While public art is the final topic for this term, it is certainly still a very interesting one. Reviewing the Runquist murals, reading the background on them, and the assigned reading from Doss were all very beneficial in expanding my knowledge regarding public art. After reviewing the material and reflecting on my personal experience with public art, two topics, civic improvement, and civic beautification, stuck with me.

Public art has always been very fascinating to me because it often oozes with creativity, passion and can be very vibrant in color. Some of my most recent experiences are living in Eugene, where there are multiple forms of public art around campus, such as the Great Blue Heron sculpture on 13^th Street. I have also taken multiple art classes here at UO, which included studying various forms of public art.

The reading by Ericka Doss was very informative regarding public art and the controversy that surrounds it. Doss starts with giving a general background of public art, which is smart so the readers can all be informed on the subject. Doss explains how diverse public art can be and all the different forms, “Public art can be a sculpture, mural, manhole cover, paving pattern, lighting, seating, building façade, kiosk, gate, fountain, play equipment, engraving, carving, fresco, mobile, collage, mosaic, bas-relief, tapestry, photograph, drawing, or earthwork” (Doss 2). This quote illustrates all the different forms of public art, which contributes to the high levels of creativity. A personal favorite of mine is the street artist, Banksy, who is famous for his various public art pieces.

Doss continues with using a quote from Jack Becker to make an interesting point, which I feel eludes to civic improvement and improving the community, “As Becker remarks, public art is “multifaceted” cultural arena that is “open to artists of all stripes, without predetermine rules or a mutually agreed upon critical languagage” (Doss 2). This highlights how public art doesn’t follow a set of rules, which contributes to how it can speak to people in multiple ways. This is how public art improves the community, because it appeals to a wide range of people for different reasons. Based on my personal experience, public art can significantly improve the community by adding aspects of creativity, art, and beauty to the area.

The murals we studied for this week really made me think of how they add value to the Knight Library and those who visit that area. When I visited the murals in person it became clear that they add significant value to the space. The history of the murals, and each pane adds an aspect of beauty to the public, which is why the murals are a good example of civic beautification. The fact that the murals still remain add another dimension of value to the community, because as mentioned in Doss’ piece, there have been shifts in terms of public art. Doss explains how some public art pieces have been taken down or removed for new innovations. As Doss says, “It shows the shifting circumstances of American public culture and that original intentions regarding public art’s placement, permanence, and public interpretation are often subject to change and reconsideration” (Doss 4). This quote illustrates how the public opinion can change regarding public art. This quote also points to how valuable the murals are to the Knight Library, because they still remain although some of the images the murals depict might be outdated. History can add value to the community and when history is integrated with art it can create real beauty for those around to admire, which is what the murals create for the Knight Library.

 

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

1. Creative (pictured) 2. Vibrant (pictured) 3. Focused (pictured) 4. Intelligent 5. Innovative (pictured) 6. Eccentric 7. Driven 8. Inspiring (pictured) 9. Observant (pictured) 10. Creator (pictured)

This image is definitely art and should be considered as such for multiple reasons. It is a creation of my thoughts regarding what is an artist. Relating this back to week three and Dissanayake’s piece, “Artists interpret it according to their individual and cultural sensibilities” (pg. 19). Dissanayake is referring to how artists interpret life and their environment, which my image is a perfect example of. It symbolizes me in more way than one and definitely relates to the way I think and interpret my environment. This was my favorite assignment and I love how my collage turned out.

 

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.

The assigned reading for this week is piece titled “Computer Graphics: Effects of Origins” by Beverly Jones, which is very related to this week’s discussion on technology. Jones explains the primary these of the piece on page 21, “By reviewing specific works and what appear to be underlying conditions and assumptions that shaped these works, I 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… It is a premise of this paper that old cultural patterns do not die. They may fade or become more evident; that is, they may be deemphasized or emphasized” (Jones 21).

