Amowlds's Blog

The Sculptured Container

amowlds — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 23:34:01 +0000

For this assignment I looked at a sculpture by artists Peter Voulkos called the “Scuptured Container”. This sculpture caught my eye because its design was so complex. When I first looked at the sculpture without looking at its name, I thought it was a tribal piece that stood for something important to a group of people, or that maybe it was representative of something that happened. The colors in the piece were tribal like, with red, brown, green, yellow, white, and black. It looked like it was made from a type of clay and the designs on it didn’t make much sense to me, therefore, it lead me to believe that it was representative of a culture I did not know of.

REFLECTION:After reading about Peter Voulkos in online statements I learned that the sculpture I found at the University of Oregon’s Museum of Art, was not much different from the rest of Voulkos ‘s creations. I looked online at a number of his other pieces and noticed that he had a common trend with all of his sculptures. They were all made from dark clay, which made them seem like they belonged to some sort of African tribe. Voulkos’s abstract expressionist ceramic sculptures were famous for their visual weight, their freely-formed construction, and their aggressive and energetic decoration. When I looked back at the sculpture after researching Voulkos, I still did not think it could serve as a container. His abstract-expressionalist ceramics helped me to see why I originally thought that the sculpture had something to do with African culture.

Remixing Culture

amowlds — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 07:44:12 +0000

1.)Creative, 2.)Imaginative, 3.)Expressive, 4.)Passionate, 5.)Elaborate

AAD250W9

Art, Technology and Games

amowlds — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 09:21:37 +0000

The article I found talked about how technology has changed over the years. In the past we used to play video games with controllers where we would be able to regulate the every move of our character with a joystick. Now we can control our every move with motion censored sticks. The article talks about how today video games influence individuality and separate people from reality. Technology has separated reality from virtuality and soon, some day we will find it impossible to separate the virtual from the real. Many people today are exchanging reality for virtuality by buying into the gaming world. The author of the article Michael Rush stated, “massively multiplayer online role-playing games are challenging movies as the go-to entertainment for the 18- to 35-year-old crowd”. This is largely because people today are so competitive with one another. People in today’s society think that winning is a way to attain a certain status or place in society. But whatever happened to the good old-fashioned goggles-and-joystick, immersive virtual reality of the mid-1990s? The gear that was used in the old games that we used to play with was fearsomely expensive.

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/06/arts/06iht-rush.html

I found an interesting article about digital art. I thought this was perfect for the topic art and technology because this is art through technology. Digital art includes computer art and multimedia art and is placed under a larger umbrella term called new media art. Digital art has changed art as a whole, especially traditional activities like painting, drawing and sculpture. New forms of art have now emerged like net art, digital installation art, and virtual reality. Digital techniques are used in mainstream society in things such as advertisements, films, and special effects. Some artists have switched to forms of art like digital painting and photography and they take on new titles like “digital artists”. 3D images are a new form of art also. I think that with our rapidly changing society, we are constantly finding new forms of art that more and more modern.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_art

Creative Spirituality

amowlds — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 07:31:48 +0000

How do you define spirituality?

I view spirituality as a state of inner self that encompasses a sense of peace. This peaceful state allows us to be a kind, loving person and better able to deal with stresses in life. I don’t think people have to be religious to be spiritual. Rather I see spirituality as our individual inner spirit that we choose to possess and is a guide for how to conduct our lives.

Does spirituality differ from religion?

I feel like a lot of people define spirituality as something pertaining to religion. I believe that spirituality is something not tangible or material. The difference between religion and spirituality is that one is an unknown process and the other is already determined. Joining a religion is already planned, and a person that follows a particular religion already knows what is in store for them, whereas spirituality is an experience that one cannot determine.

How do you define creativity?

I believe that creativity is more than just the ability to create. I think it is when a person has the tendency to generate or recognize ideas. Creativity is when someone can come up with idea that is unique and original. A creative person can recognize alternatives and possibilities especially if it pertains to art. Creativity has the potential to entertain others. in order to be creative a person must be able to view things in new ways from a different perspective.

What is the source of creativity?

I believe that a lot of people’s creativity stems from their need to solve problems or communicate ideas and values. People who are creative typically express unusual thoughts or who are interesting and stimulating. Creativity comes from the generation of new possibilities or new alternatives. It takes energy and intelligence to be creative. I think that people with unusual and unique personalities are able to express their creativity.

