This week I present you with a challenge, to liven things up…
In your comments this week, draw connections between at least two different articles AND at least one event you’ve attended this semester. The idea is to provide your own original thinking, not merely a summary of an article. Let’s see if this makes your comments a bit more complex.
Add your comments to this post. And, please save your comments on your own computer, in case the blog crashes.
The two articles I choose to connect to, are “Inside Knowledge for All You Outsiders” Regarding the movies “Moneyball” and “Ides of March” with the article “From Wizards to Wallflowers in the Suburbs” which is about Emma Watson transitioning roles from Hermione in the Harry Potter movies to an actress in a new movie based on a novel called “The Perks of Being a Wallflower.” In the first article about the movies they were discussing about how even important people who have power are just like the rest of us proof would be how in the article it says, “They are driven, for the most part, by panic, instinct and wishful thinking. So in that regard they — the people with power, the insiders working the mechanisms that shape the world as we know it — really are just like the rest of us”. In the second article regarding Emma Watson, there is a quote where she says, “I did the prom! We all get dressed up and we go in a limo, and get photographs. It’s been really fun for me to get to graduate. Eating in the school canteen; all these things that I’ve always sort of said to my American friends, ‘Oh, that looks amazing, that looks so fun, I’m jealous.’ And I get to do it for this movie.” This means she wants to do everyday things that us “normal” people get to do but she never had the chance. This connects to the Lion King movie where Simba really loved the philosophy “hakuna matata” which meant no worries and it allowed him to escape for a while from his destiny of becoming king. It struck me as cool as to how both the articles I read and the movie I saw, show how everyone just wants to live life to it’s fullest, have fun and have great experiences.
In article, “An Old-Fashioned Date Can’t Beat A night Out Debating Reality TV,” Neil Genzlinger comments on how amusing and entertaining it was to watch a real live debate concerning the positives and negatives of watching reality television. In article, “Open Mike, Insert Verse,” David Orr also discusses the pros and cons of reading poetry out loud instead of reading it on paper. At first glance, these two articles have nothing in common. However, as you look closely, you can see that both articles point out the advantages of live entertainment. Both articles claim that with live entertainment, the audience members are more involved and invested in the performance, making it much more enjoyable. Like, the Chinese Puppet Show that I attended, it would have been much less exciting if I witnessed that performance through a television or movie screen. The audience would not have been so attuned to every move the puppeteers made and certainly would not have fed off of each other’s excitement and energy. Similarly, it is not the same if you just sit in a dark movie theatre and stare at the screen or even stay home and watch a TV show. That sort of entertainment lacks a certain charm to it, which is what these authors were trying to convey and what my experience at the Chinese Puppet Show proved.
I chose to compare “Vince Gilligan of ‘Breaking Bad’ Talks About Ending the Season, and the Series” and “New York’s Public Architecture Gets a Face-Lift.” The first article is about the decisions that the creator of the TV show made regarding the possible ending of his show and about the way the season finale played out. In the interview, Vince Gilligan answers questions about the last episode and the possibility of not having another season on AMC, so the improvisations he had to make to make the show work. The second article is about local libraries, fire houses, police precincts, and museums getting refurbished by the city’s Department of Design and Construction. These two articles are similar in that they discuss the improvisations that people make when they see that change may be necessary. In the case of Vince Gilligan, he had to improvise in his show by making the last episode of season 4 the possible series finale because he did not know if the show would be on AMC for another season. The Department of Design and Construction had to improvise old buildings to make them more current and attractive. This is a connection with the World Trade Center exhibit I went to in the International Center of Photography because it was full of photos of people that had to improvise their lives after the attacks changed them. Overall, these three experiences are all connected by the improvisations made and the positive changes that resulted from them.
