Thread: Saturday Market project posted on WWWEB Post: RE: Saturday Market project posted on WWWEB Author: Charles Hazen Posted Date: December 9, 2008 10:24 PM Status: Published I just wanted to thank everyone who has responded with comments and generally positive reviews of our project, they are appreciated. The original page did have the paragraphs and things broken up a bit more into slight sections or whatever you want to call them, so I have gone back and given the text a bit more separation in it's flow, etc... thanks again, everyone has done a very good job on the final project assignments !! Tags: None Reply Quote Mark as Unread Thread: Graffiti Presentation Post: RE: Graffiti Presentation Author: Charles Hazen Posted Date: December 9, 2008 2:34 PM Status: Published Great presentation!! Eveything worked well and the automatic slide show effect was great too. I viewed both versions that you have posted, and they worked great. The connection made to Eugene’s graffiti was a good thing to cover as well, though perhaps a bit more of how graffiti has evolved in history could have been included as well. Of course, the modern use of graffiti is the most compelling to us, and perhaps it should have just been made clear at the beginning that the project was going to look at the contemporary use, meaning, and styles of graffiti. No bigee. You covered the good and bad aspects of how graffiti is viewed by people in our society: the illegal part, the selfish part, and the expression part. The graffiti park information was a great inclusion as well. All of the slides were effective in showing the diversity in graffiti art, and some were humorous too. The only thing missing really was the class readings not covered so much, and some of these were missing in the bibliography. Adam’s final words were a good way to conclude and wrap-up the presentation as well. Tags: None Reply Quote Mark as Unread Thread: Music and Culture Post: RE: Music and Culture Author: Charles Hazen Posted Date: December 9, 2008 2:07 PM Status: Published YES, this was great presentation overall. VERY well done and with a lot of nice features, pics , and expanations. I loved the quote of Stokowski at the beginning, where he says that musicians paint their art on silence. That’s pretty compelling and makes a great case of defending music as art. I also liked the swirling in of the text and the audio blurbs that played during this. There hasn’t been enough audio or features like this used on other projects, so that is very commendable. This would have been close to perfect, but many of the pictures were not opening for me on the many of the slides shown. The 20th Century page Haydn pic, the John Cage pic, the Jazz pics, and a few other slides were some of these without pics opening. The Hawaii part was a bit unexpected, and it was fine really, but some indication that you were going to use Hawaii as a highlight, etc.., would have made that part a bit more clear. Also, some of the citations were not included in the bibliography, and they were also not really explained or elaborated on in the text to an extent. But the whole presentation gave a worthy defense to your goal of defending music as art, etc… I don’t know much about power point, but I would like to know or be able to use like audio more, perhaps a low-volume playing of music and songs during the projects concerning music would be great. I wonder if you though of this, or if it is easy to do or just wasn’t possible. Again, that’s just my curious mind wondering about power point uses. Of course, the Beatles was misspelled as ‘Beetles’, a minor thing, and the text was missing at the bottom of the Maturation Process slide. Most certainly, this is one of the best presentations I have seen, easily in the top three, or two. It used the power point aspects very well, and had an overall effective blend of text, images, and compelling content/observations. Tags: None Reply Quote Mark as Unread Thread: Fashion @ UO project Post: RE: Fashion @ UO project Author: Charles Hazen Posted Date: December 9, 2008 1:37 PM Status: Published This was overall a very enjoyable topic and presentation to consider. Since the subject was the fashion and culture of our own University, I think it was a great choice to explore. It was well put together with a lot of good information and statements regarding culture and values and styles. I wish that there had been some more info or examples of some of the more diverse or wild styles of dress worn by students, and why they wear what they wear. As far as the citations of class readings, yes they were there, but all grouped under one statement per slide, like “Meaning of Art”, “Art and Culture”, and “Fashion”, etc. , but they were not really integrated into the written text or explored (defined and connected) to the text itself. But, much of the text and information was very well done to indicate the important parts of our assignment in the proper way, in my opinion. The first slide had a pic that did not open, and the Mission Statement was great, though the overlapping picture obscured some of the text. During the Basic Principles area and slides, the pics did not open for me as well. On the personal appearance slide you quote “Scott”, but who is Scott?”, a mention of this in the slide was probably necessary. Scott is not listed at all in the bibliography. With a few minor issues noted about the presentation, this was still a very informative, well-designed, and original presentation. The images were effective, and most of the text met the purposes of what we were supposed to analyze and defend about our subjects. A very good project. Tags: None Reply Quote Mark as Unread Thread: Propaganda as art Post: RE: Propaganda as art Author: Charles Hazen Posted Date: December 9, 2008 1:04 PM Status: Published I liked this presentation a lot too, but there were some issues. Almost all pictures on the collage of pictures slides in the latter part of the presentation, the Timeline part, did not open for me, so that was unfortunate, as there was such an effort made to add the text descriptions of the historical periods, etc... Maybe just my pc, but still. I do think the Timeline aspect was a great way to approach and explain the topic, but with almost all images not opening, it lost something. On the Paul Revere illustration you mention the artist as "he'', but there is no indication anywhere else to who "he" is. I know it's the artist, but his name prolly should've been there. Minor thing. Probably the most glaring thing missing was the use of any of the class readings, - there were none at all. The opening intro with the Hitler quote was effective, since our first thoughts about propaganda usually have negative connotations. Most of the slides at the beginning did a good job of saying how the propaganda was used in campaigns or efforts to sway public opinion. There is a good definition of Propaganda provided, and the ties to history and advertising were effective, though I think the phrase about advertising RELYING on racial stereotypes to sell products is too broad of a statement, etc.. a bit strong, should have been re-worded or shown only as an aspect. So, I did enjoy it very much, I love history, so I've always had an interest in Propaganda, and this was an effective presentation about Propaganda, though there are a few things that jumped out that could have been corrected or explained a bit better. Tags: None Reply Quote Mark as Unread Thread: Fashion and Culture Post: RE: Fashion and Culture Author: Charles Hazen Posted Date: December 9, 2008 12:31 PM Status: Published It was good to see the project goals set out at the beginning, and the emphasis on how trends and expression are tied to cultural behavior and fashion. I don’t think I agree that “everyone is a fashion artist” just by the act of putting clothes on in the morning, but for the purposes of our class and our understanding of how broad art is, the point is made, just a bit overstated. The decades of fashion section was a very good method of exploring the issue, and was right-on to include the affect that things like MTV have had on our society since the 1980’s. I think it’s “Dave Stewart” that you mean to indicate, not “Dave Steward.” The decades part could use a bit more info or analysis. References to class reading were made, but not at all cited at the end. The one thing I don’t agree with at all is summing up the “Culture and Fashion” of our current decade with Sarah Palin. Sure, she might be an aspect to consider or highlight, but she in now way could possibly Sum it Up. No one person can do that. But most of these things are minor issues that I saw on the project, and, again, there were some effective analysis and information that helped to achieve the goals that were set out at the beginning. I was not bothered by the ‘’wordiness’’ that keeps being brought up for projects, though, here and there, some more visual examples between text slides would likely have made this a bit better. I think our assignment required us to explore with words and not just visuals, and in reading what Kassia wanted, it seems that words and analysis were to be a major part of our presentations. It was a ‘’paper’’ kind of assignment, in that it needed to be understood that we had a lot to do to tie things in, and explain things, defend things as art, etc… Some projects have a bit more history or a bit more examples, but not enough analysis or integration of class stuff. Of course, this is hard to balance in our projects, so we are each affected differently when we view the projects based on how we ourselves interpreted the requirements. Again, these are just general comments, and I did like this presentation because it was interesting, had facts and covered a fair portion of the important things that needed to be covered. Good Job ! Tags: None Reply Quote Mark as Unread Thread: Elementary School Art Powerpoint Post: RE: Elementary School Art Powerpoint Author: Charles Hazen Posted Date: December 9, 2008 2:23 AM Status: Published It seems hard to balance the content on a powerpoint presentation. Going for the visual is probably the main idea with most powerpoints, of course, but with a class assignment requiring a lot of interpretation, citations, evaluations, and the idea that we must back up our statements with incisive comments and things, makes it harder to decide what is needed. That is just a general comment about powerpoints and assignments. That said, this project was very interesting and informative. There is a lot of detail about what goes on in elementary schools, using a lot of examples and nice video clips and things. All in all, a very nice report on art in elementary schools, that has a lot going for it. Perhaps more history and usage of art was featured, rather than the analysis of the subject as it connects to culture, art, and community that we have been exploring. Not quite enough tie-ins to the material (all works cited were web links), but….with everything that was provided, it is pretty easy to think of these ourselves – without them being literally indicated. The sections on how kids think and feel, and what kinds of art they tend to make was a good indicator as to how their culture and environment stimulates them. A couple of errors in grammar, sentence stuff, and one good spelling error ("in riches" instead of 'enriches') was noticed. But still pretty good, emotional stuff about our little chitlins, their teachers, and the art of elementary schools. Tags: None Reply Quote Mark as Unread Thread: Graffiti as Art and its Impact on Culture: Post: RE: Graffiti as Art and its Impact on Culture: Author: Charles Hazen Posted Date: December 8, 2008 9:07 PM Status: Published This is among the best of the presentations I have seen thus far, and it was very enjoyable and informative. It was obviously well-designed and planned. It was also well executed, right from the start. I thought the basic point of “I am here” that was given on the first slide, indicating perhaps the prime motivator for artists to do this work, was an excellent example that in three simple words says a lot about art, culture, community, and expression. The slides on Purpose and Communication were great because they explored these topics well with information on the artist’s intent on making graffiti. The only thing I noticed was that most of the class reading citations were kinda just laid out with a title above them, making us evaluate them for ourselves. While this works, and there are other quotes and things that are explored a bit more in-depth, some really didn’t make any direct connections or provide any further comment on the specific correlations that could have been used. Still, this is rather minor, cuz the concepts are there and since I'm studying art, I was able to figure out the intent and meaning of the citations made. One thing of curiousity to me: During the presentation of ''Graffiti Can Be:", one of the types was WORDS, but what is that word, if it is a word, on the wall? I couldn't figure out what the word was, and it was the only example given. Again, Just curious, and the points were all made, and the presentation was extremely good. Tags: None Reply Quote Mark as Unread Thread: Saturday Market project posted on WWWEB Post: RE: Saturday Market project posted on WWWEB Author: Charles Hazen Posted Date: December 8, 2008 8:41 PM Status: Published there does seem to be some browser issues about some of the web page we put up, though all of our checks worked well. It prolly works best in IE, firefox, and the more traditional browsers, but it's hard to say. This is a problem that concerns many web pages, and getting them all to work on all types of browsers is somewhat difficult at times, especially for non proffessional webmasters, etc.. The links on the left, if they are there are just "jumpers" and they do work, at least on most browsers, they just take you to different areas of the document. It is certainly not a major part of the project, but is just a feature. Just thought i'd explain some of this, and I truly hope that it looks correct for as many of us as possible. Tags: None Reply Quote Mark as Unread Thread: Our Project Post: RE: Our Project Author: Charles Hazen Posted Date: December 8, 2008 8:35 PM Status: Published This was a good project, very informative, and it touched on a lot of areas. A little too much bio info and stuff on Tupac and Notorious B.I.G., but even that was interesting. I guess powerpoints are supposed to very visual, with lotsa pics and stuff, but while there could have been more included to break up the text, I think there has to be a fair amount of words in order to really deliver a successful project which meets the criteria for the assignment. So, this works for me pretty well. SOME lightly playing rap music here and there might have been good too, but maybe this is hard to do, I dunno. I liked how some misconceptions about rap were challenged. Challenging the idea that music stars are defined by their “multitudes of fans” attending shows was a good observation. The fact that this report would back up what it offered as the history, clothing, and perceptions regarding rap music with some thoughtful good details and references about the “impact” that rap has had on culture was very effective as well. Good to cover the good and bad aspects that are discussed by people in society, some of whom are fans and many of which know very little about what it all is. This was an enjoyable project, and I appreciated the words and details given, and there were also some very good tie-ins with our course reading material. One thing that didn’t work to well was probably just a writing thing: in discussing 2pac you talk about his “caring for women” when it really should be “caring about women”, since he was not looking after or caring for all these women literally. Also, the problems of single mothers are STILL large problems today, and are not just ones that were large in the early 1990’s. Tags: None Reply Quote Mark as Unread Thread: Tattoos Post: RE: Tattoos Author: Charles Hazen Posted Date: December 8, 2008 8:06 PM Status: Published This is indeed an eye-catching presentation. It covered the history of tattoos more than anything, and it defined what well some of the different types of tattoos, but the project did not get into the art and cultural aspects on an in-depth level. Yes, too many spelling, wrong word uses, and some punctuation and sentence problems, but it was fairly informative and interesting. Except for Alex, all the cited works were from the web, and there is no references to which go with what information, etc… CORNEAL TATTOOING!!??!! - ‘OH MY GOSH’!! I thought the phrase “physical alteration changes mental perceptions” was a very good point as to how culture is affected by tattooing. And the example of the teardrop was interesting, because on one hand it represents the loss of a loved one and one the other hand it represents the murder of someone. About the Arabic Tattooing: Who are the Beduoin and Newar, and how or why did they influence Arabic Tattooing? I know the TOP TEN is from a web source, but I was surprised that ‘names’ or ‘‘mother’’ didn’t make their list… I guess there really wasn’t enough connections made to what we were assigned to do, since citations from our readings and how they related to the subject were pretty much absent, though this is a good general attempt at showing how tattoos have influenced or been a part of many societies through all of human history. I liked it, but the more I think of it, it had too little usage of the themes and readings that were to be integrated into our projects. Not enough words or about the art aspect, though the many photos certainly display the art very well. One last thing: I guess there was an audio file on the first page, but I got an error message thingy, and was not able to hear it (on either version of the post I clicked). What was it? Tags: None Reply Quote Mark as Unread Thread: Art of India Final Presentation Post: RE: Art of India Final Presentation Author: Charles Hazen Posted Date: December 8, 2008 7:28 PM Status: Published It's hard to add anything more to what has already been said, especially in the first few response posts. The presentation was put together pretty well, though I expected maybe a bit more in-depth details. There were no apparent connections, or at least citations, made from our class readings, and on the whole, it kinda ended rather abruptly. I thought there would be more I guess. The sectioning of the inputs was ok, but maybe a main title or theme page would have tied the rest of the areas discussed to the main objective of the report. It is a big topic, and I think the presentation overall was quite good and fairly informative, I definitely learned a few things, and I enjoyed the historical aspects very much. On Buddhism, I would like to know what were the "significant issues" that they faced? Perhaps an overview with some sort of text explaining what the goal of the project is would have been effective too. It was sort of a historic or perspective or review, and it did not really reflect on the current art of India, but there were quite a few references to cultural impact and how the art of India has been influenced over their rich history. Tags: None Reply Quote Mark as Unread Thread: Saturday Market project posted on WWWEB Post: RE: Saturday Market project posted on WWWEB Author: Charles Hazen Posted Date: December 8, 2008 2:03 PM Status: Published HI, I wish I could figure out the problem that some are having viewing the first part of the text in our project. It has looked fine on quite a few pc's, but it may be a browser or operating sytem issue that I could not forsee. Still, if anyone knew how to do 'screenshots' and could email me one, it would be cool. Thanks for the info about how the view is. The text is overlapping to the left column or up to the top header part? thanks again, -chaz Tags: None Reply Quote Mark as Unread Thread: Saturday Market project posted on WWWEB Post: RE: Saturday Market project posted on WWWEB Author: Charles Hazen Posted Date: December 8, 2008 12:51 AM Status: Published Thanks Jordan, we did decide to center our stuff around an informative in-depth paper, as it were. I'm not sure of the ''overlapping'' or text issues you mention, I wish I knew what was going on with that, cuz from all of our indications, it's all working and formatted correctly. I suppose there could be some conflicts with different OS's or Browsers, but this is the first time I've heard of anything not looking OK with this. thanks for the words, I hope it works and looks good for everyone.... Tags: None Reply Quote Mark as Unread Thread: Final Project...web submit Post: Final Project...web submit Author: Charles Hazen Posted Date: December 7, 2008 11:42 PM Status: Published HI, I think I am right on this, BUT, if our presentation is a web-based 'web page' type of thing, then we simply post the link to the discussion board, right? we can't very well upload all the material necessary to make the site work, since it has to be hosted and the links have all got to reflect the host being used... Our project is hosted on my personal website.... Tags: None Reply Quote Mark as Unread Thread: Saturday Market project posted on WWWEB Post: Saturday Market project posted on WWWEB Author: Charles Hazen Posted Date: December 7, 2008 11:33 PM Status: Published Hi All Users, Our group has posted our FINAL PROJECT as a web-based presentation. Please use the link below to view: http://www.hazenworld.com/saturdaymarket.html thanks, hope you like it !! -brought to you by: The Four Market-teers Tags: None Reply Quote Mark as Unread Thread: Final deadline date? Post: Final deadline date? Author: Charles Hazen Posted Date: November 24, 2008 9:49 AM Status: Published I was just wondering what the final deadline date is for our projects? Tags: None Reply Quote Mark as Unread Thread: Short Outline & Synopsis : Sat Market Group Post: RE: Short Outline & Synopsis : Sat Market Group Author: Charles Hazen Posted Date: November 23, 2008 10:16 PM Status: Published a bit more: Our project will be web-based. The title is not completely settled but we are at this time going with... "Saturday Markt : Art Meets Culture -The Importance of Saturday Market to the Artists and the Culture of Eugene, Oregon" Charles Hazen will represent the group email. Tags: None Reply Quote Mark as Unread Thread: Short Outline & Synopsis : Sat Market Group Post: Short Outline & Synopsis : Sat Market Group Author: Charles Hazen Posted Date: November 23, 2008 10:11 PM Status: Published We haven't quite worked out all the jobs and ideas yet, but this is basically the kind of outline we are thinking about in our group. Our responsibilities at this time are all shared for the most part, but I am doing the web development. We will all gather, interview, research, contribute ideas, and hopefully work out the final product together mutually. Our group: Patrick Haines, Charles Hazen, Diego Mercado, Laura Watts. This is a very informal outline. Outline: Saturday Market - A MEETING PLACE FOR CULTURE AND ART 1. History/Background/Overview, thesis, features, types of merchants/activities 2. Culture / Art -- Market organizers information/interviews 3. ART : The artists and their crafts (examples/interviews) 4. ART: The artists and their food (examples/interviews) 5. ART : The artists and their music (examples/interviews) 6. Tying it all together / Conclusions Our group, The Four Marketeers, will profile Eugene's Saturday & Holiday Markets, and we will make clear and concise observations and opinions that will back up the thesis that the Saturday & Holiday Markets are a great place for artists and culture to impact each other. We will provide facts, interviews, and supporting information to clearly demonstrate that Saturday Market is a home to many hardworking and creative artists (art, food, music) from our community, and that the public and culture of Eugene is a contributor to, and a benefactor of, this creativity in action. We will have links, pictures, videos, and other sources incorporated into our project. We are confident that our work will demonstrate that the importance of Saturday Market to the culture of the Eugene area is profound, and that the artists and patrons who congregate there are contributing much to the creativity and appreciation of art in our community on a weekly basis. Tags: None Reply Quote Mark as Unread Thread: What about the Farmer? Post: RE: What about the Farmer? Author: Charles Hazen Posted Date: November 23, 2008 8:54 PM Status: Published SURE !! Farming is certainly art, and very hard, meticulous work. It's really an art to know how to sow, take care of, plan everything out, and work the harvest. The farmers don't get enough credit, it seems, for what they do. A farm itself is full of art, I think, and it's so culturally valuable and important as well. The work they do is extremely creative and requires tons of dedication and