The code of morals and ethics are both guidelines written and unwritten that differ between communities, religions, countries and regions. Although these guidelines may not be actual "laws" they are things both frowned upon and discouraged to do. These morals and ethics differ across the globe and also have different punishments based on where they take place.
In the play, "The Shape of Things", the character that struck me as the most in lacking of these ethics and morals had to be Eve. Her selfishness throughout the story is proven by her actions of manipulation and "acting". It was in her best interest to make Adam into this human she saw as the best in different categories. She played Adam, tricking him into thinking he was her real boyfriend in order to prove her agenda and show her abilities. Eve slowly demanded more and more from Adam, changing his appearance and how he acted and did things day by day.
Why was she the most in lacking morals rather than Adam? Over time Adam became more and more confident with how he did things and eventually got in between his best friends and cheated on Phillip which ruined his friendship with them. Adam betrayed his best friend by cheating on him with his engaged fiance. Not only this but he lied to Eve about it, breaking "bro code", a certain guide of moral and ethic code as well as lying which is a moral in itself.
The outright biggest break in the code of moral and ethics is manipulation for self-pleasure. Eve had one thing in mind when completing this "art" project and that was to prove herself and her abilities. She didn't care how she left Adam after the fact and what place in life he was in. Adam would never have done what he did without Eve pushing him more and more into becoming what he eventually became, a cocky a!@hole.
Tuesday, February 28, 2017
Monday, February 27, 2017
Blog Post #2
Throughout history, the debate on morals and 'right vs. wrong' has raged on. From the biblical standpoint, in the story of the Garden of Eden, was Eve the evil? Was it her fault that they got kicked out of the Garden? The topic of morality arises again and again throughout Neil Labute's,“The Shape of Things”, along with not so subtle hints as to its correlation with a biblical story concerning right vs wrong, as the main characters names are Adam and Evelyn.
The easy answer for who was the villain in the play is Evelyn, as she continuously manipulated everyone around her. To begin with, she was introduced as a criminal, trying to vandalize a piece of artwork in the museum, and she proceeded to not respect Adam's wishes and the museum rules and spray painted the statue anyway, after Adam asked her not to. Later, she manipulates and coerces Adam into changing everything about himself. The changes were not all bad, of course, he lost weight and gained confidence. But overall he lost his sense of self as she changed him completely. But did she stop with just manipulating Adam? No, she continued to tear apart Adam's relationships with his closest two friends, Phillip and Jenny. She even managed to blow up Phillip and Jenny's engagement. Through her actions she proved that someone will completely change, and this may have been a success to her, but in reality she also proved the depth of her narcissism, as she destroyed all the happiness and relationships of these three people when she inserted herself into their lives, just to complete her senior project.
On the other side of the spectrum, however, there is Adam. Adam obviously began with a very weak sense of self and was easy prey to Evelyn, but regardless of how one might feel about themselves, there is a general duty to one' self to be their own person, and not to change entirely for another person. Sure, a small change here and there to compromise is okay, but to change entirely is unhealthy and untrue to one's self. Adam went from overweight, biting his nails, long hair, with a couple close friends to losing 25 pounds, healthy nails, 'better' hair and no friends. Yes, most of these changes are in fact good changes but he did it all for Evelyn and thus he was not true to himself. Adam also cheated on Evelyn with his best friends fiancee, Jenny. To violate both his relationship with his best friend and his girlfriend is a very immoral thing to do, and he continued to lie about it until he was proved guilty. Later, Adam cut ties with both Phillip, who was supposed to be his best friend, and Jenny simply because Evelyn told him to. He then asked Evelyn to marry him, which did seem to be motivated out of guilt and not one hundred percent sincere.
I think that between the two, Evelyn was the most immoral because she completely picked apart Adam's life, and for a while built him up, just to tear him down until he was worse off than when he began. This act of really just simple cruelty demonstrates pretty clearly her immorality and narcissism. But wait, there's more! Tearing Adam down wasn't enough for Evelyn, she proceeded to ruin his best friends' engagement, and tore apart the friendship too.
The easy answer for who was the villain in the play is Evelyn, as she continuously manipulated everyone around her. To begin with, she was introduced as a criminal, trying to vandalize a piece of artwork in the museum, and she proceeded to not respect Adam's wishes and the museum rules and spray painted the statue anyway, after Adam asked her not to. Later, she manipulates and coerces Adam into changing everything about himself. The changes were not all bad, of course, he lost weight and gained confidence. But overall he lost his sense of self as she changed him completely. But did she stop with just manipulating Adam? No, she continued to tear apart Adam's relationships with his closest two friends, Phillip and Jenny. She even managed to blow up Phillip and Jenny's engagement. Through her actions she proved that someone will completely change, and this may have been a success to her, but in reality she also proved the depth of her narcissism, as she destroyed all the happiness and relationships of these three people when she inserted herself into their lives, just to complete her senior project.
On the other side of the spectrum, however, there is Adam. Adam obviously began with a very weak sense of self and was easy prey to Evelyn, but regardless of how one might feel about themselves, there is a general duty to one' self to be their own person, and not to change entirely for another person. Sure, a small change here and there to compromise is okay, but to change entirely is unhealthy and untrue to one's self. Adam went from overweight, biting his nails, long hair, with a couple close friends to losing 25 pounds, healthy nails, 'better' hair and no friends. Yes, most of these changes are in fact good changes but he did it all for Evelyn and thus he was not true to himself. Adam also cheated on Evelyn with his best friends fiancee, Jenny. To violate both his relationship with his best friend and his girlfriend is a very immoral thing to do, and he continued to lie about it until he was proved guilty. Later, Adam cut ties with both Phillip, who was supposed to be his best friend, and Jenny simply because Evelyn told him to. He then asked Evelyn to marry him, which did seem to be motivated out of guilt and not one hundred percent sincere.
I think that between the two, Evelyn was the most immoral because she completely picked apart Adam's life, and for a while built him up, just to tear him down until he was worse off than when he began. This act of really just simple cruelty demonstrates pretty clearly her immorality and narcissism. But wait, there's more! Tearing Adam down wasn't enough for Evelyn, she proceeded to ruin his best friends' engagement, and tore apart the friendship too.
Blog Post 2: Response
From the play “The Shape of Things”, by Neil LaBute, all the characters may have done some bad, or may have done much more. Which character though, is the most immoral and unethical? What actions and motives lead them to hold this status? Is it just the outcome of what happened due to their actions, or is it their intentions as well? Did Evelyn’s lack of good faith in her relationship with Adam cause her to be bad? Or is it Adam, with his uncaring and willingness to be her pawn, only wanting to go toward his desires, make him the unethical one? Could it even be Jenny or Philip, cheating on each other when they are fiancée? All things considered, who is responsible for who, and what is our liability toward?
Evelyn is an answer to whom is the most unethical. She leads Adam on, who genuinely believes that they are in love and in a reliable relationship. Toying with his feeling she makes him do things such as get cosmetic surgery, tattoos, give up his friendship with his closest friends, amongst other things. In the end she breaks the relationship in the cruelest of ways; even after he proposes. Her intention was not pure, her methods of getting what she needed neither. Breaking the relationship by going in front of the entire town and even proclaiming that she is doing so and knows so, by claiming that he's been lead on and used as a tool just for her college thesis.
