After researching The Tichvine Mother of God, I found that my interpretation held true to what Tichvinskaya was trying to portray. The painting is a sanctified image that is a reminder of the Mother of God. Icons in the Orthodox Church also act as "transmitters of prayer and thus are essential in Orthodox Christian worship." The pamphlet, found in the museum, also explains that these paintings have been called "windows to Heaven since concentrating on them in reverent prayer may open up the mystical channels to the heavenly realm."
It's so interesting to learn more about these religious icons and how they represent more than just color on canvas.
Sunday, June 8, 2008
Art Experience
Last Sunday afternoon I visited Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art with my girlfriend. It's great to know that the University of Oregon can offer such a large collection of art to the students as well as the community. I had a great time and it was particularly interesting to see all the different types of art. What stood out the most were the Holy Icons of Russia exhibit. Every painting was very moving to me because I come from a religious background. One painting in particular stood out: Tichvine Mother of God by Bogomater Tichvinskaya. I believe that Tichvinskaya was trying to portray the importance of the mother and son relationship through Mary and the baby Jesus.
Sunday, June 1, 2008
Remixing Culture Collage
I had a hard time figuring out how to put text in without having a white box surrounding it, so here are my artist characteristics from left to right.
1. Creativity
2. Individualism
3. Curiosity
4. Vision
5. Drive
6. Imagination
7. Aesthetics
2. Individualism
3. Curiosity
4. Vision
5. Drive
6. Imagination
7. Aesthetics
Sunday, May 25, 2008
Video Games, Art, Technology
Site #1
“I broke a sweat for Wii Fit, but it called me names,” by Matt Harley, Globe and Mail on May 22, 2008, explains how technology is promoting an active lifestyle. Video games are usually thought of as inhibiting an inactive lifestyle but the Wii is making strides to counteract this stigma.
“With the Wii, Nintendo has flipped the video game world on its head. The revolutionary system expanded the gaming market beyond basement-dwelling teenage males with its motion-sensing controllers – called Wii Wands or “Wiimotes” – which allow gamers to play by physically mimicking the motion of swinging a racquet or hitting a baseball rather than mashing buttons,” says Harley.
I really enjoy that Nintendo has listened to the people and made a positive attempt to help the countries obesity epidemic rather than promoting this “super-size” lifestyle. Even though the Wii does not show results of a large amount of weight loss or muscle gain it does, however, calculate body mass index and moves a gamer from the couch to an active position.
“Nintendo isn't making any specific health claims about the Wii Fit. The company says the game encourages physical activity and hopes families will find it a useful tool for staying active, says Nintendo Canada spokesman Matt Ryan,” explains Harley.
As this class has discussed earlier, technology is beginning to change in new ways that which have never been understood before. Technology is finding its way into every aspect of our lives. Whether it be adopting a “pet,” incorporating new exercise routines or even training the military, technology and the use of concept art through video games has, in many ways, improved the way we go about activities.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080522.wgtwiifit0523/BNStory/Technology/home
Site #2
“James Cameron Will Make You Believe,” found on Empire magazine’s Web site, spotlights a new feature film that incorporates concept art in filmmaking.
The movie, “Avatar,” uses computer-generated characters alongside of real human actors. ”Making beings in a computer that remain completely convincing alongside live-action humans is something that has never been fully achieved in movies, although Peter Jackson has come closest and made enormous leaps. But Cameron believes he has the technology,” explains Empire.
This is a new up-and-coming way that technology has become art where virtual characters interact with characters played by real human beings. Without this technology art would not exist.
Cameron has been dedicating so much time to this new technology that the story of the film may not be as good, but it is still art.
“He goes so far as to say that he's been concentrating so hard on getting the technology right that "I don't know whether [this] will be [a] great film from a narrative and critical standpoint. The experience of Avatar will be an experience unlike any other movies,” says Empire.
As we have discussed in this class, art comes in many forms and has changed over time. When something changes over time, it does so with technology. New ways of doing something, like creating art, is technology. How can you fight technology when it has brought forth so many great forms of art? Roy Lichtenstein is a well-respected pop artist who used the technology of screen-printing to create beautiful pieces that are now on display in museums.
http://www.empireonline.com/news/story.asp?NID=22615
“I broke a sweat for Wii Fit, but it called me names,” by Matt Harley, Globe and Mail on May 22, 2008, explains how technology is promoting an active lifestyle. Video games are usually thought of as inhibiting an inactive lifestyle but the Wii is making strides to counteract this stigma.