Jones uses multiple historical examples to highlight her thesis in this piece. The historical example that was most intriguing is the Mercedes Benz Corporation and under projecting sales example. Jones uses Mercedes Benz to illustrate the tendency to set limits on the possible based on past experiences. This causes people to not adapt to new technology, such as electricity or computers, right away. Jones goes on to discuss the importance of origins and practices in unmasking assumptions within current trends. These limitations hold people back from being early adopters to new technology. People are creatures of habit so it makes logical sense that they may be more apt to stick to their ways rather than try a new thing or piece of technology. This reminds me especially of my parents, because they are perfect examples of late adapters. It actually significantly intrigues me how people, such as my parents, decide to not learn new technology, because in reality they would benefit from learning it.

What this example made me think of new technology in today’s culture. One of the more recent tech products is the Apple watch and it is a perfect example for Jones’ piece. The Apple watch hasn’t gotten the best reviews from consumers, which could be attributed to consumers not adapting to the technology right away. An article from the business insider reported on the Apple watch reviews, which were not positive. This article supports Jones’ statement that people have a tendency to set limits on the possible and may not adapt to new technology immediately.

Carlson, N. (2015, April 8). The Apple Watch reviews are (quietly) brutal. Retrieved May 24, 2015, from http://www.businessinsider.com/apple-watch-reviews-are-bad-2015-4

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

This week’s topic of Technology is one that significantly appeals to me for multiple reasons. Technology seems to be a growing industry as well as an essential part of people’s daily lives. The TED talk by Jane McGonigal, which was part of this week’s assigned material, was definitely one of the more interesting TED talks. She stated that she believes there needs to be more gaming in order to save the world’s most prevalent issues. My question for this post is do you agree with McGonigal’s idea that gaming can help solve important world problems? It seems fair fetched, but the more I think about it, the more I think it could be feasible.

How do you define “spirituality”?

Spirituality is related to religion, but they are not identical. Spirituality is more of how connected a person is with other beings, whether it be a God figure or just spirits. There are many forms of spirituality and almost every person’s spirituality is different. Experiences and lessons people endure shape their spirituality and their belief system. Higher beings can be thought of in more ways than just a God figure or Jesus, which adds to the beauty of spirituality.

 Does spirituality differ from religion?

As mentioned above spirituality does differ from religion. Religion is more tangible in the sense that a religion usually has a set of beliefs or a code to follow and live by. There are many different religions, just as there are forms of spirituality, but religions seem to be more defined. Spirituality affects the way people notice and perceive situations, which was a point of discussion in this week’s assigned reading. While these two topics are different, there are many ways in which they are interrelated and connected.

 How do you define “creativity”?

I believe there are many different definitions of creativity, because the idea of creativity can apply to multiple things. A more general and overarching definition would be the ability to take traditional ideas or things and create something new and original that has different meaning or purpose. Having the ability to create or innovate new ideas contributes to the amount of creativity a person possesses. Creativity is also connected to inspiration and becoming inspired by various things. The beauty of creativity is it can come from various sources of inspiration or curiosity.

What is the source of creativity?

The source of creativity can come from a multitude of things. Some of those things are spiritual inspiration, experiences, current environment, and seeing deeply, which is discussed in this week’s assigned reading. I believe those who are very creative are also very observant and see deeply when others don’t, which allows them to see things most don’t. There are human traits and genes that might lend natural creativity to someone. However, if someone values creativity and actively seeks to be creative then they can develop skills of tapping into sources of creativity. Spiritual inspiration is a significant source of creativity, which is why pairing the two topics for this week’s material worked excellently.

 

Sources:

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

This week’s topic is creative spirituality, which is a very interesting concept. An even more interesting concept is how spirituality can influence artists and their pieces of art. Often people confuse spirituality and religion as the same thing and while there are some overlaps, it is not the same. Spirituality can be much more than just what religion someone believes in.

