Public Art Reflection

One of the reasons why the two murals in the Knight Library have remained in their places and been appreciated for so long is because of the significance of their content.  When considering the differences between art that is adored and art that is not, one of the most important aspects is the content of the piece and its relation to the public.  The two murals, Development of the Arts and Development of the Sciences continue to be appreciated in the Knight Library because they continue to bear relevance to the people that come into contact with them.  Students at the University of Oregon are either studying arts or sciences and appreciate the history and cultures of their subjects.  Erika Doss writes in her article, “Public Art Controversy: Cultural Expression and Civic Debate” that “Public art’s visibility relates to its functional utility. Since the 1970s, Miwon Kwon explains, public art has been charged with generating “place-bound identity” and lending a sense of distinction and authenticity to the nation’s ever more homogenous public spaces.” (Doss 5) The Development of the Arts and Development of the Sciences are two works of art, which embody the culture of a library and generate an identity.  Displaying these murals in the entrances of the library clearly shows an effort to inspire and influence the number of students that walk into the library each day in order to further their education.  These murals define the space and give character to a very public space that is used and appreciated by many students.

Since one of the purposes of public art is for as many people as possible to enjoy it, it only makes sense that it be located in a very public and central location.  Erika Doss explains that art is, “Usually located in visible public spaces, organized by public committees, frequently funded by public dollars, and intended for multiple audiences, 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.” (Doss 6)  In any society or group of people, different opinions are inevitable.  Particularly when public funding is involved, people become invested in the approval of a work of art.  It is important to appreciate that artwork might speak to some people more than others.  The Development of Arts and the Development of Sciences are located in a central part of campus and exposed to countless students each day.  It is unavoidable that some students will enjoy and understand the murals more than others, but everyone should be able to appreciate their artistic qualities and influence and inspiration that they add to the environment.

One of the reasons that the two murals in the Knight Library have stood the test of time is because they directly relate and speak to the values of the people that see them everyday.  Students care about the development of arts and sciences and their additions to society.  Therefore, these two murals are appreciated in their current locations.  However, when populations do not value the message of public art, problems occur.  Erika Doss explains that, “Contemporary conflicts over public art especially relate to contemporary concerns about cultural control and questions about artistic, social, and economic authority. America’s national ideal as an equitable, unified, and rational democracy often yields to reality.” (Doss 6) In a society such as the United States of America, values like equality, unity, and freedom are usually expressed in public art.  For this reason, these pieces of art are welcomed and embraced by the public.  Those qualities are important to the people and therefore, the art will stay.  In the cases of the murals in the Knight Library, the values that are portrayed will continue to be important to students at the university.  Thus, the murals will probably remain in their current locations.

Remix Discussion

In the Ted Talk and the article by Larry Lessig, he brings up many interesting points and questions.  However, for me, the most interesting part was the story about the case presented to the Supreme Court regarding planes trespassing.  Instead of upholding the tradition that property extended all the way to the sky, a Supreme Court Justice claimed that the ruling was more based on common sense as opposed to actual law.  This decision considered future commercial flights that would potentially deal with countless trespassing lawsuits if the law was not changed.  Thanks to this forward thinking, air travel has been able to grow exponentially.  If laws regarding copyrights and art changed, creativity in many different industries would grow.

Art, Games, and Tech Discussion

Although I believe Jane McGonigal made some interesting and valid points during her Ted Talk, I would have to disagree with the general argument that more time spent playing video games can and will change the world.  While her theories of blissful productivity, social fabric, urgent optimism, and epic meaning are compelling, and experienced by gamers, I simply do not believe that video games are enough to make inspiring changes.  One of my reasons for this is because many people play video games as an escape.  Many of the most popular games in the gaming industry, such as Halo, World of Warcraft, Call of Duty, and many others, are extremely prevalent because they are purely fiction.  The gamer can relax into blissful productivity because there are no real consequences and he or she does not have to deal with real life during the hour spent playing.  A video game that is based on saving the world is no longer a fictional escape.  It is a real problem that the gamer has to think about.

Creative Spirituality Reflection

1)   I define spirituality as a correlation between some kind of higher power or universal law and everyday life.  Spirituality can either relate to organized religion or simply a feeling experienced by an individual.  There are many aspects of an individual’s spirituality and it depends on their perspective on the world.  It is easy to assume that a religious person would view spirituality as a relation from everything to a higher power.  However, a non-religious person might say that spirituality is feeling connected to something like the earth or another person.

2)   I would say that spirituality is definitely different than religion.  Experiencing something spiritually does not necessarily have to relate to God.  It simply means that it reaches a person’s spirit.  To have a spiritual experience can refer to feeling connected to one’s surroundings.  Spirituality means something different to everyone but it does not have to be religious.  Religion has much more structure and organization than spirituality.  Spirituality is experienced on an individual basis.

3)   I believe that creativity is similar to innovation and it means creating something new or experiencing something a different way.  Creativity relates to many different aspects of life.  Obviously art is a creative process.  Artists constantly push boundaries and cross lines in order to create a new piece and evoke new emotions and reactions.  Creativity is a method of expression for the artist.  It can spark spirituality and affect the way other people view the world or religion.

