- Evaluate personal values and paradigms around body decoration and physical beauty
- Investigate how physical appearance affects definitions of identity and belonging
- Analyze values and belief systems of physical appearance across cultures, sub-cultures and generations
Artifact: People Watching in the street and the reflection about how my personal values and beliefs influence the way I dress.
This assignment made me realize how I judge people by the way they dress. I chose to analyze three women of different age and styles. Each of them was different and unique in many ways. I tried to perceive their personalities based on their appearances. That is always hard to do and sometimes even impossible because image rarely fully represents internal qualities of a person.
Every person has their own way of decorating body and that is a matter of choice and taste. Clothing also reflects education and the way a person was brought up. Everything comes from the family.
However, someone's image can be deceitful because a one may want to represent themselves differently on purpose.
If someone wants to stand out from the crowd, it doesn't have to be because they are different, it can be because it is the only way they can manipulate people into thinking they are different and unique.
Rebellious people usually have some jewelry that they wear in order to be recognized as members of a certain group. It is a matter of a wish to belong to a certain circle of friends who share the same beliefs and attitude towards life. Sometimes they use body alteration: "All of the forms of body alteration share a consciously constructed purpose for those who engage in them. They are mechanisms of social communication" (Sanders 20).
One form of body alteration is tattooing. It is especially interesting for me because it is controversial. However, I agree with Ward McAllister who said that: "Society men in England were victims of circumstances when the Prince of Wales had his body tattooed. Like a flock of sheep driven by their master, they had to follow suit" (quoted in Parry 1971 [1933): 102).
Learning Goals for the Future:
I plan to read more texts about psychology that deal with personal adornment and body alteration. That is very interesting because I still have doubts why body adornment is so important to people when body is mortal. I have noticed that most people work more on their outsides than on their insides.
The Aesthetics of Horror Reflection
- Explore the psychological and emotional curiosity for and impact of horror art on individuals and society
- Analyze the unique aesthetic qualities of horror art
- Understand and utilize some basic principles of film and television analysis
Artifact:
This assignment made me think about why I enjoy watching horror movies. I agreed with most of the statements I read. The authors made sense. Holland thinks that the main reason why people enjoy sight they would be terrified by in real life is exactly because it isn't real life. The world of fiction is a realm where there is no need to react and save a person in danger, but just to relax and have fun and maybe even to acknowledge some of the horror situations as educational because they could happen in real life.
"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" (Carroll 279). I also agree that curiosity is the main reason for watching terrifying occurrences. There is also the adrenaline rush. People get to feel excited from the comfort of their home or cinema without being physically engaged. That is why the horror genre is so popular.
Learning Goals for the Future:
My goal for the future is to explore the nuances between different types of horror movies and to get deeper into the psychology of horror. I am interested to know where the inspiration for making horror movies comes from. Those legends and myths are what I am curious about and their sociological background.
Creative Spirituality Reflection
- Become familiar with was in which spirituality influences artists
- Discuss the differences between spirituality and religion
- Examine spirituality as a generative force and a well spring for creativity
Artifacts: Spirituality definition, religion vs. spirituality, creativity and source of creativity.
Inspiration
I found this assignment extremely interesting. It broadened my horizons making me think how anything can be art if you treat it as art. At least every creative thing that you do. I found out from my fellow students that even software engineering can be creative and a work of art which is something I hadn't thought about in that way. I confirmed my point of view that spirituality is different from religion because it is a more universal force. Imagination stems from spirituality and creativity is the next step. The final step is a work of art.
Reading about deeply seeing made me think about the way I really look at things and works of art. Deeply seeing means seeing through imagination and spiritual seeing.
These verses touched my soul. It contains the whole world depicted in four thoughts. I admire poets for being able to express themselves in a beautiful way with a unique style. Words are very powerful and can influence the development of the spirit.
The Stendhal syndrome was also very interesting for me. I have heard about it before and I am fascinated that such sensible and sensitive people still exist. They can be moved by a work of art so strongly that they feel ill. "It is a feeling of fear, awe, and delight" (Grey 83). I feel that as long as art has such impact on people, the civilization will continue to develop.
Learning Goals for the Future:
My goal is to see which works of art impress me the most. It will be interesting to explore the art of different cultures and from different periods of time.
Art, Technology and Games
- Learn about the history of computer graphics
- Examine the role of technology as a force for cultural maintenance and change
- Discuss the validity of art created with the aid of machines
Artifact: Animations
Seth MacFarlane's animation "Ted"
With the development of technology, art has begun to use many of its achievements. There has been a merge between art and science. "Teams from multiple disciplines are working in academic institutions developing scientific visualization and cognitive and perceptual research" (Jones 52). The whole point of new technology is multidisciplinarity. Education, communication, entertainment, advertising and government research for defense all use computer technology (Jones 52). As I already mentioned, whole movies are made with the aid of technology. One of the latest is Ted, where the whole character is computer animated. That is very exciting.
