At the Musée de l’Orangerie gift shop, I found two interpretations of Claude Monet as figurines. The first, I would classify as ethically created. The felt figurine does not mimic any of the artist’s features but includes thoughtful details of his work. Including a felt waterlily held in Monet’s hand. The second figurine of Claude Monet was a ‘bobble-head’. At first, I did not find anything wrong with the bobble head. Then I thought, “what if someone made this of me?”. Honestly, I would be a little offended. I think a bobble-head is not a good representation of the artist or the art. However, the figurine was also had a waterlily in hand, a nod to Monet’s art. It did raise a flag to be ethically concerning due to the mimicking manner of ‘bobbleheads’. Figurine #2 Figurine #1
Author: ibarba
Semiotics
Duties and Consequences
Travel Journal: Title Page
Disney
Yesterday’s Disney trip truly proved the idea, “the more you know the more you see”.
Disney promotes their cross-branding in a very unique and subtle way. Almost to the point it looks natural. With the knowledge from last week’s lecture on corporate ownership, I had the incline to notice these subtle hints to corporate cross-promotion and branding. The one that most stood out to me being Star Wars. Disney purchased Star Wars in 2012. But has managed to engrave in my mind that both Disney and Star Wars go hand in hand. Not too long ago, Star Wars was independent of Disney, but now I cannot imagine Disneyland without HyperSpace mountain or Star Wars merchandise being sold at the Disney Store. In just a decade, Disney has made a permanent imprint on the Star Wars franchise. However with ownership, comes control. We will never know what Star Wars could have been without the strict branding of Disney. With this in mind, we can see how creative freedom can be limited by corporate ownership.
Normandy Reflection
Our trip to Normandy was a very introspective experience for me. It truly aligned me with the history of WW2 and sacrifices soldiers made. The vast number of graves really put into perspective how many lives were lost on the battlefield. And how death can affect beyond the grave, including families of those lost. I took some time to walk and reflect at the cemetery. I appreciated how the graves and structures were kept neat in respect to the lives lost. It was impressive to see the map of the battlefields and how much detail went into creating it. What I think I will remember most about this experience is this one image in my head I have of the view of the graves overlooking the ocean.
Picasso Museum Reflection
I think the museum was a great experience. The tour guide was especially helpful in understanding Picasso and his art. At first the tour started with Picasso’s earlier art and it was very neat to see the transition and influence in Picasso’s art over time as he enters new life experiences. I noticed this particular trend where Picasso became fascinated with Tikis and his artwork reflected that, including sculptures and structures resembling Tikis. Picasso’s art very closely reflected his personal life too. With paintings of his great loves and children. Art pieces that stood out to me were those of his daughter. Since it made me reflect upon my own relationship with my father. This experience highlights the relationship between artwork and viewer. And how each piece can be interpreted in a different way based upon the individual’s perspective and experience.
Aesthetics
The Image: A Guide to Pseudo-Events
Daniel J Boorstin’s book The Image presents an introspective view on the modern, meticulously-curated pseudo event. In addition to embarking on the analysis that is a modern pseudo event, The Image weaves in the theory of expectations. And how detrimental our expectations can be. However, Boorstin acknowledges that expectation is the driving force behind these pseudo-events, creating an increase in our need for an illusion that exceeds our calculations.
The human yearn for something extraordinary is a centralized idea throughout The Image. The pitfalls of this yearn include the production of more out-of-reach and out of touch expectations. But only these illusions will satisfy our yearn for the extraordinary. These expectations also heavily influence travel. The individual has a certain image in their mind prior to their visit. But after travel, they are found with an empty or unmet expectation. An expectation that was prior heightened by the public surrounding them.
In relation to our need for the extraordinary, we disembark the idea of the hero and welcome the celebrity. Folk, in this context, refers to the characteristics of the past public. Mass, in this context, refers to the media-conscious public (56). The Folk have sought heroes whereas the masses have stumbled upon the heroes’ so -called modern equivalent, the celebrity. The celebrity gains their recognition by becoming well-known. Opposite of the hero, the celebrity does not become well known solely by popularity.
Boorstin differentiating mass vs publics has increased my perspective on media literacy. It is important for me to take into consideration, especially abroad, that the older media that we can consume now was met with a very different audience upon release. For example, a painting could have been interpreted in a different manner decades ago vs now as it is met with new eyes and a new perspective. Moving forward in our trip, I will consider cultural history and differing human perspectives as I approach new topics in Paris.