Assignment #4 - Archtecture and Movies

Part 1

USC Horseshoe 

The element I chose at the USC horseshoe was the columns on the McKissick. These columns resemble those of the Greek architecture. The scroll top to each column classify them as Ionic. Columns are popular on many US buildings because American government follows the democracy of the Greek ideas. These six columns on the front of the McKissick not only embellish the design of the structure but support the building as well. Looking at these columns far away do not tell the whole story. It is not until you stand beside one of them do you fell like a miniscule object in this much bigger world.

Part 2

Movies

My visit to the local Nickelodeon was an enjoyable one! I watched the movie Coco & Igor which was the love story of the fashion mogul Coco Chanel and Russian composer/pianist Igor Stravinskt in 1920s Paris. One thing that grabbed by attention was the lack of dialogue in this film. Through this I realized that body language, movement, and actions say a million words. I believe the mood of the film was passionate one. The strong connection between Coco and Igor derived from somewhere deep with in them. In only a few meetings did they fall in love. The infidelity of Igor ignates great stress for him. The contrast of his two lovers his wife, a dependent woman, and Coco, an independent woman tore the composer apart. This was apparent in his darker, forte, complex sounds evoked on the piano and later in the Russian ballet through his love triangle. Eventually, Igor is wife-less but yet Coco and Igor could never be one. In the last few moments of Coco's life, she imagines herself in his original composed ballet. She recalls the love they share. And in this instance, across the world, Igor lifts his aged body out of bed and plays the once familiar tune on the piano- the driving force of their initial meeting.

Personally, the most interesting film element of this movie was the music. In my opinion, the music made the entire film. Was it because Igor was such an amazing composer? Might be. But in the first few scenes of the movie (when the Paris ballet attendants disapprove the Russian Ballet), the intense, emotion evoking music correlated with the chaos and rebellion in the theater. And throughout the movie, the piano's tune beneath Igor's fingertips correlated with the mood of the individual scenes.

In summary, the Nickelodeon was an awesome way to spend my Wednesday afternoon! I love the small feel of the theater which ultimately makes it a more personal experience. I also love the art films. I feel as though these differ from mainstream movies because the are not intended for money making entertainment. It's a deeper, richer film watching experience.

Assignment #3 - Art Critism

Visit to McMaster Art Gallery

     After class this last Wednesday, I visited the McMaster Art Gallery and viewed the show Delineate. This show consisted of about twenty pieces of art, manly drawings and paintings. If I were to describe what the curator wanted the viewer to see or what tied all the artwork together, I would say that the idea of human thoughts and ideas "delineated" the show. Unfortunately I didn't record names of all the pieces, but I clearly remember five or so that all had resembled one another with human thoughts, ideas, or fantasies. These five included the large portraits of a distressed woman, the contorted fairies on the back wall, the two pieces with two black spots with neuron looking lines, the dancer resembling an Indian woman, and the one I chose to critique, Zach Mory's Boxes.

Art Critique

Describe: The artist Zach Mory uses pencil on paper to create his drawing named Boxes. The drawing is approximately two square feet in size. This artwork is comprised of hundreds of boxes with each being a square millimeter. The are more like cubes, with shading and positions. The entire art is different shades of gray creating positive space, and a negative space of white. The boxes create form with a cluster beginning at the bottom left hand corner and dispersing into the upper right hand corner. There is no definite pattern of the boxes, but with a few areas, patterns begin to form then dissipate. 

Analyze: The contrast of the white and gray is clearly defined with the a sharp line, outlining the form of the individual boxes. The art has major depth exhibited by the shading of the boxes and presenting a three dimensional idea. The artwork flows from bottom left to upper right. The cluster of boxes at the bottom left are balanced with the individual boxes dispersed in the open space. I believe the viewer's mood would happen in two stages (at least it did for me). Morose was the first mood I gathered in viewing Boxes. The somber colors and the glance from far away did not give suggest tine boxes. But when looking close, the art almost presents a contemplative mood as it is studied closer.

Interpret: The artist's statement of Boxes displayed next to the drawing helps understand the meaning of this particular artwork. As he states, "my work focuses on simple beginnings not only in terms of materials, but in terms of the marks I choose to use for each piece as well." I think that he wants to send the message of intricacy. Maybe each intricate box is a metaphor for the intricate ideas and thoughts of the human mind and how quickly they can disperse. This artwork gives me the feeling of admiration. How can such a simple, everyday form, be used with rhythm, pattern and repetition to create such a wonderful, emotion evoking drawing? This drawing may present the social issue of conformity in society and how hard it is for an individual (box) to branch off, dare to be different, and thrive - alone.

Evaluate: I like this artwork! I think it is absolutely genius to take multiple boxes to create a giant, interesting image. I appreciate the time invested in Boxes as well. Also, I think that the viewer can correlate these boxes with many things in life as I did. In fact, I enjoyed this artwork so much, I researched Zach Mory and browsed his website. Along with Boxes I viewed about 30 of his drawings. And through this viewing I found the reoccurring theme of intricacy. I will definitely be bookmarking his website!

Assignment #2 - Aesthetics

1. In your own words, what is aesthetics?

     -Aesthetics is the relationship of cognition, perception and emotion. Anything one can touch, see, hear, taste, or smell can be an aesthetic. The best thing about the field of aesthetics is that it aesthetics can evoke an encompassing, overwhelming, breathtaking emotion stimulated by anything beautiful. 

2. What are the four domains of creativity?
     a) Fluency:
            Fluency is one domain of creativity. It means to have a steady flow of ideas
     b) Flexibility:
            This second domain of creativity is all about an unbiased idea. Flexibility is to be  flexible with you thoughts and ideas. By keeping an open mind, creativity has the change to infiltrate your ideas
     c) Originality: 
            Originality is the idea to ingenious with your ideas. To not replicate any previous ideas
     d) Elaboration:
            The last domain of creativity is elaboration. This is a continual process which suggest to continue embellishing your idea. Through this adding, you can improve it as well. 


3. Aesthetic Experiences...

     As I am thinking of a daily aesthetic experience, I am over come by my remembrance of my head cold. A virus in which causes my ever so normal throat to swell, itch, and inflame. And through this thinking phase I remember- I brought along a package of Halls Breezers. Now this Halls Breezer isn't the normal undesired cough drop, but yet, a throat soother. Mixed berry and cream to be exact. 

     I reach down to my bag all the mean while coughing and disturbing other library users. Once the container is in my sight I am overcome by the glowing image of the throat soother on the front of the packaging. And to my knowledge, the real life experience of this Breezer feels exactly like the sight of the glowing, God-sent medicine staring at me. 

     Pulling the gold encrusted paper in opposite directions, the Breezer twirls with elation to be let free of its  second packaging. And little does it know that its user is twirling with anticipation as well. First contact with my taste buds and my throat begins to ease and decompress. As I continue to sooth my throat, my thoughts are encompassed with childhood memories of the ever-so-desired cherry Dum Dum.