The New York Time’s two obituaries “Joe Aceti, Director Who Shaped TV Sports, Dies at 76″ and Jagjit Singh, Reviver of Persian Ghazal Singing, Dies at 70” highlight the lives of two very different artists and their varied contributions towards their respective careers. Joe Aceti, sports television director, developed unique choreographic techniques in portrayal various sporting events such as college football and baseball. It was interesting to hear about his work and the subtle contributions he made to the way millions of americans watch their favorite sports game. Jagjit Singh, a famed Indian musician, transformed the fabled musical poetry called ghazal, making it palatable to wide-ranging audience of Indians and other south-central asians. Mr. Singh promoted the ancient art form allowing its beautiful prose to seep into mainstream Indian music, and introducing hundreds of aspiring indian musicians to a uniquely Indian sound. Reading the two articles about the lives of these individuals made me reflect back on the World Trade Center Memorial I visited. It is indeed an art form in itself the ability the reflect on someone’s life or a group of people for that matter. This is true whether it be into written form as these New York Time’s journalists were required to do, or into a physical manifestation such as that tasked to Peter Walker or Michael Arad, architects of the WTC Memorial. Those these obituaries were not as personal nor as solemn as the WTC Memorial, they still had to accurately represent the lives of two individuals in a respective and reflective tone. It is very interesting to see how people take out and learn things from the lives others had lived, and are able to internalize both their accomplishments and failures. My experience with the WTC Memorial confirmed this feeling I had had towards the reflecting on life, and now am I ever more aware of the difficulties and limitations encapsulating it.
How’s some pieces of art are easier to move than others! “How Do You Move a 340-Ton Artwork? Very Carefully” talks about moving a really big art project of Michael Heizer. While they’re dealing with such problems as weak roads and thanks-to-the-State-of-California ever changing route, the image of a boat pops up in my mind. There is no worries as long as you have wind or some disel on the board. The variety of art forms is so huge – ones are small, others big, some are easy to move, others are not.
While reading “Lines That Kept Moving and Knew No Boundaries” about Picasso, whom I adore, and his early paintings I found an amazing simile of the artist’s pencil line and a boat. If I’m to go further and farther there is a Regatta in front of me, what a painting it must have produced! And what regattas were in the souls, on the canvas of the great artists! Everything is connected in the world (otherwise it would fall apart), but what connections!
Articles “New York’s Public Architecture Gets a Facelift” and “Arab Art as an Early Indicator of Revolution” both speak about changes happening in the art world, all around the world and how these changes do more than just please the eye. In “New York’s Public Architecture Gets a Facelift”, the author talks about how “New York is gradually being remade”, mentioning that under David J. Burney, Mayor Bloomberg’s commissioner for the Department of Design and Construction, dozens of new, remodeled and refurbished libraries, medical centers, museums, homeless shelters, etc. are popping up all over New York, which increase the quality of street life around neighborhoods and the appearance of the city in general. The article “Arab Art as an Early Indicator of Revolution” talks about how Arab art reflected themes which were major causes of the revolutions in Egypt, Tunisia and Libya, such as social justice and freedom of speech. The revolution is also giving way to even more art exposure, as the article states “For years, the state regulated the arts and decided what artists should produce. Now, the revolution has energized artists, while also giving them hope and newly acquired freedom that they are still learning to work with.”
I found a connection between not only both of these articles, which discuss how art has created various social change around it, but also between the articles and our classes trip to the Highline Park and Chelsea Galleries. The Highline Park was a perfect example of what the first article spoke about – new architecture around New York making it a more inviting atmosphere improving the quality of life around it. The Highline did just that – it transformed an area once known for its unglamorous meat packing industries, into a bustling, green metropolis which people flock to. Similarly, drawing connection to the second article was the Pieter Hugo “Permanent Error” exhibition of photographs we saw at the Yossi Milo Gallery. These pictures, which depicted the outskirts of Ghana and the poverty there, which would hopefully bring awareness the what goes on beyond what’s outside our window and hopefully foster social change.
