Cultural Event Response 5

Shari Hirsch of MuralCore Speaks about the Mural Arts Program of the City of Philadelphia

Shari Hirsch first introduced us to the Mural Arts Program of the City of Philadelphia, a program dedicated to community beautification and intervention for troubled teens that may be failing school or on their way to jail if they don’t change their lives. Hirsch runs the program known as MuralCore, which specifically focuses on teens up to age 22, teaching them the skills needed to create a successful mural, running internships, and providing paid employment. For those teens in extreme poverty, like many of those from Philadelphia, MuralCore is particularly focused on encouraging higher education and teaching valuable life skills such as leadership and good decision-making.

Originally, under Philadelphia’s Mayor Wilson Good, this program began as an anti-graffiti program with the purpose of removing graffiti from the city. Soon, however, the purpose shifted to creating community art. Hirsh emphasized that community art differs from public art in that community art is made by working with the residents, the government, and local organizations of the community. By involving the community throughout the process of creating the art, the community is given a voice that they have never had before. Although these poor communities are generally not represented in the museums, they can be represented for everyone to see by means of community art made by MuralCore.

This art is unique in that it is not made on a canvas and hung with a frame around it; it is painted or installed in the community context familiar to the every day lives of the members of the communities. These sites of community include sides of buildings, walls around construction sites, and schools. I was most interested in the McKinley School project because the MuralCore team accomplished much more than merely painting some murals; it succeeded in completely transforming the space. The space, like many school years in poor areas such as North Philadelphia, was covered with cement, dirt, and a complete lack of color.

Clearly the visual qualities of this school were not ideal for a quality learning environment, but the physical surroundings also contributed to this non-learning-conducive environment. Just next door stood a crack house. As part of the comprehensive space-transforming process, MuralCore had this house torn down. Seeing the before and after pictures amazed me, and Hirsch description of the gratitude of the teachers, parents, and kids of the school strengthened my belief in the power of individuals who join together to make real, significant changes in their own community.

My Final Website: In Progress

This is my website so far:
My Final Website

"DRUGSTORE/Rx" Site Map

I changed my idea from a parody of CVS/Pharmacy to a parody of all similar retail pharmacies who claim one thing and do another. For example, these stores claim to help customers be healthier but contradtict this by selling ciggarettes, junk food, and other products harmful to ones health. I have created a fictional retail pharmacy, known as DRUGSTORE/Rx who represents all of these retail pharmacies. This site will show the not-so-impressive reality of the stores in comparison to the lofty, exxagerated values and images that the companies themselves present to the consumers like you.

Website Project: Collage

My idea is to make a website parodying CVS/Pharmacy's corporate vision versus how CVS/Parmacy really is. Some major aspects parodied will be the happiness (or lack thereof) of the employees, and the hypocrisy in the company's vision ("We help people live longer, healthier, happier lives") and the things they sell such as cigarettes and junk food, which do the opposite (make people live shorter, more unhealthy, possible less happy lives).

My First Website

This is my first try at making a simple website...
My Website

Reading: Real Costs by Michael Mandiberg and Short History of the Internet by Bruce Sterling

Mandiberg's website project, called "Oil Standard" uses the medium of the internet to its best advantage. Unlike any other medium, the unique browser used for "Oil Standard" is able to convert the prices directly and even adjust for the changing gas prices with time. Because this project is on the internet, the range of which the price conversions can be applied is limitless. Any product found on the internet that is expressed in US currency can be converted to barrels or percentage of a barrel by the unique browser. This project is interactive thanks to the capabilities of the internet. Not only can you convert any price you choose to barrels of oil, but when your curser goes over links, text may pop up giving you news on oil businesses and shortages around the world. The homepage itself has a page dedicated to oil facts, so that the viewer can educate themselves. The first fact reads, "Oil is the single largest component of the US trade deficit." This fits into the overal idea of informing people how expensive and limited gas is.

