Author: sbarry@uoregon.edu

Lexicon Week 9

composition — “the act of combining parts of elements to form a whole OR the resulting state or product.” Composing something is creating something. Composition refers to creating something out of other things, putting things together. Usually when referring to art, composition means the creation of art, or a piece of art can be called a composition.

rhythm — “movement of procedure with uniform or patterned recurrence of a beat, accent, or the like.” I automatically think of music. But it works in other contexts as well; the rhythm of the ocean, of walking, of talking, really of any movement or sound. Rhythm can also be present in art, even those that are not music. A piece of art can have a physical rhythm or pattern to it and the way it was created.

domestic — “of or pertaining to the home, the household, household affairs, or the family OR of or pertaining to one’s own or a particular country as apart from other countries.” The word domestic makes me think of the ‘domestic sphere,’  as in home or family. It also brings up ideas of a country and its policies. Truly, I am not sure how to define this within the scope of art.

Lexicon Week Seven

Omnipresence — “present everywhere at the same time.” People usually use omnipresence when referring to religion. But, something that is omnipresent in our modern would more and more is technology and using this technology to access ideas, art, people, etc. In the U.S. we all have constant access to omnipresent technology; through smartphones, laptops, tablets, etc.

Communication — “the imparting or interchange of thoughts, opinions, or information by speed, writing, or signs.” Communication is vastly important to society and to how we all interact. Communication at its most basic is just speaking face to face. The modes of communication have changed drastically since the advent of the internet. We can communicate different ways via telephone, email, texting, Skype, google chat, Facebook, twitter, Instagram, pinterest, snap chat, tumblr, vine, blogs, it is a truly inexhaustible list since new technologies are created constantly. People have preferred means of communication, many people in the younger generation prefer texting and other electronic methods than actually speaking with anyone. There are also different etiquettes to different forms of communication (you need to word emails in a certain manner, you need to be good at leaving voicemails that aren’t too long, never use text abbreviation for anything, etc.).

Distance — “the extent or amount of space between two things, points, lines, etc.” Distance has also changed with technology. We can reach across distances faster and more effectively. I can talk with my grandparents in Ireland over phone, Skype, email, and text any day I would like without much effort. Distance separates us but motivates us to create new technologies to communicate over those physical distances.

Lexicon Week Six

Choice — “an act or instance of choosing; selection. The right, the power, or opportunity to choose; option.” Choice is vital to how we live. We make choices every day; what we are going to wear, what we are going to  eat, how we are going to act. We choose many things, but some things are simply inherent. We can make the choice to like a certain type of art or genre. But, sometimes we just like art, no reason needs to be explained. Choice is also a highly politicized term in our society. Trying to define what choice is versus what just happens on its own, or if someone is allowed to make a certain choice can be VERY contentious to people on any side of the argument.

Sustainability — “the ability to be sustained, supported, upheld, or confirmed.” I automatically go to environmental sustainability, being careful with resources, being conscious of our actions and the consequences they have for the planet. Sustainability can be used in many contexts. Sustainability in art, to me, ends up being used when talking about sustaining audiences, participation, funding, and artistic creation. Art and participation needs to be sustained and supported. Not only sustained by grown.

Innovation — “something new or different introduced, new methods.” Innovation is constant. New technology is created every day, the field gets more and more innovative every day. Art is by its nature innovative as well. New types of art are created. New pieces are created every day. New artists make themselves relevant or known in their various communities. Innovation is necessary to bring in new audiences, innovation in both art and marketing techniques.