“With the Wii, Nintendo has flipped the video game world on its head. The revolutionary system expanded the gaming market beyond basement-dwelling teenage males with its motion-sensing controllers – called Wii Wands or “Wiimotes” – which allow gamers to play by physically mimicking the motion of swinging a racquet or hitting a baseball rather than mashing buttons,” says Harley.
I really enjoy that Nintendo has listened to the people and made a positive attempt to help the countries obesity epidemic rather than promoting this “super-size” lifestyle. Even though the Wii does not show results of a large amount of weight loss or muscle gain it does, however, calculate body mass index and moves a gamer from the couch to an active position.
“Nintendo isn't making any specific health claims about the Wii Fit. The company says the game encourages physical activity and hopes families will find it a useful tool for staying active, says Nintendo Canada spokesman Matt Ryan,” explains Harley.
As this class has discussed earlier, technology is beginning to change in new ways that which have never been understood before. Technology is finding its way into every aspect of our lives. Whether it be adopting a “pet,” incorporating new exercise routines or even training the military, technology and the use of concept art through video games has, in many ways, improved the way we go about activities.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080522.wgtwiifit0523/BNStory/Technology/home
Site #2
“James Cameron Will Make You Believe,” found on Empire magazine’s Web site, spotlights a new feature film that incorporates concept art in filmmaking.
The movie, “Avatar,” uses computer-generated characters alongside of real human actors. ”Making beings in a computer that remain completely convincing alongside live-action humans is something that has never been fully achieved in movies, although Peter Jackson has come closest and made enormous leaps. But Cameron believes he has the technology,” explains Empire.
This is a new up-and-coming way that technology has become art where virtual characters interact with characters played by real human beings. Without this technology art would not exist.
Cameron has been dedicating so much time to this new technology that the story of the film may not be as good, but it is still art.
“He goes so far as to say that he's been concentrating so hard on getting the technology right that "I don't know whether [this] will be [a] great film from a narrative and critical standpoint. The experience of Avatar will be an experience unlike any other movies,” says Empire.
As we have discussed in this class, art comes in many forms and has changed over time. When something changes over time, it does so with technology. New ways of doing something, like creating art, is technology. How can you fight technology when it has brought forth so many great forms of art? Roy Lichtenstein is a well-respected pop artist who used the technology of screen-printing to create beautiful pieces that are now on display in museums.
http://www.empireonline.com/news/story.asp?NID=22615
Sunday, May 18, 2008
How do you define “spirituality”?
I really like how Ann Hamilton portrayed spirituality in the video of contemporary art. She spoke of how our body is an organ/membrane that absorbs our surroundings and our spirituality is personified depending on how our senses are interpreting what it is around us. I believe in people, objects, surrounding having good vibes and bad vibes and our spirituality at the time is reflected by what my senses are absorbing.
Does spirituality differ from religion?
This is a really touchy subject because there is such a fine line between spirituality and religion. I would say a basic definition of religion is that it is a set of beliefs and practices that a community joins together to with a selective standard in mind. Spirituality although can be the same or similar can differ when someone who is not religious has a set of beliefs or practices that is outside any religion. Spirituality can almost be a reflection of someone’s emotions at a particular time.
How do you define “creativity”?
I believe that spirituality and creativity are very much linked. Just like spirituality, creativity spawns from our nature surroundings. It is the ability to generate concepts and ideas from what our mind and body draws from what is around us. Creativity in my perspective is a great outlet for spirituality and can be seen if many form from all religions.
What is the source of creativity?
Creativity as mentioned above spawns from our nature surroundings and how our mind is interpreting it at the time. This is why almost anyone can be creative at a given time. Musicians throughout time have demonstrated that even when our mind is in an unstable state because of psychedelic drugs, people are still able to be creative. This shows that creativity really is an outlook of what our mind is interpreting our surroundings.
