Keywords:

Creative

Style

Meaningful

Image

Different

 

I believe that the image that I created here above could be considered art in my personal opinion. I feel like the way that we went about this assignment forced me to think in an artistic sense when generating those original ten keywords. Even though all I did was make a collage of five pictures that I found on the internet, there was still meaning and consideration when choosing these pictures to represent my keywords. All of the images that I choose had a specific significance to me when considering visual representations of potential qualities of an artist. I feel that Ellen Dissanayake’s theory of a species-centered view of art supports my opinion as she states that, “Among these tendencies, I claim, is also the behavior or propensity to “make special,” particularly things that one cares deeply about or activities whose outcome has strong personal significance” (p. 22). In doing this assignment, the qualities that I cared deeply about or that carried strong personal significance to me helped guide my decisions in choosing the images that I felt represented what I think it means to be an artist.

 

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.

After watching the TED video and listening to Lawrence Lessig talk about “user generated content” or “ugc” and understanding how it relates to these two cultures and two kinds of creativity called: Read Only Culture (RO) and Read Write Culture (RW), it was easier to grasp the meaning behind the reading assignment. He discusses the issues that have aroused due to user-generated content and how it has created controversy within this “remix” or remaking of art culture and copyright infringement. In his video he explains how we have moved away from this RW culture and moved closer to an RO culture, “a culture where creativity was consumed, but the consumer is not a creator” (TED, 2:12). I thought this was interesting because I realized how strongly this concept actually applies to our current culture and how copyright laws can put this concept into affect in modern society. For example, I can spend a lot of time on the Internet and consume creative thoughts or ideas from the things that I see or look up online, but someone else created the software or search engine that lets my search for those creative thoughts, which in a sense is copyright.

 

In chapter five of Lessig’s book titled, Remix: Making Art and Commerce Thrive in the Hybrid Economy, he goes into further detail about how the American copyright law regulations relate differently to these two cultures stating that, “current copyright law supports the practices of the RO culture and opposes the practices of the RW culture” (p. 97). It is unfortunate to realize that as we move closer and closer to this RO culture, we are just continuing to undervalue our own capabilities and ourselves. This culture of maintaining strong control over content and enforcing stricter copyright laws definitely limits individuals’ access to creativity and refrains us from participating in the recreation of something new. I believe that copyright laws should not be completely eliminated as a whole, but definitely limited to a certain extent so that our world continues to develop extraordinary human beings that are capable of extraordinary things.

 

 

 

 

Lessig, L. (2008). Comparing Cultures. Remix: Making Art and Commerce Thrive in the Hybrid Economy (pp. 84-116). New York: Penguin Press HC, The.

In Beverly Jones’ article, Computer Graphics: Effects of Origins, she discusses how both technology and science contribute to the aesthetics of art and prior artistic practices. I believe that the primary thesis that Jones is particularly trying to demonstrate in this article is that “the 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” (Jones, p. 21). After reading through the whole article, this idea or concept is consistently expressed by Jones in different wording. She also provides three historical examples that help support her thesis, one of them being how, “In the 1940s analogue computers were used to generate and display the earliest computer graphics and display them on oscilloscopes. Ben F. Lapofsky and Herbert W. Franke were among the pioneers creating these images” (Jones, p. 22). These early graphics created by Franke were phase forms that were presented as events instead of as static imagery. “Lapofsky’s Oscillon No. 4 was included in the first edition of Franke’s book, Computer Graphics – Computer Art. His work continues to explore similar forms” (Jones, p. 22). Even though the developments in technology have consistently increased over hundreds of years, people still refer back to the early works of Lapofsky and Franke.

I think that a good example that relates to this thesis in todays culture would be the ongoing and enhanced development of motorized vehicles. In another short article that I read, The History of the Automobile, it talks about how we have used previous old forms of technology and science as a basis for the development of new forms. “Starting in the late 1700’s, European engineers began tinkering with motor powered vehicles. Steam, combustion, and electrical motors had all been attempted by the mid 1800’s. By the 1900’s, it was uncertain which type of engine would power the automobile” (The History, p. 1). In this current era, we have come a long way since then in the sense that technicians and engineers have created cars that can practically drive themselves. These technicians and engineers wouldn’t have gotten to this stage in the technological world without prior configuration of old patterns or old forms developed by the ones before them.