The Aesthetics of Horror

amowlds — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 07:15:24 +0000

The first article I found talks about how we find pleasure in watching horror movies because of the fear and disgust we experience. I think that horror films bring about a lot of surprises, surprises that we don’t normally see everyday. If we saw killings everyday, then we wouldn’t be interested in seeing them in a movie because we would already know what they are all about. However, horror movies display a lot of events that we don’t normally see in our everyday lives, that is one of the reasons people are so intrigued by them. The writer of the article actually notes Noal Carroll. The writer talks about how Carroll has a co-existentialist theory on horror. Carroll thinks that it is our curiosity that drives us to watch horror. We find pleasure in curiosity, and horror movies present us with impossible characters and events to be curious about. According to Carroll, in order to seem impossible to us a being must cross the boundaries we have used to classify nature, for example, something that posses that qualities of more than one type of animal, something living and dead, bodies which are not complete, or bodies which possess more than we would expect. These are examples of what we don’t normally see everyday, that is why they serve as entertainment in horror movies. Carroll argues that we do not respond with disgust when we see the heroes of fantasy, comic books or cartoons. That is because these are characters that typically display positive events and serve as good role models to viewers. A lot of people prefer horror because it forces them to think not just of the impossible, but of the consequences that can arise if we do become too dependent on the beliefs our society gives us.

http://ezinearticles.com/?Why-Do-We-Enjoy-Horror-Films?&id=1060951

Gaut states that, “It seems as unaccountable pleasure, which the spectators of a well written tragedy receive from sorrow, terror, anxiety, and other passions that are in themselves disagreeable and uneasy”. In the second article I found online Leon Rappoport, a Kansas -state professor, talks about how teenagers find pleasure by exploring unconventional boundaries of horror movies. Rappoport states, “It’s sort of like forbidden territory when horror films come out, and parents or adults say they’re not fit for children. It makes them more attractive”. For some teenagers, watching a scary movie is somewhat of a passage into adulthood. When I was young, watching scary movies was a way that I was able to test my limits and too see what I was able to watch and not watch. I found that watching scary movies and seeing unnatural events occur, was somewhat thrilling to me because it provided me with a different picture in my head about how certain things happen. Although most of the stuff I saw in horror films do not actually go on in real life, it is sometimes exciting to imagine what life would be like if they did. Kind of a scary thought. There seems to be a general quality that almost all of us share in enjoying a certain level of threatening stimulation or hazardous stimulation.

http://www.k-state.edu/media/newsreleases/seasonal/listscarymovies.html

Personal Adornment

amowlds — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 06:34:56 +0000

I believe that I place a lot of emphasis on how I dress. I tend to adorn myself in bright colors because I believe that wearing bright colors will express a happy and positive mood. I am very sophisticated in the way that I dress. I do not wear tight, low cut, or short clothing. I don’t think that dressing inappropriately will attract the right attention. I dress conservative and respectfully because I wanted to be treated with respect by my peers. I am very simplistic in the way that I customize myself. My parents have always told me, “less is more”. I have applied that phrase to the ways I dress believe I believe that trying too hard is a huge sign of insecurity. I have learned over the years that applying “less is more” to my lifestyle has made it easier for others to understand my personality better.

I make conscious and respectable decisions not only because I think my family would be proud but also because I respect myself and my well-being. Making poor choices would ruin my confidence and make others question my self worth. I also make the choices I do because of my parents and what I have been taught throughout my life. My parents have taught me to value education because not everyone is as lucky as I am to have the opportunity to go to school. That is why it is important to me to stay focused in school and get good grades. My parents have always frowned upon drugs, which has influenced me to stay away from situations and people involved with drugs.

Over the years my beliefs and values have become more apparent to me. As I have grown older I have learned to respect the lessons my parents have taught me. I have seen, through example by some of my peers, what happens when you do not respect yourself; this has encouraged me to stick to my beliefs and values. If anything has changed over the years it is that I value my health on a much greater level than I ever did before. I try to make healthy decisions by limiting my drinking, eating healthy, exercising daily, and staying away from drugs.

The core beliefs in my family are education, healthy and family relations. All of my family members are college educated, which has always made me think that I have no other choice than to go to college. I see this as positive motivation to stay focused and learn the meaning of hard work and dedication. Health, in many ways, has always been very important to my family. My brother and I have always been active participants in sports and extra curricular activities. This has been healthy for me because not only has it improved my physical condition but it has also had a major impact on my relationship skills with my peers. I have also learned to represent myself respectably because they more I do, the more respect I will receive for others. This has had a positive impact on my health because it had determined how I feel about myself and my confidence. Family has always been very important to me. If there is one thing my parents have taught me and showed me throughout my life it is that family will always be there for me no matter what. My parents and my brother are the perfect support system and they have helped me though so many tough times. I will always value family, especially when I have one of my own.

The core beliefs and values of my peer community are education, friendship, health, and personal development. Living in a sorority has helped me to see that the people I choose to surround myself with value education and work hard to have a successful future. I have noticed that people in college make more of an effort to meet other people and develop relationships. I realize that a lot of the people I meet in college will be my friends for the rest of my life so I have learned to value friendship much more than I did in high school. A lot of the girls I live with make it a priority to exercise everyday and make healthy decisions with food. This surprises me because without parents around I would think that college students would not value health as much as they did before. I have noticed a lot of my friends always striving to do better, specifically though their school work. I don’t know anyone who has been happy with a poor grade on an exam. When people study for tests it shows that they are trying to improve or excel in a certain subject. The library on campus is usually packed so I know that a lot of my peers value personal development.