I really like how Ann Hamilton portrayed spirituality in the video of contemporary art. She spoke of how our body is an organ/membrane that absorbs our surroundings and our spirituality is personified depending on how our senses are interpreting what it is around us. I believe in people, objects, surrounding having good vibes and bad vibes and our spirituality at the time is reflected by what my senses are absorbing.
Does spirituality differ from religion?
This is a really touchy subject because there is such a fine line between spirituality and religion. I would say a basic definition of religion is that it is a set of beliefs and practices that a community joins together to with a selective standard in mind. Spirituality although can be the same or similar can differ when someone who is not religious has a set of beliefs or practices that is outside any religion. Spirituality can almost be a reflection of someone’s emotions at a particular time.
How do you define “creativity”?
I believe that spirituality and creativity are very much linked. Just like spirituality, creativity spawns from our nature surroundings. It is the ability to generate concepts and ideas from what our mind and body draws from what is around us. Creativity in my perspective is a great outlet for spirituality and can be seen if many form from all religions.
What is the source of creativity?
Creativity as mentioned above spawns from our nature surroundings and how our mind is interpreting it at the time. This is why almost anyone can be creative at a given time. Musicians throughout time have demonstrated that even when our mind is in an unstable state because of psychedelic drugs, people are still able to be creative. This shows that creativity really is an outlook of what our mind is interpreting our surroundings.
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Horror Films
Horror films without sound
The website I found deals with how sound can affect if a movie is scary or not scary. I’m actually one of those rare people out there that actually enjoy horror films. John goes on to talk about how movies without the sound of the slash of a knife or sound of a gun going off just doesn’t have quiet the same affect if you do not hear it. I completely agree with this website and put it to the test some time ago. I heard a while ago that by just turning the sound off in a horror film would make it not scary. Being the curious creature that I am, I went home and gave the no sound theory a try because I was a bit skeptical of it. My thoughts at the time were that visuals were the most important aspect of a horror movie. By watching a scary movie without sound I quickly learnt that sound was a main benefactor for making movies scary. It now makes a lot of sense to me now because I still enjoy old school scary movies even though they aren’t as visually stimulating as newer movies, the sound behind them is just as creative as movies being made today.
In one of my groups recent post we discussed how most people are less scared by watching scary films in the comfort of their own home rather then in a movie theater. This article sheds some light on the issue because obviously movies theaters are much louder then what we can achieve in our own home (unless of course your have your own movie theater..) and this contributes why most people like watching scary movies at home.
“Music and Sound Effects of Horror Films”, by John Hubinette
Retrieved May 11, 2008 from http://www.eng.umu.se/monster/john/sound_music.htm
Why we watch horror films
This website basically goes along with the reading “Paradox of horror films” by talking about how people watch scary movies because they almost want to view something that is not reality. I partially agree with this but I also like the viewpoint that most people enjoy horror films because of curiosity and mystery of the unknown. I personally like scary movies because of the fiction and mystery they create. I don’t think its escaping reality that people are trying to do but rather viewing a alter reality that in most cases will never exist in this world. Scary movies allow us to almost think outside the box and use our imagination in ways you would never think possible. Just like when you were a kid after watching a scary movie and lying in bed thinking that a monster is under your bed and was waiting for the right time to strike. Our imagination from watching these horror films is able to create something that will never exist yet the fear is implanted in our head.
“Justin’s guide too…why we watch horror”
Retrieved May 11, 2008 from http://www.mutantreviewers.com/rjg16.html
The website I found deals with how sound can affect if a movie is scary or not scary. I’m actually one of those rare people out there that actually enjoy horror films. John goes on to talk about how movies without the sound of the slash of a knife or sound of a gun going off just doesn’t have quiet the same affect if you do not hear it. I completely agree with this website and put it to the test some time ago. I heard a while ago that by just turning the sound off in a horror film would make it not scary. Being the curious creature that I am, I went home and gave the no sound theory a try because I was a bit skeptical of it. My thoughts at the time were that visuals were the most important aspect of a horror movie. By watching a scary movie without sound I quickly learnt that sound was a main benefactor for making movies scary. It now makes a lot of sense to me now because I still enjoy old school scary movies even though they aren’t as visually stimulating as newer movies, the sound behind them is just as creative as movies being made today.