This weekend, I attended the New York Korean Music Festival, which was this huge event that starred top singers from Korea, enjoyed by fans Korean and non-Korean alike. One of the things I noticed about the younger female singers was the (over)use of blatantly selling s-x (the spam filter won’t let me post this word!), which is incredibly ironic of a society where the topic of s-x is extremely hush hush. The crowds love it, and Korean pop has definitely spread globally and looks to keep going. The article “Breaking Through the Synth Barrier” discusses the rising number of solo female synth artists who skillfully design their own music using synth technology, and also mentions the use of mysticism and sci-fictionish themes in their works. Obviously, this reflects how women are actively learning how to produce their own music and empower themselves in a scene that is male-dominated. Of course, the NYT is focusing on the Western world when it discusses the positive trend, but I wonder if either trend will have strong impacts in the other side of the world. The American music market definitely sells s-x through female singers, but I would say the Koreans have perfected the art of commercializing teen girls into s-xual, moneymaking powerhouses. Also, their culture is very intensely focused on mainstream music; Most underground/indie cultures in Korea rely heavily on Western influence, so I’d like to see what translates over the oceans, musically speaking.
Another interesting thing I noted at the Festival was the distinct lack of CDs. Even though this was a concert, featuring many different guests, I only saw one stand selling actual CDs. What would a concert be without the music? And yet, there were more food stands and even T-shirt stands than ones offering CDs. Granted, much of the popularity of Korean pop is based on “idol groups”, boy band and girl groups composed of good lookers rather than good singers, but half the performers were older musicians of strong reputation for their skills. So it made me happy to see “Vinyl Valhalla” in the Arts Section, which talks about the Superstar DJ Record Fair and WFMU, where vinyls, CDs, and other merchandise are sold. It was good to hear that the annual rate of shoppers has steadily risen, and people are still seeking to expand and explore their auditory tastes, even if the disks don’t offer pretty photoshopped pictures or music videos of trendy choreographed dance.
The New York Times Arts Section some of my favorite things, TV shows and theatre venues being the main ones. Even after I’ve read a few different articles in the last few months, one of the first articles I’ve read has made a lasting impression one me, and that is the scathing review of the modern Irish dance performance, I sometimes feel that I can’t really escape its influence even after I’ve been reading articles on entirely different subjects. The other article that I thought of to compare to my experience at the Medieval Festival was the article that brought up several important points on how the role of women and how they are portrayed in television has changed over there years and how it could even be possible that new shows such as Pan Am, The Playboy Club and possibly even Charlie’s Angels are actually a step backwards for how they are perceived.
I bring up these two articles not for their similarities to each other, but for their relevance to the festival. I like to think perhaps the angry reviewer would have preferred to see the more traditional performance of Irish step dancing that was exhibited on stage towards the end of the festival, the ladies wore laced bodices and soft-toed shoes while dancing to traditional Celtic melodies. One has to admit that the two are entirely different creatures even if they do in fact hark from the same culture.
Throughout the day, there were several different performances including a quaint little trial by combat between Robin Hood, Maid Marion, his band of Merry Man and the dastardly Sheriff of Nottingham. I hardly batted an eye when Marion picked up a sword and did battle with the Sheriff. The friend I was with actually brought up a very good point when he questioned at what point in the last few years her character had become a scrapped because in the traditional stories, she had always been the damsel in distress type. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that times had changed. The audience, young and old, male or female, no longer just sat back and accepted that she was a woman that would sit idly by and let Robin Hood rescue her. Which is very similar to what the aforementioned TV programs more less attempted to do with their heroines fighting crime and kicking ass in high heels or the women who wanted to take control of their lives by taking on jobs that they could make an independent and decent living off of.
