Saturday, March 21, 2009
Consumption Project Notes Part B
I was a little nervous presenting my project because I had never done anything like that and wasn't sure how people would respond. I think it was sucessful in portraying that anxiety that goes along with the uncertainty of not knowing what is on something and whether or not it is "contaminated." The first question I remember getting after the slideshow was about whether they were same pens I gave them. Another person mentioned wanting to wash their hands. I think my project was successful, especially since a lot of times with anxiety it is in our heads and there is in fact nothing truly wrong...as was the case with the pens.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Consumption Project Notes Part A
I don't have a definite idea that sticks out for me for this project that I'd like to persue. Similarly, I found several different definitions for consumption that I might like to go with, but not a definite one I want to go with. With my consumption log, I noticed how many different "beauty products" I typically use, and I think that is not just me, but I think many women probably do. The consumption log got me thinking more about consumption and possible ideas for a project during the time I was doing it.
One thing I noticed with the beauty products is that they have a lot of ingredients that you would probably need like a chemistry degree to understand. I think it is kind of bizzarre how we consume many things that we probably don't even know what half the ingredients really are, but yet we willingly do so trusting in the manufacturer and the government. In high school I found an article on what some of the common ingredients in shampoo are or do. I still have this article and if I decide to go this route I can pull it out. My idea with that concept was to make a poster on Photoshop with a shampoo bottle or something and have an image of a magnifying glass over the label with the ingredients that most people probably would not know what they are emphasized and maybe text saying What are you really consuming? or something along those lines. Then, the other part of this would be interactive somehow where the viewer would try and match the ingredient to what its purpose is or a non-scientific term of what it is (like an activity you might find at the Mint Museum of Art that goes along with the piece).
Another thing I noticed, was that many smaller products that you can buy at the store have UPC symbols printed on them. I was thinking that I could use Photoshop to create a space or room where everything is available for consumption and have barcodes on everything, including things that may not be expected to have them. I think some of the reasons behind consumption at such high levels today is mass production,commodification, and easy access. We typically don't think as much now about it. Years ago, if someone wanted some milk, they'd have to go milk their cow that they had to feed and maintain. Now-a-days it's like "O let me run by the store on my way home from work and get x,y, and z." The mass media also sends a constant stream of news, music, fashion, etc.
Another topic I was originally thinking about doing with my project was anxiety. It definetely has the ability to consume. For a while one of the ways it manifested itself for me was the feeling of myself or other things being contaminated and using Germ-X excessively (like the big 40 oz. bottle in about a week). Pretty ridiculous. Also, washing my hands probably more than most. Like I felt like I needed to keep my hands clean. I'm not really sure where I'd go with this. One thought I had today was how overuse of hand sanitizers in our society is leading to the creation or superbacteria. My initial thought was to maybe create massive interpretations of superbacteria strands, like an installation where they huge like floor to cieling so the viewer would seem small being confronted by this massive thing. I'm not sure though. I might want to research it more if I go this route and maybe by learning more it would lead to something more. Another thought would maybe be abstract paintings using the shapes of these super bacteria, I don't know if that would be possible though.
A spin off of that last idea about the abstract paintings, could be to do them using images of the virus that causes what they used to call consumption (tuberculosis?).
Those are some of my ideas. Some input would be good, because I don't really have a clear idea that I plan to persue yet. Thanks!
One thing I noticed with the beauty products is that they have a lot of ingredients that you would probably need like a chemistry degree to understand. I think it is kind of bizzarre how we consume many things that we probably don't even know what half the ingredients really are, but yet we willingly do so trusting in the manufacturer and the government. In high school I found an article on what some of the common ingredients in shampoo are or do. I still have this article and if I decide to go this route I can pull it out. My idea with that concept was to make a poster on Photoshop with a shampoo bottle or something and have an image of a magnifying glass over the label with the ingredients that most people probably would not know what they are emphasized and maybe text saying What are you really consuming? or something along those lines. Then, the other part of this would be interactive somehow where the viewer would try and match the ingredient to what its purpose is or a non-scientific term of what it is (like an activity you might find at the Mint Museum of Art that goes along with the piece).