knowledge. Things change, weather changes, soil needs special care, and they do all this and so much more. The way the food is harvested, picked at the right time, stocked, loaded, trucked and sold, etc.., it's all good creative stuff. If McD's food is art, then certainly everything the farmer produces and does to get our food closer to our mouths and culture is definitely art too. Tags: None Reply Quote Mark as Unread Thread: Our width of definition for art... Post: Our width of definition for art... Author: Charles Hazen Posted Date: November 23, 2008 11:19 AM Status: Published It seems that almost almost all of us are very open-minded. We all seem to agree most everytime that everything from the mundane and boring to the intricate and sublime is indeed art - somehow , someway. I'm totally down with this thinking, really, but I think we have, through the class, conditioned ourselves to open widely our thinking and opinions about whatever is created for any purpose. I , too, would rather call it art than get into a debate about it one way or the other, and I generally am very accepting of all of these things we chat about being art. Not really a problem for me, as I believe in the basic premise that something that is created, however it is done, is worthy of being called art, however we ultimately define it. Good or bad, simple or complicated, meaningful or not, important or not, etc... So, it just seems that it is likely that we can never really draw a line, we can never really close the door on art, at all. We are open and fair, and it's not in our nature or desire to put other peoples ideas and feelings about things aside in favor of our own. That's a good thing, and I, like most of us, really do have a new appreciation and a new mindset when observing and thinking about everything that is everything in our world and in our culture. Again, I think it's all good. I mean, I agree with practically all the viewpoints that we've shared, and it seems we've gone quite deep into the food area and all of it's associated ingrediants. It makes me think though, that with our willingness to be all inclusive about what we accept as some form of art, that there is little that we would deny. Even breathing is an art, ain't it? Even writing a check is an art, or fixing a tire, or cutting our toenails. Ok, maybe not all of those...maybe, but my brain is thinking and speculating about just how broad the lines are now, at least for me. You could say, or some would say, that we are 'cheapening' the value or meaning of the word 'art', but I feel it is just a term that we have to accept as meaning practically anything to anybody who defines it, as they wish and as they have a right to think - for themselves. This is just the way it is, and with 'creativity' being so synomous with 'art', the aspects involved are as wide and forever expanding as is the Universe. I'm done. Tags: None Reply Quote Mark as Unread Thread: Food as Art Post: RE: Food as Art Author: Charles Hazen Posted Date: November 21, 2008 11:48 AM Status: Published I totally agree with the idea that the marketing, advertising, the logos and characters, and some of their packaging is created with art in mind and art intentions. But they pretty much stay to the original forms of all this, there is rarely some new innovation, or something with real cutting edge pizazz or flair. It's retreaded and revamped from time to time but it's all done to keep their stuff from seeming to boring and tired. I don't think they do anything without extreme intentions to making more profits by drawing more and more people in. There is art in there, no doubt, but it's really hard to appreciate any value or meaning from it as it pertains to our culture and main concerns. It's low art, "-art", or art that doesn't matter to anyone except the people connected to it that are getting paid. We wouldn't care or notice if it wasn't there at all, and we'd get by just fine. Tags: None Reply Quote Mark as Unread Thread: McDonalds is ART Post: RE: McDonalds is ART Author: Charles Hazen Posted Date: November 21, 2008 11:37 AM Status: Published Even though the flavors are the same, and the look is the same, I still say the creation of happy meals, etc is still art. It took creativity, skill, love and hard work to make the food I understand where you're coming from, Kim, but I just don't think of it the same way - at least not in this case. I think Happy Meals are a Gimmick, and really nothing more. They make contracts with movie corps and other kid-oriented shows and characters and stuff, but it's all in an effort to move the same stuff out the door. They get crates of their toys, make pretty bags and such, but it's all sorta a form of corporate advertising and manipulation to sway us and our kids. I don't want my kid to associate this stuff as one of their highways to understanding ''the arts" as they grow. I think at this point the "skill, love, and hard work" are pretty much just routine forms of repitition, putting out the same stuff over and over and over again. Reproductions don't really carry the same value as originals, of course, so while the original food and things of fast food might have some art characteristics, it's just sorta run it's course to becoming plain, ordinary, expected, and largely unhealthy "product" (like any other). Anything can be agrued as art, and some of the fast food stuff we've brought up - I could defend as art (reluctantly), but, if anything, I hope most people and most of us would think of corporate fast food, their products, their motivations, and what their "love" really is concerned with - as 'art' on the lowest, lowest scale. Tags: None Reply Quote Mark as Unread Thread: Group & Topic for Final Chosen : Saturday Market Post: RE: Group & Topic for Final Chosen : Saturday Market Author: Charles Hazen Posted Date: November 20, 2008 11:43 PM Status: Published Hi Diego, thanks for the post. I've sent everyone emails, so I hope you have seen them. If not please check spam folders and stuff. Patrick and You have both responded today, so I hope we can get started. Thanks for the number. Please check our private discussion board under "group pages" for future contact, my number is in there. Yes, I know that the SAT MKT has converted to Holiday Mkt this week, and Patrick said he might go. I've done a lot of research already, and have got a web page going actually - took a bunch of work. I hope we can be in touch tomorrow and work some stuff out, as I'm anxious to get this going in whatever direction we wish to go. anyway, I'll be on the other ''group board'' for most stuff, feel free to drop a new thread or whatever you wish. thanks, -chaz Tags: None Reply Quote Mark as Unread Thread: Food and Packaging Post: RE: Food and Packaging Author: Charles Hazen Posted Date: November 20, 2008 11:33 AM Status: Published I can agree too with what is being said on this thread, but I would also say that looks can be deceiving. Some of the fancy products or upscale products fall short of their generic or 'cheaper' counterparts. I've found that many times I been happier with a low-level brand than some other version that is tauted as being 'cutting edge', upscale, or by a concerned company, etc... Many products are private-labeled, they are made by the same companies that make cheaper, familiar versions, but they slap a different label or package around it to imply some difference. Generic drugs too I guess fall into this catagory, they have their believers and their detractors. So yes, the packaging is influential, even artful, I would agree, but it doesn't mean I will go back to that product if I don't like it, or if I've been happier with something else. You pick up clues from these experiences, at least I do, and it makes me at least feel a bit more skeptical about most purchases. I wonder if my 'programmed' mind is really sorting out my decisions properly. This is true for food, and everything else in my experience. Am I really taking some confidence in a brand name, a company, it's packaging, their heavy advertising, or their own hype about their product worth, attracted by what they say about it on the package? Quite often I am let down after thinking something will be better than it turns out, and I feel a bit gullable or not-so-smart for having played into their 'schemes' to get me to buy. Tags: None Reply Quote Mark as Unread Thread: Food as art Post: RE: Food as art Author: Charles Hazen Posted Date: November 20, 2008 11:21 AM Status: Published Believe me, I'm not going to defend McD's or any other fast food joint so much, but it is true that they have made some sort of effort to change with the times and offer more variety. I remember the days where McDonald's had a very basic menu, all the staples they still have, but they have added many new items over the last ten years or so, just like most of the other joints. They know what they serve is fairly unhealthy, especially with the bigger sizes and the fact that we tend to overdo it when ordering, so they do basically admit this and have tried to widen their menu and ''healthy it up'' somewhat - or so they would have us believe. It's all marketing and forecasting sort of, in that they are aware of culture as it changes, and we get smarter and more informed, so they, like every industry pretty much, gets signals from the culture to change their mode of operations and their products. I mean it really is our choice, and this is what they say as well. So many people want them to have what they have, and it's our own fault if we decide to 'shop' there. And look at these places now, the cheaper fast food joints are experience more and more success due to the failings in the world-wide economy. Campbell soups and Top Ramen and other lower priced, simple food products are doing quite well. Some of this stuff is not so bad or unhealthy and even McD's has made some strides in at least offering things that are better health-wise, but the point is, it's cheap , fast, and somewhat edible, and sometimes that's all we have the time or the money for. I now the posts about this stuff don't all have to do with art, per se, but there is an important link to CULTURE when we discuss how we feel about fast food and cheap food. Tags: None Reply Quote Mark as Unread Thread: McDonalds is ART Post: RE: McDonalds is ART Author: Charles Hazen Posted Date: November 19, 2008 8:58 PM Status: Published I must say that I would have a hard time with this one. If I had too, I could probably defend McDonald's as art, but I'd rather not have that challenge. That said, some of their characters, or store design, or the logo, and things like that would be art. Just because they are so commonplace and so well ingrained in our minds, doesn't mean that they are not art, I think. Think of when they started and how we would have thought at that time. It would have been an innovative, fresh, and previously unseen group of symblols, etc..., representing their company. So, those, yes.....I would say are art. The food, the presentation of the food, and the general 'look' and 'taste' of the food, that's pushing it for me. They have nice pictures of the food, I'm sure they want us to appreciate it as special, but I'd give it a very low rank on the art scale, if at all. Of course, nothing beats an extremely fresh, hot, freshly made and salted bag o' fries. When they are straight and jumping out of the bag or box piping hot, I do have an appreciation. But, most fast food.....just don't make it, for me, as art. I give it a "1" Tags: None Reply Quote Mark as Unread Thread: Group & Topic for Final Chosen : Saturday Market Post: RE: Group & Topic for Final Chosen : Saturday Market Author: Charles Hazen Posted Date: November 19, 2008 5:22 PM Status: Published hi, hoping my group members will be in contact soon, I've sent two emails and posted in all the right places. Check your mail folders, and spam folders or these posts. I'm not trying to lead, not sure I want to, but since we've started the group - we need to get in contact. thanks.... Tags: None Reply Quote Mark as Unread Thread: fancy vs fast Post: RE: fancy vs fast Author: Charles Hazen Posted Date: November 18, 2008 10:41 PM Status: Published Sure, it absolutely plays an important role as to whether I enjoy the food. However, if you know a particular place well, and how they serve or 'do' their food, you might accept any level of appearance if you find the food to be "grubbin'." This, like so much else, can go both ways - or have a different affect and/or meaning for different people. It can both ways, depending on the individual and his or her particular tastes. So much of our art talk and evaluations use judgments/opinions similar to the sayings: "Don't judge a book by it's cover", "beauty is in the eye of the beholder" "there are two sides to every story", and "beauty is only skin deep", etc...,. Some of the most beautiful people are just awful in content, and some of the plainest, less beautiful, or, for lack of a better word, ugly people are near saintly, virtuous, and wonderful human beings. The wrapping or appearance can't always be an accurate measure of quality or enjoyment. Tags: None Reply Quote Mark as Unread Thread: Final project information/details posting (?) Post: Final project information/details posting (?) Author: Charles Hazen Posted Date: November 18, 2008 10:29 PM Status: Published A few questions about the final project: Project title, names, synopsis paragraphs: Short outline and member responsibilities: Should this all be posted (preferably in one posting?) in our private discussion board or to the Final Project discussion area? Also: should the bibliography be formal with citations/footnotes per item, or a general list of works, readings, interviews, etc..., that were included? AFTER COMPLETION: Notification of completion: by email to you (Kassia) or by a posting? Individual summary and peer evaluation: by email to you (Kassia) or drop box? Tags: None Reply Quote Mark as Unread Thread: the "Art of Cooking" Post: RE: the "Art of Cooking" Author: Charles Hazen Posted Date: November 18, 2008 8:28 PM Status: Published that is true, Kim ! But someone can make a great looking meal taste BAD ! Other times something tastes absolutely fabulous even when it looks kinda questionable ! Ya know ! Btw, love those exclamation points ! JK! Tags: None Reply Quote Mark as Unread Thread: my lunch Post: RE: my lunch Author: Charles Hazen Posted Date: November 18, 2008 8:22 PM Status: Published Hey good current topic there: our lunch. Today, I also visited a restaurant and was pleasantly surprised at how nice the actual plate of food looked, and even the ambience to the place. This was in Portland, and it was not a ritzy place at all. IT WAS FUDRUCKERS. I had never been to fud's before, only heard of it, and those of you who may have seen the movie 'Idiocracy' may recall the restaurant's use in that movie. Nevertheless, it was just a burger, but it was pretty, original, tasty-looking , and nicely displayed. For what it was, I still had that brief instant in my head where I thought of how appealing the whole package was. It was better than typical, and made with a certain amount of care and effort as well, so to keep in form with the Fudrucker image, as they might say. Anyway, it ain't no Ruth's Chris but it was good, it spoke to me, and I spoke back. Art makes me hungry. Tags: None Reply Quote Mark as Unread Thread: food as art Post: RE: food as art Author: Charles Hazen Posted Date: November 18, 2008 8:16 PM Status: Published yep, they seem to use a lot of newer technology and techniques in the ways that cakes and other foods are crafted these days. What they can accomplish is pretty cool sometimes, and a lot of it most likely is in areas of precision and ability that just weren't available in the past. Seems like there's a lot of geometry and engineering involved, a lot of "PI R SQUARED" applied. Yes, another intended pun. But certainly, crafting food has been around along time, it's just widening in the scope of what is possible and what technology, etc... can accomodate. Intricate, complicated stuff sometimes. Still most of this food art boils down (ooops, pun-ish) to what the creative person behind it comes up with or designs, though I would also count a lot of natural , untouched edible items as art just because how they look, inside or out. Nature is art. Tags: None Reply Quote Mark as Unread Thread: Food as Art Post: RE: Food as Art Author: Charles Hazen Posted Date: November 18, 2008 8:09 PM Status: Published I would agree. They might have an art-minded photographer or some savory-looking, arty-ish pictures of their fast food, but I don't think the bag of food (especially considering how it usually ends up actually looking) could really 'art' on any level. I think that may be going a bit too far, at least to my taste (pun intended). Tags: None Reply Quote Mark as Unread Thread: Food as Art / Art as Food.......why not? Post: Food as Art / Art as Food.......why not? Author: Charles Hazen Posted Date: November 17, 2008 1:01 PM Status: Published I don't have a problem at all with considering food as art, but I think that the maker of preparer (chef) is more responsible for the art of food than food itself, at least in general terms. It's the first place my mind goes: thinking of learned chefs and pros and the whole industry of fancy cooking that kinda begs to be included in 'the arts'. But looking deeper, it's obvious that there is so much more there, and so many more ways to examine the broad term of "Food" and the broad term of "Art." I have been aware of my own attempts to make a food or dinner special and presentable, and I have been complimented on the look of things (presentation) just as much I have for the taste, etc... However, some people would consider an unprepared fruit to be some kind of art - maybe in the spiritual sense or something/whatever that makes them look at it as they do. The idea that it is a creation ties into their thinking of ''all that is" is beautiful or "created" by whatever they believe the source to be, so they would tend to call a hanging pear or peach 'art'. That's fine, we all think of things and appreciate things differently. Sometimes I can apply that kind of thinking to simple and natural things that just exist (they just are there). It's hard to think that you can be on the right side of things or with the majority as far as opinions and things, because there's always another take, another view that has to be respected. I wouldn't want to agrue or debate about such insights that people find meaningful or acceptable to them. It's all good. But, yes, food can certainly look artful, and can appeal to many senses. Sometimes a messy looking greasy-spoon diner kind o' mean can just hit you at the right time and place and you have to think, "oh, my, man that is something , just look at that, how beautiful...(how wonderful for me), it's just what I want, just the way it should be, just the way I remember" etc... It doesn't always have to be ritzy or 'designed' or made by a professional to give us feelings that this something that speaks to us with sensations that we may associate with art, I suppose. I do give more credit or credence to the maker or chef though when I am strictly thinking about the potential for a food to look arty or special, and I think this has more to do with the maker wanting to present the food in his or her own special way. Mainly to impress and to make it pretty, symetric, or whatever. The plate or surface is like a canvas, and the chef has an idea of what will look best as they arrange and place their 'stuffs' on that canvas. So, again a broad subject, that can be looked at in many many ways, but for me, I definitely can't close the door at all on food being regarded as art, even if it's natural, raw, uncooked, sloppy, or beautifully prepared and presented. It's just such an individual choice to examine anything and call it anything, we have that right so we can't deny differing opinions about most all things that we ourselves evaluate. Of course, if food is art, then I've eaten a few museums.....and I'm like a curator, ha ha. Ok, I won't go any further with that..... Tags: None Reply Quote Mark as Unread Thread: Topic Ideas and looking to join or get group started Post: RE: Topic Ideas and looking to join or get group started Author: Charles Hazen Posted Date: November 17, 2008 1:08 AM Status: Published To Laura, Patrick, and Diego, I have posted our group topic and our names in a new thread as of Monday, November 17th. Saturday Market is our agreed topic, and I hope we will enjoy this experience. We will all need to contribute and share ideas, so I trust that we will make ourselves available to each other as much as possible. Keep posting your ideas, either here or on the new thread for now, and I am sure we will soon have a gameplan in order. I will send each of you an email Monday with my phone number and hopefully some ideas that we can mull over. I think we should all get on board this project as soon as we can because time will pass quickly. thanks, -chaz Tags: None Reply Quote Mark as Unread Thread: Group & Topic for Final Chosen : Saturday Market Post: Group & Topic for Final Chosen : Saturday Market Author: Charles Hazen Posted Date: November 17, 2008 1:01 AM Status: Published HI, Well, we seem to have our own little group formed at this point, and I trust we will all be in rapid communication soon to explore our ideas and assignments, ect.. We need to flesh out some ideas and such about how we want to address our topic, but we all seem to be in agreement that this will be an interesting subject to explore and expand upon. Our group: (group name I am suggesting: The Four Marketeers) Patrick Haines - Charles Hazen - Diego Mercado - Laura Watts Our topic: Saturday Market / The Art & Cultural Importance of Eugene's Saturday Market Tags: None Reply Quote Mark as Unread Thread: Topic Ideas and looking to join or get group started Post: RE: Topic Ideas and looking to join or get group started Author: Charles Hazen Posted Date: November 17, 2008 12:39 AM Status: Published hi Patrick, thanks for the confirmation about the idea to have the saturday market as our topic for the final. Yes, we should talk via phone or in person if possible and try to figure out how we can get this project rolling. We need to think about each person's task and how we can merge all the work, etc... We need some pictures, maybe from the market, or from sources we can find on the web, etc... Perhaps some research into the history of the market, some articles which have been written about the market in the past, and some stories or brief interviews concerning artists who sell and show their work at the market. I believe saturday market is over soon, changing to Holiday Market, but that should not affect how we approach this yearly event. I thought we could also try to find one of the directors of the market as well to find out what he or she has to say about the artists, the work, and the impact it all has on the community from their viewpoint. We will need to think about our presentation, of course. I need to review the requirements again, and I think we should all get familiar with that as best we can. If we need a name for our group, I already think I have a good one, and I'll let you all know soon. I have had a rather large website that I've run for ten years, so I do know how to develop pages and use a few features, but I am by no means an expert or in tune with all the latest styles and formats and devices. as for contact, I hope that maybe we might all have YAHOO MESSENGER or something, cuz that would be good to keep in touch and to get quick replies, but foremost, I would hope that we will all be available for phone calls at the very least. I will send an email tomorrow to those who have responded with interest to this thread, and I hope Diego will post soon as well. I have been in touch with him thru email, so I think we do have four people involved at this time. Now, let's see what we can do. Tags: None Reply Quote Mark as Unread Thread: Web posting for Midterm Post: RE: Web posting for Midterm Author: Charles Hazen Posted Date: November 17, 2008 12:24 AM Status: Published we are supposed to post the experience comments and a picture of the artist's work, if available, on our web page in the class roster. Tags: None Reply Quote Mark as Unread Thread: Topic Ideas and looking to join or get group started Post: RE: Topic Ideas and looking to join or get group started Author: Charles Hazen Posted Date: November 15, 2008 11:12 PM Status: Published HI Laura & Patrick, Well we may have a group then. Diego has expressed interest in the Sat Mkt (holiday mkt) idea as well, so we have our four members. I'm thinking of just creating a paper with links and pics, but if anyone wants to add any elements to that, feel free. I think we should finalize our group and topic idea very soon, and I'm hoping that we will all at least be available by phone. I will try to send an email to you all