Another possible claim as to who is unethical is surprisingly Adam. Adam, although lead on and returned in the most horrifying of ways, too had a part in the final result. How he acts before the relationship is unethical. He trusts Evelyn, a stranger who is not to trust due to coming to the museum with the intent of defacing a object in there. He quickly trusts her though, to the point of believing her when she says that he needs to fix his hair. He followed his desires too much as well, being with her because she is good looking, yet doing many things outside of the boundaries of the relationship such as looking at a waitress, or making out with his former crush, Jenny.
Overall, I believe that Evelyn is at hand for being the most unethical and immoral. She was in a dependent relationship with Adam, him being the dependent. She had his full trust and controlled his actions, yet in the end misled him to go astray. Her responsibility fell toward taking care of him according to what she had claimed, yet she did not do so.
Evelyn is an answer to whom is the most unethical. She leads Adam on, who genuinely believes that they are in love and in a reliable relationship. Toying with his feeling she makes him do things such as get cosmetic surgery, tattoos, give up his friendship with his closest friends, amongst other things. In the end she breaks the relationship in the cruelest of ways; even after he proposes. Her intention was not pure, her methods of getting what she needed neither. Breaking the relationship by going in front of the entire town and even proclaiming that she is doing so and knows so, by claiming that he's been lead on and used as a tool just for her college thesis.
Another possible claim as to who is unethical is surprisingly Adam. Adam, although lead on and returned in the most horrifying of ways, too had a part in the final result. How he acts before the relationship is unethical. He trusts Evelyn, a stranger who is not to trust due to coming to the museum with the intent of defacing a object in there. He quickly trusts her though, to the point of believing her when she says that he needs to fix his hair. He followed his desires too much as well, being with her because she is good looking, yet doing many things outside of the boundaries of the relationship such as looking at a waitress, or making out with his former crush, Jenny.
Overall, I believe that Evelyn is at hand for being the most unethical and immoral. She was in a dependent relationship with Adam, him being the dependent. She had his full trust and controlled his actions, yet in the end misled him to go astray. Her responsibility fell toward taking care of him according to what she had claimed, yet she did not do so.
Blog Post Two
Ari Weissfeld
In Neil Butte's Shape of Things there are instances revealing flawed moral characteristics of the individuals involved. Two individuals who lack in morals are Adam and Jenny. Jenny influences Adam to participate in cheating even though they both had significant others at the time. Jenny was the lead seducer, also she was in a engaged to her significant. However, Adam was just starting to get serious with Eve. Another individual who lacks the morals is Phillip who participates in hateful speech towards Eve and shares a kiss with her to get back at Jenny. Also, lacking in morals Eve for violating the Ethic of Justice. She manipulates Adam the entire play as part of her art project losing sight of the individuals personal interests.
Eve's manipulation of Adam with only the success of her art project in mind shows low levels of morals. However, the manipulation of Adam did not result in bad things and the changes improved his appearance. Some will say that Adam does not care for how society looks at him and changing him to go against his beliefs is unethical. Eve did not force him to get any of the changes though Adam could just have said no if he did not want to change his appearance and conform to please society.
Phillip's interactions with Eve unravels the many moral flaws he has. The first time they interact they get into a heated argument about how she is changing Adam. He calls her a bitch and other obscenities when it does not seem like she is harming Adam. Also, Phillip meets up with Eve while still with Jenny and they kiss. However, this was to get back at Jenny for cheating on him with Adam.
Considering all individuals in the story Adam is guilty of having the least morals. Eve did make him change to the contrary of his beliefs, but an argument can be made that Eve changed him for the better. Also, Eve did not force him to do any of the changes and they were all good changes. In addition, Adam while in a serious relationship with Eve cheats on her with Jenny. After committing this sinful act he continually ensures Eve that nothing happened, but merely a kiss. The combination of cheating on Jenny and continually lying about it to Eve makes Adam my pick for having the least morals.
The Artist as a Scapegoat
Gavin Spellmeyer
2/27/17
Hon English 12
Boswell 4
The Artist as a Scapegoat
Over the last century or so there has become a heated and controversial debate between what is considered ‘ethical’ and ‘justice’, and which is considered to be more important. In the play “The Shape of Things” by Neil Labute, this topic arises again and again, as each character seems to cross many different lines. However, defining what is considered crossing a line, and deciding whether or not it was deserving, is open to interpretation by the audience. Personally I believe many lines were crossed throughout the play. Many actions and consequences were deserved, but many were not. We see this most frequently among Adam and Evelyn.
Evelyn did many things in the play that I would consider ‘unethical’. Starting at the beginning of the play, she did not respect Adam’s duty to follow his boss's orders and keep her away from the exhibit, deciding it was okay to cross the velvet rope and go places she wasn’t allowed. After that she then influenced Adam into leaving her alone in the exhibit, with the intention of illegally vandalizing someone's artwork. She continued to cross ethical lines as the play went on by manipulating Adam into doing things he originally would not have wanted to do. She coerced him into many things, including: changing his dressing style (causing him to get rid of his favorite jacket), convincing him to work out and change his physical appearance, getting a nose job because she said it would look better, and changing the way he styled and cut his hair. Not only did she cause Adam to change himself, but she also crossed a line when she decided to kiss Philip in retaliation to what Adam did with Jenny. Even though she wasn’t the one who caused this (Adam did) it’s not right to do it back as a result. Of all of the things she did, the action I consider the worst is how she took advantage of how Adam was blinded by love, and never fully realized what she was doing. She manipulated him into thinking she loved him, and as a result took advantage of his love and influenced him into changing himself, when in reality it was all for an art project. She permanently changed his life all for an art project. Although she never instructed and forced him to do anything, she still took advantage of his weakness, and used it against him.
Despite Evelyn’s numerous unethical actions throughout the play, Adam had many of his own as well. First off while dating Evelyn he cheated on her with Jenny, not only betraying Evelyn but also his best friend Philip. He knew what he did was wrong and continuously lied to Evelyn and Philip about it, further admitting his own guilt and making matters worse. Another issue he had was the changes he made to himself. One of the most important things a person needs to do is to stay true to their values and core beliefs - something he had trouble with. He allowed Evelyn to influence him into changing virtually every aspect of his physical appearance, whether it be his clothing, hairstyle, workout routine, nose, etc, many of which he did not want to do. He did it because to him it was more important to have Evelyn’s heart rather than being happy with himself. The argument could be made that having her love his appearance would in turn make him happy, however deep down that doesn’t have the same effect as being comfortable with your own body. He was blinded from noticing that there wasn't a true connection between them and that she was using him for his own personal gain. It’s important to find out what someone’s true intentions for you are as quickly as possible, so that you can prevent them from using what they know against you. In this case Adam fell victim to Evelyn and he did not maintain his integrity and stay true to himself.
There are arguments to be made that either one of the characters was worse when it comes to following ethics, however between Adam and Evelyn I think the blame eventually falls on Adam. Yes it was terrible what Evelyn did, and yes she took complete advantage of him, however it’s Adam’s own fault for allowing her to do so. At any given time he could have stopped her and said “No I'm not going to do that” but he never did because he had no power in the relationship. He didn't stand up for what made him feel himself, and decided rather to be whatever made Evelyn ‘like’ him more. If he stayed true to his values and beliefs he wouldn't have lost his two best friends and never would have had to deal with Evelyn in the first place. She knew he was an easy target who would do whatever she wanted, and it's Adam’s fault for not recognizing that.