Another thing I noticed, was that many smaller products that you can buy at the store have UPC symbols printed on them. I was thinking that I could use Photoshop to create a space or room where everything is available for consumption and have barcodes on everything, including things that may not be expected to have them. I think some of the reasons behind consumption at such high levels today is mass production,commodification, and easy access. We typically don't think as much now about it. Years ago, if someone wanted some milk, they'd have to go milk their cow that they had to feed and maintain. Now-a-days it's like "O let me run by the store on my way home from work and get x,y, and z." The mass media also sends a constant stream of news, music, fashion, etc.
Another topic I was originally thinking about doing with my project was anxiety. It definetely has the ability to consume. For a while one of the ways it manifested itself for me was the feeling of myself or other things being contaminated and using Germ-X excessively (like the big 40 oz. bottle in about a week). Pretty ridiculous. Also, washing my hands probably more than most. Like I felt like I needed to keep my hands clean. I'm not really sure where I'd go with this. One thought I had today was how overuse of hand sanitizers in our society is leading to the creation or superbacteria. My initial thought was to maybe create massive interpretations of superbacteria strands, like an installation where they huge like floor to cieling so the viewer would seem small being confronted by this massive thing. I'm not sure though. I might want to research it more if I go this route and maybe by learning more it would lead to something more. Another thought would maybe be abstract paintings using the shapes of these super bacteria, I don't know if that would be possible though.
A spin off of that last idea about the abstract paintings, could be to do them using images of the virus that causes what they used to call consumption (tuberculosis?).
Those are some of my ideas. Some input would be good, because I don't really have a clear idea that I plan to persue yet. Thanks!
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Highlights From My Consumption Log
For my consumption log, I decided to record the number of times I wash my hands with soap, the number of times I use Germ-X (and when possible how much), the number of times I go online everyday (not including AIM), miles driven, usage of "beauty products," and number of phone calls/amount of time spent on the phone just with phone calls lasting at least 1 second.
-In one week I washed my hands with soap 42 times.
-In one week I used Germ-X 11 times.
-In one week I went online (not including AIM) 47 times.
-In one week I drove 224 miles.
-In one week I had 37 calls on my phone that lasted at least one second. The total time spent on my phone with these calls was 5 hours 44 minutes and 42 seconds.
-On Wednesday I used 20 different "beauty products."
-On Thursday I used 17 different "beauty products."
-On Friday I used 15 different "beauty products."
-On Saturday I used 19 or 20 different "beauty products."
-On Sunday I used 5 different "beauty products."
-On Monday I used 7 different "beauty products."
-On Tuesday I used 21 different "beauty products."
-In one week I washed my hands with soap 42 times.
-In one week I used Germ-X 11 times.
-In one week I went online (not including AIM) 47 times.
-In one week I drove 224 miles.
-In one week I had 37 calls on my phone that lasted at least one second. The total time spent on my phone with these calls was 5 hours 44 minutes and 42 seconds.
-On Wednesday I used 20 different "beauty products."
-On Thursday I used 17 different "beauty products."
-On Friday I used 15 different "beauty products."
-On Saturday I used 19 or 20 different "beauty products."
-On Sunday I used 5 different "beauty products."
-On Monday I used 7 different "beauty products."
-On Tuesday I used 21 different "beauty products."
Vanessa Beecroft Reading Notes
1. -Why so much flesh?
-Is it meant to be voyeuristic?
-What is the message she is trying to convey?
2. -Her work is considered installation, based on the picture I thought it might be performance art.
-I like her idea, but am not sure about her approach. I think it does get her point across though.
-I think it would be awkward to be one of the viewers at her show. It reminds me of some of the paintings from Survey II like Titian's The Venus of Urbino. I remember Professor Noble talking about how images like that were kind of voyeuristic and I get that feeling from the image of Beercroft's work in the text. I think this is intentional and she may be trying to conjure up those connections.
-This type of scrutinizing/objectification/not so realistic standards of women's bodies is unfortunately all too common within our society. Typically, it is not presented as blatantly, though definetely present. In my Secondary Methods class, we brought in examples of visual culture from magazines and there was definetely these types of concerns present.
-I think the issues she deals with in her artwork are definetely problems that exist within our society that should be addressed.
-Her choice of audience seems aide in the sucess of getting across her message. She chose the audience for her installation, and the text said many were people that maybe frequently go to museums and are in tune with the art world. I think these people would probably be more likely to make the historical connections to earlier artworks with similar themes and maybe even be familiar with the history of the portrayal of women's bodies in art.