As I was reading the New York Times Art Section I drew several connections between what was being discussed here and what I had seen as I attended various art events. Upon visiting various museums and exhibits throughout the last few weeks I haven’t truly realized how much work goes into putting these works of art on display. It was not until I read this week’s article, titled, “How Do You Move a 340-ton Artwork? Very Carefully”, that I realized how much work, risk and effort goes into arranging and perfecting a display of art. After reading this article, I thought back to my visit to the 9/11 exhibit at the International Center of Photography and realized what great risks the photographers took when capturing these photos from helicopters above the scene after 9/11. The immense collaboration on various accounts is incredible and similar to that discussed in this article. As one views a piece of art I think it is incredibly important to keep this in mind as it will take your appreciation to a whole new level. I realized this as I was viewing intricate artwork at “The Flinn Gallery”. The artist here had spent a great deal of time and contributed immense efforts to cut tiny designs out of paper and thus complete a picture out of the now cut-out pieces of paper. After reading this week’s article regarding the labor of moving the art work, I furthered my appreciation of “The Flinn Gallery” as I now recognize the immense labor involved in putting it on display. Another common theme could be financial risk. In this week’s art section, the aforementioned article discusses the skepticism the artist has gotten as the project will cost $10 million to complete. This same theme of financial risk applies to another article in this week’s section, titled “When Auction Estimates Go Haywire”, that discusses the risk of overestimating artwork and thus not receiving substantial funds for it. I now have a new appreciation for the great risk, labor and effort that goes into displays of art.
Baruch College definitely puts a strong value on academic integrity. With that said, I found the article “Beyonce accused of plaigarism over video” very interesting. It was different to see how society outside of the academia reacts to plaigarism in the form of art. Earlier today on ABC news the reporters were talking about this situation and according to Beyonce, the Belgian dance moves was one of the many sources of inspirtation. The debate lies in how does one differentiate between “inspiration” and “plaigarism.” Judging from the video, it seems more like plaigarism than inspiration. Not only are the dance moves strikingly similar, but so is the hair and wardrobe. This relates to another article that I read titled “Flaunting Youthful Naïveté.”
In this article, two solo dancers Heather Kravas and Jeremy Wade performed a dance routine. it stated that Heather used dance moves from the youtube videos of the Kassidy Chism routine. I found this fascinating because Heather was not accused of plaigarism even though it was obvious that she took these dance moves from other young girls. According to the tone of the article it sounds that Heather’s dance moves were praised not rejected. Perhaps, it is because with a big star like Beyonce it is expected that she will be unique and start a new dance craze. With a lesser known dancer like Heather Kravas it seems that it is okay for her to use other media sources and not be accused of plaigarism.
Both of these articles could be compared to the Chelsea galleries event. More specifically, in the gallery where all of the of the artwork was composed of lines on a canvas. I felt that it was very ironic that the viewer was not allowed to take pictures of the artwork, given its simplicity. Plaigarism whether in the academia or in the arts is a serious issue. No matter how simple the art may seem it is still the product of someone else’s hardwork and should be recognized as so.
The article on Joe Aceti was eye opening. Being an avid sports follower, I have never really questioned the evolution of camera work during the events I watch. Instead, I have merely excepted them. But after reading the article that outlines how Mr. Aceti changed something that I am very familiar with, it opened my eyes. The change, when viewed gradually is almost unnoticeable, but when viewing footage from ten years ago against some from the present, the change is shocking. In an another article that I could relate to, ‘Electronic Music That Plays to the Senses, Both Sound and Sight’, there is another change that I have overlooked. Electronic music is becoming more popular everyday, and for obvious reasons. The events that are drawing the largest crowds are not the mainstream singers anymore, it is the house music concerts that has all the attendants dancing and having a good time. These concerts are not just musical, but they also stimulate your sense of sight as well. The most expensive and desired concert ticket at the moment is Swedish House Mafia’s one night stand ticket at MSG, a concert that will feature not performers, but DJ’s. The music in demand is changing, and having attended one of Deadmau5’s six sold out shows last week, I can see why. It is not just music that concert goers are looking for, but instead they are looking for an experience.