Friday, February 24, 2017
The Artist as a Scapegoat
Throughout time there has always been a code of morals and ethics that people have obeyed throughout time. Whenever some one breaks these morals or code of ethics, people get very upset. Countries base their government on morals and makes laws according to their set or morals and ethics. In the play "The Shape of Things" the four characters in the play break morals and ethics in todays society. They cheat on each other, lie to each other, and manipulates one another to reach their goal. Once character stands out, Eve, she is manipulative throughout the play and continues to destroy long lasting friendships to achieve her goal. Her goal throughout the play was to make shape and sculpt a character named Adam into a piece of art. She transformed him from a man considered ugly by most, to a handsome man that was desirable by all. However, throughout this process Adam continuously became more twisted, his moral compass lost its way. Despite that, was Eve really the worst character or was Adam? Is Eve to blame for Adam's actions?
One possible answer is that Eve is clearly the evil villain of this play. Her actions continue to show her immoral side as she manipulates Adam throughout the entire play. She meets Adam and shows immediate interest in him, they start dating and Adam thinks they are in a committed relationship. Throughout their relationship Eve starts changing small things about Adam. At first, she asks him to change the style of his hair or to wear a specific shirt. Continuing deeper into their relationships her demands become more and more obscene. He starts dieting to lose weight, he buy an entire new wardrobe, and even has a cosmetic surgery to improve his facial features. Adam doesn't notice these small things as much as first, but starts to question Eve the bigger the demands become. Furthermore, every time he questions her demands she convinces him saying "its for the better, do you not like the changes?" She also uses seduction to convince him whenever he starts thinking about what is actually happening. Adams morals deteriorate as his appearance is becoming falser and falser from the real him. He lies to his friends, he cheats on Eve with other girls, but he doesn't realise it because he is simply not himself anymore. Eve states at the end of the play she only did this for the sak of art, and she shows no remorse for what she did. At the end of the day, her actions caused a caring man to become a liar and a cheater, friendships were ruined forever all because of the sake of Eve's art.
Another possible answer is that Adam is the villain of the play as he is responsible of hos own decisions even though he is influenced by others like Eve. As adam changes throughout the stories, his behaviour also changes with his appearance. He starts flirting with more girls as well as becoming increasingly confident in his appearance. His best friend Philip has recently become engaged with his long time girlfriend Jenny. Adam is well aware of this and states several times that he is very happy for them. Regardless, Adam spends some time alone with Jenny and ends up having intercourse with her. When Philip confronts Adam about what really happened when he hung out with his fiancee, Adam lies. Eve eventually finds out what Adam did and meets up with him to talk about it. As they are talking about it Eve states that she will only continue to date Adam only if he stops opening time ties Philip and Jenny. Without barely hesitating Adam gives his long time friends up for his apparent love for Eve.
Finally, after knowing what each of these character did wrong, who is the real villain? In my opinion I think Eve is the the villain because of the consequences her actions caused between the other characters. Her reasoning for doing her "experiment" was to make her greater art project. During the entire relationship she sees Adam as sculpture that she is constantly making aesthetic changes to him. Also, as she is changing his appearance she is also changing his morals. He turns into someone who he is not, he becomes another person in an alien body. Although, we will never know if he changes his morals after Eve tells to him what she really did to him. That could be a defining moment if Adam was worse than Eve. However, using what my fundamental moral beliefs are I think Eve pushed Adam into the person he became and in that way made his choices her choices. According to me is it so wrong to make a person love you and spend an entire year of their life just to find out he was a project. In that sense Eve is the villain of this play, every morally wrong doing can be traced back to her actions or words.
One possible answer is that Eve is clearly the evil villain of this play. Her actions continue to show her immoral side as she manipulates Adam throughout the entire play. She meets Adam and shows immediate interest in him, they start dating and Adam thinks they are in a committed relationship. Throughout their relationship Eve starts changing small things about Adam. At first, she asks him to change the style of his hair or to wear a specific shirt. Continuing deeper into their relationships her demands become more and more obscene. He starts dieting to lose weight, he buy an entire new wardrobe, and even has a cosmetic surgery to improve his facial features. Adam doesn't notice these small things as much as first, but starts to question Eve the bigger the demands become. Furthermore, every time he questions her demands she convinces him saying "its for the better, do you not like the changes?" She also uses seduction to convince him whenever he starts thinking about what is actually happening. Adams morals deteriorate as his appearance is becoming falser and falser from the real him. He lies to his friends, he cheats on Eve with other girls, but he doesn't realise it because he is simply not himself anymore. Eve states at the end of the play she only did this for the sak of art, and she shows no remorse for what she did. At the end of the day, her actions caused a caring man to become a liar and a cheater, friendships were ruined forever all because of the sake of Eve's art.
Another possible answer is that Adam is the villain of the play as he is responsible of hos own decisions even though he is influenced by others like Eve. As adam changes throughout the stories, his behaviour also changes with his appearance. He starts flirting with more girls as well as becoming increasingly confident in his appearance. His best friend Philip has recently become engaged with his long time girlfriend Jenny. Adam is well aware of this and states several times that he is very happy for them. Regardless, Adam spends some time alone with Jenny and ends up having intercourse with her. When Philip confronts Adam about what really happened when he hung out with his fiancee, Adam lies. Eve eventually finds out what Adam did and meets up with him to talk about it. As they are talking about it Eve states that she will only continue to date Adam only if he stops opening time ties Philip and Jenny. Without barely hesitating Adam gives his long time friends up for his apparent love for Eve.
Finally, after knowing what each of these character did wrong, who is the real villain? In my opinion I think Eve is the the villain because of the consequences her actions caused between the other characters. Her reasoning for doing her "experiment" was to make her greater art project. During the entire relationship she sees Adam as sculpture that she is constantly making aesthetic changes to him. Also, as she is changing his appearance she is also changing his morals. He turns into someone who he is not, he becomes another person in an alien body. Although, we will never know if he changes his morals after Eve tells to him what she really did to him. That could be a defining moment if Adam was worse than Eve. However, using what my fundamental moral beliefs are I think Eve pushed Adam into the person he became and in that way made his choices her choices. According to me is it so wrong to make a person love you and spend an entire year of their life just to find out he was a project. In that sense Eve is the villain of this play, every morally wrong doing can be traced back to her actions or words.
Wednesday, February 22, 2017
BLOG POST #2: THE ARTIST AS SCAPEGOAT
Review the "Immoral Acts/Vices" list you created while reading the play. Who is the most lacking in morals? Why? Is there some a critically important ethical principal this person violates (review "Ethic of Justice" from earlier handout) or is there some aspect of his/her behavior that is irresponsible (review "Ethic of Caring" from earlier handout).
Confused? Here's the same question, just another way: Many people see Eve as the "evil doer" or "villain" in this play. Is that a fair assessment? That she tries to influence Adam's choices and behavior is undeniable, but many people try to influence our actions all of the time: our parents, TV commercials, your teachers, etc. Does that make them evil, too? Before judging Eve, think about what each of us is ultimately responsible for and think about who each of us is ultimately responsible to.
Remember, all responses should be in 4 paragraph form:
--Paragraph 1: restate the question and give it some context in terms of the events of the play
--Paragraph 2: look at one possible answer
--Paragraph 3: look at a very different possible answer
--Paragraph 4: settle on the best possible answer and explain why it was the best
Confused? Here's the same question, just another way: Many people see Eve as the "evil doer" or "villain" in this play. Is that a fair assessment? That she tries to influence Adam's choices and behavior is undeniable, but many people try to influence our actions all of the time: our parents, TV commercials, your teachers, etc. Does that make them evil, too? Before judging Eve, think about what each of us is ultimately responsible for and think about who each of us is ultimately responsible to.