In one of my groups recent post we discussed how most people are less scared by watching scary films in the comfort of their own home rather then in a movie theater. This article sheds some light on the issue because obviously movies theaters are much louder then what we can achieve in our own home (unless of course your have your own movie theater..) and this contributes why most people like watching scary movies at home.
“Music and Sound Effects of Horror Films”, by John Hubinette
Retrieved May 11, 2008 from http://www.eng.umu.se/monster/john/sound_music.htm
Why we watch horror films
This website basically goes along with the reading “Paradox of horror films” by talking about how people watch scary movies because they almost want to view something that is not reality. I partially agree with this but I also like the viewpoint that most people enjoy horror films because of curiosity and mystery of the unknown. I personally like scary movies because of the fiction and mystery they create. I don’t think its escaping reality that people are trying to do but rather viewing a alter reality that in most cases will never exist in this world. Scary movies allow us to almost think outside the box and use our imagination in ways you would never think possible. Just like when you were a kid after watching a scary movie and lying in bed thinking that a monster is under your bed and was waiting for the right time to strike. Our imagination from watching these horror films is able to create something that will never exist yet the fear is implanted in our head.
“Justin’s guide too…why we watch horror”
Retrieved May 11, 2008 from http://www.mutantreviewers.com/rjg16.html
Sunday, May 4, 2008
Personal Style
I traveled around the world for the first 15 years of my life; Japan, Australia and Germany are only a few of the many countries I spent my adolescent years. I was what many call a “military brat.” My father was a pilot in the Air Force causing us to relocate every few years.
Interestingly enough, my military background has had more of an affect on my style of dress than any of the dozens of cultures I’ve experienced. Every day I shave, style my short hair, find a clean shirt and put on a pair of jeans embellished by a leather belt. I make sure that my jeans are never tattered and my shirts always pressed. Whenever I go out to a nice dinner or a night on the town I wear a button-down shirt, designer jeans and loafers.
Many people would perceive my style of dress as “conservative.” I make the decision to have a conservative style because of my upbringing in the military. Familiarity is what keeps my style consistent. The only way my style has ever evolved would be with time and what is the “in” style. If I ever follow a trend it would be with a conservative attitude.
My style of dress is definitely consistent with those who I call my friends. I am currently a member of the Beta Theta Pi fraternity and we pride ourselves on being upstanding gentlemen. Based on my observations, every member, for the most part, shares a similar style. I also believe that this has to do with our upbringings and family values.
Friday, April 25, 2008
Food As Art
Food with Art on the Mind
My article was form an online newspaper source. It was about some students from the pastry department at Barbabos Community College Hospitality Institute. These particular students had been learning the culinary art for the past two years and were asked to hold an exhibition in order to inform the public about what occurs at their school. Most of the students were pastry chefs and showed an assortment of cakes, “The skills exhibited featured many varieties of fruit and vegetable displays; nut and fruit-filled chocolates; fat carbon sculptures; icing, castor and rock sugar creations and several magnificent giant ice carvings.”
This article relates both to the video about slow food and the reading “Food as Art” because it shows how students are taking food and creating masterpieces in the culinary world. Theses cakes and sculptures are both aesthetically pleasing to the eyes as well as taste. After reading this and what else I’ve read this week it reminds me of how food plays an important role in our world and how it is absolutely an art that has been passed down from generation to generation. We have television channels dedicated to food, competitions, festivals and other events that have food as a main focal point. Some competitions that use food (Gingerbread house competition) don’t even use taste as a criteria of grading, it is on presentation alone which screams art.
Umoja R. (2008, April 23). Nation News, Food with art in mind [On-Line Newspaper]. Retrieved April 25, from http://www.nationnews.com/story/324405779112151.php
Art as a Smell
This article was also found online and I actually found this one to be very interesting because it gave me a completely different perspective then what I was previously thinking. It talks about how basically smell can main the main contributor to aesthetics. Robert Blackson was inspired by the book ‘Fast Food Nation’ and held and exhibition that instead of focusing on sight, they focusing on smell. The interesting part is that they discussed how smell could bring about memories of childhood dinners or any other memory that the smell would remind you off.