by monday to see about contact and topic work. If one of us is especially good at web design, that would be good as well. Maybe a neatly texted page with pics and captions, etc...would suffice. Some ideas about how we could approach this paper/idea Why Saturday Market is a showcase for art, artists, and expression. What kind of people produce art for Sat Mkt. How Sat Mkt in Eugene (and other's like it in other communities) contributes to the culture and community. How is Sat Mkt perceived by the merchants and by visitors. How Sat Mkt helps artists to get their work out. Various art forms and works that are featured at Sat Mkt. The art, crafts, food, music, and more as examples of art in our community and the import of the whole event to the people and to the image of Eugene. Etc. Tags: None Reply Quote Mark as Unread Thread: Topic Ideas and looking to join or get group started Post: RE: Topic Ideas and looking to join or get group started Author: Charles Hazen Posted Date: November 15, 2008 8:19 PM Status: Published HI Patrick, thanks for your input. Sure, I have no problem with you being in a group with me and anyone else who wants to get into one of the topics mentioned, or a new one. I do like the saturday mkt idea, and have thought of it a lot lately. Let's think about that, and see if Laura confirms interest. I'd like to have a group settled soon, though I am not trying to lead or anything - so any input or ideas on how to proceed would be great. thanks, -chaz Tags: None Reply Quote Mark as Unread Thread: Topic Ideas and looking to join or get group started Post: RE: Topic Ideas and looking to join or get group started Author: Charles Hazen Posted Date: November 14, 2008 10:41 PM Status: Published HI Laura, thanks for your response. I'm open to other ideas as well. I thought a project about the Eugene Saturday Market might be good as well. Not sure it would even require all members to be in Eugene as most communities have a similar thing, or most students can relate to what these kind of fairs, merchants, and artists are about. let me know what you think, and I'm certainly open to the protest art idea, and any others. Tags: None Reply Quote Mark as Unread Thread: Current Events: California Gay Marriage Ban & Artists Post: RE: Current Events: California Gay Marriage Ban & Artists Author: Charles Hazen Posted Date: November 13, 2008 12:18 AM Status: Published No, not nitpicky at all. I can't believe I let that go that way. Yes, I am well aware of this bill passing, and think I referred to it elsewhere on the board as passing. But, yes quite a blunder in not stating that right. thanks for letting me know. Not the first time that I wished there was an ''EDIT'' post feature to this board. appreciated !! Tags: None Reply Quote Mark as Unread Thread: Topic Ideas and looking to join or get group started Post: Topic Ideas and looking to join or get group started Author: Charles Hazen Posted Date: November 10, 2008 10:22 PM Status: Published I'd like to get a group going, and I'm open to topics. Perhaps protest art, or exploring ways to teach art appreciation, or maybe something about the way art is used in music - like displays and films and stuff they use in concerts or vids. I'm open to other ideas, and open to anyone who may want to join up. Diego? I'm available a lot, can use the phone, yahoo chat, etc..., or meet or just online work. I'm flexible. -chaz Tags: None Reply Quote Mark as Unread Thread: Open to Ideas & Groups Draft Me Post: Open to Ideas & Groups Draft Me Author: Charles Hazen Posted Date: November 10, 2008 4:38 PM Status: Published Hi, I'm not quite sure how we might proceed on this final project, and I am thinking of ideas. But, I am open to be in a group and open to ideas. I am good at prompt contacts and available. -charles Tags: None Reply Quote Mark as Unread Thread: Current Events: California Gay Marriage Ban & Artists Post: RE: Current Events: California Gay Marriage Ban & Artists Author: Charles Hazen Posted Date: November 10, 2008 12:22 AM Status: Published Hi, thanks for the feedback. I guess I may have gone off topic a bit, but I started this particular topic because it was something new and fresh in the news, and my beliefs are just those, beliefs. They certainly are political as well, so I do have a stand, yes. The peace sign actually pre-dates the Vietnam war by a few years, it was used first as a protest emblem against nukes in the fifties. It just celebrated it's fiftieth birthday actually. It didn't really get the recognition or use that we are familiar with until the 1960's. Tags: None Reply Quote Mark as Unread Thread: Who Isn't an Artist? Post: RE: Who Isn't an Artist? Author: Charles Hazen Posted Date: November 9, 2008 7:39 PM Status: Published Well, yeah, but they are only deciding for themselves, so it's not quite the same thing as the perceptions we're trying to make, primarily as viewers, customers, people outside looking at whatever it is. We can't stop, nor would I really want to, anyone from having the idea that what they are doing by pushing register buttons, bagging fries, and making change is somehow art or that they are an artist showing creation in this. But I don't think I would agree with that worker's own assement of their work if that's what they are really thinking, at least for these specific mundane jobs that we've mentioned. I'm not saying that any lines should be drawn, I'm wide open on the subject, but it's all about how it works for viewers and observers that we are mainly discussing (in this case), and for me - it doesn't fit. I would not agree with the cashier's self-depiction of his or her self that they are involved in or are doing artful things at these jobs. Tags: None Reply Quote Mark as Unread Thread: Movie Stars Post: RE: Movie Stars Author: Charles Hazen Posted Date: November 9, 2008 7:28 PM Status: Published I agree with all that. Whether something is 'good' or 'bad' or whatever is up to the individual viewer/listener to decide. We aren't impressed with some material and forget all about it and the artist as well. Or we remember how much we didn't care for it and keep that somewhere in our thinking, perhaps for future reference. This, to me, is why art really can't be classed, catagorized, or even understood, at levels that everyone can agree upon. One person's trash is another person's treasure. At least we know that an effort was made, someone tried, but the results mean different things to different people. It's hard to criticize someone's opinion because they happen to think a movie, song, or artwork is fantastically wonderful and worthy of sharing when we actually think it is absolute trash and a waste of time. Usually there is something that can be seen to be just as good or bad by two different people, so for those other things that can't be agreed upon, you just have to be accepting and believe in the right of everyone to feel how they feel - about anything. Tags: None Reply Quote Mark as Unread Thread: Who Isn't an Artist? Post: RE: Who Isn't an Artist? Author: Charles Hazen Posted Date: November 9, 2008 2:24 PM Status: Published I agree that some jobs just don't allow for ANY input of creativity or expectation of contribution in any way. Some employers just have their own strict playbooks and you are expected to conform to their precise methods of doing things. The cashier at McDonalds would seem to fit this, as Lauren mentions. They just push buttons, follow format, are saying and doing what they are instructed to do. At that level, it's just a mundane, predictable, and scripted job. Someone else was creative in making that process, making the register work the way it does, scripting the things that they want said, etc.., etc.., then they pretty much desire to hire drones and conforming people that will do things by the company's book. Same for the burger maker really, they just put together the items as they are told to do, and deviation is not appreciated, by the company and probably by the customer who expects things to be as they know them to be. It would be nice, maybe sorta, to open a burger and see a smiley face, or mona lisa in ketchup, pickles, and mustard, but that's a stretch for our present fast-food workers to be able to do. Tags: None Reply Quote Mark as Unread Thread: Mixed ideas Post: RE: Mixed ideas Author: Charles Hazen Posted Date: November 9, 2008 1:57 PM Status: Published I think you have the right idea though. That almost anything is Art or art as far as long as creativity is involved, but I think you should just consider 'ability' as the tool that creativity uses. You mention all the different types, or genres, of art that we have been examining, and you make the point that each person has their own 'abilities' at their particular craft, etc... Sure. This is dead on. It is all art, but when we think of this ability factor you mention, I think it plays right into how we are now defining art, it just helps to broaden our viewpoint and become more aware of how difficult or different some of these abilities that people choose come out in the form of diverse art. When we see something that is art or a creative product, we can now think of the ability that the artist must have in order to do it. Sorta hand in hand. With ability you can do anything and most anything you do, it seems to us, is creative. We luckily all just do things differently. We likely all have some desire to be competent or able to do certain things that we have found are just not going to happen for us. We want to be singers, but we sound terrible. We'd like to paint, or sculpt, or draw, but we don't all have the ability to do so. So we might creatively think and imagine great works that we would do and have them mapped out in our minds, but we are limited, individually, in the ability to do these things in certain mediums or genres. We are thinking creative, getting closer to perhaps trying to make something. We give things a shot sometimes, try them, and then are often not pleased with the results and our talents. However, there seems to be something for everybody. We want to do more, we want to be multi-talented and multi-able, but that just ain't the way of the world for most of us. Fotunetly, many of us find our niche, our certain something, that works well for us, and for which WE KNOW we have the ability, whether we use it or lose it just comes down to how much we are compelled to explore these talents. 'Ability' really works for me as an important element in examing creativity. Tags: None Reply Quote Mark as Unread Thread: The Art or art of Murder, Violence & Repusive Acts (?) Post: The Art or art of Murder, Violence & Repusive Acts (?) Author: Charles Hazen Posted Date: November 8, 2008 12:59 PM Status: Published Here's a rather bizarre and evil twist to art and artists. I generally have no problem with anyone who says they are an artist or anyone who calls someone else an artist, no matter what I may "feel" from the work. As long as something creative is there, than, like most of us, I've come to accept that this is art (creativity in action). But think of the murder and violence and terrorism that some of the culprits have even proclaimed was a statement, or something that their 'crew', etc..., approved of and found inspiring. 911, acts of terror throughout the world meet with approval from a lot of people to the point where the bad guys are heroes and their 'work' is admired. Gross, huh? But also think of the movies and news and killers and stuff that we are exposed too. Like in the movie SEVEN, where Kevin Spacey commits murders to highlight his statement that society is really mostly immoral and deserving of being sliced up, etcc. He says people will always wonder about what i've done, they won't be able to comprehend how powerful my statement is, etc... He feels his art is his murder spree as a statement against all that he abhores. Yes, insane, I suppose, but certainly off balance people and insane people have 'art' in them as well. Or Hanibal Lectar in Silence of the Lambs etc.., he expresses his art in the way he fillets people, even displaying that one unlucky cop/guard as a butterfly hanging up outside Lectar's make shift cell. From real life, if you are familiar, the Black Dahlia case in Hollywood from the 40's, and how now that a real suspect has been identified, his son described his nature as being one that loved the macabre "arts" and torture. He said his father's ultimate vision of art and his goal was to put on display his fiendish act in such an oulandish way that it could not be ignored. It hasn't, and it is till often called the most sensational murder in LA history. Maybe jack the ripper was a struggling artist, or the Night Stalker guy who was into devil worship. Anyway, just thoughts. But to these guys, and other real and fictional fiends, they sometimes do or are portrayed as people trying to make statements about whatever. Are the black arts and satanism creative pusuits? Do they make art? Is a murder or a bank heist that is planned so creatively, that we, with our new opinions about what art is versus creativity, can not rely deny that at least one person thinks it may be art in action , and thus, it has to fall into some catagory of art. Can repulsive things or people be art and artists? Out on limb on this one, I know, and it is something that we all find too negative and disgusting to give any attention to. " Artist? - No way" , we would automatically say. How gross to even think of things that way. But, there is ART IN EVIL perhaps, because we all know that there is EVIL IN ART. History shows us this, and we do, though perhaps reluctantly, call it art. Tags: None Reply Quote Mark as Unread Thread: up comming art Post: RE: up comming art Author: Charles Hazen Posted Date: November 8, 2008 12:35 PM Status: Published hey, I agree with you agreeing with me too, he hee. Yes, even on the news and shows the last few days more attention is being given to how that vote in California came about and what people are doing to protest against its passing. Art is being churned out even as I type, I imagine, about this current, socially impacting, and political issue. Just when things start to seem hopeful, positive, and moving in the right direction toward true equality, empathy, and a tolerance for other people's rights to be who they really must be, we have this sort of a roadblock. Again, votes do count, and I'm not disrespecting anyone's opinon, but I have my own. I just feel that, to me, this is a step in the wrong direction when we are all trying to envision a future that is optimistic, hopeful, and full of promise that everyone will get a fair shake. In my opinion, this would be a better example of practicing what we preach and would better for us all in the long run. Tags: None Reply Quote Mark as Unread Thread: art Post: RE: art Author: Charles Hazen Posted Date: November 8, 2008 9:58 AM Status: Published Following the idea, sure, I think most of us are subjected to subconcious impulses that somehow feed out thoughts about what we might select to buy, do, or be involved in. The advertisers and the artists know this well, they realize that we many not rush right out with a brainwashed feeling of "I MUST GET THIS" or "I must react or do something", but they leave it for us to decide whether we are noticeably influenced or not. We might really take up a cause, or be so sold on a product that we actively keep it in mind and seek it out, but we may also just be somewhere doing or buying things, and then something hits our thoughts and almost persuades us to follow the model or message we've received from an ad, show, or artwork. I'm definitely one who has experienced this behavior. Sometimes you get home and think, "oh, yeah, I remember that ad and what it said, and that's how I ended up with this thing (or this piece of junk)." We are buying fools sometimes, and there is so much out there to attract our interest. So much stuff we don't really need or require, but our culture is so "advanced" (hmmmm,ya think?) that we are able to do a lot of things and spend a lot of money on impulse. Thankfully, I think, artists have this ability to plant little seed of thought and reflection in our heads about what they may think about quite a bit. We all carry things in our minds that are important to us and influence how we think and feel about everything, so, practically every one has a message of some kind to deliver. Some folks are more shallow and primarily materialistic and "me me me" people, and others are of course a little more grounded, sensible, and concerned about all of the big things and influences in our lives and culture. To me, it's all about 'perspective' and the way in which you apply all of your thoughts and decisions to your actions, behavior, habits, and all other facets of life. Perspective has always been my word for how I wish to conduct my life and times. Tags: None Reply Quote Mark as Unread Thread: up comming art Post: up comming art Author: Sydney Ryden Posted Date: November 7, 2008 1:35 PM Status: Published Majority of the art that I have seen that has a political message seems to be humorous. Making light of a serious subject is a talent and art in itself. I have especially enjoyed the Obama shirts I have seen where it’s just a head shot and his face is different colors. Being a Californian I am particularly disappointed with the bill on gay rights being passed and I am looking forward to the new and upcoming art that will come from this controversy. Basically I agree with Charles Hazen Tags: None Reply Quote Mark as Unread Thread: Artist and Obama Post: RE: Artist and Obama Author: Charles Hazen Posted Date: November 7, 2008 11:55 AM Status: Published I agree with your post and especially with the last thing you mentioned. A great function of art is how it stamps history and advancement into our thoughts and imaginations about how far we have come and how far we ought to go. The injustice, hatred, bigotry, war, and other foul things that have affected people since the dawn of human history is well-reflected in the arts produced. It's a great tool to look at such things and to think of how many troubling, sad, and even evil events, as well as, our human struggles, have marked our existence. The more we do this, it seems that the messages rub off on us and make us reflect upon where we are now, and what we think could even be better, versus where we have been and how we have triumphed over many terrible things. Art, of course, also shows us the good things from the past as well. The battles won for freedoms and personal liberty, the achievements of invention, sports, the good history, and the positive influences and contributions from cultures all over the world throughout time. Tags: None Reply Quote Mark as Unread Thread: Artists Post: RE: Artists Author: Charles Hazen Posted Date: November 7, 2008 11:30 AM Status: Published Hey, that was a great post with lots of good observations. I totally agree with your thoughts about things being 'spun' and thought of differently by different people. The stairs can be like a work of art and a medium at the same time to a skateboarder it seems. He or she can appreciate whatever it is they are skating on as something very pleasing and useful to them to use for their own creativity. They would look at something that most people would pay no mind too (structures, concrete, parking lots, slopes, etc...) as being very crafted, aesthetic, and useful to them. They would also find other structures and places not so pleasing, inspiring, or creative when they think of how this or that affects their wants or desires to find things that could be useful to them. So in that way, they are making their own judgements about all that is around them as it affects their own lifestyle of expression/creativity Athletes and brilliant imaginative people also are well-deserving of being considered as artists in their own right. There is a beauty and a real craft to what they do, they are trying to be the best or to achieve what they desire, and some people will see it easily, while many others will not really attach much significance to their talents. Tags: None Reply Quote Mark as Unread Thread: Who Isn't an Artist? Post: RE: Who Isn't an Artist? Author: Charles Hazen Posted Date: November 7, 2008 11:06 AM Status: Published Yes, that is a great question. It puts us in an awkward position, because as we are finding that so many are people are creative and that so much of what is produced by people from all walks is art. It's hard to turn that around and give an opinion or make a judgment that proclaims that someone IS NOT an artist. If the honey bucket guy contributes nothing to his job other than doing what he is instructed, etc.., then in that capacity, I guess I wouldn't say he's an artist. He may go home at night and paint seascapes, but we are talkin' about occupations. A tv repairman could be considered creative, even artistic in his work. A plumber too, and many others, but maybe a lot of the service type of people who are just at work delivering the company line, doing the company work by the book, and not having much chance for creative interaction on any level, would NOT be really considered as creative or artistic in their work. It's a fine line, and almost anything can be defended, but we all have our own thoughts about what is and what isn't - about anything and everything. As for the pathologist idea, yes I think they could be defended as being artists and creative people. They learn complicated skills, but I'm sure they also try to be caring, careful, and proper in their work. It's a pretty demanding job, and to be able to use science and other methods for exploring a cause of death is an important. Just the way an autopsy is performed, as gross sounding as it may be, seems to be an artful task in my mind. Tags: None Reply Quote Mark as Unread Thread: Current Events: California Gay Marriage Ban & Artists Post: Current Events: California Gay Marriage Ban & Artists Author: Charles Hazen Posted Date: November 7, 2008 10:48 AM Status: Published This week something new is impacting on art, creativity and our culture. Huge protests, mainly in California, over the gay marraige ban bill have really stirred up some feelings. I find this interesting and all ready on the news you can see expression and art being used on signs, personal dress, buttons, etc... I am sure that this event will draw many artists into the debate and battle, and that they will contribute much art of many mediums to broadcast their own feelings. Imagine how much significant and compelling art and statements will come from this kind of occurrance. The artists are at work and they will impact our culture. What is also interesting, is that this bill was expected to likely pass, and it has come out that the reason it didn't was mainly due to the voters who turned out in droves to vote for Obama. Many Latino's, African-Americans, and Catholics of many cultures, voted for Obama but they also took a stance on the gay marriage ban. It's sort of a backfire, in my opinion and others, that with all the progressive, equal rights, and fairness for all kind of platforms that the Dems are so well known for, along with the fact that the Dems are almost always in favor of gay rights, that this bill limiting freedom passed in of all places, California. I am a liberal democrat, not gay, but totally believe in the doctrine that freedom should be equal for everybody to live the type of lifestyle they choose. The media and the pundits have spotlighted this event and it is interesting to think about how expressions of values can affect someone's vote for 'positive change' and yet take a stance to restrict others from having equal rights and recognition in our society. Specifically, it has been noted, that with the struggles for civil rights and freedoms that African-Americans especially (and other minorities of course) have long labored for and deserve, that when faced with this voting decision in California they contributed heavily to the passage of the ban on gay marriage. I'm not condeming any one's belief or vote, I just find it interesting how values and culture have affected the voting and the reaction to the voting. I wish that gay americans, all minorities, all religions, and all people would have the kind of freedoms and rights that I believe in, but we can't argue that the vote was what it was. You can only champion your particular cause or belief to hopefully sway other people over to your side in hopes that in the future more change will occur. Tags: None Reply Quote Mark as Unread Thread: Art:21 Protest Art & artist Nancy Spero Post: Art:21 Protest Art & artist Nancy Spero Author: Charles Hazen Posted Date: November 6, 2008 3:47 PM Status: Published I like the section on the Art:21 site that focuses on the protest artists. These artists are compelling to me because of how much emotion they put into their 'statements'. They take risks and don't really seem to care about anything else but getting their