This was a very appealing topic to me because it is something that I feel people don’t necessarily think about or consider on a daily basis. We should be appreciative of our past generations and of past ideals or developments because we are the future and can only learn from the past.

 

 

 

 

“History of the Automobile.” The Impact of the Automobile on the 20th Century. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 May 2015.

 

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

 

This week’s topic on art, technology, and games was very interesting as I watched the presentation called Gaming can make a better world. In this presentation Jane McGonigal talks about how we as human beings can benefit from online gaming in attempt to help aid bigger real-world problems. As she continues her reasoning for harnessing this gamer power to solve real-world issues, the question of, “what exactly are gamers getting good at?” was brought to my attention (McGonigal, 8:09). According to McGonigal, these online games that we play are making us virtuosos or rather experts at urgent optimism, weaving a tight social fabric, blissful productivity, and epic meaning. All of these things add up to establish gamers as being super-empowered hopeful individuals who believe they are individually capable of changing the virtual world, rather than the real world. After gaining a better understanding of how these characteristics and traits can be taken advantage of in the virtual world, I believe that we as individuals have the ability to harness this gamer power in attempt to solve more real-world problems.

 

 

 

 

Jane McGonigal (Recorded at TED2010, February 2010 in Long Beach, CA. Duration: 20:04)

1. How do you define “spirituality”?

 

I would define “spirituality” as sort of a deeper emotion that is brought out when an individual’s natural senses are stimulated. Whether it is through seeing, touching, or listening we all have the ability to be one with the environment and feel that deeper connection. I feel like the spirit is connected with the soul, and feel that connecting with the soul takes a deeper and more meaningful experience in order to really gain spirituality.

 

2. Does spirituality differ from religion?

 

I think that spirituality definitely differs from religion in a few ways. I tend to see religion as an ethical practice that individuals take part in on a daily basis or rather consistent basis. Where spirituality doesn’t necessarily need to be in the form of practice or consistent basis. I think that the spirit has a stronger connection with your emotions and how you actually see the world. However, they do have some correlation because people can also spiritually connect with religious practices.

 

3. How do you define “creativity”?

 

I define creativity as using your imagination to come up with new and original ideas or thoughts. Being creative means using critical thinking skills to explore what is considered unknown. I feel like creativity is something that can come more natural to some people while others may struggle a little more with opening up their imagination and exploring new ideas. I would consider myself to be creative in certain ways but it doesn’t come to me as easy as one of my friends who was able to make a 3D printer from scratch.

4. What is the source of creativity?

 

I think that there is no specific source for where ever creativity comes from. However, I do think that it could have something to do with genetics considering the fact that some people are born with a very creative mind and invent very extraordinary things. For example, one of my neighbors has the ability to open up his mind at such a young age that he is taking SAT tests as a ten year old. I do believe that every person has the ability to be creative in some way, shape, or form.

 

Non-Diegetic sound:

At about 13:35 minutes into the show there is a scene where what seems to be the villain opens up a box that gets a huge sound effect making it seem very dramatic. Then the camera switches to different scenes showing various characters sleeping as their souls are getting sucked out. During these scenes there are a bunch of whispering voices and creepy-mood music that seems to come from a source outside the space of the story events. The use of the non-diegetic sound in these scenes very well contributed to the aesthetic of horror for the video as it gave me a sort of scary and creepy feeling inside. The building up of the whispering voices definitely gave an ominous feeling and it made me feel like something was going to pop up on the screen.

 

Diegetic Sound:

I wasn’t sure if an example as simple as Buffy talking to someone else could represent diegetic sound, but I decided to use the example at about 20 minutes in where one of the main characters turns up the volume of the T.V. news station. At this point in the show none of the characters actually have a voice, but when the T.V. comes on it is very clear and easy to tell that there is sound coming from a source that is visible on the screen. The news reporter on the T.V. screen becomes the actual frame of the scene as he talks about the weird epidemic going on in their town. This specific example of diegetic sound did not really contribute to the aesthetic of horror for the video because it was just a person talking about what was going on. However, there were some ominous tones and music building up in the background that made it seem a little more frightening.