In my post this week I was curious if people viewed fast food as an art and this article sheds some light on this. I figured that most people would just view McDonalds as a fast food place and nothing more then a place to grab some food. But what if someone was driving by McDonalds and catches a smell that paints a picture in their head of a previous event, you in a way can consider this to be art. This article shows a different view point that can be applied on fast food restaurants. I still however would not put this in the same category as slow food as art because the intentions in each category are different. Slow food as an art is trying to capture the essence of food and display it in a masterful way. The fast food industry is merely trying to sell a product for interest of gaining capital. It’s the consumer that can take the smell or taste of a fast food item and turn it into an aesthetic feeling.
Georgi G. (2008, April 21). 24 Hour Museum Art as a smell at the Reg Vardy Gallery,[On-Line Newspaper]. Retrieved April 25, from http://www.24hourmuseum.org.uk/nwh_gfx_en/ART56538.html
My article was form an online newspaper source. It was about some students from the pastry department at Barbabos Community College Hospitality Institute. These particular students had been learning the culinary art for the past two years and were asked to hold an exhibition in order to inform the public about what occurs at their school. Most of the students were pastry chefs and showed an assortment of cakes, “The skills exhibited featured many varieties of fruit and vegetable displays; nut and fruit-filled chocolates; fat carbon sculptures; icing, castor and rock sugar creations and several magnificent giant ice carvings.”
This article relates both to the video about slow food and the reading “Food as Art” because it shows how students are taking food and creating masterpieces in the culinary world. Theses cakes and sculptures are both aesthetically pleasing to the eyes as well as taste. After reading this and what else I’ve read this week it reminds me of how food plays an important role in our world and how it is absolutely an art that has been passed down from generation to generation. We have television channels dedicated to food, competitions, festivals and other events that have food as a main focal point. Some competitions that use food (Gingerbread house competition) don’t even use taste as a criteria of grading, it is on presentation alone which screams art.
Umoja R. (2008, April 23). Nation News, Food with art in mind [On-Line Newspaper]. Retrieved April 25, from http://www.nationnews.com/story/324405779112151.php
Art as a Smell
This article was also found online and I actually found this one to be very interesting because it gave me a completely different perspective then what I was previously thinking. It talks about how basically smell can main the main contributor to aesthetics. Robert Blackson was inspired by the book ‘Fast Food Nation’ and held and exhibition that instead of focusing on sight, they focusing on smell. The interesting part is that they discussed how smell could bring about memories of childhood dinners or any other memory that the smell would remind you off.
In my post this week I was curious if people viewed fast food as an art and this article sheds some light on this. I figured that most people would just view McDonalds as a fast food place and nothing more then a place to grab some food. But what if someone was driving by McDonalds and catches a smell that paints a picture in their head of a previous event, you in a way can consider this to be art. This article shows a different view point that can be applied on fast food restaurants. I still however would not put this in the same category as slow food as art because the intentions in each category are different. Slow food as an art is trying to capture the essence of food and display it in a masterful way. The fast food industry is merely trying to sell a product for interest of gaining capital. It’s the consumer that can take the smell or taste of a fast food item and turn it into an aesthetic feeling.
Georgi G. (2008, April 21). 24 Hour Museum Art as a smell at the Reg Vardy Gallery,[On-Line Newspaper]. Retrieved April 25, from http://www.24hourmuseum.org.uk/nwh_gfx_en/ART56538.html
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Values
Family
Loyalty
Friendship
Independence
Personal Accomplishment
------------------------
Personal Development
Leadership
Wisdom
Enjoyment
Wealth
Creativity
Integrity
Health
Location
Security
Community
Expertness
Service
Prestige
Power
I have to say that these values for the most part we hard to prioritize due to the fact that most were things that I had to not thought about and most being values that I want to represent me. However, the top for me were kind of a no brainier for me because they deal with friends and family.
Seeing how today is Sunday and the masters were on it was hard to match my activities that I did today with these values. I ended up sleeping in, once awake I then followed it with some food and watching the masters. I called my family back in Washington because that’s something I try to do on Sundays. Then I did some reading for another class and here I am now writing this assignment. The activities I did today do not represent my top 5 values completely but they follow along the same path. Doing some homework I would say is personal development and accomplishment. Talking to my family would fall under family, friendship and loyalty.