A way spirituality can influence artists is through things that inspire them to create artwork. Inspiration is something Grey touches in this week’s assigned reading. The opening line of this week’s reading really struck a powerful message to me. Grey states, “Most of our days are spent passing by things that we glance over but may barely be able to recall” (71). This is a very profound thought in the sense that there are so many things we glance over on a day-to-day basis. Even just a walk to campus can entail numerous things and events. These things we glance over may be hard to recall, but they do stick in our subconscious. These subconscious thoughts come through in forms of expression, such as artwork. I look forward to reading what others had to say regarding creative spirituality given I think most people will have a unique viewpoint.

 

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

This week’s material is brings up one central question: Why horror? Why horror has always been an intriguing topic to me because I’ve never really understood the excitement around horror films. Given I’ve never really understood the hype, this assignment was beneficial as I got to research more about why people enjoy horror films. I found two sources, science daily and live science, that discuss points as to why people might love horror movies. Noel Carroll also discussed some of these points in “Why Horror?” which was our assigned reading for the week. Before comparing the points between the two sources and Carroll’s piece it is important to summarize the sources in order to create a base for comparison.

My first source is from science daily, which is a website for the latest research news. The source discusses the question of what attracts people to violent movies? The point of these scientists’ study is to discover, “whether these serious, contemplative, and truth-seeking motivations for exposure to violent portrayals are more than just an intellectual pleasure.” They conducted an experiment where they gathered 482 participants, ranging in age from 18-82, to watch film trailers featuring different levels of gore and meaningfulness. The participants then rated each film of their perceptions of the film and how likely they would watch the full movie. The source includes results from earlier studies, which state that audiences are drawn to violent content because they anticipate other benefits, such as thrill and suspense. The findings suggested that hedonistic pleasures are only part of the reason as to why people expose themselves to violence and gore. According to this source, depictions of violence that are perceived as meaningful and thought-provoking can foster empathy with victims, admiration for acts of courage and moral beauty in the face of violence.” Although this is good reasoning for why horror, it seems conducting more studies on this topic would be beneficial.

The first source’s main point is that people are drawn to horror movies for reasons other than just to watch something scary, which is similar to a point Carroll discusses in his piece. Carroll explains that there are other factors that create pleasure for the audience, “It is not the tragic event in itself that imparts pleasure, but rather, the way it is worked into the plot” (Carroll 277). This quote highlights that feelings of curiosity and suspense are present during a horror film, which add to the overall appeal. The way events are worked into the plot creates suspense and a sense of discovery. This idea is very similar to the point made in my first source and it is also prevalent in the Buffy the Vampire Slayer episode we saw. The writer for that episode used certain events in a certain order in order to evoke emotions, such as suspense and thrill. Also, the way they used music to create a heightened sense of horror really increased the aesthetics of the episode, which results in the capturing the audience’s attention. Personally, I’m a very curious person, but for some reason watching a horror movie doesn’t feed my curiosity.

My second source is an article on live science titled “Horror Movies: Why People Love Them?” This article highlights reasons as to why people enjoy horror films. Desired effect stuck out to me as a reason why people enjoy horror because the article states, “You choose your entertainment because you want it to affect you.” This notion made me consider what entertainment I enjoy and how it affects me, which resulted in hypothesizing that I don’t watch horror films because I don’t find them pleasurable. The article touches on other reasons such as enjoying the adrenaline rush, being distracted from mundane life or just plain suspense. After reading the article, there were many similarities between the article and Carroll’s piece.

Both of the sources I found are very connected and interrelated to this week’s assigned material. The strongest comparison between the second source and Carroll’s piece is that they both discuss multiple contributing factors as to why horror is enjoyable. In the assigned reading, Carroll explains the factors that contribute to the horror story, “It engages its audience by being involved in processes of disclosure, discovery, proof, explanation, hypothesis, and confirmation” (Carroll 279). Some of these processes are driven by curiosity, which is something both sources and the reading discuss. Additionally, these processes, such as discovery, can function as a distraction from a viewer’s non-eventful life. After comparing multiple sources, it is clear that there is a significant amount of value and pleasure that a viewer can gain from engaging with a horror story, but in my opinion it takes a special kind of thrill seeking person to truly enjoy it.

