personalize myself without looking to ridiculous in my opinion. Since I am a business major and am involved in many out of school business events, it is important that I look professional and a watch is the most professional piece of jewelry. One thing that I do quite a bit that many of my peers don’t is that I gel my hair practically every day. I have been doing this since middle school and think that I will be doing it for a long time going forward. The reason that I gel my hair is that I am very proud of my European roots. Hair style is very important in France, where I come from, and it is rare to see someone who has long hair not style it in some fashion or another. When my hair is short I will generally put in strong gel and try to make the front up into a point. When my hair gets to be a little longer I will move more towards a mouse and put my hair backwards but still up. While I am sure you are as interested in my hair as I am, we can move to another topic.

I think that the way I dress shows a lot about the values of my family and the way that I was raised. I was always told growing up to make the best first impression possible and I think that is what I try to portray in the way I look. You won’t see me with a big beard or earrings because these are things that are visible to everyone around me. While I have no problem at all with people who have tattoos and piercings, some people do and I would like to make the best impression possible to everyone. Gelling my hair goes a long way towards preserving my family heritage as well. I love the fact that I am European and want to keep that part of me as close as possible. By styling my hair, part of Europe is always with me and I can show it off to the world.

The way that I present myself also reflects a good deal whom I hang out with and what my peer group values. Generally speaking, and this is not the case all the time, I hang out with and around business majors at the University of Oregon. As a business major and someone hoping one day to enter the world of business, the way you present yourself is important. It is vary rare to see someone walking around the business school with tie-dye hair and purple jeans for example. It is a lot cleaner cut than the rest of the world. The friends that I hang around are very similar to me in their appearance, which I find to be common no matter what you look like. We all wear button up shirts, nice shoes, and will not accessorize too much. A watch here and there, or a new haircut perhaps, but generally not something more than that. To summarize the point of this essay, I think that the way I dress and present myself is 100 percent due to my family and my friends. I have never really rebelled against the path I am planning on going and it shows. My friends who are in art school dress much differently than I do, but similar to many of their peers and family members. Your appearance is decided on the path you decide to take in life.

Christian M

Category Assignments, Unit 05 | Tags: | 3 Comments
Is Food Art, Essay

August 2, 2014 by meunier@uoregon.edu

The article that I am going to use for this project is called “food for thought” and discusses whether there are boundaries between food and art, with different arguments than the in-class reading. One fact that the author brings up that I find interesting is that the French have found food to be art for a long time. They are also the ones who first started modern art. One culture looks at it this way, while another (in this case Dutch), mentions that food “can soothe, but it does not inspire” (Jones). The author also mentions that we should look at food similarly to art. He likes both, but neither comes close to what great art does. One really interesting thing he says is that food is swallowed, but art is never touched. Art is of the mind, and of the mind only. Food is examined for taste, texture, and appearance. He concludes his article by saying that food cannot be considered as art, and that art reaches parts of us that are deeper than the surface.

Although both the in-class reading and the article conclude that food (at least for the most part) should not be considered art, they come to that conclusion in different ways. The first difference is the main argument behind each point. The main argument behind Telfer’s piece is “the inability of food to express emotion” (26). The central argument behind Jones’ article is that art is not touched, while food and fashion are. It seems that the underlying ideas here are similar but they word them differently. What they are both trying to say is that art evokes emotion by itself. You do not need to taste, feel, smell, or hear art to be moved. Food on the other hand, is difficult to enjoy if you just look at it. Food brings out other emotions that art does not, and the central emotion that art pieces bring out are not brought out by food. It seems that this is what Telfer means when she says that food does not express emotion. It’s the emotion that you feel from art that makes it a powerful piece of art. A painting can follow all the right rules, and have each brush stroke perfect, but if it does not evoke emotion then it is not well received.

The next argument that I would like to compare and contrast is the different things that each author continuously compares food to. Jones compares food to fashion saying, “Fashion and food fail to be serious art because they are trapped in the physical world”. Contrast that to Telfer who constantly compares art to machinery and factories, including “I admire some factory chimneys because they make a marvelous pattern” (10). This is just one instance in many where she brings up equipment as a replacement to food to make a point. While I think that both comparisons are valid, the more appropriate one in my opinion is the link between food and fashion. I feel that fashion and food are both a type of modern art so to say. They have replaced 19^th century art a hobby for high society individuals. Not many impoverished people are too interested in the newest fashion on the catwalks of London or the brand new 5 star restaurant opening in Paris. Instead they focus on food that is a good deal for its value, and clothing that is reasonable and practical. This is why I think the comparison between the two is more valid than comparing food to machinery. If you can argue that either food or fashion is not art, then chances are the other one will follow. As someone who does not look at food or fashion as art, I think the author of the article brings up a good point.

The topic of whether food is art is an interesting one that I never really put much thought to. I eat multiple meals every day and can often tell high quality from poor. I have lived in France for several years and have eaten at some gourmet restaurants that had bills that exceeded their reputations. However never once did I ever think that what I was looking at or eating was art. That is why I will continue to think that real food and the best chefs do not produce art, they produce high quality food making them the best among their peers. My final thought on this subject is that for food to be considered art, the person looking at it would have no urge to eat it. They would be pleased just with the aesthetic appeal of what the chef has prepared. And if a chef prepares something that is not eaten and only observed, then what he created was not food.

Jones, J. (2011, April). Food for thought…Why cuisine or couture can never equal great art [On-Line Article] Retrieved August 1^st, 2014 from http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/jonathanjonesblog/2011/apr/21/food-fashion-art-cuisine-couture

Category Assignments, Unit 04 | Tags: | No Comments