Buzzfeed advertisement

I've never been a big fan of facebook, and it seems like most people just use it to avoid conversation with people right in front of them. So I took probably one of the most successful facebook page's ad, buzzfeed, and tried to make it more clear what the message of their advertisement really was. So interpreted it the way I read it, and changed the text as well as inserting a picture of something most people would consider fun or adventurous. (The second picture inserted was supposed to be a man with virtual reality goggles on.)

The denotative message of the advertisement seems to promote laziness, and instead of doing things that are important, just sit back and watch videos instead. It does this through a white texts that pops with a colorful gradient that has a feeling of relaxation.

The connotative message is that whatever you're doing isn't actually that important. Since it doesn't really matter you should do whatever we're saying to instead.

The ideological message looks to be one that maybe aims to keep middle to lower class people in the same financial class by keeping them in a bubble of anti-productivity. Maybe even to hinder the social aspect of being a human, being everyday conversation with people around you.

Art's Authority

Benjamin's proposition that the authority of art is lost seems true. It resonates with me personally as well. I know I would rather see something that people are crazy about than hear them describe it to me with words or letters. And now that images of everything are available it seems like everything is over saturated. Personally, because art is so available I know that I don't tend to be excited when I'm in its presence. It's like living in a city your whole life versus visiting a city for the very first time after living on a farm your entire life. Reproduction does seem to be a good thing for the means of exposure, but it does seem to make people less inclined to appreciate art. I think it takes away a huge part of the experience or rarity of art pieces.

http://arthistoryworlds.org/3-the-standing-stones-in-england/

On the link above there are pictures of Stonehenge and then later photos have people next to them. Just as an example it shows how large they actually are, and even seeing these pictures you can't quite appreciate the megalith.

BMA Trip

 The three works of art that stood out to me were Moonlight on the Canal by Johan Barthold Jongkind, Moon Reflection by Louise Nevelson, and finally Nude by Henri-Edmond Cross.

 (above and right) Moon Reflection

(left) Nude

 Moonlight on the Canal (right)

Moonlight on the Canal was my favorite out of the three artworks I chose. It stood out to me for a list of reasons. The first being its somewhat hidden complexity. Although it appears to just be shadows and rather dark there is a quite a bit of detail in regard to the shade of each shadow. This is what allows the piece to have a good field of depth and not appear flat. All the particularities with how the light hits on the trees, water, and the windmills presents a more realistic image of the night than is usually portrayed with just dark blues and purples. Even the presentation of the man in the moonlight stimulates a more realistic eye view of being able to make some characteristics than a simple shadow of a man. All these reasons tied in with a smaller size painting really shows the care put into the portraying a certain image of nighttime. For me this painting was rather calming and reminded me of all the late nights outside with my friends by the water. At a certain point of the night, when there is no light except the moons and stars, your eyes adjust, and you can make out everything around you. Jongkind's artwork portrays a nostalgic image for me.

Here are some similar works by Jongkind:
 http://www.the-athenaeum.org/art/detail.php?ID=27872
http://www.the-athenaeum.org/art/detail.php?ID=106078

Hazy Vision

"Visibility" by Calvino is about how imagination is its own world entirely, that occupies each person's mind. He goes on to explain how the inner-mind and thought of each person can be displayed through words and images. Though this piece wasn't necessarily an easy read, there are a few ideas and lines that capture the essence of what Calvino is trying to express. ""but in middle there opens up a field of infinite possibilities in the application of the individual imagination, in how one depicts characters, places, and scenes in motion."
Calvino speaks about how St. Ignatius opens ups the interpretation instead of the prior route of the Church to give a firm idea and outlook on each subject. Rather than having an image that is forced upon the recipient, it is open for the imagination. This ties in with what we've discussed in class some. That even though there is deliberate symbolism in art pieces, there does seem to be a gray area of interpretation that is open to all. And the same in regards or representing the mind with art, it is completely up to the artist to display all the feelings and ideas behind each art piece.

Taboo Tattoos

While attending the Julio Gallery the display that struck a chord with me was "Ink Bias: Seven Portraits" by Rob Moore. Moore explained how he saw tattoos as an art form, although people with tattoos often suffer from prejudice. Moore stated that he has personally received judgemental looks when he displays his body art.

Personally, I don't have any tattoos and haven't given much thought to getting one. But I can relate to the feeling of being judged because of appearance for whatever reason. It is ridiculous to think that a tattoo which may signify such a spectrum of different things would cause other people to judge or think poorly of you. Though I can understand why it may be intimidating, I do agree with Moore that tattoos truly are often a work of art. Moore mentioned towards the end of his explanation that each tattoo does not necessarily line up with the corresponding picture on the wall. It does come back to possibly the most cliché sayings, "You can't judge a book by its cover."

 The faces that each tattoo belongs to The left display of tattoos

"Art is a Cat"

After reading "The Whole Ball is Wax" by Jerry Saltz, the idea of art being an experience and not something simple or mundane was clarified. Before reading Saltz's article, I already had a similar opinion to the argument being made. But through Saltz's articulation, it was clarified how art does have such a significant role in human life. Art is one of the things that truly set humankind apart from the rest of nature, the ability to portray and provoke so many thoughts and emotions through purposeful imagery is exclusive to man. The line that stuck out the most was, “Art is a bridge to a new vision and the vision itself, a medium or matrix through which one sees the world,” I have felt seen the world from such a multitude of perspectives through the immense types of art.

Being able to see outside of the rigidity of society and its tendency to simplify or be direct, is a challenge to all people. Being able to find the various nuances in a piece of art is a skill every person should have. The world of art is so immense and full of expression; it does indeed change and influence the world in such a specific way that it is impossible to ignore. Through Saltz’s clarification it is shown how art is a part of “The whole ball of wax”, which is to say it is found in everything.