Although Sterlings, "Short History of the Internet" was written all the way back in 1993 when the internet was still new and still emerging in popularity, the points Sterling makes continue to relate to the internet, and probably always will. For example, the article says, "The internet belongs to everyone and no one." This is a phenomenom that defines the internet as a unique networking tool and will probably never change. He also states, "The internet is a rare example of a true, modern, functional anarchy." No one person or company rules over the internet; it works and thrives on an "anything goes" policy, and this is why people like it so much.

Because of the freedom of the internet, projects such as "Oil Standard" are able to spread their message to an unlimited number of people all accross the world. The internet is no longer a tool for the government or scientists and researchers only; it has expanded vastly since the first test network was created by ARPANET in 1971 when there were only 4 nodes in the network. By 1993, there were tens of thousands of nodes spread accross 42 countries, with three or four million users. These numbers have increased since then and they will continue to do so. This means for projects like "Oil Standard," the audience will continue to grow and their message will continue to get more exposure and recognition.

Cultural Event Response 4

Prof Richard Hovannisian: Must We Still Remember? The Armenian Genocide as Prototype

Professor Hovannisian described the history and the context of the Armenian genocide in a clear and comprehensive way. Before comming to the lecture, I knew nothing about the Armenian genocide, and by the time I left, I knew when it was, where it was, and a general idea of why it occurred. Like one of the men on the film clip Hovannisian presented, it seems to me as if it was not a coincidence that this genocide happened in the midst of World War I. The Holocaust happened during World War II, suggesting that total wars create perfect contexts for genocides.

I was struck when Hovannisian predicted that the only genocide of the 20th century that will be remembered in the future is the Hollocaust, not the Armenian genocide, Rawanda, or Darfur. It has always been inconceivable to me that people can deny the existence of genocides despite cold hard facts and accounts by eye-witnesses and survivors. Hovannisian described the thought behind the denial: those who commited the killings were taught by the Turkish government and the political party that it was the right thing to do. For them, Hovannisian explained, it was not a matter of belief, it was a truth for them.

Cultural Event Response 3

Poetry Reading: Yael Flusberg

I chose to attend this cultural event because I am interested in poetry; I write it myself and I like to go to readings. I was a little skeptical before I went because I had never heard of Flusberg beforehand, and especially when she was introduced by Michael Glaser and I learned that she had not studied English or Creative Writing, but studied political science. I thought her work might be about political issues I did not understand and that it might not have the kind of emotional value that I like about poetry.

When she came to the podium, she gave the audience some basic background on her life and after she explained why she decided to write, I began to relate to her. She reminded us that it isn’t the title that matters, such as “Writer,” but it is the story that someone tells that is important. She told us in her introduction that death has always been a big part of her life; her parents were Holocaust survivors and they both died by the time she was 15.

She explained that she has experienced, as an only child, not only a great amount of loss, but also a lot of “absence.” I thought it was interesting that she chose to use the word “absence” because this emphasizes the lasting effects of the loss. She expresses this sense of absence in one of her poems where she states that although many people have died and left her behind, she would not leave anyone behind if she died herself. This particular poem was my favorite because it shows the strength that she has, not only carrying on with her life after all her loss and in the midst of her absence, but also triumphing in the process and turning her life into creative work.

Finished Postcard Project

The following images are my finished postcards, made by combining all the elements scanned, photographed, and drawn together in Photoshop:

Postcard Project: Scans

Postcard Project: Concept and Plan

This first sketch outlines my plan for my Johns Hopkins postcard. The images in this postcard represent aspects of Hopkin's life and legacy. Hopkins' family was in the tobacco farming business and Johns himself worked in the fields as a young man; hence the ciggarette box and the cigarette. Hopkins founded Johns Hopkins University, so the drawing of the top of a building on the right-hand side of my plan represents the university. The "Railroad Crossing" sign represents Hopkins' heavy investment in the Baltimore Railroad. The paper money and the coins falling in the background represent the fortune Hopkins earned throughout his sucessful career as an entrepeneur. Finally, the newspaper clippings in the very background represent his founding of the Johns Hopkins Press, an academic newspaper. With Photoshop, I will combine the scanned images, digital photographs, and scanned drawings into one photomontage piece in the form of a postcard on heavy-weight paper it looks and feels like a real postcard.