Computer programs also exist to help artists. Computer can be an "intelligent assistant" (Cohen 55). I think that it is legitimate in some forms of modern art. However for traditional painting for example, traditional techniques will be used like centuries before. Also, an animated character can act in a movie, but it will never win a prize for performance.
Art and science coexist in the modern world. A lot of creativity is necessary for a scientific breakthrough and science can make art more interesting, especially performing arts. Movies have become more exciting with the development of computer technology. Animations make stories more interesting. Today, most of creative jobs is done with the aid of computers. Designers work in computer programs. They have to design a chair by drawing it for example, but to make a 3D model, they need a computer program.
Video games are also a big issue in modern society. People use their energy on solving imaginary problems. The game developers are working on making those people wish to act in reality with the same eagerness. "Both scientific and artistic sources rely on culturally embedded patterns of reality" (Jones 59).
Learning Goals for the Future:
My goal for the future is to learn more about the connection between computer technology, social sciences and art. They all influence each other and I am eager to see the new ways in which this whole collaboration will develop.
Remixing Culture
- Become acquainted with copyright as a historic, cultural and economic paradigm and its value and pertinence to creative works
- Explore the changing nature of copyright in the context of “Remix Culture” and the “Fifth World”
- Examine their own and others values and paradigms of ownership and authorship of cultural media
- Evaluate the meanings of real and fake and examine their intersection with personal and cultural identity and authenticity
Artifact: Artistic personality
This assignment made me realize that there is a difference between RO and RW culture. RO culture is read-only culture and RW is re-write culture. I know that for gaining basic knowledge RO culture is inevitable but for becoming creators we need to develop our skills through RW culture. RW culture is especially useful for children. RW culture "invites a response" (Lessig 85). However, in today's world, RW culture is mostly prohibited to remix although it should be legally available for everyone to use and reuse/recycle.
RO culture emphasizes learning and preserves integrity whereas RW culture emphasizes learning by speaking and teaches integrity (Lessig 87). Sampling is considered to be illegal and covering songs legal and in reality it is basically the same. There is no progress if we don't use the experience of others.
"Copyright law inhibits new forms of literacy" (Lessig 108). In spite of this law, people still make remixes and adjust the existing forms of digital content in a way which is considered to be illegal. Since we don't want the children to be involved in piracy, the law has to be changed.
Learning Goals for the Future:
I plan to find out the reasons why RW culture is controversial and to see if there are ways to make it legal. It is a fact that due to availability, people will continue to use digital contents without legal permission and there is a problem of legitimacy. I believe that it is not legal but it is legitimate.
Censorship and Public Art
- Learn about the First Amendment to the Constitution and US obscenity law
- Examine historical and current incidents of Censorship in the US and their relationship topublic funding for the Arts
- Learn about the National Endowment for the Arts
- Explore the relationship of cultural values to free speech and tolerance
Artifact: Development of the Sciences and Development of the Arts Murals
Public art serves as the expression of history, culture and creativity. It is used for civic beautification and place-making. It also creates civic identity because it "includes sculptures, murals, memorials, monuments, civic gateways, pocket parks, playgrounds, and outdoor performances" (Doss 2). Therefore, it raises issues of diversity, ethnicity, gender, age and cultural heritage. In a place like Baldwin Park the creation of Danzas Indigenas united people no matter of their ethnicity and cultural heritage. All of them were given attention in this monument and no ethnic group was ignored. Even the intolerant people, such as a white politician who during post-World War II Mexican immigration said that it was better before they came (Doss 8-9). Even such a person's voice was counted in.
In my opinion public art is necessary for every place because it gives the place a soul and makes it recognizable. People like to feel connected to each other and to the place they share as a common good. Murals and monuments are especially interesting to me because I think that they are the most expressive. Public art is usually financed with public money, so that is the reason why all the citizens have right to chose what would best represent their history and culture they share.
Murals about the development of the arts and sciences are universal and that is why they fascinate me.
Learning goals for the Future:
I will try and pay more attention to public art in all the new places that I visit because that is the best way to learn as much as possible about the culture of that place. Sometimes there are non-democratic political regimes which build monuments that support oppression and that is also a good thing to know.
Works Cited:
Doss, Erica. Public Art Controversy: Cultural Expression and Civic Debate. American for the Arts, October 2006. Print.