anguish and outrage out of their systems. Not all the way out, of course, but it's like a therapy to their turmoil, and they know that this must be done, their art must be made, so that they feel they have taken a stance, spoke out, or released some sort of pain and feeling that may otherwise take a very heavy toll if left churning in their minds. It's an outlet, for sure. Nancy Spero is one of these artists, and she has been painting feminist and protest-type art since the Vietnam war days. She was challenged by the art of her husband, a well-known artist as well in the genre, and she used her admiration of his "brilliant" work to better see and understand ways to make her own message art. She doesn't just focus on the here and now either, she produces work that rail against the injustices and horrors of the past. She focuses on statements regarding the abuse of power and the forces of inhumanity, things that are still big parts of our world. Some of her works shown on the site are very subtle and other's are very overt, obvious, and strong condemnations of the things she protests against. She has won much acclaim and many awards, and has works in quite a few prestigious museums. She is still at it. Tags: None Reply Quote Mark as Unread Thread: culture and values Post: RE: culture and values Author: Charles Hazen Posted Date: November 6, 2008 3:31 PM Status: Published I don't know if it's really true that "people with the appropriate cash flow are the ones who do the most appreciating." I hope that cash flow doesn't really have to do with how much a person can appreciate artists and art. Sure, the idea of museums and exhibits being frequented by people who can affort to go is a true fact, but there are plenty of museums that are free or low cost, and there are plenty of places where artists and art is accessible to the society at large. Maybe it seems that the richer folk have more pull on what might be in a ritzy museum, or they are taken in to account someway when curators try to get the best stuff - the bigger name stuff, but it doesn't follow that they do the most appreciating really. Art in any setting, rich or poor, building or street is equally capable of being tremendously appreciated. It comes down to the viewer (the appreciator) more than anything, not really where he or she is or how affluent they might be. That's the beauty of art and interpretation. I understand that the rich folks, the big museums, the upper crust of the art world -whatever it is, is more out there in the media, etc..., but we all have accessibility to art that can be deeply meaningful and important to our appreciation. There's no reason to think that "gee, if I can't get to these big museums, or pay money to see some fancy stuff, or be a part of "the scene", then I just won't be able to get the same level of mucho appreciation that others do." Tags: None Reply Quote Mark as Unread Thread: YES WE CAN - MUSIC VIDEO Post: RE: YES WE CAN - MUSIC VIDEO Author: Charles Hazen Posted Date: November 6, 2008 3:14 PM Status: Published the video actually is using a speech of Obama's from several months ago, and not the equally inspiring speech from tuesday night. Tags: None Reply Quote Mark as Unread Thread: Web site Artist: Barry McGee Post: Web site Artist: Barry McGee Author: Charles Hazen Posted Date: November 5, 2008 8:10 PM Status: Published Here is an interesting artist from the website: Barry McGee. He is an artist who started on the streets as a graffiti artist and has now produced many pieces of art of various kinds that appear in museums like the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, and the UCLA/Armand Hammer Museum in Los Angeles. I like his quote that "compelling art to me is a name carved into a tree." It's also nice that after mentioning the museums where his art is now displayed, the bio also says that you can find his works "on streets and trains all over the United States." McGee gets much of his inspiration from urban culture and often uses things like empty bottles, spray cans, scrap wood, signs, etc..., in his artwork. He makes paintings, drawings, and "mixed-media installations", and he has become respected and acclaimed, and he is also apparently a cult like figure in the subculture of skaters, graffiti artists, and surfers. I like the art that I see of his on the website. It's interesting stuff that predominately features charactitures of people and faces and heads. He has these clear bottles with painted profiles of people on them, and the faces are not exactly shiny happy people really, in fact they all may be the same person, and that person is looking down rather sadly. These and the other faces in his work seem a bit troubled or downtrodden or slightly mishapen, and this speaks to me as a kind of street view or view of people's inner-city anguish or economic, social troubles. Whatever it is, there's certainly some emotion and thought going on. I guess he has built his own bridge and has found that his art is appreciated at many levels, so he continues to chase his vision. He likes the communicative powers that he sees in street art and graffiti, and he believes that his view helps him to stay in touch with a much more 'diverse' audience than the more traditional art settings. http://www.pbs.org/art21/artists/mcgee/index.html Tags: None Reply Quote Mark as Unread Thread: three artists?? Post: RE: three artists?? Author: Charles Hazen Posted Date: November 5, 2008 7:46 PM Status: Published We are to look at the pbs site that was emailed to us or is posted, and then pick some artists from that web-viewing experience. hope that helps here's a cut and paste from the email: AND explore this website and select three artists to share in the forum this week. http://www.pbs.org/art21/ Tags: None Reply Quote Mark as Unread Thread: yes we can! yes we did! Post: RE: yes we can! yes we did! Author: Charles Hazen Posted Date: November 5, 2008 7:42 PM Status: Published I completely agree with your comments and interpretations about the video and the experience of watching it. It's true that this presentation will work for more people than just the original speech manages on its own. I'm glad that these kind of things are done, and that other mediums are used to share important statements, ideas, and things that are really important for us all to consider. It does make think though, that ideally, i wish we could all get the kinda of feelings and inspiration from the original source alone. I wish that more people would find this stuff important all of the time and not just when it is trendy, in the current news cycle, or is backdropped by some event that only happens every few years. People tend to curl back to where they were about things, and lose their focus or interest in these subjects that should truly concern us all. That's just the way of the world, and the way of our culture, and the way that we are all allowed to live our lives however we choose, so in that respect, we are living the dream already. I sometimes wish that we were all collectively a bit more on board as dream-makers, dream-listeners, dream-providers, dream-doers, and dream-thinkers, so that some sort of 'big picture' of our lives would be there for us always to reflect and react upon (for the common good). I appreciate a good speech, and a well delivered and insightful train of thought is always something I can appreciate, with or without any additions. There's nothing negative at all to say about something that spreads good ideas, dreams, and thoughts around. Someone will likely make some arty presentation from Obama's great victory speech last night, incorporating it's message, and that could indeed get more visibility and appreciation from a lot of people who, for whatever reason, didn't see the original. Whatever it takes. Tags: None Reply Quote Mark as Unread Thread: YES WE CAN - MUSIC VIDEO Post: RE: YES WE CAN - MUSIC VIDEO Author: Charles Hazen Posted Date: November 5, 2008 4:40 PM Status: Published I watched YES WE CAN video a few times recently and again today, and I can see how this message of "Yes We Can" could be very impacting upon our culture. Not just to go out and vote, but to get involved and to care and to try to shape our lives in ways that will benefit us all. It serves as a reminder to us about important parts of our very nature as humans. We mostly want to get along with everyone, do the right things, and make life a better experience for ourselves and for our children, and the video helps me to plug into these basic concepts of life that I identify and agree with completely. The fact that celebrities were largely, maybe completely used (I didn't recognize everybody), I'm sure helps to garner a larger audience of interest 'cuz we all seem to notice celebs. Maybe a tad more thought is put to things by us because we see that the cause or message was important enough to a celebrity that they gave their time and thought to it (maybe at risk to their own career or image). This song, this message transcends, in my opinion, the need to have celebrity endorsements, but I understand and agree that using them will only serve to bring more people into the ideas and desires that Will.I.Am and Obama feel are so necessary to struggle for and to share. As for the music and the 'song', it's a great thing to turn spoken words into something that can create enjoyment and thought when they are used in another medium. Taking quotes and such has been used effectively in art in many ways over the years, and this creation of a song following the exact text of an Obama speech really pulls this off well. The speech is well delivered on its own, but it because almost complete poetry when a beat, background of music, or song is created around it. Pretty cool stuff. I can relate to this a bit personally. I'm a long-time lyricist and songwriter, but I don't write or arrange music. I have ideas about how something might sound, but if it were not for the talents of musicians/songwriters, my words would be likely less heard, understood, or appreciated. The musical form and the signing can add so much depth or breadth to the written expression, and it helps people to think about these things in so many different ways. If you just read something, well, it has whatever merit or meaning you take from it, but somehow, the addition of music adds much more that many people will give more attention to, I think. A sorta similar thing occured recently on SNL, when Tina Fey used the exact words of Sarah Palin in a skit. The message or effect was obvious: to be funny. But it was also social satire that gave me further insight (or in my case -confirmation ) as to how the choice of words, spoken or written, can either make or break a person's credibility. If you don't have the knowledge, information, intelligence, comprehension, book smarts, or the aptitude to comprehend fully the important stuff that pertains to your own job, job aspiration, or stated goal, than your limitations are at risk for exposure based on what comes out of your mouth, pen, or keyboard. With Fey's careful delivery and some mannerisms, she really satirized quite effectively the words and comments made by Palin. Palin was answering (or trying to) serious, straight-forward questions put to her. She answered in a tone and style that she hoped would show she's up on things, is intelligent, and has knowledge and insight about a variety of issues. Her comments became good stuff to parody when you realize that the content of what she was saying was odd, scrambled, and confusing. Many pundits, newshounds and others did notice this and comment on it, but it is likely the words would have had a short shelf life in the media and in our minds, if it were not for SNL and Fey recognizing the comedic value that the Palin comments promised for their audience. I think SNL coulda also put the exact Palin words to music as well, and that this would have been quite funny, and quite telling. Tags: None Reply Quote Mark as Unread Thread: Judy Pfaff Post: RE: Judy Pfaff Author: Charles Hazen Posted Date: November 5, 2008 2:20 PM Status: Published Hi, I have looked at this painting as well, and it is interesting. It appears to be pretty ''busy'' as has been noted, and perhaps as the artists says she gets lost in painting. It's like a compulsion to finish the work without knowing consciously what or why she is doing what she is doing. The second poster on this thread sees "leaves" and a collage form, but i'm not sure he was looking at the same thing, or he was referring to other info or art shown on page for Judy Pfaff. Anyway, this is a painting, and yes, it could be said to be a collage of things, I suppose. I don't really know either what it's all about, and the artist herself is not sure why this is what it is. But it does give impressions and thoughts to the viewer. What I see is an almost human skeletal-type of form. The large circles within circles representing eyes to me, and the white bony-like strokes that go down from there imply to me that this is like a human form. Maybe the multi circled 'eyes' could imply deep thinking, or levels of insight and review, or retrospective-like wiseness, and maybe the whole form could be a symbol of how we are surrounded, confused, or overwhelmed by so much around us. We have our primal understanding and our base individuality of things, like a bare-bones skeleton, and we are thrown into a busy world with so much to comprehend that we are both wise about it at times but we are also very fragile and small in considering everything we consider, see, and have to deal with in our thoughts. Or, maybe it's just gobbly-gook. I dunno. I guess the point is, it got me thinking and interpreting what it was saying to me, and that is definitely something the artist goes through as well, and it's likely that the artist appreciates that her work 'speaks' somehow someway to whoever may view it. It's interesting too how Pfaff describes the painting process as a "terrible marathon" and is ''grueling" for her because even though she doesn't seem to have a handle on anything specific that is coming out of her, she can't stop until 'something' in her mind or vision says that it's done. I appreciate that idea very much, it's almost a subconscious compulsion that can make us do or create things. It's got to come out even if we don't know why or what it is. That's pretty cool. Art seems to be a creative process that really defies explanation quite often, but it still produces. The artist may not be able to explain ANYTHING about it, and we may never 'get' or understand it with any degree of certaintly either, but the effort was made, thoughts were there, and something was yielded. ART. Tags: None Reply Quote Mark as Unread Thread: My artist Interview: Frank Gosar Post: My artist Interview: Frank Gosar Author: Charles Hazen Posted Date: November 5, 2008 1:36 PM Status: Published I have selected a local artist who's ceramic works are quite interesting to me. I originally wanted to do my Mid Term on a local painter and sculptor, Dan Chen, but my efforts to contact him just haven't worked out, so I found myself browsing around the web until I stumbled upon a site featuring the clay works of Frank Gosar. I have made my initial contact and have a tentative interview scheduled already. He is a self-employed artist, has a website, and sells at the Saturday Market and other places. He's actually having a photo shoot of his works soon, and is featured on a radio program taking place this weekend, so it seems he's deeply involved in his art and creativity. I think that interviewing him in his studio and probing his gray matter will be productive. So, I'm quite happy with my choice and I look forward to the experience. I have never met this artist before and I am only now getting to know his art and process. Should work out well. Good luck to all !!! Tags: None Reply Quote Mark as Unread Thread: An artist who has changed my life. Post: RE: An artist who has changed my life. Author: Charles Hazen Posted Date: November 5, 2008 1:14 PM Status: Published Hey, that's a great example that fits into my thinking of who artists are and what is it that they do. I too had back surgery quite a few years ago, and when I think about it, if not for that knowledge and creativity of my surgeon, I might not have been restored to better working order. And even though his name was Dr. Payne, I was brave enough and he was skilled enough that we (mostly him) creatively collaborated to restore a creative work...me. The medical arts are certainly something we may overlook when thinking about what is art, what is not, and who are the artists. Since I tend to think and say that any creative effort is a form of art, it seems there are likely very few people that wouldn't qualify as artists in my broad view. This means, to me, that even pets and animals are artisic in their own way. I wonder a bit though, like for insects, is a spider worthy of any artistic compliment? We certainly see the beautiful and intricate webs they can create, but are they only doing something which is inherent or indicative of their species because it is part of their 'genes' or coding? We may look at a web and think, "gee, look at that arty spider's work." It's hard to not think of an insects work as affecting in us in some form where we give creative acknowledgment to what we see. Ants too. Etc. Tags: None Reply Quote Mark as Unread Thread: RADICAL IDEAS? Post: RE: RADICAL IDEAS? Author: Charles Hazen Posted Date: November 5, 2008 12:57 PM Status: Published The way I now think of what art and Art means to me, thanks to much of the early readings in this course, defines for me that almost any form of creative effort is artistic in its own way. If I can say that I believe cave men, graffitti painters, 2 year olds who express 'something' with their fingerpainting messes, are all being creative, then my zone of acceptance for what I would call artists is very wide. I can deal with that, as I do think that most creative efforts qualify. Even just creative thinking or verbalizing thoughts and ideas seems to be a process of producing something artful. Eloquence is an art form I think, because it too gets people thinking and reacting in their own ways to what they have taken in. Someone else may fly with an idea that came from a mere utterance or thought expressed to them by a first party. Tags: None Reply Quote Mark as Unread Thread: Environmental influence on music and art Post: RE: Environmental influence on music and art Author: Charles Hazen Posted Date: November 2, 2008 11:17 AM Status: Published I generally agree with what Kimberly is saying in her post, but I would also say that I have found some art to not be of interest to me in some fancy museums. I pass a lot by without really being drawn to it at all. On the other hand, I've seen art in 'trashy' displays or just not in formal settings that HAS made me stop and pause or even marvel at what is being presented. It just goes to show how every thing we take in is left for our individual enjoyment or consideration. In a museum, large or small, I tend to gravitate quickly through certain areas and stop to study and think about a portion of what's being exhibited. Not everything captures our interest, and you notice other people acting the same way. What I ignore, perhaps, is being observed by others closely, and sometimes I am alone when I am decide that I've found something to check out. So, we all have our own pace and selection process. Out on the streets or in other less formal forums, I think the same is true. Things are affecting all over the place, but most of us don't think about it so much. Of course, I think the museums are the best kind of forum overall, and I guess I would not linger so long in an dirty alley setting to see something displayed, but I might give as much thought (or more even) to it as I would to items displayed in a museum. We all 'get' art in our ways and that's the great thing about it, really - at least to me. For music in a bumper to bumper or heavy traffic or tense driving atmosphere, I go both ways. I recall many times where I didn't change the music, or even turn it down, when I found myself in a driving in 'bad traffic'. I've put on 'happy/dancey' music to get my mood back where I like it to be. The music, happy and bouncy, etc..., can even calm the mood, make me think of better things than the current situation. I wouldn't switch to some slow downer music or crank up the blistering metal angry music either, I just tend to hope the traffic will get better and let the music play. That's my memory and my general mood about things, and like traffic, I hope to just go with the flow (and hopefully it does sooner than later). Tags: None Reply Quote Mark as Unread Thread: Media's impact Post: RE: Media's impact Author: Charles Hazen Posted Date: November 2, 2008 1:50 AM Status: Published It's almost like you could say that a form of subconscious programming is always going on. It's not an evil design or plan, but a by product of our willingness to be led in certain directions. It's just what happens, and it's really something that has rapidly developed, prolly starting with us being able to see things presented (tv), and especially moreso than ever - since the technological re-revolution started in the 80's. We are so bombarded by things in our culture. Advertising, action groups, sports franchises and athletes, politics, television programming choices, the music, fashion, and media companies. We can be sold on anything it seems, or we become use to seeing so much of everything, that certain parts of these things that are thrown at us are going to stay with us. We will buy, we will join, we be a fan, we will believe, we will wear, we will read this over that, etc,,, All the pieces, certain one's chosen by some, others by others, all fit together to make our whole money makes the culture go 'round kind of culture we live in. Tags: None Reply Quote Mark as Unread Thread: Media and Sports Post: RE: Media and Sports Author: Charles Hazen Posted Date: November 2, 2008 1:33 AM Status: Published From these posts, it seems that one consensus about the whole subject is fairly inescapable: that media, culture, advertisers/sponsors, and in this case, sports and athletes all drive each other. How we see our culture and what becomes a culture to a great extent is reflected/reported by the media. It's how we stay in tune. Because of technology, mass media and communications, the internet, tv, etc, etc,,, these doings are a large part of our cultural development in the modern world. When advertisers use the media to sell the products endorsed by athletes it sends cultural messages that we absorb. Advertisers are using the media to place new needs and products into our growing 'culture'. As people do new and different things, hobbies, fads or whatever, these are picked up by the media and thus we get exposure to them. Advertisers/sponsors who want to sell products related to these new things, hire the most accomplished people that are involved in these pusuits and try to get us all on board. So, in this way, culture is driving the media and advertisers. Successful athletes are admired and people desire to be like them in various ways, either by doing the same sports, supporting the athlete's sport or team, or by wearing products and buying paraphenalia related to the athlete or sport. The media helps to make stars out of the athletes, and the advertisers want a piece too, so they push their products by paying the bucks to the athletes to endorse the products they sell. Success story athletes drive the media to report on them (they are good stories) and they also indirectly drive companies/advertisers to use the popularity of the athlete to sell their products to our ever-growing culture. Everyone involved is benefitting somehow during this period. Us consumers seem to look to the media as a validation of what our culture contains and is all about. The celebrities, the images, the products all exert their forces on our receiving eyes and minds, and this influences and broadens, for good or bad, our culture. Tags: None Reply Quote Mark as Unread Thread: Muisc as Art Post: RE: Muisc as Art Author: Charles Hazen Posted Date: November 1, 2008 12:55 PM Status: Published I would say that music in all its forms is certainly art and Art. Reading the previous posts, this is the main consensus it seems, and it makes me think of the connections that music completely has with culture as well. Think of the more primitave people, third world people, or tribes existing throughout the world. They have very, for lack of a better word, "primative" forms of music that we don't intially think of. We tend to think of our own experiences and what we know and observe in our own culture. But somewhere people are banging homeade drums, and beating sticks, blowing homeade wind instruments, or clanking things together to produce the music that is recognized and appreciated in their own culture. It's a creative