-I like that her installation with the girls changed over time. What started off as a beauty ideal, began to change and reality started to show with the passage of time, something not typically seen in a magazine cover or commercial.
3. -Beercroft is trying to make connections to the history or nude women being portrayed in art, as well as to probably try and really show off/exaggerate this idea of beauty that alligns with mainstream society's ideal of what beauty is supposed to look like.
-I'm not sure that her intent is for it to be voyeuristic. She definetely wants the viewer to look at them, and not have them look back. She did seem to want to make art historical connections to the portrayal of the female nude, which that probably goes back to. I'm not sure that she intended their to be sexual undertones, but in the way she set the installation up, the women do become like an object for all these people to look at.
-Her installation that was pictured in the book was about women's beauty and the unrealistic standards of beauty that exist in regards to the female body, and exposing it as unrealistic and non-lasting.
4. -Could she have effectively portrayed her message so strongly using a different medium?
-How would the response to her work vary if she did not personally select who was viewing it?
-Would someone without any background in art history still be able to get her message?
-Is it meant to be voyeuristic?
-What is the message she is trying to convey?
2. -Her work is considered installation, based on the picture I thought it might be performance art.
-I like her idea, but am not sure about her approach. I think it does get her point across though.
-I think it would be awkward to be one of the viewers at her show. It reminds me of some of the paintings from Survey II like Titian's The Venus of Urbino. I remember Professor Noble talking about how images like that were kind of voyeuristic and I get that feeling from the image of Beercroft's work in the text. I think this is intentional and she may be trying to conjure up those connections.
-This type of scrutinizing/objectification/not so realistic standards of women's bodies is unfortunately all too common within our society. Typically, it is not presented as blatantly, though definetely present. In my Secondary Methods class, we brought in examples of visual culture from magazines and there was definetely these types of concerns present.
-I think the issues she deals with in her artwork are definetely problems that exist within our society that should be addressed.
-Her choice of audience seems aide in the sucess of getting across her message. She chose the audience for her installation, and the text said many were people that maybe frequently go to museums and are in tune with the art world. I think these people would probably be more likely to make the historical connections to earlier artworks with similar themes and maybe even be familiar with the history of the portrayal of women's bodies in art.
-I like that her installation with the girls changed over time. What started off as a beauty ideal, began to change and reality started to show with the passage of time, something not typically seen in a magazine cover or commercial.
3. -Beercroft is trying to make connections to the history or nude women being portrayed in art, as well as to probably try and really show off/exaggerate this idea of beauty that alligns with mainstream society's ideal of what beauty is supposed to look like.
-I'm not sure that her intent is for it to be voyeuristic. She definetely wants the viewer to look at them, and not have them look back. She did seem to want to make art historical connections to the portrayal of the female nude, which that probably goes back to. I'm not sure that she intended their to be sexual undertones, but in the way she set the installation up, the women do become like an object for all these people to look at.
-Her installation that was pictured in the book was about women's beauty and the unrealistic standards of beauty that exist in regards to the female body, and exposing it as unrealistic and non-lasting.
4. -Could she have effectively portrayed her message so strongly using a different medium?
-How would the response to her work vary if she did not personally select who was viewing it?
-Would someone without any background in art history still be able to get her message?
Thomas Kinkade Reading Notes
1. -What would his style of painting be considered"
-Why does he chose to paint in a dreamy sort of way?
-How does he chose his scenes?
2. -His work is meant to appeal to the masses and be widely distributed. I think I dislike that about his work.
-I wonder if he really likes painting these scenes or if he does so because he thinks it has such a wide appeal and he knows others will like it. I wonder what he'd paint if he painted what he really wanted to paint, without trying to appeal to the masses.
-I think he can paint very well, but don't like that he is motivated by the commercial side of distributing his artwork. To each his own though, who am I to say that that is any worse than other reasons people may chose to make art. Maybe if people really liked my work so much I'd want to pump it out and go commercial so that all who wanted could have it. Maybe he has good intentions behind going commercially.
-I think his paintings to seem to portray a "better time" that has passed when things were more simple and that may be why they appeal to so many people.
-His paintings do have a rather inviting feel to them.
-I wonder how he went about building such an extensive "empire."
-I like that in his mission he states ways he hopes his art will help others.
-Going back to art history, the availability/accessability of his artwork is probably a good thing so that everyone can own art and it is not just an elitist luxury.
