This reading is by far my most favorite as I am a big fan of Alex Grey (I own a poster of one of his works). It was very interesting to read how Grey explained about viewer’s position and “job” when they encounter an artist form. He said, the viewer must see deeply by fixing his/her attention on the one thing and  feeling the artistic subject with awe and pleasure.

Grey said, “the artist’s spiritual eye recognizes the subject as a special aspect of an absolute” (73).  It was  interesting that he called “spiritual eye” that opens, sees and accepts the artistic form when an artist sees an art form. He must feel that he has the “spiritual eye” that opens when he paints and/or encounters art forms. Furthermore, I noticed Grey used examples of other artists (such as Van Gogh or Mona Lisa with Leonardo Da Vinchi) and many metaphors to explain and help the readers to understand. He used  “devil, angel, lover, or amuse” as metaphors to explain his view on inspiration. As much as I loved the picture ‘Imp of Inspiration’, he beautifully explained how inspiration was like some entities “creep up to your imagination and give it the most sumptuous gift” (82).

In this reading assignment particularly, I found a lot of phrases that touched my heart. One of my favorite lines was that when an artist encounters an artistic object, “There is a rush of aesthetic pleasure, and something clicks simultaneously on every level” (73). I believe anybody can be an artist if the one can show and present one’s passion, love, and appreciation by creating and expressing in any means. I am a singer so I could relate myself that my “eyes” are opened when watching another artists’ (singers) performances, and I feel the rush of aesthetic pleasure with awe. I would try to sing the “master’s” songs so that I can “see deeply”. It is parallel to how Grey said he would draw paintings in order for him to see a work of art. I would know the nuance, feeling, and the quality by singing, as Grey would by drawing.

Mise-en-scene consists of details such as color, lighting, actors’ performance, position of camera (camera angle) and framing, production designs, and diegetic sound. One example I found was when the camera was filming the town clock from the bottom of the clock tower. The details of the scene such as, pitch-black night with some clouds in the sky, absence of lights on the street, and the big antique-looking clock tower worked as components to amplifying the aesthetic of this horror film.

Diegetic sound is any voice or sound effect presented as coming from the original source within the film. One example I found from the movie was when people just found out that they lost their voice. There was silence everywhere, including the hallway. As  a girl walked in, a guy accidentally dropped his mug, and the mug shattered on the ground. The actual sound made from the shattering glasses in the scene amplified the seriousness of the event of the movie. It also gave a hint that something had gone seriously wrong.

Any sound effect made from outside of the source, or “reality” in the film is non-diegetic. One example I found was the background music/sound effect after the “laryngitis breakout” happened and everyone lost their voices. The background music which sounded very similar to the one from the movie ‘Jaws’, amplified the scariness and its dramatic effect. The sound effect which does not exist in the “reality” or the inside the  movie increases the nervousness and the anxiety of wondering what is happening. Thus it adds the aesthetic of horror film very well.

Throughout the reading, I had a difficulty to follow the author’s position on whether food is art or not. I did not quite agree with how some philosophers have reasons why they concluded that food is not a work of art, although you may have “aesthetic reaction”. However, Elizabeth Telfer mentions that food “as a simple and minor art” (45), and I agree with the statement. Then she mentions that “it is difficult to treat food as an art form, ” (19) .  Also She also explains that there is a difference between art and craft. The distinction is the difference between the aspect of their work, not between the different people. In my opinion, I see both creative food and its process as work of art. Simple as that, if there was any kind of intended creativity involved from a maker, the food should be an art form, at least to the maker’s mind. Elizabeth mentions that people gain aesthetic value from some food, even if they do consume it right afterwards. Also later in the article she says how some philosophers believe that the aesthetic value from taste is too “crude” to be art. I believe taste would be just like other sense that the philosophers would use to talk about aesthetic value from other art froms. Furthermore, without the taste of the food, food should still be viewed as art for how it appears. My idea supports  when Elizabeth noted that, “If something is a work of art, then its maker or exhibitor intended it to be looked and listened to it with intensity, for its own sake”(12).  Elizabeth also stated that great pieces of art yield aesthetic value from generation to generation. It ties back to the previous article “What Is Art For” by Dassanyake. The term ‘paleoanthropsychobiological’ characteristic of art described how food and human evolved together throughout the history. And food works as a means of comforting and soothing mechanisms for humans to ease their stress and maybe even to survive.