process and produces a result that must be pleasing to most or they wouldn't do it. It can be an integral part of the cultures of these people and it means a lot to them, and i'm sure they recognize the people that do it best, with more emotion, or skill. There's a lot more to that, but I just wanted to throw that out there. Our standards and our judgments or opinions are just that, ours. We have to admit that we are not the ultimate deciders of anything really, and we have to give respect to how other peoples throughout the world use their creative instincts in their own ways within their culture. It's who we are and who they are. We all have the same background ultimately, and we have mostly adapted to and grown into the particular cultures that we are a part of. We may not understand or really appreciate all these kinds of music and sound and how they are important to different cultures, and I'm sure these people recognize it as art, creative effort, and talent. How can it not be art and Art? Tags: None Reply Quote Mark as Unread Thread: Fashion in the media Post: RE: Fashion in the media Author: Charles Hazen Posted Date: October 30, 2008 11:03 PM Status: Published I don't know. Following up on Callie's post, I just wear clothes. I don't really care about fashion, per se. A shirt is a shirt is a shirt to me. As long as it's clean, decent, whatever, I don't care about the label or current style or who's wearing what. I don't want to conform that way. I never wear clothes with ads on them either. Does just wearing clothes automatically make me fashion conscious or influenced by fashion in any way? It's just the way it is, and that's the extent of its impact on me. As for the Palin stuff, I personally could care less about her fashion or the need of people to think that their candidate is wearing fashionable clothes. It is not my criteria for anything, and has little to do, in my thinking, with the value of a person and a person's abilities. The best dope dealers and high crime people and crooked politicians and such seem to gravitate toward having the best fashions, but I find them to be repulsive, greedy, inhuman on many levels, and just self-centered egotists. So on that score, I think that fashion is a bit overated as an indicator of the more important values, beliefs, vitures, and overall smarts that we would like to see in play. It's true, there's little to be done about it, it is "in fashion" (pun) to associate smarts and success with style and fashion. It's part of our fabric (pun) and culture to value fashion as something more important than it really is. In a way that's too bad, cuz you're right - we're not likely to elect someone who isn't dressed well, or hire a teacher that looks like a country bumpkin or is just 'dishevelled', or hire a baby sitter that dresses like a sewer worker or whatever. And that's all fine, hopefully diamonds in the rough will sprout up once and a while, and hopefully we don't label (pun) everybody and their apparent worth by the fashions they are in tune with. I don't want someone's fashion sense to cloud my thinking as to what real character and content is really made of, so I try to keep that in mind, and I try to discount (sorta pun) the importance of fashion in my evaluations. Tags: None Reply Quote Mark as Unread Thread: technology Post: RE: technology Author: Charles Hazen Posted Date: October 30, 2008 10:34 PM Status: Published Society today revolves around technology. It has advanced from a luxury to a necessity. Everyone has a cell phone, with more capabilities than just calling. I can never stop thinking what are they going to come up with next. It seems that technology has made our lives easier but at the same time sped them up as well. Having everything readily available at the click of a button has made our society lazy in a way. The constant technology development is heading toward an even faster way of life. How far is to far when it comes to development and innovation? Or is there even a limit? (setting aside medical development and technology of course) I would agree that developed society revolves around the technology that provides improvements to our lives in many areas. We then rely and depend on it wholeheartedly. We take for granted that we can keep much of our very vital information, like vital paperwork, banking, investments, identity stuff, research, schoolwork, etc, on databases, computers, cell phones and other electronic devices. But what if the power goes off for a week? We are crushed !! We feel vitually helpless when we would comprehend what we've lost. Just losing a cell phone can make on physically sick when they realize how much they relied on it to keep vital information. Information that people don't tend to back up when they feel confident in the 'system' and the power. How far is to far? - Who can really know until it happens. Technology may lead us to places that will are uncomfortable to think about. Maybe a time will come when robotics is as commonplace as cell phones, and like buying a house, we will buy cyborgs to represent ourselves in work environments. Maybe it could work. Business would recognize how efficient, on time, productive, and non-emotional these 'borgs might be, and society could shift to where these are available in the marketplace for people to buy and have programmed to do their work for them. Not just sweeping the floor, or doing chores around the house, but to where they are accepted as a viable means of human replacement in the workplace. We could make our payments on our cyborg us'es like we do a car, and business could welcome them in as qualified employees. We, the people, still get the checks, but now we have time to do whatever it is we want. Maybe a futuristic vision, and I'm not saying i'm on board, but maybe it's not so far away afterall. The bad side is, as we rely more on more on devices to do things for us, keep info for us, supply communications to us, we do likely get lazy, complacent, and only concerned about the little things in our own cirlce. Communication between people, with those things we call 'emotion' and 'meaning' might cheapen and become disposable too. Will we too become robots? Will this allow technology to become the masters and controllers because we have become so reliant on them that they become the dominant force of our lives as we submit to their power? Will we let the good and bad terminators fight for us in some sort of battle that we have no control over? Will we be so removed and stupid to even care? Maybe some future robot scientist/surgeon will be able to save our lives, prolong them, or cure cancer, find a new fuel system, cure our environmental concerns, .........but.......at what cost? What real cost ? That's all my science ''fiction'' (hmmmm..I wonder) for today. Tags: None Reply Quote Mark as Unread Thread: Art based on media Post: RE: Art based on media Author: Charles Hazen Posted Date: October 30, 2008 8:31 PM Status: Published I would agree that in the context of 'art based on media' the odds are that artists are going to try to make things that are pleasing and borrow from other things in the current culture. Probably a lot of current artists that are tied to the media and to advertising or to companies are constrained a bit, and may really feel this, in that they are, by monetary need, required to think in the terms of pleasing, sellable art that sells stuff. So, yes, in this context it is easier to see that positive, attractive images and art are born out of the goals of media, advertisers and companies. Of course, other artists who aren't beholden to these interests are more free to express themselves in whatever way they wish. They may not care if an audience exists. They can outrage and ridicule and create ugly stuff that many would find repulsive and deplorable. Again, this is the beauty of art. 'Do what thou wilt', but don't always expect to be liked, loved, admired, or to make bucks off of it. Art can be affected by money, but it is also created out of only the will of the artist to make his/her statement - with no regard to any kind of reward (popularity, admiration, or bucks) Tags: None Reply Quote Mark as Unread Thread: Technology in Museums Post: RE: Technology in Museums Author: Charles Hazen Posted Date: October 30, 2008 3:06 PM Status: Published I agree with those observations. I have mixed feelings too about technology in all its forms. It seems so easy and expected that we should adopt these tools and use them, but in some ways it seems to take something away from our own thoughts to ourselves about what we are taking in. We can do both obviously, but it may be a bit harder to consider the things being presented with our own first thoughts when we are 'wired' or pushing buttons right off to start our experiences in viewing and considering things. Better I think to maybe pause, consider things yourself, and then maybe turn the player on or push the button to take in more information. Like our recent papers on the ART EVENT, where we were to form opinions about the art and the artist we selected without any research or much knowledge inputed beforehand. Then we did our heavy research to expand our knowledge by external means in order to see how these additions to our thinking affected our opinions about the art and the artist on a re-visit of the art. I worry a bit about how we use the technologies, and I worry how it will develop and be relied upon by future generations. Images of sheep fill my head, sheep that are being told what to think, and rely on a shephard (medium) to tell them everything, and that some will just accept this all so readily, as if no other stimulations or personal thinking is required. It's like a cliffnotes nightmare almost, where shortcuts to thinking and learning are used because it's just easier and may get you 'by' without having to go through the sometimes hard personal and challenging work of learning for yourself. A bit strong, but you never know what is in store for the future and how we will adapt to what we now see as positive innovations. Tags: None Reply Quote Mark as Unread Thread: Symbols, icons as art Post: RE: Symbols, icons as art Author: Charles Hazen Posted Date: October 30, 2008 2:48 PM Status: Published flip through popular magazines like Cosmo, US, People, Seventeen, etc. and they are filled with people as icons for selling things. I see a lot of David and Victoria Beckham these days, dressed up and photographed and selling a perfume or whathaveyou. In a sense, I think of these celebrities as exploiting art to sell things, and using popular icons where art once stood. Symbols such as the curvy cat for Baby Phat, the designer label symbols of Chanel, stick in our minds as art that comes with a price. But is this really art? Symbols that our minds recognize more than a Rembrandt or a Monet? Hmm, good things to think about there. I would say that maybe it's really the business interests and advisiters who are exploiting the celebrities. The celebs took the money or whatever, but they are being used or thought of as objects on which a company can attach, dress, or brand their own products too. In that way, they are kind of like a canvas for merchandising. They do become icons or trademarks for products, it's true, we almost can't help of think of a certain product being associated with a certain human being. Bill Cosby = pudding. Valerie Bertinelli = Jenny Craig. Ashton Kushner = cameras. And so on. Sometimes, when a celeb becomes a negative due to his or her own antics or troubles, it can affect the sales of the product they were paid to endorse, and they are generally removed as the "icon" and the company has to find a new person to 'brand' with their product. I guess it's also easier for some ad execs and whatknot to think of using and paying someone we recognize to sell things rather than the likely harder process of inventing some fresh and new approach to marketing their wares. Celebs are fine and all that, and the images and testimonials of celebs obviously work for people, and for the companies and advertisers, but it sure is nice when at times we see things that are totally new, fresh, and have no endorsement but the creative influence and ideas of the people who make something interesting out of nothing. Tags: None Reply Quote Mark as Unread Thread: Technology Invention Timelines Post: RE: Technology Invention Timelines Author: Charles Hazen Posted Date: October 30, 2008 2:34 PM Status: Published Hey, that's a good point about the pc and how it has affected our education. We are taking advantage and using that right now on this board and in this class. It gives many people so much more opportunity to consider their schedules and desires to get into learning and getting credits. I took the online opportunity for this class because it gave me more choices to construct my day, and without the ability to do it like this, I prolly couldn't have committed to the attendance at certain times and on certain days. It's a great creative innovation involving our education, and we are able to navigate it a bit better because it gives us more freedom in deciding when it's best for us to attend and get involved. It opens the door wide for more people to consider it as a viable option, and it seems to work very well, and will continue to improve. Again, you have to consider the bad and the good. What do we lose by not being in a classroom? We can't stay after and speak to the instructor's about big and small questions about the material? We can't participate in live discussions of material as in a class, though we do have this discussion board. We don't quite get the same sense of education that we feel when we are all together in an on campus experience. It's something new to us because most of us have had the usual form of schooling where we are set into schedules, appointed times, being with a large group of students, and being more or less required to function as educational employees on the timeclock. Like most things, some will do better in the traditional setting, and some will thrive using other options available. I hope that both will work for me. I like the options. Tags: None Reply Quote Mark as Unread Thread: Images in the media Post: RE: Images in the media Author: Charles Hazen Posted Date: October 30, 2008 2:14 PM Status: Published Good points there. We all seem to just apply personal worth to whatever we choose to take in - in life. Some people just zone out to the world and the big picture, choosing to focus on their own sphere, so to speak. Some only care about entertainment, personal fun, and how they just face things that affect them alone, day to day, to get through life. Others care not too much about being entertained and are focused on the world, learning and understanding, and how we are progessing collectively as people in the world and in our communities. And some people do it all. It really seems like a balancing act of sorts. But thankfully, WE ARE ALL DIFFERENT, and there seem to be enough distractions, positive and negative, that we focus our attentions on. So, for every person who limits their thinking or activities to the small world of "the one", there is another person concerned with the big world of "the many." There is some of everything going on that we can imagine, and it's a good thing. If we all thought the same, all valued things the same, all put the same importance and energies toward the same things, we'd be pretty boring and likely not nearly as advanced. Don't we frequently say, "take the bad with the good", "two sides to every coin", and "there's a flip-side to that story/opinion?" Thank God or whatever you wish to thank: with the six billion or so cards on the table of the earth it's a pretty good thing that they all have different faces. Tags: None Reply Quote Mark as Unread Thread: Music as art/ entertainment Post: RE: Music as art/ entertainment Author: Charles Hazen Posted Date: October 30, 2008 1:57 PM Status: Published Josephine's words are interesting, and it is ground we've touched on before, but to me, it just leads to the idea that ''there is no all." That's my opinion, that there is no all of everything. We can never say "all people believe this" or "everyone feels or knows this", and we can't really say that "all innovation and technology is good." Like in music too, we know we tend to say things like "all of this band's music is great" and "I love everything this guy or girl puts out", but I'm fairly sure that "all" and "everything" is just not accurate when you think it about it. It's almost an unfair opinion in some ways, putting everything in one good catagory or one bad catagory. If we are pressed, we usually can find things that we don't think are as good as another in a particular catagory, we might even say, "well, yeah, that's a bad tune...I admit, I don't like that one." I don't know if I'm able to communicate this idea to well in this short space, so I hope you get the idea. Technology, inventions, and whatever we have in our lives usually has something in it that we can likely point to as 'negative', 'bad' or 'worrisome'. But back to the idea. Art, to me, is easily something we figure for ourselves. Whether it's functional, entertaining, or just looks good, or has all of these qualities, these are just by-products of whatever we are thinking about and how we are taking things in. It's hard to deny that anything that took creative thinking and creative force to produce is not Art or art in some way, whether we like or appreciate it at all. It's what is entertaining for the individual that sparks that question I think, and we mix that in to our thinking when we decide if something is art or not. But really, whether it's entertaining (being such an individual response/opinion) or not doesn't seem to factor in to the truth that creative energy was used by the producer. It may not be a success or be recognized as anything of value ultimately, but if we are to agree that virtually anything that the mind comes up with and and that anything we set about to make is some form of art or Art in some fashion, than the entertainment value, functional use, or aesthetic quality we may percieve doesn't really enter into the definition. As most of us have said in response to the readings: Nothing that is creative can not be said to be art in some form. If I hate operas or think that some play I attend is boring, I can't agrue against it being art really, because obviously it is something that was created to entertain and many people will likely like it. Even if all my experiences and feelings about Opera make me think that it is "bad" and "awful", I still can't say something like "all Opera is therefore bad." Someone somewhere someplace, and usually many, will find it entertaining, functional for them, and creative, and it's certainly not for me to judge things in terms of catagories such as "all" or "everything." Tags: None Reply Quote Mark as Unread Thread: in response to technology in museums Post: RE: in response to technology in museums Author: Charles Hazen Posted Date: October 30, 2008 1:20 PM Status: Published I agree, it seems that we have to face facts. Because of all the innovations we use and enjoy in our day to day lives, it seems that it can only be a necessary thing for museums and such to incorporate the technology into their exhibits to attract interest. Our society in the West and in much of the industrialized modern world is so reliant on quick and interactive communications. To not use these innovations in places like museums, historical sites, libraries, and industries would give us the opinion that perhaps these places are lagging, are ancient, decrepid, and incapable of providing fresh insights and knowledge to our thinking. On the other hand, (there's always another hand), In museums, I think that if we are hooked up, wired up to some devices, like in the ear, then there will be a lot less discussion going on between people that are viewing exhibits. We tend to accept what we are being told and may not bother to think as much for ourselves right then and there. We may not bring something up verbally to someone who is with us. We each take in our thoughts about what is being said over the device, and then perhaps quickly move on. Technological innovation, to me , is certainly wrought with very good and very negative aspects. Tags: None Reply Quote Mark as Unread Thread: Technology Invention Timelines Post: RE: Technology Invention Timelines Author: Charles Hazen Posted Date: October 30, 2008 1:05 PM Status: Published Yes, competition is certainly a big factor, and frankly, that is a major compenent of how things 'progess' or get invented so quickly. I'm not saying it's all good, because it certainly has changed us a lot. Everybody feels so BUSY, there's so much to catch up on in our lives, things that we feel need to be updated, viewed, and used in our personal devices we have added to our lives. Innovation has a way of becoming necessity to so many. It's hard not to feel that way, really, and we are certainly living our lives so much radically different in the past 150 years or so than people did in the thousands of years prior to this era. There have always been inventions and changes, and that is how we got to the point of electricity and communications. But, starting there, the industrial revolution just took off bigtime and we are still expanding that by leaps and bounds today. Think of all that has changed just since the late 80's. It almost boggles the mind, but we've really become used to these innovations and changes as commonplace. We get used to them so fast, almost not noticing how utterly gigantic their influence has affected the world, and how we keep stepping to the next level by leaps and bounds. Are we going to invent ourselves into a corner someday, where we destroy ourselves with our own inventions. Will it be a Terminator world where we might one day value and allow machines, computers and technology to so control and oversee our lives that we might become followers or servants to our technology and not its leaders? Tags: None Reply Quote Mark as Unread Thread: Place Matters Post: RE: Place Matters Author: Charles Hazen Posted Date: October 30, 2008 12:47 PM Status: Published I'm afraid I tend to agree with what Callie has noticed. Technology and our attentions being drawn to all of our wonderful new devices, IPODS, laptops, mp3 players, and especially CELL PHONE (!), certainly has a down side in my thinking. This is a big subject that is being responded to in a lot of forums in our world. I see it all the time, many people are so attached to the devices to the point of seeming detached from fellow humans. People sit in the dark at home and count their MySpace or Facebook friends and try to get more, most of whom they will never meet or really make contact with. Others are so into their phones and pods that they wander around all the time being concerned with being 'plugged in' in some way. It just seems that little by little they can lose touch with what's going on around them in the real natural world. I do feel that a lot of folks have and will become a bit colder, meaner, selfish, less caring about and more unable to communicate effectively. I had a friend visit from PDX and he seemed restless, bored, distracted, but then he seemed a bit more at ease and in control when he was able to get on the computer, play his golf, check his "pages", and spend a couple of hours a day learning about and using his new IPhone. It was really telling to me. Less interest in the visit to friends or the talking and doing of activities together which used to be the norm for us, and much more attention being paid to his own little technological accessories. I ask you, considering stuff like that, VALUE TO VALUE, ----------- where IS the value? Tags: None Reply Quote Mark as Unread Thread: week five Post: RE: week five Author: Charles Hazen Posted Date: October 30, 2008 12:35 PM Status: Published The whole IPOD and Mp3 trend that museums and other places are utilizing is pretty effective, as the article states, since attendance and web activity is growing. I also wanted to point out that the article was a few years old, so certainly the changes and additions to the museums and such has by this time increased much further. The switch from cassettes to MP3 technology, like at Alcatraz, is really great evidence of these innovations working and being more user-friendly. Think of what it would be like if a museum or historical site recognized that they had many many foreign speaking visitors but were only able to put up placards, signs and displays in all the different languages. Many of these information items would dwarf the items on display it seems, you couldn't get a look in edgewise for all the signs and words. It would look pretty busy. So, in that way - the ease of use and various options that MP3 players and tech have given the user such a valuable, compact and multifunctional tool to assist in our enjoyment. Tags: