Kaprow, Weschler, and Saunders Responses

I started by reading Art Which Can't be Art by Allan Kaprow. In this excerpt, Kaprow talks about how his activities and daily events may or may not be perceived as true art. He goes on to describe how he watched himself brush his teeth for several months and be amazed at what exactly was going on. He went on to talk about how brushing his teeth was a starting point for his future in art. I really enjoyed the fact that he was intrigued by looking at himself brush his teeth. It reminds me to not take the little things for granted. Even the picture of him picking up grains of sand and examining them. Overall, I really enjoyed this article and the messages that it sent.

Next, I read the excerpt of The Desert by Lawrence Weschler. In this segment of the book, he tells of the life of Robert Irwin, a contemporary artist. Weschler spends most of the excerpt basically talking about Irwin's life after he gave up art and his lack of structure. He would do random things, like go to the boardwalk, go to the racetrack, or hang out at a random burger joint. It seemed like Irwin was confused and lost without art in his life. It was at the point where Irwin was introduced to nature and became a fanatic. Irwin would go out into the woods and explore random areas, some he would mark to later return to. It got to the point where he wanted to share his love of nature with others. I really enjoyed the transition that I felt when reading this passage. It quickly went from a sense of desperation to a moment of clarity in Irwin's life. I only hope that one day i share an experience like this. Overall, I really like reading about Irwin's experience and journey.

Finally, I read an article about George Saunders' book by Joey Lovell. Lovell writes about how he shared lunch with George Saunders at a restaurant in New York. Saunders told him a story about he had been on a plane that was having mechanical problems due to flying into a flock of geese. It was a near death experience that Saunders had shared with several people on the airplane. He went on to describe his life for the next couple of weeks as being aware of how precious life really is. After talking about his visit with Saunders, Joey Lovell goes on to talk about a new book that is coming out written by George Saunders. Lovell read the newly published book and had some lasting impressions from it. In the book, Saunders went into great detail with death and the process of dying. This stuck with Lovell in ways nothing had before. Overall, I didn't like this article as much as the other two, but still found the subject matter very interesting. Lovell does a very good job of painting a picture of his experiences with George Saunders.

Cardiff Article and Wexner Review

 After reading the article about Cardiff and Miller, I have a new prospective on what exactly art can become to a creative mind. The article tells about Janet Cardiff and George Bures Miller, two artists who have become known for using sound and a medium of personal expression. There were several things that caught my eye in this article that I really liked. One thing that I noticed was the excitement that both artists experienced as they realized they were transitioning from not only traditional artists but also filmmakers. For me, this discovery would be extremely exciting and open up tons of doors in terms of projects and potential designs for works of art. When you think of art, your sense of sight is normally the first one that you would consider you need to enjoy a piece of art. In the case of Cardiff and Miller, they think outside the box and make you use your ears as well. Another thing I really liked about this article was how their love for sound in art turned into a love for each other. It's incredible how a love for something can turn into a life long friendship.

While this was a very upbeat and positive article, there were a few things that caught my attention which I didn't like as much. One thing I noticed in reading this article is that using sound in art has not become very common during the timeframe of this article. It frustrates me that a medium as cool as sound hasn't caught on in a larger scale. Today, you see most art galleries and exhibits continuing to focus on the physical beauty of something, rather than taking a chance at creating something audible. I hope in the future, I see a development in the use of vocal art work. Finally, some of the dialogues that occur between  with Cardiff or Miller get confusing when they talk about the different trips they have taken. With so many different travel stories, it gets overwhelming towards the end when they talk about some of the trips they have taken. However, overall I really enjoyed the article and the work that both Cardiff and Miller have done.

One last thing I wanted to discuss was my visit to the Wexner Center for the Arts last month. While I was there, I checked out several of the exhibits that were out, including The Clock by Christian Marclay and the FSA pictures exhibit. I really like both exhibits for different reasons. For starters, my favorite was the exhibit of Marclay. His different representations of time were extremely interesting to me. It put time as a whole in a new perspective and I saw a different side to the use of photography. I also really like the American FSA photos exhibit. Since the photos were all taken during the Great Depression, it gave me a bit of historical background as I was looking into the lives of those living back then. It also showed me just how fortunate I am to be where I am today with all the opportunities that are laid out for me. Overall, I really like my trip to the Wexner Center and I hope to go back and check out some other exhibits.

MP2 Final Statement

My process for creating my final product with this project was very smooth and nothing was too complicated. I started by inserting all of my pictures into Photoshop, including my background picture that I used. Next I resized the images and placed them in a way that advertisements may be placed in a baseball stadium. After that, I had to reformat a few of the pictures that were obscured by one of the fielders or base runners. For this, I used the magnetic lasso tool to select the area around the person. By turning the frequency up to 100, I was able to trace the image better since it was dropping a pin more frequently. After I had the part of the image that I wanted, I copied the portion that was in the way of the photo and repasted it on top of the photo layer. Finally, I went in with the eraser tool and smoothed out any rough areas where it didn’t copy perfectly. Finally, I made the picture look more rustic by putting it in black and white. Finally, I renamed my layers so I could figure out their chronological order. My intent was to make it seem like the pictures were originally part of the stadium backdrop. I wanted them to transition smoothly into the backdrop. Overall, I really enjoyed this project and learned a lot about the tools that are available on Photoshop. I never would’ve noticed some of the things about my trip to Art Education every morning if I hadn’t taken pictures along the way. It made my walk more enjoyable and much more interesting.

