Blog 7

Kaprow, Art Which Can't Be Art

What I found most engaging about the Art Which Can't be Art article was definitely the section regarding the author's personal reflections on tooth brushing. The author commented on how their right-handedness caused them to always enter their mouth from that side, which is very similar to a thought I had just the other day. I wondered whether the fact that I always do the exact same thing had any measurable effect on my teeth and their state of being, since this would mean the same side of my teeth always get hit with more toothpaste. It was interesting to me to think about how the author of this article, who was attempting to look at things from a more artistic perspective, came to this same realization.

What I found most difficult in this article was the author's attempt to define art, or to talk about art like it is so easily defined. No matter how many people try to put it into a specified box, I have never thought of art as something that can really be so concretely defined. As I understand it, art is relative. One person can choose to declare something art, and others may or may not accept it as such. It was a little confusing to me why a person who claims to be an artist is so concerned with what mainstream society identifies as art.

Micro-Assignment 4

Micro-Assignment 4: Identity and Place

I chose the bench seen below for this assignment because it is one of my favorite places to sit in between classes when I get the chance. I lacked the technical skills and time to make this look more like what I actually wanted, but essentially it's supposed to be a silhouette of a person using a computer that, in real life, would have been painted onto the bench. It is supposed to be representative of me sitting there using my computer like I do all the time. I chose to represent my computer because while most of the time I am actually using my phone when I am on that bench and not my computer, I didn't think the tiny little phone would look very good and be very recognizable. There are two ways I would like to viewer to interact with the image. Once I am not around OSU any more, I would like for the viewer to be able to sit there and feel a sense of companionship, knowing that the image represents someone who used to sit there not long ago, who was going through and doing much of what they probably currently are. For the next 6 weeks, however, the image is meant to mark my spot and tell everyone to stay the hell away from my bench.

Micro-Assignment 3

Identity and Objects

In the unfortunate event that my house were to burn down, the following 5 items are the most likely candidates that I would attempt to save:

1) My computer

Very rarely does a day go by when I don't get on my computer. Being a college student, it has become a staple item helping to hold my life together. Even though most of the stuff on it is backed up elsewhere, I would still hate to lose it since i've put some much time into it, and spend so much time on it.

Words: Memories

2) My wallet

I would choose to save my wallet because it would probably be the most urgent item I would have to replace if I lost it. My money, credit cards, and ID alone are important enough and would be difficult enough to replace, but if I didn't have any other stuff and also didn't have those, i'd be in serious trouble.

Words: Security

3) My passport

Although I probably won't need it, it was a real pain to get in the first place, so i'd rather just not go through that again. 

Words: Convenience

4) My car keys:

If I already have my wallet and computer this wouldn't be as bad, but I feel like if i've lost everything else I would like to have my car keys so that I can get around to the many places I will now inevitably  need to go.

Words: Reliability

5) My black suit

While I likely won't need this, if I'm only going to own four other items, I might as well be able to walk around in style so that I don't look like the homeless but that I now am.

Words: Identity

I think that this final image shows my identity pretty well. I don't really have a lot of very sentimental items or objects, so if I were to have my worldly possessions stripped down to a bare minimum, I would generally prefer to have these few items above which would help me to keep my life functioning as normally as possible. I think the above items don't really show a lot about me as a person. They demonstrate the importance I place on keeping my life organized and in order, but they don't really show much about my personality or anything like that, at least not without maybe a little more explanation. 

Blog 6

Sullivan Feet in Smoke

I thought this was a very interesting article. The part which I found most interesting were the random bits of phrases and information the author recorded while his brother was recovering, and the way he portratyed them in the article. I like how he descibed it as, "It was like he was on acid,' but that wouldn't be quite true. Instead, he seemed to be living one of those imaginary acid trips we used to pretend to be on in junior high, you know, 'Hey, man, your nose is like a star or something, man.'" When I read this part, I instantly thought of all the times i've heard people who are pretending to be more drunk than they are try to say these type of steryotypical/hollywood esque drunk phrases to be funny. It's much funnier when you can tell it's natural, like the episodes the author recalled regarding his brother.

What I probably had the most trouble with from this article was the section regarding death. It's definitely a little strange that someone whose mind is so fried they can't even tell where they are would be able to comprehend that something like that had happened to them, so like the author I found this part a little unsettling. The references that his brother used as well, referring to Charon and the River Styx, was a little creepy too. This, and the unfortunate fact that i'm now all but certain i'll be a little uneasy the next time I told a microphone up to my mouth.