None Reply Quote Mark as Unread Thread: the evolution of flight Post: RE: the evolution of flight Author: Charles Hazen Posted Date: October 30, 2008 12:26 PM Status: Published It is amazing how flight technology has progressed so much since those first dangerous experiments only a little over a hundred years ago. Not to mention how quickly space flight followed. It is really a testament to how human interaction and cooperation has been so successful using creativity and innovation. We are now in an era of incredibly safe airline travel, and technology has made so many improvements along the way that were seen to be needed for safety, and though some were delayed or abandoned for cost concerns, on the whole, these improvements came at a rapid pace. To think that it was such a short period of years from when Kennedy announced that voyaging to the Moon could and should happen in the decade of the 1960's, and it did. With all the turmoil, distractions and war, somehow it all got done. Plains, trains, and automobiles are all so much safer and they are getting very efficient as well. It just shows how quickly creative minds and industries, and , yes the government, can really get things done when they see the need. Tags: None Reply Quote Mark as Unread Thread: art vs Art Post: art vs Art Author: Brooke Bell-Uribe Posted Date: October 26, 2008 7:48 PM Status: Published Charles Hazen has an image of what looks like a valentines heart that was made by his daughter. This is the sort of art that is more like crafty but you wouldn't expect to see it in like a national gallery or anything. Although an interesting point could be made that would it be considered Art if it was made by a famous artist? Does who made it and the context change whether it is Art or art? Is one actually better than the other or are they too different to be compared? I chose Kayla Obrien's rosary as the Art piece because it is very intricate, as well as somewhat inspiring with the ideas of art and culture. Does Art always have to do that? No but there is a higher level of skill in this rosary which needs to be considered when comparing Art and art. The ideas of flaws is one that seems to come up with the debate of art and Art. The flaws in art are what make them more endearing and connected to us. They make them seem more human to us, where as the flaws in Art seem very calculated and even further removed from our possibility of creating something similar ourselves. Tags: None Reply Quote Mark as Read Thread: First reading--dense maybe? Post: RE: First reading--dense maybe? Author: Charles Hazen Posted Date: October 25, 2008 3:29 PM Status: Published The article was longer than it needed to be, and I agree it was a bit dense or more complicated to understand in how it was describing a lot of sense and mental processes that we feel are mostly just common sense. I guess it's true that the author was pretty caught up in her desire to be specific and wide in her definitions of her thesis. It is more of a study, journal, academic kind of read, intended to show that the author is really in tune or well-schooled in her socialogical observations and concepts. It was a bit too long, and very repetitive, but I'm sure we're all familiar with writings like this in the education environment. However, it has some good phrases and it hammers home some concepts, or ways of thinking, that tend to bolster or give additional backup to my own very similar (common sense kind of) impressions about how we use our senses, experiences, environments to appreciate or create things. As I read through it, picking up little things, I began to think that maybe the author should have mentioned or touched upon the subject about how those people who are unfortunetly unable to sense things the way most of us do might figure into the subject. It talked about "vision" and how we see things, and it also focused some on auditory sensations and how we hear things. I felt that I was waiting or wanting the author to perhaps put into her writing something regarding the deaf and the blind. Surely, they have 'feelings', sensations, and appreciations for art, but how do they play into the concepts that the author examines? We all know there are extremely gifted people, creating and appreciating art in their own ways, yet they may lack some of the five basic senses. A blind person may be able to appreciate an art requiring vision because it has been accurately described by a person they trust. Maybe they read, via braile, or listened to an audio evaluation or review. They might well be able to speak of what the art object means to them - without ever having seen it. Same goes for people who cannot hear, they can feel vibrations in very sensitive ways that many of us can't understand. Some even make music that we do, though they themselves can't hear it. And there is music appreciation by the deaf, from vibrations or from seeing something. Somehow the blind can see, or make use of stimulations that are a form of vision for them, and likewise, somehow the deaf can hear, for they can create music or feel somehow someway something in auditory music that they can appreciate and about which they can have very perceptible opinions. So, that's how the article provided some insights, backup and some futher thought for me. Tags: None Reply Quote Mark as Unread Thread: Big A / Little A student web page examples Post: Big A / Little A student web page examples Author: Charles Hazen Posted Date: October 25, 2008 3:00 PM Status: Published I found on our web pages two shining examples that fit well with my impressions of what big A art and little A art means to me. I was surprised how many 'product' pictures were featured, and although these are certainly forms of an art or Art, it was hard for me to want to explore those examples. I went through every student page, but decided to select as big A art, Soroush's painting of the Portland skyline. For what I recognized as little 'a' art, I chose the sumptious-looking art presented by Adam, the sauteed sea scallop. The painting of the Portland skyline is Art to me, because there is certainly a classic medium used and the classic subject matter of scenery or landscape portrayed. The painting works for big A for me for those reasons mostly, and I recognize that it doesn't appear to be the work of a famous, or even well-practised painter, but it could be. I like the simplicity of it and the colors, and also the way the buildings are set futher back into the picture. The brush strokes on the water are also effective and seem to really make the painting and image complete to me. Some refinement or additions were likely added as the artist went along and finished his painting. The 2nd article this week talks of the difficult of artists who use watercolor run into, those of the paper being saturated with intitial brushstrokes, etc..., however, it makes the point that oil painters, have a better ability to add or refine their visions on their canvas, and I think I can see that here. I don't know if there is a message here, I just like it overall. Maybe it's a statement about the jadedness of cities or architecture in general, and a concern that modern infrastructure impeeds the beauty of nature in our lives. Why are the buildings teetering? I can't know, and maybe that's the intent of the artist, as the work can be interpreted in several ways, but, like a lot of art, that's what the artist wants to achieve, quite often without being blatant about it. Whether it's amateurish or simple or whatever, I like the way it blends the natural surroundings of the river with the almost-teetering, less-defined buildings in the back. It makes me wonder where the artist saw most of the 'beauty' he was trying to capture. Was he affected more by the look of the water and how the traditional bridge may have added to his enjoyment? Or was he more interested in the odd look or his buildings and the background scene. Even though the buildings don't appear to be of the greatest import to the artist, as they are loose in form, structure and definement, the artist could have really been more affected by their presence I suppose, but maybe he just elected to go subtle. I don't know. It's definitely the whole look of the piece, as I said, the nature and the city, that I appreciate. The blend of the subjects, and the pleasant use of the colors and the things that highlight my attention. Therefore, I am most convinced that this is a good example of something that would be a big A art. It may not end up in the Louvre, but it is something worthy of display, contemplation, and admiration for the work and the message. Another item worthy of display, contemplation, and admiration, at least to my way of thinking, is Adam's picture of the arty looking 'wolf-able' "sauteed sea scallop." I don't even like scallops and I'm not such an expert on food or seafood presentations, etc.., but I feel drawn to this item. Frankly, at first look, I thought it was sorta crabcake type of thing, which I also no little about, but I did instantly get the attraction to it (whatever it might've been) just by seeing a quick flash of the picture. Why is it art or Art? Well, one could say that two things are at work here. The quality of the photograph and how clear and well-centered it is, for one, but also I can just tell that the photographer didn't just do this quickly and without care. Maybe it's for a menu, book, or some kind of display, maybe he was paid to do it professionally, and thus took the approach of a trained photographer. Of course the second observation regarding the art of this piece, is the food itself. Man, it looks good, regardless of my experiences or my taste for the type of food. I think I'd risk the taste without knowing anything about what it is to beginwith. Whoever made the food and displayed it this way, was certainly taking art and creativity into mind during his work. An argument could be made that this is also big A art. The photograph itself, or the design, look, and appeal of the food could be defined as a big A artwork, but for my own sensibilities and comparisons about art stuff, it falls into the little 'a' art catagory. Maybe because I know it will be consumed or obliterated by lucky eater, or maybe because in that same sense it's kind of a disposable item captured for the purposes of sales or interest, but ultimately intended to be eaten. We will preserve this art in our tummies, appreciating those few private moments with it, but not too affected by the knowing that we are meant to destroy this art for our own eating enjoyment. It really is just food, displayed as we might see on a menu or on a placard at a restaurant, etc..., so my mind just automatically tells me that this is more little 'a' art than it is big A art. When I'm famished or wanting something special to eat, I might be torn between wanting the painting or the food to be part of my life, as it were. These are choices we make, of course, but some will go one way, and some the other. It would puzzle many why the person would select the item they did, and they would wonder either "what's so really special about the painting, I mean really" or "it's just food, c'mon, where is the 'real' enjoyment of that, or ultimate worth of possessing it briefly." Like almost everything, I see two sides, and that is why respecting the individuality of the beholder's vision of beauty should always be respected whether it's popular or not. I think the most important thing, obviously, that I take from these examples of art is: "Where can I get one of those scallop thingies???." (Just kidding). Tags: None Reply Quote Mark as Unread Thread: Graffiti Post: RE: Graffiti Author: Charles Hazen Posted Date: October 24, 2008 11:43 AM Status: Published I know what you are saying Josephine, and you're opinion is generally shared by me as well, but...... Wouldn't you agree that you have been offended by some graffiti at some point? I can't believe that ALL graffiti is a representation of ART, I just can't. As much as I believe in expression and messages and liberal-ness and freedom, some graffiti is just bad or repulsive or gives no message (to me) that there is anything arty about it. It's just how we define the term, I suppose, but I could not, would not want to imply that anything I have opinions about is meant to be taken as wholesale acceptance about every facet that the subject matter may include. I think there is a bad or negative side to just about everything. Love : people kill for it. Money : good to have, but the root of all evil - they say. War: if no other options, we would all understand, but the bad part is obvious. Hope: some people hope for great things, some hope for terrible things. I just never try to be all-inclusive in my terminology or opinions, and I try to leave some room for opposition or discussion, and the use of perspective, in order to fully understand whatever it is i'm involved in. I'm just providing another side, in a way, to this, and by no means do I think that the comments i'm responding to are bad or wrong or anything like that, I agree 'almost' completely with those words. I'm just opening up the thoughts from what I read and throwin' them out there. Tags: None Reply Quote Mark as Unread Thread: Guerilla Art Post: RE: Guerilla Art Author: Charles Hazen Posted Date: October 24, 2008 11:16 AM Status: Published I think guerilla art is a good thing as well, but I'd have to admit that I would not want to see graffiti, for example, become so commonplace that we see it everywhere. I think a line does exist, different for each of our indidvidual sensibilities/values, and that we would take a harsher view of some guerilla art and graffiti art if this form of expression was running rampant. I can appreciate some of the 'gang' art that we see in the media or around our own town, but when a guy tags my elderly neighbors car door with his selfish and ugly scrawl I don't care if it looks artistic. I'm really not going to think or say "hey, that guy's got some real artistic potential" or "good work, keep up your passion." I'm more likely to share the view of the neighbor affected, and I would also be thinking that "the punk who did this should have to pay for it, or be punished, or perhaps, be made to wear or have applied to himself some message that he doesn't agree with at all. I'm very open and appreciate expression in practically all forms, and I think guerilla art is fascinating and useful, but just as most other things, there is a point of excess or a point where art and creativity is not the idea of the person who does it. Some people are just so into themselves and/or there clique, that they are very self-centered and do the things they do for their own self-gratification, selfishness, or to gain some feeling of acceptance from whomever. I dunno, it's a big broad subject, like most things, and I firmly believe that we are all entitled to have opinions and expression, but we ALL MUST try to find a cooperative ideal or norm that respects the collective rights of all peoples and their desires to keep our society/community/culture structured in ways that will mostly appeal to everyone. Tags: None Reply Quote Mark as Unread Thread: Guerilla art Post: RE: Guerilla art Author: Charles Hazen Posted Date: October 24, 2008 10:50 AM Status: Published I certainly share Nicole's views about 'guerilla art'. I think this is just one of the forms of creative presentation that really makes me think about the state of the world or my community. It can shock and awaken us to either think of new ideas or re-visit thoughts that we may have kept inside. We can agree or disagree with the message, but anything that gets the stimulation of ideas going can only be a good thing, in my opinion, especially if the idea is meant to stimulate reform or improvement in our culture. I know what you mean when you said that the art is "destroyed", but only because you did say "very lightly." I think you do mean that the art still remains, and that we will keep it in mind and appreciate the form of the art on it's own, but the message we receive and the thoughts we make sorta replace the guerilla art object itself as we consider the message and its importance to us. Sometimes I feel the message of some guerilla art is lost to many people, myself included at times, when it is felt that the 'canvas' is improper. Like when something is defaced or ruined by the guerilla artist at a place where I just disagree with the location or object chosed by the artist (statues, other public art, monuments, some signs, mailboxes, certain areas of buildings/businesses). This can go either way, to me, and sometimes a defacement 'works' for me, and I guess it has to do with the individual reaction or belief about the statement's validity in total. Tags: None Reply Quote Mark as Unread Thread: My 3rd source / week 3 : Creativity Post: My 3rd source / week 3 : Creativity Author: Charles Hazen Posted Date: October 19, 2008 10:33 PM Status: Published For my third resource on creativity, I found a neat little site with many sections and pages devoted to creativity. Most of these had to do with creativity in the work environment, but there are also many explorations into creativity in general on the site, many of which provide inspirational and encouraging viewpoints as to how to recognize, use and improve human creativity. I went through much of the site and settled on three articles to use for my research. The first one, "10 Creative Myths", is interesting because it comments on what creative people may be feeling as they practically talk themselves out of doing creative things. There are stated doubts that most of us would recognize, and then there are comments given for each doubt that focus on righting our paths in thinking about whether our creativity thoughts are worth pursuing. It helps to bolster the ego and thought process when we are presented with the common misconceptions that we feel when facing our own creative ideas. The second article, "The Risk of an Idea", also makes use of the negative aspects of our thoughts about our creativity in ways that are meant to steer us ahead on the right path to exploring our potentials. Don't give up. The article also contains suggestions on how creativity should be encouraged in the business and 'at work' world. It stresses that there should be an "environment of trust" within workplaces, and that ideas should be treated with respect. If other employees see that people are shot down, laughed at, or lose promotions due to their attempts at speaking up, this discourages other worker from feeling bonded positively with their employers, so they will lay low, not comment, and try to avoid suggesting creative ideas. It also suggests that having an anonymous suggestion box that makes reciepts can help get things moving in the right direction. People who's ideas were accepted, appreciated, and used could then take later credit for their innovative and helpful ideas. The quote by Einstein in the article is apt: "If at first the idea is not absurd, then there is no hope for it." Obviously this is not always the case, but it's a great quote that likely makes sense to us all. The third article within the website, "The Secret to Creativity", highlights an idea that we should turn "problems into thought provoking challenges" and that "creative people know better. They start by examining the problem and turning it into a creative challenge." This certainly can work well in any creative pursuit, and I myself have faced this mucho times. Finally, it suggests leaving "restrictive criteria" out of these challenges we make because they only serve to "block open creativity" in the longrun. It's suggested that by writing the problem or pursuit down to hard copy, we can find it easier to "break down" the needs of the issue, and we will then find it much easier to work productively. It's true, when we take measures to get into the flow of our thoughts, and we feel less restricted, things seem to develop, and as the article states, "great ideas will almost invent themselves." Web source: http:///www.jpb.com/creative/index.php - Creativity & Innovation Library - The organizational innovation experts - at your service! Tags: None Reply Quote Mark as Unread Thread: Week 3 homework : Discussion forum for resource and link? Post: Week 3 homework : Discussion forum for resource and link? Author: Charles Hazen Posted Date: October 17, 2008 6:19 PM Status: Published I was ready to post a synopsis about my third resource (and a link, etc), as the homework assignment page mentions, but I don't see any place in the discussion board that indicates this. No big deal, just thought I'd mention it. I may just choose to create my own thread about my chosen article as other students seem to have done. But i'll check back here a bit, to see if this gets addressed, etc... -c Tags: None Reply Quote Mark as Unread Thread: Yet to read the articles... Post: RE: Yet to read the articles... Author: Charles Hazen Posted Date: October 17, 2008 5:50 PM Status: Published In response to Lauren's post, I think that creativity can BOTH come and go, and creativitycan also be turned off and on whenever we want or need it. Sometimes we start something without knowing at all that it may turn out to be something creative, and yet it does. Other times, we are either required by deadline or promise, or we are compelled by personal thoughts and considerations to do something that needs to be done in our lives. It can be a creative art, communicating feeling or message, or it could also be just an attempt to get things off our "to do/must be done" lists that we carry around in our thoughts. Either way, creativity is in action. Tags: None Reply Quote Mark as Unread Thread: Spiritual Electricity : 2nd article Post: RE: Spiritual Electricity : 2nd article (1st article actually) Author: Charles Hazen Posted Date: October 17, 2008 4:37 PM Status: Published OOPS, this is actually the FIRST ARTICLE, and I noticed a couple more typos or missing letters than I'm used to, so , sorry 'bout that. Tags: None Reply Quote Mark as Unread Thread: Spiritual Electricity : 2nd article Post: Spiritual Electricity : 2nd article Author: Charles Hazen Posted Date: October 17, 2008 3:49 PM Status: Published I've read some other posts about the first arcticle, "Spiritual Electricity", and I agree that the author Cameron is himself 'creating debate' when he writes about his feelings that creativity is "divine" and connected to God or a Creator directly. However, I didn't read or find the entire article to be unappealing, and I am glad that he mostly dispenses with those ideas about mid-way through his piece. I don't agree at all with his belief that creativity is a "spiritual electricity" created by a Maker. It's fine that he feels this, and it's obvious he does, and again this if fine if it has helped him to answer his own questions about where creativity comes from. I just don't see any validity in, or any need to connect it to a supreme being or force at work. Maybe, maybe not. It's just not the way I see it or think about it. I am not "seeking a creative alliance with the great creator" and I don't use or believe th at my creations are a "gift back to god." Again, if it works for him or anyone, to find solace or comfort in making such an I.D. on a force or being as being the creator of creativity, then fine - go with it. I choose other reasons and questions, and I require more evidence and confimable truth about all these 'big issues'. However, as I said, he stops for the most part his thesis that this all divine stuff, and really does have a lot of nice comments about creativity in general, and does this in ways that I find totally agreeable. I'm glad that he says "we don't have to believe in God", and I do "observe and note" my own processes of creativity as they "unfold", but I just don't connect it to the spiritual realm or to any belief that a high creator provided it. I think that when he says "creativity is the natural order of life" and that "there is an underlying, in-dwelling creative force infusing all of life", he is right on. Of ourse. These are listed in his "Basic Principles" list, and, yes, I find that disagreement with all of them that indicate a need to recognize or credit any divine sources or God/Creator as being involved. But, like I said, he has good stuff I agree with in his article. Perhaps these are easy, simple, and basic ideas that I find 'automatic' in my thinking about the issue of creativity, but mentioning them and finding nice phrases to broadcast them is always welcome in my book. He mentions that we have "a hunger for creative living, and that there is "creative recovery" possible when we at last find or feel that a window has opened. A time comes to reflect up and to re-evaluate and use the pains of life, events, and relationships to positively start back up the "dreams that elude" us in life. " To "excavate our buried dreams" and to see that "our tears prepare the ground for future