These top values that I have selected have absolutely been affecting my family and how I was raised. I have been traveling overseas for the last 9 years in Germany, Australia, and Japan because my dad was in the air force. It has taught me a great deal about family, loyalty and the ability to be independent. A goal for myself after I graduate this summer is to get my feet wet with some work and to find a job that I can see myself enjoying for a while. I don’t believe there is much standing in the way of me achieving these goals except for myself and how motivated I am. Only time will tell and hopefully with any luck achieving this goal won’t be to far out of reach.
Loyalty
Friendship
Independence
Personal Accomplishment
------------------------
Personal Development
Leadership
Wisdom
Enjoyment
Wealth
Creativity
Integrity
Health
Location
Security
Community
Expertness
Service
Prestige
Power
I have to say that these values for the most part we hard to prioritize due to the fact that most were things that I had to not thought about and most being values that I want to represent me. However, the top for me were kind of a no brainier for me because they deal with friends and family.
Seeing how today is Sunday and the masters were on it was hard to match my activities that I did today with these values. I ended up sleeping in, once awake I then followed it with some food and watching the masters. I called my family back in Washington because that’s something I try to do on Sundays. Then I did some reading for another class and here I am now writing this assignment. The activities I did today do not represent my top 5 values completely but they follow along the same path. Doing some homework I would say is personal development and accomplishment. Talking to my family would fall under family, friendship and loyalty.
These top values that I have selected have absolutely been affecting my family and how I was raised. I have been traveling overseas for the last 9 years in Germany, Australia, and Japan because my dad was in the air force. It has taught me a great deal about family, loyalty and the ability to be independent. A goal for myself after I graduate this summer is to get my feet wet with some work and to find a job that I can see myself enjoying for a while. I don’t believe there is much standing in the way of me achieving these goals except for myself and how motivated I am. Only time will tell and hopefully with any luck achieving this goal won’t be to far out of reach.
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Texas Hold'em
I have to start off by saying that I am honestly not a fan of blogs. Funny thing is after reading some of the others it seems that I am not alone. The reason why is because a lot of blogs out there are just some person’s opinion on a topic which can be true but most likely is not. So this will be my first blog and most likely the last, but I won’t hold my breath.
The blog that I found to be most interesting was on Texas Hold’em. I have been playing cash games online at a site known as Full Tilt Poker. As most people know, President Bush outlawed online poker a few years ago because of the boom it created for gambling. The reason for the outlawing was because minors were able to use their parent’s credit cards but technically they were not allowed to gamble due to the fact they are under 18. Anyways, just recently some lawyer’s came together and figured out a way to get around this law. I’m not exactly sure how they were able to bend the rules, but I must say that I’m not complaining. The game of Texas Hold’em some people say involves luck, which it does, but the game mainly takes strategy just the like the game of chess. Knowing when to bluff, raise, or fold is vital to become a successful poker player. Mainly, figuring out your odds and not playing with emotions and limiting your risks for the best pots will determine how far you make it in a tournament. All in all, I’m happy that online poker is back because it’s always fun to win some money on your off time but sometimes gambling doesn’t payout the way you wanted it to.
By Wes Trout
The blog that I found to be most interesting was on Texas Hold’em. I have been playing cash games online at a site known as Full Tilt Poker. As most people know, President Bush outlawed online poker a few years ago because of the boom it created for gambling. The reason for the outlawing was because minors were able to use their parent’s credit cards but technically they were not allowed to gamble due to the fact they are under 18. Anyways, just recently some lawyer’s came together and figured out a way to get around this law. I’m not exactly sure how they were able to bend the rules, but I must say that I’m not complaining. The game of Texas Hold’em some people say involves luck, which it does, but the game mainly takes strategy just the like the game of chess. Knowing when to bluff, raise, or fold is vital to become a successful poker player. Mainly, figuring out your odds and not playing with emotions and limiting your risks for the best pots will determine how far you make it in a tournament. All in all, I’m happy that online poker is back because it’s always fun to win some money on your off time but sometimes gambling doesn’t payout the way you wanted it to.
By Wes Trout
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