Remember, all responses should be in 4 paragraph form:
--Paragraph 1: restate the question and give it some context in terms of the events of the play
--Paragraph 2: look at one possible answer
--Paragraph 3: look at a very different possible answer
--Paragraph 4: settle on the best possible answer and explain why it was the best
Thursday, February 9, 2017
My art Expirience
My art experience was back when i was in 5th grade. On an early Sunday morning, my family drove down to Washington D.C to see a art piece called "the Awakening" which is a giant man made out of metal who has almost all of his body under ground. The only thing coming out of the ground in his head, two arms, a knee and a foot. I at first thought that the statue was of Jesus but it turns out that its just a giant man. He is a 72 foot statue of a man who appears to be trying to break free from earth. When you looks at his face, you can see the fear or anxiety in his face which shows that he is fearing being buried alive.Not only did i enjoy going to see this sculpture because it was so big and well made, but also because i could climb on it. Its not very often you get to touch an artist piece or work, let alone climb on it.
Response to blog post #1
The first time I listened to Abbey Road by The Beatles I was about 8 years old, and just started to play guitar. Up until that point I had never really heard any music besides what would be played on the radio in the car, and had a very limited exposure to rock music. My family and I were on vacation on the Chesapeake Bay, and the owners of the house left an Abbey Road CD along with a CD player.
When I played the first song from the album I was taken aback by the melody lines and harmonies, and astounded by the way all the instruments formed together to make a whole. All of the parts seemed to fit together seamlessly in a way I had never heard before. I spent the rest of the vacation listening to the album non stop.
After being exposed to The Beatles for the first time, my motivation for playing guitar increased significantly, and I began to see the instrument in a whole different way. I started improving much faster and it was much easier to find time to work on the skill.
Although I was not aware at the time, Abbey Road is one of the most critically acclaimed albums of all time, and it was the last one that all 4 of The Beatles worked on together. They wanted to make something that they would be happy calling their final work. They took their time writing and recording it, which was not always the case with their earlier albums.
When I played the first song from the album I was taken aback by the melody lines and harmonies, and astounded by the way all the instruments formed together to make a whole. All of the parts seemed to fit together seamlessly in a way I had never heard before. I spent the rest of the vacation listening to the album non stop.
After being exposed to The Beatles for the first time, my motivation for playing guitar increased significantly, and I began to see the instrument in a whole different way. I started improving much faster and it was much easier to find time to work on the skill.
Although I was not aware at the time, Abbey Road is one of the most critically acclaimed albums of all time, and it was the last one that all 4 of The Beatles worked on together. They wanted to make something that they would be happy calling their final work. They took their time writing and recording it, which was not always the case with their earlier albums.
Tuesday, February 7, 2017
Art Blog
The wings are not very fancy or ornate. It is a small metal pin, the center is a parachute, which looks kind of like a diamond, and extending out on both sides are an eagle's feathered wings. To see a picture of one of these badges, feel free to click the link at the bottom of the page.
I think that I really connected with this piece of artwork because I don't see much of my family very often, and I have always tried to keep up with them, and earn my place among them. This badge was like a symbol of earning my place, and kind of gave me a physical object to strive for, as opposed to just wanting to one day 'earn my place'. This made the idea more realistic, and has stuck with me ever since. I think whoever designed the wings did a good job of keeping it simple, while still maintaining meaning and value. Although it is just a simple metal pin of a parachute and wings, it is a symbol of much more, and this is captured in the badge itself.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMNyZAvDbB_CBJXSsJz7vj44QHmlFxGAUVrb8UX_2IcufjHsGZDhzynf_IFdbnQ6WGpZ1gRQB02b50h4Hxnd3KA8U_2Ltqxzgah8L2K9xiSKtMYFIeZgjweq-fE_4X4cgUN3dAy2RWXLE/s1600-h/US_Army_Airborne_basic_parachutist_b%5B1%5D.gif
Blog Post
When I lived in Colombia my house was always stuffed with paintings, sculptures and books. I never really paid attention to any of them, I was so used to seeing those images in my daily life that I never paid close attention to them, the only thing I saw were paintings and sculptures of people with overweight. None of these representations caught my interest until September of 2016, two weeks before I moved to the U.S. I was sad about leaving so I started detailing my entire house, thing by thing until I got to this weird art pieces. Not until this moment I was able to appreciate them, I noticed all of them were created by the same artist, Fernando Botero.
From his paintings there was one in particular that caught my attention. It is a painting in black and white, it kind of looks like a sketch. It is like a picture in which the fat man has a suit and a tie on and he's sitting with his leg crossed. Next to him stands a fat woman wearing a long dress and she is between hugging him and leaning on him. In my perception this is a couple that lived around the 1930's and 1950's which belonged to the high class and the way they're dressed show they had a high socio-economic status.
This painting has an impact on me because now that i'm here and I feel alone or away from home I think about that painting. That painting reminds me that I have a home where I can always go back to, that I have a family that has been there for me my entire life and they will always be. It also brings memories of my childhood and brings me very happy memories, and no matter where I am it makes me feel like im home.
The artist Fernando Botero does not paint fat people, he prefers to use the term volumetric. He not only paints humans like this, he also makes the environment surrounding the person this way. He does this because this is the way he sees the world, I connect with this piece because the artist reminds me that everyone can se the world in a different way. It reminds me that I should have my own perception of the world and that the world is as I see it, not as others tell me it is. It brings me memories because of the fact I grew up with that painting always being in my house and it has a sentimental value because it reminds me of my family, and as the woman is lying on the man makes me feel like I can always lean on my family because they will always be there.
From his paintings there was one in particular that caught my attention. It is a painting in black and white, it kind of looks like a sketch. It is like a picture in which the fat man has a suit and a tie on and he's sitting with his leg crossed. Next to him stands a fat woman wearing a long dress and she is between hugging him and leaning on him. In my perception this is a couple that lived around the 1930's and 1950's which belonged to the high class and the way they're dressed show they had a high socio-economic status.
This painting has an impact on me because now that i'm here and I feel alone or away from home I think about that painting. That painting reminds me that I have a home where I can always go back to, that I have a family that has been there for me my entire life and they will always be. It also brings memories of my childhood and brings me very happy memories, and no matter where I am it makes me feel like im home.
The artist Fernando Botero does not paint fat people, he prefers to use the term volumetric. He not only paints humans like this, he also makes the environment surrounding the person this way. He does this because this is the way he sees the world, I connect with this piece because the artist reminds me that everyone can se the world in a different way. It reminds me that I should have my own perception of the world and that the world is as I see it, not as others tell me it is. It brings me memories because of the fact I grew up with that painting always being in my house and it has a sentimental value because it reminds me of my family, and as the woman is lying on the man makes me feel like I can always lean on my family because they will always be there.
On August 25, 2016 I lost my best friend, the most important and closest person I had, my grandfather. He had lost his battle against cancer. I remember that night as if it was yesterday, the unbearable pain I still feel till this very second. Everybody was devastated, our rock had passed away. I tried to be strong and help my mom out, who was drowning in her own tears. I needed to get her on a plane and send her to Honduras to say her final goodbyes to my papa. I remember that nobody was really there for me, except for my boyfriend, I remember sitting on his room's floor crying to him, to calm me down he decided to play Christian music. There was one song in particular that caught my attention, its called " Algo esta Cayendo" (Something Is Falling). That song touched my heart so hard. It made me feel a little better which was crazy.