Micro-Assignment 2

My Journey to Class

I'll be the first to admit that my journey to class is typically less than spectacular. That being said, when paying extra attention there were a few noteworthy things I observed that I could post about. On the first day, I found the classroom relatively easily since the stadium is a hard landmark to miss. I wasn't sure where I was going to go once I got there, but there were plenty of signs up that directed me to the location of the classroom which made the navigation pretty easy. As of right now, I have walked to class every day and will likely continue to do so. My sense of sight was the most obviously activated of my 5 senses. I notice the standard things like cars, people, buildings and the like. The most likely visual cue that will stand out on any given day is if I see someone that I know that I don't typically see on my walk, since I make it at about the same time and walk the same route each day. My sense of smell is activated as soon as I step out of my house, because the house I currently live in is old and musty so I always look forward to heading out for a while to breathe some better air. The primary way my sense of touch is activated is by contact with the ground while walking. The primary sounds I hear each time I make the walk are those created by other people, no particular sounds usually really stand out to me, unless someone talks to me or talks near me. My sense of taste is most heavily activated by any gum I am chewing, which I sometimes put in before I get to class. I don't eat or drink anything on the way to class so if it's a good day, I probably won't have this sense activated by anything else.

There isn't much that makes my journey to class unique. One of the main things might be the pace of the trip. I am frequently told that I walk faster than most people and since it's a long, early walk this one is usually particularly brisk. I think walking by Fisher makes the walk a little more unique for me, since i've seen several people I know around that area on my way to this class. Going to the stadium makes my journey a little unique as well, since not too many people have class there. Lastly, I would say the fact that I don't listen to music on the walk helps. I like music as much as the next guy, but I purposefully don't listen to it during walks to class because I see so many people wearing headphones walking around like zombies oblivious to everything going on around them.

Below is my map. Notable icons include the monster, which is the mean old lady that lives next door to us and complains to our landlord about everything we do. The allied-territory smiley face indicates the fact that I usually see at least one person I know around that area of the trip/map when i'm headed to class. Lastly, the clock face symbol is representative of the fact that that part of the trip usually brings my average speed/pace down the most, because I have to sit and wait to cross Lane and High both ways (South and West).

Post 5

Blog 5: Wexner Review

Out of all the works that I looked at, I thought that the Blue Construction sculpture was the most interesting. The piece was confusing enough in form alone, but then the artist had to go and throw the blue coloring all over it to baffle me even more. I really couldn't make much out of it, or offer up any sort of reasonable interpretation for it. Yet, in spite of this, and for reasons that I wasn't really able to rationalize, I still found the piece interesting and semi-aesthetically pleasing.

It's hard to say what bothered me the most about this particular work. It was kind of all over the place, and every time I started to hone in on something that made me think, "yeah, i'll write about that for the 'what I liked the least' part of my blog post," I found myself suddenly distracted by something else that disturbed me about it. I like the work, but it also just kind of bothers me. I think what I actually like least is the name. Blue Construction. After looking at the piece, and realizing I forgot its name, I thought, "ok, i'll look at the name again and now that i've been studying the work for a while, the name should help me have an epiphany and figure this thing out." And it didn't. So yeah, the name is what I have the biggest problem with.

Micro-Assignment 1

Micro-Assignment 1

While obvious similarities did exist, my two photographing experiences were each distinctly unique. For similarities, there was the fact that I was using the same camera and taking the same number of pictures. Further more, all of my pictures are of pretty simple and similar scenes in both takes. The primary difference between the experiences was the amount of thought I put into each. For the first 10 photos, I just walked around and took photos of ten things I thought could make relatively interesting photos. The second 10 photos took a lot more mental preparation and planning. I had specific objectives and goals for each of the photos, so I had to have a relative idea of what I was going to shoot before I even pulled the camera up.

I think the 2nd set of photos was more enjoyable for me. I had a little more structure and direction for these photos, so it was easier to think about what would make an interesting shot since I had a defined framework to work within.

The 10th photo of my original 10 is my favorite (even though I couldn't get the lighting right :/ ) because, I mean come on, it's a skull with a mustache on it.......From the new set, I think the photo from the view of an ant is my favorite. I think that it is a kind of cool looking shot, and I also won a lot of basketball on that hoop this weekend.

Asymmetrical Image

Symmetrical Image

Radial Image

Person and their surrounding space

Person up close

Image from the point of view of an ant

Image from the point of view of a bird

Stable Image 

 Unstable Image

My name on campus

(Bulletin Board in Schoenbaum Hall)

10 Pictures

10 photos taken in/right outside of my house in Columbus

Post 4

Nipple Jesus

What I found most engaging in the article was the unique perspective and internal dilemma that the narrator had regarding the Nipple Jesus painting. As he said himself, "If i'd had read about 'Nipple Jesus' in the paper, or seen it on the news, i'd have thought it was wrong, no question. -- But it's more complicated when you actually stand by it all day." The narrator knows that like so many other individuals he would have innately been against the premise of this art work, but due to his unique situation he finds himself in a sort of moral quandary/dilemma, which makes for an interesting narrative.

The most troubling part of the story for me is the ending. There is so much build up throughout the entire story, and the author goes into so much detail on so many things. Then, they spend about 4 pages wrapping everything up with the destroying of the painting and the exhibiting of the movie. I thought that this did fit the context and style of the narrative, but it nevertheless did seem just a tad abrupt.