This sketch outlines my plan for my Edgar Allan Poe postcard. The images in the postcard represent aspects of Poe's literary works- his famous poems and short stories. There will be an image of Poe on the right-hand side of the postcard. Next to that, will be a drawing of a flying raven. Behind that is a stack of books, representing Poe's literary accomplishments. Beside the books, in the lower-lefthand corner, will be a drawing of a heart, alluding to Poe's "Tell-Tale Heart" short story. Finally, in the very background, there will be scanned images of pages from books with Poe's work in them. I will compile all of these images together into a photomontage using Photoshop and print it on heavy-weight for the full postcard-effect.

Worth1000.com Photoshop Contest

Worth100.com is a website based on Photoshop imaging. I entered a contest called "Caution," in which the assignment was to edit the below image in any way. Since the caution sign says "Caution: Angry Yellow Jackets," I decided to go along with the bee theme and include beekeepers. To access my entry, entitled "Bees," follow this link: http://www.worth1000.com/view.asp?entry=361367&display=photoshop.

Original piece

Photoshop edited piece
I received a C+ on this submition based on the voting on the site.

Cultural Event Response 2

Teatro Luna's S-E-X-Oh!

I was not sure what to expect from S-E-X-Oh!, but I was pleasantly surprised to find that the tone was humorous and the atmosphere was informal. When the actresses came out and introduced the show in the beginning, they were very welcoming and created a relaxed atmosphere from the start. Before the show began, I had time to view the large images of each woman displayed on stage. The incorporation of photos, drawing, and text reminded me of the kind of work made by the Dada artists. In addition to the visual aspects of the performance, the skits, monologues, dialogues, and audio each helped to present the ideas about sex in a language that anyone can understand. For example, rather than having a woman tell the audience what her experience as a phone sex worker was like, we got to see for ourselves through her performance the good, bad, and ugly of her job.

I liked the use of audio when introducing each of the women individually. The way the speaker was not present- her voice came over a speaker- and the impersonal tone of her voice as she stated facts and generalizations about each woman made the women seem like they weren’t individuals. Similarly, the way that the women turned around so that we could see there front, profile, and back in the manner of a mug shot added to this idea that women can be thought of as objects, especially by men. My favorite part of the production was the scene where the women tell each other what makes them “hot.” This scene was very unique with the ideas they came up with and it was the funniest part of the show. “Trader Joe’s makes me hot” is a quote that will probably stick with me forever not only because it is hilarious, but because it stretches the boundaries of attraction. Sex is not all about the act itself- the women broadened the definition to things that we can recognize and access in everyday life.

The Cut-Up Method of Brion Gysin

The introduction talks about how the concept of cutting and pasting with poetry makes sense and is a good idea, but compares it with how the method has been applied in modern technology on the web and computer software. Surrealists such as Burroughs meant for the process of cutting up text and rearanging it to be used as an "intermediate step in composition." Furthermore, random text-generators are not meaningful alone; they must be used within the context of the individual and his or her society. As the passage from "Cybernetics and Ghosts" by Italo Calvino states, literature holds deeper meaning than the words do themselves; when they are taken in context the attitues and perspectives of the audience, new layers of meaning appear. Burroughs compares this cut-up method to other realms in life, other than art such as photography, film, military strategy, and writing in general. The article emphasizes the point that "all writing is cut-ups" because the ideas and words are usually obtained spontaneously, like the words in a cut-up poem.

Photoshop Presentation: Burn and Dodge Tools, and Paint Bucket

Let's use this image of my friends who visited from New Jersey and I to learn about how to utilize the following Photoshop tools: (a) Burn Tool and Dodge Tool, and (b) Paint Bucket Tool

Tasks to Complete:

1. Use the BURN TOOL to darken the values of the horizon in the distance and the sky

2. Use the DODGE TOOL to lighten the values of the dark, wet rocks in the foreground so that you can see the detail of the rocks

3. Use the PAINT BUCKET TOOL to color the sky very dark, so that it looks like it is late at night

Dada: Raoul Hausmann

Dada was an art movement involving several different techniques including photomontage, collage, assemblage, readymade, typography, sound poem, abstraction, chance, photography, and overpainting. Raoul Hausman was one of the influencial artists of the movement, contributing writings to antimilitaristic journals, organizing Dada events, and creating work using the above mentioned techniques.