The Aesthetics of Slow Food

amowlds — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 06:37:24 +0000

http://www.inmamaskitchen.com/FOOD_IS_ART/FOODART.html

In the article I found online it stares that cooking is both art ans science. I think this definitely holds true for slow food because there is more science and art in preparing a meal yourself instead of in a factory. As science, food becomes cuisine. The article states that “painters learn to add a small amount of grey to a bright green apple to emphasize the shadowed areas. Cooks learn to add a ‘pinch’ of a favorite spice to enhance flavor”.

Elizabeth Telfer states that many philosophers argue that although food and drink can give rise to aesthetic reactions, they cannot constitute works of art. The issue that is raised here is that not all objects that can give rise to aesthetic reactions are works of art. A work of art is by definition a man made thing. In this sense food fits that category of a man made thing since in order to create a meal we must prepare it ourselves.

In both articles it states how slow food is considered art. Slow food is not considered art simply because of its aesthetic beauty but also for its composition and substance.

http://www.culinaryschools.com/being-a-food-stylist

This article talks about the styling of food. Food stylists combine culinary art and science to prepare food for cookbook and advertising photographs, television commercials, and scenes in movies. “Stylists know that looks are more important than taste during a photo shoot, and they use culinary tricks to make food the star of the show”.

A lot of what slow food is about is aesthetic beauty and the presentation of the cuisine. Carolyn Korsmeyer states that, “the most obvious example of symbolic food, what would be classified as representational food, is food that is crafted to look like something other than itself”. This represent the aesthetic part of slow food.

In the online article that I found it talks about how stylists know that looks are more important than taste during a photo shoot. Therefore, when we are in a restaurant that displays photos of the meals, we must not be tricked into thinking our food will actually look like that. There are culinary tricks to make food the star of the show.

What is art for?

amowlds — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 05:48:14 +0000

The word paleoanthropsychobiological is composed of 4 distinct terms. The first term is “paleo-“, which stands for the idea that art encompasses all of human history. The second part of the word is “-anthro-“, which means that it includes all human societies. The third term, “-psycho-“, says that art is a psychological and has psychological effects. The last term, biological, describes art in a way that puts it the category of a trait of the human species. This term was originally coined by Ellen Dissanayake.

I believe that Dissanayake uses the phrase “making special” as taking something that is common in a person’s life, and establishing a personal connection with it. This takes an ordinary thing, whether it is an object or activity, and investing personal feelings into it, causing it to became extraordinary. This can be related to art by changing the traditional focus of the end product, a painting for example, to the focus on the activity of making the canvas something special. This is Dissanayake’s view of art.

My Life Values

amowlds — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 03:33:54 +0000

My Life Values: Family, Health, Personal Accomplishment, Friendship, Enjoyment, Personal Development, Loyalty, Independence, Leadership, Service, Community, Integrity, Security, Wisdom, Creativity, Power, Expertness, Location, Wealth, Prestige.

Today I woke up, ate a well-balanced breakfast, and headed to the gym. Fitness, especially running, has always been very important to me. Working out everyday ensures that I am doing my best to stay healthy and maintain a healthy lifestyle. My parents have always taught me that exercise is a good way to keep myself focused and feeling good. After my workout I got started on my homework and got a head start on studying for my midterms. This was a personal accomplishment for me today because it was something that wasn’t had to be done right away, I just decided to get ahead. I always try to remind myself how good it feels to stay on top of my studies and to not wait until the last minute to complete my assignments so today was a day full of personal accomplishments. Later I called my mom and dad just like I do almost everyday. Being far away from home has been tough for me these past few years. I am very close with y family so talking to them everyday makes me feel a little bit closer to home. Family is the most important thing in my life. My family is the biggest support system and my biggest fans so it is important that I talk to them everyday. Towards the end of the day when I accomplished everything on my list, I hung out in my room with some of my best friends where we laughed and talked for a few hours. This was my enjoyment for the day and it represents the amazing friendships I have with the girls in my house.

My family has taught me that it is very important to spend time not only on school, but also on my friends. They tell me that the friendships I develop in college will stick with me forever so it very important that I work on them now. One of the most important beliefs I have inherited from my family is personal development/personal accomplishment. It is very important that I grow as an individual and do well in college because the more I do, the more it will show in the future.

Technology…is it destroying communication skills?

amowlds — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 03:27:03 +0000

With today’s technological advances is it easy to see how our communication skills might take a back seat. When I need to get in contact with someone I will either e-mail, call, text, or instant message them. All of these forms of communication avoid personal contact. I have grown up in what I consider a “hidden” society because the way we communicate seems hidden and very impersonal. Messages are no longer hand delivered and I do not walk upstairs to talk to my friend, instead I turn to my cell phone to relay my information. I have grown up with these various forms of communication so it is hard for me to imagine a life without them. My mother on the other hand, grew up without a lot of the technological advances I have so I can see a big difference in her speaking skills and relationships with others. I think there are a few advancements that have made a positive contribution to society, but on the other hand, I think that there are also many that have taken a negative toll on conversation and people skills.

http://www.megaessays.com/viewpaper/14627.html