In the articles, “Dazzling Ingenuity of the Dry Stone Wall” and “Electronic Music that Plays to the Senses, Both Sound and Sight” have many connections. Off the bat, a reader of each article might not see the relation because the former article is about a dry stone wall that was built to create a division in the land while the latter is about music that slowly transforms to a stimulation of senses. However, thinking beneath the surface, the viewer can decipher that these two art forms are one and the same. In one hand, you have a wall that is built from earth. On the other hand, you have a musician named Skrillex who creates beats. What connects the two is the fact that they are making something out of nothing. These two articles also tie in with my visit to the Metropolitan Museum of Art or the Met. It’s true that there are already existing art that displays in the museum, but what the Met conjures is the sense of culture. Good art is always the verdict of one’s perception, but there is no debate when art as a concept is made.
The movie reviews of ‘America the Beautiful 2’ and ‘Two Be Heard’ both focus on the struggles that people face. ‘America the Beautiful 2’ talks about the struggle models face due to the strict demands for weight loss in the industry. ‘Two Be Heard’ focuses on the struggles three underprivileged NYC teenagers face to enter a poetry competition and how that transforms their lives. I can relate this to myself because we all struggle from time to time. However, what is important is how we deal with our struggles and what decisions we make. Life is always going to present us with challenges; we need to know how to deal with these challenges.
This week I went to the Museum of Art and Design, and was exposed to a temporary collection of jewelry crafted by notable painters and sculptors. It reaffirmed my notion that art is expansive and ubiquitous; the expansion of a craft to nurture the creative spirit should be encouraged. This reminded me of an article I read sometime last week entitled “Can Anybody Be a Designer?” about the “modern” definition of design, and how it can be applied outside the conventionally creative fields. I really liked that article because the concept that it covered struck a chord with critics and enthusiasts alike. Many were excited with the direction that design was taking (a more globalized, politically, socially and envionmentally-oriented one), while others were skeptical and believed that a distinction had to be made between the arts and sciences. Just this morning, I came across Adam Nagourney’s article, “Los Angeles Claims Its Place on Art World Map”, which is also an article dealing with the expansion of art, this time in terms of location. New York has long been the capital of the art world not just in the United States, but arguably, the world. Los Angeles, a city unfortunately known for its “reputation of being more about tinsel than about serious art”, wants to go beyond the stereotype and, as the title suggests, claim its place as a serious art location align with New York. In fact, the city is vastly growing in terms of cultural interest. More top-notch art schools and museums are springing up, and enthusiastic young artists are relocating there because of the relatively cheap rent. Despite the potential difficulties of becoming a bustling art city (Los Angeles is more “sprawled out” than NYC, which makes it more difficult to have a concentrated art district), the fact that the city cares about its reputation and is working to better it with culture is noteworthy. Art and design are both relatively vague terms, but if used and applied to better a community (or even an individual life), then they obviously have a positive meaning, and I’m not sure if a concrete line has to be drawn between the conventionally artistic and the “creatively scientific”. I’m excited to see the meanings the words “art” and “design” expand and come in to the lives of all who welcome them.
The connection I can see between the articles I read and the Tesla Motors showcase is that society constantly changes and art reflect these changes.
This week in the New York Times, I found the article “Downsized and Downtrodden, Men Are the New Women on TV” really interesting for this reason. In my sociology class, my Professor always makes it a point that women have been a really opposed social group throughout history. On TV, however, the shows “Last Man Standing” and “Man Up” depict “oppressed” men in a female-dominated (which is a cool change from male-dominated sitcoms) . This also reminds me of other shows such as Modern Family and The Middle which respectively illustrate the diversity and averageness of some present day families.
The other article that showed how art changes as society does is the article “Wasteland of Mutants and Thugs.” The article shows how the game developer of Rage, id software, were actually the creators of the (first) First-person shooter. But now, Call of Duty and Battlefield have become the preferred games in the genre.
I was amazed that developers that adopted the genre have become better at making first-person shooters than the originators of it.
The two articles relate to the Tesla motors showcase we all saw in that they demonstrate art changing with the times. Just as Tesla Motors created electric super cars to appeal to eco-minded consumers, TV studios have created shows demonstrating changes in our society and video game developers have made their games reflect modern society.