growth", and to "allow the bolt of pain to strike us" are all concepts that I believe in. All necessary to explore our creative process and to help it flourish. Most of us do "squander" opportunites to be creative, yet something can stir inside that may allow us to "break free" from the "peaks and valleys" of our existence. There is indeed a series of "expansions and contractions" and a virtual "birthing process" that we can go through to reach that "final phase" of recognition. A final phase where "ego surrender", individuality and a desire to awaken past dreams can be beneficial in re-activating creativity. It can give us "the capacity to make and execute concrete and creative plans." I agree with all that, and I think a good way to deal with pain and regret, and other things is to make new things and to stay creative. Summing up, I can't agree with how he sees the source of his own creative nature, and it's fine for him to believe and accept whatever he wants, but he does recognize and he gives good examples about what creativity is, in action and in process, and also tells us to evaluate ourselves and our pain so that we may re-awaken our own individual abilities and creative insticts. Like Cameron says at the end, "the experience will make you excited, depressed, angry, afraid, joyous, hopeful, and ultimately, more free." Amen. Tags: None Reply Quote Mark as Unread Thread: Working with Discussion Board - pooling people posts Post: Working with Discussion Board - pooling people posts Author: Charles Hazen Posted Date: October 17, 2008 1:41 PM Status: Published Hi, I found this to be an interesting, if not obvious to most, tool if you desire to examine/collect or see your posts or others (by name) on the board. Perhaps our instructor uses it to pool our weekly comments. You simply use the search box above the intitial discussion board, adjusting the date fields as you wish, and then type in a name to get all of their posted works. Tags: None Reply Quote Mark as Unread Thread: What else about Creativity? Post: RE: What else about Creativity? Author: Charles Hazen Posted Date: October 17, 2008 1:36 PM Status: Published I understand what you are saying, but I think also that while the individual "instinct" of creativity may not be able to be "duplicated", the products of creatvity certainly can. That to me means that things and ideas are copied, improved upon, refined, and also found to be useful in other areas of our lives and thinking. I also certainly agree that creativity is not just associated with art, etc... Creativity is such a postive word, you know. It applies mostly good things and an upbeat direction. But of course, as with most things, there is a dark side. Creativity can be bad. Whether it's nations that decide to conquer and inflict death and destruction to gain or expand their empires, or white collar crimes that are created by people who wish to steal, cheat or rake up the bucks or prestige in their bad acts. Many people use creativity selfishly for their own pleasures. Pleasures that society condems, abhors, and penalizes for when they are discovered. Murderers, non-licensed contracters, cult leaders, businessess and marketers and inventors, are just a few examples of fields where 'bad or negative' creativity can be used by the dishonest. I guess almost any direction has a backward path, and it's just a true thing that while most people are, luckily, good in their actions and intents, we certainly have to be aware of all the bad stuff that individual, and even collective, creativity can manifest. Tags: None Reply Quote Mark as Unread Thread: Second article Post: RE: Second article Author: Charles Hazen Posted Date: October 17, 2008 1:15 PM Status: Published Just as the two previous posts note, I found the second article much more 'valid' to me in it's definition(s) about what creativity is, what it provides, and how it evolves. It sorta backs up, also, what most of us have agreed to: that creativity exists in many things, from the mundane projects and tasks we all do to the products of artists that create their works in the big a Art domain. I liked the writer's ideas that "ideas will vanish" unless there exists a "receptive audience", and that "creativity results from the interaction of a system composed three elements." These elements: culture with symbolic rules, persons who "bring novelty" to the culture, and the "experts who recognize and validate the innovation" of the creativity. The article had a lot of good things to say, and a lot of things that tend to explain the nature and growth of creativity throughout the ages. How "memes" are adopted by subsequent generations, how many artists seem selfish or elitist, but really aren't, and that creativity can "wilt" if little or no "surplus attention" is given it. A lot of art and creativity just never gets done, we all get so busy and involved in other things and other lives, that many people let their dreams and ideas fade. Also the author notes that "we can't forsee" the results of our creativity, good or bad, and that the "future is closely tied" to our creativity. Some things just turn out to be wrong, or bad, or used for the wrong or negative purposes. Don't we all wish that maybe the Atomic age never developed, at least as far as its use in destructive devices is concerned? What fear this has brought to us all, to some extent. What can be good about a "nuclear threat" or posture? Does it give us any more security than we might have already had? A lot of questions exist just over that particular developement of creative genius. Lastly, though there is more, I thought the final summation with its "most important lesson" about what can be learned from creative people holds true: that we are all likely wanting to "find purpose and enjoyment in the chaos of existence." Tags: None Reply Quote Mark as Unread Thread: Creativity a spiritual thing? Post: RE: Creativity a spiritual thing? Author: Charles Hazen Posted Date: October 17, 2008 12:46 PM Status: Published I enjoyed the three posts previous, and I respect the all the viewpoints, but I do disagree with parts of the last two. I, my individual self, do not believe that God or a creator is responsible for our existence or creativity (good and bad). I believe it just is, and that it has always been an inherent trait in our species. Evolution, (oops), to me is easy to believe, and the fact that cave men and their fight for survival against all things in nature, and the necessites needed to go on, started using and exanpanding/improving their brains to make a better life. This has continued throughout time as humans 'evolved' and found that they had abilities to make new things and to modify through ideas the ways in which they lived. This continues. I am agnostic, and hear me: I do respect the views of people who believe in God or a Creator, and I think it's fine to live life as you wish and to believe in things that provide meaning or understanding for you. I don't want to make waves in your life, or get you to believe anything different than what you yourself believes. However, I also feel, that people have always wished to know more about themselves and our existence, and that this gets into a gray area of imagination versus proven truths, at least for me. Ancient stories, fables, and the peoples themselves, have something in common: there is no verifiable proof that their ideas, messages, or beliefs have real truth. Human nature gives us a need to understand or explain, and the ancients in all societies, like all of us today still desire, had this common wish to get answers. But they had little to go on and no scientific methods or abilities to tackle these big issues. It was practically univerally accepted, even into the 14th century, that the Earth was the center of the universe, and all things revolved around it. This theory was used to back up the feelings of our importance in what was then a little understood Universe. I could go on, the subject is the broadest known, and a trillion words would still leave us with questions and different ideas. That's fine, I'm for that. One of the debated questions that mankind has struggled with and provided different explanations for is this back and forth argument as to why so many bad things happen. Bad events, war, weather, killing, inhumanity, terrible crimes, and so much more are universally understood to exist. Why would a creator want or desire this? I know the answers that are given by believers in God/Creator, but I can't accept them. They don't do it for me. Rather, classes in Astronomy and Socialology, have provided further backup to me about my own personal feelings, and I believe that the nature and our existence of ourselves and our Universe is explained, plausible, and likely very correct. Not everything can be answered, even in these domains, but the mystery of life, etc.... to me is more acceptable when I just accept the fact, to me, that everything "just is." Again, I am not trying to attack or put down anyone's thoughts or beliefs, but I am certainly entitled to my own. I am agnostic, yes, but this allows for the POSSIBILITY that some creative force MAY have been at work, but I don't believe that humans can possibly KNOW what it all means and apply so much specifics to their religious teachings, thoughts, and beliefs. Whether it's God or explainable molecules or substances - that we also can't/won't ever know why they did what they did in the beginning, I personally find no real truth or likelyhood that how humans have interpreted our creation is any more correct. These are just my own views, and I admit, I really don't KNOW nuthin'. Tags: None Reply Quote Mark as Unread Thread: Human Rights Video: Example of Creativity Post: RE: Human Rights Video: Example of Creativity Author: Charles Hazen Posted Date: October 17, 2008 12:06 PM Status: Published It's hard to not like the Human Rights video or to ignore its message(s). It was so simple in many ways, but really used a lot of clever imagery with the texts, charactitures, and even the music. Most everyone can read and recognize the connections used, and this video can be translated easily to use in different countries and cultures with different languages. You also can't help but feel inspired or personally affected by what the video is reminding us of. We all have rights, dreams, and aspirations, and much of this reminds of us of our basic beliefs, especially in freer societies. We all want to be FREE and recognized for our individual worth and spirit, and we all want to be treated as we try to treat others. Admittedly, when I first watched the video, I didn't know what it would be. I didn't know that it was going to stay with the text and image style throughout, and once I had received, approvingly, of course, its clear message early on, I was thinking, "hmm, I wonder where it's going to go next...I wonder what else is coming." So, I confess, and wonder if other's noticed or felt this way (?) : I got bored, a bit, in my waiting for more, and even though I knew it was only like a four minute video, I was waiting to see where it would go, what else might be attached to its presentation, and kinda wanted it to wrap it up or go on to 'something' new. Don't get me wrong, in the end, I came around bigtime. I got the message clearly, and I was proud to feel connected to all of the messages because these are things I have reflected on for many years. These are all things that I too believe, and I have always hoped that more people would adopt or at least think about all of these values as we go through our lives and relationships with people - and all things. So, it lagged a bit for me in the middle ('cuz I was waiting...), but as I began to realize that this was the chosen style for these messages, and that they could/should have univeral appeal upon translation, I really enjoyed and felt a bit better about myself and most people. I'm glad these reminders and encouragements exist, and that artists take the time and thought to tackle social issues in such meaningful and insightful ways. Tags: None Reply Quote Mark as Unread Thread: what is creativity Post: RE: what is creativity Author: Charles Hazen Posted Date: October 14, 2008 1:02 PM Status: Published Brooke's comments are very true, and I believe also in those ideas that creativity can come from simple needs, daily life or what I might call 'creative necessity'. I would say that most people are faced with doing some thing, whatever it is - and like the things Brooke mentions, but that many many people never get any further into their creative abilities. They don't go to the next step, of creating something 'artsy' or outside of the realm of the little day-to-day things that we produce or do out of creative necessity. Not every one is an artsy-artist, of course, but even the mudane, routine, and necessary things that we do to make life better or survivable, are certainly, to me, examples of the creative process in action. Tags: None Reply Quote Mark as Unread Thread: Yet to read the articles... Post: RE: Yet to read the articles... Author: Charles Hazen Posted Date: October 14, 2008 12:55 PM Status: Published Most of the time, too, creativity is unnoticed or receives little or no recognition. So much of what we do, make, adapt, fix, and produce is creative, but we mostly take it for granted that these actions are more necessary than creative. It's mixed up with "caring" and self fulfillment and self analysis, I'd say too, in that when we know something must be done or created, we tend to care about what we are doing and want it to come out right, or fixed, or functional, or pleasing to others. Things like making a special meal for guests, trimming and working on hedge that is being cut, fixing a computer desk and area to be functional, or organzizing files and papers and the display of books and things to be readily accesible, are just a few things that are creative, to, of course, producing a well written paper or document that is readable and easy for the reader to understand. We think of these as jobs and as necessary things that must be done, but we are using a creative process to do all of them. These things and others you can imagine are so commonplace and 'ordinary', that little attention is paid by the do-er or the observer of our mundane work. We want the function to be good, the aesthetic to be pleasing, and the satisfaction that we have taken care of something on our TO DO lists, etc... We don't really expect to be congratulated or noticed for our efforts, and many of these are done out of our personal need or thought that there's something that we want to make better. All products of creativity, in my opinion. Tags: None Reply Quote Mark as Unread Thread: Body ornamentation Post: RE: Body ornamentation / tatts Author: Charles Hazen Posted Date: October 10, 2008 9:57 PM Status: Published I think Adam is right on with his tattoo comments. Although, nowadays you can certainly attempt to have them removed when you regret them, it is still a big thing, a big commitment to undertake I think. You have to assume that some thought is put to that question of "am I always going to like this, can I always see myself dealing with what i'm doing?", but we all certainly no of cases where tattoos have not worked out for people. Tattoos of people's names are prolly number one on the list of regretted body art, however, I guess "mother" usually works out for the duration. I have one, and yes the meaning has expired, but it's not big enough or splasy or colorful, so I don't mind. The fact that I almost picked the location of it knowing that it might be something I'd not be reminded of too often turned out to be a plus. Where you ask (as your thoughts go to all kinds of unseen places......). Well, it's just some intials of an ex, and I had them put on the side of my middle finger. C'est le vie........ Tags: None Reply Quote Mark as Unread Thread: Chosen Article: Corps, Culture & Commitment. Post: Chosen Article: Corps, Culture & Commitment. Author: Charles Hazen Posted Date: October 10, 2008 6:53 PM Status: Published HI, I chose to read an article from the google listings that has to do with corporate culture, and how different corporations and companies design particular cultures within their business in order to reap productivity, loyalty, and ultimately, profits. It was pretty interesting, and long, but it did give me some insights about how companies seem to have different philosophies about how they oversee their management operations and their employee work force. The article spoke of companies "control systems" which are put "in place to direct and coordinate activities. These controls would oversee things like planning, budgeting systems, and performance appraisals. Several examples of companies that were failing, or had terrible defect rates and absenteeism, were also suffering in employee loyalty, and communication from management to low-level employee. Resentment was building. So a new effort at strengthening the company view, and communicating this to employees was created. They sought to improve the culture as it pertained to the entire business, and sought to build a feeling that as employees they should "all care about those with whom we work with", "have shared expectations", and develop a "pattern of beliefs and expectations" that everyone could share in. Most companies cited were able to turn things around and build employee loyalty by actually making it known that "someone who cares about what is going on" is watching all the functions. Through this, though it may sound authoritarian or strict, they were actually able to develop company pride and improve productivitiy, lower the defect rate, and cut abseteeism rates dramatically. Why? It apparently was because the employees were happier knowing that their efforts were being observed, and rated, and then each employee also felt a need to help or suggest improvements that other employees could make to get their jobs done more efficiently and with less error. All in all, the article was pretty sensible, if not a bit too obvious. I think most of what was being done by these companies to improve their businesses and profit margines doesn't take a lot of imagination to imagine. Fairly common sense kind 'o stuff, but it did get into a lot of in-depth examples about some companies were able to succeed at this, while some others lacked the ability to communicate their message. article url: http://road.uww.edu/road/tourignl/MBA745section4/oreilly.pdf Tags: None Reply Quote Mark as Unread Thread: war art Post: RE: war art Author: Charles Hazen Posted Date: October 9, 2008 7:44 PM Status: Published Following up, I think it's a great thing that artists, especially since mid-20th century, have largely sought to reject the classic images that have been used a lot in 'war art'. However, I guess it has led to less use of war as a subject. As the article points out, some artists are afraid to go there because they don't wish to glorify or enhance the thoughts of war as being a heroic or patriotic necessity of sorts. Many, especially men I suppose, can find some 'war art' to be inspiring, or to be a challenge to their image of themselves. They might see it as a calling, or duty, that they should be ready and willing to fight, whether the truly see the cause as just or not. I've liked war movies, and you almost can't help finding something that stirs that sense of duty within you when vivid portraits of war are made into movies. You want to win. It's almost romantic in some ways, the way war can be portrayed. Even though it's disgusting and gut-wrenching, these violent epics give you a sense of what it's like to be a part of a cause, and to have to fight for each other's survival in your small band of brothers, as well as, to fight for some identified patriotic and necessary goal. The thought of attaining some kind of glory and righteousness through war is frequently felt when you get caught up in watching these films. I hate war, and I am against it on almost every level, and maybe I can't explain it as well as I would've liked, but I do see the connections as to why movies of war are so popular and appreciated. Tags: None Reply Quote Mark as Unread Thread: Fresh Lipstick: Redressing Feminism (by Scott) Post: Fresh Lipstick: Redressing Feminism (by Scott) Author: Charles Hazen Posted Date: October 9, 2008 7:25 PM Status: Published This debate over what feminism is and what is should be has been alive for quite some time. The way Scott attacks certain groups within the feminist movement is right on. These feminists who have such a puritanical view about what dress, style, and personal choice should be in order to be a feminist are such a slap in the face to the rest of the women who understand that these choices are their choices, no one elses. They dress how they dress, and present themselves in ways that really represent their own individual wants, and by doing this actually exemplify decisions of choice and individuality, and these are among the very freedoms that feminists want and strive for. I don't think most women are doing this because they've been programmed by men or the media, and if some are, then they are doing so in full knowledge and in full agreement that this is what they want to do. They might know that there is some power in their expression, some allure, some highlighting provided when they dress provocatively, but they are equally up to the task of thinking for themselves, and they do it for a reason. There's nothing wrong with feeling that you look good, and that you look attractive. It doesn't mean they are being subjugated, used, or that they are wantingly becoming sex objects for the purient interests of men. They know a jerk when he's a jerk, and they will act accordingly, but they feel happier with their expression and they like to feel how they feel no matter how they are adorned, made-up, dressed, or perceived. This liberation is what I've always felt was a basic want of feminism. Tags: None Reply Quote Mark as Unread Thread: First Reading Post: RE: First Reading Author: Charles Hazen Posted Date: October 9, 2008 6:56 PM Status: Published I too found the article on iconic, media-enhanced, images to be very thought provoking. I had sort of assumed that I had seen many photographs of the earth from space, representing many views, angles, and contrasts, but to find out that there was really just one full-framed photo of the earth hanging in space, was quite a shock. I guess the media and reprints and the programs we view have duplicated this image so much, with and without enhancements, that it leads us to think that we have a whole library of photos like this. Now I know we don't. I also really liked the quotes made in regard to this image by the those at the MIT conference. That this image of the earth has become so iconic that we can call it a "visual equivalent" to "sound bites" really makes a good comparison as to how we perceive and comment on things happening today. "We remember through images, but we understand through words" is Sontag's comment. This is certainly true, as we tend to apply so many of our thoughts to images we see, and we tell our minds a description of what we are seeing, but we don't always know the full story, the full description. It really takes a further exploration by reading or researching to really get the full story and all the details about something we have only looked at in order to really understand it. The visual icons we admit to our culture are pretty important, because many or most of us may go no further in learning about what the image really is, what it really represents, or what the full story might be. The images are sometimes all we get or sometimes all we want, and we each apply our own values to them, collectively and individually. So, as the last comment in the article accurately warns, "We have to be careful in what images we expect are going to become icons, and make sure that we get them right." Amen. Tags: None Reply Quote Mark as Unread Thread: How a person's clothing symbolizes beliefs and values Post: RE: How a person's clothing symbolizes beliefs and values Author: Charles Hazen Posted Date: October 6, 2008 11:36 PM Status: Published I agree also with the opinions raised here about clothing being art. It is definitely an expression and definitely a craft when one puts together their look for the day. On the other hand, this doesn't mean that everybody is looking to express by dress. I mean some people just need clothes, any clothes to wear for the day, and pay no mind or care to how their attire will be perceived by others. I try to look neat but not stylish or unique. But, I also make judgements on what I see other people wearing, though I try to remain open about what the real person beneath the clothes may really be like. Some of the dumbest people dress to the nines in their expensive designer finery, while other brilliant minded people dress down, or dress in a cutting edge style, or have