Bibliography

Carroll, N. (2002). Why Horror?. In Neill, A. & Riley, A. (eds.) Arguing About Art: Contemporary Philosophical Debates (2nd ed., Chap. 17). New York, NY: Routledge.

International Communication Association. (2013, March 28). What attracts people to violent movies?. ScienceDaily. Retrieved May 10, 2015 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130328091750.htm

Fink, L. (2009, November 6). Horror Movies: Why People Love Them. Retrieved May 10 2015, from http://www.livescience.com/7949-horror-movies-people-love.html

mise-en-scene: Color has always been something that fascinates me so that is what I focused on when looking for an example for mise-en-scene. The color at 3:43 struck me and remained with me as I continued to watch the show. Buffy’s red sweater is very bright and eye popping, which can be attributed to the sweater being the brightest color in the scene. The guy is wearing dull green, red, and blue and the walls are beige with brown. These aspects allow the red sweater to really catch the viewer’s attention and draw that viewer in. The use of the red sweater adds vivid color to the scene and allows the viewer to identify Buffy in the scene. Given she has the bright sweater and it is early in the show, the objective is for the viewer’s eye to be drawn to Buffy. This adds to the aesthetic of horror for the video because it sets up the viewer to be drawn to Buffy throughout the rest of the show.

 

diegetic sound: At 40:40, Buffy ends over 25 minutes of no verbal dialog from the characters with a yelping scream. Buffy is the clear source of the sound and she is visible on screen, which is an example of diegetic sound. The use of no verbal dialog adds extra meaning to Buffy’s scream because it breaks the silence and kills the zombies. This signifies the end of another episode and horror adventure. This scream adds to the aesthetic of horror for the video because it is a clear message that Buffy is breaking the silence along with the evil. Buffy is once again victorious and lives to fight in another horror episode.

 

non-diegetic sound: The music played as the box is opened 13:30 is very spooky and mysterious. In horror and mystery films sound is often added for dramatic effect and this episode of Buffy is no different. The music sets the stage for the show and tells the viewer how to feel about the scene. If it were a happy song played at that moment then I would feel much different about the clock. In the show the clock seems very ominous and a possible place of dwelling for bad things. This use of non-diegetic sound definitely adds to the aesthetic of horror for the video. As described above the music is so eerie that it plays on the viewer’s emotion and draws in their attention.

After discussing food last week, we move on to adornment as the topic for the week. Similarly to food, adornment can be a form of expression, which makes it a good topic for discussion. In this realm, there are many ways of expression, such as hairstyle, clothing, piercing, and tattooing. Our values and beliefs often come through in our adornment, which ties back to the topics of values we discussed in week two. The way we express ourselves through dress or body adornment can change over time, but there are certain modifications that are permanent, which is discussed by C.R. Sanders in this week’s reading. Along with the reading there was a presentation we could review, which was very graphic. However, the presentation helped me reflect on some of the questions for this personal reflection, such as what were the core beliefs in my family and community and how are they expressed through dress and body adornment.

There are certain personal beliefs and values of mine that are expressed through the way I dress. I have a value of being healthy and active so I will often wear athletic shorts or shoes. Another big belief of mine is being comfortable, which comes from my dad stressing the importance of being comfortable ever since I can remember. Sweatshirts and comfortable clothing are definitely part of my wardrobe. I wouldn’t say being attractive is a value, but Sanders’ discussion of attractiveness in the reading was interesting to me. Sanders’ states, “We think about attractive people more often, define them as being more healthy, express greater appreciation for their work, and find them to be more appealing interactants” (Sanders 1). As mentioned above, I value being healthy and since being attractive and healthy seems to be related somehow I should value being attractive. Although I believe these assumptions are true, assumptions can be wrong or misguided. A lot of the core beliefs in my family are still prevalent to me today so some of those come through in the way I make decisions and dress.

My values and beliefs definitely influence my decision-making process and the way I make the choices I do. My parents gave me a good baseline of a moral compass for me to build on, which created the way I make decisions. I’m a pretty big thinker so most, if not all, of my choices are calculated and thought out. I also tend to think about the other people involved in the situation and that can sometime affect my choice or decision.

