In the article “Computer Graphics: Effects of Origins”, the author, Beverly Jones briefly talked about how technology and computer graphics influence the society and human life. The main thesis stated that “New forms of art and technology are frequently cast in the mode of old forms, just as aspects of material and symbolic culture have been. Only when these new forms become available to the larger population can they affect cultural patterns of maintenance and change” (Jones, 21). Her point of technology is about the constant main purpose in dramatically changing technology.

One of the examples that Jones used as an illustration of her thesis is the example of the projections made at Second West Coast Computer Faire in early period. She pointed out that “small computer systems similar to the larger systems used by Mallary for sculptures, by Laurie for weavings and by others for prints be used by individuals to create unique furniture, fabrics and prints suited to their special requirements”(Jones, 23). It is so interesting that how technique can do such many things helping people and also related back to her main thesis about the component of technology is to helping people do things more convenient and efficient.

One example that compelling illustration of Jones’ thesis at work in today is the rapidly changing technology of the smart phone. Phones as the tool of contacting, are changing fast in these 50 years. From the very beginning, phones only be used as a tool to call someone, many different factors are added with the technology developing, like texting, camera, and many different apps in nowadays’ smart phone. However, no matter how it changes, the basic component of phone is always connect between people and the society.

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

While I was viewing the two murals about the development of arts and sciences, they reminded me of the article, “Public art controversy: Cultural expression and civic debate” by Erika Doss. By the definition discussed in the articles about the public art, “Public art is artwork in the public realm, regardless of whether it is situated on public or private property, or whether it is acquired through public or private funding; public art can be a sculpture, mural, manhole cover, paving pattern, lighting, seating, building facade, kiosk, gate, fountain, play equipment, engraving, carving, fresco, mobile, collage, mosaic, bas-relief, tapestry, photograph, drawing, or earthwork. ” (Doss 2), public art is a familiar art form in the society, and murals are of course one of major public art form.

As a public art form, mural is an easy-to-read art form. Even common people can read the murals from many specific details to understand what the artist wants to express. In the first mural, which is titled with Development of the Arts, it is structured by a tree and its limb. At the bottom of the mural, there is a man in the center of the root, which might represent the human’s history and the origin. In the soil, there are some plants and flowers growing and surrounding the plants, human beings are spinning, making pottery, and painting in the cave. These are always seen as the beginning of art in humans’ history. From the bottom to the top, it showed a history how human develop art from ancient time. Furthermore in the second mural, which indicates the development of the Science, it is clear that this mural has a similar structure with the other mural Development of the Arts. there are also some plants grow from the soil, while the difference is those plants are crops than flowers. From the panels from bottom to the top, the agriculture, iatrology and later manufacture, are mainly showed as the main theme.

As discussed in the article, because the public art are “usually located in visible public spaces, organized by public committees, frequently funded by public dollars, and intended for multiple audiences,” public art can always be defined as” the product of public feedback” (6) That might be why people like considering issues by viewing and reading public arts. For example, comparing with the mural Development of the Arts, the other mural, the Development of Sciences, there are fewer women in the whole picture. In science aspect, men are always seen as the majority of the pioneers in hundreds of years. That is, in this mural, the issue of diversity, especially about the diversity relating with gender, need to be considered. not only the time that when the painter painted this mural, but also the time when specific samples described in the mural happened, the issue of gender diversity was clearly showed in this public art.

From the analysis about the public art work in this week, I learned a lot about how one public art work can show the issues happening at that period and as Doss discussed, “Grounded in conversation, dialogue, and often debate, public art can serve as a symbol of civic examination, prompting further debates about community needs, hopes, and histories. As an instrument of public conversation, public art
can become a catalyst for civic and national revitalization.”(10).

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

Passion        talent          creativity         unique          imagination          freedom

In the TED video presented by Lawrence Lessig, the Net’s most celebrated lawyer, about Laws that choke creativity. During his speech, he pointed several interesting aspects that how people’s creativity changes from different levels, as he pointed out the level of Read-write to Read-only. He first pointed out one example from John Sousa about “talking machines”, which was described as an “infernal machines” (Philip). And he also discussed about the issue about copyright, which is really an important problem in this world.

The topic of this week is really interesting for me. When i was young, I was always thinking about how I can be a superman and save the world in the future, and after I grow up, I realized that how difficult that one people can save the world. While now in this week’s video, the speaker talked about how playing games can save the world, it really amazed me. In the video, she mentioned about playing can help people solving problems in real life. I am also a gamer. I always spend about 10 hours per week on playing games. and as far as I concerned, playing games truly helped me in some ways, like improving reaction capability, social ability and even the mental arithmetic. and for me, game is also a really good tool to relesase bad emotion and keep a healthy attitude in real life.

• How do you define “spirituality”?

In my point of view, spirituality is something that we born with. Many people cannot realize it but when they are making something or doing something, their spirituality will influence their behaviors, The spirituality is kind of connect to our consciousness or unconsciousness.