Objects (Micro Project 3)

My altoids are something that I never leave the house without. They give me fresh breath after I eat and give me a boost of energy in the morning.
Summary words: breath saver

My Chapstick is another item, especially in the winter, that I always have with me. It saves my lips from being chapped and the cherry flavor isn't too bad either.
Summary words: Lip cracker

While it isn't always Stride, I almost always have a pack of gum on my person. Like the altoids, it can save my breath after a meal. Also, I have an addiction to chewing gum and always need a piece in my mouth.
Summary words: minty addiction

My headphones are my savior on those long walks to campus. Not only do they make my music sound better,. They also keep my ears warm on those cold winter morning.
Summary words: Warm noise

My IPod is another important part of my mornings when I walk to campus. It makes my travel less rigorous when I have music to listen to. Whether it be Pandora Radio or something on my IPod Shuffle, I bring my music with me everywhere I go.
Summary words: rhythm walking

Another accessory that I rarely leave the house without is my watch. Since I normally keep my phone in my backpack, it's nice to have a way of timekeeping. By the end of the school week, I usually have a red mark on my wrist from where I was wearing it.
Summary words: timely glow

Bringing my wallet with me is second nature at this point,. You never know when you will need cash or your Buck ID to get something so it's always important to have it. My wallet is pretty worn from all it's usage and I never leave the house without it.
Summary words: super shopper

My PowerBalance is another object that I normally put on before I leave the house. While many believe it is just a gimmick, I actually believe that it helps to improve my balance and get my blood flowing in the morning. I also try to wear it when I work out.
Summary words: I believe

At any time, you can find a ton of pens and pencils in my backpack and one behind my ear. Between taking notes in class and writing down things to remember, a writing utensil is a must for any day.
Summary words: Test ready

My keys are probably the most vital object that I carry with me at all times. Without my keys, there is no way for me to get into my house. I also have a tape measure on my key ring in case I need to measure something.
Summary words: Access granted

MP2 Picture

MP 2 Experience

My journey to Ohio Stadium at 10:05 of Wednesdays and Fridays is one that I routinely enjoy compared to my other transits between classes. Normally I walk to class, which means about a 20 minute walk from my house off campus. The first day was a bit of a struggle. I got to the south side of the stadium and felt as if I was getting ready to watch a football game. I started walking around the stadium in a counter-clockwise fashion, hoping to see a sign or any type of direction. As I approached the east side of the stadium, I found the door marked with "Art Education Department". From there, it was a walk up a couple flights of stairs and I had arrived. Unlike a Summer morning, Winter doesn't have much to offer in terms of things that trigger your senses. Aside from feeling very cold due to the temperature, there isn't much more that happens in terms of my 5 senses. Sometimes I will listen to my IPod, which distorts any sounds that may be occurring outside. Since Art Education is my first class of the day, I normally get up with enough time to shower and get to class on time. By the time I get to High Street, I am fully awake and ready to start my day. I normally have tunnel vision as I am walking to class, so aside from walking and trying to stay warm, I don't normally do much else. It is different from the universal map discussed in class due to the fact that my experience is very one dimensional and doesn't change on a weekly basis.

Hornby Article Response

After reading the article about Nipple Jesus, written by Nick Hornby, there were many things about the article that I really liked. One thing that really jumped out for me was Hornby's writing style. I like the rawness that is felt when reading his article. He doesn't sugar coat anything and tells it at face value. I really liked his clear-cut thoughts and feelings toward this job that he got but didn't know anything about. At some points he is very vulgar while at other points, like when he first realizes that the picture is composed of thousands of pictures of nipples, he is astonished by the work. I also liked his interactions that occurred between himself and the protestors of the painting. They were entertaining and very interesting. 

There were also some things that I didn't like about this article. For starters, the article was extremely lengthy and seemed to drag on towards the middle of it. While I liked his narration of the project he had been assigned to, I felt like lot's of the description and dialogue were overkill and made the piece much longer than it needed to be. Rather than stretching it out so much, it would've been a more enjoyable read if some of the clutter would've been removed. Another thing I didn't really like was some of his interactions with people viewing Nipple Jesus. Hornby seemed very disrespectful at points and it really came off as hostility to me. Overall however, the piece was very well written and I enjoyed it. I never would've thought I would read an article about a picture of jesus composed entirely of pictures of nipples. I guess you learn something new every day.