The lyrics to the song made me feel like everything was going to be okay, that everything happens for a reason, it was helping me understand that my papa wasn't suffering anymore, that he was in a better place. There was a specific phrase where it said " His glory is falling over me, he will heal my wounds, he will help me get up right back on my feet" (Translation in english) That particular phrase told me that I needed to be the best for my grandpa, thats what he wants, that even though he passed away I can still make him proud, hes watching my every move, looking over me and that as time goes by, my wound will slowly heal.
The impact that this song had over me was so big, I didn't want to do anything. I didn't want to go to work, I didn't want to come to school (it had all happened around the time school was about to begin), I didn't want to do anything but lay in bed and cry my eyes out. This song helped me see that, thats not what my grandpa wanted, I needed to get up and go to work, that I still needed to help my mom out, I still had my things to pay. It was my senior year, I needed to go to school, I was so close to graduating, I couldn't mess up, that's not what he wanted for me, Im sure he would've been very disappointed if he saw that was what I was doing with my life.
The person who sings this song, Jose Luis Reyes, made me understand so much. Made me understand that god does everything for a particular purpose. First, that I needed to be happy because my grandpa wasn't suffering anymore, he was an angel! Second, that god doesn't give anybody anything that he thinks they can't handle. At first I felt like I was dying from pain, but I knew I could try to overcome the pain, not completely, but enough to help me go on with my daily life. He used just his lyrics to make me understand everything. One song, one song helped me get back up on my feet, just one song.
The lyrics to the song made me feel like everything was going to be okay, that everything happens for a reason, it was helping me understand that my papa wasn't suffering anymore, that he was in a better place. There was a specific phrase where it said " His glory is falling over me, he will heal my wounds, he will help me get up right back on my feet" (Translation in english) That particular phrase told me that I needed to be the best for my grandpa, thats what he wants, that even though he passed away I can still make him proud, hes watching my every move, looking over me and that as time goes by, my wound will slowly heal.
The impact that this song had over me was so big, I didn't want to do anything. I didn't want to go to work, I didn't want to come to school (it had all happened around the time school was about to begin), I didn't want to do anything but lay in bed and cry my eyes out. This song helped me see that, thats not what my grandpa wanted, I needed to get up and go to work, that I still needed to help my mom out, I still had my things to pay. It was my senior year, I needed to go to school, I was so close to graduating, I couldn't mess up, that's not what he wanted for me, Im sure he would've been very disappointed if he saw that was what I was doing with my life.
The person who sings this song, Jose Luis Reyes, made me understand so much. Made me understand that god does everything for a particular purpose. First, that I needed to be happy because my grandpa wasn't suffering anymore, he was an angel! Second, that god doesn't give anybody anything that he thinks they can't handle. At first I felt like I was dying from pain, but I knew I could try to overcome the pain, not completely, but enough to help me go on with my daily life. He used just his lyrics to make me understand everything. One song, one song helped me get back up on my feet, just one song.
Patrick Kirlin
It was the summer of 2013, I was a rising freshman in highschool and my musical knowledge went as far as 90's hip hop to current pop. I didn't have much of an exotic taste in music for my age until my uncle's wedding. He hired a cover band to play various 70's and 80's rock songs. It wasn't really my style but I gave it a shot. I ended up enjoying it way more then I thought I would, but I never thought it would spark my interest until the last song of the night when my uncle, in drunk irishman fashion, grabbed the mic and the band immediately started playing the song "you shook me all night long" by ACDC. The performance was incredible. Everyone was singing and dancing along and my musical preference would be changed forever.
The song was more than just a good sound, it was an experience. Everyone in my big irish family for one night would be loud, drunk, but most importantly fully united to celebrate the bond of my uncle and his wife. Young as I was I felt that I was looking at this event from a bird’s eye view; I was just taking in the experience because I wanted to remember it forever.
Still today, everytime I hear that song my memory takes me back to that warm summer night. It is almost impossible to not fall into that day dream. This is my favorite part about classic rock as a whole; every one of my favourite songs had a distinct memory that goes with it. “Freebird” by lynard skynard brings my to the 3rd of July in Annapolis a crazy night with three of my life long friends. “American pie” was the song that was playing when I found out my grandfather died and to this day I think about him when I hear that song. To me music is more about the memories that I attach to different songs than the actual sounds produced by the instruments.
The art reaches simply by chance, but when it does it becomes a memory locked in my head forever. My uncle is a huge fan of classic rock so that is how I initially fell in love with the genre.
merica´
As a kid i would spend every summer visiting my family in Washington State. They live in a small town right next to Joint Base Lewis-McCord, in pierce county. Even though they arent originally from WA, they decided to move out there when my uncle was Assigned to McCord AFB. Every day during the summer i would play outside my grandmas house, waiting for my Uncle to get off work. And every day he would pull into the driveway wearing his ABUś, or (Airman Battle Uniform) the classic green and brown camo unis. To me those uniforms were art. At a young age he explained to me that they stood for something good. Later on when i understood the responsibility of Serviceman, I understood that they also stood for bravery. My uncle is a very polite and good man to begin with, but when he wore that uniform he acted extremely polite. I truly believe that being around so many service members including my uncle, from a young age, molded me into a patriot and made me strive to serve my country. I believe that a warriors uniform is Art.
When I was a kid I didn't really give art a second thought, just something that looked nice and that seemed useless at times but as I grew older I saw it as something more important, bringing things together and being all around us.
This perspective of it came from a friend of mine who was very interested in all forms of art, painting sculptures, music, films... and she introduced me to seeing it in a new light starting by using different mediums of it and slowly working me up to appreciate more classical forms of art.
This perspective of it came from a friend of mine who was very interested in all forms of art, painting sculptures, music, films... and she introduced me to seeing it in a new light starting by using different mediums of it and slowly working me up to appreciate more classical forms of art.
The Wiggles
I was five years old and was about to go to bed when my Dad came in and told me that on Friday night we were going to go to a wiggles concert at the Verizon center. I could not sleep that night because I was just so filled with excitement. I loved the wiggles and really enjoyed watching them every weekend on TV.
I had obviously heard music before, but I don't think I'd ever seen it performed live which definitely increased my appreciation for art. The rhythm of the songs, but also the costumes of the characters filled me with joy. This experience helped me know what to look for and get a better feeling for what I like when it comes to art that I couldn't see, but could hear.
You can check out their hits here: http://www.thewiggles.com/
I had obviously heard music before, but I don't think I'd ever seen it performed live which definitely increased my appreciation for art. The rhythm of the songs, but also the costumes of the characters filled me with joy. This experience helped me know what to look for and get a better feeling for what I like when it comes to art that I couldn't see, but could hear.
You can check out their hits here: http://www.thewiggles.com/
Sunday February first was the first time i saw it. I was nine years old. It was one of the nicest thing I have seen at the time. It fascinated me how the person in the painting did what he did. What he did is something that you would not expect a regular human being to be able to do.
It was a man catching a football like I have never seen it before. He had the tip of his toes in bound and he secured the ball and fell to the ground. The thing that made this art for me is the setting. This is because there was 40 seconds left in the whole game and because of this his team won the game.
The artist, Santonio Holmes, does a very good job of perception. The way he wants people to see how he is doing what he is doing. The most important part of this art is the way he was holding on to the football like it was his baby and he couldn't let it go, and he did not let it go even while he was being pushed onto the ground.
This work of art was later said to be the best in its category and that man in the photo won an award for what he did. To this day that work is still remembered and talked about. It has been over eight years and every time I look at it it amazes me how he did what he did in that photo.