Having a good moral compass and being sympathetic are traits I have developed over time. Over the years, I started to see and notice more things, which really opened my eyes to the world. A big change over the years has been the transition from me listening to everything my parents have to say to now making decisions and problem solving on my own. I believe in a lot of their values, but as I got older I noticed certain values that my parents have might not be exactly true and as valuable to me.

As mentioned in the first paragraph, my core values stem from my family’s core values. A significant belief for my parents was getting my brother and myself active and playing sports. We both played multiple organized sports and spent most of our weekends playing outside. This belief was loud and clear through our clothing, which consisted of multiple shirts, jerseys, and hats of various sports teams. My dad found enjoyment in buying us jerseys of our favorite players, which resulted in a closet full of jerseys. Another core belief for my family is a version of “your body is a temple.” Both my parents are licensed massage therapists so they know significant amount about the body and what body customization does. I don’t think they would be care if I got a piercing, but I don’t think they would be jumping up and down about it. The same goes with a tattoo as I have seen that situation play out with my stepbrother. That belief of keeping your body clean, respecting it, and caring for it definitely speaks for the lack of tattoos, piercings, and other body modifications in the family.

The core beliefs of my peer community are different from the core beliefs of my family. In my peer community there seems to be an emphasis on multiple tattoos, and piercings. These beliefs of self-expression shine through the full sleeve tattoos and gauged ears. Overall, adornment is another way of self expression that if done well can be appealing.

Source:

Sanders, C. R. (1989). Introduction: Body Alteration, Artistic Production, and the Social World of Tattooing. In Customizing the Body (Chap. 1). Philadelphia, PA: Temple University Press.

Eugene is an interesting city to people watch in given all the different styles and people. There are many places to people watch in Eugene, especially on campus. I decided to people watch at the UO rec center.

The first person was an older white man who looked like a teacher. He had a tattoo of a cross on his left calf. He looked rather healthy with grey hair pulled into a ponytail and glasses. He wore a grey cut off shirt and unbranded shorts with new balance shoes. The biggest image was the cross for me, which I believe demonstrates his value and belief for faith. The way he was dressed tells me either he doesn’t care about having the newest work out clothing or it could mean a number of different things. Some of the assumptions I am making are that he is a teacher, a believer of faith, healthy, older, and doesn’t care about the newest athletic wear. I think my assumptions point to my belief in faith, which probably why I noticed the cross. Also, I’m a fan of Nike and their products, so the fact that he wasn’t wearing any Nike apparel created a bias for my assumption.

The second person was a college student working at the rec. She was wearing a blue UO rec shirt and leggings with a fuel band on her wrist. She had earrings in each ear and her hair tied back. The most eye catching item were the bright orange Nike running shoes she was wearing. In my opinion, this person must have values for health and fitness given her fuel band. She also works at the rec, which could mean she enjoys being around fitness and the gym. Also, her choice of shoe could show she is creative or has an eccentric personality. The assumptions I am making are that she is athletic, healthy, fashionable given her earrings, creative, and eccentric. These assumptions speak to the point that I’m creative and have an eye for color. I also care about health and fitness so I associate myself with those that care about fitness and health.

The third person was a male who could have either been a graduate student or just a member. He was covered in tattoos while wearing mostly Nike apparel. He also had gauges in his ears that were half covered by Beats by Dre headphones. This male must value self-expression or creativity given his multiple tattoos. He must have a strong belief in tattoos and body art along with gauges. The Nike apparel and Beats by Dre tell me he is interested in current products and could be considered “trendy.” The assumptions I am making are that this guy really likes tattoos and body expression while also being “trendy.” Personally, I’m not covered in tattoos head to toe, but I do understand the appeal and desire to want to carry certain people, messages, images with us at all times. I believe there is significant self-expression in tattoos and some are very creative. This intriguing belief I have of tattoos could be why I notice them. I wouldn’t say I’m a trendy person, but I do like certain products, some newer than others.