4)   I believe that creativity is endless.  There is an infinite amount of sources for creativity.  It is whatever an artist is inspired by.  That may be a spiritual experience, another piece of art, a person, a setting, or any number of various aspects of life.  The source of inspiration for creativity knows no bounds, but it always starts with the artist.  An artist must be open to creativity and innovation.  Without a willingness to be inspired, creativity cannot take place.

Creative Spirituality Discussion

For many people, art is a form of expressing their spirituality through creativity; this much has always been true.  However, just like each piece of art has a different meaning to each viewer, each artist has an individual approach to creating and seeing art.  I thought that one of the most interesting aspects of this week’s article, “Art as a Spiritual Practice: the Mission of Art,” was when Grey identifies the five steps that every artist takes either consciously or subconsciously.  For me, the incubation step is the most fascinating.  In this third step of the creative process, an artist lets “the unconscious sift the information and develop a response.” (Grey 75) Grey shares his own personal experience through his art and explains that his vision began to take place after a dream and an encounter with drugs.  These two visions helped him see what he truly wanted his art to portray and how he wanted to achieve this (Grey 78).  Without the subconscious constantly picking at new ideas and making them better, the creative process would be deeply inhibited.  I believe that it is this incubation step of the creative process that truly adds the spiritual aspect.  After mulling over each idea in the subconscious mind, an artist is able to see what it truly means to them and how they will achieve such a piece.  By truly letting the subconscious take over, the art becomes about what the artist believes deep down and this is when a piece of art becomes spiritual.

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

Enjoying Horror Research

Article 1: This article is from WebMD, the medical website created by doctors and it describes the physical effects of horror and why they are so enticing.  It mentions a study by Professor Glenn Sparks at Purdue University.  During his study, he noticed, “when people watch horrific images, their heartbeat increases as much as 15 beats per minute, Sparks tells WebMD. Their palms sweat, their skin temperature drops several degrees, their muscles tense, and their blood pressure spikes.  “The brain hasn’t really adapted to the new technology [of movies],” Sparks explains. “We can tell ourselves the images on the screen are not real, but emotionally our brain reacts as if they are … our ‘old brain’ still governs our reactions.” (Why We Love Scary Movies)  Fear is something that every human experiences and it remains deep within each individual.  It is a primal emotion that motivates someone to protect oneself or others from harm.  Fear motivates many of our behaviors and watching a horror film brings out this primal emotion.  Unlike Noel Carroll’s article, “Why Horror?” the study done by Professor Glenn Sparks does not address what causes an individual to watch a horror film; it simply explains the effects of it.

 

Article 2: The second article I researched for this week was much more similar to the reading from Noel Carroll.  Instead of looking at the physical effects of horror films, this article was about the psychology and different theories behind the attraction to horror.  The video at the end of the article explains that there are three things that justify or draw someone to watch a horror film.  These three things are tension, relevance, and unrealism.  Tension comes in the form of gore, mystery, and suspense.  Tension challenges the viewer and is attractive for different reasons for each individual.  Relevance draws people in by making them force their fears.  This could explain why horror movies have evolved over time from featuring monsters to murderers, to zombies, to widespread epidemics.  The viewer could also relate to the victim or the villain.  Relevance strikes curiosity.  Unrealism is a justification for many horror films.  People feel better watching a movie that is scary but they know it is fake (The Psychology Behind Why We Watch Horror Movies).  I think that Noel Carroll’s theory of curiosity fits in well with relevance.  Carroll says, “thus to a large extent, the horror story is driven explicitly by curiosity.  It engages its audience by being involved in processes of disclosure, discovery, proof, explanation, hypothesis, and confirmation.  Doubt, skepticism, and the fear that belief in the existence of the monster is a form of insanity are predictable foils to the revelation (to the audience or to the character or both) of the existence of the monster.” (Carroll 279)

 

The Psychology Behind Why We Watch Horror Movies. (2013, October 24). Retrieved May 11, 2014, from NoFilmSchool website: http://nofilmschool.com/2013/10/psychology-behind-why-we-watch-horror-films/

Why We Love Scary Movies. (n.d.). Retrieved May 11, 2014, from WebMD website: http://www.webmd.com/mental-health/features/why-we-love-scary-movies?page=2

Enjoying Horror Discussion

Non-diagetic Sound: The example of non-diagetic sound that I chose is the clip when all the voices are stolen from the people of the town.  I decided to review this clip because the non-diagetic sound encompasses the overall plot of the episode.  The whispers and background music complete the eerie feeling of the scene.  The aesthetic of the episode was affected by the non-diagetic sound because it made the scene even more creepy. Without the sound of the whispers the moment would not have been eerie and the episode would have lost the feeling of horror.