 

Mise-en-scene:

I was sort of confused on the actual definition of mise-en-scene, but I decided to choose the example at about 26 minutes into the show where these very freaky and weird looking creatures walk into a bedroom where someone is sleeping and cut out his heart. During this scene the leader of these weird creatures takes the main frame and its face is shown up close in detail. At a specific point the screen is almost entirely black, other than the bright moonlight shining on the heavily makeup face of the scary creature. This is a perfect example of mise-en-scene as it is easy to tell that the lighting in this particular scene is suppose to add dramatic affect and make the bad guy look even scarier. The use of this film criticism term definitely contributes to the aesthetic of horror for the video in the sense that it makes the scene seem more dramatic and like something scary is about to happen. Also the lighting on the creatures face makes it look a lot more frightening.

I believe that you can tell a lot about another person based on how one dresses and expresses their body adornment. I personally take a lot of time and consideration when putting together my physical appearance every day before even leaving my house. I think that values such as professionalism, comfort, and maintaining quality health are supported and expressed by the way that I dress myself, but vary in certain circumstances. For example, I wear a lot of sport-wear or athletic clothing because they tend to be more comfortable and because I am a very active person that likes to play sports. I think that my personal value of health is expressed by the way that I dress in the sense that people may think that I am healthy because I am wearing clothes that most people would typically workout in or do physical activity in. However, when I am trying to express my high value in professionalism, I would tend to wear more formal clothing to show that I mean business and present myself in a more professional manner. I think that I make the choices that I make because regardless of whether people actually mean it when the say “I don’t care what anyone else thinks about me”, I actually do care to a certain extent. I choose to express my values and beliefs in many different ways, and believe that specifically dressing a certain way is an easy and efficient way of doing so. I want others to think of me in a way that I would consider myself and can express it through my own personal style. When I was a young kid, none of that stuff really mattered because I didn’t think about it that way. I didn’t care if my shirt matched my shorts or what my hair was doing because I was a kid and was too young to understand the importance and advantages it could provide. As I got older and developed into a young man, those misunderstandings became clearer and I realized how much could be judged just off one’s physical appearance.

 

I think that my family strongly values approachableness and etiquette when it comes to how we like to dress ourselves. I feel like this is expressed in the way that we dress because my parents encourage us to dress nicely and look clean most of the time. My parents raised my siblings and I based off trust and respect and felt that it was most respectful and appropriate for us to clean up our appearance whenever having company over. With respect being one of my family’s core values, customizing my own body with something such as a tattoo or body piercing would be very disrespectful in their opinions. So as long as I am living under the same roof as my parents, I will never disrespect those values and especially not through my physical appearance alone. This also goes along the lines of being more approachable in the sense that, if you have tattoos and piercings covering your body, you may tend to seem less approachable than the average person in my parents’ opinion.

 

I believe that currently in this day and age, my peer community holds core beliefs and values such as equality, change, and even a better quality of life. This is expressed in all sorts of ways, but specifically in the way that these people dress and customize their body. My generation has been very consistent with change as we have had the fortunate opportunity of living in such a highly developed country and have demonstrated it through their personal appearance. As years go on, new styles arise and older ones fade out and the process continues on and on again. Currently, a really popular fashion style for young males right now is sort of an old school comb over, preppy look. This used to be a more common style years and years ago as it has now returned, giving young men a fresher and cleaner look. In my opinion, I feel like this specific look that is currently trending in the American fashion industry expresses the core belief of being well -presented and being clean-cut. It is also a way of expressing confidence in the sense some feel that when you look good, you tend to perform better as well. Change is also exemplified through dress and body adornment by this current community as determinants of what is socially acceptable in appearance has changed over the years. For example, tattoos and body piercings have become so much more popular over the past ten years that now even higher regarded companies are more willing to accept and employ individuals with a unique physical appearance as it has become more commonly found these days. At the end of the day we are all individuals that hold personal value to different things and express ourselves in a variety of ways.