-His work also doesn't require analytical skills, the "common man" can just enjoy it for its aesthetic quality, whether or not that's good I'm not sure, but it's a start at getting people into art.
-His marketing plans seem very well thought out and apparently he has quite a following.
3.-His art is considered contemporary art. I wasn't sure what it would be classified when I looked at it because the subject matter and some of the lighting concerns seemed impressionistic to me, but not enough so that I would think it'd be considered impressionistic. They are definetely landscapes too and have a serene dreamy feel to them.
-It seems like he paints in this dreamy sort of way for the aesthetic appeal, as well as the emotions it conjures up in people. He seems to set out to create ideal, inviting spaces where one could escape and not have any problems or hardships. I think this is also contributes to his wide appeal that helps sell his work, which is something he wants to accomplish.
-Once again, I think this decision is based off of his desire to appeal to the masses by creating ideal, inviting spaces that people feel they can escape to and not have any problems or hardships. The scenes he choses also seem universal enough that many people probably can attatch memories to them or they could have some emotional significance for them.
4. -Did he ever go to art school?
-How did he get started as an artist with commercial affiliations?
-Does he really enjoy what he paints, or does he just do it because he knows people like it and will buy it?
-Why does he chose to paint in a dreamy sort of way?
-How does he chose his scenes?
2. -His work is meant to appeal to the masses and be widely distributed. I think I dislike that about his work.
-I wonder if he really likes painting these scenes or if he does so because he thinks it has such a wide appeal and he knows others will like it. I wonder what he'd paint if he painted what he really wanted to paint, without trying to appeal to the masses.
-I think he can paint very well, but don't like that he is motivated by the commercial side of distributing his artwork. To each his own though, who am I to say that that is any worse than other reasons people may chose to make art. Maybe if people really liked my work so much I'd want to pump it out and go commercial so that all who wanted could have it. Maybe he has good intentions behind going commercially.
-I think his paintings to seem to portray a "better time" that has passed when things were more simple and that may be why they appeal to so many people.
-His paintings do have a rather inviting feel to them.
-I wonder how he went about building such an extensive "empire."
-I like that in his mission he states ways he hopes his art will help others.
-Going back to art history, the availability/accessability of his artwork is probably a good thing so that everyone can own art and it is not just an elitist luxury.
-His work also doesn't require analytical skills, the "common man" can just enjoy it for its aesthetic quality, whether or not that's good I'm not sure, but it's a start at getting people into art.
-His marketing plans seem very well thought out and apparently he has quite a following.
3.-His art is considered contemporary art. I wasn't sure what it would be classified when I looked at it because the subject matter and some of the lighting concerns seemed impressionistic to me, but not enough so that I would think it'd be considered impressionistic. They are definetely landscapes too and have a serene dreamy feel to them.
-It seems like he paints in this dreamy sort of way for the aesthetic appeal, as well as the emotions it conjures up in people. He seems to set out to create ideal, inviting spaces where one could escape and not have any problems or hardships. I think this is also contributes to his wide appeal that helps sell his work, which is something he wants to accomplish.
-Once again, I think this decision is based off of his desire to appeal to the masses by creating ideal, inviting spaces that people feel they can escape to and not have any problems or hardships. The scenes he choses also seem universal enough that many people probably can attatch memories to them or they could have some emotional significance for them.
4. -Did he ever go to art school?
-How did he get started as an artist with commercial affiliations?
-Does he really enjoy what he paints, or does he just do it because he knows people like it and will buy it?
Place Project Notes Part B
I think my choice of media to go with my concept worked. However, for my skills it was not the most appropriate/effective media because drawing is not my strong suit. That aside, I think that my idea worked to portray my idea of "Old Huntersville" vs. "New Huntersville." During the critique, Melanie mentioned about making the facial expression of the farmer more angry and maybe give the cow horns to get across my anger about what they are doing, because it comes across kind of funny right now. I had thought it seemed kind of cutsy, which I think is largely due to my level of drawing ability, but I think if I were to change/add that that maybe it would change the mood of the piece. Professor Rothrock also mentioned studying political cartoons to see how they do things. I did look at some political cartoons before doing this piece, but making it look more n'sync with their style would also improve this piece. Overall, I thought it came out better than I had been expected and think it does portray what I was trying to portray.
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