Image on Top:
Der Kunstreporter (The Art Critic), 1919-1920, photomontage and collage with ink stamp and crayon on printed poster poem

Image on Bottom:
Ein burgerliches Pracisionsgehirn ruft eine Weltbewegung hervor (A Bourgeouis Precision Brain Incites World Movement) later known as Dada seigt (Dada Triumphs), 1920

The top piece exhibits usage of the Dada techniques of photomontage, collage, and typography. The background is made up of German characters from a printed poster poem, the middle ground is made up of cut out photos, probably obtained from media sources in Germany, and the foreground consists of a figure of a man (the art critic) that made up of photo and other added collage elements covering the man's eyes, mouth, forehead, and clothing. The textual background makes the images stand out while still forcing you to consider the text. The man is carrying a writing utensil, but from a distance may appear to be a weapon such as a spear instead. Hausmann, going along with the Dada perspective against the art establishment, is criticizing art critics in this bold representation.

The bottom peice is also an example of the usage of the photomontage and collage techniques. Each image stands out in this piece against the solid background of the walls and the floor. Hausmann created dimension in this piece by adding shadow behind each object or figure. This piece seems to include aspects of Hausmann's personal life as well as aspects of the Dada culture. For example, there are images of anatomy in this piece, both of the body and of the brain, connecting to Hausmann's past experience studying anatomy at a private art schol in Berlin. The piece also includes part of a world-map; the top part where the Dada culture was present. The background is made of watercolor on paper. While this composition is somewhat busy, it still allows the viewer to focus on each image individually because of their cut-out forms against the simple backgrounds.

Cultural Event Response 1

Heather McGuire's Talk on Concept Artist John Baldessari

It was interesting how much McGuire’s talk about Baldessari’s work tied in with what we had been discussing about detournement. Baldessari uses a combination of images and text, like in detournement, to create a new form of art. I also found the distinction between fine art and concept art that McGuire spoke of interesting. Looking at Baldessari’s work from the perspective of fine art will give you a different experience than looking at it from a concept perspective. For Baldessari, it is not the piece itself that is important; it is the idea that it represents. In fact, Baldessari had cremated all of his paintings once to show that it was the ideas that were important, not the piece itself.

Baldessari uses text a lot in his work, especially in his "Blasted Allegories" piece with the red image of a father in the top left corner. He uses text so much in his work because he feels there is such a strong connection between art and language, that it is appropriate to combine the two. In most pieces, however, it seemed as if the text was not necessary; the image tends to speak for itself and adding text seems to degrade the value of the piece as a whole. But, because Baldessari was so focused on the ideas and not the aesthetics of a piece, it is understandable how he would consider the use of text so appropriate for his work.

Sound Journey: Party

I created an audio journey that takes the listener to and from a party. All the sounds were recorded by myself and include clips of a car starting, glasses clinking together, people talking, and a knock on the door. The style is inspired in part by Janet Cardiff's audio walk, which has multiple layers and is produced in a way so that the listener really feels like they are engaged and present in the moment.

Party

Janet Cardiff: White Chapel Gallery in London

Artist Janet Cardiff creates audio walks that can be very intimate, intense, and evokative. She uses a technology that imitates the hearing of the human ear. In an interview with NPR radio, Cardiff explains, "When we're listening to the environment, we filter out probably 90% so that we don't hear the car pass or we don't even hear the brids. But, when we record sounds, everything gets excentuated." The three-level audio makes the experience seem so realistic, like you are really there.