• Does spirituality differ from religion?

In my opinion, I believe spirituality does differ from different religions. They are quite different. While spirituality is something people born with, it is unique and always undescribable. And religion is kind of man-made. The history, the whole system is already fixed.

• How do you define “creativity”?

Creativity is something that everyone has, but is effected by people’s education experience and daily life experience. Most children are creative doing and thinking; however many adults are lacking of it because their mid already be structured by what they have learn about the world.

• What is the source of creativity?

Because I believe that the creativity is everyone born with, the source of it is from early age education. If the creativity is aroused when they are children, it is quite easy for them to be creative after they grow up.

I spent about an hour sitting in front of EMU and doing people watch. Here are three persons that I picked to describe and analyze.

The first person I picked is a young white girl with short blonde hair. What she wore was all black, the black jacket with many zippers and chains, black leggings with skull logo on it and wearing a middle-high black leather boots. She had around 4 rings on her face, 2 on one side of her ear (I cannot see her other side so I am not sure if she also have some rings on her other ear), one on her nose and one over her eyebrow. From what I saw in her appearance, I think she is around 20. She is kind of cool and might interest in industrial rock music, I guess she might be a fan of Marilyn Manson; by the way, I also love Manson’s music though sometimes it is not easy for many people accepting the genres he plays.

The second person I noticed was a guy. He is white, having dark brown hair with a pair of glass. He was just in a white shirt and dark blue jeans with a pair of black converse. His backpack was black and there is dirt on it. He also had some books and documents in his hand. He looked in hurry and walked quickly; I think he may just finished studying in library and now was going to his class, to have presentation or discussion. He, I guess from his backpack, is a kind of causal person in life, while he might be strict to academy.

The last person that I wanna write down was an Asian girl. She was wearing a long white sweater with a big logo on it, a black legging and Uggs on her feet. She also wore a white woolen hat. She was walking with a group of her friend and was happy talking about something. She, from the brand of her purse and clothes, I think is born in a middle or high class Chinese family.

When people talk about food, they are talking their tastes, textures, smells and colors. As one object that is demanded in everyone’s daily life, food plays an important role. Depending on different point of views on food, some people see food only as something that they need to consume, while some concerned more about their features and believe that food in an artwork that people can made in their daily life. Today, I’d like to talk about this topic based on the article from Jacquelyn Strycker “From Palate to Palette: Can Food be Art?”

Strycker, as an artist who has a lot of passion on cooking, believes that food is of course art. At the beginning of her article, she first described how she cooked last night with “broccoli rabe with caramelized onions and vegan fennel sausage, along with a creamy parmesan polenta and a crusty whole wheat rosemary bread made from the Camaldoli sourdough culture that I feed flour to each day” (2013). She enjoys cooking, and sees the process, combining textures, flavors, scents and colors, as a creative way to practice. She then cited and discussed an opinion article on New York Times: A matter of Taste by William Deresiewicz, which claims that food “food has replaced art as high culture” (2012), about can food be seen as art. She first pointed out the long tradition of food being as artistic medium. She discussed the European sugar sculpture, porcelain and table layout during 16^th to 19^th centuries. At that time, table decorations were seen as “an aspect of political and social prestige, and required the skills of the finest artists and craftsmen of the time” (Royal Guard, as cited by Strycker, 2013). She then used several examples, like German artist Wolfgang Laib and emerging artist Leah Foster and briefly introduced their artwork which are made by rice and cupcakes.

In Strycker’s point of view, “Combining and transforming materials is a fundamentally creative activity, whether those materials are paints, clays, musical notes or edible ingredients” (2013). She believed that during the process of cooking, the combination of different ingredients, the control of the degree of the temperature is creative; even they are not painting or sculptures. Comparing to Strycker, Tefler mentioned about the aesthetic reaction, “there can be aesthetic reactions to tastes and smells and as with other sense, the non-neutral, vivid and non-instrumental reaction to taste and smells can be combined with a judgment for which the judger claims objectively” (2002).

In conclusion, by comparing several articles both from class and outside sources, I found knowing deeper about what is art and how can some food be concerned as an art. Therefore, as some food can satisfy human’s emotion, and is a creative way to show how the artist’s, or say cook’s view, it can be seen as a form of art.

References:

Deresiewicz, W. (2012, October 26). A Matter of Taste? Retrieved October 26, 2014, from http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/28/opinion/sunday/how-food-replaced-art-as-high-culture.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

Telfer, E. (2002). Food as art. In Neill, A. & Ridley, A (Eds.), Arguing About Art: Contemporary Philosophical Debates (2 ed., pp. 9-27). New York: Routledge.

Strycker, J. (2013, January 7). From Palate to Palette: Can Food be Art? Retrieved October 26, 2014, from

http://createquity.com/2013/01/from-palate-to-palette-can-food-be-art.html