If you would like to see this photo link is right here
https://www.google.com/search?q=santonio+holmes+catch+super+bowl&safe=strict&espv=2&biw=1034&bih=847&site=webhp&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjc7-jFpf7RAhXqylQKHYsgAqUQ_AUIBigB#imgrc=af5el7Cad-jxGM:
It was a man catching a football like I have never seen it before. He had the tip of his toes in bound and he secured the ball and fell to the ground. The thing that made this art for me is the setting. This is because there was 40 seconds left in the whole game and because of this his team won the game.
The artist, Santonio Holmes, does a very good job of perception. The way he wants people to see how he is doing what he is doing. The most important part of this art is the way he was holding on to the football like it was his baby and he couldn't let it go, and he did not let it go even while he was being pushed onto the ground.
This work of art was later said to be the best in its category and that man in the photo won an award for what he did. To this day that work is still remembered and talked about. It has been over eight years and every time I look at it it amazes me how he did what he did in that photo.
If you would like to see this photo link is right here
https://www.google.com/search?q=santonio+holmes+catch+super+bowl&safe=strict&espv=2&biw=1034&bih=847&site=webhp&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjc7-jFpf7RAhXqylQKHYsgAqUQ_AUIBigB#imgrc=af5el7Cad-jxGM:
Monday, February 6, 2017
My Art Experience
As I was scrolling through Facebook one evening, I came across a time lapse video of a woman making a finger painting on a large canvas. "That's a FINGER PAINTING?!" I blurted out. "That's so...beautiful." I had to look for more. I craved more finger painting from this wonderful woman. I scrolled down and saw a link that said "Click here to see more work from Iris Scott." I clicked on it, and it brought me to this lovely site of finger paintings, most of them dogs shaking water off of them so their ears flap and spirals of liquid go flying everywhere. "I love this artist," I sang as I scrolled through her other works. Then I came across it. "Foxglove" it was titled. I ordered a print of it that night.
Imagine a little red fox tucked away in a red-haired woman's arms. They seem to be sleeping while a wave of colorful grass cradles them. Finger painted -- all of it.If anything, this art serves a personal function for me. It makes me feel content and protected whenever I look at it, which sometimes helps me cope with strong emotions.
The artist, Iris Scott, does a very good job at evoking emotion like this by using different colors, lines, and textures in her paintings. She manages to create different positive feelings with just her fingers, paint, and a canvas. I also love the fact that she creates these masterpieces with her fingers, almost as if the activity she does is juvenile, but her final pieces are so... not.
If you would like to check out more of Iris Scott's work, you can click here.
My Art Experience
During the first and only time I watched the movie Babel, I was sleeping over at my friend's house. He had already seen the movie and recommended it to me before promptly falling asleep within the first ten minutes. During this time in my life, I was dedicating significant time to college applications and I was worrying a bit about the whole process, but I was doing well in school and I was still able to create and spend free time in ways that were making me enjoy my senior year. My life was relatively easy and I only had a few major things that I was focusing on.
Babel is a movie based on the main premise that our lives are interconnected. Things we do in our own lives can easily affect that of others, and this is what this movie is all about. In short, the movie interlocks 4 very different cultures in a well-crafted, suspenseful story that evokes emotion. We learn about the lives of 4 very different groups and their complicated relationships to each other, unbeknownst to them. The story is very complex, and their lives converge tragically at the end.
This movie impacted me because it made me view humanity and the world differently. Although the ending was sad, it made me feel warm inside when I realized that people all around the world are really not that different. We all have our own struggles and mistakes, and people in radically different cultures can easily be sharing in these experiences and life events without you ever knowing.
Lastly, the director did an amazing job of weaving all of the stories together and developing the plot at a good pace. An American couple was vacationing on a tour bus in Morocco when the wife was accidentally shot by the son of a Moroccan farmer, testing the range on his new rifle. The Director was able to weave in information about the events transpiring in Morocco while he was telling the story about what was happening in America and Japan in the meantime and how they were all connected. Through news reports on TVs carefully placed in the backgrounds of many of the better shots of the movie, the audience was constantly updated about the events that were transpiring in Morocco, sometimes receiving inaccurate, presumptive news that served to make the story more complex, interesting and suspenseful. At one point, we were told that the American wife was killed by Moroccan terrorists, but in the end the story didn't exactly pan out this way. All in all, I believe that this was a meaningful, beautifully-crafted story that affected me by giving me a broader understanding of the world as a whole and the lives of people in it.
Babel is a movie based on the main premise that our lives are interconnected. Things we do in our own lives can easily affect that of others, and this is what this movie is all about. In short, the movie interlocks 4 very different cultures in a well-crafted, suspenseful story that evokes emotion. We learn about the lives of 4 very different groups and their complicated relationships to each other, unbeknownst to them. The story is very complex, and their lives converge tragically at the end.
This movie impacted me because it made me view humanity and the world differently. Although the ending was sad, it made me feel warm inside when I realized that people all around the world are really not that different. We all have our own struggles and mistakes, and people in radically different cultures can easily be sharing in these experiences and life events without you ever knowing.
Lastly, the director did an amazing job of weaving all of the stories together and developing the plot at a good pace. An American couple was vacationing on a tour bus in Morocco when the wife was accidentally shot by the son of a Moroccan farmer, testing the range on his new rifle. The Director was able to weave in information about the events transpiring in Morocco while he was telling the story about what was happening in America and Japan in the meantime and how they were all connected. Through news reports on TVs carefully placed in the backgrounds of many of the better shots of the movie, the audience was constantly updated about the events that were transpiring in Morocco, sometimes receiving inaccurate, presumptive news that served to make the story more complex, interesting and suspenseful. At one point, we were told that the American wife was killed by Moroccan terrorists, but in the end the story didn't exactly pan out this way. All in all, I believe that this was a meaningful, beautifully-crafted story that affected me by giving me a broader understanding of the world as a whole and the lives of people in it.
Response to Blog 1
During the mid-way point of junior year is when I heard the mix-tape that would change my life. I was in ceramics when a notification hit my phone about a newly released mix-tape. I recognized the name of the artist because I previously listened to one of his successful songs on Sound Cloud. When I opened up Spinrilla, I saw that the name of the mix-tape was "Lil Boat". After viewing the album cover, I decided to give a listen to the up and coming "Lil Yachty".
The music I experienced could only be described as "positivity music". The beat of the music left a smile on my face and made my feel good about myself. The messages in the song might appeal to the youth but overall it has very positive vibes. If rainbows and butterflies flew in every time that mix-tape played, I wouldnt be surprised.
This mixtape did not change me, it was used a coping mechanism since the stress of junior year was catching up to me. It made my junior manageable since it boosted my self esteem. The mixtape also made me turn up when the occasion was right.
I believe this work of art spoke to me is because Lil Yachty is such a carefree person and his message of just having fun makes life seem much less stressful. I respect this work of art because the effort put in is very apparent and he made this mix tape free in order to spread his "positivity music".
In 2011 I was surfing through the internet looking for new music when I stumbled upon the mixtape "Acid Rap". It instantly grabbed my attention, but not in a good way. I thought it was terrible and could barley make it past the first song. Everything about this mixtape was so different from any other rap music I had heard and I just disregarded it without actually listening to it. After about a month without thinking about or listening to Acid Rap I was visiting my friends in Houston and they were listening to it none stop. This time I actually listened to it and I was amazed.