1. Paleoanthropsychobiological’ is the term that Dassanyake used to describe her perspective of art. As she said, “the arts have always been with us” (11), the ‘paleoanthro-’ part of the term refers to how art started as early as human history. Also art involves the anthropological aspect as anthropology reflects biological and cultural diversity of human across the time and space. It ties back to Dissanyake’s statement, “art is universal trait of human species” (1). ‘-psychobiological’ refers to how art has an emotional and psychological effect on humans.

2. Humans have innate instinct and tendency to survive from environmental changes and to create new things for a more convenient life. Observed behaviors of humans inventing new tools and accepting new concepts to adapt and evolve indicate the propensity of human of “making special” (8). Disanayake related this to human survival by comparing humans to animals. Simply, humans have “intelligence, resourcefulness, emotional and mental complexity, the ability to plan ahead” (8) which were necessary to survive from possible danger. All of this may stem from humans propensity of making “ordinary to extra ordinary” (8), and it was crucial for humans to survive.

3. One of the theories Dissanayake introduced involves the necessity of art to human’s survival in pre-modern period. Ritual ceremonies in tribes universally included artistic aspect, such as rain dancing during drought, decorating, and piercing bodies, etc. Ritual ceremonies were universal and crucial to humans’ life. Dissanyake states that, “[Art is] essential for quite literally, for life’s sake” (7). Also, it gave them “survival bonding and survival value” (9). Humans used it as a means to ease stress by choosing art as a force to maintain their life livable.

Modernism placed in 18^thcentury. Dissanayake pointed out that art “was universal”(4). Any viewers could appreciate art and now know the meaning the artist initially wanted to express from the art work. However, Dissanayake said, “as paintings became less and less like mirrors held up to nature, so that views could no longer decipher or naively admire..” (4). Art became a kind of ideology which its principals were appreciated by only few who were educated and could afford luxury leisure.

In post-modern period, which developed around 19^th century, art has become further widespread and is more common. However, it is often viewed as an activity found in high elite society. “High” art, how Dassanyake calls it, expresses class interests and it is “molding them to one’s own standards while blatantly dismissing or ignoring the standards of their makers and users” (5). Dssanyake also pointed out that postmodernists’ arts are based on only truth and reality.

Hi everyone, thank you for stopping by to read my blog =).

My name is Jane Kim, and I’m a senior at UO, studying Human Physiology. I love my major, enjoying every classes that UO offers for Human Phys students. I’m currently taking Hypertension class, taught by Professor Jeff Gilbert. It is a very challenging class, but it fills my mind with wonder and awe, which augments my passion for medicine. Yeah, I think how human body works is mind blowing.

I hope I don’t make too many grammar errors that might confuse you guys while reading my posts. I moved from Korea just a few years ago, so English is not my first language. Because of my origin, I hope I will be able to bring something with a multi-cultural perspective into the table for class if I have a chance in the future.

Just a few more facts about me: I just started learning how to play a guitar! I love singing, dancing, and everything that has to do with music. I love cooking, although the taste is not always guaranteed. My specialtists are Korean dishes. One of my favorite dishes is called bibimbap. Here’s the recipe if you guys would like to know what it is or how to make it! Recipe

I’m an outdoor person, who loves hiking and camping. I have only been to the triangle lake, Mt.Pisgah, Spencer butte, and Skinner butte. If anybody also likes hiking and knows a great hiking place, please let me know! =)

Thank you for taking your precious time to read my first post! I’m looking forward to reading you guys’ blogs in the future.