Listening to the piece, you could almost imagine losing yourself in the sound of the nature and rythmic footsteps if it wasn't for Cardiff's continuous soft speaking. Some parts of the piece are a bit spooky, like when a man whispers to Cardiff and when Cardiff points out vague personal memories. By sharing her most intimate thoughts and experiences, the listener may feel as if Cardiff is actually there beside him or her. Some of the disturbing things she points out to the listener are a man hanging from a tree, someone following behind her in a dark park, and a dream that a man was following her and she wanted to shoot him.

Even as a listener not going on the giuded walk, the listener gets the sense that they are on a jounrney with Cardiff, wanderin through gardens, down the stars to a beach, through a park, and past houses. The experience is surpisingly calming most of the time, as walks normally are. The disturbing comments mentioned above are a little suprising, but they do not take away from the experience. This piece proves the power of an audio piece- it is able to engage the listener physically, emotionally, and mentally all at once.

Audio Project 1

This is my first audio project, made using three different sound clips and mixed with Audacity. The clips include people talking, a car trunk slamming, and a bicycle bell.

audioproject1

By patchen (http://freesound.iua.upf.edu/usersViewSingle.php?id=6997)
car door slam 35 A.wav (http://freesound.iua.upf.edu/samplesViewSingle.php?id=20187)

By stomachache (http://freesound.iua.upf.edu/usersViewSingle.php?id=177850)
ridebell.wav (http://freesound.iua.upf.edu/samplesViewSingle.php?id=29792)

By m1rk0 (http://freesound.iua.upf.edu/usersViewSingle.php?id=140756)
cafeteria.flac (http://freesound.iua.upf.edu/samplesViewSingle.php?id=23213)

Audio Journey

My audio piece will take the listener on a journey to a party, starting from the car ride to the party and ending with the car door slam after the party. There will be noises found at a party from the ecstatic greeting to the loud chatting to the goodbye. Then there will be walking to the car as the noise of the party drifts away. The audio piece will contrast the silence and calm of being alone to the energy and noise of being at a party.

John Lennon's "Radio Play"

The approximately 8-minute piece made my John Lennon has two tracks playing at the same time. One track sounds almost like a constant tapping sound made from taking tiny clips of a radio program. The other track only plays sometimes during the piece, and it is John Lennon speaking at a much lower volume so that his voice is only in the background and you cannot actually make out what he is saying.

The piece is hard to tolerate or comprehend because it is so choppy and the sound of broken static almost hurts the ears. The only tolerable parts are those with Lennon's soothing British voice in the background. I was expecting the tapping to evolve into a steady, rhythmic beat eventually, but it turned out to continue at a random pace with random pitches. It must have been interesting to experiment with the sound clips and multiple tracks, but the finished piece was not pleasant to listen to and did not flow together as well as it could have.

"The Use of Forms"

The article, "The Use of Forms" presents an interesting view of post-modern art that emerged in the 1980's with the availability of computers and sampling. The article describes this new trend as a "reprocessing of form" (35). Rather than circulating original pieces of art, a group of artists known as the Situationist International argued that art should only be used to combine and create new forms of art. This art movement created the shift from High culture, defining art by is context on pedestals or hanging on gallery walls, to Low culture, breaking the traditional form of presentation of art.

This new "use of forms" is known as "detournement". This term applies not only to fine art, but also to other forms of art including music such as techno and hip-hop, and film. People today do not generally practice detournement as an attack against the modern culture as the Situationists did, but they practice it instead as a personalized form of expression. For example, DJ'ing combines different genres of music so that the types of music get more and more specific and therefore more and more personalized. One DJ states, "I'm sure that new music will be born from now on, unceasingly" (38). In film, detournemnet has been applied by breaking down the traditional genres so as not to be limited or restricted.

With today's technology available to the public and the sharing of forms that has become popular in the post-modern world, there has become less of a distinction between the "creator" and the "consumer." Because of this new trend, there is controversy of whether "remixing" original music pieces is ethical or not. More and more artists are encouraging others to edit and share their work, suggesting that detournemnent is not stealing, but rather a "reprocessing of form" (35).