Chance's approach to his music was unlike anything I had heard from the rap genre. Rather than reciting verses about money, girls, drugs and the other things almost all rappers talk about, Chance raps with incredible honesty about his life, family, community and the problems that surround him like on the track Paranoia. On this song he paints a picture of himself as someone with his blunt on his lips the sun on his eyes and his gun on his hip. At this point in the mixtape Chance comes off as someone very druggy and very violent but then looks back to ask the question why the media isn't covering the extreme gang violence thats going on in his home town of Chicago with lyrics like "Where Matt Lauer at? someone get Katy Couric in here" followed by more honesty throwing bars out like "down here It's easier to find a gun than it is to find a f****** parking spot" or "Put visine inside my eyes so my grandma will f****** hug me" and the music that accompanies his lyrics is not just a catchy tune with a crank baseline. The music is pianos, guitars, organs, trumpets and more .
This mixtape changed the way I listen to rap music. It made me actually listen to the meat of the music. What their actually saying. It also was able to put an interest in creating music in me.
What made this work of art really grab me was Chance's honesty. The story he tells. I had never been able to listen to a mixtape or album like this and helped me to not just like rap music but actually respect it.
Chance's approach to his music was unlike anything I had heard from the rap genre. Rather than reciting verses about money, girls, drugs and the other things almost all rappers talk about, Chance raps with incredible honesty about his life, family, community and the problems that surround him like on the track Paranoia. On this song he paints a picture of himself as someone with his blunt on his lips the sun on his eyes and his gun on his hip. At this point in the mixtape Chance comes off as someone very druggy and very violent but then looks back to ask the question why the media isn't covering the extreme gang violence thats going on in his home town of Chicago with lyrics like "Where Matt Lauer at? someone get Katy Couric in here" followed by more honesty throwing bars out like "down here It's easier to find a gun than it is to find a f****** parking spot" or "Put visine inside my eyes so my grandma will f****** hug me" and the music that accompanies his lyrics is not just a catchy tune with a crank baseline. The music is pianos, guitars, organs, trumpets and more .
This mixtape changed the way I listen to rap music. It made me actually listen to the meat of the music. What their actually saying. It also was able to put an interest in creating music in me.
What made this work of art really grab me was Chance's honesty. The story he tells. I had never been able to listen to a mixtape or album like this and helped me to not just like rap music but actually respect it.
Blog Post 1 Response
As I was in the Secret Santa in my family this Christmas, I had to buy my little cousin something and quickly too as there was only 3 weeks left. But I didn't want to buy her something, I wanted to make her it. I searched for a way to make her present custom and unique, fitting in her personality and desires after learning that she liked galaxies. Turned out that there was a canvas art called Crayon Galaxy from a DIY video on YouTube.
Textured, realistic, beautiful, and creative all described Crayon Galaxy. It usesd colors such as the beautiful purples and pinks and blues seen in crayon boxes to make it look like an actual galaxy. Textures from leftover crayon make it seem more than a flat canvas, enabling it to reach out to the viewer. Melted white crayon imitate stars and other heavenly bodies, furthering the reader into realizing that this galaxy is real.
I grew spiritually because of it. It inspired me to do something foreign in my art routine through it being amazingly captivating and well done. I generally stick to drawing or digital art, and have never worked with a canvas. It made me realize that good art may come from different medias, therefore spiritually enlightening me to know more about one of my favorite things, art.
It was able to reach me by being able to pull off the task of creating something as breathtaking as a galaxy with something people normally don't associate this type of realistic art with. The innovated thought that went behind it makes something as childish or redone look amazing. It refreshens crayon art into an artwork that isn't just meant for a child, but for everyone. This is due to its appeal in esthetics and evocative way of portraying a galaxy.
Textured, realistic, beautiful, and creative all described Crayon Galaxy. It usesd colors such as the beautiful purples and pinks and blues seen in crayon boxes to make it look like an actual galaxy. Textures from leftover crayon make it seem more than a flat canvas, enabling it to reach out to the viewer. Melted white crayon imitate stars and other heavenly bodies, furthering the reader into realizing that this galaxy is real.
I grew spiritually because of it. It inspired me to do something foreign in my art routine through it being amazingly captivating and well done. I generally stick to drawing or digital art, and have never worked with a canvas. It made me realize that good art may come from different medias, therefore spiritually enlightening me to know more about one of my favorite things, art.
It was able to reach me by being able to pull off the task of creating something as breathtaking as a galaxy with something people normally don't associate this type of realistic art with. The innovated thought that went behind it makes something as childish or redone look amazing. It refreshens crayon art into an artwork that isn't just meant for a child, but for everyone. This is due to its appeal in esthetics and evocative way of portraying a galaxy.
My first art experience
Ari Weissfeld
Art Experience
The experience occurred when I was visiting D.C. in the summer going into 7th grade. My parents dragged me to the Newseum to provide entertainment for the day. Surprisingly, I was enamored with the monumental history on display. Parts of the Berlin Wall, 9/11 artifacts, and space memorabilia fascinated me. However, the photography room was the most impact full. Hundreds of photographs engulfed me from every angle. The combination of the photos and the display showed me how meaningful art can be. While examining the photos one stood out and really impacted me. A photo of a malnourished African baby with a vulture waiting for the baby to die. The photograph represented a tragic piece of art that moved me that no other piece of art has.
Photograph of New York
New York Skyline of Wall Street
Over the last few years I have begun to really appreciate photography -- especially urban photography -- so one day I decided I needed a print to hang on my wall. I’ve travelled to many different cities, but my favorites include New York, Chicago and Boston, so I went searching to find a print I liked from one of those locations. After some time, I came across a fantastic 32x24 inch print of New York overlooking Wall Street from a bird's eye view, and decided to buy it. Whenever I do homework I scan the photograph up and down, as it hangs over my desk, studying and noticing new details about it every time.
The beauty of the photograph, taken by an aerial photographer named Cameron Davidson, is within the details it's composed of. There is a stark contrast between the cold, dark blue buildings towering over one-another, and the bright orange streetlights illuminating the streets at the base surrounding them. This framework is a symphony of orange and blue intertwined to create an alluring mosaic. There’s an array of blue-shaded buildings with many variations between square, oval, and pointed structures, all unique in their own way. No pattern between short and tall, round or square, stone or steel, just one large architectural gathering.
To me the photograph serves the personal function of allowing my imagination to run wild. There are so many different aspects and details within a concentrated area that I can study it forever without getting bored. It’s easy to get lost in the buildings, streetlights, pedestrians, corners, cars, windows, etc and it forces you to imagine what was going on at that exact moment in everyone’s lives. What were they doing? What were they thinking? What were they saying? Who were they with? How were they feeling? Someone, somewhere, hidden behind the buildings and windows, could be having the best day of their life; or their worst; and yet we have no idea about it. It forces us to question the infinite possibilities and situations they could be in, testing our imagination, and allowing us to place ourselves in their shoes.
This photograph speaks to me not only because of its visual appeal, but of the way it compels me to think and utilize my imagination. It offers a new perspective every time I see it. I can imagine a new situation, environment, person’s life, and event each time, envision the thousands of interactions occurring simultaneously. When I’m sitting doing my homework, I am reminded of how much there is to this world and how small each individual's life is in comparison to the whole. There are so many different aspects and perspectives to this world, and the beauty of this photograph is in the way it highlights and brings forth these perspectives.
Saturday, February 4, 2017
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-bbtg3ue0kI
I was at my friend's house right after we left the inauguration protest. We were all just sitting talking about what we had just witnessed, some of us were crying and then I stumbled across a video on my Facebook feed. It was donald trump, his sickly voice booming over images of police brutality and violence against black people during their fight for civil rights in the 60s.
