It has a very different approach to sending a message. The composition is very different due to the three different panels making up one single piece. Each one has almost and entirely different feel. One thing very noticable is the presence of animals on it. I spot three different ones, and each is very closely interacting with a human. Speaking of humans, I see some sort of oriental theme at work here, with paintings of people in traditional Japanese clothing. In addition, the presence of the apple basket doesn’t seem to fit the picture as a whole. The artist may possibly have some sort of nature message. It is really hard to gauge exactly what he means by all these different elements.

After Reading:

The description of this piece gives me and entirely different view of it. I was searching for a direct meaning of the artist’s work. I thought that it may have some sort of message that was much more specific. The description of the work said the artist’s goal was to create rhythm. In addition, it claimed thta much of the inspiration came from a historical perspective, meaning that it may have a lot of background that I am simply not familiar with. Physically, the artist had a strong emphasis on shape, something I didn’t pick up on very well. After seeing this description. I realize that there is a much more broad option when creating art. Rather than commenting on one single issue, we can instead put all of our ideas and mood down and let it create an issue itself. This work’s broad reaching ideas helped me discover that art is a much more open ended question.

Creativity

Emotion

Perspective

Harmony

and Passion

In my researching for my second article, I came across an issue that seemed very interesting and controversial. At issue is the positive value of video games. In Library Trends, this article discusses whether librarians should allow video game usage within their libraries. With the prevalence of computers and their dominance of library information systems, many have begun to use them as a free way to game. Some librarians see this as a perversion of the purpose of libraries, while others see it as a good way to draw people into libraries that previously wouldn’t be there.

I personally believe that if one considers video games as an art, which I concluded from the readings it is, then they should absolutely be allowed in libraries. Obviously I don’t believe that the library should be a place for hoards of gamers to be splattering blood all over computers, but I can see the value of allowing certain games in certain environments. The library journal seemed to reach a conclusion along the same lines, stating that “gaming in the library could be an important way to understand information behaviors and promote effective information seeking in the library.” Perhaps that this is true, and gaming within the walls of even our most sacred academic institutions could lead to a better learning environment.

This article discusses the role of violent video games play in determining the personality of children. It looks into the correlation between violence at a young age, and video games usage, especially violent ones. The article uses a large amount of data obtained through extensive research. Some of the conclusions mad by the authors will catch many people off guard, and would alert more than a few parents.

This issue of the relationship between violent video games and aggression was heavily discussed in this week’s discussion board postings. Some agreed that there is a significant correlation between the two, while others, including myself, concluded that if there is an effect, it is more often than not negligible. The information in the study certainly proves the point of the mentioned first group, that the level of violent video games played affects the amount of aggressive behavior displayed by a person. While I trust that the information within this article is solid and true, I question whether the numbers showed by the study are reflective of something else. Rather than video games manifesting in aggressive behavior, I believe that the opposite may be the truth: that aggression often manifests itself in video game usage. My feeling is that those who have much more pent up anger and emotion will use video games as a way to escape from the real world, and release their aggression through a safe medium such as violent video games. While this article may say otherwise, I believe that it wrongfully assumes the video games lead to violence.

I believe spirituality is a product of our lifestyle. I think it can mean many different things. To some, it may mean a deep interconnection with one’s inner self. In addition, it can also be someone’s deep relationship with something outside their body, such as a god. It is a very subjective term that can mean a number of things. To me, it is a way to stay in touch with myself deep down, and understanding better the issues I am dealing with in my life currently.

2)

Just as in the previous answer, I also think that this question is very subjective. I think that in some cases, religion can be all of one person’s spirituality. They can devote all of their time and energy towards their cause. To others, religion plays no part in their personal spirit. Rather, as is the case with me, it can be solely a relationship with oneself, with a goal to become a better-versed, more aware human being.

3)

In my opinion, creativity is the ability of someone to generate ideas that are special to them. It gives us the power to develop our own niche and role within our tiny social world. It gives us the ability to develop personal relationships with others that are different than anything else. It is driven by past experiences that give us a way to define ourselves in a unique way. The world as we know it today is a product of every person’s special blend of creativity.

4)

As I touch on in number three, I believe that our creativity is a more specific part of our personality. For example, there are some creative types who are gifted in creating ideas that are completely strange and abstract to others; some are better at expanding on current ideas. Each of these is a reflection of that specific person’s personality. If we look even deeper, we can see that the personality of every person is a result of their life up to that point.

This article really caught my eye due to its relevance to my previous post. As I discussed on this blog and the discussion board, horror movies are very different from what they used to be, and this article describes my thoughts exactly as to what is driving the thriving industry. I asked the question as to whether the new style of horror films is truly a way to bring out the endorphins that older movies of the same genre have. This article absolutely confirms my thoughts as to the successful simplification of horror films.