a penchant for second hand and cheap clothes. Some of the nicest people dress scary and intimidating, while some of the most evil people dress like executives and white collar types. Who can tell? Following this, there is also bad art and good art, and this is decided by the viewer. We all have different opinions and values, and this is how we might judge things like appearance and clothing in different ways. Some will see a girl's ripped jeans, piercings, and particular hairstyle as 'tacky' or 'gaudy' or 'trashy', while other's would comment on it's freshness, attractiveness, or sexyness. Beauty is indeed reserved for the eye of the beholder to define, and it's a good thing too, 'cuz if not, we'd all be gray pod people content to blend, not caring at all about anything except for that we are identically the same. That's bland, scary, and stagnant. Tags: None Reply Quote Mark as Unread Thread: Paper corrections......a minor matter Post: Paper corrections......a minor matter Author: Charles Hazen Posted Date: October 6, 2008 12:56 AM Status: Published HI, I submitted my paper, and thought I had done a spiffy job of proofreading, but upon review I found a minor typo or two and a missing word. It occurred to me to fix and resubmit the paper again, but the errors are pretty minor and such, so I thought it best not to confuse the issue by doing that. I am, however, thinking that maybe this could happen again, so I'd like to know how to proceed on something like this in the future. I also just wanted to indicate that I am aware of a couple of minor mistakes that exist on the submitted paper, and that I hope it does not interfere with your reading. I'd be happy to fix. Tags: None Reply Quote Mark as Unread Thread: What is art? photograph itself or the image they portray? Post: RE: What is art? photograph itself or the image they portray? Author: Charles Hazen Posted Date: October 6, 2008 12:38 AM Status: Published I'm getting in on this thread too, because I found the title question to be very valid. I've struggled a bit about what i'm supposed to consider. Since there is so much that is art, we must, I assume, also consider the photographs as art as well, and not just the subject pictured. Sometimes it seems as though the style of the photograph or the way the picture was taken is the only art to be seen, and other times the photo is very straightforward and straight on, designed to show the object as an object of art and nothing more. Anyone could have taken the photo, and without the slightest inkling of trying to make the photographic style, or presentation, an art. I've raised this on my other posts as well, wondering whether I got more of an effect from the style of the photographer's photo or from the items shown as "art" within the photographs. I've tried to answer this in my posts, and responded to whichever 'medium' I found most thought-provoking, etc... As for this folder, I will try to be more brief. I did find that all of the items pictured are Art to me, in that they all took unique skills and craftsmanship, as well as, emotions and painstaking work in order to achieve a goal. The carving, the paintings, and the wooden spoon all convey art to me, whether they are much labored-over works that show the artists intent to illicit certain emotions or if they are merely simpler crafts designed to aid in the consumption of food. The spoon has history, like the paintings, and it makes you think of where it came from, who might have made it, and what the culture and practices of the peoples who used it might have been like. The chair most definitely stands out, as many have said. Probably due to it being so modern or of our time presently. It's such a commonplace feature in our lives, but it brings forth thoughts about how the chair was designed what purposes and comforts or conveniences the makers wish to provide those who might possess one. I think we do have to 'stand back' and give appreciation for such mundane items as sitting surfaces, because they all imply that there is a need or a concept that the maker or artist wants to put into his design in order to be unique or to add an improvement to something that is so common and undistinguished. In this way, he has created an artwork, with aesthetic qualities and features that lend themselves to the eye and to the tush. Tags: None Reply Quote Mark as Unread Thread: Overview Images - Is this Art folder Post: Overview Images - Is this Art folder Author: Charles Hazen Posted Date: October 6, 2008 12:06 AM Status: Published The text below the folder link seemed to want a response made to these four photos. So, I will. Firstly, the first folder in this group. I thought the first photo of the crayfish was art. However, I feel the need to look at this as the artform performed by the photographer, and not the subject matter. I saw the art in the syle of the photo, and the way it which it was clear, and well-centered, and brought forth a representation that the photographe was trying to capture the art, if you will, of cooking. On their own, the crayfish were just crayfish to me, though I guess if I were to examine them closely, have one in front of me, I could make an argument about the art of the design of the crayfish itself, and how it could be a beautiful thing, with crafted features and form. But the long and short is, I think it was good photographic art. The second photo regarding Food Preservation did not spark any emotions for me. It was disarray, a mish-mash photo of throways character. It was merely a snap of a particular moment and place that did not capture for me anything that I would call unique or special or communicative. The third photo, "Baking" was artfully photographed and showed well the work of art that a well-crafted pastry can be. The baker is an artist. He uses symmetry, repitition, color and sculpture in producing this tasty little piece of edible art. The photo was artful and communicated to me that this was a yummy looking cake, worthy of praise and serious munching, so I have to give props, as it were, to the photographer as well. The last photo here, of the food carving, was also good photographic art, but the photo was obviously meant to be a picture of several objects of food art. They are recognized as art, and an art form in the works, and the purpose to photograph it is to share the beauty and work that the maker(s) of these food carvings put into their project. Again, symmetry, style, color and sculpture all lend a hand in showing the art of this craft. FOLDER TWO: Dressing: A fun photo, showing the cute girl in what is apparently her own creation of how she wanted to portray herself at that time. Looking like a young girl, with the ice cream and brightly colored attire, but also clearly showing the qualities of a free spirited and creative mind possessed by a young, artistic-minded woman who is aware of the appearance she is making and aware of the various reactions she might recieve. The ice cream, smile, and outfit show early youth to me, and the hair style and sexy-ness shows a quality of an experienced, carefree, expressive young woman. Teaching: Well, teaching is certainly an art, so I can't argue about that, because that is the way I feel as well, but the photo is just a photo and the subject matter is just what I would ordinarily expect of a "stock" type photo. I found little in the photo of the teaching experience that broadened my views. War: The war photo, too, didn't really provoke any feelings for me. Perhaps if the soldier's face or appearance were different, I might understand some of the thoughts that might be conveyed from such a scene. War is a terrible thing, but I did not capture any true meaning about this for myself from this particular photo. I couldn't find any connection that worked for me to relate the single soldier to the band of soldiers nearby. I don't know what they or he was thinking, or what the photo was really supposed to represent. Sculpture: I think this works for me as art. I feel an almost inherent need to call any sculpture of this sort ART. How can we not? It seems automatic. Although why the photo is from the side, showing us only a partial view of the sculpture, I cannot say. Yeah sure, I'd like to see the full frontal, I guess, because I do appreciate the art of beautiful naked sculpted young women. But it is definitely a work of art by an artist that believed in his work or his subject so much as art, that he must have labored for many moons to produce this. Folder Three: Architecture: This is art, the building that is. It was obviously planned and diagramed to be unique and different from the ordinary in may ways. It sort of looks thrown together in a way, but still retains its artiness from the different colors, the jutting out of portions of the building, and from the use of rectangular forms, and recessed and unrecessed windows. I like it, it captures attention without screaming to do so, or being gaudy in the effort. Building: Well, we've seen this a lot. This style. This rigid form or "perfection" and "cleanliness" , I guess you could call it. Works cuz it's so damn sleek and shiny and reflective, but to my mind's eye it does not convey anything unique or incredibly stylish by today's standards. Some years ago, it would have been a stunner, a real conversation piece, with a lot of things to call innovative and new. As for me, I feel mostly like, I've been there, seen that. Still it's kinda pretty, but I wouldn't want to live there. Hearst Vision: If you know some background about Hearst and the rest of the Hearst Estate, etc..., then I suppose this has some quality of being defined as art itself. But in some ways it only represents an attempt to make a house of art look like art itself. The treasures are probably within the main 'castle' and other places, but this is merely an attempt to tie in with the interests and love of art that Hearst had himself. Sure, it's a pretty design, and borrows much from ancient styles, but to me it is more of a copy and an attempt to impress, or make the swimming pool look more regal or important. Because it borrows from the past, it is more of a reproduction of art than art itsef. Facilitating: Sometimes I don't know if i'm supposed to think that maybe the photo is the art or if the subject is the art. On this one, I get neither. It's a fairly mundane and run of the mill type stock photo of a meeting to me, and I'd have to think a lot deeper to find feelings to portray this scene as art. The "Art of Facilitating" or the "Art of Taking Pictures of Facilitating" just doesn't make it for me. Tagging: I accept tagging as an artform. However, I also accept a lot of it as needless, and offensive graffitti. Like other art, when it's too much, it's tooooooo much. And when it infringes on other peoples properties or communities illegally, then it it also harder to defend. I doubt we'd want to defend a tagged area as a "historical site" worthy of preservation. I think most people want it to go away eventually, and I share this notion for the most part. But also, some tagging can be art. There is a lot of creativity shown by the 'taggers' who make these, but it's message can be deeper for those more associated with the tagger's culture and brethern than it is with the ordinary citizen in the same community. I don't define tagging as street art, or community art. These you might find in designated areas, and they might portray history or struggle or fine charactitures of peoples and culture. To me these efforts are more artistic, while tagging is a bit lower on the ladder, and usually meant to signify territories, or affiliations with gangs, or mere signitures. Some art there too, but they don't seem very vital, useful, or enduring. Religious Practice: Is religious practice an art? I dunno. But the paraphenalia and symbolic nature of many of the instruments of religion I guess are artful. They are so entrenched in our sense of history, and the connections about religion and god that have applied to most of mankind for many centuries. I find the photo style on this one artful, as well as the objects and their placement within the photo. The solemness seems to show, the piety, and the darkness of the unknown questions and fears associated with religion and the practice thereof. The photographer has recognized this in his work, and he or she took advantage of the look, the lighting, and the set of the items in considering this photo, I'm sure. thank you, i'm done now. Tags: None Reply Quote Mark as Unread Thread: Chalk Artist Julian Beever Post: Chalk Artist Julian Beever Author: Charles Hazen Posted Date: October 5, 2008 11:03 PM Status: Published Wow, that presentation was a mind blower. I'm not really sure if everything I saw was really a chalk art that was flat and drawn on a flat surface. I guess it was, and that was what was so mind-blowing, I think. I was questioning what I was looking at, but equally intrigued by his messages, some of which were subtle, humorous, and very abstract. What painstaking work that must be, to take into account the angled view that may be required on some pieces to see the whole concept and the effect. So many of them seemed so three dimensional and real , and on-top of the surface. Great stuff, and most certainly Art. Tags: None Reply Quote Mark as Unread Thread: Dove self-esteem fund commercial Post: RE: Dove self-esteem fund commercial Author: Charles Hazen Posted Date: October 5, 2008 10:55 PM Status: Published I follow along on the thoughts posted about the Dove Fund film. It makes its point and and brings to the fore the argument that beauty has less to do with cosmetics, air-brushing, enhancements, and fakery, than it does with what is inside a person's mind and soul and given natural appearance.. It's interesting how it uses an art to demonstrate this. The act of applying makeup, hair styling, and various other techniques in order to amp up the model's attractiveness is in it self an art, or art process. But their point clearly shows that what we find of value in life and the way we look at people, and how we treat people, should have nothing to do with cosmetic or photographic alterations of their appearance. The clip is truly asking viewers to think about what they really value when thinking about the beauty and quality of another human being. Tags: None Reply Quote Mark as Unread Thread: What is ART? Creature Comforts vid - first video Post: What is ART? Creature Comforts vid - first video Author: Charles Hazen Posted Date: October 5, 2008 10:33 PM Status: Published This was a pretty amusing, and artful (or ARF! arful) presentation using animals to convey common interpretations about what defines art. It was humorous, and also brings up a question of sorts. I wonder if studies have been made, or taxdollar funded experiments to investigate if animals really do find art in their own environments and as members of the human environment or culture. Do animals appreciate art? The bird in the first segment even touches on this by saying that art can raise the "emotions of even an animal." Anyway, something for us to think about. The print-making dog was a funny bit as he describes working in his "medium", and his appearance at the end, commenting that "oh, that's a good one" in reference to a paw print he had just made, was pretty insightful in a way. In his way, he's saying that every move, or touch, or mark we may make could be art or could have been intended to be art, whether anyone knows it or not. The animals appreciated a wide array of art forms, and had diverse opinions about what they thought is or isn't art. They mention debris, the girl watching, and the dog who seems confused about impressionism. He feels it is an art of voice imitation or mimicry. Also too, the monkey defending monkey poo throwing as art was funny, and ties in with the end bit with the pidgeons on the statue saying that artists and such are just trying to leave their mark, or dropping, on the world. They, I guess, should know. They are pretty good at it. Tags: None Reply Quote Mark as Unread Thread: Shared Values Post: Shared Values Author: Charles Hazen Posted Date: October 5, 2008 10:06 PM Status: Published Hi , it's been very nice to see all the web pages created for this course. What I have learned is that I am an old geez compared to most of you, however, I am young at heart, and keep myself in the know about youth culture and stuff as best I can. Well, why not everyone has posted their values as of yet, I did find a couple of fellow classmates that share one or two of my values. Sara Duncan and I share the values of Integrity and Family Brittany Glemm and I share the values of Family and Quality Relationships and Nicole Nettles and I share the value of Open/Honest Relationships and Truth (though my value is set as Integrity, to me, these are practically synonymous. AS for other students, I share Open/Honest Relationships with at least 4 others, and Integrity with at least 3 others, and Family with at least six other students. Tags: None Reply Quote Mark as Unread Thread: Top Values Post: Top Values Author: Jenna Erskine Posted Date: October 4, 2008 11:16 PM Status: Published My top values are Cooperation Friendships Open/Honest Relationships Truth, Courage Happiness Order/stability Wealth, and Democracy Independence Power & Authority Working Alone. Relationships with friends and family are very important is to me, and I think truth is a very important part of each of those. Courage, I believe, leads to happiness, order/stability and perhaps wealth, at least for me, as I've learned that the meek sure as hell don't inherit the earth. Wealth is important to me, not in the manner that I'm superficial and like buying stuff, but because I have been both broke and a millionaire, and have learned that nothing moves or talks like money does. Superficial or not, it is what one needs to live. I am a big fan of democracy, independence and power, as I am a very strong and independent woman and can't stand those weak, clingy female types. I have gotten where I am in life by being strong. All in all, I have found that Charles Hazen and Nicole Nettles have the most values in common with mine. Tags: None Reply Quote Mark as Unread Thread: shared values Post: shared values Author: Eric Grimberg Posted Date: October 3, 2008 11:17 AM Status: Published I found that I shared the value of love with a countless number of people. The rarest value I found that I shared was probably integrity, although I did find that both zachary jones and charles hazen also listed this among their top three values. Its hard to pick just three, but I found it interesting that I had alot in common with most people despite being limited to only three. Tags: None Reply Quote Mark as Unread Thread: shared values Post: shared values Author: Jordan Stray Posted Date: October 3, 2008 10:06 AM Status: Published Looking through the profiles, i found that Charles Hazen and Jenna Erskine share the value of open honest relationships. All though the other values they chose were different, i can connect mine to theres. Tags: None Reply Quote Mark as Unread Thread: Booth "art vs Art" Post: RE: Booth "art vs Art" Author: Charles Hazen Posted Date: October 1, 2008 7:38 PM Status: Published To quote an often used comment made by Frank Zappa or Elvis Costello (both get credit for this) "writing about music (art) is like dancing about architecture." It ain't an easy thing to do and is always open to complaint, criticism, and rejection. Tags: None Reply Quote Mark as Unread Thread: Problems with links Post: RE: Problems with links Author: Charles Hazen Posted Date: October 1, 2008 7:30 PM Status: Published That chapter one did take a while for me as well, but if you just wait it out, I betcha it will appear. I was a bit impatient about it, and thought it wasn't going to load, but after another attempt, it did. Tags: None Reply Quote Mark as Unread Thread: Online Learning. Post: RE: Online Learning. Author: Charles Hazen Posted Date: October 1, 2008 7:27 PM Status: Published Just read the last response post, and I agree with the concept that this can be or can get confusing. It's nice to have the luxury of self-motivation, but not always easy to maintain the work ethic necessary. My biggest concern was reading online material. Though I use the internet constantly for so many things, I'm not really INTO reading course book type material online. I'm sure a lot of students do this, and prolly easily, but to me it seems difficult to read off a monitor long essays or texts that pertain to classes, etc... By the same token, i'd much rather watch a movie or presentation on TV as opposed to on a monitor. That said, I knew it would be part of the deal, and so, and I wonder if other's do this as much as I do, I am printing out practically all the materials I can for ''hard copy'' reading, as it were. I think this works best for me, though having the secondary source, or original source, available to peruse online helps a bunches. Maybe i'll start to take notes off the monitor readings, but this is something that just doesn't excite me, so for now, I'll continue my ways of printing most materials and reading in a reading-like environment, so that i'm not tied to the screen so much, and because I think I absorb material better using more traditional methods. Tags: None Reply Quote Mark as Unread Thread: "Art as a verb" Post: RE: "Art as a verb" Author: Charles Hazen Posted Date: October 1, 2008 6:10 PM Status: Published I completely agree with your thoughts Kim, and have a similar thread about this as well, but, we should also mention that in some ways, especially to the defenders who proclaim that small a "art" is not in the same league, Art on the whole is somehow cheapened when too too much is welcomed as Art. I think the old schoolers, or the stalwarts that use strict definitions of what deserves to be Art, must, at times, even take this personally, as an affront, when other do-gooder nogoodniks try to muscle into their sacred territory and start throwing around the terms and conditions of what Art or art is and isn't. This is not my belief, but I can see the argument. Is this egg salad sandwich really art? And just where does it stack up against the Mona Lisa or the Sistine Chapel? Is art that is only temporary, like this sandwich, or a monster home-run, or even a wild Central Park exhibition of something strange that has been financed and paid for by an Art committee, really art? They will all be devoured, or be gone in an instant, or finish and be taken down on a deadline. So, I can at least sympathize with the opposition point of view, but I also feel that the concept of what is art must be broad, and far-reaching, and must include a whole bunch of stuff that those who hold to the strict definitions of what they think Art is really don't accept. time to devour some art.......... Tags: None Reply Quote Mark as Unread Thread: Mr. Booth and the Art versus art discussion Post: Mr. Booth and the Art versus art discussion Author: Charles Hazen Posted Date: October 1, 2008 5:50 PM Status: Published HI, just came in from working and thought i'd give this a start, and I will add more words in a new thread. Mr. Booth's article was thought provoking, in that it did open up my thoughts as to how art is perceived, recognized, and appreciated by different peoples for different reasons. I am of the school that agrees that art is both "ART" and "art", in that I've always believed that what people create, on any level, whether it be at work or around the house, is indeed something akin to ART, and deserves a certain amount of appreciation, even if this appreciation is only by the person that creates the "art". I also enjoyed the descriptions of the battles of definition between the various experts down through the years, and how these experts take sides and defend their own definitions of what is Art. Some of these experts hold fast to their beliefs that Art must be produced in traditional, or at least comparable forms, keeping within certain guidlines and concepts in order to pass the test of "what is Art?". They do not accept the notions, raised by Booth and many others, that Art can, and perhaps should, include the more mundane, and commonplace 'art' efforts that most people tend to produce in one way or the other just by going about their daily affairs. As Booth has said, even a good dinner, or perhaps a happy face breakfast, in some ways deserves to be defended as 'art', because someone may have lovingly and with great care produced these wonderful meals. Of course, this opens the door wide, as Booth maintains, for just about everyone, if they so choose, to demand that they should be considered artists in their own right. I think this is fine, because Art and art have proven to be ever-expanding and diverse, always broadening, always changing, and always accepting new forms, such as new technology, unused mediums, and new ideas of creativity. They are as vast and deep as a big ocean and everyone can go in.