 

Diagetic Sound: The diagetic sound I chose is the fight clip at the end of the episode.  These sounds are diagetic because they are not background noises and they are specific to what the characters are doing at the time.  These sound effects from the punches amp up the suspense in the scene and make it feel much more intense.  These sound effects from the fight contribute to the overall aesthetic of the episode because it makes the scene intense and seem urgent.

 

Mise-en-Scene: The mise-en-scene that I chose is the group of villains.  The way they float around town causing chaos, their makeup, and the lack of noise that they make contribute to their overall creepiness.  Their appearance is mysterious and it adds to the role that they play in the episode.  These men definitely contributed to the aesthetic of the episode because they dictated the darkness and creepiness that occurred.

Personal Adornment Reflection

I would say that the way I dress and my body adornments are express who I am but they do not give any major clues to my beliefs or values.  My style is rather conservative and I do not have any tattoos.  My ears are pierced once on each side and the jewelry I wear is very simple.  All put together, I believe it reflects my personality and it represents that I come from a fairly conservative background.  I went to Catholic schools from the time I was in Kindergarten until I graduated high school.  I wore a conservative uniform until I was in eighth grade and I had a strict dress code in high school.  Conservative clothing is what I feel most comfortable in because it was the only kind of clothing that I was allowed to wear while I was growing up.  I wouldn’t say that my style or my lack of body adornments hint at my values or beliefs, but I would say that they give clues at how I was raised and my previous environments.

I have always modeled my style after my mom’s.  She always looks put together and appropriate for the situation at hand.  She knows how she wants the world to see her and she always makes sure to look sophisticated and professional.  This is something that I have tried to emulate over the years.  It is undeniable that first impressions can make all the difference and although we try not to, all of us consciously or subconsciously make judgments of other people based on their appearances.  The choices I make regarding my own style are always influenced by how I want others to see me.  The most important thing that my mom taught me is to feel comfortable in the clothes that I wear.  However, she also taught me that the clothes you wear are a superficial representation of what you are capable of and who you are.

Over the years, my style has gone through minor changes, especially when I came to college and no longer had a strict dress code to obey.  Nevertheless, even without a dress code, I have still maintained who I am.  My previous experiences have made it so that I will always feel more comfortable in more conservative clothing.  I believe that this is a testament to my beliefs and values remaining consistent.  I will never get a tattoo and I will never get another piercing.  These are things that will absolutely never change.  I have never thought either of these are bad or immoral, but I am content at how I present myself to the world without them.  I don’t feel the need to add any body adornments simply to portray who I am to the people around me.

Even though my friends and I all have somewhat different styles, I relate to them and I respect their choices.  Some of my friends have small tattoos and most of them have more than one piercing.  These all give clues to their backgrounds as well.  For example, one of my friends has a tattoo of a childhood friend that died last year.  She got it in memory of him.  My other friends with more piercings tend to have a more carefree attitude towards their style and the way they portray themselves to the world.  I believe it is important to surround myself with people who have different values and show them through the way they dress and their body adornments.  My own style has changed in minor ways because of their influences.

In regards to my peers at the university, I am always intrigued by other people’s appearances.  Pieces of clothing or jewelry, and even tattoos usually tell a story.  I am always interested to see the way that different people present themselves in different situations such as class, work, the library, or in a social setting.  These presentations are difficult to generalize, but easy to see on each individual.

Adornments

Person A

The first person I observed today was a woman in her early twenties sitting on the Knight Library lawn.  She had dark dreadlocks and her skin was tanned.  She wore untraditional baggy clothing that seemed to be made of natural and organic material.  She was sitting by herself and playing the guitar.  Her flip-flops and backpack were thrown off to the side of the blanket that she was sitting on.  Even though she was alone, she seemed to be perfectly content sitting by herself and playing music.  I enjoyed the music that she was playing, but I would not feel comfortable playing music by myself in a very public place.  Perhaps this says that I value other people’s company more than being by myself.

 

Person B

The second person I observed today was a woman walking her dog on Hillyard St.  She seemed to be in her early twenties and she was talking animatedly on her cell phone and her overall demeanor was relaxed and happy.  Her cell phone case was brightly colored.  Her hair was in a bun on top of her head and she wore jean cutoff shorts and flip-flops.  I could see that she had a nose ring and she wore lots of silver jewelry.  I would assume that she has close friends or family that since she seemed happy on the phone.  I think this shows that I value cheeriness and brightness in my life.  Her overall appearance and energy was contagious and I think it is important to enjoy other people and the sunshine.

 

Person C

Lastly, I observed a group of guys in their front lawn.  Two of them were playing catch with a baseball and the rest were sitting in lawn chairs socializing with each other.  They were all laughing and seemed like they were having a good time.  They all were wearing shorts and t-shirts.  Most of them were barefoot and wearing sunglasses.  I would assume that they value friendship.  They all appeared to be upperclassmen, possibly seniors about to graduate, and they probably want to spend as much time with each other as they can before they all go their separate ways.  This is something I can relate to since I am also about to graduate and I would like to spend my last weeks in Eugene making memories with my friends.  I will always value the memories that I have made in college and they are important to me.