The article looks at a new film, Paranormal Activity, and uses the huge, widespread success and popularity its garnered to reinforce the idea that the new horror style is catchy and resonant. While this popularity is great for the industry, one film critic noted in the article claims that “Horror can be the smartest of genres and one of the laziest.” While yes, almost every horror film effectively accomplishes its goal of scaring its audience, this supports my idea that much of modern horror cinema is dominated by trivial elements that would not be effective in other genres.

One of the goals of this week’s unit was to “Understand and utilize some basic principles of film and television analysis.” To me, this means understand why horror is such a big part of our film culture. Just as I did in this article, I think that if we look at what we are enticed by within horror films, we can understand how this represents the way our minds react to other elements of art, whether it be horror, abstract visual art, or even food.

This article focuses on the modern style of horror films. It analyzes the new tactic in scaring an audience through disturbing images, rather than using the film as a whole to bring out the endorphins we studied this week. More specifically, the article is a review of a film by the name of Antichrist, grotesque film whose goal is simply to make the audience want to vomit. Beyond the film itself, however, it goes on to analyze the modern horror industry as a whole, and concludes that filmmakers in today’s industry are pressured to make films with disturbing images that will resonate with an audience, rather than artistic masterpieces that were common in past eras of film.

In our discussion this week, there was a post regarding the new style of horror films that this article takes aim at. The author stated that he strongly prefers the genre’s style of old, rather than the “shock and awe” style of today. While yes, there certainly is a difference in styles of horror, does the message of the film resonate much differently?

I certainly prefer the films of old, mainly because they challenge the audience to become involved in the film. However, I still feel that the films of new accomplish their goal of bringing out these endorphins just as successfully. Are new horror films too simple? Maybe. Do the older ones develop slowly compared to what we expect in modern cinema? Probably. All in all, I believe that both styles have their own ways of develop their common goal. Both types are scary, and that is what gives horror films their identity.

In terms of piercings, I’ve always been wary of putting holes in my skin. I see my body as a very delicate thing, and I don’t see the intrigue in changing it. In addition, from a very young age, my parents instilled those same values in me. They always made me feel as if my body is the way it is for a reason, and if piercings were the best thing for my body, it would be full of them.

The form of bodily expression I find the most repulsive is tattoos. It goes back to that same point of my parents instilling strong values against bodily alteration. However, beyond this, I find that most people with tattoos see them as a form of showing the world what makes them. They often tell some of the most important stories of a person. In my opinion, I don’t want tattoos or pictures on my body to tell the stories that make me who I am. I would rather keep the ideas that are most important to me within myself, and share them with the people I want to share them with in a more personal and deep way. I believe, and I think most would agree, what makes up a person is not what is on the outside, but on the inside. How I look defines little about who I truly am.

This article goes along with the videos that were assigned this week. They explained the horribly immoral acts committed by fast food chains, and how the public in America seems to not care. Apparently, the French don’t care either. I believe that this is a testament to the love hate relationship that western society has with fast food. We all love to hate it, yet the majority of us keep going back for more, fueling the machine, and this is the product we end up with, fast food in our most sacred places as humans.

The way that this fast food movement has been able to completely conquer the globe is art alone. It is a movement that shows our feelings as people, which to me makes it artistic. It captures the values that each and every one of us has, even if it comes with forks and knives, and ends up intruding into areas we may not have intended it to go. To me it seems very ironic that there is so much outrage among so many people about stories such as this one, yet McDonald’s and its partners in crime continue to dominate food around the world. I believe this characterizes art, and isn’t it ironic that this form of art is being mentioned in the same sentence as the Louvre?

Lansky, D. (2009, October 6). Fast-food chains are everywhere from the louvre to the great wall of china. The Guardian, Retrieved on October 25, 2009 from http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/2009/oct/06/fast-food-chains-louvre

Most of our discussion this week in my forum was centered on the questions as to what type of food constitutes “art.” Some people said all food was art; some claimed that only pretty food was art, and others said only that which expressed cultural values. In this showcase, I see a more novel side of food-art in things like the mentioned candy wrapper butterflies. In my opinion, this type of show, a food-art show, is a way we can embrace what we eat as a way to be artistic in a more simple way than cultural expression.

In addition to the novel side of food-art, we can also see people using as an area to embrace current cultural sentiments. As I mentioned earlier, a Jell-O White House is an example of someone using food to express a political point. As many in my forum stated, art can be artistic by way of a cultural means. It can show patrons what we feel as a culture or individual just the same way more common art can.

McQuaid, C. (2009, October 25). Exhibit hits you right in the sweet spot. The Boston Globe. Retrieved October 25, 2009 fromhttp://www.boston.com/ae/theater_arts/articles/2009/10/25/candy_and_other_foods_sweeten_mass_moca_exhibit/