This video was showing how we have in fact NOT gone forward socially, but backwards. The same racist words and cheers came out of his mouth just like in the 60s. The images were terrifying and REAL. Black people being terrorized and pushed and degraded at a Trump rally and then the same thing in the streets of their cities in the 60s.
This video served as personal, social, and educational function. It made me cry, it led me to mourn. I had just walked down the streets on DC, trumps voice booming in my ears "you will never be ignore again". The lies he spat tore me apart, so it impacted me quite a bit.
This particular art work reached me because the artist did a very good job of conveying emotion. It was impossible not to feel something while watching it.
I was at my friend's house right after we left the inauguration protest. We were all just sitting talking about what we had just witnessed, some of us were crying and then I stumbled across a video on my Facebook feed. It was donald trump, his sickly voice booming over images of police brutality and violence against black people during their fight for civil rights in the 60s.
This video was showing how we have in fact NOT gone forward socially, but backwards. The same racist words and cheers came out of his mouth just like in the 60s. The images were terrifying and REAL. Black people being terrorized and pushed and degraded at a Trump rally and then the same thing in the streets of their cities in the 60s.
This video served as personal, social, and educational function. It made me cry, it led me to mourn. I had just walked down the streets on DC, trumps voice booming in my ears "you will never be ignore again". The lies he spat tore me apart, so it impacted me quite a bit.
This particular art work reached me because the artist did a very good job of conveying emotion. It was impossible not to feel something while watching it.
Friday, February 3, 2017
Blog Post 1
The time I heard the song Sanctuary for the first time, I was starting up my now favourite video game for the first time. I was about 12 or 13 when I first started playing it, and the music came on with the intro cutscene. It was this beautiful song that during a time when I felt alone and dealing with a lot of my own mental and emotional problems.
The song starts with this upbeat melody and it's lyrics are about finding happiness and sanctuary for yourself: physically, emotionally, mentally, or however you could interpret it. The melody and lyrics then became darker, and talk about how you'll struggle and be in pain at times, but soon returns to the happy showing that one can find their way out of the dark.
It served a personal or spiritual function. It helping me in a time I didn't think very highly of myself and was feeling somewhat depressed. The music provided this idea that I can bring myself out of that and helped me cope with my own problems. It made me work my hardest to help myself and others and to know that when things seem their darkest, there will always be a bright light at the end.
This particular artwork reached me for many reasons. First of all, it could reach me because it was in something I enjoyed, a game I was playing and was the only noise playing at that moment. Secondly, the music was able to reach me because of it's melody and lyrics. The artist was wonderful with choice in lyrics and having the proper melody to match those lyrics. That it why it could reach me and have such a great effect on me.
The song starts with this upbeat melody and it's lyrics are about finding happiness and sanctuary for yourself: physically, emotionally, mentally, or however you could interpret it. The melody and lyrics then became darker, and talk about how you'll struggle and be in pain at times, but soon returns to the happy showing that one can find their way out of the dark.
It served a personal or spiritual function. It helping me in a time I didn't think very highly of myself and was feeling somewhat depressed. The music provided this idea that I can bring myself out of that and helped me cope with my own problems. It made me work my hardest to help myself and others and to know that when things seem their darkest, there will always be a bright light at the end.
This particular artwork reached me for many reasons. First of all, it could reach me because it was in something I enjoyed, a game I was playing and was the only noise playing at that moment. Secondly, the music was able to reach me because of it's melody and lyrics. The artist was wonderful with choice in lyrics and having the proper melody to match those lyrics. That it why it could reach me and have such a great effect on me.
Art that changed me
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/81/9c/1b/819c1b6719dac1fe74e46ee5659ff282.jpg
The first time I saw this piece of art was during a school project assigned by my art teacher in 8th grade. To complete the project I had to research paintings from all over the world to find something that represented me. After spending a lot of times looking for art works I came across this painting and it intrigued my mind.
This artwork is a painting of a ship sailing against the wind from a dark stormy sea towards the sunnier and brighter area towards the land. The sea is rough and the ship is leaning hard towards one side due to the strong winds. It almost seems like the painting causes me to hear the wind blowing and the ocean rumbling. There are also some small seagulls that are barely visible by the ship and they seem to be moving towards land. In the backdrop land is visible and it looks like England's coast with high cliffs with plains above.
The artwork served as a personal function as I felt at the time it represented struggles in life that many experience day in, and day out. Furthermore, I feel it can represent struggles that I myself have gone through. The darkness in one side of the painting and the lightness in the other side of the painting which the ship is sailing towards represents something spiritual. Life is tough, we all know that, but for others the challenges might be more challenging to get through.
The reason why I picked this piece of art work it is because it reflects my life in a way. I have always loved the ocean and I learned to walk on a yacht that my family used to own when I was a toddler. Learning to walk on a boat is hard, the rolling motion of the ocean caused my to fall several times, but I learned how to do it. Life is a constant struggle between struggles and positive events and sometimes it seems like we are always fighting the waves trying to reach calmed water where the sun shines. In that way I feel connected to this painting, it reflects struggles in life that I face and my fight to reach the calmer waters where the sun shines. Everyone connects with different pieces of art because everyone has grown up differently and this is the art I connected with.
The first time I saw this piece of art was during a school project assigned by my art teacher in 8th grade. To complete the project I had to research paintings from all over the world to find something that represented me. After spending a lot of times looking for art works I came across this painting and it intrigued my mind.
This artwork is a painting of a ship sailing against the wind from a dark stormy sea towards the sunnier and brighter area towards the land. The sea is rough and the ship is leaning hard towards one side due to the strong winds. It almost seems like the painting causes me to hear the wind blowing and the ocean rumbling. There are also some small seagulls that are barely visible by the ship and they seem to be moving towards land. In the backdrop land is visible and it looks like England's coast with high cliffs with plains above.
The artwork served as a personal function as I felt at the time it represented struggles in life that many experience day in, and day out. Furthermore, I feel it can represent struggles that I myself have gone through. The darkness in one side of the painting and the lightness in the other side of the painting which the ship is sailing towards represents something spiritual. Life is tough, we all know that, but for others the challenges might be more challenging to get through.
The reason why I picked this piece of art work it is because it reflects my life in a way. I have always loved the ocean and I learned to walk on a yacht that my family used to own when I was a toddler. Learning to walk on a boat is hard, the rolling motion of the ocean caused my to fall several times, but I learned how to do it. Life is a constant struggle between struggles and positive events and sometimes it seems like we are always fighting the waves trying to reach calmed water where the sun shines. In that way I feel connected to this painting, it reflects struggles in life that I face and my fight to reach the calmer waters where the sun shines. Everyone connects with different pieces of art because everyone has grown up differently and this is the art I connected with.
Wednesday, February 1, 2017
BLOG POST 1: YOUR ART EXPERIENCE
Explain how a work of art you’ve heard, read,
or experienced challenged or provoked your thinking, shaped your perspective,
and/or encouraged some kind of change in you.
Paragraph 1: intro to the time you
saw/heard the art for the first time—what was it; when you experienced it; what
was going on in your life
Paragraph 2: description of the work of
art—provide details that help the reader “see” or “hear” this work.
Paragraph 3: impact—did the art work
serve a personal, social, spiritual, physical, or educational function? How did
it impact you?
Paragraph 4: technique—why did this
particular art work manage to reach you?
What was the artist really good at doing?
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